NIKON D7000 Video TERRIBLE!!!

<p>Hello, <br>

I just sold my D90 for a D7000 as I was extremely excited about autofocus video amongst other things. I also broke down and got the new 18-200 VRII with the camera. I love the camera itself, but when I went to test out the video, I became extremely disheartened. The manual recommends full-time autofocus (wide) while in live view for video. I tried this. Autofocus works intermittently at best, and when it does work, it hunts back and forth a few times before settling on focus. Sometimes it settles out of focus. Regardless, the focus noise (audio) in the video is absolutely terrible. Thinking it was the lens, I switched lenses to my 12-24. It seems a little better, but then again I was not forcing it to focus at such extremes with this lens. What's the deal? Is it a problem with the camera or mine specifically? I know all of you hardcore video guys are going to be like "learn to manual focus, etc..." but that is not the point. I was hoping that I could replace this as the family camcorder as well with a little rig. I'm not going to expect everyone in my family to learn how to pull focus with a follow focus rig when a little $50 camcorder does a better job at focusing than my new D7000. I am extremely disappointed. Nikon should have put out a warning or something. I guess I should have tested it in the store, but I never expected such poor quality from Nikon. <br>

The noise when the 18-200 VRII is autofocusing is something like a quiet machine gun burst if that gives you an idea of what I am talking about. I will post a video if it would help. </p>

<p>On the AF-Noise : Any device wil relay all noises it , or its user makes to the audio channal when using a builtin microphone, so i'd suggest using an 'external micriphone' for a cleaner sound with your video's. ( nikon also , among others , suply a dedicated microphone for that..).<br>

This noise is'nt there on most (cheaper) video cams, because they are genarally "fix Focus" i.e. small sensor and small aperture, everything always in focus ( if youre not to critical about "In Focus " that is), where;as a DSLR uses a motor to set focu at a certain distance, and changes this ( i.e. the motor needs to work) when focus change is needed. So setting AF on AND seting continues focus on will resut in the motor to start and stop everytime focus needs adjusting.<br>

A camera like a Nikon D7000 is not a replacement for a dedicated video cam, since it will allow also only short movies to be recorded, i think, so for "family video's its much better to stick to a dedicated video cam, which is a lot lighter too ....</p>

<p>I'm sure others here will be able to supply you with "best settings" to minimize noise and optimal focussing, but i guess that at lest a separate microphone should help you with the nois issue a lot...</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Use manual focus and manually focus before you start shooting and stop down the lens so you have wide DOF. The D7000 is a DSLR that records video, not a camcorder.</p>

<p>The fast phase detect AF can't work because the mirror is up in video mode. Nikon's contrast based AF system is very slow. If you think your D7000 has slow contrast AF then you should check out my D90... It's a complete joke. Also the video back then was just one big jellovision mess if you had a moving subject or moved the camera.</p>

<p>You've determined what I've been saying for years. If you're willing to shoot Hollywood style with the camera on a tripod, an external mic, and a dedicated focus puller then you can get great results with a DSLR. If you're trying to replace your camcorder using it in AF mode handheld then you probably won't be happy with the results.</p>

<p>As for warnings, well there are tons of reviews saying how slow the AF is, how it makes noise, and lots of comments like mine saying DSLR video is either a waste of time or not there yet. Others may disagree.</p>

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<p> I was hoping that I could replace this as the family camcorder...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It won't. No DSLR will. So sorry that you needed to learn it this way.</p>

<p>You can get rid of that noise with an external microphone btw... but then it wouldn't be a "simple camcorder" solution either.</p>

<p>I'm keeping my camcorder.</p>

<p>As has already been mentioned in this thread, <em><strong>and in many many threads before this one</strong></em>, a D7000 or any other DSLR with Video will never replace a basic family camcorder.</p>

<p>If you couldn't be bothered to search this site, (or the rest of the internet for that matter), before buying, then you did yourself a disservice.</p>

<p>If you look at it on the bright side, you now have Nikon's newest DSLR technology and a great all-around use lens. You should be future-proofed for the next 4-5 years, (or longer since I used a D70s for six years before upgrading), when it comes to your camera.<br>

<br />RS</p>

<p>Nikon (and Canon) marketing departments are doing a great job making people replace their "$50 camcorders" by $1500 cameras. Do not belive all advertisement to be true - or even better do not belive any advertisement - your life will be much easier.</p>

<p>DSLR video requires proper technique and in some cases specialized accessories. Put the camera on a tripod, turn off AF, and manually focus the lens. I'm betting that the results will improve immediately.</p>

<p>FWIW...I just upgraded from a D90 to D7000 a few weeks ago. I found the same issue until I did some research and found this link <a href=" no doubt, there was an immediate improvement. I'm not, however, ready to chuck my Sony camcorder. Using a monopod, and following these steps was huge help for me. BTW... (Elliot ~2 weeks ago I posted about the smashed SD card and was in the works for the D7000 upgrade, you were spot-on... I indeed love the D7000 over the 90. As a backup to my D3 it's a killer. The squished SD card was not salvageable).<br />Greg</p>

<p>I do not understand why people buy DSLRs to shoot videos, it's like buying hay to feed birds...</p>

<p>Pascal, dSLR video can do things no camcorder can; the reverse is also true, so best think of the two as complementary tools for serious videographers rather than being mutually exclusive. </p>

<p>If you can't find a use for dSLR video then the feature will certainly be useless to you, but that doesn't mean the feature is useless. </p>

<p>Pascal, camcorder lenses are typically totally different in the image they render (very wide DOF) compared to DSLR lens which offer a more cinematic looking image (narrow DOF) depending on the lens you use. For a casual shooter looking to take family home videos, current DSLRs are no match for camcorders.</p>

<p>Greg, glad you are happy with the D7000 - sorry you could not recover your images.</p>

<p>Television and film production companies use DSLRs for video frequently. The small size of the DSLR allows it to be maneuvered in places where a larger professional video camera or film movie camera would be too bulky or conspicuous. </p>

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<p>"it's like buying hay to feed birds..."</p>

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<p>It's more like buying millet to feed birds who prefer sunflower seeds. They may not have any use for the millet, but other birds will.</p>

<p>I have a D7000 and love it for what I bought it for.. A still Camera.. I got it to be a Still image camera and as far as I am concerned I never use the video. If I ever (which is never) decide to shoot video I'll buy a video camera. I wish we could get that through Nikon,s thick skull. I trade that video portion of my D7000 for the return of the AF Button or an extra battery. (of course that is just my very humble opinion) YIKES!!!</p>

<p>I would consider a dSLR video feature a freebie bonus that cost Nikon little to put in and customers paid no extra for - the essential elements are there to make it video capable with just a few firmware enhancements. </p>

<p>It's a bit like stills-capable camcorders except arguably more useful. </p>

<p>As others have said, a<br />DSLR isn't a replacement for a camcorder. Camcorders are designed to easily produce video with little in camera control of the results in terms of DOF, etc.<br>

If you want decent audio you need to use an external mike and also consider using something like a<br />digital audio recorder like the Zoom.<br>

If you want to produce independent films the DLSR is a great tool. If you want to create fusion<br />products it's a wonderful tool.<br>

<br /><br />However, it's a totally<br />different animal than a camcorder.</p>

<p>As mentioned before, the AF noise from DSLRs (and Canon and Sonys do it too, though not as much in the NEX models) is because the motor, which is a moving part, is physically connected to the microphone. It's the exact same as holding a cordless drill up against the back of a vocal mic.</p>

<p>An external mic, especially with a shock mount, will fix that problem.</p>

<p>1) Video mode of N. D7000 is more advanced and requires knowledge how to use your work tool properly.<br />2) You can minimize sound with external mic which is located NOT next to lens.<br />3) If you want to shoot moving shots you will need some kind of steadycam. Very light, versatile ir steadycam merlin. You can start with that and later move on to more complicated rigs. Lens choice is vital for movies. It's hard to hold focus on moving subjects so wider lenses will make your job a lot easier.<br />4) Buy ND filters. If you want to shoot good quality videos in bright sunlight you will need them because in video mode it's recommended to use 1/50th of shutter speed for fluid motion. And i suppose that in a lot of cases you may want to keep you "f" numbers low. So there is no way how you can do that in bright sun without ND filters. <br />"Nikon D7000" ( you can replace text with any modern DSLR with video feature ) is great tool but only if you know how to use it and you will need a lot of additional gear. And in the end that gear will cost you a lot times more than your nikon. That is the sad truth.. </p>

<p> as far as I am concerned I never use the video. If I ever (which is never) decide to shoot video I'll buy a video camera. I wish we could get that through Nikon,s thick skull.</p>

<p>Get used to it. The future of DSLRs includes video. Period. Enough people want it that the camera makers are wise to include it. Also, because I had video built-in to my still camera, I have an awesome little 1-minute clip of my son riding his bike for the very first time. I'm glad I had my D90 and not my old D50 when I was photographing that.</p>

<p>I have been interested in the concept of video in a still camera. I sort of evaluated my experience with the Nex-5 camera by renting it a couple of different of times. One of those times was a family vacation in Mexico this past spring. If you want to know my experience, take a look on my blog<br>

(http://www.e2photo.net/e2Photography,_LLC/Blog/Entries/2011/1/20_Nex-5_Camera.html)<br>

I normally shoot portraits and wedding using a D700 and I was reasonably impressed with the Nex-5 performance. The blog may take a while to load.</p>

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<p>As has already been mentioned in this thread, <em><strong>and in many many threads before this one</strong></em>, a D7000 or any other DSLR with Video will never replace a basic family camcorder.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Never say never in the world of electronics. Sony's a33 and a55 actually do a quite decent job at autofocusing during video, though they also are hampered by AF drive noise, which is pretty loud with all but the most expensive sony lenses. Technically they are not DSLRs of course (no optical viewfinder etc) but as camcorder/still camera crossover technology they're not a bad start at all. Future Sony pellicle bodies and silent drive lenses may well bring further improvements & could well cause the other brands to start releasing similar or alternative phase-detect capable video solutions in DSLR-like bodies.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, implementing phase detect AF in a DSLR for video using a pellicle mirror goes beyond the threshold of causing damage to the camera's still capability. Nikon can't really go there, at least not with all of their lineup. I suspect contrast detect AF, which is used successfully in other cameras such as the Panasonics, will be developed further and eventually provide satisfactory for video AF. As of now, if you have a large sensor and shallow depth of field I think it's better to get a big screen and use manual focus.</p>

<p>It's not a question of asking it to do what it says it won't. I'm asking it to do what is says it can. For example, the "full-time" autofocus in live-view periodically decides that it just want to stop. </p>

<p>While many here said that you still need a camcorder, I threw my camcorder out of the window when I got the D90 and never look back. In many ways, the video in the D7000 is better than the D90; however, you need to know why your camcorder works "better" so you can get the D7000 to work the same way. </p>

<p>First in terms of AF speed, the typical camcorder works better because it uses a very small sensor/short-focal length lens. Because the focal length of these lenses are so short, they have plenty of DOF. As a result the AF in the camcorder does not need to work very hard to focus. What you gain with a much much larger sensor in the D7000 are the abilities to play with shallow DOF to give you the movie-look and to shoot at very low light with low noise. Some tricks can overcome the issue of slow AF in the D7000. First, avoid tracking objects or zooming during filming. Contant zooming and AF are typical of home videos while the pro shoot videos in segments. Second, use a wider lens and small aperture to give you enough DOF so if you object moves back and forth a little, it will still be in focus. You can AF, lock, shoot. AF again, lock, shoot, etc, you then assemble these into a continuous video with some sound track (which also takes care of the problems of ambient noise) to unify all the pieces. Footages within a segment that is out of focus can be trimmed off. Use face-detection in live view, if your subjects are people. In my Panasonic GH1 camera, this works wonders to track my toddler running wildly. </p>

<p>Having said this, within Nikon's line-up, the video in the D7000 is really more geared toward the pro which may be one reason why this camera is compatible with many Nikon MF lenses for metering. As I said, the pro MF any way, and they shoot in segment. It is more important for them to use a wide selection of lenses to give them fish eye, super wide, and shallow DOFs all from app. $1000 camera. The D5100 may be more geared toward the typical consumers as its swing out screen is very useful for tracking (the pro will most likely use tripod or other support and not move around so much). If you want to look into other brands for a "hybrid"camera, the Panasonic GH2 is an outstanding candidate, and it comes with several lenses that have "silent" AF. The D7k is a more capable "camera" though.</p>

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