But the output switches to 720p, even if the playback resolution setting is 1080i.

I don't think there's an option to turn off the menu and focus indicators.
The image itself is shrunk a bit from the full 720p width, to accommodate the information displayed on the perimeter.

Image is sharp but does not compare with the full res image available in playback from the HDMI. Still, quite serviceable.

Hey - I just got my D7000 and I'm pretty impressed.

Where did you buy it? Does this mean others should be on their way?

Best Buy. Had to buy the kit lens, but I see no sign of the body-only version being released anytime soon.

It officially goes on sale tomorrow, but their computer told them they could sell it to me yesterday.

To clarify, the camera does have full manual control, but the aperture must be pre-set before entering live view mode. Once in live view, you can dial in your exposure using ISO. If you start with a base of 400, you can get two stops in either direction (although noise gets more visible as you get to 1600) to play with while viewing the image live.

Eric,

When you said aperture had to be set before live view do you mean those new lenses without aperture rings?

What about old manual lenses with aperture rings? Can you adjust them even when in live view?

Ted

Ted,

I just tried that on my older 28-70 2.8 and the answer is yes, but with some issues, which may be trivial to some.

Modern Nikons give an error "fEE" when your CPU lens is not set at minimum aperture (which is where they operate for camera control of aperture). If the lens is not at minimum aperture, in this case f/22 the D7000 does not seem to let you enter live view at all.

But I found a simple workaround thanks to your question. Leave the lens dial at f/22 (or min aperture) when entering live view, enter live view, and then the adjust from there. It works!

One other thing I noticed: if the camera's internal aperture setting (as displayed on the LCD) is, say, f/5.6 then that will be the minimum aperture the lens closes to after switching to live view, regardless of where you set the ring. The solution there is to also make sure the camera body LCD is set to minimum aperture. Then when you enter live view you are completely stopped down. Turn the ring on the lens and you have the full range of the lens available to you. Cool.

Now, here's the downside: when in live view using the aperture ring as described above, auto focus is completely non functional. There may be a workaround here but I have not found one.

Also, shutter speed cannot be changed unless the ring is temporarily put to minimum aperture and the "fEE" error temporarily cleared. I actually think this is a good thing - it provides a sort of "lock" for the shutter speed, an important setting that it far too easy to accidentally change while shooting. ISO setting is still completely functional.

So I tested the camera like this and it definitely lets you shoot video with manual ring control. I'll dig up some of my even older manual lenses and see what happens with them. And there may be a way to make the camera think that CPU lenses with aperture rings are OK and not give the fEE error.

Glad you asked the question.

That is good news. Thank you for doing the tests. So basically, "full" manual is "achievable".

Your right about the speed. In controlled production environments, usually, the speed is a predetermined creative and technical decision, its usually ISO and aperture that needs "fiddling", also the lack of auto focus is not a deal breaker as it's barely, if at all, used in production environments.

So, the workflow with old manual lenses is, step down to lowest aperture, set shutter speed, enter live view, adjust aperture and ISO to get desired exposure, press record?

Seems ok!


Thanks,

Ted

So, the workflow with old manual lenses is, step down to lowest aperture, set shutter speed, enter live view, adjust aperture and ISO to get desired exposure, press record?


Ted,

I've totally revised my post here because my previous info was incorrect. The workaround is not necessary. There's a menu in the D7000 that lets you use aperture ring lenses with full aperture control in live view and with full functioning autofocus.

It's menu item F6 Controls/Customize Command Dials. If you set it to "aperture setting" item to "aperture ring" you will have full control of the aperture from the ring with no fEE error. This works in live view and recording mode.

So as long as your lens has an aperture ring you can have full manual control of all camera functions, and fully functioning auto focus in live view WITHOUT having to switch out of it. It works perfectly.

So aperture pre-setting is only for lenses with no aperture rings, and criticism of the D7000 for that limitation is really moot.

I tested my D7000. The shutter scan time from top to bottom at 1080 23.976p is about 1/54 second or 18.5 milliseconds.

I think this is a bit better than the Canons (I've read 25ms for the 5D II), and almost acceptable for me. Does anyone have a reliable numerical spec for the various Canons?

Pretty simple. This is for lenses with no aperture ring. Lenses with aperture ring can dial in a manual stop directly from the lens barrel.

Go to menus and assign the Fn button to AE Lock Hold.
Put the D7000 in shutter priority auto and enter live view
Now adjust the exposure compensation +/- until the desired stop is generated by the auto exposure (it has a generous +/- 5 stop range). As you do this, only aperture will change.

When the desired aperture is reached, hit the Fn button and the aperture will be locked in.

The only downside to this is that you can't change the exposure easily on the fly. But it does let you dial in a stop while watching the effect on live view rather than having to exit live view.
_____

Edit:

add to that workaround - you must hit the shutter release (for the aperture change to register) before you start shooting. See post #60 below.

Lol - Eric I think Nikon should hire you for 'workarounds on stuff we should have made work by default'...or something like that. ;-)

Can I ask what monitor you tested the HDMI out on and if at all possible if you could post a picture of what the image looks like on the screen? Im just trying to work out how the Nikon would compare with the 7D on a smallHD DP6 monitor, especially given how well you can customise the auto scaling features on the DP6?

As this monitor is 720p, then if the Nikon can be set to output full size 720p image then that would be ideal.

Lol - Eric I think Nikon should hire you for 'workarounds on stuff we should have made work by default'...or something like that. ;-)


That's true, Paul. I can't see any technical reason why Nikon disallows changing the aperture in live view manual. The camera body clearly has full dynamic control of the lenses while in this mode, as evidenced by the way it handles auto iris and the workaround I described. It's just a matter of firmware at this point. Maybe Nikon will address it.

But I hope these workarounds (which are hardly workarounds at all) will get you to reconsider your cancellation of the camera. It's really quite impressive, and the footage is beautiful.

I'll see what I can do about posting the hdmi output signal. I tested the output on my 60" Sharp LCD TV. I watched it switch from 1080 to 720 when I turned on live view.
--------
Edit:

I hate to keep revising myself here, but I'm posting as figure these things out. It looks like the aperture does not exactly dynamically change in live view when you turn the compensation dial, but there is some sort of simulation of its effect going on - the image is getting gained down to match the effect (but DOF does not change). In order to make your adjusted aperture take effect you must press the shutter release. Then the aperture closes or opens to its set value (and the gain change is reset). You don't have to leave live view for this, and you are still able to dial in your exposure in live view, but it seems like you must remember to hit the shutter release button or you actually might be shooting at the wrong aperture! That's a weird one. And I'm afraid it will take more than a firmware update to get the iris to dynamically change when in live view.

I've been keeping up with news on the D7000 and it really has my attention, but one question I've not seen pop up yet is whether or not it still has the old MJPEG 720p mode as well as the new h.264 - kind of like the GH1 - so users with older computers can still playback/edit the files easily?

I know about cineform etc, but for SDE's when I'm away from home shooting surfing it would be great to have the old MJPEG files which work quickly and natively, without converting to cineform which would take all night on my aging laptop.

The h.264 is one reason I didn't jump on the Canon bandwagon, but with the changing pace of technology I think I may have to just suck it up and buy a new laptop as well as a DSLR!

VIdeos please fellas!!!!
Very curious about your stuff....

I just got my D 7000 and started some test shots. the picture is gorgeous but when I pan the image as expected at 24 P... chops way more than expected. So I lowered the Shutter speed to 60th of a second and it made not difference. I am viewing the footage on a 720P monitor....any suggestions? If I can't solve the problem I will return the camera to Best Buy at a $200 restock fee. Thanks
Ted

What do you mean by "chop?"

If you see tearing (horizontal separation) then it's not the camera, but the sync between your monitor and the movie playback (assuming you are playing back on a computer).

Or are you seeing something else?

Eric,

Have you tested editing some of your footage already? How do you find its color compression especially in the shadow areas?

Test footage I've seen seem to show aggressive color compression with the blacks coming out blocky when pulled up in post.

What are your observations?

Ted

Ted,

Have you seen original footage yet, or just YouTube/vimeo? Because I see nothing of the sort in my footage. Blacks are quite clean.

Here's a very underexposed shot I brightened (in Photoshop). There is some posterization, as you would expect, but no blockiness.

aside from the ones on vimeo i downloaded the files posted by macgregor where he tested it side by side with the 5D.

http://www.macgregor.autoecstasy.com/d7000/l03.wmv

http://www.macgregor.autoecstasy.com/d7000/l04.wmv


But I believe he stated he applied some curves to these tests.

I think the "wmv" at the end might be the problem!

i think you're probably right.

