Nikon D2HS User Manual 2

The Nikon Guide to Digital Photography

with the

DIGITAL CAMERA

Product Documentation

The documentation for this product includes the manuals listed below. Please be sure to read all instructions thoroughly to get the most from your cam era.

Quick Start Guide

The Quick Start Guide takes you through the process of unpacking and set ting up your Nikon digital camera, taking your ﬁ rst photographs, and trans fer ring them to your computer.

Guide to Digital Photography

The Guide to Digital Photography (this manual) provides complete op er - at ing in struc tions for your camera.

PictureProject reference CD The PictureProject reference CD contains information on installing and using PictureProject. See the Quick Start Guide for viewing instructions.

CAUTION: Foreign Matter on the Low-Pass Filter

Nikon takes every possible precaution to pre vent foreign matter from com ing into con tact with the low-pass ﬁ lter during production and ship ping. The D2Hs, how ev er, is designed to be used with interchangeable lens es, and for eign matter may enter the camera when lens es are removed or exchanged. Once inside the camera, this for eign matter may adhere to the low-pass ﬁ lter, where it may appear in photographs tak en under cer tain con di tions. To prevent foreign matter from entering the camera, do not exchange lenses in dusty environments. To pro tect the camera when no lens is in place, be sure to replace the body cap pro vid ed with the camera, being care ful to ﬁ rst remove all dust and other foreign matter that may be ad her ing to the body cap.

Should foreign matter ﬁ nd its way onto the low-pass ﬁ lter, clean the low-pass ﬁ lter as instructed on pages 244–245 of this manual, or have the low-pass ﬁ lter cleaned by authorized Nikon ser vice per son nel. Pho to graphs affected by the presence of for eign matter on the low-pass ﬁ lter can be re touched us ing Nikon Capture 4 version 4.2.1 or later (available via download to purchasers of Nikon Capture 4) or the clean image options available in some third-party im ag ing software.

How to Read This Manual

First, be aware of the warnings, cautions, and notices on pages ii–vii.

Then read “Overview” and “Getting to Know the Camera” to acquaint your self with the con ven tions used in this man u al and the names of cam era parts, then set up the cam era as de scribed in “First Steps.”

Now you are ready to take photographs and play them back.

Once you have mastered the basics of dig i tal photography, you can read these sections for complete in for ma tion on when and how to use camera controls.

Refer to these chapters for more on playback…

…on recording and playing voice memos…

…on cam era menus and cus tom settings…

…on connecting to a com put er, printer, or TV…

…and on ac ces so ries and trou ble shoot ing.

Getting to Know the Camera

Basic Photography

Choosing a Shooting Mode

Image Quality and Size

Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency)

Image Adjustment

Flash Photography

Interval Timer Photography

Two-Button Reset

More About Playback

Overview

First Steps

Basic Playback

White Balance

Focus

Exposure

Self-Timer Mode

Non-CPU Lenses

Using a GPS Unit

Voice Memos

Menu Guide

Connections

Technical Notes

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 batteries

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 batteries. If you are using an AC adapter, be sure it is un plugged.

• Use only batteries approved for use in this equipment.

• Use only CR1616 lithium batteries to replace the clock battery. Using another type of battery could cause an explosion. Dispose of used batteries as directed.

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

• Do not short or disassemble bat teries.

• Do not expose batteries to ﬂ ame or to excessive heat.

• Do not immerse in or expose to wa ter.

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

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

• Replace the terminal cover when transporting EN-EL4 rechargeable Li-ion batteries. Do not transport or store with metal objects such as neck lac es or hair pins.

• When EN-EL4 batteries are 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 EN-EL4 bat tery may become hot. Before re mov ing the bat tery, turn the camera off and al low the battery to cool.

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

Particular care should be tak en to pre vent infants from putting the bat tery or other small parts into their mouths.

Removing memory cards

Memory cards may become hot dur ing use. Observe due cau tion when re mov ing memory cards from the cam era.

