Rob's Photography Blog

Great Horned Owl (POTD January 26)

2012-01-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

Shooting Great Horned Owls during the middle of the day can often be challenging. First of all they like to stay high up in old growth trees, and secondly the light is said locations is poor. This shot is an example of why this can be hard. Settings, ISO6400, 1/160s. I had my gear setup on a tripod, pointing almost straight up. To ensure sharpness with such a slow shutter speed I used mirror lockup. If the Great Horned Owl had been moving that would have been a problem (focus would be lost), but it was staying still for the most part. Not a great image, today, but an example of what you will generally end up with in this kind of situation. You could use a flash to improve the lighting, but flashes can disturb owls and most of the light would be lost due to the distance, so I choose not to.

How Emotions Effect Photography

2012-01-25T12:26:00.000-08:00

Recently I read an article about the ways emotions can effect image quality, which got me thinking about that subject. Does how the photographer feels about the scene captured have an effect on image quality? I am of two minds on the matter, because if the photographer did not have a strong feeling about what is being captured, it is unlikely to be shot in the first place. On the other hand, strong emotional attachment to an image can also blind the photographer to the value of the image itself. Perhaps a better question photographers need to ask themselves is, how do I transmit the emotions this image gives me to others? If you are making images of other people, the priority changes to, how do I transmit that persons emotions to the viewer?

Being a wildlife and landscape photographer I find these questions difficult to answer. Right now I am still working through these questions, because without an answer I will be unable to provide viewers with interesting images on a consistent basis.

I say that this is difficult because, from my point of view in landscape photography, what you see is what you get. Transferring the emotion of the moment is not always possible. Not ever scene you capture is going to have moody storm clouds or crashing waves. When it comes to wildlife there may be some emotional transfer, such as when the animals are doing specific things, but otherwise it might be hard to link the emotion to the viewer.

A photographer must learn to separate their own emotional state, from the emotion of the scene, which the viewer will actually be seeing.

Finding A Feast (POTD January 23)

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Pileated Woodpeckers have not been overly common visitors to the coast near Vancouver, but during the past few years the numbers of them that come into the region during winter seems to be increasing. Like the Barred Owl in Saturday's image, the cold weather has made them less weary of people; finding food has become far more important than fleeing from every person that comes close by. As a result it was easy for me to capture some images of several of these beautiful birds.

This particular Pileated Woodpecker was about 18ft from my position, and it was tough to get a pleasing composition with the 1.4x teleconverter mounted on my 300mm F4. I say that because the bird was almost too close to get the entire body in the frame. I had to back off, close to the edge of the dike to get the image I wanted. I could have captured a close up of the head, but I prefer full body shots, so that I can get some of the habitat in the image.

Barred Owl (POTD January 21)

2012-01-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

After the snow and sub-zero temperatures of the past week (-13ºC on Tuesday night), it was nice to see the sun come out briefly this afternoon. The warmer temperatures and improved lighting conditions promoted an outing this afternoon. I came across a number of owls and woodpeckers during the afternoon. The Barred Owl, photographed above, seemed restless, most likely due to hunger and the presence of people in the area. The cold weather of the past week must have taken its toll though, as it would have kept the Barred Owl's pray in sheltered areas for the most part.

Gitzo GT3531S First Impressions

2012-01-18T04:30:00.000-08:00

Today I received my new tripod, a Gitzo GT3531S, and I have to admit that it is a big step up from the Manfrotto 055XPROB that I have been using up to this point.

The GT3531S is a very well constructed tripod, it has a much nicer feel to it than the previously mentioned Manfrotto. It is not really fair to directly compare the Gitzo to the Manfrotto, because the price point of these tripods is $300-400 different. Not having anything else to compare the GT3531S against, I'm left with little choice though.

When it comes to size the two tripods are very similar, which from my point of view is ideal. The Gitzo GT3531S is slightly shorter, but it does not have a centre column. It is important to remember that the GT3531S is from the systematic lineup, not mountaineer lineup, so stability, rather than portability is what matters in the design philosophy. These tripods are aimed at users with heavy gear loads, such as studio photographers, and wildlife/nature photographers that work with full frame professional DSLRs (Nikon D3s / D4, Canon EOS 1D MKIV/ 1DX) and super telephoto lenses such as the AF-S 500mm F4 VR.

Gitzo GT3531S (Bottom) and Manfrotto 055XPROB (Top)

The other size difference between the two tripods is the spread of the legs themselves. The Gitzo spreads out to offer greater stability. Since it does not have a centre column installed (it is optional with this model), the GT3531S can sit flat on the ground for macro or landscape photography. The 055XPROB can as well, but you have to rotate the centre column to do so, thus reducing stability.

Gitzo GT3531S (Left) and Manfrotto 055XBPROB (Right)

Beyond the contrast in build quality and size, I noticed the difference in how the leg sections extend. I knew that the Gitzo used twist locks vs flip locks, but the real difference comes in how the legs deploy once they are unlocked. On the 055XPROB the legs simply fall down due to the force of gravity, while the legs on the GT3531S only slide down when you pull on them. This makes adjusting the height of each leg section much easier, and in reality faster. At first that sounds like a slower process, having to pull each section out to the desired length, but once you start working on uneven ground the action of the 055XPROB can become frustrating.

Just a quick comment on the carbon fibre construction, it works as advertised. My tripod arrived this morning, when it was -7º C, and it was warm to the touch despite being on the back of the truck all morning. I took my aluminum manfrotto tripod out of my car, where it had sat overnight, and I didn't want to handle it without gloves. I also mounted my D700 + AF-S 300mm F4D IF-ED and noticed far less vibration through the viewfinder. Stability is one of the main reasons I purchased the Gitzo, and I think I'm going to enjoy using the GT3531S far more than the Manfrotto 055XPRO.

I'll write a full review of the Gitzo GT3531S, after I've had the chance to use it in the field for a few months.

First Snow

2012-01-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Winter has finally arrived in Vancouver, okay it has been here for just as long as anywhere else, but this week has seen the first snowfall of 2012.

Nothing too exciting today, just a simple shot showing the snowfall by 1pm yesterday afternoon. I hoping to get some more interesting shots later today.

Prowler At Dusk (POTD January 16)

2012-01-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

Golden Heron (POTD January 12)

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Just Stretching (POTD January 10)

2012-01-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

Although it might appear as though this Sandhill Crane is going to take off, it was just stretching its' wings.

Fuji X-Pro 1 Released

2012-01-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

Fuji announced their new mirrorless (ILC) camera today, the X-Pro 1. Official details found here.

The Fuji X-Pro 1 is in many ways a followup to the popular X100 camera that was released early last year. To date this looks like one of the most impressive interchangeable lens compacts on the market. It features an ASP-C sized CMOS sensor with 16 megapixels. The sensor has some new technology, that Fuji says will allow it to match the performance of modern full frame (35mm) DSLRs in terms of noise.

Whether the new sensor can meet those claims is yet to be seen, but I suspect performance will exceed what has been seen from the 16MP sensor from Sony used in their cameras and the Nikon D7000. The body of the X-Pro 1 is also well made, being made of die-cast aluminum alloy. In addition the X-Pro 1 features the same hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder first seen in the X-100. Most of the features of the camera are very similar to that of the X-100, so Fuji is building on an already great concept with this camera. Overall the new Fuji system looks very impressive. (Spec list here)

The first three lenses for the system are a 18mm F2 (28mm equivalent), 35mm F1.4 (53mm equivalent) and 60mm F2.4 (90mm equivalent) macro. Fuji, wanting to show that it is committed to this new system, is saying that they have two more lenses planned for release later this year.

My thoughts:

Fuji seems to see the desire among photographers today for a simple, yet advanced camera for people who don't want to carry a DSLR (at least some of the time). In fact this camera may well be going head to head with the likes of the Leica M9, which has a similar aim, but without auto focus (and an outlandish price). If the performance of the X-Pro 1 can beat the 18MP sensor found in the M9, as Fuji suggests, this camera could be a hit with street shooters. That will happen primarily because the price of the Fuji system will be much lower than anything Leica will offer. Secondly the hybrid finder of the Fuji system gives photographers a lot more shooting information than Leica offers in the M9.

I could see myself getting this camera at some point (not this year), but I would want to see how well auto focus performs, considering the focus issues noted with the X-100 and X-10. Price is another issue, with the body being $1700 USD. Each lens is also reported to be $650 USD. Clearly not cheap, but not outlandish compared to the Leica M system cameras.

Canon Releases G1X

2012-01-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

Today Canon announced the G1X. The G1X is a somewhat compact camera, which right now is not considered a Canon G12 replacement. Key features of this new camera, are a 1.5" CMOS image sensor (slightly larger than micro 4/3s), with 14MP and a 28-112mm zoom lens (minimum aperture of F2.8-5.8). In addition the camera can record video at 1080p.

Full details about the camera can be found here (link to Canon Canada's website on the G1X).

My Thoughts:
The G1X is clearly a stop gap measure by Canon to counter the mirrorless cameras from Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Nikon and Fuji (If you haven't heard of the Fuji X-Pro 1 it is slated to be released today as well). The problem is, the G1X is bigger than most of the mirrorless cameras on the market, and at the long end of the zoom it is a slow lens. The camera now shoots video at 1080p, vs. 720p of the G12, which is an improvement. The lens can also be zoomed during recording, but on a negative note, there is no microphone port. For a camera aimed at the market it is, that may not be overly appealing. Throw in a price of $799 USD and the appeal of the camera drops even more. The control layout of the camera is also changed from the G12, due to the placement of a popup flash on the top (to clear the zoom at wide angles), there is no ISO dial on top (it has been replaced by exposure compensation). All in all, a somewhat disappointing camera.

Lonely Stalker (POTD January 9)

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

There is more than one way to isolate your subject in photography, although the most common means seems to be through depth of field. Today's image is an example of another way to isolate your subject, using what is called negative space. Basically a picture with negative space means creating an image where the only possible area of interest is the subject. With that being the case, the negative space itself is everything other than the subject.

Nikon Releases D4 and AF-S 85mm F1.8G

2012-01-05T21:47:00.001-08:00

Last night Nikon officially released the D4 and AF-S Nikkor 85mm F1.8G lens. After months of waiting to see how the D4 would stack up against the Canon 1DX, now we are starting to get a clear picture.

Nikon D4 Details: ($6299.95 Cdn MSRP)
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d4/

The D4 appears to be a nice upgrade from the D3s, with a slight bump in resolution from 12MP to 16MP. The video features seem to be the most impressive leap forwards (crazy things like RAW video via HDMI port). It will be interesting to see how the new auto focus and metering system work. Personally, due to the price, I have no interest in the D4.

Nikon AF-S 85mm F1.8G details ($529.95 Cdn MSRP)
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/singlefocal/normal/af-s_nikkor85mmf_18g/index.htm

The new AF-S 85mm F1.8G looks like a nice upgrade over the aged AF-D model. This new AF-S lens weighs 30g less than the old model (is that a first for an AF-S lens?). The lens has 7 rounded aperture blades like the 50mm F1.8G released last year. It will be interesting to see how that affects performance, considering that the old AF-D lens had 9 blades.

I am strongly considering this lens, but I have a few reservations. First unless Nikon releases a new wide AF-S prime (24mm F2.8) I would hold off. I'd be more than willing to trade in my 24-70mm F2.8G for the 85mm F1.8G and a 24mm F2.8 if performance was good enough. Secondly, I would want to see how the loss of two aperture blades will effect the bokeh, specifically when the lens is stopped down. I don't think the 9 blades of the AF-D model were rounded, so having 7 rounded blades may end up being an improvement.

Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod Review

2012-01-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Introduction:
Photographers have been using tripods almost as long as there have been cameras, and for a good reason. Stability is the name of the game when it comes to taking photos, in low light, for close ups, group shots, panoramas and more. In my tripod buying guide I talk about how to choose the right tripod for your needs, and I hope that this review of the Manfrotto 055XPROB will help you see if it is right for you.

Build Quality:
The Manfrotto 055XPROB is an aluminum tripod made in Italy (three of the top tripod manufactures in the world are in Italy). The legs feel solid thanks to the 28mm aluminum tubes. There are very few parts sticking out that could break, which is nice to see. As a result the 055XPROB is a tough set of tripod legs and I haven't managed to break anything on it, even though mine has taken it's fair share of abuse (dropped and dragged over rocks while hiking for example). For the most part the tripod is made of aluminum, but there are a number of plastic parts, such as the knob for adjusting the centre column and an accessory attachment point.

Specs:
Tripod Head Attaches by: 3/8" attachment type

Closed length: 65.5 cm (2.14 ft)

Leg sections: 3 number

Load capacity: 7 kg (15.43 pounds)

Maximum height: 178.5 cm (centre column raised) (5.8 ft)

Maximum height: 142.0 cm (centre column down) (4.6 ft)

Minimum height: 10.0 cm (0.32 ft)

Weight: 2.4 kg (5.29 pounds)

Features:
The feature set is normal for a tripod in this class: There are three legs, each with three sections, which are extended by releasing the levers on the legs. Two of the legs have a hard rubber over the upper half for more comfortable handling. The three legs can be spread by pushing each individual leg in towards the centre column, pressing the button at the top of the leg section and adjusting as needed. This is done to achieve greater stability and to allow the tripod to sit flat on the ground. To get the 055XPROB flat on the ground the centre column is adjusted by raising the it up all the way, pressing a small button on the base of it, and sliding it down horizontally (see image below). Keep in mind that stability will be somewhat reduced when the tripod centre column is used this way. In addition there is a small hook you can use to hang your camera bag, if you need to add more weight to the tripod for additional stability.

Stability:
When the legs are fully extended the 055XPROB is very stable. That is as long as you don't load it down with too much weight, and it is on a flat surface. Stability can be compromised in several ways. The first way stability of the tripod may be decreased is if too much weight is on the tripod. In cases like that the legs may start to flex, I've seen this happen. That being said, if you are using an entry level DSLR and consumer grade lenses this tripod will be more than able to handle your equipment. Professional F2.8 zoom lenses and heavy cameras can start to push the limits of this tripod, depending on how you use it.

The second way stability could be compromised is by the use of heavy telephoto lenses. Even a 300mm F4 can start to make the tripod feel a little unstable at times, if used with professional camera bodies. The stability of the legs is fine as long as the weight is centred over the legs. If you use a ball head and position heavy equipment off centre the tripod may become top heavy on one side. Adjusting the angle of the legs to a wider position can help.

Vibration Handling:
Being an aluminum tripod the 055XPROB is not the best when it comes to handling vibrations. That being said, it is good for an aluminum tripod. If you are using a telephoto lens you will start to notice how long it takes to absorb vibration very quickly (you will see it in the viewfinder a little). Absorbing vibration usually takes 6-10 seconds after handling, depending on the force applied. For general purpose shooting the vibration will not be an issue, but it could be for low light/night photography. Make sure to use a cable release and mirror lockup, or at the very least the self timer, so the shutter does not release until after the tripod has stopped vibrating. Using mirror lockup is ideal, because the raising of the camera mirror is enough to cause vibration in the tripod.

In Use:
In practice the 055XPROB is an easy tripod to use, thanks to the simple design and straight forward adjustments. Generally speaking I have found using this tripod over the last three years to be a trouble free. There are a few situations when the 055XPROB becomes troublesome, such as in cold weather.

In when the temperature starts to get close to freezing the legs work against you, meaning they draw heat away from your hands. As a result the use of gloves is almost required. Most of the time that is not an issue, but using gloves can be a hinderance when operating small buttons of some cameras. Another consideration is the effect cold weather has on the speed in which the leg sections move. Like most conductive material aluminum expands and contracts based on the temperature.

In cold weather the leg sections feel tight, so you might need to use the included wrench to adjust the friction of the leg sections. I had to do that last spring when one of the legs got so loose that it wouldn't even stay down (any weight applied made the section collapse. Considering that I've only experienced that once in three years, I don't count that against the quality of 055XPROB. I've never had the leg sections freeze in cold weather, even when there happens to be some moisture on them. The last issue that I have with this tripod is weight.

As mentioned weight is also an issue that I have with the 055XPROB, but any similar aluminum tripod would have the same problem. Keep in mind that this tripod weighs 2.4KG, so it is somewhat heavy compared to a carbon fibre tripod with similar load capacity. I would not recommend dragging this tripod around on serious hikes or other long treks, although I have been known to walk around with it for 2-4 hours at a time. This weight would not be an issue to a studio shooter, or someone who gets out of their car and walks a few hundred meters to get into position for a shot. For me the weight is only an issue when going for longer walks, because once the tripod is deployed for shooting the weight is a non issue. In some cases the weight can be an advantage, such as resistance to breezy or windy conditions (just keep in mind that it has somewhat poor vibration absorption). Lighter carbon fibre tripods may need additional weight added to counteract gusts of wind.

Comments and Conclusion:
The Manfrotto 055XPROB is a good general purpose tripod for amateur and professional photographers. Although this tripod has some shortcomings, that are common with aluminum tripods, it is more than able to handle the load of the average amateur photographers gear (including the likes of 24-70mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8 lenses on pro cameras). The tripod is well made, and can take a number of bumps and drops without coming apart. The only real downsides are the weight, which is an issue for long hikes, and the tripods performance in terms of adjusting the leg sections in cold weather (they get a little stiff). Vibration dampening is not great, but again that is normal for an aluminum tripod. One thing I did not talk about this earlier is that this tripod is well suited to people of average high, even up to people 6 feet tall (if the right tripod head is attached).

I do what to be cautious, this review may make the Manfrotto 055XPROB sound like a poor tripod, but that is not the case at all. In fact this tripod has severed me well over the last few years. In my case, the tripod is generally acceptable, but there are some parts of the year and ways that I use it that the 055XPROB becomes less than ideal. Performance drops off in some areas that I need the tripod to be flawless and that is why the tone of this review may seem somewhat negative, although that is not the true intention.

Pros:

Build quality is good for the price (can handle some drops and scrapes)
Stable (unless overloaded)
Can handle anything from point and shoot cameras to pro DSLRs, with select lenses
Adjustable centre column for shooting a low angles
Can sit flat on the ground for low angle shooting (when centre column is adjusted)
Good height for people who are 5'8-6 ft (when legs are fully extended)

Cons:

Somewhat heavy, not ideal for hiking
Leg sections can get stiff in cold weather
Somewhat poor vibration dampening (takes 6-10 seconds to absorb impact)

Of Light and Sky (POTD January 4)

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Controlling the way your camera exposes for light is one of the most interesting aspects of photography. Unlike the human eye a camera can only capture light based on a single fraction, the human brain dynamically adjusts the eye so that the light of the entire field of view is somewhat even. To the necked eye this scene was different, but thanks to the way modern cameras function I was able to expose purely for the light that I chose. In this case I decided to expose for the light in the sky, which thanks to the cloud bank was much brighter than the landscape.

Evening Crane (POTD January 2)

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

After a few weeks of showing the best images of 2011, it is time to get back to fresh images. This image of a Sandhill Crane, on a dike at the George Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, is one of the first images I've made in 2012. In keeping with some of what I learned this past summer, that you don't need a telephoto lens to get wildlife shots, I made this using the 14mm lens (28mm equivalent) on my GF2.

The sanctuary was busy yesterday afternoon, one of the few partly sunny days we've had in the last few weeks, and I was one of many photographing this crane at the time. Of course most of the people were taking snaps shots with their iPhones and little point and shoot cameras, standing up and looking down at the bird. I decided to go for a different approach and get low. I remembered, from some earlier shots, how interesting the sky was, so I took a few like this purposefully getting the sky in the image. I had to slightly underexpose the image to capture the light in the sky correctly, but it works for this image.

Best Images Of 2011 #10: Fall Corridor

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Of the thousands of images that I took this past year this simple image that I took with a rented Nikon 85mm F1.4D is my favourite, and is the highest rated as well. I took this image while I was laying on the ground, thus the extremely narrow depth of field in the foreground. Timing was everything with this image and I almost missed it. I saw the image before I even lifted the camera to my eye, I hesitated to take it at first, but could not pass it up. There was no time to play around around or try different compositions and this is the only frame I took of the scene.

Tripod Buying Guide: Part 1

2011-12-30T00:41:00.000-08:00

Tripods are a tool that can come in very handy for photographers, but there are a lot of different options on the market right now. How do you pick the tripod that will fit your budget and needs? At first that seems like an easy matter to determine, just pick a dollar figure and go from there. Buying a tripod may not be that simple, because there are a few important factors to consider when you set your budget for buying a tripod. First of all, you do not want to put your expensive equipment on a cheap $50-80 tripod. That may save you some cash right now, but you might end up regretting it, especially when you see your $500-$1000 camera crashing to the ground. Also remember to have room in your budget for a head that will hold your gear (heads will be covered in part 2). I wont be recommending any brands, but I will mention the tripods I have.

Load Capacity:

The first thing you have to think about is how much weight the tripod has to be able carry. If you own a compact camera, a interchangeable lens compact (ILC) or entry level DSLR most tripods between $150-200 should be more than up to the task in this regard, as long as you are using kit lenses. You also have to consider the weight of the lenses that you will be using with your camera. A heavy F2.8 telephoto lens will require a high end tripod, whether it is mounted on a D3100/T3i or a D3s/1Ds MkIV. A general rule is to buy a tripod that can handle at least twice the weight of the gear you own, or intend to own in the near future. You don't want to be buying a new tripod every time you upgrade your gear. You are better off getting the best tripod you can right from the start.

The weight ratings from the manufacture are based on use with the equipment centred directly over the middle of the legs. That is great if you only ever shoot horizontal frames or use L brackets (a type of Arca-Swiss quick release plate), but what happens when you set your gear off centre, like in the picture above? If the tripod can just barely handle the weight of your gear centred over the legs, it might not be able to handle it off centre.

To summarize, keep in mind the weight of your camera(s), heaviest lens(es) and the tripod head when you are choosing the legs you will buy.

Aluminum (Al) or Carbon Fibre (CF):

After you figure out how much weight the tripod has to carry you need to choose whether you want aluminum or carbon fibre legs. Some brands will offer basalt based legs, but the price is so close to carbon fibre there isn't much point, unless you need a tripod with more weight to it (for shooting in windy conditions). Being non-conductive CF tripods are warm to the touch in cold weather, which makes them much easier to work with under said conditions. Aluminium legs will draw the warmth from your hands, forcing you to wear gloves even when it isn't below freezing. In addition aluminum tripods tend to be heavier, which is not ideal for long hikes or walks. There is no point in having a tripod if you don't want to carry it with you!

