3rd D7000 - Tests In Store...

[Gunzorro]

Not a plush doll. Get some objects with defined edges and flat planes to focus on.

 

[Jogger]

Seems like its user error, more than anything. I bet you return the third one as well. Just dont bother and go buy some other brand/store.

Hi all,

I'm taking back my second D7000 to the store for a 3rd replacement on Wednesday due to backfocus / soft images (also confirmend by store manager). I'm going to test this camera in store, as opposed to taking it away like I did with the second one. Since I won't have the luxury of a week's shooting, what kind of shots/settings would you suggest? I'm thinking something like a small teddy bear, that has a decent amount of detail in the fibers, possibly a test chart - mounted on a tripod?

(Also, wondering what you would suggest if this 3rd camera also exhibits the same problems, which I'm praying it doesn't. Refund, off to Nikon service etc...)

Many thanks,
CDL

 

[Patco]

Seems like its user error, more than anything. I bet you return the third one as well. Just dont bother and go buy some other brand/store.

For the time being, I reserve judgment on the alleged AF issue.
I find it curious that so many reports could be attributed to user error.
It's not unthinkable that there may be some problems with certain early batches.

As two the samples used by DPR for their review were sent to them directly from Nikon, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have the focus problems some seem to be experiencing ;-)

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[antoineb]

just got mine today and was curious to test it, and the D7000's AF - what can be more demanding than f1.4?

observations so far:

• lens focuses very precisely. any not perfectly focused shots are either caused by user error or subject movement, given the paper-thin DOF. Suggests that the D7000 CAN indeed focus fairly well, w/o any micro-adjustments. AF speed is FAR BETTER than the 35mm f1.8, but slower than 18-200mm 3.5-5.6. Pretty good considering how much glass must move, and how precise the AF must be for good results

• I get good AF results BOTH in AF-S Single Point, AND in AF-C and 3D for better tracking of slightly moving subjects

• manual focus is also a joy though, given the mechanical quality of the lens

bokeh indeed seems very smooth but didn't have interesting backgrounds here to show it melting away

• below is one sample. It's among the better ones but not the best, and the average quality is definitely there

http://www.flickr.com/photos/antoinebach/5224156851/lightbox/

 

[jbarber]

Patco

I am with you on the D300s being debugged now so last week I bought one to go with my D90. After a week of playing and testing I can't find a single thing wrong. It's a wonderful camera. The store tried to push the D7000 but I wanted the bigger body and it was $10 more than the D7000.

James

 

[richarddd]

Seems like its user error, more than anything. I bet you return the third one as well. Just dont bother and go buy some other brand/store.

As I've mentioned earlier in this thread, look at the pictures he posted - the shots with liveview were sharp, the shots with OVF were not. Please explain how user error could cause this.
--
http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

 

[antoineb]

with the D300 I owned briefly back in 2007, it seems to me that I was getting decent results, including on fairly difficult subjects for a newbie like BIF's, pretty much with any of the lenses I had (18-200 VR, 85mm 1.8, 50mm 1.8).

with the D7k, I don't know whether it's the 16mp instead of 12mp, or the AF, but it seems that the keeper rate I get, depends much more on the lens.

and clearly, the 35mm f1.8 is NOT very good at focusing, either speed, or precision.

 

[Patco]

Patco

I am with you on the D300s being debugged now so last week I bought one to go with my D90. After a week of playing and testing I can't find a single thing wrong. It's a wonderful camera. The store tried to push the D7000 but I wanted the bigger body and it was $10 more than the D7000.

Good for you!

It's a great proven camera, and with the price where it is now, I'm quite tempted.

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[ocrampix]

Nikon are expecting AF issues, that is why they have incorporated an AF Fine Tune feature in the D7000 for lo and behold 12 lenses!

If your camera has a slight back-focus problem, simply fine tune it.
Problem solved.

And once again Marco brings peace to Earth.

Marco
--
http://www.flickr.com/front_curtain

 

[antoineb]

at first based on the FUD forums I thought that there was a front/back-focus issue w my 35mm f1.8

so I tried adjusting using the micro-adjustment feature, from -20 to +20 in steps of 5.

what did I get? An unchanged keeper rate.

so the problem was elsewhere

so I started off with tripod, timer release, on objects. Got some fairly sharp shots, as sharp in AF as what I was able to get, best case, with manual focus. Hmmm.

so I had to try other lenses. So I tried the 18-200 VR, and just today I received the 85mm 1.4G and also tested it.

my conclusion?

• the D7000 does NOT seem to have a front/back-focus issue. Nikon do include the feature but frankly, I think it's more for piece of mind
• the 35mm f1.8 is slow to AF, noisy to AF, and its AF is not very precise. On the other hand it's relatively cheap, and has a fairly nice bokeh

 

[David Lal]

I'm going to blame you Patco! After your response to me above, I took a look at the D300s ... and it is very tempting. On paper the D7000 might be a bit more tempting but you hit the nail on the head with that proven word. It looks to me that buying a D7000 is a lottery at the moment, notwithstanding the euphoria of some new-owner posts. Caveat emptor .

David

Patco

I am with you on the D300s being debugged now so last week I bought one to go with my D90. After a week of playing and testing I can't find a single thing wrong. It's a wonderful camera. The store tried to push the D7000 but I wanted the bigger body and it was $10 more than the D7000.

Good for you!

It's a great proven camera, and with the price where it is now, I'm quite tempted.

