Upgraded D80 to D7k? I need your advice!

Hi all

I'm happy with my D80, and looking to upgrade. I'd love to here from you D80 and D7k owners for your input on your upgrade.

• Is the video useful for family clips?
• Are your lenses from the D80 satisfying on your D7k? Did you have to get new ones?
• What do you love most over the D80? What do you miss?

I'm looking at D7k for:

• Better high ISO for concert photography
• Video for kids / family clips
• Weather sealing for traveling
• Custom mode

Like others, I get nervous by reports of the D7k being "less forgiving" with consumer lenses and by reports of mirror slap vibrations etc. Bottom line - I want to see my money spent on improving my photos.
My current lenses:

• Nikkor 18-200VR (Gen1)
• Tamron 17-50/2.8 no motor
• Tamron 90mm macro no motor
• Nikkor 50/1.4D. Up for sale, as I don't like it.

Now, I have to make up my mind soon. I'm going traveling and if I buy one.

T H A N K Y O U !

Background: I've owned the D80 and D90, now own the D7K (along with a D300 and D700).

JohnnieD said:

Hi all

I'm happy with my D80, and looking to upgrade. I'd love to here from you D80 and D7k owners for your input on your upgrade.

• Is the video useful for family clips?

Click to expand...

I haven't tried D7K video. No doubt it's "much" improved, but my experience with the D90 was "adequate" -- a nice gap filler, but not a subsitute for the ease of use and cleaner video I can get from a camcorder.

JohnnieD said:

• Are your lenses from the D80 satisfying on your D7k? Did you have to get new ones?

Click to expand...

If all you have are kit-level lenses, you should plan to improve your gear in the long term. The D7K will be more demanding of your lenses. However, I am shooting with the 16-85 and getting outstanding results, as are many people with the 18-105. See my comments below.

JohnnieD said:

• What do you love most over the D80? What do you miss?

Click to expand...

Just about everything: terrific low noise performance, better AF, larger LCD, faster operation overall, ... and on, and on. With the D90, I missed ISO 100. With the D7K, now I have it again.

I don't miss a thing about the D80, though some prefer its out-of-camera color for JPGs. Since I PP my photos, that's a non-issue for me.

JohnnieD said:

I'm looking at D7k for:

• Better high ISO for concert photography
• Video for kids / family clips
• Weather sealing for traveling
• Custom mode

Like others, I get nervous by reports of the D7k being "less forgiving" with consumer lenses and by reports of mirror slap vibrations etc. Bottom line - I want to see my money spent on improving my photos.
My current lenses:

• Nikkor 18-200VR (Gen1)
• Tamron 17-50/2.8 no motor
• Tamron 90mm macro no motor
• Nikkor 50/1.4D. Up for sale, as I don't like it.

Click to expand...

The only one that will struggle there is the 18-200. It didn't do very well for me on the D80, so the D7K is only bound to bring that out more. I'd say judge for yourself. Maybe you have an exceptional copy of the 18-200.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seeking the heart and spirit in each image



Gallery and blog: http://imagesbyeduardo.com
Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22061657@N03

I use the 18-200vr also 1st generation and it does a nice job on the D7k.

Also video seems to be good although, admittedly I am a still photographer and just do the video for fun so I'm not that particular about it, also have a dedicated camera for my video work.

You will enjoy the D7k for many reasons, it's one of Nikon's finest offerings to date.

And can't tell you how happy I am, the D7k is a much better camera in all aspects.

I ran a few comparisons while I still had the D80 with me (it was given as a present to older daughter), check the various posts in this thread:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=38538537

Re lenses, it's working perfectly with all of them, but since the 18-70 went with D80, I decided to invest a little bit and got a Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 OS (stabilized) for about 650USD to go with it. It's working also very well with taht lens, here's a basic portrait in ambient light, basically ooc with a WB balance adjustment (5200 to 4800K) and exposure matching, left is using Portrait Mode and right is Neutral, from same RAW file, no further adjustment. Sigma at 45mm, 1/60, f/4, at 44mm:



--
Renato.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/
OnExposure member
http://www.onexposure.net/

Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)

JohnnieD said:

I'm happy with my D80, and looking to upgrade. I'd love to here from you D80 and D7k owners for your input on your upgrade.

