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1. TI A 7 Figure 4 26 Shutter release button AE L 1 Select c Timers AE lock from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 26 image 1 2 Highlight Shutter release button AE L and scroll to the right see Figure 4 26 image 2 3 Choose one of the two choices on the menu In Figure 4 26 image 3 On has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I only use this feature when I really need it then turn it off The rest of the time I just use the AE L AF L button to lock my exposure I don t think P d 305 leave Shutter release button AE L turned on all the time since I might be holding the Shutter release button halfway down to track a moving subject through light and dark areas For sunset shooters or something similar who like to include the sun in their image this is a nice function You can meter from an area of the sky that has the best color and then swing the camera around to include the sun in the shot The camera will expose for the originally metered area as long as you hold the Shutter release button halfway down Normally you d just do this with the AE L AF L lock button Auto Meter Off Delay Custom setting C2 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 273 D300 page 279 Auto meter off delay controls the amount of time that your camera s light meter stays on after you press the Shutter release button halfway and t
2. Figure 4 57 Auto bracketing AE amp flash While holding the Fn FUNC button rotate the front Sub command dial to change the EV value of each image in the bracket in steps of 1 3 1 2 or 1 EV The EV step value is set in Custom setting b2 gt EV steps for exposure control In Figure 4 57 image 1 the EV value is 1 0 So there will be a 1 0 EV step 1 stop difference between each image in the bracket You can use Custom setting e7 gt Bracketing order to set the order of the exposures We ll discuss this in a later section titled Bracketing Order The default order is normal gt underexposed gt overexposed You can change it to underexposed gt normal gt overexposed if you d like Take the bracketed picture series As you take each image one of the lines that hang down below the scale will disappear When they are all gone your bracket is complete If you have your camera set to one of the Continuous release modes CL or CH and hold down the Shutter release button the camera will fire off only the number of images in the bracketed series and then stop firing 367 Figure 4 57 image 1 shows a five shot bracket with both over and underexposure of 1 0 EV step per image You can tell by the 5F at the top left of the Control panel along with the number of lines hanging below the scale The 1 0 means that there is 1 0 EV step 1 stop between each exposure in the bracket The fact that the 5F has no
3. 5 If you select Overlay the D300 S will temporarily combine the images and present you with another screen that allows you to see the images more closely You can press the OK button to save the new image under a new file name or the checkered Thumbnail playback zoom out button to return to the previous screen 6 If you choose Save instead of Overlay and press the OK button the D300 S immediately combines the two images and saves the new image under a new file name without letting you review the image first Basically the Save selection saves now while Overlay gives you a preview of the combination to allow you a choice of modifying or saving it My Recommendation This is an easy way to overlay images without a computer There are some drawbacks though One image may have a strong background that is impossible to remove no matter how much you fiddle with the image density or gain X0 1 to X2 0 This is a situation in 546 which a computer excels since you can use software tools like masking in Capture NX2 or Photoshop to remove parts of the background and make a more realistic overlay However if you must combine two images in the field you have a way to do it in camera NEF RAW Processing D300S only User s Manual D300S page 327 NEF RAW processing is a function that allows you to convert a RAW image into a JPEG inside the camera If you normally shoot in RAW but need a JPEG quickly this is a great
4. Figure 4 49 Flash shutter speed 1 Select e Bracketing flash from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 49 image 1 2 Highlight Flash shutter speed and scroll to the right see Figure 4 49 image 2 3 Choose one of the choices on the list 1 60 s to 30 s In Figure 4 49 image 3 1 60 s has been selected Remember that slower shutter speeds can cause subject ghosting when using flash in high ambient light conditions 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I normally use 1 60 s Shutter speeds lower than 1 60s can cause ghosting if the ambient light is too high The subject can move after the flash fires but with the 352 shutter still open and with enough ambient light to record a blurred ghost effect You ll have a well exposed picture of the subject with a ghost of him also showing in the image Only use slower shutter speeds when you are sure that you ll be in dark conditions and the flash will provide the only lighting unless you re shooting special effects like a blurred aftereffect following your subject to imply movement Flash Cntrl for Built in Flash Custom setting e3 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 283 D300 page 291 Flash cntrl for built in flash provides four distinct ways to control the pop up Speedlight s flash output This Custom setting does not apply to flash units you attach via the Accessory shoe hotshoe on top of th
5. TTL or i TTL mode AA or Auto Aperture mode M or Manual mode or double dash mode what else would one call it be 3 Flash cntrl for built in flash gt H Commander mode P Mode Y isu Richi TTL E me Group A i Group B Channel 1 ee Move Set WOK Figure 12 11 Mode options 766 TTL Mode The TTL setting allows you to use the full power of i TTL technology By leaving Mode set to TTL as shown in Figure 12 11 on the Built in flash or Group A or B you derive maximum flexibility and accuracy from all your flash units In this mode the Comp setting will display exposure values from 3 0 EV to 3 0 EV a full6 stop range of exposure compensation for each group of Speedlights You can set the Comp in 1 3 EV steps for very fine control AA Mode I am only briefly touching on the AA mode since it is an older noni TTL technology included for those accustomed to using the older technology With the SB 900 or SB 800 it is used primarily by cameras not compatible with the Creative Lighting System It is not available for the built in Speedlight on the D300 S or for the SB 600 You can safely ignore the AA mode unless you want to experiment with it It may not provide as accurate a flash exposure as TTL mode though since it is not based on the amazing i TTL technology Otherwise it works pretty much the same as TTL mode M Mode This allows you to set different levels of flash output
6. 2 Select Yes or No from the list see Figure 4 76 image 2 3 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I leave the Command dials rotation set to factory default I find life confusing enough without my camera working backwards Change main sub This setting allows you to swap the functionality of the two Command dials The Main command dial will take on the functions of the Sub command dial and vice versa Here are the two settings On When set to Off the Main command dial controls shutter speed while the Sub command dial controls aperture By selecting On you reverse the functionality so that the Sub command dial controls shutter speed while the Main command dial controls aperture Off The functionality of the Command dials is set to the factory default Here are the screens and steps to swap the functionality of the Command dials see Figure 4 77 Continuing from Figure 4 75 image 3 select Change main sub and scroll to the right see Figure 4 77 image 1 412 Be f8Customize command dials 3 8 Customize command dials a Sy Change main sub Figure 4 77 Customize command dials Change main sub 1 Select On or Off from the list see Figure 4 77 image 2 2 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I leave the Command dials set to factory default Off Pve been using Nikons for too many years to change Command dial functionality now Aperture set
7. 630 My Conclusions To conclude this chapter I will ask a series of questions and then answer them my opinion yours may vary Then Pl offer some advice on movie editing software How well does D Movie mode work It works quite well is easy to use and is always with you when you have your Nikon D300S in your bag What are the pros and cons of using the D300S compared to using a regular video camera Pros No need to carry another video camera and bag Excellent image quality Shallow depth of field for cinematic look Huge variety of lenses available for various effects Picture Controls give the video an interesting look Video clips are immediately usable on your computer People don t know you are videoing when using the D300S Cons CMOS rolling shutter causes skew wobble and partial exposure Lack of detailed control over the camera s functions 631 Short 5 minute video clips in HD mode Limited storage on memory cards Can the D300S s D Movie mode replace a dedicated video camera Yes and no The fact that it s always with you means that you have it to take video when you otherwise wouldn t On the other hand a dedicated video camera will record for hours and hours without stopping And since a normal video camera usually has a CCD sensor with a global shutter you have no rolling shutter effects You ll have to help me on this one What do you
8. ISO sensitivity settings EA ive view mode fe Multiple exposure OFF Interval timer shooting OFF Microphone Destination Figure 3 57 Initial D Movie mode screens Quality Select from one High Definition HD mode and two Standard Definition SD modes Microphone Change the sensitivity of the internal or external microphone or turn it off Destination Select which memory card SD or CF will receive all D Movies you create Let s look at each of the settings listed and their configuration screens The Quality setting allows you to control the resolution of a D Movie created by your camera see Figure 3 58 232 You have three choices available 1280x720 or 720p HD along with two SD modes 640x424 and 320x216 The numbers following the resolution numbers 16 9 and 3 2 are format sizes 16 9 is the standard HD format and will display on an SDTV in the wide screen format with a black band on the top and bottom of the screen 3 2 more closely matches the SDTV format regular TV we ve been using for years but which is rapidly becoming obsolete 3 2 will display full screen on a normal TV The HD format 1280x720 has a limit of 5 minutes recording time The other two SD formats can record 20 minute video clips Movie settings Movie settings a Microphone Destination H822 640x424 3 2 H 348 320x216 3 2 Figure 3 58 D Movie mode Quality Here are the steps to choo
9. Set Zoom VOK lt Set Zoom WOK Figure 2 5 Hide image screens Select Set options 2 Press the Multi selector center button on the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector on the D300 This selects an image for hiding and places a small symbol in the upper right corner of the image thumbnail see Figure 2 5 image 3 red arrow The hide symbol looks like a slash with a dotted box around it 3 Press the OK button to hide the selected image s The camera will display a screen that says Done Now the hidden image s will not show up on the Monitor during normal picture playback However it will still show up in the Hide image selection screen The number of images reported does not change when you hide images If you have 50 images on the card and you hide 10 the camera still displays 50 as the number of images on 48 the card A clever person could probably figure out that there are hidden images if they are watching the number of images as they scroll through the viewable ones If you hide all the images on the card and then try to view images the D300 S will tersely inform you All images are hidden Hide Images Obeys the Playback Folder Setting The display of images to select from for hiding purposes obeys the Playback Menu gt Playback folder selection that we considered previously You can only hide images you can see in the Hide images selection screen If you don t have All selected for Playback Menu
10. TIFF files The D300S holds 16 to 27 images and the D300 holds 16 to 29 images according to whether you are shooting L M or S size JPEG files The D300S holds 44 to 100 images and the D300 holds 43 to 100 images according to whether you are shooting in L M or S size in Fine Normal or Basic and finally whether you have selected Optimal quality or Size priority compression So unless you are shooting the smaller JPEG basic files you ll fill up your camera buffer long before you reach the maximum of 100 shots specified by Max continuous release Here are the screens and steps used to configure Max continuous release see Figure 4 38 327 Fe CUSTOM SETTING MENU _d Shooting display j Max continuous release _ lt Custom setting bank A IET OFF j p Reset custom settings Ty d2Viewtinder orid display ON E a Autofocus pg 63 Viewfinder warning display ON b Metering exposure a4 Screen tips c Timers AE lock d5CL mode shooting speed Shooting disp Max continuous ri e Bracketing flash W dT File number sequence f Controls I 48 Information display Figure 4 38 Max continuous release 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 38 image 1 2 Highlight Max continuous release and scroll to the right see Figure 4 38 image 2 3 Use the Multi Selector to scroll up or down and set the number of images you want in each burst In F
11. What happens to your external Nikon Speedlight to allow it to follow that slit of light moving across the sensor It changes into a pulsing strobe unit instead of a normal flash unit Have you ever danced under a strobe light A strobe works by firing a series of light pulses Similarly when your camera s shutter speed is so high that the Speedlight cannot fire a single burst of light for correct exposure it can use its Auto FP high speed sync mode and fire a series of light bursts over 347 and over as the slit between the shutter curtains travels in front of the image sensor The Speedlight can fire thousands of bursts per second To a photographer or subject it still looks like one big flash of light even though in reality it is hundreds or thousands of bursts of light one right after the other When you are in Auto FP mode you ll see something like this on your Speedlight s LCD monitor TTL FP or TTL BL FP The FP designation tells you that the camera and Speedlight are ready for you to use any shutter speed yov d like and still get a good exposure Even with wide open apertures You can safely leave your camera set to 1 320 s Auto FP or 1 250 s Auto FP all the time since the high speed sync mode does not kick in until you raise the shutter speed above the maximum setting of 1 250 s Below that shutter speed the flash works in normal mode and does not waste any power by pulsing the output This pulsing of light re
12. Custom setting b6 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 272 D300 page 277 Nikon has taken the stance that most major camera systems should allow the user to fine tune them The exposure system is no exception Fine tune optimal exposure allows you to fine tune the Matrix Center weighted area and Spot metering systems by 1 1 EV in 1 6 EV steps In other words you can force each of the three metering systems to add or deduct a little exposure from what it normally would use to expose your subject This stays in effect with no further notice until you set it back to zero It is indeed fine tuning since the maximum EV step up or down is divided into 6 parts 1 6 EV If you feel that your camera is too conservative with the highlights mildly underexposing 299 and you want to force it to add 1 2 step exposure you simply add 3 6 EV to the compensation system for that metering system Remember basic fractions where 1 2 equals 3 6 This works like the normal compensation system except it only allows you one EV of compensation As screen 3 of Figure 4 25 shows an ominous looking warning appears telling you that your camera will not show a compensation icon as it does with the normal Exposure compensation button when you use the metering fine tuning system This simply means that while you have this fine tuning system dialed in for your light meter the camera will not remind you that it is fine tuned by sh
13. Figure 9 5 shows the camera s Metering selector dial set to Spot metering Sometimes no other meter but a spot meter will do In situations where you must get an accurate exposure for a very small section of the frame or must get several meter readings from different small areas the D300 S can once again be adjusted to fit your needs The D300 S s Spot meter consists of a 3mm circle surrounding the currently active AF point see Figure 9 6 That s evaluating only 2 of the frame so it is indeed a spot meter Since the spot surrounds the currently active AF point you can move the Spot meter around the Viewfinder within the 51 AF points o O00 0000 O 0000 0905000 Figure 9 6 Approx Viewfinder view of the 3mm spot 644 How big is the 3mm spot Well the Spot meter barely surrounds the little AF point rectangle in your Viewfinder It is rather small at 11 inches When your D300 S is in Spot meter mode and you move the AF point to some small section of your subject you can rest assured that you re getting a true spot reading In fact you can use your Spot meter to determine an approximate EV range of light values in the entire image You can do this by metering the lightest spot in the frame and the darkest spot If this value exceeds 4 or 5 stops difference you ve got to decide which part of your subject is most important to you and meter only for that part Something is going to blow out On an
14. Uses the industry printing standard of 8 bits High quality first use images No special software needed to use the image right out of the camera no post processing Immediate use on websites with minimal processing Easy transfer across the Internet and as e mail attachments JPEG Negatives JPEG is a lossy format which means that it permanently throws away image data as you select higher levels of compression fine normal basic 129 You cannot manipulate a JPEG image more than once or twice before it degrades to an unusable state Every time you modify and resave a JPEG image it loses more data and quality TIFF Image Quality Format The TIFF RGB format creates images that do not require post processing but can easily be manipulated later if desired Some people will use TIFF mode for initial shooting TIFF is not considered a lossy format although there is an initial conversion from 12 or 14 bits to 8 bits The image loses 4 or 6 bits during the conversion so some color data is lost but it is not enough to make a big difference in the image Use TIFF mode if you do not want the lossy compression of a JPEG and if you want to adjust the images later in your computer TIFF may be used by those who want to be able to work with their images over and over without throwing away data as happens with JPEG files when they are compressed When you shoot in TIFF the camera does not compress the image H
15. 613 Using Camera Controls during a Video Recording Session You can refocus the camera at any time during the video recording session by moving the little red focus square to an appropriate place on the screen and then pressing the AF ON button until the focus square turns solid green stops flashing If you are using the camera s built in microphone be aware that the video will pick up the sound of the autofocus system in action As the autofocus motor runs it transmits vibrations to the camera body that are easily heard in the video Many people switch to an external mic to overcome this issue or simply turn off autofocus and focus manually The actual recording of the video is an automated process Your camera does not give you much control over exposure In a sense the video system is like the Auto exposure mode what you see is what you get The camera decides how to deal with changes in exposure motion etc You can adjust many controls endlessly and the camera will act like the values are changing but it will not affect the video However there are a few controls that will modify the video recording You can use the Exposure compensation button to add or subtract brightness from the video while the camera is recording You can also hold down the AE L AF L button to keep the video exposure level consistent as you pan past a bright window This prevents the sudden darkening of the video when the lens sees a lamp bright
16. Note There is no need to press the shutter release more than once to get the bracketed sequence of images The highly intelligent D300 S knows the number of images you want in the bracketed sequence and takes them all with one press of the Shutter release button If you have the WB bracket set to 3F the camera actually only takes a single picture and then saves it to the memory card into three separate images each with a different white balance If you had 20 pictures on your card when you press the shutter button once you will then 700 have 23 pictures on the card Three pictures in one shutter press Be sure to set your D300 S back to normal bracketing in Custom setting e5 when you re done unless you use WB bracketing frequently My Recommendation Personally I prefer to shoot in NEF RAW mode and make minor or major WB adjustments in the computer post processing stage of the image s preparation However others want to use WB bracketing or Nikon wouldn t have given it to us 701 Auto White Balance Auto White balance works pretty well in the D300 S As the camera s RGB meter senses colors it does its best to balance to any white or mid range grays it can find in the image However the color will vary a little on each shot If you shoot only in Auto WB mode your camera considers each image a new WB problem and solves it without reference to the last image taken Therefore you may see a variance in the colo
17. Only Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Backup Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Overflow Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Raw primary JPEG secondary Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Select all images Copy Images D300S Only Select folder by number Copy Images D300S Only Select protected images Copy Images D300S Only Self timer delay c3 Custom setting C2 D300S and D300 Set Picture Control White Balance Setup Menu Setup Menu Setup Menu LCD Brightness Clean Image Sensor Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning Video Mode HDMI Time Zone and Date or World Time Language Auto Image Rotation USB D300 only USB D300 only Finding a Subject for the Dust Off Reference Photo Image Authentication Image Authentication Copyright Information D300S Only Save Load Settings Preparing the Camera for GPS Usage Preparing the Camera for GPS Usage Selecting a Non CPU Lens by Using External Camera Controls AF Fine Tune Eye Fi Upload D300S only 839 AF fine tune Selecting a Non CPU Lens by Using External Camera Controls Auto image rotation Auto Image Rotation Battery info Finding a Subject for the Dust Off Reference Photo Clean image sensor Clean Image Sensor Copyright information Image Authentication Eye Fi upload AF Fine Tune Firmware version Eye Fi Upload D300S only Format Memory Card Setup Menu GPS Save Load Settings HDMI Video Mode Image authen
18. Press the Multi selector center button D300S or center of the Multi Selector D300 to select a character Keep selecting new characters until you have the entire new name in place I added Copyright Darrell Young to my camera s Image comment field The maximum number of characters you can enter is 36 If you make a mistake hold down the checkered Thumbnail playback zoom out button while using the Multi Selector to move to the position of the error Push the garbage can Delete button on the top left of the camera and the bad character will disappear Press the OK button when you are finished entering the comment The camera will switch back to the screen shown in Figure 5 19 image 4 You ll need to put a small check 463 mark in the Attach comment check box so that the comment will attach itself to each image Highlight the Attach comment line and scroll to the right or press the OK button to Set the check mark in the box You ll see a check mark appear as soon as you scroll to the right as shown in Figure 5 19 image 5 9 Scroll up to Done and press the OK button to save the new comment see Figure 5 19 image 6 My Recommendation You can use this comment field for any text you want to add to the internal metadata of the image There is another Setup Menu selection called Copyright information in the D300S only that allows you to add your personal copyright We ll consider this function later in the cha
19. User s Manual D300S page 245 D300 page 249 If you regularly use your memory card s in multiple cameras like I do and sometimes forget to transfer images adjusting the Playback folder setting is a good idea I use a D300S and a D2X on a fairly regular basis Often I ll grab an 8 or 16 gigabyte card out of one camera and stick it in another for a few shots Later if Pm not careful P1 transfer the images from one camera and forget that I have one or more folders on the CF card created by the other camera It s usually only after I have pressed the format buttons that I remember the D2X images on the memory card The camera comes to my rescue with its Playback folder gt All function PLAYBACK MENU Playback folder Display mode Copy image s fe Image review After delete Rotate tall Current Figure 2 4 Playback folder screens Let s look at how the Playback folder function works by first looking at the screens in Figure 2 4 44 Here are the three selections you can choose from see Figure 2 4 D300S D300S or ND300 D300 All Current D300S or ND300 The D300S and D300 use slightly different names for the default playback folder The D300S uses a folder called D300S while the D300 uses a folder called ND300 Figure 2 4 shows D300S screens only If you leave your camera set to this default mode the image playback will show you images in all the folders that have been created by the D3
20. You ll need an HDMI Type A to Type C cable which is not included with the camera but is available from many electronics stores This cable is also known as a mini HDMI to HDMI A V HD cable Figure 5 11 gives you a closer look at both ends of the cable Figure 5 11 Mini HDMI to HDMI The smaller end mini HDMI Type C goes into the HDMI port under the rubber flap on your camera and the other end HDMI Type A plugs into your HD device 450 i SETUP MENU e Format memory card Z LCD brightness Clean image sensor Lock mirror up for cleaning BF Video mode A 576p 576p progressive AM O N 720p 720p progressive E World time 2i 1080i 1080i interlaced Language En 480p 480p progressive Figure 5 12 HDMI screens Before you connect the camera to your HDMI display you ll need to set one of these HDMI formats Auto default This allows the camera to select the most appropriate format for displaying your image on the currently connected device 480p progressive 640 x 480 progressive format 576p progressive 720 x 576 progressive format 720p progressive 1280 x 720 progressive format 1080i interlaced 1920 x 1080 interlaced format These modes will be discussed in more detail in the chapter titled Chapter 8 Here we will only look at how to select them see Figure 5 12 1 Select HDMI from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose one of the five modes
21. You ll now see the Artist screen with all the available characters Figure 5 29 image 4 Add your name here with a maximum of 36 characters Use the Multi Selector to scroll around within the characters Lowercase characters are found by scrolling down Select a character by pressing the Multi selector center button in the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector in the D300 You correct errors within the text you ve already entered by holding down the Thumbnail playback zoom out button and scrolling left or right with the Multi Selector Remove a character already in the name area by scrolling to it and pressing the Delete button garbage can Press the OK button when you have entered your name Refer to the Camera Body Reference section at the beginning of this book to find button locations for your specific camera Now scroll down to the Copyright line on the Copyright information screen and then scroll to the right Figure 5 29 image 5 Add your name here using the same controls as described in step 3 Figure 5 29 image 6 488 6 Scroll down to the Attach copyright information line Figure 5 29 image 7 Notice that there is currently no check mark in the little box see red arrow in Figure 5 29 image 7 Now scroll to the right toward Set and you ll see a tiny check mark appear in the box Figure 5 29 image 8 7 Finally scroll back up to Done on the Copyright information screen Press the OK button to save
22. Your D300 S exposes the sensor to light for specific periods of time This is controlled by the camera s shutter speed The actual exposure is handled by two moving objects called curtains The D300 S has two shutter curtains One gets out of the way of the sensor to start the exposure and the other replaces it to stop the exposure The first one is called the front curtain and the second one is known as the rear curtain In this context the front and rear are not important as indicators of position but as indicators of which moves first and which moves second The flash must fire when the first or front curtain is fully open and before the second or rear curtain starts closing The time between the front curtain opening and the rear curtain closing is the actual shutter speed The whole sensor must be uncovered when the flash fires in normal Flash modes non Auto FP If the shutter speed is too fast the rear curtain will closely follow the front curtain and partially block the sensor when the flash fires That s why the shutter speed is limited to a maximum of 1 250s on the D300 S Faster than that and the sensor is always partially 752 covered by one of the shutter curtains If the flash fires while one of the curtains covers part of the sensor then that part of the sensor would not get a proper exposure from the flash and there would be an underexposed black band in your image So the whole point of the Flash
23. ad 1 NIKON 03005 ALTITUDE TIME UTC WHITE BALANCE AUTO 0 0 COLOR SPACE PICTURE CTRL_ STANDARD AdobeRGS QUICK ADJUST SHARPENING CONTRAST BRIGHTNESS SATURAT ON HUE Assn NIKON 03005 LATITUDE N j 36 11 741 LONG TUDE 63 33 671 299m 07 15 2010 19 39 28 NIKON 03005 Figure 2 13 Display mode screens Data option The data found on these screens is shown in Figure 2 13 and includes the following information Image Data Screen 1 Light meter in use Matrix Spot or Averaging Shutter speed and Aperture Exposure mode P S A M and ISO Exposure compensation value Lens focal length Lens overview e g 16 85mm f 3 5 4 5 AF VR Flash mode and Compensation Commander mode info if used Image Data Screen 2 57 White balance Color space SRGB AdobeRGB Picture control detail e g Neutral Standard Vivid Base Sharpening Contrast Brightness Saturation Hue Image Data Screen 3 Noise reduction Active D Lighting Off Low Normal High Retouching Comment Image Data Screen 4 D300S Only Artist Copyright NIKON D300S LI A 1 60 F1 Lol HiZ0 0 4 COMMENT EEAUTO 0 0 AdobeR68 SD i i 61000300S _1DY2215 NEF RAW 610003005 _1DY2215 NEF RAW 01 18 2010 14 14 24 4288x2848 01 18 2010 14 14 24 4288x2848 Figure 2 14 Display mode screens main and summary If you took a picture
24. ll look at how to select them Examining Picture Controls Figure 3 21 provides a look at the differences in color saturation and shadow with the various controls Due to limitations in offset printing it may be hard to see the variations Saturation and Contrast depth increases within these Picture Control choices in this order NL low gt SD medium gt VI high SD NL Standard Picture Control Neutral Picture Control Vivid Picture Control Monochrome Picture Control Figure 3 21 Sample color with various Nikon Picture Controls 161 Below is an overview of what Nikon says about Picture Controls and what I see in my sample image taken with the various controls Also included in this list are two optional Picture Controls which you can download from Nikon for free PT or Portrait and LS or Landscape SD or Standard is Nikon s recommendation for getting balanced results They recommend SD for most general situations Use this if you want a balanced image and don t want to post process it to get it there It has what Nikon calls Standard image processing The SD control provides what I would call medium saturation with darker shadows to add contrast If I were shooting JPEG images in a studio or during an event I would seriously consider using the SD control I would compare this setting to Fuji Provia or Kodak Kodachrome 64 slide films NL or Neutral is best for an image that will be extensive
25. lt C Custom setting bank A ete switeh j p DReset custom settings g T2Multi selector center button amp a Autofocus aL Multi selector OF b Metering exposure 4 Photo info playback OA G Timers AE lock 5 Assign Fn button TE d Shooting display E 16 Assign preview button Bracketing flash 77 Assign AE L AF L button ri Controls o IE 8 Customize command dials ce _ CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls 3 Multi selector Reset meter off delay Figure 4 70 Multi selector 1 Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 70 image 1 2 Highlight Multi selector and scroll to the right see Figure 4 70 image 2 3 Choose one of the two selections from the list In Figure 4 70 image 3 Do nothing has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Here is an explanation of what these two selections accomplish Reset meter off delay This setting is a handy way to turn on the exposure meter without pressing the Shutter release button halfway down Maybe you d like to meter the subject but not cause autofocus to start so instead of using the Shutter release button to turn the meter on you can use the Multi Selector I find this to be a useful function for another reason I ll often want to move an AF point around the Viewfinder but the light meter has gone off so it won t move I have to press the Shutter release 395 button halfway down to
26. s flash units accidentally You just each choose a different channel An upcoming chapter of this book titled Chapter 12 is devoted to using Nikon s Creative Lighting System CLS and covers each of the Commander modes and flash unit types in more detail than the summary found here Commander Mode Notes When using multiple flash units under the control of your camera in Commander mode it is important that you understand the following First the camera communicates with the remote slaved flash groups A and B during the monitor pre flash cycle so the pop up flash must be raised in Commander mode in order to communicate with the remote flash units 359 Second each remote flash unit has a little round photocell sensor on its side that picks up the monitor pre flashes from your camera s pop up flash Make sure those little sensors are not blocked or exposed to direct very bright light while in use or they may not be able to see the monitor pre flashes from your camera Third if you want to prevent the monitor pre flashes from appearing in photographs or causing people to squint you need to purchase the optional SG 3IR infrared panel for the pop up flash This infrared panel makes the monitor pre flashes mostly invisible to humans and imaging sensors yet the remote flash units can still see it and react properly Fourth don t position any of the remote flash units more than 33 feet 10 05m from the camera That s t
27. A3F or b i e b3F in the image number position at top left it simply means that the bracket goes in both directions such as amber gt normal gt blue or normal gt amber gt blue according to how you have Custom setting e7 gt Bracketing order set Take the bracketed picture series Interestingly you do this by simply taking one picture The camera takes that picture reapplies the color filtration for each image in 371 the bracket and then saves each image as a separate image file with a new consecutive file number and bracketed color value This works very differently from AE or flash bracketing where you have to fire off each individual frame of the bracket WB bracketing is very easy since you only have to set the bracket in the Control panel and take one picture However many images up to nine are in the bracket simply appear on your memory card Nikons are fun Here s a short review Fn FUNC button plus rear Main command dial number of exposures Fn FUNC button plus front Sub command dial 5 10 or 15 mired steps 1 3 My Recommendation Personally I prefer to use RAW mode and make minor or major color adjustments in the computer post processing stage of the image s preparation However you may want to use WB bracketing while shooting JPEGs since it degrades the image when you modify and resave a JPEG file Only people with extreme concern over color balance will find WB bracketing usefu
28. D300 Only Multi Selector Usage Clue When you re using the Multi Selector on the D300 even a little sideways pressure on the center of the button causes it to perform some other function than what was intended That s why they added a Multi selector center button to the D300S You ll have to use the Multi Selector carefully on the D300 I ve found that it seems more accurate when I place the entire pad of my thumb completely over the button and press down instead of inserting the very tip of my thumb into the middle of the button You try it and see which way works better for you Playback Mode Now let s look over how the Multi selector center button can be used in Playback mode Here are the screens and steps used to configure it in Playback mode see Figure 4 66 1 Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 66 image 1 2 Highlight Multi selector center button and scroll to the right see Figure 4 66 image 2 3 Select Playback mode and scroll to the right see Figure 4 66 image 3 388 co CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls Custom setting bank Reset custom settings ector ce a Autofocus g 3 Multi selector b Metering exposure gt 4 Photo info playback c Timers AE lock 5Assign Fn button d Shooting display 6 Assign preview button e Bracketing flash 7 Assign AE L AF L button Controls 8 Customize command dials a e n Tn jil 2 nT fi
29. D300S Notice in Figure 4 68 that when you ve selected Choose slot and folder you are able to switch between the camera s two card slots and between any folders you have on the selected card You can only get to these screens by pressing the Multi selector center button when a picture is on the Monitor 392 If there is only one folder on the current memory card this setting will have little effect except to display the one folder You cannot choose a memory card with no folders on it the selection for that card slot will be grayed out The same applies if you try to select a memory card slot with no card in the slot Choose folder D300 When you select Choose folder you ll have an extra screen available when you are examining an image in Playback mode You get to it by pressing the Multi Selector center button Here is a look at the screen see Figure 4 69 image 2 E 1 Multi selector center button Playback folder Playback mode 9 202ND300 Thumbnail on off Gal View histograms Q Zoom on off 00 Wancel Figure 4 69 Multi selector center button Choose folder D300 As you can see in Figure 4 69 when you ve selected Choose folder there is an additional screen available that lets you switch between the camera s folders on the memory card You can only get to this extra screen by pressing the Multi selector center button when a picture is on the Monitor 393 Obviously if your current memory ca
30. D300S and f10 D300 f10 D300S Custom setting f9 D300S and f8 D300 f11 D300S Custom setting f11 D300S and f10 D300 f2 D300 Choose folder D300 f2 D300S Custom setting f1 D300S only f3 D300 Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 f3 D300S Choose folder D300 813 f4 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 f4 D300S Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 f5 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 f5 D300S Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 f6 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 f6 D300S Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 f7 D300 Assignable Function List f7 D300S Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 f8 D300 Menus and playback f8 D300S Assignable Function List f9 D300 Custom setting f9 D300S and f8 D300 f9 D300S Menus and playback Customize command dials f8 D300S f7 D300 Assignable Function List 814 815 D Lighting Retouch Playback Retouching D Movie editing software Video Editing Software D Movie mode D Movie Mode Section Two Displaying a D Movie on a High Definition TV HDTV Displaying a D Movie on a High Definition TV HDTV How the Rolling Shutter Works in D Movie Mode Avoiding jellywobble How the Rolling Shutter Works in D Movie Mode Limitations Displaying a D Movie on a High Definition TV HDTV Rolling shutter Displaying a D Movie on a High Definition TV HDTV D Movie mode D300S D
31. Exposure Modes and Histogram Max continuous release d6 D300S d5 D300 Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 MB D10 battery type d11 D300S d10 D300 Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 Medium M image size Final Image Format Ramblings Memory card formatting Setup Menu Menu overview Accessing the Camera Menus Metering Systems Metering Exposure Modes and Histogram Metering Exposure Modes and Histogram Metering Exposure Modes and Histogram 3D Color Matrix II Meter Fine Tuning Matrix Metering Fine Tuning Matrix Metering Center Weighted Meter 3D color matrix II meter Metering Exposure Modes and Histogram Center weighted meter Fine Tuning Matrix Metering Fine tuning matrix 3D Color Matrix II Meter Matrix metering Metering Exposure Modes and Histogram Spot meter Center Weighted Meter Using flash with Fine Tuning Matrix Metering Metering Exposure Custom setting aio D300S and D300 Section Two b Metering Exposure Custom Settings b1 to b6 Custom setting b1 D300S and D300 828 Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 Custom setting b5 D300S and D300 Custom setting b6 D300S and D300 Center weighted area Custom setting b5 D300S and D300 Easy exposure compensation Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 EV steps for exposure cntrl Custom setting bi D300S and D300 Exp comp fine tune Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 Fine tune optimal
32. Figure 12 9 J Ramon Palacios used a Commander device and two SB 800 Speedlights to take this CLS photo Isn t it more fun to simply enter some initial settings into your Commander mode screen and then take a test shot If it doesn t look right change the settings and do it again Within two or three tries you ll probably get it right and you will have learned something about the performance of your Creative Lighting System In a short time you ll have a feel for how to set the camera and flash units and will use your flash camera combo with authority Using Commander Mode Let s start by putting your camera into Commander mode We ll do that by changing Custom setting e3 to Commander mode Look at Figure 12 10 for the screen series to set this option Since this section is about controlling multiple flash units we ll have to change that setting in Commander mode as shown in Figure 12 10 image 4 764 We ll examine each of the settings available under the Commander mode TTL is the easiest to use since it allows you to set exposure compensation for the built in flash as well as each of your flash groups Next we ll look at M mode since that gives you fine control of your flash from full power 1 1 to 1 128 power We ll briefly look at AA mode Then finally we ll consider the double dash mode which prevents the camera s built in flash from firing the main flash output but does not stop the necessary
33. However if I m shooting for commercial reasons or am concerned with maximum image quality I use a gray or white card and balance my camera to the available light I only rebalance if the light source changes Use Auto for when you are not overly concerned about absolutely correct WB It ll be close enough for average use and will return great images most of the time Should I worry about white balance if I shoot in RAW mode The quick answer is no but that may not be the best answer When you take a picture using NEF RAW mode the sensor image data has no WB sharpening or color saturation information applied Instead the information about your camera settings is stored as markers along with the RAW black and white sensor data Color information is only applied permanently to the image when you post process and save the image in another format like JPEG TIFF or EPS When you open the image in Nikon Capture NX2 or another RAW conversion program the camera settings are applied to the sensor data in a temporary way so that you can view the image on your computer screen If you don t like the color balance or any other setting you used in camera you can 703 simply change it in the conversion software and the image looks as if you used the new setting when you took the picture Does that mean I am not concerned about my WB settings since I shoot RAW most of the time No The human brain can quickly adjust to an im
34. If only one card has images on it you have no real reason to choose a source card do you Only one card has images so it has to be the source This is the most likely scenario 2 The SD card s write lock switch is in the on position This usually happens while inserting the SD card into a card reader on a slight angle or even by angling it when putting it into the camera The switch is on the side and sometimes gets moved from off to on You ll notice this problem in other ways since the camera cannot write to the SD card with write lock set to on You will see a CHA error on the Control panel if you try to format the card and a blinking card slot icon will appear on the Control panel and Monitor Interestingly it may take a while to realize that you ve accidentally moved the lock switch to the on position The camera is smart enough to write to the CF card when it can t access the SD card so you may be happily snapping images thinking they are flowing to the SD card when they are actually being sent to the CF card One thing that makes it harder to realize that the lock switch is enabled is that the camera will continue displaying images found on the SD card if you have Playback folder set to All in the Playback Menu The camera can still read the card and display images it just can t write to a locked SD card Fortunately the CF card has no lock I m going to present this information step by step as if you have all
35. Maybe it was an oversight in the programming department that the word command was left out of the Fn button dials setting name Now let s look at the Assignable Function List to see what amazing powers we can give each of the assignable buttons on our cameras Assignable Function List Let s review each of the functions you can assign to the Selected button press Then we ll look at the ones you can assign to the Selected button command dials Please review the functions that have a double asterisk carefully Setting those functions will disable functionality in another part of the camera 402 Note The camera s user s manual has information for these assignments on pages 292 296 for D300S and 303 307 for D300 Selected button press Preview Normally the depth of field function is controlled by the Depth of field preview button Some users may not like the location of the Depth of field preview button and since it is also configurable decide to switch the Fn FUNC button for instance with the Depth of field preview button Then when Preview is selected in one of these Custom Settings the Fn FUNC button will activate depth of field preview instead Setting this function disables other functionality in the D300 S Please see the note at the end of this section FV lock If you set Selected button to FV lock the button will cause the built in Speedlight or the external Sp
36. The D300 S has not only four Shooting menu banks but also four Custom setting banks covered in the next chapter You can easily set the functionality of these banks name them and use them to quickly change the way your camera behaves Multiple cameras in one The Shooting menu banks allow you to set up functions such as file naming image quality modes RAW JPEG etc white balance ISO sharpening and color space 93 Each bank can be configured with different settings and you can then switch between the banks There are four default bank names banks A B C and D You can add your own labels to any of these In this chapter we ll assume that your camera banks have not yet been adjusted and that you are not entirely familiar with the process Let s learn how to label bank A with a more useful name and set its individual features When you ve done this once you ll be ready to set your camera up for special uses and switch between banks quickly Just repeat the process for each bank with different settings Shooting Menu Bank User s Manual D300S page 254 D300 page 255 Use the Multi Selector to select the Shooting menu bank item The camera defaults to bank A from the factory Here are the screens and steps used to modify the labels for bank A of the Shooting menu banks see Figure 3 2 B Shooting menu bank _ Shooting menu bank e p nooling i Reset shooting menu 3 Active folder File naming E Prim
37. When you ve reached the point at which you want to start or end the new movie remove the frames before or after this point press up on the Multi Selector which will pause the movie Figure 6 26 Edit movie Removing the front end of the movie making the new start point 5 A new screen will pop up a second or two after you pause the movie to allow you to proceed with cutting the starting or ending frames see Figure 6 26 image 1 It asks the question Proceed Yes No Select Yes to remove all frames up to this new start point The new shorter movie will now be saved see Figure 6 26 image 2 You ll briefly see a screen that says Done and then the new movie will appear on the Monitor 6 You ll simply repeat the above steps for the other end of the movie see Figure 6 25 All steps are the same for 562 Choose start point and Choose end point Your movie must be at least 2 seconds long when you re done or the camera will refuse to cut any more frames giving you the terse message Cannot edit movie My Recommendation I think this process is slightly easier when executed from the Playback Retouch Menu Try doing the above steps by bringing up the movie on the Monitor pressing the OK button and then following steps 1 6 The reason it s easier is that the Playback Retouch Menu presents fewer steps When you cut the front end off the movie it appears on screen so that you can immediately cut the rear end off too b
38. You can t see all the available menu selections in image 3 Scroll 307 down on the menu to find two more settings 30 min and No limit 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation There are times when you want the light meter to stay on longer or for less time than normal When I m shooting multiple exposures I set Auto meter off delay to No limit However when I m shooting normally it stays at either 6 s or 8 s The longer the meter stays on the shorter the battery life so only extend the meter time if you really need it You can adjust it from 4 s to No limit Easy enough Self Timer Delay Custom setting C3 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 273 D300 page 280 The D300S and D300 vary the name of this setting by one word The D3008S calls it Self timer while the D300 calls it Self timer delay It works exactly the same way When you select self timer on the Release mode dial and press the Shutter release button the self timer activates and waits for the Self timer delay to end and then fires the shutter You can adjust the time of this delay from 2 seconds to 20 seconds When you set your camera s self timer for those group shots or self portraits do you find yourself running like a wild person trying to get in position before the camera fires Have you ever knocked anyone or anything down or tripped and 308 made a fool of yourself in the process Come on now admi
39. affected Also remember that image compression is Shooting menu bank specific which means that you can control it separately for each of your camera s four Shooting menu banks TIFF RGB files are not compressed in the D300 S which is one reason the file sizes are so large for the TIFF format Final Image Format Ramblings Which format do I prefer Why RAW of course But it does require a bit of a commitment to shoot in this format The camera is simply an image capturing device and you are the image manipulator You decide the final format compression ratios sizes color balances etc In NEF RAW mode you have the absolute best image your camera can produce It is not modified by the camera s software and is ready for your personal touch No camera processing allowed If you get nothing else from this chapter section remember this by letting your camera process the images in any way it is modifying or throwing away image data There is only a finite amount of data for each image that can be stored on your camera and later on the computer With JPEG or TIFF mode your camera optimizes the image according to the assumptions recorded in its memory Data is being thrown away permanently in varying amounts If you want to keep all of the image data that was recorded with your images you must store your originals in RAW format Otherwise you ll never again be able to access that original data to change how it looks
40. and greens Another important consideration for those who will be sending their work to companies that use offset printing such as book and magazine publishers is that Adobe RGB maps very well to the CMYK offset printing process If you are shooting commercial work you may want to seriously consider Adobe RGB Stock photo shooters are nearly always required to shoot in Adobe RGB 193 Active D Lighting User s Manual D300S page 164 D300 page 167 Active D Lighting is used to help control contrast in your images Often the range of light around our subject is broader than our camera s sensor can capture Where the D300 S might be able to capture 6 or 7 EV steps of light the brightness out in the world on a sunny summer day might equal 12 stops in range The contrast is too high Since the camera often cannot grab the full range of light and most people use the histogram to expose for the highlights we ll discuss how in a later chapter some of the image detail will be lost in the shadows The D300 S allows you to D Light the image and bring out additional shadow detail or in other words lower the image contrast Active D Lighting has these settings Auto D300S only Extra High D300S only High Normal Low Off no Active D Lighting Those who are familiar with Nikon Capture NX2 may know how Active D Lighting works since you can use it to bring up lost shadow detail but at the exp
41. balance the image to the correct output colors for the device in use The two color spaces available on the Nikon D300 S have different gamuts or ranges of color SHOOTING MENU Color space Set Picture Control Manage Picture Control LT Color space a GO Active D Lighting Long exp NR Figure 3 37 Choosing a Color space The Nikon D300 S offers these two color spaces sRGB and Adobe RGB Here s how to select your favorite color space see Figure 3 37 and Figure 3 38 1 Choose Color space from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select the Color space that you want to use keeping in mind that Adobe RGB has a larger color gamut 190 3 Press the OK button to lock in your choice The D300S also allows you to access the Color space settings via the shortcut Information display edit screen You simply press the Info button twice and select the color space location then press the OK button see Figure 3 38 The second Color space screen in Figure 3 38 is the same as in Figure 3 37 image 2 and is adjusted by steps 2 and 3 outlined above Color space Figure 3 38 D300S Info display edit screen Color space Adobe RGB uses colors from a broader selection of the total color range it has a wider gamut So if you are taking images that might later be printed Adobe RGB is often the best color space to use see the sidebar Which Color Space Is Best Technically Once a JPEG file is created in
42. bank NEF RAW recording compression if you re using RAW mode for this bank NEF RAW recording gt NEF RAW bit depth 12 or 14 bit White balance Picture Control Color space ISO sensitivity 99 The items listed above are just a few of the items that can be set for each bank They form the basis for how your camera functions when you re using a particular bank These are the items I personally consider most important However you should look at the complete list and decide which are most important to you Each bank can be completely configured with these items having different settings Your D300 S can act like four different cameras since you can select four different banks each having different configurations When you ve finished modifying the items that affect what type of shooting you will do with a bank your camera now has a certain personality for that bank Each bank from A through D can have its own shooting personality The Shooting menu bank selection is also available in the D300S from the Information display edit screen found by pressing the Info button twice E Shooting menu bank est Quality RAW n i est Quality JPEG Shooting menu bank Party JPEG ABCA Rename Figure 3 3 D300S Info display edit screen Shooting menu bank 100 Choose the Shoot A bank A D selection as shown in Figure 3 3 image 1 We ll now consider what the other 21 or 18 configurab
43. bird flies by a road sign briefly interrupts the focus tracking as the bird moves behind it and then re emerges How would you feel if the bright high contrast road sign grabbed the camera s attention and you lost tracking on the bird That would be quite aggravating wouldn t it The D300 S provides Focus tracking with lock on to prevent this from happening The lock on portion of this function helps your camera keep its focus on your subject even if something briefly comes between the camera and subject The camera locks on to your subject doggedly if this function is enabled Without Focus tracking with lock on any bright object that gets between you and your subject may draw the camera s attention and cause you to lose focus on the subject The camera provides a variable time out period for the lock on functionality Lock on time out allows an object that stays between the camera and your subject for a predetermined length of time to attract the camera s attention You can adjust the length of this time out with a time period from Short to Long Here are the screens and steps to configure Focus tracking with lock on see Figure 4 9 265 SE Custom setting bank A i S1 AFC priority selection cmg jj _a Autofocus ai E with lock on DReset custom settings If 2AFS priority selection Autofocus Yy 33 Dynamic AF area i b Metering exposure Focus tracking with lock on GERI EA c Timers AE l
44. c2 Auto meter off delay 6s oy a Autofocus ms 3 Self timer 5s b Metering exposure Monitor off dely F AE lock 41 Beep OFF FE d Shooting display a2 Viewfinder grid display ON e Bracketing flash 43 Viewfinder warning display ON f Controls a4 Screen tips ON c4 Monitor off delay P As hs E Hids 10 s f 20s 20 s ori gt 50 5min lla 10 min Menus Information display Image review 312 Figure 4 29 Monitor off delay D300S only 3 Choose one of the four choices on the menu as shown in Figure 4 29 image 3 Each of these lets you set the Monitor off delay for that specific display They all have the same delay time outs available and they all work exactly the same Scroll to the right 4 Figure 4 29 image 4 shows the actual delay times for the display selected in Figure 4 29 image 3 Playback Choose from 4 seconds to 10 minutes delay time 5 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Now let s see how Monitor off delay works for the D300 It s actually simpler since the camera doesn t let you control the four display time outs individually but instead lumps them all under one time out D300 Only Monitor Off Delay The D300 uses the same Monitor off delay time outs for all displays that use the Monitor Here are the screens and steps to set Monitor off delay see Figure 4 30 fs CUSTOM SETTING MENU Rc Timers AE lock ie c4 Monitor off delay gt Custom setting ban
45. immediate use It will show up as a two letter name in the Shooting Menu next to Set Picture Control You ll see this in Figure 3 19 image 1 where NL shows to the right of Set Picture Control You can also modify the currently highlighted control by scrolling to the right before pressing the OK button This will bring you to the fine tuning screen shown in Figure 3 19 image 3 You can adjust the Sharpening Contrast Brightness 158 Saturation and Hue settings by scrolling up or down to select a line and then right or left to change the value of that line item This is entirely optional If you do choose to modify the control it is not yet a Custom Picture Control since you haven t saved it under a new name Instead it s merely a modified Nikon Picture Control SHOOTING MENU Set Picture Control ity JPEG compression ie ESD Standard NEF RAW recording Manage Picture Control fe Color space Active D Lighting Long exp NR i 2 SGrid Adiust Figure 3 20 An adjusted Nikon Picture Control We ll discuss how to name and save your own Custom Picture Controls in the upcoming section Manage Picture Control Figure 3 20 shows an asterisk after the Vivid control VI Vivid in both Shooting Menu screens see red arrows This asterisk appears after you have made a modification to any of the Picture Control s inner settings such as Sharpening The asterisk will go away if you set the control back
46. normal in the final image Auto gain does that automatically If I need four shots I only want the background to get a 228 quarter of a normal exposure for each shot so that I ll have a normally exposed background when the four shots are taken The reason I mentioned this in such a repetitive fashion is that it took me a little while to wrap my brain around the confusing presentation of this fact in the user s manual Whoever heard of gain meaning dividing something into parts What I think the manual writer was trying to say is that each shot gains a portion of the normal exposure so that in the end the exposure is complete and correct I hope this makes sense to you Auto gain is like an automatic normal exposure divider upper for multiple exposures It divides the exposure into appropriate sections so you won t have to fool with it When should one use Auto gain Only when you have no need for controlling exposure differently for each frame but instead can use an exact division of similar exposures Auto gain works fine if you re not using masks When you use a mask you want a full normal exposure for each of the uncovered non masked sections of the image so Auto gain will not work for this In this case you should use manual exposure with Auto gain turned Off 229 Figure 3 56 Two sample multiple exposures My Recommendation Multiple exposure images can be a lot of fun to create see Figu
47. s review Dynamic area AF then we ll discuss how a larger or smaller number of AF points 9 21 or 51 might help us with autofocus see Figure 4 7 Dynamic area AF mode works by allowing you to control a single AF point using it to initiate good focus You can move your selected 260 AF point among the 51 points in the Viewfinder by using the Multi Selector Once good focus has been achieved with your selected AF point the camera can track the subject even if your selected AF point loses focus on the subject It does this by allowing you to select patterns of extra AF points surrounding your single selected AF point The patterns are 9 points 21 points and 51 points There s even a 51 points 3D tracking mode available which works great for subjects moving erratically including toward or away from you Figure 4 7 shows the patterns in red that would be active if you were using the center AF point in the Viewfinder Of course if you select 51 points all the AF points are active If you select 9 points or 21 points you can move the entire smaller pattern around the Viewfinder using the Multi Selector Unfortunately you can only see the primary selected AF point moving in the Viewfinder not the pattern You ll have to imagine one of the red patterns moving with your selected AF point which will be in the center of the pattern oo OO 00 ETATE ROBE NS ON GREBS DAR Figure 4 7 Viewfinder with AF point comparis
48. t have the large wireless range and multiple modes the powerful WT 4 transmitter offers but I can shoot an event within 50 90 feet of my notebook computer and have immediate Ad Hoc file transfer wirelessly 520 Now I can do a photographic walkabout downtown and stop in at a McDonalds or Starbucks for a burger coffee and a free wireless connection and transfer my images to the home computer while I eat I really like this little Eye Fi card 521 Firmware Version User s Manual D300S page 314 D300 page 328 Firmware version is a simple informational screen like the Battery info screen It informs you which version of the camera s operating system firmware you are running Figure 5 46 shows the firmware version after I updated from 1 00 FIG 24B shows the screens while I was doing an update from version 1 00 to 1 01 on my D300S Here are the screens and steps to see the Firmware version see Figure 5 46 1 Choose Firmware version from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right 2 Examine the update version When Done press the OK button SETUP MENU Firmware version n Image authentication 7 Copyright information Save load settings Figure 5 46 Firmware version screens 522 Upgrading Your Camera s Firmware From time to time Nikon will release a firmware upgrade for your camera You may want to install this upgrade because it often fixes bugs speeds things up and even adds features to you
49. this and press the OK button all your new settings will be applied to a new JPEG image with a separate file number Now let s look at the screens and steps involved with converting from NEF RAW to JPEG in camera see Figure 6 10 to Figure 6 21 D RETOUCH MENU 3 NEF RAW processing NEF RAW es Dtighting i tat Image quality gt Red eye correction Trim m Monochrome 100 15 ma ye Paioe 53 Filter effects Color balance KA i TE Image overlay 1106 52 __ 100 ne 1100 Pens NEF RAW processing ani Zoom Ha ne GZoom N Figure 6 10 NEF RAW processing 1 Select NEF RAW processing from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 6 10 image 1 2 Select a RAW image from the list with the Multi Selector and then press the OK button see Figure 6 10 549 image 2 Now we ll look closely at each setting found on the screen shown in Figure 6 10 image 3 Select one of the Image quality settings FINE NORM or BASIC from the Image quality menu see Figure 6 11 FINE gives you the best possible quality in a JPEG image Select the setting you want to use and then press the OK button to return to the main NEF RAW processing configuration screen You can cancel the operation with the Playback button NEF RAW processing NEF RAW processing Image quality FINE gt ECO S am N carce Zoom OKHOK Cancel Zoom ONOK Figure 6 11 Image quality Select one of the Image
50. work fine with just one card If you have Primary slot selection set to the SD slot with a CF card in the CF slot and then accidentally leave the SD card out of the camera the camera is smart enough to use whatever card type it can find in this case the CF card 113 Secondary Slot Function D300S Only User s Manual D300S page 72 Secondary slot function is available on the Nikon D300S but not the D300 It s designed to let you do image flow control Here is a description of the three different ways you can configure the Secondary slot function setting Overflow Have you ever gotten the dreaded Card full message Well if you select Overflow it will take a lot longer to get this message Overflow writes all images to the card you have selected under Primary slot selection Then when the primary card is full the rest of the images are sent to the secondary card The image number shown on the Control panel will go down as you take pictures and they are written to the primary card When the image count nears zero the camera will switch to the secondary card and the available image count number on the Control panel will increase to however many images will fit on the secondary card It is not necessary to use the same size card when using this function The camera will merely fill up all available space on both cards as you take pictures Backup This function is a backup method for those shooting critica
51. you d see a subject behind all the symbols on the Monitor see Figure 8 2 Hand held see Figure 8 2 image 1 This mode is for those who want to use the Monitor to compose general images This is sort of like a point and shoot image composition mode for the D300 S since this is how point and shoot camera users are accustomed to taking pictures Hand held mode works best when photographing moving subjects or when framing angles that make it difficult to use the Viewfinder It uses phase detection autofocus just like the Viewfinder which requires the mirror to move down to get good focus When you take a picture the Monitor will black out briefly as the reflex mirror drops to focus and then the picture is taken The image will appear on the Monitor for your review You can move the AF point around the central 5 1 point area just like when you use the Viewfinder while shooting in Single point or Dynamic area autofocus modes If you use Auto area AF the central 51 point area is blank since the camera decides which focus points to use You can zoom in up to three times 3x magnification with the Playback zoom in button before starting autofocus Tripod see Figure 8 2 image 2 This mode uses contrast detect autofocus activated by the AF ON button to provide extreme focus accuracy You can move a bigger red focus square to any location on the screen and then use the AF ON button to get 589 autofocus Once you
52. 1 Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right Figure 4 80 image 1 2 Highlight Release button to use dial and scroll to the right Figure 4 80 image 2 3 Choose Yes or No from the list In Figure 4 80 image 3 No has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I haven t found this function useful for myself However a person with certain physical disabilities may find this to be a very useful function No Memory Card Custom setting f10 D300S and f9 D300 User s Manual D300S page 299 D300 page 310 No memory card defaults to locking the shutter when you try to take an image without a memory card inserted in the camera By enabling it you can take pictures without a memory card 418 The only useful reason I can see for doing so is when you are using Nikon Camera Control Pro software to send pictures directly to your computer that software is not included with the camera Here are the two settings LOCK Release locked If you choose this default setting your camera will refuse to release the shutter when there is no memory card present OK Enable release Use this setting if you want to use the optional Camera Control Pro 2 software to send images from the camera directly to the computer Here are the screens and steps used to configure No memory card see Figure 4 81 i _ CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls Ss f
53. 1280x720 16 9 aspect ratio or 720p This is sufficient resolution to be displayed on an HD device such as an HDTV The file format used by the D300S s video is the popular Audio Video Interleave AVI format This is handled by virtually all computer movie players and is the default format for Microsoft Windows Media Player The actual video frames recorded inside the AVI file are in Open DML JPEG video and Motion JPEG format 607 A computer should display any of the video formats as will a standard TV SDTV Any of the video modes including the 720p HD 1280x720 will play on your SDTV through the included in the box AV cable The HD mode displays in the wide screen format with a black space at the top and bottom of the picture Using an HDMI mini type C to HDMI standard type A cable you can play full HD videos on an HDTV An HDMI cable is not included with the camera They are easily available online and in many electronics stores We ll talk more about how to display video in a later section which includes pictures of the cables My Recommendation I like to shoot longer videos so I often use the 640x424 mode It has enough resolution that I can display it on my computer monitor and it easily works on a standard television SDTV for grandma and grandpa to see If their TV doesn t have RCA jacks to plug in the AV cable their VCR usually does The 20 minute length of 640x424 is usually sufficient for what I am shootin
54. 2 Notice that in the first screen of Figure 4 2 Custom setting bank has an A after it This means that your camera is using bank A If any letter other than A is showing you are in a different Custom setting bank Set the bank to A and we ll add a new name so that you ll be able to see at a glance what this particular bank is set up to accomplish Scroll to the right see Figure 4 2 image 2 247 3 Assuming that you have not yet renamed any of your Custom setting banks you ll see the four blank default banks called A B C and D and a selection called ABC Rename see Figure 4 2 image 2 Scroll down to ABC Rename and scroll to the right 4 Your screen will now look like the fourth screen in Figure 4 2 This is the bank rename screen You ll see a series of characters on top with a line of dashes below The dashes are where we will put our text to rename the bank In the upper left corner of the characters area is a blank spot that represents a blank character for insertion in the line of text Use the Multi Selector to scroll through the numbers and letters to find the characters you want to use If you scroll down past the uppercase letters you ll find some lowercase letters too Press the Multi selector center button on the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector on the D300 to select a character Keep selecting new characters until you have the entire bank name in place If you make a mistake hold down the Thumbnai
55. 236 Interval Timer Shooting User s Manual D300S page 189 D300 page 191 Interval timer shooting allows you to set your camera up to shoot a series of images over time Make sure you have a full battery or are connected to a full time power source for images taken over long periods of time The first step in using Interval timer shooting is to make sure that your Time zone and date D300S or World time D300 are set correctly in the Setup Menu of your camera see the heading Time Zone and Date or World Time in the chapter titled Chapter 5 If you don t have the camera s time and date information set the Interval timer shooting menu selection will be grayed out and you won t be able to use it see Figure 3 61 ee SHOOTING MENU Interval timer shooting je Interval timer shooting A Active ive Dighting illic Choose start time ley oStart time g Long exp NR _ j y High ISO NR E ISO sensitivity settings En Live view mode 20 00 j 15 3 30 TE Multiple exposure 00 01 00 Mm 00 01 00 Movie settings q 001 x1 0001 001 x1 0001 interval timer shooting MA T T EE erval timer shooting B Interval timer shooting O Olnterval l select intvis Xno of shots E T wi l4 moaz A 0006 p3 Pe OP T eo 15 30 15 30 300 00 10 00 0010 001 x 1 0001 003 x 2 0006 6003 x2 0006 ED Moe Set 13 31 Move Set 13 31 Move Set 13 32 Figure 3 61 Interval timer shooting configuration 237 The sc
56. 3 62 Timer is active If you re shooting a timed interval during daylight hours be sure to use the little black eyepiece cap DK 5 supplied with your camera Otherwise changes in the light from behind the camera could cause the exposure to be inaccurate To pause or stop an interval and cease timer operations simply select Interval timer shooting from the Shooting Menu 240 and scroll to the right see Figure 3 63 This won t work if your intervals are very close together Notice how Figure 3 63 image 1 shows that Interval timer shooting is proving that an interval is in progress After scrolling to the right you can select Pause or Off from the screen with the bright green In progress bar see Figure 3 63 image 2 At the bottom of the screen you will also see the starting time Now will show a series of dashes as shown current interval delay and number of intervals and shots remaining in case you don t want to pause or stop it but just want to see how things are going SHOOTING MENU I Interval timer shooting Gy Active D Lighting Start Long exp NR base OR High ISO NR ISO sensitivity settings 7 gt In progress Live view mode mm TE Multiple exposure 00 01 30 Movie settings E 3001 x2 0002 Interval timer shooting ON Va Move Set 14 28 Figure 3 63 Checking on operations between intervals The number of intervals remaining will be displayed on the Control panel in the same sp
57. 3 step This allows me to carefully fine tune the ISO sensitivity value for precise exposures EV Steps for Exposure Cntrl Custom setting b2 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 270 D300 page 275 EV steps for exposure cntrl refers to the number of steps in the shutter speed and aperture since those are your main exposure controls It also encompasses the exposure bracketing system Just as with the ISO sensitivity covered in the last section you can control the number of steps in the full range of exposure values Here are the three settings available for exposure control 287 1 3 step EV is 1 3 step bracketing can be 1 3 1 2 or 1 EV 1 2 step EV is 1 2 step bracketing can be 1 2 or 1 EV step EV and bracketing are 1 EV each Here are the screens and steps used to adjust EV steps for exposure cntrl see Figure 4 18 SR esa __bMetering exposure fe Custom setting bank A RE sensitivity step value B HhReset custom settings V steps for ex e entri I a Autofocus 2 ps for exposul b3 Exp comp fine tune mise g expos b4 Easy exposure compensation OFF 12 1 2 step c Timers AE lock 1 v5 Center weishted area 8 tstep d Shooting display E b6Fine tune optimal exposure Bracketing flash amp Shutterrelease button AEL ON jf f Controls c2 Auto meter off delay 6s Figure 4 18 EV steps for exposure cntrl 1 Select b Metering exposure from the Custom Setting Menu and scr
58. 40 years When Live View first came out my initial thought was gimmick However after shooting macro shots with Live View the ease of use has changed my thinking When I need extreme focusing accuracy I ve found that the Tripod mode of Live View is superior to using the Viewfinder If you re an experienced DSLR photographer try shooting some macros with Live View I think you ll find that your work improves and your back feels much better too If you ve come over from the point and shoot world with your new D300 S then use Live View if it makes you comfortable at first However please realize that it is difficult to make sharp images when you are waving a heavy DSLR around at arm s length while composing a picture on the Monitor The extra weight of the DSLR will tire your arms needlessly Learn to use the Viewfinder for most work and Live View for specialized pictures as needed Both image composition tools are useful This chapter is divided into two sections Live View Mode Section One and D Movie Mode Section Two I grouped 586 these two camera functions together because D Movie mode uses a form of Live View to make videos Live View is for still images while D Movie is for videos First in section one we ll examine Live View since it applies to both the D300S and D300 Of course the later D Movie mode in section two only applies to the D300S since the older D300 does not make movies D Movie mod
59. A RAW file is the 134 closest thing to a film negative or a transparency that your digital camera can make That s important if you would like to modify the image later If you are concerned with maximum quality you should probably shoot and store your images in RAW or even TIFF format Later when you have the urge to make another masterpiece out of the original RAW image file you ll have all of your original data intact for the highest quality image If you re concerned that the RAW format may change too much over time to be readable by future generations you might want to convert your images into TIFF or JPEG files TIFF is best if you want to modify them later I often save a TIFF version of my best files just in case RAW changes too much in the future Why not do a little more research on this subject and decide which you like best My Recommendation I shoot in NEF RAW format for my most important work and JPEG fine for the rest Some people find that JPEG fine is sufficient for everything they shoot Those individuals generally do not like working with files in computer or do not have time NEF RAW files are not yet usable images and must be converted to another format However RAW provides the highest possible quality your camera can create You ll use both RAW and JPEG I m sure The format you use most often will be controlled by your time constraints and digital workflow Most of us use TIFF only when we con
60. ADL bracketing 1 Using Figure 4 55 image 3 as a guide set your camera to ADL bracketing 373 2 Hold down the Fn FUNC button and turn the rear Main command dial to select the number of frames you want in the bracket 1 to 5 images You ll see AdL on the top left of the Control panel and the number of frames in the bracket series on the top right SF Figure 4 60 shows a bracket of five frames which means that the camera will use all five available levels of Active D Lighting as the five images are taken 3 You ll only be able to see hanging lines under the scale for four of the shots an arrow points to the right for the fifth Custom setting e7 gt Bracketing order does not apply to ADL bracketing 4 Take the bracketed series If you use Continuous release CL or CH you can shoot the number of frames in your bracket by holding down the Shutter release button Once the bracket is complete the camera will stop firing As each shot is taken you ll see one of the vertical lines just above the BKT symbol disappear Figure 4 60 Five frame bracket My Recommendation This is a great way to capture very important shots and try to get extra shadow detail and highlight protection in some of them You may not need ADL 374 bracketing on all shots but on very important images where you were slightly off on your exposure selection ADL will help to open shadows adding noise unfortunately and mildly protect
61. AF ON only and I would change Custom setting al AF C priority selection to Release priority That 271 would let me use my thumb to autofocus with the AF ON button while my index finger is on the Shutter release button firing bursts of images using the Continuous high CH frame rate I would only autofocus when needed and would use depth of field to cover small focus variations That way I could get as many pictures into my camera as possible for later publication choices AF Point Illumination Custom setting a6 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 266 D300 page 271 AF point illumination helps you see the currently active AF points when you first start autofocus You ve seen the little squares trepresenting the active AF point or points in the Viewfinder when they briefly appear in red and then turn black Sometimes the Viewfinder is dark and it might be difficult to see a black square If AF point illumination is turned Off you ll still have the black square that represents your selected AF point but you may not be able to see it If you set AF point illumination to Auto or On the point will flash red when you first start autofocus or move the AF point with the Multi Selector There are three selections on the AF point illumination screen These affect how the AF points are displayed when active Here s a list of each selection and a description of their functions 272 Auto If the Vie
62. AF mode see text box More AF Points Can Mean Slower Autofocus Response Time The more active AF points you select the slower the autofocus system s response to initial autofocus will be Fewer AF points mean faster AF However use the number of points you need to capture pictures of your selected subject The D300S has a more powerful microprocessor base than the D300 since it also has to process D Movies It performs better in low light environments when you have 51 points selected If the light is low and you are shooting events like a wedding or graduation youll need to make sure that the 51 point settings are fast enough for your use Experiment with this before you use 51 points to shoot an indoor event Although the D300S is faster I still use 21 points most often Neither camera is a slowpoke but this is one of the trade offs we made by not buying a D3 D3s or D3x Experiment so that you know your camera well Just trying to save you some missed shots at critical times Focus Tracking with Lock On Custom setting a4 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 266 D300 page 270 264 Focus tracking with lock on allows you to select the length of time that your camera will ignore an intruding object that blocks your subject In other words let s say you are focused on a bird flying past you As you pan the camera with the bird s movement the autofocus system tracks it and keeps it in good focus As the
63. Autofocus 3 Multi selector b Metering exposure 4 Photo info playback F E c Timers AE lock Ai Assign Fn button BU d Shooting display 6 Assign preview button Bracketing flash B4 17 Assign AEL AF button i onpress b e I 8 Customize command dials 112 Fn button dials BKT 5 Assign Fn button ELSE E Fn button press Matrix metering wyi enter weighted metering a Playback amp Access top item in MY MENU e E NEF RAW Fn button press None i None BIZA Fr button dials BKT gt Figure 4 72 Assign Fn FUNC button 399 o CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls i 46 Assign preview button lt Custom setting bank 11 switch ji Reset custom settings 2 Multi selector center button 7 y a Autofocus 13 Multi selector b Metering exposure 4 Photo info playback C Timers AE lock 5 Assign Fn button R d Shooting display e Bracketing fiash 17 Assign AEL AFL button I ep Preview button press gt f 8 Customize command dials IEA Preview command dials OFF 6 Assign preview button 5 6 Assign preview button a button press Preview command dials i Em FV lock Ne if 1 step spd aperture AE AF lock j her tPU Choose nom CPU lens number fa AE lock only ZJ BKT Auto bracketing R amp S AE lock Reset on release to Dynamic AF area G amp D AE lock Hold button press j Bt AF lock ony i o CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls Custom setting bank 11 switch y Reset custom settings p 12M
64. Capturing a Bird in Flight Let s imagine that you are photographing a bird perched in a tree but you want some shots of it in flight You are patiently waiting for it to fly Your camera is set to Dynamic area AF with all 51 points active so that autofocus never fully locks and will track the bird instantly when it starts flying You ve already established focus with the AF point you selected using the Multi Selector and you are holding the Shutter release button halfway down to maintain focus You ve also set the Release mode to CH Continuous high so that you can fire off rapid bursts of images 6 8 per second Suddenly and faster than you can react the bird takes to flight By the time you can get the camera moving the bird has moved to the left in the Viewfinder and the focus tracking system has reacted by instantly switching away from the primary AF point you established focus with and is now using other 726 AF points in the pattern of 51 to maintain focus on the bird You press the Shutter release button all the way down and the images start pouring into your memory card You are panning with the bird firing bursts until it moves out of range You ve got the shot See chapter opening image of the eagle by David Summers This is a perfect example of using AF and focus tracking successfully Can you see how flexible Dynamic area AF is especially when you adjust the patterns in Custom setting a3 If your subject
65. Choose folder D300 Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Assignable Function List Assignable Function List Menus and playback Menus and playback Custom setting f9 D300S and f8 D300 Custom setting f9 D300S and f8 D300 Custom setting f11 D300S and f10 D300 Custom setting f11 D300S and f10 D300 811 al Custom setting al D300S and D300 a10 Custom setting aio D300S and D300 a2 Custom setting al D300S and D300 a3 Using Custom settings al and a2 a4 Custom setting a4 D300S and D300 a5 Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 a6 Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 a7 Custom setting a6 D300S and D300 a8 Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 a9 Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 b1 Section Two b Metering Exposure Custom Settings b1 to b6 b2 Custom setting b1 D300S and D300 b3 Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 b4 Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 b5 Custom setting b5 D300S and D300 b6 Custom setting b6 D300S and D300 cl Section Three c Timers AE Lock Custom Settings c1 to c4 c2 Custom setting c1 D300S and D300 c3 Custom setting C2 D300S and D300 c4 Custom setting C4 D300S and
66. Color Balance User s Manual D300S page 323 D300 page 338 Color balance lets you deliberately add various tones to your pictures You can visually add a light or strong color cast You might just want to warm things up a bit by adding a touch of red or cool things down with a touch of blue Or you could get creative and simply add various color casts to the picture for special effects You ll see what I mean when you try it You can tone the image with the following color casts Green 542 Blue Amber Magenta Here are the screens and steps to modify the Color balance in your image see Figure 6 8 ce _RETOUCH MENU __ J Color balance D ishting Redeye correction Cancel Save Figure 6 8 Color balance screens 1 Select Color balance from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 6 8 image 1 2 Select the image you want to modify see Figure 6 8 image 2 3 Use the Multi Selector to move the tiny black indicator square in the center of the color box toward whatever colors make you happy see Figure 6 8 image 3 Watch the histograms as they display the changing color relationships between the red green and blue color channels You can see the color changes or casts as they are applied to the small version of your image in the upper left corner of the final Color balance screen 4 Press the Playback button to cancel or the OK button to save the new image under a new file
67. Continuous low speed CH Continuous high speed Q D300S or LV D300 Self timer MUP Mirror Up 730 In the good old film days some of the release modes would have been called motor drive settings since they are concerned with how fast the camera is allowed to take pictures We ve already talked about these modes to some degree in the consideration of the AF area modes Single Frame S Mode This is the simplest frame rate since it takes a single picture each time you press the Shutter release button fully No speed here This is for those shooting a few frames at a time Nature shooters will often use this mode since they are more concerned with correct depth of field and excellent composition Continuous Low Speed CL Mode This mode allows you to select a frame rate between 1 frame per second and 6 frames per second FPS If you have an MB D10 battery pack mounted on your D300 S you can also select 7 FPS The camera cannot shoot over 6 FPS without the MB D10 battery pack although it will allow you to select 7 FPS The default frame rate from the factory is 3 FPS which seems about right for most of us If you want more or less speed simply adjust Custom setting d5 in the D300S or d4 in the D300 and select your favorite frame speed 731 Continuous High Speed CH Mode This high speed mode is designed for when you want to go fast always The camera will attempt to capture 6 frames per second every
68. D300 d1 Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 d10 D300 Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 d10 D300S Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 d11 D300 Custom setting d11 D300S and d10 D300 d11 D300S Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 di2 D300S Custom setting d11 D300S and d10 D300 d2 Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 812 d3 Custom setting d2 D300S and D300 d4 D300 Custom setting d4 D300S Only d4 D300S Custom setting d3 D300S and D300 d5 D300 Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 d5 D300S Custom setting d4 D300S Only d6 D300 Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 d D300S Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 d7 D300 Custom setting d7 D300S and d6 D300 d7 D300S Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 d8 D300 Custom setting d9 D300S and d8 D300 d8 D300S Custom setting d7 D300S and d6 D300 d9 D300 Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 d9 D300S Custom setting d9 D300S and d8 D300 el Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings e1 to e7 e2 Special Shutter Speed Setting X Flash Sync Speed e3 Custom setting e3 D300S and D300 e4 Commander Mode Notes e5 Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 e6 Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 e7 Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 f1 D300 Custom setting f1 D300S only f1 D300S Section Six f Controls Custom Settings fl to fll f10 D300 Custom setting f11
69. D300 S for GPS use First a decision should be made about the exposure meter when a GPS unit is plugged into the camera While the GPS is plugged in the camera s exposure meter must be active to record GPS data to the image Yov ll have to do one of two things Set the exposure meter to stay on for the entire time that a GPS is plugged in which of course will increase battery drain Press the Shutter release button halfway down to activate the exposure meter before finishing the exposure If you just push the Shutter release button down quickly and the GPS is not active and locked it won t record GPS data to the image The meter must be on before GPS will seek satellites Figure 5 33 shows the screens used to set the meter to stay on the entire time the GPS is connected or to act normally and shut down after the Auto meter off delay expires see Custom setting C2 defaults to 6 seconds You can select either Enable or Disable Here s what each does Enable default The meter turns off after the Auto meter off delay expires as set in Custom setting C2 GPS data will only be recorded when the exposure meter is active so allow some time for the GPS unit to re acquire satellites before taking a picture 499 Disable The exposure meter stays on the entire time a GPS unit is connected As long as you have good GPS signal you will be able to record GPS data at any time This is the preferred setti
70. D300 S to balance at about 6000K which makes nice warm looking images If you want to really warm the image up set the controls to Shade which sets the camera to 8000K 678 On the other hand if you want to make the image appear cool or bluish try using the Fluorescent 4200K or Incandescent 3000K settings in normal daylight Remember the color temperature shifts from cool values to warm values The D300 S can record your images with any color temperature from 2500K very cool or bluish to 10 000K very warm or reddish and any major value in between There s no need to carry different film emulsions or filters to deal with light color range The D300 S has very easy to use color temperature controls and a full range of color temperatures available There are two separate methods for setting the white balance on the D300 S Method I Manual WB using the WB button and selecting options Method 2 Manual WB using the Shooting Menu and selecting options We ll consider each of these methods since you may prefer to use different methods according to the amount of time you have to shoot and the color accuracy you want Most critical photographers will use method number two the PRE PrE measurement method 679 Method 1 Manual White Balance Using the WB Button User s Manual D300S page 134 D300 page 128 Sometimes we might simply want to control the WB in a totally manual way This method an
71. D300S and f3 D300 Assign Fn button f5 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Assign FUNC button f4 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Assign preview button f5 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Assign preview button f6 D300S Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Authentication Image Image Authentication Auto Rotate Tall Setting the ISO Sensitivity Settings Multiple Exposure Custom setting cl D300S and D300 Custom setting d8 D300S and d7 D300 Custom setting d8 D300S and d7 D300 Custom setting e1 D300S and D300 Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 HDMI 799 Bracketing Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Bracketing Mode M Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 FP Custom setting e1 D300S and D300 Gain multiple exposure Multiple Exposure Image rotation Rotate Tall HDMI Information display color Custom setting d8 D300S and d7 D300 ISO sensitivity Setting the ISO Sensitivity Settings Meter off delay c2 Custom setting c1 D300S and D300 Shooting info display color Custom setting d8 D300S and d7 D300 Auto bracketing Mode M Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Auto FP high speed sync Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings e1 to e7 Auto image rotation Rotate Tall HDMI Auto meter off delay c2 Custom setting cl D300S and D300 Auto area AF Dynamic area AF Autofocus Naming Variances betw
72. Date format from the list I have my camera set to M D Y Month Day Year 3 Press the OK button to lock in the Date format Daylight saving time Many areas of the United States observe Daylight saving time In the spring many American residents set their clocks forward by one hour on a specified day each year Then in the fall they set them back leading to the clever saying spring forward fall back Figure 5 17 continues from one of the screens in Figure 5 13 458 Time zone and date SE Time zone and date Time zone Daylight saving time Date and time Date format Daylight saving time New York Toronto Lima UTC 5 01 11 2010 14 15 29 Figure 5 17 Daylight saving time screens 1 Choose Daylight saving time from the Time zone and date screen and scroll to the right see Figure 5 17 image 1 2 Figure 5 17 image 2 shows you the two choices for Daylight saving time On or Off If you select On your camera will automatically spring forward and fall back adjusting your time forward by one hour in the spring and back one hour in the fall If you select Off you ll have to change the clock manually 3 Press the OK button to lock in the setting 459 Language User s Manual D300S page 303 D300 page 316 Nikon is a company that sells cameras and lenses around the world For that reason the D300S can display its screens and menus in up to 17 languages and the D300 has 15 The cam
73. Image Dust Off ref photo dene annnm Take photo of bright Li Battery info Li Start oH a featureless white object E Wireless transmitter 10 em frol image authentication Gean sensor and then start Focus Copyright information Save load settings Figure 5 22 Image Dust Off ref photo screens 1 Select Image Dust Off ref photo D300S or Dust Off ref photo D300 from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right There is also a Clean sensor and then start selection However since I want to remove dust on current pictures I won t use this setting It might remove the dust bunny that is imprinted on the last 500 images I just shot PI clean my sensor after I get a good Image Dust Off ref photo 2 Choose Start and press the OK button After you ve selected Start and OK you ll see the word rEF in the Viewfinder and on the Control panel This simply means that we are ready to create the image 3 Once the camera is ready hold the lens about 4 inches 10 cm away from the blank subject The camera will not try to autofocus during the process which is good because you want the lens at infinity anyway We are not trying to take a viewable picture we re just creating an image that shows where the dust is on the sensor Focus is not important and neither is minor camera shake If you try to take the picture and the subject is not bright enough or if it s too bright you will see the screen shown in Figure 5 23 If you are ha
74. In addition with the D300S we can make very high quality 720p HD movies by using the new D Movie mode Sample D300S Image Before we move on here s a highly manipulated sample art image from my Nikon D300S and Nikkor 16 85mm f 3 5 5 6G lens see Figure 7 10 582 Figure 7 10 Glenmore Mansion Jefferson City TN USA Five image color HDR tone mapped in Photomatix Pro 3 and converted to monochrome in Photoshop CS4 channel mixer with extreme red channel emphasis Nikon D300S AF S Nikkor 16 8smm f 3 5 5 6 G ED VR lens at 16mm Camera settings Shutter speed varies five exposures Aperture f 8 ISO sensitivity Lo 1 0 Picture Control SD Meter mode Matrix Exposure mode Aperture priority auto 583 Chapter 8 Live View and D Movie Modes 584 Sol Duc Valley Stream Courtesy of Daniel Stainer spiritualized67 585 Live View is one of the new features that many old timers love to hate New DSLR users generally like to use it initially since they are accustomed to composing on the LCD screen of a point and shoot camera Both types of users should reconsider Live View An old timer who is used to using only the Viewfinder to compose images might find that some types of shooting are easier with Live View Point and shoot graduates may want to see if they can improve image sharpness by using the Viewfinder I ve been using SLR DSLR rangefinder and point and shoot cameras for over
75. Live View or D Movie Modes You can also use the Focus mode selector on the front of the camera to choose Manual mode M and then focus manually Or you can set the M A M A M M or A M switch on the lens varies with the lens type to M for manual focus in Live View or D Movie modes Setting any of the manual focus switches on the lens or camera to M immediately disables the autofocus system for Live View or D Movie modes Most people can hear three distinct clicks when taking a picture in either Hand held or Tripod mode Two of them are made by mirror movement and the final by the shutter firing If you are inexperienced with Live View and are using Hand held mode it is very easy to mistake the sound of the mirror slapping as the camera autofocuses for the shutter firing If you hold the Shutter release button halfway down in Hand held mode the screen will go dark as the mirror moves 591 and autofocus happens You can re autofocus at any time in Hand held mode by holding the Shutter release button halfway down You must press the Shutter release button all the way down and wait a moment for the camera to take the image In order to get a picture in either of the Live View modes listen for three distinct clicks as you hold down the Shutter release button and the picture is taken If you are using Hand held mode and hear only one or two clicks you may not be taking pictures The main clue is whether the camera dis
76. Mode that does monitor pre flashes to determine correct exposure for the pop up flash You can set compensation Comp between 3 0 and 3 0 EV in 1 3 EV steps M This allows you to choose a manual flash level between 1 1 full power to 1 128 1 128 of full power I call this the double dash mode This disables the pop up flash from adding light to the image The primary light burst from the pop up flash will not fire However the pop up flash still must fire the monitor pre flashes to determine a correct exposure and to communicate with 357 any flash units out there in Group A or Group B that it is commanding Group A or B These groups represent groups of an unlimited number of remote mode slaved Speedlights that your camera can control and fire under the Nikon Creative Lighting System CLS Each group has four settings that apply to each flash unit in that group TTL AA M Following is a description of each setting TTL This works like Built in flash except that it causes all flash units being controlled in each Group to use TTL i TTL for that group You can also set compensation Comp between 3 0 and 3 0 EV in 1 3 EV steps Comp will affect all flash units in that group AA This stands for Auto aperture and is only available when your D300 S is contolling an SB 900 or SB 800 Speedlight flash unit in slave mode on a bank This is an older technology that does not use the
77. Modeling flash c Timers AE lock 81 Flash sync speed i ante Figure 4 44 Shooting display screens 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 44 image 1 2 Highlight LCD illumination and scroll to the right see Figure 4 44 image 2 3 Choose one of the two choices on the list In Figure 4 44 image 3 Off has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation This setting will affect battery life since backlights pull a lot of power so I wouldn t suggest using the On setting unless you really need it You always have the Power switch On Off Backlight surrounding the Shutter release button to manually turn the light on when needed Exposure Delay Mode Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 User s Manual D300S page 278 D300 page 285 338 Exposure delay mode introduces a delay of about one second after the Shutter release button is pressed and the reflex mirror raised before the shutter is actually released Hopefully during the one second delay camera vibrations will die down and the image will be sharper There are two settings available in Exposure delay mode see Figure 4 45 On The camera first raises the reflex viewing mirror and then waits about one second before firing the shutter This allows the vibrations from the mirror movement to dissipate before the shutter fires Of course this
78. Of course if any sticky pollen or other wet dust gets into my camera I m sure even the vibration system won t be able to remove that Then it may be time for wet cleaning 440 o SETUP MENU E Clean image sensor e Format memory card g LCD brightness Lock mirror up for cleaning Video mode HDMI World time Language Clean image sensor _ Clean image sensor Cleaning image sensor Figure 5 6 Clean now screens Figure 5 6 and Figure 5 7 show the screens used to automatically clean the camera s sensor Clean now This option allows you to clean the sensor anytime you feel like it If you detect a dust spot or just get nervous because you are in a dusty environment with your D300 S you can simply select Clean now and the camera will execute a cleaning cycle 1 Select Clean now from the Setup Menu as shown in Figure 5 6 image 2 and then scroll to the right or press the OK button This starts automatic cleaning 2 While the cleaning is taking place you can briefly hear faint squeaking sounds if you hold your ear close to the 441 camera A screen will appear that says Cleaning image sensor When the process is complete another screen will appear that says Done Then the camera switches back to the Setup Menu Now let s look at how we can select an active method for regular sensor cleaning see Figure 5 7 ez SETUP MENU Clean image sensor ID Clean image sensor E Clean at startup s
79. Select Image authentication from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select On or Off from the Image authentication screen Figure 5 28 image 2 3 Press the OK button to lock in your choice 4 Take a picture and check the Playback screen to see if the authentication seal is showing see Figure 5 27 My Recommendation After a little thought I decided to set my camera s Image authentication to On I figure that one day Ill be sitting in the car waiting for the wife at the local superstore and a very important news event will occur right next to my car I won t even have to get out of the car In order to get my Pulitzer Prize I ll want to be able to prove later that the images I took have not been modified in any way ll have to buy the Nikon Image Authentication software to prove it but with the money I ll make from these images it ll be worth it If you work for a law enforcement agency or cover wars and presidential elections or news of 485 various sorts turn this on immediately Later you can prove that you have not modified the image 486 Copyright Information D300S Only User s Manual D300S page 309 o SETUP MENU Copyright information Copyright information Image comment T Auto image rotation e GR Done gy mase Dust Off ref photo Artist Battery info l E Wireless transmitter Copyright Copyright je Image authentication F N P O Attach copyright information am
