Quoted from Ray Soares post on DPReview - here only to store details:

1- Shoot mainly in A mode always thinking about the right DOF- depth of field that is nice for that pic. Let’s say:

Portraits -> f1.4 to 4.0 (you’ll get a best perspective for head/head&shoulders pics using 60 to 100 mm lenses in DX cameras)
Landscape -> f8 to f 9 (dont go further f11 because of difraction!)
Groups -> f 5.6 to f8

2- Focus:
AFC with 9 points Dynamic area -> that’s it, no fancy settings-> FAST

a1 -> release , yes, no need to focus priority unless it’s a critical / special work
a3-> off

a6->11 points (and USE the control whell to set the initial acquiring focus point!)

Set AE-L button to AF-ON ->see below:

a- Use “AF-ON button only” for focus

b- AFC (very important -> little movements, the target breaths, your hand shake , etc)
c- Select 9 points but w/ only selectable/visible 11 points on viewfinder

d- Always shoot a burst of 3 pics at 4 fps unless with Flash (and select the best one afterwards IN THE COMPUTER as its almost impossible to get the best focused one in LCD)

e- Shutter Release option a1 (no focus lock, not even intermediate lock, as small movements of target or photographer are happening all the time and, of course, the DOF is pretty small) -> any micro delay will kill your sharpness…

f- Do not recompose-> USE the control whell to select the initial focus point that is near final position of targeted eye or bif or else (or use the central one for general shooting)
g- Do small crops at PP to get final adjustment

h- With the 70-200 VRII, as I can’t start VR using AF-ON (pls Nikon correct this!!!!!!!), I moved back to focus with the half press shutter button option. Anyway the camera works both ways: its a matter of taste!
i- See details of AF-ON here:
http://forums.dpreview.com/…forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=37104695

3- With a f1.4 lens (remember: the cream machine…) why would I shoot at f4 / 5.6? Ok, I personally like f2.0 or f2.2 in DX for head shots, but got many good ones at f1.4 too.

4- PLZ select a shutter speed of at least 1/60 or faster ( I would say 1/100 ideal for DX and a 85mm lens -> adjust to different equip.) -> therefore set your auto-iso to work!!!

If shooting at 200mm for example, don’t expect a tack sharp portrait at 1/30 even with VR, as VR doesn’t help with moving targets.

5- Be prepared to get “only” 70% of keepers at most…

6- If you dont like itens 1 and 2 shoot P mode and auto area ( but forget nail focus in a eye with a f1.4 or f2.8 lens if you dont use AFC and dynamic area!)

7- Buy a Capture NX2 and shoot RAW ( I insist: get NX2!!!!)

8- Auto WB - Auto1

9- Picture Control -> NEUTRAL
Contrast-> +1
In camera sharpness-> +4 (if you shoot jpeg go up to +6 not more than that)

10- Set a -2/6 EV permanent exposure compensation

11- Set your playback to show highlights-> shoot and make an exposure compensation (almost always I had to do a EC -> see my exifs in pbase)

As the D7000 allows you to correct dark areas later in PP (remember i said RAW!) NEVER let a blown up area in your pic
Usually I set a -0.3 EC to -0.7 EC.
PLZ this one of the most important things in serious photography!

12- Use later in NX2 the general shadows/highlights/contrast slides and the control points to set the right brigtness to your pics

13- Get a Polarizer filter to shoot landscapes and did not get a blown sky. Just turn it untill you see the best/darkest colors thru viewfinder

14- AUTO ISO -> very important:

For the 2 lenses (24 mm and 70-200 VRII) you might set minimum shutter speed to 1/60 and MAX iso 3200 -> w/ a f1.4 lens dont worry-> It never will get so hight, but anyway you’ll have a lifebuoy to get that snap at 3200 iso…

Also set U1 for portraits/landscapes and U2 for flash with NO Auto ISO (see flash settings below)

15- Buy a Topaz denoise 5 for Noise reduction in PP -> its incredible

16- ADL- set to Normal

17- High iso NR set to normal

18- Still Any dead pixel?: get the new firmware

To be continued…

19- Although a tripod is not mandatory, you’ll need to increase your shutter speed very often because of the 16 mb/pixel size etc -> as I said before, people move and breath so in AFC w/ AF-ON button you can rear the lens motor moving when you are waiting the right moment to click.

So set minimum 1/125 for people portraits or groups and the minimum of 1/60 if you got a good VRII lens (although 1/60 only for static targets/models, with a 50mm lens for example, and not for running children of course)
For maximum sharpness in a landscape-handheld you’ll need minimum 1/500!!!

But lets say 1/250 is very good. Also a good VR lens helps too and you can go slower.

The landscape view you see in my pics were shoot laying the camera on a rail of the varanda (because the polarizer cuts your light by approximatelly -2EV of light!).

But I got a beautiful sky. If you dont blow highlights the D7000 can return you deep colors almost like HDR but natural ones.

