D7000 for First DSLR - Concerned About Quality Issues

[shayward]

First post.

I've wanted to get into photography for years. Last year, I bought a Canon SX20, read a mess of photography books (both technical and compositional), and I shoot my SX20 in full Manual (except focus) 95% of the time. The SX20 has been good and has seen a LOT of use, but playing with a friend's D40X (again, on full manual) gives me (I think) fantastic results.

It's SLR time in the next month.

Due to my profession, I'm techy and analytical to the extreme. I "eat and drink" mountains of information when learning a new technical skill (like photography) or before making a decision to purchase a piece of gear.

To complicate things, a close friend is jumping on the SLR bandwagon at the same time. We're going with the same system so we can share lenses/accessories. Once we pick a camp, we're stuck.

My main priority is still photography (including low-light and night time), and my secondary priority is making shorts (2 minute) that look "semi-pro". Manual audio gain is a must. I can live with 24fps.

My friend's almost sole priority is still photography. If he can get a few vids of the kids here and there, great. But not a big deal to him.

If in the Nikon camp, it would be D7000 for me, D90 for my friend.

If in the Canon camp, it would be T3i for me, T2i or T3 for my friend.

Both camps are great - I've played a lot with the T2i, T3i, 60D, D7000, and D3100. They all have their strengths and weakness. Image-wise they're all very good (some better, of course).

Unfortunately, we still haven't seen the D5100 yet so I can't compare it.

Personally, I just like the the Nikons "better" than the Canons for feel and (ever so slightly) image. Not knocking the Canons - the T2i/T3i REALLY impresses me.

And so I'd REALLY like to get a D7000. But in my mountains of reading, I've seen far more D7000 users having issues like:

• Dead pixels in stills (not in live-view)
• Hot pixels in live view and video
• Auto-Focusing Issues

Some people have returned 2, 3, 4 bodies before they got one they considered acceptable. Some stores have shipped units back to Nikon. Some people have bought D7000s and had to send them in for service almost immediately. Some seem to have better luck with longer exposures on their D90s.

Thing is, though, that some D7000s seem to fair perfectly. To me, that indicates that there are perfect copies out there. Every D7000 should be able to have that level of quality and performance.

While every product will have it's flaws, you might get a lemon from the factory, need to return it or ship it for service, etc., etc., there seem to be a LOT more reports of this with the D7000.

Here are my questions:

• How many people have experienced dead pixels in stills (not in live view) and how did you rectify it?
• Did the firmware update address the issue with hot pixels in video?
• How wide-spread have the focus issues been?
• How was Nikon's service center at addressing your issues? Other than being without your new camera for 2 weeks, were you satisfied?
• Any one (especially at a camera store) have an estimate or even an educated guess about the percentage of "near perfect" D7000s to ones with issues?

I think it is reasonable to induce, from my research, that the D7000 is having more issues than others (T3i, 60D). But my big concern is whether I'm going to spend $1300, get abandoned by Nikon support, and end up with something that I hate (not because of its features but because it doesn't work as advertised).

I don't mind spending the money and if it works well there is NO buyer's remorse. I believe quality costs money. I'm just concerned that the less-expensive T2i/T3i seems to have less reported issues than the D7000.

Thoughts?

 

[crankerchick]

Some people have returned 2, 3, 4 bodies before they got one they considered acceptable. Some stores have shipped units back to Nikon. Some people have bought D7000s and had to send them in for service almost immediately. Some seem to have better luck with longer exposures on their D90s.

Some people also aren't willing to recognize that perhaps it is their technique or testing method or new learning curve contributing to the problem. Not saying all or even most, just saying some. I read through many of the posts and I can say some of the folks insisting there was a problem did not perform tests the way some suggested or with different lenses as some suggested.

Every D7000 should be able to have that level of quality and performance.

Name me a company or product with perfect QC.

While every product will have it's flaws, you might get a lemon from the factory, need to return it or ship it for service, etc., etc., there seem to be a LOT more reports of this with the D7000.

Remember that "issues" spread like wildfire. Some folks have come right out and said lately that they too were guilty in getting caught up in the mass hysteria.

Here are my questions:

• How many people have experienced dead pixels in stills (not in live view) and how did you rectify it?

Not me.

• Did the firmware update address the issue with hot pixels in video?

N/A. I haven't even bothered to check my FW version since I haven't seen any hot pixels. But, i just bought mine like a month ago, probably it already has the updated F/W.

• How wide-spread have the focus issues been?

I haven't had a "focus" issue. I think when I miss focus, it's most likely my error. I'm still learning. Not saying that people haven't had problems, just saying in my case, i have not.

