250 David Busch’s Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

A WHITE BALANCE LIBRARY

Consider dedicating a low-capacity memory card to stow a selection of images taken under a variety of lighting conditions. If you want to “recycle” one of the color tempera- tures you’ve stored, insert the card and load one of those images into your choice of preset slots d-1 to d-4, as described above.

Set Picture Control

Nikon’s Picture Control styles allow you to choose your own sharpness, contrast, color saturation, and hue settings and apply them to your images as they are taken. If you have used an older Nikon camera with the Optimize Image option, you’ll recall that it offered five fixed settings to choose from (Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait), plus Black-and-White, and a single Custom entry that allowed you to specify sharpen- ing, tone compensation (contrast), color mode, saturation, and hue. Yes, that’s right— you got one Custom Settings slot, and although you could create your own custom settings on your computer and upload them to the camera, the five predefined settings and single set of custom parameters was quite a limitation.

Happily, the Nikon D7000 sweeps those limitations aside with the Picture Control styles. There are only six predefined styles offered, which Nikon calls Original Picture Controls: Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, and Landscape. However, you can edit the settings of any of those styles so they better suit your taste. But that’s only the beginning; the D7000 also offers nine (count ‘em) user-definable Picture Control styles, which you can edit to your heart’s content, assign descriptive names, and deploy at the press of a few buttons. Even better, you can copy these styles to a memory card, edit them on your computer, and reload them into your camera at any time. So, effectively, you can have a lot more than nine custom Picture Control styles available: the nine in your camera, as well as a virtually unlimited library of user-defined styles that you have stored on memory cards.

Moreover, Nikon insists that these styles have been standardized to the extent that if you re-use a style created for one camera (say, your D7000) and load it into a different compatible camera (such as a Nikon D3s), you’ll get substantially the same rendition. In a way, Picture Control styles are a bit like using a particular film. Do you want the look of Kodak Ektachrome or Fujifilm Velvia? Load the appropriate style created by you—or anyone else.

Using and managing Picture Control styles is accomplished using two different menu entries, Set Picture Control, which allows you to choose an existing style and to edit the predefined styles that Nikon provides, and Manage Picture Control, discussed in the next section, which gives you the capability of creating and editing user-defined styles.

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Nikon D7000 manual Set Picture Control, White Balance Library

D7000 specifications

The Nikon D7000 is a mid-range digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera that has garnered a reputation for its impressive blend of features and user-friendly design. Released in 2010, the D7000 marked a significant step forward for Nikon, appealing to both amateur photographers and enthusiasts seeking a robust and versatile camera.

At the heart of the D7000 is a 16.2-megapixel APS-C (DX) CMOS sensor that delivers sharp, high-resolution images with rich colors and stunning detail. Coupled with Nikon's EXPEED 2 image processing engine, the camera excels in low-light performance, allowing photographers to shoot at sensitivities ranging from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, expandable to ISO 25600. This flexibility empowers users to capture clean images even in challenging lighting situations.

The autofocus system of the D7000 is another highlight, featuring a 39-point AF system with nine cross-type sensors. This advanced system ensures fast and accurate focus, making it suitable for a variety of shooting scenarios, from portraits to fast-action sports photography. The camera also includes full HD video recording capabilities at 1080p, with options for frame rates of 24, 25, and 30 frames per second, providing videographers with quality and flexibility.

The D7000's build quality is robust, with a magnesium alloy body designed to withstand the rigors of regular use. It is weather-sealed to protect against dust and moisture, making it a reliable choice for outdoor shooting. The camera features a 3-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 921,000 dots, allowing for high-clarity image review and menu navigation. The 100% viewfinder coverage gives a true-to-life perspective when composing shots.

Additional features include in-camera HDR, multiple exposure capabilities, and a comprehensive set of scene modes that assist users in achieving the best results in various conditions. The D7000 is also equipped with dual memory card slots, supporting both SD and SDHC formats for ample storage and backup options.

With its combination of high-quality imaging, advanced autofocus, robust build, and versatile features, the Nikon D7000 stands out as a powerful tool for photographers looking to elevate their craft.