Beyond the weight differences between carbon fibre and aluminum, you have to consider the legs ability to absorb vibration. Most high end carbon fibre tripods, such as modern Gitzo CF tripods, can absorb vibration within 1-3 seconds of impact, while even some of the best aluminum tripods take 7-10 seconds. That might not sound important, but I'll give you a scenario where it could be.

One night you are out getting shots during a once in a life time trip to Rome, but it is windy. The wind comes in short gusts, every 10-15 seconds, no problem you think, my tripod will hold my gear just fine. You shoot for a while and realize that all of your shots are a little blurry, even though you've been using mirror lockup and a cable release. You take your camera bag and put it onto the tripod to weigh it down more, hoping that will make it more stable. After a few shots you realize that adding the extra weight doesn't make much of a difference, the wind just catches on the bag and only makes matters worse.

From that scenario you can start to see why having a tripod that can absorb vibration quickly can be important. Of course there are ways to improve the situation, such as keeping the legs in the shortest position and shielding it from the wind with your body. I'm not trying to say that you must have a CF tripod to get good shots, but it can help, just as a mid-range to high end DSLR can help you get better images due to features they have over entry level models.

Generally speaking, carbon fibre tripods have higher load capacities, while at the same time weighting less. For example, the Gitzo GT3531S is a CF tripod that can carry 18KG, while only weighing 1.7KG itself (following the rule from the load capacity section, it can hold up to 9KG of gear off centre safely). An aluminum tripod such as the popular Manfrotto 055XPROB, weights 2.4KG, but can only carry 7KG (based on rule from load capacity section it can hold 3.5KG off centre safely).

Height:
Finally you want to pick a tripod that will be the right height. If the tripod is too short you'll be leaning over your gear a lot, which isn't overly comfortable (or good for your back). You want to pick a tripod, and head, combination that allows you to stand up straight when the legs are fully extended (not including the centre column). You want to avoid using the centre column to achieve the right height, otherwise you are basically using a monopod mounted on a tripod.

Guide Summery and recommendations:

When buying a tripod there are a few important things to consider, the weight of your gear, how much the tripod can hold safely off centre, the material the legs are made of and the height of the legs when they are fully extended. Make sure that you buy a tripod that can handle what you have now, but also keep in mind the type of gear you want to use in the future. You do not want to be buying a new tripod every time you buy heavier equipment, it is not a cost effective way of doing things.

Carbon fibre tripods tend to be lighter, and nicer to use in cold conditions. One downside of a CF tripod is the cost, even the cheapest models are over $300, and that is just for the legs. For example, the Gitzo GT3531S mentioned earlier costs over $700 Cdn, while the aluminum Manfrotto 055XPROB legs can be had for $229 Cdn or less. Both of these tripods can be found for lower prices, if you are willing to wait for sales, I ordered my Gitzo GT3531S for $623.99 and the Manfrotto 055XPROB will be around $199 when it is on sale.

Unless you are truly on a tight budget, or don't need a tripod with a high load capacity, I would recommend buying a good carbon fibre tripod right from the start. I started with the mentioned 055XPROB, which is good enough in most situations, but suffers from many of the short comings of aluminum tripods I mentioned in this guide, which is why I used it as an example. With consumer grade gear, the Manfrotto is good enough, but once you start shooting with higher end equipment, just good enough isn't. I'll be comparing the 055XPROB to the Gitzo GT3531S in my review of the latter.

Like any other major purchase it is nice if you can try out your gear first, but you'll often find that unless you can get to a major retail dealer the high end tripods, like Gitzo models, have to be ordered in.

I hope you've found this guide helpful so far, in part 2 I'll be covering tripod heads, which are often purchased separately from the legs. There are some tripod and head kits, but you want to know whether or not the head included in the kit can handle the weight of your gear.

Best Images Of 2011 #9: Magical Moments

2011-12-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

Best Images Of 2011 #8: Need To Be Green

2011-12-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Best Images Of 2011 #7: Gold Creek

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Best Images Of 2011 #6: Northern Pintail

2011-12-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Best Images Of 2011 #5: Stutfield Glacier

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Photography Gift Guide 2011: Part 3

2011-12-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

This is the third and final part of the 2011 photography gift guide, which will cover some ideas that are not gear related. Part one of the guide covered items under $500, while part two covered ideas in the $500-1000 range.

Books:
Consider buying your photo taking friend or family member a book on photography, they can be helpful for beginners and advanced shooters alike. There are books aimed at different levels of photography, so keep that in mind when you make your purchase.

Classes:
Maybe the photographer you know is more of a hands on learner, in which case the person might find taking classes more helpful than books. I am not talking about traditional photography classes at a university, but rather from a dedicated photography school which focuses on teaching someone how to shoot, learn lighting techniques and more in a hands on environment. These classes tend to last a weekend or one day a week for a few months. Cost will vary.

Travel:
Does the photographer you know love to travel? Maybe you could in part, or totally, cover the cost of a photo adventure for that person! This gift could simply be freeing the person up for a day so they can explore their hobby, or an actual trip to another area. This could include one of those all inclusive photo tours that many advanced photographers offer at various times of the year.

Best Images Of 2011 #4: Of Flowers and Flys

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Photography Gift Guide 2011: Part 2

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

In part one of the gift guide I offered gift suggestions with budgets under $500. In this second part anything between $500 and $1000 will be considered.

Budget $500-$1000

If you are considering buying something in this price range, there are plenty of options, cameras, lenses, and accessories of various types. Once you get into this price range you really need to find out what your photography loving recipient wants or needs, that last thing you want to do is give them something they already have or don't want. You may want to consider gift cards for someone unless they specify what they would like. None the less here are a few suggestions to consider.

Cameras:

If you are looking at DSLRs you could choose from the Nikon D3100, D5100, Canon T3, Canon T2i or Canon T3i. There are some DSLRs from Sony and Pentax in this price range, but to be honest they don't stack up very well against the Canon and Nikon cameras, in my opinion. Depending on your budget and the camera of choice, you could get them either a single lens, or dual lens kit as well.

If you are looking at mirrorless cameras, you could consider the Panasonic GF2, GF3, GX1 with kit lenses, the Olympus, E-PL3, E-P3, Sony NEX-3C, NEX-5N (with kit lenses) or the Nikon J1 or V1 with kit lens(es).

Point and shoot cameras: There aren't many in the price range, but the one that stands out most is the Fuji X10.

Lenses:

There are a wide range of choices in this price range, such as 18-200mm zoom lenses, and more. This is one of the areas where you really need to be sure what your loved one is looking for.

Accessories:

There are so many possibilities that I could not even start to list them all. If you know someone who wants to get into studio or professional portrait work (indoors) you could help them buy lighting equipment, which can be very expensive (several hundred dollars for each piece of kit). If you know someone who shoots video with a DSLR you could help them buy some gear for that as well. Another possibility is money towards a good set of tripod legs and a head (like a Gitzo).

Best Images Of 2011 #3: Sunset View

2011-12-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Best Images Of 2011 #2: Fisgard Lighthouse

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Best Images Of 2011 #1: What We Left Behind

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Photography Gift Guide 2011: Part 1

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for something to buy the photographer in your life this Christmas? Here are a few ideas to help you along. Items are listed by budget to help you select them based on how much you are willing to spend.

Budget, under $100:

Filters: Filters can be a great tool to help photographers improve the quality of their images. Circular Polarizer, Variable ND or ND (available in different types). If you know your loved one wants some filters, you might want to give them a gift card from a camera shop, so they can pick the right one for their needs.

Memory Cards: A photographer can never have too many memory cards. Unless your loved one has a high end camera (these use CF cards) you can buy them SD/SDHC or SDXC memory cards without breaking the bank. 4GB and 8GB cards are very affordable, even high performance cards are in the $40-60 price range.

Camera Batteries: Most digital cameras today come with special lithium ion battery packs, and just like memory cards having more than one is always nice. These cost between $60-90 (make sure to buy genuine manufacture batteries) on average.

Cable or Wireless Shutter Release: These are nice tools to have for taking long exposure shots from a tripod, or for family photos! There are wireless and wired versions for most cameras, but you'll have to do some searching to make sure you get the right one. These range in price from $20-80+ depending on the model of camera. (some shutter releases for higher end cameras may be over $100)

Budget $100-300

Lens: In this price range you can buy your loved one a nifty fifty (50mm F1.8) lens or for the Nikon DX camera users, a 35mm F1.8G.

Filters, memory cards and batteries can also make the list in this price range. High end cameras use expensive $150+ batteries. High quality filters can also fall into this price range as well. Large capacity memory cards (16GB or 32GB) in either SD/SDHC or CF card format also fall into this range.

Low end flash: Both Canon and Nikon for example have small basic flashes that work with high end point and shoot cameras (Canon G12, Nikon P7000/P7100) and entry level DSLRs. These flashes are better than the built in flashes because you can change the angle that the flash directs the light upwards.

Budget $300-500

Once you have a budget this large there are numerous options, from lenses, to cameras. Here are a few ideas.

Cameras: Most of the best options in this price range are point and shoot cameras, such as the Canon Powershot SX230, ELPH 510, S100, G12, Nikon S9100, P300, P7100, AW100, Pentax WG1, Panasonic ZS10 etc. You might be able to get an entry level DSLR or mirrorless camera like the Nikon D3100 (body only), Panasonic GF2 kit (14mm F2.5 or 14-42mm) or Olympus E-PM1 on sale.

Lenses: There are many options in this price range, too many to list. A gift card towards a lens might be the best route to go, unless the person asked for something specific.

Flash: Even the high end flashes from Canon and Nikon fall into this price range. Find out if this is something your loved one would like, and which one they prefer.

Items over $500 (link to part 2)

Snowy Owl (POTD December 12)

2011-12-12T00:30:00.000-08:00

After hearing all the reports of Snowy Owls in South Delta I wanted to see if I could get some shots. Thankfully there was a more experienced birder who knew how to approach the birds without scaring them. Considering that Snowy Owls are endangered species, anyone photographing them needs to be very careful. During the colder days of late fall and winter food supplies are limited, so if people do not respect the owls space they might have to use more energy then needed, which would not good for their health (thus the health of the species as a whole).

The approach to this Snowy Owl was not easy, and it took over an hour to get within shooting range. During that entire time I had to be very cautious, as to not stress the Owl, which seemed to work. It is a good idea to stop and watch the bird from a distance to see what normal behaviour is before moving in. Our plan was to slowly move, 2-4 feet every 5-10 minutes or so. We planned to stop at any hint of stressing the Owl. During the course of our approach the owl did not seem concerned by the presence of myself and the other birder, and continued it's usual behaviour. After two hours of observation and shooting, the owl leisurely took off down the beach, most likely looking for prey.

Overhead (POTD December 9)

2011-12-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

This morning, while I was looking through some of my images from early this year, I came across this photo I took back in August. I must have overlooked this shot back then because I had not done anything to it, but I'm glad that I looked back and found it.

Starting next week I'll be posting my favorite images from 2011.

A Cold Afternoon (POTD December 7)

2011-12-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

As the short, cold, days of December start to settle in, so do the usual winter visitors at the George Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Common visitors at this time of year are, Saw Whet Owls (saw one a few weeks ago), Barred Owls, and Great Horned Owls (none spotted yet this month). Some less common visitors are, Northern Hawk Owls (one was in the area last year), and this year a Snowy Own has been seen (several times). You also have a good chance of seeing Black Crowned Night Herons. Most winters there are three or four Night Herons that stay within the wildlife management area, although I have only seen one or two this year. Generally the Night Herons can bee seen near the trailhead of the area open to the public. Due to their nocturnal nature, the Night Herons are not very active during the day, so you can often observe them for hours and not even see them finch. During the later parts of the afternoon, between 4-5pm (the sanctuary closes to the public at 5PM), then you might have a better chance to see them in action.

Should I use an ND Filter?

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's likely that if you have spent much time following the photography community you've heard of ND (Neutral Density) Filters. ND filters can be used for several purposes and are designed to decrease the amount of light entering the lens of your camera. There are several reasons why you might want to reduce the amount of light entering your lens. First, you want to shoot at a wide aperture (small F number) in bright lighting conditions. Secondly, if you want to slow down the shutter speed of your lens without exceeding the diffraction limits* of your lens for long exposures during the day or early evening/morning.

To make life a little bit more difficult there are different kinds of ND filters. This is not intended to be confusing, but to allow you to compensate for different shooting conditions. ND filters usually come in 2 stop, 4 stop and 8 stop varieties. In addition there are rectangular ND filters which allow you to only have the ND effect on the parts of the frame you want.** There is another type, which I use, a variable ND filter. These filters can be turned, like a circular polarizing filter, to increase or decrease the amount of light that enters the camera. The Cameron Fader ND Filter I use varies between 2 stops and a maximum of 8 stops.

Now I'm going to show some examples of why you might want to use an ND filter. For this example I took a few shots at the same location to demonstrate one use of the filter. In this case using the light reduction from the filter to achieve a longer exposure. Both images below were taken at 35mm, F8 and ISO 200. I shot the images with my D700 + AF-S 24-70mm F2.8G mounted on a tripod, which was placed in the creek. I used mirror lockup and a cable release to insure I didn't create any unnecessary camera shake.

The first images below was taken without an ND Filter. Even though it was a cloudy day with no directly sunlight I was still having to use a shutter speed of 1/20s.

The second image, was taken with a Fader ND Filer, with the same settings. I was able to use a 5 second exposure thanks to the filter.

By using the ND filter I was able to create that lovely smooth creamy effect on the water. The only downside in this case is that the long exposure is a little softer overall, due to the water in the creek creating vibration. If I had take these shots from land, I expect that sharpness would be nearly identical.*** I'll have more (hopefully better) examples when I post a quick review of the filter itself.

* Diffraction usually starts to appear around F10 for crop sensor cameras and F16 for full frame cameras.

** Rectangular ND filers require a filter holder. These filters are best used for landscape photography where the sky is brighter than the foreground, but these filters and holders can prove to be expensive for hobby photographers on a tight budget.
*** Use of filters can slightly reduce image sharpness

Downy Woodpecker (POTD December 4)

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

This female Downy Woodpecker was pecking away at a dead tree when I came down the path towards it. I was able to observe the bird for several minutes as it looked for insects in the bark. My immediate tendency might have been to snap off a few shots and move on, but this small bird was very active so that would not have sufficed. Having some time to think about the situation I realized that I wanted to get the bird while it was looking in my direction, with its' enter body in view. My patience paid off and I was able to get this shot. Shortly there after the Downy Woodpecker, obviously spooked by the shutter of my camera, took off to find a quieter place to feed.

Just Swimming By (POTD December 1)

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Although the latter parts of the year have shorter hours of sunlight, there are advantages. On the few sunny days that we do get in Greater Vancouver at this time of year the light is perfect for shooting in the afternoon, and often has a golden glow long before the sun starts to approach the horizon. On that note it is important to remember that just because the light looks good, does not mean that it is not harsh. I've made that mistake numerous times.

What Would Your Camera Look Like?

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like the camera you would really like to have does not exist? I'm sure almost every photographer has had that feeling once or twice. So if you were able to tell the camera company of your choice how to make a camera that would best meet your needs, what would it be like? Would it have a stylish retro look, like a 1980's film camera, or would it be modern and sleek? What about controls, both external and in the menu system? Would that camera have a fast auto focus system with many automated features (think D3s or Canon 1D X), or be simple and fully manual (like a Leica M9)? Would the camera be a mirrorless compact with interchangeable lenses, a fixed lens compact or a typical SLR?

What if you could take an existing camera and change it to be more of what you would like it to be? I remember hearing many voices over the years asking for Nikon D40 camera body, with higher end controls and features. A more modern request would be to take a camera like the Panasonic GF1 and make it into a pro ILC camera, something many people feel the recently announced GX1 still falls short of. That line of thinking would be in sync with question I'm asking here. In addition, if you could take any older camera (film era) and make it digital, which one would it be?

Personally I think the best camera is the one that does the work that you need it to do, but I do have some thoughts on this topic as well. I would love to have a camera with the controls and speed of a professional modern DSLR, in a more retro and compact SLR style body. To me the ideal retro style DSLR would be a Nikon FM2 style camera, with a fast burst rate and manual dials for changing things like the shutter speed (think Fuji X100). Although most modern F mount lenses are the G type, Nikon could put a digital aperture ring on the camera (think of ring on the lens of the Canon S-95) to make up for that loss. From the sounds of things Fuji might be designing just such a camera, so I may get part of my wish in that area. I say part of my wish, because if the Fuji X100 and X10 are any indication, the camera wont have the speed (in terms of FPS or AF) of modern pro DSLRs.

Heron Hangout (POTD November 28)

2011-11-28T11:29:00.001-08:00

Double Take (POTD November 25)

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

While out shooting this past Monday I saw something that normally would not catch my eye, but for reasons which I will explain, this did. During the latter period of my walk I spotted a bird I thought I had never seen before, due to the large orange blob on the neck. The large beak of the duck was familiar though, and upon closer inspection I quickly realized that the large blob was actually a leaf, caught on a female Northern Shoveler's body. With my hopes of spotting a rare duck gone, I took a few shots to document this occasion and moved on.

Duck Stop? (POTD November 24)

2011-11-24T02:00:00.000-08:00

Wood Ducks are usually not very comfortable around people, and will quickly take off at the first sign of trouble. Some of the resident Wood Ducks at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary are a little less timid, especially in late fall and winter, if you move carefully and get low to the ground. This particular drake sat on a log and watch me for a while, not overly concerned by my presence.

Black Capped Chickadee (POTD November 22)

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Black Capped Chickadee is one of the most common small birds you'll find at the George Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary during the late fall and winter. You'll often see them hanging around the bird feeders, or flying from tree to tree, just over your head. Chickadees are an easy subject to find, but getting them to stay still long enough to get good images takes patience, in part due to the size and speed of these little birds. If all you want is images of them at a feeder, or eating out of someones hand, no problem. Getting a photo of one in a natural pose can be a little tougher on the other hand.

Frozen In Time (POTD November 21)

2011-11-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

We had a light dusting of snow in the Greater Vancouver area last Thursday night, followed by a cold frosty day on Friday/Saturday. Took this shot with my iPhone 4 while out for a walk on Saturday afternoon.

Snow Geese (POTD November 17)

2011-11-17T09:00:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a cold (it snowed in some places in the Greater Vancouver area), wet day, but I still got some shooting in. In fact it was the first time I've shot with my AF-S 300mm F4D since I picked it up from Nikon's repair depot last Thursday afternoon. I was not out long, I shot Snow Geese for about 20 minutes before the cool, wet weather got me to give up and head back to my car. All in all the lighting was dull anyway, but I had an urge to get out and test the lens.

While I was out taking photos, there were some hunters out as well, and I saw at least one or two snow geese fall from the sky after shots rung out. During the majority of last 20 years or so there was a big move to protect Snow Geese numbers. That said, over the last few years it has become apparent that there might be an over population problem, so the Government of Canada has opened up hunting of the birds. I'm not sure how large an opening there is, but I think the numbers allowed are in the 1000-3000 range. Considering that the larger flocks of Snow Geese are in the 10,000+ range, that number isn't very large. I also believe that shooting juvenile birds is not permitted.

Three Of A Kind (POTD November 15)

2011-11-15T12:39:00.001-08:00

The last few weeks have been busy, but I did get a chance to get out and do some shooting this morning.

Still Waiting

2011-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Fall Heron

As the fall migration season carries on, so does my wait for Nikon to repair my AF-S 300mm F4. As some readers might be aware I first took the lens in during the middle of August, to be checked, and authorized the needed repairs back at the beginning of September. I hadn't heard anything for a while so I called to check on the repair status Tuesday, and Nikon Canada is still waiting for parts from Japan. As some of my more long term readers know, I enjoy bird photography, so this has put a bit of a damper on my fall, in some respects. Of course there are two ways of looking at a situation like this, I could allow myself to get frustrated over the wait, or I can continue to explore other areas of photography. This stint without my telephoto lens has also shown me that I don't need to have a super long lens to get wildlife shots. Sure there are some shots that I'm missing, but there are some that I am getting that I would not have otherwise.

Edit: Irony of ironies, today I got a call from Nikon saying my lens was ready to be picked up (which I did). Looks like a quick call may have bumped up the speed of my repair!

Shifts Coming To The Camera Industry?

2011-11-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of news in the camera industry as of late, some good, and some bad. In recent weeks Nikon and Sony have lost the ability to produce some key consumer products (APS-C sensor cameras) due to flooding in Thailand, and it is unlikely that normal production of these products will start again until March next year. Sony has a slight advantage in that they keep larger amounts of stock on hand, but that will likely not be enough to hold them through the holiday season. Nikon is likely to suffer far more from this loss, they don't keep as much stock on hand, but they are attempting to shift production elsewhere to help mitigate the losses. At the same time both companies saw a gain in market share over the last quarter. In Nikon's case most of those sales appeared to come from increased sales of Coolpix cameras, while sales of NEX cameras boosted Sony's position. It will be interesting to see how the mixed reviews of the Nikon 1 system will effect Nikon's sales figures in the future.

In the bad news department, it looks like Olympus is in big trouble, due to some bad investments that were hidden by using purchases of other companies to cover up the losses. For the camera industry this means that the once "open" micro four thirds format shared between Olympus and Panasonic may in the near future become a Panasonic only operation. Speaking of Panasonic, the recently introduced DMC-GX1 looks to be their answer to the Olympus E-P3. If things go badly for Olympus in the weeks ahead, Panasonic may not have any competition though. From my point of view the Panasonic GX1 is the better of the two products, but we'll have to wait and see what reviewers have to say about this new 16MP M4/3s camera.

Shadows Of Fall (POTD November 8)

2011-11-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

An Icy Reception (POTD November 7)

2011-11-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

Clear sunny days are extremely pleasant to have at this time of year, but they bring with them cold evenings and frost by morning. Thus the fallen leaves of fall are met with an icy reception in the morning light.

Lonely Trail (POTD November 4)

2011-11-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

As November sets in, and cooler weather prevails, the bold and beautiful colours of fall are starting to fade as many trees are becoming barren. In some ways that also describes this week for me in terms of photography, as it has been a little slow. I'm glad it is the end of the week, because I'm feeling burned out from all the busyness of the week.

Lines In The Sand (POTD November 2)

2011-11-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

A Fall Drive (POTD November 1)

2011-11-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

At one point while I was out walking yesterday the leaves on some nearby trees started raining down in the wind. At first I tried to capture the action, but after failing at that I wanted to try something else, capturing cars kicking up the leaves. Attempts to capture the action of cars kicking up the leaves turned out to be far more successful than trying to track falling leaves that moved erratically through the air.

