Since about a week after it's introduction, I've been shooting with the D90 as my primary camera, and it's been a great run. The D90 is almost the perfect photo-making machine for me. I was thinking of either upgrading to a D300s, or possibly a D700 (all my lenses would work with either FX or DX), but then came the D7000.
I was instantly thrilled with the specs, especially since the D7000 body is almost exactly the same dimensions as the D90 (meaning I wouldn't need to get used to a bunch of new button placements). So, after a little consultation with my bride, I bought the D7000 (it was in stock, momentarily, from Amazon.com).
I have been playing around with it today, making pictures and videos, and I must say that I am very happy with the upgrade—a lot has changed between the D90 and D7000... and most of it is under the surface.
I'll be filling in the blanks over the next few days. The big test (for me) comes in May, when I'll be shooting priestly ordinations in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (see some older pictures, taken with a D3, here)—a venue that throws off even the venerable D3's white balance, sensor sensitivity, etc.
A worthwhile upgrade to the Nikon D90, and an excellent display of Nikon's latest whiz-bang features. Best video recording abilities of any current or past Nikon SLR.
I just received my new Nikon D7000 SLR in the mail today, so I'm working on getting some images and videos together for a full-fledged review.
Handling / Build Quality
The D7000's body, unlike my old D90, has a few parts made of magnesium alloy, rather than the cheap-feeling plastic of cheaper cameras—and you can really tell the difference.
A great pocketable camera that shoots RAW, gets pretty good low-light results, and has a sharp new HD video recording mode.
After having used an excellent RAW-capable point and shoot, the Canon PowerShot G11, for about 6 months, I sold it on eBay and bought the new Canon PowerShot S95, the G11's smaller sibling. I had originally been looking into buying the S90 (another excellent camera), but thought the G11's flip-screen and handling would be worthwhile assets.
Unfortunately, I had bought the G11 to be my pocketable 'vacation-cam,' and though it worked pretty well, it wasn't quite pocketable. I had to keep it in its case, and it was another item of luggage to carry around wherever I took it.
The S95's form factor allows me to truly pocket this camera, and not sacrifice the quality of image I can get with it too much. It's a heck of a lot better than my iPhone 4's camera, but still nowhere near as amazing as my D90 SLR paired with a good lens. To better convey a sense of how the S95 works in my life, I'll break down this review into a few relevant categories.
To dramatically increase the quality of the sound you record on your iOS device, you should use an external microphone or mixer, or a direct line input.
You can do this using adapters (links below), and you can record with multiple microphones or inputs straight into your iOS device.
These tips and products work with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, without requiring any expensive dock connectors or adapters.
You can use external microphones (using tips found in this guide) with any of the following iOS devices:
iPad (audio recording), iPad 2 (audio or video recording)
iPhone 3G, iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S (audio or video recording)
iPod Touch (3rd/4th generation) (audio or video recording)
I'm working on compiling all of my recommendations for different kits that I use for different purposes. Please be patient as I update this section! I recommend you either use GarageBand for the iPad, or FiRe for the iPhone/iPod Touch, to do your recordings.
iPad recommendations: please see the iPad section later on in this article.
It's simple. Get the following two products, plug them into each other, and you're done. I keep both the adapter and the microphone (plus a spare battery) in a tiny zip-lock bag, and stash it in my laptop bag:
This setup will allow you to record a little nicer quality sound, especially since the VeriCorder cable boosts the signal a bit so it comes into the iPhone at the right level for more clarity and amplification:
Another good option here is to use something like the Tascam iXZ mic/instrument preamp, along with a high-quality microphone. This or something like the GuitarJack (mentioned below) would definitely be a step up in audio quality and tweakability.
3 - Multiple-mic interviews
Either get a Fostex AR-4i (you can put one lavaliere microphone in on the left channel and one on the right), or get a Monster iSplitter and plug a lavaliere microphone into each side. (See example video).
Another option is the GuitarJack Model 2, into which you can plug a stereo input source (or two microphones that go one in left, one in right channel).
Right now, there aren't a lot of out-of-the-box options for recording sound in high SPL situations (loud rock concerts) or other environmental sounds. However, there are three solutions I recommend:
The Tascam iM2 - this looks like a great stereo recording mic for the iPhone 4 that does one thing and does it well: add a simple AB-pattern stereo microphone (that can handle up to 125 dB) to the iPhone 4/4s. (I haven't been able to review one, but here's a quick review from a friend.