• How was Nikon's service center at addressing your issues? Other than being without your new camera for 2 weeks, were you satisfied?
• Any one (especially at a camera store) have an estimate or even an educated guess about the percentage of "near perfect" D7000s to ones with issues?

I think it is reasonable to induce, from my research, that the D7000 is having more issues than others (T3i, 60D).

I don't think that is fair to say at all. One thing is true, the AF and metering systems in the D7000 are both"new"(ish) from what I've read and that requires a learning curve.

I was so worried that I had a dud and didn't know it, or that I spent my money to buy into something with "known issues." I've since relaxed and am just taking photos and I culdn't be happier with my purchase.

I'm just like a you--an analyst to the death. Think less. Push the button more. This applies to whatever you system you decide on.

Happy shooting.

 

[Dominique Dierick]

If you eat and drink mountains of information, you could have read all that you ask for about quality already. This horse has been beaten to death more than once

If you want manual audio gain, get a Canon, or you'll have to record the audio stream outside the camera.

D.
--
Equipment: Nikon D3s, D7000

 

[Jrobe]

It will be a very long before the weak link in your photography skills will be the D7000. Just buy one and start the very large learning curve. It is a wonderful camera (even for professionals). Ansel Adams would have loved one.

 

[Mako2011]

But in my mountains of reading, I've seen far more D7000 users having issues like:

• Dead pixels in stills (not in live-view)
• Hot pixels in live view and video
• Auto-Focusing Issues

Some people have returned 2, 3, 4 bodies before they got one they considered acceptable. Some stores have shipped units back to Nikon. Some people have bought D7000s and had to send them in for service almost immediately. Some seem to have better luck with longer exposures on their D90s.

In your mountains of reading you forgot to keep track....so You might want to get the D3100 first and work your way up before taking your 1st crack at Everest.

Users indicating a Positive D7000 experiance

6fingers Aborigene aldante Alexandro AlvinLeyva Anker amatorb4 Andrew antoineb Anders Agerskov Aristoc asaf v BergSonne BackInTheGame Bigassbike Birdkai Birdmanstudios Blindman blistered_paws bluenoser23 bick1 BillD7000 Bob in Baltimore boblug Brad BradM73 Brian S T Davis brucet cabello cactusklaw5schel CarlosNunezUSA CFynn CherryO chris nolan clivef compulsive Congo1 Cope crankerchick Danel Dave dkearl dbbarron Dave Thompson Courtenay Dean DEEWUN digitography digitalmisty dnorth12 Dusty72 GMack Gunzorro dgc4rter Dominique Dierick dougietee EchoCharlie EricBellens emveezee Grig FMPhoto harri Hazemhaddad heinzguderian hiro_pro Hotphotons InnerDemon IeraseU Imagination4 Jan De Luyck James7000 Jaybar Jeff4500 JeffD7000 jfk Jlow34 Joe0928 John_I Jonathan Gill jongjong jonikon j_photo juan_cruz garyking gregp701 guyfromtor Kandy10 kay4401 kbarni Kevy knightmelodic Lance B Larold Lars Fosdal leighton w leebee Lelitsch Lifer Logge lorange MadManAce madecov mandp manni malabito MarkJH Mariano Marianne Oelund Matt Mc mdiphoto me2000 McCouchie miguelyn Mr C from England mguttman Mofongo neulee newphotogall Nikguy Nikobean Nizmoh NowBlue omaha PaulTheBuilder PESL PhotoChuck photojohne poliscijustin Psonicfan Randy Z Reilly Diefenbach RonAnnArbor Russmosis SaltLakeGuy scarper86 scokill Scud49 Shmuel sirrajf skeen smacznykonsek spiral69 songeun7 Steve Bingham Stephen Brenner Steffen Rasmussen Stepan Spinka str8pipe sudirdjo tashley TDoc TF442 Thaddius tyb Danton The Big One Tom Ferguson TOR8472 tr4driver tribefan4u1 Tyr-Sog UTAH DAVE Urban K vb_engr vagtanklan Wah WIZZARD0003 wlad Chan XLTimbo yycguy Zane Paxton zzzzzzzzzzz

Users indicating a Negative D7000 experiance

ActArtPhotog Angry-pixel Chutterman crismicro itatorro jasjas Jever68 jimofcan JonTav KatelynS lipper Looleylaylow michelsan mugupo nikstr ocean76 RadarK SG09 Swedish Hambern Timothy SY wizardtwo

 

[Gunzorro]

There is a slightly higher chance of the need of professional repair/adjustment on the D7000 than similar Canon models, but that said, the vast majority of buyers are satisfied the out-of-the-box performance (I estimate at around 90%). Canon is not immune, but has far fewer reported/discussed problems in the areas you mention.

