Nikon CAPTURE Reference Manual

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Camera Control

Contents

Notices

About This Manual

Welcome to Nikon Capture!

Principle Features

Basic Operation

Before Starting Nikon Capture Starting Nikon Capture Quitting Nikon Capture Using Nikon Capture

Software for the Nikon D1

Nikon Capture

Reference Manual

Capturing and Deleting Photographs

Capturing Photos as They Are Taken Loading Images from the Camera Adjusting White Balance for RAW Images Deleting Camera Images Formatting the Camera Memory Card Accessing Memory Cards Directly The Disk Space Indicator (Windows Only)

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Working with Images

Image Windows Creating a Copy of an Image Opening an Image File Selecting a Crop Zoom Rotating and Flipping Images The Information Window The Bird’s Eye Window

Image Adjustment

Output Size and Resolution Curves Color Adjustment Unsharp Mask

Camera Operation

Camera Control Time Lapse Photography Custom Settings

Preferences

The General Tab The File Locations Tab The Thumbnails Tab The Curves Tab The Grid Lines Tab The CMS Tab

Reference

Appendix A: Troubleshooting

Saving Images

File Formats Save Original Image… Save Final Image… Saving Multiple Images Saving Photographs Directly to Disk

Contents

Appendix B: Glossary

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Notices

Concerning the Manuals Provided with This Product

• Reproduction, in whole or in part, of any of the manuals provided with your Nikon product requires prior permission from Nikon.

• The information contained in these manuals is subject to change without notice.

• While Nikon has made every effort to produce perfect manuals, we appreciate any opportunity for improvement. Should you find any mistakes, we would be grateful if you were to kindly let us know. The address of Nikon’s representative in your area is provided separately.

Disclaimer of Liability

• Nikon does not accept liability for damages resulting from the use of this product.

Warning!

Do not play the installer or reference CD-ROMs provided with this product on an audio CD player or other device not intended for CDROMs. Playing the CD-ROM on an audio CD player could damage the speakers or result in hearing loss.

Trademark Information

Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks, and Photoshop is a trademark, of Adobe Systems Inc.

Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, and FireWire are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Finder and Power Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

CompactFlash is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation.

i486 and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corporation.

IBM and IBM PC/AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

Internet is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation.

Netscape and Netscape Navigator are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation.

Windows and MS-Windows are trademarks of Microsoft corporation. Internet Explorer is a product of Microsoft corporation.

All other brand or product names mentioned in this manual are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Notices

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About This Manual

Welcome to Nikon Capture, the camera control software for the Nikon D1 digital camera. Nikon Capture makes it possible to view and edit photographs containing “raw” image data captured directly from the D1’s image-sensing CCD (chargecoupled device) at settings of HI-RAW (see the D1 User’s Manual). With the camera connected to a computer via an IEEE 1394 cable, you can also use Nikon Capture to take photographs from the computer, copy the contents of the camera’s memory to the computer, and capture images to disk. The capacity to manipulate highly versatile, twelve-bit RAW data makes it possible to exploit the potential of your D1 to the full. Read these instructions thoroughly to ensure that you get the most from this software.

The documentation provided on this CD-ROM is composed of two parts: a Quick Start manual in HTML format that guides you step-by-step through the process of installation, and this reference manual, which provides detailed operating instructions.

Note

On the illustrations in this manual

This manual is for use with both the Macintosh and Windows versions of this product. While the majority of the illustrations in this manual are taken from the Windows version, the operations described apply to both the Macintosh and Windows versions. Depending on your operating system, however, some of the dialogs and menus may differ slightly from those shown in the illustrations. For information on operations specific to your OS, refer to the documentation provided with your operating system.

About This Manual

Note

This manual assumes familiarity with operations common to the Macintosh and Windows operating systems. Refer to the documentation provided with your operating system for more information.

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This manual consists of the following main chapters:

Welcome to Nikon Capture!

Introduces the chief features of this software.

Basic Operation

Describes basic operations and introduces you to the tasks that can be performed using Nikon Capture. Tasks are introduced in the order they are typically performed, making this a perfect introduction for first-time users.

Saving Images

Lists the options available when saving images to disk.

Camera Operation

Describes how to take photographs and make changes to camera settings from Nikon Capture.

Preferences

Details the options available in Nikon Capture’s Preferences dialog.

Capturing and Deleting Images

Explains how to load images from the camera and how to delete those that are no longer needed. It also describes how to save images to disk as they are taken.

Working with Images

Introduces basic operations that can be performed on images captured from the camera or read from disk.

Image Enhancement

Details the image enhancement operations that can be performed using Nikon Capture before images are saved in their final form.

Note

Be sure to read the README file provided on the Nikon Capture installer disk, as it may contain information that could not be included in this manual.

Reference

A quick guide to menu options.

Appendix A: Troubleshooting

Offers advice on dealing with common problems.

Appendix B: Glossary

Definitions of some of the technical terms used in this manual.

About This Manual

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Welcome to Nikon Capture!

Principle Features

Nikon Capture not only makes it possible to load photographs from your Nikon D1 digital camera and save them in a variety of commonly used image file formats, but it also allows you to control the camera directly from your computer and capture images as they are taken. With its comprehensive tools and simple, speedy interface, Nikon Capture brings out the full potential of your camera.

The main advantages offered by Nikon Capture are listed below.

Support for RAW Image File Format

In addition to JPEG and TIFF images created by the camera, Nikon Capture can be used to edit RAW image data from the camera’s CCD. RAW image data can not be opened in any other application.

Support for IEEE 1394

Photographs taken with the D1 can be loaded into the computer for editing or to be saved to disk in one of a variety of image formats. The high-speed IEEE 1394 interface allows even largevolume, high-quality images to be loaded quickly. Photographs loaded from the camera are displayed as thumbnail previews, allowing you to easily choose the image you want.

Welcome to Nikon Capture: Principle Features

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Camera Control Function

Nikon Capture can be used to control the camera remotely while it is connected to the computer. Photographs can be displayed on your computer monitor immediately after they are taken, making Nikon Capture an invaluable tool in studio photography. Nikon Capture’s Camera Control supports operations such as time lapse photography that can not be performed with the camera alone. Photographs taken using the Camera Control function are saved directly to the computer’s hard disk, without being stored in the camera’s memory card.

Support for a Variety of Image File Formats

Nikon Capture allows you to choose an image file format suited to the task at hand. Twelve-bit, uncompressed RAW images can be saved without change in Nikon Electronic Image Format (NEF). Any enhancements made by the user are not applied to the image but are saved separately in the same file, leaving the original data untouched. Once saved, NEF images can be opened and saved in a format supported by other imaging applications. This makes it possible to process a single image in a number of different ways without any loss in image quality.

Image Enhancement

Nikon Capture offers tools for adjusting white balance (RAW images only), brightness, contrast, color balance, tone curves, and sharpness, allowing images to be optimized for the task at hand before they are saved in a format supported by other applications. The Curves window offers precise control over tone levels, while a separate Color Adjustment window provides simple controls for adjusting brightness, contrast, and color balance.

Saved Settings

Camera control and image enhancement settings can be saved and recalled as desired.

Auto Save Mode

Using Nikon Capture, you can convert photographs to any of the supported formats and save them directly to disk as they are taken. Photographs are not saved to the camera’s memory card, making it possible to take an almost unlimited number of photographs.

On-line Help

Interactive, on-line help provides you with the answers you need, instantly.

Welcome to Nikon Capture: Principle Features

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Basic Operation

Before Starting Nikon Capture

This chapter explains the basic operation of the Nikon Capture software. After installing Nikon Capture, please read this chapter thoroughly to ensure proper usage, as well as to maximize all of the benefits Nikon Capture has to offer when used with a D1 digital camera.

The section “Using Nikon Capture” introduces and explains basic operating procedures for using Nikon Capture. By following the procedures as explained, the user will quickly master the basics of Nikon Capture. For more information regarding the D1’s buttons, functions and settings, please refer to the camera User’s Manual.

Turn the camera on.

Turn the mode dial on the camera to “PC”

(PC mode).

PC mode allows communication between the camera and your computer. Communication is not possible with the mode dial set to any other setting.

Connect the camera to the computer via its IEEE 1394

interface (see the camera User’s Manual or the documentation provided with your computer for more information).

Note

It is recommended that the camera be powered by an EH-4 AC adapter (available separately) while connected to a computer.

Basic Operation: Before Starting Nikon Capture

Note

It is recommended that you connect the cable after turning the camera on. As some time is required for a connection to be established after the cable has been connected or disconnected, allow a brief pause before beginning operations. Unplug the cable before turning the camera off.

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Starting Nikon Capture

Windows

The Nikon Capture window will open on the desktop.

Nikon Capture

window

Turn on the computer and start Windows.

Select Nikon Capture from: Start menu > Programs >

Nikon Capture.

Note

If Nikon Capture is started with the camera connected and camera Custom Setting item 28 (“Save Raw Images”) set to “0” (“RAW data format not available”), a warning will be displayed. Click OK in the warning dialog to change the setting to “1” (“RAW data format available”). You will then be able to take photographs at a setting of HI-RAW (a high-quality format that stores photographs as “raw,” twelve-bit data taken directly from the camera’s CCD), which can be viewed and edited in Nikon Capture.

Menu bar

Toolbar

Connection status

indicator

Disk space indicator (see “Capturing

and Deleting Photographs”)

Note

In addition to the Nikon Capture window, any other windows that were open the last time you quit Nikon Capture will also be displayed when the program starts up (when you first start the program after installation, the Camera Image, Curves, Unsharp Mask, and Size/Resolution windows will be displayed). If images remained in the Camera Image window when you last quit Nikon Capture, the Camera Image window will also be displayed.

Status bar (displays

interactive help messages)

Basic Operation: Starting Nikon Capture

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Macintosh

Start your computer.

Open the Nikon Capture folder (located in the folder to

which you installed Nikon Capture) and double click the Nikon Capture application icon.

The application menu bar and tool palette will be displayed.

Menu barTool palette

Connection status

indicator

Basic Operation: Starting Nikon Capture

Note

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Quitting Nikon Capture

Windows

In Windows there are three options:

• Select Exit from the File menu

• Click on the Close tool button ( ) in the upper right corner of the Nikon Capture window

• Select Close from the Control menu in the title bar of the Nikon Capture window

Macintosh

On a Macintosh there is only one option:

• Select Quit from the File menu

Basic Operation: Quitting Nikon Capture

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Using Nikon Capture

Step 1—Capturing Images to the Computer

With the camera connected to your computer in a studio setting, you can use Nikon Capture to take photographs and save them to disk. Nikon Capture can also be used to view the contents of the camera’s memory on your computer’s monitor, where you can select images to be captured, edit images, and save them to disk as outlined in this chapter. For details on the operations described here, see “Capturing and Deleting Photographs.”

Images can be captured from the camera using one of the following two methods:

Capturing Photographs as They Are Taken (Studio Photography)

With the camera connected and set to PC mode, photographs can be taken and transferred to your computer’s hard disk over the IEEE 1394 interface, without being saved to the camera’s memory card. The camera can be controlled directly or with Nikon Capture’s Camera Control function. Photographs taken in Auto Save mode are similarly not recorded to the camera’s memory card, but are instead saved directly to a user-specified folder on the computer.

Loading Images from the Camera

Images saved on the camera’s memory card can be loaded into Nikon Capture’s Camera Image window via the IEEE 1394 interface, or you can read images directly from the card using a CompactFlash card reader or a PC card adapter and a PCMCIA Type II card slot.

CONCEPT

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

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This section outlines how to take photographs and capture them to your computer in real time. Details may be found in the following chapter, “Capturing and Deleting Photographs.”

Check the status of the connection between the camera and

the computer. If the two are properly connected, the con-

PRACTICE

nection status indicator at the bottom left corner of the Nikon Capture window (Windows) or tool palette (Macintosh) will be green.

Connection status is also displayed in the control panel on top of the camera. If Nikon Capture is started with the camera connected, the number of remaining exposures will show PC. While this indicator is displayed, photographs taken by the camera will not be saved to the camera’s memory card; instead, they will be recorded directly to the computer.

Adjust camera settings, frame a photograph, and focus (see

the D1 User’s Manual for information on camera settings).

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PRA

Tip

The connection status indicator

The color of the connection status indicator shows the status of the connection between the computer and the camera.

Normal connection. The camera is ready to transfer data or data are being transferred. No connection. Either the camera is not connected, or the connection is not functioning properly. See “Troubleshooting” for more informa-

tion. Clicking the connection status indicator displays a message detailing connection status.

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

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Press the shutter-release button all the way down to take a

picture. The photograph will be transferred to the computer and displayed in the Camera Image window.

PRACTICE

The Camera Control Window

Clicking the Camera Control tool button ( ) opens the Camera Control window, where you can view the camera settings currently in effect or confirm changes (any changes to settings made from the camera are reflected instantly in the display in the Camera Control window). The Camera Control window can also be used to make changes to settings and take photographs remotely. Photographs taken when the Shoot button is pressed are captured and displayed in the Camera Image window.