80. This is a completely automatic mode and will adjust to distances along with the various shutter speeds and apertures your camera is using e Bracketing flash E e3 Flash entrl for built in flash i 81 Flash sync speed il my Manual Qa oa amp 4 Modeling flash r3 e5 Auto bracketing set gt APTS Repeating flash Auto bracketing Mode M C Commander mode amp 7 Bracketing order IED 1 switch Figure 4 51 Flash cntrl for built in flash Manual mode M Manual see Figure 4 51 This mode allows you to manually control the output of your flash The range of settings can go from Full power to 1 128 and a range of settings in between 354 e Bracketing flash e3Flash cntri for builtin flash e3 Flash entri for built in flash i 81 Flash sync speed vaa j E Repeating flash e2 Flash shutter speed LAIP 2 Flash cntrl for builtin flash IMERIT PEAS Output Times Frequency amp 4 Modeling flash OFF BB 1 32 10 OLH e5 Auto bracketing set i p l 1 e8 Auto bracketing Mode M amp 7 Bracketing order IEL 1 switch Figure 4 52 Flash cntrl for built in flash Repeating flash mode RPT Repeating flash see Figure 4 52 This setting turns your flash into a strobe unit that you can see pulsing unlike Auto FP high speed sync mode allowing you to get creative with stroboscopic multiple flashes Using the screen shown in Figure 4 52 image 3 you ll use the Multi Selector to scroll up and down to set th
81. Viewfinder grid display turned on The grid lines allow me to look at my subject while leveling my camera As a stand alone non see through Virtual horizon this screen has little functionality for me You may have other uses for it To me the smaller see through version found in Live View and D Movie mode is much nicer to use 506 Non CPU Lens Data User s Manual D300S page 196 D300 page 199 Non CPU lens data helps you use older non CPU Nikkor lenses with your camera Do you still have several older AI or AI S Nikkor lenses I do The image quality from the older lenses is simply outstanding with the D300 S especially since the smaller DX sized sensor uses only the sweet spot center of the older lenses Since the D300 S is positioned as a professional camera it must have the necessary controls to use both Auto focus AF and Manual focus MF lenses Many photographers on a budget use the older MF lenses to obtain professional level image quality without having to break the bank on expensive lens purchases One can acquire excellent AI AI S Nikkor lenses on eBay for 100 300 USD and have image quality that only the most expensive zoom lenses can produce Lens manufacturers like Zeiss and Nikkor are still making MF lenses and because some of them do not have a CPU electronic chip that communicates with the camera it s important to have a way to let the D300 S know something about the lens in use This Non CPU
82. a button while rotating a Command dial When you select Yes under Release button to use dial the camera allows you to press and release a button rotate the Command dial then press and release the button again The normal No actions are press and hold a button and then turn a Command dial The Yes actions are press and release a button turn Command dial press and release button The initial button press locks the button so that you do not have to hold your finger on it while turning the Command dial Once you have changed whatever you are adjusting you must press the button a second time to unlock it No This is the default setting You must press and hold a button while rotating the Command dials in order to change camera functionality If the exposure meter turns off while the Yes operation is active you must press it again to lock the action Here are the screens and steps to configure Release button to use dial Figure 4 80 417 _ 5 aad 49Release button to use dial _ Custom setting bank A IR 4Photo info playback OFF j Reset custom settings i gy T5Assign Fn button a gj a Autofocus 6 Assign preview button te b Metering exposure FT Assign AE L AFL button c Timers AE lock 8 Customize command dials FE Shootins display Release button to use dial e Bracketing flash HONo memory card Controls I tiiReverse indicators F CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls Figure 4 80 Release button to use dial
83. an overcast low contrast day and you want to add some snap to 615 your movie You can simply pre select the Vivid Picture Control which will saturate the colors and darken the shadows Or you might be shooting on a very high contrast sunny day and want to tone down the contrast a bit Simply pre select the Neutral Picture Control which will open up the shadows and extend the dynamic range of the sensor for a lower contrast look Maybe you are shooting a video of a lovely colorful autumn scene and want to maximize the colorful look Simply pre select the optional Landscape Picture Control free download from Nikon and your video will be optimized for beautiful scenery Just as with the aperture you must select the Picture Control before you start recording the video Refer to the section called Set Picture Control in the chapter titled Chapter 3 for instructions on how to select or modify the various Picture Controls Okay you ve taken some cool videos so let s see how to view them Displaying D Movies Now the fun begins The whole point of this chapter is to allow you to capture some great videos There are three ways to play back one of your cool D Movies from the camera itself Play it back on the camera s large LCD Monitor Use the included in the box AV cable and connect the camera to an SDTV 616 Use an HDMI cable that you ve purchased to connect the camera to an HDTV Let s talk about
84. and other DSLR cameras Working in conjunction with Nikon s Image Authentication software the D300 S can stamp images with an electronic seal that allows an agency to prove that an image printed from the camera has not been modified or if so where 483 Figure 5 27 shows a D300 Playback screen with the Image authentication stamp icon This merely shows that an image has been shot with Image authentication enabled It takes the Nikon software to prove whether or not it has been modified 4 4 NIKON D300 A 1 60 F8 EL0 1 70mm 420 0 MEAUTO 0 0 AdobeRGB INL 203ND300 _1DY4032 NEF 07 15 2008 14 51 56 Figure 5 27 Playback screen with authentication stamp There are two settings in the Image authentication function as shown in Figure 5 28 On Image authentication information which can be used by Nikon s Image Authentication software is imbedded in the image With this feature turned on and with the used of Nikon software you can prove that a certain image has not been modified Off No Image authentication embedding takes place This is the default setting Here are the steps and screens used to configure Image authentication see Figure 5 28 484 SETUP MENU Image authentication PS Image comment j Auto image rotation L USB Dust off ref photo Battery info G Wireless transmitter Image authentication Kd Save load settings Figure 5 28 Image authentication screens 1
85. any time it s needed 2 Auto area AF as an AF area mode at any time it s needed 3 Single point AF and Dynamic area AF as an AF area mode if you are using only the center AF point as the selected sensor Off The AF assist illuminator does not light up to help you in low light autofocus situations The camera may not be able to autofocus in very low light My Recommendation I leave Built in AF assist illuminator set to On most of the time It is only activated when the light is low enough to need it However let me qualify this for specific circumstances If you are trying to take pictures without being noticed such as from across the room with a zoom lens or while doing street photography you certainly don t want this extremely bright little light drawing attention when you start autofocus Or you may be shooting wildlife such as a giant grizzly bear and surely don t want to call attention to yourself by shining a bright light into the old bear s eyes 280 Use this feature when you don t want others to notice you especially if they are 8 feet tall with claws and fangs because it will draw attention immediately AF ON for MB D10 Custom setting aio D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 269 D300 page 274 AF ON for MB D10 will only be used by those who have an MB D10 battery pack attached to their camera body This setting modifies how the AF ON button on the MB D10 works and provides so
86. are a somewhat confusing description of how to execute D mic volume and F monitor brightness in our list At the end of the line of symbols in the D300S is a reminder that you can press the Multi selector center button to record a video In the D300 the first symbols represent the monitor brightness 599 F The next show that when you press the MENU button the camera will exit the Live View mode I This symbol reflects the current light meter mode you have selected Matrix Center weighted or Spot The same three symbols are on the back of the camera next to the Viewfinder s eyepiece When you use the Metering mode selector surrounding the AE L AF L button it will change the symbol shown on the Live View screen If you change meter modes while a Live View session is active you ll notice that the symbol does not change immediately It is not updated until you start a new Live View session J This symbol shows which exposure metering mode you are using P S A or M You can change this value with the MODE button near the camera s Shutter release button K This symbol informs you of the camera s currently selected shutter speed It can vary between 30 seconds and 1 8000 second Some examples the symbol will show 30 for 30 seconds 2 for 2s 160 for 1 160S and 8000 for 1 8000S You control the shutter speed with the rear Main command dial By the way Lo as shown in Figure 8 6 position K appears whe
87. are two settings for Long Exposure Noise Reduction Long exp NR as shown in Figure 3 43 On When you select On and the exposure goes over 8 seconds the camera will take two exposures with the exact same time for each The first exposure is the normal picture taking exposure The second is a black frame subtraction exposure in which an image is made for the same length of time as the first one but with the shutter closed The noise in the black frame image is examined and then subtracted from the original image It s really quite effective and beats having to blur the 199 image to get rid of noise I ve taken exposures of around 30 seconds and had perfectly usable results The only drawback is that the exposure time is doubled since two images are taken The black frame image is not written to the memory card so you ll only have one image with much less noise in the end While the black frame image is being processed the words Job nr will blink on the Control panel and in the Viewfinder During this second exposure while Job nr is flashing you cannot use the camera If you turn it off while Job nr is flashing the camera still keeps the first image it just doesn t do any noise reduction on it If Long exp NR is set to On the frame advance rate may slow down a little in Continuous release mode and the capacity of the in camera memory buffer will drop usually by one image Off If you select Off then you w
88. at one time These modes offer various ways to track subject movement Figure 11 4 shows the AF area mode selector in the Single point AF position Figure 11 4 AF area mode selector at Single point AF Single point AF This mode uses a single AF point out of the array of 51 points to acquire good focus As mentioned before you can control which AF point is used by selecting it with the Multi Selector In Figure 11 5 notice that the center AF point of the 51 sensor points is the one that provides focus information 721 00 2 000 Bse0 0080 0000 0o pooo Sea o HEIRS BALE BRERA BRA Figure 11 5 Center AF point selected If two people are standing next to each other with a gap in the middle the single center AF point will examine the space between the two subjects You can do one of two things to overcome this problem You can get the focus first by pointing the center AF point at the face of one of the subjects press the Shutter release button halfway to focus and then hold it down while recomposing the image When you have recomposed the shot without releasing the button you ll press the Shutter release button the rest of the way down and take the picture You can compose the picture first by centering it however you d like then use the Multi Selector to move the single AF point until it rests on the face of one of the subjects With the AF point repositioned press the 722 Shutter re
89. because each control has a 178 different location C 1 to C 9 to keep it separate from the rest When a Custom Picture Control is no longer needed you can easily delete it Delete a Custom Picture Control You cannot delete a base Nikon Picture Control SD NL VI or MC They don t even appear in the Manage Picture Control menu However you can delete one or more of your Custom Picture Controls by following these steps 1 Select Manage Picture Control from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 3 30 image 1 2 Select Delete from the Manage Picture Control screen and scroll to the right see Figure 3 30 image 2 You ll find up to nine controls listed in C 1 to C 9 179 SHOOTING MENU Manage Picture Control ity JPEG compression 4 J NEF RAW recording Z t White balance AUTO Save edit Set Picture Control ENL Rename SA Manage Picture Control E jl ieee TE Color space Adobe E Load save Active D Lighting 2 Long exp NR Manage Picture Control Delete Q Delete Picture Control Unused F3C3 Unused ECA Unused ECS Unused E cs Unused mm _Yes No NEUTRAL EXSHARP Figure 3 30 Delete a Custom Picture Control 3 Select one of the nine available Custom Picture Controls and scroll to the right see Figure 3 30 image 3 I selected NEUTRAL EXSHARP for deletion 4 Choose Yes from the Delete menu see Figure 3 30 image 4 5 Press the OK button and the Custom Pic
90. cable plugs into the MC 35 and the GPS unit plugs into the data cable Newer handheld GPS units use USB cables and even though the D300 S has a USB port it is not designed to work with aftermarket GPS units If you decide to use an aftermarket GPS just make sure you can get a data cable for it with a D sub 9 pin connector to plug into the Nikon MC 35 cable Both GPS unit types allow you to use a cable release to fire the shutter 497 The Nikon GP 1 GPS unit has a port on its side that allows you to plug in the optional MC DC2 shutter release cable I suggest you get one of these at the same time you buy your Nikon GP 1 GPS unit You can use the GP 1 GPS on nearly any of your cameras with the included cables and the optional MC DC2 release cable The Nikon GP 1 GPS and included cabling CA 10 and CA 90 is compatible with the following cameras D3 series D2 series D700 D300S D300 D200 D90 and D5000 Figure 5 32 D300 Garmin eTrex Legend GPS and two cables When you re using an aftermarket GPS unit like the Garmin eTrex you ll have to plug a release cable into the Nikon MC 35 cable s accessory port you can see the cables in Figure 5 32 The Nikon MC 35 cable has an extra 10 pin port as on the camera so you can plug in a Nikon MC 30 remote release cable to fire the shutter with the GPS all wired up 498 Preparing the Camera for GPS Usage There are several screens used in setting up the
91. camera bag as a backup to my D300S Yes the camera is that good The images from the D300S or D300 are simply superb thanks to the flexible exposure metering systems exposure modes and histogram capabilities Metering Systems User s Manual D300S page 102 D300 page 102 The basis for the Nikon D300 S s exposure meter is a 1005 segment RGB sensor that meters a wide area of the frame When used with a G or D Nikkor CPU lens the camera can set exposure based on the distribution of brightness color distance and composition Most people 636 leave their D300 S cameras set to Matrix metering and enjoy excellent results Let s look more closely at each of the Nikon D300 S s exposure meters Figure 9 1 shows the exposure Metering selector set to Matrix metering mode You can turn the small ring surrounding the AE L AF L button to one of the three settings The top setting is for Center weighted metering mode the middle is Matrix metering mode and the bottom is Spot metering mode Figure 9 1 Metering selector set to Matrix on camera back 3D Color Matrix II Meter The Nikon D300 S contains a 3D Color Matrix II metering system that s one of the most powerful and accurate automatic exposure meters in any camera today You set your camera to Matrix metering by selecting the center position on the Metering selector dial see Figure 9 2 637 Figure 9 2 Metering selector dial set to Matrix There ar
92. can be done in the computer so that you can expose accordingly with your camera s histogram Then you will be prepared for later post processing of the image In fact now that we have compressed the mid range values Figure 9 20 more closely resembles what our eye normally sees so it looks more normal to us In many cases your progression from the shooting site to your digital darkroom can benefit if you shoot NEF RAW images A RAW digital image contains an adjustable range of light With a RAW image you can use controls in Capture NX Photoshop or even the basic Nikon Picture Project software included with the D300 S to select from the range of light within the big RAW image file It s like moving the histogram window to the left or right over all that wide range of RAW image data You select a final resting place for the histogram window capture the underlying RAW data and your image is ready for use This is a serious oversimplification of the process but I hope it is more understandable In reality the digital sensor records a wider range of light than you can use in one image While you might be able to use about 5 stops of light range in a normal image the digital sensor probably records about 7 stops of light range Although you can t get all of that range into the final image it is there in the RAW file as a selectable range I prefer to think of it as a built in bracket since it works the same way This brack
93. capacities and card names will change quickly However just be aware that only the cards considered pro level by Eye Fi will do Ad Hoc transfers Enabling Uploads on the D300S Here are the screens and steps to Enable or Disable Eye Fi upload see Figure 5 45 1 Choose Eye Fi upload from the Setup Menu and scroll right 519 2 Select Enable or Disable from the Eye Fi upload screen n SETUP MENU Eyefi upload Copyright information j o Save load settings GPS Virtual horizon Enable Non CPU lens data i AF tune cas version Figure 5 45 Eye Fi Enable or Disable screens 3 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Unless you are currently shooting images for transfer I wouldn t leave the Eye Fi upload feature enabled Why waste battery life out in the woods where there are no wireless networks To make it really convenient to access the Eye Fi upload function for quick enabling when needed only I simply added it to My Menu in the D300S We ll examine how to do that in an upcoming chapter You may download additional information on using an Eye Fi card from this book s downloadable resources on the Web http rockynook com NikonD300S My Recommendation I wanted to buy a nice Nikon WT 4 transmitter until I saw the price Whew I think I d rather buy that AF S Nikkor 200 400mm F 2 8 ED VR lens I crave mightily So instead I bought an Eye Fi card for about one eighth of the price I don
94. card You can then share them with others The camera 181 will display up to 99 control locations on any single memory card Let s examine each of these selections and see how to best use them Copy to Camera Once you ve transferred a Custom Picture Control from your memory card to your camera it will show up in the Shooting Menu gt Set Picture Control menu Here are the screens and steps to copy a control from the memory card to the camera itself see Figure 3 32 Manage Picture Control Manage Picture Control Manage Picture Control E Load save Gy Copy to camera Cy Save as E 101 NEUTRAL 02 FAC 1 NEUTRAL 02 3 Co mer wl j C3 Unused Delete from card EX4 Unused Copy to card FCS Unused ECS Unused BGrid Confirm ECT Unused Figure 3 32 Custom Picture Control Copy to camera 1 Figure 3 32 image 1 continues from the last screen shown in Figure 3 31 Load save on the Manage Picture Control menu Choose Copy to camera and scroll to the right 2 You ll be presented with the list of controls that are currently on the memory card see Figure 3 32 image 2 If there are no controls on the memory card the camera will display a screen that says No Picture Control file found on memory card Figure 3 32 image 2 shows two controls NEUTRAL 02 and 182 NEUTRAL 03 Select a control from the list and press the OK button If you scroll to the right instead you will be able to examine and adjust the cont
95. case I set my camera s Maximum sensitivity to ISO 400 as shown in Figure 3 51 image 3 a SHOOTING MENU ISO sensitivity settings jb ISO sensitivity settings a Active D Lighting Lot Maximum sensitivity iy Long exp NR High ISO NR ISO sensitivity auto control ON tings cm vi 320 Live view mode Minimum shutter speed 1 30 Multiple exposure Movie settings Interval timer shooting Figure 3 51 ISO sensitivity auto control Maximum sensitivity Yov ll note that there are only five available settings 400 800 1600 3200 and Hi 1 The Maximum sensitivity setting you choose is the maximum ISO value the camera will use to get a good exposure when the light drops Interestingly Custom setting bl does not control the incremental ISO numbers between these primary values I carefully set up my D300S to test this and found that it would often use an intermediate value like ISO 640 1100 1250 2000 or 2200 as the light got darker and darker It did this whether I set Custom setting b1 to 1 3 1 2 or 1 EV step Just 213 remember that you have a maximum range from ISO 400 to Hi 1 ISO 6400 and the EV steps in between these two values are decided by the camera What happens when the camera reaches its Maximum sensitivity and there still isn t enough light for a good exposure Let s find out Minimum Shutter Speed Since shutter speed helps control how sharp an image can be depending on camera shake and subject mo
96. current character Press the OK button to save the memory location name 690 Using the White Balance from a Previously Captured Image It is also quite possible to select a White balance setting from an image you have already successfully taken This image s value can be applied to the picture you are about to take or can be copied to memory locations d 1 to d 4 using the method described previously for later use Here are the steps and screens to recover the White balance setting from an image stored on your memory card see Figure 10 9 1 Use the Shooting Menu screens shown in Figure 10 6 to get to the d 0 d 4 memory location screen White balance J White balance Preset manual 0 d 1 d 2 f gt Cal i r5 P Edit a 1 i PRE Select Set White balance mar aM mar 100 2 i d d 4 K m Er is Mi00 5 t 100 6 d 1 pa Darrell PRE Set Zoom a PRE sSelet Set 691 Figure 10 9 Screens to recover a White balance setting from an image Use the Multi Selector to scroll to the memory location you want to set with the value from an image see Figure 10 9 image 1 You must select d 1 d 4 only You cannot use d 0 for this operation Press the Multi selector center button to select the memory location you want to replace Scroll down to Select image and scroll to the right see Figure 10 9 image 2 It will be grayed out if there are no images on your current memory card You will now see the Sele
97. difficult to use The Nikon D300 S camera contains everything you need to control a simple or complex CLS setup Let s learn how to use it How Does the D300 S Fit into the CLS Scheme In Commander mode the camera functions as a controller for multiple Nikon Speedlight flash units While the professional level Nikon D3 D3S D3X requires the separate purchase of an Accessory shoe mounted commander device the D300 S body has full Nikon Creative Lighting System CLS technology built right into the camera You can use normal i TTL flash technology with the camera s built in flash or use Commander mode and the built in flash to control up to two groups of an unlimited number of external Nikon Speedlight flash units Nikon makes the powerful SB 900 flash unit along with its slightly less powerful SB 600 brother and several other smaller Speedlight units such as the SB 400 or SB R200 761 Many of us using the D300 S will have an external flash unit or two usually the SB 900 SB 800 now discontinued or SB 600 The SB R200 flash is designed to be used on various brackets available from Nikon and will work in conjunction with the bigger Speedlight flash units The Nikon D300 S is happy to let you arrange professional lighting setups using these relatively inexpensive and very portable Speedlights The cool thing about the D300 S is that it can serve as a CLS flash commander device or use Nikon s other CLS flash commander d
98. each of these three display methods Displaying a D Movie on the Camera LCD Screen The method used to view a movie on the D300S s Monitor is simplicity itself just like capturing a video Here are the steps 1 Press the Playback button to display images on the Monitor It s the same button you use to look at a series of your pictures and is found on the top left back of the camera 2 Locate the video you want to replay by scrolling through your images and videos with the Multi Selector 3 When the video appears on the camera s Monitor you ll be able to identify it by three signs a small D Movie icon and a minutes and seconds counter at the top of the screen and the word Play at the bottom of the screen The image you see is the first frame of the video see Figure 8 14 4 Press the Multi selector center button and the video will start playing 617 E Highlights Play R R G B E 2Select R G B Figure 8 14 Viewing a video on the Monitor The Monitor on the D300S is big enough for several people to enjoy one of your videos Don t be afraid to show off a bit since your camera creates excellent high resolution videos Displaying a D Movie on a Standard Definition TV SDTV You can plug in the standard AV cable that was included in the box with your D300S and display videos directly on your SDTV The AV cable looks like the one shown in Figure 8 15 This AV cable has a standard mini stereo bla
99. every image If I want both a RAW and JPEG file PI use the RAW primary JPEG secondary function This lets me have the best 116 of both worlds when card capacity is not worrisome This too allows a measure of redundancy like the Backup method In a sense you are still backing up the same image they are just in different formats one RAW and one JPEG I use each of these three selections from time to time but my favorite is Overflow 117 Image Quality User s Manual D300S page 68 D300 page 56 Image quality is simply the type of image your camera can create along with the amount of image compression that modifies picture storage sizes SHOOTING MENU Image quality Shooting menu bank NEF RAW JPEG fine 7A Reset shooting menu NEF RAW JPEG normal Y Active folder NEF RAW JPEG basic 1 File naming NEF RAW Al Primary slot selection TIFF RGB f Secondary slot function PEG fi Image quality JPEG normal Image size A JPEG basic Figure 3 10 Choosing an Image quality You can shoot several distinct image formats with your D300 S We ll examine each format in detail discussing the pros and cons for each as we go When done yov ll have a better understanding of the formats and can choose an appropriate one for each of your styles of shooting Here are the steps to select an Image quality setting see the screens in Figure 3 10 1 Select Image quality from the Shooting Menu and sc
100. exposure Custom setting b6 D300S and D300 ISO sensitivity step value Section Two b Metering Exposure Custom Settings b1 to b6 Microphone Understanding Auto Gain Mired WB Bracketing Modeling flash e4 Commander Mode Notes Monitor information Playback Menu Monitor off delay c4 Custom setting C4 D300S and D300 Monochrome MC Picture Control Examining Picture Controls Monochrome Retouch Trim Movie editing software Video Editing Software Movie mode D300S D Movie Mode Section Two Movie settings D300S Understanding Auto Gain Understanding Auto Gain Understanding Auto Gain Understanding Auto Gain Movie Settings D300S Only 829 Destination Understanding Auto Gain Mic sensitivity Movie Settings D300S Only Microphone Understanding Auto Gain Quality Understanding Auto Gain Multi Selector f3 D300S f2 D300 Choose slot and folder D300S Choose folder D300 Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 Do nothing Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 Reset meter off delay Choose slot and folder D300S Multi selector center button f2 D300S f1 D300 Custom setting f1 D300S only Custom setting f2 D300S and f1 D300 Playback Mode Playback Mode Playback Mode View histograms Choose slot and folder D300S Choose slot and folder D300S Choose folder D300 Choose slot and folder D300S Choose slot and folder D300S Choose slot and folder D300S Playbac
101. from the edge of an otherwise spotless image or a blemish from a person s face I ll use Photoshop s Clone and Healing tools NEF RAW format has two image data compression formats available These compression types will be considered in the upcoming section titled NEF RAW Recording Basically compression is applied to the image and reduces its size by varying amounts according to the level of detail in the image We ll discuss NEF compression in more detail shortly RAW Files Aren t Images Yet Now let s talk about NEF or RAW quality for a while Pm a NEF RAW photographer about 98 percent of the time I think of a RAW file like I thought of my slides and negatives a few years ago It s my original image file that must be saved and protected It s important that you understand something very different about NEF RAW files They re not really images yet Basically a RAW file is composed of black and white sensor data and camera setting information markers The RAW file is saved in a form that must be converted to another image type to be used in print or on the Web 123 When you take a picture in RAW format the camera records the image data from the sensor and stores markers for how the camera s color sharpening contrast saturation etc are set But it does not apply the camera setting information to the image In your computer s post processing software the image will appear on screen using the
102. from the warning screen and scroll to the right Figure 4 25 image 3 4 Select the metering system you want to adjust In Figure 4 25 image 4 I selected Matrix metering Now scroll to the right 5 Scroll up or down in 1 6 EV steps until you reach the fine tuning value you would like to use Figure 4 25 image 5 6 Press the OK button to lock in the fine tuning value for that metering system you selected in step 4 You must fine tune each metering system separately 301 That s all there is to it Just remember that you have Fine tune optimal exposure turned on since the camera will not remind you Watch your histogram to make sure that you re not regularly underexposing or overexposing images once you have the fine tuning adjustment in place If so just go back in and adjust the fine tuning up or down or turn it off My Recommendation Fine tune optimal exposure is a rather controversial setting However I find that I have better pictures when I run the Matrix meter 3 6 1 2 EV step over the normal setting Why Well Matrix metering seems a bit conservative to me and tends to work hard to keep from blowing out the highlights in an image It seems to underexpose my images by about 1 3 EV step most of the time I am judging this by the fact that on most of my Matrix meter exposed images the histogram doesn t quite make it to the light side edge of the histogram window which I prefer I like to expose for the highl
103. function NEF RAW processing is only available on the D300S not the D300 And it only works on images taken with the D300S so you can t insert a card from your Nikon D90 and expect to process its images There is quite a comprehensive catalog of things you can do to an image during NEF RAW processing A RAW file is not yet an image so the camera settings you took it with are not permanently applied In effect when you use NEF RAW processing you are applying camera settings to the JPEG image after the fact and you can change them to settings different from those with which you took the image originally These same settings are available in the Shooting Menu or by using external camera controls However in this case the settings are applied to the image after the fact instead of while shooting See the chapter of this book titled Chapter 3 for a deeper explanation of each setting 547 Here s a list of post shooting adjustments you can make with basic explanations of each function Image quality You are converting to a JPEG file so the camera gives you a choice of FINE NORM or BASIC These are the equivalent of the Shooting Menu gt Image quality settings called JPEG fine JPEG normal or JPEG basic Image size This lets you select how large the JPEG file will be Your choices are L M or S which equal the Large 12 2 megapixels Medium 6 9 megapixels or Small 3 1 megapixels Shooting Menu gt I
104. gt Playback folder you will not see all images that may be on the card If you regularly hide images you ve taken you may want to leave your Playback folder setting set to All That way all the images on the card s will show on the Hide images screen and let you select any of them to hide You can also use these menus to unhide one or many images by reversing the process just described As you scroll through the images you can reselect them with the Multi Selector then press OK to unhide them Deselect all This is a much simpler way to unhide all the images on the card at once As shown in Figure 2 6 image 3 the screen will display the message Reveal all hidden images Select Yes and press OK All hidden images on the card will be then be viewable As the images are being revealed the camera s Monitor will display the message Marking removed from all images 49 PLAYBACK MENU Delete Z Playback folder J Aide imase Ss E Display mode Select set ca Copy image s 7 fe Image review Deselect all After delete Rotate tall g Hide image Deselect all Deselect all Q Reveal all hidden images Matting remeved from all images Figure 2 6 Hide image screens Deselect All option Note If you unhide images that are both hidden and protected the protection is also removed at the same time You protect unprotect an image by displaying it on the Monitor and then pressing the Protect button which is ma
105. hold the Shutter release button down longer than normal and separate the raising and lowering of the mirror into two steps This tends to draw out the length of the mirror shutter action and reduces the perception of noise volume In reality the noise is not much quieter but since it is broken into two parts it sounds quieter Try it Live View Lv Mode D300 only Live view mode Lv uses the Monitor to display the subject instead of the Viewfinder We ll examine using autofocus in Live view mode later in this chapter Self Timer Mode The factory default time out for the Self timer is 10 seconds You can use Custom setting C3 to set the time out to 2 5 10 or 20 seconds If you like to hear that little beep beep beep when the Self timer is counting down the seconds before firing the shutter you can control that sound with Custom setting d1 by selecting High Low or Off If you select High or Low a small musical note will appear in the top right of the Control panel 1733 Here are the three steps to use the self timer after it has been configured or left on factory defaults 1 Use the Release mode dial to select Self timer mode the little symbol between Lv and MUP modes on the D300 and between the Q Quiet and MUP modes on the D300S 2 Frame the photograph and focus the camera If Focus priority is selected you will not be able to start the self timer unless the little green focus light is on in the Vi
106. i PALUD D rs re Clean image sensor T P l LOCK mirror up for cleaning ss Video mode f HDMI World time Language Figure 5 5 LCD brightness settings You can select from seven levels of brightness from 3 to 3 as shown in Figure 5 5 Here are the available values 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 Use these steps for setup 1 Once you ve selected LCD brightness from the Setup Menu scroll right and you ll see the screen shown in Figure 5 5 image 2 2 Use the Multi Selector to scroll up or down through the values listed Adjust the brightness until you can barely 438 make out a distinction between the last two dark bars on the left That may be the best setting for your camera 3 Decide for yourself what looks best for you then press the OK button My Recommendation The camera defaults to o zero which is right in the middle yet this setting is quite bright I feel that o is a little too bright and makes my images look like they are exposed more brightly than when I see them later in the computer I ve been using 1 on my D300S as that seems bright enough for outdoor use but doesn t make my images appear overly bright If you choose to set your camera to a level higher than about o just be sure that you check the histogram frequently to validate your exposures Otherwise you may find that you are allowing the camera to slightly underexpose your images The D300 S has one of the best exposure
107. image 3 Once you ve written a WB value to one of the memory locations d l d 4 it will remain there for future use as needed You can access any of the saved WB values by selecting PRE with the WB button and then rotating the Sub command dial until you find the one you want d 0 d 4 Or you can use the menus to directly select the named memory location 689 Editing the Comment Field As shown in Figure 10 8 you can rename the memory location in which you just stored a White balance setting by selecting it with the Multi selector center button and then selecting Edit comment from the menu see Figure 10 8 image 2 Change the name of the memory location to something that will remind you of its use if you d like iB White balance White balance White balance fe m Cy Preset manual a TETTE E T 0123456789 lt i is I gt NBCDEFGHIJKL d Set E WNOPQRSTUVHXYZI Pag ce jal Edit comment a i EE E ji PRE Select Set Ei E Cursor input GHOK Figure 10 8 Editing the comment field When you have the character selection panel open see Figure 10 8 image 3 use the Multi Selector to navigate between letters and numbers Press the Multi selector center button to add a character to the name To scroll through characters already in the new name hold down the Thumbnail playback zoom out button while navigating to the left or right with the Multi Selector Press the Delete button garbage can to delete the
108. image quality Size priority just adds more potential lossiness so I tend to avoid it The only time I use Size priority is when I m shooting what I call party pics When I m at a party shooting snapshots of friends having a good time I m not creating fine art and will never make an enlargement greater than an 8 x 10 inches 20 x 25 cm In that case I don t worry about extra compression In fact I might just welcome it to avoid storing larger than needed images on my computer s hard drive Using Size priority lets the camera use maximum compression to maintain its published JPEG compression ratios fine 1 4 normal 1 8 and basic 1 16 Your images may not have those precise compression ratios while using Optimal quality especially with complex detailed subjects 142 NEF RAW Recording User s Manual D300S page 70 D300 page 58 NEF RAW recording is composed of two menu choices Type and NEF RAW bit depth Type is concerned with image compression while bit depth deals with color quality We ll look into both of these choices and see how our photography can benefit from them NEF RAW Type In previous sections we discussed how JPEG files have different levels of compression that vary the size of a finished image file NEF RAW also has compression choices though not as many The nice thing about the RAW compression methods is that they don t throw away massive amounts of image data like JP
109. image should be displayed on the video device 447 Figure 5 9 Giottos Rocket Air blower for sensor cleaning Make sure that you have the correct Video mode selected for your area of the world There are two video modes available in the D300 S NTSC and PAL 448 A SETUPMENU i Video mode e Format memory card iji Z LCD brightness Clean image sensor oom LOCK mirror up for cleaning Videomode HDMI World time Language Figure 5 10 Video mode selections In Figure 5 10 are the screens and following are the steps used to select a Video mode 1 Select Video mode from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose NTSC or PAL from the menu shown in Figure 5 10 image 2 and then scroll to the right 3 Press the OK button to choose the standard My Recommendation You ll need to refer to the manual of your television VCR or other device to determine what video standard it uses In the United States and many other areas of the world the NTSC mode is commonly used Many European countries use PAL It won t blow up the device or camera if you use the wrong mode If one doesn t work try the other 449 HDMI User s Manual D300S page 302 D300 page 315 HDMI High Definition Multimedia Interface allows you to display your images and video D300S only on a high definition monitor or television HDTV The camera s Monitor shuts off when you are connected to an HD device
110. in nature photography He loves to write as you can see in the Resources area of the Nikonians org community He joined the community in 2000 and his literary contributions led to an invitation to become a Founding Member of the Nikonians Writers Guild 850
111. into a flexible center weighted meter with a variable sized weighting that you can control The Center weighted meter in the D300 S meters the entire frame but concentrates most of the metering in an 8mm circle in the middle of the frame If you d like you can make the circle as small as 6mm or as large as 13mm Let s examine the Center weighted meter more closely Figure 9 3 Metering selector dial set to Center weighted Using Custom setting b5 you can change the size of the circle where the D300 S concentrates the meter reading see the chapter titled Chapter 4 If you d like you can even completely eliminate the circle and use the entire Viewfinder frame as a basic averaging meter As mentioned previously the circle in your Viewfinder is normally 8mm However by using Custom setting b5 you can 641 adjust this size to one of the five size settings shown on the next page The Center weighted meter is a pretty simple concept The part of your subject that s in the center of your camera s Viewfinder influences the meter more than the parts that appear close to the edges of the frame Where s the Circle You can t see any indication of a circle in the Viewfinder so you ll have to imagine one Figure 9 4 Series of imaginary red circles in the Viewfinder and averaging full frame see list below 6mm 24 inch 8mm 32 inch 10mm 39 inch 13mm 51 inch Avg Entire Frame
112. is recommended that you take Image Dust Off ref photos regularly and use one that was taken within one day of the photographs you wish to clean up 472 Finding a Subject for the Dust Off Reference Photo First we need to select a featureless subject to make a photograph for the Image Dust Off ref photo The key here is to use a material that has no graininess such as bright white slick plastic or a white card I tried using plain white sheets of paper held up to a bright window but the resulting reference photo was unsatisfactory to Capture NX2 It gave me a message that my reference photo was too dusty when I tried to use it After some experimentation I finally settled on three different subjects that seem to work well A slide viewing light table with the light turned on A computer monitor screen with a blank white word processor document A plain white card in the same bright light in which your subject resides All of these provided enough light and featurelessness to satisfy both my camera and Capture NX2 The key is to photograph something fairly bright but not too bright You may need to experiment with different subjects if you have no light table or computer Now let s prepare the camera for the actual reference photo Here are the screens and steps you ll use to create an Image Dust Off ref photo see Figure 5 22 473 Image comment per Auto image rotation SETUP MENU Image Dust Off ref photo
113. ki No The numbers look like 102 1 which stands for folder number 102 image number 1 I have three folders showing in image 3 100 101 and 102 The number of images shown will vary according to how you configure the Play back folder settings see the next section of this chapter Here are the steps to delete Selected images 1 To delete one or more images you ll need to locate and mark each of them using the Multi Selector The D300S uses the small button in the middle of the Multi Selector to select an image while the D300 requires that you press the entire Multi Selector without tilting it off 39 center On the D300 I ve found it best to use the pad of your thumb over the whole Multi Selector instead of sticking the end of your thumb into the middle of it You ll have to press the entire Multi Selector smoothly 2 Once you ve marked an image for deletion a small garbage can symbol will appear in the top right corner of the image see Figure 2 1 image 3 red arrow Select however many images you want to throw away 3 Once you have selected the images you want to delete press the OK button 4 A screen like the one shown in Figure 2 1 image 4 will appear asking you to validate the deletion of the number of images you have selected To delete them select Yes and press the OK button To cancel select No and press the OK button or just press the Menu button Now let s examine how to use the A
114. l f Controls SETUP MENU i RETOUCH MENU l MY MENU Format memory card Dighting ADExposure delay mode i LCD brightness i Redeye correction 43 Dynamic AF area my Clean image sensor Trim Live view mode Lock mirror up for cleaning o Monochrome Virtual horizon A Video mode a E Filter effects ven Add items HDMI FE Color balance E Remove items Time zone and date Image overlay Rank items FEE En NEF RAW processing Figure 1 1 Six primary camera menus optional Recent Settings menu not shown The six menus that are found under the D300 S menu system are in order as follows see Figure 1 1 1 Playback Menu Shooting Menu Custom Setting Menu 2 3 4 Setup Menu 5 Retouch Menu 6 My Menu or Recent Settings 26 Notice that the sixth menu called My Menu can be toggled with an alternate menu called Recent Settings a seventh menu These two menus can t be active at the same time The menu called My Menu is much more functional for most people so I showed it in the list of menus in Figure 1 1 The chapter titled Chapter 7 covers both of them in detail so you can choose which you want to appear most of the time on your camera My Menu allows you to add the most used menu items from any of the other menus to your own personal menu while Recent Settings shows you the latest 20 menu items you ve changed Following is a list of functions that you may want to configure first These set up th
115. light or window 614 You can select the aperture you want to use during the recording if you use Aperture priority auto mode A and preselect an aperture such as F 8 The camera will use that aperture for the entire video Once you ve started shooting a video the lens aperture does not change The camera adjusts the light sensitivity of the sensor to correct for variations in ambient light You cannot change the aperture or shutter speed during a video even though you can change the aperture and shutter speed values on the Monitor with the Command dials Select an aperture before you start your video and you ll have control over the depth of field during the video Since the camera records video at 24 frames per second and uses an electronic rolling shutter the mechanical shutter speed has no meaning during a video recording session You can also control certain aspects of the look of the video Let s see how Using Picture Controls You can use the included Nikon Picture Controls or even your own Custom Picture Controls to control the look of your D Movies I m not going to go into a great deal of information here on using or modifying picture controls since this subject is covered very well in other chapters However once you understand them and have modified a couple you will realize that your videos will benefit from different picture controls For instance let s say you are shooting a video on
116. like to go further and create your own named Custom Picture Controls the D300 S is happy to oblige There are four choices on the Manage Picture Control screen Save edit Rename Delete Load save Let s look at each of these four Picture Control managment settings Save Edit a Custom Picture Control There are six screens used to Save edit a Nikon Picture Control see Figure 3 28 storing the results for later usage as a Custom Picture Control Following are the steps to edit and save a Picture Control with a modified setting 174 D SHOOTING MENU B Manage Picture Control Manage Picture Control Cy JPEG compression iia Cy Choose Picture Control ga NEF RAW recording S White balance Set Picture Control C Pictur ERMC Monochrome TE Color space Load save 4 Active DLighting Z Long exp NR GwGrid Adiust 4 F302 Unused Contrast aeeai 03 Unused F Brightness Ox Saturation Bomian C5 Unused Hue mm 1 mace Unused E Gaci CHOK Reset ECT Unused gt NBCDEFGHIJKL UNOPQRSTUVWXYZ E304 Unused WEUTRAL 02 amp Cursor Ont GHOK Neutral Manage Picture Control Rename Le O pasa Ots a alo Tot 0123456789 lt Figure 3 28 Save edit a Custom Picture Control 1 Select Manage Picture Control from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 3 28 image 1 2 Highlight Save edit and scroll to the right see Figure 3 28 image 2 3 Choose a Picture Control that you
117. ll talk more about File number sequence in the chapter titled Chapter 4 This is merely the way I m using this useful feature in my D300S If my method doesn t work for your needs you could use the three characters to classify your image names in all sorts of creative ways To rename your three custom characters please refer to Figure 3 7 This works similarly to the method for naming the Shooting menu banks discussed in the section Shooting Menu Bank at the beginning of this chapter see Figure 3 2 except that you only have uppercase characters and numbers from which to select oa SHOOTING MENU ri File naming ooo File naming E Shooting menu bank j ii E Reset shooting menu ii 0123456789 iy Active folder QBCDEFGHIJKLU 1DY_1234 NOPQRSTUVWXYZ 10y EA Primary slot selection FE Secondary slot function Adobe RGB 101234 Image quality 7 Image size Hy Cursor Binput CHOK Figure 3 7 File naming Here are the steps to set up your custom File naming characters see Figure 3 7 110 1 Select File naming from the Shooting Menu 2 Use the Multi Selector to scroll through the numbers and letters to find the characters you want to use 3 Press the Multi selector center button on the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector on the D300 to select and insert a character 4 To correct an error hold down the Thumbnail playback zoom out button and use the Multi Selector to scroll to the character you want to remove Us
118. may prefer Normal or Low Remember that you can set this differently for each Shooting menu bank since your camera will be configured for different shooting styles Note If you have High ISO NR turned On your in camera memory buffer for images shot in Continuous release mode will decrease by at least one image 208 ISO Sensitivity Settings User s Manual D300S page 96 D300 page 96 ISO sensitivity settings are provided to give you control over the light sensitivity of the imaging sensor including whether you manually control it or the camera sets it automatically An ISO sensitivity number such as 200 or 3200 is an agreed upon sensitivity for the image capturing sensor Virtually everywhere one goes in the world all camera ISO numbers will mean the same thing With that fact being established camera bodies and lenses can be designed to take advantage of the ISO sensitivity ranges they will have to deal with Standards are good In the D300 S the ISO numbers are sensitivity equivalents To make it very simple ISO sensitivity is the digital equivalent of film speed The higher the ISO sensitivity the less light needed for the exposure A high ISO setting allows higher shutter speeds and smaller apertures In Figure 3 48 we see the external camera controls used to change the ISO sensitivity on the D300 S 209 Figure 3 48 External controls to set ISO manually This is a good way to adjust ISO sensitivity quick
119. memory card you might want to create a new folder such as 200D300S or 200ND300 Since the D300S and D300 folder names differ by a couple of letters I am going to use the D300S folder name for the rest of this section otherwise P1 be repeating numbers over and over Whenever you see something like 100D300S just remember that the D300 name is slightly different with 100ND300 instead Each folder you create can hold 999 images and using Active folder you can select any folder as the default folder This is a way to isolate certain types of images on a photographic outing Maybe you ll put landscapes in folder 300D300S and people shots in 400D300S Whenever the camera senses that the current folder contains 999 images a new folder is created with the value of the first three digits of the folder name increased by one If you are using a folder named 100D300S the camera will automatically create a new folder called 101D300S when you exceed 999 images in folder 100D300S When manually creating folder names you may want to leave room for the camera s automatic folder creation and naming If you try to create a folder name that already exists the 104 camera doesn t give you a warning it simply switches to the already existing folder Let s look at how to create a new folder with a number of your choice from 101 to 999 101D300S or 999D3008S SHOOTING MENU Active folder _ Active folder E Shooting menu bank i Cy New folder
120. meters I ve seen in a camera yet it is not perfect and needs your help sometimes Letting the Monitor run too brightly might mask those times when the camera needs help If you need extra brightness to see in outdoor light just be cautious about underexposure The bright screen can fool you Use your histogram 439 Clean Image Sensor User s Manual D300S page 358 D300 page 371 Clean image sensor is Nikon s helpful answer to dust spots on your images that are the result of a dirty imaging sensor Dust is everywhere and will eventually get on your camera s sensor Well it doesn t really get on the sensor itself since there are filters in front of the sensor The D300 S cleans the sensor by vibrating the entire sensor unit which includes the low pass filter in front of the sensor These high frequency vibrations will dislodge dust and make it fall off the filter so that you won t see it as spots on your pictures I had no serious dust spot problems with my D300 even after shooting for several days on the beach I once thought I saw a dust spot and used the Lock mirror up for cleaning function next section so that I could blow on the sensor with my Giottos Rocket air blower bulb and the spot was gone And so far with my new D300S and eight months of use I ve not seen any dust period The vibration method seems to work pretty well Compared to shooting with my D2X the D300 S has far fewer dust issues
121. mode to prevent the camera s internal reflex mirror movement from vibrating my camera and blurring my pictures If you handhold your camera shoot mostly static subjects and want sharper pictures this will help On a tripod this is a time saver compared to Mirror Up MUP mode which requires two Shutter release button presses or a 30 second delay MB D10 Battery Type Custom setting d11 D300S and d10 D300 User s Manual D300S page 279 D300 page 285 MB D10 battery type applies only when you choose to use AA sized batteries of various types in your optional MB D10 battery pack It does not apply when you are using normal Nikon EN EL3e EN EL4 or EN EL4a lithium ion batteries because they re intelligent and communicate with the camera 340 If you have an MB D10 and plan on using cheap AA batteries then you ll need to tell the camera what type of AA batteries you re using for this session It certainly is not a good idea to mix AA battery types These are the battery types the camera will accept LR6 AA alkaline HR6 AA Ni MH FR6 AA lithium ZR6 AA Ni Mn Here are the screens and steps for configuring the MB D10 battery type Figure 4 46 9LCD illumination OFF jy lt Custom setting bank A Reset custom settings E a Autofocus ar crys delay mode OFF r ee OLAS o CUSTOM SETTING MENU d Shooting display j a1MmB D10 battery type I on HRS QA NiMH amp 1 Fla
122. modes is to determine at what point during shutter curtain movement the flash fires and whether it s the main source of light or some ambient light is mixed in Keep this information in mind as we discuss the Flash modes Here are the controls and steps used to select one of the five Flash modes see Figure 12 2 we gt ka Figure 12 2 Flash mode controls 1 Hold down the Flash mode button on the front of your camera just below the D300 or D300S logo see Figure 12 2 image 1 2 Turn the rear Main command dial while watching the various modes change on the Control panel see Figure 12 2 images 2 and 3 3 Release the Flash mode button to lock in the Flash mode Following are the five modes and a description of how each works 753 Front Curtain Sync In Front curtain sync mode also known as Fill flash in Nikon litereature the camera tries its best to balance the light if you re using a lens that has a CPU in it see Figure 12 3 Older non CPU lenses cause the camera to ignore the ambient light completely and use only the flash to expose the subject A CPU lens like a Nikkor G or D lens balances ambient light and light from the flash equally and works to make the light look very natural If you use this correctly outdoors it will be hard to tell that you were using flash except for the catch light in your subject s eyes and the lack of damaging shadows The flash simply fills in some extra light w
123. monitor pre flashes nor the firing of the external flash units CUSTOM SETTING MENU a Bracketing flash gt Custom setting bank lt ei Flash sync speed 1 250 j MhReset custom settings Flash shutter speed hog a Autofocus Spec Fash cntrl for built in flash UA b Metering exposure 4 e4 Modeling flash oN c Timers AE lock 5 Auto bracketing set AES T Shooting display IE 26 Auto bracketing Mode M sol Bracketing flash Bracketing order N f Controls EJ 1Multi selector center button e Mode Comp af aa Wi Builtinflash D A E Group A RPT Repeating flash P B ijn EE Commander mode 5 i Croup TLE 0 Channel BB OCH Move a WOK Commander mode e3 Flash cntrl for built in flash a 23 Flash entri for built in flash Figure 12 10 Commander mode setup screens When your camera is controlling external Speedlights using its built in Commander mode you must always raise the built in flash on your D300 S The camera communicates 765 with the external flash units during the monitor pre flash cycle Always position the sensor windows on the external Speedlights where they will pick up the monitor pre flashes from the built in flash Take particular care when not using a tripod Commander Mode Settings Basically the Mode fields on the Commander mode screen will display the selections listed below Use the Multi Selector to change the values as shown in Figure 12 11 Here are the Mode settings
124. new image Your original image is not modified This is a useful function if you need to cut out or crop the most useful area of an image to remove distracting elements from the background Here are the screens and steps to Trim an image in camera see Figure 6 5 RETOUCH MENU D tighting Redeye correction Monochrome B Fitter effects t e Color balance Phr CA taas Image overlay 203 4 203 5 lt aamll203 6 J Zoom K Figure 6 5 Trim screens 1 Select the Trim function from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 6 5 image 1 2 Select the image you want to modify see Figure 6 5 image 2 Press the OK button when you have selected your target image 3 Yov ll now be presented with a screen that has a crop outlined in yellow see Figure 6 5 image 3 Use the checkered Thumbnail playback zoom out button to create a deeper crop or the Playback zoom in button for a lesser crop Use the Multi Selector to move the yellow selection rectangle in any direction within the frame until you find your best crop 537 4 Select the aspect ratio of the crop by rotating the rear Main command dial Your choices in the D300S are 3 2 4 3 5 4 1 1 square or 16 9 and 3 2 4 3 or 5 4 in the D300 You can use the Multi selector center button to enlarge your selected crop to full screen so that you can see how it will look after cropping The image shown in Figure 6 5 image 3 shows the 3 2 Aspect rat
125. newer i TTL exposure technology It is included for those who are used to using the older style of exposure You can safely ignore this mode and use TTL instead and you ll get better exposures If you really want to use AA mode that s fine It works like TTL mode but with less accurate exposures You can set compensation Comp between 3 0 and 3 0 EV in 1 3 EV steps Comp will affect all flash units in that group M This allows you to choose a manual flash level between 1 1 full power to 1 128 1 128 of full power for each of the flash units being controlled by that particular group setting If you like to shoot manually for 358 ultimate control the camera gives you a way to control multiple groups of flash units in a manual way The flash units in the group do not fire Double dash mode disables an entire group so that you can concentrate on configuring the other group Then you can turn the disabled group back on and configure it too Or you can just use one group of slaved Speedlights A or B and disable the other Channel This one channel controls all slaved flash units You must match the Channel number for the camera and each flash unit This is the channel on which communications flow to all grouped remote flashes You have a choice of four channel numbers 1 4 This allows you to use your flash units near another photographer who is also controlling groups without firing the other person
126. not you want to choose Replace existing image Replace all Skip or Cancel File with same name already exists Replace existing image OK Figure 2 24 File already exists 70 Image Review User s Manual D300S page 251 D300 page 251 Image review does exactly what it says it shows you an image you ve just taken on your camera s Monitor With this function turned On you ll see each picture you take just after you take it You can review the image for quality and usefulness With Image review set to Off you won t see each picture unless you press the Playback button afterward This saves battery life However the camera s battery is long lived since the D300 S does not use a lot of power If you prefer to review or chimp each image after you take it then you ll need to set this feature to On PLAYBACK MENU gt Delete Playback folder Hide image Display mode E gq mage review amp After delete Rotate tall Slide show Figure 2 25 Image review screens You can control how long each image is displayed on the Monitor before it shuts off by adjusting Custom setting C4 Monitor off delay gt Image review This custom Image review time out can be adjusted to display pictures from 4 seconds to 71 10 minutes We ll discuss this in more detail in the chapter titled Chapter 4 There are two Image review settings as shown in Figure 2 25 On Shows a picture on the M
127. number 543 My Recommendation This is a cool function for persnickety people and I m one of them If you like to fine tune the color of your pictures but hate using the computer here s your control You can introduce almost any color tint into the image by moving the little black square in any direction using combinations of colors to arrive at one that pleases you This also allows you to overcome current color casts caused by various lighting source color temperatures Very flexible camera eh Image Overlay User s Manual D300S page 324 D300 page 339 The Image overlay function is a nice way to combine two RAW images as if they were taken as a multiple exposure Basically you can select a couple of NEF RAW shots and combine them into a new overlaid image The results can be a lot like what you get when using Shooting Menu gt Multiple exposure but Image overlay gives you a visual way to overlay two separate images instead of shooting multiple exposures on one picture The results can be of high quality because the overlay is done using RAW image data Here are screens and steps to do an Image overlay see Figure 6 9 544 P RETOUCH MENU E E imase overia 2 DHighting gt imase 1 Red eye correction i D iin s 5 Tors Maio Overlay ra bS J ssi 203 11 Ham203 12 Select A Eos A 203 1 Zoom Select Zoom Select ie Image overlay Image overlay 3 i T imaget Image 2 Previ
128. on the back of the camera at the top left of the Monitor Please remember the location of this button since it will be used constantly in this book I ll not mention that you need to press the MENU button to get into the camera menus again Otherwise I would be repeating something over and over unnecessarily There are six primary menu systems found in the camera and this book has a chapter devoted to each one Let s take a brief look at the opening screens of the six menus shown in Figure 1 1 You get to these six menus by pressing the MENU button and scrolling up or down with the Multi Selector A selector bar with tiny icons appears on the left side of the Monitor when 25 you press the MENU button You can see it at the left of each of the menus in Figure 1 1 As you scroll up or down in the selector bar you ll see each menu appear one at a time to the right of the bar The name at the top of the menu will help you figure out which one you re currently using PLAYBACK MENU io SHOOTING MENU CUSTOM SETTING MENU Delete Shooting menu bank A Custom setting bank ie Playback folder B Reset shooting menu Reset custom settings i Hide image r Active folder 100 72 Autofocus Display mode LO 1DY fe b Metering exposure B Copy image s Primary slot selection na f c Timers AE lock image review TE Secondary slot function d Shooting display After delete F Image quality e Bracketing flash Rotate tall i Image size
129. original settings were when you want to change them back Worry not Nikon has given us an easy way to reset a control Any time you ve modified a control you can reset it by pressing the garbage can Delete button while you have the Picture Control adjustment screen open The adjustment screen is the one with the settings for things like Sharpening and Contrast see Figure 3 19 image 3 or Figure 3 22 QN Selected Picture Control will be reset to default settings OK No OK 171 Figure 3 26 Reset control When you press the Delete button while this screen is open you ll see the screen in Figure 3 26 with its warning Selected Picture Control will be reset to default settings OK Simply select Yes from the menu and press the OK button to reset the control Notes on Photoshop for Black and White Images Since the RGB color channels are still intact in the camera s black and white image you can use Photoshop s Channel Mixer Image Menu gt Adjustments gt Channel Mixer to manipulate the color channels and improve the blacks and whites If you use Photoshop to play with the channels be sure to check the Monochrome box on the Channel Mixer window If you don t you ll simply add color back into your black and white image The fact that you must check the Monochrome box proves that a D300 S black and white image is really just a color image with the colors desaturated to levels of gray The good thing
130. plus or minus sign in front of it tells us that the bracket uses normal over and underexposure Figure 4 57 image 2 shows a two image bracket with 0 3 EV steps 1 3 stop between each exposure Notice the minus sign before the NF symbol 2F This means that the bracket is designed to take only normal and underexposed shots no overexposed ones The bracketed images are on the minus side of the scale Compare that to Figure 4 57 image 3 which represents a three image bracket at 0 3 EV steps per exposure in the normal and overexposure direction only 3F One note about flash bracketing If you are using an SB 900 SB 80 SB 600 SB400 or SB R200 the flash unit may or may not be able to keep up with bracketed shots taken in Continuous release mode If you fully dump the flash power between shots you ll have to wait for the next shot Also the pop up flash simply does not recycle fast enough to be able to shoot continuously while flash bracketing so you ll have to take each shot individually Here s a short review Fn FUNC button plus rear Main command dial number of exposures 368 Fn FUNC button plus front Sub command dial EV step value of bracketed exposures 1 3 1 2 or 1 EV step My Recommendation I normally bracket with at least a 1 EV step value 1 stop so that I can get a good spread of light values in high dynamic range HDR images In most cases I will do a three to five image b
131. rear curtain sync Custom setting e2 D300S and D300 Slow sync Custom setting e2 D300S and D300 Small S image size Final Image Format Ramblings Sound D Movie D300S Dealing with Sound on D Movies Spot meter Center Weighted Meter sRGB Shooting Menu Shooting Menu Bank File Naming File Naming Color Space File naming for File Naming Standard SD Picture Control Examining Picture Controls Switch Backlight f1 D300S Section Six f Controls Custom Settings fl to f11 845 TIFF JPEG Positives JPEG Positives Positives vs Negatives JPEG Positives Tiff image quality JPEG Positives Time exposures Interval timer shooting Movie Settings D300S Only Time zone and date D300S HDMI Timers AE Lock Section Three c Timers AE Lock Custom Settings c1 to c4 Section Three c Timers AE Lock Custom Settings c1 to c4 Custom setting c1 D300S and D300 Custom setting C2 D300S and D300 Custom setting C4 D300S and D300 Auto meter off delay Custom setting cl D300S and D300 Monitor off delay Custom setting C4 D300S and D300 Self timer delay Custom setting C2 D300S and D300 Shutter release button AE L Section Three c Timers AE Lock Custom Settings c1 to c4 Trim Retouch Red Eye Correction U Uncompressed NEF NEF RAW Type USB D300 USB D300 only 846 V Video editing software Video Editing Software Video encoding method D300S Progressive vs Interlaced V
132. s Manual D300S page 320 D300 page 335 Red eye correction attempts to change bright red pupils caused by flash exposure reflection back to their normal dark color Red eye makes a person look like one of those aliens with glowing eyes from a science fiction show If you ve used flash to create a picture the Red eye correction function will work on the image if it can detect any red eye If it can t detect red eye in the image it will not open the red eye system but will briefly display a screen informing you that the camera was unable to detect red eye in the selected picture 534 A RETOUCHMENU E Redeye correction e Dtighting y bee Y Trim a raft ri Thi Monochrome mt ae an 1 203 2 203 3 m Filter effects Color balance 9 Bi t gg IR Image overlay 203 A ti 5 203 6 Zoom OK Cancel GZoom Save Figure 6 4 Red eye correction screens If you try to run Red eye correction on an image for which flash was not used the camera will inform you Cannot select this file Here are the screens and steps to execute the Red eye correction function on an image see Figure 6 4 1 Select Red eye correction from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 6 4 image 1 2 Select the image you want to modify see Figure 6 4 image 2 3 Press the OK button to execute Red eye correction routines You ll see an hourglass on your screen for 3 to 5 seconds see Figure 6 4 image 3 535 4 After Red e
133. screen is just for information so there s nothing to set When you ve finished examining your camera s Battery info just press the OK button to exit The D300 S goes a step farther than most cameras Not only does it keep you informed of the amount of charge left in your battery it also lets you know how much life is left After some time all batteries weaken and won t hold a full charge The Battery age Charging life meter will tell you when the battery needs to be completely replaced It shows five stages of battery life from 0 4 so that you ll be prepared for replacement before your battery gets too old to be of many shot use My Recommendation In my opinion it s important to use Nikon brand batteries in your D300 S so that they will work properly with the camera Aftermarket batteries may not charge correctly in the D300 S battery charger In addition they may not report correct Battery age Charging life information There may be an aftermarket brand that works correctly but I ve not found it personally Instead I choose to use the batteries designed by Nikon to work with this camera I am a bit afraid to trust a camera that costs this much to a cheap aftermarket battery of unknown origin In Figure 5 26 you ll see a picture of the top and bottom of a genuine gray colored Li ion Nikon EN EL3e battery See the 3D Nikon hologram on the top right of image 2 479 Nikon Li ion BATTERY PACK AAAA NA
134. see Industry standard for printing is 8 bit files not 12 bit or 14 bit files Now let s examine the most popular format on the planet JPEG JPEG Image Quality Format As shown in Figure 3 10 image 2 the D300 S has three JPEG modes Each mode affects the final quality of the image Let s look at each mode in detail JPEG fine Compression approximately 1 4 JPEG normal Compression approximately 1 8 JPEG basic Compression approximately 1 16 Each JPEG mode provides a certain level of lossy image compression The human eye compensates for small color changes quite well so the JPEG compression algorithm 126 works very well for viewing by humans A useful thing about JPEG is that one can vary the file size of the image via compression without affecting quality too much Here are details on the three JPEG modes JPEG fine or Fine Quality JPEG uses a 1 4 compression ratio so there is a large difference in the file size with it being as small as 25 percent of the original size In this mode a normal 20 megabyte D300 S file can be compressed down to as little as 5 megabytes without significant loss of image quality If you decide to shoot in JPEG this mode will give you the best quality JPEG your camera can produce While a lossless compressed RAW setting allows only about 500 600 images on an 8 gigabyte CF card the JPEG fine setting raises that to about 1 200 images JPEG nor
135. see an image you want to resize press the Multi selector center button to set the image as the one to be resized A tiny resize symbol will appear in the top right corner of each thumbnail you set see Figure 6 24 image 2 red arrow You can select and set as many images as you d like and each of them will be resized 559 Resize Resize my Select image Crd ver 100 13 100 14 i 15 m Choose destination a Choose size je ree ga r si Ei 1 100 100 3 a Set GZoom GOK Resize Create resized copy 1 image E ae 1DY 4068 JPG FINE 04 23 2010 13 37 11 1280x856 Figure 6 24 Saving the new JPEG When all the images are set press the OK button A final screen will show asking you Create resized copy N images aS shown in Figure 6 24 image 3 Select Yes and press the OK button to create the resized image s The last image in the group of Set images will display They ll look just like the originals except for the Retouch symbol in the top left corner see Figure 6 24 image 4 red arrow My Recommendation I use this function when I m in the field and want to make a small image to send via email The full size JPEG file is too large to send by some email systems It s nice to have a way to reduce image size without having to find a computer Please notice that this function does not reduce the image size by cropping like the Trim function we 560 studied earlier Instead it simply reduces
136. selection My Recommendation Which bit depth setting is best Well I always use 14 bit because I want all the color my camera can capture for the best pictures later If you read my bit depth tutorial in the next section you ll understand why I feel that way However my style of shooting is nature oriented so I am concerned with capturing every last drop of color I can However there are some disadvantages to using the 14 bit mode If you choose 14 bit be aware that your camera s file sizes will be 1 3 times larger than they would have been in 148 12 bit There is a lot more color information is being stored after all There s another drawback to the 14 bit mode that some may find quite objectionable The maximum frame advance rate in CH mode continuous high on the Release mode dial drops from the normal 6 or 7 frames per second to only 2 5 frames per second It takes a lot more time to process all that extra color information If you re a sports or action shooter you might not want to use the 14 bit mode If you re a nature shooter and don t need high speed frame rates 14 bit is best for the image Channel and Bit Depth Tutorial What does all the 8 bit 12 bit and 14 bit talk mean Why would I change my camera to 14 bit depth instead of the default 12 bit Here is a short tutorial on bit depth and how if affects color storage in an image An image from your camera is an RGB image RGB stands for red
137. set the camera to Reset On Auto reset or simply to On you can use the Command dials to set exposure compensation instead of the normal Exposure compensation button Off means what it says If you use the normal Exposure compensation button it overrides the settings of Easy exposure compensation Each exposure mode P S A M reacts somewhat differently to Easy exposure compensation Let s consider how the P Program S Shutter Priority and A Aperture Priority modes act when you use the three settings above The M Manual mode does not seem to be affected by Custom setting b4 although it does work with the normal Exposure compensation button 293 CRM RRR NE Jo Fo TA eee eee eee ee ee C 385 rt Saat ae ee 1 Figure 4 21 Exp compensation Notice in Figure 4 21 how the Control panel uses the icon to show that compensation value has been dialed into the camera Here are the values and how they work Reset On Auto reset Using the Sub command dial in P Program or S Shutter Priority modes or the Main command dial in A Aperture Priority mode you can dial in exposure compensation without using the normal Exposure compensation button Once you allow the meter to go off or turn the camera off the compensation value you dialed in is reset back to 0 That s why it s called Auto reset If you have already set a compensation value using the normal Exposure compensation butt
138. settings and then execute Reset shooting menu Multiple exposure will be reset immediately for all banks Interval timer shooting will pop up a warning telling you that it is about to be reset and will allow you to stop the reset action Please remember that if these two items are reset they will be reset for all four Shooting menu banks at once 102 gt SHOOTING MENU Reset shooting menu Shooting menu bank _ Active folder File naming Primary slot selection A Secondary slot function Image quality Image size Figure 3 4 Reset the current Shooting menu bank My Recommendation This is an easy way to start fresh with a particular Shooting menu bank Since it s a full reset of all the values in the one bank including the two special settings Multiple exposure and Interval timer shooting that affect all four banks please pay attention to the previous note I use this when I ve purchased a used camera and want to clear someone else s settings or simply want to start fresh at any time on a particular bank Don t be afraid of using this function you can always reconfigure the bank affected 103 Active Folder User s Manual D300S page 256 D300 page 258 The D300 S automatically creates a folder on its primary memory card called 100D300S while the D300 uses the name 100ND300 on its single CF memory card This folder can contain up to 999 images If you want to store images in separate folders on the
139. settings you initially configured in your D300 S However these settings are only applied in a temporary manner for your computer viewing pleasure If you don t like the white balance you selected at the time you took the picture simply apply a new white balance and the image will appear just as if you had used the new white balance setting when you first took the picture If you had low sharpening set in camera and change it to higher sharpening in computer the image will look just like it would have looked had you used higher in camera sharpening when you took the image You can change sharpening levels in the Picture Control you have selected This is quite powerful Virtually no camera settings are applied to a RAW file in a permanent way That means you can apply completely different settings to the image in computer and it will appear just as if you had used the new settings when you first took the picture This allows a lot of flexibility later If you shot the image initially using the Standard Picture Control and now want to use the Vivid Picture Control all you have to do is apply the Vivid Picture Control before the final conversion and it will be as if you used the Vivid Picture Control when you first took the picture Complete flexibility NEF RAW is generally used by individuals concerned with maximum image quality and who have time to convert the 124 image in the computer after taking it with the camera A convers
140. size settings L Large 4288x2848 M Medium 3126x2136 and S Small 2144x1424 from the Image size menu see Figure 6 12 Large gives you the biggest possible size in a JPEG image Select the setting you want to use and then press the OK button to return to the main NEF RAW processing configuration screen You can cancel the operation with the Playback button 550 NEF RAW processing NEF RAW processing Image size Image size Lea ct Di N ancel Zoom ONOK Cancel Zoom NOK ___NEF RAW processing A 1S NEF RAW processing White balance z aE a _ a Dancel Zoom E Dancel Zoom HOK Canel GAdiust ONOK NEF RAW processing n NEF RAW processing NEF RAW processing Fluorescent 1 Cootwhite Pu Cootwhite A 8 s we eT eS ie o ane Zom Cancel Zoom Danel GAdiust GHOK Figure 6 14 White balance Fluorescent NEF RAW processing ee 2a RAW processing Choose color temp j j 3 Re Re anel Zoom OK i Dancel G Zo0om GHOK Cancel GAdiust GOK Figure 6 15 White balance K or Choose color temp 551 NEF RAW processing _ NEF RAW processing NEF RAW processing Preset manual D A B 3 p e pg oee KAAS a MES 2 E 3 fee R ane Ozom GHOK Canel Gloom GHOK Cancel GAdiust GOK Figure 6 16 White balance PRE or Preset manual 5 Select one of the White balance settings for your new JPEG see Figure 6 13 Figure 6 16 You can choose fro
141. strange to use the first couple of times and it makes a lot of noise but this mode works pretty well You can use either the Shutter release button or the AF ON button to autofocus the camera when using Hand held mode Oh and don t be afraid to use 223 Hand held mode on a tripod It works just fine that way too Tripod Tripod mode is much slower but it gives you extreme focus accuracy Instead of using the normal phase detection autofocus the camera switches to contrast detect AF This is the best mode for doing macro close up shooting and allows you to zoom in to the pixel peeping level to see exactly what s in focus You ll use the AF ON button just to the left of the rear Main command dial to focus the camera You can use the Playback zoom in button looks like a magnifying glass with a plus sign on the camera s back to zoom in until you can see fine detail Then you ll focus with the AF ON button and press the Shutter release button to take the picture The Monitor will black out while the picture is being taken You can use Tripod mode off tripod too In fact it s good practice to do so since the D300S only has D Movie mode which uses contrast detect AF just like Tripod Live view mode It works the same so you ll need to know how to use it We ll spend a lot more time on the Live view modes in the chapter titled Chapter 8 Hopefully this introduction will allow you to play with the modes and eve
142. the AF point around the Viewfinder within the 51 available points If you want to use the D300 S as a point and shoot camera center the AF point rectangle in the Viewfinder and set the lock on L Once locked the camera will only use the center AF point in Single point AF mode I leave mine unlocked all 713 the time but I check as I m focusing to make sure I am using the AF point I want to use I can use the to move a single AF point or a group of points around the array of 51 available points Figure 11 2 1 Focus mode selector 2 Release mode dial and lock release button 3 AF area mode selector and 4 Multi Selector Be aware that 15 of the 51 AF points on the D300 S are cross type sensors which means that they will initiate focus in either a horizontal or a vertical direction The center three columns by five rows of AF points are cross type All AF points outside of the three center columns are only sensitive in a horizontal direction 3 shows the AF points that are cross type in red 714 o FBSA RS BALE ERENER Figure 11 3 Cross type AF points The D300 S s Improved Sensor The D300 S s autofocus sensor is different from and improves upon the sensor found in the D200 camera on which only the single center AF point is a cross type In the D300 S the actual underlying AF points seem to be well represented by the little rectangles in the Viewfinder although a little less so as I used s
143. the Nikon D300 S tends to be a bit conservative when light values get too bright If the camera encounters a situation where the light values exceed the range of the sensor it tends to expose for the highlights and let the darker areas of the image lose detail We ll talk more about this in the Histogram section of this chapter In all cases it tries to keep the bright values from blowing out by preventing the meter from fully approaching pure white with no detail In my experience the D300 S tries to keep the exposure 1 3 to 1 2 stop below the maximum white value Fortunately Nikon has given us a way to fine tune the Matrix meter to closely match our type of shooting As a stock shooter for Photoshelter com I m always concerned about shooting images as noise free as possible Because of that fact I generally try to expose as close to the maximum brightness as I can without completely blowing out the highlights Underexposure means noise so I tend toward the highlight or bright edge of normal exposure to keep noise under control I ve found that running my D300 S about 1 2 stop over what the Matrix meter suggests gives me images that have no serious blowout and very little noise From time to time I have a little problem with white subjects but generally I do well 1 2 stop over 639 If you want to experiment with fine tuning your Matrix meter to see what you can get away with please refer to the chapter titled Chapter 4 and s
144. the Shooting and Playback modes Shooting mode is in force when you re using the camera to take pictures Playback mode is in use when you are examining pictures on the rear Monitor Let s look at each mode in detail 385 Shooting Mode First let s see how pressing the center of the Multi Selector works in Shooting mode Here are the screens and steps used to configure Multi selector center button in Shooting mode see Figure 4 65 l i Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 65 image 1 Highlight Multi selector center button and scroll to the right see Figure 4 65 image 2 CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls lt Custom setting bank A 1 iswitch Reset custom settings pae Murt sereciorcenter button a Autofocus j f3 Multi selector OFF b Metering exposure I 4Photo info playback c Timers AE lock El 5 Assign Fn button d Shooting display 6 Assign preview button _ Bracketing flash 7 Assign AE L AF L button 8 Customize command dials ca Highlight active focus point Playback mode E Not used Figure 4 65 Multi selector center button Shooting mode 3 Select Shooting mode and scroll to the right see Figure 4 65 image 3 386 4 Choose one of the three choices on the list In Figure 4 65 image 4 Select center focus point has been chosen 5 Press the OK button to lock in the setting There are three s
145. the camera or computer both Adobe RGB and sRGB s color gamut are compressed into the same number of color levels A JPEG has only 256 levels for each of its red green and blue RGB channels However since the Adobe RGB color space takes its colors from a wider spectrum you will have a better representation of reality when there are lots of colors in your image 191 If you shoot in RAW format a lot you may want to consider using Adobe RGB to store the maximum number of colors in your image files for later reuse Remember that a NEF RAW image file can contain 4 096 levels of color per RGB channel in 12 bit mode and 16 385 levels in 14 bit mode instead of the 8 bit JPEG s 256 levels Using Adobe RGB makes a lot of sense in NEF RAW mode because of its capacity to contain more colors as a base storage medium There are some drawbacks to using Adobe RGB though The sRGB color space is widely used in printing and display devices Even many local labs print using sRGB because so many point and shoot digital camera users bring their pictures to them in that format If you try to print directly to some inkjet printers using the Adobe RGB color space the colors may not be as brilliant as with sRGB If you aren t going to modify your images in computer and plan on printing them directly from your camera you may want to use sRGB If you shoot only JPEGs for computer display or Internet usage it might be better to stay with sRGB for e
146. the camera to take a NEF RAW file and a JPEG fine normal or basic file at the same time The JPEG format has various levels of image compression available fine normal and basic so there are three selections on the list to reflect the different compression levels When you press the Shutter release button with one of the three NEF RAW JPEG Image quality modes selected the camera creates a RAW file and a JPEG file and then writes them to the memory card s as separate files In order to understand how they work we ll have to examine the individual formats for each NEF RAW and JPEG We ll also examine the TIFF format to see how it may be useful to some of us 120 NEF RAW Image Quality Format The Nikon NEF proprietary format stores raw image data directly to the camera s memory card Most of the time photographers refer to a NEF file simply as a RAW file These RAW files can easily be recognized because the file name ends with NEF This is not an image format used in day to day graphical work like JPEG and it s not yet really even an image Instead it s a base storage format used to store images for conversion to another file format ending in JPG TIF EPS or PNG Other than initial compression if selected in NEF RAW recording it stores all available image data and can be easily manipulated later You must use conversion software such as the included Nikon Software Suite Nikon ViewNX Nikon Capture N
147. the entire camera However you don t need to be overly concerned about this As much image review chimping as I do I can still shoot all day on one battery charge 314 Section Four d Shooting Display Custom Settings d1 to d12 Within the Shooting display menu you ll find 12 settings in the D300S and 11 in the D300 The Custom Setting numbers within this section differ in the D300S and D300 as explained in the parentheses following the setting name Viewfinder grid display d2 in both D300 D300S d3 in both D300 D3008 Viewfinder warning display Screen tips D300S only d4 in D300S CL mode shooting speed d5 in D300S and d4 in D300 Max continuous release d6 in D300S and d5 in D300 File number sequence d7 in D300S and d6 in D300 Information Shooting info d8 in D300S and d7 in D300 display LCD illumination d9 in D300S and d8 in D300 315 Exposure delay mode d10 in D300S and d9 in D300 MB D10 battery type dll in D300S and dl0 in D300 Battery order d12 in D300S and dll in D300 Beep Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 275 D300 page 281 The Beep setting allows your camera to inform you of good autofocus by beeping During Self timer operations the camera beeps continuously and flashes the AF assist illuminator You can set the camera to beep with a high pitched or low pitched sound The low p
148. the glass travel from the top of the document to the bottom as it records one line at a time At the end of the scan there is a copy of the document in your computer s memory that can be saved to the hard drive You usually put the scanner s lid down on a paper document to hold it flat and keep it from moving Now let me ask you to imagine something What if you were scanning a paper document on your desktop scanner and halfway through the scan you moved the paper a little The top part of the scan would look normal since it was already captured by the scanner s sensor but the bottom part of the scan would be at a different angle than the top part You could say that it is skewed away from the original angle This is an example of the skew issue we mentioned before Or what if you grabbed the paper and rotated it back and forth all the way through the entire scan The final scanned document would look like a series of zigzags with some parts at one angle and other parts at a different angle The end result would not be very nice would it This is an example of the wobble issue I mentioned above The D300S records video in a similar manner except it is much faster than a scanner It records a frame of video in 1 24 second or 24 fps Since the Nikon D300S scans the image the lens sees at 24 fps there s not a problem in most cases Most movement is too slow to be zigzagged wobble or off angled skew Skew and wobble b
149. the image looks just right press the OK button to return to the main NEF RAW processing configuration screen You can cancel the operation with the Playback button If the image needs High ISO noise reduction you can apply it now see Figure 6 19 You have a choice of four settings H High N Normal L Low or Off Each of these applies more or less High ISO NR to the image Choose one and press the OK button to return to the main NEF RAW processing configuration screen You can cancel the operation with the Playback button 555 NEF RAW processing NEF RAW processing High ISO NR High ISO NR cancel Zoom OROK cance Zoom NOK Figure 6 19 High ISO noise reduction Color space lets you choose one of the camera s two color space settings see Figure 6 20 You can select from Adobe or sRGB Adobe is the same as Adobe RGB Choose one and press the OK button to return to the main NEF RAW processing configuration screen You can cancel the operation with the Playback button NEF RAW processing NEF RAW processing Color space Color space Nase AN a carce G Zoom GOK cancel Zoom CHOK Figure 6 20 Color space NEF RAW processing FINE PRR i lt h PA RENI Di arel Zom GOK AHE 556 Figure 6 21 Saving the new JPEG 10 Now scroll down to the EXE selection EXE Execute and press the OK button see Figure 6 21 The hourglass will show for a few seconds while the new JPEG is being created
150. the image size in the same aspect ratio as the original except it has a smaller megapixel size Edit Movie D300S only User s Manual D300S page 64 Edit movie gives you a two step process to cut a section out of the middle of a D300S created movie Or you can simply remove a beginning or ending segment only This is only available on the D300S There are two individual parts to the process Choose start point and Choose end point and you can choose to use only one of them Each time you complete one of the start or end point choices the camera saves the file as a new movie with a new file number This tends to create a bunch of smaller movies on your memory card that you ll need to carefully delete taking care that you aren t deleting the wrong one Let s look at the screens and steps used to remove a movie segment see Figure 6 25 RETOUCH MENU Edit movie Edit movie ooo A j s Choose start point Bm yr p Color balance Mt Choose start point LJ Image overlay NEF RAW processing i nN Resize Figure 6 25 Edit movie Choose start point 1 Choose Edit movie from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right 561 2 Select Choose start point or Choose end point and scroll to the right 3 Choose one of the available movies and then press the OK button 4 The selected movie will show up on the Monitor and await your input Press the Multi selector center button to start playing the movie
151. the imaging sensor captured to the bottom lines 1 2 3 4 720 etc Interlaced video output displays every even line from top to bottom then comes back to the top and displays every odd line lines 2 4 6 8 720 then 1 3 5 7 719 etc Progressive output provides a higher quality image with less flicker and a more cinematic look I m sure that s why Nikon chose to make the D300S shoot progressive video Now let s set up our cameras and make some D Movies Camera Setup for Making D Movies Before you make your first movie you ll need to set four separate things on your D300S Setup Menu gt Video mode Encoding method NTSC or PAL Shooting Menu gt Movie settings D Movie Quality Shooting Menu gt Movie settings Microphone sound level Shooting Menu gt Movie settings Destination memory card Which Video Encoding Method The D300S allows you to record using either the NTSC or PAL encoding method These are two different video encoding systems NTSC is the standard in North America Japan some of South America and a few other areas PAL is the standard in most of Europe Asia and Australia There is 604 very little quality difference between the two encoding methods Here are the Setup Menu screens and steps used to select the encoding mode see Figure 8 7 1 Select Video mode from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select NTSC or PAL encoding mode p
152. the normal exposure MTR first and then watch how it varies as I scroll through the bracketed images It gets confusing to me if there are nine images in a bracket and I am trying to figure out which one is the MTR image as I would be with the other bracketing order If that doesn t suit you change it to the other direction Under gt MTR gt over The normal exposure will be in the middle of the bracket instead of at the beginning Some prefer the more natural flow of that bracketing order under to over 380 Section Six f Controls Custom Settings f1 to f11 Within the Controls menu you ll find 11 settings in the D300S and 10 in the D300 The Custom Setting numbers within this section differ in the D300S and D300 as explained in the parentheses following the setting name Backlight switch f1 in D300S only Multi selector center button f2 in D300S and f1 in D300 Multi selector 3 in D300S and f2 in D300 Photo info playback f4 in D300S and f3 in D300 f6 in D3005 and f5 in D300 Assign preview button Assign AE L AF L button f7 in D300S and f6 in D300 Customize command dials f8 in D300S and f7 in D300 Release button to use dial f9 in D300S and f8 in D300 Assign Fn button f5 in D300S and f4 in D300 No memory card f10 in D300S and f9 in D300 381 1 in D3008 and F109 D300 Switch Backlight Custom setting f1 D300S only User s Manual D
153. to CL Continuous low or CH Continuous high release mode and take the bracketed burst This applies to AE Flash and ADL bracketing which take one image for each shutter release WB bracketing is mentioned in the manual too but since it takes the entire bracket in one shutter release what s the point If you use this function for WB bracketing and hold down the Shutter release button you ll create multiple groups of bracketed images on your memory card Remember WB bracketing takes the entire bracket in one shutter press Multiple shutter releases will capture numerous multi image WB brackets Be careful with this function when using WB bracketing Matrix metering If you do not use Matrix metering as your primary metering system but want to use it occasionally this setting allows you to turn on Matrix 405 metering while you hold down the Selected button When you release the Selected button the camera returns to your customary meter type such as Spot or Center weighted metering Center weighted If you normally use Matrix or Spot metering as your primary metering system you can temporarily use Center weighted metering by holding down the Selected button When you release the button the camera returns to your customary meter type such as Spot or Matrix Spot metering If you normally use another metering system besides Spot metering you can temporarily switch to Spot by holding down the Selected butt
154. to MTP PTP which is required by virtually all Nikon software I know that it always appears as a device not a hard drive under my file browser Basically the D300S simply gives you no choice of USB protocols where the older D300 does 471 Image Dust Off Ref Photo User s Manual D300S page 305 D300 page 319 Often you may go out and do an expensive shoot only to return and find that some dust spots have appeared in the worst possible place in your images If you immediately create an Image Dust Off ref photo you can use it to remove the dust spots from your images and afterward go clean the camera s sensor for your next shooting session Nikon calls this function Image Dust Off ref photo in the D300S and Dust Off ref photo in the D300 We ll use Image Dust off ref photo for all references in this section Here s how it works When you use the instructions below to create the Image Dust Off ref photo you ll be shooting a blank unfocused picture of a pure white or gray background The dust spots in the image will then be readily apparent to Nikon Capture NX2 software Yes you must use Nikon s software to automatically batch remove dust spots from a large number of images When you load the image to be cleaned into Capture NX2 along with the dust off image the software will use that image to remove the spots in your production image The position and amount of dust on the low pass filter may change It
155. to its factory default configuration If Sharpening Contrast and Brightness are grayed out it means that your D300 S has Active D Lighting enabled When enabled Active D Lighting takes over these three adjustment items and won t allow you to modify them We ll 139 discuss Active D Lighting in an upcoming section of this chapter If you want to modify a Picture Control s Sharpening Contrast or Brightness settings you ll need to set Active D Lighting to Off You can modify Saturation or Hue at any time Now let s look closer at the Picture Control system As shown in Figure 3 19 image 2 there are a series of Picture Control selections that modify how your D300 S captures an image SD or Standard NL or Neutral VI or Vivid MC or Monochrome Each of these settings has a different and variable combination of the following settings Sharpening Contrast Brightness Saturation Hue Filter effects MC only Toning MC only You can select one of the controls SD NL VI or MC and leave the settings as they are set at the factory or you can modify the settings see Figure 3 19 image 3 and completely 160 change how the D300 S captures the image If you are shooting in RAW mode the D300 S does not apply these settings to the image but stores them with the image so that you can later change them in computer Let s examine each of the Picture Controls and then we
156. to look at each image If it looks good I move on to another image opportunity The D300S and D300 have a major variation in the way they handle this time out The D300S allows you to select individual display time outs for the following Playback Menus Information display Image review The D300 puts all of those under the one Monitor off delay time out instead with no way to change them individually Here are the delay values available for the D300S all values except 4 seconds are available for the D300 4s 4 seconds 10s 10 seconds 20s 20 seconds min 1 minute 5 min 5 minutes 10 min 10 minutes 311 First let s examine the D300S method with individual time outs and then we ll look at how the D300 does it with its single time out value D300S Only Monitor Off Delay The D300S has more functionality built into the Monitor off delay section than the D300 does You can set a different Monitor off delay for each of the four displays on the D300S Here are the screens and steps to set Monitor off delay for each of the four D300S display types see Figure 4 29 1 Select c Timers AE lock from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right Figure 4 29 image 1 2 Highlight Monitor off delay and scroll to the right Figure 4 29 image 2 co CUSTOM SETTING MENU c Timers AE lock Custom setting bank Si Ci Shutter release button AEL ON j Reset custom settings
157. up and the shutter open Here are the three screens and steps you ll use to select this mode for manual sensor cleaning SETUP MENU _ BB Lock mirror up for cleaning BB Lock mirror up for cleaning Format memory card LCD brightness LEE When shutter button is pressed FE the mirror lifts and shutter opens BL To lower mirror turn camera off Figure 5 8 Lock the mirror for cleaning screens 444 1 Select Lock mirror up for cleaning from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose Start as shown in Figure 5 8 image 2 and then scroll to the right 3 You ll see a screen that says When shutter button is pressed the mirror lifts and shutter opens To lower mirror turn camera off see Figure 5 8 image 3 4 Remove the lens and press the Shutter release button once The sensor will now be exposed and ready for cleaning Be careful not to let new dirt in while the sensor is open to air 5 Clean the sensor 6 Turn the camera off and put the lens back on Make sure you have a fresh battery in the camera because that s what holds the shutter open for cleaning It must be above a 60 charge or the camera will refuse to start the process You ll need a good professional sensor cleaning blower My favorite is the Giottos Rocket Air blower with its long red tip for easy insertion see Figure 5 9 I bought mine from the Nikonians Pro Shop www PhotoProShop com It doesn t cost very much My Recommenda
158. well pleased with my D300S s D Movie mode I have true video on demand and I use it often When I go up into the ancient Great Smoky Mountains I can now take great still images and set my D300S up on a tripod by the many rivers and waterfalls for some great relaxing home videos Later I can assemble them into a longer presentation combined with music for my family and friends to enjoy Having video in our DSLR cameras will revolutionize photography as we know it Since your D300S has excellent HD video you have a head start 633 Go make some great videos 634 Chapter 9 Metering Exposure Modes and Histogram 635 Father and Son Courtesy of LaDonna France Huizinga Cookies35 My first Nikon was an FM back in about 1980 It used a basic center weighted meter and everything else was completely manual In a way I miss those simple days of old I became a proponent of digital SLRs back in August of 2002 when I bought my first serious DSLR the Nikon D100 I left the film world in a hurry and never looked back I rejoiced so much in Nikon digital imaging that I gained the nickname of Digital Darrell in the Nikonians org community Later I bought a D200 and my rejoicing became even more exuberant Fast forward a few years and I now find myself with the most accurate and powerful DSLR I ve ever owned Yep it s the same one you have the Nikon D300 D300S I also own a Nikon D2X but recently it stays in the
