Nikon D200 Owner Manual

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About This Manual

The topics in this manual are arranged in order from easy to advanced.

These chapters cover all you need to know for

simple, “point-and-shoot” photography

Introduction (page 1)

Learn the names of camera parts and ready the camera for use.

Tutorial: Photography and Playback (page 17)

The basic operations involved in taking photographs and playing them back.

Reference: More on Photography (page 26)

Play with exposure and explore the creative possibilities of some of the camera’s more advanced settings.

Reference: More on Playback (page 98)

Learn more about camera playback, transferring photographs to a computer, and printing photographs.

Setup: Basic Camera Settings (page 115)

Basic camera setup, including formatting memory cards and setting the camera clock.

Setup: Shooting, Playback, and Custom Settings (page 124)

Read this chapter for more information on Custom Settings and on shooting and playback options.

Technical Notes (page 173)

Read this chapter for information on camera speciﬁ cations, accessories, and troubleshooting.

Read these chapters for a complete descrip-

tion of all aspects of camera operation

Trademark Information

Macintosh, Mac OS, and QuickTime are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. CompactFlash is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation. Lexar Media is a trademark of Lexar Media Corporation. Microdrive is a trademark of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies in the United States and other countries. Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc. 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.

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Introduction

Tutorial

Reference

Setup

Technical Notes

Photography and Playback

More on Photography

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 Nikon product to prevent possible injury.

WARNINGS

Do not look at the sun through the view ﬁ nder

Viewing the sun or other strong light source through the viewﬁ nder could cause per ma nent visual im pair ment.

Turn oﬀ immediately in the event of malfunction

Should you notice smoke or an un usu al smell coming from the equip ment or from the AC adapt er (avail able sep a rate ly), unplug the AC adapt er and re move the battery im me di ate ly, taking care to avoid burns. Con tin ued op er a tion could re sult in injury. After re mov ing the bat tery, take the equip ment to a Nikon-au tho rized service cen ter for in spec tion.

Do not use in the presence of ﬂ am ma ble gas

Do not use electronic equip ment in the presence of ﬂ ammable gas, as this could result in ex plo sion or ﬁ re.

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 a malfunction, the prod uct should be re paired only by a qualiﬁ ed tech ni cian. Should the product break open as the re sult of a fall or other ac ci dent, re move the battery and/or AC adapt er and then take the prod uct to a Nikon-au tho rized ser vice cen ter for in spec tion.

Observe proper precautions when han dling bat-

teries

Batteries may leak or explode if im prop er ly handled. Observe the fol low ing pre cau tions when handling bat ter ies for use in this product:

• Be sure the product is oﬀ before re plac ing the battery. If you are using an AC adapter, be sure it is un plugged.

• Use only batteries approved for use in this equipment. Do not mix old and new batteries or batteries of diﬀ erent types.

• Do not at tempt to insert the battery upside down or back wards.

• Do not short or disassemble the bat tery.

• Do not expose the battery to ﬂ ame or to excessive heat.

• Do not immerse in or expose to wa ter.

• Replace the terminal cover when transporting the battery. Do not transport or store with metal objects such as neck lac es or hair pins.

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• Batteries are prone to leakage when fully discharged. To avoid damage to the prod uct, be sure to remove the battery when no charge re mains.

• When the battery is not in use, at tach the terminal cover and store in a cool place.

• Immediately after use, or when the prod uct is used on battery power for an ex tend ed period, the bat tery may become hot. Before re mov ing the bat tery, turn the camera oﬀ and al low the battery to cool.

• Discontinue use immediately should you notice any changes in the bat ter y, such as dis col or a tion or de for ma tion.

Use appropriate cables

When connecting cables to the in put and output jacks, use only the ca bles pro vid ed or sold by Nikon for the pur pose, to main tain com pli ance with prod uct reg u la tions.

Keep out of reach of children

Failure to observe this precaution could result in injury.

CD-ROMs

The CD-ROMs on which the soft ware and manuals are dis trib ut ed should not be played back on audio CD equip ment. Playing CD-ROMs on an audio CD play er could cause hear ing loss or dam age the equip ment.

Observe caution when using the ﬂ ash

• Do not operate the ﬂ ash with the ﬂ ash window touching a person or object. Failure to observe this precaution could result in burns or ﬁ re.

• Using the ﬂ ash close to your sub ject’s eyes could cause tem po rar y vi su al im pair ment. Par tic u lar care should be observed if pho to graph ing in fants, when the ﬂ ash should be no less than one meter (39˝) from the sub ject.

When using the viewﬁ nder

When operating the diopter ad just ment control with your eye to the viewﬁ nder, care should be tak en not to put your ﬁ n ger in your eye ac ci den tal ly.

Avoid contact with liquid crystal

Should the monitor break, care should be tak en to avoid injury due to bro ken glass and to pre vent liq uid crystal from the mon i tor touch ing the skin or en ter ing the eyes or mouth.

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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 speciﬁ cations of the hardware and software described in these manuals at any time and without prior notice.

Notices 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 diﬀ erent from that to which the receiver is connected.

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

Notice for Customers in Canada

CAUTION

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

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

• While every eﬀ ort 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).

CAUTIONS

Modiﬁ cations

The FCC requires the user to be notiﬁ ed that any changes or modiﬁ cations 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

ATTENTION

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

D200

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Symbol for Separate Collection in European Countries

This symbol indicates that this product is to be collected separately.

The following apply only to users in European countries:

• This product is designated for separate collection at an appropriate collection point. Do not dispose of as household waste.

• For more information, contact the retailer or the local authorities in charge of waste management.

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 certiﬁ ed documents stipulated by law is prohibited.

Disposing of Data Storage Devices

Please note that deleting images or formatting memory cards or other data storage devices does not completely erase the original image data. Deleted ﬁ les can sometimes be recovered from discarded storage devices using commercially available software, potentially resulting in the malicious use of personal image data. Ensuring the privacy of such data is the user’s responsibility.

Before discarding a data storage device or transferring ownership to another person, erase all data using commercial deletion software, or format the device and then completely reﬁ ll it with images containing no private information (for example, pictures of empty sky). Be sure to also replace any pictures selected for preset white balance. Care should be taken to avoid injury or damage to property when physically destroying data storage devices.

• Cautions on certain copies and reproductions

The government has issued cautions on copies or reproductions of securities issued by private companies (shares, bills, checks, gift certiﬁ cates, 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.

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Introduction

............................................................................................................

Tutorial:

Photography and Playback

....................................................................

1 17

Reference

................................................................................................................

2 23

Reference:

More on Photography

.........................................................................

2 26

For Your Safety .................................................................................................................................... ii

Notices ................................................................................................................................................... iv

Introduction

Getting to Know the Camera ......................................................................................................... 2

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

Attaching a Lens ............................................... 8

Charging and Inserting the Battery ...... 10

Basic Setup ........................................................... 12

Tutorial:

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

Basic Playback ..................................................................................................................................... 22

Reference

Using Camera Menus ....................................................................................................................... 24

Reference:

Choosing a Shooting Mode ........................................................................................................... 26

Image Quality and Size .................................................................................................................... 28

Image Quality ..................................................... 28 Image Size ............................................................. 32

ISO Sensitivity ..................................................................................................................................... 33

White Balance ..................................................................................................................................... 35

Optimizing Images ............................................................................................................................ 45

Color Space .......................................................................................................................................... 50

Focus ...................................................................................................................................................... 51

Focus Mode ......................................................... 51

Focus Area Selection ...................................... 53

AF-Area Mode ..................................................... 54

Focus Zone Selection .................................... 55

Exposure ............................................................................................................................................... 61

Metering ................................................................ 61

Exposure Mode .................................................. 62

Autoexposure Lock ......................................... 70

Flash Photography ............................................................................................................................ 76

Flash Sync Modes ............................................. 77

Using the Built-in Flash ................................. 78

Self-Timer Mode ................................................................................................................................. 83

Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure ....................................................................................... 84

Interval Timer Photography ........................................................................................................... 89

Non-CPU Lenses ................................................................................................................................. 93

Using a GPS Unit ................................................................................................................................ 96

Two-Button Reset .............................................................................................................................. 97

............................................................................................................ 11

Inserting Memory Cards .............................. 14

Adjusting Viewﬁ nder Focus ....................... 16

Photography and Playback

................................................................................................................

More on Photography

....................................................................

.........................................................................

Focus Lock ............................................................ 56

The AF-Assist Illuminator ............................. 58

Getting Good Results with Autofocus 59

Manual Focus ...................................................... 60

Exposure Compensation ............................. 72

Exposure and Flash Bracketing ................ 73

Flash Exposure Compensation ................ 80

FV Lock .................................................................... 81

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Reference: More on Playback

................................................................................

9 98

Setup

.......................................................................................................................

Technical Notes

.......................................................................................................

173

Viewing Photographs ....................................................................................................................... 98

Single-Image Playback .................................. 98

Photo Information ........................................... 99

Viewing Multiple Images:

Thumbnail Playback ....................................... 102

Viewing Photographs on TV .......................................................................................................... 106

Connecting to a Computer ............................................................................................................ 107

Printing Photographs ....................................................................................................................... 110

Setup

.......................................................................................................................

Basic Camera Settings: The Setup Menu ................................................................................... 115

Format ..................................................................... 116

LCD Brightness ................................................... 116

Mirror Lock-Up ................................................... 117

Video Mode .......................................................... 117

World Time ........................................................... 117

Language .............................................................. 118

Image Comment .............................................. 118

Shooting Options: The Shooting Menu ..................................................................................... 124

Shooting Menu Bank ..................................... 125

Menu Reset .......................................................... 127

Folders ..................................................................... 128

File Naming .......................................................... 129

Optimize Image ................................................. 129

Color Space .......................................................... 129

Image Quality ..................................................... 129

Image Size ............................................................. 130

JPEG Compression ........................................... 130

Playback Options: The Playback Menu ...................................................................................... 133

Delete ...................................................................... 133

Playback Folder .................................................. 135

Slide Show ............................................................ 135

Hide Image ........................................................... 137

Print Set .................................................................. 139

Custom Settings ................................................................................................................................. 143

Technical Notes

Optional Accessories ........................................................................................................................ 173

Caring for the Camera ...................................................................................................................... 184

Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................................ 189

Appendix .............................................................................................................................................. 195

Speciﬁ cations ...................................................................................................................................... 203

Index ....................................................................................................................................................... 208

.......................................................................................................

................................................................................

Tak ing a Closer Look: Playback Zoom .. 103 Protecting Photographs

from Deletion ...................................................... 104

Deleting Individual Photographs ........... 105

Auto Image Rotation ...................................... 119

Recent Settings .................................................. 119

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

Dust Oﬀ Ref Photo ........................................... 121

Battery Info ........................................................... 123

Firmware Version .............................................. 123

RAW Compression ........................................... 130

White Balance ..................................................... 130

Long Exp. NR ....................................................... 131

High ISO NR ......................................................... 131

ISO Sensitivity ..................................................... 132

Image Overlay .................................................... 132

Multiple Exposure ............................................ 132

Interval Timer Shooting ................................ 132

Non-CPU Lens Data ........................................ 132

Display Mode ...................................................... 141

Image Review ..................................................... 141

After Delete .......................................................... 142

Rotate Tall .............................................................. 142

1155

173

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Take Test Shots

Before taking pictures on important occasions (for example, at weddings or be fore tak ing the cam era with you on a trip), take a test shot to ensure that the camera is func tion ing normally. Nikon will not be held liable for damages or lost proﬁ ts that may result from product malfunction.

Life-Long Learning

As part of Nikon’s “Life-Long Learning” commitment to ongoing prod uct sup port and ed u ca tion, con tin u al ly-updated information is avail able on-line at the following sites:

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

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

• For users in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East: http://www.nikon-asia.com/ Visit these sites to keep up-to-date with the latest product in for ma tion, tips, an swers to fre quent ly-asked ques tions (FAQs), and gen er al advice on digital imaging and pho tog ra phy. Ad di tion al information may be available from the Nikon rep re sen ta tive in your area. See the URL below for contact in for ma tion: http://nikonimaging.com/

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Introduction

Thank you for your purchase of a Nikon D200 single-lens reﬂ ex (SLR) digital camera with interchangeable lenses. 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. The documentation for this product also includes the manuals listed below. Please be sure to read all instructions thoroughly to get the most from the cam era.

• Quick Start Guide: The Quick Start Guide takes you through the process of un-

packing and set ting up your Nikon digital camera, taking your ﬁ rst photographs, and trans fer ring them to your computer.

• Software manual (on CD): The software manual contains information on using

the software provided with your camera. For information on view ing the software manual, see the Quick Start Guide.

To make it easier to ﬁ nd the information you need, the following sym bols and con ven tions are used:

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

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

This icon marks settings that can be adjusted using camera menus.

Lens

An AF-S DX 18–70 mm f/3.5–4.5G ED lens is used in this manual for illustrative purposes. The parts of the lens are shown below.

Zoom ring Mounting index: 8

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

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

This icon marks settings that can be ﬁ ne-tuned from the Custom Set tings menu.

CPU contacts: 176Focal length scale

Introduction

Focus ring:

60 A-M mode switch: 60

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Getting to Know the Camera

Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with camera controls and displays. You may ﬁ nd it helpful to bookmark this section and refer to it as you read through the rest of the manual.

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

Camera Body

Accessory shoe: 180

Built-in ﬂ ash:

Lens release button:

Focus-mode selector:

19, 51

Flash pop-up button:

(ﬂ ash sync mode) button: 78 [ Flash compensation: 80]

Flash sync terminal:

180

Eyelet for camera

strap:

10-pin remote terminal: 182

Connector cover: 106

Video connector: 106

DC-IN connector for optional

EH-6 AC adapter:

USB connector:

108, 111

181

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AF-assist illuminator: 58

[Self-timer lamp: 83]

[Red-eye reduction lamp: 77]

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

Sub-command dial:

Eyelet for camera strap: 9

Depth-of-ﬁ eld preview button:

FUNC. button:

Battery-chamber cover:

Battery-chamber cover latch:

Shutter-release button: 20

QUAL (image quality/size)

button: 29, 32

[ ● (reset) button: 97]

Mode dial lock

release:

170

11 Tripod socket

(exposure mode)

button: 62

[ (format) button:

14]

Power switch: 17 [Illuminator switch: 5]

(exposure compensation) button: 72 [ ● (reset) button: 97]

Control panel:

WB (white balance)

button: 35–44

(focal plane mark): 60

ISO (ISO sensitivity) button: 33Mode dial: 26

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Camera Body (continued)

Viewﬁ nder eyepiece cup

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

button: 43, 73

button:

[ ? (help) button:

Viewﬁ nder eyepiece:

83, 90, 181

(delete) button: 22, 105

[ (format) button: 14]

(bracketing)

(playback)

22, 98

(menu)

button: 24

(thumbnail)

button: 102

(protect )

button: 104

24]

(enter) button: 24

[ (playback zoom)

button: 103]

Monitor: 9, 116, 184

Multi selector

The multi selector is used for menu navigation and to control the display of photo information during playback.

