P7000 firmware improvements?

[madmax2623]

I'm tempted to get the P7000 as an alternative to my full Nikon DSLR, for hiking trips when it is impractical to have my full kit with me.

Does anyone know if the various problems DP reported on when they reviewed the P7000 have been fixed with the version 1.2 firmware?

Many thanks!

 

[tem00]

I'm tempted to get the P7000 as an alternative to my full Nikon DSLR, for hiking trips when it is impractical to have my full kit with me.

Does anyone know if the various problems DP reported on when they reviewed the P7000 have been fixed with the version 1.2 firmware?

Many thanks!

Well, I have a p7000 and I didn't see a lot of improvement. It still wont focus in low light, is slow to write, and sometimes locks up and have to remove the battery. It may be a little faster to focus in bright light, but not much.

 

[madmax2623]

interesting, thanks. are these RAW or JPEG write times, just out of interest?

 

[tem00]

interesting, thanks. are these RAW or JPEG write times, just out of interest?

Yep, RAW+JPG is still kinda slow and the menus lag too,, way too much. I heard the p7100 is better, but after getting stung with this camera, I doubt if I will buy it. The only thing I noticed the 1.2 FW improve was focus speed in bright light, but not by a huge margin by any means.

The 7000 can make nice photos, but after trying a Fuji x10, I'm spoiled by its build quality, much higher IQ and speed all around. I will be leaving Nikon brand for a while but I will miss the NX2 editor. Why Nikon doesn't push and improve this editor often, which is unique to other camera makers, is beyond me. No one can compete with Nikon with this feature and they let it stagnate.

 

[Andrew Higgins]

The P7000 is surely one of the most comically slow operating cameras ever, even with new firmware, hence very disappointing to use, especially if you are used to the speed of a Nikon dSLR.
It produces nice images, but the menu lag is ridiculous.

The P7100 is much improved by all accounts, a shame Nikon doesn't offer a hugely generous trade-in on the original flawed camera.

Look instead at the little P300 for a handy pocket Nikon, and bargain priced too.

A
--

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajh400
http://www.blipfoto.com/ah2012

 

[heliographer]

I just sent mine back. It froze about a dozen times in a week, with the 1.12 fw upgrade. You have to take the battery out to reset the camera. I'm replacing it, but am very leery of this model. I fully expect to send the next one back, because lots of people on the web have reported the same thing. Nikon's dropping the ball in their attempt to steal Canon's dominance in this area.

Olympus XZ-1 and Lumix LX5 are probably better options. I'll explore those if the P7000 doesn't work out.
--
Heliographer

 

[rmrcu]

You should try doing a full reset of the camera, and then remove the battery. I've had my P7000 for more than a year, and have experienced some problems: camera freezes and the lens protector blades not fully opening.

I didn't send my camera back for repairs but I no longer have these problems. My suspicion is that since the camera's cpu is underpowered for the software it's running, NIkon is using some kind of caching algorithm that allows the camera to work reasonably well once you've set it up to your taste (mind you, this is only a guess).

As for the protector blades, I thought there might be something obstructing them so I did some blowing to remove any small particles, and also applied some gentle pressure in case the blades had gotten off track. Haven't had the problem again (but this might be coincidence).

I should say I like the camera very much for its size, control and image quality.

 

[Lifer]

I disagree with a few of the comments made here about the P7000. I've had one since March 2011 and can definitely say that the latest firmware has improved the focus lock even in low light situations provided you have contrast in your target. This is even in telephoto mode. One thing I can also say, I have never had the camera lock up but then again, I do not abuse my cameras. I will admit the camera is not a speed demon on locking focus in low light but it will lock if you have contrast and it is not a speed demon is writing to SD cards. I have a Sandisk 8GB Extreme HC1 in mine and its not to bad. Put a slow card in there and its a dog.

--
Richard R. Price

 

[madmax2623]

thanks for the replies ladies and gents. seems like it's a bit of a gamble going for the cheap P7000, with the hope the firmware will make it all better.

i'll see what the G12, P7100 and XZ-1 do price-wise...