159. who want excellent image quality but have little time or interest in post processing or converting images to another format They want to use the image immediately when it comes out of the camera with no major adjustments The JPEG format applies your chosen camera settings to the image when it is taken The image comes out of the camera ready to use as long as you have exposed it properly and have configured all the other settings appropriately for the image Since JPEG is a lossy format one cannot modify and save a JPEG file more than a time or two before compression losses ruin the image However since there is no post processing required this format allows much quicker usage of the image A person shooting a large quantity of images or who doesn t have the time to convert RAW images will usually use JPEG That encompasses a lot of photographers 128 While nature photographers might want to use NEF RAW since they have more time for processing images and wringing the last drop of quality out of them event or journalist photographers may not have the time or interest in processing images so they Il often use JPEG Here are the pros and cons of using JPEG mode JPEG Positives Allows for maximum number of images on camera card and in computer hard drive storage Allows for the fastest transfer from camera memory buffer to memory card storage Absolute compatibility with everything and everybody in imaging
160. will only move a short distance or is moving slowly you can simply select a pattern of 9 points Maybe you re doing some macro shots of a bee on a flower and she is moving around the flower Or you might be photographing a tennis game in which case you could use 21 points to allow for more rapid side to side movement without losing the focus You ll have to decide which pattern best fits your needs for the current shooting situation Using Dynamic area AF and Custom setting a3 you can more accurately track and photograph all sorts sizes and speeds of moving subjects The reaction speed of the AF system is somewhat slower when using either of the two 51 point modes since there is a lot more information being processed by the camera Take that into consideration when shooting events The mode called 51 points 3D tracking adds color detection ability to the tracking system The camera will not only track by subject area it will also remember the color of the subject as an additional tracking mechanism 127 Auto area AF Auto area AF turns the D300 S into an expensive point and shoot camera Use this mode when you simply have no time to think and would still like to get great images The AF Module decides what the subject is and selects the AF points it thinks work best Figure 11 9 shows the AF area mode selector in the Auto area AF position If you are using Sing le servo AF S focus mode you ll have an idea of what is go
161. wireless transmission of images At the time of this book s writing there are Eye Fi cards that range from 2 to 8 gigabytes capacity I understand that these cards can also be used successfully in a CF SDHC adapter for use in cameras such as the D300 However Eye Fi does not recommend this due to a loss of range and other issues which we will discuss later 482 Image Authentication User s Manual D300S page 308 D300 page 324 Image authentication is a method used in conjunction with Nikon software to guarantee that an image has not been modified in any way With film one can easily detect whether a printed image has been modified from the original All one must do is look at the original transparency or negative However with digital photography and programs like Photoshop one can modify an image in amazing ways Many law enforcement agencies would like to use digital imaging to save lots of money on film and processing costs but have been hampered by this ability to modify digital images so easily Some courts have refused digital images as evidence for this reason Some major editorial houses like large newspapers and magazines have been embarrassed when one of their photographers modified a news image and was later caught Clearly there is a need to prove that a digital image has not been modified from its original form Nikon has answered that need with the Image authentication feature of the Nikon D300 S
162. would rather simply press the Info button when I want access to the Information display on the rear monitor Multi Selector Center Button Custom setting f2 D300S and f1 D300 User s Manual D300S page 291 D300 page 301 This Custom Setting called not surprisingly Multi selector center button determines how the Multi selector center button 384 works This setting comes in two parts according to what mode the D300 S is currently using When I refer to the name in green Multi selector center button Im speaking of the Custom Setting by that name When you see it in blue Multi selector center button I m discussing the physical Multi Selector See the color legend page at the beginning of this book The D300S and D300 are different in how the Multi Selector is made Nikon added an actual button to the center of the Multi Selector on the D300S The D300 requires that you press the entire Multi Selector to achieve the same result In other words on the D300S you press the Multi Selector center button while on the D300 you press the center of the Multi Selector To cut down on confusion I am going to use the name Multi selector center button for both of these styles of pressing the middle of Multi Selector in this section When you see that name know that it means you should press the center of the Multi Selector extra button or not The two modes that affect how the Multi selector center button works are
163. you conceal images so that they won t display on the camera s Monitor Display mode Controls how many informational screens the camera will display for each image Copy images D300S only Gives you functions to copy images between the two memory cards on the Nikon D300S Image review Turns the camera s post shot automatic image review on or off After delete Determines which image is displayed next when you delete an image from the memory card 35 Rotate tall Allows you to choose whether portrait orientation images verticals display in an upright position or lying on their side on the horizontal Monitor Slide show Allows you to display all the images on your camera s memory card s in a sequential display like the slide shows of olden days pre 2002 No projector required Print set DPOF Lets you print your images directly from a PictBridge compatible printer without using a computer either by using Digital Print Order Format DPOF directly from a memory card or by connecting a USB cable to the camera Available in our free download section Now let s examine each of these settings in detail with full explanations on how why and when to configure each item Technical LCD Monitor Information The D300 S has a Monitor screen with enough resolution size and viewing angle to really enjoy using it for previewing images It has full VGA resolution 640
164. you might ask yourself Why is there such a setting as Release priority Well many professional photographers shoot high speed events at high frame rates taking hundreds of images and use depth of field or experience and luck to compensate for less than accurate focus They are in complete control of their camera s systems since they have a huge amount of practice in getting the focus right where they want it to be There are valid reasons for these photographers not to use Focus priority However most of those same photographers do not let the Shutter release button start autofocus either since the focus could change every time the Shutter release button is pressed They set AF activation Custom setting a5 so that the autofocus doesn t even activate until the AF ON button is pressed They then use the AF ON button exclusively for autofocus and the Shutter release button to take the picture They separate the two functions instead of using the Shutter release button for both You need to ask yourself What type of a photographer am I If you are a pro shooting hundreds of pictures of fast racecars Focus priority may not be for you However for the average photographer taking pictures of his kids running around the yard deer jumping a fence beautiful landscapes flying birds or a bride tossing a bouquet Focus priority is usually the best choice For most of us it s better to have the camera refuse to take the
165. your camera s lens sees It s like using the Viewfinder but much larger Live view mode is an approach that some consider a throwback and others a lifesaver Why do I say that Well have you ever seen amateur photographers with a point and shoot camera arms extended as they use their camera LCD to frame pictures How sharp can a picture be when one is holding the camera out in mid air snapping pictures Using a heavier camera like the D300 S this way would tire the arms more quickly and make sharpness even worse That s not the best way to use Live view mode As for being a lifesaver have you ever had to focus on a small subject while bent over at the waist The back suffers quickly and it s hard to stay bent over for long Live view mode solves that problem pretty well since you can just fire up Tripod Live view mode and take pictures using the big 3 inch monitor with contrast detect AF 221 In this section we ll look at how to select Live view mode with a brief description of how the Hand held and Tripod modes work I have devoted part of another chapter Chapter 8 to Live view mode and will go into much more detail on all of this mode s capabilities Here are the steps to select one of the Live view mode settings see the screens in Figure 3 53 SHOOTING MENU Live view mode Gy Active D Lighting j J Long exp NR High ISO NR ISO sensitivity settings SN Live view mode fe Multiple exposure Movie sett
166. 0 Custom setting b5 D300S and D300 Custom setting b6 D300S and D300 Section Three c Timers AE Lock Custom Settings c1 to c4 Custom setting c1 D300S and D300 Custom setting C2 D300S and D300 Custom setting C4 D300S and D300 Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 Custom setting d2 D300S and D300 Custom setting d3 D300S and D300 Custom setting d4 D300S Only Custom setting d4 D300S Only Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 Custom setting d7 D300S and d6 D300 Custom setting d7 D300S and d6 D300 Custom setting d9 D300S and d8 D300 Custom setting d9 D300S and d8 D300 Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 Custom setting d11 D300S and d10 D300 Custom setting d11 D300S and d10 D300 Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings el to e7 Special Shutter Speed Setting X Flash Syne Speed Custom setting e3 D300S and D300 Commander Mode Notes Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Section Six f Controls Custom Settings f1 to fll Custom setting fl D300S only Custom setting fl D300S only Choose 810 folder D300
167. 0 s AF ON button executes focus and exposure lock instead of normal AF ON AE lock only The MB D10 s AF ON button executes exposure lock instead of normal AF ON AE lock Reset on release When the MB D 10 s AF ON button is pressed it executes an exposure lock The exposure lock stays active until the AF ON button is pressed a second time the exposure meter shuts off or the shutter is released AE lock Hold When the MB D10 s AF ON button is pressed it executes an exposure lock The exposure lock stays active until the AF ON button is pressed a second time or the exposure meter shuts off AF lock only When MB D10 s AF ON button is held down it executes an exposure lock 282 Same as Fn FUNC button The MB D10 s AF ON button performs whatever function has been selected in the Custom Setting called Assign Fn button Custom setting f5 in D300S and f4 in D300 My Recommendation When I m using the MB D10 on my camera I want the extra AF ON button to perform just like the AF ON button on the camera body so I set it to AF ON in the menu If you use auto exposure AE L or autofocus AF L lock often you may feel differently In that case select your favorite function from the menu Normally you ll only use this extra AF ON button when shooting a vertical image 283 Section Two b Metering Exposure Custom Settings b1 to b6 You ll find 6 settings within the Metering expos
168. 00 S only If there are folders from other cameras on the memory card those images will not appear during playback You may not even realize they are on the memory card Note When viewed on your computer the memory card s full default folder name will be 100D300S or 100ND300 You can change the default folder number to a new one with the Shooting Menu gt Active folder setting We ll discuss this more in the chapter called Chapter 3 All This maximum flexibility setting has saved my buns several times when I thought to check my camera for images before I formatted the card and found that I had other images on the card besides D300 S images During playback the camera will display images from other folders you ve created or other Nikons you ve used with the current memory card Each camera creates its own unique folders The D300 S intelligently displays its own images as well as any other Nikon images on the card 45 Current This is the most limited playback mode available Whatever folder your camera is using currently will be displayed during playback No other images or folders will be displayed You might have a folder named 999D300S or 555ND300 for example and be using it for landscape images If you use Current only that folder s images will display when you press the Playback button My Recommendation In my opinion using anything except All leaves one open for lost images If you don t have any oth
169. 00 page 307 Assign Fn FUNC button Assign preview button and Assign AE L AF L button are all discussed in this one section All three work exactly the same way so instead of repeating the same instructions three times I chose to explain them once When I speak of the Selected button I am talking about the camera button you want to configure Fn FUNC Preview or AE L AF L When you see the words Selected button in bold italics please mentally replace this with your favorite button You can assign various camera functions to any of the three buttons mentioned After we consider each of the screens used to assign the various functions we ll look at each function in detail in the section Assignable Function List There are a lot of different functions from which to select The screens steps and 398 settings we are about to review are designed to let you customize the usage of the Selected button alone or the Selected button Command dials Here is a list of the screens followed by the steps used to configure the Selected button Assign Fn FUNC button see Figure 4 72 Assign preview button see Figure 4 73 Assign AE L AF L button see Figure 4 74 Refer back to these three FIGs as you step through the many choices for how you configure your Selected button ES CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls Custom setting bank A 41 switeh ry Reset custom settings Teo 2 Multi selector center button yj e
170. 00S Focus point wrap around a7 in both D300 D300S AF point selection a8 in both D300 D300S Built in AF assist illuminator a9 in both D300 D300S AF ON for MB D10 al0 in both D300 D300S AF point illumination a6 in both D300 D300S 253 This first section is about how to configure the autofocus system in various ways The whole process is rather complex and important for good photography I thought autofocus and related functions important enough that I ve included an entire chapter in this book titled Chapter 11 It covers autofocus and related functions in much deeper detail Please be sure to read that chapter well AF C Priority Selection Custom setting a1 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 263 D300 page 267 AF C priority selection is designed to let you choose how your autofocus works when using Continuous servo autofocus mode AF C If you configure this setting incorrectly for your style of shooting it s entirely possible that a number of your pictures will be out of focus Why Well if you ll notice in Figure 4 5 image 3 there are three specific selections Release If the image must be taken no matter what then you will need to set AF C priority selection to Release This allows the shutter to fire every time you press the Shutter release button even if the image is not in focus Releasing the shutter has priority over autofocus If you are we
171. 06 00 01 00 a m 01 00 07 00 a m 07 00 02 00 a m 02 00 08 00 a m 08 00 03 00 a m 03 00 09 00 a m 09 00 04 00 a m 04 00 10 00 a m 10 00 456 05 00 a m 05 00 11 00 a m 11 00 P M Settings 12 00 p m 12 00 noon 06 00 p m 18 00 01 00 p m 13 00 07 00 p m 19 00 02 00 p m 14 00 08 00 p m 20 00 03 00 p m 15 00 09 00 p m 21 00 04 00 p m 16 00 10 00 p m 22 00 05 00 p m 17 00 11 00 p m 23 00 Note There is no 24 00 time midnight After 23 59 comes 00 00 Date format The camera gives you three different ways to format the date see Figure 5 16 Y M D Year Month Day 2010 12 31 M D Y Month Day Year 12 31 2010 D M Y Day Month Y ear 31 12 2010 United States camera owners will probably use the second setting which matches the Month Day Year format so 457 familiar to Americans Other areas of the world can select their favorite date format Time zone and date i Time zone and date Time zone Date format Date a time Daylight saving time Y W D Year Month Day New York Toronto Lima ai Mon h Day Year D WY Day Month Year UTC 5 01 11 2010 14 21 06 Figure 5 16 Date format screens Here are the steps to set the Date format see Figure 5 16 continues from Figure 5 13 1 Choose Date format from the Time zone and date screen and scroll to the right see Figure 5 16 image 1 2 Choose your favorite
172. 0S Nikon added a completely separate Info button to make things a little easier in addition to adding more functionality to the Information display To open the Information display on the D300S you press the stand alone Info button To open the Shooting info display on the D300 you press the Protect Help Info button Figure 4 40 images 1 and 2 compare both cameras info buttons Image 1 shows the Info button for the D300S It s located on the back of the camera just below the AF area mode selector and LV button red arrow Image 2 shows the Protect Help Info button for the D300 just below the MENU button red arrow 333 Figure 4 40 Comparing the D300S and D300 Info buttons Both of these buttons bring up a similar screen that shows current shooting information As mentioned in the beginning of this section the extremely cool thing about this Information Shooting info display is that it can adjust its color and brightness according to the ambient light the camera senses through its lens Try this With your lens cap off camera turned on and nothing showing on the rear screen press the Info button D300S or Protect Help Info button D300 If there s even dim ambient light where you are you ll see a light blue info screen with black letters Now go into a dark area put your lens cap on or cover the eyepiece with your hand You ll see that anytime there are dark ambient light conditions the camera change
173. 1 0 or 1 60s at f 4 The EV step system was invented in Germany back in the 1950s Interesting huh ISO Sensitivity Step Value Custom setting b1 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 270 D300 page 275 ISO sensitivity step value allows you to change the way the camera handles its progression of exposure values for ISO In other words the camera s ISO step value is set with Custom setting bl You can control the steps with the following values 1 3 step EV ISO steps 200 250 320 400 etc 1 2 step EV ISO steps 200 280 400 560 etc 1 step EV ISO steps 200 400 800 1600 etc 285 If you are concerned with maximum ISO control then use the 1 3 step setting It takes longer to scroll through the ISO selections if you manually set your ISO value in 1 3 steps The 1 3 step setting is the factory default value for b1 Here are the screens and steps to change the ISO sensitivity step value see Figure 4 17 SR SETTING MENU b Metering exposure b1ISO sensitivity step value lt Custom setting bank A 150 sensitivity step value Ka FI ra Reset custom settings S b2EV steps for exposure entrl 1 3 a Autofocus b3 Exp comp fine tune 13 4 Metering exposure b4 Easy exposure compensation OFF HEH 1 3 step V2 1 2 step c Timers AE lock b5Center weighted area 8 1 Tstep HE d Shooting display B6 Fine tune optimal exposure e Bracketing flash pe i Shutter release bu
174. 10 D300S and d9 D300 Exposure modes Spot Meter P Programmed Auto Mode Get Down Grandpa S Shutter Priority Auto Mode M Manual Mode Aperture priority mode S Shutter Priority Auto Mode Manual mode M Manual Mode Programmed auto mode P Programmed Auto Mode Shutter priority mode Get Down Grandpa Eye Fi upload D300S AF Fine Tune 818 819 File naming Active Folder File Naming File Number Sequence used with File Naming First three characters File Number Sequence used with File Naming Number sequence File Naming File number sequence d7 D300S d6 D300 File Naming Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 File naming File Naming Filter effects Retouch Monochrome Fine tune optimal exposure b6 Custom setting b6 D300S and D300 Fine tuning matrix metering 3D Color Matrix II Meter Firmware version Eye Fi Upload D300S only First Time DSLR Users D300S and D300 Reference Material Flash cntrl for built in flash e3 Custom setting e3 D300S and D300 Flash light selecting Setting the Channel CH for Communication Flash modes What Is a Guide Number What Is a Guide Number What Is a Guide Number What Is a Guide Number What Is a Guide Number Front Curtain Sync Slow Sync Slow Sync Front curtain sync Front Curtain Sync i TTL balanced fill flash What Is a Guide Number Rear curtain sync Slow Sync Red eye reduction What Is a Guide Number Red eye reduction with sl
175. 10No memory card PS WiCustom setting bank A B 4Photo info playback j Reset custom settings le 15 Assign Fn button mj a Autofocus 16 Assign preview button b Metering exposure TT Assign AEL AF button c Timers AE lock 8 Customize command dials Tq Shooting display E 9 Release button to use dial Bracketing flash I No memory card Bi Lock E riiReverse indicators Figure 4 81 No memory card 1 Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 81 image 1 2 Highlight No memory card and scroll to the right see Figure 4 81 image 2 3 Choose one of the two selections from the list In Figure 4 81 image 3 Release locked has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting 419 My Recommendation I tried using the Enable release setting as an experiment I found that there is no real reason to use this setting other than sending pictures to a computer with the Camera Control Pro software Without a memory card present I went around the house taking pictures Using RAW lossless compression I was able to take about 40 pictures before I ran out of internal camera buffer memory The Monitor displayed DEMO on each image I took while the card was out of the camera and I could scroll around in the pictures normally Around picture 41 or 42 the camera dumped all the images and went back to number one So once it reaches the end of buffer memory the buffer is clea
176. 3 Select Yes from the next screen with the big red exclamation point and the dire warning that reads Al images in all folders will be deleted OK See the last screen in Figure 2 2 D300S or 1B D300 4 Press the OK button A final screen informing you that the dire deed has been Done will pop up briefly Being the paranoid type I tested this well and found that the D300 S will not delete protected and hidden images Plus it will keep any folders you have created However if you are a wotrier you may want to transfer the images before deleting them My Recommendation I don t use the All function often since I don t create special folders for each type of image If you maintain a series of folders on your memory card s you may enjoy using the All function Most of the time I just use Selected and remove particular images Any other time I want to clear the card I use the Format memory card function on the Setup Menu or hold down the two buttons with the red Format label next to them We ll discuss formatting the 42 memory card in the chapter titled Chapter 5 under the heading called Format Memory Card Another way I ll rid myself of images I don t want is to view them on the Monitor by pressing the Playback button and then press the Delete button on the top left of the camera back marked by a garbage can symbol You have several ways to rid yourself of unwanted images with the D300 S 43 Playback Folder
177. 300 page 248 The Delete function allows you to selectively delete individual images from a group of images in one or more folders on your camera s memory card It also allows you to clear all folders of images without deleting the folders This is sort of like a card format that only affects images If you 37 have protected or hidden images this function will not delete them The Delete menu selection has a close relationship with the next menu selection named Playback folder The deletion of images is affected by how you have Playback folder configured If you have Playback folder set to Current the camera will show you only the images found in your current playback folder If you have it set to All the D300 S will display all the images it can find in all the folders on your camera s memory card s There are two selections on the Delete screen Selected and All Selected Figure 2 1 shows the screens you ll use to control the Delete function for Selected images Notice in image 3 of Figure 2 1 that you have a list of images with their folder numbers and image numbers in the lower right corner 38 o PLAYBACK MENU 2 Playback folder 5 Hide image Display mode Copy image s R Image review After delete Rotate tall Selected a a 4 100 109 100 110 v S 111 Aro 102 1 100 112 101 1 Set Zoom WOK C El Figure 2 1 Delete selected images Dete EA gy Selected Delete 1 image
178. 300S page 291 The Backlight switch setting is new on the D300S Nikon has used this same control for many years on the Power switch controlling the backlight for the Control panel However with the D300S Nikon has added extra functionality The Power switch s Backlight switch position now controls two functions One is for the Control panel backlight and the other is for the Information display rear Monitor backlight Figure 4 63 Backlight switch setting on Power switch 382 When you push the switch as shown in Figure 4 63 you ll turn on the backlight for just the Control panel or both it and the Information display I ve greatly enlarged the Backlight switch s icon in Figure 4 63 image 2 so that you can see it better The red triangle points to the tiny icon on the camera s Power switch The Control panel and Information display have different backlight time outs controlled by separate functions The Control panel backlight time out is controlled by Custom setting C2 Auto meter off delay The Information display backlight time out is controlled by Custom setting C4 Monitor off delay You can set these two time outs first and when you activate the Backlight switch both timers will start counting down separately Here are the screens and steps to select what the Backlight switch controls Figure 4 64 D CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls 2 Custom setting bank a swta ee p DReset custom settings g T2M
179. 48 Information display Figure 4 31 Beep 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 31 image 1 2 Highlight Beep and scroll to the right see Figure 4 31 image 2 3 Choose one of the three choices on the list In Figure 4 31 image 3 Off has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting 317 My Recommendation If I were using my camera in a quiet area why would I want it beeping and disturbing those around me I can just imagine me zooming in on that big grizzly bear pressing the Shutter release button and listening to the grizzly roar his displeasure at my camera s beep I want to live so I turn off Beep You might want the reassurance of hearing the beep when AF has been confirmed or when the Self timer is counting down If so turn it on The AF assist illuminator flashes during self timer operations so I generally use that instead of the beep This is another of those functions that you either love or hate You can have it either way but be careful around big wild animals when Beep is enabled They might think you re calling them to supper and you may be the main course I don t like my camera beeping at me As a matter of fact the beep sound sets up a harmonic resonance within the bones of my skull and causes my eyeballs to vibrate I don t like it You may love it Either way we can both have our wish By the way Beep is aut
180. 5400 and Hi 1 about ISO 6400 SHOOTING MENU High ISO NR Al ive view mode fe Multiple exposure Movie settings Interval timer shooting Figure 3 46 High ISO NR choices Here are the steps to choose a High ISO NR setting see the screens in Figure 3 46 1 Choose High ISO NR from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select one of the noise reduction levels Low Normal High or Off 3 Press the OK button to save your setting The D300S allows you to control the High ISO NR function by using the Information display edit screen 207 Press the Info button twice select the High ISO NR position press the OK button and then use steps 2 and 3 Figure 3 46 s second screen is the same as Figure 3 47 s second screen f High ISO NR 7 HIGH High y ca NORMS 0 EA LOW Low lt Off Simo A ETT iF Adobens amp SRA CGN EN amp OO g Figure 3 47 D300S Info display edit screen High ISO NR My Recommendation I leave High ISO NR set to Low I do want some noise reduction at levels above ISO 800 However since any form of noise reduction blurs the image I don t go too far with it Of course I shoot RAW so it really makes no difference since I can change everything later in the computer If I were shooting JPEG it would make a serious difference Why not test a few images at high ISO sensitivity settings above ISO 800 with High ISO NR turned On You may like the output of High or you
181. 6 of the D300 manual have extensive WB information if you want another persepctive on Nikon WB Learn to use the color temperature features of your camera to make superior images You ll be able to capture very accurate colors or make pictures with color casts reflecting how you feel about the image Practice a bit and you ll find it easy to remember how to set your WB in the field Now let s turn our attention to the autofocus AF system in the D300 S Many people find the various modes hard to remember and even a bit confusing In the upcoming chapter we ll examine how the AF modes work and how they relate to other important camera functions 707 Chapter 11 Multi CAM 3500DX Autofocus 708 Bald Eagle Fishing Courtesy of David Summers dm dave With each progressive generation of semi pro digital SLR cameras Nikon has increased the number of autofocus AF points and area modes in the AF system For instance the Nikon D100 s Multi CAM 900 AF module has 5 AF points and two area modes and the Nikon D200 s Multi CAM 1000 has 11 AF points and four area modes The D300 S s Multi CAM 3500DX has 51 AF points but only three area modes thereby making the AF system simpler to operate yet more robust What do we gain from all these extra AF sensor points and more powerful area modes Is there anything else new and different As we progress through this chapter we ll discuss these questions in detail along w
182. Capture NX2 to actually remove the dust with the reference photo as a guide Battery info Gives you information about the current battery s charge how many pictures taken with the battery and the useful life left in the battery before you should dispose of it It also tells you whether an EN EL4a or EN EL4 battery needs Calibration when a MB D10 battery pack is used Wireless transmitter Allows you to adjust the settings for connecting the camera to a wireless network using an optional Nikon WT 4 wireless transmitter Image authentication Allows you to embed Image authentication information that can be read by Nikon s 430 optional Image Authentication software This is needed by anyone who wants to ensure that an image has not been modified Copyright information D300S only On the D300S only you can add two items of information including the Artist 34 characters and Copyright 54 characters Designed for those using their images commercially this function allows you to embed specific identity information into the picture s internal metadata Save load settings Allows you to save the current menu configuration of most internal camera settings to a memory card for transfer to a computer You can back up complex configurations and restore them to the camera when needed GPS If you own a GPS that can be connected to the Nikon D300 S such as the Accessory shoe mounted Nikon GP 1 or anoth
183. D300S and f3 D300 Assign Fn FUNC button Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Assign preview button Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Backlight switch Section Six f Controls Custom Settings f1 to fll Customize command dials Assignable Function List Multi selector Choose folder D300 Multi selector center button Custom setting f1 D300S only No memory card Custom setting f9 D300S and f8 D300 Photo info playback Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 Release button to use dial Menus and playback Reverse indicators Custom setting f11 D300S and f10 D300 Copy images D300S only Display Mode Display Mode Copy Images D300S Only Copy Images D300S Only Copy Images D300S Only Copy Images D300S Only Copy Images D300S Only Copy Images D300S Only Copy Images D300S Only Deselect all Copy Images D300S Only Select all images Copy Images D300S Only Select destination folder Copy Images D300S Only Select folder by number Copy Images D300S Only Select folder from list Copy Images D300S Only Select protected images Copy Images D300S Only Selecting a source card Display Mode 808 Copyright information D300S Image Authentication Credits for chapter opening images Chapter 1 Custom setting bank Custom Setting Menu Custom Setting Menu Renaming a Custom Setting Bank D300S Info display edit screen Renaming a Custom Setting Bank Renaming Custom Setting Men
184. Darrell Young Mastering the Nikon D300 D300S Mastering the Nikon D300 D300S Darrell Young Copyright 2010 Darrell Young aka Digital Darrell Editor Rocky Nook Gerhard Rossbach Editor Nikonians Tom Bon Production editor Jocelyn Howell Copyeditor Jocelyn Howell Layout and type Darrell Young Cover design Helmut Kraus www exclam de Printer Lifetouch Inc through Four Colour Print Group Louisville Kentu Cover photo Nikon USA Back cover photo Darrell Young Ist Edition Rocky Nook Inc Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Young Darrell 1958 Mastering the Nikon D300 D300S Darrell Young Ist ed p cm ISBN 978 1 933952 64 2 soft cover alk paper 1 Nikon digital cameras 2 Single lens reflex cameras 3 Photography D TR263 N5Y67 2011 771 3 2 dc22 2010028380 Distributed by O Reilly Media 1005 Gravenstein Highway North Sebastopol CA 95472 Many of the designations in this book used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies Where those designations appear in this book and Rocky Nook was aware of a trademark claim the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps They are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies They are not intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book No part of the material protected by this copyright notice
185. Delete and MODE buttons together You ll see the screen change to the one shown in Figure 5 4 image 4 with For showing where the image count normally shows on the Control panel When you see this screen the format operation is in process Do not turn your camera off during a format When For disappears and the image count returns the format operation is done 436 My Recommendation You can repeat the operation for the other slot on the D300S if needed Both the Setup Menu gt Format memory card and the camera button format methods are easy to use Most of us learn to use the camera button method since it s so fast However I ll sometimes use the Setup Menu gt Format memory card method immediately after viewing images on the Monitor for verification of previous transfer to computer If it s safe to format the card I ll just quickly switch to the Setup Menu to format since I m already looking at the Monitor It s a good idea to learn how to use both methods 437 LCD Brightness User s Manual D300S page 301 D300 page 313 LCD brightness is more important than many people realize If the Monitor is too dim you ll have trouble seeing your images in bright light If it is too bright you might allow some images to be underexposed thinking that they look fine on the Monitor Even a seriously underexposed image may look okay on a screen that is too bright SETUP MENU i LcD brightness J Format memory card
186. Done Basic photo info O Focus point Detailed photo info Highlights O RGB histogram Highlights gt a O Data RGB amp OSelect R G B Figure 2 10 Display mode screens Highlights option 54 When you have Highlights enabled and you see a blinking white to black to white area in an image on the Monitor it means that area of the image has lost all detail or has blown out In Figure 2 11 you ll see a red arrow pointing to where the sky is completely blown out to white The two screens show the same image to represent both sides of the white to black Highlights blink Figure 2 11 Highlights blinky mode showing overexposed sky If you examine the histogram for an overexposed image you ll see that it s cut off or clipped on the right side Current software cannot usually recover any image data from the blown out sections The exposure has exceeded the range of the sensor and has become completely overexposed in the blinking area We ll discuss how to deal with images that have light ranges which exceed the sensor s recording capacity in the chapter called Chapter 9 Highlights mode is a nice way to allow your camera to warn you when you have surpassed what its sensor can capture leaving portions of the image overexposed 55 RGB histogram like this feature since it allows me to view not just a basic luminance brightness histogram like some cameras but all three color chromi
187. E RU AEREN Figure 5 26 Picture of a genuine EN EL3e battery Using an MB D10 Battery Pack If you are using the MB D10 battery pack with an EN EL4a battery or the EN EL4 battery pack not EN EL3e the Battery info screen will also show calibration information Calibration is optional but it could be required after many charge discharge cycles so that the Battery info screen will present accurate information The battery charger MH 18A for the Nikon D300 S does not have a calibration feature so many D300 S users will have little knowledge of it The battery charger MH 21 and MH 22 for the EN EL4 and EN EL4a battery does have calibration If you also use a Nikon D2 or D3 level camera you will be familiar with it The Battery info screen will change the amount of information it displays to a significant degree according to whether you have an MB D10 battery pack mounted and what type of batteries are being used in the pack 480 Wireless Transmitter User s Manual D300S page 227 D300 page 229 This menu system is concerned with having the WT 4 wireless transmitter attached to the D300 S Using the WT 4 you can send images wirelessly to a computer or printer You can also use Nikon s Camera Control 2 x software to control the D300 S remotely Here are the four modes found in the D300 S with a WT 4 attached Transfer mode Using this mode you can upload new or existing images to a computer or even
188. EA OF Adobea GO C CUSTOM Wakegna t 9S Ac Ma 7 I CUSTO D ANRO a A Ac Fo E Figure 4 82 Reverse indicators on Information display Here are the screens and steps to reverse the direction of all camera exposure indicators see Figure 4 83 421 Sa MENU f Controls lt Custom setting bank A i 4Photo info playback HReset custom settings am 15 Assign Fn button gi a Autofocus 6 Assign preview button b Metering exposure TT Assign AEL AFL button c Timers AE lock 8 Customize command dials FE d Shooting display 9 Release button to use dial e Bracketing flash HONo memory card Controls Reverse indicator Figure 4 83 Reverse indicators screens 1 Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 83 image 1 2 Highlight Reverse indicators and scroll to the right see Figure 4 83 image 2 3 Choose one of the two selections from the list In Figure 4 83 image 3 the normal exposure indicator direction has been selected Reverse it with the other selection 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I personally like the exposure indicators with on the left and on the right However if you are from a part of the world where these things normally run the other direction or you would just prefer it the other way it s easy to change Select your favorite indicator direction for maximum camera comfort 422 My Conclusions Using th
189. EG compression does RAW is not considered a lossy format because the file stays complete with virtually all the image data your camera captured One of the compression methods called Compressed is very slightly lossy The other Lossless compressed keeps all the image data intact Let s discuss how each of the available compression methods works There are three NEF RAW formats available although you only see a single NEF RAW selection on the Image quality menu Once you ve selected NEF RAW you ll need to use Shooting Menu gt NEF RAW recording gt Type to select one of the three NEF RAW compression types 143 NEF RAW Lossless compressed 20 40 size reduction NEF RAW Uncompressed No compression full file size NEF RAW Compressed 40 55 size reduction NEF RAW Lossless Compressed The factory default for the NEF RAW format is NEF RAW Lossless compressed According to Nikon this compression will not affect image quality since it s a reversible compression algorithm Since Lossless compressed shrinks the stored file size by 20 to 40 percent with no image data loss it s my favorite compression method to use It works somewhat like a ZIP file on your computer it compresses the file but allows you to use it later with all the data still available NEF RAW Compressed Before the newest generation of cameras including the D300 S this mode was known as visually
190. Even though this is backwards from what we were taught in school it fits our situation better To photographers blue seems cool while red seems warm Just don t let your astronomer friends convince you otherwise White Balance Fundamentals Understanding WB in a fundamental way is simply realizing that light has a range of colors that go from cool to warm We can adjust our cameras to use the available light in an accurate and neutral balanced way that compensates for the actual light source Or we can allow a color cast to enter the image by unbalancing the settings In this chapter we will discuss this from the standpoint of the D300 S s camera controls and how they deal with WB 677 Color Temperature User s Manual D300S page 133 D300 page 127 The D300 S WB range can vary from a very cool 2500K to a very warm 10 000K Figure 10 1 shows the same picture adjusted in Photoshop with the use of Photo Filters to three WB settings Notice how the image in the center is about right while the images to the left and right are cooler blue cast or warmer orange cast The same adjustments we made with film and filters can now be achieved with the White balance settings built into the D300 S Figure 10 1 Same image with different WB settings To achieve the same effect as daylight film and a warming filter simply select the Cloudy White balance setting while shooting in normal daylight This sets the
191. Figure 10 5 If you shoot under a certain light source on a frequent basis such as in a studio you may want to store one or more of your PRE White balance values in one of the four permanent storage areas in your camera d 1 to d 4 I tried to enter a White balance measurement directly into one of the d l d 4 memory locations by selecting the location before doing the light measurement However my values did not show up in d 1 d 4 but instead overwrote the value in d 0 each time It is only possible to copy a value from d 0 into one of the four storage locations I suppose Nikon was concerned that one might accidentally overwrite a carefully prepared White balance setting so it added a copy step between the measurement and long term storage 686 By White balance d 3 d 1 Copyright Darrell Young PRE 3Select K Set Figure 10 5 Stored WB values In effect you may have up to five White balance values stored in your camera One is the current temporary setting and the other four are in memory for long term reuse Figure 10 6 shows the steps and menus used to copy the current White balance value from memory location d 0 to one of the four storage locations You ll see a visual representation of the stored WB values If there is nothing stored in d l d 4 there will be a blank spot above the number Here s how to save a current WB reading d 0 to one of memory locations d 1 to d 4 1 Use Method 1 to obtain
192. Figure 4 32 image 1 2 Highlight Viewfinder grid display and scroll to the right see Figure 4 32 image 2 3 Choose one of the two choices on the list In Figure 4 32 image 3 On has been selected 319 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I use these grid lines to line up things as I shoot so that I won t have weird tilted horizons and such Many of us tend to tilt the camera one way or another and grid lines help us see that we ve tilted the frame I especially enjoy shooting with grid lines enabled when I m down at the beach Who needs tilted ocean views When shooting architecture the grid lines are invaluable for making sure buildings walls and doors are correctly oriented There are lots of ways to use the Viewfinder grid display If you set Viewfinder grid display to On I doubt that you ll turn it back Off The nice thing is that you can turn the grid lines On and Off at will You don t have to buy an expensive viewfinder replacement screen for those times you need grid lines Viewfinder Warning Display Custom setting d3 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 275 D300 page 282 Viewfinder warning display puts a low battery warning in the Viewfinder so we ll know when our camera s battery is getting low on power Figure 4 33 shows the location for the Viewfinder warning display in the Viewfinder see red arrow It only appears when the battery gets dow
193. Figure 5 13 shows the two slightly different Setup Menu screens one for the D300S and the other for the D300 After this initial textual difference both cameras have almost identical time and date screens which include the following functions Time zone Date and time Date format 453 Daylight saving time B 0300s seruP menu D300 seTUPMENU a Format memory card Fe Format memory card g LCD brightness 7 LCD brightness Y Clean image sensor Clean image sensor Lock mirror up for cleaning g Lock mirror up for cleaning Video mode Video mode HDMI Language Figure 5 13 D300S and D300 Time zone and date screens Time zone Figure 5 14 shows the Time zone configuration screens as a continuation of Figure 5 13 The screen used to set the time zone displays a familiar world map from which you will select the area of the world where you are using the camera Here are the steps used to set the Time zone see Figure 5 14 1 Choose Time zone from the Time zone and date screen and scroll to the right see Figure 5 14 image 1 Time zone and date Time zone ime zone gt New York Toronto Lima Date and time UTC 5 01 11 2010 12 33 57 Date format WDIY RE lt Li Daylight saving time ON Li da f f New York Toronto Lima 4 40 b t UTC 5 gt bd 01 11 2010 12 32 23 OKOK 454 Figure 5 14 Time zone screens 2 To set the Time zone use the Multi Selector to scroll left or rig
194. Here s how see Figure 9 4 and the list of sizes below it Locate your current AF point in the middle of your Viewfinder The length of the little rectangle you see is about 2 5 mm 10 inch in size If you imagine about three of these little rectangles side by side that s about the same size as the default 8mm circle which at 32 inches is about 1 3 of an 642 inch The 13mm maximum size circle at 51 inches is about 1 2 inch wide Primarily just remember that the center area of the Viewfinder provides the most important metering area and you ll do fine For information on fine tuning Center weighted metering refer to the section called Fine Tune Optimal Exposure in the chapter titled Chapter 4 What about the Averaging Meter If you set your meter to Avg in Custom setting b5 full averaging the light values of the entire Viewfinder are averaged to arrive at an exposure value No particular area of the frame is assigned any greater importance see Figure 9 4 image 5 This is a little bit like Matrix metering but without the extra smarts In fact on several test subjects I got remarkably similar meter readings from Avg and Matrix Matrix should do better in difficult lighting situations since it has a database of image characteristics to compare with your current image and it looks at color distance and where your subject is located in the frame 643 Figure 9 5 Metering selector dial set to Spot Spot Meter
195. I start and end a shooting session If I am in a dusty environment Ill usually turn my camera off and back on from time to time to cause it to clean the sensor I rarely use the Clean now method but like knowing it s there when I need it I suspect that Clean now may initiate a longer cleaning cycle since it seems to take at least two or three seconds I don t detect a several second delay when I use a Clean at startup shutdown method I can shoot immediately upon turning on the camera Of course taking a picture may just cancel the startup cleaning 443 Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning User s Manual D300S page 361 D300 page 374 Lock mirror up for cleaning is for those times when the high frequency vibration method of cleaning your D300 S s sensor does not dislodge some stickier than normal dust You may have to clean your sensor more aggressively In many cases all that s needed is a dust blower to remove the dust with a puff of air I remember having to do this with my Nikon D100 in 2002 and I was always afraid I might ruin the shutter if I did it incorrectly With the D100 I had to hold the shutter open in bulb mode with one hand while I blew off the sensor with the other The D300 S helps out by providing this Lock mirror up for cleaning function so that you can more safely blow a stubborn piece of dust off the low pass filter Using this function you can use both hands since battery power holds the reflex mirror
196. Lo means there is not enough light for a good exposure While you have your camera in S mode you can set your shutter speed anywhere between 30 seconds and 1 8000 second You can also set it at x250 which is one click below the slowest shutter speed on the dial 30s For more information on x250 see Custom setting el on page 281 of the D300 S User s Manual or page 288 of the D300 User s Manual A Aperture Priority Auto Mode Nature and macro shooters and anyone concerned with carefully controlling depth of field will often leave their D300 S set to Aperture priority auto mode A Figure 9 10 shows the A for Aperture priority auto mode followed by the shutter speed and aperture to the right of the A 653 Se ee eh ee TE SHOOT fA 335 GUS A TAA Figure 9 10 Control panel with A Aperture priority auto mode A Aperture priority auto mode lets you control the aperture while the D300 S takes care of the shutter speed for optimal exposures With newer AF S and G lenses you ll use the Sub command dial to select an aperture You can control the aperture from maximum to minimum just by using the Sub command dial on the D300 S Note on Lens Types If you use an older AF lens with an aperture ring set it to the smallest aperture then use the Sub command dial instead of the ring on the lens to change the aperture If you have older non CPU lenses you ll have to use the aperture ring on the lens
197. Movie Mode Section Two Data screens Image Display Mode Delete function Playback Menu Delete Delete All images Delete Selected images Delete Deselect all Copy Images D300S Only Display mode Hide Image Display Mode Display Mode Display Mode Display Mode Display Mode Basic photo info vs Detailed photo info Display Mode Data Display Mode Focus point Display Mode Highlights Display Mode RGB Histogram Display Mode Displaying D Movies D300S Displaying D Movies Displaying D Movies Displaying D Movies Displaying a D Movie on a Standard Definition TV SDTV 816 On an HDTV High definition Displaying a D Movie on a Standard Definition TV SDTV On an SDTV Standard definition Displaying D Movies On the LCD screen Monitor Displaying D Movies Downloadable resources D300S and D300 Reference Material Dust off ref photo USB D300 only Dynamic AF area a3 Using Custom settings al and a2 Custom setting a3 D300S and D300 Custom setting a3 D300S and D300 9 21 51 points 51 point 3D Custom setting a3 D300S and D300 Viewfinder screens Custom setting a3 D300S and D300 817 E Easy exposure compensation b4 Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 Edit movie Retouch D300S Resize D300S only EV steps for Exposure Cntrl b2 Custom setting b1 D300S and D300 Exp comp fine tune b3 Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 Exposure delay mode d10 D300S d9 D300 Custom setting d
198. Multi selector center button to play the video on your HDTV The Nikon D300S can interface with both progressive and interlaced devices The HDMI display will take the place of the small Monitor on the back of your D300S which will turn off as soon as you connect an HDMI device My Recommendation Unless you are heavily into HDMI and understand the various formats I would just leave the camera set to Auto That allows the D300S to determine the proper format as soon as it s plugged into the display device and the HDMI input is selected if the TV has multiple ports Limitations in D Movie Mode Video Capture Now let s look at the limitations of the camera s implementation of video capture No multi use device can have all the features of a dedicated device The D300S has some limits on how it captures video The D300S uses a CMOS sensor to record video This type of sensor uses a rolling shutter and has three potential issues that we need to discuss skew wobble and partial exposure We ll discuss each of these in some detail in the next section 625 How the Rolling Shutter Works in D Movie Mode Since video is captured at 24 frames per second fps the D300S has an electronic shutter in addition to the normal mechanical shutter Have you ever used your D300S in Continuous release mode where you are capturing up to seven or eight still images per second The mechanical shutter activation combines with mirror movemen
199. NEF RAW Type NEF RAW Type Compressed NEF RAW Type Lossless compressed NEF RAW Type Uncompressed NEF RAW Type NEF bit depth NEF RAW Type NEF image quality Image Quality NEF type JPEG Compression Neutral NL Picture Control Examining Picture Controls New folder number Active Folder Nikon creative lighting system Nikon Creative Lighting System CLS No memory card f10 D300S f9 D300 Custom setting f9 D300S and f8 D300 Non CPU lens data Preparing the Camera for GPS Usage NTSC vs PAL Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning O Optimal quality vs Size priority JPEG JPEG Compression 832 833 PAL vs NTSC Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning Photo info playback f4 D300S f 3 D300 Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 PictBridge printing Print Set DPOF Picture Controls Set Picture Control Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls MC Picture Control Filter Effects and Toning Picture Control Grid Screen Resetting a Nikon Picture Control Save Edit a Custom Picture Control Save Edit a Custom Picture Control Rename a Custom Picture Control Delete a Custom Picture Control Delete a Custom Picture Control Copy to Camera Copy to Camera Copy to Camera Copy to Card 834 Control types Examining Picture Cont
200. NG MENU Custom setting bank A ms Reset custom settings Y a Autofocus b Metering exposure GA c Timers AE lock Fg Shooting display e Bracketing flash f Controls Figure 4 1 Custom Setting Menu When finished with this chapter youll have a much deeper knowledge of this camera s inner workings and capabilities Without further ado let s dive right into the settings and see what they do There are a couple of initial items on the menu before we get into the primary Custom Settings Renaming a Custom Setting Bank First we ll consider the process of renaming Custom setting bank A so that we ll know what style of shooting this bank is configured to support In the last chapter we discussed how to rename a Shooting menu bank to describe its functionality Changing the name of a Custom setting bank works exactly the same way If you re familiar with the process you can just name your bank and skip this first section 246 E Custom setting bank Reset custom s a Autofocus b Metering exposure C Timers AE lock d Shooting display e Bracketing flash f Controls a C Custom setting bank Custom setting bank gt ABCDEFGHI JKL WNOPQRSTUVWXYZI _abcd fghiikia noparstuvwxyz Figure 4 2 Renaming Custom setting bank A Here are the steps to rename a Custom setting bank see the screens in Figure 4 2 1 Select Custom setting bank from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right
201. Nikon GP 1 GPS unit GP1 CA10 cable included Aftermarket handheld Style GPS unit e g Garmin eTrex Legend GPS Figure 5 32 A GPS unit that meets the NMEAo 183 data format such as the Garmin eTrex Legend A data cable for that GPS unit It must have a D sub 9 pin connector not a USB This is usually included with the GPS unit The D sub 9 pin connector looks like a 9 pin serial port connector The Nikon MC 35 GPS adapter cord not included with the camera which plugs into a D sub 9 pin connector on one end and on the other end the camera s 10 pin port under the larger rubber flap below the camera s main logo In Figure 5 31 let s take a look at the D300S with a Nikon GP 1 GPS unit attached to the camera s Accessory shoe Figure 5 31 red arrow You can also see the included GP1 CA10 cable plugged into the 10 pin connector on the camera I deliberately put the curl in the cable to keep it from sticking out awkwardly One thing to note about the Nikon GP 1 GPS unit is that it doesn t have a built in digital compass so it will not report Heading information to the camera 496 Figure 5 31 D300S with Nikon GP 1 GPS and GP1 CA10 cable In Figure 5 32 we see the Garmin eTrex Legend GPS included data cable and the Nikon MC 35 cable on the left This type of GPS outfit works well but there s an awful lot of cabling hanging around The MC 35 cable plugs into the camera the GPS unit s data
202. Nikon does too You may also hear them called Original Picture Controls If you modify and save a Nikon Picture Control under a new name it becomes a Custom Picture Control I ll also use the generic name of Picture Control when referring to any of them The cool thing about Picture Controls is that they are shareable If you tweak a Nikon Picture Control and save it under a name of your choice you can then share your creation 157 with others Compatible cameras software and other devices can use these controls to maintain the look you want all the way from the time you press the Shutter release button until you print the picture using a program like Nikon Capture NX2 Here are the screens and steps to choose a Picture Control from the Shooting Menu see Figure 3 19 E __ SHOOTING MENU Set Picture Control ja Neutral f JPEG compression amp j ey NEF RAW recording ie y Y White balance AUTO BVI Vivid 510 Quick adjust Set Picture Control SNL INC Monochrome Contrast Manage Picture Control Brightness HE Color space Adobe Saturation Active D Lighting OFF Hue Long exp NR ON ED Grid Adjust GBGrid MOK Reset Figure 3 19 Nikon Picture Controls 1 Select Set Picture Control from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose one of the Nikon Picture Controls from the Set Picture Control screen 3 At this point you can simply press the OK button and the control you ve chosen will be available for
203. Non CPU lens data screen selections 508 Done When you have completed the setup of a particular lens or several lenses simply scroll to this selection and press the OK button Your lens data will be saved within the D300 S Later you can put a non CPU lens on your camera and select it from the list of nine lenses You can use external camera controls or the Non CPU lens data menu to change to your current lens Lens number Using the Multi Selector you can scroll left or right to select one of your lenses There are a total of nine lens records available When you select a Lens number here the focal length and maximum aperture of that lens will show up in the Focal length and Maximum aperture fields If you ve not set a lens for a particular Lens number then you ll see double dashes in the Focal length and Maximum aperture fields Focal length mm This field contains the actual Focal length in millimeters mm of the Lens number in use You can select focal lengths from 6 mm to 4000 mm Hmm I didn t know they even made a 4000 mm lens I want one Maximum aperture This field is for the Maximum aperture of the lens You can enter an F number from F1 2 to F22 Remember this is for the maximum aperture only largest opening or f stop Once you ve entered a maximum aperture the camera will be able to determine the other apertures by your use of the aperture ring on the lens Remember those Onc
204. Press the OK button to save the new name When you check the bank s name under the Shooting menu bank setting you ll see the bank relabeled with your new name as shown in Figure 3 2 image 6 Repeat these steps to label the other banks Congratulations You have given bank A a more meaningful name so that you can select it quickly My Recommendation I generally name my banks as shown in the list that follows this paragraph Each of the label names describes at a glance how I intend to use this bank when 96 shooting You may want to use different names and settings in each bank however you could learn something from how I configure each of mine Bank A General Purpose Bank A is my general purpose bank I use it when I m just walking around with my camera doing general photography I will often modify the camera s settings when using bank A I know to check before shooting when using this bank I generally shoot in RAW mode but might switch to JPEG as needed This is a completely variable bank and the only one I modify regularly Bank B Best Quality RAW This is for when I am shooting commercially with the best quality my camera can muster I use this on any type of shoot that requires me to post process the images in computer My critical settings for bank B are Image quality at NEF RAW with NEF RAW recording set to Lossless compressed and NEF RAW bit depth at 14 bit Image size set to Large White bala
205. Print Set DPOF After delete Image Review Copy images D300S only Display Mode Copy Images D300S Only Delete function Playback Menu Display mode Hide Image Hide image Playback Folder Image review Copy Images D300S Only Playback folder Delete Print Set DPOF Print Set DPOF Rotate tall Rotate Tall Slide show Rotate Tall Playback mode Playback Mode Playback retouching Playback Retouching Portrait PT Picture Control Examining Picture Controls PRE PrE white balance measurement Manually Selecting a Color Temperature between 2 500 and 10 000 K Predictive focus tracking Continuous servo AF Mode C Primary slot selection D300S_ only File Number Sequence used with File Naming Print Set DPOF Print Set DPOF 836 Programmed auto mode P P Programmed Auto Mode Progressive vs Interlaced video D300S Progressive vs Interlaced Q Q Quiet mode D300S Release Modes in Detail R Rear curtain sync Custom setting e2 D300S and D300 Recent Settings Menu D300S Choose Tab Recording video with your D300S Recording a Video with Your D300S Red eye correction Retouch D Lighting Red eye reduction Custom setting e2 D300S and D300 Red eye reduction with slow sync Custom setting e2 D300S and D300 Release button to use dial f9 D300S f8 D300 Menus and playback Rename Shooting Menu Custom Setting Menu Custom setting bank Custom Setting Menu Shooting menu bank Shooting M
206. Rotate tall See Rotate Tall Custom Setting Menu AF C priority selection See AF C Priority Selection AF S priority selection See AF S Priority Selection Dynamic AF area See Dynamic AF Area Viewfinder grid display See Viewfinder Grid Display File number sequence See File Number Sequence Two Additional Functions In addition to the camera functions listed above it is important to understand and configure the two following functions The D300 S has four Shooting menu banks and four Custom settings banks These individual banks can be used to completely change how the camera works by simply switching banks 29 The configuration you have just completed by using the functions list above was installed into only one of each of these two bank types You can do this same configuration in all four Shooting menu banks and Custom setting banks When you are done you can give each one a different name and switch between them at will This allows you to configure your camera for different styles of shooting and switch between each style in a few seconds Full descriptions are found in the following chapter locations Shooting menu bank on the Shooting Menu See Shooting Menu Bank Custom setting bank on the Custom Setting Menu See Renaming a Custom Setting Bank 30 My Personal Camera Setting Recommendations All through the book I offer my own personal recommendations as to sett
207. TRAL EXSHARP ecs Unused 4 E 7c 7Unused S OCursor lnput OROK 177 Figure 3 29 Rename a Custom Picture Control 3 Select one of your Custom Picture Controls from the list C 1 to C 9 and scroll to the right see Figure 3 29 image 3 I selected to rename NEUTRAL 02 This is the Custom Picture Control I created under the Save edit section 4 You ll now be presented with the Rename screen To create a different name hold down the Thumbnail playback zoom out button and use the Multi Selector to scroll back and forth within the old name When you have the small gray cursor positioned over a character you can delete that character with the garbage can Delete button To insert a new character position the yellow cursor in the character list above and press the Multi selector center button on the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector on the D300 The character that is under the yellow cursor will appear on the name line below at the position of the gray cursor If there is already a character under the gray cursor it will be pushed to the right Please limit the name to a maximum of 19 characters see Figure 3 29 image 4 5 Press the OK button when you have completed the new name I renamed the Custom Picture Control previously named NEUTRAL 02 in Figure 3 29 to NEUTRAL EXSHARP Note You can have more than one control with exactly the same name in your list of Custom Picture Controls The camera does not get confused
208. That s why I always shoot in RAW so that later I can make full use of all those potential extra colors to create a different look for the same image if I d like If you shoot in RAW and later save your image in computer as a 16 bit TIFF file you can store all the colors you originally captured The D300 S will not create a 16 bit TIFF it is limited to an 8 bit TIFF However if you shoot RAW and in 14 bit you can later save the file as a 16 bit TIFF and not lose any color information A 16 bit file can contain 65 536 different colors in each of the RGB channels Lots of people save their files as 16 bit TIFFs when post processing RAW files TIFF gives us a known and safe 150 industry standard format that will fully contain all image color information from a RAW file It s important that you learn to use your camera s histogram so that you can visually examine the various RGB channels at a glance We ll discuss the histogram in an upcoming chapter titled Chapter 9 In the meantime please look at Figure 3 16 which shows the histogram screen on your camera and its RGB channels amp Select R G Figure 3 16 Histogram screen We talked about this screen in the chapter titled Chapter 2 However I wanted to tie this in here to help you understand channels better The histogram tells the color amount and brightness for each of the RGB channels In Figure 3 16 yow ll see four small colored histogram readings on
209. V Hand Held Mode uses phase detection AF l Point your camera toward your subject With the D300 yov ll need to press the Shutter release button fully to raise the mirror and enter Live view mode This allows you to use the Monitor to view your subject With the D300S you ll enter Live view mode as soon as you press the Lv button see Figure 11 11 and Figure 11 12 Figure 11 13 and Figure 11 14 show the screens used for configuration Press the Shutter release button halfway down to activate phase detection AF The Monitor will go dark while the camera auto focuses Give it just a moment to complete autofocus this saves time later Release pressure from the Shutter release button and the mirror will drop Your subject will be displayed on the Monitor see Figure 11 12 image 1 740 3 Compose your picture quickly 4 Press the Shutter release button all the way down again The mirror will drop phase detection AF will activate and the shutter will fire If you don t press the Shutter release button all the way down but go only halfway the mirror will drop and phase detection AF will activate but no picture will be taken This is a good way to refocus if your subject has moved Repeat as necessary When you are done with Live view mode be sure to set the camera back to normal Viewfinder mode by turning away from the Lv setting on the Release mode dial D300 or by pressing the Lv button again D300S LV Tr
210. X2 Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop to later convert your NEF format RAW files into other formats There are also several after market RAW conversion applications available such as Bibble Capture One and PhaseOne Before you go out shooting in the NEF RAW format why not install your conversion software of choice so that you ll be able to view adjust and save the images to another format when you return You may not be able to view NEF files directly on your computer unless you have RAW conversion software installed Some operating systems provide a downloadable patch or codec that lets you at least see NEF files as small thumbnails Do a Google search on these specific words and you ll find a Microsoft Windows XP patch for NEF RAW files microsoft raw thumbnail viewer download You ll be able to download a file called RAWViewerSetup exe about 121 5 8 MB which allows XP to display small NEF file thumbnails when you view a folder that contains them As this book is being written I can find only codecs for 32 bit Windows XP and Vista There should be one available for Microsoft Windows 7 by the time this book is in your hands or maybe it will natively work with the NEF format There are also third party companies such as Ardfry Imaging LLC that offer various 32 and 64 bit codecs for a small fee www ardfry com I bought the Ardfry version for my computer If you re running 64 bit Windows Vis
211. Y2215 NEF RAW 01 18 2010 14 14 24 4288x2848 Figure 9 13 Two D300S histogram screens If your camera does not display the RGB histogram screen shown in Figure 9 13 image 1 you ll need to select the check box found at Playback Menu gt Display mode gt RGB histogram This setting enables or disables the RGB histogram screen The camera also has a basic luminance histogram on the screen shown in Figure 9 13 image 2 This is one of the camera s main screens and can always be called into use Both of these screens are available by scrolling up or down with the Multi Selector when you have a picture showing on the camera s Monitor Now let s discuss the use of a histogram in detail Understanding the Histogram Using your D300 S s histogram screens will guarantee you a much higher percentage of well exposed images It is well 658 worth spending time to understand the histogram It s not as complicated as it looks I ll try to cover this feature with enough detail to give you a working knowledge of how to use the histogram to make better pictures If you are deeply interested in the histogram there is a lot of research material available on the Internet Although this overview is brief it will present enough knowledge to improve your technique immediately Light Range The D300 S s sensor can only record a certain range of light values about 5 to 7 usable EV steps Unfortunately many of the higher con
212. __NEF RAW processing NEF RAW processing Set Picture Control FINE Neutral Neutral oO Quick adjust Li am Sharpening AIO aol ase F Contrast 4 a0 F Brightness 2 i ceo 2 A Bre 5 Cancel Zoom GOK Danci a DOK a Danai ROK Reset Figure 6 18 White balance Choosing and adjusting a Picture Control 7 Next you can apply a Nikon Picture Control or one of your own Custom Picture Controls if you ve created any from the list shown see Figure 6 18 These controls make changes to how the image looks You can make it sharper and give it more contrast give it more or less color saturation or even change it to monochrome 554 In fact you can even modify the current Picture Control s settings by using the final fine tuning screen as shown in Figure 6 18 image 3 Choose from SD Standard NL Neutral VI Vivid MC Monochrome PT Portrait LS Landscape or any of your custom controls CS 1 to CS 9 that appear on the list If you want to fine tune the image in the final screen you can make changes with the Multi Selector Scroll up down to select one of the settings Sharpening Contrast or Brightness etc and left right to modify the selected setting If you ve made a mistake and want to start over just press the Delete button garbage can and the camera will pop up a screen that says Selected Picture Control will be reset to default settings OK Choose Yes or No and press the OK button When
213. a Spot metering requires some practice to learn how to use it well but it is a very powerful tool to balance exposure values in your images For information on fine tuning Spot metering see the section called Fine Tune Optimal Exposure in the chapter titled Chapter 4 646 Exposure Modes User s Manual D300S page 104 D300 page 104 I mentioned my old Nikon FM in the beginning of this chapter I remember that camera with fondness since that was when I got really serious about photography It s hard for me to imagine that it has already been 30 years since I last used my FM Things were simpler back then Now that I think about it I remember my grandma saying something similar about her Brownie Hawkeye When I say simple I mean that the FM had a basic center weighted light meter a manual exposure dial and manual aperture settings I had to decide how to create the image in all aspects It was a camera with only one mode M or Manual Later on I bought a Nikon FE and was amazed to use its A mode or Aperture priority I could set the aperture manually and the camera would adjust the shutter speed for me Luxury The FE had two modes M Manual and A Aperture priority A few more years went by and I bought a Nikon F4 This camera was loaded with features and was much more complex It had four different modes including the two I was used to M and A and two new modes S Shutter priority and P Programmed auto I had
214. a PRE White balance reading It will automatically be placed in memory location d 0 687 gt SHOOTING MENU White balance E Image quality Incandescent I Image size Fluorescent gt JPEG compression mf Direct sunlight NEF RAW recording Flash White balance 2 Cloudy e Set Picture Control f Shade Manage Picture Control KI Choose color temp Color space A Preset manual Figure 10 6 Starting White balance PRE maintenance 2 Use the screens shown in Figure 10 6 to start the WB maintenance process Select White balance from the Shooting Menu screen and scroll to the right see Figure 10 6 image 1 3 Select Preset manual and scroll to the right see Figure 10 7 image 1 White balance White balance J White balance O Incandescent ila Gy Preset manual Flash 2 Cloudy Pr 1 Edit comment f Shade l Select image ml 3 Choose color temp pEr a a Codd OWI LAEB Preset manual PU elect _Mset Figure 10 7 Select a memory location d 1 to d 4 and then copy d 0 to it 4 As shown in the second screen of Figure 10 7 select a blank memory location d 1 to d 4 or one that you want to overwrite My camera already has a WB stored in all memory locations as shown in Figure 10 7 image 2 so Pll be overwriting d 1 Press the Multi selector center button 688 5 Scroll down to Copy d 0 and press the OK button The camera will then write a copy of d 0 into the memory location you selected see Figure 10 7
215. a message reminding you All images on Memory card will be deleted OK Select Yes and then press the OK button Please make sure you ve transferred all your images first 17 Special D300 Information The Nikon D300S and D300 are physically different in a few places The Info button Memory card slot cover and Multi selector center button work differently or have different locations Below is a picture of the back of a D300 with the differences noted The Multi Selector on the D300 does not have the newer style Multi selector center button see Figure 5 number 39 However it works the same way by pressing on the middle of the Multi Selector with your thumb In Figure 6 are the locations of the Info button Multi selector center button and Card slot cover latch Use the latch to open the Memory card slot cover Figure 6 D300 control differences 18 Chapter 1 Basic Camera Setup Apples Courtesy of Neale Dyster Digitwized 19 Congratulations You ve purchased or are about to purchase Nikon s flagship DX format camera the Nikon D300 or D300S While no digital camera is inexpensive the D300 D300S provides passionate photographers a genuine professional level camera at an attractive price It is weather and dust sealed with a magnesium alloy body and frame and a rubberized coating that makes it strong and reliable for years of faithful service The 12 megapixel imaging sensor and supporting Nikon Sc
216. about this is that you now have room to play with the three color channels similar to how you use filters when shooting black and white film You can add or subtract contrast by moving the channel sliders until you are happy with the results There is a lot of discussion of these techniques on the Internet Why not join the Nikonians org forum to discuss how to best achieve beautiful black and white images Look for the Nikonians Gold Membership 50 off coupon in the back of this book 172 As shown in Figure 3 27 there is an alternate way to access the Set Picture Control menu screens in the D300S You can use the Information display edit screen by pressing the Info button twice then scrolling to the Set Picture Control position and pressing the OK button This opens directly into the Set Picture Control screen for your convenience j Set Picture Control ERMC Monochrome FILS LANDSCAPE FAC 1 NEUTRAL 02 HGrid Adiust Fig Set Picture Control EA PT PORTRAIT x 77 A ennt h GEOFF AdobeR ToN B Figure 3 27 D300S Info display edit screen Set Picture Control 173 Manage Picture Control User s Manual D300S page 160 D300 pages 156 The Manage Picture Control section of your camera s Shooting Menu is designed to allow you to create and store Custom Picture Control settings for future use If you modify them under the Set Picture Control section just before this one you simply create a one offsetting If you d
217. acketing see earlier Figure 4 55 image 3 Figure 4 59 Auto bracketing WB 2 Look for the WB BKT symbols to appear on the Control panel see Figure 4 59 Choose the number of shots in the bracket 3F A3F or b3F by pressing and holding the Fn FUNC button while turning the Main command 370 dial left or right up to nine shots total The 3F symbol shows the number of images 3 as do the lines hanging below the scale just above the WB BKT symbol You control the white balance color differences by bracketing toward amber or blue A or b Change the mired number by holding the Fn FUNC button while turning the Sub command dial left or right up to three maximum Each increment of color difference called mired is controlled by the number at the top right of the screens in Figure 4 59 Choose 1 2 or 3 where 1 5 mired 2 10 mired and 3 15 mired Figure 4 59 image 1 has a 5 mired difference image 2 has a 15 mired difference and image 3 has a 10 mired difference Figure 4 59 image 1 shows a three image bracket with each image having a 5 mired difference in color One has more amber one is normal and one has more blue Figure 4 59 image 2 shows a three image bracket with a 15 mired difference between each image in the amber direction only A3F Figure 4 59 image 3 shows a three image bracket with a 10 mired color difference in the blue direction only b3F If you do not see an A i e
218. acter that is under the yellow cursor will appear on the name line below at the position of the gray cursor If there is already a character under the gray cursor it will be pushed to the right Please limit the name to a maximum of 19 characters Press the OK button when you ve completed the new name You can also create Custom Picture Controls in programs like Nikon Capture NX2 which uses its Picture Control Utility and load them into your camera using the preceding steps 184 Loading Nikon s Optional Picture Controls Portrait and Landscape To test your newfound knowledge of Custom Picture Control management why not download Nikon s optional Picture Controls and install them in your camera Here are the screens and six steps to do so see Figure 3 34 Manage Picture Control A Manage Picture Control Manage Picture Control C Load save E Copy to camera PORTE E LANDSCAPE Delete from card E Unused Copy to card CD Grid Confirm Figure 3 34 Loading Nikon s optional picture controls 1 Download Nikon s optional PORTRAIT PT and LANDSCAPE LS Picture Controls and installation instructions from the following web addresses Get the optional Picture Controls here http nikonimglib com ope Microsoft Windows Installation Instructions http www nikonimglib com opc manual en opc_win_en_ABF html Apple Macintosh Installation Instructions http www nikonimglib com opc manual en op
219. activate the meter and then scroll the AF point around the Viewfinder When Reset meter off delay is selected any usage of the Multi Selector causes the light meter to come on Custom setting C2 Auto meter off delay controls how long it stays on the default is 6 seconds Do nothing If the light meter is off it stays off when you press the Multi Selector My Recommendation Recently I ve started leaving my camera set to Reset meter off delay so that any use of the Multi Selector will keep my camera s meter from going off The only drawback is shorter battery life since this will tend to keep the meter on longer Photo Info Playback Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 User s Manual D300S page 292 D300 page 302 Photo info playback determines how the Multi Selector functions when you are scrolling in the Info and Playback screens see Figure 4 71 image 3 The default for image viewing is to press the Multi Selector to the left or right To view the Info screens for a particular image you scroll up or down when the image is on the Monitor If you don t like it that way you can reverse it Then you ll review images by pressing up or down on the Multi Selector and view the Info screens by pressing left or right 396 Here are the screens and steps used to change the Multi Selector direction for image Info and Playback screen viewing see Figure 4 71 FS CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls E lt Custo
220. actory default the AF system 269 will be activated when you press the Shutter release button halfway down or if you press the AF ON button You can also select the setting that allows only the AF ON button to initiate autofocus and the Shutter release button will not activate autofocus The primary purpose of this function is to allow a very experienced photographer to separate shutter release and autofocus operations A sports photographer may only want to autofocus the camera when she presses the AF ON button and not when she presses the Shutter release button Various styles of photography require the photographer to find a good autofocus point with the AF ON button and then fire many frames with the Shutter release button with no danger of the camera changing the autofocus during shutter release Here are the screens and steps used to configure AF activation see Figure 4 10 WCustom setting bank A 5 41 AFC priority selection r Reset custom settings Ve a2 AFS priority selection P vine al an hutter AF ON OK ey CUSTOM SETTING MENU p _ aAutofoas at ELESE b Metering exposure a4 Focus tracking with lock on BA G Timers AE lock mec AF activation O d Shooting display 28 AF point illumination e Bracketing flash bh al Focus point wrap around f Controls IB a8 AF point selection Figure 4 10 AF activation screens 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 10
221. aded when you make use of these functions It doesn t save or load every last setting in the D300 S only the ones listed here Playback Menu e Display mode e Image review e After delete e Rotate tall Shooting Menus This saves the settings in all four banks A B C D e Shooting menu bank 491 File naming Image quality Image size JPEG compression NEF RAW recording White balance includes fine tuning adjustments and presets d 0 to d 4 Set picture control Color space Active D Lighting Long exp NR High ISO NR ISO sensitivity settings Live view mode Movie settings D300S only Custom Settings This saves the settings in all four banks A B C D Custom Settings includes all configurable settings Setup Menu Clean image sensor Video mode HDMI 492 Time zone and date D300S or World time D300 e Language e Image comment e Auto image rotation e Image authentication e Copyright information D300S only e GPS settings e USB mode D300 only e Non CPU lens data My Menu D300S and D300 and Recent Settings D300s only e My Menu includes all items you ve entered e Recent Settings Menu D300S only e Choose tab D300S only If you change the name of the NCSETUPS BIN or NCSETUP1 file the D300 S will not be able to reload your settings from it Also if you save the settings when an existing file is on the memory card it will be overwritten with
222. age s colors and perceive them as normal even when they are not This is one of the dangers of not using correct WB Since an unbalanced image on your computer screen is not compared to another correctly balanced image side by side there is some danger that your brain may accept the slightly incorrect camera settings as normal and your image will be saved with a color cast As a rule of thumb if you use your WB correctly at all times you ll consistently produce better images You ll do less post processing if the WB is correct in the first place As RAW shooters we already have a lot of post processing work to do Why add WB corrections to the workflow It s just more work if you ask me Additionally you might decide to switch to JPEG mode in the middle of a shoot and if you are not accustomed to using your WB controls you ll be in trouble When you shoot JPEGs your camera will apply the WB information directly to the image and save it on your card permanently Be safe always use good WB technique 704 White Balance Tips and Tricks When measuring WB with a gray or white card keep in mind that your camera does not need to focus on the card In PRE mode it will not focus anyway since it is only trying to read light values not take a picture The important thing is to put your lens close enough to the card to prevent it from seeing anything other than the card Three or four inches about 75 mm to 100 mm away from the card
223. ages in any one folder Each folder has its own number series and causes a File number sequence Reset Here are the steps and screens used to configure File number sequence Figure 4 39 lt CCustom setting bank A q gt Reset custom settings gt 42 Viewfinder grid display ON nd E G b Metering exposure 44 Screen tips ON c Timers AE lock d5CL mode shooting speed a3 e Bracketing flash CUSTOM SETTING MENU ___dShooting display dl File number sequence 31 Beep al z Off RESET Reset a Autofocus 43 Viewfinder warning display ON i 46 Max continuous release f Controls 48 Information display Figure 4 39 File number sequence Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 39 image 1 Highlight File number sequence and scroll to the right see Figure 4 39 image 2 330 3 Choose one of the three choices on the list In Figure 4 39 image 3 On has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I heartily recommend that you set File number sequence to On After much experience with Nikon DSLR cameras and many years of storing thousands of files I ve found that the fewer number of files with similar image numbers the better Why take a chance on accidentally overwriting the last shooting session when copying files on your computer just because they have the same image numbers Plus I
224. ailable sizes e 2 5 M or 1920x1280 e 1 1 M or 1280x856 e 0 6 M or 960x640 e 0 3 M or 640x424 Let s examine the screens and steps for resizing images see Figure 6 22 Figure 6 24 a RETOUCH MENU Resize Resize Trim j Choose destination i Monochrome Filter effects Color balance N ETET a C slot OW a Image overlay TE NEF RAW processing CSO SD card slot Edit movie Figure 6 22 Choose a destination 1 Select Resize from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 6 22 Although it seems out of order select Choose destination and scroll to the right Select one of the card slots to be a destination for the resized 558 images and press the OK button This selection will be grayed out if one of the memory card slots is empty Next select Choose size and scroll to the right see Figure 6 23 You ll see four available sizes from 2 5 M down to 0 3 M This choice is the actual megapixel size the image will be reduced to when you finally save it Select one of them and press the OK button Resize Resize Choose size Select image er rr m Choose destination B io 11M 06M 0 3M Figure 6 23 Choose a megapixel size Next choose Select image and scroll to the right see Figure 6 24 image 1 You ll see six image thumbnails Use the Multi Selector to scroll around in this group of thumbnails Scroll up or down to see additional images if there are more on the memory card When you
225. ain peaks represents the amount of individual colors You cannot easily control this value in camera other than changing to a Picture Control with more or less saturated color so it is for your information only We are mostly concerned with the left and right side values of the histogram since we do have much greater control over those dark vs light Simply put the histogram s left and right directions are related to the darkness and lightness of the image while the up and down directions of the histogram valleys and peaks 660 have to do with the amount of color information I repeated this for emphasis The left dark and right light directions are very important for your picture taking If the image is too dark the histogram will show that by clipping off the light values on the left or if it s too light by clipping on the right This will become easier to understand as we look at well exposed and poorly exposed images Check out the Histogram Basic Tutorial in Figure 9 15 and then we ll look at things in more detail When you see the three histograms next to each other does it make more sense See how the underexposed histogram is all the way to the left of the histogram window and is clipped mid peak Then note how both edges of the well exposed histogram just touch the edges of the histogram window Finally notice how the overexposed image s histogram is crammed and clipped on the right I hope this help
226. ake one picture each second that you hold the Shutter release button down You ll need to play around with this setting and decide for yourself what speed you like Again remember that you have both low CL and high CH speeds for the camera s shooting rate This function is for the low speed setting CL found on the Release mode dial Max Continuous Release Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 User s Manual D300S page 276 D300 page 282 Max continuous release sets the maximum number of images you can shoot in a single burst It sounds like you can just start blasting away with your camera shooting in a single burst until you have reached the number specified in Figure 4 38 image 3 which is up to 100 images 326 While it is possible that you could reach 100 images in a single burst it is improbable Your camera is limited by the size of its buffer and the type of image you are shooting There s a list in your camera user s manual that specifies how large your camera s buffer is for each image type In case you re interested in the raw buffer capacity data the D300S list is on manual page 394 while the D300 list is on manual page 402 Here s a summary of what the two user s manuals report NEF RAW files The D300S holds 18 to 45 images and the D300 holds 18 to 27 images according to whether you are shooting in 12 or 14 bit color depth and whether you are using compression or not
227. al camera and its histogram we can now see a visual representation of the light values and can immediately approve of the image reshoot it with emphasis on lighter or darker values or see that we must use a filter or multiple exposure high dynamic range imaging HDR to capture it at all Computer Adjustment of Images Looking at the image in Figure 9 19 taken in mid day overhead sunshine we see an example of a range of light that 666 is too great to be captured by a digital sensor but is exposed in such a way that we can get a usable photo later Notice in Figure 9 19 how the dark values are clipped off and dark detail is lost But look to the right side of the histogram and notice how the light values are not clipped off The camera recorded all the light values but lost some dark values Since our eye sees this as normal this image looks okay Figure 9 19 Cabin picture with correct exposure but dark shadows and its histogram If we were standing there looking at the cabin ourselves our eye would be able to see much more detail in the front porch area But the camera just can t record that much light range If we want to get a bit more detail in the shadows than this image seems to contain we can do it Normally a camera does not give us enough control to add light values on the fly so we use the histogram to get the best possible exposure and then adjust the image later in the computer Some cameras can be profiled
228. also allows you to set an identification number for a particular lens Many people use the last two digits of the lens s serial number as the List saved values number for that lens Or you can just select a sequential number from 1 12 In the second screen of Figure 5 43 you ll see a list of lenses If you ll notice in the third screen there is a little box in the middle after No This little box is a scroll box that allows you to use your camera s Multi Selector to scroll up or down from 00 to 99 That way you can set whatever number you want to use for each particular lens My Recommendation AF fine tune is good to have If I buy a new lens and it has focus problems I don t keep it Back it goes to the manufacturer for a replacement However if I buy a used lens or have had one long enough to go out of watranty and it later develops front or back focus the camera allows me to fine tune the autofocus for that lens A professional camera has these little necessities to keep you out of trouble when shooting commercially 517 Eye Fi Upload D300S only User s Manual D300S page 313 Eye Fi upload only shows on the Setup Menu of your D300S when you have an Eye Fi card inserted The Eye Fi company makes several of these tiny SD SDHC cards with built in Wi Fi transmitters Figure 5 44 shows my personal Eye Fi 8GB Pro X2 high speed Class 6 Secure Digital SD card With an Eye Fi card inserted and Ey
229. an select between 30 seconds 30 s and 1 60 s Let s consider each of the modes and the minimum shutter speed for it Front curtain sync Rear curtain sync or Red eye reduction In Programmed auto P mode or Aperture priority auto A mode the slowest shutter speed can be selected from the range of 1 60 s to 30 seconds see Figure 4 49 Shutter priority S mode and Manual M mode cause the camera to ignore Flash shutter speed and the slowest shutter speed is 30 seconds 30 s Slow sync Red eye reduction with slow sync or Slow rear curtain syne These three modes ignore Flash shutter speed and the slowest shutter speed is 30 seconds 351 The user s manual is a bit confusing on this subject but the mode and minimum shutter speed information in the previous list is evident after study and testing Therefore Custom setting e2 is only partially used by the flash modes because the default is preset to 30 seconds in Shutter priority auto and Manual modes Here are the screens and steps to set the Flash shutter speed minimum see Figure 4 49 lt Custom setting bank A Reset custom settings E CUSTOM SETTING MENU _e Bracketing flash e2 Flash shutter speed p 1 60 a Autofocus ad Flash cntrl for builtin flash us EY Flash sync speed sed b Metering exposure amp 4 Modeling flash c Timers AE lock o bracketing set d Shooting display Bracketing las f acketing order f Controls ti switch
230. and set up a few banks on your camera give it some serious thought Think of the ways you most often take pictures and configure your D300 S for each of those ways Your camera will be customized to you Passionate Photography As Ive often mentioned I m a nature photographer Figure 4 84 and Figure 4 85 show the style of photography that I most enjoy In October of each year the Appalachian mountains surrounding me here in Tennessee USA and nearby in North Carolina put on a show that is simply amazing even moving I enjoy talking with readers of my books and would love to see some of your passionate photography You can email me via the Contact link at my business website http www YoungI maging com 424 Figure 4 84 Foothills Parkway West Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tennessee USA Image details Nikon D300 Sigma 10 20mm f 4 5 6 HSM lens at 10mm 1 2 second at f 22 Spot metering on distant mountains Aperture priority exposure mode ISO Lo 1 0 100 SD Picture Control 425 Figure 4 85 Foothills Parkway West Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tennessee USA Image details Nikon D300 AI Nikkor 35mm f 2 lens 1 250 second at f 8 Matrix metering Aperture priority exposure mode ISO Lo 1 0 100 SD Picture Control 426 Chapter 5 Setup Menu Dawn on El Capitan Courtesy of Russ Glindmeier russg 427 The Setup Menu on the Nikon D300 S contains a series of settings
231. and two blue exposures A3F Three shots normal exposure and two amber exposures b2F Two shots normal exposure and one blue exposure A2F Two shots normal exposure and one amber exposure 3F Three shots normal exposure one blue and one amber exposure 5F Five shots normal exposure two blue and two amber exposures 7F Seven shots normal exposure three blue and three amber exposures 699 9F Nine shots normal exposure four blue and four amber exposures Look for the WB BKT symbols to appear on the Control panel along with lines below the scale to show the number of shots you ve selected see Figure 10 14 The number of lines hanging below the scale will reflect the number of shots from the table of values above 3 Select the WB color temperature increment amount of color shift by pressing and holding the Fn FUNC button while rotating the Sub command dial Figure 10 13 images 1 and 3 Choose 1 2 or 3 1 5 mired 2 10 mired 3 15 mired I have selected a value of 2 or 10 mired in Figure 10 14 top right value The D300 S will expose the sequence of shots according to what you ve selected in step 2 You can only adjust the bracket along the blue b to amber A values cool to warm The shots on the side are toward blue and on the side toward amber 4 Take the WB bracketed picture series with only one Shutter release button press see note below
232. ane has moved slightly which just barely throws the autofocus off With predictive focus tracking the camera predicts where the airplane will be when the image is actually exposed and adjusts the focus accordingly Predictive Focus Tracking Let s say you were playing a ball game and you threw the ball to a running player You would have to throw the ball slightly in front of the receiving player so that he and the ball arrive in the same place at the same time Predictive focus tracking does something similar for you It saves you from trying to focus your camera in front of your subject and waiting 45 milliseconds for it to arrive That would be a bit hard to time 719 Effect of Lens Movement Lens movement especially with long lenses can be misinterpreted by the camera as subject movement In that case predictive focus tracking is tracking your camera movement while simultaneously trying to track your subject Attempting to handhold a long lens will drive your camera crazy Use a vibration reduction VR lens or a tripod for best results Nikon says that there are special algorithms in predictive focus tracking that allow it to notice sideways or up and down movement and shut this process down So predictive focus tracking is not activated by the D300 S for sideways or up and down subject movement or panning 720 AF Area Modes in Detail The AF area modes are designed to give you control over how many AF points are in use
233. ar the D300S muttering Hah you can t fool me I can still see a little edge of that map there so I m not changing focus Only when I stuck the D300S manual completely in front of the lens covering all the AF points did the camera decide to start timing the Focus tracking with lock on time out After a second or two the camera would give up on the map and focus on the manual instead Try this yourself It s quite fun and will teach you something about the power of your camera s AF system Does Lock On Cause Autofocus to Slow Down Focus tracking with lock on is an autofocus algorithm that allows your camera to maintain focus on a subject and ignore anything that comes between the camera and the subject for a period of time It will lock on that subject and track where it is on the array of AF points in the Viewfinder Focus tracking with lock on is controlled by configuring Custom setting a4 to a duration period or to Off Some misunderstanding surrounds this technology Since it is designed to cause the autofocus to hesitate for a variable time period before seeking a new subject it may make the camera seem sluggish to some users 267 But this sluggishness is really a feature designed to keep you from losing your subject s tracked focus Once the camera locks on to a subject s area of focus it tries its best to stay with that subject even if it briefly loses the subject This keeps the lens from
234. ar of the camera right below where you place your thumb when holding the camera see Figure 8 9 image 2 You ll see nine small holes in a circle This little speaker can put out an amazing amount of volume In Figure 8 10 you can see the stereo mic port under the Connector cover rubber flap on the side The D300S offers 609 the ability to plug in an optional stereo microphone It disables the built in mono mic and overcomes some of its limitations There are several microphones available for the D300S including a few that mount onto the camera s Accessory shoe like a flash unit does You can choose your favorite at online camera stores The one most often pictured in D300S videos and advertisements is the Rode Stereo Video Mic X Y Condenser Microphone which retails for around 250 USD Figure 8 10 Stereo MIC port under Connector cover In order to record sound in sync with your video you ll need to make sure the Microphone setting is enabled on the D300S Using the Shooting Menu screens shown in Figure 8 11 you can select from three volume levels Low 1 Medium 2 610 or High sensitivity 3 You can also select Off or Auto Auto lets the camera decide which sound recording level best fits the situation Here are the screens and steps used to choose a sound level for recording see Figure 8 11 o SHOOTING MENU h Movie settings Gy Active DLighting if Microphone J Long exp NR S High ISO NR ISO sensi
235. ard and they are 12 or 14 bits instead of the TIFF mode s 8 bits 131 Combined NEF and JPEG Shooting Two Images at Once Some shooters use the three storage modes at the beginning of Figure 3 10 image 2 whereby the D300 S takes two images at the same time NEF RAW JPEG fine normal or basic This gives you the best of both worlds in that the camera takes a nice NEF file and a JPEG file each time you press the Shutter release button In NEF RAW JPEG fine my camera s 8 gigabyte single card storage drops to about 295 images since it is storing a NEF and a JPEG file for each picture taken Here are the three modes found at the beginning of the Shooting Menu gt Image quality setting NEF RAW JPEG fine NEF RAW JPEG normal NEF RAW JPEG basic With the D300S only you can set Shooting Menu gt Secondary slot function to write the NEF RAW file to one card and a JPEG fine to the other You can use the NEF RAW file to store all the image data and later process it into a masterpiece or you can just use the JPEG file immediately with no adjustment A lot of people use one of these three modes quite often You can have a JPEG to give others immediately and later work on the NEF RAW file for special purposes There is no need to go into any amount of detail about these modes since the NEF RAW JPEG modes have the same 132 features as their stand alone modes In other words the RAW file
236. ary slot selection TE Secondary slot function Image quality Image size ja Shooting menu bank Shooting menu bank oO 1 amp gt 7 ABCDEFGHIJKL 0123456789 lt MNOPQRSTUVWXYZI gt 7 QBCDEFGHIJKL _abcdBfohiikia UNOPQRSTUVHXYZ I noparstuvwxyz O aees fie General Purpose a GCursor GSineut OROK E 2GCursor Sinput GHOK 94 Figure 3 2 Selecting and renaming a Shooting menu bank 1 Notice in the first image of Figure 3 2 that there s a selection called Shooting menu bank with an A after it unless you or others have previously changed to a different bank in which case it might be any letter A through D This means that your camera is using Shooting menu bank A If any letter other than A is showing you are using a different Shooting menu bank Let s give the D300 S Shooting menu bank A a new label so that you ll be able to see at a glance what this particular bank is set up to accomplish Scroll right using the Multi Selector The Monitor will switch to the screen shown in image 2 of Figure 3 2 2 Assuming that you haven t yet renamed any of your Shooting menu banks you ll see the four called A B C D with a blank line following each and a selection called ABC Rename at the bottom Scroll down to ABC Rename and then scroll to the right 3 The bank Rename screen shown in Figure 3 2 image 3 will appear The factory default for an unnamed bank is simply a blank field following
237. ason I always upgrade my camera is because I figure that Nikon is not going to publish every little bug it has fixed in each firmware upgrade and I want all mine fixed I ve never yet in 8 years of upgrading the firmware on my Nikons had a failure or problem I just followed the published directions and all was fine It s an easy process 525 My Conclusions Whew The D300 S may seem like a complicated little beast but that s what you get when you fold professional level functionality into a relatively small DSLR body Complex as it is I m certainly delighted with it Next we ll consider how to use the camera s Retouch Menu to adjust images without using a computer If you are in the field shooting RAW files and you need a quick JPEG or black and white version of a file well the Retouch Menu has you covered You can even do things like Red eye correction Color balance changes filtration cropping and image resizing all without touching a computer Let s see how 526 Chapter 6 Retouch Menu ee hs lt E TER ss aa TLN ee a ae OT Soak gt Free Climber Courtesy of Octavian Radu Topai Tavi 527 Retouching allows you to modify your images in camera If you like to do digital photography but don t particularly like to adjust images on a computer these functions are for you Obviously the camera s Monitor is not large enough to allow you to make heavily creative changes to an i
238. ast days or special situations The D300 S s method for balancing the camera to the available light comes with the White balance WB controls How Does White Balance WB Work Normally White balance is used to adjust the camera so that whites are truly white and other colors are accurate under whatever light source you are shooting You can also use the White balance controls to deliberately introduce color casts into your image for interesting special effects Camera WB color temperatures are exactly backwards from the Kelvin scale we learned in school for star temperatures Remember that a red giant star is cool while a blue white star is hot The WB color temperatures are backwards because the WB system adds color to make up for a deficit of color in the original light of the subject For instance under a fluorescent light there is a deficit of blue which makes the image appear greenish yellow When blue is added the image is balanced to a more normal appearance Another example might be shooting on a cloudy overcast day The ambient light could cause the image to look bluish if left unadjusted The White balance control in your camera sees the cool color temperature and adds some red to warm 676 the colors a bit Normal camera WB on a cloudy overcast day might be about 6000K Just remember that we use the real Kelvin temperature range in reverse and that red colors are considered warm while blue colors are cool
239. ately Nikon does not include the copyright symbol in the list of numbers and letters or I would include that in my comment Here are the screens and steps to create an Image comment see Figure 5 19 SETUP MENU i Image comment Image comment Alimasge comment GA 1 amp gt Auto image rotation ON 40123456789 lt Image Dust Off ref photo gt BBCDEFGHI JKL Battery info UNOPORSTUVNXYZ I Be Wireless transmitter Youn Copyright information K oung l Save load settings li eaCursor input GOK Image comment Done Input comment eemerronee Attach comment Attach comment LA he Figure 5 19 Image comment selection screens 1 Select Image comment from the Setup Menu 462 Select Input comment from the Image comment screen and scroll to the right with the Multi Selector see Figure 5 19 image 2 In Figure 5 19 image 3 you ll see a series of symbols numbers and letters on top and a rectangle with tiny lines at the bottom The little lines are where we will put our text to attach a comment In the upper left corner of the characters area is a blank spot which represents a blank for insertion in the line of text This is good for separating words If you scroll down past the upper case letters you ll find some lowercase letters too Use the Multi Selector to scroll through the numbers and letters to find the characters you want to use Scroll down for lowercase letters
240. ay ON Ii a6 6 fas gy a Autofocus a3 Viewfinder warning display ON a5 Sfp 4 fps 5 b Metering exposure 5 a4 Screen tips _ ON i CH3 fs c Timers AE lock ela ooting disp m 46 Max continuous release 100 J e Bracketing flash 4 dl File number sequence ON i hi fos f Controls 48 Information display AUTO LR Figure 4 37 CL mode shooting speed 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 37 image 1 2 Highlight CL mode shooting speed and scroll to the right see Figure 4 37 image 2 3 Choose one of the seven choices on the list In Figure 4 37 image 3 3 fps has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting 325 As the last screen in Figure 4 37 shows you can adjust CL mode shooting speed so that your camera shoots at any frame rate between 1 and 7 frames per second The default is 3 frames per second Remember you always have CH mode for when you want to blast off images like there s no end to your memory card s or when you want to impress bystanders with that extra cool Nikon shutter clicking sound My Recommendation Use your favorite CL mode shooting speed and grab a few or many frames in each press and hold of the Shutter release button I ve always left mine set at the default of 3 fps since that is reasonably fast yet not wasteful of card space If you d like you can slow it all the way down to fps and only t
241. ay also select how the Microphone works and the Destination card slot for the movies Interval timer shooting You can set your camera on a tripod and make a time exposure with this function Shooting things like a time exposure of a flower opening becomes easy with the D300 S Press the MENU button on the back of your D300 S to locate the Shooting Menu which looks like a small green camera in the toolbar on the left side of the Monitor Figure 3 1 shows the Shooting Menu location found on the Monitor of your D300 S The Shooting menu banks are a feature unique to professional level cameras Most Nikons have a Shooting Menu but only the best have multiple Shooting menu banks Using the four banks your D300 S can change from a pro camera to a snapshooter with just a few button presses 92 SHOOTING MENU Shooting menu bank y Reset shooting menu Active folder File naming Primary slot selection TE Secondary slot function Image quality Image size Figure 3 1 The Shooting Menu It can shoot RAW files using ISO 200 in Adobe RGB Color space with the Fn Func button assigned to Spot metering for serious professional shooting and very quickly change to Normal quality JPEGs at ISO 400 in sRGB Color space with high image sharpening for that party where you don t want to think about anything but having a good time These are only two variations of the many available combinations of bank settings you can design
242. ay and then select the most appropriate bank for the job Use Auto mode when you re shooting JPEGs and don t have time to fool with camera settings yet you must get the shot no matter what Auto lets the camera decide the appropriate level of Active D Lighting according to the ambient light and contrast in the image 197 Experiment with this by shooting images in a high contrast and a low contrast setting at all the various levels of Active D Lighting You ll see how the camera reacts and can better decide how you ll use this functionality 198 Long Exp NR User s Manual D300S page 258 D300 page 262 Long exp NR Long Exposure Noise Reduction is designed to combat visual noise in long exposures Noise is that ugly grainy look the image has when it s underexposed and then brightened or when a really high ISO sensitivity setting is used If you ever shoot film you ll remember how faster films have lots more grain Well noise is like that except uglier It s the digital equivalent of static in music Who wants static in their images Nikon knows its imaging sensors well and feels that images taken at exposures longer than 8 seconds may exhibit more noise than is acceptable for normal use The imaging sensor can start to warm up a little when longer exposures are used This causes a condition called amp noise in which warmer sections of the imaging sensor start to display more noise than other sections There
243. be ready to delete a control or two from the memory card You 186 could format the memory card but that will blow away all images and Picture Controls on the card A less drastic method that allows you to be more selective in removing Picture Controls is the Delete from card function Here are the screens and steps used to remove Picture Controls from your camera s memory card see Figure 3 35 ja Manage Picture Control Manage Picture Control Manage Picture Control TEC a Delete from card c Delete from card IOWNEUTRAL 02 O Q Delete Picture Control t NEUTRAL 02 Copy to card Yes G Grid Confirm No Figure 3 35 Custom Picture Control Delete from card 1 Figure 3 35 continues where Figure 3 31 left off Choose Delete from card from the Load save menu and scroll to the right see Figure 3 35 image 1 2 Choose one of the Custom Picture Controls that you want to delete see Figure 3 35 image 2 I chose the only one I had on the card at that time NEUTRAL 02 You can confirm that you are deleting the correct control by scrolling to the right which gives you the fine tuning screen with current adjustments for that control If you are sure that this is the control you want to delete move on to the next step by pressing the OK button 3 You will be shown the Delete from card screen which asks Delete Picture Control Choose either Yes or No see Figure 3 35 image 3 If you choose Yes the Picture Co
244. bles other functionality in the D300 S Please see the note at the end of this section AF lock only When set this function locks the AF system focus on the last autofocus reading while you hold down the Selected button AF ON Assign AE L AF L button only If you set AE L AF L button press to AF ON then the AE L AF L button duplicates the functionality of the AF ON button and will initiate autofocus AF ON cannot be assigned to the other two buttons Fn and Preview It doesn t even appear in their lists of functions Flash off This is a temporary way to disable the flash for when you want to leave your flash turned on and still 404 be able to take a non flash picture While you hold down the Selected button the flash is disabled Bracketing burst Normally during a bracketing sequence with the shutter release set to Single Frame Release Mode the S next to CL and CH on the Release mode dial you have to press the Shutter release button once for each of the images in the bracket The only way to shoot all the images in the bracketed series without letting up on the Shutter release button is to set the Release mode dial to CL or CH If you set Bracketing burst you can hold down the Selected button while also holding down the Shutter release button and the camera will take all the images in the bracket without letup This seems a bit redundant to me I think I d rather just set the Release mode
245. blown out area on the peak of the cabin s roof Sometimes a very small amount of clipping does not seriously harm the image 668 Figure 9 20 Post processed cabin picture and its histogram in computer manipulation The photographer must be the judge The greater apparent detail in this image is the result of compressing the mid range of the light values a bit in the computer If you compress or make the mid range light values smaller that will tend to pull the dark values toward the light side and the light values toward the dark side So you will have more apparent detail in your image It s like cutting a section out of the middle of a garden hose If you pull both of the cut ends together the other two ends of the hose will move toward the middle and the hose will be shorter overall If you compress or remove the mid range of the histogram both ends of the graph will move toward the middle If one end of the graph is beyond the edge of the histogram window clipped off it will be less so when the mid range is compressed We are simply trying to make the histogram fit into the frame of its window If we have to cut out some of the middle to bring both ends into the window well there is usually plenty in the middle to cut out so the image rarely suffers Remember this is done outside of the camera in a computer You can t really control the in camera histogram to compress 669 values but you need to be aware that it
246. button in Live View mode To access the setting if the microphone volume control is selected on the D300S see D hold down the Playback button and scroll right with the Multi 598 Selector The D300 has no microphone volume control so pressing the Playback button when in Live View mode simply gives you the Monitor brightness bar F Once the frame surrounding the vertical bar turns yellow it is selected You can now move the little yellow square up or down by holding down the Playback button and pressing up or down on the Multi Selector Each increment 3 on the bar increases or decreases the Monitor s brightness up for bright down for dark This does not change the brightness level of the image or video just the Monitor s In other words this setting does not change the exposure G This symbol lets you autofocus the camera and is different in the Hand held and Tripod modes In Hand held mode the AF point will be smaller than shown in Figure 8 6 which shows Tripod mode s contrast detect autofocus symbol You can move the contrast detect autofocus square to any point on the screen and even zoom in for extremely accurate autofocus with the Playback zoom in button In Hand held mode you can move the smaller AF point among the 51l points in the normal phase detection autofocus grid H This line of symbols varies according to whether you are using a D300S or D300 In the D300S shown in Figure 8 6 the symbols
247. c_mac_en_ABF html 2 The installation instructions that you ve downloaded will explain how to get the optional Picture Control files ending in nop into a folder called NIKON on your 185 camera s memory card Once they are there the camera can see and install them Referring to Figure 3 34 image 1 which continues from Figure 3 31 select Copy to camera from the Load save menu and scroll to the right If you ve installed both controls onto the memory card you ll see PORTRAIT and LANDSCAPE showing in the Copy to camera menu see Figure 3 34 image 2 Press the OK button and the camera will present you with four special slots evidently made for future Nikon Picture Controls not your own Custom Picture Controls which have their own C1 C9 memory locations in the camera as shown in Figure 3 32 image 3 If you scroll to the right instead of pressing the OK button you will be able to examine and adjust the optional Picture Control s settings before saving it to your camera If you don t want to modify it simply press the OK button The Save as menu will now appear Select one of the four Unused slots and press the OK button The optional PT or LS Picture Control will be entered there and will also be added to the Shooting Menu gt Set Picture Control list for future use Delete from Card Once you ve finished loading Custom Picture Controls or optional Nikon Picture Controls to your camera you may
248. cable I ll just put my camera on a tripod and set the Self timer delay to 2 or 5 seconds This lets the D300 S make a hands off exposure to keep from shaking the camera or tripod If I must run to get into position for a group shot I ll often increase the delay to at least 10s 10 seconds to keep from looking like an idiot as I trip while running and plow up grass with my nose Another Way to Delay the Shutter Release Many do not realize it but you can also use the Mirror Up MUP function on the Release mode dial for even steadier timed releases If you use a tripod and start an exposure with the camera set to Mirror Up the camera will wait 30 seconds and then fire the shutter before lowering the mirror Macro shooters often use either Mirror Up or Self timer delay to get the sharpest possible images Monitor Off Delay Custom setting C4 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 274 D300 page 280 Monitor off delay lets you set a time out for the Monitor on the back of the camera You can select from 4 seconds to 10 minutes on the D300S and from 10 seconds to 10 minutes on 310 the D300 The Monitor will stay on until the time out period expires When I take a picture I like to review it on the Monitor I am an admitted and shameless chimper slang for excessively viewing the image playback In the old film days one could not tell whether the image was just right Now that I have an opportunity I love
249. camera that s not already on the Recent Settings menu it will be added to the menu replacing the oldest change with your new one at the top of the list if there is no room left at the bottom i e you ve exceeded 20 items This can be a convenient way to find something you ve changed recently but have trouble remembering where it is on the main menu systems co RECENT SETTINGS 23 Dynamic AF area Z Color space arg ke sensitivity settings ag White balance CA image quality di0Exposure delay mode Active D Lighting Choose tab Figure 7 9 Recent Settings screen 580 My Recommendation If you want a more permanent menu for your favorite changes to the D300S you ll need to enable the My Menu system instead of the Recent Settings menu Recent Settings are fine but I want to directly control what settings I have quick access to without searching My Menu is my choice 581 My Conclusions This is the last of the text based menus we ll cover in the D300 S We ve been through a lot of menu screens in the last several chapters Now let s examine the powerful Live View Lv mode found in the D300S and D300 No longer are we bound to using just the camera s Viewfinder we can use the Monitor screen instead Lv mode allows you to shoot at odd angles without hurting your back Or you can get extreme closeups with an appropriate macro lens and the excellent Contrast detect autofocus in Tripod mode
250. captured images see Figure 5 36 To see this screen yov ll have to check the Data check box under Playback Menu gt Display mode gt Data If the GPS icon is flashing on the Control panel it means that the GPS is searching for a signal If you take a picture with the GPS icon flashing no GPS data will be recorded If the GPS icon is not flashing it means that the D300 S is receiving good GPS data and is ready to record data to a picture If the D300 S loses communication with the GPS unit for over two seconds the GPS icon will disappear Make sure the icon is displayed and isn t flashing before you take pictures 501 Position Latitude N 36 11 732 Y Auto meter off gy Longitude W 83 33 670 Altitude 309m Heading 0 00 UTC 07 15 2008 20 47 28 Figure 5 35 Position information on the GPS menu screen LATITUDE N 36 11 741 LONGITUDE W gt 83 33 671 ALTITUDE 99 299m TIHE UTC 07 15 2008 19 39 28 NIKON D300 Figure 5 36 GPS Info screen from Nikon GP 1 GPS unit If you want the GPS Heading information to be accurate keep your GPS unit pointing in the same direction as the lens Some GPS units also contain a digital compass Point the GPS in the direction of your subject and give it enough time to stabilize before you take the picture or the Heading information will not be accurate This does not apply to the Nikon GP 1 GPS unit which has no digital compass It only reco
251. ce that it has a Choose tab selection at the bottom just like My Menu 4 Select Choose tab and scroll to the right see Figure 7 8 image 3 You ll now see the screen shown in Figure 7 8 image 4 which allows you to switch back to My Menu Clearly this is a circular reference You can use the Choose tab selection as a toggle between the two screens When you do one replaces the other as the last selection on the main menu screen My Recommendation I think you can see how My Menu gives you nice control over a customized menu that is entirely yours Configure it however you want by choosing from selections in the primary menus My Menu will save you a lot of time when looking for your 20 most used selections If you feel inclined to use Recent Settings just remember that once you pass 20 camera setting adjustments the next setting you use will jump to the top of the list moving everything down by one position The last item on the list will simply disappear Let s now take a look at Recent Settings in a little more detail The next section only applies to the D300S since the D300 has no Recent Settings screen 579 Recent Settings D300S only User s Manual D300S page 337 Recent Settings is very simple This menu remembers the last 20 distinct changes you ve made to your D300S camera Each menu selection that was modified is stored in a temporary place called Recent Settings If you change something in your
252. choices available If you only have images on one 61 card you can skip the source card selection step Refer to Figure 2 15 or the camera s actual menu and follow these steps to select a source card 1 Select Copy image s from the Playback Menu 2 Choose Select source from the Copy image s menu 3 Choose one of the card slots I use the SD card as my primary card so Figure 2 15 shows that I selected the SD card slot as the source Note You can use the Shooting Menu gt Primary slot selection function to choose which card is the primary for your camera SD or CF 4 Press the OK button to lock in your choice Once you ve chosen a source it s time to select images to copy It s a somewhat complex process to describe but fairly easy to use The image selection choices were a little confusing to me at first I was expecting a selection saying something like Select images to copy However you are only given these three options Deselect all Select all images Select protected images What if you want to copy only one image or five All three ways listed allow you to choose images for copying even though it seems a little counter intuitive at first 62 g Copy image s ge Copy image s Select image s JUD Select source OSD Select destination folder Copy image s Figure 2 16 Copy image s Selecting a source folder Let s examine the steps for choosing images to copy startin
253. ck folder Basic photo info Basic ph w Hide image Y O Focus point E amp Focus point Display mode Detailed photo info hi A Copy image s e Image review After delete Rotate tall O RGB histogram A amp RGB histogram o Data a Data Figure 2 7 D300S Display mode menu screens D300S Display mode screens see Figure 2 7 Basic photo info e Focus point Detailed photo info e Highlights e RGB histogram e Data a PLAYBACK MENU ga Display mode ga Display mode Delete F gt Playback folder Y Hide image Done ke Do es Basic photo info Basic photo info S fT YS ioios Focus point S Focus point fe Detailed photo info Detailed photo info amp RGB histogram amp RGB histogram O Data Display mode o SA Image review After delete 1 Rotate tall Iz Slide show i 2 Figure 2 8 D300 Display mode menu screens D300 Display mode screens see Figure 2 8 Basic photo info e Highlights 52 e Focus point Detailed photo info e RGB histogram e Data When you modify these selections be sure to scroll up to the word Done and press the OK button to save your setting I keep forgetting to do this when I make changes see Figure 2 7 or Figure 2 8 image 3 Now let s look at what each of these selections accomplishes see Figure 2 9 Figure 2 12 Remember that there will be a slight difference in setting locations since the D300S and D300 place them in a different arrangement I am followin
254. ck plug that you ll insert into your D300S and two RCA jacks yellow and white The yellow jack carries the video signal and the white jack carries the mono sound Figure 8 16 shows the port on the side of your D300S where you ll insert the AV cable s black plug Open the rubber flap 618 to find the small round A V OUT port Be careful that you don t insert the black plug into the MIC port accidentally The A V OUT port is on top see Figure 8 16 red arrow Figure 8 15 A V cable for connecting to an SDTV Here are the steps to display a video on your SDTV 1 Turn your camera off temporarily I never like plugging things into live devices It may not hurt it but why take a chance A little 50 K volt static spark on a live electronic device often results in a dead electronic device 619 Figure 8 16 A V OUT port Open the rubber flap on the left side of your D300S and insert the A V cable mini stereo plug into the A V OUT port see Figure 8 16 Insert the RCA jacks into their respective ports on the display device Be sure to match the colors yellow is video white is sound If your SDTV has no RCA jacks feed the signal through an attached VCR or DVD player Set your TV to channel 3 which seems to be the standard for displaying video If channel 3 doesn t work try 4 Consult your TV s manual if those don t work They should Some TVs require you to press a button on the remote tha
255. cketing means that a five image bracket will be exposed in the following manner most underexposed gt least underexposed gt normal exposure gt least overexposed gt most overexposed For WB bracketing the pattern is amber gt normal gt blue This does not apply to ADL bracketing Finally lets look at the steps and screens to actually configure the Bracketing order Figure 4 62 o Eea Custom setting bank e EEEE var j Reset custom settings an e2 Flash shutter speed 1 60 a Autofocus s e3Flash cntrl for builtin flash TTL b Metering exposure 84 Modeling flash OFF c Timers AE lock uto bracketing set LE HE d Shooting display E eS Auto bracketing Mode M RPE alt sh F o ord ___ CUSTOM SETTING MENU p ___ Bracketing flash order MITR gt under gt over Bracketing flash Bracketing order 1 f Controls I 11 switch Figure 4 62 Bracketing order 1 Select e Bracketing flash from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 62 image 1 379 2 Highlight Bracketing order and scroll to the right see Figure 4 62 image 2 3 Choose one of the two bracketing orders on the list In Figure 4 62 image 3 Under gt MTR gt over has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I leave Bracketing order set to MTR gt under gt over so that when the images are displayed in series by the camera I can see
256. cks You can also turn the camera off or change modes to get out of Flexible program mode S Shutter Priority Auto Mode Shutter priority auto is for those who need to control their camera s shutter speed while allowing the camera to maintain the correct aperture for the available light Figure 9 9 shows the S for Shutter priority auto mode followed by the shutter speed and aperture to the right of the S ESATA E Tits iceman ata CAA H y A Figure 9 9 Control panel with S Shutter priority auto mode If you find yourself shooting action you ll have a great concern for keeping the shutter speed high enough to capture an image without excessive blurring Shooting sports air shows auto races or anything that moves quickly requires careful control of the shutter Sometimes you might want to set your shutter speed to a very slow setting for special effects or time exposures 652 Figure 9 9 shows the D300 in Shutter priority auto mode S To use the S mode select a shutter speed that you feel will work for your current shooting situation and set it with the Main command dial The D300 S will now assist you by controlling the aperture to maintain correct exposure If the light changes drastically and the D300 S cannot maintain a correct exposure it will inform you by replacing the normal aperture reading with either HI or Lo They mean what they imply HI means there is too much light for a good exposure and
257. creates a JPEG file with the next available image number The retouched image will be numbered as the last image on the memory card If you have 100 images on your card and you are retouching image number DSC_0047 the resulting new JPEG image will have the number DSC_0101 or is now the 101st image The D300 S looked to see how many images were on the memory card 100 and then added the retouched image like it was a brand new exposure assigning it the next available image number There are two methods for accessing the Retouch Menu You can use the Retouch Menu directly to choose an image to work with or you can display an image in Playback mode and press the OK button to open the Retouch Menu They work basically the same except that the Playback Retouch Menu leaves out the step of choosing the image since there is already an image on the screen and it has fewer retouch 530 selections The most comprehensive retouch selections are available directly under the Retouch Menu 10003005 1DY3341 NEF RAW 04 23 2010 13 37 11 4288x2848 Ei D ighting Red eye correction On M Trim CH Monochrome Filter effects oof Color balance Ba NEF RAW processing Cancel Figure 6 2 Retouching from Playback preview Since both the Playback Retouch Menu and direct Retouch Menu methods have the same functions we ll discuss them as if you were using the Retouch Menu However in case you decide to use the Playback method l
258. ct image screen see Figure 10 9 image 3 Navigate through the available images until you find the one you want to use for white balance information Press the Multi selector center button and a small picture of the image will appear in your selected White balance memory location see Figure 10 9 image 4 692 Adjusting a Saved White Balance s Color Values If you want to fine tune a previously saved White balance value you can do it with the Set function The value in any of the d 0 to d 4 memory locations can be manually changed The color balance can be moved toward G Green A Amber M Magenta or B Blue or toward intermediate combinations of those colors Here are the screens and steps to Set a new color balance see Figure 10 10 B White balance White balance White balance fe f Cy Preset manual lity Preset manual E ig 1 2 dt x 7 ec oal Edit comment Select image hie e Copy d 0 PRE Select Set il N Adjust Figure 10 10 Set or adjust an existing White balance value 1 Use the Shooting Menu screens shown in Figure 10 6 to get to the d 0 d 4 memory location screen 2 Use the Multi Selector to scroll to the memory location you want to adjust see Figure 10 10 image 1 Press the Multi selector center button to select it 3 Choose Set from the menu and scroll to the right see Figure 10 10 image 2 4 Use the Multi Selector to Adjust the color balance see Figure 10 10
259. ct moves and tap it again as needed When I m ready I simply press the 723 Shutter release button the rest of the way down and I ve got the shot Release Priority Settings When you switch your D300 S out of Single frame S release mode you must be aware of how Custom settings al and a2 are configured These two Custom settings are for Focus priority and Release priority These are not the same as the Release modes so don t get confused It s important that you understand these two release priorities before you start using your camera on critical shoots or some of your images may not be in focus at all I won t cover that information in this chapter but we ve looked at Custom settings al and a2 in detail in the chapter titled Chapter 4 Please be very sure that you understand what they do Hint Use Focus priority Dynamic area AF This mode is best used when your subject is moving Instead of a single AF point used alone for autofocus several sensors surrounding the one you have selected with the Multi Selector are also active Figure 11 6 shows the AF area mode selector in the Dynamic area AF position 724 Figure 11 6 AF area mode selector set to Dynamic area AF You can select the three different sensor patterns in Custom setting a3 see Figure 11 8 The three primary patterns are represented in Figure 11 7 The first image shows 9 AF points in use The second shows 21 points and the third show
260. ctory default setting for b2 allows the 655 Command dials to change aperture or shutter speed in 1 3 EV steps If you d like you can set b2 to 1 2 or 1 EV step instead When you are metering your subject a bar will extend from the zero in the center toward the plus side to indicate overexposure or toward the minus side to indicate underexposure see Figure 9 12 You can gauge the amount of over or underexposure by the number of dots and lines the bar passes as it heads toward one side or the other The goal in Manual mode is to make the bar disappear In Figure 9 12 the bar indicates 2 3 EV steps stops overexposure M aa sen a RAW Cela of Figure 9 12 Control panel with M Manual mode You ll adjust the aperture with the Sub command dial and the shutter speed with the Main command dial Note on Lens Types With newer G lenses you can control the aperture from maximum to minimum by using the Sub command dial on the D300 S If you use an older AF lens with an aperture ring set it to the smallest aperture on the lens then use the Sub command dial instead of the ring on the lens to change aperture If you have an older non CPU lens you ll have to use the aperture ring on the lens to control the aperture 656 Histogram Back in the good old film days we didn t have a histogram so we had to depend on our experience and light meter to get a good exposure Since we couldn t see the exposure
261. cus if your subject is 710 moving and how fast in frames per second or FPS it captures the images Of course if you want to you can turn AF off completely and simply use Manual focus This comes in handy when you decide to use older non CPU Nikkor manual focus lenses such as the excellent AI AI S prime and zoom lenses of yesteryear and the few primes that are available new In fact one of the important features of the near professional D300 S is the fact that the camera will happily use older lenses Many of us have our old favorites such as the AI S Nikkor 105mm f 2 5 portrait lens or the AI S 35mm f 2 We can use AF AF S lenses or virtually any of the F Mount AI AI S lenses Do not attempt to mount any of the non Al manual focus lenses from the late 1960s and early 1970s This type of lens can damage the camera s aperture ring prong 711 Setting Your Lens to Manual Focus If you d like you can use the A M switch found on most AF Nikkors to set the lens to Manual focus and override the AF system completely If the AF Nikkor lens supports autofocus with manual priority M A you can use the AF Module to obtain primary focus and then fine tune it manually Tied in closely with the AF system is the Release mode This determines how the camera takes the picture one at a time or in continuous bursts You can look through the Viewfinder to compose or use Live View mode Lv which allows you to use the Monitor on the bac
262. d only between the two cards 68 All that s left is selecting Copy image s and scrolling to the right see Figure 2 23 ee Cory image s m Cory image s Copying Select source sji 12 Select image s wa 5 Select destination folder 101 Figure 2 23 Copying images 2 Figure 2 23 show the screens for steps 7 and 8 Once you ve selected Copy image s you ll see a screen asking for verification Mine says Copy 112 images see Figure 2 23 image 2 Select Yes and press the OK button Figure 2 23 images 2 and 3 show that I have selected Yes and that the camera is copying 112 pictures from the source card to the destination memory card Notice how the Copying screen shows the progress of the copy action with a green progress bar see Figure 2 23 image 3 This will take several minutes to complete if you are copying a large number of images 3 Once the copying is finished you will see a small white box that says Copy complete You must press the OK button to return to the Copy image s screen That completes the process There s one more screen that I want you to see in case you try to copy images into a folder where they already exist If an identical file name already exists in the destination folder you may or may not want to overwrite it The camera will warn you with the screen shown in Figure 2 24 helpfully showing you thumbnails of both images You can view the two 69 thumbnails and decide whether or
263. d Meter 801 802 Backlight switch f1 D300S Section Six f Controls Custom Settings fl to f11 Battery info Finding a Subject for the Dust Off Reference Photo Battery order d12 D300S d11 D300 Custom setting d11 D300S and d10 D300 Beep d1 Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 Bit depth tutorial NEF RAW Bit Depth Body reference Camera Fig 1 1 11 Bracketing Custom setting b2 D300S and D300 Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings el to e7 Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Exposure Bracketing AE and Flash Combination Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Custom setting e7 D300S and D300 Custom setting e7 D300S and D300 ADL Active D Lighting Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 AE amp flash Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 AE only Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Auto bracketing Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 MTR gt under gt over Custom setting e7 D300S and D300 Order e7 Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Under gt MTR gt over Custom setting e7 D300S and D300 WB White Balance Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Exposure Bracketing AE and Flash Combination 803 Bracketing order e7 Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Bracketing Flash Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings el to e7 Secti
264. d press the OK button see Figure 3 55 image 6 227 7 Shoot your images from a tripod Once you ve selected a Number of shots the camera remembers the value and comes back to it for the next session To repeat another Multiple exposure series with the same settings you ll have to use screen 2 again Select Done and press the OK button That prepares the camera to do the Multiple exposure series in the same way as last time The camera remembers the previous Number of shots and other settings until you reset them using screen 2 of Figure 3 55 Understanding Auto Gain Auto gain defaults to On so you need to understand it well Let s discuss it in detail Auto gain only applies if you want to make a number of exposure segments with the exact same exposure value for each If you want to make two exposures the camera will meter for a normal exposure and then divide the exposure in half for the two shots For three shots it will divide the exposure by one third four shots by one quarter eight shots by one eighth and so forth In other words it will divide the normal exposure for a single shot by the number you entered on the Number of shots screen so that when you are done you have the equivalent of a single good exposure Does this make sense Another way of looking at it is this If I want a two shot Multiple exposure I normally want the background to get half of a normal exposure in each shot so that it will appear
265. d the next are basically the same thing except one sets the WB using a button and dial and the other uses the camera s menu system Each of these methods will allow you to set a particular WB temperature If you want your image to appear cool medium or warm you can set the appropriate color temperature take the picture and then look at the image on the Monitor Figure 10 2 shows the external camera controls used to adjust WB Here is how to manually choose a WB color temperature value using the WB button the Main command dial and the Control panel Figure 10 2 White balance external controls White Balance button top Main command dial rear Sub command dial front 680 Press and hold the WB button on the top left of your D300 S see Figure 10 2 Rotate the Main command dial The symbols shown below will appear one at a time on the Control panel Each click of the dial will change the display to the next WB setting These symbols options and their Kelvin values are as follows AUTO AUTO Auto White Balance 3500 8000K A on Control panel Incandescent 3000K Fluorescent 4200K Direct Sunlight 5200K Flash 5400K Cloudy 6000K amp Shade 8000K 4 K Choose your own color temperature from 2500 to 10 000K PRE PRE Preset manual Use to measure WB for the actual ambient light If no measurement is taken the value used is whatever was last stored i
266. deletion Playback Menu Image dust off ref photo USB D300 only Image overlay Retouch Color Balance Image quality Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Image Quality Image Quality NEF RAW Image Quality Format RAW Files Aren t Images Yet NEF RAW Negatives NEF RAW Negatives JPEG Positives JPEG Positives TIFF Negatives Combined 822 NEF and JPEG Shooting Two Images at Once Image Size JPEG NEF RAW Negatives NEF RAW Negatives Fine normal and basic NEF RAW Negatives JPEG compression Image Size NEF RAW Image Quality RAW Files Aren t Images Yet Positives vs Negatives RAW Files Aren t Images Yet NEF RAW JPEG fine normal basic TIFF Negatives RAW files aren t images yet NEF RAW Image Quality Format TIFF JPEG Positives JPEG Positives Positives vs Negatives JPEG Positives Types Image Quality Which image format is best Combined NEF and JPEG Shooting Two Images at Once Image review Copy Images D300S Only Image Review On or Off Image Review Image rotation auto Rotate Tall Image size Final Image Format Ramblings Final Image Format Ramblings Large L Medium M Small S Final Image Format Ramblings Information display d8 D300S Custom setting d7 D300S and d6 D300 Initial camera configuration Setup Menu 823 Interval timer shooting Movie Settings D300S Only Interval Timer Shooting Interval Timer Shooting Interval Timer Shooting Inte
267. downloadable resources on the Web at http rockynook com NikonD300S Look for material called Information Display It takes a closer look at these two displays The D300 has a similar screen called the Shooting info display but it has no extra functionality for editing the settings It only displays the current shooting information and is similar to the D300S Information display Since I have Screen tips enabled on my D300S camera you can see the small tip for changing the Custom setting bank see red arrow in Figure 4 35 If you press the OK button when you have one of the settings highlighted on the Information display edit screen as Figure 4 35 image 2 shows the camera will switch to a normal text menu and allow you to modify the setting 323 Here are the screens and steps to configure Screen tips see Figure 4 36 FS CUSTOM SETTING MENU d Shooting display lt Custom setting bank A 41 Beep j Reset custom settings 7 22 Viewfinder grid display E a Autofocus ji Viewfinder warning display b Metering exposure 3 c Timers AE lock a5 CL mode shooting speed shooting displ 46 Max continuous release Bracketing flash 47 File number sequence f Controls 48 Information display Figure 4 36 Screen tips 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 36 image 1 2 Highlight Screen tips and scroll to the right see Figure 4 36 image 2 3 Choose one of the tw
268. duces the maximum output of your flash significantly but allows you to use any shutter speed you d like while still firing your external Speedlight The higher the shutter speed the lower the flash output In effect your camera is depending on you to have enough ambient light to offset the loss in power I ve found that even my powerful SB 900 Speedlight can only provide enough power to light a subject out to about 8 feet 2 4 m when using a 1 8000 s shutter speed With shutter speeds that high there needs to be enough ambient light to help the flash light the subject unless you are very close to the subject 348 However now you can use wide apertures to isolate your subject in direct sunlight which requires high shutter speeds The flash will adjust and provide great fill light if you re using Auto FP high speed sync mode One thing to note If your flash fires at full power in normal modes it will blink the flash indicator in the Viewfinder to let you know that all available flash power has been dumped and you need to check to see if the image is underexposed When the camera is firing in Auto FP high speed syne mode that doesn t happen You ll get no warning in the Viewfinder if the image does not have enough light Check the camera s histogram often when using Auto FP Special Shutter Speed Setting X Flash Sync Speed When using exposure modes Manual M or Shutter priority auto S if you crank the shutter s
269. e 268 256 AF S priority selection is very similar to AF C priority selection It too allows you to choose whether the camera will take a picture without something in focus With this function you set a shutter release priority for Single servo autofocus mode AF S Set it wrong for your style of shooting and many of your pictures may be out of focus Personally I choose Focus priority when using AF S There are two modes to choose from Release A photo can be taken at any time even if not in focus This can lead to images that are out of focus unless you manually focus each time you take a picture The camera s priority is releasing the shutter when you press the Shutter release button and it will do so even if nothing is in focus Focus default The image must be in focus or the shutter will not release This means that the shutter won t release unless the Viewfinder s green in focus light is on This is the closest thing to a guarantee that your image will be in focus when you press the Shutter release button However if you are focused on the wrong part of your subject the camera will still fire Here are the screens and steps to select a shutter release priority when using AF S mode see Figure 4 6 ey CUSTOM SETTING MENU a Autofocus a2 AF S priority selection __ lt Custom setting bank A a1 AFC priority selection e a settings A r AF S priority selection gt y 43 Dynamic AF area b Mete
270. e Fi software installed on your laptop computer or any computer connected via a wireless network connection you can take pictures and they are automatically transferred to your computer Eye Fi CE 8GB Wi Fi FCC ID VHE 3 IC 7846A 3 Figure 5 44 Eye FI 8GB Pro X2 518 You can also ask the card to simultaneously transfer the images to file sharing websites like Flickr and Facebook plus 23 more Most lower cost Eye Fi cards require a wireless network to transfer the images However recently Eye Fi came out with a card that will do Ad Hoc transfers meaning that they don t need a wireless network connection and will send pictures directly to a computer with wireless capability In effect the Eye Fi card becomes a wireless Wi Fi transmitter that can talk directly to a Wi Fi enabled notebook or desktop computer without an intervening network At the time of this book s writing only one card the Eye Fi 8GB Pro X2 will transfer directly to a notebook computer without needing a wireless network as an intermediary The other cards cost less but require a wireless network connection to move images Eye Fi separates its Ad Hoc transfer capable card s under the Pro moniker The other cards have names like Connect X2 Geo X2 and Explore X2 Only the Pro X2 cards can do the no network required direct to computer Ad Hoc file transfers Since memory cards are extremely volatile price wise I m sure that
271. e Shooting Banks and Custom Banks Together Now that you have set up and named each of the banks you are interested in using you are ready to make your camera act like a chameleon or herd of chameleons You know how each Shooting menu bank and Custom setting bank is configured Now you can use them together Often I will use a combination of Shooting menu bank A and Custom setting bank A But nothing prevents you from using Shooting menu bank B with Custom setting bank D or Shooting menu bank C with Custom setting bank A Choose whatever combination you d like to use That s where the camera s extreme flexibility comes in Maybe you have Shooting menu bank A set for best quality JPEGs and are shooting them with Custom setting bank A which is set for no focus tracking Suddenly a flock of geese flies by and you realize you must use focus tracking to accurately capture the one big fat goose you like You simply press the MENU button scroll to Custom setting bank B and you are set You did configure Custom setting bank B for focus tracking right Or maybe while you re using Shooting menu bank A for fine quality JPEGS an incredibly beautiful rainbow appears You quickly switch to Shooting menu bank C where you ve previously set lossless RAW mode for maximum quality 423 Get the point Your camera can change the way it shoots on the fly in much less time than it takes to talk about it Now that you ve read this over
272. e basic parameters for camera usage Each function listed is covered in great detail on the page number listed at the end of the reference Please refer to the listed function and its page number then turn there and fully configure the function Afterward return here and move on to the next function When you are done your camera will be ready for use Place a bookmark here since you ll be referring back to this chapter for each configuration item ay Camera Functions for Initial Configuration Setup Menu Time zone and date D300S or World time D300 See Time Zone and Date or World Time Format memory card See Format Memory Card LCD brightness See LCD Brightness Language See Language Auto image rotation See Auto Image Rotation Copyright information D300S only See Copyright Information D300S Only Shooting Menu Primary slot selection D300S Only See Primary Slot Selection D300S Only Secondary slot function D300S Only See Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Image quality See Image Quality Image size See Image Size JPEG compression See JPEG Compression White balance See White Balance 28 Set Picture Control See Set Picture Control Color space See Color Space Active D Lighting See Active D Lighting ISO sensitivity settings See ISO Sensitivity Settings Playback Menu Image review See Image Review
273. e camera It is only for the pop up flash Here are the screens and steps used to configure Flash cntrl for built in flash Figure 4 50 E CUSTOM SETTING MENU e Bracketing flash 5 e3 Flash entrl for built in flash lt Custom setting bank A 81 Flash sync speed var Reset custom settings g e2Flash shutter speed 1 60 i a Autofocus 3 Flash entrl for built in flash_ EI b Metering exposure 84 Modeling flash al MS Manual c Timers AE lock 5 Auto bracketing set Ms gt RPTS Repeating flash FE d Shooting display e6 Auto bracketing Mode M IIE cs Commander mode Bracketing flast T Bracketing order 1 f Controls 1 switch Figure 4 50 Flash cntrl for built in flash TTL mode 1 Select e Bracketing flash from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 50 image 1 353 2 Highlight Flash cntrl for built in flash and scroll to the right see Figure 4 50 image 2 3 Choose one of the four choices on the list In Figure 4 50 image 3 TTL has been selected The other choices will be detailed in Figure 4 51 Figure 4 53 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Let s consider each of these modes TTL see Figure 4 50 Also known as iTTL this mode is the standard way to use the camera for flash pictures TTL stands for Through The Lens and it allows very accurate and balanced flash output using a pre flash method to determine correct exposure before the main flash burst fires
274. e camera is a Nikon Speedlight flash That s Nikon s name for its flash units large and small From the tiny pop up that comes on your camera on up to the flagship SB 900 flash you have several choices You can even create a wireless flash array using your camera a commander unit and several Speedlight flash units 745 Figure 12 1 Built in pop up Speedlight This type of setup is called the Nikon Creative Lighting System CLS We ll look at CLS later in the chapter First let s examine some general flash information and explore how the D300 S uses flash How can you determine just which flash will work best for your style of shooting Will the pop up flash be enough with its limitations in range or do you need more power to reach out and light up more distant subjects How does one rate the power output of a flash unit This chapter contains information that will help you make a good choice in flash units First we ll look at how to rate the power output of a flash by examining the guide number 746 What Is a Guide Number The guide number GN for a flash unit measures how well it can light a subject at a specific ISO sensitivity and with a precise angle of view wide angle vs telephoto lens To put it simply a higher guide number means the flash is more powerful all other things being equal Be careful when you are deciding on an external flash unit to use whether it is a genuine Nikon Speedlight or an a
275. e chapter in this book titled Chapter 10 I suggest that you leave the camera set to Auto White balance However please do take the time 155 to understand this setting by reading the dedicated chapter carefully Understanding white balance is especially important if you plan on shooting JPEGs regularly 156 Set Picture Control User s Manual D300S page 154 D300 page 150 Set Picture Control allows you to choose a Picture Control for a shooting session Nikon s Picture Control system lets you control how your image appears in several ways Each control has a specific affect on the image s appearance If you ever shoot film you know that there are distinct looks to each film type No two films produce pictures that look the same color wise Well in today s digital photography world Picture Controls give you the ability to impart a specific look to your images You can control Sharpening Contrast Brightness Saturation and Hue in a customizable way by modifying one of Nikon s regular Picture Controls Or you can simply use the provided Nikon Picture Controls to control your images We ll discuss how to modify a Nikon Picture Control later in this section In the next section we ll discuss how to save a modified Picture Control under your own Custom Picture Control name You can create up to nine Custom Picture Controls Ill refer to Picture Controls included in the camera as Nikon Picture Controls since
276. e characteristics for many thousands of images stored in the camera These characteristics are used along with proprietary Nikon software and complex evaluative computations to analyze the image that appears in your Viewfinder The meter is then set to provide very accurate exposures for the majority of your images A simple example of this might be a picture where the horizon runs through the middle of the image The sky above is bright and the earth below is much dimmer By evaluating this image and comparing it to hundreds of similar images in the camera s database the camera can automatically input a meter setting for you The meter examines four critical areas of each picture It compares the levels of brightness in various parts of the scene to determine the total range of EV values It then notices the color of the subject and its surroundings If you are using a G or D CPU lens it also determines how far away your lens is focused so that it can figure the distance to your subject Finally it looks at the compositional elements of the subject 638 Once it has all that information it compares your image to tens of thousands of image characteristics in its image database makes complex evaluations and comes up with a meter value that is usually right on the money even in complex lighting situations However I d like to qualify that with the following considerations Fine Tuning Matrix Metering Like all digital cameras
277. e compensation OFF El o Timers AE lock b5 Center weighted area 8 i d Shooting display 56 Fine tune optimal exposure e Bracketing flash amp 1 Shutter release button AEL ON jf 7 V3 ha peee f Controls K c2 Auto meter off delay 6s Figure 4 19 Exp comp fine tune 1 Select b Metering exposure from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 19 image 1 2 Highlight Exp comp fine tune and scroll to the right see Figure 4 19 image 2 3 Choose one of the three items on the menu In Figure 4 19 image 3 1 3 step has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Here is more information on the step values you can use with Exp comp fine tune for exposure or flash compensation once you ve selected your favorite increment 1 3 step Exposure Flash EV compensation of 0 3 0 7 1 0 1 3 1 7 2 0 2 3 2 7 3 0 etc up to 5 0 plus or minus I 2 step 291 Exposure Flash EV compensation of 0 5 1 0 1 5 2 0 2 5 3 0 3 5 4 0 etc up to 5 0 plus or minus 1 step Exposure Flash EV compensation of 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 plus or minus My Recommendation The factory default for Exp comp fine tune is 1 3 step Most shooters will leave it set to 1 3 step since that allows fine control over the amount of exposure or flash compensation Like the two previous Custom settings b1 and b2 b3 allows you to have fine or coarse control over compen
278. e is just ending when the flash fires This causes a ghosting effect for moving subjects in higher ambient light with slow shutter speeds You press the Shutter release button the front curtain opens ambient light starts hitting the sensor and the sensor starts recording the subject As the shutter is about to close the flash fires exposing the subject at its current position The subject was fully exposed by the flash at the end of the shutter speed time so the ambient light had time to register the subject before the flash fired thereby making a blurred ghost behind or after the well exposed subject Figure 12 7 Rear curtain sync My Recommendation I use Front curtain sync for normal everyday flash It balances ambient light with flash light Switch to Spot meter mode if you want extremely accurate exposures of a particular subject 757 External Speedlight flash units offer modes like TTL BL TTL BL FP TTL FP or just TTL TTL stand for through the lens and represents an i TTL mode intelligent though the lens BL stands for balanced FP stands for Auto FP high speed sync mode Refer to your flash unit s user s manual for exact details on how to switch between modes on the flash unit When I m shooting outside only and want a great exposure of my subject s surroundings along with the subject PI often use Slow sync mode The only caveat to this is that you must be aware that slow shutter speeds will cause ghosti
279. e of Nikon Acquisition Syndrome NAS and delights in working with Nikon s newest digital cameras Living near Great Smoky Mountains National Park has given him a real concern for and interest in nature photography He loves to write as you can see in the Resources area of the Nikonians org community He joined the community in the year 2000 and his literary contributions led to his invitation to become a Founding Member of the Nikonians Writers Guild Foreword nikonians org Nikonian Darrell Young known to us as Digital Darrell for many years has consistently been a source of instructional wisdom delivered with a touch of friendly humor His extensive collection of informative articles has been a valuable resource in the articles knowledge base Resources at Nikonians This work represents yet another progression in the rapid growth of our international community of photographers from all walks of life recently exceeding 250 000 members from nearly 150 countries Providing educational books such as Mastering the Nikon D300 D300S is a way to confirm our Nikonians vocation in education Additional ways include our more than 80 interactive forums The Nikonian eZine Nikonians Academy Workshops Nikonians News Blog Nikonians podcasts our Wiki and eBooks Nikonians has earned a reputation as a friendly reliable informative and passionate Nikon user s community thanks in great measure to members like our own Di
280. e red eye effect It acts like you are using Front curtain sync mode otherwise Figure 12 4 Red eye reduction Red Eye Reduction with Slow Sync Red eye reduction with slow sync works the same way as Slow sync except that the AF assist illuminator light shines before the flash fires see Figure 12 5 This lets you take pictures with an emphasis on ambient light while preventing the extra flash exposure from causing red eye 755 Figure 12 5 Red eye with slow sync Slow Sync Slow syne mode lets the camera use ambient light to make a good exposure and then fires the flash to add some extra light rounding out the shadows or better exposing a foreground subject see Figure 12 6 Use this mode in people shots outdoors or where you want ambient light to provide the primary exposure and the flash to provide more exposure in one area This is closely related to Front curtain sync except that the ambient light is more important to the camera than the light from the flash Be careful when using this mode indoors since it will expose for ambient light and only assist with some flash light You can get some terrible ghosting and blurred handheld shots when using Slow sync indoors Ambient light rules in this mode 756 Figure 12 6 Slow sync Rear Curtain Sync Rear curtain sync is the reverse of Front curtain sync see Figure 12 7 The flash waits to fire just before the rear curtain starts to close The entire shutter speed tim
281. e shutter speed and aperture to the right of the P RAW GEMENI enaA Bunun MAEDA l Figure 9 8 Control panel with P Programmed auto mode This mode is called Programmed auto because it uses an internal software program built into the D300 S It tries its best to create optimal images in most situations However even Nikon s User s Manual calls this a snapshot mode P mode can handle a wide variety of situations well but I personally wouldn t depend on it for my important shooting When I m at a party and I just want to enjoy myself get some nice snapshots and not think about the camera then P mode means P for party to me P mode actually comes in two parts Programmed auto and Flexible program Flexible program works similarly to A Aperture priority auto mode Why do I say that Let me explain 649 Get Down Grandpa You re shooting at a family party and suddenly you see a perfect shot of Grandpa dancing on the dinner table and Grandma standing on the floor behind him with her hand over her mouth Being a well trained photographer you glance down at your camera and realize that the f 4 aperture showing on the Control panel won t give you enough depth of field to focus on Grandpa and still have a sharp image of Grandma who by this time is tugging at Grandpa s pant leg With only seconds to spare you turn your Main command dial to the left The D300 S realizes that it is being called upo
282. e taking pictures It does not have to focus on the card it can just be pointed at the card so that it fills the frame 6 Press the Shutter release button fully as if you were photographing the white card The shutter will fire but nothing will appear on the Monitor 7 Check the Control panel to see if GOOD is flashing If you see No Gd flashing instead of GOOD the operation was not successful Your available light may not be bright enough to take an accurate reading The PRE measurement is very sensitive since it uses the light coming through the lens to set the WB Unless you are measuring in an extremely low light level it will virtually always be successful In step 2 I mention that d 0 appears in the top left corner of the Control panel during a WB measurement see Figure 10 4 This d 0 is where the current WB value is stored There are four other memory locations d 1 to d 4 which you can use to store WB values you regularly use Later you can copy a value stored in d 1 to d 4 back into d 0 684 Figure 10 4 PRE measurement 685 Storing White Balance Values for Future Use If you have previously used the manual measured PRE method to set the WB you will already have a value in WB memory location d 0 You can keep up to five WB values stored in your D300 S In location d 0 you ll find the current PRE WB and in d 1 through d 4 you ll find any stored WB values They appear as tiny images as shown in
283. e the control on the card Select any Unused location 4 Press the OK button and you ll briefly see a screen that says Data saved to memory card Your Custom Picture Control is now ready to distribute to the world or load onto another of your compatible Nikon cameras My Recommendation To help you understand Nikon Picture Controls even better please download and read the following PDF file from Nikon http imaging nikon com products imaging lineup picturecontrol catalog PicCon pdf This PDF file describes Picture Controls with lots of pictures to help you see the range of control you can achieve It even covers the optional PT and LS controls It s a 13 page 4 6 MB file named PicCon pdf I really enjoyed reading it since it explains Nikon Picture Controls well and even mentions software that will work with them You ll need Adobe Reader which you can download for free from www Adobe com to read PDF files If any of the website links listed in this chapter give you problems please contact me via the Contact link at www Young maging com for assistance 189 Color Space User s Manual D300S page 166 D300 page 169 Color spaces are an interesting and important part of digital photography They help your images fit into a much broader range of imaging devices Software printers monitors and other devices recognize which Color space is attached to your image and use it along with other color profiles to help
284. e the garbage can Delete button to delete the bad character 5 Press the OK button to save your three new custom characters They will now appear at the beginning of each new image file name Now you ve customized your camera so that the image names it creates reflects your personal needs My Recommendation I discussed how I use these three custom characters in the beginning of this section You may want to use all three of your initials or some other numbers or letters Some will even leave these three letters at their default of DSC I recommend at least using your initials so that you can easily identify these images as yours With my family of five Nikon shooters it sure makes it easier for me If you use my method just be sure to watch for the images to roll over 9999 so that you can rename the first character for the next sequence of 9999 images 111 Primary Slot Selection D300S Only User s Manual D300S page 72 Primary slot selection is only available in the D300S camera The D300 only has one memory card slot while the D300S has two This function and the next Secondary slot function are concerned with where your camera stores its image files If you re using two memory cards an SD and a CF you ll need to set these two functions to control where files go and what happens when a card fills up You ll need to decide which card type you want to shoot with most often Will you use the SD slot as the pr
285. e two RAW images to create special effects like adding an image of the moon into a separate landscape picture NEF RAW processing D300S only Allows you to create highly specialized JPEG images from your NEF RAW files without using your computer Resize D300S only Lets you take a full size image and convert it into several smaller sizes This is useful if you would like to send an image via email or simply need a smaller image for other reasons Edit movie D300S only Allows you to shorten a movie by cropping out a smaller section from the large movie file Side by side comparison Lets you compare a retouched image created with the Retouch Menu with its original image The images are presented side by side so that you can see before and after effects There are limitations imposed when you are working on an image that has already been retouched Here s a look at the Retouch Menu for both the D300S and D300 see Figure 6 1 529 co RETOUCH MENU RETOUCH MENU e Dtighting D Lighting y Red eye correction Red eye correction i Trim Trim Monochrome Monochrome Filter effects Filter effects Color balance Color balance Image overlay Image overlay NEF RAW processing Figure 6 1 Retouch Menu for D300S and D300 It s the fifth menu down the menu selection bar just below the Setup Menu When you use Retouch Menu items the D300 S does not overwrite your original file but always
286. e users will want to know all about Live View since your movies will be shot while using Live View s Monitor Live View Mode Section One User s Manual D300S page 47 D300 page 79 Live view mode Lv allows you to use your camera s Monitor to compose images instead of the Viewfinder On the D300S you start Live View by pressing the LV button below the Multi Selector see Figure 8 1 image 1 On the D300 hold down the Release mode dial lock release button and rotate the Release mode dial to Lv then press the Shutter release button to start Live View see Figure 8 1 image 2 To stop Live View on the D300S simply press the Lv button again On the D300 stop Live View by pressing the MENU button There are two Live View modes available with multiple screen types to customize Live View on your camera s Monitor 587 Figure 8 1 Live View controls for D300S and D300 Live View s Two Modes Live view mode has two distinct types Hand held and Tripod You ll find them under the Shooting Menu gt Live view mode setting Here are descriptions of how each mode works I photographed the screens with the lens cap on black background so that you could easily see all the features RAW AUTO RAW AUTO 20m00s 8A 20n00s Ce e ERG dew B O 4 OGG BHO 8 BHO 8 Oma A to eli amp 18299 A to Fld amp 18299 Figure 8 2 Hand held and Tripod mode screens 588 Normally
287. e values or scroll left and right to move between Output Times and Frequency Press the OK button when you have it configured There are three settings as shown in Figure 4 52 image 3 Output You can vary the power of the flash from 1 4 to 1 128 of full power The more power the flash uses the fewer times it can fire Here is a table of how many times the built in pop up flash can fire using the various Output levels e 1 4 2 times 1 8 2 5 times e 1 16 2 10 times e 1 32 2 10 or 15 times e 1 64 2 10 15 20 or 25 times 355 e 1 128 2 10 15 20 25 30 or 35 times Times This setting controls the number of times the flash will strobe per second between 2 and 10 in one step increments and then from 10 to 50 at 1 128 by five step increments Refer to the table above to set the number of times the flash can fire Raising the power output going toward 1 4 will decrease the number of times the flash can fire while lowering the power going toward 1 128 will increase the number of times the flash can fire As you change the Output amount you ll see the Times maximum change Frequency This sets the flash to fire a series of pulses for each of the Times it fires from 1 pulse to 50 pulses How Does Repeating Flash Work Technically If you have Output set to 1 128 Times set to 5 and Frequency set to 50 that means the camera will fire its built in pop up Speedlight at 1 128 of full power fi
288. e you re done entering the data on your nine lenses don t forget to use the Done selection to save your work The Done selection serves double duty by allowing you to either select a 509 lens or save changes to one or all of your nine lenses In other words you can use the set of screens in Figure 5 38 to both input and select a non CPU lens When you have selected a lens for use the Setup Menu gt Non CPU lens data selection will show the number of the lens you ve selected It will be in the format of No 1 to No 9 Notice that in image 1 of Figure 5 38 you can see the lens selection No 1 at the end of the Non CPU lens data line Selecting a Lens by Using the Non CPU Lens Menu You can select a non CPU lens when it s time to shoot pictures by following these steps 1 Open the Non CPU lens data screen see Figure 5 38 2 Select a lens by scrolling left or right on the Lens number field 3 Scroll up to the Done selection and press the OK button Selecting a Non CPU Lens by Using External Camera Controls The D300 S allows you to customize its buttons to do things the way you want them to be done You may only have one or two non CPU lenses so it may be sufficient to just use the Non CPU lens data menu to select a lens However if you have a good selection of non CPU lenses you may wish Nikon gave us more than nine lens selections in the Non CPU lens data menu 510 Since I use a lot of AI Nikkors I use t
289. ecome especially evident when a person is walking and videoing at the same time The subject of the video is moving and the person taking the video is moving 628 too These combined movements can be enough to cause the strange wobbly look in the video I call this the jellywobble effect Like a bowl of Jello your video looks like it is wobbling What can you do Avoiding the Jellywobble Effect Primarily you have to be careful not to allow too much camera movement It truly is best to use the D300S on a nice fluid head video tripod if you want great results ve found that Nikon s vibration reduction VR lenses help when you don t want to use a tripod since they stabilize the camera a little VR won t help much if you re walking while videoing since the camera movements are often too great for the VR system to overcome If you re standing quietly and doing your best to hold the camera perfectly still it will help overcome small movements caused by your heartbeat and breathing This is one of the main differences between a dedicated video camera and a hybrid like the D300S Most true video cameras use a CCD sensor instead of a CMOS sensor like the D300S has A CCD sensor does not have a rolling shutter but uses a global shutter instead Global shutter simply means that a dedicated video camera does not scan the image one line at a time It uses the whole sensor at once to grab the image not individual lines o
290. ee Image size settings listed Figure 3 12 shows Large as the selected size 3 Press the OK button to choose the size I ve been playing around with these settings for the fun of it I m not very interested in using my 12 2 M camera as a 6 9 M or 3 1 M However there are reasons to shoot at the lower megapixel levels such as when a smaller resolution image is all that will ever be needed or if card space is at an absolute premium Setting the camera s Image quality to JPEG basic Image size to Small and JPEG compression to Size priority allows it to capture 15 800 images on an 8 gigabyte card The images are 3 1 MP in size 2144 x 1424 3 053 056 pixels or 3 1 megapixels and are compressed to the maximum but there are a large number of them If I were to set off today to walk completely around the Earth and I had only one 8 gigabyte memory card to take with me well my camera will give me almost 16 000 images on the one card so I can at least document my trip well My Recommendation Unless you _ have really small capacity memory cards you ll get the best images at 12 2 M Using the smaller sizes won t affect the quality of a 137 small print but will seriously limit your ability to enlarge your images I recommend leaving your camera set to Large unless you have a specific reason to shoot smaller images 138 JPEG Compression User s Manual D300S page 70 D300 page 58 JPEG compression allows you to furt
291. ee the section titled Fine Tune Optimal Exposure Custom setting b6 D300S and D300 This setting allows you to fine tune each of the exposure meters individually in 1 6 stops I leave my D300 S set to 3 6 stops overexposure which equals 1 2 stop Don t be afraid to experiment with your D300 S since you can always change your fine tuning back to zero You might find that 2 stop is too much for you or that you don t need any compensation at all The point is that you are not limited with this camera You can use the Matrix meter with factory settings or fine tune endlessly Using Flash with Matrix Metering When you are using flash with Matrix metering you might find that the D300 S is especially conservative I have used the built in pop up Speedlight an SB 600 and an SB 800 with my camera and it consistently underexposes by about 1 3 stop in Matrix metering To overcome this perceived tendency in my D300 S I have reprogrammed the camera s Fn FUNC button to activate the Spot meter while I hold the button down see the section titled Assign Fn FUNC Button Custom Setting f5 D300S and f4 D300 in the chapter titled Chapter 4 With this adjustment I find that a good spot reading directly off my subject gives me nearly perfect exposures using flash 640 Center Weighted Meter If you were raised on a classic center weighted meter and still prefer that type the D300 S s exposure meter can be transformed
292. eedlight to emit a monitor pre flash and then lock the flash output to the level determined by the pre flash until you press the Selected button a second time Setting this function disables other functionality in the D300 S Please see the note at the end of this section AE AF lock Enabling this function causes AE exposure and AF focus to lock on the last meter and autofocus system reading while the Selected button is held down AE lock only This allows you to lock AE exposure on the last meter reading when you hold down the Selected button 403 AE lock Reset on release Enabling this function causes AE exposure to lock on the last meter reading when the Selected button is pressed once It stays locked until you press the Selected button again Releasing the shutter resets the AE Lock just like pressing the Selected button a second time does Setting this function disables other functionality in the D300 S Please see the note at the end of this section AE lock Hold Enabling this function causes AE exposure to lock on the last meter reading when the Selected button is pressed once It stays locked until you press the Selected button again In other words the Selected button toggles AE lock This is similar to AE lock Reset on release except that releasing the shutter does not reset the AE lock hold You must press the Selected button again to release AE lock Setting this function disa
293. een the D300S and D300 Custom setting al D300S and D300 Custom setting al D300S and D300 Using Custom settings al and a2 Custom setting a4 D300S and D300 Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 Custom setting a6 D300S and D300 Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 Custom setting aio D300S and D300 D Movie Mode Section Two Multi CAM 3500DX Autofocus Single servo AF Mode S Single servo AF 800 Mode S Continuous servo AF Mode C Continuous servo AF Mode C Dynamic area AF AF activation Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 AF point illumination Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 AF point selection Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 AF C priority selection Custom setting al D300S and D300 AF ON for MB D10 Custom setting aio D300S and D300 AF S priority selection Custom setting al D300S and D300 Auto area AF Dynamic area AF Built in AF assist illuminator Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 Continuous servo AF C Single servo AF Mode S Dynamic AF area Using Custom settings al and a2 Dynamic area AF D Movie Mode Section Two Focus point wrap around Custom setting a6 D300S and D300 Focus tracking with lock on Custom setting a4 D300S and D300 Predictive focus tracking Continuous servo AF Mode C Single point AF Continuous servo AF Mode C Single servo AF S Single servo AF Mode S Averaging meter Center Weighte
294. elected button press and the scroll to the right see Figure 4 72 Figure 4 73 or Figure 4 74 image 3 The next step makes an assignment for when you simply press the button Select one of the functions from the list This will assign the function you choose to a single button press of the Selected button you are configuring see Figure 4 72 Figure 4 73 or Figure 4 74 image 4 See the upcoming section titled Assignable Function List for an explanation of each function Press the OK button to lock in the assignment for Selected button press Now you ll highlight Selected button command dials and scroll to the right see Figure 4 72 Figure 4 73 or 401 Figure 4 74 image 5 The next step makes an assignment for when you press and hold the button and then rotate one of the Command dials 8 Choose one of the functions to assign to the Selected button command dials see Figure 4 72 Figure 4 73 or Figure 4 74 image 6 The upcoming section titled Assignable Function List will explain what each function does 9 Press the OK button to lock in the setting for Selected button command dials Note For some reason Nikon chose to call the Fn FUNC button plus command dials selection by a different name Notice that in Figure 4 72 image 3 the second setting is called Fn button dials On the other assignable buttons the name is different Preview button command dials and AE L AF L button command dials
295. elections in Shooting mode as follows see Figure 4 65 image 4 Select center focus point Often when shooting you ll be using the Multi Selector with your thumb to move the selected focus point AF point around the Viewfinder to focus on the most appropriate area of your subject When you are done you have to scroll the AF point back to the center Not anymore If Select center focus point is chosen the focus point pops back to the center point of the Viewfinder when you press the Multi selector center button This is the default action of the button Highlight active focus point Sometimes when the Viewfinder is showing a confusing subject it may be a little hard to see the small black AF point bracket When Highlight active focus point is selected and you press the Multi selector center button the AF point lights up in red for easy viewing of its current location When using the D300 be careful because the Multi Selector is sensitive to sideways movement and it is easy to move the sensor while trying to find it That is usually not a problem with the D300S and its new Multi selector center button Not used This does what it says nothing happens when you press the Multi selector center button When I first saw this setting I thought it was a reserved setting for a future firmware update Finally I realized that it 387 means that the Multi selector center button is disabled when Not used is selected
296. eling flash 1 Select e Bracketing flash from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 54 image 1 2 Highlight Modeling flash and scroll to the right see Figure 4 54 image 2 3 Choose one of the two choices on the list In Figure 4 54 image 3 Off has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Here s what each of the settings for Modeling flash accomplishes On This setting allows you to see somewhat how your flash will light the subject If you have this setting turned On you can press the Depth of field preview 361 button to strobe the pop up flash or any attached controlled external Speedlight unit in a series of rapid pulses These pulses are continuous and simulate the lighting that the primary flash burst will give your subject The Modeling flash can only be used for a few seconds at a time to keep from overheating the flash unit so look quickly Off This means that no Modeling flash will fire when you press the Depth of field preview button My Recommendation I often forget that I have this turned on and want to check my actual depth of field on a product shot When I press the Depth of field preview button I get the modeling light instead of depth of field I don t find this feature to be particularly useful and it often startles me One of these days I ll get around to turning it off You might like it if you do a lot of studio style flash photo
297. eling flash ON Fash l Timers AE lock 1 Auto bracketir i oe 7 o Auto bracketing set MGA yF d Shooting display e6 Auto bracketing Mode M lt ee Le Bracketing fiash 47 Bracketing order f Controls H switch Bik s5 ADL bracketing 697 Figure 10 13 Controls to use WB bracketing Here are the steps to set up WB Bracketing l Set Custom setting e5 to WB bracketing see Figure 10 12 Use the controls shown in Figure 10 13 to control the WB brackting process Please note that you must have previously assigned the Fn Func button dials to Auto bracketing BKT with Custom setting F5 D300S or Custom setting f4 D300 If you assigned a different button to WB bracketing use it instead Choose the number of shots in the bracket up to nine shots total by pressing and holding the Fn FUNC button while turning the Main command dial left or right Figure 10 13 images 1 and 2 See Figure 10 14 as a reference for the values you will set with these controls Here is a table of values that you can select in the position shown as 3F in Figure 10 14 These values are the number of shots and bracketed color shift increments For instance if you bracket for 7F you ll have one normal exposure three with increasing amounts of blue and three with increasing amounts of amber 698 Figure 10 14 WB bracketing Table of Values oF No bracketing selected b3F Three shots normal exposure
298. en an album and flip pages Sometimes I miss photo albums You know what I m going to run down to the super store right now and buy several albums Then I ll have some actual images printed and put into those albums Better yet I think I ll go buy a PictBridge compatible printer so I can print my own images for the albums Now let s move on to the next menu system in the camera the Shooting Menu This menu is one of the most important menus because it affects how the camera is configured to shoot pictures The D300 S gives you four distinct Shooting menu banks that you can configure in completely different ways for various shooting styles We ll go through each setting on the Shooting Menu but please realize that each single configuration we discuss can be set up in four separate banks in four separate ways The D300 S is a very flexible and professional camera that allows you to configure it for four different styles of shooting You can then switch between the different styles with a few button presses Let s see how 87 Chapter 3 Shooting Menu 88 F 22 Raptor Courtesy of Norman Paratore carlysgranddad 89 The Shooting Menu settings are the most used functions in the camera Spend time carefully learning about each of these selections because you ll use them often They affect how your camera takes pictures in all sorts of ways Here s a list and overview of the items found on the D300 S Shooting M
299. en you re using Auto FP mode the output of your flash is reduced but it doesn t cut off the frame for exposures using a shutter speed higher than the normal flash sync speed x sync Why Let s review 346 Auto FP High Speed Sync Review In a normal flash situation with shutter speeds of 1 250 of a second and slower the entire shutter is fully open and the flash can fire a single burst of light to expose the subject It works like this There are two shutter curtains in your camera The first shutter curtain opens exposing the sensor to your subject the flash fires providing correct exposure and then the second shutter curtain closes For a very brief period the entire sensor is uncovered The flash fires during the time when the sensor is fully uncovered However when your camera s shutter speed goes above 1 250 of a second the shutter curtains are never fully open for the flash to expose the entire subject in one burst of light The reason is at higher shutter speeds the first shutter curtain starts opening and the second shutter curtain quickly starts following it In effect a slit of light is scanning across the surface of your sensor exposing the subject If the flash fired normally the width of that slit between the shutter curtains would get a flash of light but the rest of the sensor would be blocked by the curtains So you would have a band of correctly exposed image and everything else would be underexposed
300. ene Recognition System allows you to take complete creative control of the scene in front of your lens The camera has advanced firmware that does things like automatic chromatic aberration reduction and full color optimization via selectable Picture Controls so that you can create the best pictures you ve ever made 20 This book will explore your incredibly feature rich camera in great detail using everyday language We ll cover virtually every button dial switch and setting giving you how when and why information so that you can become a master of your new powerful imaging instrument Your passion for excellent photography can be fully expressed with your new Nikon Let s take control of it Since many people appreciate additional reference points for research I ve included appropriate Nikon User s Manual page references under the sub headings throughout the book Using these manual references is entirely optional and not necessary for complete understanding of your camera However many people myself included enjoy having a different perspective on things they are learning As you study your new camera keep the Nikon User s Manual handy My addition of the manual s page reference numbers should provide some extra clarity if you need it If you still have difficulty understanding a specific function or setting please feel free to get in touch with me by using the contact link at www YoungImaging com PI do m
301. ense of adding noise in the darker areas that are recovered Here are the screens and steps 194 to choose an Active D Lighting level see Figure 3 39 and Figure 3 40 SHOOTING MENU Active D Lighting Cy JPEG compression j y NEF RAW recording Egam Auto v White balance eH Extra high Set Picture Control a iH High lt Manage Picture Control EAN Normal f amp Color space Long exp NR Figure 3 39 Choosing Active D Lighting s level 1 Choose Active D Lighting from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select one of the Active D Lighting levels Refer to Figure 3 40 to see how those levels affect the image 3 Press the OK button to save your setting Active D Lighting O 7 saum Auto T e H Extra high Gan z EAN Normal J amp L Low Figure 3 40 D300S Info display edit screen Active D Lighting 195 As with some other important functions the D300S adds access to the Active D Lighting setting through the Information display edit screen see Figure 3 40 Simply press the Info button twice select the Active D Lighting position press the OK button and then use steps 2 and 3 Figure 3 41 Active D Lighting samples Basically Active D Lighting will bring out detail in areas of your image that are hidden in shadow due to excessive image contrast It also tends to protect the highlights from blowing out or becoming pure white with no detail Figure 3 41 shows a series of four images
302. ensors closer to the edges on my D300 In older Nikon cameras the AF point s sensitive area was actually considerably wider than the brackets shown in the Viewfinder Focus Modes in Detail The Focus modes allow you to control how the autofocus works with static and moving subjects They allow your 715 camera to lock focus on a subject that is not moving or is moving very slowly They also allow your camera to follow focus on an actively moving subject Let s consider the two servo based Focus modes to see when and how you might use them best 716 Single servo AF Mode S Single servo AF works best when you select the proper mode for your subject Is the subject moving or standing still Subject is not moving When you press the Shutter release button halfway down the AF Module quickly locks focus on your subject and waits for you to fire the shutter If your subject starts moving and you don t release pressure on the Shutter release button to refocus the focus will be obsolete and useless Once you have focus lock take the picture quickly This mode is perfect for non moving subjects or in some cases even very slowly moving subjects Subject is regularly moving This will require a little more work on your part Since the AF system locks focus on your subject if the subject moves even slightly the focus may no longer be good You ll have to lift your finger off of the Shutter release button and reappl
303. enter button function is set to View histograms I can have an image open on my monitor then press and hold the Multi selector center button to view the histogram This saves a lot of scrolling around through the data RGB histograms and information screens It s a quick histogram view that disappears when the Multi selector center button is released Great feature Zoom onloff If you regularly want to zoom into your image on the Monitor without using the normal zoom in and out buttons this is a good feature for you If you have an image showing on the Monitor and Zoom on off is selected when you press the 390 Multi selector center button the image zoom jumps immediately to one of three levels of zoom skipping the middle steps The three levels are shown in Figure 4 67 which starts where Figure 4 66 image 4 leaves off 1 2 Multi selector center button 2 Multi selector center button A Playback mode Zoom on off Thumbnail on off Gal View histograms _ gnification EE Zoom on o 5 Choose slot and folder High magnification Figure 4 67 Multi selector center button Zoom on off settings Low magnification seems to be the same as viewing the image at 100 pixel peeping level Medium magnification is two levels deeper magnification just past 100 High magnification is as far in as the zoom will go the highest point of magnification which is way past 100 The zoom display centers on the foc
304. enu Reset Shooting Menu Bank Picture Control Grid Screen Reset Custom Settings Custom Settings Reset Custom Settings Picture Control Picture Control Grid Screen Shooting Menu Shooting Menu Bank Resize Retouch NEF RAW Processing D300S only Retouch menu Retouch Menu Playback Retouching Playback Retouching D Lighting Red Eye Correction 837 Trim Monochrome Filter Effects Color Balance Image Overlay NEF RAW Processing D300S only Resize D300S only Edit Movie D300S only Color balance Filter Effects D Lighting Playback Retouching Edit movie Resize D300S only Filter effects Monochrome Image overlay Color Balance Monochrome Trim NEF RAW processing Image Overlay Playback retouching Playback Retouching Red eye correction D Lighting Resize D300S only NEF RAW Processing D300S only Side by side comparison Edit Movie D300S only Trim Red Eye Correction Reverse indicators f11 D300S f10 D300 Custom setting f11 D300S and f10 D300 RGB histogram Display Mode Rolling shutter D Movie Displaying a D Movie on a High Definition TV HDTV Rotate tall Rotate Tall Rotate Tall On or Off Rotate Tall S Save Load settings Copyright Information D300S Only Screen tips d4 Custom setting d3 D300S and D300 SD card capacity reporting NEF RAW Type Secondary slot function D300S only Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Secondary Slot Function D300S 838
305. enu 22 items on the D300S and 19 on the D300 Each of these items can be configured in different ways by using the four available Shooting menu banks in the D300 S The camera is a chameleon Shooting menu bank Allows configuration of the camera in four separate ways so that it can act like four different cameras as you change banks Reset shooting menu Restores the factory default settings for the currently selected Shooting menu bank Active folder Selects which folder subsequent images will be stored in on the camera s memory card s File naming Lets you change three characters of the image s file name so that it is personalized to you Primary slot selection D300S only You can select either the SD or CF memory card slot to be the primary slot that receives images Secondary slot selection D300S only Allows you to select either the SD or CF memory card slot to be the secondary slot that receives image overflow or copies Image quality Select from the eight image quality types such as JPEG fine or NEF RAW 90 Image size Choose to shoot Large 4288x2848 12 2MP Medium 3216x2136 6 9MP or Small 2144x1424 3 1MP images JPEG compression Select Size priority or Optimal quality for your best JPEG images NEF RAW recording Set the compression type and bit depth for NEF RAW files White balance You can choose from nine different White balance types includin
306. enu with no items selected Exit to playback mode By pressing the Playback button right arrow key with a rectangle around it on the top rear left of the camera you ll stop the slide show and change to a 83 normal full frame or thumbnail view of the last image seen in the show This exits the show on the last image viewed Exit to shooting mode Pressing the Shutter release button halfway down stops the slide show The camera is now in shooting mode meaning that it is ready to take some pictures These days instead of hauling out a slide projector and a box of slides you can just plug your D300 S into the closest High Definition HD device such as an HD television The camera has a cool HDMI port on the left side under a rubber flap We ll talk more about HDMI in a later chapter You can also display a slide show on an older style TV or record it on any device that accepts a normal A V cable input An A V cable is included with your camera it s the one with the white and yellow RCA jacks on one end 84 Print Set DPOF User s Manual D300S page 228 D300 page 230 At first I thought it odd that Nikon chose to put image printing functions in the Playback Menu Then I thought about it and realized that printing is a permanent form of image playback You play print the images to your printer and then view them without camera or computer What a concept There are two ways to print images from your cam
307. er GPS unit you can record Latitude Longitude Altitude Heading and UTC Coordinated Universal Time into the metadata of each image Virtual horizon D300S only This function displays a virtual horizon on the camera s Monitor This display shows tilt to the left or right but not forward or back Non CPU lens data Lets you select from a series of nine non CPU lenses such as AI AI S Nikkors from the 1970s and 80s Each lens is registered within the camera with its own number for later selection at time of use AF fine tune 431 You can fine tune the autofocus for up to 12 of your AF AF S lenses Later the camera will detect which lens you have mounted and correct for front or back focus according to your settings Eye Fi upload D300S only Use an Eye FI Express or Pro wireless SD card to transmit images from your D300S to your home computer and 25 online services e g Flickr Or use the Eye FI X2 Pro cards to transmit images directly to your Wi Fi enabled computer using AD HOC transfer When using the D300S only you ll have menu access to enable or disable uploading along with connectivity information Firmware version Discover the current Firmware version installed in your camera Firmware is the camera s operating system software embedded on in camera memory chips It can be upgraded when Nikon releases new firmware specific to your camera Let s examine each of these setting
308. er Nikon cameras around this may not be a critical issue However if you re like me you ll have a series of older Nikons around and you may be switching memory cards between them If there s an image on any of my memory cards I want to see it and know it s there Until I started using the All setting I was regularly formatting cards with forgotten images on them From my pain comes a strong recommendation use All 46 Hide Image User s Manual D300S page 245 D300 page 249 If you sometimes take images that wouldn t be appropriate for others to view this setting is for you You can hide one or many images and once hidden they cannot be viewed on the camera s Monitor in the normal way The only way hidden images can be viewed in camera is by using the Hide image selection screen see Figure 2 5 image 3 There are two selections in this menu item Select Set Deselect all Select set This selection allows you to hide one or many images You ll see the images as shown in Figure 2 5 image 3 To hide an image with Select Set follow these steps see Figure 2 5 1 Scroll to each of the image s that you want to hide 47 PLAYBACK MENU Delete j he folder aa 3 US 9 err Display mode Copy image s ea R Image review ON After delete CAs Rotate tall ON Deselect all p Hide image gy Hide image Select set H Select set penn pi KA 1 a100 17 100 18 A BN feu yes 20 Fis j
309. er retouched images that sprang from the original My Recommendation I often use this function when I want to compare images to which I ve added a color cast so that I can see how they compare with the original It s very convenient since you can choose the original or one of the retouched copies from the Monitor and the camera is smart enough to place them in the proper position in the 564 Side by side comparison You can tell an image is retouched by looking for the retouch symbol in the upper left corner of the image See Figure 6 27 image 1 which shows a retouched image as my choice for comparison 565 My Conclusions Nikon has given camera users who dislike computers a way to work with their images in camera While not as fully featured as a computer graphics program it does allow you to do quick one off conversions for convenience I didn t think this group of Retouch Menu functions would be all that useful to me when I first read about them However in the field I find myself using them more than I ever expected Whether you use them often or not it s good to know they are there for emergency use isn t it Next we ll move into the final menu system in the camera It s called My Menu and may become very valuable to you as you learn how it works It s a place to put often used favorite settings so that you can get to them very quickly Let s see how My Menu and its first cousin Recent Settings works i
310. er your hardware standard SETUP MENU Video mode Format memory card 7 LCD brightness Clean image sensor Lock mirror up for cleaning T HDMI Time zone and date Language En Figure 8 7 Video encoding mode 3 Press the OK button to set the mode and return to the Setup Menu You ll need to refer to the manual of your display device to determine which video encoding type it uses My Recommendation If you live in the United States you ll usually use NTSC If you live in Europe you probably use PAL Check your display device s user s manual Selecting a D Movie Video Quality There are three basic D Movie Quality settings available in the D300S The first 1280x720 is for when you want to 605 shoot high definition video for display on HD devices The other two settings 640x424 and 320x216 are standard definition modes for display on SD devices Here are the screens and steps used to select a D Movie Quality setting see Figure 8 8 o SHOOTING MENU E Movie settings 5 Active D Lighting ji l g Quality ip Long exp NR High ISO NR ISO sensitivity settings Microphone Destination EA Live view mode TE Multiple exposure Movie seti Interval timer shooting Figure 8 8 D Movie Quality settings 1 Select Movie settings from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select Quality and scroll to the right 3 Select one of the three available settings 4 Press the OK b
311. era includes the following languages on its Setup Menu gt Language screen Danish D3008S only German English Spanish Finnish French Ttalian Dutch Norwegian D300S only Polish Portuguese Russian Swedish Traditional Chinese 460 Simplified Chinese Japanese Korean Here are the screens and steps used to select your preferred Language Figure 5 18 1 Select Language from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right SETUP MENU e Format memory card Z LCD brightness T Clean image sensor Lock mirror up for cleaning m g Espa ol E Video mode i Suomi f HDMI AUTO Francais Time zone and date Italiano Language i lt a lt a i i Cr Nederlands Figure 5 18 Selecting a language for your camera 2 Choose your preferred Language from the list shown in Figure 5 18 image 2 3 Press the OK button to lock in your choice My Recommendation The camera should come pre configured for the main language spoken where you live If you prefer a different one use this setting to select it 461 Image Comment User s Manual D300S page 303 D300 page 317 Image comment is a useful setting that allows you to attach a 36 character comment to each image you shoot The comment is embedded in the picture s internal metadata and does not show up on the image itself I attach the words Copyright Darrell Young to my images Unfortun
312. era without using a computer One is by using Digital Print Order Format DPOF to create a print order on a memory card This function is called Print set DPOF The second way to print from your camera is to plug in a USB cable and print directly to a PictBridge compatible printer Both are generally used by non professional camera users to print JPEG pictures at home or at the local lab with no post processing Most advanced amateur and professional users of the D300 S will want to post process their images in computer software like Nikon Capture NX2 or Adobe Photoshop before printing so this functionality is not used as often as other functions However it can be useful for someone who does not care to manipulate their images in their computer but would rather just take pictures and print them at home or down at the super store Since these seldom used functions require 10 pages to describe I have relegated this section to our downloadable resources found at http rockynook com NikonD300S For those that want to use this functionality I have fully described 85 how in a detailed document called Print Set DPOF at the download site Note Print set DPOF is only for use with JPEG images It does not apply to NEF RAW 86 My Conclusions Wow The D300 S sure does have a lot of playback screens and menus I remember the old days when to play back some images you d have to find the old shoebox full of pictures or op
313. es the camera will try to keep the ISO sensitivity as low as possible until the shutter speed drops to your selected Minimum shutter speed Once it hits the selected Minimum shutter speed value like the 1 30S shown in Figure 3 52 image 3 the ISO sensitivity will begin to rise up to your selected Maximum sensitivity value like the ISO 400 shown in Figure 3 52 image 2 Once the camera hits the Maximum sensitivity value if there still isn t enough light for a good exposure it won t keep raising the SO sensitivity Instead the camera will now go below your selected Minimum shutter speed dropping below the 1 30s shown in Figure 3 52 image 3 Be careful because if the light gets that low your camera can go all the way down to a shutter speed of 30 seconds to get a good exposure You better be on a tripod and have a static subject with shutter speeds that low Look at the Minimum shutter speed value as the lowest safe speed after which you ll put your camera on a tripod Most people can handhold a camera down to about 1 60s if they are careful and maybe 1 30s if they re extra careful and brace themselves Below that it s blur city for your images It s even worse with telephoto lenses Camera movement is 215 greatly magnified with a long lens and a Minimum shutter speed of 1 250s to 1 500s or more may be required max is 1 4000s ISO Sensitivity Auto Control from the Camera s Perspective For fun let
314. es more flash power So a flash with a GN of 100 is four times more powerful than a flash with a GN of 50 The guide number represents an exposure constant for a flash unit For example a GN of 80 feet at ISO 100 means that a subject 20 feet away can be completely illuminated with an aperture of f 4 80 20 x 4 using a sensitivity of ISO 100 For the same guide number and an aperture of f 8 the light source should be 10 feet from the subject 80 10 x 8 Fortunately your camera and flash combination are capable of figuring the correct values for you when you use TTL mode Now let s examine the various flash modes found in the Nikon D300 S camera Since I have no way of knowing which flash unit you ll be using PI write from the perspective of the pop up flash Almost everything mentioned next applies to the built in flash and most Accessory shoe mounted Nikon brand Speedlight units you are using plus many Nikon specific aftermarket flash units 750 Flash Modes User s Manual D300S page 169 D300 page 171 The built in pop up flash has two types of flash metering i TTL Balanced Fill Flash The flash fires in two stages Nikon calls stage 1 monitor preflash The built in flash emits a series of almost invisible flashes before the main flash burst fires stage 2 The preflashes allow the 1005 pixel RGB flash sensor to examine all areas of the frame for reflectivity The camera uses the Matrix meter and d
315. et s discuss it briefly Playback Retouching Here are the steps to use if you want to work with an image that you are viewing on your camera s Monitor what I call 531 Playback retouching To use the Retouch Menu options you ll follow four basic steps see Figure 6 2 1 Press the Playback button and choose a picture by displaying it on the Monitor see Figure 6 2 images 1 and 2 You ll now have a picture ready for retouching I chose a picture of my parents in Figure 6 2 image 2 2 Press the OK button to open an abbreviated Retouch Menu see Figure 6 2 image 3 3 Select one of the Playback Retouch Menu items and make any adjustments required see Figure 6 2 image 4 4 Press the OK button to create the retouched copy Some of the Retouch Menu options are not available under the Playback Retouch Menu That s why I used the full Retouch Menu for this chapter Remember that Playback retouching is available by simply pressing the OK button when an image is showing on the Monitor The following direct methods require that you select a Retouch Menu function and then select an image upon which to apply the effect the function provides Let s consider each section of the Retouch Menu in detail 532 Using Retouch Menu Items Directly D Lighting User s Manual D300S page 319 D300 page 334 D Lighting allows you to reduce the shadows in an image and maybe even reign in the highlights a bit I
316. eted light range within the image is present to a very limited degree in JPEG and a bit more so in TIFF 670 images but is the most pronounced in pure RAW images That is why many choose to shoot in RAW mode instead of JPEG or TIFF 671 My Conclusions The Nikon D300 S has a Multi Selector that can be pressed right or left to scroll through the images you have already taken You can also press the Multi Selector up or down to scroll through the various informational modes such as the histogram screen When you take a picture of an important subject find the histogram view of your image If you can t find the screen with multiple histograms as shown in Figure 9 13 see the Playback Menu gt Display mode and select RGB histogram Your camera meter should be used to get the initial exposure only Then you can look at the histogram to see if the image s light range is contained within the limited range of the sensor If it is clipped off to the right or the left you may want to add or subtract light with your Exposure compensation button or use your Manual mode Expose for the light range with your histogram Let your light meter get you close then fine tune with the histogram There are also other Monitor viewing modes that you can use along with the histogram graph such as the Highlights blinky blinky mode for blown out highlights see the Playback Menu gt Display mode and select Highlights This mode will cause your
