Nikon CP4200 User Manual

The Nikon Guide to Digital Photography

with the

DIGITAL CAMERA

Trademark Information

Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Mac OS, Power Macintosh, PowerBook, and Quick Time are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Finder, Power Mac, iMac, and iBook are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Internet is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation. Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc. The SD logo is a trademark of the SD Card Association. PictBridge is a trademark. All other trade names mentioned in this manual or the other documentation provided with your Nikon product are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

For Your Safety

To prevent damage to your Nikon product or injury to yourself or to others, read the following safety precautions in their entirety before using this equipment. Keep these safety instructions where all those who use the product will read them.

The consequences that could result from failure to observe the precautions listed in this section are indicated by the following symbol:

This icon marks warnings, information that should be read before using this product to prevent possible injury.

WARNINGS

Do not look at the sun through the viewfinder

Viewing the sun or other strong light source through the viewfinder could cause permanent visual impairment.

Turn off immediately in the event of malfunction

Should you notice smoke or an unusual smell coming from the equipment or from the AC adapter kit (available separately), unplug the AC adapter kit and remove the battery immediately, taking care to avoid burns. Continued operation could result in injury. After removing the battery, take the equipment to a Nikon-authorized service representative for inspection.

Do not use in the presence of flammable gas

Do not use electronic equipment in the presence of flammable gas, as this could result in explosion or fire.

Do not place strap around the neck of an infant or child

Placing the camera strap around the neck of an infant or child could result in strangulation.

Do not disassemble

Touching the product's internal parts could result in injury. In the event of malfunction, the product should be repaired only by a qualified technician. Should the product break open as the result of a fall or other accident, take the product to a Nikon-authorized service representative for inspection after unplugging the AC adapter kit and removing the battery.

Observe proper precautions when handling batteries

Batteries may leak or explode if improperly handled. Observe the following precautions when handling a battery for use in this product:

• Before replacing the battery, turn the product off and make sure the power-on lamp has gone out. If you are using an AC adapter kit, be sure it is unplugged.

• Use only rechargeable Nikon ENEL5 lithium-ion batteries (supplied).

• When inserting the battery, do not attempt to insert it upside down or backwards.

• Do not short or disassemble batteries.

• Do not expose batteries to flame or to excessive heat.

• Do not immerse in or expose to water.

• Do not transport or store with metal objects such as necklaces or hairpins.

• Batteries are prone to leakage when fully discharged. To avoid damage to the product, be sure to remove the battery when no charge remains.

• Immediately after use, or when the product is used on battery power for an extended period, the battery may become hot. Before removing the battery, turn the camera off and allow the battery to cool.

• Discontinue use immediately should you notice any change in the battery, such as discoloration or deformation.

Use appropriate cables

When connecting cables to the input and output jacks, use only the cables provided or sold by Nikon for the purpose, to maintain compliance with product regulations.

Keep out of reach of children

Particular care should be taken to prevent infants from putting the batteries or other small parts into their mouths.

Removing memory cards

Memory cards may become hot during use. Observe due caution when removing memory cards from the camera.

CD-ROMs

The CD-ROMs on which the software and manuals are distributed should not be played back on audio CD equipment. Playing CDROMs on an audio CD player could cause hearing loss or damage the equipment.

Observe caution when operating the flash

Using the flash close to your subject’s eyes could cause temporary visual impairment. Particular care should be observed if photographing infants, when the flash should be no less than one meter (39”) from the subject.

Avoid contact with liquid crystal

Should the monitor break, care should be taken to avoid injury due to broken glass and to prevent liquid crystal from the monitor touching the skin or entering the eyes or mouth.

Notices

• No part of the manuals included with this product may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form, by any means, without Nikon's prior written permission.

• Nikon reserves the right to change the specifications of the hardware and software described in these manuals at any time and without prior notice.

Notice for customers in the U.S.A.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Radio Frequency Interference Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment

and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.

• Nikon will not be held liable for any damages resulting from the use of this product.

• While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in these manuals is accurate and complete, we would appreciate it were you to bring any errors or omissions to the attention of the Nikon representative in your area (address provided separately).

E4200

CAUTIONS

Modifications

The FCC requires the user to be notified that any changes or modifications made to this device that are not expressly approved by Nikon Corporation may void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

Interface Cables

Use the interface cables sold or provided by Nikon for your equipment. Using other interface cables may exceed the limits of Class B Part 15 of the FCC rules.

Notice for customers in the State of California

WARNING: Handling the cord on this product

will expose you to lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.

Nikon Inc., 1300 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, New York 11747-3064, U.S.A. Tel.: 631-547-4200

iii

Notice for customers in Canada

CAUTION ATTENTION

This class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numéique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

Notice Concerning Prohibition of Copying or Reproduction

Note that simply being in possession of material that has been digitally copied or reproduced by means of a scanner, digital camera or other device may be punishable by law.

• Items prohibited by law from being copied or reproduced

Do not copy or reproduce paper money, coins, securities, government bonds, or local government bonds, even if such copies or reproductions are stamped “Sample”.

The copying or reproduction of paper money, coins, or securities which are circulated in a foreign country is prohibited.

Unless the prior permission of the government has been obtained, the copying or reproduction of unused postage stamps or post cards issued by the government is prohibited.

The copying or reproduction of stamps issued by the government and of certified documents stipulated by law is prohibited.

• Cautions on certain copies and reproductions

The government has issued cautions o n copies or reproductions of securities issued by private companies (shares, bills, checks, gift certificates, etc.), commuter passes, or coupon tickets, except when a minimum of necessary copies are to be provided for business use by a company. Also, do not copy or reproduce passports issued by the government, licenses issued by public agencies and private groups, ID cards, and tickets, such as passes and meal coupons.

• Comply with copyright notices

The copying or reproduction of copyrighted creative works such as books, music, paintings, woodcut prints, maps, drawings, movies, and photographs is governed by national and international copyright laws. Do not use this product for the purpose of making illegal copies or to infringe copyright laws.

Use Only Nikon Brand Electronic Accessories

Nikon COOLPIX cameras are designed to the highest standards and include complex electronic circuitry. Only Nikon brand electronic accessories (including battery chargers, batteries, AC adapters, and Speedlights) certified by Nikon specifically for use with this Nikon digital camera are engineered and proven to operate within the operational and safety requirements of this electronic circuitry.

THE USE OF NON-NIKON ELECTRONIC ACCESSORIES COULD DAMAGE THE CAMERA

AND MAY VOID YOUR

Li-ion batteries not approved by Nikon could interfere with normal operation of the camera or result in the batteries overheating, igniting, rupturing, or leaking.

For more information about Nikon brand accessories, contact a local authorized Nikon dealer.

Before Taking Important Pictures

Before taking pictures on important occasions (such as at weddings or before taking the camera with you on a trip), take a test shot to ensure that the camera is functioning normally. Nikon will not be held liable for damages or lost profits that may result from product malfunction.

Life-Long Learning

As part of Nikon's “Life-Long Learning” commitment to ongoing product support and education, continually-updated information is available on-line at the following sites:

• For users in the U.S.A.: http://www.nikonusa.com/

• For users in Europe: http://www.europe-nikon.com/support

• For users in Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa: http://www.nikon-asia.com/

Visit these sites to keep up-to-date with the latest product information, tips, answers to frequently-asked questions (FAQs), and general advice on digital imaging and photography. Additional information may be available from the Nikon representative in your area. See the URL below for contact information:

http://nikonimaging.com/

NIKON WARRANTY. The use of third-party rechargeable

Table of Contents

For Your Safety ..................................................................................................................... i

Notices ............................................................................................................................... iii

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi

Introduction........................................................................................................................ 1

Before You Begin ................................................................................ 2

Parts of the Camera ............................................................................................................ 2

The Monitor........................................................................................................................ 4

The Mode Dial .................................................................................................................... 6

Navigating the Menus ......................................................................................................... 7

The Shutter-Release Button ................................................................................................. 7

First Steps............................................................................................. 8

Inserting Batteries ............................................................................................................... 8

Inserting Memory Cards.................................................................................................... 10

Checking the Battery Level................................................................................................ 12

Basic Setup ....................................................................................................................... 14

Basic Photography............................................................................. 17

Step 1–Select Mode................................................................................................... 17

Step 2–Frame the Picture .................................................................................................. 19

Step 3–Focus and Shoot.................................................................................................... 21

Step 4–View the Results (Full-screen Playback) .................................................................. 24

Scene Mode ....................................................................................... 27

Assist and Scene Modes .................................................................................................... 27

Framing Assist................................................................................................................... 28

Scene Mode............................................................................................................. 34

Taking Pictures for a Panorama.................................................................................. 40

More on Photography....................................................................... 42

When Lighting Is Poor: Using the Flash ......................................................................... 42

Taking a Self-Portrait: Using the Self-Timer.................................................................. 44

Easy Close-Ups: Macro Close-Up Mode ....................................................................... 46

Controlling Exposure: Exposure Compensation ........................................................... 47

Movies................................................................................................ 49

Selects Movie Types .......................................................................................................... 49

Recording Movies........................................................................................................ 51

Viewing Movies ................................................................................................................ 52

More on Playback.............................................................................. 53

Viewing Pictures on the Camera........................................................................................ 53

Cropping Pictures .............................................................................................................. 56

Voice Memos: Recording and Playback .............................................................................. 57

Viewing Pictures on TV ...................................................................................................... 59

Viewing Pictures on a Computer ....................................................................................... 60

Printing Pictures ................................................................................................................ 64

Print Set ...................................................................................................................... 65

Printing via Direct USB Connection .................................................................................... 68

The Shooting Menu........................................................................... 73

Using the Shooting Menu.................................................................................................. 73

Image Mode...................................................................................................................... 75

White Balance ................................................................................................................... 79

Metering ........................................................................................................................... 81

Continuous ....................................................................................................................... 82

Best Shot Selector ............................................................................................................. 84

Image Adjustment ............................................................................................................. 85

Image Sharpening ............................................................................................................. 86

Sensitivity .......................................................................................................................... 87

Auto Bracketing ................................................................................................................ 88

Saturation Control............................................................................................................. 90

AF Area Mode ................................................................................................................... 91

Auto-focus Mode .............................................................................................................. 94

Noise Reduction ................................................................................................................ 95

The Playback Menu ........................................................................... 96

Using the Playback Menu .................................................................................................. 96

Slide Show .................................................................................................................. 97

Delete .......................................................................................................................... 99

Protect .................................................................................................................... 101

Auto Transfer .......................................................................................................... 102

Small Pic. .................................................................................................................. 105

Copy ......................................................................................................................... 106

vii

The Setup Menu .............................................................................. 109

Using the Setup Menu .................................................................................................... 109

Welcome Screen ...................................................................................................... 110

Date .......................................................................................................................... 112

Monitor Settings ...................................................................................................... 115

Date Imprint ................................................................................................................... 116

Brightness ................................................................................................................. 117

Sound Settings .......................................................................................................... 118

Auto Off ......................................................................................................................... 119

Format Memory/Card...................................................................................................... 119

Language ................................................................................................................... 120

USB.......................................................................................................................... 121

Video Mode.................................................................................................................... 121

Reset All ..................................................................................................................... 121

Firmware Version ...................................................................................................... 122

Technical Notes................................................................................ 123

Optional Accessories ....................................................................................................... 123

Caring for Your Camera.................................................................................................. 126

Error Messages ............................................................................................................... 129

Troubleshooting.............................................................................................................. 133

Specifications.................................................................................................................. 136

Index .............................................................................................................................. 139

viii

Introduction

Thank you for your purchase of a Nikon COOLPIX 4200 digital camera. This manual has been written to help you enjoy taking pictures with your Nikon digital camera. Read this manual thoroughly before use, and keep it handy when using the product.

Symbols Used in this Manual

To make it easier to find the information you need, the following symbols and conventions are used:

This icon marks cautions, information that should be read before use to prevent damage to your camera.

This icon marks notes, information that should be read before using your camera.

This icon marks tips, additional information that may be helpful when using your camera.

This icon indicates that more information is available elsewhere in this manual or in the Quick Start Guide.

Before You Begin

First Steps

Basic Photography

Scene Mode

More on Photography

Movies

Internal Memory and SD Memory Card

This camera uses both internal memory and a SD memory card for storing pictures. If you insert a memory card into the camera, pictures will automatically be stored on the card instead of in the internal memory. To store, view or delete pictures in the internal memory or to format the internal memory, remove the memory card first.

More on Playback

The Shooting Menu

The Playback Menu

The Setup Menu

Technical Notes

Before You Begin

Parts of the Camera

Shutter-release button ( 7)

Before You Begin

Power-on lamp (12)

Mode dial ( 6)

Self-timer lamp ( 44)/ AF-Assist illuminator (LED; 22, 127, 136)

Viewfinder

Built-in Speedlight ( 42)

Power switch (12)

Eyelet for camera strap

Memory card slot cover (10)

Power connector cover for AC adapter kit ( 124)

Attaching the Camera Strap

Microphone (57)

Lens ( 19)

Lens not extended

Lens cover

Zoom ( / ) buttons ( 19)

Green (AF) lamp ( 21)

Multi selector (/ / / ) ( 7)

Red ( ) lamp ( 21)

Viewfinder ( 19)

Monitor

(4, 5)

Interface connector cover

(delete) button ( 25)

MENU button ( 74, 96)

USB ( 62)/ Audio/Video (A/V) out ( 59) connector

(center)/ (transfer)

button ( 7, 60)

Speaker

Batterychamber cover ( 8)

(play) button

Tripod socket ( 41, 44)

Power connector cover for AC adapter kit ( 124)

Before You Begin

Interface connector cover

Battery latch ( 8)

Battery-chamber cover ( 8)

The Monitor

Shooting

Before You Begin

23 18

1 Shooting mode . . . . . 17, 27, 49

2 Zoom indicator 3 Focus indicator

4 Macro close-up mode . . . . . . 46

5 Battery level indicator 6 Internal memory/memory card

indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

7 Camera shake icon 8 “Date not set” icon

9 Time zone indicator

10 Self-timer indicator . . . . . . . . 44

11 Date imprint indicator . . . . . 116

12 Number of exposures remaining/

length of movie. . . . . 17, 18, 51

13 Flash mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

14 Focus area

15 Image quality . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

16 Image size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

17 Exposure compensation . . . . 47

. . . . . . . . .19

. . . . . . . . .21

. . . . . 12

. . 43, 129

. . . . . . 16

. . . . . 112

. . . . . . . . . .23, 91

546

7 8

10 11

18 Sensitivity (ISO equivalency) . 87 19 Bracketing 20 White balance bracketing

21 Best Shot Selector (BSS) . . . . 84

22 Noise reduction . . . . . . . . . . 95

23 Continuous shooting mode . . . 82

24 White balance . . . . . . . . . . . 79

25 Image adjustment . . . . . . . . 85

26 Image sharpening . . . . . . . . 86

1) Appears when the zoom buttons are pressed.

2) Appears when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

3) Appears when the battery is running low.

4) Appears at slow shutter speeds to warn that pictures may be blurred.

5) Blinks when the camera clock has not been set.

6) Appears when the new city time zone has been set.

7) Displays the focus area when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway if AF area mode has been set to Auto.

8) Appears when the Bracketing has been set.

9) Appears when the White balance bracketing has been set.

12131516

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

. 88

Playback

18 17

16 15 14

1 2

3 4

5 6

91112

Before You Begin

START

1 Current folder . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

2 File number and type . . . . . . 26

3 Internal memory/memory card

indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

4 Battery level indicator* . . . . . 12

5 Volume indicator. . . . . . . . .118

6 Voice memo recording guide . . 57 7 Voice memo playback guide. . . 57 8 Current frame number/total

number of frames/length of

movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24, 51

9 Voice memo icon . . . . . . . . . 57

Display in the Monitor

Use Monitor settings in the setup menu to switch to display or hide information for shooting or playback ( 115). To show information, set Monitor settings to Show

info, Auto info, or Framing grid. To hide information on the monitor, set Monitor settings to Hide info. To turn off the monitor, set Monitor settings to Monitor off.

If the battery level indicator appears, the monitor will turn off temporarily while the flash is charging ( 12, 22).

10 Movie playback icon . . . . . . 52

11 Image quality . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

12 Image size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

13 Movie indicator . . . . . . . . . . 51

14 Protect icon . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

15 Print-order icon . . . . . . . . . . 65

16 Transfer icon . . . . . . . . . . . 102

17 Time of recording . . . . . . . . 14

18 Date of recording. . . . . . . . . 14

* Appears when the battery is running low.

The Mode Dial

Using the mode dial, you can select from seven shooting modes and the setup mode. Choose a shooting mode according to shooting conditions.

Before You Begin

Movie ( 51 - 52)

Choose from three movie modes. You can make movies with sound.

To select a mode, align the mode icon with the “ ” mark next to the mode dial.

Auto ( 17)

A simple “point-and-shoot” mode in which the majority of camera settings are controlled by the camera. You can choose from thirteen shooting menus to achieve the desired effect.

Scene ( 27, 34)

Choose from eleven “scenes” suited to different subjects or shooting conditions and let the camera do the rest.

Setup ( 109 - 122)

Choose this mode to display the setup menu, where you can perform such tasks as setting the camera clock and adjusting monitor brightness.

Portrait Assist

Landscape Assist

Sports Assist

Night Portrait Assist

Use framing assist to help compose pictures suited to a particular type of subject ( 27 - 28).

Navigating the Menus

The multi selector is used to navigate through the camera menus.

Move cursor up.

Press to make selection.

Cancel and return to previous menu, or move cursor left.

Move cursor down.

Display sub-menu, move cursor right, or make selection.

The Shutter-Release Button

Your camera has a two stage shutter-release button. The camera sets focus and exposure when the button is pressed halfway. The green (AF) lamp next to the viewfinder and the focus indicator in the monitor will light when the focus operation is complete. Focus and exposure will remain locked while the shutter-release button is pressed halfway. To take the picture, press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down.

Before You Begin

Press the

button

halfway.

Press the

button the

rest of the

way down.

First Steps

Inserting Batteries

Your camera uses Nikon EN-EL5 rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

• Provided with camera

• Can be recharged using supplied MH-61 battery charger (be sure to

charge battery before using camera for first time or after long period of disuse). About two hours are required to charge battery when no charge remains.

First Steps

Open the battery-chamber cover

Slide the cover in the direction shown in ( ) until it stops and open the cover ( ).

Insert the battery

Insert the battery as shown in the label at the entrance to the battery chamber, making sure the positive “+” and negative “–” terminals are in the correct orientation. The small projection on the battery is on the same side as the negative terminal.

Inserting Batteries

Inserting the battery upside down or backwards could damage the camera. Check to be sure the battery is in the correct orientation.

The orange battery latch is pushed aside as the battery is inserted. The latch will close when the battery is fully inserted.

Battery latch

Close the battery-chamber cover

Close the cover ( ) and slide it in until it latches ( ). Ensure the cover is closed firmly.

Replacing Batteries

Turn the camera off and make sure that the power-on lamp has gone out before opening the battery-chamber cover. Slide the battery latch in the direction indicated to eject the battery, which can then be removed using your fingers.

• Note that the battery may become hot during use. Observe due caution when removing the battery.

First Steps

Read Battery Warnings

Read and follow the battery warnings and cautions on pages i - ii and page 128 of this manual, together with any warnings and instructions supplied by the battery manufacturer.

Alternative Power Sources

To power the camera continuously for extended periods, use an optional EH-62A AC adapter kit. Do not, under any circumstances, use another make or model of AC adapter. Failure to observe this precaution could result in overheating or in damage to the camera. For more information on attaching instructions for EH-62A AC adapter kit, see “Connecting the EH-62A AC Adapter Kit” ( 124).

Inserting Memory Cards

Pictures can be stored in the camera’s internal memory (about 12 MB) or on Secure Digital (SD) memory card. If no memory card has been inserted in the camera, pictures will be stored in the camera’s internal memory, and if the camera contains a memory card, then pictures will automatically be stored on the card. To store pictures in the internal memory, remove the memory card.

First Steps

Direction of insertion

Terminals

Front

Confirm that the camera is off

The power-on lamp should be off.

Open the memory card slot cover

Slide the cover in the direction shown in ( ) until it stops, and the cover will open automatically ( ).

Insert the memory card

Insert the memory card in the direction of the arrow shown on the label at the entrance to the memory card slot until it stops.

Inserting Memory Cards

Insert the memory card terminals first. Inserting the card upside down or backwards could damage the camera or the card. Check to be sure the card is in the correct orientation.

Close the memory card slot cover

Close the cover ( ) and slide it until it latches ( ). Ensure the cover is closed firmly.

Formatting Memory Cards

Memory cards must be formatted using the COOLPIX4200 before first use. For information on formatting memory cards, see Format Memory/Card ( 119) in the setup menu.

Removing Memory Cards

Memory cards can be removed without loss of data when the camera is off. To remove memory cards, turn the camera off and confirm that the power-on lamp is

Do not open the memory card slot cover while

off. the power-on lamp is lit. Open the memory card slot cover and press the memory card to partially eject the card. The card can then be removed by hand.

• Memory cards may become hot during use; observe due caution when removing memory cards.

Memory Cards

• Use only Secure Digital (SD) memory cards.

• Do not disassemble or modify.

• Do not drop, bend, or expose to water or strong physical shocks.

• Do not touch the metal terminals with your fingers or metal objects.

• Do not affix labels or stickers to the memory card.

• Do not leave in direct sunlight in a closed vehicle or in other areas exposed to high temperatures.

• Do not expose to high levels of humidity or to corrosive gas.

The Write Protect Switch

Memory cards are equipped with a write protect switch to prevent accidental loss of data. When this switch is in the “lock” position, pictures can not be recorded, deleted, or edited, and the card can not be formatted. Do not lock the card when taking, deleting, or editing pictures or when transferring pictures to a computer.

Write protect switch When the memory card is locked,

pictures can be played back but can not be recorded, deleted, edited, or transferred using the ( ) button on the camera, and the card can not be formatted.

First Steps

Checking the Battery Level

Turn the camera on

• Press the power switch.

• The power-on lamp lights when the cam-

era is on.

First Steps

Check the battery level in the moni-

tor

When the camera is turned on for the first time, a language-selection dialog will be displayed. Choose the desired language and press . See “Basic Setup” ( 14).

Battery Level

Display Meaning

NO ICON Battery fully charged.

Low battery. If flash fires, monitor turns off while Speed-

(lights)

WARNING!!

BATTERY

EXHAUSTED

The red ( ) and green (AF) lamps will blink when the “WARNING!! BATTERY EXHAUSTED” warning is displayed.

Turning the Camera Off

To turn the camera off when the power-on lamp is lit, press the power switch.

• Do not remove the battery or disconnect the EH-62A AC adapter kit (optional) until the poweron lamp has gone out.

light recharges.

Battery exhausted. Charge or replace with a fully charged battery.

The Button

The camera can also be turned on by pressing the button for about two seconds. Your most recent picture will be displayed in the monitor ( 53).

The Power-On Lamp

The power-on lamp indicates the following:

When the power-on lamp is The camera is

On On

Blinking In standby mode

Off Off

Auto Power Off (Standby Mode)

If no operations are performed for one minute (default setting), the monitor will turn off automatically and the camera will enter standby mode to reduce the drain on the battery. While the camera is in standby mode, the power-on lamp will blink. If no operations are performed for three minutes after the camera enters standby mode, the power will turn off automatically and the power-on lamp will go out. The camera will be reactivated from standby mode when you:

• Press the power switch

• Press the shutter-release button halfway

• Press the

• Press the MENU button to display the menu for the current mode

• Rotate the mode dial to select a new mode

The length of time before the camera enters standby mode can be changed using the Auto off option in the setup menu ( 119). However, when a menu or the setup menu is displayed, the monitor will turn off after three minutes, and when pictures are being shown in a non-stop slide show ( 97) or when the camera is powered by an AC adapter kit, the monitor will turn off after thirty minutes. When connecting the camera to a computer or printer with a USB cable, Auto power off function does not work.

button to view the last picture taken

First Steps

Basic Setup

The first time the camera is turned on, a language-selection dialog will be displayed in the monitor. Follow the steps below to choose a language and set the time and date.