 

[harry]

Well, it seems like you "missed" the low-price boat on P7000 now - the price went back to $279. I go mine when it was $229 for about a month. Different cameras serve different purposes. I also have a P300 (also $229 at the time I got it), which is my carry-around no brainer p&s. Finally, I got a AW100 rugged p&s when it sold for $249 - fantastic for a day at the pool or on the beach.

All worked beautifully, and all compact enough (well, maybe not P7000) to grab and go. Finally, P300 is very fast, if you don't need RAW.

--
HLL7575

 

[Greynerd]

With the XZ-1 you might have to factor in the cost viewfinder as the display is very poor in bright light. Also the video is really bad so believe the reviews (it is a sort of 720 line simulation of very bad VGA during the intervals it manges to achieve focus). I have both a P7100 and the XZ-1 and the XZ-1 is going up for sale as they overlap too much and the P7100 is just so much nicer to use. I have never had any feeling at any time that there were any focusing or operation lags.

Do not overlook the Samsung EX1 as a possible choice.

thanks for the replies ladies and gents. seems like it's a bit of a gamble going for the cheap P7000, with the hope the firmware will make it all better.

i'll see what the G12, P7100 and XZ-1 do price-wise...

 

[ShootTheMessenger]

My advice is DON’T under any circumstances buy either the P7000 of the P7100 – no matter how attractive the price is.

I know there's a loyal following of sycophantic owners who won't hear a bad word said against Nikon, however there is also a growing army of disillusioned owners, due in part I suspect to the P7000, and I’m one of them.

I bought the P7000 after my canon G9 suffered the loose screw (shorted circuit board) problem which seems to be taking a heavy toll on G9 owners, yet Canon steadfastly refused to even acknowledge the problem exits. let-alone come to the party and fix it.

So … over to Nikon and the equivalent – which at the time was the P7000. Well what a disaster that turned out to be. Two months outside of warranty I am struck down with the dreaded lens blind problem. And wouldn’t you know it – Nikon are the ones now denying the problem exists and the quoted repair bill was more than the camera was worth.

And that's how I ended up finding a good price on a P7100, only to discover that my gaggle of nearly new after-market batteries are not recognised by the P7100.

This then pushed me to reconsider the old P7000 given that the blinds tend to open if you give the camera a good slap in the palm of your hand. But not content to leave well enough alone, I decided to upgrade the Firmware from v1.1 to v1.2 because someone said that a P7000 with v1.2 was just like a P7100.

Now that should have rung extreme alarm bells – but it didn’t – and so I discovered the hard way that the P7000 with v1.2 would no longer work with 3rd-party batteries either.

This, I might add, is a breach of Federal Law inAustraliawhich guarantees the right to use 3rd-party parts … IE: what Nikon has done is illegal in that they have deliberately chosen to restrict access to their own brand of parts. They might be able to assert such restrictions during the warranty period, but once they have no binding legal interest it’s a Federal offence to brick my camera because I choose not to use their brand of battery.

Just for the record, this gotcha is not mentioned in any of the official literature, nor will Nikon admit this is even the case. And to add insult to injury they also claim that reverting to a prior Firmware version isn’t possible.

Well, let me tell you it is possible because I’ve just done it and my after-market batteries now work perfectly in the P7000.

So ... I’m done with old school / old world brands like Canon and Nikon who seem to delight in going out of their way to abuse the customer and break a lifetime of built up trust.

From now on for my daily shooter I’ll be exploring companies with integrity, like Sony and Panasonic, and I suggest all existing (or intending) Nikon P7000/P7100 owners do likewise. Certainly anyone considering upgrading to the P7700 should seriously reconsider that decision as I'm sure you'll be entering a world of unnecessary and unwarranted pain. And Yes, I do know that Nikon have reverted to using a standard lens cap on the P7700 instead of those silly blinds, but what other horror stories lay in wait? And yes, for the doubters amongst you, I have seen and used a P7700, and apart from the long overdue fully reticulating screen which should have been fitted to the P7100, it's a very ordinary camera.

Oh ... and I don't mind at all if you shoot the messenger 'cause it's your funeral not mine.

 

[Billx08]

ShootTheMessenger wrote:

My advice is DON’T under any circumstances buy either the P7000 of the P7100 – no matter how attractive the price is.

