I think I have sorted this out.

I was pressing 'right' on the multi-selector dial (which said 'OK') and then the correct icon RAW+JPEG came into the viewfinder so I thought it was properly selected.

Just tried again but this time OK'd it with the central 'OK button'. I get exactly the same display as before (R+Jf) but now it works.

Cheers, John

A question for all you Nikon users out there...

This is the first time I've owned a camera body with slots for 2 SD cards and I have a problem. I have read the user manual extensively and played with settings but I still can't set the 2nd card as I would like (I am using 2 Sandisk Extreme 16Gb cards).

Settings available for 'Role played by card in slot 2' are:
1] As an overflow when card 1 is full
2] To duplicate all the shots on card 1
3] RAW on card 1 + Jpeg on card 2

It is the last setting I am having trouble with. When I choose 'RAW on card 1 + Jpeg on card 2' what I get is option 2] and everything is duplicated. i.e. If the image quality is set to RAW I get RAW on card 1 and also RAW on card 2. Not a Jpeg to be seen.

I have also tried changing the image options to 'RAW+Jpeg basic' but then I get 4 images. RAW+Jpeg on card 1 and a duplicated RAW+Jpeg on card 2.

Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong?

Cheers, John



-- Edited by John Rayner on Saturday 13th of April 2013 03:14:05 PM

Thanks John. Just bought one from Amazon.

Cheers, John

John Rayner wrote:

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OK here's another one.

Would you be buying body only, or is the bundled 18 - 105mm VR worth owning for the extra £200?

I already own the original kit lens 28 - 80mm AF 3.3 - 5.6 G that came with my D70s (never use it) and...

Nikkor 18 - 200mm VR
Tamron Di SP AF 90mm 2.8 Macro

and intend to buy 300mm f4 prime (probably with 1.4 converter)

Thank you all for your help so far

Cheers, John

---

The 18-105 is a good lens, but no better than your 18-200,so I would go body only and Amazon are selling the body only for £975 which is £120 less than I paid 2 weeks ago, so that's a bargain, I would buy body only as once the 300mm is on the camera, you won't want to take it off, it works best with the 1.4 tc, much better than the 1.7 :)

OK here's another one.

Would you be buying body only, or is the bundled 18 - 105mm VR worth owning for the extra £200?

I already own the original kit lens 28 - 80mm AF 3.3 - 5.6 G that came with my D70s (never use it) and...

Nikkor 18 - 200mm VR
Tamron Di SP AF 90mm 2.8 Macro

and intend to buy 300mm f4 prime (probably with 1.4 converter)

Thank you all for your help so far

Cheers, John

Sadly no. I am not familiar with Nikon brand systems which is why my comments were general. I imagine the removal of the filter will allow increased detail but since the final resolution will be governed by the lens I am not sure from a resolution point of view that there will be much benefit unless you get the new Nikon 80-400 which is a bit expensive. I would not worry at all about the removal of the filter but really that is for a Nikon user to comment on. As stated there will of course be other benefits with an upgrade.

If you are considering both a change in camera and lens then you ought to consider the brand as well. The question can be emotive with some.


In the end camera systems are just tools and you get the best out of them by understanding them and more importantly their limitations. If you do ever consider a Sigma 150-500 or 50-500 then test them first. Quality does vary. Also you are better with a camera that can micro adjust.

John Rayner wrote:

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Hi Adrian, thank you for your input. Have you any further comments on the removal of the anti alias filter in the D7100?

Cheers John

---

Should in theory make the shots sharper,but in a real world ,with a camera at the level of the d7100,you will see no difference in sharpness between that and the D7000.It makes it cheaper for nikon to produce,and harder to clean if you get dust spots,as you will be cleaning the sensor rather than the filter at the front of the sensor.What I am seeing with the 7100 image wise its a step up from the D7000,but as Adrian said the higher the pixels the earlier defraction appears,so softening the shots,but mine seems pin sharp at f8 with the 300f4 and 1.4 convertor :)

Hi Adrian, thank you for your input. Have you any further comments on the removal of the anti alias filter in the D7100?

Cheers John

Thanks guys,

I had not considered the 80-400VR. It is an FX lens isn't it? So that would make it 120-600 on the D7100. Throw in the 1.3x crop and I'd be toting a massive 156-780mm

I am also interested in macro photography so wouldn't discount the Sigma 150.

Cheers John

I wonder if I can chime in more generally.

It is a myth to suppose that a cropped sensor increases focal length. It doesn't, it simply closes down the field of view. Camera maufacturers are telling fibs when they say a cropped sensor gives an increased focal length: it doesn't! What does give you 'reach' is pixel pitch or pixel density. However, a camera with a very high resolution factor i.e. a pixel size of just 3.9 microns, which is what the Nikon D7100 has, will require a lens of the very highest quality in order to resolve optimum detail. In other words unless you get the very best Nikon lens you will not get optimum resolution. Added to that even with the best lens you will start getting the effects of diffraction causing softening once you close down beyond around f8. The effect will not be much but nonetheless it will happen and it will increase as you close down more. This of course should not detract from other benefits you may get with a Nikon D7100.