The deal breaker for you may be the video. Nikon has not yet gotten serious about DSLR video. There is no manual adjusting of sound levels, unlike the Canon. Sound dynamic range is more limited and mono, compared to stereo and wider DR in the Canon. Frame rates are limited to one on the Nikon. More images sizes and speeds on the Canon, and overall superior IQ in video.

If you are doing video or live view stills, you have to decide if a swivel screen is important.

The D7000 will have an edge with stills -- especially dynamic range. But coming from the camera you have, any of those bodies will impress you and keep you busy for quite a while.

 

[debruyne]

Relax... The D7K was introduced 4 months ago and it STILL is the big buzz around here for a reason. It has got more than just general approval when we compare it to the D300s or 7D. You get a light camera with PRO-features for enthusiasts' price. If it were bad or faulty, we would tell you. Some had to send back camera for AF-calibration, but we never had a camera before that was scrutinized so extensively.
--
------------------------------------------------
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh315/alex_837/
Just trying to get better.....

 

[Mako2011]

The D7000 will have an edge with stills -- especially dynamic range. But coming from the camera you have, any of those bodies will impress you and keep you busy for quite a while.

Hey Gun!!! BTW, what side of the list should you be on today Loved your last BTW. Good Job!

 

[JeffD7000]

My first body definitely had AF issues. I did lots of controlled tripod experiments to confirm this. My new one works much better. I think there have been far more good experiences with the D7000 than bad ones as Mako2011 summarized. For what I shoot most of the time right now (indoor sports with poor lighting), my D7000 excels at high ISO. It is orders of magnitude better than my previous D80, and from what I've seen, better than the D90 here as well. I never had any dead/hot pixels with either D7000 body.

I wouldn't worry about being abandoned by Nikon. The store where I bought it gladly returned it. I would suggest you test it thoroughly when you get it so that you can determine if it has issues and return it promptly if you need to. As the store told me, they wanted to make sure I was happy when paying that much for a camera body.

In terms of stores, the two that I normally deal with say they haven't seen many D7000 issues. I'm sure when one talks about complex devices like a D7000, there will be a few duds, but they should be in the minority; one would expect far less than 5%. I can't say whether the D7000 has had an above or below average number of production issues (my guess is above). There are quite a few reported issues in this forum, but as others have mentioned, some may have been due to technique. I've being working for 5 years with DSLRs, so I know the first body I purchased definitely had issues. I can also say that the D7000 tolerates poor technique worse than my D80 did, but that's not surprising given the MP boost. The converse to that is that if you have good glass/technique, you'll be able to print very large prints with the D7000. I've shot some really nice pics to-date, and seen some extraordinary pics on this site and others.

It all depends what you want your camera to do as to whether the D7000 will out-perform the D90. I can't comment on Canon DSLRs having never owned one. I also liked the feel of Nikon over Canon, and that's why I bought the D80 way back when in 2006.

You will be future-proofing yourself to a degree for a few years by getting a D7000. That being said, the D90 is already several years old, so you can pick one of those up cheaper now than you could have before the D7000 came out in late fall.

My D7000 will last me for quite a few more years I suspect, and maybe by then I'll graduate to FX/full-frame. I have absolutely no regrets to-date, since I've already gotten many shots I never would have been able to get with my D80.

Good luck with your purchase.

 

[Gunzorro]

Mako --

As I said in my PM to you, I consider the list essentially flawed.

There should be two basic categories: those who were satisfied with the out-of-the-box performance of the D7000, and those who had problems that caused them to return or send to Nikon for repair.

It's not a matter so much of liking, or being happy with the camera (especially after a repair or exchange). It's a matter of did it live up to its stated parameters, or not.

For me, I'd need to be on the "repair" side -- it was inconvenient and unpleasant. I like the camera, but it was flawed, then repaired -- that's the important of-the-shelf info. That I was untimately satisfied that it is in good working order shouldn't be considered much of an accomplishment -- it should be expected from the beginning.

I believe jonikon had to send his in for adjustment too, as did a number of others listing in the "happy" upper category. So the listing is skewed the way it is set up, and makes for a loyal/disloyal, happy/unhappy bias, instead of "did it work satisfactorily, as expected?"

Also, we need to note if anyone went through multiple returns or replacements, noting with (2), (3) or even (4) units. If one person gets two bodies, that shifts the statistic for the overall model -- it's not a user count, but a "body count".