I know there's a loyal following of sycophantic owners who won't hear a bad word said against Nikon, however there is also a growing army of disillusioned owners, due in part I suspect to the P7000, and I’m one of them.

And there's also a bunch of angry, dyspeptic whining trolls that create fake IDs so that they can gripe and hope that nobody recognizes them. Since you created this "ShootTheMessenger" ID, you've posted all of five messages, all within the last hour, several of them in threads that appeared to have ended long ago. Why not tell us who you really are?


`

So ... I’m done with old school / old world brands like Canon and Nikon who seem to delight in going out of their way to abuse the customer and break a lifetime of built up trust.
From now on for my daily shooter I’ll be exploring companies with integrity, like Sony and Panasonic, and I suggest all existing (or intending) Nikon P7000/P7100 owners do likewise. Certainly anyone considering upgrading to the P7700 should seriously reconsider that decision as I'm sure you'll be entering a world of unnecessary and unwarranted pain. And Yes, I do know that Nikon have reverted to using a standard lens cap on the P7700 instead of those silly blinds, but what other horror stories lay in wait? And yes, for the doubters amongst you, I have seen and used a P7700, and apart from the long overdue fully reticulating screen which should have been fitted to the P7100, it's a very ordinary camera.

Oh ... and I don't mind at all if you shoot the messenger 'cause it's your funeral not mine.

I'd suggest buying into Panasonic. FWIW, one of my Panasonic cameras (a TZ model) retains an older firmware version. Unlike Nikon, the new firmware didn't even try to fix anything or add new features. Its documentation spelled out its one and only purpose, to make third party batteries incompatible.

 

[Patco]

Billx08 wrote:

ShootTheMessenger wrote:

My advice is DON’T under any circumstances buy either the P7000 of the P7100 – no matter how attractive the price is.

I know there's a loyal following of sycophantic owners who won't hear a bad word said against Nikon, however there is also a growing army of disillusioned owners, due in part I suspect to the P7000, and I’m one of them.

And there's also a bunch of angry, dyspeptic whining trolls that create fake IDs so that they can gripe and hope that nobody recognizes them. Since you created this "ShootTheMessenger" ID, you've posted all of five messages, all within the last hour, several of them in threads that appeared to have ended long ago. Why not tell us who you really are?

`

So ... I’m done with old school / old world brands like Canon and Nikon who seem to delight in going out of their way to abuse the customer and break a lifetime of built up trust.
From now on for my daily shooter I’ll be exploring companies with integrity, like Sony and Panasonic, and I suggest all existing (or intending) Nikon P7000/P7100 owners do likewise. Certainly anyone considering upgrading to the P7700 should seriously reconsider that decision as I'm sure you'll be entering a world of unnecessary and unwarranted pain. And Yes, I do know that Nikon have reverted to using a standard lens cap on the P7700 instead of those silly blinds, but what other horror stories lay in wait? And yes, for the doubters amongst you, I have seen and used a P7700, and apart from the long overdue fully reticulating screen which should have been fitted to the P7100, it's a very ordinary camera.

Oh ... and I don't mind at all if you shoot the messenger 'cause it's your funeral not mine.

I'd suggest buying into Panasonic. FWIW, one of my Panasonic cameras (a TZ model) retains an older firmware version. Unlike Nikon, the new firmware didn't even try to fix anything or add new features. Its documentation spelled out its one and only purpose, to make third party batteries incompatible.

While I don't support the actions of this troll in any way, in all fairness, Panasonic clearly stated the firmware would limit the camera to using proprietary batteries, while Nikon didn't see fit to include the battery limitation in the list of firmware modifications.

 

[Mike604]

Billx08 wrote:

ShootTheMessenger wrote:

My advice is DON’T under any circumstances buy either the P7000 of the P7100 – no matter how attractive the price is.

I know there's a loyal following of sycophantic owners who won't hear a bad word said against Nikon, however there is also a growing army of disillusioned owners, due in part I suspect to the P7000, and I’m one of them.

