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Is D7000 really that bad?


jon_reisegg

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<p>I'm reading with astonishment a number of forums where people are complaining about the D7000, in particular the focus system seems to cause a lot of problems. I have just received mine, and must admit that the focus system is quite advanced with a number of settings where you easily can go wrong. I also see that a number of the D7000s are returned to Nikon for fixing the problem and are reported ok when they come back, which tells me that it must have been something wrong.<br>

My question is if all these complaints about focus issues are real or if this simply are user errors. And if they are real, how can I test mine to see if I have something to worry about? </p>

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<p>i have had the d7000 for about 9 months now. never really had any focus problems other than user error and a few dust spots, (wet cleaned once). i have used it with both af-s, af-d nikon lenses and tamron and sigma glass. its my third, and best nikon dslr to date. you do need to take a little more care regarding its pixel density, ( 16 mp is a lot for a small sensor). a lot of people that have problems are those that have gone all out to look for them . if you are happy with its performance in a real world situation then there is no point in shooting test charts and nit picking for the sake of it. enjoy your camera, its a classic.</p>
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<p>I strongly believe a lot is user error. It took me about a year or so to really grasp the various options of the AF on my D300, and certainly more time to get the "best" out of it (it's so competent that I guess I do not come close to its best). I've read many messages like the ones you describe, and I usually get the impression it's the type of buyer that think "<em>I bought a better body, so now I should get better photos</em>". And they leave most on auto - and don't study which setting does what. It simply does not work that way - the more advanced body ask you to invest quite a bit more time in getting the best out of them, and they tend to require more that you set your settings right. Less soft cushions to bail you out.<br>

It's a bit the same as some forums being full of back- or frontfocussing lenses. I tested for it once after getting the idea one of my lenses was a bit off. Turned out to be my error, and with tiny DoF, I could have known it was more likely me. But sometimes it is easier to blame the equipment, as fixing yourself has a bit more of a learning curve ;-)</p>

<p>So, if I'd have a D7000 I just happily use it, and if you have problems, investigate whatever causes them and resolve that.</p>

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<p>I'm getting ready to buy a second D7000, because it's nice to have two identical bodies on the occasions when I shoot events. I must have missed the many forums in which people are complaining. Could you provide some links?</p>

<p>As to testing methods, I only test cameras and lenses by shooting with them, but a good source of information and materials for simple formal tests of focus is provided by Bob Atkins, an administrator and contributor on photo.net who also has many helpful things in his own site. <a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/focus_testing.html"><strong>Here is his article on focus testing</strong></a> .</p>

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<p>It's usually a poorly skilled craftsman who blames his tools. At 16mp, there are lots of opportunities for unsharp shots...usually rooted in poor shooting technique, operator error, or dodgy glass.</p>

 

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<p>And if they are real, how can I test mine to see if I have something to worry about?</p>

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<p>After reading the part in the manual about what kind of subject and conditions AF needs to work correctly, try some test shots from a solid rest, like a good tripod. Use AF-S single shot/single servo, not continuous AF-C, which can drift. Use a high enough shutter speed to eliminate camera/mirror vibration as a cause of unsharpness. Use a quality lens fairly wide open so DoF doesn't mask the actual focus point. Use as low an ISO as possible to eliminate high ISO NR and noise as issues. Use the center focus point. Vary the subject distance from up close to medium distance. Print the test shots (Monitors don't have nearly the resolution of a print. If you feel the temptation to zoom in with your monitor, resist it and print bigger instead). Look at the prints, ignoring the edges and anything else that wasn't near the focus point. Now try it again using manual focus with live view and up to 6.7x zoom on the LCD to help get the MF just right. Does the focus point in the prints look different? If not, you're good to go.</p>

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<p>First of all, it is very typical that 3% to 5% of any consumer electronics to have some problems and may require warranty repair, including any Nikon DSLR model and the D7000 is no exception. Even for higher-end DX-format DSLRs such as the D300 and D7000, Nikon must have sold over a million units. 4% of 1M is 40K defective units. Even 1% of those 40K owners post the various forums, you'll see a lot of complaints (not just AF).</p>