View more photo info

Move cursor up

Diopter adjustment control:

16, 181

Metering selector: 61

(AE / AF lock) button:

56, 70

AF-area mode selector: 54

Card slot cover latch: 14

Playback ( 98) Menu navigation ( 24)

Main command

170

dial:

(AF-ON)

button: 52

Focus selector lock: 53

Memory card slot cover: 14

Memory card access lamp:

View previous photo

Return to previous menu

Cancel

View more photo info

Move cursor down

View next photo

Display sub-menu

Make selection

Change number of

images displayed

Make selection

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Control Panel

1 Color temperature indicator ........................38

2 Shutter speed ..............................................62–69

Exposure compensation value ..................72

Flash compensation value ............................80

ISO sensitivity ........................................................33

White balance ﬁ ne-tuning, color

temperature, or preset number ....... 37–42

Number of shots in bracketing

sequence .................................................................73

Number of intervals ..........................................91

Focal length (non-CPU lens) ........................94

3 Flash sync indicator ...........................................79

4 Flexible program indicator ...........................63

5 Exposure mode ....................................................62

6 “Clock not set” indicator ..............................117

7 Image size ...............................................................32

18 Flash compensation indicator ....................80

19 Exposure compensation indicator ..........72

20 ISO sensitivity indicator ..................................33

21 Flash value (FV) lock ..........................................81

8 Image quality ........................................................28

9 Focus area ...............................................................53

AF-area mode .......................................................54

10 White balance mode ........................................35

11 Number of exposures remaining .............17

Number of shots remaining

before memory buﬀ er ﬁ lls ............................27

PC mode indicator ..........................................108

Preset white balance recording

indicator ...................................................................40

12 “K” (appears when memory remains for

over 1000 exposures) .........................................7

13 Battery indicator ..................................................17

14 Flash sync mode .................................................77

15 “Beep” indicator .................................................158

16 Aperture (f/-number) ..............................62–69

Aperture (number of stops) .................67, 69

Bracketing increment ..............................43, 73

Number of shots per interval ......................91

Maximum aperture (non-CPU lens) ........95

PC connection indicator .............................108

17 Aperture stop indicator ..........................67, 69

22 Image comment indicator .........................118

23 Wide-frame focus area indicator ...............56

24 Custom menu bank .......................................146

25 Shooting menu bank ....................................125

26 Bracketing indicator ..................................43, 73

27 Electronic analog exposure display ........69

Exposure compensation ................................72

Bracketing progress indicator .............43, 73

PC connection indicator .............................108

28 GPS connection indicator .............................96

29 Multiple exposure indicator .........................87

30 Interval timer indicator ...................................91

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

The LCD Illuminator

Holding the power switch in the position activates the exposure meters and the control panel backlight (LCD illuminator), allowing the display to be read in the dark. After the power switch is released, the illuminator will remain active while the camera exposure meters are active or until the shutter is released.

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The Viewﬁ nder Display

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

1 Framing grid (displayed when On is

selected for Custom Setting d2 (Grid

Display) ................................................................158

2 8-mm (0.31-in.) reference circle for cen-

ter-weighted metering ...................................61

3 “No memory card” warning * ......................... 7

4 Battery indicator * ...............................................17

5 Black-and-white indicator * ..........................45

6 Normal-frame focus brackets

(focus areas) ...................................................53, 55

7 Wide-frame focus brackets

(focus areas) ...........................................................55

8 Focus indicator .....................................................20

9 Metering ...................................................................61

10 Autoexposure (AE) lock ..................................70

11 Shutter speed ..............................................62–69

12 Aperture (f/-number) ..............................62–69

Aperture (number of stops) .................67, 69

13 Exposure mode ....................................................62

* Can be hidden with Custom Setting d3 ( 158).

When the battery is totally exhausted, the display in the viewﬁ nder will dim. The viewﬁ nder

display will return to normal when a fullycharged battery is inserted.

119 10

20 21 24

16 17

14 Flash compensation indicator ....................80

15 Exposure compensation indicator ..........72

16 ISO sensitivity ........................................................33

17 Number of exposures remaining .............17

Number of shots remaining

before memory buﬀ er ﬁ lls ............................27

Preset white balance recording

indicator ...................................................................40

Exposure compensation value ..................72

Flash compensation value ............................80

PC connection indicator .............................108

18 Flash-ready indicator ........................................79

19 Flash value (FV) lock ..........................................81

20 Flash sync indicator ...........................................79

21 Aperture stop indicator ..........................67, 69

22 Electronic analog exposure display ........69

Exposure compensation ................................72

23 Auto sensitivity indicator ............................153

24 “K” (appears when memory remains for

over 1000 exposures) .........................................7

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Advanced Focusing Screen Display

When the background is bright, the active focus area ( 53) is highlighted in black. When the background is dark, the active focus area is highlighted brieﬂ y in red as needed to establish contrast with the background (“Vari-Brite” focus areas), making it easier to identify the selected focus area. The viewﬁ nder is also equipped with on-demand grid lines. When On is selected for Custom Setting d2 (Grid display; 158), a reference grid is superimposed over the display in the viewﬁ nder. This grid is a useful aid when composing landscape shots or when tilting or shifting a PC Nikkor lens.

Owing to the characteristics of this type of viewﬁ nder display, you may notice ﬁ ne lines radiating outwards from the selected focus area, or that the display in the viewﬁ nder turns red when the selected focus area is highlighted. These phenomena are normal and do not indicate a malfunction.

The Viewﬁ nder Display

The focus-area and grid-line displays in the viewﬁ nder (advanced focusing screen display) tend to brighten at high temperatures and to darken and exhibit slower response times at low temperatures. The other displays in the viewﬁ nder tend to darken at high temperatures and exhibit slower response times at low temperatures. All displays will return to normal at room temperature.

Large-Capacity Memory Cards

When enough mem o ry re mains on the memory card to record a thou sand or more pic tures at cur rent set tings, the num ber of exposures re main ing will be shown in thou sands, round ed down to the near est hun dred (e.g., if there is room for ap prox i mate ly 1,260 ex po sures, the ex po sure count dis play will show 1.2 K).

Camera Oﬀ Display/No Memory Card

If the camera is turned oﬀ with a battery and memory card inserted, the number of exposures remaining will be displayed in the control panel. If no memory card is inserted, the control panel will show and a icon will be displayed in the viewﬁ nder.

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

Page 18

First Steps

Attaching a Lens

Care should be taken to prevent dust from entering the camera when the lens

Introduction—First Steps

is removed.

After conﬁ rming that the camera is oﬀ , remove

the rear lens cap and camera body cap.

Keep ing the mounting index on the lens

aligned with the mounting index on the cam era body, position the lens in the cam era’s bayonet mount. Being careful not to press the lens-release button, ro tate the lens counter-clockwise until it clicks into place.

Detaching Lenses

Be sure the camera is oﬀ when removing or exchanging lenses. To remove the lens, press and hold the lens-release button while turning the lens clockwise.

Aperture Ring

If the lens is equipped with an aperture ring, lock aperture at the minimum setting (highest f/-number). See the lens manual for details.

Mounting

index

Page 19

Attaching the Camera Strap

Attach the strap as shown below.

The Monitor Cover

A clear plastic cover (the BM-6 LCD monitor cover) is provided with the camera to keep the monitor clean and protect it when the camera is not in use. To attach the cover, insert the projection on the top of the cover into the matching indentation above the camera monitor (햲), then press the bottom of the cover until it clicks into place (햳).

To remove the cover, hold the camera ﬁ rmly and pull the bottom of the cover gently outwards as shown at right.

Introduction—First Steps

Page 20

Charging and Inserting the Battery

The supplied EN-EL3e battery is not charged at shipment. Charge the battery using the supplied MH-18a quick charger as described below.

Introduction—First Steps

Charge the battery

1.1 Connect the power cord to the charger and

plug it in.

1.2 Place the battery in the charger. The CHARGE lamp will blink as the battery charges. About two and a quarter hours are required for an exhausted battery to fully charge.

1.3 Charging is complete when the CHARGE lamp stops blinking. Remove the battery from the charger and unplug the charger.

The Battery and Charger

Read and follow the warnings and cautions on pages ii–iii and 187–188 of this manual, together with any warnings and instructions provided by the battery manufacturer. Use

only EN-EL3e batteries. The D200 is not compatible with the EN-EL3 or EN-EL3a batteries available for D100, D70-series, or D50 cameras or with the MS-D70 CR2 battery holder.

Do not use the battery at ambient temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) or above 40 °C (104 °F). During charging, the tem per a ture should be in the vi cin i ty of 5–35 °C (41–95 °F). Note that the battery may become hot during use; wait for the battery to cool before charging. Failure to observe these precautions could damage the battery, impair its performance, or prevent it from charging normally.

The supplied power cable is intended solely for use with the MH-18a and is for domestic use only. It may be necessary to purchase another cable for use abroad; consult with a local Nikon-authorized retailer or service representative. Unplug the charger when not in use.

Page 21

Insert the battery

2.1 After conﬁ rming that the camera is oﬀ , open

the battery chamber cover.

2.2 Insert a fully charged battery as shown at right. Close the battery chamber cover.

EN-EL3e Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries

The EN-EL3e shares information with compatible devices, enabling the battery charge state to be shown in six levels in the control panel and as a percentage in the setup menu Battery Info display ( 123), together with battery life and the number of pictures taken since the battery was last charged.

Use Only Nikon Brand Electronic Accessories

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

HE USE OF NON-NIKON ELECTRONIC ACCESSORIES COULD DAMAGE THE CAM-

ERA AND MAY VOID YOUR NIKON WARRANTY. The use of third-party

rechargeable Li-ion batteries not bearing the Nikon holographic seal (see right) 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 an authorized Nikon dealer.

Removing the Battery

Turn the camera oﬀ before removing the battery. Replace the terminal cover when the battery is not in use.

Introduction—First Steps

Page 22

Basic Setup

The language option in the setup menu is automatically highlighted the ﬁ rst time menus are displayed. Choose a language and set the time and date.

Introduction—First Steps

Turn camera on and press button.

Select language.

Highlight World Time.

Highlight Time Zone.

Select local time zone.

* UTC ﬁ eld shows time diﬀ erence between selected time zone and Coordinated Universal

Time (UTC), in hours.

Display language menu.

Return to setup menu.

Display options.

Display map of world time zones.

Return to WORLD TIME menu.

Page 23

Highlight Date.

† If daylight saving time is in eﬀ ect in local time zone, highlight Daylight Saving Time

and press multi selector right. Press multi selector down to highlight On and press multi selector right. Time will automatically be advanced one hour.

†

Display DATE menu.

Press multi selector left or right to select item, up or down to change.

Introduction—First Steps

Return to WORLD TIME menu.

Display options.

Return to WORLD TIME menu.

Using Camera Menus

The language option is only highlighted automatically the ﬁ rst time menus are displayed. See “Using Camera Menus” ( 24–25) for information on normal menu operation.

Highlight Date Format.

Choose order in which date is displayed.

Return to setup menu.

Page 24

Inserting Memory Cards

Photographs are stored on CompactFlash memory cards (available separately).

Insert a memory card

Introduction—First Steps

1.1 Turn the camera oﬀ before inserting or re- moving memory cards. Unlatch (햲) and open (햳) the memory card cover.

1.2 Insert the card as shown at right. The eject

Front

button will pop up and the memory card access lamp will light for about a second. Close the memory card slot cover.

Inserting Memory Cards

Conﬁ rm that the memory card is in the orientation shown. Attempting to insert cards upside down or backward could damage the camera or card. Do not use force.

Format the memory card

Formatting memory cards permanently deletes all photographs and other

Direction of

insertion

Terminals

Front

data they may contain. Be sure all data you wish to keep have been copied to another storage device before formatting the card.

2.1

Turn camera on and press (

and ) buttons simultaneously for

about 2 seconds until blinks in

control panel and viewﬁ nder.

* Press any other button to exit without formatting memory card.

2.2

Press buttons again. * Do not turn camera oﬀ or remove battery or memory card until formatting is complete and control panel shows

number of exposures remaining.

Page 25

Removing Memory Cards

1 Conﬁ rm that the access lamp is oﬀ .

2 Turn the camera oﬀ and open the memory card slot cover.

3 Press the eject button to partially eject the card (햲). The

card can then be removed by hand (햳). Do not push on the memory card while pressing the eject button. Failure to observe this precaution could damage the camera or memory card.

Illustrations

In illustrations throughout this manual, indicators in the control panel and viewﬁ nder relevant to the explanation in the accompanying text are shown in black. Indicators not mentioned in the text are shown in gray.

Introduction—First Steps

Page 26

Adjusting Viewﬁ nder Focus

Photographs are framed in the viewﬁ nder. Before shooting, make sure that the display in the viewﬁ nder is in clear focus.

Introduction—First Steps

Remove the lens cap and turn the camera on.

Rotate the diopter adjustment control until the

focus brackets are displayed in sharp focus when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway. When operating the diopter adjustment control with your eye to the viewﬁ nder, be careful not to put your ﬁ ngers or ﬁ ngernails in your eye.

Focus

brackets

Auto Meter-Oﬀ

At default settings, the viewﬁ nder display and the aperture and shutter-speed indicators in the control panel will turn oﬀ if no operations are performed for about six seconds (auto meter-oﬀ ), reducing the drain on the battery. Press the shutter-release button halfway to reactivate the display.

Page 27

Tutorial:

Photography and Playback

Basic Photography

This section describes how to take pictures at default settings.

Tu rn the camera on

1.1 Remove the lens cap and turn the camera

on. The control panel will turn on and the display in the viewﬁ nder will light. The monitor remains oﬀ during shooting.

1.2 Check the battery level in the viewﬁ nder or control panel.

Control

View-

panel

ﬁ nder Description

— Battery fully charged.

— Battery partially discharged.

Low battery. Ready fully-charged spare battery.

(blinks) (blinks)

Battery level is not displayed when camera is powered by optional AC adapter.

Shutter-release disabled. Change battery.

Tutorial—Basic Photography

1.3 The exposure count displays in the control panel and viewﬁ nder show the number of photographs that can be stored on the memory card. Check the number of exposures remaining.

If there is not enough memory to store additional photographs at current settings, the display will ﬂ ash as shown at right. No further pictures can be taken until the memory card has been replaced or pictures have been deleted.

Page 28

Adjust camera settings

This tutorial describes how to take photographs at the default settings listed in the table below, using a type G or D lens. See the “Reference” section for information on when and how to change settings from their default values.

Control panel

Exposure

Tutorial—Basic Photography

mode

Image size

Image

quality

Focus area

Option Default Description

Image

quality

Image

size

ISO

sensitivity

White

balance

Exposure

mode

Focus

area

(JPEG Normal)

(Programmed auto)

Center focus area Camera focuses on subject in center focus area. 53

NORM

(Large)

100

(Auto)

White balance

Balance between image quality and ﬁ le size is ideal for snapshots.

Images are 3,872 × 2,592 pixels in size. 32

ISO sensitivity (digital equivalent of ﬁ lm speed) set to value roughly equivalent to ISO 100. White balance automatically adjusted for natural coloration under most types of lighting. Built-in exposure program automatically adjusts shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure in most situations.

Viewﬁ nder

ISO sensitivity

28–

33–

35–

62–

2.1 Press the mode-dial lock release (햲) while turning the mode dial (햳) to S (single frame). At this setting, the camera will take one photograph each time the shutter-release button is pressed.

2.2 Rotate the AF-area mode selector until it clicks into place pointing to (single-area AF). At this setting, the camera will focus on

the subject in the focus area selected by the user.

Page 29

2.3 Rotate the focus-mode selector until it clicks into place pointing to S (single-servo autofocus). At this setting, the camera will focus automatically when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway. Pictures can only be taken when the camera is in focus.

2.4 Rotate the metering selector to (matrix metering). Matrix metering uses information from all areas of the frame to determine exposure, producing optimal results for the entire frame. A icon appears in the viewﬁ nder.

Frame a photograph

3.1 Hold the camera as shown.

Holding the Camera

Hold the handgrip in your right hand and cradle the cam era body or lens with your left. Keep your elbows propped lightly against your torso for support and place one foot half a pace ahead of the other to keep your upper body stable.

3.2 Frame a photo in the viewﬁ nder with the main subject positioned in the center focus area.

Tutorial—Basic Photography

Focus

area

Page 30

Focus

Press the shutter-release button halfway to focus. If the camera is able to focus on the subject in the center focus area, a beep will sound and the in-focus indicator (●) will appear in the viewﬁ nder (if the focus indicator blinks, the camera was unable to focus using autofocus). Focus will lock while

Tutorial—Basic Photography

the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

If the subject is dark, the AF-assist illuminator may light to assist the focus operation.

