Category Archives: D700

equivalence is more equal than you think

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There is a perpetual online discussion amongst measurbators about “equivalence”.

Equivalence is a very real phenomenon which can be predicted and measured.  The idea is that when comparing cameras with different sensor sizes, smaller sensors tend to have greater depth of field at “equivalent” focal lengths.

Why “equivalent” focal lengths?  Ok, it gets technical pretty quick, but rather than bore you with esoteric technobabble, lets just look at some images.  (Photography is about making images, right?!)  If you feel that the differences are drastic, then by all means read on.  But if none of these images strike you as dramatically different from one another, just know that you can safely ignore anybody who ever mentions “equivalence” or “equivalent apertures”.  Because they’re either trying to waste your time or sell you something.  (hopefully I’ll have saved you from the clutches of some forum troll)

Here they are:

MG1_0730

MG2_3230

P1060916

This is what the war is about.  A mountain of a mole hill, idn’t it?

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D7000 update

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People keep asking so here’s the deal: yes, Nikon finally fixed my D7000.  Focus works acceptably.  However, it’s not as good at low light as my D700, so I’m looking at selling it and getting another D700 or maybe a D800.

All in all, it’s a pretty damn good camera.  The quiet shutter is almost indispensable.  The video is superb.  High ISO looks better than the D90 it replaced.  The battery life is great (I usually never get past the AAs in the grip!).  It’s not a bad camera.  It’s just not what I need right now.

The video slack is being taken up by a pair of GX1 bodies.  I’ll post a review of them and their capabilities soon.  Anybody interested in my D7000, please call or email!

I will say that the D7000 did well at my last two weddings.  I feel confident it works now.  But I just really like my D700 that much better.  Video doesn’t need to be on the same device for me.

…a parting shot from the D7000.

The Neverending Story of My Nikon Repair Experience

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I’ve been waiting for Nikon USA’s repair department to adequately repair a D700 since March of 2011.  We’re about half way through January 2012.  Is it me, or is that too long?

My agony results from more than just how long I have been waiting.  It stems from the number of times I’ve received an improperly repaired camera from them.

Here’s a view through the eyepiece of the last camera they sent me:

This is not something you should ever see through the finder of a D700 camera.  There is a darkened area outside the DX crop and EVERY single AF point appears to be activated simultaneously.  There are no settings or circumstances under which you should see either of these things in the viewfinder of a D700 individually, let alone both at the same time.

Here’s how things should look (with one AF point selected)

this is normal

this is normal

Note that these two images are the same scale, from the same camera.  It’s possible to get more than one focus point to show under normal circumstances, but never all 51 points.  And only the D3 series will darken like this with any setting.  The D700 should only show a line around the inner DX crop box.

After I took these pictures and provided them with an explicit description of the problem (which is intermittent with no clear steps to reproduce) and sending the camera in, they miraculously turned it around in a single day!  …without doing a bloody thing but messing with settings and telling me I’m doing it wrong.

Without any sort of repair having been done, is it reasonable that they sent it immediately back?  Should I accept the same camera back ever at this point?  How could I possibly trust that they’ve done any sort of repair at all at this point?

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