317. etering as needed you are most likely using the 295 Center weighted area meter It s cool that Nikon gives us a choice You have three meter styles in your camera thereby adding to its chameleon status On the camera s back between the Viewfinder eyepiece and the AF ON button you ll find the AE L AF L button see Figure 4 22 Surrounding the AE L AF L button is a small knurled ring called the Metering selector Figure 4 22 Metering mode It has a white line pointing to three symbols on the left of the ring The top symbol is the Center weighted area meter red arrow the middle is the Matrix meter and the bottom is the Spot meter We are concerned with the Center weighted area meter in this section The Center weighted area meter can be configured to use a central area of the Viewfinder to do most of its metering with less attention paid to subjects outside this area or it can be set up to simply average the entire frame 296 Here are the five settings used by the camera s Center weighted area metering system 6or6mm 8or8mm 10 or 10mm 13 or 13mm Avg or Average Here are the screens and steps used to choose a Center weighted area metering mode see Figure 4 23 PS WCustom setting bank A 51150 sensitivity step value 3 ili ey CUSTOM SETTING MENU E b Metering exposure l b5 Center weighted area ra Reset custom settings g 2EN steps for exposure cntrl 1 3 6 6mm UT Meterin
318. evices at will You have great control with this fine camera What Is Commander Mode and How Does It Work Commander mode is controlled through a menu on your D300 S If you examine the Commander mode screen shown in Figure 12 8 you ll note that you have controls for the built in flash and two groups or banks of external flash units You ll also see that you can set exposure compensation for either of these 762 GB csFlash ctr for builtin flash iA Commander mode L Mode B Builtin flash E Group TTL e Group B Channel CH Move Set NOK Figure 12 8 Commander mode setup screen If you leave Custom setting e4 gt Modeling flash set to the factory default ON you can test fire your Speedlight s built in modeling light by pressing and holding the camera s Depth of field preview button Or if you prefer simply take a picture and look at it If the main flash is too bright you can either move it farther away or dial its power down by setting compensation Comp to underexpose a little You can set Comp in 1 3 stop increments so you have very fine control of each group s flash output The point is that you can experiment until you get the image just the way you want it Sure you could do things the old way and use a flash meter or get your calculator and figure out complex fill ratios Or you can simply use CLS to vary your settings visually until the image is just right see Figure 12 9 763
319. ew Image 1 Image Preview aj o al nS H pga 3 xX 0 ae X1 0 x1 0 z H Zoom selet Zoom DOK Figure 6 9 Image overlay screens 1 Select Image overlay from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 6 9 image 1 2 Insert the first RAW image in the Image 1 box outlined in yellow by pressing the OK button and selecting an image from the selection screen Press the OK button again to return to the combination screen see Figure 6 9 images 2 4 You can vary the gain of the first image by using the Multi Selector to scroll up or down in the X1 0 field seen in Figure 6 9 image 4 The X1 0 setting is variable between X0 1 and X2 0 It lets you control how bright or dark dense an image is so that it can more closely match the density of the other image in the overlay X1 0 is normal image density 545 3 Use the Multi Selector to move the yellow box to the Image 2 position see Figure 6 9 image 5 Press the OK button and select the second picture from the image selection screen then press the OK button again to insert the image see Figure 6 9 images 5 7 As mentioned in step 2 you can use the X1 0 field to vary the density of the second image in the overlay just like the first Try to match the density as much as possible to provide a realistic overlay 4 Move the yellow box to the Preview area You ll see two selections below it Overlay and Save Choose one of them see Figure 6 9 image 8
320. ewfinder 3 Press the Shutter release button all the way down and run like the wind for your position in the group Or if you are using the self timer as a cheap cable release just stand there looking cool instead The AF assist illuminator will blink once per second and the beeping will start When the last two seconds arrive the AF assist illuminator will stop blinking and the beeping will double in speed You are out of time once the beeping speeds up The image is taken at about the time the beeping stops Tips on Stopping the Self Timer If you want to stop the self timer all you have to do is raise the flash If the flash is already raised just lower it and raise it again Or you could just turn the camera off Of course that s like turning off your home computer while the operating system is busy with some task and will probably result in your memory card bursting into flames your lens elements unseating or some other ugly thing 734 happening I think Pll just raise and lower the flash instead Mirror Up MUP Mode This mode is very simple and very effective I use this constantly when I am doing nature photography Instead of having to find a lever to press like on the older film cameras all you have to do to use Mirror Up mode is follow these simple steps 1 Use the Release mode dial to select MUP mode 2 Frame your picture and press the Shutter release button halfway down to focus Then press t
321. f the sensor There are some newer low cost video cameras on the market that use a rolling shutter but the better video cameras use a global shutter This is probably the worst problem we ll discuss concerning D300S video True videophiles will turn up their noses at a rolling shutter They ll buy a dedicated video camera with 629 three separate CCD sensors one for each basic RGB color and nice global shutters for no jellywobbles And they ll pay several thousand dollars for the privilege of owning that equipment You however realize that the D300S is primarily a very high quality still camera with added video capabilities Since video is combined with still image capability you ll have both with you when carrying your camera You ll probably be standing in a superstore parking lot one day when an alien spacecraft just happens to land You ll get both still images and cool video from the same camera So what if in your excitement while running from the alien s heat ray you get a few jellywobbles in your video One of the rules for getting great video is having a video camera with you With the D300S you have one at all times with no extra effort You do keep your camera with you just in case My Recommendation Try to hold your camera still and any jellywobble effects will be greatly reduced Use a tripod when you can or even a VR lens Anything that helps stabilize the camera will give you much higher quality video
322. f you see a flash unit advertised as GN 98 just realize that this is not enough information to make a decision In this instance the number 98 is the GN It represents the number of feet from flash head to subject 98 feet In countries that use the metric system an equivalent GN is 18 which represents the number of meters from flash head to subject 18 meters That number by itself is simply incomplete Don t buy a flash unit based solely on a GN like 98 or 100 or 111 Here s why Let s think about this for a second Let s say I were a manufacturer who was desperate to sell you a flash unit I might stretch things a little bit I might say my Super Duper flash unit has a GN of 98 feet or 18 meters hoping you won t ask about the settings I used to figure the number Here is a comparison of two flash units with a so called comparable guide number Super Duper Flash Unit GN Information GN 98 18 80mm zoom head setting 748 ISO 200 sensitivity Nikon SB 400 Flash Unit GN Information real values GN of 98 18 35mm zoom head setting ISO 100 sensitivity Both of the flash units have the same GN listed so which one is really more powerful The Nikon SB 400 will literally blow away the Super Duper unit Yet the Super Duper manufacturer lists the same GN The Super Duper unit must have its zoom head set to 80mm a much narrower beam and have twice the camera ISO sensitivity to equal the Nikon SB 400 un
323. ff Focus tracking with lock on you ll have a camera that doesn t know how to keep its attention on the subject you are trying to photograph if something interferes When using Dynamic area AF or Auto area AF modes I call turning off Focus tracking with lock on focus roulette Configuring Custom setting a4 is not difficult However you ll need to decide just how long you want your camera to lock on to a subject before it decides that the subject is no longer available My Recommendation I leave Focus tracking with lock on enabled at all times When I m tracking a moving subject I don t want my camera to be distracted by every bright object that gets in between me and the subject Nikon gives us variable focus lock time outs so we can change how long the camera will keep seeking the old subject when we switch to a new one I suggest you play around with this function until you fully understand how it works Watch how long the camera stays locked on one subject s area before an intruding object grabs its attention This is one of those functions that people either love or hate Personally I find it quite useful for my type of photography Try it and see what it does for you AF Activation Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 266 D300 page 271 AF activation allows you to choose whether you want the Shutter release button to cause the camera to autofocus If you leave this setting at the f
324. fo display 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 41 image 1 2 Highlight Information display D300S or Shooting info display D300 and scroll to the right see Figure 4 41 image 2 I ve shown the D300S screens The only difference is in the text of the highlighted name 3 Choose one of the two choices on the list In Figure 4 41 image 3 Auto has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting 335 Figure 4 42 shows the difference between the light and dark screens which you can select using one of the two Manual settings or which Auto will select automatically The screen on the left is the dark on light B Manual screen while the one on the right is the light on dark W Manual screen SHOOT Pon Ma ance Rev Cm ME SHOOT EG CUSTOM PAIKAN BS Ac CUS T OM CDR SE Figure 4 42 Light B and Dark W info display screens If you want to impress your friends and make your enemies envious just show them how cool your camera is when it s smart enough to adjust its screen to current light conditions I warned you that I m easily entertained didn t I My Recommendation I leave my camera set to Auto because it seems to work very well at automatically selecting the proper screen for current light conditions If you prefer the lighter screen you can select B Manual for the normal bright blue light on dark screen and it will stay that way a
325. focus with the D300 S is a real pleasure It has a more powerful AF system than any camera before it and yet is somewhat simplified in its operation by comparison The system can still come across as complex but if you spend some time with this chapter you should come away with a much greater understanding of the D300 S s AF Module You ll better understand how you can adapt your camera to work best for your style of photography Enjoy your D300 S s excellent Multi CAM 3500DX autofocus system In the final chapter of this book we ll examine how to use the built in flash unit in your camera and even consider a bit about how Nikon s CLS Creative Lighting System works 743 Chapter 12 Speedlight Flash Photography 744 Contemplation Courtesy of Richerd Reynolds slartybartfast Light is the photographer s friend Controlling light is the primary thing that separates excellent from not so excellent photographers On beautiful balmy summer evenings the light wraps around the land and gives us that so called golden hour look that we crave However some days are rainy and some are dark and gloomy As photographers we want to take pictures We don t want to stop just because the sun won t cooperate We need light that we can take with us and we want it to be available quickly We need a Speedlight Fortunately your D300 S has a built in Speedlight The little pop up unit that s always with th
326. for basic camera configuration that are not directly related to taking pictures They cover things like how bright you d like the Monitor battery info firmware version the default language image sensor cleaning and many other basic settings These menus are most likely the first youll use when you prepare your new D300 S You ll have to set the time and date right away format a memory card and set the Monitor brightness The Setup Menu is signified by a symbol that looks like a wrench It is about midway down the menu tree on the left side of the Monitor See Figure 5 1 for a look at the Setup Menu icon location Here is a list of all the functions available in the Setup Menu of the D300 S There are 22 in the D300S and 20 in the D300 D SETUP MENU a Format memory card E LCD brightness T Clean image sensor Lock mirror up for cleaning Video mode T HDMI Time zone and date REUCIECE Figure 5 1 Setup Menu 428 Format memory card Allows you to delete all images from your camera s memory card s and prepare it for a new picture taking session LCD brightness Choose the brightness level for the Monitor on the back of your camera Clean image sensor Allows immediate cleaning of the imaging sensor to remove dust spots or you can configure the camera to clean the sensor at startup and shutdown Lock mirror up for cleaning Lets you safely lock the mirror in the up position and open the shut
327. from the menu shown in Figure 5 12 image 2 and then scroll to the right 3 Press the OK button to lock in your choice 451 My Recommendation Leave the HDMI mode set to Auto until you learn more about HDMI The D300 S can interface with both progressive and interlaced devices The HDMI display will take the place of the Monitor on the back of your D300 S The camera monitor will turn off as soon as you connect an HDMI device 452 Time Zone and Date or World Time User s Manual D300S page 302 D300 page 316 Time zone and date D300S or World time D300 allows you to configure the Time zone Date and time Date format and Daylight saving time for your camera If you haven t set the time and date you ll see the word CLOCK flashing on the Control panel In addition to the main Li ion battery pack the camera has a built in clock battery that is not user replaceable The built in battery charges itself from the main camera battery pack CLOCK blinking in the Control panel can also mean that the internal battery has become exhausted and the clock has been reset It takes about two days of having a charged battery in the camera to fully charge the separate built in clock battery Once the clock battery is fully charged the clock will remain active without a main camera battery for up to two months There are several functions to set under the Time zone and date D300S or World time D300 section of the Setup Menu
328. ftermarket unit Simply comparing the GN is not enough You must understand the settings the GN is based upon Many flash units have zoom capability and will be able to light up subjects farther away when zoomed out However imagine buying a flash unit from a manufacturer who publishes the GN based on a longer zoom position and then comparing it to a different flash unit based on a shorter non zoom position The GN rating on the flash that is zoomed out would seem to be higher than the same unit not zoomed out However unless you are comparing flash unit guide numbers with exactly the same settings it is truly like comparing apples and oranges For instance to get an exact comparison of guide numbers you would have to know the following Distance from flash head to the subject Aperture f stop number in use on camera ISO sensitivity of your camera s image sensor Angle of view setting on the flash s zoom head Actual angle of view your lens provides must match flash head 747 Temperature of ambient air In reality the camera has little to do with figuring the GN other than providing an aperture f stop number and ISO sensitivity So how can you decide what GN is best without whipping out a scientific calculator Just look at the flash unit advertisement to see what the GN is based on Here are the most important figures Flash zoom angle of view setting e g 18mm or 105mm ISO sensitivity I
329. g and displays full screen on an SDTV If I know I can get by with a 5 minute video I may switch to 720p HD mode 1280x720 especially if I am shooting a video of some spectacular place HD video will display in wide screen format on an SDTV directly from the camera Since the segment length is limited to 5 minutes in the HD 1280x720 mode the file size is not a big concern It should fit on a standard CD If you want to use the 640x424 mode to send files to friends on a CD just remember to limit your video length to about 12 minutes 10 to be absolutely safe A full length 20 minute segment at 640424 will not fit on a CD A 20 minute segment at 320x216 will fit on a CD 608 Dealing with Sound on D Movies Sound recording on the D300S is accomplished either with the monaural sound pickup mic on the front of the camera or with an optional stereo mic that will plug into the camera s stereo sound port The built in mono mic looks like three tiny holes in a straight line just below the D300S logo see Figure 8 9 image 1 Be careful about accidentally covering the microphone with a finger or you will have very muted sound Also be careful about letting wind blow directly on the mic when recording since that might cause a rushing noise that interferes with the sound you are trying to record Figure 8 9 Mono sound recording mic and speaker The video s sound is output during playback through a small speaker on the bottom re
330. g the D300S order since the camera is newer although I ve provided screens for both cameras Focus point If you are curious about which AF sensor s is focused on your subject during an exposure this mode makes it easy to see As shown in Figure 2 9 if you are using Single point AF or Dynamic area AF you ll see a single red AF indicator where the camera was focused when you took the picture If you are using Auto area AF you ll see all the AF points that were providing autofocus in your image This is a useful function for reviewing how the camera s AF system performs in different imaging situations 53 g Display mode Done Basic photo info Detailed photo info O Highlights O RGB histogram O Data 61000300S _1DY2218 NEF RAW 01 18 2010 14 21 49 4288x2848 Figure 2 9 Display mode screens Focus point option Highlights If you put a check mark next to the Highlights selection as shown in Figure 2 10 you will turn on what I call the blinky mode of the camera You ll see the word Highlights at the bottom left of the image see Figure 2 10 red arrow When any area of the image is overexposed that area will blink an alternating white and black This is a warning that certain areas of the image are overexposed and have lost detail You will need to use exposure compensation or manually control the camera to contain the exposure within the dynamic range of the camera s sensor g Display mode
331. g with choosing a folder see Figure 2 16 l 2 Select Copy image s from the Playback Menu Choose Select image s from the Copy image s screen see Figure 2 16 image 1 Choose the folder that contains the images you want to copy see Figure 2 16 image 2 My D300S happens to be using the default folder 100D300S If you are using a D300 it may be 100ND300 instead Or you might have more folders with different names Now you have three choices to select from and each has a slightly different way of doing things In this step 4 you should select only one of the three choices listed for each copy operation Your choices are Deselect all Select all images or Select protected images The description for each selection is listed between steps 4 and 5 Choose one and examine the corresponding FIG for visual instructions 63 Deselect all see Figure 2 17 Choose Deselect all from the Default image selection menu and then scroll to the right Deselect all opens a list of images none of which have been selected wg Copy image s Default image selection i j 0 112 TO 5 SN p Ch Deselect all ti 16 24100 17 100 18 Select all images z Select protected images A A kv 100 19 100 20 mm 100 21 OAT aa COV AT 1 010 4 Figure 2 17 Deselect all function You ll need to scroll around and select images one at a time Mark an image for copying by pressing the Multi selector ce
332. g the ability to measure the ambient light s color balance PRE or PrE Set Picture Control Choose from several Picture Controls that modify how the pictures look Manage Picture Control Save load rename or delete custom Picture Controls from your camera s internal memory or card slots Color space Select either the industry printing standard Adobe RGB or the Internet and home use standard sRGB color space for your camera Active D Lighting Allows you to select from several levels of automatic contrast correction for your images The camera itself will protect your images from a degree of under or overexposure Long exp NR Uses the black frame subtraction method to significantly reduce noise in long exposures This is a very powerful and useful function if you make long exposures 91 High ISO NR Uses a blurring method to remove noise from images shot with high ISO sensitivity values ISO sensitivity settings Allows you to set the ISO sensitivity between 100 and 6400 ISO or let the camera decide for you automatically Live view mode Choose from Tripod or Hand held Live view modes Different methods of autofocus are used for each type Multiple exposure Allows you to take more than one exposure in a single frame and then combine the exposures in interesting ways Movie settings D300S only You can use this to set the Quality of the video stream in D Movie mode You m
333. gh them 11 points Choose from only 11 focus points AF points when you are scrolling through them The other AF points are still available for autofocus you just can t scroll directly to them some are skipped That means the Multi Selector will move the selected AF point around more quickly My Recommendation I usually leave my camera set to 51 points for nature work since I have time to scroll among the AF points in an unhurried fashion The only time PI change that is when I need to shoot very quickly at an event that moves quickly like a graduation ceremony or wedding At these events I may not have time to scroll through all 51 points to select an AF point on the edge of the Viewfinder so I ll set AF point selection to 11 points Remember setting it to 11 points does not change how many sensors are actually used by the camera It only effects how fast the AF point will move when you use the Multi Selector to scroll around Some AF points are skipped during scrolling You still get the benefit of the other 51 points if they are set to be active 278 Built in AF Assist Illuminator Custom setting a9 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 268 D300 page 273 You ve seen the little AF assist illuminator light on the front of the D300 S near the grip Well this setting allows you to control when that little light comes on Nikon calls this function the Built in AF assist illuminator and it lights up
334. gital Darrell who have taken the time to share the results of their experiences with Nikon imaging equipment despite the pressures of their day jobs The Nikonians community has long been known as a welcoming worldwide home for Nikon users and Darrell s specialty in this community is the ability to share his knowledge in the spirit of a friendly uncle in the comfort of your own living room He understands the Nikon D300 D300s bodies from the perspective of a professional photographer a dedicated family man and a good friend all at the same time This approach is crucial in his delivery of valuable information because it helps him draw examples of shooting situations that are quickly understood by readers from all walks of life We would like to congratulate Darrell for his work on this project which goes much further than just delivering a series of chapters and supporting images In this the seventh of the NikoniansPress books in association with Rocky Nook Darrell has extended his efforts to include work on the book s final layout This extra step was inspired in great measure by Darrell s penchant for improving the quality of his books to the benefit of his readers If you are one of the many satisfied owners of the original Mastering the Nikon D300 authored by Darrell you will quickly see this is not just a mere update to accommodate the D300s This book has been redesigned from scratch based on the lessons learned du
335. graphy Give it a try but be prepared the pulsing of the flash sounds like an angry group of hornets about to attack your face Auto Bracketing Set Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 289 amp 120 D300 page 298 amp 118 Auto bracketing set lets you choose how bracketing works for each of the camera s bracketing methods You can set up bracketing for the exposure system AE flash White balance and Active D Lighting D300S only 362 Let s start by reviewing the five types of bracketing on the D300S and the four on the D300 PII explain how to use bracketing in an upcoming section AE amp flash When you set up a session for bracketing the camera will cause any type of normal picture you take to be bracketed whether standard exposures or using flash See how to bracket in the next section AE only Your bracketing settings will affect only the exposure system and not the flash Flash only Your bracketing settings will affect only the flash system and not the exposure WB bracketing White balance bracketing is described in more detail in the chapter titled Chapter 10 It works the same as exposure and flash bracketing except it is designed for bracketing color in mired values instead of light in EV step values ADL bracketing D300S only In this case you are bracketing Active D Lighting ADL in up to five separate exposures Each consecut
336. green blue Each of the colors has its own channel There is a red channel R a green channel G and a blue channel B If you re shooting in 12 bit mode your camera will record up to 4 096 colors for each channel So there will be up to 4 096 different reds 4 096 different greens and 4 096 different blues Lots of color In fact almost 69 000 000 000 69 billion colors However if you set your camera to 14 bit mode instead of 4 096 different colors per channel the camera can now store 16 384 different colors in each channel Wow That s quite a 149 lot more color almost 4 400 000 000 000 4 4 trillion shades Is that important Well it can be since the more color information you have available the better the color in the image if it has a lot of color I always use the 14 bit mode now that I have it available That allows for smoother color changes when a large range of color is actually in the image I like that Of course once you save your image as a JPEG or TIFF most of those colors are compressed or thrown away Shooting a TIFF or JPEG image in camera as opposed to a RAW image means that the D300 S converts from a 12 or 14 bit RGB file down to an 8 bit file An 8 bit image file can hold 256 different colors per RGB channel over 16 000 000 16 million colors There s a big difference between the number of colors stored in a RAW file and the number stored in an in camera JPEG or TIFF
337. gs g 22AES priority selection A Autofocus Dynamic AF area Dynat y b Metering exposure a4 Focus tracking with lock on EA Timers AE lock a5 AF activation FE d Shooting display a6 AF point illumination g e Bracketing flash al Focus point wrap around f Controls a8 AF point selection Figure 4 8 Dynamic AF area selection 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 8 image 1 2 Highlight Dynamic AF area and scroll to the right see Figure 4 8 image 2 3 Choose one of the four choices from the menu I have 21 points selected in Figure 4 8 image 3 4 Press the OK button to lock in the mode Please review the next section Custom setting a4 called Focus Tracking with Lock On It is critical for working with sensor patterns and Dynamic area AF If you don t set a4 to On you may not be able to continue tracking a moving subject when an object briefly comes between you and your subject My Recommendation I ve experimented with outdoor and indoor subjects using both a D300S and D300 Both cameras have an amazingly fast and accurate autofocus system The D300S has an edge due to the extra processing power it has from its ability to shoot video It s important that you experiment with your camera s autofocus performance when using 51 point Dynamic AF area I use 21 point Dynamic AF 263 area most of the time because it s faster when my camera is in Dynamic area
338. gthen this book to add graphics screens for both the D300S and D300 I included graphics 251 based on the D300S unless something could not be explained for the D300 without its own graphic The main difference you ll find is that some of the graphics will not match the D300 s Custom Setting number since they are based on the setting number of the D300S However this should not be confusing since the Custom Setting name is much more prominent than the Custom Setting number When in doubt please refer to the heading of each section where the correct Custom Setting number is listed for both the D300S and D300 I divided this chapter up into six distinct sections There is a section for each major division of the Custom Settinge e Autofocus Metering exposure Shooting display etc This will make it easy to find a particular setting in the large number of available choices Now let s look at each setting starting with those found under Custom setting a or Autofocus 252 Section One a Autofocus Custom Settings a1 to a10 You ll find 10 distinct settings within the Autofocus menu in both the D300S and D300 There are no numbering variances between the two cameras in this section AF C priority selection al in both D300 D300S AF S priority selection a2 in both D300 D300S Dynamic AF area a3 in both D300 D300S Focus tracking with lock on a4 in both D300 D300S AF activation a5 in both D300 D3
339. gure 7 3 image 3 shows the Exposure delay mode function that I wanted to add All I have to do is highlight it and press the OK button Once I ve done that the D300 S switches to the Choose position screens see Figure 7 3 image 4 and Figure 7 4 Choose position py Exposure delay mode jorr Pe Set Picture Control ENL Set Picture Control I Active D Lighting OFF F Active D Lighting ly didExposure delay mode OFF Add lt 4 Remove items J lt Rank items Choose tab B Move Figure 7 4 Choose position screens 6 Figure 7 4 begins where Figure 7 3 ends Since I ve already added a couple of other items to My Menu I now have to decide in which order I want them to be presented The new Exposure delay mode is on top since it is the newest entry see Figure 7 4 image 1 I think PII move it down two rows and let Set Picture Control move to the top position 7 To move the position of the selected item I must simply scroll down Exposure delay mode stays highlighted with a yellow box surrounding it see Figure 7 4 image 2 As I scroll down a yellow underline moves to the last position see Figure 7 4 image 2 red arrow This yellow underline represents the place to which I want to move Exposure delay mode Once I ve decided on the position and have the yellow underline in place I just press the OK button The screen pops back to the first My Menu screen with everything arranged the way I desired see Fi
340. gure 7 4 image 3 573 Remove Items Now that we ve figured out how to Add items let s examine how to Remove items I ve decided that one of my items Active D Lighting is not used often enough to warrant a spot on My Menu so PI remove it Here s how 1 Select Remove items from My Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 7 5 image 1 2 The Remove items screen presents a series of selections with check boxes Whichever boxes I check will be deleted when I select Done see Figure 7 5 image 2 You can check the boxes by highlighting the line item you want to delete and scrolling right You can also simply press the OK button to place a check mark in a setting s box I like to use the OK button method since trying to uncheck a selection by scrolling left does not work but takes you back to the My Menu screen Pressing the OK button acts like a toggle and will check or uncheck a line item 574 MY MENU Remove items ee AN o A e Set Picture Control Done 2 Active D Lighting di0Exposure delay mode Add items Remove items a E Rank items i Choose tab Remove items Done O Set Picture Control M Active D Lighting i ETT Q Delete selected item Yes Cancel Figure 7 5 My Menu Remove items Once you ve checked off the settings you want to remove simply scroll back up to Done and press the OK button see Figure 7 5 image 3 A small white box pops up and asks Delete selected item Press
341. hat this method allows you to fine tune the color temperature values Figure 10 11 image 3 I normally do not use Method 2 since Method 1 allows me to select a preset WB value without accidentally modifying its default color temperature and it doesn t require me to use the menus I find that Method 1 is much faster since I am using external camera controls and it takes only seconds to set the values or even do a PRE reading of ambient light 696 White Balance Bracketing User s Manual D300S page 125 D300 page 123 You can also do WB bracketing similar to how you would do flash or exposure bracketing If you want to bracket your camera s white balance you must set Custom setting e5 to WB bracketing Flash or exposure bracketing will not work during the time that e5 is set to WB bracketing Personally I prefer to use NEF RAW mode when shooting and then make minor or major adjustments in the computer post processing stage However you may want to use WB bracketing so let s consider it WB bracketing does not work when your camera is in RAW mode Figure 10 12 to Figure 10 14 show the menus and controls used to select WB bracketing mo iz CUSTOM SETTING MENU nt l e Bracketing flash WD e5 Auto bracketing set Fo Custom setting bank amp 1 Flash sync speed nw HReset custom settings e2 Flash shutter speed 1 60 a Autofocus e3 Flash cntri for builtin flash TTL y e b Metering exposure 4 Mod
342. hat your image is in correct focus Here are the screens and steps to select a shutter release priority when using AF C mode see Figure 4 5 255 AF C priority ection Custom setting bank A lt p DReset custom settings y AES priority selection a Autofocus n ty Fe __CUSTOM SETTING MENU aAutofous p a1 AF C priority selection c Timers AE lock a5 AF activation ON cea iiia HE d Shooting display E a6 AF point illumination AUTO a e Bracketing flash al Focus point wrap around OFF f Controls a8 AF point selection AF51 1 kau 43 Dynamic AF area z Th b Meterins exposure a4 Focus tracking with lockon AF8 o tous Figure 4 5 Choosing a shutter release priority for AF C mode 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 5 image 1 2 Highlight AF C priority selection and scroll to the right see Figure 4 5 image 2 3 Choose one of the three settings from the menu with full understanding of what may happen if you don t choose Focus 4 Press the OK button to select your shutter release priority My Recommendation Since I m not a sports or action shooter I choose Focus Even if I were an action shooter I would choose Focus Read the section called Using Custom settings al and a2 before you make your final choice The safe choice is Focus AF S Priority Selection Custom setting a2 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 264 D300 pag
343. have good focus the red square turns green You are not limited to the central 51 point AF area like in Hand held mode The screen does not black out while autofocus is active since the camera is focusing by detecting contrast changes at the pixel level on the image sensor When you fire the shutter the Monitor will black out briefly while the picture is taken Use this mode for slower shooting and when you need extreme autofocus accuracy Contrast detect autofocus is rather slow but very accurate You can zoom in to pixel peeping levels 13x magnification with the Playback zoom in button before starting autofocus This is great for macro shooting since you can select very specific sections of the subject for focusing The AF area modes do not apply when you are using Tripod mode They are overridden by the bigger contrast detect focus square Be careful in this mode because the shutter can be released even if the image is not in focus Here are the screens and steps used to choose a Live view mode see Figure 8 3 1 Select Live view mode from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select either Hand held or Tripod mode 590 SHOOTING MENU Live view mode g Active D Lighting Long exp NR High ISO NR EA ISO sensitivity settings T 4 Ve VIOW im ode e Multiple exposure Movie settings Interval timer shooting Figure 8 3 Live view modes 3 Press the OK button to lock in the mode Auto vs Manual Focus in
344. he Custom Setting Menu s assign button functions to map my favorite button for using Non CPU lens data I used Custom setting f7 D300S or f6 D300 to map AE L AF L command dials to allow me to select one of my nine non CPU lenses on the fly By holding down my camera s AE L AF L button while turning the front Sub command dial I can select any of my nine lens selections on the Control Panel Some people use the Fn button on the front along with the rear Main command dial to do the same The D300 S allows you to be creative in that respect I use the Fn button Main command dial as my Bracketing button since I can operate that combo with one hand and shoot brackets quickly My Recommendation like using the AE L AF L button in combination with the front Sub command dial to select my non CPU lenses You can map any of several D300 S buttons in combination with a command dial to select non CPU lenses Please refer to the chapter titled Chapter 4 and the sections on button assignment e g Assign Fn button for instructions on how to map the camera s assignable buttons and dials 511 AF Fine Tune User s Manual D300S page 312 D300 page 327 One thing that really impresses me about the D300 S is its ability to be fine tuned in critical areas like metering and autofocus Previous to the D300 S if an AF lens had a back focus problem you just had to tolerate it or send it off to be fixed by Nikon Now with t
345. he Shutter release button the rest of the way down to raise the mirror 3 Press the Shutter release button all the way down one more time to take the picture For a complete consideration of Custom settings al to al0 please see the chapter titled Chapter 4 When considering autofocus issues it is very important that you read the information in that chapter concerning Custom settings al and a2 especially the section titled Using Custom settings al and a2 If you don t read and understand this special section you may get quite a few out of focus images as a result Don t Touch That Shutter Release Please buy yourself an electronic shutter release cable e g Nikon MC 30 so that you re not using your finger to press n5 the Shutter release button when the camera is on a tripod and in MUP mode Touching the camera seems a bit silly after going to all that trouble to stabilize the camera and raise the mirror A finger press could shake the entire tripod If you do not have an electronic cable release simply wait 30 seconds after raising the mirror and the camera will fire on its own There is a built in 30 second delay after you ve raised the mirror and then the shutter will fire This could be used as a slow but high quality self timer 736 Autofocus in Live View Mode Normally you would not use the Monitor to compose an image since this is not as stable as holding the camera close to your body and could result in shak
346. he entire series is clean and ready to use I leave my camera set to Continue as before because it will then use the direction I was scrolling to decide which image to display after deleting one Why not use all the neat technology built into your camera 76 Rotate Tall User s Manual D300S page 251 D300 page 251 When you shoot a portrait orientation vertical image with the camera turned sideways the image can later be viewed as a horizontal image lying on its side or as a smaller upright tall image on the camera s horizontal wide Monitor If you view the image immediately after taking it the camera s software assumes that you are still holding the camera in the rotated position and the image will be displayed correctly for that angle Later if you are reviewing the image with the camera s playback functionality and have Rotate tall set to On the image will be displayed as an upright vertical image that is smaller in size so that it will fit on the horizontal Monitor You can zoom in to see sharpness detail if needed a PLAYBACK MENU gy Rotate tall gt Delete 2 Playback folder Hide image Display mode _ Image review E After delete De Rotatetal o CEEI Figure 2 27 Rotate tall screens 77 If you would rather the camera leave the image lying on its side in a horizontal view forcing you to turn the camera 90 degrees to view it you ll need to choose Off Here are the two avai
347. he maximum distance Nikon supports for the D300 S pop up flash in Commander mode If these issues bother you then invest in the Nikon SU 800 Wireless Infrared Controller unit that replaces the pop up flash Commander mode combo You mount it onto the Accessory shoe and let it control the remote slaves out to 66 feet 20 10 m without some of the issues mentioned above Modeling Flash Custom setting e4 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 289 D300 page 298 Modeling flash lets you fire a pulse of flashes to help you see how the light is wrapping around your subject It works like modeling lights on studio flash units except it pulses instead 360 of shines You can press the Depth of field preview button to see the effect if you set Modeling flash to On This function works with Nikon s main Speedlight flash unit group SB 900 SB 800 SB 600 or SB R 200 It also works with the pop up flash for limited periods My SB 400 flash unit does not work with Modeling flash Here are the screens and steps used to configure Modeling flash see Figure 4 54 5 WCustom setting bank 81 Flash sync speed va TS CUSTOM SETTING MENU a e Bracketing flash Reset custom settings e2 Flash shutter speed 1 60 a Autofocus iaa 03 Flash cntri for builtin flash TTL Ii Modeling flask p b Metering exposure c Timers AE lock Eq Shooting display OFF B he ET Bracketing order f Controls E 11 switch Figure 4 54 Mod
348. he new AF fine tune controls you can adjust your camera so that the lens focuses where you want it to focus Nikon has made provisions for keeping a table of up to 12 lenses that you ve fine tuned It recommends that you only use the fine tuning system if you know what you are doing and only when required The idea behind fine tuning is that you can push the focus forward or backward in small increments with up to 20 increments in either direction When the little round green AF indicator comes on in your camera s Viewfinder and AF fine tune is enabled for a lens you ve already configured the actual focus is moved from its default position forward or backward by the amount you ve specified If your lens had a back focus problem and you moved the focus a little forward the problem is solved 512 SETUP MENU AF fine tune Image authentication 2 Copyright information Save load settings Y AF fine tune On Off wr GPS Saved value Virtual horizon Default Non CPU lens data List saved values 2 12 Firmware version iA Figure 5 39 AF Fine tune first two screens Following are the screens and steps to configure AF fine tune for lenses you own if needed see Figure 5 39 through Figure 5 43 There are four selections on the AF fine tune menu AF fine tune On Off Saved value Default List saved values Each of the following FIGs continues where Figure 5 39 left off Figure 5 40 shows the f
349. he rear shutter curtain follows the front shutter curtain so closely that only a traveling narrow horizontal slit is exposing the sensor at any given time When you select a sync speed faster than the normal 1 250s the camera fires the flash in thousands of short pulses instead of one big flash The flash fires in a series of pulses as the narrow shutter curtain slit moves across the face of the sensor The faster the shutter speed the less power the flash can manage You must be able to depend on ambient light in addition to flash when using Auto FP high speed syne mode especially at higher shutter speeds However this let s you shoot your fast lenses e g F 1 4 F 2 8 wide open while in direct sunlight due to the very fast shutter speed You can expose properly with very shallow depth of field due to a large aperture even though the light is very bright We covered this mode in detail in the chapter titled Chapter 4 under the sub heading Flash Syne Speed Custom setting el D300S and D300 759 Nikon Creative Lighting System CLS User s Manual D300S page 348 D300 page 357 CLS is an advanced wireless lighting technology that allows you to use your imagination in designing creative lighting arrangements No wires are used since the CLS compatible remote flash units are controlled by a commander device or what Nikon refers to as a master flash unit You can use the Commander mode built into
350. he subject across a few or all of the 51 AF points We ll cover this in more detail in the upcoming section called AF Area Modes in Detail Subject is moving toward or away from the camera If your subject is coming toward you another automatic function of the camera kicks in It is called predictive focus tracking and it figures out how far the subject will move before the shutter fires Once you ve pressed the Shutter release button all the way down predictive focus tracking moves the lens elements slightly to correspond to where the subject should be when 718 the shutter fires a few milliseconds later In other words if the subject is moving toward you the lens focuses slightly in front of your subject so that the camera has time to move the mirror up and get the shutter blades out of the way It takes 45 milliseconds for the camera to respond to a press of the Shutter release button Let s talk about the practical use of these functions If you are shooting an air show for instance in 45 milliseconds a fast moving airplane can move enough to slightly change the focus area by the time the shutter opens If you press the Shutter release button in one smooth motion all the way to shutter release first autofocus occurs and then the mirror moves up and the shutter starts opening That takes about 45 milliseconds in the D300 S In the time it takes for the camera to respond to your press of the Shutter release button the airpl
351. hed these screens with the lens cap on in order to allow you to better see the symbols on the screens without a picture in the background Your screens won t be black On the screen shown in Figure 8 6 you ll see the small red letters A through N that I inserted to give you a guide Refer to those letters in the upcoming discussion of each symbol A This symbol changes between a tiny hand holding a camera which represents Hand held mode and a small camera with three legs sticking out below it which represents Tripod mode Tripod mode is shown in Figure 8 6 596 RAW AUTO 20m00s e Ga a al mM EHO box EHO Ol A to fli i 18299 Figure 8 6 Live View Understanding the symbols B This symbol shows the current Image quality setting RAW TIFF FINE NORM or BASIC plus the three RAW JPEG fine normal or basic modes RAW F RAW N RAW B You can change between these Image quality settings by holding down the QUAL button on top of the camera and rotating the rear Main command dial C By holding down the WB button and turning the rear Main command dial you can scroll through the nine White balance settings Various White balance symbols will be displayed representing each of the WB settings You can see the effect of each setting as you turn the Main command dial The Monitor will change its colorcast as the camera moves through the WB settings 597 Interest
352. hen release it The default value is 6 seconds When the light meter goes off the various displays like shutter speed and aperture in the Control panel and Viewfinder do also If you would like your light meter to stay on longer for whatever reason such as for multiple exposures you can adjust it to the following settings 4s 4 seconds 6s 6 seconds default 306 8s 8 seconds 16s 16 seconds 30s 30 seconds min 1 minute 5 min 5 minutes 10 min 10 minutes 30 min 30 minutes oo No limit meter stays on Here are the screens and steps to set the Auto meter off delay see Figure 4 27 E 02 Auto meter off delay Custom setting bank A utterrelease button AEL ON j ito meter off delay H FS _CUSTOMSETTING MENU E c Timers AE lock F amp 15h p WDReset custom settings ry TT f 41 Beep FE d Shooting display B 42 Viewfinder grid display ON e Bracketing flash Wd 63 Viewfinder warning display ON f Controls E a4 Screen tips ON S 10 min ra at y a Autofocus E3 Self timer b Metering exposure amp 4 Monitor off delay nersJAE lock Figure 4 27 Auto meter off delay 1 Select c Timers AE lock from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 27 image 1 2 Highlight Auto meter off delay and scroll to the right see Figure 4 27 image 2 3 Choose one of the 10 choices on the menu In Figure 4 27 image 3 6 s has been selected
353. her fine tune the level of compression of your JPEG images The JPEG format is always a compressed format The Image quality settings for JPEG images include fine normal and basic Each of these settings provides a certain level of compression of the file size As discussed previously a JPEG fine file has a 1 4 compression ratio while JPEG normal is 1 8 and JPEG basic is 1 16 A JPEG file is smaller in size than a RAW file or TIFF file especially TIFF JPEG files will normally vary in size when the subject of one image is more complex than that of another For instance if you take a picture of a tree with lots of leaves and bark against a bright blue sky JPEG s compression formatting has a lot more work to do than if you took a picture of a red balloon on a plain white background All those little details in the picture of the tree cause lots of color contrast changes so the JPEG file size will naturally be bigger for the complex image In the balloon image there is little detail in the balloon or the background so the JPEG file size will normally be much smaller The less detail in an image the more efficient JPEG compression is What if you want all of your JPEG images to be the same approximate size Or what if file size doesn t matter to you and quality is much more important That s what the JPEG 139 compression menu allows you to control Let s discuss the two settings Size priority This compression
354. his image a larger aperture was used and more light was allowed in We can now see much more detail However once again the range of light is too great for the sensor so it is now clipped off on the highlight side right The dark side value is not clipped instead the graph extends to the left dark side edge but stops there The image in Figure 9 18 shows more detail but is not professional looking and will win no awards The range of light is simply too great to be recorded fully Many of the details are overly light and that can be seen by the clipping of the histogram on the right side The most important thing to remember here is that when you see a histogram graph that is crammed all the way to the right and clipped some or all of the image is significantly too light Overall a great deal of the 664 image in Figure 9 18 is recorded as pure white and is permanently gone or blown out Figure 9 18 Histogram showing overexposure light side It is important that you try to center the histogram without clipping either edge This is not always possible as shown in Figure 9 18 because the light range is often too great and the sensor or histogram window can t contain it If you center the histogram your images will be better exposed If you take a picture and the histogram graph is shifted way left or right you can then retake the photograph exposing in the direction of the opposite light value If there is too much l
355. hite balance type such as Auto or Flash from the menu and scroll to the right 3 As shown in Figure 3 17 image 3 you ll now arrive at the White balance fine tuning screen At this time you can make an adjustment to how you want this White balance to record color by introducing a color bias toward green yellow blue or magenta You do this by moving the little black square in the middle of the color box toward the edges of the box in any direction If you make a mistake simply move the little black square back to the middle of the color box 4 Once you have finished adjusting or not the colors press the OK button to save your setting Most of us will 154 just press the OK button as soon as we see the fine tuning screen so as not to change the default settings for this particular White balance You ll also find it convenient to change the White balance settings by using external camera controls We ll examine how next There are three steps used when changing White balance Figure 3 18 shows the external camera controls used with the steps listed below Figure 3 18 Setting the White balance with external camera controls 1 Hold down the WB button above the Release mode dial see Figure 3 18 image 1 2 Turn the rear Main command dial as you watch the WB icons change on the Control panel see Figure 3 18 image 2 3 Release the WB button to lock in your choice My Recommendation Until you ve read th
356. ht until your time zone is under the yellow vertical bar in the center or is marked with a small red dot 3 Press the OK button to lock in the Time zone Date and time Figure 5 15 shows the two Date and time configuration screens as a continuation of Figure 5 13 The final screen in the series allows you to select the Year Month and Day Y M D and the Hour Minute and Second H M S Here are the steps used to set the Date and time see Figure 5 15 1 Choose Date and time from the Time zone and date screen and scroll to the right see Figure 5 15 image 1 2 Using the Multi Selector scroll left or right until you ve selected the value you want to change Then scroll up or down to actually change the value The top line shown in Figure 5 15 image 2 includes the Year Month and Day Y M D The second line includes the Hour Minute and Second H M S 455 Time zone and date Time zone and date Date and time Y Date format Daylight saving time New York Toronto Lima UTC 5 01 11 2010 12 34 53 Set DOK Figure 5 15 Date and time screens 3 Press the OK button to lock in the Date and time Please note that the time setting uses the 24 hour military style clock To set 3 p m you would set the H and M settings to 15 00 See the upcoming 12 to 24 Hour Time Conversion Chart for your convenience Table 5 1 12 to 24 Hour Time Conversion Chart 12 00 a m 00 00 midnight 06 00 a m
357. htness Clean image sensor ry All pictures on memory Lock mirror up for cleaning ia card will be deleted OK a Video mode HDMI World time Language 433 Figure 5 3 Format memory card screens D300 Here are the steps for formatting a memory card See Figure 5 2 D300S or Figure 5 3 D300S The D300S has an extra step 1 Select Format memory card from the Setup Menu 2 There s a difference between the two cameras so Pl list the steps for each D300S On the D300S you ll see a second screen that asks you to select the card you want to format You ll have a choice of SD or CF memory card slots Choose the one you want to format and scroll to the right You ll need to repeat this action to format the second slot D300 Since the D300 only has one CF card the middle screen in Figure 5 2 will not show Instead you ll see the two screens shown in Figure 5 3 Ignore this step and go directly to 3 3 Select Yes from the final screen with the big red exclamation point and the warning that reads Al images or pictures will be deleted OK 4 Press the OK button Once you press the OK button you ll see two screens in quick succession The first will say Formatting memory card When the card has been successfully formatted you ll see a final screen that says Formatting complete Then the camera switches back to the Setup Menu s first screen The card is now formatted and you can begin taking picture
358. hutdown gt i Y GON dean at startup a H Clean at shutdown CEN Clean up amp shutdowi leaning off World time Language Figure 5 7 Clean at startup shutdown screens Clean at startup shutdown For preventative dust control many users will set their cameras to clean the sensor at startup shutdown or both There are four selections for startup shutdown cleaning Clean at startup Clean at shutdown Clean at startup amp shutdown Cleaning off These settings are all self explanatory I find it interesting that I don t detect any startup or shutdown delay when using the startup shutdown cleaning modes I can turn my camera on and immediately take a picture The cleaning cycle seems to be very brief when using this mode Use these steps to choose a Clean at startup shutdown method see Figure 5 7 442 1 Select Clean image sensor from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose Clean at startup shutdown from the menu shown in Figure 5 7 image 2 and then scroll to the right 3 Select one of the four methods shown in Figure 5 7 image 3 I chose Clean at startup amp shutdown 4 Press the OK button to lock in your choice My Recommendation Nikon suggests that you hold the camera at the same angle as when you are taking pictures bottom down while you use these modes to clean the sensor I leave my camera set to Clean at startups amp shutdown so that it cleans itself each time
359. ideo mode Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning NTSC vs PAL Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning Video quality D300S Which Video Encoding Method Viewfinder grid display d2 Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 Viewfinder warning display d3 Custom setting d2 D300S and D300 Virtual horizon D300S Preparing the Camera for GPS Usage Vivid VI Picture Control Examining Picture Controls WwW WB bracketing Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Exposure Bracketing AE and Flash Combination WB button Method 1 Manual White Balance Using the WB Button White balance Channel and Bit Depth Tutorial White Balance White Balance White Balance Method 1 Manual White Balance Using the WB Button Manually Selecting a Color Temperature between 2 500 and 10 000 K Measuring Actual Ambient Light and Using PRE Storing White Balance Values for Future Use Editing the Comment Field Adjusting a Saved White Balance s Color Values Method 2 Manual White Balance Using the Shooting Menu Method 2 Manual White Balance Using 847 the Shooting Menu Method 2 Manual White Balance Using the Shooting Menu White Balance Bracketing My Opinion about Auto WB White Balance Tips and Tricks White Balance Tips and Tricks Adjusting a saved WB value Adjusting a Saved White Balance s Color Values Auto white balance White Balance Bracketing Bracketing Method 2 Manual White Balance Using the Shooting Menu Colo
360. ight You will now see the Interval screen with hours minutes seconds in the following format see Figure 3 61 image 4 00 00 00 The first two zeros represent the hour the second set represents minutes and the third set seconds Since we want to start out with an Interval of 10 seconds let s set the screen to look like this 00 00 10 Scroll to the right to get to the next screen Now we ll select the number of intervals see Figure 3 61 image 5 This screen will say Select intvls X no of shots in the format below Number of intervals x number of shots total shots 000 x 0 0000 Set your camera so that it looks like this instead see Figure 3 61 image 5 003 x 2 0006 This means that there will be 003 intervals of 10 seconds each set in step 3 above and that the camera will take 2 pictures in each interval for a total of 0006 pictures In 239 other words 2 pictures will be taken every 10 seconds over a period of 30 seconds for a total of 6 images Now scroll to the right to get to the next screen 5 Select On from the final screen Figure 3 61 image 6 and press the OK button A Timer Active message will appear on your camera s Monitor see Figure 3 62 If you look at the top Control panel you will see the word INTVL on the D300S or INTERVAL on the D300 flashing This will keep flashing as long as the Interval timer is in operation Timer active Figure
361. ight arrangement Figure 12 13 SB 900 Speedlight 770 I really enjoy using the Nikon SB 900 Speedlight unit see Figure 12 13 It is very powerful and easy to use in the CLS arrangement because it has external controls for setting remote mode It can also be used as a CLS commander when needed SPEEDLIGHT S880 Figure 12 14 SB 800 Speedlight The SB 800 Speedlight unit is similar in power to the SB 900 and has the ability to be a CLS commander too see Figure 12 14 The SB 800 s controls are more difficult to adjust than the SB 900 s controls because the settings are buried in menus I ve used these successfully for several years They are no longer in production but preowned models are available on various Internet sites Unfortunately they re desired by so many people that the used price can often exceed the cost of a new SB 900 711 Nikon SPEEDLIGHT SB 600 Figure 12 15 SB 600 Speedlight The Nikon SB 600 Speedlight unit is the low cost flash for users on a budget It is only about one stop less powerful than the SB 900 or SB 800 unit and costs considerably less see Figure 12 15 Buying several of these won t set you back much and will allow you to set up a great CLS system with your D300 S If you are just getting started in CLS these might be your best investment The SB 600 does not have a built in Commander mode itself like the SB 800 and SB 900 but you don t need it since your D300 S d
362. ight to allow centering the histogram you must decide which part of the image is more important the light or dark values and expose for those values How Does the Eye React to Light Values The D300 S camera with its imaging sensor and glass lenses is only a weak imitation of our marvelously designed 665 eye and brain combination There are very few situations in which our eyes cannot adjust to the available light range So as photographers we are always seeking ways to record even a small portion of what our eye and mind can see Since our eyes tend to know that shadows are black and expect that it is usually better to expose for the highlights If you see dark shadows that seems normal We re simply not used to seeing light that s so bright that all detail is lost An image exposed for the dark values will look very weird because most highlight detail will be burned out Your eyes can see a huge range of light in comparison to your digital sensor The only time you will ever see light values that are so bright that detail is lost is when you are looking directly at an overwhelmingly bright light like the sun So in a worst case scenario expose the image so that the right side of the histogram graph just touches the right side of the histogram window and the image will look more normal Since photography s beginning we have always fought with only being able to record a limited range of light But with the digit
363. ights yet my camera always slightly underexposes I had exactly the same results from my original D300 and now also with my newer D300S My reaction is simply to increase the exposure just a little and force the histogram to the right edge This can be dangerous because slightly overexposed images tend to blow out all detail So I carefully examine the histogram on important images to make sure it is where I want it to be When I run Matrix metering over by 3 6 the histogram is usually right where I like it Remember please that this is an experiment for each of us If you choose to fine tune any of the three metering systems you should test it well before doing an important shoot I am basing my fine tuning experience on my own imaging style and results and can t guarantee that you ll get the same good 302 effects with a more aggressive Matrix meter It certainly won t hurt you to play with these settings as long as you remember to set them back too when you re done if it doesn t perform the way you expect 303 Section Three c Timers AE Lock Custom Settings c1 to c4 You ll find 4 distinct settings within the Timers AE lock menu in both the D300S and D300 There are no numbering variances between the two cameras in this section Shutter release button AE L cl in both D300 D300S Auto meter off delay c2 in both D300 D300S Self timer delay c3 in both D300 D300S Monitor off delay c4 i
364. igure 4 38 image 3 100 has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation If you have a need to limit your camera to a maximum number of images in each shooting burst simply change this number from its default of 100 images to whatever you feel works best for you Personally I want the buffer to hold as many images as it possibly can when I am blasting away in high speed shooting modes so I leave Max continuous release set to 100 However you may want to artificially limit the camera to a maximum burst of 10 or 20 images just so the buffer will not fill up and slow the camera way down This also lets you maintain some control over your enthusiastic high speed shooting Do you really want dozens and dozens and dozens of pictures of those flying seagulls 328 File Number Sequence Custom setting d7 D300S and d6 D300 User s Manual D300S page 277 D300 page 283 File number sequence allows your camera to keep count of the image file numbers for each picture you take in a running sequence from 0001 to 9999 After 9999 pictures it rolls back over to 0001 Or you can cause it to reset the image number to 0001 when you format or insert a new memory card Here are the settings and an explanation of how they work On Image file numbers start at 0001 and continue running in a series until you exceed 9999 at which time the image numbers roll over to 0001 again The File number
365. iguring My Menu My Menu User s Manual D300S page 333 D300 page 344 My Menu is my menu I can add or remove virtually any camera setting found on one of the primary menus 569 MY MENU MY MENU Add items Add items a 7 Remove items ems o i Rank items Figure 7 1 Blank My Menu screens for D300S and D300 When you first look at My Menu you ll see nothing but the selections shown in Figure 7 1 Add items Remove items Rank items Choose tab D300S only Let s examine each of these menu choices in detail 570 Add Items To add an item to My Menu you ll need to locate the item first Search through the menus until you find the setting you want to add and then make note of where it s located You could do this from within the Add items menu but I find that it s harder to locate what I m looking for if I ve not already confirmed in my mind where it lives Is it under the Custom Setting Menu or the Shooting Menu for instance co MY MENU Add items gt Set Picture Control Z Active D Lighting O gpa Playback menu Add items Shooting menu Custom setting menu Y Setup menu ei Retouch menu Remove items Rank items choose tab B L Figure 7 2 My Menu Add items Once I ve found the item I want to add and made note of its location I use the following steps and screens see Figure 7 2 Figure 7 4 1 Select Add items from My Menu You ll no
366. ill appear in the Set Picture Control menu for later selection Now let s look at how to rename an existing Custom Picture Control Memory Cards and Custom Controls If you take the time to look at the contents of your camera s memory card with your computer once you ve created a new Custom Picture Control you ll find a new folder called NIKON with a sub folder called CUSTOMPC This folder contains any Custom Picture Controls you might have created each with a filename ending in NCP If you download Nikon s optional PORTRAIT and LANDSCAPE Picture Controls you ll 176 find they have an ending of NOP and can be copied to the NIKON folder on your memory card for later uploading to the camera Rename a Custom Picture Control If you decide to rename an existing Custom Picture Control you can do so with the following screens and steps see Figure 3 29 1 Select Manage Picture Control from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 3 29 image 1 2 Select Rename from the Manage Picture Control screen and scroll to the right see Figure 3 29 image 2 SHOOTING MENU Manage Picture Control JPEG compression f NEF RAW recording White balance Save edit gt Set Picture C Control SS Rename eT Delete D Color space Load save Active D Lighting 2 Long exp NR Rename 1 FS38 7t 0123456789 lt gt 7 ABCDEFGHI JKL eca ised MNOMQRSTUVWXYZI ECA Unused a ECS Unused E NEU
367. ill have no long exposure noise reduction with exposures above 8 seconds Figure 3 42 is a sample image I took with a 30 second exposure and Long exp NR set to On I left the shutter open for 30 seconds at a time hoping to catch a lightning strike in a storm near my home The camera used the Long exp NR s black frame subtraction method to remove noise from my lighting strike image without seriously blurring the image in the process 200 Figure 3 42 Long exp NR sample image It can be a lot of fun to capture lightning images but be sure that you have a safe place to shoot from so that you won t attract the lightning I was shooting from my upstairs bedroom window The camera was on a tripod with its wide angle lens looking out the open window I got four or five nice lightning shots for my efforts such as the one shown SHOOTING MENU Long exp NR Ca JPEG compression yy NEF RAW recording To White balance Set Picture Control Manage Picture Control FS Color space Active D Lighting ijlongexe NR_ 201 Figure 3 43 Enabling or disabling Long exp NR Here are the steps to choose a Long exp NR setting See the screens in Figure 3 43 or Figure 3 44 The Information edit display screen for the D300S only is shown in Figure 3 44 1 Choose Long exp NR from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select either On or Off 3 Press the OK button to save your setting The D300S allows you to acce
368. image 1 2 Highlight AF activation and scroll to the right see Figure 4 10 image 2 270 3 Choose one of the two choices from the menu In Figure 4 10 image 3 Shutter AF ON has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Here s a description of the two selections Shutter AF ON Autofocus will be activated if you press the Shutter release button halfway or if you press the AF ON button AF ON Only Autofocus only works when you press the AF ON button The Shutter release button will not activate autofocus it will only start metering and release the shutter There are two distinct needs addressed with this function A few people need to separate autofocus and shutter release Most don t If you prefer to autofocus only with the AF ON button you can set it with this function Otherwise you ll autofocus by pressing the Shutter release button halfway down If you have Shutter AF ON selected you can autofocus with either button My Recommendation I use Shutter AF ON myself since I m primarily a nature shooter and don t need to separate autofocus from shutter release I don t have many fast moving subjects other than flying birds or leaping deer And with those it just feels more natural to me to autofocus and fire the shutter with one button However if I were shooting a high speed event and wanted to maximize my camera s firing speed frame rate I wouldn t hesitate to use
369. image 3 You ll scroll around in the color box toward whatever color combination you want to add 693 to the currently stored White balance If you change your mind return the little black square to the center of the color box You ll see the color mired values changing on the right side of the screen in the fields next to A B and G M Each increment click of the Mutli Selector is equal to about 5 mired Press the OK button to save your adjustments to the stored White balance 694 Method 2 Manual White Balance Using the Shooting Menu This method is similar to Method 1 but it uses the Shooting Menu screens to select the Kelvin range Instead of using the WB button and Sub command dial you ll open up your menus and set the color temperature by selecting from them Here are the screens and steps used to select a White balance setting see Figure 10 11 m SHOOTING MENU White balance White balance ja Image quality Raw AUTO Auto i lo Direct sunli ggj Image size Incandescent JPEG compression T S Fluorescent NEF RAW recording W hal if Set Picture Control Manage Picture Control j i x Color space Adobe 8 Choose color temp i Adjust GOK Figure 10 11 Shooting Menu White balance screens 1 Select White balance from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select one of the preset values such as Flash or Cloudy and scroll to the right 3 Press the OK button immediately with
370. image to blink from light to dark in the blown out highlight areas This is a rough representation of a highlight value clipped histogram and it is quite useful for quick shooting Using your camera s light meter histogram and the highlight burnout blinky mode together is a very powerful method to control your exposures 672 If you master this method you will have a very fine degree of control over where you place your image s light ranges This is sort of like using the famous Ansel Adams s black and white Zone System but it is represented visually on the Monitor of your D300 S The manipulation of the histogram levels in computer is a detailed study in itself It s part of having a digital darkroom Learn to use your computer to tweak your images and you ll be able to produce superior results most of the time Even more importantly learn to use your histogram to capture a nice image in the first place Your histogram is simply a graph that lets you see at a glance how well your image is contained by your camera Too far left and the image is too dark too far right and the image is too light Learn to use the histogram well and your images are bound to improve 673 Chapter 10 White Balance 674 Hello Cutie Courtesy of Stephen J Weston stevezz 675 Back in the good old days we d buy special rolls of film or filters to meet the challenges of color casts that come from indoor lighting overc
371. imary or the CF slot If you have more of one type than the other or simply like one card style better this will let you choose your favorite SHOOTING MENU Primary slot selection Shooting menu bank Reset shooting menu Active folder File naming lt 1 Primary slot selection amp Secondary slot function Image quality Image size SD SD card slot Figure 3 8 Choosing the primary card slot 112 Here are the steps to select the primary card slot see screens in Figure 3 8 1 Select Primary slot selection from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose your favorite card slot from the Primary slot selection screen Your choices are CF card slot and SD card slot 3 Press the OK button to lock in your choice Next we ll look at how to set the Secondary slot function This lets you control what happens when you fill up the primary card or want to separate RAW files from JPEGs My Recommendation I happen to prefer the smaller SD cards merely because I can carry more of them and they can be used in more Nikon cameras like my D90 or D5000 So I set my primary slot to SD card slot If you upgraded from a less costly Nikon DSLR you may want to do the same since you ll probably have several SD cards Or you may prefer the CF card type especially if you use the D300S as a backup to a D700 or D3 D3s D3x You don t have to use both cards slots if you don t have one of the two types the camera will
372. in 1 3 E V steps for the Built in flash or the Speedlights in Group A or B The settings you can put in the Comp field are between 1 1 full and 1 128 The intermediate 1 3 stop settings are presented as decimals within the fractions For example 1 1 3 and 1 1 7 are 1 3 and 2 3 stops below 1 1 full Many people are used to working with flash units this way so it seems more 767 familiar CLS is willing to oblige those experienced in working manually Mode double dash mode The built in Speedlight will not fire the main flash burst in this mode It will fire the monitor pre flashes since it uses them to determine exposure and communicate with the external flash groups Be sure you always raise the camera s built in flash in any of the Commander mode modes otherwise the external flash groups will not receive a signal and won t fire their flashes Since the built in flash s monitor pre flashes always fire be careful that they do not influence the lighting of your image Use a smaller aperture or move the camera farther away from your subject if the pre flashes add unwanted light When you set the Mode for Group A or B to double dash mode that entire group of flashes will not fire any flash output You can use this mode to temporarily turn off one of the flash groups for testing purposes Setting the Channel CH for Communication Look at Figure 12 12 or your camera s Commander mode screen and you l
373. in NEF JPEG mode works just like a normal RAW file if you were using the stand alone NEF RAW mode The JPEG in the NEF JPEG mode works just like a stand alone JPEG fine normal or basic image without the NEF RAW file If you need more information on these three modes just refer to the previous sections on NEF RAW or JPEG Image quality formats Image Compression Information Two of the three Image quality file formats that the D300 S provides will allow you to compress the image file into a smaller file size We ll discuss several image compression types like JPEG fine normal basic JPEG Size priority Optimal quality and NEF RAW Lossless Compressed in later sections of this chapter However for now I wanted to mention where the compression functions live on the Shooting Menu system JPEG compression is controlled by the Shooting Menu gt JPEG compression selection along with the JPEG fine normal or basic compression on the Shooting Menu gt Image quality screen JPEG is always a compressed format you ll just select how much compression is applied NEF RAW compression is controlled by the Shooting Menu gt NEF RAW recording gt Type selection These two compression selections allow you to control the size of your JPEG and RAW image files Pay careful attention to the various compression levels offered for the images you shoot Once you set these 133 compression levels all images of that format will be
374. in my D300S so the time is approximately the same see Figure 8 12 image 3 Both of my cards offer a little over 38 minutes of recording time at the 1280x720 3 2 frame size selected under Movie settings gt Quality 4 Press the OK button to lock in the slot selection Recording a Video with Your D300S Now let s look at the process of recording a video It s rather simple There are five steps as shown in the screens and list below see Figure 8 13 612 Figure 8 13 D Movie external camera controls 1 Turn the camera on and remove the lens cap 2 Press the LV button on the back of the camera see Figure 8 13 image 1 3 Using the Multi Selector move the little red focus square to an appropriate part of your subject Pre focus the camera on your subject by pressing the AF ON button until the little green square stops flashing see Figure 8 13 image 2 4 Press the Multi selector center button to start recording see Figure 8 13 image 3 5 When you are finished press the Multi selector center button again to stop recording Amazingly that s all there is to it You have a cool video camera built into your still camera It is available with the press of three buttons LV AF ON and the Multi selector center button In most cases unless you really want to try to control the camera just shoot your video and enjoy what you captured The camera will make a good exposure in almost all circumstances
375. ing to be in focus because the AF points in use will flash up on the screen in red and then turn black for a period of one second If however you are using Continuous servo AF C focus mode nothing will appear on the Viewfinder screen to give you a clue of what is going to be in focus In Auto area AF your camera operates like a very expensive Nikon Coolpix point and shoot camera Figure 11 9 AF area mode selector set to Auto area AF According to Nikon if you are using a D or G lens there is a bit of human recognition technology built into this mode similar to the Coolpix Since most of us will only be using Auto area AF when we want to shoot for fun a human subject that is closest to the camera is the most likely subject anyway Using Continuous servo C your D300 S can 728 usually detect a human and help you avoid shots with perfectly focused backgrounds and blurry human subjects We ve covered the Focus and AF area modes pretty well so let s move on to the Release modes 729 Release Modes in Detail The D300 S has several Release modes which decide how many images can be taken and how fast In Figure 11 10 we see the Release mode dial with its lock release button press the lock release button and turn the dial Figure 11 10 Release mode dial set to CL and lock release button Let s look at each Release mode in more detail Here s the D300 S Release modes S Single frame CL
376. ingly when you have PRE White balance PrE selected you can hold down the WB button and turn the front Sub command dial to select one of the five stored PRE measured white balances d o to d 4 See the upcoming chapter titled Chapter 10 to better understand the PRE PrE method and other WB settings D D300S only This symbol represents the volume control for the built in mono microphone or externally mounted stereo mic To use this setting hold down the Playback button on the top rear left of the camera normally used to view images and press left on the Multi Selector This surrounds the symbol with a yellow square letting you know it is selected Once you have it selected you can hold down the Playback button and press up or down on the Multi Selector to scroll through the volume levels on the microphone Your choices are A Auto 1 2 3 and Off E D300S only This symbol shows the minutes and seconds when you are recording a video in D Movie mode It isn t directly related to Live View but since D Movie mode uses the Live View display it is ready for immediate use If you press the Multi selector center button to start a video recording you ll see this symbol start counting down the minutes and seconds When you re recording a video a big red dot followed by REC will flash in the upper left corner of the Monitor F This symbol represents the Monitor brightness and is only seen when you press the Playback
377. ings Interval timer shooting Figure 3 53 Selecting a Live view mode 1 Select Live view mode from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose either Hand held or Tripod from the Live view mode screen 3 Press the OK button to finish the selection You can identify the two Live view modes by looking at the little icon in the upper left corner of the Monitor see Figure 3 54 red arrows The Hand held Live view mode uses an icon that looks like a hand holding a camera The Tripod Live view mode icon is a camera with a tiny tripod on the bottom Pretty easy to understand 222 Sh EVS b d BHO 4 Omm fo r8 18295 Figure 3 54 Identifying the Live view modes Now let s briefly discuss how each of these modes work Hand held This mode uses the same phase detection autofocus system as when you are looking through the Viewfinder When you take a picture in this mode it works pretty fast since it focuses using the normal reflex mirror and autofocus system The drawback for having a fast mode is that the Monitor must black out briefly just as when you re using the Viewfinder Taking a picture in Hand held mode happens in two steps When you press the Shutter release button you ll first hear a slap as the mirror raises and then the screen will black out as autofocus works Then you ll hear the mirror move up and down once more as the image is taken and the view will reappear It s a bit
378. ings and how to use them Look for the paragraph s starting with My Recommendation at the end of most chapter sections These are suggestions based upon my own personal shooting style and experience with Nikon cameras You may eventually decide to configure things in a different way according to your own needs and style However these recommendations are good starting points while you become familiar with the camera Figure 1 2 1982 World s Fair site in 2010 Shown are the Sunsphere and Ampitheater Knoxville TN USA Nikon 31 D300 and a Sigma 18 50mm f 2 8 EX HSM lens F8 at 1 125s 200 ISO Matrix meter 32 My Conclusions This chapter s primary concern has been the initial setup and basic configuration of your new camera The next several chapters will look into each menu and setting in the camera in a detailed way The final chapters will cover the application of those settings as we consider ways to use the camera most effectively The Nikon D300 S is a professional camera in all respects It is designed so that you can take it places that lesser cameras shouldn t go The imaging capability in this complex but powerful DSLR is one that could only be dreamed of a few years ago Take the time to work through this book with your camera in hand and you ll come out in the end as a master of your new Nikon D300 S Additional Downloadable Resources Website To keep this book at a managable size which is easy to car
379. io selected in the upper right corner 5 Once you have the crop correctly sized and the Aspect ratio set press the OK button to save the new image under a new file number My Recommendation This is a very useful function for cropping images without a computer The fact that you have multiple Aspect ratios available is just icing on the cake The D300S adds some useful Aspect ratios including a square 1 1 and an HD format 16 9 Monochrome User s Manual D300S page 322 D300 page 337 The Monochrome function in the D300 S is fun to play with and can make some nice images You have the choice of three different types of Monochrome Black and white grays Sepia golden toned Cyanotype blue toned If you select Black and white the D300 S only provides one level of lightness and darkness However for Sepia and 538 Cyanotype you can fine tune the tint from almost nothing to pretty saturated in three levels On the following page are the screens and steps to create a Monochrome image from one of your color images see Figure 6 6 1 Select Monochrome from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right Figure 6 6 image 1 2 Select a Monochrome tone Black and white Sepia or Cyanotype Figure 6 6 image 2 3 Select the image you want to modify Figure 6 6 image 3 cl a e D ighting Redeye correction 3 Y Trim m Fi Sepia Filter effects Color balance Cyanotype Image overlay
380. ion to JPEG sets image markers permanently while a conversion to TIFF sets the markers but allows you to modify the image later Unfortunately TIFF format has very large file sizes Here are the pros and cons of NEF RAW format NEF RAW Positives Allows the manipulation of image data to achieve the highest quality image available from the camera All original detail stays with the image for future processing needs No conversions sharpening sizing or color rebalancing will be performed by the camera Your images are untouched and pure You can convert the NEF file to any of the other image formats by using your computer s much more powerful processor instead of the camera processor You have much more control over the final look of the image since you not the camera are making decisions as to the appearance of the image 12 bit or 14 bit format provides maximum image color information NEF RAW Negatives Not often compatible with the publishing industry except by conversion to another format 125 Requires post processing by special proprietary software as provided by the camera manufacturer or third party software programmers Larger file sizes so you must have large storage media No accepted industry standard RAW format Each camera manufacturer has its own proprietary format Adobe has a RAW format called DNG Digital Negative that might become an industry standard We ll
381. ional data screens This is dependent on how you have your camera s Display mode configured for Highlights Focus Point RGB histogram and Data see the section called Display Mode earlier in this chapter If any of these screens are available they can be used during the slide show Pause slide show During the slide show you may want to Pause change the Frame interval time or even Exit the show If you press the 82 OK button the slide show is suspended and you are presented with the Pause screen as shown in Figure 2 30 ga Slide show wy Frame interval im gt Restart cE 3s Frame interval Exit 08s Frame interval Bit Figure 2 30 Slide show screens Pause option Using the screens shown in Figure 2 30 you can select Restart Selecting OK or scrolling to the right with the Multi Selector continues the slide show from the image following the one last viewed Frame interval Scrolling to the right with the Multi Selector takes you to the screen that allows you to change the display time to one of four values You can choose 2s 3s 5s or 10s After choosing the new Frame interval value you ll have to select Restart to continue the slide show where you left off Exit This does what it says exits the slide show Exit to the Playback Menu If you want to quickly exit the slide show simply press the MENU button and you ll jump directly back to the top of the Playback M
382. ipod Mode uses Contrast detection AF l Enter Live view mode frame your subject and press the AF ON button to initiate autofocus The Shutter release button will not cause AF to happen in Tripod mode You must use the AF ON button Use the Playback zoom in button looks like a magnifying glass with a plus sign in it to enlarge the image so that you can see whether the image is in focus Press the AF ON button to top off the focus This can take some time especially in low light since the camera is using Contrast detection AF to find the best focus You will see the image on the Monitor go in and out of focus before it finally settles on the correct focus Be patient Without moving the camera press the Shutter release button all the way down to take the image The mirror 741 will go up and down twice to take the picture It sounds entirely weird but it works 742 My Conclusions I ve followed the development of the Nikon autofocus systems since back in the late 1980s My first camera with autofocus was the Nikon F4 professional film SLR Throughout the last 20 years I ve experienced each new level of autofocus released by Nikon It s gotten better and better with each new generation In the digital bodies the first generation D100 set new standards followed by the second generation D200 Now the third generation has arrived and my reaction has been Wow This is a powerful leap forward Auto
383. irst two configuration screens in the AF fine tune series Each of the four selections listed has its own screen for configuration We ll carefully examine each of them and discuss what it does and how to configure it 513 AF fine tune O O AF fine tune AF fine tune On Off y AF fine tune On Off ON gt Y Saved value 0 L Default i List saved values 2 12 Off Figure 5 40 AF fine tune configuration screens AF fine tune On Off In Figure 5 40 we see the AF fine tune On Off screen and its selections The two values you can select are as follows On This setting turns the AF fine tune system on Without this enabled the D300 S focuses like a factory default D300 S Off This default setting disables the AF fine tune system Saved value With an AF lens mounted Saved value allows you to control the amount of front or back focus you d like to input for the listed lens At the top left of the configuration screen in Figure 5 41 image 2 just under the words Saved value you ll see the focal length of the lens mounted on your camera the maximum aperture and the number assigned to the lens If you re configuring a lens for the first time you ll probably see No 1 You can fine tune for a maximum of 12 lenses 514 AF fine tune AF fine tune Saved value 18 50mm y F2 8 No 1 Default List saved values aAdiust ORDOK Figure 5 41 Saved value configuration screens To the
384. is about right for most lenses Be careful that your lens does not cast a shadow onto the card in a way that lets your camera see some of the shadow This will make the measurement less accurate Also be sure that your source light does not make a glare on the card This problem is not as common since the card has a matte surface but it can still happen You may want to hold the card at a slight angle to the source light if the light is particularly bright and might cause glare Finally when the light is dim use the white side of the card since it has more reflectivity This may prevent a No Gd reading in low light The gray card may be more accurate for color balancing but might be a little dark for a good measurement in dim light If you are shooting in normal light the gray card is best for balancing You might want to experiment in normal light with your camera to see which you prefer 705 Sample Full WB Range D300 S Image The image shown in Figure 10 15 shows the full Kelvin color temperature range of your camera s white balance system The D300 S can be adjusted to shoot with a value as cool as 2500K as warm as 10 000K and any place in between Pro level flexibility and control S000K Figure 10 15 Sample image showing range of D300 S White balance system 706 My Conclusions With these simple tips and some practice you can become a D300 S WB expert Pages 133 152 of your D300S User s Manual or 127 14
385. istance information from a D or G lens to calculate a flash output that is balanced between the main subject and ambient lighting Standard i TTL When the Spot meter is used the camera automatically switches to standard i TTL This mode ignores the background and concentrates on whatever is under the camera s selected AF point For the most accurate flash output for a specific subject just set your camera to use its Spot meter and the flash will meter for the subject only In addition to the types of flash metering the camera also has five Flash modes that affect how it controls light We ll consider each of them shortly but first let s talk about how the shutter blades work when the flash fires This is basic information that will help you understand the Flash modes To fully know what s happening when the flash fires you must understand a little bit about the shutter curtains in your camera 751 What Are Monitor Preflashes When you press the Shutter release button with the pop up flash open the camera s built in Speedlight fires several brief preflashes and then fires the main flash burst These preflashes fire whenever your camera is set to TTL mode even if your D300 S is controlling multiple flash units through CLS discussed in an upcoming section The camera can determine a very accurate exposure by lighting your subject with a preflash adjusting the exposure and then firing the main flash burst
386. it Mr Super Duper is hoping you won t check the fine print at the bottom of the advertisement so that you ll think his much less powerful unit equals the Nikon SB 400 Surprisingly there are flash unit manufacturers who will do exactly what I am describing What can you learn from this The actual GN itself is not enough to make a decision on which flash unit to use You must know what the GN is based on in order to make an informed decision Take your time when buying a flash unit You re safe in sticking with Nikon s Speedlights since the ratings are well known and they re designed to support all the features of your D300 S There are also excellent aftermarket flash units available from manufacturers like Vivitar Sigma Sunpak Metz Braun Leitz and others Examine the underlying settings and not just the guide number itself What the GN is based on is as important as the actual number 749 For comparison purposes the GN of the D300 S s pop up Speedlight is 56 feet or 17 meters at ISO 200 Nikon s flagship Speedlight the SB 900 is 157 5 feet or 48 meters at ISO 200 Obviously the larger external flash unit has a lot more power and can light up subjects that are farther away Technical Guide Number Information For those technically minded among us the GN is based on a specific formula GN distance x f number It is based on the inverse square law which states that doubling the GN requires four tim
387. itched sound is not very loud while the high pitched sound is quite audible The camera s self timer Beep function lets you know when the Self timer delayed shutter is about to fire It counts down the seconds with a beep or two per second then at the last moment it doubles the beeping frantically as if to say Hurry up Here are the settings you will find under Beep in the Custom Setting Menu see Figure 4 31 High Low and Off 316 If Beep is enabled the camera will let you know when you have focused successfully in Single servo Autofocus AF S by beeping once It does not beep in Continuous servo Autofocus AF C since it would be beeping constantly as the focus adjusts to the subject Also if you have Custom setting a2 gt AF S priority selection configured to Release priority the beep will not sound for autofocus in AF S When Beep is active you ll see a little musical note displayed in the top Control panel and also in the Information display Here are the screens and steps used to select one of Beep s three choices see Figure 4 31 D CUSTOM SETTING MENU d Shooting display Custom setting bank Beep gt Reset custom settings lt 32 Viewfinder grid display y a Autofocus 43 Viewfinder warning display fe b Metering exposure 44 Screen tips c Timers AE lock 45 CL mode shooting speed LT Shooting displ 6 Max continuous release e Bracketing flash dl File number sequence f Controls IE
388. ith how your photography will benefit most from the Multi CAM 3500DX AF system What Is the Multi CAM 3500DX Autofocus Module The Multi CAM 3500DX autofocus AF module is a thoroughly improved third generation version of the excellent Multi CAM 1000 autofocus module found in the Nikon D200 Where the Multi CAM 1000 is limited to only 11 AF sensors the Multi CAM 3500DX has 51 In Figure 11 1 you can see what the new AF module looks like As we proceed through this chapter I m going to call the Multi CAM 3500DX autofocus module by the simpler name of AF Module The AF Module has three AF area modes 709 Single point AF Dynamic area AF Auto area AF It also has three Focus modes Single servo or S mode Continuous servo or C mode CL and CH Manual or M mode Figure 11 1 Multi CAM 3500DX autofocus module What s the difference Basically think of the AF area modes as where the AF Module focuses and the Focus modes as how it focuses The D300 S also allows you to control how fast and how often a picture is taken We ll look at how the shutter frame rate was called motor drive works in relation to the AF system With the controls built into the D300 S s body you ll be able to select whether the AF Module uses one or many of the 51 AF sensors to find your subject You ll also select whether the camera grabs the focus and locks on a static subject or whether it continuously seeks new fo
389. ith style and why the word was invented 73 After Delete User s Manual D300S page 251 D300 page 251 If you delete an image during playback one of your other images will display on the camera s Monitor The After delete function lets you select which image is displayed after you delete an image The camera can display the next image in line or the previous image or it can detect which direction you were scrolling forward or backward and let that determine which image shows after you delete another The three selections on the After delete menu are Show next Show previous and Continue as before see Figure 2 26 i PLAYBACK MENU g After delete Delete j Playback folder Hide image W Display mode a e cy EE Show previous Image review ON a E Xa Continue as before i Rotate tall i Slide show Figure 2 26 After delete screens Show next If you delete an image and it wasn t the last image on the memory card the camera will display the next image on the Monitor If you delete the last image on the card the previous image will be displayed Show next is the factory default behavior of the D300 S since most people 74 would prefer to see the next picture However if you feel differently one of the next two settings may appeal to you Show previous If you delete the first image on the memory card the camera will display the next image If you delete an image somewhere i
390. ithout overpowering the ambient light In a situation where there is very little ambient light the camera will use only the flash to get a correct exposure It only balances with ambient light if there is enough ambient light to balance with in the first place Figure 12 3 Front curtain sync There is a side effect to using this mode with slow shutter speeds Front curtain sync simply causes the flash to fire as soon as the front shutter curtain is out of the way and before the rear shutter curtain starts closing If there is some ambient light and the shutter speed is long like 1 2 second and the subject is moving you ll see a well exposed subject with a blurry trail in front of it The flash correctly exposes the 754 subject as soon as the front curtain gets out of the way but the ambient light continues exposing the subject before the rear curtain closes and since it is moving you may see a ghostlike blur before or in front of the well exposed moving subject in the picture This can be seen at shutter speeds as fast as 1 60s if ambient light is strong enough and the subject is moving Red Eye Reduction Red eye reduction is not really a flash mode see Figure 12 4 It simply means that the AF assist illuminator shines brightly in the face of your subject before the flash fires using Front curtain sync mode It is hoped that the bright AF assist illuminator will cause your subject s pupils to close somewhat and reduce th
391. ive exposure uses the next higher level of Active D Lighting Here are the screens and steps used to select an Auto bracketing set type see Figure 4 55 5 CUSTOM SETTING MENU Bracketing flash a lt Custom setting bank A It Bi Flash sync speed a DReset custom settings 2 e2 Flash shutter speed 7 a Autofocus e3 33 Flash cntrl for builtin flash lp AE only E Flashonly W WEB bracketing m ADL bracketing b Metering exposure u flash c Timers AE lock g s bracketing Mode M e Bracketingflash amp 7 Bracketing order f Controls 11 switch 363 Figure 4 55 Auto bracketing set 1 Select e Bracketing flash from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 55 image 1 2 Highlight Auto bracketing set and scroll to the right see Figure 4 55 image 2 3 Choose one of the five choices on the list In Figure 4 55 image 3 AE amp flash has been selected Please note that the D300S adds a new type of bracketing called ADL bracketing which allows you to do a bracket with Active D Lighting ADL bracketing is not available on the D300 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Now let s look into how the various bracketing systems work We ll first examine which button to use when starting Auto bracketing and then look at the actual bracketing functions How to Use the Auto Bracketing System Bracketing Explained In order to use Auto bracketing properly you must firs
392. ject Please read that chapter very carefully It is important that you learn to control the White balance settings well A lot of what you ll be doing during in computer post processing requires a good understanding of white balance control Many people leave their cameras set to Auto White balance This works fine most of the time since the camera is quite capable of rendering accurate color However it s hard to get exactly the same white balance in each consecutive picture when you are using Auto mode The camera has to make a new white balance decision for each picture when in Auto This can cause the white balance to vary from picture to picture 153 For many of us this isn t a problem However if you are shooting in studio for a product shot I m sure your client will want the pictures to be the same color as the product White balance lets you control that carefully when needed Here are the screens and steps to select a White balance setting see Figure 3 17 a SHOOTING MENU White balance White balance 10a PEG compression j c Le E NEF RAW recording Incandescent y White balance 10 Fluorescent Set Picture Control E Direct sunlight Manage Picture Control Flash HE Color space 2 oud Active D Lighting amp Shade F M Long exp NR IKA E Choose color temp Adjust OK Figure 3 17 White balance screens 1 Select White balance from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose a W
393. k A ro c1 Shutter release button AEL OFF I p WReset custom settings p to meterott delay Dis a Autofocus tj c3 Selftimer delay lja di Beep TE Shooting display IE 42 Viewfinder srid display OFF Bracketing flash 43 Viewfinder warning display ON f Controls kd 441 mode shooting speed 3 a b Metering exposure Figure 4 30 Monitor off delay D300 only 313 1 Select c Timers AE lock from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 30 image 1 2 Highlight Monitor off delay and scroll to the right see Figure 4 30 image 2 3 Choose one of the five time out choices on the list In Figure 4 30 image 3 10 s has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I set Monitor off delay to 1 min for Playback Information display and Image review on my D3008S I set the D300S Menus time out to 5 min since I like to scroll around for longer periods as I set various settings in the menus With my D300 I select 1 min which sets that time out for all display types If you want to conserve battery power leave the Monitor off delay set to a low value like 4 to 20 seconds The longer the monitor stays on the shorter the battery life so only extend the monitor time if you really need it Like a small notebook computer screen that big luxurious 3 inch VGA resolution LCD pulls a lot of power The Monitor and Control panel backlights are probably the biggest power drains in
394. k mode Playback Mode Shooting mode Custom setting f2 D300S and fl D300 Thumbnail on off Playback Mode View histograms Playback Mode Zoom on off View histograms Multi CAM 3500DX AF Module Multi CAM 3500DX Autofocus What Is the Multi CAM 3500DX Autofocus Module Single servo AF Mode S Single servo AF Mode S Continuous servo AF Mode C Single Point AF Example of Use Dynamic area AF Dynamic area AF Quiet Q Mode D300S only Self Timer Mode 830 AF Area modes Continuous servo AF Mode C Auto area AF Dynamic area AF Continuous servo AF mode Single servo AF Mode S Dynamic area AF Single Point AF Example of Use Focus modes What Is the Multi CAM 3500DX Autofocus Module Mirror up mode Self Timer Mode Release modes Dynamic area AF Self timer mode Quiet Q Mode D300S only Single servo AF mode Single servo AF Mode S Multiple exposure Live View Mode Multiple Exposure Auto gain Multiple Exposure My Menu My Menu and Recent Settings My Menu Remove Items Remove Items Rank Items Choose Tab Add items My Menu Choose tab Rank Items Rank items Remove Items Recent settings Choose Tab Remove items Remove Items 831 N NEF RAW Image Quality RAW Files Aren t Images Yet Positives vs Negatives RAW Files Aren t Images Yet NEF RAW JPEG fine normal basic TIFF Negatives NEF RAW processing D300S Image Overlay NEF RAW recording JPEG Compression NEF RAW Type
395. k of the D300 S instead of the Viewfinder to compose the image The AF Module supports 10 Custom settings al al0 We ve examined each of those Custom settings in the chapter titled Chapter 4 Also see the chapter called Chapter 3 for more information on how to use the Shooting menu banks Let s consider the various features of the Multi CAM 3500DX AF Module in detail 712 Understanding the Focus Modes AF Area Modes and Release Modes User s Manual D300S page 61 D300 page 61 The D300 S has distinct modes for how and when to focus We ll examine each of those modes as a starting point in our understanding of autofocus with the Multi CAM 3500DX AF Module We ll tie together information about the Focus modes AF area modes and Release modes since they work together to acquire and maintain good focus on your subject This chapter goes deeper than merely looking at the AF Module alone since other related camera functions like the Release modes directly affect how the AF system performs Figure 11 2 shows the four controls we ll use in combination to change how the camera focuses and captures images The caption helps you identify each control Notice in Figure 11 2 image 4 that the Multi Selector has a locking ring around it At the top left of the ring you ll see a dot and an L Move the switch to the dot setting which unlocks the internal AF sensor point in use Otherwise you won t be able to move