First Steps

Highlight Deutsch (German), English, Español (Spanish), Français (French), Italiano, (Italian), Nederlands (Dutch), Svenska (Swedish),

(Japanese), (Simplified Chinese), or (Korean), and press .

TIME ZONE menu displayed.*

Display map of world time zones. Select home time zone.

Confirmation dialog displayed. Highlight Yes.

* To turn daylight saving time on or

off, press to highlight Day-

lightSaving and press . When DaylightSaving is checked, time

will automatically be advanced one hour ( 114). To return to Step 3, press to highlight current time zone.

Display DATE menu.

• When turning the camera on and setting the date and time for the first time, you can not return to HOME TIME ZONE menu.

Edit Day (order of Day, Month, and Year may differ in some areas).

First Steps

Select Month. Repeat steps 7 - 8 to edit Month, Year, hour, and minute.

Choose order in which Day, Month, and Year will be displayed.

Highlight D M Y.

Exit to mode currently selected with the mode dial. Note that time and date of recording will not be imprinted on pictures unless Date or Date and time is selected for Date imprint ( 116).

Date not Set

If you exit without setting time and date, the (“date not set”) icon will flash in the monitor when the camera is in shooting mode and all pictures will have time stamp of “0000.00.00 00:00” (still images) or “2004.01.01 00:00” (movies).

The Clock Battery

When the main battery is installed or the camera is powered by an EH-62A AC adapter kit (optional), the clock battery will charge in about ten hours. When fully charged, the clock battery can provide several days of back-up power.

First Steps

The Camera Clock

The camera clock is less accurate than most watches or household clocks. Check the clock regularly against more accurate timepieces and reset as necessary.

Time Zones

The local time or daylight saving time can be set when traveling abroad. See Date ( 112) in the setup menu for details.

Setting the Clock from Provided Software (Windows XP/Mac OS X

Only)

If the camera is connected with the USB option set to PTP ( 60) in the setup menu, provided software can be used to set the camera clock to the same time and date as the computer. See the provided software Reference Manual (on CD) for details.

Basic Photography

Step 1–Select Mode

This section details the basic steps involved in taking pictures in (auto shooting mode). In this automatic, “point-and-shoot” mode, the majority of camera settings are controlled by the camera in response to shooting conditions, producing optimal results in most situations.

Rotate the mode dial to

Shooting mode

indicates auto shooting mode.

Image size

Choose from five options depending on how you plan to use the picture ( 77). The default setting is

4M (2272

Image quality

Choose from three options depending on how you plan to use the picture ( 75). The default setting is NORMAL.

× 1704).

Turn t he cam era on

The power-on lamp will light and the monitor will display a welcome screen ( 110). The camera is ready to shoot when the monitor shows the view through the camera lens.

Internal memory/memory card

When the camera contains a memory card, is displayed, and when there is no memory card in the camera, is displayed.

Number of exposures remaining

The number of pictures that can be stored on the internal memory or a memory card depends on the capacity of the memory or memory card and the option chosen for Image mode (Im-

age quality and Image size) ( 78).

Flash mode

Choose from five modes depending on lighting and your creative intent (42).

Basic Photography

Number of Exposures Remaining

If the number of exposures remaining is zero, the message “OUT OF MEMORY” will be displayed in the monitor and no further pictures can be taken until you:

• Choose a lower image quality or image size setting ( 75) (depending on the condition, no fur- ther pictures may be taken even if you change the setting).

• Insert a new memory card ( 10).

• Remove the memory card so that pictures will be recorded in the internal memory ( 11) (pic-

tures can be taken only when the internal memory has space).

• Delete some pictures in the internal memory or on a memory card.

Auto Shooting Mode

(auto shooting) mode provides thirteen shooting menu options such as White

balance, Image sharpening and Continuous. See “Using the Shooting Menu”

( 73).

Basic Photography

Advanced Brightness Control LCD

The COOLPIX4200’s Advanced Brightness Control LCD optimizes visibility in sunlight and other lighting conditions.

Step 2–Frame the Picture

Ready the camera

Hold the camera steadily in both hands. Photographs can be framed in the monitor or the viewfinder.

Don’t Block the Shot

To avoid dark or partially obscured pictures, keep your fingers and other objects away from the lens, flash window, and microphone.

Frame your subject

Your Nikon digital camera is equipped with two types of built-in zoom: optical zoom, in which

Zoom out Zoom in

Indicator in monitor shows amount of zoom when either button is pressed

Digital zoom

the camera’s telescoping lens can be used to magnify the subject up to 3 ×, and digital zoom, in which digital processing is used to further magnify the image up to 4 ×, for a total of 12 ×. Use the zoom buttons to frame your subject in the center of the monitor:

• Press the (W) button to zoom out from your subject, increasing the area visible in the frame.

• Press the (T) button to zoom in on your subject so that it fills a larger area of the frame.

• When the camera is zoomed in to maximum magnification, holding the (T) button down for more than two seconds will trigger digital zoom. The zoom indicator will turn yellow, and the green (AF) lamp next to the viewfinder will blink. Use the (T) and (W) buttons to adjust zoom in the digital zoom range. To cancel digital zoom, press (W) until the zoom indicator turns white.

Basic Photography

Digital Zoom

• In digital zoom, data from the camera's image sensor are processed digitally, enlarging the center area of the picture to fill the frame. Unlike optical zoom, digital zoom does not increase the amount of detail visible in the picture. Instead, details visible at maximum optical zoom are simply enlarged, producing a slightly “grainy” image. Note that the effects of digital zoom are not visible in the viewfinder - use the monitor when framing pictures with digital zoom. Digital zoom is not available when the monitor is off or when an assist mode (except for sports assist) is selected.

• When digital zoom is working, the focus area is fixed in the center of the frame ( 91).

• When digital zoom is working, Metering is set to just like Center-weighted (81).

When Lighting Is Poor

When lighting is poor, sensitivity is raised to compensate and the image in the monitor may be slightly mottled. This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction.

Basic Photography

Monitor or Viewfinder?

• Use the monitor to confirm camera settings at a glance while at the same time viewing an image that shows how the final picture will appear. This is particularly useful when the image in the viewfinder does not accurately reflect what will appear in the final picture, for example when: – your subject is less than 1.5 meters (4'11") from the camera – digital zoom is in effect

• Use the viewfinder when you want to save power by turning the monitor off ( 115), or when bright ambient lighting makes it difficult to see the display in the monitor.

• When taking pictures continuously using the sports assist or continuous option, etc., they are displayed on the monitor later than actual shooting. We recommend you to take pictures continuously using the viewfinder.

Step 3–Focus and Shoot

Focus

Press the shutter-release button halfway to set focus and exposure.

• Focus and exposure will lock while the shutter-release button is pressed halfway ( 7).

• In mode, the camera automatically selects focus area containing the subject closest to camera from five focus areas (default setting in auto shooting mode).

• When subject is in focus, the selected AF area turns green.

Focus area

Red ( ) lamp

Green (AF) lamp

Focus indicator

When the shutter-release button is pressed halfway, the green AF (Autofocus) lamp and the red (flash-ready) lamp are shown as follows.

On Flash will fire when picture is taken.

Blinks Flash charging.

Off Flash off or not required.

focus area and focus indicator

On:

green/

green

Blinks: green/

red

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Red ( ) lamp

Green (AF) lamp/

Subject in focus.

Camera unable to focus on subject. Recompose the picture and try again.

Take the picture

• Press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down to take the picture.

• To prevent blur, press the shutter-release button down smoothly.

During Recording

• While pictures are being recorded to the memory or memory card, the green (AF) lamp will blink, and at the same time, a (wait) icon will be displayed in the monitor or the memory icon ( or ) will blink. Do not turn the camera off, eject the memory card, or remove or dis- connect the power source while pictures are being recorded. Cutting power or removing the memory card in these circumstances could result in loss of data or in damage to the camera, internal memory, or card.

Getting Good Results with Autofocus

Autofocus performs best when there is contrast between the subject and the background and the subject is evenly lit. It does not perform well if the subject is very dark or moving rapidly, if there are objects of sharply differing brightness in the scene (e.g., the sun is behind your subject and their features are in deep shadow), or if there are several objects at different distances from the camera at the center of the frame (e.g.,

Basic Photography

your subject is inside a cage).

Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency)

Sensitivity is a measure of how sensitive the camera responds to light. Your Nikon digital camera normally has a sensitivity roughly equivalent to film with an ISO 80 rating. When lighting is poor and Sensitivity ( 87) is Auto, the camera will automatically increase sensitivity, permitting faster exposures and minimizing blur caused by inadvertent camera movement (camera shake). An ISO icon will appear in the monitor to warn that the picture may be slightly mottled.

AF-Assist Illuminator

COOLPIX4200 is equipped with an AF-assist illuminator. If lighting is poor, the built-in AF-assist illuminator will light when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway, allowing the camera to focus even when the subject is poorly lit. The AF-assist illuminator will light in the following cases:

• AF area mode is set to Auto or Off in the shooting menu, or the focus area in the center of the frame is selected when AF area mode is set to Manual.

• Selecting the focus area in the center of the frame when shooting in (portrait assist) mode without using a framing guide ( 29).

• Shooting in (night portrait assist) mode without using a framing guide ( 33).

• Selecting the focus area in the center of the frame when shooting in (close up) mode.

The AF-assist illuminator provides the following range:

• Zoom out: within approx. 2 m (6'6")

• Zoom in: within approx. 1.5 m (4'11")

Low Battery

If the flash fires when the low battery icon is displayed, the monitor will turn off while the Speedlight recharges.

Autofocus

The COOLPIX 4200 has two modes that allow control of the Autofocus; AF area mode ( 91) and Auto-focus mode ( 94).

AF/AE lock

Focus and exposure are locked when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway, and remain locked while the shutter-release button is held in this position (AF/AE lock). AF/ AE lock can be used to take pictures of off-center subjects or in situations in which the camera is unable to focus using autofocus. Procedures for AF/AE lock are described below. In this example, AF area mode ( 94) is set to Auto (default setting).

1 Focus

Position the subject in the center of the frame in the monitor and press the shutter-release button halfway.

• The camera automatically selects a focus area containing the subject closest to the camera from five focus areas.

2 Check the green (AF) lamp and focus indicator

When the subject is in focus, the green (AF) lamp next to the viewfinder and focus indicator on the monitor are lit. Focus area shows green on the monitor.

• Focus and exposure will remain locked while the shutterrelease button is pressed halfway.

3 Recompose the picture

Keeping the shutter-release button pressed halfway, recompose your picture. Do not change the distance between the camera and your subject while AF/AE lock is in effect. If your subject moves, remove your finger from the shutter-release button and focus again at the new distance.

4 Take the picture

Press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down to shoot.

Basic Photography

Step 4–View the Results (Full-screen Playback)

Press the button

View pictures in the monitor

• This mode is called “Full-screen playback”

Basic Photography

(53).

• Your most recent picture will be displayed in the monitor.

• To view additional pictures, press or to view pictures in the order recorded, or to view pictures in reverse order.

To cancel full-screen playback and return to the auto shooting mode, press the button again.

Playback Tip

Pictures are displayed briefly at low resolution while being read from the memory or a memory card. This makes it possible to scroll rapidly through the pictures in the memory or a memory card without waiting for each image to be displayed at full resolution.

The Button

Pressing the button for about two seconds will turn the camera on. Press again to return to the mode selected with the mode dial.

More About Playback

For more information on playback, see “More on Playback” ( 53 - 72).

Deleting Unwanted Pictures

To delete the picture currently displayed in the monitor:

A confirmation dialog displayed. Highlight Yes.