Check exposure

In exposure mode P (programmed auto), the camera automatically sets shutter speed and aperture when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway. Before shooting, check the shutterspeed and aperture indicators in the viewﬁ nder. If the photo would be under- or over-exposed at current settings, one of the following indicators will be displayed.

Indicator Description

Photo will be overexposed. Use optional Neutral Density (ND) ﬁ lter. Photo will be underexposed. Use ﬂ ash or raise ISO sensitivity.

The Shutter-Release Button

The camera has a two stage shutter-release button. The camera focuses when the button is pressed halfway; focus locks until the button is released. To take the picture, press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down.

Lock focus Take

photograph

Page 31

Take the photograph

Smoothly press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down to release the shutter and record the photograph. The access lamp next to the card slot cov er will light. Do not eject the

mem o ry card or remove or dis con nect the power source until the lamp has gone out and recording is complete.

Tutorial—Basic Photography

Page 32

Basic Playback

Press the button to view photographs. The most recent photo will be displayed in the monitor; additional pictures can be displayed by pressing the multi selector left or right.

Tutorial—Basic Playback

To end playback and return to shooting mode, press the shutter-release button halfway.

Deleting Unwanted Photographs

To delete the pho to graph cur rent ly dis played in the monitor, press the button. A conﬁ rmation dialog will be dis played. Press the button again to de lete the image and re turn to play back. To exit without deleting the picture, press the button or press the shutter-release button halfway.

Page 33

Reference

This section builds on the Tutorial to cover more advanced shooting and playback options.

Use the menus Using Camera Menus: 24

Take photographs in bursts Reduce shutter lag

Adjust image quality and size Image Quality and Size: 28

Raise ISO sensitivity when lighting is poor ISO Sensitivity: 33

Make colors look natural Take photos under unusual lighting

Customize sharpening, contrast, color, saturation, and hue

Choose a color space Color Space: 50

Shoot a moving subject or focus manually Focus: 51

Let the camera choose shutter speed and aperture

Freeze or blur motion Exposure Mode S

Control depth of ﬁ eld Exposure Mode A

Choose shutter speed and aperture manually

Make photographs brighter or darker or enhance contrast

Use the built-in ﬂ ash Flash Photography: 76

Take photos with the self-timer Self-Timer Mode: 83

Superimpose photos on one another Image O verlay and Multiple Exposure: 84

Take photos at speciﬁ ed intervals Interval-Timer Photography: 89

Use a non-CPU lens Non-CPU Lenses: 93

Record GPS data with photographs Using a GPS Unit: 96

View photographs Viewing Photographs: 98

Choosing a Shooting Mode: 26

White Balance: 35

Optimizing Images: 45

Exposure Mode P (Programmed Auto): 63

(Shutter-Priority Auto): 64

(Aperture-Priority Auto): 66

Exposure Mode M (Manual): 68

Exposure Compensation: 72

Reference

Page 34

Using Camera Menus

Most shooting, playback, and setup options can be accessed from the camera menus. To view the menus, press the button.

Choose from playback, shooting, Custom Settings, and setup menus (see below)

View recent settings

If “?” icon is displayed, help for current item can be viewed

Reference—Using Camera Menus

by pressing

Playback Adjust playback settings and manage photos ( 133). Shooting Adjust shooting settings ( 124). Custom Settings Personalize camera settings ( 143). Setup Format memory cards and perform basic camera setup ( 115).

Recent Settings

button.

Menu Description

Lists the fourteen most recently used items in the shooting and Custom Settings menus.

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

Move cursor up Increase number

Return to previous menu

Cancel (can also be performed

with button)

Make selection (same as button)Move cursor down

Decrease number

Slider is displayed if more options are available in current menu

Current setting for each option is shown by icon

Current menu item is highlighted

Display sub-menu Make selection (selection can also be made with button or center of multi selector)

Help

For help on menu options, press the button. A description of the currently selected option or menu will be displayed. To scroll the display, press the button while pressing the multi selector up or down.

Locking and Deleting Recent Settings

The Recent Settings option in the setup menu ( 119) can be used to delete all items from the Recent Settings menu or to lock the menu at current settings, creating a customized menu of shooting and Custom Menu options.

Page 35

To modify menu settings:

Display menus Highlight icon for current menu

Select menu

Position cursor in selected menu Highlight menu item

Display options Highlight option

Make selection

• Menu items that are displayed in gray are not currently available.

• When formatting memory cards and in other cases in which user conﬁ rmation is required, a selection can only be made with the center of the multi selector or by pressing the eﬀ ect will appear in the display.

button. A message to this

Reference—Using Camera Menus

Exiting the Menus

Press the shutter-release button halfway to exit the menus and return to shooting mode, or press the button once to highlight the icon for the current menu and again to exit to shooting mode.

Page 36

Reference:

More on Photography

Choosing a Shooting Mode

Shooting mode determines how the camera takes pho to graphs: one at a time, in a continuous sequence, with a timed shutter-release delay, or with the mirror raised to enhance shutter response and minimize vibration.

Mode Description

Single frame

Reference—Choosing a Shooting Mode

Continuous

low speed

Continuous

high speed

Self-timer

Mirror up

* Average frame rate with continuous-servo AF, manual or shutter-priority auto ex po sure, a

shutter speed of / s or faster, and memory remaining in memory buﬀ er.

To choose a shooting mode, press the mode dial lock release and turn the mode dial to the desired setting.

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

Access lamp will light while photo is recorded; next shot can be taken immediately if enough space remains in memory buﬀ er.

While shut ter-re lease but ton is held down, camera records 1–4 frames per

second. * Frame rate can be chosen using Custom Setting d4 (Shooting Speed; 158).

While shut ter-re lease but ton is held down, camera records up to 5 frames per second. * Use to photograph moving objects or to capture a ﬂ eeting expression on portrait subjects.

Use the self-timer for self-portraits or to reduce blurring caused by camera shake ( 83).

Press shutter-release button once to raise mirror, again to take photograph (shutter will be released automatically if shutter-release button is not pressed for 30 s after mirror up). Mirror will be lowered after shutter is re-

leased. Choose this mode to minimize camera shake in situations in which the least camera movement can result in blurred photographs. Note that autofocus, metering, and framing can not be conﬁ rmed in the viewﬁ nder while mirror is raised.

Page 37

Buﬀ er Size

The number of im ag es that can be stored in the memory buﬀ er at current set tings is shown in the ex po sure-count dis plays in the viewﬁ nder and con trol pan el while the shutter-release button is pressed (at image qualities of JPEG Fine, JPEG Normal, and JPEG Basic, the display will show 25 when the buﬀ er contains space for 25 or more images). This number is updated as photographs are transferred to the memory card and more memory becomes available in the buﬀ er. If 0 is displayed, the memory buﬀ er is full and shooting will slow.

Auto Image Rotation ( 119)

In continuous mode, the orientation recorded for the ﬁ rst shot applies to all photographs in the same burst, even if camera orientation is changed during shooting.

The Memory Buﬀ er

The camera is equipped with a memory buﬀ er for tem po rary storage, allowing shooting to continue while photographs are being saved to the memory card. When the buﬀ er is full, the shut ter is disabled until enough data have been trans ferred to the mem o ry card to make room for another photograph. In con tin u ous mode, shooting will con tin ue to a maximum of 100 shots as long as the shutter-release button is held down, al though the frame rate will drop once the buﬀ er has ﬁ lled.

While photographs are being recorded to the memory card, the access lamp next to the memory card slot will light. Depending on the number of images in the buﬀ er, recording may take from a few seconds to a few minutes. Do not re move the mem o ry card or re move or dis con nect the power source until the access lamp has gone out. If the camera is switched oﬀ while data remain in the buﬀ er, the power will not turn oﬀ until all images in the buﬀ er have been recorded. To turn the camera oﬀ without recording the images in the buﬀ er, press the button while turning the camera oﬀ (keep the button pressed for at least one second after turning the camera oﬀ ). If the battery is exhausted while images remain in the buﬀ er, the shutter release will be disabled and the images transferred to the memory card.

The approximate time required to write the entire buﬀ er to a 1 GB SanDisk SDCFX (Extreme III) card is as follows (ISO sensitivity set to ISO 100 equivalent):

Uncompressed NEF (RAW) + JPEG Basic (Large) 50 s (19 frames)

Uncompressed NEF (RAW) 50 s (22 frames)

JPEG Fine (Large) 35 s (37 frames)

The buﬀ er size shown in the control panel and viewﬁ nder is an approximation only. The ﬁ le size of compressed images varies with the scene recorded, producing variations in the number of images that can be stored. See the Appendix ( 196) for more information.

Reference—Choosing a Shooting Mode

Page 38

Image Quality and Size

Together, image quality and size determine how much space each pho to graph occupies on the memory card.

Image Quality

The camera supports the following image quality options (listed in descending order by image quality and ﬁ le size):

Mode Description

NEF (RAW)

Reference—Image Quality and Size

JPEG Fine Record JPEG images at a compression ratio of roughly 1 : 4.

JPEG Normal Record JPEG images at a compression ratio of roughly 1 : 8.

JPEG Basic Record JPEG images at a compression ratio of roughly 1 : 16.

NEF (RAW) +

JPEG Fine

NEF (RAW) +

JPEG Normal

NEF (RAW) +

JPEG Basic

* Size Priority selected for JPEG Compression (

Image quality can be set using the Image Quality option in the shooting menu or by pressing the QUAL button and rotating the main command dial. Two op- tions are available for controlling compression: RAW Compression for NEF (RAW) images ( 31) and JPEG Compression for JPEG images ( 30).

Raw 12-bit data from the image sensor are saved directly to the memory card in Nikon Electronic Format (NEF).

Two images are recorded: one NEF (RAW) image and one ﬁ ne-quality JPEG image. Two images are recorded: one NEF (RAW) image and one normal-quality JPEG image. Two images are recorded: one NEF (RAW) image and one basic-quality JPEG image.

30).

NEF (R AW) / NEF + JPEG

NEF (RAW) images can only be viewed on a computer using the supplied software or Nikon Capture 4 Version 4.4 or later (available separately; 182). When photographs taken at NEF (RAW) + JPEG Fine, NEF (RAW) + JPEG Normal, or NEF (RAW) + JPEG Basic are viewed on the camera, only the JPEG image will be displayed. When photographs taken at these settings are deleted, both NEF and JPEG images will be deleted.

White balance bracketing can not be used with NEF (RAW) images. Se lect ing an NEF (RAW) option for image quality cancels white balance bracketing.

Image Quality, Image Size, and File Size

See the Appendix for information on the number of pictures that can be stored on a memory card ( 196).

Page 39

The Image Quality Menu

RAW

BASIC

RAW

NORM

RAW FINE

FINERAW NORM BASIC

Highlight Im age Quality in the shooting menu

and press the multi selector to the right.

High light the de sired op tion and press the multi

se lec tor to the right. The shooting menu will be displayed.

The QUAL Button

Press the QUAL button and rotate the main command dial until the desired setting is displayed in the control panel (note that RAW Compression and JPEG Compression can only be adjusted from the shooting menu).

Reference—Image Quality and Size

File Names

Photographs are stored as image ﬁ les with names of the form “DSC_nnnn.xxx,” where nnnn is a four-digit number between 0001 and 9999 as signed automatically in ascending order by the camera, and xxx is one of the following three letter extensions: “NEF” for NEF images, “JPG” for JPEG im ag es, and “NDF” for Dust Oﬀ ref photos ( 121–122). The NEF and JPEG ﬁ les recorded at a setting of “NEF+JPEG” have the same ﬁ le names but diﬀ erent extensions. Images recorded at a Color Space setting of AdobeRGB ( 50) have names that begin with an underscore (e.g., “_DSC0001.JPG”). The “DSC” portion of the ﬁ le name can be changed using the File Naming option in the shooting menu ( 129).

Page 40

The JPEG Compression Menu

The JPEG compression menu oﬀ ers the following options for JPEG images:

Mode Description

Size Priority

(default)

Optimal Quality Optimal image quality. File size varies with scene recorded.

The eﬀ ects of these options are most pronounced with high ISO sensitivity ( 33), complex scenes, basic-quality JPEG images, or heavy sharpening ( 46).

Highlight JPEG Compression in the shooting

Reference—Image Quality and Size

menu and press the multi selector to the right.

High light the de sired op tion and press the multi

se lec tor to the right. The shooting menu will be displayed. The selected option applies to all subsequent JPEG-quality images.

Images are compressed to produce relatively uniform ﬁ le size. Quality varies with scene recorded.

Page 41

The RAW Compression Menu

The following options are available for NEF (RAW) images:

Mode Description

NEF (RAW)

(default)

Comp. NEF

(RAW)

Highlight RAW Compression in the shooting

menu and press the multi selector to the right.

High light the de sired op tion and press the multi

se lec tor to the right. The shooting menu will be displayed. The selected option applies to all subsequent NEF (RAW) images.

NEF images are not compressed.

NEF images are compressed by about 40–50 % with little drop in quality. Recording time is reduced.

Reference—Image Quality and Size

Page 42

Image Size

Image size is measured in pixels. Smaller sizes pro duce smaller ﬁ les, making them suited to dis tri bu tion via e-mail or inclusion in web pages. Con verse ly, the larger the image, the larger the size at which it can be printed without becoming noticeably “grainy.” Choose image size according to the space available on the memory card and the task at hand.

Large (3872 × 2592/10.0 M) 3,872 × 2,592 49.2 × 32.9 cm (19.36 × 12.96 in.)

Medium (2896 × 1944/5.6 M) 2,896 × 1,944 36.8 × 24.7 cm (14.48 × 9.72 in.)

Reference—Image Quality and Size

Image size can be set using the Image Size option in the shooting menu or by pressing the QUAL button and rotating the sub-command dial. Note that the option selected does not aﬀ ect the size of NEF (RAW) images. When viewed on a computer using the supplied software or Nikon Capture 4 Version 4.4 or later (available separately), NEF im ag es are 3,872 × 2,592 pixels in size.

The Image Size Menu

Highlight Image Size in the shooting menu

High light the de sired op tion and press the multi

Image size Size (pixels) Approximate size when printed at 200 dpi

Small (1936 × 1296/2.5 M) 1,936 × 1,296 24.6 × 16.5 cm (9.68 × 6.48 in.)

and press the multi selector to the right.

se lec tor to the right. The shooting menu will be displayed.

The QUAL Button

Press the QUAL button and rotate the sub-command dial until the desired setting is displayed in the control panel.

Page 43

ISO Sensitivity

“ISO sensitivity” is the digital equivalent of ﬁ lm speed. The higher the ISO sensitivity, the less light needed to make an exposure, allowing higher shutter speeds or smaller apertures.

ISO sensitivity can be set between values roughly equivalent to ISO 100 and ISO 1600 in steps equivalent to / EV. Where high sensitivity is a priority, ISO sensitivity can be further increased up to 1 EV over ISO 1600. ISO sensitivity can be adjusted using the ISO Sensitivity option in the shooting menu or by pressing the ISO button and rotating the main command dial.

The ISO Sensitivity Menu

Highlight ISO Sensitivity in the shooting menu

and press the multi selector to the right.

High light the de sired op tion and press the multi

se lec tor to the right. The shooting menu will be displayed.

The ISO Button

Press the ISO button and rotate the main command dial until the desired setting is displayed in the control panel or viewﬁ nder.

Reference—ISO Sensitivity

* Viewﬁ nder display shows .

Page 44

Noise

The higher the ISO sensitivity, the more likely pictures are to be subject to “noise” in the form of randomly-spaced, brightly-colored pixels. Pho tos taken at ISO sensitivities over ISO 1600 will likely con tain ap pre cia ble amounts of noise.