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PRA

Each time you press the shutter-release button, the resulting photograph will be transferred to the computer and displayed in the Camera Image window.

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

See “Camera Control” for details of the options available in the Camera Control window.

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Step 2—Viewing Thumbnails

Using thumbnails (small previews of your photographs), it is possible to view at a glance all photographs that have been captured to your computer.

CONCEPT

In the Camera Image window, click the Thumbnails arrow ( ) to open the Thumbnails section.

The Thumbnails section will open, with all recently captured images visible. Any previously captured images that have not been deleted are also visible.

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PRA

Note

Images that have been captured to the computer are stored at full size in a thumbnail folder. The images you see in the Thumbnails section are the images in that folder. If thumbnails are deleted from the Thumbnails section, the full-sized image will also be deleted from the thumbnail folder. The thumbnail folder is that designated in the File Locations tab of the Preferences dialog (by default, the folder “Thumb” in the directory to which Nikon Capture was installed).

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

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Step 3—Selecting Thumbnails

Select previews from the Thumbnails section when you want to view, edit, or save a photo.

CONCEPT

Click on the thumbnail of the image you want to work with. The thumbnail you selected will be highlighted with a colored border and the image will appear in the Preview section.

Selecting Multiple Thumbnails

You can also select multiple images from the Thumbnails section.

Windows

Hold the Ctrl key while clicking, one at a time, the images you want to work with, or, if you want to work with several successive images, click on the first and last image while holding the Shift key.

Macintosh

Hold the command key ( ) while clicking, one at a time, the images you want to work with, or, if you want to work with several successive images, click on the first and last image while holding the Shift key.

To Select All Thumbnails

Choose Select All Thumbnails from the Image menu.

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PRA

Preview section

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

Note

Although selecting several, or all, thumbnails is convenient when saving or deleting images, when more than one thumbnail is selected, no image will be displayed in the Preview section of the Camera Image window. When you want to edit an image, select only that image from the Thumbnails section.

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Step 4—Viewing Photo Information

While a photograph is displayed, it is possible to view the settings in effect at the time the photograph was taken.

CONCEPT

Click on the Camera Settings arrow ( ), located just

below the Thumbnails section, to display camera settings.

The Camera Settings section will show the date of recording and camera settings for the image currently selected.

Click the Camera Settings arrow (▼) a second time to

close the Camera Settings section.

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

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Step 5—Cropping Images

Using the Crop tool, you can select a portion of the image to be saved in a format that can be read by other programs.

CONCEPT

Click on the Crop tool button ( ). The mouse pointer will

take the form of a selection cursor ( ).

Drag the cursor diagonally across the image to select a

rectangular crop.

After you have selected the portion of the image you wish to work with, you can zoom in on the crop.

Click on the Zoom Cursor tool ( ). The mouse pointer

will take the shape of a zoom cursor ( ).

4 Click the zoom cursor in the middle of the area to be

zoomed in.

Tip

When viewing an image at a size that makes it larger than can be displayed in the Preview section, it is possible to call up a smaller copy of the image to use as a guide. This function is called “Bird’s Eye.” Select Bird’s Eye from the View menu to display the Bird’s Eye window.

The Bird’s Eye window will show a red box around the area presently visible in the Preview section. The portion of the image being viewed may be adjusted by using either the Grab tool ( ) and adjusting the view from the Preview section, or by dragging the red box in the Bird’s Eye image to a new location (see “Working with Images: The Bird’s Eye Window”).

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

Red box marks area visible in Preview section

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Step 6—Determining Image Size and Resolution

You can adjust the size and resolution of the final image from the Size/Resolution window to suit the task at hand. The output size gives the dimensions of the cropped section when output on a printer or monitor at the specified resolution.

CONCEPT

Select Size/Resolution from the View menu (in Win-

dows, you can also click on the Size/Resolution tool button ( ) in the toolbar).

Output scale and file size

Adjust the size (in pixels, inches, millimeters, etc.) and the

resolution to meet your specific requirements. Any changes will be reflected in the Scale display, which shows the output size of the image as a percentage of the input size.

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PRA

Note

The Settings for Next Camera Image option in the General tab of the Preferences dialog specifies whether the settings used for the size and resolution of an image when captured to your computer are the default settings, or the settings applied the last time images were captured from the camera (see “Preferences: The General Tab”). Size/Resolution settings can be saved and recalled using the options available in the Settings menu. See “Image Adjustment” for more information.

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

Note

When the unit selected for measuring height and width is pixels, resolution can not be changed.

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Step 7—Image Enhancement

Color Adjustment

Nikon Capture is not a photo retouch program; rather, it serves to provide access to the full potential of the Nikon D1 digital camera system. It does, however, allow some manipulation of captured images with its Color Adjustment, Curves, and Unsharp Mask functions. It also provides a choice of file

CONCEPT

formats which can then be opened and edited with any dard third-party imaging software, such as Adobe Photoshop,

stan-

or uploaded directly to a web page. One of Nikon Capture’s most notable features is that it permits direct manipulation of RAW image data—twelve-bit image data from the camera’s CCD. When RAW images are saved in Nikon Electronic Image Format, or NEF, adjustments made using Nikon Cap- ture’s image enhancement functions are not applied directly to the image data but are saved separately in the same file, so that the original image data are always available for editing.

Adjustments to an image’s brightness, contrast and/or color balance can be made from the Curves window or the Color Adjustment window.

From the Curves window, adjustments can be made to the tone curves that map the correspondence between input and output tones, correcting or changing tone levels. Curves are a convenient tool for users with some knowledge of tone curves, white point, black point, contrast, and gamma, or for those who wish to make precise adjustments to a portion of the tone curves.

The Color Adjustment window is, in comparison to the Curves window, much less complex and has fewer functions. Simple adjustments to brightness, contrast, and color balance can be made from this window. It is suited to users who are new to image retouching or to those who want to make adjustments that affect the entire image in a uniform way.

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

Note

Changes to Curves and Color Adjustment can not be applied simultaneously to a single image. Given that only one of these tools can be used for any given image, you should choose the tool you want according to the task at hand and your knowledge of image editing techniques.

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Unsharp Mask

Applying Changes

For photos that lack sharpness, Nikon Capture’s Unsharp Mask function is ideal for sharpening outlines of an image. Because the Unsharp Mask function applies to information gathered from the Size/Resolution, Curves, and Color Adjustment windows, the user should adjust Unsharp Mask last. When viewing the effects of Unsharp Mask in the monitor, it is recommended that you set the zoom ratio in the active window to 1:1 (100%).

The settings in the Curves, Color Adjustment, and Unsharp Mask windows can only be adjusted and applied when the Apply button for the window is checked ( ). If the Apply button is off ( ), clicking on it once will turn it on. Note that Curves and Color Adjustment settings can not be applied simultaneously to a single image.

Hiding Changes

Changes to the image in the active window can be hidden by clicking and holding the Show Original Image Data tool button ( ) in the toolbar (Windows) or tool palette (Macintosh). The original image will be displayed only while the button is held down, making possible quick “before-and-after” comparisons that help you decide whether image enhancement is having the desired effect.

Windows Toolbar

Tip

As with image Size/Resolution, the Curves, Color Adjustment, and Unsharp Mask settings that apply when an image is first loaded into Nikon Capture are determined using the Settings for Next Camera Image option in the General tab of the Preferences dialog. With each window, you have the choice of capturing images with default settings, or the settings applied the last time an image was captured. Also, like Size/Resolution, a variety of options are available in the Settings menu for saving, loading and changing defaults to the Curves, Color Adjustment and Unsharp Mask functions.

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

Macintosh Tool Palette

“Show Original

Image Data” tool

button

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The Curves Window

To display the Curves window, select Curves from the View menu (in Windows, you can also click on the tool button in the toolbar).

PRACTICE

Apply button

Current channel

View edited histogram

Auto contrast

Black point

Midpoint

White point

Reset all curves to linear

When the Apply button in the Curves window is on, the Apply button in the Color Adjustment window automatically turns off. It is not possible to apply changes to both Curves and Color Adjustment simultaneously to a single image.

Tone curves for each of the red, green, and blue channels, and for the master RGB channel, can be selected from the pop-up menu at the top of the window. The sliders at the bottom and left side of the histogram control the black point, midpoint, and white point. Complex adjustments to tones can be made by adding and moving points on the curves. The histogram shows the distribution of tones in the original image and, when the View Edited Histogram button is held down, the distribution of tones after curves have been edited. With reference to this tool, and by observing the effects of changes on the image in the Preview section, you can make changes to curves that enhance the color balance, brightness, and contrast of the image.

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Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

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The Color Adjustment Window

To display the Color Adjustment window, select Color Adjustment from the View menu (in Windows, you can also

click on the tool button in the tool bar).

The Unsharp Mask Window

To display the Unsharp Mask window, select Unsharp Mask from the View menu (in Windows, you can also click on the

tool button in the toolbar).

E C TI C

PRACTICE

Apply button

Brightness

Contrast

Red

Green

Blue

When the Apply button in the Color Adjustment window is checked, the Apply button in the Curves window automatically turns off. Adjustments can be made to brightness, contrast, and color balance using the sliders or by entering values directly in the text boxes.

Apply button Define tone

ranges (shad-

Unsharp Mask

list

ows, midtones, and highlights)

Unsharp masks can be applied selectively to different color channels and tone ranges. The effects of Unsharp Mask, modified for any changes to settings in the Curves or Color Adjustment windows, are visible in the image in the Preview section.

PRA

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

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Step 8—Saving Images

Save Final Image…

Once all necessary editing for size, resolution, tone, color, and sharpness has been completed, you should save the image to a folder on your computer. Photographs can be saved in NEF format using the Save Original Image… option, or saved in a standard image format such as JPEG or TIFF using the Save

CONCEPT

Final Image… option.

Save Original Image…

Use this option to save the image in NEF format. Although the original image data from the camera are saved without modification, information about changes to size, resolution, curves, color adjustment, and sharpness are saved separately in the same file. This file can be opened later using Nikon Cap- ture and saved again in a format that can be opened by third party applications such as Adobe Photoshop or Internet Explorer.

This option saves the image in a format, chosen by the user, which can be read by third party applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Internet Explorer. The image can, however, no longer be opened with Nikon Capture. For more information on file formats, see “Saving Images: File Formats”.

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

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Follow these steps to save an image in TIFF (RGB) format.

Navigate to the folder to which the image is to be saved.

1 Select Save Final Image… from the File menu (in Win-

dows, you may also click on the tool button in the toolbar). A dialog similar to that shown below will appear:

PRACTICE

Select a file type (format) of TIFF (RGB).

Name the image.

Click Save.

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PRA

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

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Step 9—Deleting Thumbnails

Deleting All Thumbnails

As the images in the temporary thumbnails folder occupy a considerable amount of disk space, it is recommended that you empty the temporary thumbnails folder when they are no longer needed.

CONCEPT

Deleting Selected Thumbnail(s)

Select the thumbnail(s) you want to delete from the Thumb-

nails section (the selected image(s) will be highlighted).

Choose Remove Selected Thumbnails from the

Image menu or click the delete button ( ) in the Thumb- nails section.

• Select Remove All Thumbnails from the Image menu to remove all thumbnails from the Camera Image window and delete all image files in the thumbnail folder.

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Tip

Two options for removing thumbnails automatically are available in the Thumbnails tab of the Preferences dialog.

Clear Camera Image Window on Exit

If this box is checked, a confirmation dialog will be displayed when you exit Nikon Capture, where you can opt to delete all thumbnails.

Auto-Remove Thumbnail after Save

If this box is checked, the associated thumbnail will be removed when the image is saved.

Basic Operation: Using Nikon Capture

Note

Once deleted, thumbnail image data can not be restored. Be sure that the data are no longer required before deleting thumbnail images.

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Capturing and Deleting Photographs

Capturing Photos as They Are Taken

Using Nikon Capture, you can view or delete photographs already stored in your camera’s memory, or capture photographs for display and editing on your computer as they are taken. This chapter covers the following topics:

• Saving photographs directly to your computer’s hard disk as they are taken

• Reading photographs already stored in the camera

• Deleting photographs from the camera’s memory

• Formatting the camera’s memory card from the computer

• Reading images directly from the memory card using a card reader or PCMCIA adapter

When the D1 is connected in PC mode and Nikon Capture is running, you can save photographs directly to your computer’s hard disk as they are taken, rather than to the camera’s memory card. You can operate the camera directly or make changes to settings and release the shutter remotely using Nikon Cap- ture’s Camera Control window, where you can confirm changes to settings as they are made.

CONCEPT

Caution

When you are capturing or deleting photographs from the camera, or formatting memory cards for use in the camera, the camera must be connected to your computer in PC mode. Do not disconnect the camera or

turn the camera off while data transfer is in progress or while formatting memory cards. This could result in data corruption or software malfunction.