• To exit without deleting picture, highlight No and press .

• To delete only a voice memo ( 57), highlight and press . can be selected when a voice memo was recorded with the picture.

Delete picture and return to playback.

Deleting Your Last Shot

At any time during shooting, you can press the button to delete the last picture taken. The confirmation dialog will be displayed. Press to highlight Yes and press .

• To exit without deleting the picture, highlight No and press .

• To delete only a voice memo ( 57), highlight and press . can be selected when a

voice memo was recorded with the picture.

Basic Photography

Image File and Folder Names

In the memory or on the memory card, pictures are identified by file names with three parts: a four letter identifier, a four-digit file number assigned automatically by the camera in ascending order, and a three-letter extension (e.g., “DSCN0001.JPG”). When a picture is viewed in the monitor, the file number and extension appear in the top right corner of the display. The identifier is not displayed, but is visible when pictures are transferred to a computer.

Picture type Identifier Extension

Still picture DSCN .JPG 24

Movie DSCN .MOV 51

Cropped copy RSCN .JPG 56

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Original

Copy

Copy created using Small pic. SSCN .JPG 105

DSCN

Audio file Voice me mo s

SSCN

.WAV 57

RSCN

• Pictures are stored in a folder created automatically by the camera. The folder name includes a three-digit folder number (e.g., 100NIKON).

• When the current folder is full (200 pictures) a new folder is automatically created. The new folder becomes the current folder, and its number is incremented by one (e.g., 100NIKON → 101NIKON).

• Each time you take pictures in Panorama assist mode, a “P_xxx” folder (e.g., “101P_001”) is automatically created, and a series of pictures starting with “DSCN0001” are stored in the folder.

• When you take pictures after switching the mode from Panorama assist mode, a new folder will be created, and newly taken pictures are stored in the folder.

• If you take a picture when the current folder contains a picture numbered 9999, a new folder will be created and file numbering will begin again from 0001.

• If file number reaches 200 or picture number reaches 9999 when the memory or the memory card contains a folder numbered 999, no further pictures can be taken, even if there is still memory capacity. Replace the memory card, or transfer all pictures to a computer ( 60) and then format the memory or the memory card ( 119).

• When the button is pressed in shooting mode, the picture with the largest number stored in the folder is displayed.

Scene Mode

Assist and Scene Modes

Your Nikon digital camera offers a choice of four “assist” and eleven “scene” modes. In these modes, camera settings are automatically optimized for the selected subject type, sparing you the necessity of adjusting settings one-by-one.

Assist Modes

Assist modes are chosen by rotating the mode dial to the desired mode. Framing assist options are available to help you compose your shots.

Mode Description

Portrait assist

Landscape assist

Sports assist Use for sports shots that freeze motion in rapidly-moving subjects. 32 Night portrait assist Use for portraits taken against a dimly-lit backdrop. 33

Scene Modes

Scene modes are selected by rotating the mode dial to and pressing the MENU button.

Mode Description

Party/Indoor

Beach/Snow

Sunset Use to preserve the deep hues seen in sunsets and sunrises. 35

Dusk/Dawn

Night landscape Use when taking landscape shots at night. 36

Close up

Museum Use where flash photography is prohibited. 37 Fireworks show Use to capture the expanding burst of light from a firework. 38 Copy Use to copy text and line drawings. 38

Back light

Panorama assist

Use for portraits in which the main subject stands out clearly while background details are softened.

Use to enhance outlines, colors, and contrast in skyscapes, forests, and other landscape shots, or to take portraits that feature a landmark in the background.

Use to capture background details or the effects of candlelight and other indoor lighting.

Use for bright subjects such as snowfields, beaches, and sunlit expanses of water.

Use to preserve the colors seen in the weak natural light before sunrise and after sunset.

Use to capture vivid colors in close-up shots of flowers, insects, and other small objects.

Use when light is coming from behind your subject, throwing their features into shadow.

Use when taking a series of pictures that will later be joined to form a single scene.

Scene Mode

Assist and Scene Modes

Depending on your subject, assist and scene modes may not always produce the desired results. If results are not to your satisfaction, choose (auto shooting) and try again.

Framing Assist

The four assist modes offer a selection of framing assist options that allow you to compose pictures with the help of framing guides displayed in the monitor. To use framing assist, rotate the mode dial to the desired mode and follow the steps below.

Assist modes

Scene Mode

Display framing assist menu. Choose composition type. Current selec-

tion shown by large icon and caption.

Make selection. Press MENU button to return to shooting

Using the Guides

• Your subject does not have to fit exactly in the framing guides.

• When framing pictures, pay attention to your surroundings; be careful not to trip and fall.

Image Quality and Image Size

It is possible to change Image quality ( 75) and Image size ( 77) from this menu. Select an icon of Image quality or Image size shown on the right, and press to change them.

mode. Framing guide appears in monitor. When taking pictures, position subject or subjects in framing guide as described on following pages.

Image quality Image size

Portrait Assist

(portrait assist) mode helps you frame portraits in

which the main subject stands out clearly while background details are softened. This lends the composition a sense of depth (the degree of softening depends on the amount of light available). A framing assist menu helps you frame off-center subjects and compose tall or wide shots and two-person portraits. Rotate the mode dial to and press the MENU button ( 28). The following portrait assist modes are available:

Portrait

No guides are displayed in monitor. AF area mode is automatically set to Manual.

• Select a focus area according to your subject ( 93).

Portrait left

Use to compose shot with subject centered in left half of frame.

• Camera will focus on subject in framing guide.

Portrait right

Use to compose shot with subject centered in right half of frame.

• Camera will focus on subject in framing guide.

Portrait close-up

Use to compose shot with your subject’s face positioned in top half of frame.

• Camera will focus on subject in framing guide.

Scene Mode

Portrait couple

Use to compose shot with two subjects positioned side-by-side.

• Camera will focus on closest subject.

Portrait figure

Use to compose shot with camera held as shown at right and subject’s face in top half of frame.

• Camera will focus on subject in framing guide.

(changeable)

Scene Mode

Settings for Assist Modes

The settings for flash, self-timer, macro close-up in Portrait assist, Landscape assist, Sports assist, and Night portrait assist modes are shown on the table respectively.

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

Landscape Assist

(landscape assist) mode helps you frame vivid landscape shots that enhance outlines, colors, and contrast. A framing assist menu helps you frame not only natural landscapes but also cityscapes and portrait shots featuring a landmark in the background. Rotate the mode dial to and press the MENU button ( 28). The following landscape assist modes are available:

Landscape

No guides are displayed in monitor. Use to focus on distant objects through foreground objects such as windows or a screen of branches.

• Focus is fixed at infinity.

Scenic view

Use to compose landscapes with sky in top third of frame, distant objects in middle third, and closer objects in bottom third.

• Match top of skyline with wavy yellow guide.

Architecture

Use to photograph buildings.

• A grid is displayed in the monitor to help keep verticals and horizontals aligned with the frame.

Group right

Use to compose portraits with portrait subjects to right and landmark or other object in background at left of frame.

• Both portrait subject and background object will be in focus.

Scene Mode

Group left

Use to compose portraits with portrait subjects to left and landmark or other object in background at right of frame.

• Both portrait subject and background object will be in focus.

* When you select Group right or Group left, flash mode is set to (changeable).

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

Sports Assist

(sports assist) mode is used for dynamic action shots that capture moving objects. The assist menu lets you freeze the action in a single shot or record motion in a series of pictures. Rotate the mode dial to and press the MENU button ( 28). The following sports assist modes are available:

Sports

While shutter-release button is held down, pictures are recorded at rate of up to about 1.3 frames per second.

• Camera takes 11 shots in a series when Image quality is NOR- MAL and Image size is 4M (2272

• Focus, exposure, and white balance are determined by first shot in each series.

• When the ( ) battery level indicator is displayed in the monitor, consecutive

Scene Mode

shooting speed will be slow.

Sport spectator

Sport spectator is ideal for capturing those instants when you have no time to compose the picture. Use at ranges of about 3 m - .

• While shutter-release button is held down, pictures are recorded at rate of up to about 1.3 frames per second. Number of shots that can be taken is the same as for (Sports) mode.

• When the ( ) battery level indicator is displayed in the monitor, consecutive shooting speed will be slow.

Sport composite

Each time shutter-release button is pressed, camera takes sixteen consecutive shots at rate of about 3.5 frames per second. Camera arranges pictures in four rows (one shot: 568 picture (4M: 2272 determined by first shot in each series.

× 1704). Focus, exposure, and white balance are

× 1704).

× 426) to form a single

OFF OFF

Sports Assist

In (Sports) or (Sport composite) mode, Auto-focus mode is locked to Continuous AF ( 94) and focus area is locked in the center of the frame. The camera

focuses continuously, until AF/AE lock is set by pressing the shutter-release button halfway.

Night Portrait Assist

(night portrait assist) mode is used for taking portrait shots at night, when it provides a natural balance between the main subject and the background. Pictures taken at slow shutter speeds are adjusted to improve quality, slightly increasing processing time.

• Functions for Night portrait assist mode are the

same as for Portrait mode ( 29). When selecting Night Portrait (no framing guide), AF area is fixed at the center of the frame.

• To prevent blurring, mount the camera on a tripod or rest it on a flat, sta-

ble surface.

• Noise reduction turns on automatically at slow shutter speeds ( 95). It

takes more time than usual to store the picture.

Fires for every

shooting using the

red-eye reduction

and slow sync func-

tions.

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

Scene Mode

(scene) mode offers a menu of eleven “scenes,” each corresponding to a common situation, such as a backlit subject, sunset, or interior shot. Camera settings are automatically adjusted to suit the selected scene, sparing you the necessity of adjusting each setting separately. To take pictures in scene mode, rotate the mode dial to

and follow the steps below:

Scene Mode

Display scene menu. Choose scene. Current selection shown

by large icon and caption.

Scene mode

Make selection. Press MENU button to return shooting

Image Quality and Image Size

It is possible to change Image quality ( 75) and Image size ( 77) from this menu. Select an icon of Image quality or Image size shown on the right, and press to change them.

mode and take pictures.

• Selected scene shown by icon at top left corner of monitor.

Image quality Image size

The following scenes are available:

Party/Indoor

Use for shots that include details of the background, or to capture the effects of candlelight and other indoor background lighting.

•Blur level:

(changeable)

Beach/Snow

Vividly captures the brightness of such subjects as snowfields, beaches, or sunlit expanses of water.

OFF

Scene Mode

(changeable)

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

(changeable)

Sunset

Preserves the deep hues seen in sunsets and sunrises.

•Blur level:

Settings for Scene Modes

• , , and indicate flash, self-timer, and macro close-up respectively.

• indicates that Metering is Matrix ( 81).

• or indicates AF area mode.

- Off: Center focus area is used.

- Manual: AF area can be selected manually. For more information, see “AF area mode” ( 91).

The (Camera Shake) Icon

When the icon appears in the monitor, pictures may be blurred. In this section, the precautions that you can take to avoid blur are indicated by stars:

hold the camera in both hands and brace elbows against your body

use a tripod or rest the camera on a flat, level surface.

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

Dusk/Dawn

Preserves the colors seen in the weak natural light before sunrise or after sunset.

• Noise reduction turns on automatically at slow shutter speeds. It takes more time than usual to store the picture.

• An AF-assist illuminator does not light even if for a dark subject.

• Blur level:

Night landscape

Scene Mode

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

A slow shutter speed is used to produce stunning night landscapes.

• Focus is fixed at infinity.

• Noise reduction turns on automatically at slow shutter speeds. It takes

more time than usual to store the picture.

• An AF-assist illuminator does not light even if for a dark subject.

• Blur level:

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

Close up

Use to capture vivid colors in close-up shots of flowers, insects, and other small objects, with the background artistically blurred.

• To focus on objects as close as 4 cm (1.6") to the lens, adjust zoom until the macro close-up icon ( ) in monitor turns green.

• Minimum focus distance varies with zoom position.