396. kon Creative Lighting System executed by your camera s Commander mode and external Speedlight flashes will allow you to shoot without worrying so much about detailed exposure issues Instead you can concentrate on creating a great looking image 778 Thank You Pd like to express my personal appreciation to you for buying this book and for sticking with me all the way to the end of it I sincerely hope that is has been useful to you and that you ll recommend my books to your Nikon using friends Keep on capturing time 7119 Credits for Chapter Opening Images Chapter 1 Apples Courtesy of Neale Dyster Digitwized Tamar Valley in Northern Tasmania Australia These are my favourite of the many varieties of apples in our next door neighbour s extensive orchard 780 Chapter 2 Red Tailed Hawk Courtesy of Doug Sipes Dsipes Rocky Mountain National Arsenal now a wildlife refuge near Denver CO USA This image is of a year old female Red Tailed Hawk taken just outside a lean to that was sheltering the birds from the sun 781 Chapter 3 F 22 Raptor Courtesy of Norman Paratore carlysgranddad Naval Air Station Oceana air show in Virginia Beach VA USA I got lucky with this shot and had blue sky as a back ground Weather was windy and humidity high thus the condensation accumulating on the front of the plane 782 Chapter 4 Bikes Catch Air Courtesy of Ken Rutt raxafarian Wi
397. l I have some older AF Nikkors that I still like using so I keep them locked at their smallest aperture settings and use the Sub command dial to change their 414 apertures I don t adjust apertures with the old aperture ring on the lens unless I m using older non CPU manual focus AI or AI S lenses Menus and playback This setting is designed for those who do not like to use the Multi Selector for viewing image Playback or Info screens It also allows one to use the Command dials for scrolling though menus There are two selections for how the menus and image playback work when you would rather not use the Multi Selector On While viewing images during playback turning the Main command dial to the left or right scrolls through the displayed images Turning the Sub command dial left or right scrolls through the data and histogram screens for each image While viewing menus turning the Main command dial left or right scrolls up or down in the screens Turning the Sub command dial left or right scrolls left or right in the menus The Multi Selector button works normally even when this is set to On This setting simply allows you two ways to view your images and menus instead of one Off This is the default action The Multi Selector is used to scroll through images and menus When using either of these settings you can press the OK button or the Multi selector center button to make a selection 415 ee 8 Cust
398. l Most of us don t need it What Is Mired Mired changes simply modify the color of your image in this case toward amber reddish or blue In effect it warms or cools the image The color changes are applied directly to the image by the camera when shooting JPEGs or are saved as a marker when shooting RAW images You 372 don t have to worry about mired values unless you are a color scientist You can just determine whether you like the image the way it is or would prefer that it be warmer or cooler and bracket accordingly In WB bracketing the A direction warms while the b direction cools Technically mired is calculated by multiplying the inverse of the color temperature by 106 Pd rather let my camera figure mired values and then judge them with my eye wouldn t you Remember if you shoot in RAW you can modify color values later in your computer Otherwise they are applied permanently to JPEG files ADL Bracketing D300S only ADL bracketing ADL Active D Lighting is available only in the D300S not the D300 It is designed to let you shoot a normal image and then a series of up to four additional images with Active D Lighting applied at progressively higher levels to each As you set ADL bracketing from two to five shots you are setting the camera to switch to a higher ADL level for each consecutive shot The progressive levels are Off Low Normal High and Extra High Here are the steps to use
399. l images Every image you take is written to both the primary and secondary memory cards at the same time You have an automatic backup system when you use the Backup function If you are a computer geek like me you ll recognize this as RAID 1 or drive 114 mirroring Since your camera is very much a computer a function like this is great to have Be sure that both cards are of equal capacity or that the secondary card is larger than the primary when you use this function Otherwise you ll have reduced capacity shown for the primary card Since the camera is required to write a duplicate image to each card the smallest card in the two slots sets the maximum capacity of the camera s storage RAW primary JPEG secondary For those who like to shoot NEF RAW files this function can save some time You ll have a JPEG for immediate use and a RAW file for later post processing When you take a picture the camera will write the RAW file to the primary card and a JPEG file to the secondary card There is no choice in this arrangement RAW always goes to primary and JPEG to secondary Also this function only works as described when you have Shooting Menu gt Image quality set to some form of NEF RAW JPEG If you set Image quality to just NEF RAW or JPEG fine alone instead of NEF RAW JPEG fine the camera will simply write a duplicate file to both cards instead of a RAW on one and a JPEG on the other In other words if I
400. l notice that just below Group B there is a Channel CH selection The number factory default is the communication channel your D300 S expects to use to talk to the external flash groups There are four channels available just in case you happen to be working in the vicinity of another Nikon user who is also 768 using Commander mode By using separate channels you won t interfere with each other Note It is important to realize that all external flashes in all groups must be on the same channel This involves setting up your individual flash units to respond on a particular channel Se 3 Flash cntrl for built in flash gt Commander mode Ld Mode Comp C Bbuiltinflash TTL S O me Group A i Group B i Channel 1 OCH Move Set ONOK Figure 12 12 Channel selection They might be in separate groups but must be on the same channel Each external Speedlight flash will have its own method for selecting a Group and Channel You ll need to acquire Mike Hagen s book or read the user s manual for your flash unit Now let s look at the flash units you can choose for your Nikon D300 S 769 Selecting a Nikon Speedlight Flash Unit Nikon makes several Speedlight units that work very well with the Nikon D300 S I personally have used the SB 400 SB 600 SB 800 and SB 900 units with the D300 S There are also the R1C1 flash units SB R200 which are designed to be used in small groups such as for a ring l
401. l of si i fi ey 2 Multi selector center button t Thumbnail on off EFE View histograms Q Zoom on off 5 Choose slot and folder Figure 4 66 Multi selector center button Playback mode 4 Choose one of the four choices on the list In Figure 4 66 image 4 View histograms has been chosen If you choose Zoom on off you ll need to scroll to the right and select one of the three sub settings see Figure 4 67 in the upcoming sub section section called Zoom on off If you select Choose slot and folder in the D300S or Choose folder in the D300 you ll need to be aware of some additional screens your camera can present See Figure 4 68 and Figure4 69 in the upcoming sub sections called Choose slot and folder D300S or Choose folder D300 5 Press the OK button to lock in the setting 389 There are four selections in Playback mode as follows see Figure 4 66 image 4 Thumbnail on off This feature allows you to switch from viewing one image on your camera s Monitor to viewing multiple thumbnails instead It s a toggle so you can press the Multi selector center button to turn thumbnail view on and off View histograms I discovered this really cool feature while I was writing a previous book and immediately switched to it as my default setting I love this It shows a yellow luminance histogram which seems to most closely represent the green channel of the RGB When the Multi selector c
402. l playback zoom out button while using the Multi Selector to move to the position of the error Push the garbage can Delete button on the back of the camera to remove the bad character 5 Press the OK button to save the new name Excellent You ve labeled bank A with a more meaningful name so that you can quickly recognize this customizable bank of functions I named bank A General Purpose on my camera to help match the Shooting menu bank by the same name Once again this is completely optional 248 Note The D300S provides a selection on the Information display edit screen for choosing or renaming a Custom setting bank Press the Info button twice Choose Custom A D then select or rename the bank Custom setting bank PAE eneral Purpose OK 7 B Best Quality RAW C Best Quality JPEG Figure 4 3 D300S Info display edit screen Custom setting bank 249 Reset Custom Settings If you ever get a hankering to start fresh with a particular bank you can return to the factory default settings with Reset custom settings Make sure that you are resetting the correct bank before you use this function The bank name that appears just above Reset custom settings next to Custom setting bank is the one you are about to reset a Autofocus b Metering exposure c Timers AE lock d Shooting display e Bracketing flash f Controls Figure 4 4 Reset Custom setting bank A Here are the steps to Reset the curre
403. lable settings on the Rotate tall menu see Figure 2 27 On When you take a vertical image the camera will rotate it so that you don t have to turn your camera to view it naturally during playback This resizes the view of the image so that a vertical image fits in the horizontal frame of the Monitor The image will be a bit smaller than normal When you first view the image after taking it the camera does not rotate it since it assumes you are still holding the camera in a vertical orientation It also senses which end of the camera is up Shutter release button up or down and displays the image accordingly Off Vertical images are left in a horizontal direction lying on their side you ll need to turn the camera to view them as they were taken This provides a slightly larger view of a portrait orientation image Here are the three steps to choose a Rotate tall setting see Figure 2 27 1 Choose Rotate tall from the Playback Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select On or Off from the Rotate tall screen 3 Press the OK button There is another camera function that affects how this works It s called Auto image rotation under the Setup Menu We ll 78 discuss this function more deeply in the chapter titled Chapter 5 Auto image rotation causes the camera to record the angle at which you are holding it as part of the image s metadata Auto image rotation should be set to On so that an image will repo
404. lay mode Image review R After delete 3 Pause gt OH g phe a Rotate tall Figure 2 29 Slide show screens Frame interval option Figure 2 29 shows the menu screens used to make the change Here are your choices 2s 2 seconds 35 3 seconds 5s3 5 seconds 10s 10 seconds 81 To start the slide show repeat the steps shown in Figure 2 28 after you ve made the time change as shown in Figure 2 29 The slide show will now run at your new speed My Recommendation I usually set the Frame interval to 3s If the images are especially beautiful I might set it to 5 seconds I ve found that 2s is not quite enough and 5s or 10s may be too long I wish we had a 4 second setting but 3s seems to work well most of the time There are several options that will affect how the images are displayed during the slide show None of these show up in the camera menus they are merely available through the camera s controls Your options are as follows Skip back Skip ahead During the slide show you can go back to the previous image for another viewing by simply pressing left on the Multi Selector You can also see the next image with no delay by pressing right on the Multi Selector This is just a quick way to skip images or review previous images without stopping the slide show View additional photo info While the slide show is running you can press up or down on the Multi Selector to view the addit
405. ld Rat Raceway near Colorado Springs CO USA Motocross riders catching some air 783 Chapter 5 Dawn on El Capitan Courtesy of Russ Glindmeier russg Valley View in Yosemite Valley CA USA This is a High Dynamic Range HDR image combining three exposures two stops apart each with a minus one stop exposure compensation 784 Chapter 6 Free Climber Courtesy of Octavian Radu Topai Tavi Retezat National Park in Romania My colleague climbing with no rope on a granite wall had an interesting silhouette over the defocused background the valley behind 785 Chapter 7 Maine Coon Cat Courtesy of Cindie Fearnall Gips7 This photo was taken indoors on an overcast day using only window light Sir Galahad was positioned next to a South facing window and in front of a black backdrop 786 Chapter 8 Sol Duc Valley Stream Courtesy of Daniel Stainer spiritualized67 Sol Duc Valley Stream in Olympic National Park Washington State USA It had just rained and the sky was starting to brighten when I captured this iconic scene Rainforest location makes natural vibrant greens 787 Chapter 9 Father and Son Courtesy of LaDonna France Huizinga Cookies35 My brother in law is sheltering the head of his second born in his dimly lit living room The extra hand in the picture is his grandmother s I didn t even realize there was one too many hands until book submission time 788 Chapte
406. lder setting please keep your folder numbers lower than 999 if you are going to shoot more than 999 images that day or if your number sequence in that folder is about to exceed 9999 Read this paragraph over 999 times and you ll understand just what I m talking about Information Display Shooting Info Display Custom setting d8 D300S and d7 D300 User s Manual D300S page 278 D300 page 284 Information display in the D300S or Shooting info display in the D300 is a function that allows your camera to automatically sense how much ambient light is in the area where you are shooting If the ambient light is bright the color of the physical Information display or Shooting info 332 display will be bright also so that it can overcome the ambient light The D300S and D300 vary the name of this setting significantly The D300S calls this function Information display to more closely match newer sibling cameras while the older D300 simply calls it Shooting info display It does the same thing no matter what you call it The D300S adds a second screen I call the Information display edit screen which we discussed a few pages back That second screen is not available in the D300 The Information display edit screen s color is not affected by the Information display setting on the D300S The D300S also has an extra button when compared to the D300 On the D300 you have the Protect Help Info button On the D30
407. le HDMI cable ends look like Unfortunately you ll have to purchase an HDMI cable since this is not included in the box with your D300S You ll need to use a mini HDMI Type C to HDMI Standard Type A cable And of course you ll need to plug your HDMI cable into the correct port on the D300S Here s a look at the port you ll need to use with your HDMI Mini Type C connector see Figure 8 19 623 Figure 8 19 Mini HDMI port on D300S Once plugged in here are the steps to display a video on your HDTV 1 Turn your camera off temporarily Why take a chance on blowing up your camera from a static spark 2 Open the rubber flap on the left side of your D300S and insert the mini HDMI Type C cable end into the HDMI port see Figure 8 19 3 Insert the HDMI Standard Type A cable end into one of your HDTV s HDMI ports Both video and sound are carried on this one cable 4 Your HDTV may have multiple HDMI ports and you may have other devices connected like a cable box or 624 satellite receiver When you plug the D300S s HDMI cable into your HDTV be sure to select that input or you won t see the D300S s video output You may have to select the input from your remote or use another method If in doubt check your HDTV s manual If your TV only has one HDMI port please ignore this step 5 Turn on the camera and press the Playback button then locate the video you want to show off 6 Press the
408. le Shooting Menu functions do so that you can decide how to set Shooting menu bank A You can of course configure each of these items in a completely different way using Shooting menu banks B through D and give each bank a different name to help you remember the special configuration as my recommendations clearly show Note The Shooting Menu items Multiple exposure and Interval timer shooting affect all four Shooting menu banks at once So if you change either of these settings it will affect all four banks A D simultaneously The other settings affect only the bank your camera is currently using 101 Reset Shooting Menu User s Manual D300S page 256 D300 page 257 Be careful with this selection Reset shooting menu does what it says it resets the Shooting Menu for the currently selected bank only back to factory default settings see Figure 3 4 This is a rather simple process As shown in image 2 of Figure 3 4 simply choose Yes or No and press the OK button That s about it If you select Yes the Shooting menu bank you re currently using will be reset to factory defaults Note This function resets all functions in a particular Shooting menu bank including the Multiple exposure and Interval timer shooting settings If you remember from the last section these two functions apply across all four Shooting menu banks This may be a problem if you have carefully configured one of your banks for either of those
409. lease button halfway down to get good focus and the rest of the way down to take the picture Either of these methods will solve the age old autofocus problem of having a perfectly focused background with out of focus subjects caused by the center AF point concentrating on the background between the subjects Many of us will use Single point AF mode most of the time It works particularly well for static or slowly moving subjects When I m out shooting beautiful nature images or at a party shooting pictures of my friends Pll use Single point AF along with Single frame release mode S almost exclusively If I m shooting a wedding where the bride and groom are walking slowly up the aisle Single point AF and Continuous low speed release mode CL seem to work well for me Single Point AF Example of Use If a subject is not moving like a tree or a standing person then Single point AF and S release mode Single frame will allow you to acquire focus Once the focus is acquired the AF Module will lock focus on the subject and it will not change If the subject moves your focus may no longer be perfect and you ll need to recompose while releasing and then pressing the Shutter release button halfway down Often if the subject is moving very slowly or sporadically I won t even use CL release mode Continuous low but will leave the camera in S release mode I ll tap the Shutter release button halfway to acquire focus when the subje
410. lease realize that it will disable the Selected button command dials feature of the camera You ll see a warning on the screen when you set it but by then it will have turned the Selected button command dials to None If you then go back and try to set a value under Selected button command dials the camera will give you a warning and set the Selected button function to None Both cannot be used at the same time i e they are mutually exclusive Selected button command dials 1 step spd aperture Fn button dials and Preview button command dials only If you have Custom setting b2 EV steps for exposure cntrl set to 1 3 step like most photographers you can change your camera s shutter speed and or aperture in 1 3 EV steps while in A Aperture priority S Shutter priority and M Manual However you may want to use larger EV steps 407 occasionally By setting 1 step spd aperture you can hold down the Selected button and the camera will then allow you to change the shutter speed or aperture in 1 step increments 1 EV step instead of the normal 1 3 step Example shutter speeds in 1 3 EV steps are 1 60 1 80 1 100 1 125 1 160 Example shutter speeds in 1 EV step are 1 60 1 125 1 250 1 500 1 1000 This cannot be assigned to AE L AF L button command dials Choose non CPU lens number If you have configured non CPU lenses under the camera s Setup Menu gt Non CPU lens data then you ll be able to h
411. led down with the Multi Selector see Figure 7 7 image 1 This action moved the yellow positioning underline down to the bottom of the list Figure 7 7 image 1 red arrow I pressed the OK button to select the new position and Set Picture Control appeared at the bottom of the list see Figure 7 7 image 2 5 The new position is what I wanted so I pressed the Menu Button returned to the main My Menu screen see Figure 7 7 image 3 577 Choose Tab Choose tab allows you to switch between using My Menu or Recent Settings Both menus have the Choose tab selection as their last menu choice Here are the screens and steps to switch between these two menus see Figure 7 8 1 At the bottom of My Menu select Choose tab and scroll to the right see Figure 7 8 image 1 co MYMENU Choose tab e di0Exposure delay mode 2 Set Picture Control v Add items Remove items 4 Rank items RECENT SETTINGS e 43 Dynamic AF area 2 Color space o ISO sensitivity settings White balance Image quality i dilExposure delay mode L E Recent settings Active D Lighting A Choose tab Figure 7 8 Moving between My Menu and Recent settings 2 You ll now have a choice between My Menu 578 and Recent settings Choose Recent settings and press the OK button see Figure 7 8 image 2 3 The Recent Settings screen will now appear completely replacing My Menu on the main menu screen see Figure 7 8 image 3 Noti
412. lens data function allows you to do exactly that You can store information for up to nine separate non CPU lenses within this section of the D300 S Here are the screens and steps to configure each of your non CPU lenses for usage within Non CPU lens data Figure 5 38 507 1 Select Non CPU lens data from the Setup Menu and then scroll to the right 2 Scroll down to Lens number and scroll left or right until you find the number you want to use for this particular lens 3 Scroll down to Focal length mm and scroll left or right to select the focal length of the lens If this is a zoom lens just select the widest setting This works okay since the meter will adjust for any light falloff that may occur as the lens is zoomed out SETUP MENU Non CPU lens data A Image authentication ra OFF j iy Copyright information ON Save load settings Done Lens number irtual horizon Focal length mm ep Non CPU lens data No 1 Maximum aperture AF fine tune Firmware version Move Set Figure 5 38 Non CPU lens screens with lens No 1 showing 4 Scroll down to Maximum aperture and scroll left or right to select the maximum aperture of the lens If this is a variable aperture zoom lens just select the largest aperture the lens can use This works fine since the meter will adjust for the variation in the aperture 5 Scroll to Done and press the OK button to store the setting Here s a more detailed analysis of the
413. lets the image speak for itself as to orientation while Rotate tall lets the camera listen to the image and display it in the proper orientation 465 Off If Auto image rotation is turned Off the vertical image will be displayed as a horizontal image lying on its side in your computer software The top of the image will be on the left or right according to how you held the hand grip up or down when you took the picture The camera does not record orientation information with the image It will display as a horizontal image even if you have set the Playback Menu gt Rotate tall function set to On Here are the screens and steps used to set the Auto image rotation function see Figure 5 20 a SETUP MENU Auto image rotation Image comment ON j 2 Auto image rotation ON en Battery info Lu On Wireless transmitter R Image authentication Copyright information Save load settings Figure 5 20 Auto image rotation 1 Select Auto image rotation from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose On or Off and press the OK button to lock in your selection If you re shooting in Continuous frame advance mode CL or CH the position in which you hold your camera for the first shot sets the direction the images are displayed 466 My Recommendation If you want your images to be displayed correctly on your camera s Monitor and in your computer you ll need to be sure that Auto image rotation is set to O
414. like to know how many pictures I ve taken with each camera Since I use the Shooting Menu gt File naming function to add three letters reflecting the current number of times my camera has rolled over 9999 images e g _1DY9999 NEF _2DY9999 NEF or 3DY9999 NEF I m better able to determine how many images I ve taken with the camera I just have to be careful to change the IDY to 2DY when the image File number sequence rolls over from 9999 to 0001 How Many Images The User s Manual describes an unusual situation that few of us will ever see However just in case you leave your frame rate set to CH and never let up on the Shutter release button you might want to read this paragraph carefully Each time you exceed 999 images in a folder the camera will create a new folder If your current folder is number 999 and either has 999 images or an image is numbered 331 9999 your camera will stop responding to Shutter release button presses I guess it figures that you ve taken quite enough images in this session The only way you ll get your camera to take more pictures is to set File number sequence to Reset and format or insert a new memory card Basically you should never number a folder up as high as 999 and then shoot over 999 images or let the camera s running total of images exceed 9999 in a folder numbered 999 Next time you manually create a folder or set up Active folder numbering Shooting Menu gt Active fo
415. ll aware of the consequences of shooting without a focus guarantee then use this setting to make 254 your camera take a picture every time you press the Shutter release button Your camera will shoot at its maximum frames per second FPS rate since it is not hampered by the time it takes to validate that each picture is in correct focus You ll need to decide whether taking the image is more important than it being in focus We ll discuss why the Release and Release focus functions exist in an upcoming section titled Using Custom settings al and a2 Release focus This function slows the frame rate for improved focus when the light is low or the subject has little contrast with its surroundings but it still allows the shutter to fire even if it cannot find a good focus point Release still has priority over Focus but the camera tries to focus before releasing the shutter Focus This setting is designed to prevent your camera from taking a picture when the Viewfinder s green in focus indicator is off In other words if the picture is not in focus the shutter will not release It does not mean that the camera will always focus on the correct subject It simply means that your camera must focus on something before it will allow the shutter to release Nikon cameras do a very good job with autofocus so you can usually depend on the AF module to perform well The Focus setting will drastically increase the chances t
416. ll setting see Figure 2 2 or Figure 2 3 Be a little more careful about this particular function 40 PLAYBACK MENU gy Delete py Delete i l 2 Playback folder Hide image Display mode 7 Copy image s ALL All gt After delete Rotate tall fom Selected gy Delete SD card slot All images in all folders CCF CF card slot will be deleted 0 SD SD card slot No Figure 2 2 D300S Delete all images PLAYBACK MENU Delete pa Delete ye Playback folder Hide image has Display mode T D All pictures in all folders Image review After delete F Rotate tall E Slide show will be deleted OK Figure 2 3 D300 Delete all images All This is like a card format except that it will not delete existing folders only images As mentioned previously it will not delete protected or hidden images This is a quick way to format your card while maintaining a favorite folder structure 41 Here are the steps to delete All images on the current memory card 1 To delete all images in all folders simply select All as shown in Figure 2 2 for the D300S or 1B for the D300 2 The D300S adds an additional screen at this point since it has two memory cards see Figure 2 2 image 3 On the D300S you must select either the SD or CF memory card slot for image deletion The D300 is simpler since it only has one memory card so there is one less screen to step through as shown in Figure 2 3
417. ll the time Or you could select W Manual for the darker less colorful screen LCD Illumination Custom setting d9 D300S and d8 D300 336 User s Manual D300S page 278 D300 page 285 LCD illumination is a simple setting that allows you to set how the illumination of the Control panel LCD backlight works When it s on the Control panel lights up in green Here are the two choices and how they work Off If you leave LCD illumination set to Off the Control panel will not turn on its backlight unless you tell it to with the backlight on setting on the ring surrounding the Shutter release button If you use your shutter finger to pull the Power switch all the way to the right the Control panel will light up see Figure 4 43 On This setting makes the Control panel illumination come on anytime the exposure meter is active If you are shooting a lot in the dark and need to refer to the Control panel often then switch this setting to On Figure 4 43 LCD illumination 337 Here are the screens and steps used to configure LCD illumination see Figure 4 44 TS CUSTOM SETTING MENU __dShooting display al Custom setting bank Pm LCD illumination a Reset custom settings i gy dlExposure delay mode sy a Autofocus 1 MB D10 battery type b Metering exposure E Battery order ooting display WP c2Flash shutter speed e Bracketing flash be e3Flash trl for built in flash TTL f Controls BD 24
418. lock in the setting My Recommendation The simplest setting to use is Auto since that lets the camera determine whether there is enough light coming through the Viewfinder for you to see the AF point s at the start of autofocus If you want to force the AF point s to flash each time you start autofocus or move the point s with the Multi Selector you can set AF point illumination to On I wouldn t leave this set to Off unless I was in a consistently lighted studio where the Viewfinder has good contrast Focus Point Wrap Around Custom setting a7 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 267 D300 page 272 Focus point wrap around allows you to control how AF point scrolling on the Viewfinder works When you are scrolling your selected AF point to the right or left or even up and down in the array of 51 points it will eventually come to the edge of the Viewfinder area This setting allows you to set whether the AF point simply stops when it gets to the edge or scrolls to the opposite side If you are scrolling the AF point to the left and it reaches the far left side of the screen it will stop If Focus point wrap around is set to Wrap the point will not stop and will reappear on the right side of the screen It wraps around This setting works the same way in an up and down direction If you scroll off the top of the sensor area the AF point will reappear on the bottom when Wrap is enabled 274 Here are the sc
419. lossless The image is compressed and the size is reduced by 40 to 55 percent depending on the amount of detail in the image There is a small amount of data loss involved in this compression method Most people won t be able to see the loss since it doesn t affect the image visually I ve never really seen any loss in my images using this method However I ve read that some have noticed slightly less highlight detail Nikon says that this is a non reversible compression so once you ve taken an image using this mode any small amount of data loss is permanent If this concerns you then use the Lossless compressed method discussed above It won t compress the image quite as 144 much 20 to 40 percent but is guaranteed by Nikon to be a reversible compression that in no way affects the image NEF RAW Uncompressed No compression is applied to the image The main drawback to this mode is that your images will be quite large to store Each will be in the 20 megabyte range so it will take larger storage media to contain your images With Lossless compressed available I feel that this method is semi obsolete Nikon leaves it available for those who prefer it However why store a RAW file that s nearly twice as large when there s no benefit in doing so Here are the screens and steps to select one of the NEF RAW compression Types see Figure 3 14 B SHOOTING MENU IE NEF RAW recording _ __ BB NEF RAW rec
420. ly This is also the easiest method to change the camera s ISO sensitivity setting although it doesn t involve the Shooting Menu which we are now examining Here are the steps you ll use to manually adjust the camera s ISO sensitivity 1 Hold down the ISO button above the Release mode dial 2 Rotate the rear Main command dial counter clockwise to increase ISO sensitivity or clockwise to decrease sensitivity The ISO sensitivity number will show on the Control panel and in the Viewfinder Setting the ISO Sensitivity Settings You can also use Shooting Menu gt ISO sensitivity settings to change the camera s ISO sensitivity Figure 3 49 shows the three screens used select your favorite ISO sensitivity for the circumstances in which you find yourself Notice in image 3 of Figure 3 49 that you have a scrollable list of ISO sensitivity settings from Lo 1 100 ISO to Hi 1 6400 ISO The normal ISO range for the D300 S is ISO 200 to 3200 Select your needed ISO sensitivity from the list of available ISO sensitivity settings Here are the screens and steps to select an ISO sensitivity setting see Figure 3 49 210 o SHOOTING MENU ISO sensitivity settings eae ISO sensitivity settings Gy Active Dighting Ia SO sensitivity Lot gt ORE ey Long exp NR 1 ty High ISO NR o control OFF Lo 07 EAE 1150 sensitivity settings E aximum sensitivity 3200 L003 Live view mode shutter speed 1 30 200 TE Multiple expos
421. ly assisted you from that point When you enter P Flexible program mode you control only the aperture and the D300 S controls the shutter speed If you turn the Main command dial to the left the aperture gets smaller Turn it to the right and the aperture gets larger Nothing happens if you turn the Sub command dial Nikon only gave you control of the aperture in Flexible program mode Can you see why I say that Flexible program mode acts like A Aperture priority auto mode Counting Clicks in P Mode If your D300 S is in P mode and you turn the Main command dial to the right the camera goes into P mode and starts counting clicks to the right In order to get back into normal P mode you have to turn the Main command dial back to the left that same number of clicks up to 15 clicks The reason I know that the D300 S is actually counting clicks is that I decided to count along one day Here s what I did I set my camera to P mode and got into a darker area where the lens was at maximum aperture I then started cranking the Main command dial to the right which should increase the aperture Since I was already at maximum aperture the camera could not increase the aperture size so it just sat there counting clicks instead In 651 order for me to get back into P mode and remove the asterisk from the P I had to turn the Main command dial back to the left the exact number of clicks I turned to the right up to 15 cli
422. ly post processed in the computer It too is a balanced image setting but it applies minimal camera processing so that you ll have room to do more with the image later in the computer The NL control is lower in color saturation and has weaker shadows so the image will be less contrasty The effects of the NL and SD controls are harder to see in the book since there s not a marked difference However the NL control will give you a little extra dynamic range in each image due to more open shadows and slightly less saturated colors If you ve ever shot with Fuji NPS film or Kodak Portra negative films and liked them you ll like this control VI or Vivid is for the Fuji Velvia slide film lovers among us This setting places emphasis on saturating 162 primary colors for intense imagery The contrast is higher for striking shadow contrast and the sharpness is higher too If you are shooting JPEGs and want to try to imitate a saturated transparency film like Velvia this mode is for you If you look at the red block under the VI control in Figure 3 21 you ll see that it s pushed into deep saturation almost to the point of oversaturation Plus the greens and blues are extra strong That means your nature shots will look saturated and contrasty Be careful when you are shooting on a high contrast day such as in direct summer sunshine If you use the VI control then you may find that your images are too high in contrast I
423. m AUTO Incandescent Fluorescent Direct sunlight Flash Cloudy Shade K Choose color temp or PRE Preset manual from a previous ambient light white balance reading Please review the chapter titled Chapter 10 for detailed information on each of these selections There are some variations from Figure 6 13 s_ basic screens when you choose Fluorescent K or PRE Each of these settings has an additional screen of choices that you must select from The three screens are shown in Figure 6 14 Figure 6 15 and Figure 6 16 Here are explanations Fluorescent see Figure 6 14 You must choose from an additional screen of fluorescent types There are seven of them with names like Sodium vapor Warm white Cool white etc Each has a number assigned to it Figure 6 14 image 2 shows Cool white fluorescent which is number 4 on the list of seven fluorescent types Afterward you ll move to the fine tuning screen 552 K Choose color temp see Figure 6 15 This extra screen gives you a list of color temperatures to choose from Remember that color temperatures change how the image color looks by warming it reddish or cooling it bluish You can choose from a range of color temperatures 2500K to 10 000K PRE Preset manual This lets you choose a past White balance reading from using the PRE method on a white or gray card in the ambient light in which you are shooting See the chapter titled Chapter 10 for informa
424. m setting bank A ESG j p WReset custom settings fp T2Multi selector center button y a Autofocus 3 Multi b Metering exposure f Photo EE t5Assign Fn button t6 Assign preview button F Assign AE L AF L button 7 8 Customize command dials c Timers AE lock TE d Shooting display e Bracketing flash Figure 4 71 Photo info playback 1 Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 71 image 1 2 Highlight Photo info playback and scroll to the right see Figure 4 71 image 2 3 Choose one of the two selections from the list Figure 4 71 image 3 shows the factory default of left right for photo Playback and up down for Info viewing Choose the other selection to reverse the directions 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation Nikon seems to want to make the D300 S very flexible so that it can meet the needs of a wide range of user preferences I like the factory default of left right for image Playback and up down for Info viewing If you like it the other way just reverse it Simple enough 397 Assign Fn FUNC Button Custom Setting f5 D300S and f4 D300 User s Manual D300S page 292 D300 page 303 Assign Preview Button Custom Setting f6 D300S and f5 D300 User s Manual D300S page 296 D300 page 306 Assign AE L AF L Button Custom Setting f7 D300S and f6 D300 User s Manual D300S page 296 D3
425. mage as you could do within Nikon Capture NX2 or Photoshop However it is surprising just what you can accomplish with the Retouch Menu The D300S has 11 Retouch Menu selections while the D300 has eight Here is a list of each function and what it does D Lighting Opens up detail in the shadows and tends to protect highlight details from blowing out This is similar to the Shooting Menu gt Active D Lighting function but it s applied after the image is taken Red eye correction Removes the unwanted red eye effect caused by light from a flash reflecting back from the eyes of your human subjects Trim Creates a trimmed cropped copy of a selected photograph You can crop the image in several aspect ratios in the D300S including 1 1 3 2 4 3 5 4 and 16 9 The D300 only has 3 2 4 3 and 5 4 Monochrome Lets you convert your color images into monochrome There are three tints available including Black and white grays Sepia reddish and Cyanotype bluish Filter effects Allows you to warm up an image in a couple of ways First the Skylight filter effect removes blue Second the Warm filter adds a warm red cast 528 Color balance You can change the color balance of your image by increasing or decreasing the amount of Green Blue Amber and Magenta Image overlay This creates a new image by overlaying two existing NEF RAW files Basically you can combin
426. mage leans in one direction or another as the camera or subject moves This is often seen at the edges of buildings and other static objects Wobble This effect is harder to describe The whole image wobbles in a strange way It looks like the top of the image is out of sync with the middle and bottom of the image Since video is a moving picture the whole video can wobble back and forth in a very unnatural and dizzying way Partial Exposure If another camera s flash goes off during the shot the burst of light may only be present for some of the rows of pixels in a particular frame The top part of the frame may be brightly lit by the flash while the bottom part appears dark The partial exposure appears as a bright band in one or a few frames depending on how long the brighter light lasts Some older forms of fluorescent light have slow ballasts and can cause the video to have a series of moving bands as the light flickers Our eyes can t see it but the fast video captures it well If you are shooting images of an ambulance with its light flashing it too can cause banding Anything that has intense bursts of light for short periods may cause partially exposed bands to appear in the video To understand skew and wobble better let s compare our camera to a desktop scanner It works in a similar way If you 627 place a paper document on a scanner and press the scan button you ll see the little row of light under
427. mage quality is set to NEF RAW the camera will write two NEF files if set to JPEG two JPG files and if set to TIFF RGB two TIF files one on each card Basically unless you set Shooting Menu gt Image quality to some form of NEF RAW JPEG this function acts like the Backup function mentioned previously 115 Here are the screens and steps to choose one of the Secondary slot functions including Overflow Backup or RAW primary JPEG secondary see Figure 3 9 SHOOTING MENU Secondary slot function Shooting menu bank f yA Reset shooting menu t fala Overflow OW CHE Backup Gi n h E ucak o oy viel RAW primary JPEG secondary Image quality RAW Image size l Figure 3 9 D300S Choosing the Secondary slot function 1 Select Secondary slot function from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose one of the three selections we discussed previously from the Secondary slot function screen 3 Press the OK button to lock it in for use My Recommendation When I m just out shooting for fun or for any type of photography where maximum image capacity is of primary importance I select Overflow This causes the camera to fill up the primary card and then automatically switch to the secondary card for increased image storage If I m shooting images that I cannot afford to lose such as at a unique event like a wedding or baptism I ll often use the Backup function for automatic backup of
428. mage size settings White balance This lets you change the image s White balance after you ve already taken the image You can select from a series of symbols that represent various types of White balance color temperatures As you scroll up or down in the list of symbols notice that the name of the corresponding White balance type appears just above the small picture You can see the effect of each setting as it is applied Exposure compensation This function allows you to brighten or darken the image by applying Exposure compensation to it You can apply compensation up to 3 EV in either direction 3 to 3 EV Picture control With this setting you can apply a different Picture Control to the image It shows an abbreviation like SD NL VI or MC for each Nikon Picture Control plus any Custom Picture Controls you might have created with the designation of C 1 C 2 C 3 etc 548 High ISO noise reduction You can change the amount of High ISO noise reduction applied to the image The camera offers you H N L or Off settings which are equivalent to the Shooting Menu gt High ISO NR settings called High Normal Low and Off Color space Allows you to change which Color space is applied to the image You can choose from the camera s two Color space settings sRGB or Adobe RGB Adobe RGB is abbreviated as just Adobe in this setting EXE This simply means execute When you select
429. mal or Normal Quality JPEG uses a 1 8 compression ratio This makes a 20 megabyte D300 S image file as small as 2 5 megabytes The image quality is still very acceptable in this mode If you are shooting at a party for the 4 x 6 inch 10 x 15 cm image size this mode will allow you to make lots of images An 8 gigabyte card will hold about 2 200 JPEG normal image files JPEG basic or Basic Quality JPEG uses a 1 16 compression ratio so the 20 megabyte D300 S file is stored as a 1 25 megabyte JPEG file Remember these are full size files so you can surely take a lot of pictures If one is shooting for the Web or just wants to document an area well this mode provides sufficient quality My 127 D300S tells me it can store a whopping 4 300 JPEG basic files on my 8 gigabyte CF card Note It s hard to specify an exact number of images that a particular card size will hold My D300S reports that a little over 300 lossless compressed NEF RAW images will fit on an 8 gigabyte memory card yet when the shooting is finished I often have over 500 With JPEG s higher compression ratio it is even harder to predict exactly Image complexity has a lot to do with final compressed file size That s why the camera under reports the number of images it can hold You ll find that your memory cards will usually hold many more images than the estimate presented by the camera JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group is used by individuals
430. may be reproduced or utilized in any form electronic or mechanical including photocopying recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the copyright owner While reasonable care has been exercised in the preparation of this book the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein This book is printed on acid free paper This book is dedicated to My wife of 32 years Brenda The love of my life and best friend My children Autumn David Emily Hannah and Ethan five priceless gifts growing wings My mother Barbara who birthed me My father Joe who guided my early life My Nikonians editor Tom Bon without whose assistance I could not possibly write books My friends J Ramon Palacios and Bo Stahlbrandt who make it possible to belong to Nikonians org the world s best Nikon User s Community The wonderful staff of Rocky Nook including Joan Dixon Jocelyn Howell and Matthias Rossmanith And finally to Nikon who makes the world s best cameras and lenses Darrell Young Author Darrell Young Digita Darrell is an information technology engineer by trade He s been an avid photographer since 1968 when his mother gave him a Brownie Hawkeye camera Darrell has used Nikon cameras and Nikkor lenses since 1980 He has an incurable cas
431. me additional and useful functionality for MB D10 users It does not modify the functionality of the AF ON button found on the D300 S body First we ll look at how to choose one of the AF ON for MB D10 screen s menu selections and then we ll examine each choice in detail see Figure 4 16 E Builtin Arait illuminator ON CUSTOM SETTING MENU a Autofocus AAFON for MB D10 Custom setting bank g DReset custom settings 2 4 bi iSO sensitivity step value 13 f i Ga AE lock only Fam AE lock Reset on release D AE lock Hold a AF lock only Same as Fn button b Metering exposure E b2 EV steps for exposure cntrl pi E e Timers AE lock b3 Ex comp fine tune TE d Shooting display b4 Easy exposure compensation Le z e Bracketing flash b5 Center weighted area 8 f Controls b8 Fine tune optimal exposure iy Figure 4 16 AF ON for MB D10 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 16 image 1 281 4 Highlight AF ON for MB D10 and scroll to the right see Figure 4 16 image 2 Choose one of the seven items on the menu In Figure 4 16 image 3 AF ON has been selected Press the OK button to lock in the setting Here is a description of each choice AF ON This setting left the way it is means that the AF ON button on the MB D10 battery pack will work exactly like the regular AF ON button on the D300 S body AE AF lock The MB D1
432. mprove the look of your landscape images I d say the look of this control is somewhere between Fuji Provia and Velvia You get great saturation and contrast with emphasis on the greens of natural settings The last two Nikon Picture Controls Portrait and Landscape are not included on the camera from the factory You have to download them from Nikon You can then use the section titled Manage Picture Control to learn how to install the two optional controls First you ll need to download and copy them to a memory card that you will insert into the camera Then you ll use Shooting Menu gt Manage Picture Control gt Load Save gt Copy to camera to install the picture controls We ll cover this fully in the upcoming Manage Picture Control section To show how much Nikon has invested in making these controls compatible with a wide variety of hardware and software you might find it interesting that the same optional controls are compatible with these Nikon DSLRs D300 D300S D700 D3 D3X D3S They are also compatible with the following Nikon software Capture NX 2 version 2 0 0 or later Capture NX Version 1 3 4 or later and ViewNX Version 1 1 0 or later 165 MC Picture Control Filter Effects and Toning The Monochrome or MC Picture Control has some added features that are enjoyable for those who love black and white photography As shown in Figure 3 22 there are Filter effects that simulate the effect of Y yellow O o
433. n Destination lets you choose which memory card will receive and store your camera s video recordings Just 234 below the card slot selections you will see something like 00h 38m 49s This is the total recording time the particular card will hold The HD mode which I have selected creates surprisingly large files As shown in Figure 3 60 image 2 I can only hold about 35 45 minutes on an 8 GB Compact Flash card Movie settings Movie settings O Destination Quality H38 laea CF card slot Microphone BEA 00h 38m 49s CF CSD SD card slot 00h 36m 12s Figure 3 60 D Movie mode Destination If you re serious about shooting video with your camera you better buy some high capacity cards you ll need them Here are the steps to select a Destination for D Movies 1 Continuing from Figure 3 57 Shooting Menu gt Movie settings select Destination from the Movie settings menu and scroll right see Figure 3 60 2 Select one of the two cards slots 3 Press the OK button My Recommendation When you shoot a D Movie have a specific display type in mind If you have an older SDTV the 640x424 format fits the screen well An HD TV requires the 1280x720 format so that you can display 720p video Notice 235 that the Apple iPad supports 720p HD video too Even YouTube com is changing over to HD The smallest format 320x216 is good for basic videos that you ll only display on an iPhone iPod PDA or cell phone
434. n I always keep mine set that way 467 USB D300 only User s Manual D300 page 319 Nikon provides D300 users with two separate USB protocols namely MTP PTP and Mass Storage Let s examine the two selections Mass Storage The first protocol is Mass Storage MSC which makes your D300 act like a portable hard drive when attached to your computer with a USB cable It will show up as a drive letter in your computer s hard drive browser Windows Explorer etc SETUP MENU e Image comment y Auto image rotation me USB O Ri Dust off ref photo a Battery info 1 Wireless transmitter A Image authentication Save load settings Figure 5 21 D300 only camera menus for USB protocols MTP PTP Media Transfer Protocol MTP is a set of custom extensions to Picture Transfer Protocol PTP so they are included together PTP was designed for transferring pictures from digital cameras MTP was created mainly for transferring music and video files MTP PTP is the default setting 468 Here are the steps to choose your preferred setting for USB see the screens in Figure 5 21 1 Choose USB from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select MSC Mass Storage or MTP PTP from the USB menu see Figure 5 21 image 2 3 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Now let s examine some of the information you ll need to successfully navigate the USB connectivity world with yo
435. n our next chapter 566 Chapter 7 My Menu and Recent Settings Maine Coon Cat Courtesy of Cindie Fearnall Gipsi As you have read through this book and experimented with your camera you ve surely noticed that the D300 S has a 567 large number of menus screens functions and settings When I took pictures of the camera s menus and screens for this book I had over 1 000 images when done That many screens can be somewhat complex to navigate We need a shortcut menu for our most used settings a place to keep the functions we re constantly changing Nikon has given us two specialty menus in the D300S and one in the D300 My Menu is available in both cameras and Recent Settings only in the D300S These are both designed to give us exactly what we need a menu that can be customized with only the most used functions showing For instance I often turn Exposure delay mode on and off Instead of having to search through all the Custom Settings trying to remember exactly where Exposure delay mode lives I simply added that Custom Setting to My Menu Now whenever I want to add a l second exposure delay after pressing the Shutter release button so that mirror vibrations can settle down I just go to My Menu and enable Exposure delay mode I can do it quickly and without searching since I added it to My Menu What s the Difference Between My Menu and Recent Settings You can add up to 20 settings chosen from
436. n ambient light is too low to get a good exposure L This symbol shows you the current aperture setting F number This will vary with the minimum and maximum aperture for the lens mounted on the camera For instance my camera s AF S Nikkor 16 85mm F 3 5 5 6G ED lens has a maximum aperture of F 3 5 which is shown here as F3 5 F7 1 in Figure 8 6 The 600 minimum aperture is F 22 shown as F22 The aperture is controlled with the front Sub command dial M This symbol shows the camera s current ISO sensitivity setting This can vary from L 1 0 100 ISO to H 1 0 6400 ISO The camera s normal ISO range is 200 to 3200 with the extended Lo and Hi settings If you have Custom setting bl ISO sensitivity step value set to 1 3 step you will see this symbol change in 1 3 EV steps or 1 2 or 1 EV step if selected You adjust the value this symbol reflects by holding down the ISO button on top of the camera above the Release mode dial while rotating the rear Main command dial N This final symbol shows the remaining number of images you can fit on the camera s memory card If you are shooting in JPEG or compressed NEF RAW this number often does not reflect reality Look at it as the minimum number of images that will fit In reality the actual count is often double this number The camera estimates the value based on current image compression levels and is very conservative to protect you Keep in mind
437. n both D300 D300S Shutter Release Button AE L Custom setting c1 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 273 D300 page 279 Shutter release button AE L is designed to allow you to lock your camera s exposure when you press the Shutter release button halfway down Normally that type of exposure lock only happens when you press and hold the AE L AF L button However when you have Shutter release button AE L set to On your camera will act like you ve pressed the AE L AF L button every time you start autofocus and take a picture 304 This function allows you to meter from one area of the scene and then recompose to another area without losing the meter reading from the first area as long as you hold the Shutter release button halfway down Looking at this from another direction when you have Shutter release button AE L set to Off exposure will only lock when you have the AE L AF L button held down the normal way Here are the screens and steps used to configure Shutter release button AE L see Figure 4 26 ry CUSTOM SETTING MENU c Timers AE lock __ ct Shutter release button AEL lt Custom setting bank A Shuti button ON j Reset custom settings c2 Auto meter off delay b Metering exposure amp Monitor off delay i Sell Timers AE lock 41 Beep OFF FE Shooting display a 32 Viewfinder grid display ON e Bracketing flash 43 Viewfinder warning display ON f Controls a4 Screen tips Off Ta
438. n camera memory location d 0 681 Manually Selecting a Color Temperature between 2 500 and 10 000 K User s Manual D300S page 142 D300 page 136 The K or Choose color temp selection is a flexible one that allows you to manually select a WB value between 2 500 and 10 000 K Once you have selected the K symbol by holding down the WB button and rotating the Main command dial rotate the Sub command dial to select the actual WB temperature you desire 682 Measuring Actual Ambient Light and Using PRE This method allows you to measure ambient light values and set the camera s WB It s not hard to learn and is very accurate since it s an actual through the lens measurement of the source light s Kelvin temperature You ll need a white or gray card to accomplish this measurement Figure 10 3 shows the popular WhiBal pocket card which is a product of PictureFlow LLC and is available exclusively from RawWorkflow com Figure 10 3 The WhiBal pocket card in its case How to select the PRE White balance measurement method 1 Press and hold the WB button 2 Rotate the Main command dial until PRE shows in the lower right of the Control panel You ll also see d 0 in the top left corner of the Control panel Figure 10 4 3 Release the WB button 683 4 Press and hold the WB button again until PRE starts flashing 5 Point the camera at a white or neutral gray card in the light source under which you will b
439. n scroll back the other way with the Multi Selector However I humbly submit that some people will simply adore having their AF point wrap to the other side of the Viewfinder If that describes you simply set it to Wrap It s always No wrap for me AF Point Selection Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 267 D300 page 272 AF point selection allows you to adjust the distance the AF point moves when you move it around the screen with the Multi Selector If you move your AF point often it might get tiring to scroll through the full 51 focus points In older Nikon cameras we had a maximum of 11 sensors to scroll through so it wasn t too bad However with 51 AF points it could take longer than you want to scroll from one side of the Viewfinder to the other Or you might just like the old way better Nikon has given you a choice If you d rather not scroll through 51 sensors you can set AF point selection to 11 sensors instead Figure 4 13 image 1 shows the 1 point setting while image 2 shows the 51 point selection This does not change the fact that there are 51 sensors available in Dynamic area AF or Auto area AF modes It just means that the Multi Selector will make the selected sensor move farther with each press It skips over sensors when you scroll in Single area AF and 276 Dynamic area AF modes This means that you cannot choose in between sensors as selected AF points s
440. n the middle or at the end of the memory card the previous image will be displayed Continue as before This weird little setting shows the flexibility of computerized camera technology in all its glory If you are scrolling to the right the order in which the images were taken and decide to delete an image the camera uses the Show next method listed above to display the next image Since the computer in your D300 S is aware of the direction in which you are scrolling if you happen to be scrolling to the left opposite from the order in which the images were taken when you decide to delete a picture the camera will use the Show previous method instead Here are the steps to choose an After delete setting see Figure 2 26 1 Choose After delete from the Playback Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select one of the three settings from the After delete screen 3 Press the OK button My Recommendation When I delete an image I m not overly concerned about which image shows next most of the time However certain styles of shooting and deleting rejects can certainly use this functionality 75 For instance some sports or wildlife shooters might like to move backwards through a long sequence of images starting with the last image taken They can then delete the images that are not usable in the sequence and the camera will immediately show the previous image for review When they reach the first image in the sequence t
441. n to leave snapshot mode and give you some control It throws an asterisk up next to the P on the Control panel P to let you know it realizes that you are taking over And since you are turning the dial to the left it obligingly starts cranking down the aperture Six clicks to the left and your aperture is now at f 8 As soon as the camera detected that you were turning the Main command dial it started adjusting the shutter speed to match the new aperture With only milliseconds before Grandma starts dragging Grandpa off the dinner table you get the camera to your eye compose the image and press the Shutter release button and the D300 S starts grabbing frames You get several frames off in the few seconds it takes Grandma to get Grandpa down from the table Does that make sense What you did in my imaginary scenario was invoke Flexible program mode in your D300 S How As soon as you turned the Main command dial the camera left normal P mode and switched to P mode otherwise known as Flexible program 650 Before you turned the Main command dial the camera was happily controlling both shutter speed and aperture for you When you turned the dial the camera immediately switched to Flexible program mode put an asterisk after the P on the Control panel and let you have control of the aperture while it controlled only the shutter speed In effect the D300 S allowed you to exercise your knowledge of photography very quickly and on
442. n to one notch left 320 0 OOO 00000 00000 0000 00000 To0oo00 000 00 00000 ra Oo oO FA 0000 oO O i u ERRANDS BP LAL ELR Figure 4 33 Low battery warning However if the low battery Viewfinder warning bugs you just turn it off Here are the screens and steps used to turn Viewfinder warning display on or off see Figure 4 34 lt Custom setting bank A HhReset custom settings jg d2Viewtinder grid display ON gt Wander arning disia y a Autofocus d E b Metering exposure f a4 Screen tips o CUSTOM SETTING MENU G Shooting display IE 43 Viewfinder warning display 41 Beep A Ld c Timers AE lock a5 CL mode shooting speed Shooting disp E 46 Max continuous release e Bracketing flash 7 File number sequence f Controls IE 48 Information display Figure 4 34 Viewfinder warning display configuration 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 34 image 1 2 Highlight Viewfinder warning display and scroll to the right see Figure 4 34 image 2 3 Choose one of the two choices on the list In Figure 4 34 image 3 On has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting 321 The normal battery power level display always shows on the Control panel but it only shows in the Viewfinder when you have Viewfinder warning display turned On You won t see the low battery warning appear in the Viewfinder until
443. n understand them My Recommendation Live view mode is one of those camera functions that you ll either love or hate If you came over from the point and shoot world and the D300 S is your first DSLR it may seem like a godsend to you If you are an old time photographer you may just roll your eyes and say 224 Not for me However in using Live view mode more often myself I m learning to like it I don t use it off tripod very often but on tripod it makes certain styles of shooting much easier I like the extreme focusing accuracy of Tripod mode when shooting macros and general close ups especially when it saves bending over a lot Give it a try you may like it too 225 Multiple Exposure User s Manual D300S page 184 D300 page 186 Multiple exposure is the process whereby you take more than one exposure on a single frame or picture Most of us will only do double exposures which is two exposures on one frame Multiple exposure requires you to figure the exposure values carefully for each exposure segment so that in the final picture all the combined exposures equal one normal exposure In other words if you are going to do a non masked double exposure your background will need two exposures at half the normal exposure value to equal one normal exposure The D300 S allows us to figure our own exposure settings and do them manually and it gives us Auto gain to help us with exposure calculations The
444. nance histograms and a luminance histogram in one screen see Figure 2 12 The D300S stacks the four histograms all on the right side of the screen with the luminance on top white histogram and the RGB color histograms underneath The D300 displays the RGB histograms on the right side and places the luminance histogram under the small picture Figure 2 12 shows the D300S screen g Display mode Done Basic photo info O Focus point Detailed photo info O Highlights RGB histogram O Data Figure 2 12 Display mode screens RGB histogram option Each color channel red green and blue is displayed with its own small histogram This is quite useful since it is possible to overexpose or blow out only one color channel as happens often with the red channel in my case The luminance white histogram is very similar to the green channel histogram since green is the most common color around Data This setting will give you up to four additional image data screens to scroll through 56 gy Display mode Done Basic photo info O Focus point Detailed photo info O Highlights O RGB histogram C NOISE REDUC ACT D LIGHT RETOUCH COMMENT Copyright Darrel Young Tad MTR SPD AP AAN EXP NODE 150 FOCAL LENGTH LENS 3 5 5 6 AF VR N YR On FLASH MODE pili i CHO N TTL O 0 A TTL 0 0 B TTL 0 0 C OFF 7 NIKON 0300S ARTIST Darrel Young COPYRIGHT Darrel Young
445. nce to AUTO Neutral NL Picture Control Color space to Adobe RGB Active D Lighting to Off and ISO sensitivity to Lo 1 100 ISO Once set I rarely modify this bank Note NEF RAW bit depth set to 14 bit will slow the camera s frame rate from 7 frames per second to 2 5 frames per second If you are a max quality sports or wildlife shooter you may want to leave it set to 12 bit instead Bank C Best Quality JPEG This bank is for when I have no time to post process the images I need them as soon as I shoot them but must have maximum quality My critical settings for bank C are Image quality set to 97 JPEG fine Image size set to Large JPEG compression to Optimal quality White balance to AUTO Standard SD Picture Control Color space to Adobe RGB Active D Lighting to Low and ISO sensitivity to Lo 1 100 ISO Once set I rarely change this bank Bank D Party JPEG When I am going to a party with friends Pll simply switch to this bank and fire away I could use bank A but then I d have to reset it to higher quality later Instead I use this bank to have some fun with my camera and friends The images must be high enough quality to get good prints at least 11 x 14 27 cm x 35 cm in size The critical settings for bank D are Image quality at JPEG fine Image size set to Large JPEG compression set to Size priority White balance to Auto Standard SD Picture Control Color space to sRGB Active D Lighting t
446. nd flash level to expose the bracketed images If e5 is set to AE only then the camera will vary the shutter speed and aperture to get the exposures Flash aperture This setting is for those who want to control the shutter speed for best action shots while still doing bracketing The camera will control the aperture and flash If Custom setting e5 gt Auto bracketing set is set to AE amp flash the camera will vary the aperture and flash level to expose the bracketed images If e5 is set to AE only then the camera will only vary the aperture to get the exposures Flash only This setting is for those who want to control only the flash while doing bracketing The camera will only vary the flash level to get the bracketed exposures AE only obviously does not apply with this setting My Recommendation Since I am mostly a nature shooter I often leave my camera set to Flash speed so that the camera will control the shutter speed when I take a series of bracketed images but Ill control the aperture That way I can choose how much depth of field I want to allow in my images If I were shooting important action shots and wanted to bracket I d select Flash aperture so that the camera would 377 control the aperture and flash while I control the shutter speed for action If I were letting only my Speedlight flash control the exposure as with indoor shots I might use Flash only during the bracket Finally if I wan
447. ng and blurring as the light falls I don t use the Red eye reduction modes often because it seems to confuse people They think the initial shine of the AF assist illuminator is the flash firing and then look away just as the main flash fires If you are going to use Red eye reduction modes you might want to tell your subject to wait for the main flash Rear curtain sync creates a cool effect if you want to show a ghosted image stretching out behind your subject when you use slow shutter speeds Rear curtain sync is sometimes used by sports shooters in situations where there may be some blurring from fast movement in low light It is much more acceptable to have a ghosted blur after the subject since it implies motion Front curtain sync makes the blur show up in front of the subject which just plain looks weird I suggest experimenting with all five of these modes You ll need to use each of them at various times 758 Now let s look into the Nikon Creative Lighting System CLS which allows your camera to control multiple flash units in a wireless array Auto FP High Speed Sync The D300 S has an additional mode that lets it exceed the normal flash sync speed of i 250s This is called Auto FP high speed sync mode Remember how normally both the front and rear shutter curtains must be out of the way before the flash fires Auto FP high speed syne mode lets you use shutter speeds all the way up to 1 8000s At these speeds t
448. ng for using the GPS for continuous shooting It does use extra battery life so you may want to carry more than one battery if you re going to shoot all day Here are the steps and screens used to configure the GPS settings see Figure 5 33 Y Save load settings Auto meter off OFF gt Y ce Virtual horizon Non CPU lens data AF fine tune Firmware version Position E Disable 2j SETUP MENU GPS GPS Image authentication j Auto meter off E Copyright information e Km Figure 5 33 GPS Auto meter off enable disable screens l 2 3 4 Choose GPS from the Setup menu and scroll to the right Select Auto meter off and scroll to the right Select Enable or Disable Press the OK button to lock in the setting There is also a Position setting as shown in Figure 5 33 image 2 If your GPS unit is not attached to the camera the Position selection is grayed out Once a GPS is attached the next screen after Position shows the actual GPS location data being detected by the D300 S as shown in Figure 5 35 When the camera establishes communication with your GPS it does three things 500 1 A small GPS icon will be displayed on the Control panel see Figure 5 34 red arrow 2 Position information shows on the GPS Position screen see Figure 5 35 image 2 B P rsstesrs TA s Em 229 Figure 5 34 GPS icon on Control panel 3 An additional info screen may be displayed when you are reviewing the
449. nk you ll like Long exp NR 203 High ISO NR User s Manual D300S page 259 D300 page 263 High ISO NR High ISO Noise Reduction lessens the effects of visual digital noise in your images when you use ISO sensitivity exposure gain settings above ISO 800 Have you ever tried to watch TV while children are playing in the same room The louder you turn the TV the louder the kids get it seems However loud the volume of the TV the children laughing and running around degrade the pure TV sound you desire There is a high child to TV noise ratio that interferes with your enjoyment of the program you are watching After a while you figure out that there is a point when you simply have to ask the kids to leave the room Turning up the TV just makes them get louder and louder to overcome the TV sound 204 Figure 3 45 High ISO NR sample images Noise in a digital image is somewhat similar You want pure clean images when you take pictures but instead you have some digital noise interfering with the clarity The higher you turn the camera s ISO sensitivity the more the grainy digital noise degrades your image The noise to signal ratio can become damaging to the picture How can you make the visual noise go away Use High ISO NR that s how 205 The D300 S has better noise control than most cameras so it s able to shoot up to ISO 800 with little noise However no digital camera is completely without noise tha
450. nsitivity settings High ISO NR JPEG compression Image Size Live view mode Are there any drawbacks to using ISO sensitivity auto control Live View and D Movie Modes Long Exp NR Active D Lighting Manage picture control Resetting a Nikon Picture Control Movie settings Understanding Auto Gain Multiple exposure Live View Mode NEF RAW recording JPEG Compression Primary slot selection D300S only File Number Sequence used with File Naming Reset shooting menu Shooting Menu Bank Secondary slot function D300S only Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Set picture control White Balance Shooting menu bank Shooting Menu White balance Channel and Bit Depth Tutorial Shooting menu bank Shooting Menu Shooting Menu Shooting Menu Bank Shooting Menu Bank 842 Author s Naming Suggestions Shooting Menu Bank On D300S Info display edit screen Shooting Menu Bank Renaming banks Shooting Menu Shooting menu reset Shooting Menu Bank Shooting mode Custom setting f2 D300S and f1 D300 Shooting Display D300 Only Monitor Off Delay Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 Custom setting d2 D300S and D300 Custom setting d3 D300S and D300 Custom setting d4 D300S Only Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 Custom setting d7 D300S and d6 D300 Custom setting d9 D300S and d8 D300 Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 C
451. nt focus while moving it down pulls the focal point toward the camera back focus Once you are done press the OK button AF fine tune i AF fine tune Default AF fine tune On Off Saved value aAdiust CHOK Figure 5 42 Default configuration screens It appears to me that you could use this Default value as a value for any of your AF lenses that do not have a Saved value I tested this by setting a Saved value of 1 for my AF S Nikkor 18 70mm While the 18 70 was still mounted I also set a value of 2 for the Default value When I removed the 18 70mm and mounted an AF Nikkor 60mm micro lens the 1 in the Saved value field disappeared but the 2 in the Default field stayed put So it looks like you could use the Default field either for all AF lenses that have no Saved value or for a currently mounted AF lens that you want to adjust for this moment without saving a value 516 List saved values 22 Choose lens number 816 85 3 5 5 6 VR gt 16 85an AF fine tune On Off ON Y 18 50 2 8 Y F3 5 5 6 VR Wo AF fine tune E AF fine tune AF fine tune LY saved value 5 Default 5 List saved values JAA E 00 99 Ose lens Done Delete t ROK Figure 5 43 List saved values configuration screens List saved values Notice in Figure 5 43 that there are several screens used to configure the list of saved values List saved values helps you remember which lenses you ve fine tuned the D300 S to use It
452. nter button on the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector on the D300 When you select an image you ll see a small white check mark surrounded by a black box appear in the top right corner of the image thumbnail Figure 2 17 image 2 shows only one picture selected number 100 20 the only one with a check mark Now move on to step 5 Select all images see Figure 2 18 Choose Select all images from the Default image selection menu and then scroll to the right 64 Copy image s Select all images W Default image selection BID 112 112 a v B v H es Me Deselect all my 725100 16 1100 17 100 18 Select all images E v Select protected images 5 A you wk 100 19 100 20 B 100 21 set Zoom WOK Figure 2 18 Select all images function The Select all images screen will now show with all images selected If you want to copy all the images move on to step 5 If you want to deselect a few of them before copying scroll to an image and press the Multi selector center button on the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector on the D300 This action will remove the check mark from the image thumbnail Once you ve unchecked the images you don t want to copy move on to step 5 Select protected images see Figure 2 19 Choose Select protected images from the Default image selection menu and then scroll to the right 65 wg Copy image s p Select protected images Default image selecti
453. ntly active Custom setting bank see the screens in Figure 4 4 1 Select Reset custom settings from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose Yes and press the OK button to reset the bank to factory default settings 250 Naming Variances between the D300S and D300 Before we start looking at the individual Custom Settings I want to give you an explanation about some name variances between the two cameras covered in this book Anytime a new camera is released there are some software changes Often a firmware update will also cause minor changes The D300S is no exception Especially in this chapter there have been textual changes in some of the setting names Also and even more difficult to deal with there are a couple of extra Custom Settings in the D300S so the Custom Setting numbering is different in some areas For instance Custom setting d10 does something completely different in the D300S and the D300 In order to keep from causing confusion for book readers I have emphasized the name of each Custom Setting instead of its number I also show the numbers for each setting but I combined each setting under its name instead of its number so as not to repeat the same text over and over when the numbers varied You ll find this method at the start of each section Setting name Exposure delay mode Setting numbers Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 Since it would greatly len
454. ntrol Grid that allows you to compare the selected control to the other Nikon Picture Controls see Figure 3 25 You access the Grid by scrolling to the screen shown in Figure 3 22 and then holding down the Thumbnail playback zoom out button Figure 3 25 Picture Control Grid When you make a modification to the Saturation or Contrast of a particular control you ll see the position of that control change on the Picture Control Grid Figure 3 25 image 1 shows a Picture Control Grid in its unchanged condition with all controls set to factory default In Figure 3 25 image 2 I changed the Saturation You can see how the N representing the modified Neutral setting has moved from its starting location red arrow on left to its new location red arrow on right In Figure 3 25 image 3 you can see that I ve changed the Contrast The N moved from the location at the bottom red arrow to its new location at the top red arrow The Picture Control Grid allows you to see how each control compares to the others before and after you ve made a change Once a change has been made you ll see a black 170 square that marks the original location of the control and a yellow square that marks its new location The new location will have the same name as the previous location except you ll see an asterisk after it Resetting a Nikon Picture Control If you modify the Nikon Picture Controls you may do what I did and forget what the
455. ntrol will be deleted from the memory card If you choose No you will return to the previous screen 187 4 Press the OK button to execute your choice Copy to Card After you create up to nine Custom Picture Controls using the instructions in the last few sections you can then use the Copy to card function to save them to a memory card Once they are on a memory card you can share your custom controls with friends who have compatible Nikon cameras As soon as your Custom Picture Controls are ready to go use the following screens and steps to copy them to a memory card see Figure 3 36 Manage Picture Control _ Manage Picture Control x Manage Picture Control lity Load save lity Copy to card ley Choose destination C1 NEUTRAL 02 a a E101 Unused ESC2NEUTRAL 03 F 102 Unused Copy to camera fi sec 103 Unused s Delete from card se ee C104 Unused Copytocard E C105 Unused 106 Unused C107 Unused Figure 3 36 Custom Picture Control Copy to card 1 Figure 3 36 continues where Figure 3 31 left off Choose Copy to card from the Load save menu and scroll to the right see Figure 3 36 image 1 2 Select one of your current Custom Picture Controls from the Copy to card menu and scroll to the right see Figure 3 36 image 2 3 Now yov ll use the Choose destination menu to select where you want to save the custom control see Figure 3 36 image 3 You have 99 choices for where to 188 plac
456. number rj Reset shooting menu udi New folder number Select folder Y F File naming EA primary slot selection E Secondary slot function Image quality Image size 100 999 Move Set GHOK Figure 3 5 Creating a New folder number Here are the screens and steps used to create a new folder see Figure 3 5 1 As shown in Figure 3 5 to create a new folder scroll to the right when Active folder is selected 2 Select New folder number and scroll to the right 3 Yov ll now see a screen that allows you to create a New folder number between 100 and 999 see Figure 3 5 image 3 Create your number using the Multi Selector then press the OK button You cannot create a folder numbered 000 I tried or use any other number less than 100 Remember that the three digit number you select will have D300S or ND300 appended to it and will look something like 101D300S or 101ND300 when you have finished Once you have created a new folder the camera will automatically switch to it What if you want to simply start using an existing folder instead of making a new one The 105 D300 S makes that easy with the following screens and steps see Figure 3 6 E SHOOTING MENU J Active folder _ Active folder G2 Shooting menu bank A ilig C Select folder 10003005 its 102D300S 999D300S r Reset shooting menu Hl Active folder 100 y File naming 1DY New folder number Primary slot selection Oso Select folder gt fe Secondary sl
457. o use the Ni MH HR6 nickel metal hydride batteries safely since they are not as temperature sensitive and provide consistent power Battery Order Custom setting d12 D300S and d11 D300 User s Manual D300S page 280 D300 page 287 Battery order lets you choose the order in which you want the available batteries to be used camera s battery first or those in the MB D10 battery pack first Here are the screens and steps used to configure the Battery order Figure 4 47 342 E CUSTOM SETTING MENU d Shooting display IE taBattery order lt Custom setting bank A a3 LCD illumination OFF j p DReset custom settings E delay mode E a Autofocus di MB D10 battery type a b Metering exposure Ba B00 w c Timers AE lock 81 Flash sync speed vao E EATA 2 Flash shutter speed 1 80 a 0300S Use camera battery first e Bracketing flash Pe 63Flash cntrl for builtin flash TTL f f Controls E 4 Modeling flash Figure 4 47 Battery order 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 47 image 1 2 Highlight Battery order and scroll to the right see Figure 4 47 image 2 3 Choose one of the two choices on the list In Figure 4 47 image 3 Use MB D10 batteries first has been selected in my example 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation Which battery do you want to draw down first Personally I like to use the MB D10 batteries firs
458. o Normal and ISO sensitivity to 400 ISO Combining Shooting Menu Banks and Custom Setting Banks Can you see how flexible having these four Shooting menu banks will make your D300 S You can create your own bank names and apply the underlying settings however you wish If you want you can match these Shooting menu banks to similarly named Custom setting banks which allow you to set things like the autofocus and metering exposure types When the Shooting menu banks and Custom setting banks are combined in this manner the D300 S becomes a very 98 powerful camera with strong flexibility to match different photographic needs and styles There are no direct connections between the Shooting menu banks and Custom setting banks I make my own mental connection by giving both similar names and then changing to them at the same time We re using Shooting menu bank A as our example and now must set up the camera functionality for this bank We have 21 more selections in the D300S and 18 in the D300 Let s scroll down and set each individual line item available under the Shooting Menu They will each be saved as part of bank A which we renamed Banks B through D are unaffected by the changes unless one of them is selected instead Be sure to set the following critical functions in your selected bank before you use your camera often Image quality and Image size JPEG compression if you re using JPEG mode for this
459. o choices on the list In Figure 4 36 image 3 On has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation This is a helpful function that gives you tool tips for using the Information display edit screen If you have a D300S I would leave this set to the factory default of On These little tips don t get in the way of anything and may be helpful to remind you which setting you re looking at on the Information display edit screen CL Mode Shooting Speed Custom setting d5 D300S and d4 D300 User s Manual D300S page 276 D300 page 282 324 CL mode shooting speed controls how many frames per second fps the camera can take At this point the D300S and D300 deviate in their Custom Setting numbers for the first time The D300S uses Custom setting d5 for CL mode shooting speed while the D300 uses Custom setting d4 The CL mode is for those of us who would like to use a conservative frames per second rate With the proper power the camera can record 6 or 7 frames per second However unless you are shooting 200 MPH racecars and have large memory cards you may not want 35 frames of the same subject a few milliseconds apart Here are the screens and steps used to configure CL mode shooting speed see Figure 4 37 D CUSTOM SETTING MENU O Shooting display 45 CL mode shooting speed lt Custom setting bank E 3i Beep OFF j Baz 1 fps Reset custom settings r 42 Viewfinder grid displ
460. o fast it seems like a single burst of light Just remember that the flash loses significant power or reach at higher shutter speeds since it is forced to work so hard Be sure you experiment with this to get the best results You can use a big aperture like f 1 8 to have very shallow depth of field in direct bright sunlight since you can use very high shutter speeds This will allow you to make images that many others simply cannot create Learn to balance the flash and ambient light in Auto FP high speed sync mode All this technical talk will make sense when you see the results Pretty cool stuff Which Flash Units for Auto FP High Speed Sync Mode If you are using the camera s built in pop up Speedlight or the small Nikon SB 400 your camera s maximum flash shutter speed is limited to 1 320 s If you use the external Speedlights SB 900 SB 800 SB 600 or SB R200 you 350 can use any shutter speed and the flash will adjust pulse to match lighting needs With the larger Speedlights you ll need to learn how to balance ambient light with light from the flash when using shutter speeds higher than 1 250 s Just remember that your flash unit s range will be seriously reduced at higher shutter speeds Flash Shutter Speed Custom setting e2 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 282 D300 page 291 Flash shutter speed controls the minimum shutter speed your camera can use in various flash modes You c
461. o not use MTP PTP with Windows 2000 use Mass Storage only Your camera or computer won t explode if you plug it in with MTP PTP but Windows 2000 will often start up the New Hardware Wizard as if you are trying to install a piece of hardware If that happens just exit the wizard and switch your camera to Mass Storage protocol Camera Control Pro software If you connect your D300 to your computer when running Camera Control Pro 2 x or greater it is important that you use MTP PTP only Camera Control Pro does not support Mass Storage since you are controlling your camera with the computer That requires more than acting like a hard drive which is what Mass Storage protocol makes your D300 S appear to be to your computer Pictbridge printer or WT 4 wireless transmitter Use MTP PTP protocol only My Recommendation Which should I use Well it depends on your usage and computer type Both USB protocols will successfully transfer images from your camera to a computer Mass Storage or MSC causes your camera to 470 appear with a drive letter like a hard drive in a Microsoft Windows computer MTP PTP causes the camera to appear as a device instead of a hard drive letter assignment I choose MTP PTP for my D300 because it appears as a little camera device in my computer s file browser That s a lot easier to find What about the D300S and USB The D300S has no USB menu selection It appears that the D300S defaults
462. o you have a smaller choice of sensors to start autofocus ca URW REPL SRO Figure 4 13 11 AF points vs 51 AF points When using Auto area AF the camera does not allow you to move the AF points So this function does not affect the camera when Auto area AF is selected If you are unhappy when scrolling through 51 points change it to 11 You can always change it back Here are the screens and steps to select one of the AF point selection settings see Figure 4 14 CUSTOM SETTING MENU __ a Autofocus a8 AF point selection lt Custom setting bank 41 AF priority selection Pa ry WReset custom settings Hp a2AFS priority selection igg 33 Dynamic AF area T b Metering exposure ad Focus tracking with lock on E E Timers AE lock a5 AF activation a8 AF point illumination i FE Shooting display e Bracketing flash B aT Focus point wrap around f Controls 2 AF point selection Figure 4 14 AF point selection 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 14 image 1 277 2 Highlight AF point selection and scroll to the right see Figure 4 14 image 2 3 Choose one of the two choices from the menu In Figure 4 14 image 3 51 points has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Here is a description of each AF point selection selection 51 points default Choose from any of the 51 focus points AF points when you are scrolling throu
463. ock aS AF activation HE d Shooting display 26 AF point illumination auTO j e Bracketing flash 4 al Focus point wrap around a f Controls BD 28 AF point selection AF51 Ui Figure 4 9 Focus tracking with lock on 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 9 image 1 2 Highlight Focus tracking with lock on and scroll to the right see Figure 4 9 image 2 3 Choose one of the four choices from the menu Figure 4 9 image 3 shows Normal or about 1 5 seconds time out 4 Press the OK button to select the time out period Let s discuss the time out periods in a little more detail They are as follows Long about 2 seconds Normal about 1 5 seconds Short about 1 second This allows you to fine tune how you want Focus tracking with lock on to work The camera can ignore an intruding subject for a second or more With Single point AF the camera will start the lock on time out as soon as the single AF point is unable to detect the subject 266 With Dynamic area AF or Auto area AF and Focus tracking with lock on enabled I was amused at how adamant the camera was about staying with the current subject I d focus on a map on the wall and then cover most of the focusing points with the user s manual As long as I allowed at least one or two AF points to remain uncovered so it could see the map the focus did not switch to the manual I could just he
464. oes 7112 Figure 12 16 SB R200 Speedlight Then there are the SB R200 Speedlight units see Figure 12 16 These are primarily designed to use in special arrangements on brackets that Nikon created for them You ll see these Speedlights in use if you watch many crime dramas on TV because the investigators often use them for close up flashes of crime scene evidence They are normally used in a group arrangement including special mounting brackets with a Nikon SU 800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit The SU 800 is shown in Figure 12 17 773 WIRELESS SPEEDLIGHT COMMANDER SU 800 amp tU rauo WIRELESS SPEEDLIGHT aga READY COMMANDER SU 800 gt Figure 12 17 SU 800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit While not a Speedlight flash I wanted to show you the Nikon SU 800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit see Figure 12 17 This unit can be used when you need extra range up to 66 feet or need to control more than two banks of flash units it can control three It uses wireless infrared signals to control the flash banks It is mounted onto the Accessory shoe of your camera thereby precluding the use of the built in flash 774 My Conclusions The Nikon D300 S gives you control over the world class Nikon Creative Lighting System It is the envy of many other camera brand manufacturers and users Rockynook Nikonians Press has an excellent book dedicated to this subject Check Amazon com and book store
465. old down the Selected button while rotating the Sub command dial to scroll through a list of up to nine non CPU lenses Auto bracketing Hold down the Selected button while rotating the rear Main command dial to set the number of images in the bracket You can also hold down the Selected button and rotate the front Sub command dial to select the bracketing increment Dynamic AF area This function only works under specific circumstances Continuous servo AF must be on Focus mode selector is on C and Dynamic area AF must be selected AF area mode selector is in its middle position Then you can hold down the Selected button and rotate either of the Command dials to change the number of AF points to one of four settings 9 21 51 or 51 points 3D tracking None Nothing happens when you hold down the Selected button and rotate the Command dials 408 My Recommendation There are so many available functions here that I m loathe to recommend anything People shoot in so many different ways and there are so many choices in this list that it s hard to pin it down to just a few However I will tell you what I set mine on and you can then experiment and see if that suits your style too If not you ve got a lot of choices My favorites Assign Fn FUNC button press Spot metering My normal meter is Matrix Assign Fn FUNC button dials Auto bracketing Assign preview button press Previe
466. older Active Folder ADL bracketing D300S Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 ADL Bracketing D300S only Adobe RGB Shooting Menu Shooting Menu Shooting Menu Bank File Naming File Naming Color Space File naming for File Naming AF activation a5 Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 AF fine tune Selecting a Non CPU Lens by Using External Camera Controls AF point illumination a6 Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 AF point selection a8 Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 AF C priority selection al Custom setting al D300S and D300 Custom setting al D300S and D300 Custom setting al D300S and D300 Custom setting al D300S and D300 Focus Custom setting a1 D300S and D300 Release Custom setting a1 D300S and D300 Release focus Custom setting al D300S and D300 AF ON for MB D10 a10 Custom setting aio D300S and D300 AF S priority selection a2 Custom setting al D300S and D300 Custom setting al D300S and D300 Custom setting al D300S and D300 Focus Custom setting a1 D300S and D300 Release Custom setting a1 D300S and D300 798 After delete Image Review After Delete After Delete After Delete Continue as before After Delete Show next After Delete Show previous After Delete Aperture priority auto mode A S Shutter Priority Auto Mode Assign AE L AF L button f6 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Assign AE L AF L button f7 D300S Custom setting f4
467. oll to the right 2 Highlight EV steps for exposure cntrl and scroll to the right see Figure 4 18 image 2 3 Choose one of the three items on the menu 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Now let s examine the concept in more detail All EV steps for exposure cntrl really means is that when you are adjusting the shutter speed and aperture manually they will work incrementally in the following steps Shutter and Exposure starting at a random shutter speed or aperture 288 1 3 step EV ae 1 60 1 125 1 250 1 500 1 1000 1 2000 etc 4 5 6 8 f 11 16 f 22 etc Bracketing 1 3 step EV Bracket 0 3 0 7 1 0 or 1 3 2 3 1 EV steps 5 5 5 6 6 7 f 8 9 5 f 11 f 13 etc 1 2 step EV Bracket 0 5 1 0 or 1 2 and 1 EV steps l step EV Bracket 1 0 or 1 EV step Nikon chose to lump shutter speed aperture and bracketing all under Custom setting b2 The factory default value for EV steps for exposure cntrl is 1 3 step 289 My Recommendation Similar to ISO sensitivity step value I keep EV steps for exposure cntrl set to 1 3 step It s critical to control the EV steps with granularity especially with exposure It s best to increment the EV in small steps for use with the histogram Exp Comp Fine Tune Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 270 D300 page 275 Exp comp fine tune is concerned with the granulari
468. omatically disabled when you re using the new Q or Quiet shutter release mode on the D300S tegardless of how this Custom Setting is configured Viewfinder Grid Display Custom setting d2 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 275 D300 page 281 318 A few years ago the 35mm film Nikon N80 F80 was released with a viewfinder grid display and I was hooked Later as I bought more professional cameras I was chagrined to find that they did not have the on demand gridlines that I had grown to love With the D300 S you have not only a Viewfinder grid display but also Live View LV gridlines The best of both worlds There are only two selections in Viewfinder grid display On Gridlines are displayed in the Viewfinder and on the Monitor in LV mode Off No gridlines are displayed Here are the screens and steps used to enable disable the Viewfinder grid display see Figure 4 32 TS CUSTOM SETTING MENU d Shooting display lt Custom setting bank A 41 Beep p WReset custom settings aan IP _ Viewfinder grid display ON g a Autofocus d3 Viewfinder warning display ON yay mare a4 Screen tips F a5 CL mode shooting speed a6 Max continuous release e Bracketing flash Wd al File number sequence f Controls 2 48 Information display b Metering exposure c Timers AE lock Figure 4 32 Viewfinder grid display 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see
469. omize command dials 8 Customize command dials Menus and playback a Reverse rotation E Change main sub Aperture setting US 2 playba Figure 4 79 Customize command dials Menus and playback Here are the screens and steps used to configure Menus and playback 1 Continuing from Figure 4 75 image 3 select Menus and playback and scroll to the right see Figure 4 79 image 1 2 Select On or Off from the list see Figure 4 79 image 2 3 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation I ve heard others talking about how they like this function and I ve recently been using it myself I like the fact that I can use the Multi Selector or the Command dials to move around in my camera s menus and my images Try this one out you may like it too Release Button to Use Dial Custom setting f9 D300S and f8 D300 User s Manual D300S page 298 D300 page 309 416 Release button to use dial allows those who hate holding down buttons and turning Command dials at the same time to change to a different method It would be very useful to a person with limited hand strength allowing them operate the camera more easily There are two settings under this function Let s examine them and then look at the screens and steps to modify Release button to use dial see Figure 4 80 Yes This setting changes a two step operation into a three step operation Normally you will press and hold down
470. on We ll discuss this even more deeply in the chapter titled Chapter 11 This chapter only addresses how to configure the setting 261 Let s examine the 9 21 51 and 51 point 3D tracking patterns 9 points Use this setting when the movement of your subject is predictable This setting uses an array of 8 AF points surrounding your selected and viewable AF point Good subjects for this mode may be a car race or air show 21 points If your subject is moving unpredictably this may be your best choice This uses 20 AF points surrounding your viewable point Good subjects for this setting might be players in a football or basketball game 51 points This is for worst case scenario subjects that are small or move rapidly and unpredictably to the point that it is even hard to keep them in the Viewfinder All 50 sensors surrounding your selected sensor are active A good subject might be a bird in flight See the upcoming sidebar called More AF Points Can Mean Slower Autofocus Response Time 51 points 3D tracking This mode is very similar to regular 51 points except that it adds color tracking to the mix It remembers the color of your subject and tries to maintain the focus with this extra help Here are the screens and steps to select one of the four pattern types Figure 4 8 262 ESC ry i 23 Dynamic AF area Custom setting bank A JE AT AFC priority selection i Reset custom settin
471. on aa j 6 112 Iyam 3 5 L ape Deselect all 100 89 100 90 100 91 Select all images elect protected images eo 100 92 Heli100 93 100 94 Set Zoom WOK Figure 2 19 Select protected images function If you ve previously used the Protect button to mark images as protected they ll show up with a little key symbol in the list of images and will already be checked for copying Figure 2 19 image 2 shows the only image selected number 100 89 Now move on to step 5 Note The Protect button is at the left top of the Monitor with a key symbol on it and a question mark above it 1 Once you ve selected all the images you want to copy press the OK button and the camera will switch back to the Copy images s menu Now it s time to select a destination folder into which you ll copy the images 2 Choose Select destination folder from the Copy image s screen and scroll to the right see Figure 2 20 You ll be presented with two choices Select folder by number or Select folder from list see Figure 2 21 and Figure 2 22 66 ats 100 Figure 2 20 Select destination Select folder by number see Figure 2 21 Choose Select folder by number from the Select destination folder menu and scroll to the right The next screen will show a folder number that can be changed to any number between 100 and 999 If you select a number for a folder that exists on the destination card the images will be c
472. on When you release the button the camera returns to your customary meter type such as Center weighted or Matrix Playback D300S only This function causes the Selected button to act as if you had pressed the Playback button Nikon included this so that you could play back images when using a big telephoto lens that requires two hands to use Setting this function disables other functionality in the D300 S Please see the note at the end of this section This function applies to the D300S only Access top item in MY MENU D300S only You can press the Selected button to jump directly to the top item in My Menu This allows you to quickly modify a favorite menu item This function applies to the D300S only 406 NEF RAW D300S only If you are a regular JPEG shooter and have JPEG fine normal or basic selected as your normal image capture format you can use the Selected button to temporarily switch to NEF RAW mode Once you take the RAW format picture the camera switches back to JPEG If you decide not to take the NEF RAW picture just press the Selected button again to return to JPEG mode Setting this function disables other functionality in the D300 S Please see the note at the end of this section This function applies to the D300S only None default When this setting is enabled the Selected button does nothing Tmportant note If you decide to use this particular function p
473. on then the process of dialing in compensation with the Sub command dial simply adds more compensation to what you originally put in with the Exposure compensation button When the meter resets it only 294 returns back to the compensation value you added with the Exposure compensation button and not to 0 On This works the same way as Reset On Auto reset except that the compensation you ve dialed in does not reset but stays in place even if the meter or camera is turned off Off Only the normal Exposure compensation button applies exposure compensation Note The granularity of Easy exposure compensation s EV step fine tuning is affected by Custom setting b3 s 1 3 1 2 or 1 step setting Also the Command dials used to set compensation can be swapped in Custom setting f8 D300S or Custom setting f7 D300 which we will consider later in this chapter Center Weighted Area Custom setting b5 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 272 D300 page 277 Center weighted area allows you to control the area on the Viewfinder that has the greatest weight in metering a subject when in Center weighted area metering mode Years ago our cameras didn t have Matrix metering Back in the good old days we all had averaging or partially averaging meters or none at all If you prefer not to use Nikon s built in database of image scenes otherwise know as Matrix metering and you only use Spot m
474. on Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings e1 to e7 Special Shutter Speed Setting X Flash Syne Speed Custom setting e3 D300S and D300 Commander Mode Notes Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Auto bracketing Mode M Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Auto bracketing set Custom setting e5 D300S and D300 Bracketing order Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 Flash cntrl for built in flash Custom setting e3 D300S and D300 Flash shutter speed Special Shutter Speed Setting X Flash Sync Speed Flash sync speed Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings el to e7 Modeling flash Commander Mode Notes Built in AF assist illuminator a9 Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 804 805 Camera body reference Fig 1 1 11 Camera configuration Shoot Now First Time DSLR Users Setup Menu Camera menus Accessing First Time DSLR Users Camera monitor information Playback Menu Camera setting recommendations Setup Menu Card capacity reporting NEF RAW Type Center weighted area b5 Custom setting b5 D300S and D300 Center weighted meter Fine Tuning Matrix Metering Channel and bit depth NEF RAW Bit Depth Choose slot and folder Choose slot and folder D300S CL mode shooting speed d5 D300S d4 D300 Custom setting d4 D300S Only Clean image sensor Clean Image Sensor Clean Image Sensor Clean Image Sensor Lock Mir
475. on MC 35 cable and I was all set Primarily just be aware that the GPS unit must have a way to connect to the Nikon MC 35 cable in order to interface with the D300 S Maybe a future firmware upgrade will give us 503 the ability to use the built in USB connector on our cameras with a USB based GPS Nikon are you listening 504 Virtual Horizon D300S only User s Manual D300S page 311 The Virtual horizon is a new feature for the Nikon D300S camera only This particular selection is not for live picture taking use however All it does is bring up the Virtual horizon indicator on the camera s Monitor You can use it to help level your camera on a tripod or other stable shooting base The Live View and D Movie modes have a smaller version of this Virtual horizon that you can see right through for live usage Here are the steps to use the Virtual horizon see the screens in Figure 5 37 SETUP MENU Virtual horizon Image authentication j ain Copyright information f Save load settings y GPS j ituan CE e Non CPU lens data AF fine tune Firmware version Figure 5 37 Virtual horizon indicator 1 Choose Virtual horizon from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right 505 2 The following screen shows the Virtual horizon indicator You can now use it to level the camera on your tripod My Recommendation Honestly I don t use Virtual horizon very often Instead I have Custom setting d2
476. on by naming them similarly However the combinations of how you configure this camera and combine the banks are virtually endless Chameleon central 243 Chapter 4 Custom Setting Menu Bikes Catch Air Courtesy of Ken Rutt raxafarian 244 In Chapter 3 we carefully considered the configurability of the Nikon D300 S and its Shooting menu banks Now we will continue with this process by examining the Custom setting banks in complete detail Let me start with a clear statement that there are no direct connections between the Shooting menu banks and the Custom setting banks I mentioned this in the last chapter but wanted to emphasize it here too You can create an artificial connection by labeling the banks in a similar manner if you d like However it s only a label In my mind there is no clear difference between the settings in either type of banks In fact in a recent camera D3000 Nikon merged the Custom Settings with the Shooting Menu and others I think there is an awful lot of menu complexity in these pro level cameras that could be rethought and probably will be in upcoming years Figure 4 1 shows you the location of the Custom Setting Menu It s the third menu down on the left hand toolbar and its yellow icon looks like small pencil I count no less than 50 Custom Settings in the D300S and 48 in the D300 We ve got a lot of ground to cover and we will in great detail 245 oO CUSTOM SETTI
477. onitor after each shutter release Off Monitor stays off when you take pictures Here are the steps to choose an Image review setting 1 Choose Image review from the Playback Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select On or Off from the Image review screen 3 Press the OK button Most of us will turn this feature on right away if it s off Otherwise the only way to view an image after taking it is to press the Playback button My Recommendation Since the camera s battery lasts a long time I leave Image review set to On I am an unashamed image chimper see sidebar and always examine each image if there s time Photography is enjoyable and one of the good things is the satisfaction one feels when a really nice image has been captured However when shooting sports and blasting through hundreds of shots per hour there s not much time to view each image It all boils down to how you shoot If you aren t inclined to view your images as you take them then it may be a good idea to set Image review to Off merely to save battery life 72 Are You a Chimper Too Chimping means reviewing images on the Monitor after each shot I guess people think you look like a monkey if you review each image Well I do it anyway Sometimes I even make monkey noises when I m chimping my images Try saying Oo Oo Oo Ah Ah Ah real fast when you re looking at an image and are happy with it That s chimping w
478. opied into that folder If a folder by that number does not exist it will be created and the source images will be copied into the new destination folder Now move on to step 7 ae Copy image s my Copy image s Select destination folder Select folder by number p Select folder from list 100 999 Move Set GOK 67 Figure 2 21 Select folder by number Select folder from list see Figure 2 22 If there are no existing folders on the destination memory card this selection will be grayed out Obviously you can t copy images to a folder that doesn t exist If this selection is grayed out use Select folder by number to create a new folder If it s not grayed out choose Select folder from list and scroll to the right The next screen will show you a list of folders My list in Figure 2 22 image 2 has only one folder in it 101D300S Once you ve selected the destination folder move on to step 7 p Copy image s p Copy image s Select destination folder Select folder from list 10103005S i Select folder by number Figure 2 22 Select folder from list 1 Now it s finally time to copy some images We ve selected a source card and folder some images and a destination folder Notice that you don t have to select a destination memory card Since we ve already selected a source card the other card automatically becomes the destination The D300S does not support copying images to the same memory car
479. ording lity JPEG compression j Ta NEF RAW r Y White balance 9 B Set Picture Control a Mkd Lossless compressed aq EA Manage Picture Control 7 ONE Compressed FE Color space Uncompressed Active Dighting Long exp NR Figure 3 14 RAW NEF recording 1 Select NEF RAW recording from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select Type and scroll to the right 3 Select one of the three compression methods from the Type menu 4 Press the OK button to save your selection 145 Card Capacity Reporting Why does my memory card s remaining image capacity seem to stay the same in NEF Lossless compressed and Compressed modes as in Uncompressed mode Shouldn t it show lots more capacity in compressed modes since they make the image smaller by 20 to 55 percent The reason your camera does not show any increased image capacity on the Control panel in compressed modes is because the D300 S has no idea how well it will be able to compress a particular image An image with a large amount of blank space such as an expanse of sky will compress a lot more efficiently than an image of a forest with lots of detail The camera shows a certain amount of image storage capacity in NEF RAW modes around 300 images with an 8 gigabyte card You ll find that in the two compressed modes the D300 S does not decrease the image capacity by for each picture taken as it does in Uncompressed mode This means tha
480. ot function OO Image quality RAW Image size Figure 3 6 Selecting an existing folder number 1 Refer to Figure 3 6 images 1 and 2 Scroll down to Select folder and then scroll right You ll see the available folders displayed in a list that looks like the one shown in Figure 3 6 image 3 2 Select one of the folder numbers from the Select folder menu 3 Press the OK button The camera will now switch back to the Shooting Menu main screen with the new folder number showing next to Active folder All images will now be saved to this folder until you exceed 999 images in the folder or manually change to another One note of caution If you are using folder 999D300S and the camera records the 999th image or if it records image number 9999 the Shutter release button will be disabled until you change to a different folder My Recommendation As memory cards get bigger and bigger I can see a time when this functionality will become very important 106 Last year I shot around 100 GB of image files With the newest memory cards now hitting 64 GB I can foresee a time when the card s in my camera will become a yearlong backup source At the present time I do not use the Active folder functionality all that much but I guarantee you I will in the near future This is a good function to learn how to use 107 File Naming User s Manual D300S page 258 D300 page 260 File naming allows you to control the fi
481. ot the shutter speed is normally displayed The place that normally displays the aperture will instead display the number of shots remaining in the current interval setup Note Be sure to adjust any bracketing for the exposure or flash AE amp flash or Flash only or Active D Lighting ADL bracketing before you start Interval timer shooting 241 Bracketing overrides Number of shots so you may not get what you expected if any kind of bracketing is active My Recommendation Please learn to use this function It is complicated but if you read this section carefully and practice using Interval timer shooting as you read you ll learn it quickly This type of photography allows you to shoot things like flowers gradually opening or the sun moving across the sky Have some fun with it 242 My Conclusions Congratulations You ve fully configured one of the camera s four Shooting menu banks Now set up another bank or three Configure the others and your chameleon camera is at your command Using the camera s four Shooting menu banks allows you a great deal of flexibility in how your camera operates You can switch between four different camera types in a sense The upcoming information on the Custom setting banks will round out the major configuration of your camera for daily shooting There are no direct connections between the four Shooting menu banks and the four Custom setting banks You could create your own connecti
482. ough 2DY_9999 Third 9999 images 3DY_0001 through 3DY_9999 See how simple that is The above numbers show a range of 30 000 images Since the D300 S s shutter is tested to a professional level of 150 000 cycles you will surely need to use a counting system like this one My system only works up to 89991 images 9999 x 9 If you wanted to start your camera at o instead ODY9999 you could count up to 99 990 images If Nikon would ever give us just one extra digit in our image counter we could count in sequences of just under 100 000 images instead of 10 000 images I suppose that many of us will have traded on up to the next Nikon DSLR before we reach enough images that this really becomes a constraint On my Nikon D2X that I ve used since 2004 I m now close to 40 000 images File Number Sequence used with File Naming Custom setting d7 in the D300S and Custom setting d6 in the D300 control the File number sequence setting That function 109 works along with File naming to let you control how your image files are named If File number sequence is set to Off the D300 S will reset the four digit number after the first three custom characters in File naming to 0001 each time you format your camera s memory card I set File number sequence to On as soon as I got my camera so that it would remember the sequence all the way up to 9999 images I want to know exactly how many pictures I ve taken over time We
483. our camera or that it could lose its settings in one way or another Well worry no more Once you have your camera configured to your liking or at any time during the process simply use the Save load settings function to save the camera configuration out to your memory card It creates a tiny 2K file named NCSETUPS5S BIN D300S or NCSETUP1 BIN D300 in the root directory of your memory card You can then save that file to your computer s hard drive and keep a backup of camera settings Here are the screens and steps to save or load the camera s settings see Figure 5 30 1 Choose Save load settings from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right SETUP MENU Save load settings M Image comment Z Auto image rotation rss Dust off ref photo Battery info R Wireless transmitter Image authentication 490 Figure 5 30 Save Load settings screens 2 Select Save settings or Load settings from the Save load settings screen and then follow one of these two easy procedures Save settings Select Save settings and press the OK button Your most important camera settings will be saved to your memory card Copy the settings file NCSETUPN BIN to your computer for safekeeping Load settings Insert a memory card with a previously saved NCSETUPN BIN file on it select Load Settings and press the OK button The settings you previously saved will be reloaded into the D300 S Here is a list of settings saved or lo
484. out moving the little square from its center position Normally you ll use only the first two screens in Figure 10 11 to select one of the preset WB values such as Cloudy Shade or Direct sunlight Then you ll just press the 695 OK button on the final screen without changing anything Figure 10 11 shows Direct sunlight as an example Note that the Fluorescent selection allows you to choose one of seven different light sources covering a wide spectrum If you choose to fine tune any of the color temperature settings after you have selected one of the preset WB values the color box in the last screen of Figure 10 11 allows you to do so by mired clicks Each press of the Multi Selector in a given direction is equal to 5 mired in that direction up is green G down is magenta M left is blue B right is amber A If you aren t familiar with adjusting the preset s default color temperature or don t want to change it most won t then simply press the OK button without moving the little square from the center If you ve accidentally moved it simply move it back with the Multi Selector until it s in the middle again then press the OK button That will select the preset WB value without modifying its default value see Method I for a list of the preset WB default values That is all there is to selecting a WB preset from within the Shooting Menu system The only difference between this method and Method 1 is t
485. out prompting you for permission My Recommendation I think this function is a great idea After using my new camera for a few days and getting it set up just right I save the settings file to my computer for safekeeping Later if I accidentally remove my favorite settings in one or all of the memory banks I just put the 493 backed up settings file on a memory card pop it into the camera hit Load settings and I m back in business 494 GPS User s Manual D300S page 201 D300 page 203 Nikon has wisely included the ability to GEO tag your images with GPS location data Now when you shoot a spectacular travel image you can rest assured that you ll be able to find that exact spot next year The D300 S will record the following GPS information about your location in the metadata of each image Latitude Longitude Altitude Heading North South etc UTC Time What You ll Need to Use a GPS Unit with Your D300 S The GPS unit you choose must be compatible with the National Marine Electronics Association NMEA0183 version 2 01 or 3 01 data format I bought a Garmin eTrex Legend GPS unit to use with my D300 since the eTrex series is mentioned on page 201 of the D300 user s manual 495 Later I bought a Nikon GP 1 GPS unit for my D300S Pll show both GPS units and cabling in this section Either of these GPS units will work with either camera Nikon GP 1 GPS unit see Figure 5 31
486. overcast day you can usually get by with no compensation since the range of light values is often within the recording capability of the sensor On a bright sunny day the range of light exceeds what your sensor can record by as much as two times This range can often be as large as 12 stops total while your sensor can only record a maximum of 6 or 7 stops Don t let the numbers make you nervous Just remember that spot metering is often a trade off You trade the ability of the camera s multiple averaging skills to generally get the correct exposure throughout the frame for the highly specific ability to ensure that a certain portion of an image is spot on The choice is yours depending on the shooting situation If you spot meter the face of a person standing in the sun the shadows around that person may contain little or no data The shadows will often come out as solid black in the final image 645 If you spot meter for the shadows instead the person s face is likely to blow out to solid white We ll discuss this in more detail in a later section of this chapter when we explore the histogram Use your Spot meter to get specific meter readings of small areas on and around your subject make some exposure decisions yourself and your subject should be well exposed Just remember that the Spot meter evaluates only for the small area that it sees so it cannot adjust the camera for anything except that one tiny are
487. ow sync What Is a Guide Number Slow sync Slow Sync Standard i TTL What Is a Guide Number 820 Flash shutter speed e2 Special Shutter Speed Setting X Flash Sync Speed Flash sync speed e1 Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings el to e7 Focus point Display Mode Focus point wrap around a7 Custom setting a6 D300S and D300 Focus tracking with lock on a4 Custom setting a4 D300S and D300 Folder number new Active Folder Folder selection Active Folder Foreword Foreword Format memory card s Setup Menu Front curtain sync Custom setting e2 D300S and D300 G GPS Display Mode Save Load Settings Grid MC Picture Control Filter Effects and Toning Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 Picture Control MC Picture Control Filter Effects and Toning Viewfinder Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 Guide number Speedlight Flash Photography 821 H HD vs SD video D300S Which Video Encoding Method HDMI Video Mode Hide image Playback Folder Hide Image Hide Image Deselect all Hide Image Select Set Hide Image High ISO NR High ISO NR High ISO NR High ISO NR Four levels High ISO NR Sample image High ISO NR Highlights Display Mode Histogram Display Mode Channel and Bit Depth Tutorial Histogram Image authentication Image Authentication Image comment Language Image compression Combined NEF and JPEG Shooting Two Images at Once Image data Display Mode Image
488. owever it does apply the camera settings to the image file immediately Since the camera shoots natively in 12 bit or 14 bit there is some initial data loss when using the TIFF format as images are converted to 8 bit TIFF files The primary problem with TIFF files is that they are huge and will slow your camera down while it saves the files Here are the pros and cons of the TIFF format TIFF Positives Very high image quality 130 Excellent compatibility with the publishing industry Is considered a lossless format since the image normally uses no compression and loses no more data than the initial camera conversion from 12 or 14 bits to 8 bits Images can be modified and resaved an endless number of times without losing image data Does not require software post processing during or after download from the camera so the image is immediately usable TIFF Negatives The files are very large so your ability to take a lot of images requires large and expensive storage cards Large computer hard drives are needed to store these multi megabyte images In camera image processing is slower so you will be limited in the number of fast pictures you can take Unless you have an extremely high speed Internet connection don t even consider sending one of these monsters across the Internet Personally I would rather shoot in NEF RAW format since I can get almost double the number of images on my memory c
489. owing you a compensation icon If it did turn on the compensation icon on the Control panel and in the Viewfinder then how could it show you the same icon when you are using normal compensation at the same time as meter fine tuning This light meter fine tuning only applies to the Custom setting bank you are currently working with If you are working in bank A banks B C and D are not changed Here are the screens and steps to fine tune the metering system s exposure Figure 4 25 300 Ea o CUSTOM SETTING MENU Ia b Metering exposure b6 Fine tune optimal exposure Custom setting bank T b115O sensitivity step value 13 DReset custom settings gy b2EV steps for exposure otri 1 3 Q Exposure compensation icon oE a Autofocus b3 Exp comp fine tune 1 3 y is not displayed when b4 Easy exposure compensation OFF exposure is altered from the e c Timers AE lock EA 5 Center weighted area 8 default value Continue E d Shooting display Fine tune optimal exposure EE Bracketing flash ci Shutterrelease button AEL OFF E OEN 4 f Controls E c2 Auto meter off delay s b6 Fine tune optimal exposure Matrix metering Pe Center weishted i Spot metering Figure 4 25 Center weighted area fine tuning screens 1 Select b Metering exposure from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right Figure 4 25 image 1 2 Select Fine tune optimal exposure and scroll to the right Figure 4 25 image 2 3 Select Yes
490. p Attach copyright information Save load settings Ia 1 Artist Copyright information Copyright 1 48 1 8 40123456789 lt Done 40123456789 lt gt 7 QNBCDEFGHIJKL ly gt 7 BBCDEFGHIJKL UNOPQRSTUVAXYZI Darrel Young MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Darrell Young f 7 Darrell Young HE 8 Attach copyright information Cursor Ont ONOK Cursor Done Done Artist Artist Darrel Young Darrell Young Darrel Young R F Copyright information i Copyright information Copyright information Y Copyright Copyright Copyright Darrell Young Darrell Young Darrell Young Attach copyright informati Set ch copyright informati gt Se amp Attach copyright information Figure 5 29 Artist and Copyright information screens Copyright information is only available in the D300S It allows you to embed Artist and Copyright data into each image Use Shooting Menu gt Image comment for the D300 since it has no Copyright information setting Refer to Figure 5 29 and use the following steps to add personal information to your camera It will then write your 487 Artist name and Copyright information into the metadata of the image see Figure 5 29 l Select Copyright information from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right You ll see the Copyright information screen with Done highlighted see Figure 5 29 images 1 and 2 Scroll down to Artist and scroll to the right Figure 5 29 image 3
491. page Thank you 794 A note on the digital index A link in an index entry is displayed as the section title in which that entry appears Because some sections have multiple index markers it is not unusual for an entry to have several links to the same section Clicking on any link will take you directly to the place in the text in which the marker appears 795 Symbols 3D color matrix II meter Metering Exposure Modes and Histogram 3D tracking 51 points Custom setting a3 D300S and D300 9 21 or 51 AF points Custom setting a3 D300S and D300 100D300S Playback Folder Copy Images D300S Only 100ND300 Playback Folder Copy Images D300S Only 12 bit files vs 14 bit files NEF RAW Type 12 2 MP 6 9 MP 3 1 MP Final Image Format Ramblings 1280x720 64x424 320x216 D Movie Mode Section Two 2 500 10 000K color temperature Manually Selecting a Color Temperature between 2 500 and 10 000 K 4288x2848 3216x2136 2144x1424 Final Image Format Ramblings 51 point 3D tracking Custom setting a3 D300S and D300 720p HD video D300S D Movie Mode Section Two 999 images in a folder Active Folder 9999 images in sequence Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 White Balance symbols Method 1 Manual White Balance Using the WB Button 796 797 Active D Lighting Color Space Active folder Active Folder Active Folder Active Folder New folder number Active Folder Select f
492. pecs in a moment but first let s discuss your camera s HDMI output frequencies Before you attempt to connect your Nikon D300S to your HDTV be sure that you ve correctly configured your HDMI output to match what your HDTV needs or you won t get a picture Use the Setup Menu gt HDMI setting to select a specific output type or just select Auto so that the camera and HDTV can figure it out for you Here is a list of formats supported by your camera Auto Allows the camera to select the most appropriate format for displaying on the currently connected device 480p progressive 640x480 progressive format 576p progressive 720x576 progressive format 720p progressive 1280720 progressive format 1080i interlaced 1920x1080 interlaced format Here are the screens and steps to select an HDMI output format see Figure 8 17 1 Select HDMI from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right SETUP MENU HDMI e Format memory card ATE 480p 480p progressive Lock mirror up for cleaning EA Video mode 576P 576p progressive rar i anal 720p 720p progressive e ansad dat a 1080i 1080i interlaced Language En lE 622 Figure 8 17 HDMI output format 2 Select one of the five available modes Not sure Select Auto 3 Press the OK button Figure 8 18 HDMI mini and standard cable ends Now your camera is ready to output video on a compatible HDTV Figure 8 18 shows what compatib
493. peed all the way down to 30 seconds then to bulb there is still one more setting below bulb named X Flash sync speed This special setting allows you to set the camera to a known shutter speed and shoot away You will see X 250 if Custom Setting el gt Flash sync speed is set to 1 250 s Whatever Flash sync speed you select will show up after the X If you selected a Flash sync speed of 1 125 s then X 125 will show up as the next setting below bulb Selecting a Flash sync speed of 1 60 s means that X 60 will show up below bulb etc The shutter speed will not vary from your chosen setting The camera will adjust the aperture and flash when in Shutter priority auto S mode or you can adjust the aperture while the flash controls exposure in Manual M mode 349 This special X Sync mode is not available in Aperture priority auto A or Programmed auto P modes since the camera controls the shutter speed in those two settings Primarily you ll use this setting when you are shooting in Manual or in Shutter priority auto and want to use a known X Sync speed My Recommendation I leave my camera set to 1 320 s Auto FP as shown in Figure 4 48 all the time The camera works just like it normally would until one of my settings takes it above 1 250s shutter speed at which time it starts pulsing the light to match the shutter curtain travel Once again you won t be able to detect this high frequency strobe effect since it happens s
494. perture acketing Flashonly he 81 Bracketing order f Controls E 11 Bswitch Figure 4 61 Auto bracketing Mode M 4 Select e Bracketing flash from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 61 image 1 Highlight Auto bracketing Mode M and scroll to the right see Figure 4 61 image 2 Choose one of the four choices on the list In Figure 4 61 image 3 Flash speed has been selected Press the OK button to lock in the setting Here is a list of the four settings and what each does The camera controls the selected setting when you are using M Manual exposure mode while bracketing These functions are dependent on how Custom setting e5 gt Auto bracketing set is configured Flash speed This setting allows you to control the aperture for best depth of field while still doing bracketing The camera will control the shutter speed If Custom setting e5 gt Auto bracketing set is set to AE amp flash the camera will vary the shutter speed and flash level to expose the bracketed images while you control the aperture If e5 is set to AE only then the camera will only vary the shutter speed to get the exposures 376 Flash speed aperture This setting is for those who want the camera to control the shutter speed aperture and flash while still doing bracketing If Custom setting e5 gt Auto bracketing set is set to AE amp flash the camera will vary the shutter speed aperture a
495. picture unless it s able to focus on our subjects When you re shooting at a high frame rate Focus priority may cause your camera to skip a series of out of focus images It will slow your camera s frame rate so that it will not reach the maximum 6 8 frames per second in some cases 259 But I have to ask what is the point of several out of focus images mixed with the in focus pictures Why waste the card space and then have to weed through the slightly out of focus images Pay special attention to these two settings You will need to decide based on your style of shooting whether you want your camera to refuse to take an out of focus image If you set al and a2 to Focus priority and you try to take an out of focus image the Shutter release button will simply not release the shutter The green in focus indicator in the Viewfinder will have to be on before the shutter will release My Recommendation Personally I set both al and a2 to Focus priority I m not a high speed shooter so I don t need my camera to take a picture no matter what if that includes a series of out of focus images What good are out of focus images We ll discuss this even more in the chapter titled Chapter 11 Dynamic AF Area Custom setting a3 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 264 D300 page 269 Dynamic AF area lets you choose the number of AF points used when you put your camera in Dynamic area AF mode First let
496. plays a still image after the clicks Hold the Shutter release button down all the way and wait a moment for the camera to take the image Once you take a picture in Live view mode it appears on the Monitor To return to Live View for more pictures just press the Shutter release button halfway down I admit it can be a little confusing until you get used to the sounds and actions of Live view mode When in doubt hold the Shutter release button down longer My Recommendation You can use either of the Live view modes on or off tripod I often leave my camera set to Tripod mode since I like the more flexible focus positioning and accuracy I normally use Live View for macro close up images for which I especially need the extra accuracy and focus positioning capability Tripod mode is not very good for any type of action shots since the autofocus is much slower The only time I use Hand held mode is when I want to shoot moving objects or around the corner images at arm s length If I were shooting images in a war zone I think I d use Hand held Live View mode and stick the camera around the 592 edge of the building to capture my image instead of sticking my head glued to the Viewfinder around the corner It is also useful to shoot in Hand held mode when reaching over the top of a crowd or below waist level without bending Old timers give it a try Live View s Four Screens There are four screens available in each of the Li
497. posure to be fine When there is a very limited range of light the histogram may be rather narrow The image in Figure 9 16 is a relatively bland image with smooth graduations of tone so it makes a nice smooth mountain peak histogram graph This will not occur every time since most images contain quite a bit more color information Each prominent color will be represented with its own peak on the histogram graph The most prominent colors will have higher peaks while the less prominent will have lower or no peaks AS we progress into images with more color or light information we ll see that the histogram looks quite different Look at the image in Figure 9 17 This is from an image that exceeds the range of the D300 S s digital sensor Notice that overall this image is dark and looks underexposed The histogram in Figure 9 17 is crammed to the left effectively being clipped off There are no gradual climbs like on a mountain range from valley to peak and back to valley Instead the image shows up on the left side in mid peak It is clipped This is an underexposed image and the histogram reflects that well 663 Figure 9 17 Histogram showing underexposure dark side The most important thing to understand when you see a histogram like the one in Figure 9 17 with part of the peak clipped off on the left is that some or all of the image is significantly underexposed Now look at a similar image in Figure 9 18 In t
498. pter The D300 does not have the Copyright information selection so Image comment is a good place to enter a copyright notice for that camera Remember you are limited to 36 characters in the comment 464 Auto Image Rotation User s Manual D300S page 304 D300 page 318 Auto image rotation is concerned with how a vertical image is displayed on your camera s Monitor and later on your computer Horizontal images are not affected by this setting The camera has a direction sensing device so that it knows how a picture is oriented Depending on how you have Auto image rotation set and how you hold your camera s hand grip the camera will display a vertical image either as an upright portrait image with the top of the image at the top of the LCD screen or lying on its side in a horizontal direction with the top to the left or right The two selections are as follows On With Auto image rotation turned On the camera stores orientation information within each image primarily so that the image will display correctly in computer software such as Nikon Capture NX and ViewNX In other words the camera records as part of the image s metadata whether you were holding your camera horizontally or vertically hand grip down or even upside down vertically hand grip up The image will display in the correct orientation on your camera s Monitor only if you have Playback Menu gt Rotate tall set to On Auto image rotation
499. r balance of each image when using Auto WB mode The Auto WB setting also has the fine tuning screen mentioned in Method 2 When you select Auto under Shooting Menu gt White balance you can scroll to the right to reach the next screen and fine tune the colors I don t see how this is particularly useful since each image is likely to have slightly different color temperatures to deal with That would mean the fine tuning would have little value for more than an image or two If you were shooting in the exact same light for a period of time I suppose the fine tuning would be useful however wouldn t it make more sense to do a PRE reading of the light for exact WB This choice will depend on your shooting style and personal preferences My Opinion about Auto WB If you are concerned with a series of images having the same color settings so that they look similar and require no extra post processing it is best to actually adjust the WB to one of the preset or measured values This way each image taken will have the same color balance Auto WB takes control of 702 the image away from you The D300 S is very good at Auto WB but I still shoot at a pre defined WB setting most of the time Call me old fashioned If I m at a party and I m shooting images of friends for small snapshot prints Pll often put my camera in Auto WB and Programmed auto exposure mode P Then Pll just take lots of pictures without worrying about a thing
500. r 10 Hello Cutie Courtesy of Stephen J Weston stevezz 1 My furniture making workshop is situated on a farm having a small pond with a few Mallard ducks First brood for this little chap s Mom 789 Chapter 11 Bald Eagle Fishing Courtesy of David Summers dmIdave I captured this eagle checking his catch over the Mississippi The D300 with its AF system and its fast frame rate allows me to capture these great birds in action 790 Chapter 12 Contemplation Courtesy of Richerd Reynolds slartybartfast This is a portrait of my daughter She came over and began pretending the legs of my light stand was a mountain for her toys to climb I captured the moment 791 Nikonians Gold Membership 792 Nikonians Gold Membership P Enter the following voucher code to obtain a 50 discount for a Nikonians Gold Membership nil frians Worldwide home for Nikon users nikonians org With over 260 000 members from over 160 nations Nikonians org is the largest Internet community for Nikon photographers worldwide Tibor 793 Additional Downloadable Resources Website As a final reminder we have a downloadable resources webpage for this book It contains several additional chapter sections that provide added information on camera operation and even a few photo technique basics http rockynook com NikonD300S Also please see the Nikonians Gold membership 50 percent discount coupon on the preceeding
501. r camera Here are the screens and steps for actually doing a firmware update see Figure 5 47 continuing from Figure 5 46 1 Make a note of the pre upgrade A and B Firmware version numbers so that you can validate the update after the process is finished Format a memory card in the camera in preparation for the update files Firmware version Firmware version Q Update Current 1 00 p 1 8 1 00 l Done M Yes OR Update gt No Updating CTTTT TT Warning Update completed Do not turn camera off during Turn camera off update Update will take several minutes Figure 5 47 Firmware version update screens 2 Turn off the camera and remove the memory card from your camera Insert it in a computer card reader and 523 copy the firmware update files e g D300S101 BIN into the root folder top level of your camera s memory card Make sure that you have a fully charged battery powering the camera turn off the camera and insert the memory card containing the firmware update file Continuing from Figure 5 46 you ll notice that there is now an Update choice that appears below the Done selection in Figure 5 47 image 1 Select Update and scroll to the right see Figure 5 47 image 1 Choose Yes from the menu and press the OK button see Figure 5 47 image 2 Do not turn the camera off during the firmware upgrade process or it may need to be repaired by Nikon before it will work again You
502. r images You may have seen the acronym RGB in your camera study RGB stands for red green blue the three color channels Let s talk about how bit depth or the number of colors per channel can make your pictures even better With the D300 S you can select the bit depth stored in an image More bit depth equals better color gradations The default for the D300 S is 12 bits or 4 096 colors per RGB channel Or you can switch it to 14 bits or 16 385 colors per RGB channel as shown in Figure 3 15 In lesser DSLR cameras the color information is limited to 12 bits If you do not fully understand what this means take a look at Channel and Bit Depth Tutorial following this section As mentioned above the D300 S has the following two bit depths 147 available 12 bit 4 096 colors per channel or 14 bit 16 385 colors per channel Here are the screens and steps to choose a NEF RAW bit depth see Figure 3 15 a SHOOTING MENU NEF RAW recording NEF RAW recording JPEG compression Gy NEF RAW bit depth NEF RA White balance Set Picture Control s P bit 12 bit Manage Picture Control 7 FE Color space s E it E Active D ighting Long exp NR Figure 3 15 NEF RAW bit depth 1 Select NEF RAW recording from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select NEF RAW bit depth and scroll to the right 3 Select 12 bit or 14 bit from the NEF RAW bit depth menu 4 Press the OK button to save your
503. r temperature White Balance Editing the comment field Storing White Balance Values for Future Use How does WB work White Balance Manual white balance Method 1 Manual White Balance Using the WB Button PRE or PrE measurement Manually Selecting a Color Temperature between 2 500 and 10 000 K RAW mode considerations My Opinion about Auto WB Sample WB range image White Balance Tips and Tricks Shooting Menu screens Method 2 Manual White Balance Using the Shooting Menu Storing values for future use Measuring Actual Ambient Light and Using PRE Tips amp tricks White Balance Tips and Tricks Using WB from previous image Editing the Comment Field White balance bracketing Method 2 Manual White Balance Using the Shooting Menu Wireless transmitter Using an MB D10 Battery Pack Wording Legend Colors Colors and Wording Legend 848 World time D300 HDMI Wrap around Focus point Custom setting a6 D300S and D300 Z Zoom on off View histograms 849 About the Author Darrell Young DigitalDarrell is an information technology engineer by trade He s been an avid photographer since 1968 when his mother gave him a Brownie Hawkeye camera Darrell has used Nikon cameras and Nikkor lenses since 1980 He has an incurable case of Nikon Acquisition Syndrom NAS and delights in working with Nikon s newest digital cameras Living near Great Smoky Mountains National Park has given him a real concern for and interest
504. racket with one or two images overexposed and one or two images underexposed by stop This type of bracketing allows me to combine detail from the highlight and dark areas in computer for the HDR exposures everyone is experimenting with these days Figure 4 58 Nikon D300S AF S Nikkor 16 85mm f 3 5 5 6G ED lens In Figure 4 58 is a sample five image bracket with 1 0 EV step between each exposure I combined the five images using Photomatix Pro software www hdrsoft com and was pleased with the final result This particular image was created with a bracket using the same settings shown on the Control panel in Figure 4 57 image 1 369 WB Bracketing You can also do WB bracketing white balance in a way similar to flash or exposure bracketing using the controls shown in Figure 4 56 If you want to bracket your camera s white balance you must set Custom setting e5 gt Auto bracketing set to WB bracketing see Figure 4 55 This means that AE or flash bracketing will not work during the time that Custom setting e5 is set to WB bracketing It may be a good idea to review the previous section Exposure Bracketing AE and Flash Combination if you ve not read it yet since WB bracketing is so similar WB bracketing does not work when your camera is in RAW mode Use Figure 4 55 as the reference screens to select WB bracketing and then use these steps to bracket the white balance 1 Set Custom setting e5 to WB br
505. racking in and out and searching for a new subject as soon as the previous subject is no longer under an AF point It also causes the camera to ignore other higher contrast or closer subjects while it follows your original subject You will have to judge the usefulness of this technology for yourself I suggest that you go to some event or down to the lake and track moving objects with and without lock on enabled Your style of photography has a strong bearing on how you ll use or whether you ll use Focus tracking with lock on Focus tracking with lock on has little to do with how well the camera focuses Instead it is concerned with what it is focused on Here are some good reasons to leave Focus tracking with lock on enabled in your camera If Focus tracking with lock on is set to Off Dynamic area AF and Auto area AF will instantly react to something coming between your subject and the camera When you enable Focus tracking with lock on the camera will ignore anything that briefly gets between you and your subject If you turn it off your camera will happily switch focus to a closer subject even if it only appears in the frame for a moment A good example of this is when you are tracking a moving subject and just as you are about to snap the picture a closer or brighter object enters the edge of the frame and is picked up by an outside sensor The camera may instantly switch focus to the intruding subject 268 If you turn o
506. range R red and G green filters on a monochrome image Yellow orange and red Y O R change the contrast of the sky in black and white images Green G is often used in black and white portrait work to change the appearance of skin tones You don t have to go buy filters for your lenses they re included free in your D300 S ma Monochrome _ Sharpening Contrast T Brightness a E Toning dl B amp W G Grid ONOK GReset Figure 3 22 Monochrome Filter effects screen 166 Figure 3 23 Monochrome Filter effects samples In Figure 3 23 you ll see an untouched sample of a color SD Picture Control for comparison alongside the five MC shades of Monochrome black and white Filter effects The Filter effects are mildly different and are hard to see due to tone range limitations of a printed book In my opinion the Red effect seems to darken the sky and emphasize the wispy clouds a bit better The Filter effects settings are more pronounced than those you would achieve using a glass filter attached to your lens As displayed in Figure 3 24 there are also 10 variable Toning effects available B amp W standard black and white Sepia Cyanotype Red Yellow Green Blue Green Blue Purple Blue and Red Purple Each of the Toning effects is variable within itself you can adjust the saturation of the individual tones In Figure 3 24 I cranked them all the way up to the maximum setting which tends to oversaturate
507. rature White Balance 825 L Landscape LS Picture Control Examining Picture Controls Language Time Zone and Date or World Time Large L image size Final Image Format Ramblings LCD brightness LCD Brightness LCD illumination d9 D300S d8 D300 Custom setting d9 D300S and d8 D300 LCD monitor information Playback Menu Live view mode Are there any drawbacks to using ISO sensitivity auto control Live View Mode Live View and D Movie Modes Live View Mode Section One Live View s Two Modes Live View s Two Modes Autofocus in Live View Mode Selecting a Release Mode Frame Rate Selecting a Release Mode Frame Rate Autofocus Autofocus in Live View Mode Hand held Live View Mode Section One Selecting a Release Mode Frame Rate Screens Live View Mode Live View s Two Modes Tripod Live View s Two Modes Selecting a Release Mode Frame Rate Lock mirror up for cleaning Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning Lock on a4 Focus tracking Custom setting a4 D300S and D300 Long Exp NR Active D Lighting Long Exp NR Long Exp NR D300S Info Display edit screen Long Exp NR Sample image Long Exp NR Lossless compressed NEF NEF RAW Type 826 827 Manage picture control Resetting a Nikon Picture Control Manual focus What Is the Multi CAM 3500DX Autofocus Module Manual mode M M Manual Mode Manual white balance Method 1 Manual White Balance Using the WB Button Matrix metering Metering
508. rd only has one folder this setting will have little effect except to display the one folder My Recommendation I have my camera set so that when I press the Multi selector center button in Shooting mode it jumps to the center AF point It saves time because I don t have to scroll back manually The setting that does this is Shooting mode gt Select center focus point When I press the Multi selector center button in Playback mode I have the camera show me a luminance histogram with the setting Playback mode gt View histograms I absolutely adore being able to see a histogram for an image I just took by pressing the Multi selector center button instead of scrolling to the histogram screen It is very fast and lets me see my camera s histogram when I need it most Play with the other settings concerning thumbnails and zooming You may want to use one of those instead of my favorites Multi Selector Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 User s Manual D300S page 292 D300 page 302 The Multi selector function allows you to set the camera s Multi Selector so that any usage of it turns the light meter on or resets its delay back to the value found in Custom setting c2 Auto meter off delay This allows the light meter to stay on after you ve used the Multi Selector until the Auto meter off delay timeout expires 394 Here are the screens and steps used to configure the Multi selector function Figure 4 70
509. rds Latitude Longitude Altitude and UTC time not the Heading 502 Nikon also suggests that you keep a handheld GPS unit e g Garmin eTrex at least 8 inches 20 cm away from the camera Maybe it outputs enough electrical interference to cause problems for aftermarket GPS units However the Nikon GP 1 GPS unit mounts either onto the camera s Accessory shoe or on the camera s strap with the included GP1 CL1 strap adapter Evidently the Nikon GP 1 GPS is shielded well enough that mounting it onto the camera s Accessory shoe is no problem My Recommendation Get the Nikon GP 1 GPS unit It s easy to use foolproof and has all the cables you need for using it with the camera The only other cable you ll need to buy is the optional MC DC2 shutter release cable I use the tiny Nikon GPS unit constantly when I m out shooting nature images so I can remember where to return in the future Many of the newer aftermarket GPS units are not compatible with the D300 S since they use a USB cable for interfacing That s a good thing or a bad thing according to how you look at it The bad thing is that your brand new USB based GPS is useless for recording data to your images The good thing is that you can buy older GPS units for very little money on eBay and even new old stock from dealers I bought my Garmin eTrex Legend mapping GPS on Amazon com for just over 100 USD It came with a D sub 9 pin data cable I had to buy the Nik
510. re 3 56 I often shoot Multiple exposure images with two people in the frame One person leaves after the first half of the exposure is taken while the other stays carefully still When finished you will have a normal picture of one person and the background but the person that left halfway through the Multiple exposure will be ghosted That means you ll be able to see the background right through her It s even more fun if you have the person that leaves touch the other person during the first half of the Multiple exposure Maybe have her put a hand on the other person s shoulder or wrap her arms around him If the person that stays for the entire exposure is very careful not to move at all they will remain sharp and the image will certainly raise eyebrows later You can also do this with just one person as the second picture in Figure 3 56 shows Just make sure they leave halfway through the Multiple exposure 230 Finally be sure you are using a tripod when creating a Multiple exposure image unless you are masking part of the frame Otherwise the background will be completely blurred from camera movement between shots 231 Movie Settings D300S Only User s Manual D300S page 62 Movie settings are only available in the D300S This set of functions allows you to adjust three specific things about how the D Movie mode works SHOOTING MENU Movie settings Active D Lighting Long exp NR I High ISO NR
511. re are really only three steps to setting up a Multiple exposure session However there are six Shooting Menu screens we ll use to do these three steps The steps are as follows Select the Number of shots you want to take from the Shooting Menu screens Set Auto gain to either On or Off according to how you want to control exposure Take the picture As mentioned there are six Shooting Menu screens involved in setting up the Multiple exposure system see Figure 3 55 226 Let s consider each of the screens and steps as shown in Figure 3 55 and discover how to set up the Multiple exposure system 1 Select Multiple exposure from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 3 55 image 1 o ___ SHOOTING MENU _ Multiple exposure Multiple exposure c Active Dtighting OFF j Gy Number of shots Long exp NR ON High ISO NR NORM us ISO sensitivity settings Live view mode R opo Movie settings Interval timer shooting Multiple exposure Multiple exposure a 1 Auto gain Done Number of shots a Figure 3 55 Setting up a multiple exposure 2 Select Number of shots and scroll right see Figure 3 55 image 2 3 Enter the number of shots you wish to take any number between 2 and 10 and press the OK button see Figure 3 55 image 3 4 Select Auto gain and scroll right see Figure 3 55 image 4 5 Select On and press the OK button see Figure 3 55 image 5 6 Select Done an
512. re that ISO sensitivity auto control can and will push your camera s ISO sensitivity into a range that causes noisier images when light levels drop if you ve allowed it Use it with this understanding and you ll do fine ISO 3200 is the maximum unless you have set the maximum to a lower number Make sure you understand this or you might get some noisy images ISO sensitivity auto control is yet another feature of our powerful Nikon cameras Maybe not everyone needs this failsafe feature but for those who do it must be there I will use it myself in circumstances where getting the shot is the most important thing and where light levels may get too low for normal ISO image making Even if you think you might only use it from time to time do learn how to use it for those times Experiment a bit with ISO sensitivity auto control It s fun and can be useful 220 Live View Mode User s Manual D300S page 48 D300 page 79 Live view mode allows you to use the Monitor on the back of your camera to frame pictures instead of using the eyepiece and Viewfinder It has two modes Hand held and Tripod each of which uses a different type of autofocus AF Hand held mode uses phase detection AF while Tripod mode uses contrast detect AF We ll discuss this more in a moment To use Live view mode simply press the tiny Lv button on the back of the camera just above the AF area mode selector The Monitor will turn on and show you what
513. red Okay well maybe I can just shoot some images turn the camera off and then insert a memory card to write the buffer out to the CF card Nope As soon as I turned off the camera it flushed the buffer and no images were left Hmm maybe I can just shoot some images and without turning off the camera insert a memory card No again Even though I had several images waiting around in buffer memory as soon as I inserted the card the camera switched to the inserted card and dumped the buffer again deleting my lovely buffer images in the process I can find no way to write any of the images in the buffer out to a memory card If you are the curious type I hope this saves you some time Reverse Indicators Custom setting f11 D300S and f10 D300 420 User s Manual D300S page 299 D300 page 311 Reverse indicators lets you change the direction of your camera s exposure displays Normally anytime you see the exposure indicators in your camera s Control panel Viewfinder or the Information display the is on the left and the is on the right See Figure 4 82 where I show the Information display and the exposure indicator therein The first image shows the normal direction The second image shows the Information display with the exposure indicators reversed see red arrows eo coy to sed eeneeOceneetee sensone Qeeneeteet coma so To e U see a E A sol N GAO Adober GD O E A so N
514. reens and steps used to configure Focus point wrap around see Figure 4 12 CUSTOM SETTING MENU B a Autofocus lt Custom setting bank Gaa ESSE Reset custom settings a2 AF S priority selection Autofocus 43 Dynamic AF area b Metering exposure ad Focus tracking with lockon AF E c Timers AE lock a5 AF activation TE d Shooting display ES a6 AF point illumination e Bracketing flash Focus point wrap around f Controls a8 AF point selection Figure 4 12 Focus point wrap around 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 12 image 1 2 Highlight Focus point wrap around and scroll to the right see Figure 4 12 image 2 3 Choose one of the two choices from the menu In Figure 4 12 image 3 No wrap has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Here is a description of the two choices Wrap This setting allows the selected AF point to scroll off of the Viewfinder screen and then reappear on the other side No wrap default If you scroll the AF point to the edge of the screen it stops there You ll have to use the Multi Selector to move the point in the opposite direction back toward the middle My Recommendation Wrapping the AF point around from one side to the other drives me bonkers I don t like it on my computer screen or in my camera s Viewfinder When the AF 275 point gets to the edge I want it to stop so that I ca
515. reens in Figure 3 61 look a little daunting but it might help you to realize that the bottom half of screens 2 6 is informational in nature It shows the settings you create with the top half of each screen There are four steps involved in configuring Interval timer shooting Choose a Start Time Choose an Interval Choose the number of intervals Select intvls Choose the number of shots per interval no of shots So if I wanted to take a series of images starting Now Start time and shoot every 10 seconds Interval over a period of 30 seconds or 3 intervals number of intervals making 2 images per interval number of shots I would set the following get your camera and try these steps yourself so that it 1l make sense to you 1 Under Choose start time see Figure 3 61 image 2 you could select Now and the timer will start 3 seconds after you ve complete steps 3 5 skipping step 2 If you select Now the camera will skip step 2 since it selects a start time If you d rather start at a future time instead of now simply select Start time from screen 2 and scroll right then move on to step 2 2 You will now see a Start time menu see Figure 3 61 image 3 with the time in 24 hour military format 00 00 238 Enter the time at which you want the intervals to begin If I wanted to start at 3 30 p m I would insert the following 15 30 Once you ve entered the time scroll to the r
516. right of the lens information is a scale that runs from 20 on top to 20 on the bottom The yellow pointer starts out at o You can move this yellow pointer up or down to change the amount of focus fine tuning you want for this lens Moving the pointer up on the scale pushes the focal point away from the camera while moving it down pulls the focal point toward the camera In Figure 5 41 image 2 I set my 18 50mm lens to 5 front focus Once you are done press the OK button Default The Default configuration screen looks a lot like the Saved value screen except there is no lens information listed This Default value will be applied to all AF lenses you mount on your camera If you are convinced that your particular camera always has a back or fore focus problem and you are not able or ready to ship it off to Nikon for repair you can use the Default value to push the auto focus in one direction or the other until you are satisfied that your camera is focusing the way you d like As shown in Figure 5 42 to set an AF fine tune gt Default value use the scale that runs from 20 on top to 20 on the 515 bottom The yellow pointer starts out at o You can move this yellow pointer up or down to change the amount of focus fine tuning you want for whatever lens you currently have on the D300 S if no value already exists in the Saved value for the lens Moving the pointer up on the scale pushes the focal point away from the camera fro
517. ring exposure a4 Focus tracking with lock on AF c Timers AE lock a5 AF activation d Shooting display a6 AF point illumination e Bracketing flash aT Focus point wrap around f Controls a a8 AF point selection Release 257 Figure 4 6 Choosing a shutter release priority for AF S mode 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 6 image 1 2 Highlight AF S priority selection and scroll to the right see Figure 4 6 image 2 3 Choose one of the two settings from the menu with full understanding of what may occur if you don t choose Focus 4 Press the OK button to select your shutter release priority My Recommendation Once again I choose Focus I love pictures that are in focus don t you When I don t want images in focus I ll just flip the switch to manual on the camera or lens and focus where I want Please read the next section very well Using Custom settings a1 and a2 Release priority vs Focus priority Two of the more important functions in this Custom Settings chapter are al and a2 I added this special section so you ll understand why you must pay very close attention to these two settings Focus priority simply means that your camera will refuse to take a picture until it can reasonably focus on something Release priority means that the camera will take a picture when you decide to take it whether anything is in focus or not 258 Now
518. ring the D300 project as well as the subsequent books in this series Bo Stahlbrandt bgs and J Ramon Palacios jrp Nikonians Founders www nikonians org Camera Body Reference Fig 1 1 11 i Ee i Fig 2 12 18 Ten pin remote terminal cover Fig 3 19 22 Sub command dial Depth of field preview button FN FUNC Button Fig 4 23 32 11 Fig 5 33 46 45 Info button D3008 12 Live view mode button D300S Note Special D300 information in Colors and Wording Legend Figure 1 Top of camera 1 11 13 F ELWWSE YL YO PEE 7 PUN Suy a B 40 N SL vz Figure 3 Right front of camera 19 22 14 Figure 4 Left back of camera 23 32 15 Figure 5 Right back of camera 33 46 16 Colors and Wording Legend Throughout this book you will be presented with words displayed in two colors along with the use of italics The two colors are blue and green and are used as follows The camera s physical features are listed in blue Functions and settings viewed on an LCD screen are in green Textual prompts given by the camera on a screen are in Italics On select occasions Italics or Bold Italics are used for special emphasis Here is an example of the colors and italics in use Press the Menu button to reach the Setup Menu and then scroll to the Format memory card option by pressing the down arrow on the Multi Selector You will see
519. rked by a key symbol on the back of the camera next to the question mark 50 Display Mode User s Manual D300S page 247 D300 page 250 The Display mode selection allows you to customize how the D300 S displays all those histogram and data screens for each image If you want to see a lot of information on each image you can select it here Or if you would rather take a minimalist approach to image information turn off some of the screens If you turn off certain screens the camera still records the information for each image such as lens used shutter speed and aperture However with no data screens selected you ll see only two screens One is the main image view and the other is a summary screen with a luminance histogram and basic shooting information I have not found a way to turn this summary screen off You get to the screens by using the Multi Selector to scroll vertically I leave my camera set so that I can scroll through my images by pressing left or right on the Multi Selector Then I can scroll through the data screens by scrolling up or down with the Multi Selector There are some textual differences between the D300S and D300 Display mode screens The D300S takes Highlights out of the Basic photo info section and places it under Detailed photo info Here are the selections found in this menu item and a description of what each does 51 PLAYBACK MENU m Display mode _ ee Dame Done i Playba
520. rol s settings before saving it to your camera If you don t want to modify it simply press the OK button You will now be shown the Manage Picture Control gt Save as menu which lists any Custom Picture Controls already in your camera see Figure 3 32 image 3 Select one of the Unused memory locations and press the OK button You ll now be presented with the Rename screen just in case you want to change the name of the Custom Picture Control If you don t want to change the name simply press the OK button and the custom control will be added to your camera s Set Picture Control menu It s okay to have multiple controls with exactly the same name The camera keeps each control separate in its list of controls However I always rename them to prevent future confusion Renaming is fairly easy 183 Rename 1 S ha Ft 0123856789 lt gt 2 ABCDEFGHI JKL MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ NEUTRAL 04 amp OCursor input OKOK Figure 3 33 Rename Control To create a different name hold down the Thumbnail playback zoom out button and use the Multi Selector to scroll back and forth within the old name Once you have the small gray cursor positioned over a character you can delete it with the garbage can Delete button To insert a new character position the yellow cursor in the character list above and press the Multi selector center button on the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector on the D300 The char
521. roll to the right 2 Choose one of the eight Image quality types listed Figure 3 10 shows JPEG fine as the selected format 118 3 Press the OK button to select the format You can also use the QUAL button on the Release mode dial to set the Image quality Here are the controls and steps to do so Figure 3 11 Setting Image quality with external controls 1 Hold down the QUAL button see Figure 3 11 number 1 2 Look at the Control panel to see the Image quality values see Figure 3 11 number 2 3 Rotate the rear Main command dial to change the Image quality RAW JPEG TIFF etc Use the front Sub command dial as shown in Figure 3 11 number 3 to change the Image size Large Medium or Small 4 Release the QUAL button to lock in the modified settings The camera supports the following Image quality types 119 NEF RAW JPEG fine NEF RAW JPEG normal NEF RAW JPEG basic NEF RAW TIFF RGB JPEG fine JPEG normal JPEG basic Let s look at each of these formats and see which you might want to use regularly We ll go beyond how to turn the different formats on and off and discuss why and when you might want to use a particular format over another Even though our list shows eight different entries the camera really only shoots in three formats NEF RAW TIFF and JPEG The first three selections on our image type list and in Figure 3 10 image 2 allow
522. rols Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls Examining Picture Controls LS or Landscape Examining Picture Controls MC or Monochrome Examining Picture Controls NL or Neutral Examining Picture Controls PT or Portrait Examining Picture Controls SD or Standard Examining Picture Controls VI or Vivid Examining Picture Controls Copy to camera Delete a Custom Picture Control Copy to card Copy to Card Delete Rename a Custom Picture Control Delete from card Copy to Camera Downloading Optional Copy to Camera Filter effects Examining Picture Controls Grid MC Picture Control Filter Effects and Toning Load Save Delete a Custom Picture Control Managing Resetting a Nikon Picture Control Optional Picture Controls Copy to Camera Rename Save Edit a Custom Picture Control Resetting a Picture Control Picture Control Grid Screen Save Edit Save Edit a Custom Picture Control Toning Examining Picture Controls Picture deletion Playback Menu Playback folder Delete Playback Folder Playback Folder Playback Folder Playback Folder Hide Image 835 All Playback Folder Current Playback Folder D300S Playback Folder Hide images Hide Image ND300 Playback Folder Playback Menu Playback Menu Playback Menu Delete Playback Folder Hide Image Display Mode Copy Images D300S Only Copy Images D300S Only Image Review Rotate Tall Rotate Tall
523. ror Up For Cleaning Clean at startup shutdown Clean Image Sensor Clean now Clean Image Sensor Lock mirror up for cleaning Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning Color balance Retouch Filter Effects Color space File Naming Color Space Color Space Color Space Color Space D300S Info Display edit screen Color Space Selecting Color Space Which one to use Color Space Color temperature White Balance Colors and Wording Legend Colors and Wording Legend Combined image shooting TIFF Negatives 806 Commander mode How Does the D300 S Fit into the CLS Scheme Commander Mode Settings Commander Mode Settings Commander Mode Settings Commander Mode Settings mode Commander Mode Settings AA mode Commander Mode Settings M mode Commander Mode Settings TTL mode Commander Mode Settings Compact flash capacity reporting NEF RAW Type Compressed NEF NEF RAW Type Continuous servo AF C Single servo AF Mode S Controls Section Six f Controls Custom Settings f1 to f11 Section Six f Controls Custom Settings f1 to f11 Custom setting fl D300S only Choose folder D300 Custom setting f3 D300S and f2 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Custom setting f4 D300S and f3 D300 Assignable Function List Menus and playback Custom setting f9 D300S and f8 D300 Custom setting f11 D300S and f10 D300 807 Assign AE L AF L button Custom setting f4
524. rounding the currently selected AF point The Center weighted area meter does not move around with the currently selected AF point as the true Spot meter does Instead it assigns the greatest weight to the center of the Viewfinder frame and everything outside the circle in the center is not as important Each size increase from 6 8 10 to 13mm will increase the sensitivity of the center of the Viewfinder so that more emphasis is given to a larger area in the middle If you select the Avg Average setting the entire Viewfinder frame is used to meter the scene The camera takes an average of the entire frame by including all light and dark areas mixed together for an averaged exposure 298 My Recommendation When I use the Center weighted area meter I generally use the 13 mm setting to make the largest area of the center of the Viewfinder be the most sensitive section Personally I use 3D Matrix metering most of the time and have my camera s Fn FUNC button set up to switch to the Spot meter temporarily That way I am using Nikon s incredible 3D Color Matrix system with its ability to consider brightness color distance and composition Matrix gives me the best metering I ve had with any camera yet The Center weighted area meter is still included in our modern cameras to make people who are used to using the older style meter more comfortable Most of us will use Matrix metering these days Fine Tune Optimal Exposure
525. rst three letters of the file name for each of your images The default is DSC but you can change it to any three alphanumeric characters provided by the camera The camera defaults to using the following File naming for your images sRGB color space DSC_ 1234 Adobe RGB color space DSC1234 According to which Color space you are using the camera adds an underscore character to the end of the three DSC characters in sRGB or to the beginning in Adobe RGB as shown in Figure 3 7 image 2 I use this feature on my camera in a special way Since the camera can count images in a File number sequence that continues from 0001 to 9999 see Custom setting d7 in the D300S and d6 in the D300 I use File naming to help me personalize my images The camera cannot count images higher than 9999 Instead it rolls back over to 0001 for the 10 000th image When I first got my D300 I changed the three default characters from DSC to IDY The 1 tells me how many times my camera has passed 9999 images and DY are my initials thereby helping me protect the copyright of my image in case it is ever stolen and misused 108 Since the camera s image File number sequence counter rolls back over to 0001 when you exceed 9999 images you need a way to keep from accidentally overwriting images from the first set of 9999 images you took I use this method First 9999 images 1DY_0001 through 1DY_9999 Second 9999 images 2DY_0001 thr
526. rt how it should be displayed on the camera s Monitor and on your computer later In other words Rotate tall and Auto image rotation work together to display your image in the correct orientation Rotate tall gives you the choice of how the image is viewed per the orientation information it finds in the image s metadata Setup Menu gt Auto image rotation causes the camera to store how the image was taken so that it will know whether the image is a vertical or horizontal composition It can then report this information to the Rotate tall function My Recommendation I leave Rotate tall set to On That way I can view a portrait style image in its natural vertical orientation without turning my camera Be sure you understand the relationship between this function and Auto image rotation which stores orientation data with the picture I always set Rotate tall and Setup Menu gt Auto image rotation to On That lets me view images in the correct orientation on my camera s Monitor and later on my computer screen 79 Slide Show User s Manual D300S page 252 D300 page 252 I used to do slide shows back in the old film days I d set up my screen warm up my projector load my slides and watch everyone fall asleep by the hundredth slide For that reason I hadn t been using the Slide show functionality of my camera However all that changed recently One day I was up in the Great Smoky Mountains shooting beautiful waterfall
527. rv 4 yii 203 5 a 6 WOK WCancel OH Save Zoom Figure 6 6 Monochrome screens 539 4 For a Black and white image you cannot adjust the level of lightness or darkness For Sepia and Cyanotype you can use the Multi Selector to saturate or desaturate the tone Scroll up or down and watch the screen until the tint is just where you want it to be You can cancel with the Playback button Figure 6 6 image 4 5 Press the OK button to save the new image under a new file number My Recommendation I normally use the Black and white conversion when I need an immediate Monochrome image However it s a lot of fun to make the image look old timey with either Sepia or Cyanotype New Sepia toned images can look very old if you dress people accordingly Filter Effects User s Manual D300S page 322 D300 page 338 Many times when you shoot images outdoors under an overcast sky or under certain types of artificial lighting they can have a bluish cast or look cool Filter effects can help with that The Filter effects selection provides a simple way to apply two specific warm filter effects to an existing image Skylight Provides an effect similar to a skylight filter which removes some of the blue in an image This is not a very strong effect and should only be used for very mild warming blue reduction 540 Warm filter Provides an even stronger warming effect by adding a reddish tint
528. rval Interval Timer Shooting Select intvls x no of shots Interval Timer Shooting Start time Interval Timer Shooting ISO Auto Setting the ISO Sensitivity Settings ISO sensitivity auto control Setting the ISO Sensitivity Settings ISO sensitivity settings High ISO NR High ISO NR ISO Sensitivity Settings Setting the ISO Sensitivity Settings Setting the ISO Sensitivity Settings Maximum Sensitivity Minimum Shutter Speed ISO Sensitivity Auto Control from the Camera s Perspective When and why should I use ISO sensitivity auto control Auto control Setting the ISO Sensitivity Settings Camera s perspective Minimum Shutter Speed Drawbacks When and why should I use ISO sensitivity auto control High ISO NR High ISO NR Maximum sensitivity Setting the ISO Sensitivity Settings Minimum shutter speed Maximum Sensitivity Setting the ISO ISO Sensitivity Settings When to use ISO Sensitivity Auto Control from the Camera s Perspective ISO sensitivity step value b1 Section Two b Metering Exposure Custom Settings b1 to b6 ISO High NR High ISO NR 824 J JPEG compression Image Size JPEG Compression Size priority vs Optimal quality JPEG Compression JPEG image quality NEF RAW Negatives NEF RAW Negatives JPEG Image Quality Format TIFF Negatives Combined with NEF RAW TIFF Negatives Fine normal and basic NEF RAW Negatives Positives vs Negatives JPEG Image Quality Format K Kelvin color tempe
529. ry with you we a re providing a downloadable resources web page located at this address http rockynook com NikonD300S Here you ll find additional chapter sections that provide added information on camera operation and even a few photography basics 33 Chapter 2 Playback Menu Red Tailed Hawk Courtesy of Doug Sipes Dsipes In Chapter 1 you configured your camera for picture taking your way This chapter and the next several chapters will consider the camera s menu systems The D300 S has seven 34 menus with literally hundreds of configuration options We Il examine each setting on each menu starting now First is the Playback Menu which we ll consider in detail in this chapter Since this menu controls how the camera s Monitor displays images you ll need to learn how to use it well You ll be taking thousands of pictures and will view most of them on the Monitor By now you may have quite a few pictures on your camera s memory card The Playback Menu has everything you need to control your camera s image playback copying and printing concentrated in 10 selections in the D300S and 9 in the D300 They are as follows Delete Allows you to delete all or selected images from your camera s memory card s Playback folder Allows you to set which image folders your camera will display if you have multiple folders on the camera s memory card s Hide image Lets
530. s 434 Camera Button Format Method This is the fastest method to format the memory card and is a no brainer for the D300 For the D3008S it is a little more complicated since it only formats the current primary card slot and not the secondary You can select the secondary slot instead as I ll describe in the upcoming step by step method Figure 5 4 shows the buttons and Control panel screens used to format the card Notice how these two buttons are marked with the red FORMAT symbol Make sure that any pictures on the memory card have been saved To do the actual formatting process you ll follow these steps 1 Hold down the Delete and MODE buttons at the same time Figure 5 4 images 1 and 2 until For starts flashing on the Control panel Figure 5 4 image 3 red arrow D300S While you re still holding down the two buttons and For is flashing you can rotate the Main command dial with your thumb to select either the SD or CF card slot It s a three finger operation but it s easier than it sounds You can see in Figure 5 4 image 3 that I ve selected the SD card slot for formatting 435 Figure 5 4 Camera buttons and Control panel formatting D300 Since the D300 only has the one CF card slot the camera knows what to format so go directly to step 2 when For is flashing 2 Once For is flashing on the Control panel as shown in Figure 5 4 image 3 quickly release and instantly re press the
531. s somewhat Now let s look at some histogram detail Hist m Basic Tutorial en a Underexposed Well Exposed Overexposed Figure 9 15 Three histograms one underexposed one correctly exposed and one overexposed 661 Histogram Shape Look at the image in Figure 9 16 It is well exposed with no serious problems The entire light range of this particular image fits within the histogram window which means that it s not too light or too dark and will take very little or no adjustment to view or print Figure 9 16 Good image with normal histogram shape no clipping It contains no more than 4 or 5 stops EV steps of light range To finalize the image I might increase the brightness in the trees a little but otherwise it s a sound image with potential for immediate usage Compare Figure 9 16 s histogram to the histogram graph on the left in Figure 9 15 See how the Figure 9 16 histogram does not cram itself against the dark value side In other words the dark values are not clipped off on the left This means that the camera recorded all the dark values in this image with no loss of shadow detail 662 Then look at the right side of the histogram graph and note that it is not completely against the right side although quite close The image contains all the light values available Everything in between is exposed quite well with full detail A histogram does not have to cover the entire window for the ex
532. s all 51 points oo oO 00 D Figure 11 7 Three Dynamic area AF point patterns left to right 9 21 51 G a Autofocus ey a3 Dynamic AF area lt aiAF C priority selection a2 AF S priority selection P D a4 Focus tracking with lock on 3 21 21 points 5 a5 AF activation ON l 215151 points IE 26 AF point illumination AUTO B 13D 54 points 3D tracking al Focus point wrap around OFF a8 AF point selection AF51 Figure 11 8 Custom setting a3 Dynamic area AF point patterns You can of course move the first two patterns 9 and 21 points around the Viewfinder with your camera s Multi Selector Unfortunately the camera only shows you the center 725 AF point of the pattern even though you have 9 points 21 points or 51 points selected The AF point you can see in the Viewfinder provides the primary autofocus however the surrounding sensors in the pattern you ve selected in Custom setting a3 are also active If the subject moves and the primary AF point loses its focus one of the surrounding sensors will grab the focus quickly If the subject is moving slowly or predictably you can use a smaller pattern such as the 9 points selection in Custom setting a3 If the subject s movement is more erratic or unpredictable you might want to increase the number of AF points involved If 9 won t do it try 21 and finally even 51 for subjects that are very unpredictable and move quickly
533. s and cascades The day was about over so I headed back into town with my lovely images and a desire for supper I stopped in at the local buffet got some food set up my camera on one of those silver metal napkin boxes dialed in a nice slide show and started watching my own little show while I ate Before long I was hearing ooohs and aaahs from people at the next table Soon there were several people standing behind me watching the show I became an instant celebrity It was so popular that I think I ll go back this spring and this time be prepared to charge admission a PLAYBACK MENU ga Slide show l s Delete j Playback folder Hide image Display mode Image review _ After delete Pause Rotate tall 80 Figure 2 28 Slide show screens With this camera s big three inch monitor and VGA resolution it should be a satisfying experience for any tourist How much should I charge for the show As shown in Figure 2 28 the easy way to start a Slide show is to simply select the Playback Menu gt Slide show setting scroll right and select Start The slide show will commence immediately with a default display time of 2 seconds 2s per image If you want to allow a little more time for each image to display you ll need to change the Frame interval display time to a value of 3s 5s or 10s B PLAYBACK MENU pa Slide show Delete i Frame interval gt Playback folder ena zo E Y Hide image Disp
534. s for the title The book is called The Nikon Creative Lighting System Using the SB 600 SB 800 SB 900 and RICI Flashes by fellow Nikonian Mike Hagen I recommend that you buy a copy of Mike s book as an excellent way to increase your knowledge of the Nikon Creative Lighting System My book covers CLS only in relation to the Nikon D300 S camera body Mike s book goes into great detail on using Nikon cameras to control all the major flash units that Nikon currently makes With these two books and some practice you can become a Nikon Creative Lighting System expert 7715 f rockynook NikoniansPress Mike Hagen The Nikon Creative Lighting System Using the SB 600 SB 800 SB 900 and RIC1 Flashes 776 Figure 12 18 The Nikon Creative Lighting System by Mike Hagen I also suggest that you find a good book on lighting techniques and study it well You ll have to learn how to control shadows and reflections Plus you ll have to understand something about lighting ratios so that you can recognize a good image when you see one Buy a couple of light stands and some cheap white flash umbrellas and set up some portrait sessions of your family or even some product shots With the Nikon D300 S and even one extra Speedlight you can create some very impressive images with much less work than ever before 777 Figure 12 19 Single flash Nikon CLS compared to direct flash The really nice thing is that the Ni
535. s in detail Format Memory Card User s Manual D300S page 301 D300 page 313 Format memory card allows you to prepare your memory cards for use in your new camera The D300S has two memory card slots while the D300 has one Since the cameras have a different number of card slots the Setup Menu screens are different The D300S has an extra screen that allows you to select which card you want to format 432 If you don t like using the external camera controls to format a memory card the D300 S allows you to use the Shooting menu instead We ll examine both methods The D300S has both a CF and SD memory card slot so you ll have to choose which card you want to format when you use the Setup Menu gt Format memory card function The D300 only has one CF card slot so you don t have to make any choices about which card to format Figure 5 2 D300S and Figure 5 3 D300 show the Format memory card screens Si Format memory card Tie CF card slot LOD brightness 0 Clean image sensor ones Alli SEICE CF cardsiot_ images on memory l Lock mirror up for cleaning Lu t Q card will be deleted 1 E een OSW SD card slot OK HDMI C M No SETUP MENU P Format memory card Format memory card A Time zone and date Language Figure 5 2 Format memory card screens D300S There are several screens you ll see when formatting a memory card gt SETUP MENU _ a Format memory card LCD brig
536. s listen to the camera talk to itself while you take pictures in low light with ISO sensitivity auto control enabled As we listen in on the D300 S thinking in the next paragraph we need to know that the current Maximum sensitivity setting is ISO 400 and the Minimum shutter speed setting is 1 30s as shown in Figure 3 52 Nikon D300 S thinking Okay Auto ISO is on The light is dropping and my current i 60s shutter speed at ISO 200 sensitivity won t let me make a good exposure I ll slow the shutter speed to the minimum of 1 30s as my owner specified in my Minimum shutter speed setting More pictures are incoming and the light is still dropping I can t go any lower on the shutter speed for now since my owner has instructed me to keep the Minimum shutter speed at 1 30s unless I can t get a good picture I ll have to start raising the ISO sensitivity Here comes more pictures and whew it s getting dark I ve now raised the ISO sensitivity to my Maximum sensitivity level of ISO 400 which is as high as I am allowed to go I have no choice now but to go below the 1 30s Minimum shutter speed my owner has specified I hope I m on a tripod 216 Note The other exposure modes S Shutter priority and M Manual allow you to control the camera in a way that overrides certain parts of the ISO sensitivity auto control In M Manual mode the camera completely relinquishes all control of the shutter and aper
537. s of SDTV Standard Definition Television that we all grew up watching there was even less resolution Would you believe that the old TV you have stored in the garage displays only 345 600 pixels or 0 3 megapixels I ve been talking about the number of megapixels but that s not normally how HD devices are rated Instead of the number of pixels most HD information talks about the number of lines of resolution There are several HD standards for lines of resolution The standards that are usually the most used are 720p 10801 and 1080p The p and i after the numbers refer to progressive and interlaced We ll talk about what that means in the next section The D300S s best D Movie mode captures in 720p which is a broadcast quality HDTV standard The 720 simply means that your camera captures and displays HD images with 720 lines of vertical resolution Each of those lines can be 1 280 pixels long which allows the D300S to match the 16 9 aspect ratio expected in HDTV An older SDTV usually has an aspect ratio of 4 3 which is taller and narrower than the HDTV 16 9 aspect ratio Progressive vs Interlaced What s the difference between progressive and interlaced Technically speaking progressive video output displays the video frame starting with the top line and then draws the other lines until the entire frame is shown The D300S displays 720 603 lines progressively from the top of what
538. s the Information display Shooting info display screen to light gray characters on a black background This assures that you aren t blinded when you need shooting information while in a dark area This may not impress you much but I m easily entertained As shown in Figure 4 41 there are two available selections for Information display D300S or Shooting info display D300 334 Auto The D300 S decides through its capless lens or uncovered eyepiece how much ambient light there is and changes the color and contrast of the Information display Shooting info display screen accordingly Manual This manual setting allows you to select the light or dark versions of the Information display Shooting info display screen manually The two screens are B dark on light normal bright screen and W light on dark for darker areas Here are the screens and steps used to configure the Information display Shooting info display screen see Figure 4 41 o CUSTOM SETTING MENU J Shooting display f 48 Information display Custom setting bank Le ai Beep i Reset custom settings p G2Viewtinder orid display y a Autofocus E 43 Viewfinder warning display i cali f a f a4 Screen tips a5 CL mode shooting speed 46 Max continuous release al File number sequence b Metering exposure c Timers AE lock CO Shootina dso Bracketing flash f Controls W Manual Figure 4 41 Information or Shooting in
539. sation values 1 3 step EV seems to be the best for most of us Easy Exposure Compensation Custom setting b4 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 271 D300 page 276 Easy exposure compensation took me a bit of thinking to wrap my brain around The bottom line is that you can set the camera exposure compensation without using the Exposure compensation button There are three settings in Easy exposure compensation as follows Reset On Auto reset On and Off Here are the screens and steps used to configure Easy exposure compensation see Figure 4 20 292 a CUSTOM SETTING MENU a Metering exposure _ b4 Easy exposure compensation C Custom setting bank A 511S0 sensitivity step value 1 3 7 l Reset custom settings v2 EV steps for exposure entr 1 3 g on Mugs JE o Timers AE lock b5 Center weighted area 8 TE d Shooting display 6 Fine tune optimal exposure e Bracketing flash i Shutter release button AEL ON jf f Controls c2 Auto meter off delay ass I i a Autofocus a ee f Auto reset Figure 4 20 Easy exposure compensation 1 Select b Metering exposure from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 20 image 1 2 Highlight Easy exposure compensation and scroll to the right see Figure 4 20 image 2 3 Choose one of the three items on the menu In Figure 4 20 image 3 Off has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting If you
540. scope of this book but there are many good Nikon Capture NX2 books on the market that will explain it well White or Gray Card Tips Remember all your camera needs to create an Image Dust Off ref photo is a good bright look at its imaging sensor so that it can map the dirt spots into a NDF file ref photo file 476 If you hold your camera too far away from the white surface you are photographing you will get a warning that says The selected Dust Off reference photo contains too much dust and could cause image details to be lost Do you want to use it anyway When your lens is a distance away from the surface you might actually be photographing small dirt on the surface of your white subject Those spots can mix in with the dust seen on the sensor and make an inaccurate Image Dust Off ref photo Later when you use it to remove dust from an image it removes the dust found on the sensor as well as all the other spots that were on the white surface Those extra spots were not really on the image so Capture NX2 will be removing spots it shouldn t The image quality may go down from all the unnecessary re interpolation If you get the warning screen shown in Figure 5 23 that says Exposure settings are not appropriate Change exposure settings and try again just go shoot another Image Dust Off ref photo with a nice bright clean white surface Put the lens very close to the surface and make sure it is not in focus You might e
541. se a Quality setting 1 Continuing from Figure 3 57 Shooting Menu gt Movie settings select Quality from the Movie settings menu and scroll right see Figure 3 58 2 Select one of the three formats for video recording 3 Press the OK button to choose the format 233 Now let s look into the Microphone settings see Figure 3 59 The D300S has a built in Microphone which you can see by looking for the three small holes just below the D300S logo on the front of the camera Be careful not to block them when recording You can also buy a plug in stereo mic that will use the stereo plug under the rubber flap on the side of the camera We ll look into this a little deeper when we get to the chapter called Chapter 8 Movie settings Movie settings O a Microphone Quality 33 High sensitivity D amp 22 Medium sensitivity 2 21 Low sensitivity 1 Microphone off Destination Figure 3 59 D Movie mode Microphone You can select from four sound level settings Auto High Medium and Low or set the Microphone setting to Off Here are the steps to select a sound level setting 1 Continuing from Figure 3 57 Shooting Menu gt Movie settings select Microphone from the Movie settings menu and scroll right see Figure 3 59 2 Select one of the five choices for sound level sensitivity 3 Press the OK button to lock in the mic sound level Next we ll examine the final Movie setting called Destinatio
542. sequence continues even if a new folder is created a new memory card is inserted or the current memory card is formatted If the file number exceeds 9999 during a shoot the camera will create a brand new folder on the same memory card and start writing the new images in numbered order from 0001 into the new folder Similarly if you accumulate 999 images in the current folder the next image capture will result in the camera creating a new folder but the file numbering will not be reset to 0001 unless that 999th image had a file number of 9999 In other words no matter what you do with your memory cards or how many folders you or the camera create the File number sequence will continue incrementing until 9999 images have been taken Only then will the File number sequence reset to 0001 329 Off Whenever you format or insert a new a memory card the number sequence starts over at 0001 If you exceed 999 images in a single folder the camera creates a new folder and starts counting images at 0001 again Reset This works in a similar way to the On setting However it is not a true running total to 9999 because the image number is dependent on the folder in use The camera simply takes the last number it finds in the current folder and adds 1 to it up to 999 If you switch to an empty folder the numbering starts over at 0001 Since a folder cannot hold over 999 pictures you will not exceed 999 as a running sequence of im
543. setting is designed to keep all your JPEG files at a certain uniform size This size will vary according to whether you selected JPEG fine normal or basic in the Image quality menu Image quality controls the regular everyday compression level of the JPEG file while Size priority tweaks it even more How does it work With Size priority enabled the camera s software has a certain file size in mind for all the JPEGs you shoot Let s say the camera wants to use a4 5 megabyte file size The D300 S will do its best to keep all JPEGs set to that particular file size by altering the level of compression according to content If a JPEG file has lots of fine detail it will require more compression than a file with less detail in order to maintain the same file size By enabling this function you are telling the camera that it has permission to throw away however much image data it needs to in order to get each file to the target size of 4 5 megabytes This could lower the quality of a complex landscape shot much more than a shot of a person standing by a blank wall Size priority instructs the camera to sacrifice image quality if necessary to keep the file size consistent Use this function only for images that will not be used for fine art purposes Otherwise your image may not look as good as it could 140 Optimal quality This setting really doesn t do anything extra to your images the camera simply uses less compres
544. sh sync speed gt OFRGFR6 AA lithium b Metering exposure _B Timers AE lock i IE c2Flash shutter speed I 796 2R6 AA Ni Mn 8 Bracketing flash be e3 Flash entri for built in flash TTL f Controls Kd i Modeling flash OFF Figure 4 46 MB D10 battery type 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 46 image 1 2 Highlight MB D10 battery type and scroll to the right see Figure 4 46 image 2 3 Choose one of the four choices on the list In Figure 4 46 image 3 LR6 AA alkaline has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting 341 My Recommendation Nikon allows but does not recommend using certain AA batteries such as Alkaline LR6 and Ni Mn ZR6 nickel manganese Its primary objection to these two types is that they do not work well at lower temperatures In fact once you go below 68 degrees F 20 degrees C an Alkaline battery starts losing its ability to deliver power and will die rather quickly You may not get as many shots out of a set of AA batteries so your cost of shooting may rise However AA batteries are readily available and relatively low cost so some people like to use them especially in an emergency If you do choose to use AA batteries why not stick with Lithium types FR6 since that is the same type of cell used in the normal Nikon EN EL batteries and is not affected as much by a low ambient temperature You can als
545. sion on complex subjects In effect you are telling the camera to go ahead and vary the file size so that image quality will be good for any subject complex or plain Instead of increasing compression to make an image of a complex nature scene fit a certain file size like Size priority does the camera only compresses the image to the standard compression level based on the Image quality you selected JPEG fine normal or basic In other words the camera tries to preserve image quality by limiting compression of complex images Less image data is thrown away so the image quality is higher However file size will vary depending on the complexity of the subject Here are the screens and steps to choose a JPEG compression type see Figure 3 13 1 Select JPEG compression from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right SHOOTING MENU JPEG compression Foy JPEG compression a E NEF RAW recording White balance Set Picture Control Manage Picture Control Color space Active D Lighting Long exp NR Figure 3 13 JPEG compression 141 2 Choose Size priority or Optimal quality Figure 3 13 shows Optimal quality as the selected compression type 3 Press the OK button to choose the compression type My Recommendation I normally use Optimal quality when I shoot JPEGs since the whole JPEG concept is one of lossy image compression and I don t want the potentially heavier compression of Size priority to lower the
546. slexposure b4 Easy exposure compensation OFF z 1c Timers AE lock Centerweighted area OER d Shooting display H 56 Fine tune optimal exposure u e Bracketing flash be amp Shutter release button AEL f Controls c2 Auto meter off delay zi a Autofocus b3 Exp comp fine tune 5 m E 13 13 mm OAvg Average Figure 4 23 Center weighted area 1 Select b Metering exposure from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 23 image 1 2 Highlight Center weighted area and scroll to the right see Figure 4 23 image 2 3 Choose one of the five items on the menu In Figure 4 23 image 3 8mm has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Let s see how each mode works Figure 4 24 shows the approximate size of the most sensitive area in the Viewfinder 297 for each step of the Center weighted area meter The pink circle is the most sensitive area for metering and it gets larger for each setting In the final frame of Figure 4 24 the entire frame is equally sensitive and averages everything seen in the Viewfinder Figure 4 24 Center weighted metering pattern areas shown in pink When using the Center weighted area metering mode the metering system uses an invisible circle in the center of the Viewfinder to meter the subject Setting it down to 6mm makes it almost small enough to be a spot meter because the real Spot metering mode of the camera uses a 3mm circle sur
547. speed sync mode are as follows SB 900 SB 800 SB 600 SB R200 Auto FP high speed sync enables the use of fill flash even in bright daylight with wide aperture settings It allows you to set your camera to the highest shutter speed available up to 1 8000s and still use the external flash unit to fill in shadows Here are your choices see Figure 4 48 1 320 s Auto FP 1 250 s Auto FP 1 250s 1 200s 1 160 s 1 1255 345 1 100 s 1 80s 1 60s Here are the screens and steps used to adjust your camera s Flash sync speed Figure 4 48 Custom setting bank A lft d War i 0 s Auto FP Reset custom settings Tp Flash shutter speed 1 80 1 250 s Auto FP a Autofocus e3 Flash cntrl for builtin flash TTLS 1 250 s b Metering exposure amp 4 Modeling flash 5 1 200 s c Timers AE lock Auto bracketing set 1 160 s E d Shooting display a 1 125 5 Bracketing flas 1 100 s 5 __ CUSTOM SETTING MENU Bracketing flash F e1 Flash sync speed _ o a z f Controls t swi 1 80 s Figure 4 48 Flash sync speed 1 Select e Bracketing flash from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 48 image 1 2 Highlight Flash syne speed and scroll to the right see Figure 4 48 image 2 3 Choose one of the nine choices on the list 1 60 s to 1 320 s Auto FP In Figure 4 48 image 3 1 320 s Auto FP has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Wh
548. ss the Long exp NR setting quickly by using the Information display edit screen Press the Info button twice select the Long exp NR position press the OK button and then use steps 2 and 3 above Figure 3 44 s second screen is the same as Figure 3 43 s second screen Long exp NR mA SON GO Adbent E E osm A CEN amp D Figure 3 44 D300S Info display edit screen Long exp NR 202 My Recommendation I personally like the benefits of Long exp NR I shoot a lot of waterfall and stream shots where I need exposures longer than 8 seconds to really blur the water Also I like to take midnight shots of the sky and even shots of city scenes at night Even though it may slow down the frame rate slightly and give me one less image in the in camera memory buffer I still use it most of the time If I were a sports or action shooter using Continuous release mode I may leave Long exp NR set to Off It s unlikely I would be using exposures longer than 8 seconds and I would want maximum frames per second as well as the ability to cram as many images into the camera buffer as possible I wouldn t want my camera to slow down while writing images to the memory card Your style of shooting will govern whether this function is useful to you Ask yourself one simple question Do I often shoot exposures longer than 8 seconds If so you may want Long exp NR set to On Compare how the images look with and without it I thi
549. t assign one of the camera s programmable buttons to start the bracketing process or use the factory default Fn FUNC button If you don t want to use the Fn FUNC button for this purpose you can assign BKT Auto bracketing to the Preview button or AE L AF L button instead 364 One of the buttons must be available to use in conjunction with the Command dials and the Control panel in order to see and change the settings for bracketing So before you read this tutorial on bracketing either decide to use the default Fn FUNC button or mark your place here and go to one of the following button assignment functions and choose the one you want to use to start the bracketing process Here are the three Custom settings that you may configure for Auto bracketing in case you want to use the Fn FUNC button for something else The assignment process for each of these is covered in detail later in this chapter under Section Six f Controls Custom Settings f1 to f11 Assign Fn FUNC button Custom setting f5 D300S or Custom setting f4 D300 Assign preview button Custom setting f6 D300S or Custom setting f5 D300 Assign AE L AF L button Custom setting f7 D300S or Custom setting f6 D300 The following information assumes that the Fn FUNC button is assigned to BKT Auto bracketing If you have chosen another button for Auto bracketing you ll need to use your preferred button to turn bracke
550. t it I know I have Well those problems are solved with the camera s adjustable Self timer delay Whether you are shooting a group shot or just using the self timer as a cheap cable release it s good to be able to adjust the time before release with Self timer delay Here is a list of the four available Self timer delay settings 2 5 2 seconds 5s 5 seconds 10s 10 seconds default 20s 20 seconds Here are the screens and steps used to configure the Self timer delay see Figure 4 28 lt Custom setting bank A E 1 Shutterrelease button AEL ON p DReset custom settings p c2Auto meteroti delay a Autofocus ni re b Metering exposure amp 4 Monitor off delay Sel Timers AE lock Beep TE d Shooting display IE 32 Viewfinder grid display oN iE e Bracketing flash Wd a3 Viewfinder warning display ON jf f Controls E a4 Screen tips ON a CUSTOM SETTING MENU c Timers AE lock l c3 Self timer Figure 4 28 Self timer delay 1 Select c Timers AE lock from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 28 image 1 2 Highlight Self timer on the D300S or Self timer delay on the D300 and scroll to the right see Figure 4 28 image 2 309 3 Choose one of the four choices on the menu In Figure 4 28 image 3 5s has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation Often if I don t want to take the time to plug in a remote release
551. t tiring to read the extra unnecessary text Instead I ll use Nikon s official name for the controls as found in the user s manual If you re unsure of a button dial or switch location simply use the reference images specific to your camera to find its location I may slip in a reminder of this from time to time 22 To keep from having to type D300 or D300S or even D300 D3008S and wasting book space I ll refer to both cameras as D300 S unless I am talking about a feature specific to one camera type First Time DSLR Users Surprisingly quite a few brand new digital single lens reflex DSLR users are buying these advanced cameras Even new users appreciate the robust high quality of the D300 S If you are a first time DSLR user please download the document titled Initial Hardware Considerations from our downloadable resources web page The web address is http rockynook com NikonD300S This document contains some very basic information for first time users such as battery insertion and lens attachment steps If you ve used other Nikon DSLRs in the past I m sure you know how to work with those items so I didn t want to make you read through very basic information that you may not need However new users need to know how to charge and insert the battery format and insert a memory card install a lens for the first time and 23 understand the controls on a lens The downloadable resources provide tha
552. t I know of so it s a good idea to use some noise reduction above a certain level of ISO sensitivity With the D300 S the ISO can go up to 800 without producing much noise After that you must choose to allow or disallow High ISO NR High ISO Noise Reduction Here are the selections High Normal Low Off For any of these settings except Off High ISO NR will be performed starting at ISO 800 Youll need to shoot some high ISO exposures and decide for yourself whether you are comfortable with High Normal Low or even Off Figure 3 45 shows a sample image taken at ISO 3200 with High ISO NR set to Off I then took the same image at Low Normal and High settings High ISO NR works by blurring the image more and more as you change the setting from Low to High By blurring the image you blend the grainy noise into its surroundings and reduce the appearance of noise in the image A variable amount of mild resharpening is applied to restore some image sharpness This whole process tends to make the image lose detail as noise reduction is turned to higher levels 206 Even if you set High ISO NR to Off the camera will still apply NR when you exceed ISO 3200 Hi 0 3 to Hi 1 The official starting point for forced High ISO NR is Hi 0 3 which is between ISO 3200 and 6400 Hi 1 with Hi 0 3 being one third stop above 3200 about ISO 4250 There are two other one third stop levels above Hi 0 3 namely Hi 0 7 about ISO