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 a ﬂ ash

Using a ﬂ ash close to your sub ject’s eyes could cause tem po rary 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.

iii

Caring for the Camera and Battery

Do not drop

The product may malfunction if sub ject ed to strong shocks or vi bra tion.

Keep dry

This product is not waterproof, and may mal func tion if im mersed in wa ter or ex posed to high levels of hu mid i ty. Rust ing of the in ter nal mech a nism can cause ir rep a ra ble dam age.

Avoid sudden changes in tem per a ture

Sud den chang es in tem per a ture, such as oc cur when en ter ing or leav ing a heat ed build ing on a cold day, can cause con den sa tion in side the de vice. To prevent con den sa tion, place the device in a car ry ing case or a plas tic bag be fore ex pos ing it to sud den chang es in tem per a ture.

Keep away from strong mag net ic ﬁ elds

Do not use or store this device in the vi cin i ty of equip ment that gen er ates strong elec tro mag net ic radiation or mag net ic ﬁ elds. Strong static charg es or the mag net ic ﬁ elds pro duced by equip ment such as radio trans mit ters could in ter fere with the monitor, dam age data stored on the mem o ry card, or affect the prod uct’s in ter nal cir cuit ry.

Do not point the lens at strong light sources for extended periods

Avoid pointing the lens at the sun or other strong light sources for extended periods when using or storing the camera. Intense light may cause deterioration in the image sensor, producing a white blur effect in photographs.

Do not touch the shutter curtain

The shutter curtain is extremely thin and easily damaged. Under no cir cum stanc es should you exert pres sure on the curtain, poke it with clean ing tools, or sub ject it to powerful air cur rents from a blow er. These actions could scratch, de form, or tear the curtain.

Handle all mov ing parts with care

Do not ap ply force to the bat tery-cham ber, card-slot, or con nec tor cov ers. These parts are es pe cial ly sus cep ti ble to dam age.

Cleaning

• When cleaning the camera body, use a blow er to remove dust and lint, then wipe gently with a soft, dry cloth. After using your camera at the beach or seaside, wipe off any sand or salt using a cloth lightly damp ened with pure water and then dry your camera thoroughly. In rare in stanc es, static electricity produced by a brush or cloth may cause the LCD dis plays to light up or dark en. This does not in di cate a malfunction, and the dis play will shortly return to normal.

• When cleaning the lens and mirror, re mem ber that these elements are easily dam aged. Dust and lint should be gen tly removed with a blower. When using an aerosol blower, keep the can vertical (tilting the can could result in liquid be ing sprayed on the mir ror). If you do get a ﬁ ngerprint or other stain on the lens, apply a small amount of lens cleaner to a soft cloth and wipe the lens carefully.

• See “Technical Notes: Caring for Your Cam era” for information on cleaning the low-pass ﬁ lter ( 244).

Storage

•To prevent mold or mildew, store the cam era in a dry, well-ven ti lat ed area. If you will not be us ing the prod uct for long pe ri ods, re move the bat tery to pre vent leak age and store the cam era in a plastic bag con tain ing a des ic cant. Do not, how ev er, store the cam era case in a plas tic bag, as this may cause the ma te ri al to de te ri o rate. Note that des ic cant grad u al ly los es its ca pac i ty to ab sorb mois ture and should be re placed at reg u lar in ter vals.

• Do not store the camera with naph tha or camphor moth balls, close to equip ment that pro duc es strong mag net ic ﬁ elds, or in areas subject to extremes of tem per a ture, for ex am ple near a space heater or in a closed ve hi cle on a hot day.

•To prevent mold or mil dew, take the cam era out of storage at least once a month. Turn the camera on and re lease the shut ter a few times before putting the cam era away again.

• Store the battery in a cool, dry place. Replace the terminal cover before put ting the battery away.

Notes on the monitor

• The monitor may contain a few pix els that are always lit or that do not light. This is a char ac ter is tic com mon to all TFT LCD monitors and does not in di cate a mal func tion. Im ag es re cord ed with the prod uct will not be af fect ed.