Capturing Photographs: Capturing Photos

Tip

Using Auto Save, photographs can be saved to a specified folder on your computer’s hard disk without being displayed in the Camera Image window. See “Saving Images: Saving Photographs Directly to Disk”.

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Taking Photographs from the Camera

Adjust camera settings, frame a photograph, and check focus

(see the D1 User’s Manual for detailed instructions).

Press the shutter-release button all the way down to take a

photograph. The photograph will be captured and displayed

PRACTICE

in the Camera Image window.

Each time you release the shutter, the resulting photograph will be displayed in the Camera Image window.

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Tip

“Continuous shooting” and “single-frame shooting” in PC mode

• In PC mode, you can choose between continuous and single-frame shooting using Custom Setting item 30 (see “Custom Settings” in the camera User’s Manual). This setting can also be changed from the “Mechanical” tab of the Camera Control window.

In continuous shooting mode, photographs will be taken one after another as long as the shutter-release button on the camera is held down. The Shoot and AF and Shoot buttons in the Camera Control window function as they do in single-frame shooting mode, with one photograph being taken each time either button is clicked.

Photographs taken in continuous shooting mode are stored in a temporary buffer in the camera’s memory, making it possible to take a picture while the previous photograph is being transferred to the computer. If Custom Setting 26 (“Maximum Number of Consecutive Shots in Continuous Shooting Mode”) is set to “1” when the camera is in continuous shooting mode, although only one photograph will be taken each time the shutter-release button is pressed, you will be able to take the next photograph without waiting for the preceding picture to be transferred to the computer.

• Images are not displayed in the camera’s LCD monitor in Capture Preview or Record-and-Review modes when the camera is in PC mode.

Capturing Photographs: Capturing Photos

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Taking Photographs from the Camera Control Window

Photographs can be taken from the computer using the controls in the Camera Control window.

Click the camera control button ( ) or select Camera

PRACTICE

Controls from the View menu to open the Camera Control window.

Adjust camera settings using the four tabs (see “Camera

Controls” for more information).

Click AF and Shoot or Shoot to take a picture. The

resulting photograph will be displayed in the Camera Image window.

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Current camera settings are displayed in the Camera Control window’s Exposure 1, Exposure 2, Storage, and Mechanical tabs and in the Viewfinder panel at the bottom of the window. The Exposure 1 tab is shown above.

Capturing Photographs: Capturing Photos

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Loading Images from the Camera

While the D1 is connected to your computer, you can load photographs previously taken with the camera into the Camera Image window in Nikon Capture. Follow these steps:

CONCEPT

Select Set Camera Card Folder… from the Camera

menu.

From the Browse for Folder dialog, choose the folder con-

taining the photographs you want to view, then click OK.

Select Load Images from Camera from the Camera

menu. The images in the camera will be loaded into Nikon Capture and the most recent image will be displayed in the

Camera Image window.

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Tip

Images loaded from the camera are stored in the thumbnail folder specified in the File Locations tab of the Preferences dialog (see “Preferences: The File Locations Tab”). Any changes made in Nikon Capture apply only to the copies in the thumbnail folder; the originals in the camera are not affected.

Capturing Photographs: Loading Images

Tip

Photographs taken with the D1 are stored in folders on the memory card, each containing up to 999 photographs. Folder names consist of a threedigit number, assigned in ascending order starting from 100, followed by the letters “NC_D1”. New folders are created when the maximum of 999 photographs is reached or when the user selects NEW from the FOLDERS submenu in the camera playback menu. See the camera User’s Manual for more information.

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Adjusting White Balance for RAW Images

The human eye is able to adapt to changes in lighting, and consequently to humans a white object will still look white whether viewed in sunlight or under overcast skies, or indoors under incandescent or fluorescent lighting. A digital camera, in contrast, must adjust colors according to lighting in order that

CONCEPT

colors that appear white when viewed directly also appear white in the final photograph. This adjustment is called “white balance.”

Nikon Capture is equipped with white balance adjustment for modifying RAW images captured or copied from the camera on those occasions when you are unable to achieve the desired results using the camera’s menu of white balance options. This white balance adjustment functions in a fashion similar to the D1’s preset white balance. When preset white balance is measured with the D1, a white object is used as a reference point. In the case of the white balance adjustment window, white balance is set by sampling a point or points that under normal lighting would be white or close to white. Nikon Capture uses this information to adjust the slope of the red and blue tone curves to produce a white balance appropriate to the image.

Capturing Photographs: Adjusting White Balance for RAW Images

Note

White balance adjustment can be performed on RAW images only. The Adjust White Balance… option in the Image menu is not available when the image in the active window is JPEG or TIFF.

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Adjusting White Balance

Select Adjust White Balance… from the Image menu.

The White Balance Adjustment window will be displayed.

PRACTICE

Using the radio buttons listed below, select the images to

which white balance adjustment will apply.

Define Adjustment for this image only

When this option is selected, white balance will be adjusted for the active image only; subsequent images captured or loaded from the camera will not be affected.

Define Adjustment for this and all new RAW images

Select this option to use the point or points sampled for the active image as the reference for white balance both for the current image and for all RAW images subsequently captured or loaded from the camera. This option is useful when the current image is the first of a series of photographs that will be taken under the same lighting.

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Capturing Photographs: Adjusting White Balance for RAW Images

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Sample the image to choose a reference value for white

balance. You can define white balance using a single point or the average of several points.

Using a Single Point to Define White Balance

Click the Use a single point radio button, then click the

PRACTICE

Start button. The cursor will take the shape of an eyedropper when moved over the image in the active window. To adjust white balance, click a point in the image that would be white under normal lighting.

Using the Average of Several Points to Define White Balance

Click the Average several points radio button, then click the Start button. The cursor will take the shape of an eyedropper when moved over the image in the active window. You can then sample points in the image that would be white under normal lighting by clicking. If you select more than one point, the average will be used to determine white balance. When you have sampled all the desired points, click Stop to end sampling.

The effects of white balance adjustment on the red and blue tone curves are visible in the graph at the top right corner of the window.

Click OK to apply the results of white balance adjustment to

the selected image.

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Capturing Photographs: Adjusting White Balance for RAW Images

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Canceling White Balance Adjustment

Select Adjust White Balance… from the Image menu.

The White Balance Adjustment window will be displayed.

Using the radio buttons listed below, choose whether to

cancel white balance for the current image only or for both the current image and all subsequent RAW images captured or loaded from the camera.

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PRACTICE

Cancel Adjustment for this image only

Select this option to cancel white balance adjustment for the image in the active window only.

Cancel Adjustment for this and all new RAW images

Select this option to cancel white balance adjustment both for the image in the active window and for all subsequent RAW images captured or loaded from the camera. This option is not available if Define Adjustment for this image only was selected for the last adjustment performed.

Click OK to complete the operation.

PRA

Tip

To determine whether or not white balance adjustment is currently in effect, check the Adjust White Balance… item in the Image menu. A checkmark appears next to this item when white balance adjustment is in effect.

Capturing Photographs: Adjusting White Balance for RAW Images

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Deleting Camera Images

Using Nikon Capture, you can delete all photographs from a specified folder on the memory card currently inserted in the camera (photos can not be deleted individually). Only folders conforming to the Design Rule for Camera File Systems can be selected. Once deleted, photographs can not be recovered;

CONCEPT

be sure to back up any photographs you would like to keep.

Select Set Camera Card Folder… from the Camera

menu.

Choose the folder containing the photographs you want to

delete, then click OK.

Select Delete Images in Camera from the Camera

menu.

Click OK in the confirmation dialog that appears.

All images in the selected folder will be deleted.

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Deleting Photographs: Deleting Camera Images

Tip

The Delete Images in Camera option can only be used to delete all photographs in a folder. To delete individual photographs, use the procedures described in the D1 User’s Manual. Nikon View DX software (available separately) can also be used to delete selected images.

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Formatting the Camera Memory Card

Accessing Memory Cards Directly

Using Nikon Capture, you can format the card currently inserted in the camera. Note that formatting the memory card per- manently erases any images it may contain. Be sure to back up any photographs you would like to keep before formatting the

CONCEPT

memory card.

Select Format Card in Camera from the Camera

menu.

Select Yes in the confirmation dialog that appears to format

the memory card.

The memory card can be removed from the camera and used as a disk on your computer. Images stored on the card can be loaded into the camera image window or deleted using Nikon Capture. To use the card as a disk, you will need a CompactFlash card reader or an EC-AD1 PC card adapter and a computer equipped with a PCMCIA Type II card slot.

CONCEPT

Deleting Photographs: Formatting the Camera Memory Card

Tip

While the memory card is mounted as a disk, any image files it may contain can be handled as you would any other file, without using Nikon Capture. Files can be opened, copied, or deleted in My Computer (Windows operating systems), the Windows Explorer, or the Macintosh Finder. You can also use Nikon View DX (available separately) to work with the images on the card. Nikon Capture is however required to handle RAW images, while YCbCr-TIFF images can only be read with Nikon Capture or Nikon View DX.

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Mounting the Memory Card as a Disk

The steps below describe how to read memory cards using the EC-AD1 PC card adapter. For information on using a CompactFlash card reader, consult the manual provided by the manufacturer.

PRACTICE

Remove the memory card from the D1 and insert it in the

PC card adapter.

Card

EC-AD1

CompactFlash

PC Card Adapter

Insert the PC card adapter in your computer’s PC card slot

(see the manual provided with your computer for details).

M T

EC-AD1

ADAPTER

M T

EC-64CF

If the computer is on, the CompactFlash card will be mounted as a disk.

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Capturing and Deleting Photographs: Accessing Memory Cards

Note

Depending on your setup, it may be necessary to install drivers or register the card with your system before you can use it. See the documentation provided with your computer for details.

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Reading Images from the Memory Card

Deleting Images from the Card

Choose Load Images from Card… from the File menu.

In the dialog that appears, choose the folder containing the

photographs you want to view and click OK (Windows) or

PRACTICE

Select (Macintosh). Images will be loaded from the card, and the most recent image will be displayed in the Preview section of the Camera Image window.

Choose Delete Images on Card… from the File menu.

In the dialog that appears, choose the folder containing the

photographs you want to delete and click OK (Windows) or Select (Macintosh).

In the confirmation dialog that appears click Yes to delete all

images in the selected folder.

All images in the selected folder will be deleted.

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Macintosh Users Please Note:

Before using Load Images from Card… to load RAW images, open the File Exchange control panel to the PC Exchange tab and add an association

linking the PC extension “.nef” with Nikon Capture’s NEF format. If you mount the memory card using Nikon View DX (available separately), the extension “.nef” will automatically be associated with Nikon Capture.

Capturing and Deleting Photographs: Accessing Memory Cards

Note

Once deleted from the memory card, images can not be recovered. Be sure to back up any images you would like to keep.

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The Disk Space Indicator (Windows Only)

Checking the Amount of Space Remaining

In the Windows version of Nikon Capture, an indicator showing the amount of space remaining on the volume or volumes used for storage of thumbnails and other temporary data is displayed at the bottom left corner of the Nikon Capture window.

Disk space indicator

Click the disk space indicator. The following dialog will

appear, showing the amount of space remaining on the volume or volumes containing the thumbnail folder and the folder for temporary items.

Click OK to close the dialog box.

Tip

The color of the disk space indicator shows how much space is left on the drives (volumes) Nikon Capture uses to store images copied from the camera and other temporary data.

More than 200 MBs available on both the volume used for temporary storage and on the volume used to store thumbnails. Less than 200 MBs remaining on one or both volumes. Less than 100 MBs remaining on one or both volumes. Choose a different volume from the File Locations tab of the Preferences dialog, or free space by deleting unnecessary files.

Capturing and Deleting Photographs: The Disk Space Indicator

- 39 -

Working with Images

Image Windows

Using Nikon Capture, you can perform a variety of operations on images that have been loaded into the Camera Image window before saving them to disk. You can also open for editing images that have previously been saved in the Nikon Electronic Image Format (NEF).

Thumbnail

section

Number of

images

Camera Settings

section

Images can be edited in the Camera Image window or in separate image windows.

CONCEPT

The Camera Image Window

In the Camera Image window, you can view thumbnail previews of the images transferred from the camera or memory card and display selected images for preview or editing.

ThumbnailTitle bar

Working with Images: Image Windows

Preview

section

To open or close the Camera Image window, select Camera Image from the View menu (in the Windows version of the

program, you can perform the same operation by clicking the

button in the toolbar).

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The Title Bar

The title bar gives information about the selected image.

Thumbnail index If the most recent image is selected, the

thumbnail index will show “Current.” When

PRACTICE

the second most recent image is selected, the thumbnail index shows “Previous #1,” when the third most recent image is selected, “Previous #2,” and so on.

Zoom ratio The amount the image in the Preview section

is zoomed in or out. The zoom ratio reflects the number of pixels in the image and the resolution of the monitor rather than the physical dimensions of the image when printed.

Thumbnail Section

Thumbnail previews are displayed in order of recording.