A zoom lens will operate to its maximum focal length when focused at infinity. If you were to focus on a bird that was relatively close at the 500mm end of say a 150-500 zoom lens the effective focal length will be around 420-450mm.


AD





-- Edited by Adrian Dancy on Thursday 28th of March 2013 02:47:39 PM

JOHN TYMON wrote:

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...don't go for the sigma equivalents ,I have had them and the quality is nowhere near the Nikons and are erratic.-
/>

---

Don't assume this of all Sigma lenses. I have the 500mm f4.5 (not as good as the Nikon 500mm, but only half the cost!). I also have the Sigma 150mm f2.8 which is a stunning lens!

I have the new D7100- Its probably the best dx camera ever made, the 1.3 crop mode is a gimmick, you get better quality results cropping on the computer as you are using only half the sensor size at 1.3 crop, and that gives you poorer quality as you crop then more on the computer. Stick to the full 24 m pixels this will give you higher quality results.All my shots are with my d7000 or recently the d7100 and 300mmafsf4 + tc1.4 convertor the best birder option there is for carrying around. VR is useful but with bird shots its irrelevant most of the time as shutter speeds beyond 600th sec are required for most bird shots and 1200th sec + for flight shots, at these speeds VR becomes irrelevant.
The new 80-400afsvr is the matching lens to the D7100 ,but it costs £2500 which has VR, but when you have bought the 300f4 + convertor, you will be looking at not much more than a £1000 difference, so its dependent how much you want to spend? don't go for the sigma equivalents ,I have had them and the quality is nowhere near the Nikons and are erratic.-see my Flickr for samples of what you are looking at .

John Rayner wrote:

---

Thanks guys,

I had not considered the 80-400VR. It is an FX lens isn't it? So that would make it 120-600 on the D7100. Throw in the 1.3x crop and I'd be toting a massive 156-780mm

I am also interested in macro photography so wouldn't discount the Sigma 150.

Cheers John

---

It is an fx lens,but the camera is DX,so you get 1.5 crop at full sensor size,but the Extra 1.3 crop is really not like a convertor it makes the camera into a 15m pixel camera,and if yor going to do that get the D7000 for half the price as that will give you a better image than in camera cropping will with the D7100.two of us were out all weekend taking 1000+ shots with the D7100 and both agreed that the image was far superior cropping on the computer,as the 1.3 cropping is just in camera cropping the same as a small camera can do ,and will impact on quality.The cropping isn much better done at the full pixel level of 24m on the computer.The 300f4 is pretty good at dragonflies and butterflies as its very close focusing for a large prime lens.Don't be tempted with the older 80-400vr that is about £1200 ,its a design from the mid 1990s and is mega slow focusing.The new one is 80-400afsvr and retails at £2449.
The sigma is a great lens,but again the newer model with optical stableisaion is now prefered over the older version.


-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Thursday 28th of March 2013 10:27:09 AM

Paul Wilson wrote:

---

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

...don't go for the sigma equivalents ,I have had them and the quality is nowhere near the Nikons and are erratic.-
/>

---

Don't assume this of all Sigma lenses. I have the 500mm f4.5 (not as good as the Nikon 500mm, but only half the cost!). I also have the Sigma 150mm f2.8 which is a stunning lens!

---

The 500f4 isn't an equivilent of what John is looking at.It costs £4000 for a new one,for that he could get a new Nikon 300f2.8 vr but both of those options are heavy and big for most birders to carry around,The 300f4 is the easy carry around as its smallish and fairly light . I was meaning the sigma 150-500 os which is the equivilent of the 300 f4 pricewise ,which I have had 2 copies of one the focus motor failed after a week ,the other had to be calibrated after a month,and then was only sharp at f11,which in this country,with our light is useless.The Sigma 150 2.8 Macro lens is a good lens but not for Birds,which I was assuming John was needing the lens for.
Its well know that the quality of the Sigma lenses ,all depends on if your lucky to get a good copy or not.The 150-500os is a great lens if you get a good sharp copy,but thats the problem its finding a good copy.The focussing was that far out on my best copy that I had to have my D7000 fucus tuning to -20 which is the maximum you can have,my 300f4 stays on 0 and needed no focus tuning on either camera body. I have known at least 6 people who have got rid of the sigma due to its erratic issues with focussing and rattling stableisation.
personally after many years and many lenses,I wouldn't change from a Nikon lens now,unless I changed to Canon,which is unlikely,and then I would get the 7D+400 F5.6 that Dennis Atherton has, and uses well.




-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Thursday 28th of March 2013 07:55:13 AM

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Thursday 28th of March 2013 07:56:18 AM

I'm thinking of upgrading my old Nikon D70s for the recently launched D7100. I wonder what other forum members think of this camera's spec and in particular what you think of the 1.3x crop mode feature with respect to bird photography? At the moment I only own a 18-200 VR zoom and no telecoverters and I was also considering the 300mm f4 but this does not have vibration reduction (VR) so do you think this will be a problem for bird photography? I would welcome any advice/ comments and I can tell you in advance that the 300mm f2.8 VR is out of my price range

Cheers John