• Images in the mon i tor may be dif ﬁ cult to see in a bright light.

• Do not apply pressure to the monitor; this could cause dam age or mal func tion. Dust or lint on the mon i tor can be re moved with a blower. Stains can be re moved by rub bing the surface light ly with a soft cloth or cham ois leath er.

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

• Replace the monitor cover when trans port ing the camera or leaving it un at tend ed.

Turn the product off before re mov ing or disconnecting the power source

Do not unplug the product or re move the battery while the prod uct is on, or while im ag es are being recorded or deleted. Forc ibly cut ting pow er to the prod uct in these

cir cum stanc es could re sult in loss of data or in damage to product memory or internal circuitry. To pre vent an ac ci den tal in ter rup tion of pow er, avoid car ry ing the prod uct from one lo ca tion to an oth er while the AC adapter is con nect ed.

Batteries

• When you turn the device on, check the battery-level dis played in the con trol pan el to de ter mine whether the bat tery needs to be re placed. The bat tery needs to be re placed when the battery-level in di ca tor is ﬂ ash ing.

• Ready a spare bat tery and keep it ful ly charged when tak ing pho to graphs on im por tant oc ca sions. De pend ing on your lo ca tion, you may ﬁ nd it difﬁ cult to pur chase re place ment bat ter ies on short notice.

• On cold days, the capacity of bat ter ies tends to de crease. Be sure the battery is fully charged before tak ing pho to graphs out side in cold weath er. Keep a spare bat tery in a warm place and ex change the two as nec es sary. Once warmed, a cold bat tery may re cov er some of its charge.

• Should the bat tery ter mi nals be come dirty, wipe them off with a clean, dry cloth be fore use.

• After removing the battery from the cam era, be sure to replace the ter mi nal cov er.

Memory cards

•Turn the pow er off before in sert ing or re mov ing mem o ry cards. In sert ing or re mov ing cards with the pow er on could ren der them un us able.

• Insert mem o ry cards as shown in the il lus tra tion at right. In sert ing cards up side down or back wards could dam age the cam era or the card.

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.

Notice for customers in the U.S.A.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Radio Frequency Interference Statement

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

•

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

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

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

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

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

D2Hs Tested To Comply With FCC Standards

FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE

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

Notice for customers in Canada

CAUTION

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

ATTENTION

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

Notice Concerning Prohibition of Copying or Reproduction

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

• Items prohibited by law from being copied or reproduced

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

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

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

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

• 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.

Trademark Information

Macintosh, Mac OS, and QuickTime are trademarks or reg is tered trade marks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft and Win dows are reg is tered trade marks of Microsoft Corporation. Pentium is a trademark of Intel Corporation. CompactFlash is a trade mark of SanDisk Cor po ra tion. Microdrive is a registered trademark of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies in the United States and/or other countries. Lexar Me dia is a trade mark of Lexar Me dia Cor po ra tion. PictBridge is a trademark. All oth er trade names men tioned in this man u al or the oth er doc u men ta tion pro vid ed with your Nikon prod uct are trade marks or reg is tered trade marks of their re spec tive holders.

vii

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

Caring for the Camera and Battery................................................................ iv

Notices.............................................................................................................. vi

Introduction 1

Overview.......................................................................................................... 2

Getting to Know the Camera ......................................................................... 3

First Steps......................................................................................................... 15

Step 1—Attach the Camera Strap .................................................................... 15

Step 2—Insert the Battery ................................................................................ 16

Step 3—Basic Setup ......................................................................................... 17

Step 4—Attach a Lens...................................................................................... 20

Step 5—Insert a Memory Card ......................................................................... 22

Tutorial 25

Basic Photography........................................................................................... 26

Step 1—Ready the Camera .............................................................................. 27

Step 2—Adjust Camera Settings....................................................................... 29

Step 3—Frame a Photograph ........................................................................... 31

Step 4—Focus.................................................................................................. 32

