Nikon COOLPIX 990 Fast Track Guide

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Fast T rack Guide

COOLPIX 990

This Fast T rack Guide takes you through the steps involved in setting up your camera and using it in “A-REC,” an automatic, point-andshoot mode designed to produce the best results in most circumstances. For more complete information, refer to the Guide to Digital Photogra- phy. Cross-references to other documentation are marked by the following symbols:

Guide to Digital Photography

(page numbers refer to the print edition)

For Your Safety

6 Check the focus mode

By default, the camera automatically adjusts focus for subjects 30 cm (1 ft.) or more from the lens. To choose another focus setting, press the options are available:

button. The following

Autofocus (default) Infinity (∞)

Captures distant scenes with maximum clarity. Flash turns off automatically.

“Basic Photography: Focus” (pg. 27) “Basic Photography: Using the Flash” (pg. 26)

1 Insert the batteries

Before inserting or removing batteries, turn the camera off.

The battery chamber is in the bottom of the camera handgrip. To open, unlatch the cover and flip it open. Insert four AA (LR6) batteries as shown inside the cover. Close the cover and, pressing the label “▼Push” to keep the cover firmly closed, return the latch to the locked position.

“First Steps: Putting Batteries

in the Camera” (pg. 9)

Macro close-up

Use this mode when taking photos of small objects at close range. At the middle optical zoom position (shown by a yellow LCD monitor), you can focus on objects as little as 2 cm (0.8 in.) from the lens.

Self timer

Delays shutter release to prevent camera shake or for self portraits. Press the shutter-release button once for a ten-second delay, twice for a delay of three seconds.

icon in the

2 Insert the memory card

Before inserting or removing the memory card, turn the camera off.

Open the card-slot cover and slide the memory card in as shown above (1). Fold the eject button over (2) before closing the cardslot cover.

“First Steps: Inserting the

Memory Card” (pg. 11)

7 Check the flash setting

By default, the flash automatically fires when lighting is poor. To choose another flash setting, press the options are available:

button. The following

Auto (default) Flash fires when needed. Flash Cancel (off)

Select A-REC

Turn the mode dial to A-REC. Check that the control panel on top of the camera is on and that the battery indicator is not flashing.

“First Steps: Taking a Photograph” (pg. 15)

Auto with red-eye reduction

Preflash fires before main flash to reduce red-eye effects a flash can sometimes cause. Anytime Flash (fill flash) Use when photographing a back-lit subject.

Slow sync

Balances the flash and background lighting. Ideal for low-light photography at night.

4 Set the time and date

Press the MENU button to display the A-REC menu. Choose Date and use the multi selector to set the camera to the current time and date.

“First Steps: Setting the Time

and Date” (pg. 13)

8 Adjust image quality

Together with image size, image quality determines the number of images that can be stored on the memory card. Press the button to choose an image-quality setting from:

NORMAL

Default

FINE

Fewer pictures, higher quality

BASIC

More pictures, basic quality

“Basic Photography: Image

Quality and Size” (pg. 31)

5 Adjust viewfinder diopter

The diopter adjustment dial next to the viewfinder can be used to adjust the finder to suit individual differences in vision.

“First Steps: Getting to Know

the COOLPIX 990” (pg. 4)

9 Choose an image size

To select an image size, turn the command dial while pressing the

button.

Full (2048 × 1536 pixels)

XGA

1024 × 768 pixels

VGA

640 × 480 pixels

3:2

2048 × 1360 pixels (same proportions as 35 mm film)

“Basic Photography: Image

Quality and Size” (pg. 31)

Parts of the COOLPIX 990

1 Shutter-release button 2 Mode dial 3 Exposure compensation

(FUNC 2) button 4 Command dial 5 Multi Selector 6 Zoom-in ( ) button 7 Zoom-out ( ) button 8 Image-quality/Size button 9 Flash/Sensitivity (Thumbnail)

button ( )

10 Focus mode (Delete)

button ( )

11 LCD Monitor 12 Autofocus lamp 13 Flash-ready lamp 14 Viewfinder eyepiece 15 MONITOR button

9 19

16 MENU button 17 Control panel 18 MODE (FUNC 1) button 19 Lens 20 Viewfinder 21 Built-in flash 22 Red-eye reduction lamp 23 Photocell 24 Connector for external flash 25 Diopter adjustment dial 26 Tripod socket 27 Battery-chamber latch 28 Battery-chamber cover 29 Eyelet for camera strap 30 Memory card slot 31 USB/serial connector 32 VIDEO OUT 33 DC-IN connector

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10Compose a photograph

Use the zoom buttons to frame your subject in the viewfinder or LCD monitor. The and increasing the field of view. The the LCD monitor is on or the camera is connected to a television set, you can hold the digital zoom mode (C), where you can zoom in a further × 4.0.

COOLPIX 990

button zooms the camera out (A), reducing magnification

button zooms the camera in (B). If

button down for two seconds at maximum zoom to enter

“Basic Photography: Optical and Digital Zoom” (pg. 24)

11Check focus and flash

Gently depress the shutter-release button halfway and check the autofocus and flash indicators next to the viewfinder. The camera is ready to take a picture when the autofocus lamp (green) glows steadily and the flash lamp (red) is not blinking.

12Take a picture

To take a picture, fully depress the shutter-release button.

“First Steps: Taking a Photograph” (pg. 15)

▼ ▼

13Check the results

The picture just taken will be displayed briefly in the LCD monitor while the camera transfers it to memory. Press the button to freeze the display for twenty seconds. If you are not satisfied with the results, press ( ) to delete the photo before returning to shooting mode.

“Basic Photography: Reviewing

Photographs” (pg. 35)

( )

How Many Images Can I Record?

The approximate number of images that can be recorded on an 16 MB memory card at different combinations of image quality and size is shown in the following chart:

VGA 3:2XGAFull

FINE

NORMAL

BASIC

~10

“Basic Photography: Image Quality and Size” (pg. 31)

~100 ~11~40 ~187 ~23~79~20 ~333 ~46~151~40

Playback

To play images back, turn the mode dial to PLAY. The most recent image in memory will be displayed in the LCD monitor. The operations that can be performed in singleimage playback are summarized in the following chart:

Button Operation Function

Rotate

Press

( ) Press

Press Cancel zoom

( ) Press

Press Start or stop movie playback

View additional information on

current photo

View other photographs in

memory

Zoom in on photograph (use

multi selector to scroll image)

Select current photo for

deletion

“Playback” (pg. 62)

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