Posted by Brad Hill on November 8, 2010 at 3:25 PM
10 November Update: This mini review has proved to be more popular than I expected, so I've given the piece a more permanent home on my website (it's still in the blog, but will be increasingly hard to find...). Here's the new home:
If anyone is interested, I've posted my very first impressions (about 5 pages worth) about how the new D7000 performs in the field.
The CEO Summary: This is a very good camera - under the right conditions it can produce professional quality images comparable to that taken by any DSLR. How's that for politically correct??
All the other gory details? On my blog (8 November entry), right here:
Posted by Luke Ormand on November 8, 2010 at 7:14 PM
Thanks Brad, certainly a detailed description of this new camera. It will be interesting what happens with this proposed Nikon D400...
Posted by Brad Hill on November 8, 2010 at 7:51 PM
Hey Luke,
What "proposed" D400? How 'bout "theoretical" D400? Nikon has said nothing about a D400 and any rumours about it (e.g., that by Thom Hogan) are just that - rumours. I have NO inside info, but I really wonder if there WILL be a successor to the D300s (and if we aren't already looking at it). I don't think Nikon can upgrade all their current pro or semi-pro "D's" (D300s, D700, D3s, D3x) without running into one model doing major cannibalization of the sales of the others. I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of them ceases to exist, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was the D300s. That MAY be (my speculation only) why they "professionalized" the D7000 to the degree they did (if you take the D7000 as the successor to BOTH the D90 and the D300s). There's some confusion in Nikonland!!
Cheers...thanks for the feedback...
Brad
PS: For the record, I REALLY hope I'm wrong about the D300s successor - nothing I would like to see more than a truly professional DX camera from Nikon (again).
Posted by Luke Ormand on November 8, 2010 at 8:09 PM
Ah, yes my syntax has outed me once again. Theoretical is a much better choice of words... I agree that it seems there is only so much they could do and I'm not sure what they could add to the D300s to take it to the next level without muddying the waters between the D7000. BUT, would Nikon really stop at the inexpensive D7000 as their signature DX camera? The D300s retailed for $1800 when it debuted just a year ago...
Posted by Brad Hill on November 8, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Hey Luke,
You ask: "BUT, would Nikon really stop at the inexpensive D7000 as their signature DX camera?"
Don't know, but they didn't hesitate to step down from the $5k D2xs to the $1650 D300 as their "signature" DX camera a few years ago (and I'm still ticked that they did that!!). Makes dropping down from $1800 to $1200 seem like a pretty small step!
But it's all speculation right now...
Cheers...
Brad
Posted by Basil Greber on November 9, 2010 at 3:24 PM
How about hypothetical D400 instead of theoretical? Theory means you have supporting evidence. Sorry...
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the D7000!
Posted by Brad Hill on November 9, 2010 at 3:57 PM
Hey Basil,
Hmmm...not sure a THEORY has actual supporting evidence...in my head (after WAY TOO MANY philosophy of science courses) a theory is a construct which drives future investigation and is normally derived from associations that first exist only in the head of originator or a small group of like-thinking individuals (like, for instance, with Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace when the theory of evolution was formulated). I think there's enough past history with Nikon to argue about the "theory" of the D400...
But...I'm totally pulling your chain and I'm really comfortable calling it proposed or theoretical or hypothetical or imaginary or whatever!
Thanks for joining in and playing the semantic game...
Brad
Posted by Glenn Starr on November 10, 2010 at 7:53 PM
It's discussions such as these that remind why I choose Engineering over a career in Chemistry while in college!
Posted by Basil Greber on November 13, 2010 at 10:55 AM
LOL. Sorry for diverting the thread from the original topic.
But then, I'll have to argue that what you describe is a hypothesis, which only after extensive testing can become a theory (think of the theory of relativity, or the theory of evolution mentioned above). Ya, philosophy of science. Been there, done that. Trying to get some science done now...
Posted by Joel DeYoung on November 18, 2010 at 8:48 AM
Hi Brad,
I'm usually don't post to camera review threads, but I was reading through your "Field Tests: The Nikon D7000 - Very First Impressions..."
On your short list of dislikes you state the following.