Step 5—Check Exposure .................................................................................. 33

Step 6—Take the Photograph........................................................................... 34

Basic Playback.................................................................................................. 35

Taking Photographs 37

Using Camera Menus ...................................................................................... 39

Choosing a Shooting Mode ............................................................................ 41

Image Quality and Size ................................................................................... 43

Image Quality................................................................................................... 43

Image Size........................................................................................................ 46

Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency) ........................................................................... 50

White Balance.................................................................................................. 52

Fine-Tuning White Balance ............................................................................... 54

Choosing a Color Temperature ......................................................................... 56

Preset White Balance........................................................................................ 57

Image Adjustment........................................................................................... 65

Making Edges More Distinct: Image Sharpening ............................................... 65

Adjusting Contrast: Tone Compensation........................................................... 66

Suiting Colors to a Workﬂ ow: Color Mode ....................................................... 67

Controlling Color: Hue Adjustment .................................................................. 69

Focus................................................................................................................. 70

Focus Mode ..................................................................................................... 70

Focus Area Selection ........................................................................................ 72

viii

Autofocus ........................................................................................................ 74

AF-Area Mode.............................................................................................. 74

Focus Lock.................................................................................................... 78

Getting Good Results with Autofocus........................................................... 80

Manual Focus................................................................................................... 81

Exposure........................................................................................................... 82

Metering.......................................................................................................... 82

Exposure Mode ................................................................................................ 83

Autoexposure Lock........................................................................................... 93

Exposure Compensation................................................................................... 95

Bracketing........................................................................................................ 96

Flash Photography........................................................................................... 104

TTL Flash Control.............................................................................................. 105

Compatible Speedlights.................................................................................... 107

Flash Sync Modes............................................................................................. 110

FV Lock ............................................................................................................ 112

Flash Contacts and Indicators ........................................................................... 114

Interval Timer Photography............................................................................ 115

Self-Timer Mode.............................................................................................. 120

Non-CPU Lenses............................................................................................... 121

Using a GPS Unit.............................................................................................. 125

Two-Button Reset............................................................................................ 126

More About Playback 127

Single-Image Playback...................................................................................... 128

Photo Information............................................................................................ 129

Viewing Multiple Images: Thumbnail Playback.................................................. 132

Taking a Closer Look: Playback Zoom ............................................................... 134

Protecting Photographs from Deletion.............................................................. 135

Deleting Individual Photographs ....................................................................... 136

Voice Memos 137

Recording Voice Memos................................................................................... 138

Playing Voice Memos........................................................................................ 142

Menu Guide 145

The Playback Menu ......................................................................................... 146

Delete .............................................................................................................. 146

Playback Folder ................................................................................................ 148

Slide Show ....................................................................................................... 149

Hide Image....................................................................................................... 151

Print Set ........................................................................................................... 153

Display Mode ................................................................................................... 156

Image Review................................................................................................... 156

After Delete ..................................................................................................... 157

Rotate Tall ........................................................................................................ 157

The Shooting Menu......................................................................................... 158

Shooting Menu Bank........................................................................................ 159

Reset Shooting Menu....................................................................................... 161

Active Folder .................................................................................................... 162

File Naming...................................................................................................... 163

Image Quality................................................................................................... 163

Image Size........................................................................................................ 164

JPEG Compression............................................................................................ 164

Raw Compression ............................................................................................ 164

White Balance.................................................................................................. 164

Long Exp. NR.................................................................................................... 165

High ISO NR ..................................................................................................... 165

ISO................................................................................................................... 166

Image Sharpening ............................................................................................ 166

Tone Compensation ......................................................................................... 166

Color Mode...................................................................................................... 166

Hue Adjustment............................................................................................... 167

Interval Timer Shooting .................................................................................... 167

Non-CPU Lens Data.......................................................................................... 167

Custom Settings............................................................................................... 168

The Setup Menu .............................................................................................. 201

Format ............................................................................................................. 202

LCD Brightness................................................................................................. 203