20- SETTINGS on camera manual:
Image quality -> RAW pg 85

Set picture control-> NEUTRAL->sharpening +4->contrast to AUTO -> pg 131
Active D-Lightning-> Normal pg 139
High Iso NR-> Normal-> pg 205
Auto iso -> ON-> minimum shutter speed 1/60 / max iso 3200-> pg 103
a3-> off-> pg 209
a6->11-> pg 210
b5-> -2/6EV -> pg 213
d3-> set easy iso->pg216
d4-> off
d5-> off
d6 -> 4fps

d7-> 3 frames (if you want to shoot sports go to CH and you’ll not be limited to a 3 frame burst)
d12-> off
e4-> off-> pg 228
f5-> AF-ON pg 232 (or leave it if you dont like AF-ON)
f7-> yes-> pg 234

U1-> set minimum speed on auto iso to 1/100 (it really depends on the lens you’ll be using ) and this will be your portrait/landacape mode-> pg 75
U2-> set flash settings as below

Don’t forget to set the 9 points AFC dynamic area -> read pages 111 (set AFC) and 114 (set 9 points) of D7000 manual

21-Flash Settings:

Forget the in-camera flash PLZ! Get a SB600 (cheaper) or a bigger Nikon Flash.

Although the camera works quite well in A mode, my tests have shown that the best way to get a perfect pic in low light w/ flash still need to put the D7000 in M mode. Don’t be worry but is kind a easy thing with the settings as follow.

In-camera:
M mode
Rear sync
NO auto iso-> set ISO to 400 (f4 or wider lens) or 800 (for a kit lens)
Disable pre-flash for focus and set in camera focus light on
set aperture to f4 to f5.6
Shutter speed to 1/30

Flash settings:
iTTL-BL
Bounce flash 135 degrees (to your side and backwards)
Slow rear sync

And just shoot -> THEN adjust exposure compensation at camera at taste! shoot again if necessary. After the first shots you gonna get the right lightning and you will not need to adjust your settings unless you go to other situation, lets say, when you go to a different room, or go outdoors and want just a fill flash.

Indoors I usually set a -0.7 EV EC and for a fill-flash outside, a -1 EC or even -1.5 EC will work just nice with my Sb600.

Remember that is better to slightly underexpose w/ D7000 than overexpose. Just adjust in PP the dark areas later (I said RAW plz).
Finally SAVE as U2 this settings! (U1 is the general use settings)

22- Software I recomend (I got many others but these are the ones you really might need):
a- NX2 of course
b- Nik color effects filters for NX2

c- Topaz Denoise for above than ISO 800 pics (its a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom)

d- Photoshop only if you really need/want pro clone and/or more sofisticated tools (I use it only for clone tools, to correct distortion, and for Topaz Denoise)
e- Portrait Professional for retouching skins/etc in portraits.
f- PTGui for panos
g- Photomatix for your HDR pics
h- Corel Video Studio Pro X3 for your clips!

Settings:
a3 -> 9 points
a4 -> off
Focus area and mode AFC - continuous focus with 9 points dynamic area
a1 -> release
Lock initial focus point to central point (w/ the focus lock selector )
Set AE-L button to AF-ON only (so you will not focus using shutter button!)

It’s a night and day difference and you’ll never need to change any of the above settings whatever condition you want:

1- Just press AF-ON to focus the initial focus point;
2- Keep pressing while you want to continuous focus and shoot at will

3- If you want to recompose, just lift your thumb and the focus will lock -> then recompose and shoot.
4- For manual focus dont touch the AF-ON button

It takes minutes to get used to it and you will never go back. It’s so easy to use that my wife, 11 y old son, girlfriend of my oldest, etc shoot now w/ AF-ON.

Notes on this technique:

a- You don’t have to bother about changing camera focus settings for every condition (unless you’re a pro w/ many chalenges/especial conditions to shoot)

b- The person you lend the camera will not shoot by mistake using half-press shutter (very easy and happens w/ every new person that grabs such a heavy DSRL)-> ask him/her just to press AF-ON untill he gives you back the camera!

c- You’ll cut all focus delays and will get a pretty fast, almost instantaneous focus (w/ a HSM lens especially)

d- In action situations, like kids running or worse like BIF, is almost impossible to get the right moment using AF-S focus old techniques (let’s say AF-S plus beep confirmation+focus lock to release shutter)

e- Pressing AF-ON just start the continuous focus procedures a bit before than using the half-press shutter and THAT is the secret together w/ using RELEASE mode, that gets things working flawless w/ NO delay using AF-ON button.

f- If you keep the half-press shutter focus activated too, you won’t lock focus and recompose w/ the AF-ON button, because the moment you press the shutter the camera will acquire a new focus target different from the one you have choosen before w/ AF-ON only.

g- Please note that any lens VR is NOT activated by pressing AF-ON (a new firmware would be nice to correct this) and you’ll need to half press shutter button way before to estabilize it.

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