 

[Mako2011]

Mako --

As I said in my PM to you, I consider the list essentially flawed.

Sorry, not sure I have PM enabled but I agree with your assessment. Wish I had time to do a proper poll rather than my one for "fun" so to speak. I'm just glad folks are able to learn from the good information that shows up here. Thanks Again...moving you to the "repair" side

 

[Dominique Dierick]

Hmmm... I googled once for problems with cameras. Canon leads with 500.000+ hits agains Nikon with 400.000. In general. I think it is safe to assume both have their issues

D.

There is a slightly higher chance of the need of professional repair/adjustment on the D7000 than similar Canon models, but that said, the vast majority of buyers are satisfied the out-of-the-box performance (I estimate at around 90%). Canon is not immune, but has far fewer reported/discussed problems in the areas you mention.

The deal breaker for you may be the video. Nikon has not yet gotten serious about DSLR video. There is no manual adjusting of sound levels, unlike the Canon. Sound dynamic range is more limited and mono, compared to stereo and wider DR in the Canon. Frame rates are limited to one on the Nikon. More images sizes and speeds on the Canon, and overall superior IQ in video.

If you are doing video or live view stills, you have to decide if a swivel screen is important.

The D7000 will have an edge with stills -- especially dynamic range. But coming from the camera you have, any of those bodies will impress you and keep you busy for quite a while.

--
Equipment: Nikon D3s, D7000, Panasonic GH2 for video

 

[Billx08]

. . .

And so I'd REALLY like to get a D7000. But in my mountains of reading, I've seen far more D7000 users having issues like:

• Dead pixels in stills (not in live-view)
• Hot pixels in live view and video

That's odd. Dead pixels shouldn't vanish when live-view is used. Perhaps it's because the types of pictures shot in live-view and non-live-view mode are different. Live-view, for instance, wouldn't normally be used in very low light or with fast shutter speeds for active subjects. My D90 has one hot pixel but it hasn't been enough of a problem to have it taken care of. It would be nice if Nikon's cameras had hot pixel remapping built into the firmware as Olympus does, but there's a lot of photo editing software than also maps out problem pixels. I never see it unless I magnify images on screen so highly (and know where to look) that the image is mostly unrecognizable, and I've never seen it appear in prints. This is almost an infinitesimally small problem compared with having much more noticeable dust appear in prints made from film. If film photographers were as worried as some digital owners are worried about dead/hot pixels, they would have sold their cameras and found some other money sink, like golf or boats.

• Auto-Focusing Issues

Some people have returned 2, 3, 4 bodies before they got one they considered acceptable. Some stores have shipped units back to Nikon. Some people have bought D7000s and had to send them in for service almost immediately. Some seem to have better luck with longer exposures on their D90s.

From what I've seen, the preponderance of "issues" occur more with D7000 owners that don't have much DSLR experience. I also was a bit insecure when I got my D90 several years ago, thinking that it had AF issues. It turned out that the camera (and lens) was fine and occasional user error and inexperience in recognizing the symptoms made me question the properly functioning camera. I was shooting as casually as I did with my previous DSLR, the D50, but the D90's higher resolution required more care in shooting, exposing flaws that the D50 was better able to conceal. Experienced shooters say that Nikon's 24mp D3x is harder to shoot than the 12mp D3/D3s because it's higher resolution sensor can also expose flaws in shooting technique, but many people don't realize that the 12mp D90 has more densely packed pixels than the D3x, and the D7000's 16mp sensor requires even more care. It can more easily show focusing flaws than other Nikon DSLRs, and I suspect that most (not all) of the complaints are coming from those that simply assume that the camera should be perfect, not realizing that perfection isn't possible without some effort from the photographer, where experience and skill is much more important than it was with the more forgiving, lower resolution cameras.

Thing is, though, that some D7000s seem to fair perfectly. To me, that indicates that there are perfect copies out there. Every D7000 should be able to have that level of quality and performance.

Most do. If the percentage that have problems was as high as some here would have you believe, Nikon wouldn't be able to avoid a major recall. The same thing happened when the D300 was introduced as well as with several of the more expensive lenses, and not just with Nikon's products. Canon and Pentax have had similar problems, and some of them were more real than imaginary.

I don't mind spending the money and if it works well there is NO buyer's remorse. I believe quality costs money. I'm just concerned that the less-expensive T2i/T3i seems to have less reported issues than the D7000.

Thoughts?

