I've seen a couple of posts claiming that you need to use better technique with the D7K, as the sensor is less forgiving. What does this mean? How will the pics be worse? What would I need to change about my technique, usually I just lift the camera to my eye and press the release.

The better the resolution, the more effectively the system will make your technique errors apparent. The errors have been there all along, but for less capable equipment they may not have been obvious or even detectable. This is similar to getting a better lens, or a longer lens. With a longer lens you're magnifying the errors. With a better lens you're making the static details even finer, so that when you don't see that fine detail, you know it's caused by something else. Same with a better sensor.

> usually I just lift the camera to my eye and press the release.

If you are shooting wide angle, that's probably not going to change too much. If you're shooting (say) with a 70-300 non-VR, you may not have had any great results to begin with, but even if you did, you may now be able to see camera motion issues, minor focusing errors, and the like.

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Brian... a bicoastal Nikonian and Team Member

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Due respect to those posting such, and to Brian for explaining how this could be so, the difference between the 80 and 7k will not likely make many of your images noticeably worse. What's more, it will likely make many of then noticeably better. Certainly, it will provide that potential. And potential is what the camera is for. You do the rest.

David

A camera is a tool, a magnifier. The old computer saying is applicable here: garbage in, garbage out. If your technique isn't up to it, it's easier to see the problems. If your technique IS good, you'll get even better images from the D7000 than from a D80.

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Brian... a bicoastal Nikonian and Team Member

My gallery is online. Comments and critique welcomed any time!

OK, this may sound dumb to many of you but here goes. If I use a D40-D90 in Program mode to take a picture and then use a D7000 to take the same picture, I would assume that the D7000 would take the clearer/nicer looking picture. This is due to the more advanced optics/electronics which takes into consideration all the myriad of details and selects the best settings possible for that particular shot.

Are you guys referring to the fact the D7000 with its higher resolution will show camera shake more than the camera with less resolution? I am trying to understand just what you mean by poor technique. I am expecting my D7000 to come in today. If I need to improve in technique, I would like an understanding of what specific areas can I expect problems and need to improve.

John

John

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I think you pretty much have it. More resolution means more fine detail. Camera shake will show up first in fine detail.

After having used my D7000 for a few weeks now I can tell you in practice (coming from the D90) this has been a non-issue for me when handholding shots and I do not have particularly steady hands (though I try and use proper hand held technique, I keep my elbows tucked in close to my body, steady stance, brace myself against something if I can).

Jason

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>Are you guys referring to the fact the D7000 with its higher
>resolution will show camera shake more than the camera with
>less resolution?

Yes, and the term used to discuss this would be angular or spatial resolution (finest detail a camera system can render). It’s a complicated subject but the angular resolution of the system would be dependent on the fact that the scene contains that fine detail to begin with, the lens is able to project the detail and the film or sensor is capable of capturing it.

Back in the days of film medium and large format cameras ruled the day. The film had the same abilities whether put into a 35mm or 8x10 view cameras, but the original larger projection during capture and the need for less magnification during printing to reach a particular print size allowed medium and large format cameras to provide more crisp enlargements with finer detail.

Today in the digital world the spatial resolution is fixed by the sensor and is limited by one of the three previously mentioned factors. So in that sense, the larger format advantage is no longer as valid. That is why a D90 can provide the same spatial resolution as a D700 and makes it hard to tell which enlargements came from which camera. There are other differences which enable you to possible guess though (DOF and noise at higher ISO).

So for a given format size the pixel density matters. A D40 has about a 7.9 micron pixel where as the D7000 has a 4.7 micron pixel. So the D7000 can render detail almost half the size of what the D40 can. That smaller detail is less tolerant to focus errors or motion blur.

At least I believe that is the way it goes, and I think I got it all correctly.

Pete

Edited to add:
Also I believe the higher pixel density is also tougher on the optics of the system. A consumer lens that performed very well on the D40 might very well show aberrations when mounted on a D7000.

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It sounds like the D7000 will force us weekend photographers to develop better technique and skills. I like that!

John

John

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