553. t and have my camera s internal battery available as a backup That way if I remove the MB D 10 my camera won t suddenly go dead due to a depleted battery Nikon thinks the same way evidently since the camera defaults to Use MB D10 batteries first 343 Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings e1 to e7 Within the Bracketing flash menu you ll find 7 settings in the D300S and D300 There are no variances between the two cameras Custom Setting numbers in this section Flash sync speed el in both D300 D300S Flash shutter speed e2 in both D300 D300S Flash cntrl for built in flash e3 in both D300 D300S Auto bracketing set e5 in both D300 D300S Auto bracketing Mode M e6 in both D300 D300S Bracketing order e7 in both D300 D300S Modeling flash e4 in both D300 D3008S Flash Sync Speed Custom setting e1 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 281 D300 page 288 344 Flash sync speed lets you select a basic synchronization speed from 1 60s to 1 250S The D300 S has a more flexible Flash sync speed than many cameras Or if you prefer you can use the two Auto FP modes of your camera 1 250 s Auto FP or 1 320 s Auto FP These Auto FP modes are available only with certain external Speedlights and not with the built in pop up Speedlight At the time of writing this book the four Nikon Speedlights that can be used with the D300 S in Auto FP high
554. t information in a graphical and easily understandable way The upcoming material is best read with camera in hand ready for configuration There are literally hundreds of things to configure on this professional level camera In this chapter I ll give a new user of the D300 S camera a place to start Later as you progress through this book we ll look at all the buttons switches dials and menu settings in detail Each menu in the camera has its own chapter or section Plus there is additional information on how to put it all together in chapters like Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 And since the D300S has the new D Movie mode we ll cover that in its own chapter called Chapter 8 24 Shoot Now Camera Configuration This chapter is devoted to the first time use of the camera There are certain settings that must be set up immediately and others that should be configured as soon as possible I m not going to go into detail on all possible settings in this chapter That is reserved for the individual chapters covering the various menus and functions Instead in list form Pll refer you chapter sections showing the screens and menus used to set each function that should be configured before using the camera for the first time Later chapters will cover virtually all camera settings Accessing the Camera Menus To access the various configurable menus in the D300 S you ll use the MENU button found
555. t lowers the overall image contrast so it should be used sparingly The D300 S is not aggressive with its D Lighting so you can use it quickly if needed Also please remember that Retouch Menu effects are only applied to a copy of the image so your original is safe The screens and steps for D Lighting an image are as follows see Figure 6 3 _RETOUCH MENU ey ishti Dighting Otishting j Redeye correction Trim 203 4 Zoom oK Cancel zoom Sae Figure 6 3 D Lighting screens 1 Select D Lighting from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select the image you want to modify see Figure 6 3 image 2 533 3 Choose the amount of D Lighting you want for the chosen image using the Multi Selector to scroll up or down You ll choose from Low Normal or medium and High D Lighting see Figure 6 3 image 3 4 When the image on the right looks the way you want it to look press the OK button to save the new file The D300 S will display a brief Image saved notice and then display the new file on the Monitor My Recommendation There is no one setting that is correct for all images I often use Normal medium to see if an image needs more or less D Lighting and then leave it at that or change to High or Low as needed Remember that any amount of D Lighting has the potential to introduce noise in the darker areas of the image so the less D Lighting you use the better Red Eye Correction User
556. t may be better to back off to the SD or NL control when shooting in bright sunshine You ll need to experiment with this to see what I mean On a cloudy or foggy low contrast day when shadows are weak you may find that the VI control adds pleasing saturation and contrast to the image MC or Monochrome allows the black and white lovers among us to shoot natively in toned black and white The MC control basically removes the color by desaturation It s still an RGB color image but the colors have become levels of gray It does not look the same as black and white film in my opinion The blacks are not as deep and the whites are a little muddy To me it seems that the MC control is fairly low contrast and that s where the problem lies Good black and white images should have bright whites and deep blacks To get images like that from a digital camera you ll have to manually work with the image in a graphics program like Photoshop However if you want to experiment with black and white photography this gives you a good 163 starting point There are two extra settings in the MC control that allow you to experiment with Filter effects and Toning We ll look at these settings in the upcoming section called MC Picture Control Filter Effects and Toning The MC control creates a look that is somewhat like Kodak Plus X Pan negative film with less deep blacks PT or Portrait is an optional control that you can download at ht
557. t puts the TV into video mode This drove me crazy at 620 first since I had everything hooked up and no video would show on my TV I left the room and was about to give up when my sweet wife called from the living room Darrell I figured it out I found a TV Video button on the remote After pressing that it worked fine Thank goodness for wives 6 Turn on the camera and press the Playback button then locate the video you want to show off 7 Press the Multi selector center button to play the video on your TV or record it on your VCR or DVD burner I ve found that any of the three available video Quality modes will display just fine on my older SDTV I was surprised when the 720p HD mode video played 1280x720 It used the wide screen format with a black space at the top and bottom of the screen The 640x424 mode video filled the whole TV screen You ll enjoy playing video for your family and friends on their TVs The screen is big enough to see things well and the video quality is good too Displaying a D Movie on a High Definition TV HDTV This mode works like the SDTV mode above except that you will display your 720p HD videos in their native size and format full screen on an HDTV You ll need an HDMI cable with a mini HDMI Type C end to insert into your D300S and the other end will have to match your HDTV s HDMI port which is usually HDMI Standard Type A We ll talk 621 more about the cable s
558. t the camera will decrease the number of available images only every two or three shots according to how well it was able to compress the images When the card is full it might have more than twice as many images stored as it initially reported that it could hold Basically your D300 S deliberately under reports storage capacity when you are shooting in either of the NEF RAW compressed modes My Recommendation Since I shoot in Lossless compressed RAW most of the time I m concerned with maximum quality along with good storage capacity The Lossless compressed 146 method makes the most sense to me It gives me a file size close to half of the Uncompressed setting s results I haven t used Compressed much since Lossless compressed became available Even thought I can t see any image quality loss it bothers me that it is there if only slightly The extra 10 or 15 percent of extra compression is not worth the potential tiny data loss to me If I were running out of card space and needed just a bit more but wanted to keep shooting RAW I might consider changing to Compressed temporarily Otherwise it s Lossless compressed for me NEF RAW Bit Depth NEF RAW bit depth is a special feature for those of us concerned with capturing the best color in our images The D300 S has three color channels one for red another for green and the last one for blue It combines those color channels to form all the colors you see in you
559. t to make this cool chicka chicka chicka machinegun sound that causes passersby with their little point and shoot cameras to look at you in awe However you don t hear that sound when using the D Movie mode do you That s because your D300S does not use the mechanical shutter when shooting movies If it did you would wear the camera s shutter out with only an hour or two of video capture Remember the camera captures video at 24 fps An hour of video requires 86 400 frames at that speed You would quickly exceed the tested lifetime 150 000 image capacity of the mechanical shutter Instead the camera uses its electronic shutter and turns the sensor s pixel rows on and off as needed in a scan from top to bottom In other words the camera records each video frame by scanning it one line at a time from top to bottom This is called a rolling shutter Not all parts of the image are recorded at exactly the same time It can produce a skewed and or wobbly video when filming rapidly moving subjects like a race car or flying bird Rolling shutters are used by video cameras that have CMOS sensors like the Nikon D300S Most dedicated video cameras have CCD sensors with global shutters that do not scan the 626 image They are mostly immune to the effects we are about to discuss Here is a list of the effects that can be experienced in extreme circumstances when using a CMOS sensor s rolling shutter Skew The i
560. ta or Windows 7 you may want to check out Ardfry Imaging or do a little research to see what else is currently available for viewing NEF files as thumbnails in Windows or on a Mac The Nikon CD that came with your camera contains the Nikon Software Suite for both Macintosh and Windows computers It provides Nikon ViewNX which can be used to examine your NEF RAW files in detail and convert them to other formats The CD also contains Nikon Transfer a program that helps you get your images off of the camera and onto your computer I really like Nikon Transfer since it helps me transfer pictures to my computer and leave them on my memory card too If I take more pictures on the same memory card Nikon Transfer will transfer only the new ones when I reconnect to the computer In a sense Nikon Transfer acts like a one way memory card to computer synchronizer As memory cards get bigger and bigger I can see a time when I ll keep several months worth of images on my camera s card and transfer the newest ones I take to the computer 122 Nikon ViewNX RAW conversion software is supplied free with the D300 S while Nikon Capture NX2 requires a separate purchase Capture NX2 has become my favorite conversion software along with Adobe Photoshop I use ViewNX to look at my images because it has an excellent browser type interface and then I push my images to Capture NX2 for final post processing If I need to remove an ugly spot in the sky
561. ted to let the camera alone decide how to get the best exposure during the bracket I might use Flash speed aperture Then all I have to do is take pictures and let the camera do the rest This seems to me to be a small violation of the principle of manual exposure though Bracketing Order Custom setting e7 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 290 D300 page 300 Bracketing order allows you to choose the order of your exposure settings normal overexposed and underexposed during a bracketing operation There are two bracketing orders available in the D300 S These allow you to control which images are taken first second and third in the bracketing series Here are the three values in the bracket order and what they each mean MTR Metered value normal exposure Under Underexposed Over Overexposed 378 Next let s see how these are used during bracketing MTR gt under gt over With this setting the normal exposure MTR is taken first followed by the underexposed image then the overexposed image If you are taking a group of five images in your bracket see Custom setting e5 the camera will take the images like this normal exposure gt most underexposed gt least underexposed gt least overexposed gt most overexposed For WB bracketing the pattern is normal gt amber gt blue This does not apply to ADL bracketing Under gt MTR gt over Using this order for bra
562. ter so that you can manually clean the sensor with a brush blower or chemicals and swabs Video mode Select the Video mode appropriate for your part of the world NTSC or PAL HDMI Select various HDMI sync rates for interfacing with an HDTV or monitor Time zone and date D300S or World time D300 Set the Time zone Date and time Date format and Daylight saving time in your camera Language Choose the Language you would like your camera to use for displaying its menus and screens Choose from 17 languages in the D300S and 15 in the D300 Image comment Add a comment up to 36 characters that embeds itself in the internal metadata of each image This can help you protect yourself from 429 image theft or simply add pertinent information to each image Auto image rotation Adds camera orientation information to each image so that it will display correctly on your camera s Monitor and later on your computer s monitor USB D300 only Allows you to choose between protocol options MTP PTP or Mass Storage before connecting your D300 to various USB devices The D300S_ automatically uses MTP PTP for USB connections so this menu item is not available Image Dust Off ref photo D300S or Dust Off ref photo D300 Allows you to create a dust off reference photo to help remove a dust spot from images accidentally taken with some dust on the sensor This requires the use of a program like Nikon
563. that Live View mode is the basis for shooting D Movies We will now move on into section two and see how D Movie mode works for the D300S only 601 D Movie Mode Section Two User s Manual D300S page 57 I don t want to get into deep theory in this chapter because most people are not really interested in reading a technical manual However since the Nikon D300S is also a video camera it s good to understand some basics if for no other reason than to impress your friends and to make your videos look great I m sure you want that High Definition HD Video Before shooting your first D Movie you ll need to configure the camera for your favorite video frame size We ll look into the actual configuration in a later section For now let s just discuss some basics Here are the available D Movie frame sizes in your D300S 1280x720 pixels 720p 16 9 format HD 24 fps 640x424 pixels 3 2 format SD 24 fps default 320x216 pixels 3 2 format SD 24 fps A video frame is much smaller pixel wise than a normal still image frame While your D300S can create beautiful 12 megapixel still images its best high definition video image is just below one megapixel at 921 600 pixels or 0 9 megapixels Whoa How can less than one megapixel be considered high definition HD Simply because it matches one of the 602 HDTV s High Definition Television broadcast resolutions In the good old day
564. the D300 S or you can use an Accessory shoe mounted commander such as the SB 900 Speedlight SB 800 Speedlight or SU 800 Wireless Speedlight Commander unit The SB 600 only has a remote mode so it cannot be used as a commander unit We ll only consider the built in Commander mode in this chapter I suggest buying a copy of The Nikon Creative Lighting System by Mike Hagen also published by Rocky Nook and NikoniansPress It goes into excellent detail on how to use CLS with multiple banks of various external Nikon Speedlight flash units Using CLS you can easily experiment with setups and flash output You can obtain a visual preview of how things will look by pressing the Depth of field preview button which will fire the pulsed modeling capability within Nikon s Speedlights There is no need to figure complex lighting ratios when you can control your flash banks right from the camera and see the results immediately CLS simplifies the use of multiple 760 flash unit setups for portraiture interiors nature or any situation where several Speedlights need to work in unison You can simply position the flash units where you d like them to be and let CLS automatically figure the correct exposure or you can change the lighting ratios directly from the Custom Setting Menu gt e3 Flash cntrl for built in flash gt Commander mode menu of your D300 S Nikon s Creative Lighting System is world class in power and not too
565. the OK button again and the setting is removed from My Menu A box pops up informing you that the item has been deleted and then the D300 S switches back to the My Menu screen 575 Rank Items Ranking items works very similarly to positioning new additions in My Menu All the Rank items selection does is move an item up or down in My Menu You can switch your most used My Menu items to the top of the list Use these steps 5 MY MENU Rank items e Set Picture Control Set Picture Control n Z Exposure delay mode dil Exposure delay mode OFF Add items Remove items L Choose tab L Select items Figure 7 6 My Menu Rank items 1 Select Rank items from My menu and scroll to the right see Figure 7 6 image 1 2 Now you are presented with the Rank items screen and all the current My Menu items see Figure 7 6 image 2 I ve decided that Exposure delay mode is used more than Set Picture Control so P I move that to the top 576 Rank items _ it Rank items o MY MENU Set Picture Control EN MExosure delay mode OFF FS didExposure delay mode A0Exosure delay mode OFF Set Picture Control ENL Choose tab Move K Select items Figure 7 7 My Menu Rank items Move Set Picture Control to a lower position 3 I highlighted Set Picture Control and pressed the OK button and a yellow box appeared around that item Move appeared at the bottom of the screen see Figure 7 7 image 1 4 Next I scrol
566. the Playback Shooting Custom Settings Setup and Retouch Menus to My Menu Recent Settings will automatically show the last 20 settings you ve modified in the other menus but it s not configurable The most important difference between the two menus is the level of control you have over what appears on the menu My Menu is completely 568 customizable and does not change unless you change it while Recent Settings simply shows the last 20 changes you ve made to your camera s settings Recent Settings will change every time you change a different setting in your camera However since it shows the last 20 changes you ought to be able to find the ones you most often change somewhere in the list The two menus are mutually exclusive and cannot appear on the D300S at the same time One takes the place of the other when you select the Choose tab setting at the end of each menu and choose your favorite My Recommendation Honestly I rarely use Recent Settings I prefer the control I get with my own personally customizable menu My Menu Recent Settings has very little flexibility since it s an automatically updated camera controlled menu system You really can t do much in the way of configuring it You ll just select and use it On the other hand My Menu is a personal collection of links to my most used settings It is completely configurable We ll consider both menus in this chapter with heavy emphasis on conf
567. the highlights Of course if you shoot in RAW mode you can apply ADL in computer I don t bracket ADL very often But I m glad to know it s there when I need it One final note about bracketing of any type Turn it off when you re done I often forget and then wonder why my camera keeps under and overexposing a series of images Only after wasting several images do I realize that I left bracketing turned on You ll see what I mean if you use AE amp flash bracketing often as I do Auto Bracketing Mode M Custom setting e6 D300S and D300 User s Manual D300S page 290 D300 page 299 Auto bracketing Mode M is a series of four selections that let you or the camera control the flash shutter speed and aperture in various ways during a bracketing operation when the camera is set to M Manual exposure mode This gives you a little finer control over manual camera settings while you are taking several exposures within a bracket of images Here are the screens and steps used to configure Auto bracketing Mode M see Figure 4 61 375 E CUSTOM SETTING MENU Bracketing flash x e Auto bracketing Mode M lt Custom setting bank Le GEETE 1820 j DReset custom settings jp Pash shutter speed V60 p a Autofocus AAi a EEA DLE A ERSE Flash speed b Metering exposure 84 Modeling flash c Timers AE lock 26 Auto bracketing set TE d Shooting display a ef Auto brad E Flash speed aperture Flash a
568. the letter In other words if you haven t yet named your banks you ll simply see the big letter A followed by a blank field We ll rename our bank by selecting the top bank A and scrolling to the right 4 In the screen shown in Figure 3 2 image 4 you ll see a series of symbols numbers and letters on top with a line of dashes at the bottom The dashes are where we ll put our text to rename the bank In the upper left corner 95 of the character area is a blank spot to the left of the exclamation mark which represents a blank for insertion in the line of text This is good for separating words If you scroll down past the uppercase letters you ll find some lowercase letters too I use General Purpose as the name for my camera s bank A as shown in Figure 3 2 image 5 Let s see how that is done in step 5 Use the Multi Selector to scroll through the numbers and letters to find the characters you want to use Scroll down for lowercase letters Press the Multi selector center button on the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector on the D300 to select a character Keep scrolling around and selecting new characters until you have the entire new bank name in place If you make a mistake hold down the Thumbnail playback zoom out button while using the Multi Selector to move to the position of the error Push the Delete button on the top left of the back of the camera and the bad character will disappear
569. the right side of the screen The three on the 151 bottom represent the red green and blue color channels as can easily be seen The top white histogram is not an additional channel This is called a luminance histogram and it represents an average histogram for the three channels It is also known as a brightness histogram In reality even though all the color channels may influence the luminance histogram most of its information comes from the green channel Notice that they are almost identical In digital photography we must use new technology and learn lots of new terms and acronyms However by investing a little time to understand these tools we ll become better digital photographers 152 White Balance User s Manual D300S page 134 D300 page 126 White balance is designed to let you capture accurate colors in each of your camera s RGB color channels Your images can reflect reality if you understand how to use the White balance settings This may be one of the most important things to learn about in digital photography If you don t understand how white balance works you ll have a hard time when you want consistent color across a number of images In this chapter we are just going to look at white balance briefly only showing how to select the various White balance settings This is such an important concept to understand that I ve included an entire chapter titled Chapter 10 devoted to this sub
570. the toning color I wanted you to clearly see the maximum potential in the Toning settings 167 You can shoot a basic black and white image use filters to change how colors appear or tone the image in experimental ways Can you see the potential for a lot of fun with these tones In Figure 3 24 notice that to the right of Toning there is a row of 10 tiny rectangles with arrowhead pointers on each end The first rectangle is half black and half white That is the normal black and white B amp W selection and it has no extra toning Next to that you ll see a golden brown rectangle That is the Sepia toning effect To the right of that is the bluish Cyanotype effect The smaller rectangles that follow the first three selections are the other available colors for toning Each color has seven saturation settings available in the little green bar below next to Blue Green 4 in Figure 3 24 This bar allows you to select the depth of saturation for each of the colors Blue Green is set to the 4th saturation position in Figure 3 24 image 1 168 ts Monochrome Sharpening Contrast 7 Brightness Ga Filter effects E Q 2 Blue Green 4 _mmamm E Grid ONOK GDReset A AAA Figure 3 24 Monochrome Toning screen and samples Use the Multi Selector to move around in the Filter effects and Toning settings Press the OK button to select one of them 169 Picture Control Grid Screen Each Picture Control has a Picture Co
571. think Video Editing Software If you ve already been shooting videos and editing them on your computer you probably won t need much advice However if you re new to digital movie shooting and editing you need to know that there are several great programs out there that allow you to create cool movies with intros and effects including some free ones Here is a list of excellent editing software that you have to pay for Most sell for less than 100 USD Adobe Premier Elements Corel VideoStudio Roxio Creator CyberLink PowerDirector Nero 632 Then my favorites a list of freeware or shareware video editing software that you can download online Microsoft Windows Movie Maker easiest to get since it is built into Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 or is available as a free download and is easy to use Google Download Windows Movie Maker Apple iMovie Free if you buy a new Mac Avid FreeDV Available for both PC and Mac Wax Zwei Stein My Recommendation If you are using a PC try the Windows Movie Maker It s the one you ve seen advertised on TV where the seven year old is assembling movies and pictures into a presentation If you use a Mac buy a new one and get iMovie or check to see if you already have it on your newer Mac You can purchase it from Apple if you don t Both programs are easy to use Google the names of the free stuff and give them a try too I am
572. tication Image Authentication Image comment Language Image Dust Off ref photo USB D300 only Language Time Zone and Date or World Time LCD Brightness LCD Brightness Lock mirror up for cleaning Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning Non CPU lens data Preparing the Camera for GPS Usage Save Load settings Copyright Information D300S Only Time zone and date HDMI USB D300 only USB D300 only Virtual horizon Preparing the Camera for GPS Usage Shooting info display d7 D300 Custom setting d7 D300S and d6 D300 Shooting Menu Shooting Menu Shooting Menu Shooting Menu Bank Active Folder Active Folder File Naming File Number Sequence used with File Naming Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Secondary Slot Function 840 D300S Only Final Image Format Ramblings Image Size JPEG Compression Channel and Bit Depth Tutorial White Balance Resetting a Nikon Picture Control Color Space Color Space Active D Lighting High ISO NR High ISO NR Are there any drawbacks to using ISO sensitivity auto control Live View Mode Understanding Auto Gain Movie Settings D300S Only Live View and D Movie Modes 841 Active D Lighting Color Space Active folder Active Folder Color space File Naming Color Space File naming Active Folder High ISO NR High ISO NR Image quality Secondary Slot Function D300S Only Image size Final Image Format Ramblings Interval timer shooting Movie Settings D300S Only ISO se
573. tice that I already have Set picture control and Active D Lighting added to My Menu see Figure 7 2 image 1 Let s add something else 2 Use the Multi Selector to scroll right and you ll find a list of menus to choose from The Add items screen 571 shows all the menus available in the D300 S except My Menu Recent Settings see Figure 7 2 image 2 Let s add one of my favorites the Exposure delay mode function see Figure 7 3 3 Figure 7 3 picks up where Figure 7 2 left off Ive already looked and know that Exposure delay mode is under the Custom setting menu so let s scroll down to it see Figure 7 3 image 1 then scroll to the right Add items Custom setting bank NS Reset custom settings a Autofocus b Metering exposure c Timers AE lock e Bracketing flash f Controls Playback menu Shooting menu _ O Setup menu mg e Retouch menu Add items Choose position d9 LCD illumination j OFF e delay Set Picture Control ENL dli MB D10 battery type Active D Lighting OFF di2Battery order e1 Flash sync speed e2 Flash shutter speed e3 Flash cntrl for built in flash e4 Modeling flash ij Move DOK CXPOSU de Figure 7 3 Adding Exposure delay mode 4 We now see the Custom setting bank and Custom Settings a f see Figure 7 3 image 2 Scroll down to Custom Setting d Shooting display and then scroll to the right so that we can select the actual Custom Setting we want 572 5 Fi
574. time you hold down the Shutter release button The manual states that the default frame rate without the MB D10 battery pack mounted is up to 6 FPS and it s 8 FPS when you do have the battery pack on your camera So if you re a high FPS junkie buy the battery pack Requirements for Fast Frame Rates All of the settings for fast frame rates high FPS are based on the assumption that you are shooting with at least a 1 250s shutter speed have a fully charged battery and have some buffer space left in your camera s memory Quiet Q Mode D300S only In the Release mode dial position previously occupied by the LV mode on the D300 Nikon added a new Q mode in the D3008S Since LV mode is activated by the Lv button on the D300S there was no more need for the LV Release mode setting Nikon took advantage of the gap left on the Release mode dial and gave D300S users a new Q mode Q mode or quiet mode is designed to make as little noise as possible when firing the camera s shutter Instead of raising the reflex mirror taking the picture then lowering the mirror in one smooth step the D300S ties the raising and lowering of the mirror to the position of the Shutter release button 732 When you press the Shutter release button down and take a picture in Q mode the mirror raises and the shutter fires However the mirror does not lower until you fully release the Shutter release button If you want to reduce noise you can
575. ting There are two selections that allow you to modify how the camera treats CPU lenses that have aperture rings on the lens non G lenses Sub command dial This is the factory default setting The aperture is set using the Sub command dial Aperture ring This setting allows those with older non G type lenses with a CPU to use the lenses aperture ring to adjust the aperture instead of using the Sub command dial The EV increments will only display in 1 EV steps when this is active 413 Here are the screens and steps to change the style of Aperture setting see Figure 4 78 1 Continuing from Figure 4 75 image 3 select Aperture setting and then scroll to the right see Figure 4 78 image 1 8 Customize command dials i g Reverse rotation 4 Change main sub x Menus and playback Figure 4 78 Customize command dials Aperture setting 2 Select Sub command dial or Aperture ring from the list Figure 4 78 image 2 3 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Note When a non CPU lens is used the aperture ring must always be used to set the aperture instead of the Sub command dial If you are using a G type lens with no aperture ring you clearly can t set the aperture with a non existent aperture ring so the camera ignores this setting Live view mode is not available when you change Aperture setting to Aperture ring My Recommendation I leave Aperture setting set to Sub command dia
576. ting on Exposure Bracketing AE and Flash Combination Here are the controls and steps to configure AE and flash bracketing combinations see Figure 4 55 Figure 4 58 365 Figure 4 56 Controls for Auto bracketing l 2 Choose AE amp flash AE only or Flash only from the Auto bracketing set screen as shown in Figure 4 55 image 3 Next press and hold the Fn FUNC button on the right front of the camera see Figure 4 56 image 1 red arrow and turn the rear Main command dial to select the number of shots in the bracket up to 9 see Figure 4 56 images 2 and 3 red arrows You can also select on which side of normal exposure the camera will take the shots When you hold down the Fn FUNC button you ll see symbols on your camera s Control panel similar to the ones shown in Figure 4 57 except that the symbols will be OF and 1 0 and there will be no lines below the scale The number of shots appears on the top left of the Control panel as shown in each screen in Figure 4 57 5F 2F and 3F The number of small vertical lines hanging below the O sis scale just above the BKT symbol equal the number of shots in the bracket The position of those lines represents the EV spread of the shots in the bracket The front Sub command dial controls the EV steps between each 366 exposure in the bracket This value appears on the top right of each screen in Figure 4 57 as 1 0 0 3 and 0 3
577. tion If even an air blower fails to remove stubborn dust or pollen you will either have to get your sensor professionally cleaned or do it yourself Nikon states that you will void your warranty if you touch the low pass filter However many 445 people still wet or brush clean their camera s sensor I ve done it myself although I ll never admit it Oops If all of this makes you nervous then send your camera off to Nikon for approved cleaning or use a professional service Fortunately a few puffs of air will often remove dust too stubborn for the high frequency vibration methods It helps to have the proper tools such as the Giottos Rocket Air blower from the Nikonians PhotoProShop com Figure 5 9 446 Video Mode User s Manual D300S page 301 D300 page 314 If you plan on connecting your D300 S to a video device like a standard definition television SDTV or VCR you ll need to use the correct Video mode for communication with the device Your camera has a video out port under the rubber flap on its side A V OUT that allows you to connect with devices that use RCA jacks for input Nikon included a cable for this connector in your camera s box It has a mini stereo plug on one end and yellow and white RCA jacks on the other end You ll insert the mini stereo plug into the A V OUT port on the camera and the RCA jacks into the video device When you turn the camera on and press the Playback button the
578. tion on doing PRE readings You can choose from up to five previous PRE readings stored in memory locations d 0 to d 4 As you scroll through the list of settings you ll be able to see the color temperature of the image change Select the setting you want to use and then press the OK button to return to the main NEF RAW processing configuration screen You can fine tune the colors of the individual White balance settings for this image by using the final screen shown in each of Figure 6 13 Figure 6 16 and changing the value in the color adjustment box with the Multi Selector You ll see your fine tuning adjustment change the color temperature of image If you don t want to fine tune the White balance simply press the OK button when you get to the fine tuning screen The camera will return to the main NEF RAW processing configuration screen You can cancel the operation with the Playback button 553 6 Now you have an opportunity to lighten or darken the image by selecting an Exposure compensation value of 3 EV steps in either direction see Figure 6 17 When the image looks just right press the OK button to return to the main NEF RAW processing configuration screen You can cancel the operation with the Playback button NEF RAW processing NEF RAW processing Exposure comp FINE Exposure comp _ m oz eel SS a2 cancel GZoom WOK Danai a OK Figure 6 17 Exposure compensation NEF RAW processing __
579. tivity settings po R D 23 High sensitivity 3 Live view mode 2 22 Medium sensitivity 2 TE Multiple exposure amp 51 Low sensitivity 1 Movie setting E amp Microphone off Interval timer shooting Figure 8 11 D Movie Microphone sensitivity 1 Select Movie settings from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Select Microphone and scroll to the right 3 Choose one of the four available sensitivity settings or off 4 Press the OK button to lock in the your choice Choosing a Destination for Video Recordings The D300S allows you to choose whether you d like to save the videos you create on your CF card or your SD card It also gives you an estimate of available video recording time available for each card Here are the screens and steps to choose one of the memory cards as a Destination see Figure 8 12 611 SHOOTING MENU E Movie settings _ Movie settings icy Active Dtishting j Cy Destination j Long exp NR High ISO NR Quality e 9 Microphone E Destination EF E Bee Ee 00h 38a 32s Interval timer shooting i Multiple exposure Movie setting Figure 8 12 D Movie Destination card slot 1 Select Movie settings from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right Select Destination and scroll to the right Select one of the two memory card slots paying attention to how much recording time is available at the camera s current video frame size I have two 8 GB memory cards
580. to a File Transfer Protocol FTP server Thumbnail select mode This allows someone to preview images you are shooting on a remote computer If they like the image s they can upload just the one s they like to the computer Sports shooters love this PC mode This might have been called Studio Mode instead It allows a studio artist to control their D300 S from a computer using the Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 x software Print mode This allows someone shooting near a network to have the images printed on a printer connected to one of the network computers Be sure that you select the camera s MTP PTP USB mode see USB D300 only section before attaching a WT 4 481 transmitter to a D300 The D300S automatically works correctly with the WT 4 This book won t cover the use of the WT 4 transmitter in any more detail since the transmitter has its own comprehensive feature set and manual and this book is about the Nikon D300 S Low Cost Wireless Image Transmission for Your D300S If you need to wirelessly transmit images from your camera to your computer but cannot afford the expensive WT 4 transmitter please read the upcoming section on Eye Fi card upload for your D300S These cards allow limited range wireless transmission of images 50 to 90 feet between your camera and a Wi Fi network access point If you use the new Eye Fi 8GB X2 Pro SD SDHC card you can even do direct to computer ad hoc
581. to capture light ranges more effectively in one direction or the other but when you push one area the opposite area must give So we need a way to take all this light and compress it into a more usable range 667 We are now entering the realm of post processing or in computer image manipulation Look at the image in Figure 9 20 This is the exact same image as Figure 9 19 but it has been adjusted in Photoshop to cram more image detail into the histogram by compressing the mid range values Notice that the entire histogram seems to be farther right toward the light side Also notice that the mid range peaks are basically gone We removed a good bit of the mid range but since there was already a lot of mid range there our image did not suffer greatly How this computer post processing was done is outside the scope of this book but it is not very hard Buy a program like Nikon Capture NX Photoshop Photoshop Elements Lightroom or another fine graphics program designed for photographers Your digital camera and your computer are a powerful imaging combination a digital darkroom where you are in control from start to finish from clicking the shutter to printing the image But retreating from philosophy let s continue with our histogram exploration Notice in Figure 9 20 how the histogram edge is just touching the highlight side of the histogram window A small amount of clipping is taking place and you can see the slightly
582. to control the aperture Depth of field DOF is an extremely important concept to understand for photographers Simply put it allows you to control the range of sharp focus in your images Please check the downloadable resources at http rockynook com NikonD300S for a document called Understanding Depth of Field This document will give a new DSLR user a nice tutorial on controlling depth of field Now let s examine Manual mode M and see how a dedicated photographer can take complete control of their camera 654 M Manual Mode Manual mode takes a big step backwards to days of old It gives you complete control of your camera s shutter and aperture so that you can make all exposure decisions with suggestions from the exposure meter Figure 9 11 shows the M for Manual mode followed by the shutter speed and aperture to the right of the M Also in Figure 9 11 notice the electronic analog exposure display that s highlighted in red 9g ee K ETNA DOAA OT N RAW HH 2 Figure 9 11 Control panel with M Manual mode and exposure display highlighted in red along with Viewfinder display This display has a plus sign on the left and a minus sign on the right Each dot on the scale represents 1 3 exposure value EV step and each vertical line represents 1 EV step You can control the sensitivity of the Command dials with Custom setting b2 EV steps for exposure cntrl see Chapter 4 The fa
583. to learn even more stuff The F4 was my first P S A M camera This progression leads us to the D300 and D300S The point is that today s cameras are amazingly complex compared to 647 cameras from only a few years ago In fact the D300S is probably the most complex camera I ve ever used Let s examine how we can use that complexity and express it as flexibility for our benefit The D300 S is also a P S A M camera which is the abbreviated progression of modes We ll look at those modes next There are two controls that you must use together to set the various modes on the camera the MODE button and the Main command dial see Figure 9 7 Figure 9 7 MODE button Control panel with P Program mode selected and main Command dial Hold the MODE button down with your shutter release finger and use your thumb to rotate the Main command dial You ll notice in the upper left corner of the Control panel that the mode P S A or M scrolls as you turn the Main command dial Now let s discuss each exposure mode in detail P Programmed Auto Mode Programmed auto mode P is designed for those times when you just want to shoot pictures and not think much about 648 camera settings The camera takes care of the shutter speed and aperture for you and uses your selected exposure meter type to create the best pictures it can without human intervention Figure 9 8 shows the P for Programmed auto mode followed by th
584. to the image This is sort of like an 81A or Nikon A2 warming filter Here are the screens and steps to warm up the image a bit see Figure 6 7 1 Select Filter effects from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 6 7 image 1 2 Select either Skylight or Warm filter see Figure 6 7 image 2 3 Select the image you want to modify see Figure 6 7 image 3 RETOUCH MENU ie Filter effects D Lighting Red eye correction a Y KE e a Warm filter gt Deen kos bine 203 1 203 2 15203 3 ee 203 4 203 5 sagas Zoom OK Figure 6 7 Filter effects screens 541 4 Press the Playback button to cancel or the OK button to save the new warmer image under a new file number My Recommendation The Skylight effect is so mild that I don t find it particularly useful Of course a real skylight filter doesn t provide a strikingly warmer image either so I guess it s just a good imitation of a weak filter However the Warm filter does add some significant warmth to the image and is very similar to an 81A warming filter Nikon A2 so it s more useful for when you simply want to warm up a somewhat cool image without using your computer The Warm filter adds a certain goldenness to the image that is very appealing for the right type of picture The human eye likes warm colors better so this is truly a useful filter if you would rather not use your computer to modify the image
585. tomize command dials and scroll to the right see Figure 4 75 image 2 3 Choose one of the four selections from the list In Figure 4 75 image 3 Reverse rotation has been selected 4 Scroll to the right and use the screens and steps under each of the following sections see Figure 4 76 to Figure 4 79 to configure the various functions 410 Reverse rotation This setting allows you to change the rotation direction of the Command dials There are two selections Yes The Command dials are reversed An example is this Normally when the D300 S is set to Aperture priority auto and you rotate the Sub command dial to the right the aperture decreases like this f 5 6 to f 6 3 to f 7 1 etc If you select Yes under Reverse rotation then the direction of aperture changes will be reversed when you turn the Sub command dial to the right like this f 5 6 to f 5 to f4 5 etc Instead of getting smaller the aperture gets larger It is reversed No The direction of the Command dials is set to the factory default Here are the screens and steps to change the rotation direction of the Command dials see Figure 4 76 8 Customize command dials 8 Customize command dials Reverse rotation gt Aperture setting Menus and playback Figure 4 76 Customize command dials Reverse rotation 411 1 Continuing from Figure 4 75 image 3 select Reverse rotation and scroll to the right see Figure 4 76 image 1
586. tp nikonimglib com opc Nikon says that this control lends a natural texture and rounded feel to the skin of portrait subjects I ve taken numerous images with the Portrait control and shot the same images with the Neutral control The results are very similar I m sure that Nikon has included some software enhancements specifically for skin tones in this control so I d use this for portraits of people The results from the Portrait control look a bit like smooth Kodak Portra or Fuji NPS negative film to me LS or Landscape is an optional control that you can download at http nikonimglib com ope This control produces vibrant landscape and cityscapes according to Nikon That sounds like the Vivid control to me I shot a series of images using both the Landscape and Vivid controls and got similar results Compared to the Vivid control the Landscape control seemed to have slightly less saturation in the reds and a tiny bit more saturation in the greens The blues stayed about the same It seems that Nikon has created the Landscape control to be similar to but not quite as drastic as the Vivid control In my test images the Landscape control created smoother transitions in color However there 164 was so little difference between the two controls that you d have to compare the images side by side to notice Maybe this control is meant to be more natural than the super saturated Vivid control It will certainly i
587. trast subjects we shoot can contain over 12 stops of light values This is quite a bit more than it is possible to capture in a single exposure It s important to understand how your camera records light so that you can better control how the image is captured Look at Figure 9 14 closely The gray rectangular area represents an in camera histogram Examine it carefully Think about it for a minute before reading on Mid Range Gray Maximum Maximum Dark lt Light Black White 659 Figure 9 14 A basic histogram The histogram is basically a graph that represents the maximum range of light values your camera can capture in 256 steps o pure black and 255 pure white In the middle of the histogram are the mid range values that represent middle colors like grays light browns and greens The values from just above zero and just below 255 contain detail The actual histogram graph looks like a mountain peak or a series of peaks and the more there is of a particular color the taller the peak In some cases the graph will be rounder on top and in other cases it will be flattened The left side of the histogram represents the maximum dark values that your camera can record The right side represents the maximum brightness values your camera can capture On either end of the histogram the light values contain no detail They are either completely black or completely white The height of the histogram top of mount
588. tton AEL ON jf f Controls K c2 Auto meter off delay 6s Figure 4 17 ISO sensitivity step value 1 Select b Metering exposure from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 17 image 1 2 Highlight ISO sensitivity step value and scroll to the right see Figure 4 17 image 2 3 Choose one of the three items on the menu In Figure 4 17 image 3 1 3 step has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Now let s talk more about how to use the ISO sensitivity step value setting With ISO sensitivity step value set to 1 3 step hold down your camera s ISO button on the top left of the camera and turn the rear Main command dial to the right If your camera was set to ISO 200 initially you ll see that the ISO number in the Control panel changes in the following pattern 286 200 250 320 400 500 640 etc Now if you set ISO sensitivity step value to 1 2 step instead the pattern looks like this 200 280 400 560 800 1100 etc Finally if you set ISO sensitivity step value to 1 step the pattern changes as follows 200 400 800 1600 3200 and Hi 1 6400 Clearly these are one full step or stop changes in ISO sensitivity values You can be as tight as 1 3 step EV or as loose as 1 step EV when you change sensitivity My Recommendation I like the most control I can have over ISO sensitivity increments I normally leave this set to the factory default of 1
589. ture It can adjust only the ISO sensitivity by itself so it can obey the Maximum sensitivity but the Minimum shutter speed is overridden and does not apply In S Shutter priority mode the camera can control the aperture but the shutter speed is controlled only by the camera user So ISO sensitivity auto control can still control the Maximum sensitivity but has lost control over Minimum shutter speed Also it may be a good idea to enable High ISO NR as discussed a few pages back when you enable ISO sensitivity auto control This is especially true if you leave the camera set to the default Maximum sensitivity value of 3200 Otherwise you may have excessive noise when the light drops When and why should I use ISO sensitivity auto control How much automation do you need to produce consistently excellent images Let s explore how and when automatic self adjusting ISO might improve or degrade your images What is this feature all about When and why should I use it Are there any compromises in image quality when using this mode 217 Normally you will set your camera to a particular ISO number such as 200 or 400 and shoot your images As the light gets darker or in the deep shade you might increase ISO sensitivity to continue taking handheld images If you absolutely must get the shot ISO sensitivity auto control will work nicely Here are a few scenarios Scenario 1 Let s say you re a photojournalist and
590. ture Control will be deleted from your camera Now let s move to our last menu selection from the Manage Picture Control screen Load save 180 Load Save a Custom Picture Control There are three parts to the Load save function These allow you to copy Custom Picture Controls to and from the memory card or delete them from the card When I mention copying or deleting controls from the memory card I m speaking of the primary card slot on the D300S and of course the one CF card that the D300 uses You cannot copy or delete controls from the secondary card slot on the D300S There are three selections on the Load save menu as shown in Figure 3 31 image 3 Manage Picture Control a SHOOTING MENU E Manage Picture Control Gy JPEG compression ile B Load save Ep NEF RAW recording 5 White balance Save edit a Set Picture Control ont Rename Delete FE Color space Adobe Active D Lighting Long exp NR Delete from card Copy to card Figure 3 31 Load save a Custom Picture Control Copy to camera Loads Custom Picture Controls from the memory card into your camera You can store up to nine controls in your camera s nine available memory locations C1 C9 Delete from card Displays a list of any Custom Picture Controls found on the memory card You can selectively delete them Copy to card Allows you to copy your carefully crafted Custom Picture Controls from your camera to a memory
591. ty of exposure or flash compensation Most of us will use the exposure or flash compensation system at one time or another Exposure compensation adjustments are made with the Exposure compensation button on the top right of the camera just behind the Shutter release button The Flash compensation button is right below the button that opens the pop up Speedlight flash on the front of the camera It has a small lightning bolt arrow icon Holding the Exposure compensation button and turning the rear Main command dial allows you to adjust the exposure compensation Holding the Flash compensation button and turning the front Sub command dial allows you to adjust flash compensation Maybe the camera s light meter or flash is giving your images a little less exposure than you d like so you fine tune by adding a little extra exposure with the Exposure compensation or Flash compensation button These buttons can be 290 configured by setting b3 so that they work in a finer or coarser way for exposure fine tuning Compensation can be added or subtracted in 1 3 1 2 or 1 EV steps up to 5 EV 5 stops Here are the screens and steps used to adjust Exp comp fine tune see Figure 4 19 CUSTOM SETTING MENU b Metering exposure 3 Exp comp fine tune Pe Custom setting bank HS 01150 sensitivity step value ia Reset custom settings Ig PE steps for exposure cntrl 1 3 a Autofocus Exp comp fine tun Y Osu b4 Easy exposur
592. u Custom Setting Menu Custom Setting Menu Custom Setting Menu Reset Custom Settings Naming Variances between the D300S and D300 Custom setting aio D300S and D300 Section Three c Timers AE Lock Custom Settings c1 to c4 D300 Only Monitor Off Delay Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings el to e7 Section Six f Controls Custom Settings f1 to f11 a Autofocus Naming Variances between the D300S and D300 b Metering Exposure Custom setting aio D300S and D300 c Timers AE Lock Section Three c Timers AE Lock Custom Settings c1 to c4 d Shooting Display D300 Only Monitor Off Delay e Bracketing Flash Section Five e Bracketing Flash Custom Settings el to e7 f Controls Section Six f Controls Custom Settings f1 to fll Custom setting bank Custom Setting Menu Reset custom settings Reset Custom Settings Custom Settings individual Custom setting al D300S and D300 Custom setting al D300S and D300 Using Custom settings al and a2 Custom setting a4 D300S and D300 Custom setting a5 D300S and D300 Custom 809 setting a5 D300S and D300 Custom setting a6 D300S and D300 Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 Custom setting a8 D300S and D300 Custom setting aio D300S and D300 Section Two b Metering Exposure Custom Settings b1 to b6 Custom setting b1 D300S and D300 Custom setting b3 D300S and D300 Custom setting b3 D300S and D30
593. ulti selector center button amp y e Autofocus 3 Multi selector b Metering exposure 4 Photo info playback c Timers AE lock 15 Assign Fn button d Shooting display 46 Assign preview button g Bracketing flash bet TT Assign AE L APL button Controls _ IE 8 Customize command dials Figure 4 64 Backlight switch screens 1 Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 64 image 1 2 Highlight switch and scroll to the right see Figure 4 64 image 2 383 3 Choose one of the two types on the list In Figure 4 64 image 3 LCD backlight Control panel only has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation While this function could be useful if one uses the Information display frequently I suspect that many D300 S users do not depend on the Information display as often as those who own lower cost Nikons The lower end cameras are more and more Information display centered since many of their users came over from the point and shoot world and expect that easy shortcut style of camera configuration Only recently has Nikon added more functionality to the Information display on the D300 S level cameras which sets a pattern that will only grow in future cameras How long will it be before we have touch screen technology In any case I still mostly use the Backlight switch setting to turn on the backlight for the Control panel only I
594. ulti selector center button w r a Autofocus 3 Multi selector b Metering exposure EE SS c Timers AE lock 75 Assign Fn button Shooting display phe 6 Assign preview button e Bracketing flash A q E 8 Customize command dials AEUAFL command dials BKT tT Assign AEL AFL button 7 Assign AE L AF1 button 7 Assign AEL AF button AE L AFL button press AE L AFL command dials S Preview j i Aoo l D BKT Auto bracketing tol Dynamic AF area Gae AE lock Reset on release None GS AE lock Hold AEUIAFL button press i a a AF lock only ka Figure 4 74 Assign AE L AF L button Remember that the next nine steps are designed to explain any of the three buttons to which you can assign a function Selected button represents the button you are currently assigning For example Preview button press is represented by Selected button press 400 See Figure 4 72 to 47C for individual button assignment screens Figure 4 72 Fn FUNC button Figure 4 73 Preview button a k a Depth of field preview button Figure 4 74 AE L AF L button Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 72 Figure 4 73 or Figure 4 74 image 1 Highlight Assign Selected Button Fn Preview or AE L AF L and scroll to the right see Figure 4 72 Figure 4 73 or Figure 4 74 image 2 This is where you choose which button you are working with and select it for function assignment Choose S
595. until after we had left the scene we measured our success by the number of correctly exposed images we were able to create With the exposure meter histogram combination found in the D300 S and the ability to zoom into our images with the high resolution Monitor on the back the success rate we can experience is much higher than ever before The histogram can be as important or even more so than the exposure meter The meter sets the camera up for the exposure and the histogram visually verifies that the exposure is a good one If your exposure meter stopped working you could still get perfect exposures using only the histogram In fact I gauge my efforts more by how the histogram looks than anything else The exposure meter and histogram work together to make sure you get excellent results from your photographic efforts Figure 9 13 shows the D300S s two histogram screens The first screen in Figure 9 13 is called the RGB histogram screen and it shows a series of histograms On the top is a luminance histogram followed by the red green and blue channels RGB red green blue The D300 s RGB histogram screen differs slightly from the newer D300S version shown in Figure 9 13 image 1 On the D300 s screen the luminance 657 white histogram appears underneath the small picture It works the same it just looks a little different NIKON D300S A 1 60 F11 SO 48mm 40 0 4 EEAUTO 0 0 AdobeR68 ESD amp 100D300S _1D
596. ur Nikon D300 Operating systems When transferring images directly from your camera to a computer using Microsoft Windows XP Vista or Windows 7 you can choose either protocol The same applies to Mac OS X versions 10 3 9 and above If you are using Microsoft Windows 2000 you should choose Mass Storage MTP is part of the Windows Media Framework so if you are using Windows XP you will need Windows Media Player 10 x or higher installed on your computer Vista and Windows 7 have built in support Mac and Linux have software to support it too The default USB setting is MTP PTP Try connecting your camera to your computer to see which you prefer I always play it safe by never connecting my camera to the computer when the camera is turned on I know that USB should allow us to connect disconnect at will but I will not endanger my camera by doing so especially if using the Mass Storage protocol D300 only How wise do you think it is to unplug a 469 live hard drive which is what your camera effectively becomes when using Mass Storage protocol The real solution is to transfer your images via a card reader They are faster in many cases too If you do use a USB cable please turn your camera on only after you connect it to the computer and turn it off before disconnecting It would be a shame to blow out the electronics on an expensive camera like the D300 over a static electricity spark Windows 2000 specifically D
597. ure 250 Movie settings 320 Interval timer shooting Hy 400 Figure 3 49 Setting ISO sensitivity from the Shooting Menu 1 Choose ISO sensitivity settings from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 3 49 image 1 2 Select ISO sensitivity from the menu and scroll to the right 3 Scroll up or down in the SO sensitivity menu until you highlight the ISO value you want to use 4 Press the OK button to save the ISO sensitivity setting The standard minimum ISO sensitivity for the D300 S is ISO 200 You may adjust the camera in a range from ISO 100 6400 in one third steps You can set Custom setting b1 to 1 3 1 2 or 1 step We ll look at this more carefully in the upcoming chapter titled Chapter 4 Select your favorite ISO sensitivity setting using either the external camera controls or the Shooting Menu s ISO sensitivity settings function If you d like you can simply let your camera decide which ISO it would like to use Let s consider this often misunderstood feature in detail 211 ISO Sensitivity Auto Control ISO AUTO You may have noticed in Figure 3 49 image 2 that there s another setting available ISO sensitivity auto control which defaults to Off This was known on earlier Nikon cameras as ISO AUTO This setting allows the camera to control the ISO sensitivity and shutter speed according to the light levels sensed by the camera In Figure 3 50 we see the Shooting Menu screens
598. ure menu in both the D300S and D300 There are no numbering variances between the two cameras in this section ISO sensitivity step value b1 in both D300 D300S EV steps for exposure cntrl b2 in both D300 D300S Exp comp fine tune b3 in both D300 D300S Center weighted area b5 in both D300 D300S Fine tune optimal exposure b6 in both D300 D300S Easy exposure compensation b4 in both D300 D300S The first three custom settings in the Metering exposure menu b1 b2 b3 affect how your camera views steps in its EV range Most people like to have their camera work very precisely so they ll use the 1 3 step EV selection of b1 b2 and b3 Others might not be as selective and would prefer to change sensitivity in 1 2 step EV or even whole steps 284 What is an EV EV simply means Exposure Value which is an agreed upon value of exposure metering It is spoken of in full or partial EV steps like 1 3 1 2 or 1 It simply means different combinations of shutter speeds and apertures that give similar exposures An EV step corresponds to a standard logarithmic power of 2 exposure step commonly referred to as a stop So instead of saying 1 EV you could substitute 1l stop EV 0 zero corresponds to an exposure time of second at an aperture of f 1 0 or 15 seconds at f 4 EV can be positive or negative EV 6 equals 60 seconds at f 1 0 EV 10 equals 1 1000s at f
599. us point used to take the image If you are using thumbnail view you can select from a series of images on the monitor When you have one of the images selected even though it is not full size you can press the Multi selector center button and the image is first enlarged to full size then to whichever of the three zoom magnification levels you previously selected When you press the button again the camera switches back to thumbnail view 391 The D300S and D300 have slightly different menus for the next function The D300S has a function called Choose slot and folder while the D300 has Choose folder The cameras menus are different under this setting because the D300 has no extra SD memory card slot while the D300S has both an SD and CF card slot I ve divided the two menus into separate sub sections to prevent confusion Choose slot and folder D300S When you select Choose slot and folder in the D300S you ll have a couple of screens available when you are examining an image in Playback mode You get to these screens by pressing the Multi Selector center button Here is a look at the screens see Figure 4 68 images 2 and 3 42 Multi selector center button Playback slot and folder Playback slot and folder Playback mode 10003005 oO Thumbnail on off ta View histograms Q Zoom on off lami Choose slot and folder OK Cancel Cancel Figure 4 68 Multi selector center button Choose slot and folder
600. us shown in Figure 11 13 to select one of the modes You can use the Release mode dial to select a frame rate S CL or CH 738 On the D300 you ll set the Shooting Menu gt Live view gt Release mode selection to Single frame Continuous low speed or Continuous high speed see Figure 11 14 The cameras are quite different in how they initialize Live view mode and in the screens used for its adjustment Use whichever FIG applies to your camera as a reference for using Live view mode Following are the steps to use Live view mode after you ve selected it with the external camera controls and configured the Release mode SHOOTING MENU Live view mode Active D Lighting 2 Long exp NR High ISO NR ISO sensitivity settings SA Live view mode fe Multiple exposure Movie settings Interval timer shooting Figure 11 13 Choosing a Live view mode on the D300S 739 SHOOTING MENU a Live view i Live view E Color space j g Live view mode g Active D Lighting y Long exp NR Multiple exposure OFF Interval timer shooting OFF High ISO NR EEP Handheld a O 5 ISO sensitivity settings il Release mode 2 Tripod m Liveview ooo Live view Live view l Release mode E Release mode Live view mode a WW Single fram E _ Single frame E Cc Continuous low speed C Continuous low speed OK Cu Continuous high speed Cu Continuous high speed Figure 11 14 Choosing a Live view and Release mode on the D300 L
601. used to enable the ISO sensitivity auto control E SHOOTING MENU ei ISO sensitivity settings 1S0 sensitivity settings Active Dighting OFF iie SO sensitivity LOT Igy ISO sensitivity auto control Long exp NR I Y SONR Live view mode R Multiple exposure Movie settings Interval timer shooting Maximum sensitivity 3200 Minimum shutter speed 1 30 Off Figure 3 50 Enabling the ISO sensitivity auto control Once you ve set ISO sensitivity auto control to On you should immediately set two values according to how you shoot Maximum sensitivity and Minimum shutter speed Maximum Sensitivity The Maximum sensitivity setting is a safeguard for you see Figure 3 51 It allows the camera to adjust its own ISO sensitivity from the minimum value of ISO 200 to the value set in Maximum sensitivity according to light conditions The camera will try to maintain the 212 lowest ISO sensitivity it can to get the picture However if needed it can rapidly rise to the Maximum sensitivity level This setting overrides the normal ISO sensitivity settings If you would prefer that the Maximum sensitivity not exceed a certain ISO value simply select from the list shown in Figure 3 51 image 3 The Maximum sensitivity default is ISO 3200 That s too high for my taste since it will let the camera take the ISO sensitivity all the way up to ISO 3200 in a low light situation Too much noise potential for me Maybe not for you In any
602. ustom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 Custom setting d11 D300S and d10 D300 843 Battery order Custom setting d11 D300S and d10 D300 Beep Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 CL mode shooting speed Custom setting d4 D300S Only Exposure delay mode Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 File number sequence Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 Information Shooting info display Custom setting d7 D300S and d6 D300 LCD illumination Custom setting d9 D300S and d8 D300 Max continuous release Custom setting d6 D300S and d5 D300 MB D10 battery type Custom setting d10 D300S and d9 D300 Screen tips D300S only Custom setting d3 D300S and D300 Viewfinder grid display Custom setting d1 D300S and D300 Viewfinder warning display Custom setting d2 D300S and D300 Shutter priority auto mode S Get Down Grandpa Shutter release button AE L c1 Section Three c Timers AE Lock Custom Settings c1 to c4 Side by side comparison Edit Movie D300S only Single point AF Continuous servo AF Mode C Single servo AF S Single servo AF Mode S Size priority vs Optimal quality JPEG JPEG Compression 844 Slide show Rotate Tall Slide Show Slide Show Slide Show Slide Show Slide Show Slide Show Exit Slide Show Frame interval Slide Show Pause slide show Slide Show Restart Slide Show Skip back Skip ahead Slide Show View additional photo info Slide Show Slow
603. utton to lock in the setting The Quality setting also changes how large the resulting movie is when it is stored on your computer s hard drive It has been my experience that the D300S uses the following amounts of memory when recording videos These are approximations and will vary with the subject matter s detail 1280x720 mode 585 MB for a 5 minute video 1950 KB per second Full length movie fits on a DVD or CD for storage and later copying to a computer 606 640x424 mode 248 MB for a 5 minute video 992 MB for 20 minutes 826 KB per second Full length movie can be stored on a DVD only 320x216 mode 119 MB for a 5 minute video 447 MB for 20 minutes 398 KB per second Full length movie can be stored on a DVD or CD Remember these values may vary greatly according to the complexity of the scene and how much motion is in the video These are base values I found by videoing a medium complexity subject with little movement Your storage experience may vary The D300S s factory default video mode is set to 640x424 pixels 3 2 aspect ratio which is good for keeping the video file sizes down somewhat However this is not an HD mode If you want to make even smaller videos you can choose 320x216 pixels 3 2 aspect ratio Each of these two modes allows you to shoot up to 20 minute video clips That is generally a sufficient length for many uses Video clips are limited in length to 5 minutes for high resolution
604. ve times with each flash burst divided up into 50 shutter speed pulses Therefore the flash will pulse a total of 250 times at 1 128 power for a 1 s exposure or four times for a 1 60 s exposure amp 1 Flash sync speed Commander mode la e2 Flash shutter speed 160 Mode n ash cntrl for built in flash m TIL THL Builtin flash MN j e Bracketing flash E 3 Flash cntrl for built in flash 7 e3 Flash entrl for built in flash v2 amp 4 Modeling flash M Manual U e5 Auto bracketing set o RPTS Repeating flash Group A Pt Rem commandesmoce G Rea 81 Bracketing order Ie Channel cH 3 Move Set WOK 356 Figure 4 53 Flash cntrl for built in flash Commander mode C Commander Mode see Figure 4 53 This mode allows your camera to become a commander or controller of up to two banks of an unlimited number of external CLS compatible Speedlight flash units with four available channels 1 4 In Figure 4 53 image 3 you ll see Built in flash Group A and B and a Channel setting Following Built in flash and Group A and B you ll see Mode and Comp Use the Multi Selector to move around and modify settings on this screen Here s what they each mean Built in flash This lets you set the pop up flash to one of three settings The settings do not affect any of the flash units the Commander mode is controlling in Group A or B TTL Otherwise known as 1 TTL mode this is a completely automatic
605. ve View modes You move between these screens by pressing the Info button repeatedly Try it Using Figure 8 4 Hand held mode and Figure 8 5 Tripod mode as a guide take a look at each of these screens and what they do LV Screen I Figure 8 4 or Figure 8 5 image 1 This screen shows several extra and maybe confusing symbols that allow you to control various features like Monitor brightness D300S and D300 along with microphone volume level and movie recording D300S only To simplify the symbols shown I ve zoomed in on this screen in Figure 8 6 so that we can look more closely at the various symbols see Figure 8 6 593 ERS 6 0 EO y Oma A to rid L10299 EHO O BO Oa A to Fld amp 101299 Ato fli amp 18299 Figure 8 4 Live View Hand held mode LV Screen 2 Figure 8 4 or Figure 8 5 image 2 This is a much cleaner screen with an almost blank area at the top and a single line of information along the bottom You can see the autofocus type which is determined by the Live View mode you have selected Hand held mode Figure 8 4 image 2 shows the central 5 1 point autofocus area in big rounded brackets with a tiny red AF point that can be moved around within the 51 point area only Tripod mode Figure 8 5 image 2 shows a bigger red focus square that can be moved to any point on the screen for autofocus The informational line at the bottom is described in the text accompan
606. vement you ll need some control over the minimum shutter speed allowed while the ISO sensitivity auto control is set to On see Figure 3 52 S ate as ee PEASE Gy Active Highting cy LSO sensitivity Lot gj Long exp NR Y HighISONR NOAN ISO sensitivity auto control ON ISO sensitivity settings e A Maximum sensitivity Movie settings Interval timer shooting OFF Live view mode 2 speed R Multiple exposure OFF lt Figure 3 52 ISO sensitivity auto control Minimum shutter speed The Minimum shutter speed setting allows you to select the minimum shutter speed that the camera will allow when the light diminishes In P Programmed auto camera controls shutter and aperture and A Aperture priority auto camera controls shutter and you control aperture exposure modes the camera will not go below the Minimum shutter speed unless the Maximum sensitivity setting still won t give you a good exposure 214 This is the answer to our question in the last section about what happens when there is not enough light and the camera has maxed out the Maximum sensitivity level Even though you ve selected a Minimum shutter speed the camera will go below the Minimum shutter speed when the Maximum sensitivity ISO number has been reached and the light is still too low for a good exposure In other words in P Programmed auto or A Aperture priority auto exposure modes if you get into low light and try to take pictur
607. ven want to manually set the lens to infinity if you are having problems with this often Once you ve found your favorite white or gray surface for Image Dust Off ref photos keep it safe and use it consistently 477 Battery Info User s Manual D300S page 307 D300 page 322 The Battery info screens as seen in Figure 5 25 will let you know how much battery voltage charge has been used Bat meter how many images have been taken with this battery since the last charge Pic meter and how much life the battery has before it will no longer hold a good charge Battery age in D3005 and Charging life in D300 Here are the screens and steps used to examine Battery info see Figure 5 25 SETUP MENU Battery info Battery info Image comment i Auto image rotation Bat meter 3 Bat meter Image Dust Off ref photo Ie Pic meter Pic meter Battery info Ss Wireless transmitter HE Image authentication OFF Copyright information Save load settings Battery age Charging life 0 4 4 Figure 5 25 Battery info screens 1 Select Battery info from the Setup Menu and scroll to the right 2 The second and third screens shown in Figure 5 25 correspond to the D300S and D300 respectively They basically do the same thing with a textual difference see red arrows in the Battery age Charging life section If you have a D300S you ll see image 2 and with a D300 you ll see image 3 478 This Battery info
608. vert a RAW file in computer into that format I rarely if ever shoot images in TIFF There are just not enough benefits to deal with the larger files and slower transfer speeds 135 Image Size User s Manual D300S page 71 D300 page 60 Image size lets you shoot with your camera set to various megapixel ratings The default Image size setting for the D300 S is Large or 12 2 M 12 2 megapixels You can change this rating from 12 2 M to 6 9 M or even 3 1 M see Figure 3 12 Image size only applies to images captured in TIFF RGB or JPEG fine normal basic modes If you re shooting with your camera in any of the NEF RAW JPEG modes it only applies to the JPEG image in the pair SHOOTING MENU Image size a Shooting menu bank VY Reset shooting menu arge T Active folder 4288x2848 12 2 M File naming Medium Primary slot selection 3216x2136 6 9M fe Secondary slot function PE E Small Image quality 2144x1424 3 1M gL Figure 3 12 Choosing an Image size Image size does not apply to a NEF RAW image This setting is relatively simple since it affects just the megapixel M size of the image Here are the three settings under Image size 136 Large 4288x2848 12 2 M Medium 3216x2136 6 9 M Small 21441424 3 1 M Here are the steps to select an Image size see Figure 3 12 1 Select Image size from the Shooting Menu and scroll to the right 2 Choose one of the thr
609. veryday shooting If you are a RAW shooter and regularly post process your images you should consider using Adobe RGB You will have a wider gamut of colors to work with and can make your images the best they can be Later you can convert your carefully crafted images to print with a good color profile and get great results from inkjet printers and other printing devices So here s a rough way to look at it Many JPEG shooters use sRGB Many RAW shooters use Adobe RGB This is not a hard and fast rule but many people use these settings according to their style of shooting 192 My Recommendation I personally use Adobe RGB most of the time since I shoot a lot of nature with a wide range of color I want as accurate color as my camera will give me Adobe RGB has a wider range of colors so it can be more accurate when a wide range of colors is present in my subject However if you are just shooting JPEG snapshots there s no need to worry about this Leave the camera set to sRGB and have fun Which Color Space Is Best Technically There is a large color space used by the graphics industry called CIELAB This particular color space is designed to approximate human vision Adobe RGB covers about 50 percent of the CIELAB color space while sRGB only uses 35 percent In other words Adobe RGB has a wider gamut That means Adobe RGB gives your images access to significantly higher levels of color especially cyans bluish
610. ving problems with 474 too much brightness use a gray surface instead of white Most of the time this error is caused by insufficient light Exposure settings are not appropriate Change exposure settings and try again Figure 5 23 Incorrect exposure 4 If you don t see the screen in Figure 5 23 and the shutter fires you have successfully created an Image Dust Off ref photo You will find the image shown in Figure 5 24 on your camera s Monitor A 2 megabyte file is created on your camera s memory card with an ending of NDF instead of the normal NEF TIF or JPG This NDF file is basically a small database of the millions of clean pixels in your imaging sensor and a few dirty ones Example filename DSC_1234 NDF 475 Image Dust Off ref photo 8 0003005 1DY_3972 NDF E 05 12 2010 13 02 35 Figure 5 24 Dust Off ref photo You cannot display the Image Dust Off ref photo on your computer It will not open in Capture NX2 or any other graphics program that I tried It is only used as a reference by Capture NX2 when it s time to clean images Where to Store the Reference Photo Copy the NDF file from your camera s memory card to the computer folder containing the images that have dust spots on them and for which you created this Image Dust Off ref photo You can now use Nikon Capture NX2 to remove the dust spot from all the images covered by this Image Dust Off ref photo That process is beyond the
611. w depth of field preview Assign preview button command dials None I don t use this Assign AE L AF L button press AE lock only Assign AE L AF L button command dials Choose non CPU lens number I hope you ll experiment with each of these settings and see if you like others better Nikon has given us amazing configurability for our assignable buttons so why not test each one Customize Command Dials Custom setting f8 D300S and f7 D300 User s Manual D300S page 297 D300 page 308 409 Customize command dials does what it sounds like it lets you change how the Command dials operate There are several operations you can modify Reverse rotation Change main sub Aperture setting Menus and playback Let s examine each of these items and the screens and steps used to change them see Figure 4 75 ce _ CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls lt Custom setting bank A e EEST B Reset custom settings Py 42 Multi selector center button c Timers AE lock 15 Assign Fn button Aperture setting FE d Shooting display I 6 Assign preview button E Menus and playback Bracketing flash bet 17 Assign AE L AF button i 2 Autofocus g 3 Multi selector R otation b Metering exposure t4 Photo info playback Change main sub Figure 4 75 Customize command dials 1 Select f Controls from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 75 image 1 2 Highlight Cus
612. want to use as a base for your new settings and then scroll to the right see Figure 3 28 image 3 I am modifying the Neutral Picture Control and will save it under a different name 4 Make your adjustments to Sharpening Contrast etc When you are done press the OK button see Figure 3 28 image 4 5 Select one of the nine storage areas named C 1 to C 9 and scroll to the right see Figure 3 28 image 5 They are all currently marked as Unused I can save as many as nine different Custom Picture Controls here for later selection Set Picture Control 175 6 You now see the Rename screen which works just like the other screens you ve used to rename things Type in a new name by selecting characters from the list at the top of the screen and pressing the Multi selector center button on the D300S or the center of the Multi Selector on the D300 to choose the highlighted character see Figure 3 28 image 6 To correct an error hold down the Thumbnail playback zoom out button and use the Multi Selector to move back and forth along the field that contains the new name 7 Press the OK button when you have entered the name of your Custom Picture Control Your camera is now set to your Custom Picture Control You switch between your custom controls and the basic Nikon Picture Controls by using Set Picture Control see previous section titled Set Picture Control In other words each of your new named Custom Picture Controls w
613. wfinder s background is dark the selected AF point s will briefly flash red when you press the Shutter release button or the AF ON button to start autofocus If the background is bright you ll have no trouble seeing your AF point s little black squares so they don t flash red when you start autofocus On The selected AF point is highlighted in red when you start autofocus regardless of the light level of the background Off The selected AF point does not light up in red when you start autofocus It always stays black First let s examine the screens and steps to configure AF point illumination Then we ll talk about how the settings work see Figure 4 11 CUSTOM SETTING MENU Sa Autofocus C Custom setting bank A JBM a1 AFC priority selection Reset custom settings g a2AFS priority selection ig 33 Dynamic AF area b Metering exposure ad Focus tracking with lockon AF3 Bec Timers AE lock a AF activation TE d Shooting display S AF point illumination e Bracketing flash fe al Focus point wrap around f Controls E a8 AF point selection Figure 4 11 AF point illumination 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 11 image 1 2 Highlight AF point illumination and scroll to the right see Figure 4 11 image 2 3 Choose one of the three choices from the menu In Figure 4 11 image 3 Auto has been selected 273 4 Press the OK button to
614. when low light conditions are sensed and when using certain AF area modes not all to help with autofocus We ll look into the two modes of this setting but first here are the screens and steps to set Built in AF assist illuminator to On or Off see Figure 4 15 lt C Custom setting bank A CUSTOM SETTING MENU a Autofocus a a9 Built in AF assist illuminator jilt in AF assist illumi ON jE g DReset custom settings 3 i Built in ON SAFON for MBD10 coed c Timers AE lock b3 Exp comp fine tune 1 3 TE d Shooting display ES b4 Easy exposure compensation OFF e Bracketing flash b5 Center weighted area 8 iy f Controls 2 bS Fine tune optimal exposure i y iga 01 1S0 sensitivity step value 13 b Metering exposure im b2 EV steps for exposure cntri 1 3 Figure 4 15 Built in AF assist illuminator 1 Select a Autofocus from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 15 image 1 2 Highlight Built in AF assist illuminator and scroll to the right see Figure 4 15 image 2 3 Choose On or Off from the menu In Figure 4 15 image 3 On has been selected 279 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting Here are descriptions of how On or Off affects the AF assist illuminator On default If the light level is low the AF assist illuminator lights up to help light the subject enough for autofocus This only works in certain modes though 1 Single servo AF as a Focus mode at
615. will receive instructions on the camera s Monitor when it is safe to turn the camera off You ll see the update taking place with a screen like the one in Figure 5 47 image 3 The green progress bar will move from left to right while the update is happening Do not touch the camera while this update is taking place The update process will be finished when the progress bar reaches the right side A final screen will pop up informing you Update completed Turn camera off see Figure 5 47 image 4 It is now safe to turn the camera off and back on When it comes back on the new firmware will be running 524 8 Check the Firmware version again to see if the update is in place Format the memory card containing the upgrade files immediately 9 Take pictures with your camera s new firmware in place The steps above are merely an outline of the more comprehensive Nikon instructions that come with each firmware update The steps could change so please check the Nikon instructions and understand them before starting the process My Recommendation Personally I always update my cameras as soon as a new firmware version is available Nikon publishes the major features covered by the update on its website Do a Google search on firmware update Nikon D300 or D300S and then look for the http support nikontech com website Yov ll find upgrade information there including downloadable files and instructions The re
616. with Active D Lighting set to its various levels Note that the D300S provides two more levels than the D300 My Recommendation You ll need to experiment with the Active D Lighting settings to see which you like best It has the effect of lowering contrast and some people do not like 196 low contrast images Also anytime you recover lost detail from shadows there will be extra noise in the recovered areas So watch the noise This function can be useful for JPEG shooters in particular Since you really shouldn t modify a JPEG file after shooting it it s important that the image is created exactly right in the first place When you are shooting in a contrasty setting such as in direct sunlight some degree of Active D Lighting may help reign in the contrast If you set Active D Lighting much above Normal the image will start to have an artificial look in my opinion Skin tones can develop a pinkish look that is unnatural in my eyes If you shoot in RAW there s not much point in using Active D Lighting at all since you will be post processing your images in computer I leave it set to Off for the Shooting menu banks that use NEF RAW mode and On for the banks that use JPEG Normally I don t go much above the Low setting except for party JPEGs which I set to Normal My best JPEGs are set to Low Remember your camera has multiple Shooting menu banks and you can set Active D Lighting for each bank in a different w
617. with a GPS unit attached and active on your D300 S then you ll have an additional screen available even if you don t have Data selected Figure 2 13 shows this screen in the last image labeled GPS in red The 58 GPS data screen shows Latitude Longitude Altitude and Time UTC That s a lot of screens to scroll through but they provide a great deal of information on the image Look how far we ve come from the days of writing date information on the lower right of the image permanently marking it or between the frames on the pro level cameras Including the two standard display screens there are eight screens just brimming with data on the D300S and seven on the D300 plus the GPS screen Or you can get by with the main image display and one summary display see Figure 2 14 The summary display is a condensation of the most important shooting information It even includes a small luminance histogram My Recommendation Some people like minimal data to scroll through and others like a lot I generally leave my camera set to use only the Highlights Figure 2 11 and RGB histogram Figure 2 12 screens Those two screens along with the main and summary screens Figure 2 14 give me all the information I normally need If you re a data oriented person Nikon is happy to oblige you Turn all these data screens on and examine how each shot s settings were configured This sure beats the old days of writing data directl
618. with your carefully crafted settings An Image saved screen will show briefly and then the new JPEG will be shown in a normal Playback screen You can cancel the operation with the Playback button This is a nice way to create specialized JPEG images from NEF RAW files without using a computer How much longer will it be until our cameras come with a keyboard monitor and mouse ports They are computerized after all My Recommendation This is a rather complex multi step function since you re doing a major conversion from NEF RAW to JPEG in camera without using your computer You re in complete control of each level of the conversion and can even replace the camera settings with which you shot the original image If you want to simply convert the image without going through all these steps just scroll down to the EXE selection and press the OK button That will convert the image with the camera settings you used to take the picture Resize D300S only User s Manual D300S page 329 The Resize function allows you to convert an image from a full size 12 2 M 4288x2848 picture to a smaller one with 557 four available megapixel sizes This is only available on the D3005 There are three selections involved Select image Allows you to choose one or more images for resizing Choose destination Lets you to choose a destination for the resized pictures Choose size You can choose from four av
619. won t be useful at all for shooting anything moving or for any type of action shots But for slow shooters of static scenes this is great and keeps you from having to use Mirror Up MUP which requires two Shutter release button presses to take a picture It has the same effect as MUP but only requires one Shutter release button press and a one second delay Off The shutter has no delay when this setting is turned off Here are the screens and steps used to configure Exposure delay mode Figure 4 45 FS CUSTOM SETTING MENU __d Shooting display Custom setting bank AE i i p DReset custom settings od a2Battery order 81 Flash sync speed b Metering exposure c Timers AE lock Wo y d z a Autofocus attery type E e2 Flash shutter speed e Bracketing flash Wd eS Flash cntri for built in flash f Controls E 64 Modeling flash Figure 4 45 Exposure delay mode 339 1 Select d Shooting display from the Custom Setting Menu and scroll to the right see Figure 4 45 image 1 2 Highlight Exposure delay mode and scroll to the right see Figure 4 45 image 2 3 Choose one of the two choices on the list In Figure 4 45 image 3 Off has been selected 4 Press the OK button to lock in the setting My Recommendation Exposure delay mode is very important to me As a nature shooter I use it frequently for single shots When I m shooting handheld or on a tripod and want a really sharp image I use this
620. x480 based on a 920 000 dot liquid crystal display LCD If you read anywhere that the LCD Monitor screen has 920 000 pixels of resolution or is higher than VGA the writer is uninformed Nikon lists the resolution as 920 000 dots not pixels Don t let the numbers boggle your mind The bottom line is that this 3 inch screen has amazing clarity for your image previewing needs You can zoom for review up to 36 27x for Large L images 20x for Medium M and 13x for Small S That s zooming in to pixel peeping levels 9 Now if you want to get technical stuff here s the extra geek Each dot on the Monitor screen has three color segments like on a computer monitor or TV screen one each for red green and blue RGB colors Since only one color segment at a time is used the screen does not have 920 000 pixels of resolution Instead since it is only using one third of each dot by turning one of its three segments red green or blue it s limited to an actual pixel resolution of 307 200 pixels In other words there are 920 000 dots with each dot divided into three segments The three segments together equate to one pixel so the monitor is limited to of 920 000 dots or 307 200 pixels of real image resolution The VGA standard has 640x480 pixels and since 640 x 480 307 200 the Monitor screen on your D300 S has VGA resolution Delete User s Manual D300S page 221 D
621. y best to help guide you as you fully master your new Nikon D300 or D300S D300S and D300 Reference Material The two cameras covered in this book are very similar However there are distinct differences in certain areas For instance both cameras have somewhat different button locations completely different Memory card slot cover styles 21 dissimilar features on the Release mode dial and distinctive cable connection points under the Connector cover Since we ll be using button dial and switch names all over this book it s important that you learn their locations on the camera body The Camera Body Reference section at the beginning of this book contains large pictures showing the locations and names of the external camera controls as well as other important technical information Please find this section and look through it Then come back here to continue Leave a bookmark in the section pertaining to your camera so that you ll have an easy reference point for control locations Throughout this book Ill say things like Use the Thumbnail playback zoom out button to change the number of images viewed on the Monitor You ll need to know where to find the Thumbnail playback zoom out button and the Monitor The Camera Body Reference section provides that information and should be your guide I won t constantly refer to the reference section as I d have to do so literally hundreds of times and it would quickly ge
622. y images However in some instances a live view through the Monitor is quite useful For instance what if you want to take an image of a small flower growing very close to the ground You could lie down on the ground and get your clothes dirty or you can use LV mode instead LV mode allows you to see what your camera s lens sees without using the Viewfinder Anytime you need to take pictures up high or down low or even on a tripod the D300 S will happily give you that power with its LV mode Entering Live View On the D300 Live view mode is activated by selecting the LV position on the Release mode dial and pressing the Shutter release button fully see Figure 11 11 image 1 137 Figure 11 11 Entering Live view with external camera controls The D300S has a dedicated Lv button that simplifies the process considerably Press the Lv button and the camera is immediately in Live view mode see Figure 11 11 image 2 Selecting Hand held or Tripod Modes Next you ll need to set the Shooting Menu gt Live view mode selection to Hand held or Tripod mode Figure 11 12 shows the screens you ll see when you select one of the modes The first screen shows Hand held mode red arrow while the second shows Tripod mode red arrow me RAW AUTO 20n00s a8 EHO b d BHO Om io 8 10295 Figure 11 12 Hand held and Tripod Live view modes Selecting a Release Mode Frame Rate On the D300S you ll use the men
623. y on the film image or between the frames doesn t it 59 Copy Images D300S Only User s Manual D300S page 248 The D300S provides a means to Copy image s between the camera s SD and CF card slots This doesn t apply to the D300 since it only has one card If you ve been shooting and suddenly want a backup on the other card want to hand off images on one of your cards to someone else or only have a card reader for one of the card formats you can use this function to copy images between the two card types This convenient functionality has several steps to accomplish the deed First you ll select a source card if both cards have images and the source folder then the images to move and then the folder that you want to place them in on the other card Figure 2 15 shows the screens for the Copy images function oo PLAYBACK MENU Ty Delete Select source gt Playback folder ie Hide image Display mode es i o CICF CF card slot FE image review Co 6 EE SD card slot 0D After delete J Rotate tall Figure 2 15 Copy images Selecting a source card When I first opened up the menu shown in Figure 2 15 I found only one item available the Select image s choice The rest were grayed out I was quite puzzled at first and then figured out why There are two reasons Select image s may be the only option available 60 1 There are images on only one of the cards Think about this for a moment
624. y pressing the OK button and selecting the opposite side Try it both ways by the Retouch Menu and the Playback Retouch Menu Just remember that it s a two step process Side By Side Comparison User s Manual D300S page 331 D300 page 342 Side by side comparison allows you to compare an image you ve retouched with its original source image Interestingly this function is not available on the Retouch Menu You ll only find it on the Playback Retouch Menu Here are the screens and steps to compare the original and retouched image side by side on the camera s Monitor see Figure 6 27 563 X Trim Side by side comparison Ol Monochrome Trim Q Filter effects A gener hie Move G Zoom Done Figure 6 27 Comparing original and retouched images side by side 1 Press the Playback button and find the image you want to compare see Figure 6 27 image 1 2 Press the OK button to bring up the Playback Retouch Menu 3 Select Side by side comparison and scroll to the right see Figure 6 27 image 2 4 The original image will appear on the left and one of its retouched children will show on the right see Figure 6 27 image 3 You may have retouched an original image in more than one way leading to multiple retouched copies In that case a tiny yellow arrow tip will appear above and below the retouched image see Figure 6 27 image 3 This simply means that you can scroll up or down to see the oth
625. y pressure halfway down to refocus If the subject continues moving you ll need to continue releasing and pressing the Shutter release button halfway down over and over to keep the focus accurate If your subject never stops moving is moving erratically or stops only briefly Single servo AF S is probably not the best mode to use In this case Continuous servo AF C is better because it never locks focus so you are able to follow your subject s movement 717 Continuous servo AF Mode C Similar to Single servo AF you must be sensitive to the status of your subject to get the best results Using Continuous servo AF is slightly more complex Subject is not moving When the subject is standing still Continuous servo AF acts a lot like Single servo AF with the exception that the focus never locks If your camera moves you may hear your lens chattering a little as the auto focus motor makes small adjustments in the focus position Since focus never locks in this mode you ll need to be careful that you don t accidentally move the AF point off of the subject because it may focus on something in the background instead Subject is moving across the Viewfinder If your subject moves from left to right right to left or up and down in the Viewfinder you ll need to keep your AF point on the subject when you are using Single point AF area If you are using Dynamic area AF or Auto area AF your camera will have the ability to track t
626. ye correction is complete you can use the Playback zoom in button to zoom in on the image to see how well it worked Zoom back out with the checkered Thumbnail playback zoom out button 5 Press the OK button to save the file under a new file number or you can press the Playback button to cancel see Figure 6 4 image 4 My Recommendation I ve found that the Red eye correction function works pretty well as long as the subject is fairly large in the frame The lovely young lady in Figure 6 4 image 4 had serious red eye in the original image That gives you an idea of how large in the frame the subject will have to be for this function to work well I have tried it on smaller subjects where there are larger groups of people and it sometimes works and other times doesn t When the subject is smaller the eyes are much smaller too The camera may struggle to find the red eye in very tiny pictures I ve had it correct one eye that was closer to the camera larger and not the other I would rate this function as helpful but not always completely effective On larger subjects close ups it does well but on smaller ones sometimes not so well However it s a good function to have for quick Red eye correction on critical images you need to use immediately Trim User s Manual D300S page 321 D300 page 336 536 The Trim function allows you to crop an image in camera change its aspect ratio and save the file as a
627. ying Figure 8 6 594 RAW AUTO 20m00s EHO b 0 BHO 8 Ona A to Fut 101299 A to Fut amp 18299 RAW AUTO 20m00s EHS 0 O 6 Oma A to Fli L10299 A to fl L10299 Figure 8 5 Live View Tripod mode LV Screen 3 Figure 8 4 or Figure 8 5 image 3 This screen is similar to the previous screen except that grid lines are added Hand held mode Figure 8 4 image 3 only shows the grid lines outside the 51 point AF area while Tripod mode Figure 8 5 image 2 shows the full set of grid lines across the entire screen Use these grid lines to level your subject in the Viewfinder as is necessary when photographing things like a horizon line or a tall upright pole Again the informational line at the bottom is described in the text accompanying Figure 8 6 LV Screen 4 Figure 8 4 or Figure 8 5 image 4 The final screen D300S only displays the new Virtual Horizon that allows you to level the camera in a 595 single axis horizontal direction If you are a private or commercial pilot you ll feel right at home with this new tool since it resembles the artificial horizon you use to keep the wings level All the other symbols are also displayed in this screen as described in Figure 8 6 Now let s take a look at the various symbols found on some of the Live View screens Many of these symbols will also show in the D300S D Movie mode see Figure 8 6 I photograp
628. you re shooting flash pictures of the president as he disembarks from his airplane walks into the terminal and drives away in his limousine Under these circumstances you will have little time to check your ISO settings or shutter speeds and will be shooting in widely varying light conditions Scenario 2 You re a wedding photographer in a church that doesn t allow the use of flash As you follow the bride and groom from the dark inner rooms of the church out into the lobby and finally up to the altar your light conditions will vary constantly You have no time to deal with the fluctuations in light by changing your ISO since things are moving too quickly Scenario 3 You re at a party and you want some great pictures You want to use flash but the pop up Speedlight may not be powerful enough to reach across the room at low ISO settings You really don t want to be bothered with camera configuration at this time but still want some well exposed images Light will vary as you move around the room talking and laughing and snapping pictures 218 These scenarios present excellent environments for ISO sensitivity auto control The camera will use your normal settings such as your normal ISO shutter speed and aperture until the light will not allow those settings to provide an accurate exposure Only then will the camera raise the ISO or lower the shutter speed to keep functioning within the shutter aperture parameters
629. you have set Look at ISO sensitivity auto control as a failsafe for times when you must get the shot but have little time to deal with camera settings or when you don t want to vary the shutter aperture settings but still want to be assured of a well exposed image Unless you re a private detective shooting handheld telephoto images from your car or a photojournalist or sports photographer who must get the shot every time regardless of maximum quality I personally would not recommend leaving ISO sensitivity auto control set to On Use it only when you really need to get the shot under any circumstances Of course if you are unsure of how to use the correct ISO for the light level due to lack of experience don t be afraid to experiment with this mode At the very worst you might get noisier than normal images However it may not be a good idea to depend on this mode over the long term because noisy images are not very nice Are there any drawbacks to using ISO sensitivity auto control Maybe It really depends on how widely the light conditions will vary when you are shooting Most of the time your 219 camera will maintain the normal range of ISO settings in ISO sensitivity auto control so your images will be their normal low noise sharp masterpieces However at times the light may be so low that the ISO may exceed the normal range of 200 800 and will start getting into the noisier ranges above ISO 800 Just be awa
630. your Artist and Copyright information My Recommendation D300S users be sure to add your name in both the Artist and Copyright sections of this function With so much intellectual property theft going on these days it s a good idea to identify each of your images as your own Otherwise you may post an image on Flickr or Facebook to share with friends and later find it on a billboard along the highway At least this way you will be able to prove that the image is yours and charge the infringer Embedding your personal information is not a foolproof way to ID your images since unscrupulous people may steal them and strip the metadata out of them However if you do find one of your images on the front page of a magazine or on someone else s website at least you can prove you took the image and have some legal recourse under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act DMCA Once you ve taken a picture you hold the copyright to that image You must be able to prove you took it This is one convenient way D300 users should add similar information under the Image comment function mentioned earlier 489 Save Load Settings User s Manual D300S page 310 D300 page 325 Do you have your D300 S set up exactly the way you like it Have you spent hours and hours with this book and the user s manual or simply exploring menus and finally got all the settings in place Are you worried that you might accidentally do a reset of y
631. your camera s battery is actually low My Recommendation I think it s a great idea to have the Viewfinder warn me when my camera s battery is getting low I d hate to be in the middle of an important shoot only to have the camera die from lack of battery power Don t you agree Screen Tips Custom setting d4 D300S Only User s Manual D300S page 276 Screen tips allows you to enable small helpful tips on the second screen of the camera s Information display This is only available on the D300S This display is accessed by pressing the camera s Info button twice Pressing the Info button once only brings up a summary display you can t edit anything Pressing it twice shows a similar screen that allows you to change several settings It s a shortcut screen with settings that are accessed frequently such as changing the Shooting menu bank or Custom setting bank Figure 4 35 image 1 shows the screen that appears when you press the Info button once Figure 4 35 image 2 shows the screen that appears when you press Info button twice The first screen is called the Information display screen and PI 322 call the second screen the Information display edit screen to prevent confusion between the two SHOOT PWISONRE Meat AE APY CUSTOM WONO BS TMS ac In Fe Ec Figure 4 35 Information screens with Screen tips enabled You may download additional information on the two screens from this book s

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