Eric,

Thanks for the heads up via pm, ok, I'm still crossing my fingers on this beast, what I'm liking is its naturalistic and warmish tones.

If its not much, how about something really short, like a 3 sec clip, indoors, say in your room, with just light through the windows or somethin, at 24P, expose for the highlights or the areas hit by the lights, at a supposedly clean iso of say 100-300ish at full open in your lens. You can let the windows blow if its hard.

That scenario should have some high, mid and shadow areas. Maybe you can zip that and send it via email.
I'd like to throw some curves at it and maybe do some 3 way grade and see how the codec fares.

By the way, a lot were happy with your initial workaround on the aperture which I reposted at the other forum.


Ted

I just got my D 7000 and started some test shots. the picture is gorgeous but when I pan the image as expected at 24 P... chops way more than expected. So I lowered the Shutter speed to 60th of a second and it made not difference. I am viewing the footage on a 720P monitor....any suggestions? If I can't solve the problem I will return the camera to Best Buy at a $200 restock fee. Thanks
Ted

Are you talking about the 'Jello effect'?

I know that I do not have the most discriminating eye but the 5D MK II and D7000 videos were very interesting. One thing that was very obvious to me in the first vid was that the 5D sky was almost white but the asphalt had a blue tint. On the other hand, the D7000 had a more realistic looking blue sky and grey asphalt which is what I would have expected to see with the naked eye. And in the second video, I thought the D7000 vid looked shightly sharper. Like the lettering on the signs, for instance. And the colors looked really pleasing. At a minimum I would have to say that the D7000 looks to be very competitive with the 5D at half the price.

Greg,

When macgregor posted the clips, this is his statement together with those clips,

"Both cameras with "same" settings: neutral, sharpen at 0, same WB, aperture and shutter speed.
Nikon footage has been slightly sharpened otherwise it was too soft from camera.
Curves have been applied for clips in order to extract as much DR as possible but no colour grading."

So sharpening was added to the nikon footage on those samples, here's his initial observations when shooting it side by side, note the word"initial". :-)


"Well, this is what i´ve seen so far:
- i think 5D resolves more detail than the d7000
- d7000 tone curve is more filmic (more natural colours)
- nikon has more dynamic range (in highlights and shadows)
- canon has less aliassing
- I see less compression in the nikon but I need to test more."

The Nikon image does look softer, but it also seems to have less aliasing (not more). Look at the wires running along the top of the frame on the first clip. The Canon shows the classic stair stepping of aliasing, while the Nikon does not.

Has anyone who is lucky to have a D7000 bothered to test the audio yet? I am curious as to how good the stereo audio in is. I own a beachtek D2 and would like to use it with my D7000 (when I get one) . I would only be using the on-board audio for ENG type work anything else sound would be recored in a separate audio device. I would like to know how much manual control exists for sound on this camera.

Panasonic GH1 hacked Vs. Nikon D7000 test video on Vimeo

Bought the Z-Finder PRO2.5x today and it works and fits perfectly on the D7000. Highly recommended.

Amazon says--

This item will be released on November 15, 2010.
Pre-order now!

Jeez, was hoping for the 1st.

Try as I may I can't find any explicit mention (anywhere) that the D7000 records native 24p, not some 60i intercine pull-down like my Canon vixia HF s100!

Surely, if true, this is an important feature Nikon would promote.

Is the D7000 truly capturing progressive 24p?

Terence

Is the D7000 truly capturing progressive 24p?



Yes. True 24p. Progressive, no trace of 60i. Frame rate is 23.976 fps.

Yikes! And thanks. Now let me re-think my life as vestigial movie maker...

I was really thinking about this camera, but now I need to know how this is going mach up with my NX5. Is there any raw footage I can download? Does 24p and 60i match up? What a shame because I have so many Nikon lenses.

Dan
Forever Moments Video Productions (http://www.forevermomentsvideo.com)

Not raw, but some examples of D7000 footage

Nikon D7000 on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/groups/d7000)

Somebody is suggesting me to wait for the next Nikon for video.....
I'm planning to buy a DSLR next year, but now i ask you: Is Canon 7d still the best one on the marked compared to this new baby?
thx

I was really thinking about this camera, but now I need to know how this is going mach up with my NX5. Is there any raw footage I can download? Does 24p and 60i match up? What a shame because I have so many Nikon lenses.

