If the amount of buttons, modes and adjustments on your Nikon digital camera leaves you stunned and you don't want to read an instruction manual that spans hundreds of pages of pages, you're not alone. The steps below will help you fix the few adjustments you really care about and provide you with the basics of using every digital Nikon ever built. 1999 to the present day.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Nomenclature Note
There are many similar things between all Nikon digital SLRs (single lens reflex), but also substantial differences between different categories of cameras. These categorizations are used for convenience and have nothing to do with image quality (a D3000 is light years ahead of a '99 professional D1):
- High-end machines they are the most expensive cameras with instant adjustment for almost any function, important or not. This includes all the professional single digit ones (D1 / D1H / D1X, D2H and those to come later, D3, D4), as well as the D300 and D700.
- Mid-level machines they usually have a wheel to change settings on the top of the camera body to the left of the viewfinder, instead of a selector for how to shoot. They have direct access buttons for white balance, ISO, how to shoot, and so on.
- Machines to start include the D40, D60 and the current D3000 and D5000 models. These force you to go through the various menus to change settings, ISO, white balance and other things, as they do not have buttons for immediate access to these functions.
Part 2 of 4: The Fundamental Parts
Step 1. Familiarize yourself with the basic controls of all Nikon digital SLRs
We will call them by name later, so learn them now:
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There main control wheel it's at the back of the machine, top right.
Image The main control wheel.
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There secondary control wheel it's on the front side of the car, opposite the shutter button (cheaper models don't have it.)
Image The secondary control wheel indicated is on the front of the device, near the power button and the shutter button.
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The multi selector on the back changes the focusing system (we'll get to that later). You also use it to navigate the various menus.
Image The multi selector on a Nikon D200.
Part 3 of 4: Preparation
There are a lot of adjustments you want to fix once, and only once, on your Nikon digital SLR. As always in this article, we're going to make some huge generalizations that will allow you to start shooting right away, but they don't always apply to all models. You can have fun with these adjustments later, for now, you want basic things to be in order.
Step 1. Set the camera to continuous shooting
Usually, the camera should be set to single shot, so with each press of the shutter button, you'll have one frame. You don't want this adjustment. Continuous shooting will ensure that the camera takes as many photos as it can as quickly as possible for as long as you hold the shutter button down. Doing this with a digital camera costs practically nothing, even if you don't photograph fast-moving subjects (for which continuous shooting is mandatory), there is a good reason to use this feature: you will have more focused photos. Taking a sequence of two or three photos rather than just one means that one will be more likely to be in focus, while with just one shot you could go wrong. You are also less likely to make the camera move, as you would by continuing to press the shutter button.
Do not think that this will shorten the life of the shutter; many Nikon digital SLRs still work after hundreds of thousands of shots.
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Expensive machines: there is a command for this on the top left of the unit, with a position C, which is what you need. Press the button next to the wheel to unlock it and then turn it. Your machine may have the Ch and Cl positions; it means continuous at high speed and continuous at low speed. The meaning is clear, so choose the one that works best for you.
Image choice of shooting method on a D2H set to Ch (continuous / high speed.
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Mid-level machines: Press and hold the selector button and spin the main control wheel. Look at the top display until three rectangles (rather than a single one, or a timer icon) appear indicating that the function is active.
Image the button for choosing the shooting method on a Nikon D70.
- Machines to start: you will have to search through the menus to find the function. You have to do it yourself, each camera is different.
Step 2. Turn on Vibration Reduction (VR) if your lens has it, and leave it on
If you shoot in low light, or you don't have a very steady hand, it will ensure you take focused pictures without camera shake in all if not the worst lighting conditions. You'll only have to turn it off if you're shooting using a tripod (and the gist of the VR feature is that you hardly ever need a tripod)
Step 3. Adjust the device to use the source measurements
An explanation of this function is beyond the scope of this article; suffice to say it is a very clever feature and works well most of the time under most circumstances. On the more expensive machines, there is a dedicated button for this. On mid-level ones, hold down the button while turning the wheel until the function symbol appears. Again, on the cheap ones you have to search within the menus (although perhaps you will skip this step later, likely that they will use the function by themselves).
Step 4. Set the unit to automatic continuous auto focus (C)
With this function, the camera will continuously focus every time you press the shutter button halfway, and is also able to anticipate the movement of the subject. (You don't have to worry too much about other focus adjustments. Single (S) is useless if you have to photograph something in motion, as it locks focus as soon as it finds it. And manual focus is almost never needed; it's difficult. the device is so confused that it cannot focus at all, in the rare case that it does, it means that the focus confirmation will not appear in the viewfinder)
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On all appliances: If there is an A-M button (or A / M-M, A / M means autofocus with instant manual control), set it to A or A / M.
Image Set the targets to A, or M / A, if you have one of these buttons.
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On expensive appliances: there is a button to change the focus system on the right of the lens (if you look at it from the front), with three positions: C, S and M. Place it on C.
Image The C-S-M selector on a high-level device; set it to C.