• The camera focuses continuously, until AF/AE lock is set by pressing the

shutter-release button halfway.

• AF area mode is set to Manual. Select a focus area according to your subject ( 93).

• Blur level:

(changeable)

OFF

(changeable)

Museum

Use indoors where flash photography is prohibited (for example, in museums and art galleries) or in other indoor settings where you do not want to use the flash.

• The Best Shot Selector (BSS; 84) turns on automatically, reducing the effects of inadvertent camera movement.

• Photography may be prohibited altogether in some locations. Be sure to obtain permission first.

• An AF-assist illuminator does not light even if for a dark subject.

• Blur level:

Scene Mode

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

(changeable)

Fireworks show

Slow shutter speeds are used to capture the expanding burst of light from a firework.

• Focus is fixed at infinity.

• Exposure compensation can not be used.

• An AF-assist illuminator does not light even if for a dark subject.

• Blur level:

OFF OFF

Copy

Scene Mode

Provides clear pictures of text or drawings on a white board or in printed matter such as a business card.

Colored text and drawings may not show up well in the final picture.

(changeable)

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

(changeable)

Back light

Use when light is coming from behind your subject, throwing their features into shadow, or when your subject is in the shade but the background is brightly lit.

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

– –

Panorama assist

Use when taking a series of pictures that will later be joined to form a single scene (for example, a panorama or 360° virtual-reality image).

Flash, macro, and exposure modes are fixed at settings for the first shot in a series. Zoom is also fixed at the adjustment for the first shot in a series.

(changeable)

OFF

(changeable)

OFF

(changeable)

Scene Mode

Joining Panorama Pictures

Transfer the pictures taken with Panorama Assist to your computer ( 60) and use an appropriate software application to join them into a single scene.

Taking Pictures for a Panorama

Select (Panorama assist) in scene menu, and press .

Scene Mode

Take first picture. Pan direction ( ) displayed. icon is displayed, and White balance and Exposure compensation are locked. About one third of picture is shown superimposed on view through lens.

Take next shot. Repeat steps 4 - 5 until all shots in series have been taken.

Return to shooting mode.

Compose next shot to overlap with previous picture.

End series.

• Shooting will also end if pressing the MENU button, playing pictures, changing mode using the mode dial, or entering standby mode.

Full-Screen Playback

When you press the (play) button after starting shooting, Panorama assist mode is terminated and the most recent picture will be displayed in the monitor.

Use a Tripod

Using a tripod makes it easier to compose overlapping shots.

Storage Locations for Panoramas

Each series of pictures taken in Panorama assist mode is stored in a separate folder with a name consisting of “P_” preceded by a three-digit folder number and followed by a three-digit sequence number (e.g., “101P_001”).

Scene Mode

More on Photography

When Lighting Is Poor: Using the Flash

The following five flash modes are available:

Mode How it works When to use it

Auto

Auto with red-

eye reduction

Flash Cancel

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(off)

Flash fires when lighting is poor.

Pre flash is used before the main flash fires to reduce “red-eye.” If “redeye” is detected after an image is taken, the camera will correct “red-eye” when storing the picture.

Flash will not fire even when lighting is poor.

Best choice in most situations.

Use for portraits (works best when subject is well within range of flash and looking at pre-flash). Not recommended when quick shutter response is required.

Use to capture natural lighting under dim light or where use of flash is prohibited. If (camera shake) icon appears, care should be taken to avoid blurring.

Anytime Flash

(fill flash)

Flash fires whenever picture is taken.

Use to “fill-in” (illuminate) shadows and back-lit subjects.

Use to capture both subject and background at night or

Slow sync

Auto flash combined with slow shutter speeds.

under dim light. If (camera shake) icon appears, care should be taken to avoid blurring.

Flash Range

Flash range varies with zoom position. When the camera is zoomed all the way out, the flash has a range of approx. 0.3 - 4.5 m (1' - 14'8"). When the camera is zoomed all the way in, the flash has a range of approx. 0.3 - 3.5 m (1' - 11'5") with Auto in Sensitivity.

Close-Ups

The flash may not be able to light the entire subject at distances of less than 30 cm (1'). When taking close-ups, play each picture back after shooting to check the results.

To select the flash mode:

Display flash-mode menu. Highlight desired mode and press or

. Flash mode is displayed in monitor (to exit without changing mode, wait two seconds without pressing any buttons).

Selecting Flash Mode While Using Manual Option

When AF area mode ( 91) is set to Manual ( 93) and focus area selection guide is displayed in the monitor, press to hide focus area selection guide and press

( ) to select the flash mode.

The (Camera Shake) Icon

When lighting is poor and the flash is off ( ), shutter speeds will slow and pictures may be blurred. If the shutter speed required for exposure is very slow, a (camera shake) warning will appear in the monitor. Use of a tripod or support is recommended.

Flash Mode Selection

Flash mode is not available in the following cases:

• Continuous is set to Continuous, 5 shot buffer or Multi-shot 16.

• BSS is set to On.

• Auto bracketing is set to On.

• Taking a picture in some assist modes ( 28 - 33) or scene modes ( 34 - 39).

Auto with Red-eye Reduction

The “Auto with red-eye reduction” flash function of the COOLPIX4200 uses an advanced red-eye reduction method. Several pre-flashes are fired before the main flash fires to reduce “red-eye.” In addition to this function, if “red-eye” is detected the camera will automatically correct it when storing the picture. Using this function there is slight delay before you can press the shutter release again for the next shot. Depending on the situation, red-eye reduction may not always produce the desired results. In some rare cases, other picture areas may be affected as well as the “red-eye” area. In this case, choose another flash mode and try again.

More on Photography

Taking a Self-Portrait: Using the Self-Timer

When the self-timer is on, pictures are taken ten or three seconds after the shutter-release button is pressed. This can be used to allow you to appear in your own pictures or to prevent close-up or low-light shots from being blurred by the camera movement that occurs when the shutter-release button is pressed. When using the self-timer, you should either mount the camera on a tripod (recommended) or rest it on a flat, level surface.

Display self-timer menu. Highlight ON.

More on Photography

Exit menu. Self-timer icon is displayed in monitor (to exit without setting the selftimer, wait two seconds without pressing any buttons).

Frame picture and press shutter-release button halfway to set focus and exposure.

Start timer. Press once for delay of about ten seconds, twice for delay of about three seconds.

• Countdown timer in monitor shows number of seconds remaining until shutter is released.

The self-timer lamp on the front of the camera will blink until one second before the picture is taken, staying lit during the final second to warn that the shutter is about to be released.

Press once for 10s delay

Press twice for 3s delay

Start

1s remaining

Shutter released

Stays litBlinks

Selecting Self-Timer While Using Manual Option

When AF area mode ( 91) is set to Manual ( 93) and focus area selection guide is displayed in the monitor, press to hide focus area selection guide and press

( ) to use the self-timer.

Stopping the Self-Timer

To stop the self-timer before picture is taken, press the shutter-release button twice for a ten-seconds delay, or once for a three-seconds delay.

The Self-Timer

• When using the self-timer, mount the camera on a tripod (recommended) or rest it on a flat, level surface.

• The self-timer is not available in some assist modes ( 27 - 33) or scene modes ( 34 - 39).

• When shooting pictures using the self-timer, Continuous, 5 shot buffer, Multi-

shot 16, BSS and Auto bracketing are not available. Continuous, 5 shot buffer or

Multi-shot 16 is automatically set to Single.

• When BSS or Auto bracketing is set, the setting will be automatically OFF while the self-timer is ON.

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Easy Close-Ups: Macro Close-Up Mode

Macro close-up mode is used for taking close-up shots of small objects at very short distances (minimum 4 cm/1.6").

Display macro close-up menu. Highlight ON.

More on Photography

Exit menu. icon appears in monitor when camera is in macro close-up (to exit without setting macro close-up mode, wait two seconds without pressing any buttons).

Frame picture.

• If camera is zoomed out until icon turns green, camera can focus at distance of 4 cm (1.6").

Selecting Macro Close-Up Mode While Using Manual Option

When AF area mode ( 91) is set to Manual ( 93) and focus area selection guide is displayed in the monitor, press to hide focus area selection guide and press

( ) to use the macro close-up mode.

Macro Close-Up Mode

• At short ranges, the viewfinder does not show the exact image area that will appear in the final picture. Use the monitor for close-ups.

• Macro close-up is not available in assist modes ( 27 - 33) or some scene modes ( 34 - 39).

Controlling Exposure: Exposure Compensation

Exposure compensation is used to alter the exposure from the value suggested by the camera. Exposure compensation can be set to values between –2.0 EV (underexposure) and +2.0 EV (overexposure).

Display exposure compensation menu. Highlight desired value.

Exit menu. icon and a value for exposure compensation are displayed in monitor at settings other than 0 (to exit without changing setting, wait two seconds without pressing any buttons).

Selecting Exposure Compensation While Using Manual Option

When AF area mode ( 91) is set to Manual ( 93) and focus area selection guide is displayed on the monitor, press to hide focus area selection guide and press

( ) to use the exposure compensation.

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Cancelling Exposure Compensation

To cancel exposure compensation, select a value of 0. In (auto shooting) mode, a selected value remains even if the camera is turned off. In another shooting mode, exposure compensation returns to the default value for the selected mode when the camera is turned off or the mode dial is rotated.

Exposure Compensation

Exposure compensation is not available when (fireworks show) ( 38) is selected in the scene mode.

Choosing a Value for Exposure Compensation

As a rule of thumb, select positive values when large areas of the frame are very brightly lit (for example, when photographing an expanse of sunlit water, sand, or snow) or when the background is much brighter than the main subject. Choose negative values when large areas of the frame are very dark (for example, when photographing a forest of dark green leaves) or when the background is much darker than the main subject. This is because the camera, in order to avoid extreme under- or over-exposure, tends to lower exposure when the frame is very bright and raise exposure when the frame is very dark. This can make naturally bright subjects look darker and naturally dark subjects appear over-bright, or “washed out.”

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Movies

Selects Movie Types

In the movie mode, the following settings in the movie menu can be selected according to the purpose of playback.

Max. recording time*

Option Description

Memory

Approx.

12MB

Movies are recorded

TV movie 640

(default setting)

at 15 frames per second. Each frame is 640 × 480 pixels.

Approx.

17s

Movies are recorded

Approx.

39s

Small size 320

at 15 frames per second. Each frame is 320 × 240 pixels.

Movies are recorded at 15 frames per

Smaller size 160

second. Each frame is 160 × 120 pixels. Small size allows

Approx.

146s

longer movies to be recorded.

* Approximate maximum total recording time for the memory card is indicated as a guide. Actual

total recording time varies depending on the make of memory cards even when they have the same memory capacity.

Memory card

256MB 512MB

Approx.

348s

Approx.

785s

Approx.

2896s

Approx.

702s

Approx.

1583s

Approx.

5841s

Movies

Movies are recorded as Quick Time movie files with the extension “.MOV” and can be played back on a computer after transfer.

Rotate mode dial to . Display MOVIE menu.

Highlight option. Make selection.

Return to the movie shooting mode.

Movies

Auto-focus Mode for Recording Movies

The setting for Autofocus in the movie mode can be set in Auto-focus mode ( 94) in the shooting menu.

• Continuous AF:The camera adjusts focus continuously. To prevent the sound of the camera

• Single AF : The camera focuses when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

focusing from interfering with recording, select a focus mode of Single AF.

Focus locks when the shutter-release button is pressed the rest of the way down to start recording.

Mode

• Optical zoom and digital zoom (up to 2.5 ×) can be used before recording, but only digital zoom (up to 2.5 ×) can be used while recording.

• In the movie mode, the following options will be fixed:

- Flash mode (42) is Flash Cancel.

- Self-timer ( 44) is OFF.

- Exposure compensation ( 47) can not be set.

- White balance (79) is AUTO.

- Metering (81) is Matrix.

Recording Movies

Movies can be recorded with sound recorded via the camera’s built-in microphone.