High ISO NR ( 131)

This option can be used to reduce noise at ISO sensitivities of 400 or more (this reduces the capacity of the memory buﬀ er). Note that although high ISO noise reduction is always in eﬀ ect at ISO sensitivities over ISO 800, turning High ISO NR on will increase the amount of noise reduction performed.

b1—ISO Auto ( 152)

When On is selected for Custom Setting b1 (ISO Auto), the camera will automatically vary ISO sensitivity from the value selected by the user to help ensure optimum exposure

Reference—ISO Sensitivity

(maximum can be selected from ISO 200, 400, 800, and 1600). ISO sensitivity can not be raised above 1600 while ISO Auto is on, and On can not be selected for ISO Auto at ISO sensitivities over 1600.

b2—ISO Step Value ( 154)

Depending on the option selected for Custom Setting b2, ISO sensitivity can also be set in increments equivalent to / or 1 EV.

ISO step value set to 1/2 step ISO step value set to 1 step

If possible, the current ISO sensitivity setting is maintained when the step value is changed. If the current sensitivity setting is not available at the new step value, ISO sensitivity will be rounded up to the nearest available setting.

Page 45

White Balance

The color of light reﬂ ected from an object varies with the color of the light source. The human brain is able to adapt to changes in the color of the light source, with the result that white objects appear white whether seen in the shade, direct sunlight, or under incandescent lighting. Unlike the ﬁ lm used in ﬁ lm cameras, dig i tal cam er as can mimic this adjustment by processing images according to the color of the light source. This is known as “white balance.” For natural coloration, choose a white bal ance set ting that match es the light source before shooting. The following options are available:

Approximate

color

3,500– 8,000 K

2,500–

10,000 K

—

White bal ance adjusted automatically using color temperature measured by 1,005-pixel RGB sensor and image sensor. For best results, use type G or D lens. With builtin ﬂ ash or optional SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights, white balance reﬂ ects conditions in eﬀ ect when ﬂ ash ﬁ res.

Choose color temperature from list of values ( 38).

Use gray or white object or existing photograph as reference for white balance ( 39).

Description

Option

Auto

Incandescent 3,000 K Use under incandescent lighting. Fluorescent 4,200 K Use under ﬂ uorescent lighting. Dir. Sunlight 5,200 K Use with subjects lit by direct sunlight. Flash 5,400 K Use with built-in ﬂ ash or optional Nikon ﬂ ash units. Cloudy 6,000 K Use in daylight under overcast skies. Shade 8,000 K Use in daylight with subjects in the shade. Choose Color Temp. White Balance Preset

* Fine-tuning set to 0. See the Appendix for other values.

temperature

Auto white balance is recommended with most light sources. If the desired results can not be achieved with auto white balance, choose an option from the list above or use preset white balance.

Reference—White Balance

Studio Strobe Lighting

Auto white balance may not produce the desired results with studio strobe lighting. Choose a color temperature, use preset white balance, or set white balance to Flash and use ﬁ ne tuning to adjust white balance.

Page 46

White balance can be set using the White Balance option in the shooting menu or by pressing the WB button and rotating the main command dial.

The White Balance Menu

Highlight White Balance in the shooting menu

and press the multi selector to the right.

High light the de sired op tion and press the multi

Reference—White Balance

se lec tor to the right. Selecting Choose Color Temp. displays a menu of color temperatures

( 38), White Balance Preset a preset white balance menu ( 39), other options a ﬁ ne-tuning dialog ( 37).

The WB Button

Press the WB button and rotate the main command dial until the desired setting is displayed in the control panel.

e5—Auto BKT Set ( 166)

When WB Bracketing is selected for custom setting e5 (Auto BKT Set), the camera will create several images each time the shutter is released. White balance will be varied with each image, “bracketing” the value currently selected for white balance.

Page 47

Fine-Tuning White Balance

At settings other than (Choose Color Temp.) and PRE (White Balance Pre- set), white bal ance can be “ﬁ ne tuned” to compensate for vari a tions in the color

of the light source or to in tro duce a deliberate “warm” or “cold” cast into an image. Higher settings (“+”) can be used to lend im ag es a blu ish tinge or to com pen sate for light sources with a yellow or red cast, while low er ing white bal ance (“–”) can make pho to graphs ap pear slight ly more yellow or red or com pen sate for light sources with a blue cast. Adjustments can be made in the range +3 to –3 in in cre ments of one. Except in Fluorescent mode, each in cre ment is equiv a lent to about 10 mired.

White balance is ﬁ ne tuned using the White Balance option in the shooting menu or by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub-command dial. At settings other than ±0, a

The White Balance Menu

Selecting an option other than Choose Color Temp. or White Balance Preset in the white balance menu ( 35) displays the menu shown at right. Press the multi selector up or down to choose the desired value and press the multi selector to the right. The shooting menu will be displayed.

The WB Button

Press the WB button and rotate the sub-command dial until the desired value is displayed.

icon appears in the control panel.

Reference—White Balance

Mired

Any given change in color temperature produces a greater diﬀ erence in color at low color tem per a tures than it would at higher color temperatures. For example, a change of 1000 K produces a much greater change in color at 3000 K than at 6000 K. Mired, calculated by multiplying the inverse of the color temperature by 10 6, is a measure of color temperature that takes such variation into account, and as such is the unit used in color-temperature compensation ﬁ lters. E.g.:

• 4000 K – 3000 K (a diﬀ erence of 1000 K) = 83 mired

• 7000 K – 6000 K (a diﬀ erence of 1000 K) = 24 mired

Page 48

Choosing a Color Temperature

Choose a setting of (Choose Color Temp.) to select the color temperature from thirty-one predetermined values ranging from 2,500 K to 10,000 K in increments of roughly 10 mired (note that the desired results will not be obtained with ﬂ ash or ﬂ uorescent lighting). Color temperature can be selected in the white-balance menu or with the WB button and sub-command dial.

The White Balance Menu

Selecting Choose Color Temp. in the white balance menu ( the multi selector up or down to choose the desired value and press the multi selector to the right. The

Reference—White Balance

shooting menu will be displayed.

The WB Button

Press the WB button and rotate the sub-command dial until the desired value is displayed.

35) displays the menu shown at right. Press

…

Take Test Shots

Take a test shot to determine if the selected value is appropriate to the light source.

Color Temperature

The perceived color of a light source varies with the viewer and other conditions. Color temperature is an objective measure of the color of a light source, deﬁ ned with ref er ence to the temperature to which an object would have to be heated to radiate light in the same wavelengths. While light sources with a color temperature in the neigh bor hood of 5,000– 5,500 K appear white, light sources with a lower color tem per a ture, such as incandescent light bulbs, appear slightly yellow or red. Light sourc es with a higher color temperature appear tinged with blue.

Page 49

Preset White Balance

Preset white balance is used to record and recall custom white balance settings for shooting under mixed lighting or to compensate for light sources with a strong color cast. Two methods are available for setting preset white balance:

Method Description

Direct

measurement

Copy from

existing

photograph

Neutral gray or white object is placed under lighting that will be used in ﬁ nal photograph and white balance is measured by camera ( White balance is copied from photo on memory card ( ance value is copied from Nikon Capture 4 Version 4.4 or later (available separately; 182).

40).

42) or white bal-

The camera can store up to ﬁ ve values for preset white balance in presets d-0 through d-4. A descriptive comment can be added to any white balance preset ( 42).

d-0

Stores last measured value ( 40).

White Balance Presets

Changes to white balance presets apply to all shooting menu banks ( 125). A conﬁ rmation dialog will be displayed if the user attempts to change a white balance preset created in another shooting menu bank (no warning is displayed for preset d-0).

d-1 – d-4

Store values copied from d-0 (

42).

Store values copied from images on memory card ( 42).

Store values created in Nikon Capture 4 Version 4.4 or later (available separately; 182).

Reference—White Balance

Page 50

Measuring a Value for White Balance

White balance can be measured with reference to a neutral gray object. The new value for white balance is automatically stored in preset d-0.

Place a neutral gray or white object under the lighting that will be used in

the ﬁ nal photograph. A standard gray card can be used as a reference in studio settings.

Press the WB button and rotate the main com-

mand dial until is displayed in the control panel. If the new value for preset white balance

Reference—White Balance

will be used immediately, select preset d-0 by pressing the WB button and rotating the subcommand dial until d-0 is displayed. Otherwise there is no need to select d-0 when measuring a new value for white balance.

Release the WB button brieﬂ y and then press the

button until the icon starts to ﬂ ash. A blinking will also appear in the control panel and viewﬁ nder frame-count displays.

Frame the reference object so that it ﬁ lls the

viewﬁ nder and press the shutter-release button all the way down. The camera will measure a value for white balance and use this value when preset white balance is selected. No photograph will be recorded; white balance can be measured accurately even when the camera is not in focus.

To exit without measuring a new value for white balance, press the WB button.

Page 51

If the camera was able to measure a value for

white balance, will ﬂ ash in the control panel and the viewﬁ nder will show a ﬂ ashing

for about three seconds before the camera

returns to shooting mode.

If lighting is too dark or too bright, the camera may be unable to measure white balance. A ﬂ ashing and viewﬁ nder for about three seconds. Return to Step 4 and measure white balance again.

The new value for white balance will be stored in preset d-0, automatically replacing the previous value for this preset (no conﬁ rmation dialog will be displayed). To use the new value, select preset d-0 (if no value has been measured for white balance before d-0 is selected, white balance will be set to a color temperature of 5,200 K, the same as Direct Sunlight). The new white balance value will remain in preset d-0 until white balance is measured again. By copying preset d-0 to one of the other presets before measuring a new value for white balance, up to ﬁ ve white balance values can be stored ( 42).

will appear in the control panel

Reference—White Balance

Nikon Capture 4

Nikon Capture 4 Version 4.4 or later (available separately) can be used to edit white balance when RAW photographs taken with the D200 are displayed on a computer. The edited value can be copied directly to a white balance preset while the camera is connected to a computer, or the image can be saved to the camera memory card and the white balance value copied using the Select Image option in the preset menu. Any comments created with Nikon Capture 4 will also be copied to the comment for the selected preset. See the Nikon Capture 4 manual for details.

Page 52

Preset White Balance Options

Selecting White Balance Preset in the White Balance menu ( 35) displays the menu of white-balance presets shown in Step 1. To display options for a selected preset:

Highlight desired preset.

Reference—White Balance

* To set white balance to the value for the highlighted preset and return to shooting mode

without completing Step 2, press button.

† To view options for other presets, highlight name of current preset (d-0 – d-4) and press

multi selector right.

View options for highlighted preset.

Press the multi selector up or down to highlight an option, then press to the right to select.

Option Description

Set

Edit

Comment

Select Image

(d-1–d-4 only)

Copy d-0

(d-1–d-4 only)

The WB Button

At a setting of (White Balance Preset), presets can also be selected by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub-command dial. The current preset is displayed while the WB button is pressed.

Set white balance to value for selected preset and return to shooting menu. Text edit dialog is displayed ( 118). Enter comment of up to 36 characters for current preset and press button to return to Step 1.

Photos on memory card are displayed as thumbnail images. Use multi selector to highlight photos; press full frame. Press center of multi selector to copy white balance value (and comment, if any) for highlighted image to current preset and return to Step 1. Only photos taken with D200 can be selected.

Copy white balance value (and comment, if any) for preset d-0 to current preset and return to Step 1.

button to view highlighted photo

†

Page 53

White Balance Bracketing

White bal ance brack et ing cre ates multiple im ag es each time the shut ter is re leased, “bracketing” the current white balance setting ( 35). Only one shot is re quired to complete the bracketing sequence. White bal ance brack et ing is recommended when shoot ing under mixed light ing or experimenting with different white bal ance settings. White balance bracketing is not available at whitebalance settings of or at image qualities of NEF (RAW), NEF + JPEG Fine, NEF + JPEG Normal, or NEF + JPEG Basic.

To use white balance bracketing:

Choose WB Bracketing for Cus tom Set ting e5

(Auto BKT Set; 166).

Press ing the button, rotate the main com-

mand dial to choose the number of shots in the bracketing sequence ( 197). At settings other than zero, a icon and bracketing indicator will appear in the control panel.

If the number of shots in the bracketing program exceeds the number of exposures remaining,

( ) will be displayed and the number of exposures remaining will blink. Shooting can begin if a new memory card is inserted.

(Choose Color Temp.) or (White Balance Preset)

Reference—White Balance

Press ing the button, rotate the sub-com mand

dial to choose the white balance adjustment (

197). Each increment is roughly equivalent to 10 mired.

Page 54

Com pose a photograph, focus, and shoot. Each shot will be pro cessed to

create the num ber of cop ies spec i ﬁ ed in the brack et ing program, and each copy will have a diﬀ er ent white bal ance. Mod i ﬁ ca tions to white balance are add ed to the white balance ad just ment made with white bal ance ﬁ netun ing.

To cancel bracketing, press the

button and rotate the main com mand dial until the number of shots in the bracketing sequence is zero and white-balance bracketing indicator is no longer dis played in the con trol panel. The program last in eﬀ ect will be restored the next time brack et ing is ac ti vat ed. Bracketing can also be can celled by per form ing a two-but-

Reference—White Balance

ton reset (

97), al though in this case the brack et ing pro gram will not be

restored the next time brack et ing is activated.

Image Quality

Se lect ing NEF (RAW), NEF + JPEG Fine, NEF + JPEG Normal, or NEF + JPEG Basic cancels white balance bracketing.

Shooting Mode

In all modes (including self-timer and continuous modes), only one shot will be taken each time the shutter-release button is pressed. Each shot will be processed to create the number of copies speciﬁ ed in the bracketing program.

Turning the Camera Oﬀ

If the camera is turned oﬀ while the camera while the memory card access lamp is lit, the cam era will power oﬀ only af ter all pho to graphs in the sequence have been re cord ed. To turn the camera oﬀ without recording the remaining photographs, press the button while turning the camera oﬀ (keep the button pressed for at least one second after turning the camera oﬀ ).

Bracketing Programs

See the Appendix for a list of white balance bracketing programs.

e7—Auto BKT Order ( 167)

This option can be used to change the bracketing order.

e8—Auto BKT Selection ( 167)

If desired, the main command dial can be used to turn bracketing on and oﬀ and the subcommand dial to select both the number of shots and the white-balance increment.

Page 55

Optimizing Images

The options in the Optimize Image menu can be used to optimize photographs according to how the picture will be used or the type of scene. Sharpening, contrast, color reproduction, saturation, and hue can also be customized individually to match the user’s creative intent.

Option Description

Normal

(default)

Softer

Vivid

More vivid

Portrait

Custom

Black-and-white Ta ke photos in black-and-white.

Recommended for most situations.

Softens outlines, producing natural images suitable for portraits or retouching on a computer. Enhances saturation, contrast, and sharpness to produce vivid images with vibrant reds, greens, and blues. Maximizes saturation, contrast, and sharpness to produce crisp images with sharp outlines. Lowers contrast while lending natural texture and rounded feel to skin of portrait subjects. Customize sharpness, contrast, color reproduction, saturation, and hue ( 46).

Reference—Optimizing Images

Black-and-white

A B/W icon is displayed in the viewﬁ nder when shooting in black-and-white ( 6).

At Settings Other than Custom

At settings other than Custom:

• Photographs are optimized for current shooting conditions. Results will vary with exposure and the position of the subject in the frame, even in scenes of the same type. To take a series of photographs with identical image optimization, choose Custom and adjust settings individually, being sure not to select Auto for Image Sharpening, Tone Compensation, or Saturation.

• Use a type G or D lens for best results.

Page 56

To select an image optimization option:

Highlight Optimize Image in the shooting

menu ( 124) and press the multi selector to the right.

High light the desired option and press the multi

se lec tor to the right. If Custom is selected, a menu of custom options will be displayed (

Reference—Optimizing Images

49). In all other cases, the shooting menu will be displayed.

Customizing Image Enhancement Options

Select Custom to make separate adjustments to sharpening, contrast, color reproduction, saturation, and hue.

Making Edges More Distinct: Image Sharpening

During shooting, the camera processes photographs to emphasize the borders between light and dark areas, mak ing pic tures appear sharper. Sharpening can be customized using the Image Sharpening menu.

Option Description

Auto

(default)

Normal All im ag es are sharpened by same standard amount. Low Images are sharpened less than standard amount. Medium Low Images are sharpened slightly less than standard amount. Medium High Images are sharpened slightly more than standard amount. High Images are sharpened more than standard amount. None Images are not sharpened.

Camera automatically adjusts sharpening according to subject. Results vary from shot to shot, even in scenes of same type; choose diﬀ erent setting to take multiple shots with same sharpening. For best results, use type G or D lens.

Page 57

Adjusting Contrast: Tone Compensation

As photographs are saved to the memory card, they are processed to adjust the distribution of tones in the image, en hanc ing con trast. Tone com pen sa tion is performed by means of tone curves that deﬁ ne the relationship be tween the dis tri bu tion of tones in the original image and the compensated result. The Ton e Compensation menu controls the type of curve used.

Option Description

Auto

(default)

Normal

Less Contrast More Contrast

Custom

Camera automatically optimizes con trast by selecting ap pro pri ate curve. Curve varies from shot to shot, even in scenes of same type; to take multiple shots with same curve, choose diﬀ erent setting. For best results, use type G or D lens. Camera uses same standard curve for all im ag es. Suit ed to most scenes, whether dark or bright. Pre vents highlights on portrait subjects from being “washed out” in direct sunlight.

Preserves de tail in misty land scapes and other low-contrast subjects.

Custom curve can be created in Nikon Capture 4 Version 4.4 or later (available separately) this user-deﬁ ned curve. If no custom curve has been created, this op tion is equiv a lent to Nor mal.

and downloaded to camera. Choose Custom to se lect

Suiting Colors to the Subject: Color Mode

Much as ﬁ lm cameras oﬀ er a choice of ﬁ lms for diﬀ erent subjects, the D200 oﬀ ers a choice of color modes with subtly diﬀ erent palettes.

Option Description

(default)

Choose for portrait shots.

Choose for photographs that will be extensively processed or retouched. This

option is available only when AdobeRGB is selected for Color space. Choose for nature or landscape shots.

III

Reference—Optimizing Images

Mode II

If sRGB is chosen for Color space when Color mode is set to Mode II, Color mode will be reset to the mode in eﬀ ect when sRGB was last selected.

Page 58

Controlling Vividness: Saturation

Saturation controls the vividness of colors.

Option

Auto

Normal

(default)

Moderate

Enhanced

Reference—Optimizing Images

Controlling Color: Hue Adjustment

Camera automatically adjusts saturation according to subject. For best results, use type G or D lens.

Normal vividness. Recommended for most situations.

Reduced vividness. Use when taking pictures that will later be retouched by computer. Increased vividness. Use for vivid, photoprint eﬀ ect when taking pictures that will be printed “as is,” without further modiﬁ cation.

Description

Hue can be adjusted in the range of about –9 ° to +9 ° in in cre ments of 3 °. If red is taken as the start ing color, raising hue above 0 ° (the de fault set ting) would introduce a yel low cast, mak ing col ors that would be red at a setting of 0 ° ap pear in creas ing ly or ange. Low er ing hue be low 0 ° would in tro duce a blue cast, mak ing col ors that would be red at a setting of 0 ° appear in creas ing ly pur ple.

Hue

The RGB color model used in digital photographs re pro duc es colors using diﬀ er ing amounts of red, green, and blue light. By mixing two colors of light, a variety of diﬀ er ent colors can be pro duced. For example, red combined with a small amount of green light produces orange. If red and green are mixed in equal amounts, yellow re sults, while a smaller amount of red produces a yel low green. Mixing diﬀ er ent amounts of red and blue light pro duc es col ors rang ing from a red dish purple through pur ple to navy, while mixing diﬀ erent amounts of green and blue light produces col ors rang ing from em er ald to turquoise. (Add ing a third color of light results in lighter hues; if all three are mixed in equal amounts, the results range from white through gray.) When this pro gres sion of hues is ar ranged in a cir cle, the re sult is known as a color wheel.

Page 59

Choosing Custom Image Optimization Options

Choosing Custom in the Optimize Image menu ( 45) displays the menu shown in Step 1.

Highlight optimization option.

Highlight option.

Highlight Done.

Display sub-menu.

Make selection. Repeat steps 1–4 to

adjust other options.

Return to shooting menu.

Reference—Optimizing Images

Page 60

Color Space

The options in the Color Space menu determine the gamut of colors available for color reproduction. Choose a color space according to how pho to graphs will be pro cessed on leaving the cam era.

Option Description

sRGB

(default)

AdobeRGB

Reference—Color Space

Highlight Color Space in the shooting menu

and press the multi selector to the right.

High light the desired option and press the multi

se lec tor to the right.

Color Space

sRGB is recommended when taking photographs that will be printed without modiﬁ cation or viewed in applications that do not support color management, or when taking photographs that will be printed with ExifPrint, the direct printing option on some household printers, or kiosk printing or other commercial print services. Adobe RGB photographs can also be printed using these options, but colors will not be as vivid.

JPEG photographs taken in the Adobe RGB color space are Exif 2.21 and DCF 2.0 compliant; applications and printers that support Exif 2.21 and DCF 2.0 will select the correct color space automatically. If the application or device does not support Exif 2.21 and DCF 2.0, select the appropriate color space manually. For more information, see the documentation provided with the application or device.

Nikon Software

Nikon Capture 4 Version 4.4 or later (available separately) and PictureProject automatically select the correct color space when opening photographs created with the D200.

Choose for photographs that will be print ed or used “as is,” with no fur ther modiﬁ cation. Color mode II is not available ( 47). This color space is capable of expressing a wider gamut of colors than sRGB, making it the preferred choice for images that will be extensively processed or retouched.

Page 61

Focus

This section describes the options that control how your camera focuses: fo cus mode, focus-area selection, and AF-area mode.

Focus Mode

Focus mode is controlled by the focus mode se lec tor on the front of the camera. There are two autofocus (AF) modes, in which the cam era focuses automatically when the shutter-re lease button is pressed halfway, and one manual focus mode, in which focus must be adjusted man u al ly using the focusing ring on the lens:

Option Description

Sin gle-

servo AF

Con tin u ous-

servo AF

Man u al

Camera focuses when shutter-release button is pressed half way. Fo cus

locks when in-focus indicator (●) appears in view ﬁ nd er, and re mains locked while shutter-release button is pressed halfway (focus lock). At default settings, shut ter can only be re leased when in-fo cus in di ca tor is dis played (fo- cus pri or i ty). Camera focuses continuously while shutter-release but ton is pressed half-

way. If subject moves, focus will be adjusted to compensate (predictive fo cus tracking;

not camera is in focus (release priority). Camera does not focus automatically; focus must be adjusted manually using the lens focusing ring. If max i mum aperture of lens is f/5.6 or faster,

view ﬁ nd er fo cus in di ca tor can be used to con ﬁ rm focus (electronic range ﬁ nd ing), but photographs can be taken at any time, wheth er or not camera

is in focus.

52). At default settings, pho to graphs can be taken whether or

Reference—Focus

Choose single-servo AF when photographing stationary subjects. Continuousservo AF may be a better choice with erratically-moving subjects. Man u al fo cus is rec om mend ed when the cam era is unable to focus using autofocus.

Page 62

The AF-ON Button

For the purpose of focusing the camera, pressing the AFON button has the same eﬀ ect as pressing the shutter-re-

lease button halfway.

Predictive Focus Tracking

In continuous-servo AF, the camera will au to mat i cal ly ini tiate pre dic tive focus track ing if the subject moves while the shutter-release button is pressed halfway or the AF-ON but- ton is pressed. In predictive focus tracking, the camera will track focus while at tempt ing to predict where the subject will be when the shutter is re leased.

Reference—Focus

a1—AF-C Mode Priority ( 148)

If Focus is selected for Custom Setting a1 (AF-C Mode Priority), photographs can be taken in continuous servo-AF only when the camera is in focus. Note that regardless of the setting selected, focus will not lock when the in-focus indicator is displayed.

a2—AF-S Mode Priority ( 148)

If Release is selected for Custom Setting a2 (AF-S Mode Priority), photographs can be taken in single servo-AF even when the camera is not in focus. Note that regardless of the setting selected, focus will lock when the in-focus indicator is displayed.

a5—Lock-On ( 150)

This option controls whether the camera immediately adjusts focus to track a subject when the distance to the subject changes drastically.

a6—AF Activation ( 151)

If AF-ON Only is selected for Custom Setting a6 (AF Activation), the camera will only focus when the AF-ON button is pressed, not when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

Page 63

Focus Area Selection

At default settings, the D200 oﬀ ers a choice of eleven focus areas that together cover a wide area of the frame. The focus area can be selected manually, allowing photographs to be com posed the main sub ject positioned almost anywhere in the frame, or automatically to ensure that the subject closest to the camera is always in focus regardless of where it is the frame (closest-subject priority; 54). Group dynamic-AF can be used to focus on the closest subject in a selected area of the frame (

To select the focus area, rotate the focus selector lock to the “●“ position. The multi selector can then be used to select the focus area.

To select the center focus area (or focus area group) at any time, press the center of the multi selector.

The focus selector lock can be rotated to the “L” (locked) position following selection to prevent the se lect ed fo cus area from changing when the multi se lec tor is pressed.

Focus Area Selection

The focus area can not be changed when the exposure meters are oﬀ , during playback, or while menus are displayed.

a3—Focus Area Frame ( 148)

In single-area ( ) and dynamic-area AF ( ), select Wide Frame (7 Areas) to choose from seven wide focus areas instead of the normal eleven ( 55–56).

a7—AF Area Illumination ( 151)

Depending on the option selected for Custom Setting a7 (AF Area Illumination), the active focus area will be highlighted brieﬂ y in red to improve contrast as needed (“Vari-Brite” focus areas), highlighted at all times, or never highlighted.

a8—Focus Area ( 151)

This option can be used to set focus area selection to “wrap around.”

f1—Center Button > Shooting Mode ( 168)

Depending on the option selected for Center Button > Shooting Mode (Custom Set- ting f1), pressing the center of the multi selector will have no eﬀ ect or will illuminate the selected focus area.

54).

Reference—Focus

Page 64

AF-Area Mode

AF-area mode de ter mines how the focus area is selected in autofocus mode. To select the AF-area mode, rotate the AF-area mode selector. The selected mode is shown by an icon in the control panel (see below).

Mode Icon Description

Single-area AF

Reference—Focus

Dynamic-area

Group

dynamic- AF

Dynamic-area

AF with closest

subject priority

User selects focus area using multi selector; camera focuses on subject in selected focus area only. Use for relatively static com po si tions with sub jects that will stay in selected focus area. User selects focus area manually, but camera uses information from multiple focus areas to de ter mine focus. If sub ject leaves selected focus area even brieﬂ y, cam era will focus based on in for ma tion from oth er focus areas (focus area selected in view ﬁ nd er does not change). Use with continuous-servo AF to follow erratically moving subjects and in oth er situations in which it is difﬁ cult to keep subject in se lect ed focus area. User chooses focus area group (see right). Camera focuses on center of selected group; if subject leaves focus area even brieﬂ y, camera focuses based on information from other focus areas in same group. Use when subject is moving erratically but place of subject in overall composition is known. Custom Setting a4 ( grouped or to focus on closest subject in selected group. Camera automatically selects focus area containing subject closest to camera. Prevents out-of-focus shots when photographing erratically moving subjects. Focus area can not be selected manually and is not displayed in viewﬁ nder or control panel.

149) can be used to change how focus areas are

Top

Left Center Right

Bottom

Manual Focus

Single-area AF is automatically selected when manual focus is used.

The Control Panel

The selected focus area or group of focus areas is shown in the control panel in single-area AF, dynamic-area AF, and group dynamic-AF. The illustrations in the “Icon” column show the display when the center focus area or focus area group is selected. The control panel display does not show the focus area selected by the camera for dynamic-area AF with closest subject priority.

Page 65

Focus Zone Selection

When (single-area AF) or (dynamic-area AF) is selected for AF-area mode ( 54), the user can select from normal or wide focus areas (only normal focus areas are available when group dynamic-area or closest subject priority AF is selected for AF-area mode).

Option Description

Normal Frame

(11 Areas)

(default)

Wide Frame

(7 Areas)

Focus areas are displayed in the control panel and viewﬁ nder as follows:

Normal Frame

(11 Areas)

Wide Frame

(7 Areas)

To choose focus zone size using Custom Setting a3 (Focus Area Frame), display the Custom Settings menu and follow the steps below.

User can select from eleven focus areas; camera focuses on selected focus area. Use to focus on speciﬁ c areas of subject.

User can select from seven focus areas each covering wide area of frame, making it easier to position subject in focus area and reducing time needed to frame photographs. May produce unpredictable results if focus area contains multiple subjects.

Single-area AF Dynamic-area AF

Control panel

Viewﬁ nder

Reference—Focus

Highlight Autofocus.

Highlight a3 Focus Area Frame.

Display options.

Page 66

Highlight option.

To choose focus zone size using the FUNC. button and sub-command dial:

Select Focus Area Frame for Custom Setting f4

Reference—Focus

(FUNC. Button; 170).

Press the FUNC. button and rotate the sub-com-

mand dial. Wide focus zones are used when

WIDE is displayed in the control panel.

Make selection.

Focus Lock

Focus lock can be used to change the com po si tion after focusing, making it possible to focus on a subject that will not be in a focus area in the ﬁ nal composition. It can also be used when the autofocus system is unable to focus ( 59).

In single-servo AF, focus locks automatically when the in-focus indicator (●) appears in the viewﬁ nder. In continuous-servo AF, focus must be locked man u al ly using the AE-L/AF-L button. To recompose a photograph using focus lock:

Position the subject in the selected focus area

and press the shutter-release button halfway to ini tiate focus.

Page 67

Check that the in-focus indicator (●) appears in the viewﬁ nder.

Single-servo AF

Focus will lock automatically when the in-fo cus indicator appears, and re main locked until you remove your ﬁ nger from the shutter-re lease button. Focus can also be locked by pressing the AE-L/AF-L button (see below).

Con tin u ous-servo AF

Press the AE-L/AF-L button to lock both fo cus and exposure. Focus will remain locked while the AE- L/AF-L button is pressed, even if you later remove your ﬁ nger from the shutter-re lease button.

Re com pose the pho to graph and shoot.

In single-ser vo AF, focus will remain locked be tween shots as long as the shutter-re lease button is kept pressed half way, al low ing sev er al pho to graphs in suc ces sion to be taken at the same focus setting. Focus will also remain locked between shots while the AE-L/AF-L button is pressed.

Do not change the distance between the camera and the subject while focus lock is in eﬀ ect. If the subject moves, focus again at the new distance.

Reference—Focus

c2—AE-L/AF-L ( 156)

This option controls whether the AE-L/AF-L button locks focus and exposure (the default setting), focus only, or exposure only.

Page 68

The AF-Assist Illuminator

The built-in AF assist illuminator enables the camera to focus even when the subject is poorly lit. The camera must be in focus mode S (single-servo autofocus), an AF-Nikkor lens must be attached, and the center focus area or focus area group must be selected or closest subject priority in eﬀ ect. If these conditions are met and the subject is poorly lit, the illuminator will light automatically to assist the autofocus operation when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

For the AF-assist illuminator to function correctly, the lens must have a focal length of 24–200 mm and the subject must be in range of the illuminator. Lens

Reference—Focus

hoods should be removed. With most lenses, the illuminator has a range of about

0.5–3 m (1 ft. 8 in.–9 ft. 10 in.). With the following lenses, autofocus with AF-assist illumination is not available at ranges under 0.7 m (2 ft. 4 in.):

• AF Micro ED 200 mm f/4D

• AF-S ED 28–70 mm f/2.8D

With the following lens, AF assist is not available at ranges under 1 m (3 ft. 3 in.):

• AF-S DX ED 55–200 mm f/4–5.6G

With the following lenses, AF assist is not available at ranges under 1.5 m (4 ft. 11 in.):

• AF-S VR ED 70–200 mm f/2.8G

• AF ED 80–200 mm f/2.8D

With the following lens, AF assist is not available at ranges under 2.5 m (8 ft. 2 in.):

• AF VR ED 80–400 mm f/4.5–5.6D

AF assist is not available with the AF-S VR ED 200–400 mm f/4G.

• AF-S VR ED 24–120 mm f/3.5–5.6G

• AF Micro ED 70–180 mm f/4.5–5.6D

• AF-S ED 80–200 mm f/2.8D

Continuous Use of the AF-Assist Illuminator

After the AF-assist illuminator has been used for several consecutive shots, it may turn oﬀ brieﬂ y to protect the lamp. The illuminator can be used again after a short pause. Note that the illuminator may become hot with continuous use.

a9—AF Assist ( 152)

This option can be used to turn AF-assist illumination oﬀ .

Page 69

Under the conditions described above, the optional SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights and SU-800 wireless Speedlight commander will provide active AF illumination for the following focus areas:

AF lens focal length Normal frame (11 areas) Wide frame (7 areas)

23–34 mm

35–70 mm

71–105 mm

With other Speedlights, the camera AF assist illuminator will be used.

Getting Good Results with Autofocus

Autofocus does not perform well under the conditions listed below. If the camera is unable to focus using autofocus, use manual focus ( 60) or use focus lock ( 56) to focus on another subject at the same distance and then recompose the photograph.

There is little or no contrast be tween the sub ject and the back ground

Example: sub ject is the same col or as the back ground.

The subject is dom i nat ed by reg u lar geo met ric pat terns

Example: a row of windows in a skyscraper.

The subject appears smaller than the focus area

Example: focus area contains both foreground subject and distant buildings.

The focus area con tains ob jects at diﬀ er ent dis tanc es from the cam era

Example: sub ject is in side a cage.

The focus area con tains areas of sharp ly con trast ing bright ness

Example: sub ject is half in the shade.

The subject many contains ﬁ ne details

Example: a ﬁ eld of ﬂ owers or other subjects that are small or lack variation in brightness.

Reference—Focus

Page 70

Manual Focus

Manual focus is available for lenses that do not sup port autofocus (non-AF Nikkor lens es) or when autofocus does not produce the desired re sults ( To focus manually, set the focus-mode selector to M and adjust the lens focusing ring until the image displayed on the clear matte ﬁ eld in the viewﬁ nder is in focus. Pho to graphs can be taken at any time, even when the image is not in focus.

The Electronic Range Finder

If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster,

Reference—Focus

the viewﬁ nder fo cus indicator can be used to con ﬁ rm whether the portion of the subject in the se lect ed focus area is in focus. After positioning the sub ject in the active focus area, press the shut ter-re lease but ton half way and rotate the lens fo cus ing ring un til the info cus in di ca tor (●) is dis played.

59).

Focal Plane Position

To determine the distance between your subject and the camera, measure from the focal plane mark on the camera body. The distance between the lens mounting ﬂ ange and the focal plane is 46.5 mm (1.83 in.).

A-M Selection/Autofocus with Manual Priority

When using a lens that oﬀ ers A-M selection, select M when focusing manually. With lenses that support M/A (autofocus with manual priority), focus can be adjusted man u al ly with the lens set to M or M/A. See the documentation provided with your lens for details.

Page 71

Exposure

Metering

The metering method determines how the cam era sets exposure:

Method Description

1,005-pixel RGB sensor sets exposure based on variety of information from all areas of frame. With type G or D lens, camera uses 3D color matrix metering II

3D color

matrix II/

weighted

* For improved precision with non-CPU lenses, specify lens focal length and maximum

aperture in Non-CPU Lens Data menu ( 93).

Before shooting, rotate the me ter ing selector to choose a meth od suit ed to the com po si tion and light ing conditions, and conﬁ rm your se lec tion in the viewﬁ nder.

for natural results even when frame is dominated by bright (white or yellow) or dark (black or dark green) colors. With other CPU lenses, 3D range information is not included; instead, camera uses color matrix metering II. Color matrix

Color

metering is available when focal length and maximum aperture of non-CPU lens are speciﬁ ed using Non-CPU Lens Data item in shooting menu ( 93; center-

Color

weighted metering is used if focal length or aperture is not speciﬁ ed). Matrix

matrix

metering will not produce desired results with autoexposure lock ( 70) or exposure compensation ( 72), but is recommended in most other situations. Camera meters entire frame but assigns greatest weight to area in center of frame 8 mm (0.31 in.) in diameter, shown by corresponding 8-mm reference

Center-

circle in viewﬁ nder. Classic meter for portraits; recommended when using ﬁ lters with an exposure factor (ﬁ lter factor) over 1 × ( 181). Camera meters circle 3 mm (0.12 in.) in diameter (approximately 2.0% of frame). Circle is centered on current focus area (in group dynamic AF, on center focus area of current group; 54), making it possible to meter oﬀ -center subjects (if non-CPU lens is used or if dynamic-area AF with closest subject priority is in ef-

Spot

fect, camera will meter center focus area). En sures that sub ject will be correctly ex posed, even when back ground is much brighter or darker.

Reference—Exposure

b6—Center Weight ( 155)

This option controls the size of the area assigned the greatest weight in center-weighted metering.

b7—Fine Tune Exposure ( 156)

Optimal exposure can be ﬁ ne-tuned separately for each metering method (note that the exposure compensation icon is not displayed when exposure is ﬁ ne-tuned).

Page 72

Exposure Mode

Exposure mode determines how the camera sets shutter speed and aperture when adjusting exposure. Four modes are available: programmed auto (P), shutter-priority auto (S), aperture-priority auto (A), and manual (M).

Reference—Exposure

Depth-of-Field Preview

To preview the eﬀ ects of aperture, press and hold the depth-of-ﬁ eld preview button. The lens will be stopped down to the aperture value se lect ed by the cam era (modes P and S) or the val ue cho sen by the user (modes A and M), al low ing depth of ﬁ eld to be previewed in the viewﬁ nder (the built-in ﬂ ash and optional SB-800, SB-600, and SB-R200 Speedlights will emit a modeling ﬂ ash).

CPU Lenses

When using a CPU lens equipped with an aperture ring, lock the aperture ring at the min i mum aperture (highest f/-number). At other settings, the shutter release will be dis abled and a blinking will appear in the aperture displays in the control panel and viewﬁ nder. Type G lenses are not equipped with an aperture ring.

b1—ISO Auto ( 152)

When Custom Setting b1 (ISO Auto) is on, the camera automatically varies ISO sensitivity between ISO 100 and a maximum selected by the user to help ensure optimum ex po sure and ﬂ ash level. In exposure modes P and A, the camera adjusts ISO sensitivity when the shutter speed needed to obtain optimum exposure would be faster than / s or slower than a speciﬁ ed value. Otherwise the camera adjusts ISO sensitivity when the limits of the camera exposure metering system are exceeded (mode S) or when optimum exposure can not be achieved at the shutter-speed and aperture selected by the user (mode M).

e4—Modeling Flash ( 166)

If Oﬀ is selected for Custom Setting e4 (Modeling Flash), the built-in ﬂ ash and optional SB-800, SB-600, and SB-R200 Nikon Speedlights will not emit a modeling ﬂ ash when the depth-of-ﬁ eld preview button is pressed.

Page 73

P: Programmed Auto

In this mode, the camera automatically adjusts shutter speed and aperture ac cord ing to a built-in program ( 195) for optimal exposure in most sit u a tions. This mode is recommended for snapshots and other sit u a tions in which you want to leave the camera in charge of shutter speed and aperture. Ad just ments can be made using ﬂ exible program, ex po sure com pen sa tion ( 72), and auto ex po sure bracketing (

To take photographs in programmed auto:

Press the button and rotate the main com-

mand dial until P is displayed in the viewﬁ nder and control panel.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

Flexible Program

In mode P, diﬀ erent com bi na tions of shutter speed and ap er ture can be selected by rotating the main com mand dial (“ﬂ exible program”). All combinations pro duce the same ex po sure. While ﬂ exible program is in eﬀ ect, an asterisk (“*”) appears next to the exposure-mode indicator in the control panel. To restore de fault shut ter speed and aperture settings, rotate the main com mand dial until the indicator is no longer dis played. Default settings can also be re stored by turning the cam era oﬀ , selecting another exposure mode, per form ing a two-but ton re set ( 97), or choosing another setting for Custom Setting b3 (EV Step; 154).

73). Programmed auto is only available with CPU lenses.

Reference—Exposure

Non-CPU Lenses

Exposure mode A (aperture-priority auto) is automatically selected when a non-CPU lens is attached. The exposure mode indicator (P) will blink in the control panel and A will be displayed in the viewﬁ nder. For more information, see “Aperture-Priority Auto” ( 66).

Exposure Warning

If the limits of the exposure metering system are exceeded, one of the following in di ca tors will be dis played in the control panel and viewﬁ nder:

Indicator Description

Subject too bright. Use optional Neutral Density (ND) ﬁ lter or lower ISO sensitivity ( 33). Subject too dark. Use ﬂ ash or raise ISO sensitivity ( 33).

Page 74

S: Shutter-Priority Auto

In shutter-priority auto, you choose the shutter speed while the camera au to mat i cal ly selects the aperture that will produce the optimal exposure. Shutter speed can be set to values between 30 s and / s. Use slow shutter speeds to suggest motion by blurring moving objects, high shutter speeds to “freeze” motion. Shutter-priority auto is only available with CPU lenses.

To take pho to graphs in shutter-pri or i ty auto:

Press the button and rotate the main com-

mand dial until S is displayed in the viewﬁ nder

Reference—Exposure

and control panel.

Rotate the main com mand dial to choose the

de sired shut ter speed.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

Page 75

Non-CPU Lenses

Exposure mode A (aperture-priority auto) is automatically selected when a non-CPU lens is attached. The exposure mode indicator (S) will blink in the control panel and A will be displayed in the viewﬁ nder.

Changing from Mode M to Mode S

If you select a shutter speed of in mode M and then select mode S without changing the shutter speed, the shutter-speed display will ﬂ ash and the shutter can not be released. Rotate the main command dial to select a diﬀ erent shutter speed before shooting.

Exposure Warning

If the camera is unable to produce the correct exposure at the selected shutter speed, the electronic analog exposure display ( 69) in the viewﬁ nder will show the amount of un der- or over-exposure and one of the fol low ing in di ca tors will be dis played in the con trol panel and viewﬁ nder aperture displays:

Indicator Description

Subject too bright. Choose faster shutter speed or lower ISO sensitivity ( 33), or use optional Neutral Density (ND) ﬁ lter. Subject too dark. Choose slower shutter speed or higher ISO sensitivity ( 33), or use ﬂ ash.

Long Exp. NR ( 131)

To reduce noise at slow shutter speeds, select On for the Long Exp. NR option in the shooting menu. Check that the battery is fully charged before making long time exposures.

b3—EV Step ( 154)

This option controls whether changes to shutter speed and aperture are made in in cre ments equiv a lent to / EV (the default setting), / EV, or 1 EV.

f5—Command Dials >Change Main / Sub ( 170)

This option can be used to reverse the roles of the command dials so that the sub-command dial controls shutter speed, while the main command dial controls aperture.

Reference—Exposure

Page 76

A: Aperture-Priority Auto

In aperture-priority auto, you choose the aperture while the camera au to mat i cal ly selects the shut ter speed that will produce the optimal exposure. Small apertures (high f/-numbers) increase depth of ﬁ eld, bringing both the main subject and back ground into focus. Large apertures (low f/-num bers) soften background details and let more light into the camera, increasing the range of the ﬂ ash and making photographs less susceptible to blurring.

To take pho to graphs in aperture-priority auto:

Press the button and rotate the main com-

Reference—Exposure

mand dial until A is displayed in the viewﬁ nder and control panel.

Rotate the sub-com mand dial to choose the de-

sired aperture.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

Page 77

Non-CPU Lenses

If the maximum aperture of the lens has been speciﬁ ed using the Non-CPU Lens Data item in shooting menu ( 93) when a non-CPU lens is attached, the current f/-number will be displayed in the control panel and viewﬁ nder, rounded to the nearest full stop. Otherwise the aperture displays will show only the number of stops ( , with maximum aperture displayed as ) and the f/-number must be read from the lens aperture ring.

Exposure Warning

If the camera is unable to produce the correct exposure at the selected aperture, the electronic analog exposure display ( 69) in the viewﬁ nder will show the amount of un der- or over-exposure and one of the fol low ing in di ca tors will be dis played in the con trol panel and viewﬁ nder shutter-speed displays:

Indicator Description

Subject too bright. Choose smaller aperture (larger f/-number) or ISO sensitivity ( 33), or use optional Neutral Density (ND) ﬁ lter. Subject too dark. Choose larger aperture (smaller f/-number) or higher ISO sensitivity ( 33), or use optional Speedlight.

b3—EV Step ( 154)

This option controls whether changes to shutter speed and aperture are made in in cre ments equiv a lent to / EV (the default setting), / EV, or 1 EV.

f5—Command Dials ( 170)

Command Dials > Change Main / Sub and Command Dials > Aperture Setting con-

trol whether aperture is assigned with the main command dial, the sub-command dial, or the lens aperture ring. Regardless of the settings chosen, the sub-command dial is always used with type G lenses, the lens aperture ring with non-CPU lenses.

Reference—Exposure

Page 78

M: Manual

In manual exposure mode, you control both shutter speed and aperture. Shut ter speed can be set to values between 30 s and / s, or the shutter can be held open for indeﬁ nitely for longer exposures ( ). Aperture can be set to val ues between the minimum and maximum values for the lens. Using the elec tron ic analog exposure display in the viewﬁ nder, you can adjust exposure ac cord ing to shooting con di tions and the task at hand.

To take pho to graphs in manual exposure mode:

Press the button and rotate the main com-

Reference—Exposure

mand dial until M is displayed in the viewﬁ nder and control panel.

Rotate the main com mand dial to choose a

shut ter speed, and the sub-com mand dial to set aperture. Check exposure in the electronic an a log ex po sure displays (see right), and con tin ue to adjust shut ter speed and ap er ture until the de sired ex po sure is achieved.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

At a shutter speed of , the shutter will remain open while the shutter-release but ton is held down. Nikon recommends using a fully-charged EN-EL3e battery or an optional EH-6 AC adapter to prevent loss of power while the shutter is open. If the battery is exhausted during shooting, the camera will record the photograph to the memory card and then turn oﬀ automatically.

Page 79

Electronic Analog Exposure Displays

At shutter speeds other than

, the electronic analog exposure displays in the control panel and viewﬁ nder show whether the photograph would be un der- or over-exposed at current settings. Depending on the option chosen for Custom Setting b3 (EV Step), the amount of un der- or over-ex po sure is shown in increments of / EV, / EV, or 1 EV. If the limits of the ex po sure metering system are ex ceed ed, the displays will ﬂ ash.

“EV step” set to “1/3 step” “EV step” set to “1/2 step” “EV step” set to “1 step” Control panel Viewﬁ nder Control panel Viewﬁ nder Control panel Viewﬁ nder

Underexposed by / EV Underexposed by / EV Underexposed by 1 EV

Optimal exposure

Overexposed by more than 3 EV

* At 1/3 step, appears in the viewﬁ nder when overexposure exceeds 2 EV.

AF Micro Nikkor Lenses

Provided that an external exposure meter is used, the exposure ratio need only be taken into account when the lens aperture ring is used to set aperture.

Non-CPU Lenses

If the maximum aperture of the lens has been speciﬁ ed using the Non-CPU lens data item in shooting menu ( 93) when a non-CPU lens is attached, the current f/-number will be displayed in the viewﬁ nder and control panel, rounded to the nearest full stop. Otherwise the aperture displays will show only the number of stops ( , with maximum aperture displayed as ) and the f/number must be read from the lens aperture ring.

Long Exp. NR ( 131)

To reduce noise at slow shutter speeds, select On for the Long Exp. NR option in the shooting menu.

b3—EV Step ( 154)

This option controls whether changes to shutter speed and aperture are made in in cre ments equiv a lent to / EV (the default setting), / EV, or 1 EV.

f5—Command Dials ( 170)

Command Dials > Change Main / Sub and Command Dials > Aperture setting control

whether aperture is assigned with the main command dial, the sub-command dial, or the lens aperture ring. Regardless of the settings chosen, the sub-command dial is always used with type G lenses, the lens aperture ring with non-CPU lenses.

Reference—Exposure

Page 80

Autoexposure Lock

When center-weighted metering is used, an area in the center of the frame is assigned the greatest weight when determining exposure. Similarly, when spot metering is used, exposure is based upon lighting conditions in the selected focus area. If the subject is not in the metered area when the picture is taken, exposure will be based on lighting conditions in the back ground, and the main sub ject may be under- or over-exposed. To prevent this, use autoexposure lock:

Select exposure mode P, S, or A and choose cen-

ter-weight ed or spot metering (exposure lock

Reference—Exposure

has no eﬀ ect in exposure mode M). If us ing center-weight ed me ter ing, select the cen ter focus area with the multi selector ( 53).

Position the sub ject in the selected focus area and press the shutter-re-

lease button halfway. With the shut ter-release button pressed halfway and the subject po si tioned in the fo cus area, press the AE-L/AF-L button to lock exposure (and focus, except in man u al focus mode). Conﬁ rm that the infocus in di ca tor (●) appears in the viewﬁ nder.

While ex po sure lock is in eﬀ ect, an AE-L in di ca tor will ap pear in the viewﬁ nder.

Keeping the AE-L/AF-L but ton pressed, re com -

pose the pho to graph and shoot.

Page 81

Adjusting Shutter Speed and Aperture

While exposure lock is in eﬀ ect, the following settings can be changed without altering the metered value for exposure:

Exposure mode Settings

Programmed auto Shutter speed and aperture (ﬂ exible program;

Shutter-priority auto Shutter speed

Aperture-priority auto Aperture

63)

The new values can be conﬁ rmed in the viewﬁ nder and control panel. Note that the metering method can not be changed while exposure lock is in eﬀ ect (changes to metering take eﬀ ect when the lock is released).

Reference—Exposure

Metered Area

In spot metering, exposure will be locked at the value metered in a 3-mm (0.12 in.) circle centered on the selected focus area. In center-weighted metering, exposure will be locked at the value metered in an 8-mm (0.31 in.) circle at the center of the viewﬁ nder.

c1—AE Lock ( 156)

If +Release Button is selected for AE Lock, exposure will lock when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

c2—AE-L/AF-L ( 156)

Depending on the option selected, the AE-L/AF-L button locks both focus and exposure (the default setting), only focus, or only exposure. Options are available for keeping exposure locked until the AE-L/AF-L button is pressed a second time, the shutter is released, or exposure meters turn oﬀ .

Page 82

Exposure Compensation

To obtain the desired results with certain subject compositions, it may be nec es sary to use ex po sure compensation to alter exposure from the val ue sug gest ed by the cam era. As a rule of thumb, positive compensation may be needed when the main sub ject is dark er than the background, negative val ues when the main sub ject is bright er than the background.

Pressing the button, rotate the main com-

mand dial and conﬁ rm ex po sure com pen sa tion in the control panel or the viewﬁ nder (in the

Reference—Exposure

viewﬁ nder, positive values are shown by a icon, negative values by a icon). Ex po sure com pen sa tion can be set to val ues be tween –5 EV (un der ex po sure) and +5 EV (over ex po sure) in in cre ments of / EV.

At val ues oth er than ±0, the 0 at the center of the electronic analog exposure displays will ﬂ ash and a icon will be dis played in the control panel and viewﬁ nder af ter you re lease the but ton. The cur rent val ue for ex po sure com pen sa tion can be con ﬁ rmed in the elec tron ic an a log ex po sure dis play or by press ing the but ton.

Frame the pho to graph, fo cus, and shoot.

Normal ex po sure can be restored by set ting ex po sure compensation to ±0 or per form ing a two button reset ( 97). Ex po sure com pen sa tion is not reset when the camera is turned oﬀ .

±0 EV ( button pressed)

–0.3 EV

+2.0 EV

b4—Exp Comp/Fine Tune ( 154)

Use this option to set the increments for exposure com pen sa tion to / or 1 EV.

b5—Exposure Comp. ( 155)

If desired, exposure compensation can be set without pressing the button.

Page 83

Exposure and Flash Bracketing

In exposure brack et ing, the camera varies exposure compensation with each shot, while in the case of ﬂ ash brack et ing, ﬂ ash level is varied with each shot (iTTL and, with the optional SB-800 Speedlight, auto aperture ﬂ ash control modes only). Only one pho to graph is pro duced each time the shut ter is released, meaning that sev er al shots (up to nine) are re quired to com plete the brack et ing se quence. Ex po sure and ﬂ ash brack et ing are rec om mend ed in situations in which it is diﬃ cult to set ex po sure and there is not enough time to check re sults and adjust settings with each shot.

Se lect the type of brack et ing to be per formed

us ing Cus tom Set ting e5 (Auto BKT Set;

166). Choose AE & Flash to vary both ex po sure and ﬂ ash level (the de fault setting), AE Only to vary only exposure, or Flash Only to vary only ﬂ ash level.

Press ing the button, rotate the main com-

mand dial to choose the number of shots in the bracketing sequence ( 198 – 199). At settings other than zero, a BKT icon and bracketing indicator will be dis played in the con trol pan el and the icon will blink in the control panel and viewﬁ nder.

Press ing the button, rotate the sub-com-

mand dial to choose the exposure increment ( 198 – 199).

Reference—Exposure

Bracketing Programs

See the Appendix for a list of exposure and ﬂ ash bracketing programs.

e8—Auto BKT Selection ( 167)

If desired, the main command dial can be used to turn bracketing on and oﬀ and the subcommand dial to select both the number of shots and the exposure increment.

Page 84

Com pose a photograph, focus, and shoot. The cam era will vary ex po sure

and/or ﬂ ash level shot-by-shot according to the brack et ing pro gram se lect ed. Mod i ﬁ ca tions to ex po sure are add ed to those made with ex po sure com pen sa tion ( 72), making it possible to achieve exposure compensation values of more than 5 EV.

While bracketing is in eﬀ ect, a bracketing progress indicator will be displayed in the control panel. A seg ment will dis ap pear from the in di ca tor af ter each shot.

Reference—Exposure

To cancel bracketing, press the button and rotate the main com mand dial until the number of shots in the bracketing sequence is zero and is no longer displayed in the control panel. The program last in eﬀ ect will be restored the next time brack et ing is ac ti vat ed. Brack et ing can also be cancelled by per form ing a two-button reset ( 97), although in this case the bracketing program will not be restored the next time brack et ing is activated. Selecting WB Bracketing for Custom Setting e5 cancels the current the bracketing program.

Page 85

Exposure Bracketing

The camera modiﬁ es exposure by varying shutter speed and aperture (programmed auto), aperture (shutter-priority auto), or shutter speed (aperture-priority auto, manual exposure mode). When On is selected for Custom Setting b1 (ISO Auto), the camera will automatically vary ISO sensitivity for optimum exposure when the limits of the camera exposure system are exceeded. If Custom Setting e5 (Auto BKT Set) is set AE Only or to AE & Flash and On is selected for Custom Setting b1 (ISO Auto), the camera will vary ISO sensitivity without varying shutter speed or aperture, regardless of the setting chosen for Custom Setting e6 (see below).

Shooting Mode

In single frame and self-timer modes, one shot will be taken each time the shutter-release button is pressed. In continuous low speed and continuous high speed modes, shooting will pause af ter the number of shots speciﬁ ed in the bracketing pro gram have been taken. Shooting will resume the next time the shutter-release button is pressed.

Re sum ing Exposure or Flash Bracketing

If the mem o ry card ﬁ lls before all shots in the sequence have been taken, shooting can be resumed from the next shot in the sequence after the memory card has been re placed or shots have been deleted to make room on the memory card. If the camera is turned oﬀ before all shots in the sequence have been taken, brack et ing will resume from the next shot in the sequence when the cam era is turned on.

e6—Manual Mode Bkting ( 167)

This option controls how the camera performs exposure and ﬂ ash bracketing in manual exposure mode. Bracketing can be performed by varying ﬂ ash level together with shutter speed and / or aperture, or by varying ﬂ ash level alone.

e7—Auto BKT Order ( 167)

This option can be used to change the bracketing order.

Reference—Exposure

Page 86

Flash Photography

Using the Built-in Flash

The D200 is equipped with a Guide Number 12/39 ﬂ ash (ISO 100, m/ft) that can be used not only when natural lighting is inadequate, but also to ﬁ ll in shadows and backlit subjects or to add a catch light to the subject’s eyes.

The built-in ﬂ ash supports the following types of ﬂ ash control:

i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash for Digital SLR: Speedlight emits series of nearly invisible preﬂ ashes (monitor preﬂ ashes) immediately before main ﬂ ash. Preﬂ ashes reﬂ ected from objects in all areas of frame are picked up by 1,005-pixel RGB sensor and are analyzed in combination with information from matrix metering system to adjust ﬂ ash output for natural bal-

Reference—Flash Photography

ance between main subject and ambient background lighting. If type G or D lens is used, distance information is included when calculating ﬂ ash output. Precision of calculation can be increased for non-CPU lenses by providing lens data (focal length and maximum aperture; 93 – 95). Not available when spot metering is used. Standard i-TTL Flash for Digital SLR: Flash output adjusted to bring lighting in frame to standard level; brightness of background is not taken into account. Recommended for shots in which main subject is emphasized at expense of background details, or when exposure compensation is used. Standard i-TTL ﬂ ash for digital SLR is activated automatically when spot metering is selected.

ISO Sensitivity

i-TTL ﬂ ash control can adjust for ISO sensitivities between 100 and 1600. It may not be able to adjust ﬂ ash level appropriately for ISO sensitivities over 1600. When On is selected for Custom Setting b1 (ISO Auto; 152), ISO sensitivity will automatically be adjusted as required for optimal ﬂ ash output. This may result in foreground subjects being underexposed in ﬂ ash photographs taken at slow shutter speeds, in daylight, or against a bright background. In these cases, choose a ﬂ ash mode other than slow sync or select mode A or M and choose a larger aperture.

Using the Built-in Flash

If the built-in ﬂ ash is used in continuous shooting mode, only one photograph will be taken each time the shutter-release button is pressed.

Vibration reduction (available with VR lenses) does not take eﬀ ect if the shutter-release button is pressed halfway while the built-in ﬂ ash is recharging.

After the built-in ﬂ ash has been used for several consecutive shots, it may turn oﬀ brieﬂ y to protect the ﬂ ash. The built-in ﬂ ash can be used again after a short pause.

Flash Angle

The ﬂ ash angle of the built-in ﬂ ash can cover the ﬁ eld of view of an 18 mm lens. It may not be able to light the entire subject with some lenses or apertures ( 201).

Page 87

Flash Sync Modes

The camera supports the following ﬂ ash sync modes:

Flash sync mode Description

Front-curtain sync

Red-eye reduction

with slow sync

Slow sync

Rear-curtain sync

Red-Eye Reduction

Some lenses may block the red-eye reduction lamp, preventing the subject from seeing the lamp and interfering with red-eye reduction.

Studio Flash Systems

Rear-curtain sync can not be used with studio ﬂ ash systems, as the correct syn chro ni za tion can not be obtained.

Compatible Lenses

See the Appendix for information on the lenses that can be used with the built-in ﬂ ash.

e3—Built-in Flash ( 161) Flash mode can be selected from TTL, Manual, Repeating Flash, and Commander mode. When ﬁ red at full power in Manual mode, the built-in ﬂ ash has a Guide Number

of 13/42 (ISO 100, m/ft). In Repeating Flash mode, the ﬂ ash ﬁ res repeatedly while the shutter is open. The ﬂ ash output, number of ﬂ ashes, and interval between ﬂ ashes can be selected from a menu. Commander mode can be used for wireless oﬀ -camera ﬂ ash photography with optional SB-800, SB-600, or SB-R200 Speedlights.

Recommended for most situations. In programmed auto and aperture-priority auto modes, shutter speed will au to mat i cal ly be set to values between / and / s (/ to /, s when using optional Speedlight with Auto FP High-Speed Sync; Red-eye reduction pre-ﬂ ash lights for approximately one second before main ﬂ ash. Pupils in subject’s eyes to contract, reducing “red-eye” eﬀ ect sometimes caused by ﬂ ash. Combines red-eye reduction with slow sync. This mode is only available in programmed auto and aperture-priority auto ex po sure modes. Use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur ring caused by camera shake. Flash is combined with speeds as slow as 30 s to cap ture both subject and background at night or under dim light. This mode is only available in programmed auto and aperture-priority auto ex po sure modes. Use of tripod is recommended to prevent blur ring caused by camera shake. In shutter-priority auto or manual exposure mode, ﬂ ash ﬁ res just before the shutter closes, creating eﬀ ect of a stream of light behind moving objects. In programmed auto and ap er ture-pri or i ty auto, slow rear-curtain sync is used to capture both sub ject and background. Use of tripod is rec om mend ed to pre vent blurring caused by camera shake.

160).

Reference—Flash Photography

Page 88

Using the Built-in Flash

To use the built-in ﬂ ash:

Choose a metering method ( 61). Select ma-

trix or center-weighted metering to activate iTTL Balanced Fill-Flash for Digital SLR. Standard i-TTL Flash for Digital SLR is activated automatically when spot metering is selected.

Press the ﬂ ash pop-up button. The built-in ﬂ ash

will pop up and begin charging. When the ﬂ ash

Reference—Flash Photography

is fully charged, the ﬂ ash-ready indicator will light.

Press the button and rotate the main com-

mand dial until the desired ﬂ ash sync icon is displayed in the control panel.

Red-eye

reduction

Red-eye

reduction+

slow sync

Front curtain

sync

Rear

curtain

sync

1 Available only in exposure modes P and A. In

modes S and M, (red-eye reduction) is selected when the button is released.

2 In exposure modes P and A, ﬂ ash-sync mode will

be set to (slow rear-cur tain sync) when the button is released.

3 Available only in ex po sure modes P and A. In

modes S and M, (front-cur tain sync) is selected when button is released.

When the Speedlight Is Not in Use

To save battery power when the Speedlight is not in use, return it to the closed position by pressing it lightly downward until the latch clicks into place.

Slow

sync

Page 89

Press the shutter-release button halfway and check exposure (shutter

speed and aperture). The shutter speeds and apertures available when the built-in ﬂ ash is raised are listed below.

Exposure mode Shutter speed Aperture

P Set automatically by camera (/–/ s) S Value selected by user (/–30 s) A Set automatically by camera (/–/ s)

M Value selected by user (/–30 s)

1 Limit for slow shutter speed is set using Custom Setting e2 (Flash Shutter Speed;

161). Regardless of option selected, camera may set shutter to speeds as slow as 30 s at ﬂ ash sync settings of slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync, and slow sync with red-eye reduction.

2 Speeds faster than / s will be reduced to / s when built-in ﬂ ash is raised or

optional Speedlight is attached and turned on.

3 Flash range varies with ISO sensitivity and aperture. Consult table of ﬂ ash of ﬂ ash

ranges ( 200) when setting aperture in A and M modes.

Check that the ﬂ ash-ready indicator appears in

the viewﬁ nder. If the ﬂ ash-ready indicator is not

Set automatically

Value selected by

by camera

user

displayed when the built-in ﬂ ash is used, the shutter release will be disabled.