• Is the video useful for family clips?

Click to expand...

It sure is.

JohnnieD said:

• Are your lenses from the D80 satisfying on your D7k?

Click to expand...

Absoutely. With the same lenses (18-200, 35mm-1.8, 50mm-1.8 and 50mm-1.4) I was allready very happy with the D80 results, but the D7K results are a visible improvement. I get very sharp results with visibly more detail.

Personally I find the whole "consumer lenses are not good enough for the D7K alike sensors" very much exagerated. Sure, facts and graph will say that some consumer lenses are maybe on the limit of how much a lens needs to resolve for these new sensors, but that are the lab results tests. I'm sure such facts are true, but you always have to wonder how valid such facts are in real use. My results so far, after upgrading, say that for my lenses, I still see a clear improvement in overall IQ.

I've used lenses like the 24-70 a while back (rented one) and such lenses simply produce better results on any camera, more consistent and are reliable behaviour across the whole zoom range and or course the advantage of being able to use wider apertures. That's what you pay the big premium for and for those who need it, it's worth it. But for everyday and travel as you mention, even with consumer lenses, the D7000 will be a step up in IQ from the D80.

JohnnieD said:

Did you have to get new ones?

Click to expand...

Nope, at least not because of your previous question. I did get the 50mm-1.4 and got a new 18-200 (my old one is still on my D80 my girlfriend now took over).

JohnnieD said:

• What do you love most over the D80?

Click to expand...

The overall handling is much better, being able to use the Cl and Ch for bursts, the button for changing the AF, having video(!) and high ISO results are much better.

JohnnieD said:

What do you miss?

Click to expand...

Only thing I can think of is that the grip is less "deep" on the D7K then on the D80. On the front where you place the fingers of your right hand. I liked the slightly deeper grip as I have bigger hands.

JohnnieD said:

I'm looking at D7k for:

• Better high ISO for concert photography
• Video for kids / family clips
• Weather sealing for traveling
• Custom mode

Click to expand...

JohnnieD said:

Like others, I get nervous by reports of the D7k being "less forgiving" with consumer lenses and by reports of mirror slap vibrations etc.

Click to expand...

No need at all. At least not from what I can say based on my own experience.

JohnnieD said:

Now, I have to make up my mind soon. I'm going traveling and if I buy one.

Click to expand...

I would advise you yo get your camera (whatever you should choose) well before leaving so you have time to get to know your camera. Better to find out the tips n tricks at home, then having to mess around when you're on a nice location

My Gen I 18-200 works great on my D7000. My D7000 is no more difficult to use than my D50 and D90. The only problem with mine is it shoots oil onto the sensor.

Much appreciated!

Indeed, I feel my 18-200 lags behind my Tamron 17-50 in terms of IQ - sharpness, colors, etc, and the wide angle distortion is terrible. But of course the range is unbeatable.

Seems like D7k is the way to go with my current lenses. Thanks!

How do other people response with no text? I keep getting an error message.

Peter v.d Werf said:

Peter v.d Werf said:

• Are your lenses from the D80 satisfying on your D7k?

Click to expand...

Absoutely. With the same lenses (18-200, 35mm-1.8, 50mm-1.8 and 50mm-1.4) I was allready very happy with the D80 results, but the D7K results are a visible improvement. I get very sharp results with visibly more detail.

Click to expand...

Good to hear that, especially with 18-200.

Peter v.d Werf said:

Personally I find the whole "consumer lenses are not good enough for the D7K alike sensors" very much exagerated. Sure, facts and graph will say that some consumer lenses are maybe on the limit of how much a lens needs to resolve for these new sensors, but that are the lab results tests. I'm sure such facts are true, but you always have to wonder how valid such facts are in real use. My results so far, after upgrading, say that for my lenses, I still see a clear improvement in overall IQ.

Click to expand...

This is exactly what I was hoping to hear.

Peter v.d Werf said:

Peter v.d Werf said:

Did you have to get new ones?