Rotate the mode dial to

The monitor shows the elapsed recording time and the total recording time in seconds available for the movie.

Start recording

Press the shutter-release button all the way down to start recording.

• Camera focuses on subject in the center of the frame ( 50).

• During recording, a icon blinks and progress will be shown by the indicator at the bottom of the monitor.

• To finish recording, press the shutterrelease button again.

• Recording will end automatically when no more space is available in the memory or on the memory card.

Movies

Notes on Movies

• Depending on the make of memory card used, recording may end before the memory card is full ( 130).

• During recording, do not touch the built-in microphone.

• The progress indicator stops at 9999s. Recording can continue past this point if enough memory

is available on the memory card.

Viewing Movies

In the full-screen playback mode ( 41), movies can be played with sound. Movies are indicated by icon and can be viewed by pressing of the multi selector. Playback controls are displayed at the top of the monitor; press or of the multi selector to highlight a control, then press to perform the selected operation.

Control Button Description

Rewind

Advance

Pause

Rewind movie

by one frame

Advance movie

Movies

by one frame

Resume

Stop

While movie is in progress, use multi selector to select , then press and hold .

Use multi selector to select , then press and hold . Playback ends at the last frame.

Use multi selector to select , then press to pause display.

When movie is paused, use multi selector to select , then press .

Use multi selector to select , then press to return to playback mode.

Playback Volume

The zoom buttons control volume during playback. Press (W) button to decrease volume, (T) button to increase.

Deleting Movies

To delete a movie, press the (Delete) button. The confirmation dialog will be displayed; press or of the multi selector to highlight an option, then press .

• Yes: delete the movie and return to playback mode

• No: exit to playback mode without deleting the movie

More on Playback

Viewing Pictures on the Camera

Viewing Pictures: Full-Screen Playback

Pressing the button in the shooting mode will display recorded pictures full-screen in the monitor (full-screen playback mode).

• Pressing displays a histogram ( 54).

• Pressing the button while the camera is in

the playback mode, returns to the screen selected on the mode dial.

Viewing Multiple Pictures: Thumbnail Playback

Pressing the (W) button in full-screen playback displays the pictures in the memory or on the memory card in “contact sheets” of four thumbnail images.

To Press Description

Highlight pic-

tures

Press , , or to highlight pictures.

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Change num-

ber of pic-

tures

displayed

Delete high-

lighted pic-

ture

Cancel

thumbnail

playback

With four thumbnails displayed, press (W) button once to

(W)/

view nine thumbnails. Press (T) button to “zoom in” from

(T)

nine thumbnails to four-thumbnail view or, when four thumbnails are displayed, to return to full-screen playback mode.

The confirmation dialog will be displayed. Press to highlight press to delete the picture.

• No: Return to playback mode with- out deleting a picture.

• : Delete only the voice memo recorded with a picture ( 57).

A selected picture is displayed in full-screen playback mode.

Yes

, and

Histogram

When pressing in the full-screen playback mode, a histogram is displayed.

Thumbnail preview

Histogram

• Shows distribution of tones in image; horizontal axis corresponds to pixel brightness, with dark tones to left and bright tones to right, while vertical axis shows number of pixels of each brightness in the image.

• The scale of an axis is determined

More on Playback

by the maximum number of pixels of a picture.

Image mode (Image quality/Image size)

Exposure information (metering, exposure compensation, flash mode)

Folder name File name

Images in the Memory

The pictures in the memory and on the memory card can not be displayed simultaneously. To display pictures stored in the memory, select either of the following:

• Remove the memory card from the camera ( 11), and display the pictures.

• Copy pictures stored in the memory to a memory card ( 106), and display the pictures.

Shooting Information

The shooting conditions displayed in the full-screen playback mode or shooting mode can be specified. See Monitor settings ( 115) in the setup menu.

Movies

A histogram of movie can not be displayed.

Taking a Closer Look: Playback Zoom

Use the (T) button to zoom in on still images displayed in full-screen playback.

To Press Description

Zoom increases each time button is pressed, to a maximum of

Zoom in (T)

View other

areas of pic-

ture

Zoom out (W)

Cancel zoom Cancel zoom and return to full-screen playback.

6×. While image is zoomed in, icon and zoom ratio are displayed in top left corner of monitor.

Use multi selector to scroll to areas of picture not visible in monitor. To use multi selector to view other pictures, cancel zoom.

Zoom decreases each time button is pressed in playback zoom. To cancel zoom, zoom picture out until entire picture is displayed. To view the previous or next picture, cancel the playback zoom before using the multi selector.

More on Playback

Crop picture

Delete pic-

ture

Shutter-

release button

Only portion of picture visible in monitor can be cropped (56).

The confirmation dialog will be displayed, when you press button. Press on the multi selector to highlight Yes, and press to delete the picture.

• No: Return to full-screen playback without deleting the picture.

• : Delete only the voice memo recorded with a picture (57).

Playback Zoom

Playback zoom is not available with movies ( 51), copies created using the small picture ( 105), or cropped copies (320

× 420 pixels or smaller) ( 56).

Cropping Pictures

When a picture is displayed in the playback zoom mode ( 55), you can crop part of a picture and save it as a separate file.

Zoom picture in and out. Press , , or to scroll picture until desired portion of image is displayed in monitor.

More on Playback

The confirmation dialog displayed. Press

to highlight Yes, and press to cre-

ate cropped copy.

• To exit without creating copy, highlight No and press .

• Cropped pictures are stored in JPEG format as separate pictures from the original pictures.

• Depending on the size of the original and the zoom ratio at the time the copy was created, copies will be 2,048×1,536 , 1,600×1,200 , 1,280×960 , 1,024×768 , 640×480 , 320×240 , or 160×120 pixels in size.

• Copies are stored in separate files in the memory or on the memory card with names of the form “RSCNnnnn.JPG,” where “nnnn” is a four-digit number assigned automatically by the camera.

• Cropped copies have the same recording time and date as the original picture.

Photo Trim

• Cropped copies and copies created using the small picture can not be cropped.

• A cropped copy created using the COOLPIX4200 may not display on a different camera. Also, it

may not be possible to transfer such a cropped copy to a computer.

Voice Memos: Recording and Playback

A voice memo can be recorded using the built-in microphone ( 2) and appended to any picture marked with (voice memo recording guide) icon shown in full-screen playback ( 53).

To Press Description

If icon is displayed on current picture, memo will be

Record

voice memo

Play voice

memo

Change vol-

ume

Delete voice

memo

Shutter-

release button

Shutter-

release button

recorded when shutter-release button is held down. During recording, icon blinks. Recording ends after about 20s or when shutter-release button is released.

Pictures with voice memos are marked by icon and icon displayed in the full-screen playback mode. Press shutterrelease button to play voice memo. Playback ends when voice memo ends or shutterrelease button is pressed again.

Zoom buttons control volume during playback. Press

(W)/

(

(W) button to lower volume, (T) button to

)

increase.

The confirmation dialog will be displayed. Press on the multi selector to highlight , and press . Only a voice memo will be deleted.

• No: Exit without deleting pic- ture or voice memo

• Yes: Delete both picture and voice memo

More on Playback

Storage

Voice memo file names consist of an identifier (“DSCN” for memos appended to original pictures), a four-digit file number copied from the associated picture, and the extension “.WAV” (e.g., “DSCN0015.WAV”).

Notes on Voice Memos

• Voice memos can not be recorded or played during thumbnail playback ( 53) and playback zoom ( 55).

• Voice memos can not be recorded for movies ( 51).

• If a voice memo already exists for the current picture, it must be deleted before a new memo can

be recorded.

• Do not touch the microphone during recording.

More on Playback

Viewing Pictures on TV

The EG-CP14 audio/video (A/V) cable provided with your camera can be used to connect the camera to a television or video-cassette recorder (VCR).

Choosing Video Mode

Video mode in the camera setup menu offers a choice of NTSC and PAL standards ( 121). Be sure that the standard selected matches that used in the device.

Turn t he cam era of f

Turn the camera off before connecting or disconnecting the A/V cable.

Connect the A/V cable to the camera

Open the interface connector cover and insert the black plug of the A/V cable into the camera's Audio/Video (A/V) out connector.

Connect the A/V cable to the televi-

sion or VCR

Insert the yellow plug of the A/V cable into the video-in jack on your television or VCR and the white plug into the audio-in jack.

More on Playback

Tune the television to the video channel

For more information, see the manual for your television or VCR.

Turn t he cam era on

Press the button for at least two seconds to turn the camera on. The camera monitor will remain off and the television will display the image normally shown in the monitor.

Viewing Pictures on a Computer

Using the UC-E6 USB cable and provided software with your camera, you can view your photographs and movies on a computer. Before you can transfer (copy) pictures to your computer, you will need to install provided software. For more information on installing provided software and transferring pictures to your computer, see the Quick Start Guide and the provided software Reference Manual (on CD).

Before Connecting the Camera

Pictures can be copied from the camera to the computer by:

• Pressing the (Transfer ) button on the camera ( 3)

• Clicking the Transfer button in provided software

Which method you will use depends on your computer’s operating system and the USB option selected in the camera

More on Playback

setup menu. After consulting the following table, select the appropriate option using USB in the camera setup menu. The default setting is Mass storage.

Pictures transferred using:

Operating system

Camera

(Transfer )

button

Windows XP Home Edition

Windows XP Professional

Choose Mass storage or PTP.

Windows 2000 Professional

Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

Choose Mass storage.

Windows 98 Second Edition (SE)

Mac OS X (10.1.5 or later) Choose PTP.

(Transfer

) button

Provided software Transfer

button

Choose Mass

storage or PTP.

The Write Protect Switch

The camera (Transfer ) button can not be used to transfer pictures when the memory card write protect switch is in the lock position ( 11).

Choosing a USB Option

Select mode. Highlight USB and press .

Select PTP or Mass storage, and press

More on Playback

Connecting the USB Cable

Turn the computer on and wait for it to start up. After confirming that the camera is off, connect the UC-E6 USB cable (provided with your camera) as shown below. Connect the camera directly to the computer; do not connect the cable via a USB hub or keyboard.

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UC-E6 USB cable

You can now turn the camera on and transfer pictures. See the Quick Start Guide for details.

Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Windows 98 Second Edition (SE)

Do not select PTP when connecting the camera to a computer running one of the above operating systems. If you have connected the camera to a computer running one of the above operating systems with PTP selected in USB, disconnect the camera as described below. Be sure to select Mass storage before reconnecting the camera.

Windows 2000 Professional

A dialog will be displayed welcoming you to the Found New Hardware Wizard. Click Cancel to close the dialog, and then disconnect the camera.

Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

After displaying a message stating that the hardware information database is being updated, the computer will start the Add New Hardware Wizard. Click Cancel to exit the wizard, and then disconnect the camera.

Windows 98 Second Edition (SE)

The Add New Hardware Wizard will be displayed. Click Cancel to exit the wizard, and then disconnect the camera.

Disconnecting the Camera

When PTP is selected in USB:

You can turn the camera off and disconnect the USB cable once transfer is complete.

When Mass storage (default setting) is selected in USB:

You must remove the camera from the system as shown below before turning the camera off and disconnecting the cable.

Windows XP Home Edition/Windows XP Professional

Click the (Safely Remove Hardware) icon in the taskbar and select Safely remove USB Mass storage Device from the menu that appears.

Mac OS X

Windows 2000 Professional

Click the (Unplug or Eject Hardware) icon in the taskbar and select Stop USB Mass storage Device from the menu that appears.

Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

Click the (Unplug or Eject Hardware) icon in the taskbar and select Stop USB Disk from the menu that appears.

Windows 98 Second Edition (SE)

In My Computer, click with the right mouse button on the removable disk corresponding to the camera and select Eject from the menu that appears.

Mac OS X

Drag the “NO_NAME” camera volume into the Trash.

More on Playback

Printing Pictures

Pictures stored in the internal memory or on the memory card can be printed in the same way as pictures taken with a film camera. Using Print set in the playback menu, you can specify the pictures to be printed, the number of prints, and the information to be included with each print.