Compose the photograph, making sure that the subject is within range of

the ﬂ ash ( 200), then focus and shoot. If the ﬂ ash-ready light blinks for about three seconds after the photograph is taken, the ﬂ ash has ﬁ red at full output and the photograph may be underexposed. Check the results in the monitor. If the photograph is underexposed, adjust settings and try again.

63 64 66 68

Reference—Flash Photography

e1—Flash Sync Speed ( 160)

This option can be used to enable Auto FP High-Speed Sync (optional SB-800, SB-600, or SB-R200 Speedlight required; not available if built-in ﬂ ash is ﬁ red) or to limit the fastest sync speed to a speed slower than / s. To ﬁ x shutter speed at the sync speed limit in exposure modes S and M, select the setting after the slowest possible shutter speed (30 s or ). An X will be displayed in the ﬂ ash sync indicator in the control panel.

Page 90

Flash Exposure Compensation

Flash exposure compensation can be used to increase or reduce ﬂ ash output from the level chosen by the camera’s ﬂ ash control system. Flash output can be increased to make the main subject appear brighter, or reduced to prevent unwanted highlights or reﬂ ections. As a rule of thumb, positive compensation may be needed when the main subject is darker than the background, negative compensation when the main subject is brighter than the background.

Pressing the dial and conﬁ rm ﬂ ash exposure compensation in the control panel or viewﬁ nder. Flash exposure compensation can be set to values between –3 EV (darker)

Reference—Flash Photography

and +1 EV (brighter) in increments of / EV.

At values other than ±0, a icon will be displayed in the control panel and viewﬁ nder after you release the button. The current value for ﬂ ash exposure compensation can be conﬁ rmed by pressing the button.

Normal ﬂ ash output can be restored by setting ﬂ ash exposure compensation to ±0.0 or performing a two button reset ( 97). Flash exposure compensation is not reset when the camera is turned oﬀ .

button, rotate the sub-command

Using Flash Exposure Compensation with Optional Speedlights

Flash exposure compensation is also available when an optional SB-800 or SB-600 Speedlight is attached.

Modeling Illumination

The built-in ﬂ ash and optional SB-800, SB-600, and SB-R200 Speedlights emit a modeling ﬂ ash when the camera depth-of-ﬁ eld preview button is pressed. Modeling illumination can be turned oﬀ using Custom Setting e4 (Modeling Flash; 166).

b3—EV Step ( 154)

This option can be used to set the increments for ﬂ ash compensation to / or 1 EV.

Page 91

FV Lock

This feature is used to lock ﬂ ash output, allowing photographs to be recomposed without changing the ﬂ ash level. This ensures that ﬂ ash output is appropriate to the subject even when the subject is not positioned in the center of the frame. Flash output is adjusted automatically for any changes in ISO sensitivity or aperture. To use FV lock:

Select FV Lock or FV Lock/Lens Data for Cus-

tom Setting f4 (FUNC. Button; 170).

Press the ﬂ ash pop-up button to raise the ﬂ ash.

Position the subject in the center of the frame

and press the shutter-release button halfway to focus.

Press the FUNC. button. The ﬂ ash will emit a

monitor preﬂ ash to determine the appropriate ﬂ ash level. Flash output will be locked at this level and FV lock icons ( and ) will appear in the control panel and viewﬁ nder.

Reference—Flash Photography

Recompose the photograph.

Page 92

Press the shutter-release button the rest of the

way down to shoot. If desired, additional pictures can be taken without releasing FV lock.

Press the camera FUNC. button to release FV lock

and conﬁ rm that the FV lock icons ( and

) are no longer displayed in the control panel

and viewﬁ nder.

Reference—Flash Photography

Using FV Lock with Optional Speedlights

FV lock is also available with SB-800, SB-600, and SB-R200 Speedlights (available separately). Set the Speedlight to TTL mode (the SB-800 can also be used in AA mode; see the Speedlight manual for details). While FV lock is in eﬀ ect, ﬂ ash output will automatically be adjusted for changes in Speedlight zoom head position.

When Commander Mode is selected for Custom Setting e3 (Built-in Flash; 161), FV lock can be used with remote SB-800, SB-600, or SB-R200 ﬂ ash units if (a) any of the built-in ﬂ ash, ﬂ ash group A, or ﬂ ash group B is in TTL mode, or (b) a ﬂ ash group is composed entirely of SB-800 Speedlights in TTL or AA mode.

Using FV Lock with the Built-in Flash

When the built-in ﬂ ash is used alone, FV lock is only available if TTL (the default setting) is selected for Custom Setting e3 (Built-in Flash; 161).

Page 93

Self-Timer Mode

The self-timer can be used to reduce camera shake or for self-portraits.

Mount the camera on a tripod (recommended) or place the camera on a

stable, level sur face.

Press the shoot ing mode dial lock release and

ro tate the shoot ing mode dial to select (selftim er mode).

Frame the photograph and fo cus. If autofocus

is in eﬀ ect, be sure not to block the lens when activating the self-timer. In single-servo autofocus ( 51), pho to graphs can only be tak en if the in-focus (●) indicator ap pears in the viewﬁ nder.

Close the Viewﬁ nder Eyepiece Shutter

In exposure modes other than manual, remove the viewﬁ nder eyepiece cup and insert the supplied DK-5 eyepiece cap as shown. This pre vents light entering via the viewﬁ nder from in ter fer ing with exposure.

Press the shutter-release button all the way

down to start the self-timer. The self-tim er lamp (AF-assist lamp) will start to blink and a beep will begin to sound. Two seconds before the photograph is taken, the self-timer lamp will stop blinking and the beeping will become more rapid.

The Built-in Flash

The self-timer will be cancelled if the built-in ﬂ ash is raised before the picture is taken. To start the timer after raising the ﬂ ash, wait until the ﬂ ash-ready indicator is displayed in the viewﬁ nder and then press the shutter-release button.

Reference—Self-Timer Mode

To turn the self-timer oﬀ before a pho to graph is tak en, press the mode dial lock release and turn the mode dial to an oth er set ting.

In self-timer mode, a shutter speed of is equivalent to approximately

c4—Self-Timer ( 157)

Self-timer delay can be set to 2 s, 5 s, 10 s (the default setting), or 20 s.

6 s.

Page 94

Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure

The following options are available for combining multiple exposures in a single frame:

• Image overlay: two existing RAW photographs are combined to form a single picture which is saved separately from the originals. The originals must be on the same memory card.

• Multiple exposure: a series of two to ten exposures is recorded as a single photograph. The individual exposures are not saved separately.

Image Overlay

Overlays are created using the Image Overlay option in the shooting menu.

Reference—Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure

The new picture is saved at current image quality and size settings. Before

creating an overlay, set image quality and size ( 28).

Highlight Image Overlay in the shooting

menu ( 124) and press the multi selector to the right.

A preview will be displayed with Image 1 high- lighted.

Press the button to view the RAW images on

the memory card. Press the multi selector left or right to highlight images. To zoom in on the highlighted image, press and hold the button.

Press the center of the multi selector to select

the highlighted image and return to the preview display. The selected image will appear as Image 1.

Page 95

Press the multi selector up or down to select a

value for gain between 0.1 and 2.0. The default value is 1.0; selecting 0.5 cuts gain in half, while selecting 2.0 doubles gain. The eﬀ ects of gain are visible in the preview image.

Press the multi selector left or right to highlight Image 2. Repeat steps 3–5

to select the second image and adjust gain.

Press the multi selector left or right to highlight

Overlay and press the button to display a conﬁ rmation dialog (to save the new image without displaying the conﬁ rmation dialog, highlight Save and press the button). Press the button to save the new image, or the button to return to the preview dialog.

Reference—Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure

Selecting Photographs for Image Overlay

Only RAW photographs taken with the D200 can be selected for image overlay. Other images are not displayed in the thumbnail list. Hidden images are not displayed and can not be selected.

Image Overlay

The new image is recorded at current image quality, image size, and ﬁ le name settings under a ﬁ le name assigned by adding one to the largest ﬁ le number in the current folder. White balance, sharpening, color space, color mode, and hue settings are copied from the photograph selected for Image 1, as are the date of recording, metering, shutter speed, aperture, exposure mode, exposure compensation, focal length, orientation, and other photo information.

Page 96

Multiple Exposure

To create a multiple exposure:

Highlight Multiple exposure in the shooting

menu ( 124) and press the multi selector to the right.

Press the multi selector up or down to highlight

Number of Shots and press the multi selector

Reference—Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure

to the right.

Press the multi selector up or down to choose

the number of exposures that will be combined to form a single photograph. Press the multi selector to the right to return to the multiple exposure menu.

Press the multi selector up or down to highlight

Auto Gain and press the multi selector to the right.

Press the multi selector up or down to highlight

one of the following options and then press the multi selector to the right.

Option Description

Gain adjusted according to number of ex-

(default)

posures actually recorded (gain for each exposure is set to / for 2 exposures, / for 3 exposures, etc.). Gain is not adjusted when recording mul-

Oﬀ

tiple exposure.

Page 97

Press the multi selector up or down to highlight

Done and press the multi selector to the right.

A icon will be displayed in the control panel.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot. In con-

tinuous high-speed or continuous low-speed mode ( 26), the camera will record all exposures in a single burst. In single-frame shooting mode, one photograph will be taken each time the shutter-release button is pressed; continue shooting until all exposures have been recorded. Shooting will end automatically if:

• No operations are performed for 30 s during shooting, or for 30 s after the monitor has turned oﬀ during playback or menu operations

• The user selects Reset or Cancel in the mul- tiple exposure menu and presses the multi selector to the right

• The camera is turned oﬀ

• The battery is exhausted

• Pictures are deleted

If shooting ends before the speciﬁ ed number of exposures have been taken, a multiple exposure will be created from the exposures that have been recorded to that point. If Auto Gain is on, gain will be adjusted to reﬂ ect the number of exposures actually recorded. To end shooting without creating a multiple exposure, press the button while turning the camera oﬀ .

The icon will blink until shooting ends. When shooting ends, multiple exposure mode will end and the icon will no longer be displayed. Repeat steps 1–7 to take additional multiple exposures.

Reference—Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure

Page 98

Exchanging Memory Cards

Do not remove or replace the memory card while recording a multiple exposure.

Photo Info

The information listed in the playback photo information display (including date of recording and camera orientation) is for the ﬁ rst shot in the multiple exposure.

Auto Meter Oﬀ

Unless No Limit is selected for Custom Setting c3 (Auto Meter-Oﬀ ; is powered by an optional EH-6 AC adapter, shooting will end and a multiple exposure will be recorded if no operations are performed for 30 s. To prevent the exposure meters from turning oﬀ before the 30 s limit has expired, 30 s are added to the auto meter-oﬀ delay when shooting starts. The existing meter-oﬀ delay is restored when shooting ends.

Reference—Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure

White Balance ( 35)

If Auto is selected for white balance, white balance will be ﬁ xed at a value suitable for direct sunlight while multiple exposure mode is in eﬀ ect. Only use Auto if the subject is in direct sunlight.

Interval Timer Photography

If interval timer photography is activated before the ﬁ rst exposure is taken, the camera will record exposures at the selected interval until the number of exposures speciﬁ ed in the multiple exposure menu have been taken (the number of shots listed in the interval timer shooting menu is ignored). These exposures will then be recorded as a single photograph and multiple exposure mode and interval timer shooting will end. Note that unless No Limit is selected for Custom Setting c3 (Auto Meter-Oﬀ ; 157) or the camera is powered by an optional EH-6 AC adapter, shooting will end automatically if no operations are performed for 30 s; when recording a multiple exposure using the interval timer, choose an interval of less than 30 s, select No Limit for Custom Setting c3 (Auto Meter-Oﬀ ; 157), or use an AC adapter. Cancelling multiple exposure cancels interval timer shooting.

Bracketing and Other Settings

Bracketing is cancelled when multiple exposure is selected and can not be restored until shooting has ended. While multiple exposure mode is in eﬀ ect, memory cards can not be formatted and the following can not be changed: shooting menu options other than Intvl Timer Shooting (Intvl Timer Shooting can only be adjusted before the ﬁ rst exposure is taken), Dust Oﬀ Ref Photo, and Mirror Lock-up.

Two Button Reset ( 97)

Multiple exposure settings are not aﬀ ected when a two-button reset is performed. Performing a two-button reset does not cancel multiple exposure mode.

157) or the camera

Page 99

Interval Timer Photography

The D200 is equipped to take photographs automatically at preset intervals.

Highlight Intvl Timer Shooting in the shoot-

ing menu ( 124) and press the multi selector to the right.

Press the multi selector up or down to choose

one of the following Start options:

• Now: Shooting begins after a delay of about 3 s

• Start time: Shooting begins at Start time

Press the multi selector left or right to highlight

the following options and press the multi selector up or down to change interval timer settings.

Reference—Interval Timer Photography

Option Description

Start time

Interval

Select

Intvl*Shots

Remaining

(intvl*shots)

Start

Enter start time for interval timer photography when Start time is selected for Start. Press multi selector left or right to highlight starting hour or minute, press up or down to change. Not available when Now is selected for Start. Enter time between shots. Press multi selector left or right to highlight hour, minute, or second, press up or down to change. Note that camera will not be able to take photographs at speciﬁ ed interval if interval is shorter than shutter speed or time required to record images. Choose number of intervals and number of shots taken at each interval. Press multi selector left or right to highlight number of intervals or number of shots, press up or down to change. Total number of shots that will be taken appears to right. Shows number of intervals and total shots remaining in current interval program. This item can not be edited. Choose Oﬀ to adjust settings without starting interval timer. To start interval timer, select On and press start time and will continue for speciﬁ ed number of intervals.

. Shooting will start at selected

Page 100

Highlight Start at the bottom of the interval timer menu and press the

multi selector up or down to select On, then press the

button. The ﬁ rst series of shots will be taken at the speciﬁ ed starting time. Shooting will continue at the selected interval until all shots have been taken. If shooting can not proceed at current settings (for example, if a shutter speed of

is currently selected in manual exposure mode, or the starting time is less than one minute from the current time), a warning will appear and the interval timer menu will be displayed again.

Use of a tripod is recommended.

Reference—Interval Timer Photography

Take a Test Shot

Before beginning interval timer photography, take a test shot at current settings and view the results in the monitor. Remember that the camera will focus before each shot—no shots will be taken if the camera is unable to focus in single-servo AF.

Use a Reliable Power Source

To ensure that shooting is not interrupted, be sure the battery is fully charged. If in doubt, charge the battery before shooting or use an optional EH-6 AC adapter.

Check the Time

Before choosing a starting time, select World Time in the setup menu and make sure that the camera clock is set to the correct time and date ( 12).

Out of Memory

If the memory card is full, the interval timer will remain active but no pictures will be taken. Delete some pictures or turn the camera oﬀ and insert another memory card. When the camera is turned on, interval timer photography will be paused. See “Pausing Interval Timer Photography” on the following page for information on resuming interval timer photography.

Bracketing

Adjust bracketing settings before starting interval timer photography. If exposure and / or ﬂ ash bracketing is active while interval timer photography is in eﬀ ect, the camera will take the number of shots in the bracketing program at each interval, regardless of the number of shots speciﬁ ed in the interval timer menu. If white balance bracketing is active while interval timer photography is in eﬀ ect, the camera will take only one shot at each interval and process it to create the number of copies speciﬁ ed in the bracketing program.

The Eyepiece Cap

In exposure modes other than manual, remove the viewﬁ nder eyepiece cup and insert the supplied DK-5 eyepiece cap to pre vent light entering via the viewﬁ nder from in ter fer ing with exposure.

Nikon D200 Owner Manual

About This Manual

For Your Safety

Notices

Table of Contents

Introduction

Getting to Know the Camera

First Steps

Basic Photography

Basic Playback

Reference

Using Camera Menus

Choosing a Shooting Mode

Image Quality and Size

ISO Sensitivity

White Balance

Optimizing Images

Color Space

Focus

Exposure

Flash Photography

Self-Timer Mode

Image Overlay and Multiple Exposure

Interval Timer Photography