 

[cdlftw]

Seems like its user error, more than anything. I bet you return the third one as well. Just dont bother and go buy some other brand/store.

User error how?

Just because your camera doesn't have the same problems, doesn't mean anything. If it's user error, how can I get tack sharp images from LiveView - it's still me taking the shots! In the example pics I posted I took ONE LiveView picture and TEN OVF shots, and picked the best OVF to compare to the ONE LV pic.

 

[richarddd]

User error how?

Just because your camera doesn't have the same problems, doesn't mean anything. If it's user error, how can I get tack sharp images from LiveView - it's still me taking the shots! In the example pics I posted I took ONE LiveView picture and TEN OVF shots, and picked the best OVF to compare to the ONE LV pic.

I've made this point to three posters claiming user error. That no one has responded might tell you something.

If OVF was sharp and LV not, I'd say it was probably due to better bracing from holding against your face. I can't think of any reasonable explanation for LV being sharper other than camera error. Or are you using a tripod?
--
http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

 

[cdlftw]

richarddd wrote:

I've made this point to three posters claiming user error. That no one has responded might tell you something.

If OVF was sharp and LV not, I'd say it was probably due to better bracing from holding against your face. I can't think of any reasonable explanation for LV being sharper other than camera error. Or are you using a tripod?

Sorry Richard, just noticed that.

I have tried with and without a tripod, but it hasn't had any impact on the focus problem. The examples I posted are all taken without a tripod.

I didn't get chance to get to the store yesterday (the massive amount of snow we had in the UK didn't help) - but I'm going this afternoon in an hour or so... so I'm keeping my fingers firmly crossed.

 

[Patco]

Sorry, David! (Nah, not really ;-))

As my D80 is serving me well at the present time, I believe I will wait for the "D400" (or whatever it might be called) announcement, which should force the D300s price to even lower levels.

I'm going to blame you Patco! After your response to me above, I took a look at the D300s ... and it is very tempting. On paper the D7000 might be a bit more tempting but you hit the nail on the head with that proven word. It looks to me that buying a D7000 is a lottery at the moment, notwithstanding the euphoria of some new-owner posts. Caveat emptor .

David

Patco

I am with you on the D300s being debugged now so last week I bought one to go with my D90. After a week of playing and testing I can't find a single thing wrong. It's a wonderful camera. The store tried to push the D7000 but I wanted the bigger body and it was $10 more than the D7000.

Good for you!

It's a great proven camera, and with the price where it is now, I'm quite tempted.

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[richarddd]

Sorry Richard, just noticed that.

Those claiming user error are the ones who should either be sorry or come up with an explanation

I have tried with and without a tripod, but it hasn't had any impact on the focus problem. The examples I posted are all taken without a tripod.

I didn't get chance to get to the store yesterday (the massive amount of snow we had in the UK didn't help) - but I'm going this afternoon in an hour or so... so I'm keeping my fingers firmly crossed.

Good luck!
--
http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

 

[antoineb]

I'm intrigued by your LV vs OVF comparison:

• how do you hold the camera in each case? Could there be a big difference, with you using a more stable hold to be able to view the screen (normally this needs to be the case, as it's painful to balance the camera when away from the eye)? Are you ripping the shutter-release less?

• have you (also) done tests using a tripod?

• when in LV, do you use the contrast-detect AF, or manual focus?

• when using the OVF, do you use Single point, or Multiple point? If you use multiple point this could be a problem if shallow DOF due to fast aperture, as the camera will average over a few points.

 

[antoineb]

if you're going to anguish of MINUSCULE CROPS, then you need to be taking very precise precautions at each step along the way, starting with:

• tripod. And it needs to be a sturdy model and all screws etc must be tight. If you are handholding, your position is BOUND to be different between OVF and LV, there's no way around that. And if you're handholding, unless you're using VERY fast shutter speeds (at least 1/350th) then there's no point attempting to anquish about such tiny crops

• timer release

• if a VR lens, make sure you don't have it turned on for one shot, and turned off for the other, or vice-versa (I'm sure you've checked this of course)

 

[antoineb]

Look here. I took the picture of the napkin ring, which I think looks reasonably sharp for most practical purposes and at 100% (note that it's a 9mp image not 16mp).

I then cut a tiny crop in the same fashion you do, 1 10.2th one way, 1 / 7.6th the other way.

I get the crop below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/antoinebach/5226831084/

I think someone having read to much FUD posts about AF issues with the D7000, could easily use that crop to suggest that there is a big issue here. ESPECIALLY IF THAT PERSON LOOKED AT IT AT MORE THAN 100% !!

(I'm sure you know that: but if you look at a picture at anything beyond 100%, you're not looking at something real, at least not something you should try to draw conclusions from).

 

[Patco]

Look here. I took the picture of the napkin ring, which I think looks reasonably sharp for most practical purposes and at 100% (note that it's a 9mp image not 16mp).

I then cut a tiny crop in the same fashion you do, 1 10.2th one way, 1 / 7.6th the other way.

I get the crop below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/antoinebach/5226831084/

I would look at it, but :
"You must be signed in to see this content"

I think someone having read to much FUD posts about AF issues with the D7000, could easily use that crop to suggest that there is a big issue here. ESPECIALLY IF THAT PERSON LOOKED AT IT AT MORE THAN 100% !!

Not good enough - I want noise-free, sharp pics in at least an 800% crop!
;-)

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels