Quality concern.... D7000 SOS HELP!!!

T

therussian

Well-known member
Hey to all,
I'm going to shoot a project and starting to test my D7000 in the next few days. At the same time I see how others trash the D7000 and use D800 and Panasonic GH3 or Canons... So my basic question is: how good is the D7000's quality in today's standards?

I purchased my camera just before the D7100 was released.... right now selling it and getting a D7100 is really costly...

I'm looking into options as this project is really important for me. Got a great concept, script, everything and don't want to jeopardize it with a lower than standards camera. I would be happy with a D600, but that's out of my reach, or I should push myself really my boundaries... GH3 seems nice, but my lenses would be cropped heavily. I have problems with the wide end, so with a GH3 I would need to invest in glass.... Canons... I don't know.. I'm a Nikon guy :)
+ there's the option for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, which price-wise would be somewhat cheaper than the D7100, GH3 and far more cheaper than the D600.

So: HOW GOOD IS THE D7000? 1080p 24p, converted to Prores HQ 422 for editing.

I saw a topic that states that the D7100 has a 11-12 stops of dynamic range. I saw a youtube video in there (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFsvEAiWr_8) which showed an underexposed footage corrected later on. I was impressed with the internal recording capabilities of D7100 in terms of grading and bringing back details.
 
Short answer: the D7100 is clearly better, but I don't think the D7000 is really that bad. It is a first-gen video DSLR, but there are lots of people still using those. If you've got the budget, go for a D7100 (or D5200, if you don't need the better AF for stills). But if you don't have the budget, the D7000 should do.

The D7100 has no aliasing/moire, and will give you better DR. Maybe someone who has gone from one to the other can give you more details. (I would change the thread subject to something like "D7000 vs D7100 for video", to try to attract someone like that; I think you can do it if you edit the OP and go to advanced)
 
There have been somewhat major motion pictures done on similar cameras -"Like Crazy" on Canon 7D for example. The only real technical issue you need to be mindful of on the D7000 is moire/aliasing....something the D5200/D7100 have improved greatly on. The D600 is no better on that front than a D7000. The Pocket Cam is a long wait to get and also you'd need to think about different lenses for the S16 format. If you want to get a cheaper (better camera in terms of video) than your D7000....the D5200 is it. Otherwise, go with what you have and just plan your shots to the D7000 strengths.

BTW, the D800 is no better than a D7000 in the moire/aliasing world either and a pretty popular TV series is shot with those.
 
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I've owned the 7000 since it came out - yes, I'll be retiring it soon for a 7100. It was my commercial stills camera and after the D90, it never occurred to me to even test the video output - Canon APS cams were my video DSLRs. (And I wouldn't think of it as a "first gen" video DSLR - the D90 was the one that started all the fuss, and the 7000 is light years ahead of the D90 in video quality - night & day.)

When I had some three-camera shoots (donated some work for a music education group) I was really surprised by the D7000 footage. I instantly preferred it to the Canons. The color rendition and the "feel" of the shadows - I just really dug it. It has a bit more sensor-jello than the Canon, which you really have to watch. But other than that, I found it superior in every way for my needs and tastes. Just shooting with a standard stock profile, skin just looked way prettier, and there's something about the blacks that's just nice.

I don't use Magic Lantern, and I never shoot super-flat looks on the Canon - I found the Nikon grades nicely.

And I've never had any Moire issues with either system - I guess my setups and style have saved me from that?

D7000 frame grab, 1080-24, 800 ISO, most likely shot with a Series E 100 2.8 Nikkor at 2.8... or maybe an 80-200 2.8 push-pull?? (BTS video from a product shoot - yeah, that's Snookie...) Ungraded frame, too - mild sharpening is all.

snookie.jpg
 
(ok, it's head and shoulders above the D90. Let's call D90=gen0, since I don't think many people actually used it for video, and most think of the 5D2 as "first gen")
 
Thanks all!

I'm constantly thinking about the camera. But it's a tough choice. Don't forget that I invested in a brand new D7000 this year... So I'm kinda hesitant to buy a D5200, or D7100 now.... Is buying another DSLR is the way to go?

I checked out Blackmagic cameras. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera just started to ship. The Blackmagic Cinema Camera just had a huge price drop. BMPCC doesn't shoot RAW right now, just ProRes. BMCC shoots RAW and ProRes also. I don't have the background to shoot RAW, but ProRes wouldn't put such a huge pressure on me.

Could you tell me how would a D7000 or D5200 would compare to a Pocket camera in ProRes (or the BMCC?)?
 
If 720p slowmo is important to you, you won't have it with the pocket cam (or any current BMC cam) - or the D7000 for that matter.

Also, the pocket cam might be best with an appropriate lens vs. a Nikon adapter. (I'm thinking it's M4/3?) Going reasonably wide on that tiny sensor may be a problem - there are some great zoom options and more on the way though.

If I were using a BMC, I'd probably use the 2.5k for interviews and effect stuff (I do many interview edits at 720p just so I can re-frame tighter... it's very handy to doing a dialogue edit when you can't overlay b-roll to hide the cut. Being able to reframe at 1080 and stay sharp would be awesome). I just don't see it as a massive step up from a DSLR at 1080/Prores though... it's got moire and other minor issues, and meanwhile the SLR codec is generally pretty good - adding a Ninja and going ProRes from the D7000 doesn't seem to be a massively visible improvement except for special shots - but I'd think a Ninja + 7100 could be a more useful combo than a BMC for many users, unless you really want 2.5k and RAW video.

Lens Rental places are renting the BMC so you could try one for a few days.

I really wouldn't get so torqued up about owning the 7000 - shoot with it for a while. If it's in nice shape, they're bringing $600 or so on ebay, probably $450ish trade-in value (adorama, etc). And over time we'll likely see a price drop or rebate on the 7100. Personally I'd skip the 5200 - there are a lot of features in the 7100 that are useful - it's a bargain of a camera in my opinion.
 
The D7000 uses the same 16Mpix sensor as the D5100. Likewise, the D7100 uses the same 24Mpix sensor as the D5200. I have both D5100 and D5200, and the D5200 is definitely a better still photography camera than the D5100. But when it comes to HD video, I see virtually no difference in the motion picture quality between the D5100 and the D5200. And aside from the lack of 25p and 30p frame rates on the D7000, I doubt I'd see anything different in D7000 and D7100 video as well.
 
I haven't tested the 7100 - but there is definitely a consensus from new owners that the video quality is noticeably superior to the D7000 for noise and moire. I suppose it could all be hype, but I've read enough user reports to doubt that it is. They're two different sensors with several years of development between them.
 
Hey everybody!

Thanks for the thoughts and insights for everyone! Finally I made a decision and ordered a Blackmagic Cinema Camera 2.5K. I think this is the best solution. To tell you the truth, after I realized the new pricing of the BMCC, I didn't see no reason in buying another DSLR for video work. This solution, even in ProRes, will be far better I think. Buying a D7100 with the Atomos recorder, or a D600 wouldn't be so much cheaper options. And I really love the quality from the BMCC.

I understand that the D7000 is the same as.... and XY is the same as XYZ camera, but... It can be on a technical level, but not on the actual look I think. I've seen a couple of good examples of D7000 in terms of video on the internet, but those are very rare. My biggest problem that natively what I get from this camera is just plain video... What comes out of the BMCC is already filmic, not just the latitude and DR, but the motion, the feel... Anyway, after I decided that I don't want to lock my precious project in the dubious realm of the D7000, and thus any other DSLR, and with the price drop of the BMCC, my decision was fast.... Is it a good decision? Does it worth it? Who knows yet? I hope I made the right decision and that's it. :)
 
Congrats on your new camera. It's easily the most cumbersome camera I have ever used, but the image is top notch: really sharp and detailed, with lots of DR and no codec artifacts whatsoever. I hope you still have some cash at hand, because you're going to need some wide glass, and maybe a light meter (I definitely felt I needed one: it has no exposure aids at all, except zebras, so I never knew if I had enough light).

If you need something to keep you entertained as you wait for it to arrive...
http://www.similaar.com/foto/blackmagic-workflow/index.html
http://www.similaar.com/foto/flaat-bmc/index.html
 
Yeah. The battery is another issue. And the ergonomics are worse than a dslr. I like dslr as a video camera. But the BMCC is terrible when it comes to the body. And do get a good monitor because the screen is very reflective from what I have heard. It beats every camera for its price.
 
I'd look into a electronic viewfinder if you shoot outdoors - I've never found a screen hood that's of any use in full sun.

I'd love to get hold of some raw green screen footage from the BMC sometime!
 
Hey all!

I have a SmallHD DP4 with EVF so I can use that. For that matter I'm going to buy the Atomos Connect SDI-HDMI device. It seems nice, has good reviews, plus it has a small internal battery plus an external one (included in the price) with which it can run for 10 hours.

I'm keeping the D7000 definitely, because I need it for photo work. And for photos it's the best camera I can have and don't need a better one. So luckily I'll have two different setups, in two different bags, one for video and one for photo. I'm an organizing freak so it's a huge plus also :D


Could you help me how could I attach the Atomos and a Swit S-8082S battery to the rods? I can use a cheeseplate from Coollcd, but how can I attach the battery to that?

I saw some, how placed the battery on the top of the BMCC.... I don't know how good idea is that...

At this point I'm still haven't decided that I should go ProRes film mode (as I originally intended), or maybe going with a RAW route. I'm exploring the possibilities, my current system's capabilities, the pros and cons etc... Prores won't require any more investment from me, but RAW.... at least HDD space is needed more...
 
Thanks Samuel!

I think I'm going with ProRes in Film log mode. Going with RAW for a one-mand-band feature project.... puts a lots of pressure and down time. Only if... I think it as it would be film, and shoot really economically like I would have only one 400ft reel a day to shoot... But I'm not sure I want to constraint :D

I checked your link..... I think for me not file formats, but file sizes are the biggest problem....

In RAW a 240Gb SSD can hold 30minutes.... One hour ProRes takes 90Gb... Huge difference.

Plus, after 30minutes I have to offload the SSD to two separate USB3 external HDDs... format it, and shoot can continue. All this takes lots of time.

But what if I could get away with 30, or maximum 60 minutes of footage daily? Then I would have to offload only once during the shooting, and after it's finished everyone can go home and I can offload the next batch...
 
If you're shooting a feature, you REALLY have to be sure you can handle RAW before going into it. It's a mindblowingly large amount of data to manage.

For me, a 240GB (30 minutes in RAW) is enough for a day. I don't think that's a rare thing either: with a very high 10:1 ratio, that's 3 minutes of the final film, so with a 30+ day shoot you have your 90min feature.
So, at most, I'd have to offload at lunch (and it would be mostly to reduce risk).

But then: 240GB*30=7.2TB of RAW footage, plus some space to work in, you need a RAID with three disks, 3TB each (four disks if you use RAID5 instead of RAID0). Add two full backups, and you're spending more in storage than in the camera. As I said: mindblowing. I think I would be able to handle this, but I know it would be stressful, and I know most people would screw up big time somewhere in the process.

Shooting ProRes log, it's a fifth of that, so 1.5 TB for the original footage, plus the same extra space to work in, you can use a single a 3TB drive, and have another two of those for backup.
 
As someone who´s been shooting with the D800 internal codec, and working with it in post doing noise reduction and colorgrading (with some great results IMO), its hard to imagine that ProRes would not be enough :)
Especially since your original plan was shooting with the D7000.
 
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