Mirror Lock-up ................................................................................................. 203

Video Mode ..................................................................................................... 204

World Time ...................................................................................................... 204

Language ......................................................................................................... 204

Image Comment .............................................................................................. 205

Auto Image Rotation........................................................................................ 206

Voice Memo..................................................................................................... 207

Voice Memo Overwrite..................................................................................... 207

Voice Memo Button ......................................................................................... 207

Audio Output................................................................................................... 207

USB.................................................................................................................. 208

Dust Off Ref Photo........................................................................................... 209

Battery Info ...................................................................................................... 211

Wireless LAN.................................................................................................... 211

Firmware Version.............................................................................................. 219

Connections 221

Television Playback.......................................................................................... 222

Connecting to a Computer ............................................................................. 223

Connecting to a Printer................................................................................... 226

Technical Notes 231

Optional Accessories ....................................................................................... 232

Lenses for the D2Hs ......................................................................................... 232

Other Accessories............................................................................................. 235

Caring for the Camera .................................................................................... 241

Troubleshooting .............................................................................................. 246

Speciﬁ cations ................................................................................................... 249

Index................................................................................................................. 254

xii

Introduction

Getting Started

This chapter is divided into the following sections:

Overview

Read this section for a description of how this man u al is organized and for an ex pla na tion of the symbols and conventions used.

Getting to Know the Camera

Bookmark this section and refer to it for information on the names and func tions of camera parts.

First Steps

This section details the steps required to ready the camera for use: inserting the battery and memory card, attaching a lens and cam era strap, and setting the date, time, and lan guage.

Overview

About This Manual

Thank you for your purchase of a Nikon D2Hs single-lens reﬂ ex (SLR) digital camera with interchangeable lenses. This manual has been written to help

Introduction—Overview

you enjoy taking pictures with your Nikon digital camera. Read this manual thoroughly before use, and keep it handy when using the product.

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.

Take Te st 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: http://www.europe-nikon.com/support

• For users in Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa: http://www.nikon-asia.com/ Visit these sites to keep up-to-date with the latest product 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/

Replacing This Manual

Should you lose this manual, replacements can be ordered, for a fee, from any au tho rized Nikon service representative.

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.

Getting to Know the Camera

Camera Controls and Displays

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.

Camera Body

Bracketing ( button: 96, 101

Mode dial lock release:

Mode dial:

Eyelet for camera strap: 15

Flash sync mode ( button: 111

Command lock ( button: 92

)

Metering selector:

Metering selector lock button: 82

Exposure mode ( Format ( ) button: 21

Accessory shoe:

114

Power switch: 27

Diopter adjustment knob: 31

) button: 83

Shutter-release button:

Top control panel:

32, 34

Exposure compensation (

) button:

Eyelet for camera strap: 15

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

Focal plane mark (

): 81

LCD Illuminators

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

Camera Body (continued)

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

Depth-of-ﬁ eld preview button:

Sub-command dial:

FUNC. button:

197

Sub-command dial for vertical shooting:

Ambient light sensor: 52, 57 Self-timer lamp: 120 Flash sync terminal: 114 10-pin remote terminal: 239 Audio / video (A / V) connector

(under cover): Housings for ﬂ ash sync and 10-pin remote terminal caps (on inside of cover)

DC-in connector (under cover):

USB connector (under cover):

224 Lens release button: 21 Focus-mode selector: 70 Battery cover latch: 16

222

235

Connector for optional WT-2 / 2A or WT-1 / 1A wireless LAN adapter (under cover):

235

Shutter-release button for vertical shooting: 31

Vertical shooting shutterrelease button lock:

31, 71

Tripod socket

Eyepiece shutter lever: 31, 120

Delete ( Format ( ) button: 23

Playback ( button: 128

Monitor: 203, 241

Menu ( button: 39

Thumbnail ( ) button: 132

Protect ( ) button: 135 HELP button:

Enter ( button: 40 Playback zoom ( ) button: 134

Rear control panel: 9

) button: 35, 136

)

28,

)

Speaker: 143

Sensitivity (ISO) button: 50

Image quality / size (QUAL) button: 44, 47

White balance (WB) button: 52–64

Viewﬁ nder eyepiece:

AE / AF lock ( button: 78, 93

Microphone (

Microphone:

)

AF-ON ( shooting: 71

31, 236

AF-ON ( )button:

Main command

dial:

Multi selector:

Focus selector lock:

Memory card access lamp:

22, 24

AF-area mode selector: 74

Memory card slot cover:

Card-slot cover release button (under cover):

Main command dial for vertical shooting:

) button for vertical

) button: 138

138

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

The Speaker and Microphone

Do not bring magnetic devices, such as microdrive cards, close to the built-in speaker or microphone.

The Top Control Panel

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

1 Shutter speed ..........................83–92

Exposure compensation value ....... 95

Number of shots in bracketing

sequence ...................................... 96

Number of intervals for

interval timer photography ......... 117

Focal length (non-CPU lens) ........ 121

Sensitivity (ISO equivalency) .......... 50

2 Shutter-speed lock icon................. 92

3 Flexible program indicator............. 85

4 Exposure mode............................. 83

5 Memory card indicator............ 23, 28

6 Focus area .................................... 72

AF-area mode..........................74–77

7 Flash sync mode ......................... 110

8 Number of exposures

remaining ..................................... 28

Number of shots remaining

before memory buffer ﬁ lls............. 42

Capture mode indicator.............. 224

9 Aperture stop indicator........... 89, 91

10 Aperture (f/-number) ...............83–92

Aperture (number of stops)..... 89, 91

Bracketing increment............ 97, 101

Number of shots per interval....... 117

Maximum aperture

(non-CPU lens)............................ 122

PC mode indicator ...................... 224

11 Battery indicator ........................... 27

12 Frame count ................................. 28

13 “K” (appears when memory remains

for over 1000 exposures) .............. 49

14 FV lock indicator ......................... 112

15 Sync indicator ............................. 111

16 Clock battery indicator.......... 19, 243

17 GPS connection indicator............ 125

18 Exposure compensation indicator.. 95

19 Interval timer indicator................ 117

20 Aperture lock icon ........................ 92

21 Image comment indicator ........... 205

22 Exposure bracketing indicator ....... 96

White-balance bracketing

indicator ..................................... 101

23 Electronic analog exposure

display .......................................... 91

Exposure compensation ................ 95

Bracketing progress

indicator ................................96–103

PC mode indicator ...................... 224

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

The Rear Control Panel

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

1 Custom settings bank ................. 171

2 “Remaining” indicator.................. 28

3 Shooting menu settings bank ..... 159

4 Sensitivity (ISO) indicator............... 50

Auto sensitivity indicator............. 180

5 Sensitivity ..................................... 50

Sensitivity (high gain) .................... 50

Number of exposures

remaining ..................................... 28

Length of voice memo ................ 139

White balance ﬁ ne-tuning ............ 54

White balance preset number ....... 57

Color temperature ........................ 56

PC mode indicator ...................... 224

6 “K” (appears when memory remains

for over 1000 exposures) .............. 49

Color temperature indicator.......... 56

7 Image quality................................ 43

8 Image size .................................... 46

9 White-balance bracketing

indicator ..................................... 101

10 Voice memo recording indicator

(shooting mode) ......................... 140

11 Voice memo status indicator ....... 139

12 Voice memo recording mode ...... 138

13 White balance mode..................... 52

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

The Viewﬁ nder Display

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

16 17 18 19 20

10 11

24 25 26 27

14 15

1 8-mm (0.31˝) reference circle for

center-weighted metering............. 82

2 Focus brackets (focus areas).......... 72

Spot metering targets ................... 82

3 Focus indicator ....................... 32, 81

4 Metering ...................................... 82

5 Bracketing indicator...................... 96

6 Autoexposure (AE) lock................. 93

7 Shutter-speed lock icon................. 92

8 Shutter speed ..........................83–92

9 Aperture lock icon ........................ 92

10 Aperture (f/-number) ...............83–92

Aperture (number of stops)..... 89, 91

11 Exposure mode............................. 83

12 Exposure compensation indicator.. 95

13 Frame count ................................. 28

Number of exposures

remaining ..................................... 28

Number of shots remaining

before memory buffer ﬁ lls............. 42

Exposure compensation value ....... 95

PC mode indicator ...................... 224

14 “K” (appears when memory remains

for over 1000 exposures) .............. 49

15 Flash-ready indicator................... 114

16 Battery indicator ........................... 27

17 FV lock indicator ......................... 112

18 Sync indicator ............................. 111

19 Aperture stop indicator ........... 89, 91

20 Electronic analog exposure

display .......................................... 91

Exposure compensation ................ 95

21 Voice memo status indicator ....... 139

22 White-balance bracketing

indicator ..................................... 101

23 White-balance mode .................... 49

24 Image size .................................... 46

25 Image quality................................ 43

26 Sensitivity (ISO) indicator............... 50

Auto sensitivity indicator............. 180

27 Sensitivity (ISO equivalency) .......... 50

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

The Command Dials

The main- and sub-command dials are used alone or in combination with

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

other controls to adjust a variety of settings. For ease of access when taking photographs in tall (portrait) orientation, dials that duplicate the functions of the main and sub-command dials have been placed close to the shutterrelease button for vertical shooting (

Bracketing button

Flash sync mode button

Command lock button

Image quality and size

31).

Sub-command dial

Exposure mode button

Exposure com pen sa tion button

Main command dial

Image

quality / size

button

Sensitivity

button

White

balance

button

Set image qual i ty (

Choose an image size ( 46).

White balance

Choose a white balance setting (

Fine-tune white balance / choose a color temperature / choose a white balance preset ( 53, 56, 57).

Sensitivity (ISO equivalency)

Set sensitivity (ISO equivalency;

43).

52).

50).

Exposure

Choose the exposure mode ( 83–91).

Choose a com bi na tion of aperture and shutter speed (exposure mode P; 85).

Choose a shutter speed (exposure mode S or M; 86, 90).

Choose an aperture (exposure mode A or

88, 90).

Set exposure com pen sa tion ( 95).

Shutter speed lock (exposure mode S or M; 92).

Aperture lock (exposure mode A or M;

92).

Activate or cancel bracketing / select number of shots in bracketing sequence ( 96, 101).

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

Flash settings

Select bracketing exposure increment ( 97, 101).

Choose a ﬂ ash sync mode for optional Speedlight (

110).

The Multi Selector

The multi selector is used for the following operations:

Introduction—Getting to Know the Camera

• Menu navigation: Move highlight bar up ( 40).

• Help: Scroll up ( 39).

• Shooting: Select focus area above current focus area (

• Full-frame playback: Display previous image (

• Thumbnail playback: Highlight thumbnail above

• Menu navigation: Cancel

• Shooting:Select focus area to

• Full-frame playback: Display

• Thumbnail playback:High-

• Menu navigation: Move highlight bar down ( 40).

• Help: Scroll down ( 39).

• Shooting: Select focus area below current focus

• Full-frame playback: Display next image ( 35).

• Thumbnail playback: Highlight thumbnail below

72).

35).

current thumbnail ( 132).

and return to previous menu ( 40).

left of current focus area (

72).

previous page of photo information ( 129).

light thumbnail to left of current thumbnail ( 132).

area ( 72).

current thumbnail ( 132).

• Menu navigation: Select highlighted item ( 40).

• Shooting: Select center focus area ( 72).

• Playback: Change number of images displayed ( 132).

• Menu navigation: Select highlighted item or display sub-menu ( 40).

• Shooting: Select focus area to right of current focus area ( 72).

• Full-frame playback: Display next page of photo information ( 129).