<p>On this forum, we have had a number of threads on D300 and D7000 problems, including various AF issues. If you only read those threads, anybody would conclude that Nikon makes very lousy DSLRs. However, my experience is quite the opposite. Every Nikon DSLR I have owned since the D2X has excellent AF capability: D2X, D300, D700, and D7000. I also had opportunity to test D300S, D3, D3S, D3X, and D800 samples; every unit I get to use is excellent.</p>

<p>The Multi-CAM 3500 (on all D3, D4, D300, D700, and D800 models) and Multi-CAM 4800 (D7000) are complex AF systems that require some effort to understand. Apparently some users simply don't bother to spend the time. Back in 2007 when I first bought my D300 as soon as it was available, it took me a few weeks to learn and experiment with its various AF options, and I have been using Nikon SLRs for over 30 years and AF for like 20 years.</p>

<p>Currently, the D7000 is my camera of choice for capturing hummingbirds. Their erratic flight pattern is extremely challenging to the AF system. Yet, for me, it is quite routine to get mostly sharp images with the D7000, similar with using the D300, D700, and D800. Another additional issue is that the D7000 and D800 have very dense pixels. When people pixel peep, it is easy to notice that images are not entirely sharp. Therefore, it is predictable that there would be a lot of complaints about various AF issues on the D800. If you read DPReview forums, that is exactly what you will find. I am afraid that it will be even worse for the 24MP, DX format D3200.</p>

<p>The image below was captured with the D7000 at ISO 1600; that is why you need some noise. However, after I down sample, the 8.5 x 11 print looks great to me.</p><div>00aT7a-472087584.jpg.437ec45d06ec4d12543787e6a74cdb9e.jpg</div>

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<p>I really like that shot, Shun!</p>

<p>Just in case I wasn't clear above, the reason I'm getting a second D7000 is that I like the one I have. The D7000 has been the best DSLR of those I've used: D50, D90, D300. It's possible that you were led to think it has serious problems not only by reports from incompetent shooters, as several have suggested above, but from topic lines such as, "Is the D7000 really that bad?" Posing questions in this way is something to avoid, because it suggests facts for which there is no evidence. Consider: "Is your Representative a crook?" As it happens, ours is definitely not, she's excellent, but enough questions like that can create a negative impression.</p>

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<p>I agree that in many cases the "problems" are user errors. The AF systems on Nikon higher end bodies have become quite sophisticated and they require some study and practice before one can hope to use them properly. When I first got my D300, the 51 point AF and the various ways to use it did take me a while to get used to; but now, it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Though I mostly use single point AF, non continuous, on the occasions I've used they system's full capability I have been quite impressed. I don't have the link, but Thom Hogan did a review of the D300 (pretty sure) wherein he went into great detail about learning to use the Mult-Cam 3500 AF system, and that helped me a lot. </p>
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<p>Sorry if I make negative impressions about a great camera. I love it already and was just surprised about all the negative discussions in DPReview. I have got my answer and this tread may well be deleted by the facilitator.</p>
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<p>Jon, it is not merely DPReview, on this very forum, there are a number of threads on D7000 AF problems:</p>

<ul>

<li><a href="00ZlX2">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00ZlX2</a></li>

<li><a href="00XnSk">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00XnSk</a></li>

<li><a href="00ZoPS">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00ZoPS</a></li>

</ul>

<p>just to name a few of such threads. I also notice that some members rarely post to this forum but they never miss a thread on D7000 AF issues. While I am sure that a few D7000 cameras are indeed defective, the same exaggeration is repeated over and over.</p>

<p>If you search around, you will also find similar threads on D300 problems. And as I said, on DPReview, there are already lots of threads on D800 "AF problems."</p>

<p>However, my experience is that AF works great on all of those cameras. Why don't you try out your own new D7000 and see what your experience is.</p>

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<p>I did notice one complaint from many D7000 owners that I think is legitamate, it really is easy to rotate the dial on top unintentionally. I heard this complaint a few times before it happened to me.</p>

<p>My only minor complaint of a fantastic camera. </p>

<p>I was also guily of disapointment through pixel peeping when I first got the camera. But once you print at 24x36 and love the results including detail and sharpness it's easy to fall in love with this camera.</p>