And there's also a bunch of angry, dyspeptic whining trolls that create fake IDs so that they can gripe and hope that nobody recognizes them. Since you created this "ShootTheMessenger" ID, you've posted all of five messages, all within the last hour, several of them in threads that appeared to have ended long ago. Why not tell us who you really are?

`

So ... I’m done with old school / old world brands like Canon and Nikon who seem to delight in going out of their way to abuse the customer and break a lifetime of built up trust.
From now on for my daily shooter I’ll be exploring companies with integrity, like Sony and Panasonic, and I suggest all existing (or intending) Nikon P7000/P7100 owners do likewise. Certainly anyone considering upgrading to the P7700 should seriously reconsider that decision as I'm sure you'll be entering a world of unnecessary and unwarranted pain. And Yes, I do know that Nikon have reverted to using a standard lens cap on the P7700 instead of those silly blinds, but what other horror stories lay in wait? And yes, for the doubters amongst you, I have seen and used a P7700, and apart from the long overdue fully reticulating screen which should have been fitted to the P7100, it's a very ordinary camera.

Oh ... and I don't mind at all if you shoot the messenger 'cause it's your funeral not mine.

I'd suggest buying into Panasonic. FWIW, one of my Panasonic cameras (a TZ model) retains an older firmware version. Unlike Nikon, the new firmware didn't even try to fix anything or add new features. Its documentation spelled out its one and only purpose, to make third party batteries incompatible.

You got to be kidding? I owned the P7000 and it was the biggest joke of a camera. It could not focus in lowlight for a damn. The menu system was slow, laggy and the camera as a whole was just very unpolished. HAving debated over and over on the purchase of that camera and dropping $500 on it, it was a joke. Yeah I was bent and still am. So 2 models later, here I am. I ask questions, loved the new lens, swivel screen, better build and just better overall layout. It seemed like the camera for me until thast dreadful evening @ Lens And Shutter in Vancouver. Took out some of the big guns ( G15,P7700,Lx7,Xz2) and off we went. When the dust settled that evening, one camera came home with me and IMO is still leaps and bounds above the rest- Canon G15 ) while the new 7700 was quick overall, it struggled like hell to focus in low light.

So dont go run your mouth on something you are bitter about. Lots of PPL got burned with that Camera.

 

[Mike604]

Billx08 wrote:

ShootTheMessenger wrote:

My advice is DON’T under any circumstances buy either the P7000 of the P7100 – no matter how attractive the price is.

I know there's a loyal following of sycophantic owners who won't hear a bad word said against Nikon, however there is also a growing army of disillusioned owners, due in part I suspect to the P7000, and I’m one of them.

And there's also a bunch of angry, dyspeptic whining trolls that create fake IDs so that they can gripe and hope that nobody recognizes them. Since you created this "ShootTheMessenger" ID, you've posted all of five messages, all within the last hour, several of them in threads that appeared to have ended long ago. Why not tell us who you really are?

`

So ... I’m done with old school / old world brands like Canon and Nikon who seem to delight in going out of their way to abuse the customer and break a lifetime of built up trust.
From now on for my daily shooter I’ll be exploring companies with integrity, like Sony and Panasonic, and I suggest all existing (or intending) Nikon P7000/P7100 owners do likewise. Certainly anyone considering upgrading to the P7700 should seriously reconsider that decision as I'm sure you'll be entering a world of unnecessary and unwarranted pain. And Yes, I do know that Nikon have reverted to using a standard lens cap on the P7700 instead of those silly blinds, but what other horror stories lay in wait? And yes, for the doubters amongst you, I have seen and used a P7700, and apart from the long overdue fully reticulating screen which should have been fitted to the P7100, it's a very ordinary camera.

Oh ... and I don't mind at all if you shoot the messenger 'cause it's your funeral not mine.

I'd suggest buying into Panasonic. FWIW, one of my Panasonic cameras (a TZ model) retains an older firmware version. Unlike Nikon, the new firmware didn't even try to fix anything or add new features. Its documentation spelled out its one and only purpose, to make third party batteries incompatible.

How do you know He is a troll? Is this what these forums have become? We have to agree with the guys who have 10k plus posts to ***** about a camera we have owned. C'mon.