Westminster Abby (POTD October 31)

2011-10-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I visited Westminster Abby (Mission BC), a Catholic Monastery in Greater Vancouver. I didn't go into the abby itself, but explored the grounds, which are lovely at this time of year, thanks to numerous deciduous trees. The area is very peaceful, and after a short walk you get a great view of Mission from the hillside.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 26)

2011-10-28T12:14:00.001-07:00

After The Rain (POTD October 28)

2011-10-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

I've found that one of the best time to take photos is right after it has been raining. The water droplets create interesting subject matter in and of themselves, and they are no less appealing on various subjects either.

Touching The Light (POTD October 27)

2011-10-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

While experimenting with some off camera flash yesterday, I came up with this shot. I've seen similar images on the net before, but I wanted to try it myself. The benefits are two fold, first I got a better idea of how much light I would get at various output levels from my SB-800, and I got an image to share. Not a bad trade off from my point of view!

One Foot A Day Project (Day 24)

2011-10-26T15:48:00.001-07:00

Fall Corridor (POTD October 26)

2011-10-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

One Foot A Day Project (Day 23)

2011-10-25T13:47:00.001-07:00

Nikon D7000 Review

2011-10-25T00:10:00.000-07:00

Introduction:
The Nikon D7000 was release in September 2010, and is the highly anticipated replacement for the D90, which in and of itself was a great advanced amateur DSLR. The D7000 introduced some important improvements over the D90, such as a high resolution 16 Megapixel CMOS sensor, with improved dynamic range and a larger native ISO range of ISO100-6400 (expandable to ISO25600). The next major improvement in the D7000 came in terms of video, with the ability to capture 1080p @24FPS vs 720p @24FPS on the D90. The D7000 also added manual control while shooting video, along with a microphone input, and some basic control over the volume of recorded audio.

Other headline features of the D7000 include moisture/dust resistant seals, along with a magnesium alloy chassis and backplate to help strengthen the structural integrity of the body. The D7000 is the second Nikon DSLR (D3100 had this first) to feature the ability to auto focus continually during video recording (known as AF-F). The D7000 also features dual SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots, which in the past was considered a pro camera feature. From the perspective of a still photographer, one of the best upgrades the D7000 received is a optical pentaprism viewfinder with 100% coverage, vs the 96% coverage of the D90.

The feature set of the D7000 has lead some Nikon shooters to ask if this camera was made to replace both the D90 and D300s, and that is one of the questions I will try to answer in this review. I will say that the answer to that question is, yes and no, but there will be more on this in the conclusion of the review. The D7000 does face some stiff competition today, in the form of the Canon EOS 7D, Pentax K-5 and the Sony SLT-A77. These cameras offer the same or more resolution, and in some cases slightly higher end features, but the question is, are those features enough to justify the higher price tag? I can tell you right now that if you are already invested in Nikon lenses (beyond kit lenses), the answer is a resounding no, unless you don't mind losing money in the switching process.

Build Quality and Handling:

The D7000 has a robust build, thanks to a mix of industrial strength plastics and magnesium alloy in its' construction. The D7000 features dust and moisture resistant sealing, but the seals on the D7000 are by no means as extensive as those found on the D300s or D700. If you use the D7000 along with water/dust resistant lenses (17-55mm 2.8G, 24-70mm F2.8G etc) then the camera should be able to handle light rain, the beach and cold whether without too much trouble. Nikon does not make any clams that the camera is waterproof, so water damage would not be covered by the manufacture warranty.

If you have handled previous Nikon DSLRs in this price range (D70, D80 or the D90) you wont notice the difference in build quality just by picking up the camera, as they feel very similar overall. What you will notice is a slightly larger grip, which is now covered with rubber, rather than a tacky rubbery feeling plastic. Overall the camera is very comfortable to hold in my average sized male hands. When you pickup the camera all the primary controls, the shutter and rear command dial falls right under the index finger and thumb of your right hand. All of the primary shooting controls are easily within reach at that point.

Shows The Magnesium Alloy and Plastic chassis of the D7000 Body and MB-D11 Grip (Not my Image, source Nikon)

One puzzling thing to me is that the ionic red swish (or whatever you like to call it) on the grip is still plastic, unlike higher end cameras, such as the D300s. D700 or D3s, on which it is rubberized. It feels more plasticy than I recall it being on the D90, but that might just be my memory playing tricks on me. In practice you might not notice this, until the camera gets wet and your finger slips on it. From a handling standpoint I think that is the only complaint that I have for the D7000.

Controls, Ports and Operation:
The top plate of the camera features most of the primary controls of the D7000. Starting from the right side of the body you'll find the Shutter release, surrounded by the ON/OF/Illumination switch (if you push the switch beyond the ON position the top LCD will light up). The shutter release itself is soft and extremely responsive, very much like the D300s and D700. I like the fact that Nikon switched the shutter release on the D7000 to the body matching black, rather than continuing to use the tacky chrome button of pervious cameras in this price range. Behind the shutter and to the right you'll find the exposure compensation button, which allows you to dial in + or - 5 EVs of compensation from the metered reading. It also functions as part of the two button reset (returns all settings to default), when pressed and held along with the QUAL button.

Behind the shutter to the left is the metering mode button, pressing it allows you to choose between 3D
Matrix Metering (with an AF-S or AF-D Nikkor, and most modern third party, lenses), Centre Weighted Average (the meter looks at a percentage of the centre of the frame, which can be adjusted in the menu), and Spot Metering (meters off the selected AF point). I'll be touching on the meter of the camera later in the review. The Metering mode button has a second function, when pressed in conjunction with the delete button it allows you to format a memory card.

In the centre of the top plate you'll find find the standard Nikon i-TTL flash hotshoe, which is compatible with all of the latest Nikon speedlights, such as the SB-700 and SB-900. It is also backwards compatible with the SB-600 and SB-800. Third party speedlights may work, but they are not officially supported. In front of the flash hotshoe is the built in pop-up flash (more on this later).

The left side of the D7000's top plate hosts the shooting mode and drive mode dials. As on previous consumer level cameras the D7000 has a mode dial for changing between auto mode, scene modes, and the creative shooting modes (P,S,A,M). The little green camera represents the full auto mode on the D7000. There is a no flash auto (lighting bolt with bar through it), A SCENE setting (to change scene modes simply rotate the rear command dial and pick the scene mode you desire by looking at the rear LCD), and two user programable custom shooting modes. The custom shooting modes are similar, but not exactly the same as custom shooting banks on higher end Nikon DSLRs (D300s/D700 etc). Creative Shooting Modes: P = Program Auto, which acts like auto, but allows you to override some settings. S = Shutter Priority, in this mode you set the desired shutter speed and the camera chooses the aperture needed to do so. A = Aperture Priority, in this mode you selected the desired aperture setting, while the camera figures out the shutter speed. M = Manual, you must set the desired shutter speed, and aperture settings manually.

As some of the professional reviewers have noted, the mode dial on the D7000 is easily bumped when you take the camera out of your bag, so keep an eye on it to make sure you don't change to a mode you do not want to be shooting in. This button really needs a lock to prevent accidental movement, as the Canon 60D's mode dial does.

Under the mode dial is another dial, the drive mode selector. The drive mode selector allows you to choose between Single Shot S, Continuous Low CL (default is 3FPS), Continuous High CH (6FPS). The continuos shooting modes on the D7000 work as advertised, up to 6FPS, but keep in mind that the D7000 has a small buffer compared to higher end cameras like the D300s. At 6FPS you'll only get 8 or 9 frame at full speed, vs 15-20 with the D300s (which shoots at 7FPS). For most casual shooters this will not be an issue, but some sports or wildlife shooters may appreciate the larger buffer of the more professional Nikon cameras. Quiet Q. If you press the shutter and hold it, in this mode, the camera will take a shot, but keep the mirror up, until the shutter is released. The shutter on the D7000 is already very quiet, and in this mode it is the quietest DSLR I've ever used. This feature is nice to use with subjects that are easily startled, or in environments where you want to be subtle. Timer (the camera counts down from 2, 5 or 10 seconds before taking the shot), Remote (via optional Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote), and Mirror Lockup Mup. In Mup, once you press the shutter the mirror locks in the up position. If you wait 30 seconds the camera will automatically take a shot, or you can activate the shutter using a wireless or wired remote (MC-DC2). Like higher end Nikon bodies (D300s, D700 etc) to change the drive mode you must press a small button on the top plate. Simply press the button and turn the dial to the desired drive mode.

Moving to the front of the D7000, on the upper right side you'll find two buttons. The flash release (electric pop-up flash)/flash exposure compensation/flash mode button, and the BKT (auto bracketing) button. Pressing the flash button (lightning bolt) will pop-up the flash. Pressing the button again once the flash is up will allow you to change flash exposure compensation (front command dial) and change the flash sync mode (rear command dial). The flash sync modes on the D7000 include, Normal, Red Eye Reduction, Slow w/red eye reduction, Slow and Rear (To fully understand these modes read the manual). Flash exposure compensation can be dial in to +1.0EV or - 3.0EV. The D7000's built in flash, like the D80 and D90 before it, can be used to trigger wireless speedlights (SB-600, SB-700, SB-800 or SB-900) as part of the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS).

Below the BKT button there is a white dot (bump), which indicates the spot to line up the white dot on a lens with when mounting them (turn lenses counter clockwise to mount). Auto exposure bracketing on the D7000 is limited to three frames, and can only go to +/- 2EV. Beside this button, just above the "D7000" name plate is one of the IR sensors for the wireless remote. Directly below the white dot is a large button, this is the lens release, which you press to unmount lenses (turn clockwise to unmount). The Nikon D7000 is compatible with all F mount, AI, AI-S, AF, AF-D, AF-I and AF-S Nikkor lenses, along with equivalent F mount lenses from third party manufactures. Note that some older third party lenses may need to be "re-chipped" to work with the D7000.

The AF mode selector is located just below the lens release button. Nikon has added a button to this switch, which like its' predecessors allows you to switch between auto and manual focus when using AF and AF-D lenses. The new button on the switch allows you to switch the AF mode, between auto AF area, Dynamic (9, 21 or all 39 AF points), 3D Colour Tracking and Single Point AF via the front command dial. By turning the rear command dial you can change between, AF-A The camera auto detect whether to single or continuos focus, AF-S Single Focus, AF-C Continuos Focus.

On the grip side of the front there are two buttons, the Fn (Function) and PV (Depth Of Field Preview), and the front or sub command dial. Both the Fn and PV buttons are programable and can be set to give the user access to a number of different functions, such as a virtual horizon, the ability to change metering modes on the fly, disabling the flash and more. The sub command dial is used to change numerous settings on the camera, but in shooting mode this dial changes the aperture (Aperture Priority or Manual shooting modes). In playback mode this button changes how much information is shown about the photo being displayed.

Finally we move to the back of the camera, which hosts the vast majority of the buttons on the camera. Starting on the top left side of the body, there are the Playback and Delete buttons. The playback button allows you to view images that have been taken at any time, while the delete button allows you to delete selected images. To delete an image press the trash button, then press it a second time to confirm that you want to delete it. If you do not want to delete an image after pressing the delete button, simply press the playback button. The delete button also has a second function, when pressed in conjunction with the metering mode button you can format a memory (SD/SDHC/SDXC) card.

Moving down the left side of the body there are four buttons, MENU, WB, ISO and QUAL. The Menu button gives you access to the D7000's extensive menu system, which I will briefly cover later. WB = White Balance, allowing you to choose between a number of presets (Sunny, Cloudy, Shade, Flash, and 2 Indoor lighting settings) which are adjustable), along with a Kelvin scale (K) for accurate settings. There is also a PRE setting witch allows you to set white balance from a grey card or something white. The WB button also allows the user to lock and image in playback mode, to prevent accidentally deleting an image. Keep in mind that it does not protect against formatting. In the menu system pressing this button gives a short description of the highlighted item, almost like having a built in manual.

ISO = ISO selection, pressing this button and turning the rear command dial allows you to change between the base ISO setting of 100 all the way to ISO 6400 or into the extended settings, up to ISO25600. In playback mode this button functions as the zoom out button. QUAL = Image Quality settings. Pressing this button allows and turning the rear command dial you to choose between RAW, RAW+JPEG and JEPG. Turning the sub command dial while pressing this button changes between Large, Medium or Small jpegs. In playback mode pressing this button zooms in. It also functions as part of the two button reset (returns all settings to default), when pressed and held along with the exposure compensation button.

The optical viewfinder and 3" LCD are located in the middle of the rear of the camera. Just above the viewfinder and up to the right is a doppler adjustment dial, for those who wear glasses, but find it easier to shoot with them removed for easier composition. To the right of the viewfinder is the AE-L/AF-L button. By default this button locks the exposure and focus of the camera, should you wish to use to the focus and recompose method. The button can also be programmed to operate a number of different functions, such as AE-L only, AF-L only, and AF-ON (the shutter will no long focus the camera with this function enabled). To the right of the AE-L/AF-L button is the main command dial. This command dial allows the adjustment of numerous settings, but in shooting mode it changes the shutter speed (in Shutter Priority and Manual shooting modes). If the scene modes are enabled, turning this dial allows you to switch between the various scene modes. In playback mode it allows you to cycle through your photos.

Below the AE-L/AF-L button there are a number of dials, switches and buttons. Directly under the AE-L/AF-L button is the Liveview switch, with the movie recording button in the middle of it. To switch to liveview simply flick the switch towards the main command dial. To record video, enter liveview and press the movie recording button. Below the liveview switch is the Selector switch and OK button. The selector switch has numerous functions, such as allowing you to change focus points (in single point or dynamic AF mode), cycling through the menu system, and cycling through images and shooting information in playback mode. The OK button is used for selecting highlighted options in the menu or resetting the focus point back to the centre point in shooting mode. In playback mode this button takes you to the retouch menu. Under the selector is the L switch, which is used to lock the selected focus point, to prevent accidental bumping when shooting. Beside the multi-point selector is the location of one of the IR sensors for the wireless remote.

Under the L switch is the Info button. Pressing the info button brings up shooting information, such as the drive mode, shooting mode, auto focus mode, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, the number of shots remaining on the installed memory card (the active card) and more. Pressing the button a second time gives you access to a number of settings, such as the settings for the AE-L/AF-L, Fn and PV buttons, noise reduction, Active D-Lighting, Auto Distortion Correction (only works with Nikkor Lenses, and in JEPG mode, unless you use Nikon Software for photo editing), and colour space (RGB or Adobe).

Moving on to the ports on the camera now, on the left side (from the back) there are two rubber doors on metal hinges. The first covers the standard definition video output, USB2 and mini HDMI ports. The camera includes a USB2 cable and video cables for standard definition output, but no HDMI cable is included. The second door covers the cable release (MC-DC2)/GPS (Nikon GP-1) port and the microphone jack.

On the left side there is on plastic door, which covers the dual SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots. The D300s on the other hand has one Compact Flash (CF) slot and one SDHC card slot. The advantage of the D7000 is that you only need one type of card to take advantage of the dual slots, while the D300s can take advantage of faster CF cards. In any case both cameras support backup (shots are saved to both cards at the same time), as well as RAW to one card and jpeg to the other. You can also set what card video files are recorded to, so that still images are on one card, while video is saved to the other.

On the bottom of the camera there is one door, a rubber cover (protecting the connector for the MB-D11 battery grip), and a tripod socket that is aligned with the lens mount.

The D7000 uses a new battery, to meet new standards for battery construction, the EN-EL15. This battery is rated at 1900mAh (14Wh) vs the 1500mAh (12Wh) of the EN-EL13e used in the D90. In practice this means you can take far more images on a single charge than with previous Nikon DSLRs in this price range. You can easily take 800 to 1000 images on a single charge. Keep in mind that lithium ion battery packs reach peak performance after 5-10 changes, so don't expect to get that many images out of the first few charges. The battery is held in place by a small retaining clip, rather than the battery bay door, on the D90. To install the battery slide it in until the clip click. To release the battery open the door and press the small orange clip and it will slide out.

Introducing a new battery meant that there was a need for a new charger as well, the MH-25, which is a nice improvement over the aging MH-18a. With the MH-25 you simply slide the battery into the charger and it is ready to get started. The chargers light flashes when charging, and goes solid when it is finished. The MH-25 can be connected to a power outlet by two means, the short plug (seen in the image above) or with a longer cord, like the previous MH-18a. The switch on the charger allows you to choose which angle the short plug points. It takes several hours for the an EN-EL15 to charge, when fully depleted. You can also attach the optional Nikon MB-D11 battery grip and install 6 AA batteries or a second EN-EL15 battery to double the amount of time that you can shoot.

In terms of overall speed of operation the Nikon D7000 is extremely responsive, the camera turns on instantly and can start shooting right away. Shutter lag (mirror blackout time) is very short (0.2s) for a consumer camera, and should not be an issue. In liveview shutter lag is about 1 second, which is a big improvement over Nikon cameras from the previous generation. When shooting 14bit RAW files the buffer can get bogged down, after 8 or 9 frames. Shooting large fine jpegs will gives you a bit more breathing room, being closer to 20 frames. The buffer clears with in 7 seconds (large fine JPEG) and 9 seconds if shooting 14bit RAW files. Shooting 12bit RAW files does not seem to help in terms of buffer clearing time. Note that this is based on use with fast (45MB/s) SDHC cards.

The Viewfinder:
One of the biggest improvements Nikon introduced with the D7000, from my point of view, is the 100% coverage optical pentaprism viewfinder. It is only a 4% increase over the 96% coverage of the D90, but it means that what you see in the viewfinder is what you will get in the final image. Another reason is that crop sensor DSLRs tend to have small, dark, tunnel like viewfinders. The D7000 and the D300s are the only crop sensor cameras from Nikon that have 100% viewfinders, and they are equally bright and clear in practice.

Where the D7000 and the D300s differentiate is how much information is displayed in the viewfinder. One difference is that the D300s always displays both the set ISO sensitivity and the number of shots remaining on the memory card, while with the D7000 you have to choose one or the other. Like the buffer issue, this might be a make or break issue for some action or spots photographers. Another difference is that the D300s shows the metering mode in the viewfinder, allowing you to change modes without looking at the top LCD. To see these items on the D7000 you can bring up the info display on the back of the D7000 (which shows metering mode, ISO and shots remaining). The metering mode is always displayed on the top LCD. When it comes to the number of shots remain, if you choose to display ISO, you'll have to wait for the meter to time out before it is displayed again.

All basic shooting information is displayed in the D7000's viewfinder (in a small LCD at the bottom). Information such as shutter speed, the set aperture, flash readiness, exposure compensation, flash exposure compensation, and the number of shots remaining or ISO, which is changeable in the menu. When you half press the shutter the spot where the number of shots remain or ISO will display how much shots are available in the cameras buffer (shooting 14bit RAW it will display [r09] if the buffer is clear). That number will go down as you shoot, but will only noticeably so if you are shooting in continuos drive mode. If you use exposure compensation (in P, S or A shooting modes) a scale will appear in the middle of the information display at the bottom. The bar shows how much compensation is being used, so you don't have to look at the top LCD when using this feature. There is a + and - indicator at each end so you know if you are adding positive or negative compensation. If you shoot in Manual shooting mode this scale will always be displayed.

If you are familiar with Nikon cameras, nothing has changed in terms of how information is displayed, if you are not, I recommend reading section of the D7000s manual on the viewfinder.

Metering and White Balance Performance:
The Nikon D7000 features a brand new 2016 pixel RGB metering system, which surpasses the D90, and the 1005 pixel RGB meter of high end Nikon DSLRs (including the flagship D3s). What does this new meter mean in practice? Not much in my experience, because like the D90 before it, the D7000 overexposes in Matrix Metering mode. Keep in mind that I normally shoot outdoors (nature/wildlife photographer), in mixed lighting conditions, which could throw off any automatic meter. I generally shoot with -0.3 or -0.7 exposure compensation dialled in as a result. Even centre weighted metering mode suffers from overexposure problems to a similar degree. It is possible that my sample has been improperly calibrated, so if you get a D7000, do some testing first before you automatically dial in compensation. Thankfully Nikon gives D7000 users the ability to adjust the default metering in the menu (option b6 in the custom settings menu).

Auto white balance on the D7000 performs okay, no better or worse than pervious consumer models that Nikon has released. Outdoors performance is generally okay, but once you get into indoor lighting auto white balance falls apart. That is nothing new, I've yet to use a digital camera that didn't have that issue, so it is hardly worth worrying about. The D7000 does have manual controls for white balance, so if you run into any problems in this area (especially if you shoot jpegs) then you can overcome it using the built in presets, the Kelvin scale (K), or using a grey card (PRE). One of the quickest ways to check white balance is to quickly switch into liveview and use the Kelvin scale or presets to see what looks more natural.

Auto Focus Performance:
Nikon also introduced a new auto focus system along with the D7000. The Nikon Multi-CAM 4800DX focus module features 39 auto focus points, 9 of which are cross type sensors for better performance. Unlike the Canon 7D, where some of the cross type sensors only work with F2.8 lenses, the D7000's cross type sensors all work right up to F5.6 (Nikon only guarantees AF function on lenses with a maximum aperture of F5.6 or faster). In terms of actual performance, the D7000 is very good for a consumer oriented camera, surpassing other consumer cameras, like the similarly priced Canon 60D. Focus acquisition is fast, in good lighting conditions, but drops off in low light. I recommend sticking with the central 9 cross type AF points in low light conditions. The Multi CAM 4800 is much better than the Multi CAM1000 found in the D90 than it replaced (only one cross type AF point), and is as good or slightly better than the D300s in low light (The D300s has the 51 point Multi-CAM 3500DX, 15 of which are cross type auto focus points).

The Menu System:
The D7000 features a well designed menu system, with a deep list of available options, and to cover them all would be a major project in and of itself. I will briefly discuss the different menu groups, beyond that I recommend reading the included user manual.

Playback Menu: This menu allows you to delete multiple images at the same time, change how images are displayed in playback mode (slideshow feature when connected to a TV), how much shooting information is available playback mode, and whether or not the camera automatically displays images after they are taken.

Shooting Menu: This menu gives you access to settings such as image quality (RAW and JPEG), file name settings (you can customize the first 3 letters or numbers before the image number), the roll of the two SD card slots, JPEG compression (quality or size preference), Active D-Lighting Settings, Picture Controls, Colour Space (Adobe RGB or sRBG), Distortion correction, noise reduction, ISO sensitivity settings, movie settings, the interval timer and wireless remote settings.

Custom Settings Menu: This menu features the deepest level of controls over how the camera functions. You have the ability to change various auto focus controls, metering settings, the ability to change how long the rear LCD stays on for different uses (info display, playback time, etc can all be set to stay on for different amounts of time), you can also set how long the cameras exposure meter remains active. Do keep in mind that the longer the meter is active, the faster you'll run down the battery. There are also numerous flash settings and you can also change the rolls of the sub and main command dials (reverse their rolls), and change the settings for various function buttons as well.

Setup Menu: In this menu you set things like the date and time, format memory cards, set the LCD brightness, input copyright information, change settings for use with the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit, check the firmware version installed on the camera (also allows for firmware updating), Battery Life Information, and the ability to lockup the mirror to clean the image sensor if needed. This menu also allows you to save settings to the two user customizable positions on the mode dial (U1 and U2). In addition there is a menu option for the data of non-CPU lenses (AI and AI-S lenses). To effectively use non-CPU lenses input the focal length and maximum aperture. Inputing this data allows the D7000 to use Matrix metering with these lenses. Also, these settings will appear in the EXIF camera data of photos take with non-CPU lenses. The D7000 can store data for up to 9 lenses.

Retouch Menu: This menu gives you the ability to apply a number of settings to images after they have been taken (such as Active D-Lighting, Red-Eye Correction, White Balance etc). You can also edit RAW files and create JEPGs from them in camera.

My Menu: This menu allows you to either display recently changed settings, or you can setup the menu to display a number of settings that you change most often. My personal preference is the latter, because there are so many times when you do not want to go digging through the menu for particular settings when you are out shooting.

Image Quality and Low Light Performance:
The D7000 is considered to have one of the best APS-C image sensors on the market today, giving cameras like the EOS-7D and Pentax K-5 a run for their money. Partly because the D7000 body is less expensive than either of those two cameras. The Pentax K-5 uses the same 16MP sensor as the D7000, but offers slightly different features, and of course a different lens mount. At this point in time I couldn't recommend buying into the Pentax camera system, because it's future is somewhat doubtful. The EOS-7D is a higher end camera in many ways and offers slightly, but not noticeably, more resolution at 18MP. Tests show that the D7000 has better dynamic range than the EOS-7D, specifically in the shadow areas of an image, which is a big plus in it's favour.

Image quality from the Nikon D7000 is in my opinion outstanding for a crop sensor DSLR, with performance coming very close to the Nikon D700 (a three year old full frame DSLR), while offering more resolution. Of course there are other factors that effect image quality, such as the lens being used, and of course the photographer behind the camera. I could talk about the quality of images that you can take with the D7000, but I think images you can take with it speak for themselves. Nikon D7000 Image Gallery

Noise Performance:
The noise performance of the D7000 is excellent for a camera with a DX image sensor. Here are sample taken between ISO100 and H2 (ISO25600). * Click on the images to see them larger *. ISO performance between ISO100-800 shows a marked improvement over the D90 and other Nikon DX bodies equipped with the previous generation 12MP CMOS sensor.

First of all, noise is less prevalent in the sky, which is one of the biggest improvements from my point of view. In shadow areas noise starts to poke out at ISO320, but the amount and texture of it is not unpleasant and thus it is not an issue. Right up to ISO1600 noise is hardly noticeable unless you start pixel peeping, and modern noise reduction software can reduce it even more if need be. Once you hit ISO 3200 noise starts to become obvious, and noise reduction starts to become a must if you intend to crop or make larger prints than 8x10. ISO 6400 is also useable, but you'll want to nail the exposure because there isn't a lot of leeway with images at this sensitivity. Pulling out shadows would lead to image degrading levels of noise for anything besides small prints (4x6). The extended ISO settings (12800 and 25600) are useful for capturing memories, but I would not use them unless I absolutely had to. To be honest I'd rather have a shot with the popup flash washing out the colour a little than using the extended settings.

ISO 100

ISO 200

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12800 (H 1.0)

ISO 25600 (H 2.0)

Liveview and Video:
Although Liveview is no longer considered high end feature for a DSLR, I will mention it here along with video performance of the D7000. Liveview performance on the D7000 is a step up from the D90 in several ways. First, I find the implementation of accessing liveview via the switch is better than the small button on the D90. Auto focus speed in liveview has also been greatly improved, it is one of the fastest implementations on a Nikon DSLR to date. Pressing the info button while in liveview allows you to display different amounts of shooting information, a grid and a virtual horizon to help keep your images level.

Video performance is decent for a DSLR with an APS-C sensor. The primary benefit of shooting video with a DSLR is to get narrow depth of field, and with the right lenses the D7000 can easily be the right tool to do that. You can choose to shoot video with AF-S (Auto Focus Single) or Full time auto focus (called AF-F). Pre-focusing works best, but having AF-F while recording is a nice feature to have. AF-F can be a little jumpy, and loose focus completely on low contrast subjects. At times the camera will also struggle to keep up with moving subjects, but is generally okay. To put it lightly the auto focus performance (AF-F) is not up to the standards of a dedicated video camera, but it is better than having no auto focus while recording video.

The D7000 has a microphone port, allowing you to capture sound from an external microphone, which is a good thing because the built in mic will capture the sound of auto focus if you do not. The D7000 does give you some basic controls over sound input levels, but nothing close to the controls offered by Canon's DSLRs such as the EOS-T3i, EOS-60D or EOS-7D. If you want a DSLR for video recording purposes primarily, I would have a hard time not recommend a Canon for that. On the other hand if you want a great camera for capturing still photos, with the ability to capture high quality video, then I would highly recommend the D7000. If the D7000 is in Manual mode then you have full control over shutter speed, aperture and ISO while recording video, but keep in mind that you cannot change the aperture while recording. You'll have to exit liveview to change the set aperture, as it is locked once you enter liveview (this does not apply to still shots). You can overcome this by shooting with older manual focus AI or AI-S lenses, which have manual aperture controls.

The D7000 records video at 1920x1080p (Full HD) at 24FPS, or 1280x720p @24FPS or 30FPS. There are lower quality settings, but I don't see much point in using them, since you can always down-sample later if need be. There are plenty of video samples from the D7000 on youtube, so I wont be posting any samples here.

Comments and Conclusion:
The Nikon D7000 is an advanced amateur oriented DSLR, with many high end features. There are several similar DSLR in this price range, but I don't think they have the same balance of features and image quality. If you are looking for a solid still image capturing device with the ability to shoot HD video then the D7000 may very well be the camera for you. The D7000 offers things like weather and dust resistant seals, a partially magnesium alloy body, dual card slots, a high performance 39 point auto focus system, and the ability to meter with non-CPU AI and AI-S manual focus lenses. The D7000 also has a bright and clear 100% optical viewfinder for easily composing images.

Of course the D7000 is not without it's shortcomings, the default metering for example is somewhat 'hot', in that it can overexpose outdoors by +0.7evs. Also full time auto focus while recording video can also be a little hit and miss. It also would have been nice to see a higher level of control over recorded audio. In addition the shooting mode dial should be a little stiffer, or have a lock to prevent it from being accidentally turned. Considering this short list of issues, I think it is safe to say that the D7000 is a very well balanced camera overall.

Compared to the D300s the Nikon D7000 is very similar, but it does fall short of being a replacement for the former in a few key areas. The D300s has a full magnesium alloy body (including the area the F mount is attached, something the D7000 lacks), a larger buffer for continuous shooting (important for sports and wildlife photography), and slightly superior dust and moisture seals. It also has dual card slots, but one is compact flash and the other SD/SDHC. The D300s can also shoot at 8FPS with the MB-D10 and 8 AA batteries or a EN-EL4a. Adding the MB-D11 battery grip does not increase the shooting speed of the D7000. The auto focus of the D300s feels slightly better in low light situations. Some may also view the slightly smaller grip and body of the D7000 to be a negative, while others will see it as a positive.

The Canon 60D is closest camera in terms of price and performance, but it lacks dual card slots, or moisture and dust seals. The 60D does have one possible advantage, in that it has a swivelling rear LCD. If you shoot still images primarily, that isn't going to be overly helpful.

Who Is This Camera For:
Amateur photographers who are looking for a camera that has higher end controls and features without the price tag of a semi-professional DSLR (like the D300s).

Who Is This Camera Not For:
D300/D300s users who are looking to upgrade. There are some features that might appeal, like the superior dynamic range and ISO performance, but you'll likely be better off waiting for the D300s replacement before upgrading. This recommendation primarily applies to sports and bird photographers, due to the small buffer. The D7000 also has a limited bracketing mode, which some landscape photographers who like to use HDR might not find appealing.

Pros:

High Performance 39 point Auto Focus System
Partial Magnesium Alloy / Dust and Moisture Resistant Body
6FPS continuous shooting speed
100% coverage optical viewfinder
Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots
AF mode selector button (for improved placement over previous models)
Metering with AI and AI-S (Non-CPU) Nikkor lenses
Tied with Pentax K-5 in class leading high ISO performance (For APS-C sensor DSLR)

Cons:

The Buffer can feel a little small for sports/action or wildlife photography
Meter has a tendency to overexpose outdoors
Continuous auto focus (AF-F) while recording video is a little jumpy, still a long way off from matching consumer video cameras
Auto exposure bracketing limited (3 frames and 2 stops)

One Foot A Day Project 21&22

2011-10-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today's post includes two images, because our ISP was down for over 24 hours, thanks to some people who wanted to steal some copper wire. They had to cut through the ISP's fiberoptic cables to get at it though. Anyway, here are the photos for yesterday, and today!

One Foot A Day Project (Day 20)

2011-10-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday, a day to relax and recoup from a busy week. I think today's "one foot a day" image sums that up rather nicely. Hope everyone had a great day today!

One Foot A Day Project (Day 19)

2011-10-21T12:26:00.001-07:00

Maples (POTD October 21)

2011-10-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

With the end of October in sight, the colours of fall are becoming more intense, and I'm loving it! That wasn't what I really wanted to talk about today though.

While out shooting yesterday I came across something that bugged me immensely, trash in the park. I simply cannot figure out why someone would dump this kind of stuff in the middle of the park. My only guess is that it was a homeless person in the area, based on the kinds of things in the junk pile. It still irks me none the less, because a near by creek is a Salmon spawning ground, and all the water in the park eventually leaches into that creek.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 18)

2011-10-20T14:32:00.001-07:00

Red Eye (POTD October 20)

2011-10-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

This American Scoot was not overly troubled by my presence, so I was able to get some close up shots with the 18-105mm VR mounted on the D7000. I patiently waiting for sunlight to hit the bird's eye, which lights up a brilliant red under such circumstances.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 17)

2011-10-19T16:29:00.001-07:00

New Toy To Play With

2011-10-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a new toy came in the mail, from Lens Lenders (A Canadian Lens Rental Company), the Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm F1.4D. I got a chance to take a few shots with the lens yesterday, and I'm impressed.

The lens isn't overly big, compared to a pro zoom, and is very comfortable to hold in practice. I wont be posting a review, since I will only have it for two weeks, but I'm sure there will be numerous photos posted on my website taken with this lens in that time.

Falls Fruition (POTD October 19)

2011-10-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

One Foot A Day Project (Day 16)

2011-10-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Took this shot with the D700 + Nikon 85mm F1.4D, the latter of which I have rented for the next few weeks.

Getting The Shot (POTD October 18)

2011-10-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

I was out shooting at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, lamenting that my AF-S 300mm F4D IF-ED was still out for repair, when I ran into this fellow shooting with a AF-S 600mm F4 VR on a D2x. This photographer said he generally shoots wildlife. He'd recently come over from shooting bears in Tafino on Vancouver Island, so bird photography was something new for him. I almost felt like begging to borrow the 600mm F4, for just one shot, or maybe a quick burst! There was some good light and some nice action going on (not so much at this location). Meanwhile I was shooting with the D7000 and 18-105mm F3.5-5.6G VR kit lens, rather than my preferred kit. To put it lightly, I hope Nikon fixes my lens soon, I'm missing some of the best shooting conditions for the migration season.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 15)

2011-10-17T17:01:00.001-07:00

A Place To Rest (POTD October 17)

2011-10-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

One Foot A Day Project (Day 14)

2011-10-16T16:41:00.001-07:00

I know this is the "one" foot a day project, but I'd like to think of it as being one foot minimum. So, I'm kind of cheating with today's entry, but so be it!

One Foot A Day Project (Day 13)

2011-10-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Had a busy day yesterday so I didn't get around to posting this image, thus there will be two entries today.

Boundary Bay (POTD October 14)

2011-10-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

Wednesday afternoon I was walking on the dike along Boundary Bay, which hosts plenty of wildlife thanks to the ongoing migration of many shore birds at this time of year. It was a breezy afternoon, and I was watching the sky closely as there were numerous storm clouds around the area, which meant rain was not far off at any given time. At one point during the afternoon I noticed sunlight breaking through the clouds and knew that I had to make an image. I get that feeling anytime I see visible rays of light from the sun, and this occasion would be no different.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 12)

2011-10-14T10:43:00.001-07:00

Eureka Falls (POTD October 13)

2011-10-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

Eureka Falls is located a few minutes up the road from Silver Lake, which I mentioned a few times last week. I love the way this little waterfall cuts through the hillside down into Silver Creek, but I did find framing this image to be a little tough. There are a lot of tree branches sticking out over the river from the bank I was shooting from, which was the primary source of trouble. If the current of Silver Creek wasn't so strong, I would have liked to shoot from in the creek itself to try and overcome this problem. Another solution would have been tighter shots of different parts of the falls, which I might try if I shoot this location again. The only reason I didn't try that was due to the failing light, and I wanted to get some shots at Silver Lake itself before dusk.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 11)

2011-10-13T11:25:00.001-07:00

Apple Releases Aperture 3.2 update

2011-10-13T01:49:00.000-07:00

Today Apple released an update for Aperture 3, taking it to version 3.2. This release looks to be aimed at fixing primarily Mac OS 10.7 (Lion) related issues, and adds support for iOS5 and iCloud.

Below is a full list of what has been fixed or changed in the update.

Aperture 3.2 supports compatibility with iCloud and iOS 5. This update also addresses minor stability, performance and compatibility issues, including:
Resolves an issue that could cause the "Loading" indicator to reappear in the Viewer when cropping a photo
Aperture now automatically relaunches into Full Screen mode if the application was in Full Screen mode when last quit
Pinch-to-zoom gesture now automatically activates Zoom mode in the Viewer
Left and right swipe gestures can now be used to navigate between photos in the Viewer
Microsoft Outlook can now be chosen in Preferences as the application used by Aperture for emailing photos
Fixes a problem that could cause Aperture, running on OS X Lion, to quit unexpectedly when using brushes to apply adjustments
Loupe now correctly displays magnification levels between 50-100%.
Fixes an issue that could cause Aperture, running on OS X Lion, to display the incorrect color profile on externally edited images
Import window now includes an option to delete photos from iPhone and iPad after they have been imported into Aperture
The Lift & Stamp tool now displays the correct cursor icons when being used in Split View and Viewer only modes
The update is recommended for all users of Aperture 3.
For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2518

The Fallen (POTD October 12)

2011-10-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

Fall brings dynamic colours to the foliage, but not all at the same time. Most of the foliage is in fact still green at this time, while the maple leaves have generally all turned and started to fall to the forest floor. The result of this occurrence is today's image.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 10)

2011-10-12T11:04:00.001-07:00

One Foot A Day Project (Day 9)

2011-10-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Covered (POTD October 11)

2011-10-11T00:41:00.000-07:00

Along with the arrival of fall, another guest finds its way back to the Greater Vancouver Area at this time of year, rain. Rain did not leave the area very long, aside from a few warm weeks in mid August and early September, it has been a constant visitor over the course of this year. Recently I decided that I need to go out rain or shine, or my photography is put on hold far too often. I was out walking in the rain, this blessing that comes from the sky, and I was thinking of ways that I could make an image that would be synonymous with rain. At first I tried some typical shots of rain drops hitting puddles, but that just didn't do it for me, I wanted something better. I was feeling stuck for ideas, then I noticed the drops of water trickling down the edges of my umbrella, and the image I wanted came into my mind. The result of that thought process is today's image.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 8)

2011-10-10T12:38:00.001-07:00

One Foot A Day Project (Day 7)

2011-10-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Not the greatest shot, (taken with iPhone 4 in HDR mode), but it serves the purpose of this project. No edits made on this image, btw.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 6)

2011-10-08T16:53:00.001-07:00

Fall Has Come (POTD October 7)

2011-10-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

Another recent photo of fall colours here in Greater Vancouver. In some ways the transition here can be a little disappointing, because many of the leaves are turning dull yellows or brown, rather than red. Hopefully a shift towards red will start to happen in the next few weeks! There have also been a few early fall windstorms, which have taken their toll on the leaf count, but many trees are still holding onto a large number of their summer foliage. In any case the leaves in this photo display the shift in colour that is currently taking place rather well.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 5)

2011-10-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

One Foot A Day Project (Day 4)

2011-10-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

Silver Creek (POTD October 6)

2011-10-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

On our way out to Silver Lake last Wednesday we stopped at Eureka Falls, which I'll be showing a photo of early next week. The water from Eureka Falls tumbles into Silver Creek, and eventually flows into the Fraser River just north west of Hope. I liked the rock formations along the creek bed, which is why this image was made. This is another image that I've work on with Color Efex, which after a day of use, I find myself liking more and more. Color Efex might be the first plug-in for Aperture that I buy, something I never thought I'd end up doing. I'm in favour of anything that makes the post processing process easier, so using this software is almost a no brainer for me.

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

2011-10-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a work meeting and read the news that Steve Jobs passed away today. I was a little surprised, and yet also not, due to his recent health issues. It is sad to see his loss, on various counts.

I cannot think of very many people who have indirectly impacted me as much as the work of Steve Jobs has. Even before I knew who he was I was using products designed by Steve and his team, in the flavour of early Macintosh computers back in the 1980's. Even today I feel the impact of what his life work has done, in the form of Apple products that I use now. Thanks Steve.

http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/

One Foot A Day Project (Day 3)

2011-10-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Coquihalla Canyon 2 (POTD October 5)

2011-10-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Another photo from the Coquihalla Canyon from last week. Here we see the rushing Coquihalla River cutting through the Canyon, continuing to dig itself deeper through the soft rock in the area. The mossy rocks in the foreground are what we had to climb down in order to reach this location, and it was risky to say the least. The rocks were unstable, more importantly wet, and thus very slippery. I think the photos we got down by the river were worth the risk, but I wouldn't go into a situation like this without someone with me to help in case something happened.

I used some new software to enhance the photo, Nik Color Efex 4. I'm trying this software out for a few reasons, I find post processing to be a painful experience, so anything that can help is desirable. Secondly, I've always enjoyed the photos that other photographers have edited with Color Efex, so I figured now was as good a time as any to give it a try. I like the software so far, but it does cause Aperture 3 to crash a lot.

One Foot A Day Project (Day 2)

2011-10-04T12:09:00.001-07:00

Just a heads up that the "One Foot A Day Project" posts usually will just be the image, with no text.

Silver Lake Reflections (POTD October 4)

2011-10-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

After visiting the Coquihalla Canyon last Wednesday I made my way out to Silver Lake, which is a short drive from Hope, BC. I arrived at Silver Lake just as the sun was sliding behind the hills west of the lake, which lit the background and caused some amazing reflections. Some fishermen said I missed the best light by just a few moments, (I had been shooting a near by waterfall) so this is one location that I would love to shoot at again!

One Foot A Day Project (Day 1)

2011-10-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

I was thinking of something I could do over the next year to help me see the ground beneath my feet better. What catches your eye when you first look down? Your feet right? So this will be a variant of a 365 day photo project. I started on Saturday, without even thinking about making this a project, but I rather like the idea now that I've taken some time to think about it.

Considering that I love to go out for walks in the park, you'll likely see more shots like this one. In some ways the fall is a great time to start this project, as it will likely offer the most interesting colours for this project. Not all of these shots will be DSLR photos, it's very likely that some will be produced with my iPhone 4 as well.

Othello Tunnels 3 (POTD October 3)

2011-10-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Tunnels can be interesting subject matter for photographs, because they force a perspective on the viewer. The way light as it passes through tunnels also effects the feel of the image. You can use the light at the other end of a tunnel several ways, to show scale, as in the case of today's photo, or to show what is on the other side. I saw an interesting example on 500px this last week where the foreground of the image was black and white, while the background on the other side of the tunnel was in colour. That type of image is interesting, and portrays the feeling of the "grass being greener on the other side." The tunnel in today's photo was blasted out of a rock-face in the Coquihalla Canyon in the 1930s, so it does not have a modern look. The walls of the tunnel have not be cemented, so there are interesting shapes and textures to be found throughout it.

What Is Coming In October

2011-10-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

October is one of my favorite months of the year as a photographer, the lovely fall colours come into full effect, and bird migration season comes into full swing as well. Usually by the end of October Snow Geese start to show up along the coast of the Greater Vancouver area, but only time will tell if that is the case this year. My Nikon AF-S 300mm F4D IF-ED is still out for repair with Nikon service, so I might miss part of the the migration season, which would be a little disappointing.

In the next week or so I'll have more photos from my recent visit to Hope BC, and more. I'm hoping to visit Hope again (doesn't that sound funny) before the end of October, as I would love to shoot in the area during the peak of fall colours! I'll also be working on part two of Starting From Scratch In Digital Photography, which is a guide aimed at enthusiast photographers who are looking to step up from a point and shoot camera, but need guidance in terms of camera system choices.

In terms of reviews it will be a slow month, but I have been testing and working on a review of the Nikon D7000, which should be ready in the next three weeks. The D700 and D7000 do make an excellent team, that much is for sure.

Nikon D7000 + 18-105mm VR and Nikon D700 + 24-70mm F2.8G

Othello Tunnels (POTD September 30)

2011-09-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

If you look closely you might recognize the rock-face in today's image. If you do, your feelings are not misplaced because that is same rock-face from yesterdays image, just taken from a different viewpoint. This image was taken from the railway bed, within the first of four tunnels in Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park. Yesterday's image was taken from down below, looking up from the left, along the edge of the Coquihalla River.

Coquihalla Canyon (POTD September 29)

2011-09-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the afternoon yesterday shooting in and around Hope, BC, a small community on the far eastern side of the Fraser Valley. I shot in several locations yesterday, but in terms of shapes and textures, my visit to Coquihalla Canyon was the most rewarding. Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park is located 6km from downtown Hope, and well worth the visit if you are in the area. The Canyon features abandon railway tunnels from the Kettle Valley Railway, which shutdown in the mid 1980's. The canyon is extremely unstable, and the rocks in the foreground of today's photo are a testimony to that fact. Another testimony to the instability is the fact that you can no longer safely journey beyond the fourth tunnel in the park, due to a large rock-side that occurred early this past spring, while the park was closed.

Today's photo was taken looking up towards the entrance of the second tunnel from right along the Coquihalla River, which is deep in the canyon bellow the railway bed.