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On all other devices: There may be a similar button in the same place, with the AF (auto focus) and M (manual) positions. Set it to AF, if there is one. You will have to go through the menus (each device is different) to find the settings for this function.
Image If you have an AF-M selector, set it to AF, then search the menus to look for settings for Continuous Auto AF.
Part 4 of 4: Shoot
Step 1. Turn on the appliance and leave it on
Like all digital cameras and cameras, your camera will go to sleep if you don't use it for a while, without consuming practically any battery this way. Having to turn on the camera when something happens is a good way to miss some shots, maybe even beautiful ones.
Step 2. Go outside and look for subjects to photograph
This is beyond the scope of this article, but the basics of taking a great photo can also be found on several wikiHows.
Step 3. Do not use the screen view, even if the device has it, to focus
The essence of a SLR (single reflex) is to use the instant optical viewfinder, instead of the slow point-and-shoot display. Furthermore, it would mean not using Nikon's smart, fast autofocus developed over the past two decades and replacing it with slow, inaccurate, contrast-detection-based focusing from a cheap camcorder. If you're not sure you want missed and / or poorly focused shots, use the viewfinder rather than the display.
Step 4. Choose an exposure mode
If your camera has a MODE button, you can change the exposure mode by holding down the button and spinning the control wheel until the one you want appears on the display or viewfinder. Other (cheaper) cameras have a control wheel for the various modes at the top of the camera body, to the left of the viewfinder. The basic modes are the same across all devices, and there are only three that should interest you:
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Automatic programmed (P). This selects a shutter opening and closing speed. In most cases, especially in normal light, this is the mode to use. Yes, it is fully automatic and you have been told it will hinder your creativity. Bullshit nonsense, as you can change the program using the main control wheel on the back of the unit. So if the camera chooses a shutter speed of 1/125 with an aperture of f / 5, 6, you can change it to 1/80 at f / 701, or 1/200 at f / 402 and so on, up to the limits of your shutter and aperture.
Image Scheduled Auto, like in this photo, works for most shots, most of the time
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Aperture priority (TO). This allows you to select an aperture for the lens (usually you do this by turning the secondary control wheel on the front of the machine; if you don't have this wheel, use the main one on the back), and the device will select a speed for the lens. shutter for correct exposure. The main reason for using this feature is to control the depth of field. Large apertures (smaller numbers, such as f / 1, 8) will give a shallower depth of field (less of the shot will be in focus), for example. Smaller apertures (larger numbers, like f / 16) will give you more depth of field, and induce longer shutter speeds.
Image Aperture priority mode is useful for reinforcing a shallow depth of field, and for putting the background completely out of focus (or the exact opposite). This was shot with a VR 55-220mm, at 200mm, with an aperture of f / 5.6
- Shutter priority (S) allows you to choose a shutter speed using the main command wheel (which will appear in the viewfinder) and the device to choose a lens aperture that suits you. Use this feature if you want to capture motion (like in sports, or anything else in motion), or if you're using a telephoto lens that involves using a faster shutter speed to avoid camera shake.
- The rest. On mid-range and budget devices, the mode wheel has an Auto position. Don't use it; it is very similar to automatic programming, but inflexible (you cannot change the program, for example) and rude (it fires the flash without asking). Various scene modes on cheaper models should be avoided for the same reason. If you want to party like it's 1976, there's also a full manual (M) mode on all sets; there is practically no reason to use it. You will only need it if you find yourself in extreme conditions, or you want enormous over or under exposure, such that several exposure compensation steps are not enough to get the effect you want. You will need to do this to use AI and AI-s lenses with budget devices, which you shouldn't do anyway.
Step 5. Adjust the white balance
This is the most important adjustment of all. The human eye automatically compensates for different types of light; for us, white is white in almost all lighting conditions, whether it's in the shade (in which case it's slightly more blue) or under incandescent light (which pulls towards orange), or under weird artificial lights (which can change multiple times per second!) A digital camera sees colors as they really are, and the white balance adjustment varies the colors so that they look natural in the finished photo.
On most devices there is a WB button; hold it while turning the main control wheel. These are the adjustments that interest you:
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Cloudy and shade, marked with the symbol of a cloud and the drawing of a house casting a shadow, respectively, is how you will shoot most of the time when you are outdoors, even in direct sunlight. Shadow is a little warmer than Cloudy; experiment with these to see what works best for you.
Image Even in sunlight, shading the white balance can give the scene more warmth (used here). (Nikon D2H and 50mm f / 1.8D aperture.)
- Automatic, marked with an A, will try to do the balancing automatically. Sometimes the colors are too cold; as it has been said: “engineers are interested in reproducing the colors of the samples, not taking beautiful photos”. On the other hand, it could be a good function for shooting under artificial lights, such as mercury vapor lamps, or under lights from different sources. Newer devices do much better than older ones for this function.
- Daylight, marked with the sun symbol, should be best for direct sunlight. Again, sometimes the colors are a little too cool.
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Tungsten and fluorescent, marked with the symbol of a light bulb and a fluorescent light respectively, are for shooting under artificial lighting indoors. This can be safely ignored for real photography; indoor lights are boring and you should be outside taking pictures. On the other hand, you can use these exteriors for great effects; for example, you can use tungsten to make skies blue.
