Reading mode: Light Dark

Disappointing D7000

Go to last post
M

Mengkysan2708

Active member
Messages
60
Reaction score
3
Location
UK
I upgraded from a D70s to the D7000 recently and added a Nikkor 16-35mm VR lens ready for the move to full frame.

After hours of reading manuals, on-line tips and so on, I'm finding it very difficult to get good results - consistent or otherwise.

Almost all images are bland, and short on colour even on Vivid settings.

White balance seems to cater to the brightest area in the shot meaning subject is always darker than it should be. I have tried all manner of configurations but even on spot , if I point at my baby boy with a window slightly to the side and in the background, the white balance picks up the window light and makes my boy dark.

Images are generally dark even though meter reading is either telling me it is perfect or even slightly over exposed.

I used to shoot my D70s on "A" setting, but this makes images too dark or too over exposed on my D7000.

Every shot has to be adjusted heavily in Lightroom and then this makes the image look unnatural.

I'm wondering whether something is faulty with the camera / lens or the pairing of the two but I've only had both for 8 weeks.

I used to enjoy using my DSLR but now I am too frustrated to get it out as I just can't get good, clean, colourful, lively images.

If I want to shoot moving images (say my bouncing baby), the 1/125 setting means it's too dark even in lighting good enough for my point and shoot P300.

This is the other thing, my P300 on Auto takes better photos than my D7000 on Auto.

Can anyone give me some ideal settings for my D7000.... i.e what focus points should I be using .... AF-S, AF-A, AF-C etc etc.

All thoughts appreciated.
 
The camera is fine. The operator needs some adjustment.
The D7000 is quite a different animal than a D70(s).

--
Just another guy who takes pics.
 
Mengkysan2708 said:
I upgraded from a D70s to the D7000 recently and added a Nikkor 16-35mm VR lens ready for the move to full frame.

After hours of reading manuals, on-line tips and so on, I'm finding it very difficult to get good results - consistent or otherwise.

Almost all images are bland, and short on colour even on Vivid settings.
Click to expand...
Do you have an example so that we might better help?
Mengkysan2708 said:
White balance seems to cater to the brightest area in the shot meaning subject is always darker than it should be. I have tried all manner of configurations but even on spot , if I point at my baby boy with a window slightly to the side and in the background, the white balance picks up the window light and makes my boy dark.
Click to expand...
That sounds as though you are having an exposure issue and not a white balance issue. A white balance issue would be he keeps coming out yellow vs pink....not dark
Mengkysan2708 said:
Images are generally dark even though meter reading is either telling me it is perfect or even slightly over exposed.
Click to expand...
Again, an example out of camera JPEG unaltered will really help us help you.

Be sure to upload it with the option to allow download checked in you dpreview settings.
Mengkysan2708 said:
I used to shoot my D70s on "A" setting, but this makes images too dark or too over exposed on my D7000.
Click to expand...
"A" is for aperture. What aperture did you set?
Mengkysan2708 said:
I'm wondering whether something is faulty with the camera / lens or the pairing of the two but I've only had both for 8 weeks.
Click to expand...
We will know after studying the example EXIF
Mengkysan2708 said:
If I want to shoot moving images (say my bouncing baby), the 1/125 setting means it's too dark even in lighting good enough for my point and shoot P300.
Click to expand...
Then your aperture is to small for the lighting conditions at 1/125. Raise the ISO and all will be well.
Mengkysan2708 said:
This is the other thing, my P300 on Auto takes better photos than my D7000 on Auto.
Click to expand...
That is often the case as a DSLR requires a bit more work even in "auto" than a P&S
Mengkysan2708 said:
Can anyone give me some ideal settings for my D7000.... i.e what focus points should I be using .... AF-S, AF-A, AF-C etc etc.
Click to expand...
here is a start

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=37815130

They are just starting points and suggestions. Best to sit down with a beer and the manual as you go over these. Take it slow and only move on as you fully understand what each setting really means/does.
Good Luck
 
If your importing Raw into Lightroom, don't things turn out bland, irregardless of in-camera settings ?

Not a lightroom user, others will correct me.

But it sounds like you need a 'profile' set up.

??

Craig
 
Craig49 said:
If your importing Raw into Lightroom, don't things turn out bland, irregardless of in-camera settings ?

Not a lightroom user, others will correct me.

But it sounds like you need a 'profile' set up.

??

Craig
Click to expand...
They can turn out bland if you don't set up the "Import settings" correctly. There are many preconfigured settings for various typical renderings (lightroom's equivalent to Nikon's Picture Settings). Some of them are approximations to the camera vendor's picture controls, save things like ADL. If you want a real shock, switch from "Auto Tone" on input to "Zeroed" and watch how dull and lifeless and soft the picture becomes. There is magic in the tonal response curves you set. Gamma=1 is not for viewing...
 
No, i am sorry, but it does not sound like is user error. There might be something wrong with the camera. Bland colors??? Even on vivid??? are you kidding me?

With just a slight increase of color and saturation the colors pump up easily in this camera.Return it and get a different one.

Unless the user has eye problems, otherwise sounds like a faulty camera.
 
Put it on "Auto" and take some test shots, including outside in decent light. If they come out OK, then you probably have an issue with the settings. If "Auto" can't take good pictures, you may have a defective camera.
 
To me I think best bet if follow Mako's advice and give us an example, everything else is just conjecture from the others. I'm guessing the camera really needs to be set-up differently and used in a different manner, but can't really tell for sure unless we can see some examples.
--
Herby
 
I doubt that someone who says he had had already been using a D70 wouldn't be able to get a proper
Exposure.... Even if having to use EC.

Something Is not quite right.. Am I getting cynical in my old age... Perhaps

No photo to upload?

There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.' :'!':
 
What we have here is either, a camera that should be returned to the store, or a "photographer" who should go back to the D70s, and maybe both.
 
mistermejia said:
No, i am sorry, but it does not sound like is user error. There might be something wrong with the camera. Bland colors??? Even on vivid??? are you kidding me?

With just a slight increase of color and saturation the colors pump up easily in this camera.Return it and get a different one.

Unless the user has eye problems, otherwise sounds like a faulty camera.
Click to expand...
If he's shooting raw Lightroom won't care if he shot vivid in camera. I'd like to know if there's any difference looking at the files in ViewNX2.
 
Yeah, it almost sounds like he' shooting in Raw, and doesn't know the difference, although you would think so having had a D70s.
 
Though I'm not the original poster, I had the same experience. Yesterday was my first outing with my used D7000. Here's a pic that resized only using Preview on my Mac. The next is the same pic after opening Picassa and hitting the "I feel Lucky" button. When I opened all of these pics in Lightroom and while they are loading, they briefly appear vibrant and the way I remember them when I shot, then they convert to blah once they are done loading.







 
I shot raw. D7000, Ap priority, f/4.0, ISO 200, 1/2500, 130mm (Tamron 70-200), with circular polarizer.

Also, some pics did open in lightroom and color was perfectly vibrant.

I just can't figure what was different between them.
 
I'm new to lightroom and have the same issues. As they import they look great but then turn bland. Now when I develop them so to speak I can get them to pop again. I was actually researching the bland look when I saw this thread

What are we doing wrong here?
jnosacka said:
Though I'm not the original poster, I had the same experience. Yesterday was my first outing with my used D7000. Here's a pic that resized only using Preview on my Mac. The next is the same pic after opening Picassa and hitting the "I feel Lucky" button. When I opened all of these pics in Lightroom and while they are loading, they briefly appear vibrant and the way I remember them when I shot, then they convert to blah once they are done loading.







Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top