Swapped Button Positions: I'm often shooting with two (and sometimes 3!) cameras in the field and rapidly switch between them. I'm often doing this when I'm in a situation when the LAST thing I want to be thinking about is where a specific button is on a specific camera (i.e., I want them to be the same). On about my last 10 or so Nikons the Depth of Field Preview button has been on the TOP right front of the body, with the Function Button on the BOTTOM right front of the body. Where are they on the D7000? Same place, but they're top/bottom reversed! Argh! Sure...it's a little thing, but a potentially important little thing in the field. Yes, I'm aware the placement of the buttons is the same as on the D90, but I thought this camera wasn't supposed to be a D90 replacement? Or is it? Why not make the positioning of these buttons the same on ALL the DSLR's? Seems like a no-brainer to me...
You can change this. From the D7000 manual on p. 230. You can change DOF preview to be the top button instead of the bottom, why it was moved to the bottom button by default is beyond me, as it seems Nikon could be a little more consistent with the ergonomics. (My D300 was the same way).
Not trying to start anything, just hoping this helps, a little.
Posted by Brad Hill on January 23, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Hi Joel,
I was aware of this - but you can only solve "half" the problem - impossible to set up both DOF preview button and function button the same as on the D3s and D7000 (if you want the function button to allow you to shift between shooting banks).
Discussion
10 replieshttp://www.naturalart.ca/artist/fieldtests/D7000_firstimpression.html
If anyone is interested, I've posted my very first impressions (about 5 pages worth) about how the new D7000 performs in the field.
The CEO Summary: This is a very good camera - under the right conditions it can produce professional quality images comparable to that taken by any DSLR. How's that for politically correct??
All the other gory details? On my blog (8 November entry), right here:
http://www.naturalart.ca/voice/blog.html
Cheers...
Brad
What "proposed" D400? How 'bout "theoretical" D400? Nikon has said nothing about a D400 and any rumours about it (e.g., that by Thom Hogan) are just that - rumours. I have NO inside info, but I really wonder if there WILL be a successor to the D300s (and if we aren't already looking at it). I don't think Nikon can upgrade all their current pro or semi-pro "D's" (D300s, D700, D3s, D3x) without running into one model doing major cannibalization of the sales of the others. I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of them ceases to exist, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was the D300s. That MAY be (my speculation only) why they "professionalized" the D7000 to the degree they did (if you take the D7000 as the successor to BOTH the D90 and the D300s). There's some confusion in Nikonland!!
Cheers...thanks for the feedback...
Brad
PS: For the record, I REALLY hope I'm wrong about the D300s successor - nothing I would like to see more than a truly professional DX camera from Nikon (again).
You ask: "BUT, would Nikon really stop at the inexpensive D7000 as their signature DX camera?"
Don't know, but they didn't hesitate to step down from the $5k D2xs to the $1650 D300 as their "signature" DX camera a few years ago (and I'm still ticked that they did that!!). Makes dropping down from $1800 to $1200 seem like a pretty small step!
But it's all speculation right now...
Cheers...
Brad
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the D7000!
Hmmm...not sure a THEORY has actual supporting evidence...in my head (after WAY TOO MANY philosophy of science courses) a theory is a construct which drives future investigation and is normally derived from associations that first exist only in the head of originator or a small group of like-thinking individuals (like, for instance, with Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace when the theory of evolution was formulated). I think there's enough past history with Nikon to argue about the "theory" of the D400...
But...I'm totally pulling your chain and I'm really comfortable calling it proposed or theoretical or hypothetical or imaginary or whatever!
Thanks for joining in and playing the semantic game...
Brad
But then, I'll have to argue that what you describe is a hypothesis, which only after extensive testing can become a theory (think of the theory of relativity, or the theory of evolution mentioned above). Ya, philosophy of science. Been there, done that. Trying to get some science done now...
I'm usually don't post to camera review threads, but I was reading through your "Field Tests: The Nikon D7000 - Very First Impressions..."
On your short list of dislikes you state the following.
You can change this. From the D7000 manual on p. 230. You can change DOF preview to be the top button instead of the bottom, why it was moved to the bottom button by default is beyond me, as it seems Nikon could be a little more consistent with the ergonomics. (My D300 was the same way).
Not trying to start anything, just hoping this helps, a little.
I was aware of this - but you can only solve "half" the problem - impossible to set up both DOF preview button and function button the same as on the D3s and D7000 (if you want the function button to allow you to shift between shooting banks).
Cheers...
Brad