Image White balance with tungsten is used to adjust incandescent lights, but can also be used for artistic purposes. (Nikon D2H and budget 18-55mm lens.)
Step 6. Use the flash wisely
If you want your party photos to be more than just boring flat shots, don't get blocked by artificial lights indoors that force you to fire the flash at your subject. Go outside, where the light is most intriguing. On the other hand, Nikon's excellent flash system (and the blazingly fast flash system of older 1/500 cameras) is great for filling in shadows in bright outdoor photos, to avoid (for example) dark shadows underneath. eyes during the day.
Step 7. ISO Adjustment
ISO is a measure of the sensor's sensitivity to light; Low ISOs mean less sensitivity to light, which gives it less noise but a slower shutter speed (very likely to shake the camera), while high ISOs have the opposite effect. If you shoot in broad daylight, leave it at the slowest speed (usually 200, sometimes 100).
Otherwise, there's a quick and easy way to figure out what your ISO should be. Take the lens of your camera (eg 200mm), and multiply by 1, 5 (on all devices except D3, D4, D600, D700 and D800, in the example we use the 300). If you are using a VR lens (you should) and you have the VR function activated (you should), divide the number by 4 (e.g. 75). As a general rule, you should choose a shutter speed at least equal to that of the resulting number (e.g. about 1 / 80th of a second, or 1 / 300th without VR). Raise the ISO until you can shoot with shutter speeds at least as fast as these.
On most devices, you can change the ISO by holding down the ISO button and turning the main command wheel; the display, or one of them, will show you the ISO values as they change. For devices like the D3000, D40 and the like you have to search the menus to find how to adjust the ISO.
Step 8. Press the shutter button halfway to autofocus
Hopefully you will be lucky and the camera will focus well and on the right subjects. When it has focused, a green dot will appear at the bottom left of the viewfinder. However, there are cases where this is not true.
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Non-centered subjects. Depends on how far out of the center they are, and your camera might choose the wrong focus point. If it happens, put the subject in the center of the frame, focus, then hold down the AE-L / AF-L button as you recompose the shot and shoot. (a trick: do this for portrait photos. Focus on the eyes, stare, then recompose)
Image The autofocus lock button will allow you to center something in the frame, focus, and then recompose as you hold it.
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Subjects with something closer to them than the subject. On all devices, the camera will sometimes try to focus on the closest thing to the camera itself. Convenient, but it's not always what you want. You'll need to set the camera to single-area AF (not to be confused with automatic single-area AF), which will allow you to choose a focal point instead of letting the camera guess what you want. To adjust this function, on most devices, you will have to go and look through the two thousand options of the various menus (on the more expensive machines there is a button for this; move it to the single rectangle). multi selector on the back to choose the focal point you want.
Image In this shot, there was a branch closer to the camera than the subject (the blurred white area at the bottom of the shot); to prevent autofocus from centering on it, only one autofocus area has been selected (Nikon D2H + 55-200mm VR.)
- Really low light. You will need to focus manually. Set the lens to M (or the dial on your camera if you're using a traditional AF or AF-D screw-on lens). Take the focus ring and turn it. Of course, if the camera is stuck and unable to focus, you will have little more luck in figuring out if the shot is in focus or not. If the lens has a distance scale you can try to guess the distance and adjust it on the lens itself, and pretend you are shooting with a 1954 Voigtlander Vito B.
- Some camera and lens combinations don't get along well when they're at maximum zoom, and refuse to focus in any situation. The d300 and a 55-220mm VR lens sometimes do. If this happens to you, pull back the zoom lens, focus on the subject and try zooming again once it has focused.
Step 9. Take a photo
Also do two or three; Press and hold the shutter button (you set the camera to continuous shooting, right?). That way, if one of the shots didn't come out right, at least one is likely to be in focus, even if you have a shutter speed that's too slow for your lens's focal length.
Step 10. Check the display
Look for areas that are pure white even though they shouldn't be, and look for areas that are too dark, and then …
Step 11. Use exposure compensation to find the right one
You do this with the button marked +/- next to the shutter button, and it's another absolutely critical adjustment on digital cameras. While Nikon's source meter is great, it won't always get the exposure right, and it doesn't replace artistic judgment. Exposure compensation simply forces the camera to either over or under expose by a certain amount.
To adjust the compensation, hold down the function button while turning the main control wheel, either to the right to underexpose (darker), or to the left to overexpose (brighter). When in doubt, underexpose. Lights too exposed digitally can't be recovered unless you color them black by hand, while you can recover from all if not the worst underexposures (at the cost of bringing out more interference, which isn't that important).
Step 12. Keep shooting until it looks good
You may need to adjust the exposure compensation and white balance between shots as the light changes, so review the images on the display regularly.
Step 13. Download the photos from the car
Learn some basic photo manipulation functions with tools like GIMP or Photoshop, such as focus, contrast adjustment and color balance, and so on. Don't rely on manipulation processes to make your photos interesting.