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<p>Last year I decided to buy two D300s refurbs, I gave the D7000 a look, but I quickly passed because of the dial on top that I so often inadvertently nudged on my D70s during important event coverage. Never have to think about it with the D300s.</p>
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<p>I've had a D7000 for about 1 1/2 years, and these are my observations on the AF:</p>

<p>AF precision/accuracy is very dependent on the lens used. Lenses with high powered AF-S motors (typically the Nikon pro grade lenses) typically very good about consistently being in good focus. The consumer AF-S lenses are often hit or miss, as are AF-D lenses. This isn't an AF tuning issue, because the miss focus isn't consistent (front/back). It's not a lens adjustment issue either, because focus is very good with my D200. </p>

<p>This leads me to believe that AF software and algorithms for the D7000 limits the time the camera can take to focus before the shutter fires (even in focus priority). The way that AF is done in DSLRs is not pure closed loop control, and can have a significant <em>close enough</em> factor. It makes the camera feel like it has very snappy AF, with the price that some shots are out of focus. </p>

<p>I'll also mention that after 6 months of using µ4/3 cameras, their consistent, reliable, precise AF (only done in <em>live view</em>) is a revelation. In the <em>no free lunch</em> category, they are a little weak in fast moving subjects.</p>

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<p><em>It's usually a poorly skilled craftsman who blames his tools.</em></p>

<p>With a couple of exceptions, your photo.net portfolio images appear to have nearly infinite depth of field. I think few photographers would report AF issues if they mostly used f/11 or f/16. :-)</p>

<p>To the OP: I used the D7000 for about six months and this is my experience. The camera is capable of outstanding image quality at low ISO, on tripod, with live view manual focus and lens stopped down to close to its optimum aperture. I especially liked the results I got with it in close-up and macro photography (using 85mm PC-E and 200/4D AF Micro). However, I also wanted to use it for telephoto work to extend the range of my 70-200/2.8 II and 200/2 lenses (I used 12MP FX as my main cameras at the time and these lenses had a lot of unused resolution potential). I got generally good results in bright light with the 70-200 (sometimes excellent results) when stopped down to f/4 but when used at or near their maximum apertures, the focus was erratic and I got a low percentage of keepers. Other people may have similar or different experiences depending on their shooting style, the aesthetic they aim for, the subjects they photograph and the lighting conditions, and of course the familiarity with the characteristics of the camera can help too. There are a number of factors that can lead to less good AF results: the use of screwdriver lenses instead of AF-S, the use of far off-center AF points instead of the cross-type points in the center of the array, the use of wide apertures, hand-holding instead of having the camera on tripod, and so on. I use off-center points a lot, together with wide apertures, and know that these are contributing factors, but I cannot achieve the aesthetic that I'm seeking for in the final picture consistently in any other way. As an example, this picture was shot at 280mm, at f/3.5, on an FX camera, and it displays a composition and background blur that I like:</p>

<p> spacer.png

<p>The face is positioned quite close to the top edge, so this would be ideal for DX with its far off-center focus points, and using DX I could take off the TC which causes a degree of image quality degradation (due to flare at high contrast boundaries, for example). But in this situation if I had used the D7000 the AF would not have coped with the aperture required to get this level of background blur (f/2?) even when the lens is on tripod for stability. That was the result of my testing last summer, I recall getting as bad as 10% in-focus rate at f/2 at this same stage. This was not a focus fine tune issue - when I tested the camera and lens in "home lab" conditions I got zero average focus error. Given that I can easily pull this shot off on FX I ended up selling the D7000. I am not sure if this was such a good move but I made a promise and I couldn't take it back.</p>

<p>However, the story continues; the photographer who bought my D7000 reported a couple of months later that when he took the camera to service for sensor cleaning, parts of the autofocus system (including the sub-mirror assembly and other parts) were replaced in the service (free of charge). Since it's no longer my camera, unfortunately I have no way of knowing if the changes/repair were effective in solving the issue that I had. I hope so.</p>