Printing Pictures

Stored pictures in the internal memory or on the memory card can be printed as follows:

How to print Memory card The memory

Take the memory card contain-

Take the memory card to a digital photo lab.

More on Playback

ing pictures for which DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) is created using Print set* to a digital photo lab, and ask for them to be printed.

Insert the memory card con-

taining pictures for which Use a printer equipped with a card slot.

DPOF (Digital Print Order For-

mat) is created using Print

set* into a printer equipped

with a card slot, and print

them.

Use a printer that supports PictBridge.

Transfer the pictures to a computer and print them.

*If Print set is not set, one copy of all pictures is printed.

Connect the camera to a printer that supports

PictBridge, and print pictures.

For more information, see the provided soft-

ware Reference Manual (on CD).

Copy ( 106) the pictures to the memory card, and print as described on the left. Depending on the digital photo lab, take the camera and ask for printing.

–

Printing the date and time of recording on pictures

• Before taking pictures set the Date imprint option in the setup menu ( 67, 116).

• If the printer or print service supports Digital Print Order Format (DPOF), use the Date option in

the Print set in the playback menu ( 65, 67).

• Transfer the pictures to a computer using provided software and print them using provided software print settings. For more information, see the provided software Reference Manual (on CD).

Print Set

Print set in the playback menu is used to create digital “print orders” listing the pictures to be printed, the number of prints, and the information to be included on each print. This print order is stored on the memory card in Digital Print Order Format (DPOF). Once a print order has been created, pictures can be printed directly from the memory card by inserting it in a DPOF-compatible device. Alternatively, you could take the memory card to a digital photo lab which supports DPOF. Pictures can also be printed using Print set settings, by connecting the camera to a printer supporting PictBridge ( 68).

More on Playback

Pressing MENU button in the playback mode displays the playback menu. Highlight Print set and press .

Scroll through pictures.

• Current picture shown at bottom of display.

DPOF

DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) is a recording format that stores the print order, such as pictures or quantity to be printed and recording date, and the shooting information, on the memory card. Before using this option, check that the digital photo lab or printer supports DPOF.

Highlight Print selected and press .

• To cancel all print settings, highlight Delete print set and press .

Select current picture. 1 (number of prints) and icon are marked on the selected picture.

Use (+) or (–) to specify number of prints (up to 9).

• To deselect picture, press ( when number of print is 1.

• Repeat steps 3 - 5 to select additional pictures.

• To exit without setting print order and return to the playback menu, press MENU button.

Menu of print options displayed.

• To print date of recording on all pictures in print order, highlight Date and press . will appear in box next to item.

More on Playback

• To print shutter speed and aperture on

all pictures in print order, highlight Info and press . will appear in box next to item.

• To turn selected item off, highlight and press .

• To complete print order and return to playback, highlight Done and press

• To return to previous display, press .

–) down

Print Set

If you display the Print set menu after creating a print order, the Date and Info options will be reset.

Difference Between Date Imprint and Date

There are differences between Print set in the playback menu and Date imprint in the setup menu as follows:

• Setting Date in the Print set option:

-A date set in Print set can be printed only with a printer that supports date-print configuration for DPOF

- You can set after taking pictures.

- A date is not imprinted on the images, but recorded in the DPOF setting files. When printing,

• Setting Date imprint:

- A date can be printed without any other setting because it is imprinted on the images.

- You need to make setting before taking pictures.

- A date is imprinted on the images and the position of the date is fixed at the bottom right cor-

- Once a date is imprinted, it can not be deleted from the image.

• When both Print set and Date imprint are set, the date of Date imprint option will be printed even if using a printer that supports DPOF.

( 65).

a date on the picture can be printed as if it is imprinted on the image. The position of the date depends on the printer.

ner of the images.

Date

If Date is selected, the date of recording will appear on pictures printed using DPOF. The date to be printed will remain unchanged even if Date in the setup menu is changed after shooting pictures. If a picture is taken without setting date, it will not be printed even if the icon is added to the date in the Print set menu.

Notes on Print Set

No more than 999 pictures can be selected for Print set.

More on Playback

The Print-Order Icon

During the playback mode, a icon appears on all pictures in the current print order.

Printing via Direct USB Connection

Your camera allows pictures to be printed directly from the camera using PictBridge. If the UC-E6 USB cable is used to connect the camera to a printer that supports PictBridge, pictures can be printed directly from the memory or the memory card without having to be transferred to a computer.

1 Choosing PTP in the USB Menu

Select PTP in the USB menu before connecting the camera to a printer.

More on Playback

Rotate the mode dial to and turn the camera on. The setup menu will be displayed in the monitor.

Highlight USB and press .

Highlight PTP and press .

Before Printing

• Before printing via a direct USB connection, make sure that the printer supports PictBridge.

• Before starting direct printing, check printer settings. See the printer manual for details.

Use a Reliable Power Source

When printing pictures via a direct USB connection, be sure the battery is fully charged. If in doubt, recharge the battery before printing or use the optional EH-62A AC adapter kit ( 124).

PictBridge

PictBridge is an industry standard for direct printing that ensures compatibility when different devices are connected.

2 Connecting the USB Cable

After turning the camera off, connect the camera to the printer with the UCE6 USB cable (provided with your camera) as shown below.

3 Turning the Camera and Printer on

The PictBridge menu will be displayed in the camera monitor.

Press or to highlight Print, and press .

is the PictBridge logo.

Option Description

Print selection Select pictures and specify number of prints.

Print all images

DPOF printing

All pictures in the memory or the memory card are printed.

Pictures for which print order has been created are printed accordingly ( 72).

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Highlight Print selection and press .

• To print one copy of all pictures in the memory or on the memory card, highlight Print all images and press .

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Scroll through pictures.

• Current picture shown at bottom of display.

Select current picture. 1 (number of prints) and icon are marked on the selected picture.

Use (+) or ( of prints (up to 9) and press .

• To deselect picture, press ( when number of print is 1.

• Repeat steps 3 - 5 to select additional pictures.

• To exit without printing and return to the playback menu, press MENU button.

–) to specify number

–) down

View selected pictures. Press , , or to view pictures not visible in display. After confirming selection, press to display the confirmation dialog.

Check the confirmation dialog and highlight option, then press to:

• Select Start print to start printing.

• Select Back to return to print selection

dialog shown in Step 3.

• Select Cancel to exit without printing pictures.

To interrupt printing, press , then turn camera off and disconnect USB cable.

Message shown on the left is displayed when printing is complete. Turn camera off and disconnect USB cable.

• To print continuously press . The display returns to the PictBrigde dialog ( 69).

Error Messages

If an error message is displayed, an error has occurred. After checking the printer and resolving any problems as directed in the printer manual, highlight Resume and press to resume printing. Select Cancel to exit without printing the remaining images.

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To Directly Print the Pictures Specified in a Print Set

The pictures stored in the memory or on the memory card are printed directly, according to the print order specified in Print set (65). If selecting DPOF printing after connecting the camera to a printer that sup- ports PictBridge ( 69), the DPOF printing dialog will be displayed.

Highlight Confirm and press .

• To exit without printing pictures, highlight Cancel and press .

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DPOF Printing

• DPOF printing is only available if a print order has been created for the pictures stored in the memory or a memory card using Print set.

• When printing with a printer that supports PictBridge, Info can not be printed even if Info is set in Print set.

View selected pictures. Press , , or to view pictures not visible in display. After confirming print order, press .

Check the confirmation dialog and highlight option, then press to:

• Select Start Print to start printing.

• Select Confirm to return to confirm

dialog shown in Step 2.

• Select Cancel to exit without printing pictures.

To interrupt printing, press .

Message shown on the left is displayed when printing is complete. Turn camera off and disconnect USB cable.

• To print continuously, press . The display returns to the PictBrigde dialog ( 69).

The Shooting Menu

Using the Shooting Menu

In (auto) modes, the following settings can be adjusted from the shooting menu:

Option Description

Image mode Choose image quality and size. 75 - 78

White balance Match white balance to your light source. 79 - 80

Metering

Continuous

BSS Turn the Best Shot Selector (BSS) on or off. 84

Image adjustment

Image sharpening

Sensitivity

Auto bracketing

Saturation control Adjust vividness of the color of a picture. 90

AF area mode

Auto-focus mode

Noise reduction

Select a metering method from Matrix, Center-weighted or Spot.

Select shooting method from Single (one shot recorded), Continuous, Multi-shot 16, and 5 shot buffer.

Adjust exposure for very bright, very dark, or high-contrast subjects.

Control how much outlines in your pictures are sharpened.

Help exposure compensation and minimize blur when lighting is poor and the flash is off.

Allow continuous shooting with gradually changing exposure or white balance.

Select an area to be focused from Auto, Manual and Off.

Select an Auto-focus mode of Continuous AF or Single AF.

Reduce dotted noise contained in a picture taken at low shutter speed.

The Shooting Menu

To Display the Shooting Menu:

Rotate the mode dial to (auto shooting).

Display shooting menu.

To Make a Selection from the Shooting Menu:

The Shooting Menu

Highlight menu item. A page number (e.g., 1/2, 1/5), and

indicate that a menu or option consists of multiple pages. Press or to display the previous or next page.

Highlight option and press to make selection.

• To return to previous step, press .

Display options.

Press MENU button to exit menu and return to the shooting mode.

Image Mode

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select the Image mode ( 74), and then press .

The size of the files, and with it the number of images that can be recorded on the memory or the memory card, depends on the size and quality of the images. Before shooting, choose an image quality and size according to how you plan to use the picture.

Image Quality

Images are compressed according to the image quality setting for storing.

Select from the following three options and press

Option Format Description

Fine image quality, suitable for

FINE

enlargements or high quality prints. File size reduced to roughly 1/4 of its original size.

NORMAL

(default setting)

JPEG

Normal image quality, suited to most applications. File size reduced to roughly 1/8 of its original size.

Basic image quality, suitable for pictures that will be distributed by

BASIC

e-mail or used in web pages. File size reduced to roughly 1/16 of its original size.

The Shooting Menu

Compression

Low

High

Image Quality and Compression

The process of reducing the file size of a picture when storing it is called compression. In this camera, pictures are compressed and recorded as JPEG files.

• The more a picture is compressed, the smaller the picture size becomes and the larger the number of pictures that can be stored in memory or on a memory card. However, the quality of the image is degraded and the reproducibility of the image’s fine areas is reduced.

• The less a picture is compressed, the larger the picture size becomes and the smaller the number of pictures that can be stored in memory or on a memory card. However, it maintains the presentation of the image’s fine areas and increases the image quality.

Image Quality Setting

Image quality can be also selected in the assist modes ( 28) or scene modes ( 34).

The Shooting Menu

Image Size

Image size can be selected from the following five options according to your shooting intent:

Image size (pixels) Print size (cm)*

2272 × 1704

(default setting)

2048 × 1536 About 17 × 13 (6.7" × 5.1")

1600 × 1200 About 14 × 10 (5.3" × 4")

1024 × 768 About 9 × 7 (3.4" × 2.6")

640 × 480 About 5 × 4 (2.1" × 1.6")

* All figures are approximate. Print sizes assume a printer resolution of approximately 300dpi.

About 19 × 14 (7.5" × 5.3")

The Shooting Menu

Image Size

Smaller images create smaller files suitable for transmission by e-mail or for use in web pages. When printed in larger sizes, however, small images will be rough and uneven in appearance. The size of images when printed depends on the printer resolution: the higher the resolution, the smaller the final print size.

Image Size Setting

Image size can be also selected in the assist modes ( 28) or scene modes ( 34).

Image Quality/Size and Number of Exposures Remaining

The following table shows the approximate number of pictures that can be stored on 256-, 512-megabyte memory cards at different image modes. The number of exposures remaining varies widely, depending on the type of memory card, the nature of JPEG compression, or the content of the image.

Image mode

Image size Image quality

Memory Approx.

