Well--- I dont know Ken Rockwell or very much about him- I do know that I like the 7000 so far. I dont even claim to be a photographer so I dont know what does or does not work--but at least with what kit I have now--rather than none before-- I have a starting point. I can see shooting manual with this camera a lot. I can also see the need for another lens in the not too distant future. As I write this I am learning how to use the post processing program that came with the camera and am pretty amazed. Its certainly not what any professional would use, but maybe neither is the camera.--but Im not a pro, only have a little background in 35 MM from a long time ago. The camera will get thrown in a backpack and taken to South America in the very near future and it either will survive or not. It has a magnesium body, is not as rugged as is the D300 (my first choice but again back to the Craigslist comments) but from a lot of reviews I read is more rugged than the 3000 or 5000 or D 90.I have always liked existing light photography and thats the main reason I got the 7000 over the D 90-- and from what I see with this 50 MM lens, its a pretty capable camera.
One thing I already question-- and will modify my behavior accordingly--is the cover for the USB connection on the 7000. Both this and the battery hatch seem a little fragile --so careful handling. I can see where if I was using this camera 10-12 hours a day in a non studio environment that the covers could be problematic. But I wont be and I have never broken or dropped a camera in my life. So we will see.
So far the menu systems and settings seem very straightforward. In the next few days I plan to get at least part of the technical side of operating this camera down to the point where I can start to learn to compose better and hopefully someday I will be able to actually create art via photography. Thats what I want to do.
As far as the rest of it- I'm not in anybody's "camp" only here to learn. I see for example where on the Rockwell site, one can download his custom settings for the D 7000. Ahhh no thanks. I'm smart enough to work with this body and figure out what works for me. Ken Rockwell has apparently made a living in an avocation--photography. Right or wrong, his suggestions (my having spent a LOT of time reading a LOT of reviews and going to a LOT of different sites over the last 2 months) bootstrapped me from a Nikon FTN film camera 30 + years ago--to a D7000. He is a photographer as are many of you here. I am not. Maybe some day I will be. There are some here who have through their photostreams, elicited very strong emotions in me when I view their work. Thats what (to me) photography is about, being able to touch anothers' heart. Thats what I want to learn. The beauty of this hobby is everyones' interpretation of what is seen is different--not only from the technicality of camera settings, to composition, then to post processing --seeing the world through someone else 's eyes. When its done well, when it pulls you in, touches you, then its art.
As far as anything else I dont have time. There are a lot of places in the world I have not seen. I am 60 this month. I backpack still. I surf, still. I scuba dive still. I do from 80-100 miles a week on a bike. Were it not for arthritis in my hands I still would climb.
Sorry to be so long winded but thats my story. Walk your own path. The clock is ticking.
Expat42451