Thumbnail Click on a thumbnail to display the image in

the Camera Image window. The number displayed below each thumbnail is the thumbnail ID assigned by Nikon Capture. This number can be reset to one in the Thumbnails tab of the Preferences dialog (see “Preferences: The Thumbnails Tab”).

Click to delete the selected image.

The Thumbnail section can be displayed or hidden by clicking the triangle at the top left corner, or by selecting Thumbnail Section from the View menu.

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Date and time Depending on the option chosen in the

Thumbnails tab of the Preferences dialog (see “Preferences: The Thumbnails Tab”), the title bar will show either the date and time the selected image was recorded or the thumbnail ID assigned by Nikon Capture.

Working with Images: Image Windows

Tip

When the Thumbnail section is hidden…

…images can be deleted or selected for display in the Camera Image window.

Click to open the Thumbnail section Number of images

Click to delete the image displayed in the Camera Image window.

Click to select the image recorded immediately prior to the image currently displayed in the Camera Image window.

Click to select the image recorded immediately following the image currently displayed in the Camera Image window.

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Camera Settings Section

The date and time of recording and the camera settings used to record the selected image are displayed in this area. The Camera Settings section can be displayed or hidden by clicking the triangle at the top left corner, or by selecting Camera Set-

PRACTICE

tings Section from the View menu.

Preview Section

The selected image is previewed in this area. Any changes made during editing are reflected in the preview image. No preview is displayed when more than one thumbnail is selected.

Image Windows

Images are opened in separate image windows when a copy is made of the image selected in the Camera Image window or when an image is opened by choosing Open… from the File menu. Images in image windows can be edited in the same way you would edit images in the Camera Image window. Any number of image windows can be opened simultaneously.

Title bar

Camera Settings

section

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Tip

Right-button menu (Windows)

Clicking on the Preview section, or on the image in an image window, with the right mouse button displays a menu of options identical to the Image menu.

Working with Images: Image Windows

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Title Bar

The title bar provides the following image information:

Source image ID If the image is a copy of a photograph in the

Camera Image window, the source image ID

PRACTICE

Zoom ratio The amount the image in the Preview section

* (image not saved indicator)

shows the thumbnail ID of the original image. In the case of images read from a file, the file name is displayed (the Windows version of the program shows the full path name).

is zoomed in or out. The zoom ratio reflects the number of pixels in the image and the resolution of the monitor rather than the physical dimensions of the image when printed.

This indicator appears in the title bar when the image has not been saved.

Creating a Copy of an Image

Copies of images selected in the Thumbnails section of the Camera Image window can be opened in separate image windows.

To open a copy of the image in a separate image window, either:

• double-click a thumbnail in the Camera Image window, or

• select a thumbnail and either click the tool button or choose Create Copy from the File menu.

CONCEPT

The Camera Settings section shows the same information as is displayed in the Camera Image window Camera Settings section (see “The Camera Image Window,” above).

Working with Images: Image Windows

- 43 -

A copy of the image will be opened in a separate image window.

Although any changes to settings in effect at the time the copy was made will be reflected in the copy, subsequent changes made to the copy have no effect on the original image in the Camera Image window; similarly, changes to the original do not affect the copy. This makes it possible to apply one set of image enhancement operations to the copy and compare them with the effects of a different set of operations applied to the original.

If an image window is active, further copies of the image it contains are created when Create Copy is selected from the File menu or the tool button is clicked.

Working with Images: Creating a Copy of an Image

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Opening an Image File

Images saved in Nikon Electronic Image Format (NEF) using the Save Original Image… command can be opened in image windows within Nikon Capture. You can also open unedited images in JPEG, TIFF, and NEF format created with the D1.

CONCEPT

Images saved using the Save Final Image… command can not be opened in Nikon Capture.

Select Open… from the File menu (in the Windows

version of the program, files can also be opened by clicking the tool button).

Navigate to the desired drive and folder.

Double-click on the file you wish to open. The image will be

opened in an image window within Nikon Capture.

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Working with Images: Opening an Image File

Tip

Opening files by drag and drop

Files can also be opened by dragging the file icon into the Nikon Capture window.

Opening files in a third-party application

By default, when you attempt to open a file which was not created by the D1, or which you have already edited and saved in JPEG or TIFF format, Nikon Capture will display a message stating that it can not open the file. If the Open Final Image in External Application box in the File Locations tab of the Preferences dialog is checked, however, Nikon Capture will instead display the message “Open file in external application?” allowing you to open the file in a specified program.

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Selecting a Crop

In an image window or the Preview section of the Camera Image window, you can select a portion of the image to be saved when Save Selection Only or Crop and Scale is chosen in the save dialog (if no selection is made, the entire

CONCEPT

image will be saved).

Select the tool button or choose Crop Cursor from

the View menu. The mouse pointer will change to a crop cursor ( ) when moved over the image in the active window.

Drag the mouse over the image to select a crop. Your

selection will be marked by a dotted line.

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Tip

Saving the crop to a separate file

When saving images, you can choose whether to save the entire image or only the portion in the current crop. In the Save Original Image dialog, check Save Selection Only. In the Save Final Image dialog, check Crop and Scale.

Working with Images: Selecting a Crop

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To Select the Entire Image…

…click outside the current crop or choose Select Entire Image from the Image menu. You can not select the entire

image when Keep My Output Size is selected in the Size/ Resolution window.

PRACTICE

To Move the Crop…

…move the cursor over the crop, where the pointer will change to a (Windows) or cursor (Macintosh). Drag the crop to move it over a different part of the image.

To Change the Size of the Crop…

…drag the edges or corners of the crop. The pointer will take the form of a double arrow.

Zoom

You can zoom the active window in or out using the tool button or the zoom commands in the View menu (this does not affect the physical size of the image). The window title bar will show the zoom ratio.

To zoom the image in, either…

• …select the tool or choose Zoom Cursor from the View menu, then click on the part of the image that is at the

center of the area you want to zoom in (the zoom ratio will be further increased each time you click), or

• select Zoom In from the View menu.

To zoom the image out, either…

• …select the tool or choose Zoom Cursor from the View menu and then, holding down the Ctrl key (Win-

dows) or option key (Macintosh), click on the part of the image that is at the center of the area you want to zoom out (the zoom ratio will be further reduced each time you click), or

CONCEPT

Working with Images: Selecting a Crop

• select Zoom Out from the View menu.

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Rotating and Flipping Images

The Information Window

Images in the active window can be rotated or flipped using the buttons in the toolbar or tool palette or the commands in the Image menu.

CONCEPT

Rotating Images

Click the tool or select 90 degrees CW from the Rotate

submenu to rotate the image in the active window 90° to the

right. Click the tool or select 90 degrees CCW from the

Rotate submenu to rotate the image in the active window 90°

to the left.

Flipping Images

Use the commands in the Flip submenu to flip the image in the active image window horizontally or vertically.

The Information window shows the position and color of the pixel under the mouse pointer.

To display or hide the Information window, select Informa- tion from the View menu.

x-y coordinates The position of the cursor in the image

window, measured in pixels from the top left corner of the image.

CONCEPT

Working with Images: Rotating and Flipping Images

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R, G, B, Avg The values for each of the red, green, and

blue elements of the pixel under the cursor and the average of the three, weighted according to the properties of human color perception (the formula for the weighted

PRACTICE

average is (Red ×0.299) + (Green × 0.587) + (Blue × 0.114)). Depending on the color

space, the average may not reflect the actual luminance of the pixel under the cursor, but it can be used as a rough guide to brightness. Values range from 0 to 255, values for twelve-bit images being scaled to fit in this range. The number on the left shows the input value, or value for the color in the original image. The value on the right is the output value, or value after any changes made in the Curves or Color Adjustment windows have been applied.

The Bird’s Eye Window

The Bird’s Eye window shows the position of the part of the image that is visible in the active image window. This can be useful if only a portion of the image will fit in the window at the current zoom ratio, when the Bird’s Eye window can be used to view different portions of the image without zooming the image out.

CONCEPT

Working with Images: The Information Window

- 49 -

To display or hide the Bird’s Eye window, select Bird’s Eye from the View menu.

PRACTICE

The portion of the image that is visible in the active window is indicated by a red outline.

Navigating to Other Areas of the Image

When the mouse pointer is moved over the red outline, it changes to a cursor. Drag the red outline to cover an area of the image you would like to view. The active window will show the portion of the image inside the red outline.

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Working with Images: The Bird’s Eye Window

Tip

Changing the size of the Bird’s Eye window

The size of the Bird’s Eye window can be changed by dragging its borders (Windows) or by dragging the handle at the lower right corner of the window (Macintosh).

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Image Adjustment

Before they will be ready for display or output on a monitor or printer, images captured from the camera will usually need to be adjusted to a size and resolution appropriate to the output device and the task at hand. Images may also need to be processed for enhanced contrast or sharpness or to achieve a color balance suited to your printer or monitor. In general, such image adjustment involves the following four processes:

Process See

When the edited image is saved to disk using the Save Final Image… command, you can choose the color model (RGB or

CMYK) and bit depth (eight or sixteen bits) for the final image (see “Saving Images”). If Save Original Image… is used, the image will be saved exactly as recorded by the camera. Any changes to curves, color balance, and other settings made after the image was recorded will be saved separately in the same file.

Select the portion of the image you want to work with.

Adjust the size and resolution of the image for output on a particular device.

Adjust tone information, color balance, and contrast. There are two distinct tools for this task: the Curves window, which offers precise control over tones, and the Color Adjustment window, which features simpler controls.

If the image still lacks sharpness, you can sharpen outlines using the controls in the Unsharp Mask window. Unsharp Mask settings should always be applied after changes to size, resolution, tone curves, color balance, brightness, and contrast.

Image Adjustment

“Working with Images:

Selecting a Crop”

“Image Adjustment:

Output Size and

Resolution”

“Image Adjustment:

Curves”

“Image Adjustment:

Color Adjustment”

“Image Adjustment:

Unsharp Mask”

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Output Size and Resolution

To adjust size and resolution:

The Size/Resolution window is where you specify the final (“output”) size of the portion of the image that will be captured when Save Selection Only or Crop and Scale is chosen from Save Original Image or Save Final Image dialog. The choice of settings in the Size/Resolution window depends

CONCEPT

on how you intend to use the image and the amount of storage space you have available. Some examples are given below.

If the image will be used in printing or desktop publishing…

…size and resolution will be dictated by the resolution of the output device and the physical size of the image when printed, measured in centimeters or points rather than pixels.

If you intend to use the image on a web page…

…specify output size in pixels, keeping file size to a minimum for rapid downloads. Resolution in this case is not an issue.

Select Size/Resolution from the View menu (in Win-

dows, you can also click the tool button in the toolbar).

Make changes to the options described below.

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Image Adjustment: Output Size and Resolution

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Keep My Crop

When Keep My Crop is selected, you can use the mouse to adjust the size and position of the current crop as desired. If you enter a new value for height or width in the Size/Resolution window, the remaining dimension changes automatically to

PRACTICE

maintain a constant height-width aspect ratio, and scale is adjusted to reflect the new dimensions (scale can not be increased beyond 200%). If the image can not be output at the current resolution using the new dimensions, resolution will automatically be adjusted to an appropriate value. This option is useful when you want to specify height and width after selecting a crop.

Keep My Output Size

Keep My Output Size locks output dimensions and file size

at their current values, setting the aspect ratio of the current crop according to the dimensions input in the Size/Resolution window. This height-width aspect ratio will be maintained when you adjust the size of the crop in the active window, and scale will be adjusted to reflect changes to the size of the crop (scale can not be increased beyond 200%). If the image can not be output at the current resolution using the new dimensions, resolution will automatically be adjusted to an appropriate value. This option is useful when you want to set the output dimensions and file size of the final image before selecting a crop.

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Tip

To display the Size/Resolution window, select Size/Resolution from the View menu.

Image Adjustment: Output Size and Resolution

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Width/Height

The output dimensions for the current crop can be entered in these text boxes. The units used to describe output dimensions can be chosen from the menu to the right of the text boxes (shown above

PRACTICE

at right).

The At text box is where you enter the output resolution. This text box is not active when the unit chosen for output size is “pixels.” The value chosen at other settings should reflect the resolution of the output device on which the final image is to be printed. The units for resolution can be selected from the resolution menu (shown above at right), which offers a choice of pixels per inch (ppi) or pixels per centimeter (ppcm). The default resolution is 300 ppi.

Scale/File Size

Scale is displayed at the bottom of the Size/Resolution window, together with the uncompressed file size of the image that would be created at current settings. File size depends on the color model (RGB or CMYK) and, in the case of RGB images, on the pixel bit-depth that will be used when the image is saved. Separate file sizes are shown for CMYK and for eight-bit and sixteen-bit RGB.

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Image Adjustment: Output Size and Resolution

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The Size/Resolution Settings Menu

The Size/Resolution submenu in the Settings menu can be used to save and recall size and resolution settings or to restore settings to initial or default values. The information saved includes the size and location of the current crop. The options

PRACTICE

available in the Size/Resolution submenu are detailed below.