Click to expand...

Nope, at least not because of your previous question. I did get the 50mm-1.4 and got a new 18-200 (my old one is still on my D80 my girlfriend now took over).

Click to expand...

This will probably happen to my D80 too ;-)

Peter v.d Werf said:

Peter v.d Werf said:

• What do you love most over the D80?

Click to expand...

The overall handling is much better, being able to use the Cl and Ch for bursts, the button for changing the AF, having video(!) and high ISO results are much better.

Peter v.d Werf said:

What do you miss?

Click to expand...

Only thing I can think of is that the grip is less "deep" on the D7K then on the D80. On the front where you place the fingers of your right hand. I liked the slightly deeper grip as I have bigger hands.

Click to expand...

Ouch! This sounds like a real problem. I have big hands and my D80 is almost borderline. I LOVE the D300 grip, but I dislike the weight. I need a compact-ish body for travel, concerts and even family events. The bigger the camera, the more likely it will stay at home. This may be bad news. I'll have to pick one up at a local store before buying.
Thanks for the valuable tip!

Peter v.d Werf said:

Peter v.d Werf said:

I'm looking at D7k for:

• Better high ISO for concert photography
• Video for kids / family clips
• Weather sealing for traveling
• Custom mode

Click to expand...

Peter v.d Werf said:

Like others, I get nervous by reports of the D7k being "less forgiving" with consumer lenses and by reports of mirror slap vibrations etc.

Click to expand...

No need at all. At least not from what I can say based on my own experience.

Click to expand...

Did you try taking pictures in the "problematic zone" under 1/125 handheld with a telezoom? (18-200 @200)? Reports on some models sound very real.

Peter v.d Werf said:

Peter v.d Werf said:

Now, I have to make up my mind soon. I'm going traveling and if I buy one.

Click to expand...

I would advise you yo get your camera (whatever you should choose) well before leaving so you have time to get to know your camera. Better to find out the tips n tricks at home, then having to mess around when you're on a nice location

Click to expand...

Always a good policy. Thanks for all the useful info!

Good luck with getting the oil problem fixed.

The D80-D7000 is priceless! I wish more people did similar comparisons. Maybe I'm to be next ;-) I actually saw very little difference, but I did see an improvement.

Any thoughts about the mirror slap issue? I'd love to hear your angle on this possible fault of the D7k.

The portrait comparison is impressive. Personally I mostly use P modes (A/M/P) and tend to skip the auto modes. How did you apply portrait and neutral mode in PP from the same RAW? My raw processing skills are very basic.

Thank you!

JohnnieD said:

Hi all

I'm happy with my D80, and looking to upgrade. I'd love to here from you D80 and D7k owners for your input on your upgrade.

• Is the video useful for family clips?
• Are your lenses from the D80 satisfying on your D7k? Did you have to get new ones?
• What do you love most over the D80? What do you miss?

I'm looking at D7k for:

• Better high ISO for concert photography
• Video for kids / family clips
• Weather sealing for traveling
• Custom mode

Like others, I get nervous by reports of the D7k being "less forgiving" with consumer lenses and by reports of mirror slap vibrations etc. Bottom line - I want to see my money spent on improving my photos.
My current lenses:

• Nikkor 18-200VR (Gen1)
• Tamron 17-50/2.8 no motor
• Tamron 90mm macro no motor
• Nikkor 50/1.4D. Up for sale, as I don't like it.

Now, I have to make up my mind soon. I'm going traveling and if I buy one.

T H A N K Y O U !

Click to expand...

I don't shoot video so I'll leave that to others. I think the biggest improvement for me between my D80 and D7000 is much better ISO noise performance. I don't like the noice on my D80 past ISO 800, actually didn't care for it at 800 either but if you have to shoot there than it was acceptable.

I've shot my D7000 up to ISO 2000 and thought the noise level was much beter than than the D80 at ISO 800. I suspect that I'll be happy with the D7000 at ISO 3200 and possibly above. So thats at least 2 stops better for me and that invaluable in concert/ low light photography.