12MB

Memory card*

256MB 512MB

FINE 5 116 234

2272 × 1704

NORMAL 11 225 455

BASIC 21 427 860

FINE 7 142 286

2048 × 1536

NORMAL 13 274 553

BASIC 25 512 1033

FINE 11 227 458

1600 × 1200

The Shooting Menu

NORMAL 21 429 867

BASIC 38 774 1561

FINE 25 512 1033

1024 × 768

NORMAL 45 905 1826

BASIC 73 1469 2963

FINE 54 1088 2194

640 × 480

NORMAL 85 1701 3431

BASIC 118 2368 4775

* If memory remains for more than 999 pictures, camera exposure count display will show 999.

Image Mode

The current image mode (image quality and size) is shown by an icon at the bottom left corner of the monitor.

White Balance

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select White balance ( 74), and then press .

About White Balance

The color of the light reflected from an object varies with the color of the light source. The human brain is able to adapt to such changes in color, with the result that we see white objects as white, regardless of whether they are in the shade, direct sunlight, or under incandescent lighting. Digital camera can mimic this adjustment by processing information from the camera’s image sensor (CCD) according to the color of the light source. This process is known as a “white balance adjustment.” If White balance has been set to Auto and the results are not to your satisfaction or when shooting under the special light sources or conditions, use the following white balance settings other than Auto. Select from the following nine options and press .

Option Description

Auto

(default setting)

White bal. preset

Daylight White balance adjusted for direct sunlight.

Incandescent Use under incandescent lighting.

Fluorescent

Cloudy Use when taking pictures under overcast skies.

Shade

Speedlight Use with the flash.

White balance automatically adjusted to suit lighting conditions. Best choice in most situations.

Gray object used as reference to set white balance under unusual lighting conditions.

Use under most types of fluorescent lighting.

FL1

Press , and select FL1 (White (W)) or FL2 (Day- light White/Natural (N)) according to the bulb

FL2

types, and then press .

Use under sunny skies when your subject is in the shade.

The Shooting Menu

Preset White Balance

Preset white balance is used when shooting under mixed lighting or to compensate for light sources with a strong color cast (for example, to make pictures taken under a lamp with a red shade look as though they had been taken under white light). When White bal. preset is selected from the white balance menu, the camera will zoom in and the menu shown above at right will be displayed in the monitor.

Option Description

Recalls the most recent value for preset white bal-

Cancel

The Shooting Menu

Measure

ance from the memory and sets white balance to this value.

To measure a new value for white balance, place a neutral gray object, such as a piece of cardboard, under the lighting that will be used in the final picture. Frame this object so that it fills the square in the center of the menu shown above. Highlight Measure and press to measure a new value for white balance (shutter will be released and camera will return to original zoom position, but no picture will be recorded).

White balance measuring window

Preset White Balance

• The camera can not measure a value for preset white balance when the flash fires. Regardless of the flash mode selected, the flash will not fire when selecting Measure.

• When Auto bracketing is set to WB bracketing, preset white balance can not be used.

White Balance Indicator

Unless the setting is Auto, white balance is shown by an icon in the monitor.

Metering

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select Metering ( 74), and then press .

The metering menu offers a choice of three metering methods for determining how the camera sets exposure. Select from the following three options and press

Option Description

Matrix

(default set-

ting)

Center-

weighted

Spot

Compares measurements from multi areas of frame with library of typical compositions to produce optimal exposure for entire image. Best choice in most situations.

Use for portraits; adjusts exposure according to lighting at the center of the frame, but still preserves background details. Can be used with AF/AE lock ( 23) to meter offcenter subjects.

Camera measures light in area shown by circle in center of monitor. Ensures that subject in metering target will be correctly exposed even when background is much brighter or darker. Can be used with AF/AE lock ( 23) to meter offcenter subjects.

The Shooting Menu

Notes on Metering

When the digital zoom is in effect, the camera automatically switches to the setting just like Center-weighted. The metering target does not appear.

Metering

When Center-weighted or Spot is selected, the metering target is displayed in the center of the monitor.

Center-weighted metering target

Spot metering target

Continuous

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select Continuous ( 74), and then press .

According to the shooting condition, Single or three continuous options ( Continuous, 5 shot buffer or Multi-shot 16) can be selected.

Option Description

Single

(default setting)

Continuous

The Shooting Menu

5 shot buffer

Multi-shot 16

Camera takes one picture each time shutter-release button is pressed.

While shutter-release button is pressed and held, pictures can be recorded at rate of up to about 1.3 frames per second. Camera takes 11 pictures when Image quality is NORMAL and Image size is 4M (2272 level indicator is displayed in the monitor, consecutive shooting speed will be slow.

While shutter-release button is pressed and held, pictures can be recorded at rate of up to about 1.3 frames per second. When the shutter button is released, continuous shooting will stop. Only the last five images taken during each continuous shooting burst will be recorded to the memory or memory card. When the ( ) battery level indicator is displayed in the monitor, consecutive shooting speed will be slow.

Each time shutter-release button is pressed down, camera takes sixteen consecutive shots at rate of about 3.5 frames per second. Camera arranges pictures in four rows (one shot: 568

426) to form a single picture (4M: 2272

× 1704). When the ( ) battery

× 1704).

Restrictions on Camera Settings

• Autofocus, exposure, and white balance for all photos are determined by the first picture in each series.

• The flash mode is set to automatically. Continuous can not be used simultaneously with BSS (84) or Auto bracketing ( 88). The camera takes pictures with the latest setting among those options.

• Noise reduction ( 95) has no effect even if this option is set to ON.

• When shooting pictures using the self-timer, Continuous is switched to Single. Contin-

uous, 5 shot buffer, and Multi-shot 16 can not be used. The settings will return to the original after an image has been taken using the self-timer.

• While shooting in Multi-shot 16, Sensitivity (87) is set to Auto.

Continuous

Unless the setting is Single, the current Continuous setting is indicated by an icon in the monitor.

The Shooting Menu

Best Shot Selector

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select BSS ( 74), and then press .

When the “Best Shot Selector” (BSS) is on, the camera takes a maximum of ten pictures as long as the shutter-release button is held down. These images are then compared and the sharpest picture (the picture with highest level of detail) is saved to the memory or memory card. BSS is recommended for situations in which inadvertent camera movement can produce blurred pictures, for example when:

• the camera is zoomed in

• the camera is in macro close-up mode

• lighting is poor and the flash can not be used

Select On or Off and press .

The Shooting Menu

Option Description

Off

BSS off; camera functions normally.

(default setting)

BSS on. Flash mode set to automatically and focus,

exposure, and white balance for all photos are determined by the first picture in each series.

Notes on BSS

• BSS may not produce the desired results with a moving subject or if you change the composition while the shutter-release button is pressed all the way down.

• When shooting pictures using self-timer, BSS is switched to Off. BSS will return to On after an image has been taken using the self-timer.

• When BSS is On, Noise reduction ( 95) is not available even if this option is set to On.

Continuous, Auto Bracketing, and BSS

BSS can not be used simultaneously with Continuous ( 82) or Auto bracketing ( 88). The camera takes pictures with the latest setting among those options.

BSS

When BSS is set to On, a BSS icon appears in the monitor.

Image Adjustment

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select Image adjustment ( 74), and then press .

Image adjustment is used to adjust contrast automatically for optimal results before recording pictures to the memory or the memory card.

Select from the following four options and press .

Option Description

Auto

(default setting)

Normal

More contrast

Less contrast

Camera automatically adjusts contrast according to shooting conditions.

Camera performs same standard contrast adjustment on all pictures. Suitable for a wide variety of scenes, from dark to bright.

Picture processed to emphasize difference between light and dark areas, enhancing contrast. Useful when shooting under overcast skies or shooting low contrast subjects such as landscapes.

Picture processed to decrease difference between light and dark areas, reducing contrast. Recommended when light is very bright, creating strong shadows on subject.

The Shooting Menu

Image Adjustment

Unless the setting is Auto, the current image-adjustment setting is indicated by an icon in the monitor.

Image Sharpening

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select Image sharpening ( 74), and then press .

The camera automatically processes pictures to emphasize the borders between light and dark areas of the picture, making edges seem sharper.

Select from the following five options and press .

Option Description

Camera sharpens edges for optimal results; amount of sharpening varies from shot to shot.

Pictures processed to increase sharpness, making edges more distinct.

Camera performs same standard level of sharpening on all images.

No sharpening performed. Suitable for pictures that will later be retouched on a computer.

(default setting)

The Shooting Menu

Auto

High

Normal

Low Sharpening reduced below normal level.

Off

Image Sharpening Effects

Can not be previewed in the monitor. You can view the results in the playback mode.

Image Sharpening

Unless the setting is Auto, the image-sharpening icon appears in the monitor.

Sensitivity

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select Sensitivity ( 74), and then press .

Sensitivity is a measure of how sensitive the camera reacts to light. With Auto (default setting), ISO sensitivity automatically increases at low brightness. Setting ISO sensitivity at a high level is effective in preventing blur when Speedlight is disabled in dark settings or making the subject appear brighter. However, the image may contain “noise” or become “grainy.”

Select from the following five levels and press .

Option Description

Auto

(default set-

ting)

80 Approximately equivalent to ISO 80.

100 Approximately equivalent to ISO 100.

200 Approximately equivalent to ISO 200.

400

Approximately equivalent to ISO 80 under normal conditions; when lighting is poor, however, camera automatically compensates by raising sensitivity to maximum of ISO 200 equivalent.

Approximately equivalent to ISO 400. Intended for use with natural lighting; not recommended when using flash.

The Shooting Menu

Noise Reduction

When raising sensitivity, “noise” in the form of randomly-spaced, brightly colored pixels may appear in pictures. In this case, noise in pictures taken at slow shutter speeds will be reduced automatically when Noise reduction ( 95) is On.

Auto

Unless the setting is Auto, a selected ISO value is displayed in the monitor whenever sensitivity is raised. An

icon will appear at Auto setting when the camera has

automatically changed sensitivity.

Auto Bracketing

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select Auto bracketing ( 74), and then press .

In some situations, you may find it difficult to select appropriate exposure compensation and white balance settings, and yet not have time to check the results and adjust settings after each shot. Auto bracketing can be used to vary these settings automatically over a series of pictures, “bracketing” a selected exposure compensation or white balance setting. Select from the following three options and press .

Option Description

Off

(default setting)

The Shooting Menu

Auto bracketing

WB bracketing

Restores normal exposure and white balance.

Each time the shutter-release button is fully pressed, the camera takes three shots, one shot with the current exposure, and two shots varying the exposure by values of +0.5 and -0.5 compensation.

The camera takes three shots each time shutterrelease button is fully pressed, bracketing current white balance setting to produce one picture with normal white balance, one picture with bluish cast, and one picture with reddish cast. Recording time roughly triples.

When Selecting “Auto bracketing”

• The Flash mode is set to .

• Noise reduction has no effect even if this option is set to On.

Restrictions on Auto Bracketing

• Auto bracketing can not be used simultaneously with Continuous, 5 shot buffer, Multi-shot 16, or BSS. The camera takes pictures with the latest setting among those op-

tions.

• While White balance ( 79) is set to White bal. preset, WB bracketing option in Auto

bracketing can not be used for shooting.

• If the space in the memory or on the memory card is capable of storing only a few images, only

that number of images will be stored.

Exposure Compensation

When Exposure compensation ( 47) and Auto bracketing ( 88) are set simultaneously, exposure will be compensated at the sum of both compensation values.

Auto Bracketing

When Auto bracketing is in effect, a (bracketing) icon is displayed in the monitor. When WB bracketing is in effect, icons appear in the monitor.

The Shooting Menu

Saturation Control

Press MENU button in (auto shooting) mode to select Saturation control ( 74), and then press .

Saturation control is used to heighten or reduce the vividness of colors.

Select from the following three options and press

Option Description

Use for vivid, photo-print effect when taking pic-

(default setting)

The Shooting Menu

Enhanced

Normal

Moderate

tures that will be printed “as is,” without further modification.

Best choice in most situations.

Use when taking pictures that will later be retouched on a computer.

Nikon CP4200 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual