Upgrading D5000 to D7000

htid

htid

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Chris
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Hi

I only got my D5000 in August but feel I've already outgrown it. I've been out taking pictures of birds today (overcast) and the higher ISOs just seem too noisy and the photos aren't of high enough quality (I was using the 300mm f4 so it can't be that which is causing the lack of quality). Of course it could be me since I was only getting low shutter speeds at lower ISOs and so my shaking (was on a beanbag but I guess there's still minimal movement) could also be the cause, but as I say, I upped the ISO and found the images a bit too noisy. With this in mind, is it worth it to upgrade to a D7000? Will I, in real world situations, notice a difference at higher ISOs and will the higher megapixels really make much of a difference? (I'm not quite sure how it works since the horizontal and vertical pixel count is exactly the same when shooting raw :S) Ive also read that the autofocus is lightning fast so that should help with birds in fligt, right? If I do decide to upgrade, is it worth doing so now or should the price come down further or is it pretty much at the price it will stay at since Christmas is over? (I'm not sure how much it cost at launch compared to how much it is now).

Thanks for any advice :)
 
The D7000 is the fastest camera I have ever used - don't just go on fps ratings but its instant focusing and almost un-noticeable mirror-up time has to be seen to be believed.

I haven't noticed any noise in shots up to ISO 5000 which is remarkable to me. Another major plus is the battery life - it seems endless - you certainly won't need to carry a spare or invest in a battery grip.

I paid £1099 for just the body the day after it came out - I think you should be able to get a body only from a reputable place for just under a grand now - check they have stock though as it is still in short supply - I wouldn't risk saving another £50 by getting one imported - you could get stung for customs and be on dodgy grounds if it develops a fault.
 
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From what I've seen the difference is about half a stop.

If I was upgrading in your position, it would be the AF, FPS and more hard wearing body of the D7000 that would tempt me to upgrade, not the ISO performance.
 
How does the d7000 compare to the d90 in terms of iso performance?
 
Thanks for the info. So am I to take it it would be a good step up with noticeable improvements or is it not worth the extra £500 I'd have to spend after I sell my d5000?
 
htid said:
Thanks for the info. So am I to take it it would be a good step up with noticeable improvements or is it not worth the extra £500 I'd have to spend after I sell my d5000?
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That's the big question that I keep asking myself wanting to upgrade from my d3000, is the d7000 worth nearly double the amount as the d90. d7000 sounds like a great bit of kit, but does it justify the difference.:bang:

Jon
 
Unless you really make use of the swivelly screen, I would say that's a good upgrade. The D7000 certainly won't disappoint if the reviews are anything to go by :)
For birds, faster AF and FPS are valuable.

And you've already got a 300 f/4, so you've got great glass to make the most of it.
 
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smartidog said:
That's the big question that I keep asking myself wanting to upgrade from my d3000, is the d7000 worth nearly double the amount as the d90. d7000 sounds like a great bit of kit, but does it justify the difference.:bang:

Jon
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Same here. I want better ISO performance than my d3000 as I mainly shoot indoors...
 
jamin100 said:
Same here. I want better ISO performance than my d3000 as I mainly shoot indoors...
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Yep, 400.....800 iso at a push is about it for d3000, trying to convince myself that I would be happy with a D90, which I think I would be, but a D7000, that would blow my socks off, and by then the other half would not be in a mood to wash them!!....but seriously would I use it enough:thinking:

Jon
 
I was just doing some reading on blogs Flickr etc. of people wanting to do the same upgrade and the responses were basically that there wont be a very noticeable difference, and it would be a better idea to invest in faster glass. I have the 300mm f4 in conjunction with the 1.4tc so I'm down to f5.6 but as much as I'd like to upgrade to the 300 f2.8, I don't quite have that kind of money to spend which is why the d7000 seemed like an option. The problem is that I often feel that here in England the weather is too overcast to get any decent pics so stay in. my thinking is that if I got the d7000 I'd be able to go out whatever the weather and still get a lot of keepers. having said that, I freely admit it could be my technique that's letting me down but I don't really know.
 
If I was upgrading from an entry level nikon to a high end consumer nikon then the D90 would seem to obvious path to take.

I feel that Nikon have overpriced the D7000 as for only about 10% more you can break into the pro range of bodies - I'd much rather have a D300s than a D7000 yet the price difference seems so narrow.
 
htid said:
..... my thinking is that if I got the d7000 I'd be able to go out whatever the weather and still get a lot of keepers. having said that, I freely admit it could be my technique that's letting me down but I don't really know.
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I actually prefer overcast to sunny weather for photography but I definitely seem to be in the minority. I'd always prefer moody shots than the ubiquitous blue sky / fluffy pretty clouds type of picture post card shot.
 
boliston said:
I actually prefer overcast to sunny weather for photography but I definitely seem to be in the minority. I'd always prefer moody shots than the ubiquitous blue sky / fluffy pretty clouds type of picture post card shot.
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Don't get me wrong I have no problem with cloudy days, but with birds I need to get fast shutter speeds and unfortunately cloudy days don't permit them! Which is why I like the cleaner higher ISOs of the d7000. Also the fast autofocus would be a godsend, with my current setup the lens seems to hunt quite a bit before locking on.
 
boliston said:
If I was upgrading from an entry level nikon to a high end consumer nikon then the D90 would seem to obvious path to take.

I feel that Nikon have overpriced the D7000 as for only about 10% more you can break into the pro range of bodies - I'd much rather have a D300s than a D7000 yet the price difference seems so narrow.
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By the way I'd prefer the d7000 to the d300 simply for the dx sensor..the extra reach is invaluable for birds! Still find myself wanting more and I effectively have 630mm!

Whoops just realised the 300s isn't full frame!
 
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the D300 has a dx sensor so lenses will be the same as on the D7000. I'd stick to the D7000 however, it is new technology - do you want to spend a grand on 3 year old technology on the D300 ? Probably not an issue for you as you are using big lenses but the D7000 is a fair bit lighter which was a plus for me as I always like to have a camera with me.
 
I have the 18-200 as a carry around. Only take the 300 when I'm going to hides etc as I have no mono/tripod yet!
 
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