Load…

Select this item to load size and resolution settings previously saved using the Save… option (see below). The standard file open dialog for your operating system will be displayed; navigate to the drive (volume) and directory containing the desired settings and open the settings file (in Windows, only files with the extension “.nsr” will be displayed). The settings in the Size/ Resolution window will instantly revert to the saved settings.

Save…

Select this item to save the resolution, size, and position of the current crop in a named file. These settings can later be recalled using the Load… option. Choosing Save… displays the standard file save dialog for your operating system. After navigating to the destination drive (volume) and folder, save the settings under the name of your choice (in Windows, size and resolution settings are saved with the extension “.nsr”).

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Tip

Right-button menu (Windows)

The Size/Resolution submenu can be displayed by right-clicking in the Size/Resolution window.

Image Adjustment: Output Size and Resolution

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Save as Default

Select this option to save the resolution, size, and position of the current crop as the defaults for size and resolution. These settings will be restored when Reset to Default is selected from the size/resolution settings menu. If Use Default Set-

PRACTICE

tings is selected for Settings for Next Camera Image in the General tab of the Preferences dialog, the default settings will also be restored whenever an image is captured. Only one set of default settings can exist at any one time; previous defaults are automatically overwritten when new default settings are created. Default settings are stored in the same folder as Nikon Capture.

Reset to Default

Selecting this item restores the settings in the Size/Resolution window to the defaults created using the Save as Default option. If no default settings exist, a crop that includes the entire image will be selected and scale will be restored to 100%.

Reset to 100%

When this item is selected, the crop will be enlarged to include the entire image and scale will be restored to 100%. Resolution will be restored to the default value of 300ppi (118.11ppcm).

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Note

The units for size and resolution are not saved when Save… or Save as Default is chosen from the Size/Resolution submenu.

Image Adjustment: Output Size and Resolution

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Curves

Curves—an Overview

Although your Nikon digital camera will reproduce colors accurately if settings have been adjusted appropriately, it will usually be necessary to adjust contrast, tone (brightness) levels, and color balance to make maximum use of the tone range and color gamut offered by a particular output device, such as

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a printer or monitor. Nikon Capture offers two tools for performing these tasks: the Color Adjustment window (see “Color Adjustment” later in this chapter) and the Curves window. Of the two, the Curves window offers the more precise control. The Color Adjustment window is useful when, for example, you want to adjust brightness or color balance for all pixels in the image. This kind of adjustment may, however, result in loss of detail in portions of the tone range. The Curves window, in contrast, allows adjustments to be made to specific portions of the tone range, making it possible to enhance the image while preserving detail.

The main editing tool in the Curves window is the curve edit display, which contains a curve showing the relationship between input (the tones in the original image) and output (how the tones in the input will be represented in the final image). Separate curves control the relationship between input and output for the image as a whole (the “master curve”) and for each of the red, green, and blue color components, or “channels.” The default curve in each case is linear, meaning that tones will be output exactly as they are input.

Current channel

Curve edit display

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Note

Color adjustment and curves can not be used together. If the controls in the Curves window are active, the controls in the Color Adjustment window are disabled. If the Color Adjustment controls are active, the controls in the Curves window are disabled. Only one of color adjustment or curves can be applied when a modified image is saved.

Image Adjustment: Curves

Tip

To open the Curves window, choose Curves from the View menu (in Windows, you can also click on the tool button in the toolbar).

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Input is plotted along the horizontal axis, with shadows (the dark areas of the image) to the left, highlights (the bright areas of the image) to the right, and mid-tones in between. The left end of the axis marks the minimum possible value for colors in the selected channel (zero, or no color), the right end the

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maximum value. In the case of the master curve, the minimum value represents areas of the input image that are a true black; the maximum value represents areas that are a true white. Output is plotted along the vertical axis, with the minimum possible output value (again, zero, or no color) at the bottom and the maximum output value at the top.

Input

When the cursor is moved over the curve edit display, the input and output values for the point under the cursor are shown in the input/output display. The input value represents the level of the pixel in the original image, the output value the level of the pixel after any changes to the curve have been applied.

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Shadows

Output

Note

Although values for input and output in the Curves window range from zero to 255 (eight-bit precision, familiar to users of other image editing software), the results of any changes to curves are calculated at a precision of sixteen bits. This allows modifications to twelve-bit RAW data to be performed without lowering the quality of the output.

Midtones

Highlights

Input/output display

Image Adjustment: Curves

Tip

Changes to curves are only possible when the Apply check-box at the top left of the Curves window is checked. When this box is checked, changes to curves will be visible in the image being edited. The box can be checked and unchecked for a quick “before-and-after” comparison, allowing you to see whether changes to curves are having the desired effect. The same effect can be achieved using the Apply Curves item in the Image menu.

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Step 1—Viewing the Histogram

Step 2—Channel Selection

The first step in adjusting tone levels and color balance in the Curves window is to view the histogram displayed in the background of the curve edit display. The histogram tells you what tones are present in the original image and in what amounts,

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information that you will use when setting the black point and white point and editing curves. The histogram takes the form of a bar graph. The horizontal axis gives the tone level, with shadows to the left and highlights to the right. The vertical axis gives the number of pixels of each tone level found in the image, scaled to fit in the curve edit display.

To view the distribution of tones in the final, output image after changes to curves, click and hold the histogram button ( ).

You can modify tones for all colors in the image using the master curve, or select any of the red, green, and blue curves for editing using the channel menu (see right). The histogram shows tone levels for the selected channel only. When the master curve is selected, the auto-contrast button and white-point and blackpoint eyedropper tools (see below) apply simultaneously to all of the red, green, and blue curves (the master curve is unaffected). When one of the red, green, and blue curves is selected, these controls can be used to edit the selected curve only.

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Step 3—Setting the White Point and Black Point

White-Point and Black-Point Input Levels

The endpoints of the curve are referred to as the “white point” and the “black point.” The black point for a given channel represents the darkest shade (minimum value) for that color, the white point, the brightest shade (maximum value). By

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default, the input and output values for the black point are zero. The darkest shade in the input image may however be greater than zero, with the result that a portion of the curve is dedicated to reproducing tones not actually present in the image. Increasing the input value for the black point until it matches the darkest shade in the image will steepen the curve, enhancing overall contrast without causing a corresponding loss of detail in shadows. Similarly, if the original image does not actually contain shades corresponding to the maximum value, the white point can be lowered to match the brightest shade in the image.

There are two steps to selecting a white point and black point for the final image: choosing the white-point and black-point input levels, and selecting output levels.

Input levels for the white point and black point can be set using any of the following three methods:

• automatic contrast adjustment

• white-point and black-point sliders

• direct sampling using the white-point and black-point eyedropper tools

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Automatic Contrast Adjustment

In automatic contrast adjustment, Nikon Capture automatically selects white and black points that exclude a certain percentage of the brightest and darkest pixels in the image, steepening curves for enhanced contrast (the exact percentage of pixels excluded can be specified in the Preferences dialog; see “Preferences,” below). By default, 0.5% of the brightest and darkest pixels are excluded, producing a curve that makes optimal use of the output tone range while preserving details in shadows and highlights.

To perform an auto contrast operation, click the auto contrast button ( ). The white and black points for each of the red, green, and blue channels will be modified simultaneously (the master curve is unaffected). Clicking the button with the Ctrl (Windows) or option (Macintosh) key held down adjusts contrast only for the channel currently selected in the channel menu.

Image Adjustment: Curves

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White-Point and Black-Point Sliders

The white-point and black-point sliders can be used to match the white and black points to the histogram displayed in the curve edit display. While these sliders can be used to edit curves for any channel, the best results are usually obtained

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when they are used to modify the master curve.

To edit the white point or black point, click the corresponding slider once to activate it, then drag it to the right or left (a value can also be entered directly in the text box underneath the slider). Matching the black-point slider with the lowest input value displayed in the histogram will set the minimum output value for the selected channel to the darkest pixel actually present in the image, steepening the curve and enhancing contrast without sacrificing detail in shadows. Similarly, matching the white-point slider with the highest input value displayed in the histogram will set the maximum output value for the selected channel to the brightest pixel present in the image, enhancing contrast without loss of detail in highlights. Any changes are applied instantly to the active image.

Black-point

slider

Black-point

input value

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White-point slider

White-point

input value

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Sampling the Image for White Point or Black Point

The white point or black point can be set by directly sampling the image, allowing you to choose the pixels that will be used to set the maximum (white point) or minimum (black point) output value. This makes it possible to set the black point by

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matching it to a pixel in the darkest part of the image containing detail you want to preserve, eliminating details in darker areas that are not important to the final image. Similarly, you can match the white point to a pixel in the brightest area of the image containing details important to the final image. While direct sampling can be used with any channel, it is most effective when used with the master curve. When the master curve is selected, sampling will set the white or black point for red, green, and blue curves simultaneously; the master curve itself is unaffected.

To sample the white point, click the white-point button ( ). When the cursor is moved over the active image, it will take the shape of an eyedropper. Move the cursor over the image to find the pixel that you want to use to set the white point, keeping an eye on pixel level display in the Information window to identify the pixel with the highest input value. With the cursor over the target pixel, click the mouse button. The input value for the selected pixel will be used as the input value for the white point. The cursor will return to its original shape, and the image will automatically be altered to reflect the new value for white point.

To sample the image for the black point, click the black-point button ( ) and move the eyedropper cursor over the image until you find the point that you want to use to set the minimum input value, then click the mouse button to select the black point.

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Image Adjustment: Curves

Tip

Setting the white point/black point for the current channel

By default, sampling sets the white point or black point for all channels. To set the white point or black point for the current channel only, sample the image while holding down the Ctrl key (Windows) or option key (Macintosh) on the keyboard.

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White Point and Black Point Output Levels

Once you have set the input level for the black point and white point, output levels can be altered to reflect the actual shade of the darkest and brightest pixels in the image. If the darkest shade in the image represents a true black, for example, the

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output level for the black point can be left at zero. If, however, darkest shade present in the image is a lighter color, the output level for the black point can be raised to achieve more natural coloration.

The output levels for the white point and black point are set using the white-point and black-point output sliders on the left side of the curve edit display.

White-point output slider

To set the output level, click the slider once to activate it, then drag it up or down until you have found the desired output level (the output level can also be set by entering a value directly in the text box to the left of the slider). The effects of the change will be reflected in the active image.

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Black-point output slider

Tip

Default values for the white-point and black-point output levels can be set in the Preferences dialog. See “Preferences.”

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Step 4—Setting the Midpoint

The point midway between the maximum and minimum input values is known as the “midpoint,” which represents a neutral shade corresponding to an output level of 128. The midpoint is controlled by a midpoint slider at the bottom of the curve edit

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display. Moving the midpoint slider to the left increases the brightness of mid-tones without “washing out” highlights. Moving the slider to the right darkens mid-tones without obliterating detail in shadows.

The Midpoint Slider

The midpoint slider is located at the bottom of the curve edit display.

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The midpoint can be set using the midpoint slider or by directly sampling the image using the midpoint eyedropper tool.

Gamma

Gamma (also written “ γ ”) is a fundamental property of video systems

which determines the intensity of the output signal relative to the input. When calculating gamma, the maximum possible input intensity is assigned a value of one, and the minimum possible intensity (no input) is assigned a value of zero. Output is calculated by raising input to a power that is the inverse of the gamma value (output = input the gamma value has the same effect as moving the midpoint slider to the left, raising mid-tone output values and brightening the image while leaving the maximum and minimum values untouched. Lowering the gamma value has the same effect as moving the midpoint slider to the right, lowering midtone output values and darkening the image. The default value for gamma is one, which produces a linear curve in which input and output values are the same. Gamma can be set to any value between 0.05 and 6.00.

(1/γ)

). In practical terms, raising

Midpoint slider

Gamma value

After clicking the slider once to activate it, move it to the left to increase the brightness of mid-tones in the selected channel, or move it to the right to decrease brightness. Alternatively, you can enter a value for gamma directly in the text box under the slider. The effects of changes to the midpoint can be seen in the active image.

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Sampling the Image for Midpoint

The midpoint can also be set by direct sampling. No matter what channel is currently selected in the channel menu, sampling simultaneously defines the midpoint for each of the red, green, and blue channels while leaving the midpoint for the

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master curve unchanged.

To sample the midpoint, click the midpoint button ( ). When the cursor is moved over the active image, it will take the shape of an eyedropper. Move the cursor over the image to find the pixel that you want to use to set the midpoint, keeping an eye on the pixel level display in the Information window to identify pixels with a neutral input value (look for pixels that you think should be a neutral gray color in the final image). With the cursor over the target pixel, click the mouse button. The input value for the selected pixel will be used as the reference value for the midpoint. The cursor will return to its original shape, and the image will automatically be altered to reflect the new value for midpoint.

