What does the D7000 mean for the D400?

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What does the D7000 mean for the D400?

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shivaswrath

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the biggest deficits in the D90 are seen when it's used in a truly professional setting (which 90% of people aren't doing). These deficiencies are:
1. 450-pt Matrix Metering vs. D300 1005-pt.
2. AF-speed (due to matrix metering differences in #1)
3. AF-point coverage
4. FPS.

This is significant for the following:
1. Sport shooters - have you shot a figure skater and had to track, recompose, and shoot at high FPS with a D90 vs. D300? I struggle with the far superior D3's AF, so you'll notice differences for sure.
2. Event shooters - have you shot a dance sequence at a wedding, or attempted to capture those candid moments for your clients? With the superior AF coverage and AF-speed of the D300, more doable than with the D90.
3. Wild life shooters - same as above, intimate settings with animals are difficult to stumble upon, superior MM will allow more accurate metering, better shots, and of course better results for capturing those rare moments.

Just my thoughts - for that "extra" $500, it's worth it to professionals since it means getting the shot or not.

I'm actually looking forward to the D400 iteration as a backup to my D3, hoping the noise results are the same, the extra reach will be more than welcome, and a large AF coverage is exciting for me.

Posted 2 years ago #
Gentoo

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shivaswrath said:
the biggest deficits in the D90 are seen when it's used in a truly professional setting (which 90% of people aren't doing). These deficiencies are:
1. 450-pt Matrix Metering vs. D300 1005-pt.
2. AF-speed (due to matrix metering differences in #1)
3. AF-point coverage
4. FPS.

This is significant for the following:
1. Sport shooters - have you shot a figure skater and had to track, recompose, and shoot at high FPS with a D90 vs. D300? I struggle with the far superior D3's AF, so you'll notice differences for sure.
2. Event shooters - have you shot a dance sequence at a wedding, or attempted to capture those candid moments for your clients? With the superior AF coverage and AF-speed of the D300, more doable than with the D90.
3. Wild life shooters - same as above, intimate settings with animals are difficult to stumble upon, superior MM will allow more accurate metering, better shots, and of course better results for capturing those rare moments.

Just my thoughts - for that "extra" $500, it's worth it to professionals since it means getting the shot or not.

I'm actually looking forward to the D400 iteration as a backup to my D3, hoping the noise results are the same, the extra reach will be more than welcome, and a large AF coverage is exciting for me.

Very well said and I agree completely. As I said earlier, there are times when my D90 just can't compete with my D300. I have many bird shots that, had I had my D90 with me I most likely would not have got. When pushing these cameras to their limits, the D300 is the clear winner.

Posted 2 years ago #
jonnyapple

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TaoTeJared said:
...it shows that Nikon will always continue to improve no matter the line and will not water down any camera just because it is a "lower" line.

I agree with the gist of your post, TTJ, but don't forget they do cripple their low-end bodies' by excluding easy firmware upgrades like more bracketing options, intervalometer, etc.

Posted 2 years ago #
heartyfisher

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Watched kettle never boils... I am sick of waiting!!.. off to play with my other hobbies.. !! LOL see you guys in a few days !!

Oh and Happy Fathers day!!

Posted 2 years ago #
TaoTeJared

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jonnyapple said:
I agree with the gist of your post, TTJ, but don't forget they do cripple their low-end bodies' by excluding easy firmware upgrades like more bracketing options, intervalometer, etc.

I agree that is a continual PIMA (Pain In My A..) when using a lower body. All camera companies seem to do the same thing or even worse. I would have liked to see some of the little adjustments made in firmware to the D300s to be downloaded but nope. Oh well.

Posted 2 years ago #
heartyfisher

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Now that the dust has settled on the D7000 specs. I think It may be time to revisit this topic.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised by some of the specs of the D7000 that make it encroach on the D400 Domian. Lets assume for this thread that there will be a DX successor for the D300/s.
What specs do you thing would/should go into the D400 now that the D7000 is so close to the D300 in many features even beats it?

My musings follow.

1) It seems to point to some amazing revolutionary change for the D400 and D4. What can that be?
2) I can see a possible trend here.. The D400 / D4 is still going to be linked and released together as the flag ships for the nikon range. That would mean that the D7000 ranges and below is decoupled from the flagships release schedule and will be released on a shorther cycle. ( I have predicted the decoupling of the dx range from the normal (longer) nikon flag ship range due to the quicker development cycles of the Dx range) but not the joining of the Flagship DX to the FF Flagship.

So what features would the DX flagship have now that the D7000 has so much?
1) same sensor ? or posible maybe even an improved sensor!
1a) A high ISO version and a High DRhigh MP version just like the D3x/d3s
1b) More likely the same 16.2 MP sensor with a few more advanced tweeks
1c) A new and better performing 16.2 MP sensor with even better High ISO and DR !
2) New Carbon fibre body !! Like the D4 !!
3) Improved AF system - New greater than 51 focus points or all 39 focus points are cross type sensors !
4) New larger Touch screen LCD!
5) Blue tooth or wifi bulitin.
6) D3 style form factor but smaller than D3
7) 1080p at 60 FPS or more ! - would point to a different sensor than the D7000! next generation sensor tech ??
7.a) like black silicon or
7.b) the nikon patented prismatic spliting of the light from a large single pixel to 3 separate sensors for each of the 3 primary colours.
7.c) something else ?? MEG, panchromatic ... etc ?
8) Even more external buttons !! :-)

Have I left anything out? What would you like to see in the new DX flagship camera?

Posted 2 years ago #
warprints

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Right now, I'm perfectly happy with my D300 that I paid extra over a D90 for. If the D400 has significantly higher IQ than the D300 - either over the entire ISO range or just in the high ISO range, I may add a D400. Other than that, I personally have no need for anything more at this time.

Interesting debate about the worth of D300 over the D90. However, I see too much conscious or subconscious defensiveness by many of the posters regarding their positions, which may be related to what they decided to purchase. Fer crissakes, if you're happy with what you bought, be happy. And grow up. But, don't stop the heated debating - it's entertaining as hell.

Posted 2 years ago #
Gentoo

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PB PM said:
Niko, we've covered this before, but sadly you hold to this idea that there is no real difference between the D90 and D300. You might not pay $600 more for the D300 over the D90, but many would and do for various reasons. I can assure you that those people, including myself did so for more than a few buttons. The far superior AF system of the D300 is worth a few hundred on it's own for goodness sake. I think Nikon may get rid of the D300 style body, and make a D3/Pro style DX body, (Yes Please!) to address the needs of demanding DX users who don't want FX bodies (ME).

I still don't think the D400 would be an FX camera. IMO, if Nikon makes a lower price FX body it will be a consumer oriented body, with consumer level controls, as the D700 is the FX D300 already, no need to make another one.

Exactly! Well said and I agree completely. I have both a D90 and a D300 and I use them for different things in different situations. They are certainly more than just a few buttons different. They perform differently. The D300 performs more quickly. It's size gives it a different feel altogether and I've shot with it in light rain before. I wouldn't dare take my D90 out in the rain! The AF system in the D300 is head and shoulders above the older system that was put in the D90 despite it being a newer model. If I were only able to choose one camera, I'd gladly pay the extra 600 for the D300 just as you would.

Posted 2 years ago #

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What does the D7000 mean for the D400?

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