greg_lisi

<p>Thanks guys. I apologize if it sounded like I was stretching this topic beyond it's intended purpose. Shun, my ultimate objective is to learn. I was hoping to find a camera club where various levels of photographic skills could be expanded. This particular club is too far over my head. I'm not a beginner, but I'm not an engineer (many of those members are). Some of the jargon they were discussing made my head spin. I'll stck with reading online here at photo.net and checking out YouTube which has some pretty good tutorials if you know where to look. <br>

 

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<p>Thank you for your input. Again, learning all phases of digital imaging is a big part of what I enjoy. There is one thing that makes this topic interesting to me. After reading your coments, I called the head-cheese of the camera club for some membership details. I come to find out the group that was debating this issue were not exactly "newbies" to the DSLR world. Like, I'm talking (average ages 50ish) software engineers, systems anaylists, working for blue chip companies who have been seriously shooting Nikon digital since the D1 days. When I hear input here like "meaningless, silly," etc. it makes me scratch my head as to the members' credibility. One would think they would have at least more of a handle on data manipulation. Your input certainly makes clear to me the core of what I was trying to understand. The only thing I can think of is, the club president explained, when die-hard NX users vs. LR, PS, Capture One users start getting into it..WOW!</p>

<p>Hi all...Went to a camera club meeting for the first time to see if I wanted to join. Towards the end of the meetinng, I listened to a heated discussion that ensued after someone mentioned the use of his D3 with NEF uncompressed vs. lossless compressed. The meat of the argument focused on the few claiming lossless compressed would only be true lossless if using NEF proprietary S/W (ViewNX or Capture NX). Using a 3rd party editor would not be lossless. The opposite side was arguing something about no loss of data with 3rd party..etc., etc. I don't really know. Since voices were becoming a bit high on the decibel scale, I decided to withdraw to the parking lot and exit. Since I'm constantly on a learning curve, your input is appreciated. </p>

<p>Thanks Matt. I was hoping an answer like the one you gave would emerge. Making sure the greescreen is lit evenly makes sense. I was having nightmares of trying to get every little freakin' crease out of the muslin or GSW would fail. Actually, that program is quite amazing and fast. The results I've been getting with a medium size greenscreen foldout are great. Can't wait to see how group shots turn out.</p>

<p>I started shooting a few green screen portraits with a promaster foldout backdrop and Green Screen Wizard.. This worked well for my family shots. When my daughter started showing her friends, the dam breached and now I have load of shoots lined up. Anyway, I had to upscale my greenscreen backdrop to a 10X20 muslin which I ordered and just arrived. Question is, storage, folds and creases. If I can get the majority of the folds and creases out, but not perfectly smooth (like the tight promaster foldout) will that effect the resulting background transfer in PP?<br>

Thanks</p>

<p>I had a similar experience with a decision to sell my D90 and go to the D7000. My D90 was doing a fine job for what I needed. And then it happened...went to a camera club shoot with D3's, D90's, and D7000's going at it. All pretty much using similar lenses in close catagory. My buddy's D7000 (untouched standard profile) raw conversion shots (dynamic range, colors, etc.) were simply stunning over my D90's similar conversions which were not slouchy either. The bug bit me, I went with the D7000 a week later and never looked back.</p>

<p>Thanks Guys. Bob, looking at the big picture (no pun intended) I think your pretty much on. I'll check out the sample but I'll pull the trigger on the T2i.</p>

<p>"Low ISO noise"....sorry about that. Should've been high ISO noise.</p>

<p>Hi All. I have a chance to pick up a T3 for a decent price. Friends are telling me to go for the T2i instead ? Upon research I did find that there is a small difference in sensor size T2i=22.3x14.9mm, T3=22.2x14.7mm. Also, the T2i has a slight edge with dynamic range and low iso noise. I shoot raw nearly 99% of the time and video is not a priority. Basically, I'm just looking to see which camera will shoot with better raw IQ. Many thanks. </p>

<p>Steve, I had the exact same feeling when I first bought my D7000. I have rather long fingers. Then I went and bought the (real) MB-D11 grip. I hadn't planned on dropping that much $$ on a grip, however, it totally changed the "feel" of the camera and worked out well. I shoot small weddings and with my D3 24-70 2.8 and D7000 70-200 VRII it makes for a killer combo. I had a D300 and made countless family memories with it.<br>

Greg</p>

<p>Thank you guys...your input is appreciated. My perspective with this experience encompasses the wow-factor level of DSLR technology and where it has come to (and where it's going). Put 2 DSLR's, one which appears and feels like a toy (T3), and one that looks and feels like one hell of a serious piece of gear (D3/3s) and see the end result of each (IQ image) to an experienced, or even an average eye, and the comparison is quite amazing. Sure, the bells and whistles of circuitry, computer processing, optic sensors, etc. lend to speed and high horsepower features of the upper level DSLR's. But given the limitations of these relatively inexpensive low-end, entry level models, (such as the T3 or the D3000) just blows me away in terms of what they can put out. Now I'm getting more of an insight to the DSLR wars (for lack of a better word).</p>

<p>As an avid Nikon shooter from the mid-70's (semi-pro/enthusiast) I came upon a situation that I wondered if any other Nikon(ist) experienced. For me it has been a very interesting revelation....I'll be damned....Nikon isn't the only quality DSLR manufacturer of gear on the planet. It has taken me a number of years to be able to purchase all Nikon glass, a D3, D300 (soon to sell), and a D7000. In my wildest dreams I would've never believed I would purchase anything but Nikon gear. Well, to make a complex/long story short, I wound up buying, from a financially distressed relative, a new Canon T3 kit for almost a song. I've wanted for some time to pick-up an ultra small/light take-everywhere-supercasual D3000 class camera, but not in the P&S class. When the situation came up, I figured it would be a win-win if I pulled the trigger. Well, I did and here's the kicker....I've been shooting the little T3 with an upgraded (from the kit) 17-85 zoom. I use Canon's DPP s/w to convert from raw to tiff, take it into LR3 to tweak and out to JPEG. The IQ I've been able to get from the T3 is, in a word, amazing! When I first bought the T3 I knew it was an entry level camera so my expectations were that this camera's performance wasn't going to come close to my D3 or D7000. Ah...hello, I got a wakup call from the otherside of the fence!!<br>

For me, this brings up the question...are there many dual product or Nikon/Canon shooters (pro/non-pro?) who switch back and forth for reasons?</p>

<p>I bought the Nissin awhile back, with lots of use, and have absolutely no regrets. It talks to my D3, and D7000 without a hitch. Plenty of power and nice size. I also have a SB-800 that has, God knows, has many thousands of fireings and still goes like a banshee. </p>

<p>Brought my D3/70-200 2.8 II to my church where there was to be a catholic school graduation. Lighting was typical for a cathedral type church facility (lots of tungsten). I shot raw, AWB, manual, matrix, ISO ~1600-3200, no flash, and adjusting A and S as needed to try and keep the peaks in the middle (exposure). This time, just for the heck of it, I brought my Sekonic and walked around the Altar area before anyone arrived. I took some readings and jotted them down. Time to shoot, this time I ignored the constant minus side readings I was getting on the camera meter instead applying the settings to what my Sekonic was suggesting. At the end of the day, dump into NX3. I had a spot-on exposure keeper rate that I haven't been getting in the past using the averages of the camera's analogue meter (very inconsistant). Question is, meter accuracy. Is it time for me to send my D3 in for a check-up? Are there any other tests I could run to make a determination?</p>

<p>Allan...I'm afraid you opened the door to a powder magazine with a lit match.</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>Thanks Elliot. I'll check out Studio 15. I'm currently playing with Cyberlink's PowerDirector 9. It's got some pretty nifty features. I know Pinnacle renders good output even from the old days (although it had quite a few bugs).</p>

<p>As the kids say (these days), "You Rock!" Thanks guys soooo much for your input. The two editors I did get good feedback on was Sony Vega and Cyberlink PowerDirector 9. Also Adobe's Premier Elements faired well. I guess I'll give them a try. The D7000's 1080p video is quite awesome. And now being able to record for 20 min. clips is a great feature when your a grandpop and need to get those "magic moments" from stills and video.</p>

<p>Just recieved my D7000 about a week ago. Upgraded from the D90 which is a good camera, but this one's a honey. Anyway, with the D90 I hardly used video, therefore I didn't have a use for decent video editing S/W. The video coming out of the D7000 is too nice not to use (for me anyway). Awhile back I used to have Pinnacle to mess around and make videos with. By now I'm probably 2-3 version upgrades behind. Question is, what's your video editing choice these days that will handle the .mov format of the D7000? Much appreciated</p>

<p>Hi All,<br />With a D3, is UniWB the most, or the only way to get the nearest accurate reading from a histogram?<br />If so, the only source I was able to find (for the D3) is to set WB to 4760K with a G5 shift.<br />I'm just trying to get a better handle on histograms that don't seem to differ so much from what is read in the camera to...lets say LR3, or Capture one 6 PRO, or NX3?</p>

<p>Jerry, you are so right. Messing around with card exchanging in a high traffic area was not very smart, despite the great shot I missed...lesson learned. Dan, don't take this as sarcasm but I don't particularly intend to "waist money" on any camera gear I potentially purchase. I buy because it serves a purpose. Learn to love my D3....surely you jest...that black brick is my passion that I more than love. The word "geeky" was a poor choice of words in my original post to describe a situation I didn't want to develop (no pun intended) at this particular event. I envisioned many people (relatives) with their P&S's interrupting and asking me 10K questions while valuable shots are lost (I can't be rude and just brush them off). If I were shooting a paid event, that would be a totally different animal. Shots come before conversation, period.</p>

<p>Bruce, I love your input (chuckle). But hey, doesn't everyone who wants to buy a serious camera need to have some "convoluted reasoning." Seriously though, yes, the D90 is still an excellent camera, however, I'm now doing enough small shoot jobs to justify the upgrade, and I need the security (mental and physical) of the dual slots. Also, the improved video over the D90 is a plus for those short clips.</p>

<p>Many thanks Elliot. I do some small weddings and parties with my D3 and D90. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the 7000. No doubt if you shoot for money dual slots are a must. My other half was reading over my shoulder your response so, as she was beating me on the back to persue your recommendation, I'll actively look for a recovery company. The card, however is a mess....split just about in half and the flat pins are badly bent.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone for your valued input. I'm going to pull the trigger on the upgrade. No doubt, patience was not exercised in the proper handling of the memory card...and I know better. The main reason I avoided using my D3 was not as a "social issue" problem. I should have made that more clear. The last time I walked around with my D3 at a relatives's function I had a slew of people asking me a ton of annoying questions about their camera, and mine, that kept me from shooting. Andy...good point, however for me....the convenience of one large memory card vs. the (inconvenient) smaller multiples and the potential (slim as it is) of larger loss in a big card is another can-of-worms. Todays high-end cards are indeed reliable but IMO recovering precious data is not always a sure thing. Just my 2 cents worth!</p>

<p>So I'm at a relatives' 50th anniversary with my trusty D90. Left the D3 home so I wouldn't look geeky (mistake #1).Towards the end of the party, at the edge of the dance floor, I decide to switch out memory cards (mistake #2). Teen-age cousin decides to say hello with a slap on the back, the card goes flying and lands under a table with ten people. Everone at the table gets up and moves as I look like an ass crawling around under it desperately trying to find the card. Rather large Uncle Al yells out "I found it" and moves his chair...right on top of the flat pins. Trashed; one ExtremeIII 4GB HC card. Ticked-off; one wife staring at me with death in her eyes. Lost; a treasure of memories from the evening. Now, the odds of a scenario like that where a quarter sized memory card gets accidentally crunched are VERY slim...but the fact is...it happened!! I've been mulling over upgrading to the D7000 for about a month. Those twin memory slots are an insurance blessing as I use them w/o fail on my D3 for important shoots. My point, before I go through the session of buying and selling to go for the upgrade, can anyone who already did the D90-->D7000 up have post-purchase second thoughts? I've spent 3 nights reading and researching and there seems to be...not much, but a somewhat mixed bag of input on the topic.</p>