Dan
Forever Moments Video Productions (http://www.forevermomentsvideo.com)

I have one.
The D7k footage is H264 1080p24 only (in 1080), no 60i. That's about the only shortcoming I can see thus far. Like you I have a slew of Nikon lenses. Only the non-AI lenses won't work - there is a mechanical aperture sensor on this body, like the older FX bodies. Unlike some of them, the sensor does not retract into the body so you can't mount a non-AI lens. However, it will meter with the AI/AIs lenses, so that's great news.

I'm nearly 100% shooting 24p narrative and commercial footage so the frame rate doesn't bother me any. Or else I'll use Twixtor to change frame rates.

Still working the video part out - the auto focus is useful, but only in very limited situations (like most video AF, IMO, so no better or worse - it'll still try to go for the closest thing in the frame, or the furthest, or wherever you set it). The metering is okay, but as you know most of this stuff on the Canons with the Nikon or PL lens adaptors (which is how most DSLR videographers shoot) is full manual. And the main complaint about the D7000's predecessor, the D90, was that you couldn't get the body to go full manual.
Well you can now with the D7000. Which means, apart from the frame rate situation, there's not a lot left to distinguish the Nikon from the Canon. We're down to the usual jello/codec/yadda yadda discussions common to most all DSLRs.

So for me, that's more than enough to stick with Nikon through the transition.

There have been various D7000 vs 7D clips posted on the Internet. Check them out. One in particular isn't fully color corrected on the Nikon side so the Canon side looks more vibrant. To make a point with a friend, I took that same clip and added 5% more color saturation on the Nikon side to match both image halves properly. They looked pretty much the same, close enough that as a film maker / story teller it makes no difference - the camera, either camera, works well enough not to get in the way of a story told in pictures.

Now that the Scarlet is officially vaporware, it's just the D7000 and the Canons (5Dii, 7D, T2i, 60D). Plus of course the Sony Alphas and the rest. But mainly the D7000 means that Nikonians are back in the running.

Oh yeah - audio. Well, I have a 4 track digital location audio setup and on the more critical shoots it comes with me, even when I'm shooting high end video cameras with balanced audio inputs. (just so's I have backups. BTW, I do like the D7000's twin card slots, which allows me to shoot onto two cards simultaneously if I want, or over-run from one card onto another, or have one card take JPEG and the other RAW/NEF or video - pretty cool!)
Even though you can adjust the D7000's auto gain preamps (essentially low/medium/high/auto), it's still auto gain preamps in every setting, and so you get that creep over time as it turns up, etc.. But having said that, it's pretty good audio in most common situations. I'm pleasantly surprised, let's just say. But I'd still record separate audio on critical shoots, regardless. That's of course just my way. Definitely on that one YMMV.


Good times!

I have one.
Now that the Scarlet is officially vaporware, it's just the D7000 and the Canons (5Dii, 7D, T2i, 60D). Plus of course the Sony Alphas and the rest. But mainly the D7000 means that Nikonians are back in the running.

Sorry - do you know something even Jim doesnt? ;-) Just because something fails to arrive on schedule (or even remotely close to a suggested schedule) doesnt make it vaporware. The Epic is now entering production as we speak, so the Scarlet will follow in due course.

Also as to the Nikon being 'full manual' the truth as we know it is its a ham-handed ill thought out way in which you get there. The work around to set aperture is pure stupidity. Also to gloss over the fact that Nikon only allows you one frame rate at 24p as if its nothing is letting them off the hook IMO. Canon provide you with the tools to shoot in 24, 25, 30 or even 50/60p in 720p which gives amazing slow motion which you simply cannot get in the Nikon.

For me there is no excuse - to be this late to the party and show up with something so 'underdone' and 'underwhelming' is unforgivable.

Scarlet:
Well it surely won't be the under-$5k all-in-one pocket wonder it was originally set out to be, whenever it does eventually arrive. What I was referring to was that the Scarlet seems to have moved upmarket and is now not longer a factor in the DSLR price range of cameras to be considered.

And while I totally agree with you that Nikon has come late and light to the party, it's still here. And for those of us who have been Nikon users since day 1, that's good news.

The rest of it will be catch-up, for sure. But Nikon will catch up, eventually. (I sure hope someone from Nikon is reading this who gives a darn)

Those of us who are still battling with the non-HD HDMI monitoring of the 5Dii and the only recent 23.97 and 5994 firmware will continue to battle onwards using whatever camera is best for the job at hand. But all the lenses I own have always been Nikons, and I have owned and used a D40, then a D90, and now a D7000. Which Nikon has always considered, and represented all along and openly, to be a stills camera first and foremost, with video tacked on the end.