A preamp or mixer in-line before the iPhone 4. This is more clumsy/less portable, but if you simply plug the output of a mixer or preamp into the iPhone (or a product like the AR-4i or GuitarJack), you can handle as loud of sound levels as your mixer/preamp can handle.
5 - Line Inputs (Guitars, Mixers, Sound Systems)
I'm still working on some testing in this area, but I'll be updating this as I go. One option right now is the Apogee Jam, which is basically a nice interface for guitars and other 1/4" plug line-level inputs, that works through the Dock connector, and is specifically advertised for use with GarageBand on the iPad. Another simple option (if you want a little nicer build quality than the KVConnection adapters) is the iRig from Amplitube.
My recommended kit of adapters and cables, though, is below:
If you're going to be recording sound only, there is a large array of options you have. Some of my favorites (I might do full reviews on a few of these apps):
FiRe (Field Audio Recorder) - has manual input level adjustment, records in multiple formats, shows waveform of recorded track, has great sharing options, and allows audio passthrough to headphones.
Voice Memos (Built-in) - records low-quality m4a audio, but is simple/easy to use, and has a 'VU' meter.
iProRecorder - simple and easy to use, but a bit less polished than the alternatives.
If you're recording video, you have more limited options:
Camera/iMovie (Built-in) - Quick and simple to use, can lock focus, but has very few settings/features. Handles different audio inputs, but without much configuration or level control, and no monitoring.
FiLMiC Pro - A very nice upgrade from the standard camera app - allows focus, metering, and white balance lock/unlock, and has a built-in audio meter. No audio play-through yet (as far as I can tell).
The Details
Instead of boring you with every minute detail of why I recommend the kits above for different purposes, I thought I'd save that for the bottom of this page. If you'd like to learn about every single thought I've had in the process of putting together my recommendations above, please keep reading...
I'll run through most of my kit for mobile recording, following along with the picture below:
Crown Sound Grabber II PZM Boundary microphone - $80 from Amazon
Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Powered Lavaliere Microphone - $22 from Amazon
KV Connection microphone-to-iPhone audio adapters (read more about them, and about available alternatives below)
Spare batteries - you can never have too many
Sony WCS-999 Wireless Microphone Adapter - $100 from Amazon (Note: Throw out the included mic, and use the ATR-3350 with this. Only good for 10-50 ft., but nice and cheap, that's why I'm recommending it.)
(NOT PICTURED: The following items have been added to my kit since I wrote this article)
One option for easy external audio in a pinch is to plug in your headset, hit record, and voila! You have a much better sound-isolating mic than the iPhone's built-in mic (especially over distance). The disadvantage here is that the iPhone's headset cable is pretty short.
You can (and should) pick up one of these things if you have a D90 or D80, and shoot vertically or need extra juice for the camera. The Nikon MB-D80/OEM model is a bit more solid, but you can't beat the Phottix's price!
Take a look at what's hanging on the neck of almost any professional photojournalist, wedding photographer, or camera guy—you'll almost always see the tank-like and bulky body of a Nikon D1/2/3/X-series or Canon 1D-series SLR. The Phottix MB-D80 takes your D90 (in my case—it also works on the D80, though) and gives it three of the tank-like bodies' functions:
A vertical shutter release/controls: When shooting portraits, this is immensely helpful.
Double the battery life: You can stick an extra Nikon EN-EL3e battery in the grip (bringing your total to 2 batt's!).
Look like a serious photographer: 'Nuff said.
The battery grip performs great, it can take a beating, and the shutter release and controls feel almost as good as using the controls on the camera body itself!
The kit I'll be wearing at the Deaconate Ordination Mass this coming Saturday. Afterwards, I'll run to the back chapel, where I'll snap some shots with the D3 and a nice kit of SB-26 remote flashes!
Is anyone selling a used D3 for cheap? I gotta get me one of these cameras!
Gear pictured above:
Nikon D3 (rented from LensRentals)
Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AF (my own)
Nikon D90 (my own)
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR (rented from LensRentals)
I'm going to use the 70-200 on my D90, as the D90 has a smaller image crop, meaning the 200mm will be more like 300mm in practical use. The D3 + the 1.4 lens is a killer combo for in-the-dark shooting (the Cathedral is very dimly lit). I can still get 1/100 shutter speed at ISO 1600 and f/1.8!
Since about a week after it's introduction, I've been shooting with the D90 as my primary camera, and it's been a great run. The D90 is almost the perfect photo-making machine for me. I was thinking of either upgrading to a D300s, or possibly a D700 (all my lenses would work with either FX or DX), but then came the D7000.
Catholic web and app developer from St. Louis, MO. More »