 

[Billx08]

Patco wrote:

I'd suggest buying into Panasonic. FWIW, one of my Panasonic cameras (a TZ model) retains an older firmware version. Unlike Nikon, the new firmware didn't even try to fix anything or add new features. Its documentation spelled out its one and only purpose, to make third party batteries incompatible.

While I don't support the actions of this troll in any way, in all fairness, Panasonic clearly stated the firmware would limit the camera to using proprietary batteries, while Nikon didn't see fit to include the battery limitation in the list of firmware modifications.

Yes, Nikon should have mentioned this, but in all fairness, Nikon sugar coated its bitter pill with a significant firmware upgrade that greatly improved the P7000's main flaw, its serious inability to focus decently. It did so just as the P7100 was introduced, and this firmware upgrade improved the AF performance enough to make upgrading to the P7100 unnecessary for many P7000 owners.


To fair, credit should be given to B&H. Its website clearly spelled out that its aftermarket battery for the P7000 would only work with the older firmware :

Note! Only compatible with cameras using firmware version 1.0 or 1.1. Not compatible with cameras using firmware ver. 1.2

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...e_BP_7000_Rechargeable_Battery_for_Nikon.html

 

[Billx08]

Mike604 wrote:

Billx08 wrote:

ShootTheMessenger wrote:

My advice is DON’T under any circumstances buy either the P7000 of the P7100 – no matter how attractive the price is.

I know there's a loyal following of sycophantic owners who won't hear a bad word said against Nikon, however there is also a growing army of disillusioned owners, due in part I suspect to the P7000, and I’m one of them.

And there's also a bunch of angry, dyspeptic whining trolls that create fake IDs so that they can gripe and hope that nobody recognizes them. Since you created this "ShootTheMessenger" ID, you've posted all of five messages, all within the last hour, several of them in threads that appeared to have ended long ago. Why not tell us who you really are?

`

So ... I’m done with old school / old world brands like Canon and Nikon who seem to delight in going out of their way to abuse the customer and break a lifetime of built up trust.
From now on for my daily shooter I’ll be exploring companies with integrity, like Sony and Panasonic, and I suggest all existing (or intending) Nikon P7000/P7100 owners do likewise. Certainly anyone considering upgrading to the P7700 should seriously reconsider that decision as I'm sure you'll be entering a world of unnecessary and unwarranted pain. And Yes, I do know that Nikon have reverted to using a standard lens cap on the P7700 instead of those silly blinds, but what other horror stories lay in wait? And yes, for the doubters amongst you, I have seen and used a P7700, and apart from the long overdue fully reticulating screen which should have been fitted to the P7100, it's a very ordinary camera.

Oh ... and I don't mind at all if you shoot the messenger 'cause it's your funeral not mine.

I'd suggest buying into Panasonic. FWIW, one of my Panasonic cameras (a TZ model) retains an older firmware version. Unlike Nikon, the new firmware didn't even try to fix anything or add new features. Its documentation spelled out its one and only purpose, to make third party batteries incompatible.

You got to be kidding? I owned the P7000 and it was the biggest joke of a camera. It could not focus in lowlight for a damn. The menu system was slow, laggy and the camera as a whole was just very unpolished. HAving debated over and over on the purchase of that camera and dropping $500 on it, it was a joke. Yeah I was bent and still am. So 2 models later, here I am. I ask questions, loved the new lens, swivel screen, better build and just better overall layout. It seemed like the camera for me until thast dreadful evening @ Lens And Shutter in Vancouver. Took out some of the big guns ( G15,P7700,Lx7,Xz2) and off we went. When the dust settled that evening, one camera came home with me and IMO is still leaps and bounds above the rest- Canon G15 ) while the new 7700 was quick overall, it struggled like hell to focus in low light.

So dont go run your mouth on something you are bitter about. Lots of PPL got burned with that Camera.

