Nikon D7000 firmware 1.02

Nikon recently released a new firmware version 1.02 for the D7000. I just did the upgrade. It was quick and painless as usual. As with every firmware upgrade however, they always leave something to be desired. When I was using the D80, I wished they could have increased the delay timer after the shutter opens before the camera takes a picture from I think 0.4 seconds to a variable number. I believe Nikon said they would not do that. Now, with the D7000, I wished they could increase the auto exposure bracketing from 3 to 5 or 7 or 9. It's just a number! I believe Nikon is crippling the feature on purpose so consumers have to purchase a D300 (which I sold) or a D300s to get more professional-like features

Anyway, the firmware upgrade can be downloaded from Nikon Support.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 in the field

Here are the first few shots I took with this camera. One thing I noticed immediately is how much lighter it is than the D7000--a good thing I guess. The second thing I noticed is how weird it is to use an electronic viewfinder. The third thing I noticed is how annoying it is to take a picture and not be able to view it immediately after with the push of a button--you have to dial to the preview mode before you can review any photo. The fourth thing is, the photos are sharp when the camera locks on its subject. Lastly, and this is to confirm many complaints, is that it is a bit noisy but it's really not all that bad during the day. There is enough light to fill every pixel with a vast amount of light, except in deep shadows.

The following photos were unprocessed, except that they have been resized (I uploaded them to Flickr) so you don't really get to see 100% of the pixels.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30

Well, I just purchased a used Panasonic DMC-FZ30 "bridge" camera. Why would I do that, you might ask, given that I already have a Nikon D7000 and a bunch of lens and gears that come with DSLR's. Well, I decided that the 35-420mm (35mm equivalent) superzoom lens of the DMC-FZ30 would be great for camping and the everyday photography I cannot do with my old Canon Powershot SD110. My DSLR gears are a bit heavy for the sort of camping I like to do and the Canon is just not far reaching enough for the normal daily needs and my Canon batteries are nearly dead. This "bridge" camera will do well for most of my camping purposes and will serve well in my daily trips into and out of Toronto.

Some nice features of the DMC-FZ30 that I like are:

- the 12x zooming happens internally inside the lens barrel, so the lens does not extend in and out
- optical image stabilization
- the camera with the lens is lighter than the D7000 alone
- it handles a bit like a DSLR and has a dial mode for aperture-priority along with the other modes found in DSLR's
- supports an external flash (I wonder if any of my flash guns will work with it)

Now, this camera is not the best camera you can find. The main problem that many people have raised is the picture quality in low light conditions--it can get noisy. Well, it's not going to be much of a problem for me. I am basically replacing my other point-and-shoot with this so it is a step up any way I look at it. Also, it was dirt cheap. I picked it up for $65 with a UV lens filter and two batteries--the camera used to be $700 six years ago. For what it can do and for the price I paid for, I think it's worth every penny I spent.

Nikon D5100

Wow, not even a year since I bought the D7000, Nikon came out with the D5100. Well, it is not meant to replace the D7000 but heck, it is one nice camera, with an articulate LCD, 1080p video at 30 fps, and a built-in HDR rendition. If these features were added to the D7000, the D7000 would be the ultimate camera to date.

Anyone looking to buy a D5100 or a D3100, there is a special going on at Best Buy's. Save $50 on a D3100 and D5100 package. It's the best price I have seen in Toronto. Sale ends May 26, 2011! (BTW, I do not work for Best Buy's.)

Quick Strap, in the field

A couple of weekends ago, I had the opportunity to test out this Quick Strap for the first time. A day out at Point Pelee was a good field test of the strap.

For the day, I brought my backpack to carry an extra lens, water and some snacks. The strap would go over my shoulder after the backpack. Well, the strap does what it claims to do. The camera dangles by the right side of my waist, pointing back or pointing down toward the ground, depending on where the metal plate of the Quick Strap system is. Since my heavy 80-400mm has a tripod mount, I decided to move the metal plate from the bottom of the vertical grip of the D7000 to the lens' tripod mount. Connected this way, the camera tends to point back, which makes it easier for me to find the grip of the camera when I need to shoot--my right hand is always in close contact with the camera.

How does it feel? I always felt the camera was secured safely. In the past, I would either throw the Nikon strap around my neck or over my left shoulder. Over a short period, my neck would feel stiff. There is a physical discomfort about it. If the Nikon strap is worn over the left shoulder, the strap tends to slide off my shoulder. There is a mental discomfort here, always having to re-adjust the strap every now and then.

With the Quick Strap, the wide padded strap that goes over my left shoulder was painless. I did not feel the physical discomfort that the normal Nikon strap has on my neck or the mental discomfort that my camera might drop to the floor. I hiked around the entire day feeling good but tired from the hike.

Now, what about the "Quick"ness of it? It does what it is designed to do. The silky, smooth texture of the strap allows for the quick sliding of camera up and down the strap. It works great. My only beef about the strap is that it tends to twist upon itself. If the strap material is a bit stiffer, it probably would not twist upon itself as easily. I kept on having to untwist the strap.

My rating is an 8/10.