Canon rentals are cheap and D7000's are unobtanium for now, so what the Nikon can really do in video remains a battle to be fought, and workarounds come up with, as we all move onwards.

As for me, I'm going to continue to tinker around and make short movies, etc., but with the D7000, when I can get it to behave. Maybe it will take more effort to get it to do that - but I've made movies with the D90, so the D7000 is easier. Much easier.

And for some of us, that's enough.

Obviously not for others.

The work around to set aperture is pure stupidity.

If you use a Nikon lens or 3rd party lens with an aperture ring (All manual focus and AF-Nikkors and any newer non-G lens) there is no need whatsoever for a workaround. Just turn the ring to change the aperture manually.

With non aperture ring lenses, shoot in S mode and click the shutter release when you're happy with the aperture. Not perfect, but quite workable.

Eric, hi!
Yeah, that's why I don't much like the G series lenses - why on earth take the aperture rings away from a lens? I guess "if it's not sense, it's making dollars"... (my dad's saying, not mine).
'Course, the lenses I'm using now on my Letus all have their aperture clicks removed as well as focus gear rings attached...

Just a quick mention that with the advent of the D7000 the Nikonians have finally started up a DSLR video forum.
Not that it would compete in any way with this one, since they're mainly stills folk over there and totally new to video, but as far as specialized Nikon lens type and model information goes, they're a pretty good resource.

Discussion Forums @ Nikonians - DSLR Video (http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=402&page=)

Cheers!
Chris

For those of you still waiting for your D7000, Service Photo in Baltimore has a few.
I just got one. I had an order in with Adorama since Sept. but they still don't have any.

My local Best Buy had several D7000/18-105 kits in stock until Black Friday and sold them all in one day.

Jim, I also had a D7000 body on order from Adorama. They would not give any ETA. Then I found out Adorama would be selling a D7000/28-300 VR II kit. I wanted that lens anyway so I changed my order to the kit and saved $300 over buying the camera and lens separately. I haven't seen anyone else offer that particular combination so I guess I will just have to wait patiently. I talked to them yesterday and the only thing they would say was that they were hoping to fill all backorders by the end of the year.

Hola,
do you hear a LOUD sound when using the autofocus button whilw recording?

Yes, the mike is right near the lens.

Just a quick heads up - seems Nikon has issued a press release due to a problem with bright spots in video recording under some low light conditions.

Answer (http://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/48160/p/19,824,881/c/241/r_id/150284)

Apparently they are working on a firmware update to fix this but something to keep in mind if you are thinking of purchasing. I seem to remember Canon had an issue with hot pixels in the 5DmkII as well at launch so hopefully its not that big of a deal and Nikon can fix it asap.

Of course while Nikon are at it I have a few suggestions on what else they could include in any firmware updates but hey...;-)

Is anyone having problems with the auto focus? Mine seems to have difficulty locking on and when it does it it sometimes soft....other times it is fine.
Not sure if its me or the camera.

I find that the autofocus gets confused easily in AF-F mode.

This makes sense because it is contrast based. You wouldn't want to immediately begin hunting whenever it encountered a low contrast image in its target area, such as a white wall. So it seems like it guesses a lot and often guesses wrong.

On that note, I think you will have the best results with your focus area set to large. This will increase the chances that a high contrast image is in the target.

Also, I find that the tracking modes (face and the other one) work better - the D7000 latches onto a high contrast area and stays with it as you pan around, preventing it from trying to hunt in a low contrast area.

But for general use, I've found that AF-S is the way to go - one shot autofocus. Use it like a still camera - find your subject, center it, hit the shutter release halfway and it focuses. Then recompose your shot and follow focus manually. When you totally lose track of focus, refocus again using the shutter button.

Also - try different lenses. I've found that some are more responsive that others. Haven't figured out exactly why yet, but the fast primes (circa f/1.8) seem to work the best.

Guys should i wait for the next Nikon or will i go with this D7000?
From what u know, when is coming the next one?

Marcus, I ordered the D7000. It seems to me that I can have an awesome DSLR with a lot of video capability right now and if something even better comes along, the resale value of the D7000 will still be amazingly high. Especially considering the current back order waiting list and the exceptional resale value of its predecessor, the D90. The next "rumored" Nikon is the D4, but that could be next fall.