If you honestly believe that the chance of getting a D7000 lemon is fairly high, get a T2i or T3i and be as happy as they allow. In the meantime you'll probably eventually realize that the pros and reviewers don't seem to be getting these lemons and you based your decision on unreliable, unverifiable forum anecdotal evidence, and those worries will probably disappear as previous moanings of doom and gloom did.

 

[Reilly Diefenbach]

The D7000 is superb. If you get a problematic one (highly unlikely) bring it back to the store, as in don't buy it online.

 

[daniyarm]

Coming from D300s I too was concerned about D7000 issues. But I think by now most of them have been fixed. I got mine from Amazon, very recent build with latest firmware. I so far so good, no issues that I can spot. Get it either from Amazon or local store so you can always return or exchange it.

I see no reason why your friend should get D90 instead D7000. Yes, D7000 does have better video, but it also takes better images in low light and I believe is a bit sharper than D90. I had D90 myself for 2 months and quickly upgraded to D300. Plus, if you both have the same camera as you start to do more advanced things with it, you'll be able to help each other.

And please don't listen to folks that say get D3100 first, because if you are somewhat serious, you'll outgrow that camera very fast and end up spending more money in the long run. D7000 has great auto and scene modes in case you need them, but it can also do so much more. And with D7000 you can always buy older (cheaper) glass than latest and greatest but not necessarily better glass.

Good luck with your new hobby.

--
Daniyar

 

[brucet]

My suggestion is to buy a D7000 and decide for yourself.

I read tooooooo many posts and almost stopped taking photographs.

There is always a 'bigger', 'better', 'brighter', 'whiter' model out there somewhere.

 

[shayward]

Thanks everyone - the feedback is very greatly appreciated.

I was also in touch with Nikon tech support and it seems like here in Canada (perhaps around the world, too) they are committed to making sure that the experience is a good one.

Couple of points:

I will completely acknowledge the huge number of good experiences people reported with their Nikon D7000s. There are lots of people that just love it. There are a huge number of good experiences with T3i, T3i, 60D, D3100, etc. I've played with them all in store and they they are all great cameras.

So I find it more helpful to try to zero in on the specific problems people are having with specific models I'm considering. It's part of risk mitigation. What are some of the things I have to watch out for if I buy XYZ? And... I go a little overboard because I've sometimes been bitten when I didn't.

From my own in-store playing, I like the D7000 better than everything I've tried for both usability and images. Again, all the others were great.

I have taken note of the fact that almost everyone (if not everyone) that sent their camera back to Nikon to adjust focus managed to get a resolution, either through camera adjustments or by changing lenses (due to a lens issue).

In terms of user error, yeah - I'd buy that. No doubt, it will take some getting used to and I expect to have "what the heck???" moments that turn out to be my fault. It took me about 8 months to go from photography n00b to feel that I had out-grown my SX20 on full manual. I'm looking for something that will keep me for a good 3-4 years.

For hot pixels in live view, I wasn't implying that they vanished but rather appeared. The hot-pixel issue seemed (from what I read) to impact live view and video mode. The firmware was supposed to take care of this... mostly. (That's kind of how Nikon pitched it.)

For video, only having 24fps is not a deal-breaker (that's what I'm going to shoot in any way). The D7000 has both stereo external mic in as well as manual gain control. The manual gain control doesn't have super-fine adjustment (it gives you 3 or 4 manual levels) but I can work with that. The T3i seems to work the same way in terms of manual gain control.

I acknowledge that, feature-wise, Canon (and others) have the edge over Nikon. If I was chiefly concerned about video, I'd go Canon (or other). But spec-wise the Nikon will meet my objectives. Heck, the low-light on the D7000 looks AMAZING! If I didn't want video at all, I'd buy a D90 and spend the difference on a nice piece of glass.

Thank-you again, everyone, for the information. (And for bearing with an overly-analytical lout.) I think you have managed to put my mind at rest in that:

• Yes, there were some focus issues
• Yes, there were some hot-pixel/dead-pixel issues
• The problem probably isn't hugely wide spread (it's not every-other camera)
• Nikon really will take care of it, or just exchange it at the store... either way, it's far more likely than not to have a "perfect" D7000 one way or the other

I'll post back the results after I jump on a bandwagon (probably Nikon, probably D7000).

 

[JeffD7000]

Take the plunge-you'll be happy you did.

 

[Steve Bingham]

The D7000 has no more tech problems than any other DSLR. You have been reading this forum way too much. In short, the D7000 is, in my studied opinion, the best DX camera on the market - and it's my business to know (er, used to be my business) If you research as much as you say you do, this should be obvious. No? What's the problem?

For video, get a GH2. Better sound, quicker focusing, etc. For stills, the D7000 wins.
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com