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Image Adjustment: Curves

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Step 5—Editing Curves Directly

Fine adjustments can be made to brightness and contrast in specific portions of the tone range by adding additional points to the curves for each channel. These points can be freely adjusted by dragging them into new positions, changing the

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shape of the curve. Steepening the slope in a given portion of the curve will enhance detail in that portion of the tone range. Changing the curve so that input levels in a given portion of the tone range are mapped to higher output levels will brighten tones in the affected tone range; similarly, changing the curve to map input levels to lower output levels will darken tones in the affected range.

Adding New Points to the Curve

Move the cursor over the curve edit display and click once to enter curve edit mode. Move the cursor to the position where you would like to add a new point, then click. A new point will be added at this position and the curve will automatically be adjusted to pass through this point. The position of the point can be adjusted by dragging it to a new location within the curve edit display. The image in the active window will automatically be adjusted to reflect changes to the curve.

Removing Points from the Curve

Points can be removed from the curve by dragging them out of the curve window.

Resetting Curves to Linear

The default linear curve for all channels can be restored by clicking the button in the Curves window. To return only the active curve to linear, hold down the Ctrl (Windows) or option (Macintosh) key on the keyboard while clicking the button.

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Tip

The Curves window can be resized by dragging its borders (Windows) or by dragging the handle at the lower right corner of the window (Macintosh). The curves edit display changes with the size of the window, allowing you

to enlarge the display to a maximum of 256 × 256 pixels. At this size, each

of the 256 points on the curve is represented by a separate pixel, granting maximum precision when editing curves.

Image Adjustment: Curves

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The Curves Settings Menu

The Curves submenu in the Settings menu can be used to save and recall tone adjustment settings or to restore settings to initial or default values. The options available in the Curves submenu are detailed below.

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Load…

Select this item to load curves previously saved using the Save… option (see below). The standard file open dialog for your operating system will be displayed; navigate to the drive (volume) and directory containing the desired settings and open the settings file (in Windows, only files with the extension “.ncv” will be displayed). The settings in the Curves window will instantly revert to the saved settings.

Save…

Select this item to save curves for all channels to a named file. These settings can later be recalled using the Load… option. Choosing Save… displays the standard file save dialog for your operating system. After navigating to the destination drive (volume) and folder, save the settings under the name of your choice (in Windows, curves are saved with the extension “.ncv”).

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Tip

Right-button menu (Windows)

The Curves submenu can be displayed by right-clicking in the Curves window.

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Save as Default

Select this option to save the current curves as the defaults for the Curves window. These curves will be restored when Reset to Default is selected from the curves settings menu. If Use Default Settings is selected for Settings for Next Camera Image in the General tab of the Preferences dialog, the default curves will also be restored whenever an image is captured. Only one set of default settings can exist at any one time; previous defaults are automatically overwritten when new default settings are created. Default settings are stored in the same directory as Nikon Capture.

Reset to Default

Selecting this item restores curves to the defaults created using the Save as Default option. If no default settings exist, all curves will be returned to linear.

Reset to Neutral

When this item is selected, all curves are returned to linear.

Image Adjustment: Curves

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Color Adjustment

The Color Adjustment window offers simple controls for adjusting overall brightness, contrast, and color balance for the entire image. Unlike the controls in the Curves window, however, the Color Adjustment window does not allow you

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to make changes that affect only a portion of the tone range.

The controls available in the Color Adjustment window are detailed below.

(Brightness)

The brightness slider adjusts brightness for the entire image. Dragging the brightness slider in the + direction brightens all the colors in the image, making the image as a whole more white. Dragging the slider in the – direction darkens all the colors in the image, making the image as a whole darker and less distinct. Unlike adjustments to the midpoint in the Curves window, this setting applies equally to shadows and highlights, producing a flat, low-contrast image. A value for brightness between –50 and +50 can be entered directly in the text box to the right of the slider.

(Contrast)

Dragging the contrast slider in the + direction heightens the difference between highlights and shadows in the image, increasing contrast. Dragging the slider in the – direction decreases the difference between light and dark portions of the image, lowering contrast. A value for contrast between –50 and +50 can be entered in the text box to the right of the slider.

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Note

Image Adjustment: Color Adjustment

Tip

To open the Color Adjustment window, choose Color Adjustment from the View menu (in Windows, you can also click on the tool button in the toolbar).

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■ (Color Balance)

■

While the brightness slider adjusts brightness for the image

■

as a whole, the three color-balance controls allow the user to adjust brightness for each color individually. For example, dragging the red slider in the + direction brightens the red

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portions of the image, making the image as a whole more red. Dragging it in the – direction dims the red elements in the image, bringing out the remaining colors. Color balance can also be set by entering values directly in the text boxes to the right of the sliders.

Tip

Changes to brightness, contrast, and color balance are only possible when the Apply check-box at the top left of the Color Adjustment window is checked. When this box is checked, changes will be visible in the image being edited. The box can be checked and unchecked for a quick “beforeand-after” comparison, allowing you to see whether color adjustment is having the desired effect. The same effect can be achieved using the Apply

Color Adjustment item in the Image menu.

The Color Adjustment Settings Menu

The Color Adjustment submenu in the Settings menu can be used to save and recall color adjustment settings or to restore settings to initial or default values. The options available in the Color Adjustment submenu are detailed below.

Load…

Select this item to load brightness, contrast, and color balance settings previously saved using the Save… option (see below). The standard file open dialog for your operating system will be displayed; navigate to the drive (volume) and directory containing the desired settings and open the settings file (in Windows, only files with the extension “.nca” will be displayed). The settings in the Color Adjustment window will instantly revert to the saved settings.

Tip

Right-button menu (Windows)

The Color Adjustment submenu can be displayed by right-clicking in the Color Adjustment window.

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Image Adjustment: Color Adjustment

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Save…

Select this item to save brightness, contrast, and color balance settings in a named file. These settings can later be recalled using the Load… option. Choosing Save… displays the standard file save dialog for your operating system. After navi-

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gating to the destination drive (volume) and folder, save the settings under the name of your choice (in Windows, color adjustment settings are saved with the extension “.nca”).

Save as Default

Select this option to save the current brightness, contrast, and color balance settings as the defaults for color adjustment. These settings will be restored when Reset to Default is selected from the color adjustment settings menu. If Use

Default Settings is selected for Settings for Next Camera Image in the General tab of the Preferences dialog, the

default settings will also be restored whenever an image is captured. Only one set of default settings can exist at any one time; previous defaults are automatically overwritten when new default settings are created. Default settings are stored in the same directory as Nikon Capture.

Reset to Default

Selecting this item restores brightness, contrast, and color balance settings to the defaults created using the Save as Default option. If no default settings exist, all settings will be returned to zero.

Reset to Neutral

When this item is selected, brightness, contrast, and color balance will be restored to zero.

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Unsharp Mask

Using Unsharp Mask, the user can increase the sharpness of photographs by making edges more distinct. Unsharp Mask works by increasing the contrast of the edges in the image while leaving other areas untouched. The amount of sharpness is determined by three factors: intensity, halo width, and

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threshold.

Intensity is the amount the contrast of edges will be increased. Too great an intensity will degrade your image rather than sharpening it. Halo width controls the size of the areas that will be affected. The greater the halo width, the wider the edges in the sharpened image will appear. Too large a value for halo width will produce a “halo” along edges in the image. Threshold defines the limit at which sharpening will be applied. If the threshold is zero, sharpening will apply to all pixels in the image. Increasing the threshold increases the amount of contrast that must be present between pixels before Unsharp Mask will be applied, with the result that only more distinctly contrasting edges will be affected.

Unsharp Mask can be applied to all the colors in the image or selectively to any combination of the red, green, and blue color channels. You can also control whether Unsharp Mask applies to all tones in the image or selectively to highlights, mid-tones, or shadows. The controls in the Unsharp Mask window allow you to select multiple combinations of color channels and tone ranges that can be sharpened to different degrees.

Creating Unsharp Masks

If the Unsharp Mask window is not already open, open the

window by selecting Unsharp Mask from the View menu (in Windows, you can also click on the tool button in the toolbar).

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Image Adjustment: Unsharp Mask

Tip

The amount of Unsharp Mask you will need depends on the size and resolution of the final image. The larger the image, the greater the amount of Unsharp Mask you will need to achieve the same degree of apparent sharpness. Before applying an Unsharp Mask, scale the image to the desired size and resolution. See “The Size/Resolution Window” in this chapter.

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Select a combination of colors from the channel pop-up

menu (A) and choose a tone range from the tone pop-up menu (B). The Unsharp Mask you create will be applied only to edges in the selected tone range and colors.

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Select a value for intensity using the Intensity slider (C), or

enter a value directly in the text box to the right of the slider. The selected combination of colors, tone range, and intensity will appear in the Unsharp Mask list (D). Entries in the list show, in order, the color, tone range, intensity, halo width, and threshold.

Tip

The warning button

The warning button (G) appears when the zoom factor of the image is too low to ensure that Unsharp Mask will have the desired effect. Clicking the button displays a warning.

Select values for halo width and threshold. To compare the

effects of the Unsharp Mask with the original image, click the Apply button (E) to turn Unsharp Mask on or off.

Repeat steps 1–4 to create additional unsharp masks for

different color combinations and tone ranges. As new masks are created, they are added to the end of the Unsharp Mask list. Masks will apply in the order listed. To change the order in which the masks apply, select a mask in the Unsharp Mask list and click the up arrow to move it up in the list, or the down arrow to move it down. To delete an Unsharp Mask from the list, select it and click the delete button (F).

Tip

Unsharp Mask can only be used when the Apply button at the top left of the window is checked. When this button is checked, any unsharp masks will be applied immediately to the image being edited. The button can be checked and unchecked for a quick “before-and-after” comparison, allowing you to see whether Unsharp Mask is having the desired effect. The same effect can be achieved using the Apply Unsharp Mask item in the Image menu.

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Defining Shadows, Mid-tones, and Highlights

The Unsharp Mask Settings Menu

To define the tone ranges affected by Unsharp Masks that apply to shadows, mid-tones, and highlights, click the ( ) button. The following dialog will be displayed.

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The complete tone range, including shadows, mid-tones, and highlights, is mapped to values between zero (black) and 255 (white). To set the boundary between shadows and midtones, drag the shadow slider to the desired position, or enter a value directly in the text box to the left of the tone range display. The boundary between midtones and highlights is set by dragging the highlight slider or entering a value in the text box to the right of the display. These settings apply to Unsharp Mask calculations for all images.

The Unsharp Mask submenu in the Settings menu can be used to save and recall unsharp masks or to restore settings to initial or default values. The options available in the Unsharp

Mask submenu are detailed below.

Load…

Select this item to load unsharp masks previously saved using the Save… option (see below). The standard file open dialog for your operating system will be displayed; navigate to the drive (volume) and directory containing the desired settings and open the settings file (in Windows, only files with the extension “.num” will be displayed). The settings in the Unsharp Mask window will instantly revert to the saved settings.

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Image Adjustment: Unsharp Mask

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Right-button menu (Windows)

The Unsharp Mask submenu can be displayed by right-clicking in the Unsharp Mask window.

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Save…

Select this item to save the current Unsharp Mask settings in a named file. These settings can later be recalled using the Load… option. Choosing Save… displays the standard file save dialog for your operating system. After navigating to the

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destination drive (volume) and folder, save the settings under the name of your choice (in Windows, unsharp masks are saved with the extension “.num”).

Save as Default

Select this option to save the current Unsharp Mask settings as the default for Unsharp Mask. These settings will be restored when Restore to Default is selected from the Unsharp Mask settings menu. If Use Default Settings is selected for Set- tings for Next Camera Image in the General tab of the Preferences dialog, the default settings will also be restored whenever an image is captured. Only one set of default settings can exist at any one time; previous defaults are automatically overwritten when new default settings are created. Default settings are stored in the same directory as Nikon Capture.

Restore to Default

Selecting this item restores Unsharp Mask settings to the defaults created using the Save as Default option. If no default settings exist, all the unsharp masks displayed in the Unsharp Mask dialog will be deleted.

Restore to Neutral

When this item is selected, all the unsharp masks currently displayed in the Unsharp Mask dialog are deleted. The settings in the tone range dialog are not affected.

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Saving Images

Nikon Capture supports a variety of image file formats. Images loaded from the camera can be saved in a format suited to the task at hand. For information on choosing an appropriate file format, see “File Formats,” below.

File Formats

File Format and Image Quality

The relationship between the camera image quality setting and the file format used by the camera is shown in the following table:

NEF, YCbCr TIFF

NEF

The sixteen-bit NEF format is used to save “raw,” unmodified twelvebit image data from the CCD when shooting at an image quality of HIRAW. This file type can only be read using Nikon Capture.

YCbCr TIFF

Photographs taken at an image quality of HI-YCbCr are saved in an uncompressed TIFF format that models color using measures of luminance (Y) and chrominance (Cb, Cr). This file type can be read using Nikon View DX or Nikon Capture.

Image Quality

Setting

HI-RAW

HI-RGB TIFF

HI-YCbCr TIFF

FINE

NORMAL

BASIC

Camera File Format Compression

(Nikon Electronic Image Format)

TIFF Uncompressed

JPEG (DCF†)

Uncompressed

Low

Medium

High

Image

Quality

HighNEF

Low

When saving images captured from the camera, choose a file type that reflects the format used in the camera. The image quality of photographs that have been compressed by the camera will not improve if the images are saved in uncompressed form using Nikon Capture. When a JPEG-compressed image is saved in TIFF format, for example, image quality will be more or less the same as the original JPEG image.

† DCF (Design rule for Camera File systems): an industry-wide standard

for digital camera file systems.

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Saving Image Files

Nikon Capture offers two options for saving files: saving in Nikon Capture’s NEF format, and saving in standard image file formats.

Save Original Image…

Choose this option to save RAW images in the Nikon Electronic Image Format (NEF) directly to disk as NEF files, without changing the file format (NEF images have the extension “.nef”). Files saved in NEF format can only be opened with Nikon Capture. If the file was originally a JPEG or TIFF image created with the camera, it will be saved in eight-bit, uncompressed RGB format, unmodified for any changes to settings made in Nikon Capture.

Images saved in NEF format maintain the high image quality of the original photograph; image enhancement settings (Curves, Color Adjustment, Unsharp Mask, and output size and resolution) are not applied, but are saved separately in the same file. These images can later be opened in Nikon Capture and converted to a format that can be read by other applications using the Save Final Image… command. Image enhancement settings are applied when Save Final Image… is used, allowing you to create copies of the image that preserve most of the details in the original photograph even when image enhancement is used. Save images in NEF format using the Save Original Image… command when you are unsure of how they will be used or when you want to save an image that will later be processed in a number of different ways.

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Save Final Image…

This option is used to save files in a format that can be read by other applications. The following file types are available:

ExtensionCompressionFile Type

16-bit TIFF (RGB)

8-bit TIFF (RGB)

Choice of compressed

or uncompressed

.TIFUncompressed

.TIFUncompressedTIFF (CMYK)

.JPGCompressedJPEG (EXIF-compliant)

.JPGJPEG (JFIF-compliant) Compressed

.BMPBMP (Windows only) Uncompressed

.PICPICT (Macintosh only)

The file type selected depends on how the image will be used:

TIFF Use TIFF when saving images for high-quality output or

publishing. Although the lack of compression will result in larger files, a high level of image quality will be maintained. This file type is supported by a wide variety of applications on a variety of computer platforms.

JPEG This file type is adequate for images that will be output at

low resolution or distributed in electronic form. Compression allows more images to be saved in the same amount of disk space. Note, however, that JPEG compression results in loss of information that can not afterwards be restored. Save files at the lowest compression ratio possible; if necessary, you can always save them again later at a higher compression ratio.

BMP This is the generic format used on Windows systems, and

is available only in the Windows version of Nikon Capture. Most Windows users will be able to view files of this type.

Saving Images: File Formats

PICT This is the generic format used on the Macintosh, and is

available only in the Macintosh version of Nikon Capture. Unlike BMP, PICT supports compression. Most Macintosh users will be able to view files of this type.

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Save Original Image…

This section describes how to save images in Nikon Electronic Image Format (NEF). NEF files can only be opened in Nikon Capture. Curves, Color Adjustment, Unsharp Mask, and output size and resolution settings do not apply to images saved in NEF format, but are saved separately in the same file.

Select Save Original Image… from the File menu (or, in

the Windows version of the program, click the tool

button). A dialog like that shown below will appear.

Navigate to the desired drive and folder.

If desired, enter a name for the file. If no name is entered,

the file will be saved under a default file name.

To save only the portion of the image in the current crop,

check Save Selection Only. If this box is not checked, the entire image will be saved.

Click the Save button to save the file under the specified

name.

Saving Images: Save Original Image…

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Save Final Image…

This section details how to save selected images in a format that can be read by other applications. Files saved using the Save Final Image… option can not be reopened in Nikon Capture.

Select Save Final Image… from the File menu (or, in the

Windows version of the program, click the tool button).

A dialog like that shown below will appear.

Navigate to the desired drive and folder.

Choose a file type (file format) from the pop-up menu. See

“File Formats,” above, for details.

If the selected file type is PICT (only available in the

Macintosh version of the program), you can choose whether or not to compress the image. The image will be compressed when Use Compression is checked.

If you have chosen a file type that supports compression

(PICT or JPEG), you can choose a compression ratio from “Highest Compression Ratio,” “Good Compression Ratio,” “Good Balance,” “High Quality,” and “Excellent Quality.”

If desired, enter a name for the file. If no name is entered,

the file will be saved under a default file name.

Click the Save button to save the file under the specified

name.

Saving Images: Save Final Image…

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Save Options

In addition to the settings listed above, the following options are available in the Save Final Image… dialog:

Save crop only

Color correction indicator

Unsharp Mask indicator

Unsharp Mask

Shows whether the settings in the Unsharp Mask window will be applied to the saved image.

Crop and Scale

Check this box to save only the portion of the image in the current crop. The image will be saved at the output size and resolution specified in the Size/Resolution window.

Open saved files in third-party application

Bit-depth selector

Color Correction

Shows whether Curves or Color Adjustment will be applied when the image is saved.

Curves: Applied

This appears when the checkbox in the Curves window is on when Save Final Image… is selected. Curves will be applied to the saved image; Color Adjustment will not.

Color Adjustment: Applied

This appears when the checkbox in the Color Adjustment window is on when Save Final Image… is selected. Color Adjustment will be applied to the saved image; Curves will not.

No Color Correction

This appears when neither Curves nor Color Adjustment is checked when Save Final Image… is selected. The saved image will not be modified for tone curves or color adjustment.

Pixel Bit-Depth

Shows the pixel bit-depth at which the image will be saved.

16-bit will only be available if the format selected is TIFF (RGB) and if the image was originally taken at an image quality

setting of HI-RAW (12 bit). At other settings, bit-depth is restricted to 8-bit.

Open in

Shows the application (for example, Photoshop 5.0) specified in the Open Final Image in External Application area of the File Locations tab of the Preferences dialog. If this check box is on, the image will automatically be opened in the specified application after it has been saved.

Saving Images: Save Final Image…

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Saving Multiple Images

This section describes how to save multiple images simultaneously using either Save Original Image… or Save Final Image….

In the Camera Image window, select the thumbnails of the

images you want to save, then choose Save Original Image… or Save Final Image… from the File menu. A

dialog like that shown below will appear (the dialog below is that which appears in the Windows version of the program when Save Original Image… is selected).

Click the File Names… button. The following dialog will

be displayed.

Saving Images: Saving Multiple Images

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Enter a prefix, suffix, sequence length, and starting sequence

start number, referring to the Sample area for an example of how the final file names will appear at current settings.

Prefix/Suffix

Enter the prefix and/or suffix of your choice (up to forty letters each; in the case of the Macintosh, however, the total length can not exceed thirty-one characters).

Sequence Length

Using the slider, choose the number of digits to be used in the sequential file number. File numbers can be from two to eight digits long.

Starting Sequence Number

Image files will be assigned sequential file numbers in ascending order, starting from this number.

Click OK to return to the save dialog.

Choose a destination folder and set other options as de-

scribed in the preceding sections; then click the Save button to save the images to the specified location.

Note

File Naming Conventions Macintosh: The maximum length for Macintosh file names is thirty-one

characters. Colons (“:”) are not allowed. Windows: In environments that do not support long file names, the maximum

length is eight characters; file names may not contain spaces, quotes, or any of the following characters: “\\” “/” “:” “,” “;” “*” “<“ “>” and “|”.

Where long file names are supported, the maximum length is 255 characters. File names may not contain quotes or any of the following characters: “\\” “/” “:” “,” “;” “*” “<“ “>” and “|”.

Saving Images: Saving Multiple Images

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Saving Photographs Directly to Disk

Using the Auto Save function, photographs can be saved directly to disk as they are taken, without being displayed in the Camera Image window. Photographs can be processed according to specified settings before being saved in the folder designated by the user. Images saved in Nikon Electronic

CONCEPT

Image Format (NEF) can afterward be opened for editing in Nikon Capture.

Select Auto Save from the Camera menu to display the

Auto Save dialog.

E C TI C

PRA

Note

The Camera Control window can not be used to take photographs while Auto Save is in effect. Photographs can only be taken using the camera’s shutter-release button.

Saving Images: Saving Photographs Directly to Disk

Tip

Before saving photographs with Auto Save, you will need to decide what settings you will use to process the images as they are saved. These settings will apply to all photographs taken while Auto Save is in effect. If you want to edit each image separately, capture the images one at a time into the Camera Image window and adjust settings for each image.

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The path in which photographs will be saved is shown under

Save all incoming images to…. Click the icon (Windows) or Choose… button (Macintosh) to select a different folder.

In the File Name panel, enter the prefix and suffix that will

PRACTICE

be used in naming files created with Auto Save. File names are distinguished by numbers assigned sequentially in ascending order; choose the number of digits (sequence length) and the starting sequence number.

Prefix/Suffix

Enter the prefix and/or suffix of your choice (up to forty letters each; in the case of the Macintosh, however, the total length can not exceed thirty-one characters).

Sequence Length

Choose the number of digits to be used in the sequential file number using the slider. File numbers can be from two to eight digits.

Choose a file type from the Save as Type menu (see

“Saving Images: File Formats”). If the selected file type is PICT, you can choose whether or

not the file will be compressed (Macintosh only). If the selected file type is JPEG or compressed PICT, choose

a compression setting from the menu to the right of the Use Compression check box.

E C TI C

PRA

Starting Sequence Number

Photographs saved using Auto Save will be assigned sequential file numbers in ascending order, starting from this number.

Saving Images: Saving Photographs Directly to Disk

Note

File Naming Conventions Macintosh: The maximum length for Macintosh file names is thirty-one

characters. Colons (“:”) are not allowed. Windows: In environments that do not support long file names, the maximum

length is eight characters; file names may not contain spaces, quotes, or any of the following characters: “\\” “/” “:” “,” “;” “*” “<“ “>” and “|”.

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Specify the image enhancement settings that will be applied

to photographs as they are saved.

Color Correction

Check this box to apply one of the following to photographs captured using Auto Save:

PRACTICE

Apply Curves

Photographs are modified according to the settings in effect in the Curves window.

Apply Color Adjustment

Photographs are modified according to the settings in effect in the Color Adjustment window.

Apply Unsharp Mask

When this box is checked, photographs are modified according to the settings in effect in the Unsharp Mask window.

Scale

Photographs are saved at the resolution and scale specified in the Size/Resolution window.

Click OK. While Auto Save is in effect, the Auto Save

Mode Active dialog will be displayed.

No other operations can be performed until Stop Auto Save is clicked to end Auto Save.

Take photographs using the camera. Photographs will be

saved directly to the specified folder. The number of photos taken will appear in the Auto Save Mode Active dialog.

When you finish shooting, click Stop Auto Save in the

Auto Save Mode Active dialog to end Auto Save.

E C TI C

PRA

Pixel Bit-Depth

Choose a pixel bit-depth of eight bits (256 tone levels) or sixteen bits (approximately 32,000 tone levels). The options available for pixel bit depth depend on the file type chosen in the Save as Type menu.

Saving Images: Saving Photographs Directly to Disk

Notes

If an invalid file name or other error is identified when the OK button is clicked to start Auto Save, a message will be displayed. Return to the Auto Save dialog and adjust settings as the message directs.

If an error occurs while Auto Save is active, an error log window will be displayed when Auto Save ends, showing the time of occurrence and the result of the error. Click OK to close the error log window.

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Camera Operation

Camera Control

When the D1 is connected to a Windows or Macintosh computer via its IEEE 1394 interface, Nikon Capture’s Camera Control and Custom Settings windows give the user control over the majority of camera settings.

Tip

Verifying that the camera is connected

The color of the connection status indicator at the bottom left corner of the Nikon Capture window (Windows) or the bottom of the tool palette (Macintosh) shows the status of the connection between the computer and the camera.

To adjust camera settings from the Camera Control window, choose Camera Control from the View menu, or click on the Nikon Capture camera tool button ( ) in the toolbar (Windows) or tool palette (Macintosh).

Camera Control page selection tabs

Simulated LCD panel

Shoot buttons

Note

Changes made to settings in the Camera Control window only apply to photographs taken after the changes are made, not to photographs that have already been taken.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

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Page Selection Tabs

The Camera Control window has four tabs: Exposure 1, Exposure 2, Storage, and Mechanical, which may be opened by clicking on the tab name.

Simulated LCD Panel

At the bottom of the window is a simulated LCD panel which shows the same information as that displayed in the camera’s viewfinder, with the exception of camera errors. You can also use the simulated LCD panel to choose the setting you want to change by clicking on that area in the panel. When you click on a particular user-adjustable area, the corresponding tab sheet opens in the Camera Control window.

Tip

Some camera settings can not be adjusted using Nikon Capture. Follow the instructions in the D1 User’s Manual when you want to:

• take consecutive photographs in continuous shooting mode

• use continuous servo autofocus

• lock shutter speed, aperture, or autoexposure

• use autofocus lock

• use autofocus to check focus without taking a photograph

• adjust aperture manually using the lens aperture ring

• wake the camera up from sleep mode

• use capture preview, record-and-review, or autobracketing The following settings are displayed in the Camera Control window but can not be adjusted using Nikon Capture:

• focus mode

• metering

Shoot Buttons

Beneath the simulated LCD panel are the AF and Shoot (autofocus and shoot) button and the Shoot button, either of which can be selected to take a photo after the settings have been adjusted. The Shoot button is the button you will probably use most often. Use the AF and Shoot button when autofocus is not activated, but you want the camera to autofocus before releasing the shutter (note that an autofocus operation will not be performed when the camera is in manual focus mode). If the focus mode is single-servo AF, the camera will focus before releasing the shutter even when the Shoot button is pressed.

Tip

“Continuous shooting” and “single-frame shooting” in PC mode

In PC mode, you can choose between continuous and single-frame shooting using Custom Setting item 30 (see “Custom Settings” in the camera User’s Manual). In continuous shooting mode, photographs will be taken one after another as long as the shutter-release button on the camera is held down. The Shoot and AF and Shoot buttons in the Camera Control window function as they do in single-frame shooting mode, with one photograph being taken each time either button is clicked.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

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Exposure 1

From the Exposure 1 tab, changes can be made to the following settings:

Exposure Mode:

The following four options are available:

Manual

User controls both aperture and shutter speed.

Aperture Priority

User sets the aperture and the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed. This setting is useful when you want to give priority to depth of field: small apertures can bring background and foreground into focus, while wide apertures can be used to blur the background.

Speed Priority

User sets the shutter speed and the camera automatically adjusts the aperture. High shutter speeds can be used to freeze motion, while low shutter speeds can blur moving objects.

Programmed Auto

User can select combinations of aperture and shutter speed pre-programmed into the camera for various lighting conditions.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

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Shutter Speed:

Shutter speed can only be adjusted in Manual and Speed Priority modes, when it can be set to values between Bulb

and 1/

16,000

sec. (1/

sec. when using a Speedlight). At a setting

500

of Bulb, the shutter remains open for as long as the shutterrelease button is held down.

Aperture:

Aperture can only be adjusted in Manual and Aperture Priority modes, when it can be set to values between f/4.0

and f/22.0 (small apertures have high f-numbers, wide apertures low f-numbers; the actual apertures available depend on the lens used). Aperture can not be controlled from Nikon Capture when Custom Setting 22 has been set to allow aperture to be adjusted manually using the lens aperture ring.

Exposure Compensation:

Exposure compensation is useful when shooting subjects containing sharp lighting contrasts, or on other occasions when you want to modify the exposure value determined by the camera. Exposure compensation can be set to values between –5EV and +5EV (in increments of 1 EV, 1/2 EV, or 1/3 EV, as specified in Custom Setting12). Exposure compensation is available in all exposure modes.

Flexible Program:

Flexible program can only be used in Program Mode, when it allows you to choose from predetermined combinations of shutter speed and aperture appropriate to current lighting conditions. Twenty-one steps from –10 to +10 are available (one step may be equivalent to I EV 1/2 EV or 1/3EV, depending on the option chosen for Custom Setting 12).

Tip

When you attach a Speedlight to the camera, Shutter Speed can be set to values from Bulb to 1/

Because the Bulb setting requires that the shutter-release button be held down, you must use the shutter-release button on the camera to take photos at this setting. The shutter-release button can not be held down in Nikon Capture.

sec or 1/

500

250

sec.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

- 91 -

Exposure 2

From the Exposure 2 tab, changes can be made to the following settings:

Focus Area:

The focus area can not be selected at an AF area mode setting of Closest Subject Priority (see “Camera Operation: Custom Settings”). At other autofocus settings, the focus area can be selected using the arrow buttons. With the AF Area mode set to Single Area AF, the user may select one of five focus sensors, which the camera will use to determine the autofocus target. In Dynamic AF, the user designates the primary sensor, then, if the target moves, dynamic autofocus automatically shifts sensors to track the subject, keeping it focused. The plus pattern displayed to the right of the arrows indicates the active sensor.

Note

See the Mechanical page later in this chapter for information on AF area mode and focus mode settings.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

- 92 -

Metering Mode

The camera’s metering mode setting is displayed; however, adjustments to the metering mode can not be made from Nikon Capture. The following three settings are available using the camera’s metering selector:

Multi-Pattern

Metering is performed by a CCD sensor with 1,005 (67

vertical × 15 horizontal) metering pixels, which sets exposure

using a selection of data from all areas of the frame. This system is particularly effective with brightly-colored (white or yellow) or dark-colored (black or dark green) subjects that occupy a substantial portion of the frame, producing photographs closer to what is seen by the naked eye.

Center-Weighted

The camera measures light in the entire frame, but assigns the greatest weight to a circular area in the center of the viewfinder 8mm (0.31˝) in diameter (the size of the area can be changed using Custom Setting 14). This setting can be used to preserve background details while letting lighting conditions at the center of the frame define exposure.

Spot

The camera measures light only in a 4mm circle (0.15˝) centered on the current focus area. This setting is useful with backlit subjects or on other occasions when the background is much darker or much brighter than your subject.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

- 93 -

Flash Sync Mode:

When taking photographs with a Speedlight, you can choose a flash setting from the following options:

Front Curtain

This mode is recommended in most situations. When using the SB-26, SB-25, or SB-24, set the sync-mode selector on the Speedlight to NORMAL.

Rear Curtain

Use this mode to suggest motion by creating a stream of light that appears to follow moving objects. When this mode is combined with programmed auto or aperturepriority auto, shutter speed is slowed to achieve the same effect as slow sync. When using the SB-26, SB-25, or SB-24, set the Speedlight’s sync mode selector to REAR.

Slow Sync

A lower shutter speed is used in programmed auto and aperture-priority auto exposure modes to bring out background details.

Red Eye Reduction

In this mode, a red-eye reduction pre-flash lights for approximately one second before the main flash, causing the pupils in your subjects’ eyes to contract and reducing the “red-eye” effect a flash can sometimes cause.

Red Eye Slow

This mode combines red-eye reduction with slow sync (available only with SB-28DX, SB-28, SB-27, and SB-26). Set the exposure mode to programmed auto or aperturepriority auto.

Tip

When shooting in low light conditions, or when shutter speed is slowed, use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blurring caused by camera shake.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

- 94 -

Sensitivity

Sensitivity (ISO equivalency) can be set higher than the default setting (ISO 200 equivalent) when taking photographs in low light conditions. By default, four settings (ISO 200, 400, 800, and 1,600 equivalent) are available; sensitivity can be increased by +1 or +2 EV over ISO 1,600 equivalent using Custom Setting 31 (see the camera User’s Manual for details).

Fixed White Balance

White balance is used to ensure that colors which appear white when viewed directly are white in the final photograph. The following settings are available:

Auto The 1,005-pixel CCD adjusts white balance

automatically.

Preset White balance can be set using a white object

as a reference point.

Note

The default sensitivity setting of ISO 200 is recommended in most circumstances. Photographs taken at other settings may include a slight amount of noise.

Direct Sunlight

Use this setting when taking photographs in direct sunlight.

Shade Use this setting when taking photographs in

the shade in sunny weather.

Overcast Use this setting when taking photographs

under overcast skies.

Incandescent Use this setting when taking photographs

indoors under incandescent light.

Fluorescent Use this setting when taking photographs

indoors under fluorescent light.

Flash Use this setting with Nikon Speedlights.

Note

Fixed White Balance Adjustment (following) can be used to help compensate for unusual crossover lighting or to produce an intentionally unbalanced rendering of a scene.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

- 95 -

Fixed White Balance Adjustment

Click the button (Windows) or the Choose… button (Macintosh) to make fine adjustments to the white balance settings chosen in the white-balance pop-up menu. balance can be adjusted from –3 to +3 in increments of 1.

White

Adjustments made using the sliders apply to the associated white balance setting. Clicking the Reset button returns all values to defaults. Click OK to apply the current settings to the camera, or click Cancel to discard any changes and return to the Camera Control window.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

- 96 -

Storage

From the Storage tab, changes can be made to the following settings:

Color Mode

Color mode can only be adjusted at a pixel bit depth (data format) of eight bits, when the user can choose from Color and Black and White.

Data Format

Data formats of RAW (16-bit), TIFF-RGB (8-bit), TIFFYCbCr (8-bit), and JPEG (8-bit) are available (because

black-and-white is not available when shooting RAW images, the Color Mode menu is disabled at a setting of RAW (16-

bit)).

Compression

At a Data Format setting of JPEG (8-bits), you can set image quality (JPEG compression) to FINE, NORMAL, or BASIC.

Note

File size, memory, and hard disk requirements are the same for color and for black-and-white images.

Uncompressed images range in size from approximately 4 MB to 7.8 MB. While file size can be reduced using compression, compressed images may show some loss in image quality.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

Note

A Color Mode setting of Black and White is available only in JPEG and TIFF data formats.

- 97 -

Mechanical

From the Mechanical tab, changes can be made to the following settings:

Shooting Mode

Sets the shooting mode for PC mode to Single (single-frame shooting) or Continuous (continuous shooting). At a setting of Continuous, photographs will be taken as long as the camera’s shutter-release button is held down. The advance rate can be set in the Custom Settings window (see “Custom Settings,” later in this chapter). Changes to this setting are applied to Custom Setting 30 in the camera’s memory.

AF Area Mode

The following options are available:

Single Area AF

The camera focuses on the subject in the area selected for autofocus. This mode is useful when focusing on subjects that are relatively stationary.

Dynamic AF

The camera first focuses on the subject in the area selected for autofocus. If the subject moves to another focus area, the camera will automatically shift the focus area to follow it (the focus area shown in the viewfinder will not, however, change). This makes it possible to focus on subjects that are moving irregularly.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

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Focus Mode

The autofocus mode setting is displayed. While adjustments to autofocus mode can not be made from Nikon Capture, the following settings are available on the camera:

Single Servo

The shutter can only be released when the in-focus indicator

(●) appears in the simulated LCD panel in the Camera

Control window or in the camera’s viewfinder.

Continuous Servo

The camera will focus continuously as long as the shutterrelease button on the camera is held down. The shutter can be released even when the camera is not in focus.

Manual

Use in situations where autofocus may not work as expected or a lens other than an AF Nikkor is attached.

Lens

Displays the focal length and maximum aperture of the lens currently attached to the camera. Depending on the lens type, some information may not be displayed.

Main Battery Level

Displays the level of the main camera battery, the power source for all primary camera functions, including metering and autofocus. When the indicator drops to one third or less, replace the battery pack with a fully charged spare battery pack or use an EH-4 AC adapter (available separately).

Clock Battery Level

Displays the level of the camera’s clock battery, which powers the D1’s internal clock and internal memory when the camera is turned off and/or the main battery is removed.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

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Saving and Loading Camera Control Settings

Using Nikon Capture, it is possible to save Camera Control settings as well as to load and apply previously saved settings. Select Camera Control from the Settings menu.

Load

After selecting the Load… command, an “Open” dialog will appear, asking you to choose the Camera Control settings file you want to open. Navigate to the directory where the file is saved (the default is the folder to which Nikon Capture was installed) and open the file (Windows users should look for the “.ncc” extension on Camera Control settings files). The current settings in the Camera Control window will change to those of the file you just opened.

Save…

After making all of the necessary adjustments to the Camera Control window and selecting the Save… command from Settings > Camera Control, use the “Save As” dialog to name the file and determine where it is to be saved (the default is the folder to which Nikon Capture was installed). Windows users will see the extension “.ncc” added to the file name.

Tip

Right-button menu (Windows)

The Camera Control submenu can be displayed by right-clicking in the Camera Control window.

Camera Operation: Camera Control

- 100 -

Nikon CAPTURE Reference Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Notices

About This Manual

Welcome to Nikon Capture!

Principle Features

Basic Operation

Before Starting Nikon Capture

Starting Nikon Capture

Quitting Nikon Capture

Using Nikon Capture

Capturing and Deleting Photographs

Capturing Photos as They Are Taken

Loading Images from the Camera

Adjusting White Balance for RAW Images

Deleting Camera Images

Formatting the Camera Memory Card

Accessing Memory Cards Directly

The Disk Space Indicator (Windows Only)

Working with Images

Image Windows

Creating a Copy of an Image

Opening an Image File

Selecting a Crop

Zoom

Rotating and Flipping Images

The Information Window

The Bird’s Eye Window

Image Adjustment

Output Size and Resolution

Curves

Color Adjustment

Unsharp Mask

Saving Images

File Formats

Saving Multiple Images

Saving Photographs Directly to Disk

Camera Operation

Camera Control