<p>Returning to the OP's question. If your camera functions properly for the subjects and situations that you use it in, just keep using it and enjoy. If you have systematic difficulties in obtaining good focus in some situations, you can either try another camera such as a D300s, D700 (or D800, if available for testing) and see where that gets you in the same circumstances, or ask Nikon service to test your D7000. </p>

<p>I think it was Bob Atkins who once said something to the effect that if you don't have a real-world problem, don't measure anything. Chances are that if you measure/test/compare something you will find something (even if it is a little thing) that you do not like. ;-) For example I once was foolish enough to do a focus test on a lens and noticed that the right most points gave a focus offset compared to the center points. I spun the camera around 180 degrees around the lens tripod collar, refocused and reshot the test images with the camera upside down. The focus offset between the two sensor points was gone. It was simply the case that I was requiring a greater precision than the AF system was built to handle ... there are mechanical components that move (the mirror system) and they are within position only within some tolerance. This can mean that there is a focus error that varies from shot to shot as the mirror jumps up and down - it is never twice in the same place with atomic scale precision ;-) You just have to accept that there is a level of precision that the system is built to handle and use it within its limitations. </p>

<p> </p>

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<p>Ups, the corresponding aperture using DX and f = 200mm is approximately f/2.5, not f/2. At f/2.5 the percentage of in focus shots is certainly better than 10%, but still good results required more shots and greater effort than a similar picture with FX.</p>
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<p>Without regard to the long list of answers above, let's cut to the quick. Bruce had it right at the start: nincompoops, he said.</p>

<p>Do companies like Nikon and Canon and the others ever make a big mistake and release a piece of s**t? Very rarely, I'd say.<br>

I have seen complaints about AF back to the late 1980s when it all started. I have seen plenty of evidence, both anecdotal and in the form of objective tests of these cameras, that the biggest single problem with any auto-focus system is the USER.</p>

<p>AF is a wonderful thing, but it does not eliminate the responsibility of the user to learn how to use it and to use it to get the appropriate part of the image in focus. It's wonderful that it works as well as it does for so many different situations and subjects, but it is not a substitute for the human eye and brain, working together.</p>

<p>It's actually necessary to either learn how to use AF or to hobble it down to a one-sensor mode that you can understand. Or just use manual focus.<br>

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the camera, but in ourselves.</p>

<p>Now, get the hell off my lawn.</p>

 

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<p>I've used my D7000 with several AF-D and AF-S type lenses, and have had no problems with auto focusing that could be attributed to the camera's AF system rather than other factors.<br>

My experience is similar to that of Bruce Rubenstein explained in his post above: the D7000s autofocus system appears to limit the maximum time to focus before the shutter fires, such that some shots of difficult subjects taken with slow-to-focus AF-D lenses at their widest apertures do miss. But this doesn't happen very often, and the snappy autofocus is an advantage in most usual circumstances.</p>

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<p>D7000, terrible camera, all my shots have a 2 second delay until focus locks and then they are blurred..... No wait, I just realized the camera is set to 2 s self timer and Manual 1/15 at f2.8..... sound familiar?</p>

<p>Jokes aside, just fine tunes the AF on my D7000, I think I had one or two lenses that needed quite an adjustment..... but other than that, no issues.</p>

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<p>Thanks to all responders for your positive assessments of the D7000. I've been using my D80 since I bought it years ago and, while I think it's still a great camera, I'm eagerly awaiting my D7000 from B&H, due to arrive in a few more days. Shun's statement, two times in as many forums, that it was his "DX camera of choice" gives me great confidence that I made a good decision.</p>
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<p>Despite its some other shortcomings, such as a slower frame rate and slower memory write speed, I prefer the D7000 over the D300 for one reason: high ISO results. The hummingbird image happens to be a great example. Had I used the D300, ISO 1600 results would be not very acceptable. At the pixel level, the D7000 may look noisy, but after down sampling, the 8.5x11 print looks very good.</p>

<p>With only 12MP, the D300 does not have nearly as much room for down sampling.</p>

<p>BTW, in the US, there is now a $100 rebate on the D7000, making the final cost around $1100, same as before the Thai flood last October. So the D7000 is a very good deal now. However, it is approaching 2 years old and there are speculations that it may be updated in the next year or so.</p>

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