IMO if you lens works for you on your D80 it will be fine on your D7000 for normal viewing. It's when you pixel peep that you'll see a difference.

Other things I like about the D7000 over D80 are
1) better high ISO
2) metering with manual focus lenses
3) Live view for focusing during macro shots and with my 500mm mirror lens

4) I also like that the camera settings are available on the back LCD (like the top lcd) by pushing the info button.

5) 2 SD card slots are nice for those long shoot and because the RAW files are a lot larger than the D80.

D7000 works great with my Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 and 90mm f2.8 macro and my 50mm f1.4 sits unused as it's not a focal length I find I use a lot on DX.

--
Snapshott

Peter v.d Werf said:

Peter v.d Werf said:

• Are your lenses from the D80 satisfying on your D7k?

Click to expand...

Absoutely. With the same lenses (18-200, 35mm-1.8, 50mm-1.8 and 50mm-1.4) I was allready very happy with the D80 results, but the D7K results are a visible improvement. I get very sharp results with visibly more detail.

Personally I find the whole "consumer lenses are not good enough for the D7K alike sensors" very much exagerated.

Click to expand...

Peter, this is spot on. The D7000 makes all your lenses look better. The lack of noise and superior resolution are the two big factors in play with the D7000/D5100/A55/K5 group, and it is a revelation. The massive 14 bit raw files allow for an incredible amount of latitude in post as well.

I took the 18-200VR on a trip to Toronto last week, not wanting to drag the whole twenty pounds of lenses and accessories with me, and I'm well satisfied with the results. Not one shot out of focus or irretrievably overexposed, but then I have exposure comp set down .5 stop, which I recommend and I check the histo frequently. I can't tolerate a blown sky.

Not quite as sharp as primes, perhaps, but well within my tolerance. I used the 200 setting quite a bit, too. Click on "original" for max quality if you'd like to pixel peep:





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I went from D200 to D90 to D7000. IMO, the video is much improved over the D90, and I was more than happy with the D90 video. It isn't on a par with a camcorder, but I have a Sony when I need it.

I have large hands also, but the D7000 is not hard to hold.

I have never used a D80, but I understand they are great cameras. That said, time and technology march on, and you will enjoy the D7000.
--

'A man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on.'
Winston Churchill

JohnnieD said:

I'm looking at D7k for:

• Video for kids / family clips

Click to expand...

I didn't come from a D80, so I won't touch that. I will just say my experience with video on the D7000 is sort of on the fence. For short clips of a kid doing something funny and not moving terribly, it meets my desires. For anything with reasonable amount of motion, don't trade in the digital camcorder. The video still leaves a lot to be desired as far as focus tracking. Admittedly, I didn't buy my D7000 with any care towards video, so I've just been using it at times to mess around and see what it can do and as I said, in a pinch, just to capture a video moment I would certainly use the D7k and be happy with the result, but for anything more than that, I make sure to take the digital camcorder with me. It's easier to accomplish simple things with it, especially for subjects in motion.
--
Push the button more--that's a start.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crankerchick/

Same lenses! Very helpful info, Thank you!

My Tamrom looks great on the d7000 but won't auto focus in LV so it's use for me is limited.

The d7000 is capable of producing very nice video but not in the hands of a novice. I think it's more a tool for the experienced vidographer and artist than for the home movie shooter who is just looking for point and shoot simplicity .

I remember this happened before for old Sigma lenses with new Nikon cameras, and Sigma offered updating the lenses.

Any similar updates expected from Tamron?

The D7000 is not great for videos of fast moving kids unless you stop down for a larger DOF. The contrast AF is too slow. But the shallow DOF, HD quality, ability to use different lenses, etc make the video look very good.

For me I like that I have a videocam built into my DSLR - one less thing to carry and I am only interested in creating short clips. I used to record hours on my camcorder and nobody watched them...

Here is a video showing what can be done - amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygchC_NdDxI

JohnnieD said:

I remember this happened before for old Sigma lenses with new Nikon cameras, and Sigma offered updating the lenses.

Any similar updates expected from Tamron?

Click to expand...

I sent mine off to Tamron today... they didn't offer any update, only standard "repair".