So is this your admission that it's you that created the ShootTheMessenger ID? It could easily be said that I also got burned, since I held off buying the P7000 until not only the AF performance was fixed by the firmware upgrade, but I was also told that the firmware made the slow menu system (and photo review) much faster, and that didn't pan out. FYI, the P7700 doesn't really struggle to focus in low light, or put another way, it focuses about the same in low light (speed and accuracy) as my G11. I noticed that you still seem to be interested in the P7700, based on your question in another thread where the OP complained about an inability to focus after zooming all the way in and then back out. As you may have noticed, I and several others performed the test that the OP asked us to, and we didn't find the same problem, and the OP tested another P7700 in a camera shop and it passed with flying colors. As for being bitter and running off at the mouth, I'd say that ShootTheMessenger is leading the pack and some may see you as an up and coming candidate for the "bitterness" and "running off at the mouth" award. Again, was it you that created the new ID?

 

[Billx08]

Mike604 wrote:

Billx08 wrote:

ShootTheMessenger wrote:

My advice is DON’T under any circumstances buy either the P7000 of the P7100 – no matter how attractive the price is.

I know there's a loyal following of sycophantic owners who won't hear a bad word said against Nikon, however there is also a growing army of disillusioned owners, due in part I suspect to the P7000, and I’m one of them.

And there's also a bunch of angry, dyspeptic whining trolls that create fake IDs so that they can gripe and hope that nobody recognizes them. Since you created this "ShootTheMessenger" ID, you've posted all of five messages, all within the last hour, several of them in threads that appeared to have ended long ago. Why not tell us who you really are?

`

So ... I’m done with old school / old world brands like Canon and Nikon who seem to delight in going out of their way to abuse the customer and break a lifetime of built up trust.
From now on for my daily shooter I’ll be exploring companies with integrity, like Sony and Panasonic, and I suggest all existing (or intending) Nikon P7000/P7100 owners do likewise. Certainly anyone considering upgrading to the P7700 should seriously reconsider that decision as I'm sure you'll be entering a world of unnecessary and unwarranted pain. And Yes, I do know that Nikon have reverted to using a standard lens cap on the P7700 instead of those silly blinds, but what other horror stories lay in wait? And yes, for the doubters amongst you, I have seen and used a P7700, and apart from the long overdue fully reticulating screen which should have been fitted to the P7100, it's a very ordinary camera.

Oh ... and I don't mind at all if you shoot the messenger 'cause it's your funeral not mine.

I'd suggest buying into Panasonic. FWIW, one of my Panasonic cameras (a TZ model) retains an older firmware version. Unlike Nikon, the new firmware didn't even try to fix anything or add new features. Its documentation spelled out its one and only purpose, to make third party batteries incompatible.

How do you know He is a troll? Is this what these forums have become? We have to agree with the guys who have 10k plus posts to ***** about a camera we have owned. C'mon.

You don't have to agree with anyone but yourself, but anyone that can't see that ShootTheMessenger is a troll just can't be trusted to be able to recognize one, maybe even if he admits that he is one. Or do you think it's just an odd but explainable coincidence that someone would own a P7000 and a P7100 (probably going back over a year) and then suddenly join DPR to post a brief flurry of invective filled diatribes within an hour? If you'd rather agree with that angry, bitter troll (yes, troll) that has only posted five times, so be it, but it's not doing anything good for your credibility.

 

[wymjym]

Billx08 wrote:

Yes, Nikon should have mentioned this, but in all fairness, Nikon sugar coated its bitter pill with a significant firmware upgrade that greatly improved the P7000's main flaw, its serious inability to focus decently. It did so just as the P7100 was introduced, and this firmware upgrade improved the AF performance enough to make upgrading to the P7100 unnecessary for many P7000 owners.

To fair, credit should be given to B&H. Its website clearly spelled out that its aftermarket battery for the P7000 would only work with the older firmware :

Note! Only compatible with cameras using firmware version 1.0 or 1.1. Not compatible with cameras using firmware ver. 1.2

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...e_BP_7000_Rechargeable_Battery_for_Nikon.html

well, let me troll in here




the P7000 was extremely buggy and the P7100 was introduced and available for over THREE (3) months before Nikon saw fit to offer the firmware upgrade that did 'help' the af issues.

This second update was offered in early December and I believe was dated in mid Novemember while the new 'improved P7000" aka P7100 was available from late August.

I might be the only person that felt a bit taken advantage of...but Nikon hasn't really seemed to give a rats *ss about customers for some time now.




wj