• Thumbnail playback: Highlight thumbnail to right of current thumbnail ( 132).

The Multi Selector

The button can also be used to select items highlighted in the camera menus. There may be some cases in which the operations listed on this page do not apply.

First Steps

Getting the Camera Ready for Use

Before using the camera for the ﬁ rst time, complete the following steps:

Step 1 Attach the Camera Strap................................................................ 15

Step 2 Insert the Battery ........................................................................... 16

For more information on batteries and alternative power sources, see:

• Technical Notes: Optional Accessories.................................................

• Caring for the Camera and Battery ..................................................... iv–v

Step 3 Basic Setup..................................................................................... 17–19

For information on changing the clock battery, see:

• Technical Notes: Caring for Your Camera ............................................

Step 4 Attach a Lens.................................................................................. 20–21

To learn more about the lenses available for the D2Hs, see:

• Technical Notes: Optional Accessories.................................................

Step 5 Insert a Memory Card..................................................................... 22–24

To learn more about compatible memory cards, see:

• Technical Notes: Approved Memory Cards..........................................

For more information on formatting memory cards, see:

• The Setup Menu: Formatting Memory Cards....................................... 202

Step 1—Attach the Camera Strap

Attach the camera strap securely to the two eyelets on the camera body as shown below.

235

243

232–234

240

Introduction—First Steps

Step 2—Insert the Battery

Introduction—First Steps

The D2Hs is powered by a rechargeable Nikon EN-EL4 Li-ion battery (provided).

.1 Charge the battery

The EN-EL4 is not fully charged at ship ment. To max i mize shoot ing time, charge the battery in the supplied MH-21 quick charger before use (see the MH-21 instruction manual for details). About 100 minutes are required to fully recharge the battery when no charge remains.

.2 Turn the camera off

Turn the cam era off before inserting or re mov ing bat ter ies.

.3 Remove the bat tery-chamber cover

Turn the bat tery-chamber cover latch to the open po si tion ( ) and remove the bat terycham ber cov er.

.4 Attach the battery cover to the battery

The battery can be charged with the cover attached. See the instructions provided with the EN-EL4 for details.

.5 In sert the bat tery

In sert the battery as shown at right.

.6 Latch the battery-cham ber cover

To prevent the battery from being dis lodged during operation, be sure the cover is securely latched.

Removing the Battery

Before removing the battery, turn the camera off and rotate the bat tery-chamber cover latch to the open po si tion ( ).

EN-EL4 Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries

The EN-EL4 shares information with compatible devices, enabling the camera to show battery charge state in six levels and the MH-21 to both display the current level and charge the battery appropriately. The Battery info option in the setup menu details battery charge, battery life, and the number of pictures taken ( 211).

Step 3—Basic Setup

Choose a language and set the time and date as described below.

Introduction—First Steps

Turn camera on.

* If option is highlighted, press multi selector to left until icon at left of menu is se-

lected.

Display SET UP menu.

Highlight Language.

Display menus.

Position cursor in SET UP menu.

Display options.

Highlight option.

Return to SET UP menu.

Introduction—First Steps

Highlight World Time.

.11

Highlight Time zone.

.13

Select local time zone.

† UTC ﬁ eld shows time difference between selected time zone and Coordinated Uni-

versal Time (UTC), in hours.

‡ If daylight saving time is in effect in local time zone, highlight Daylight saving time

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

.15

†

.10

Display options.

.12

Display map of world time zones.

.14

Return to WORLD TIME menu.

.16

‡

Highlight Date.

Display DATE menu.

.17

.18

Highlight Date format.

.18

Choose order in which date is listed.

.20

Return to SET UP menu.

Edit Year, Month, Day, Hour, Minute, and Second. Press multi selector left or right to select item, up or down to change. Press button to set date and time and return to to WORLD TIME menu.

.19

Display options.

.19

Return to WORLD TIME menu.

The camera clock is less accurate than most watches and household clocks. Check the clock regularly against more accurate time pieces and reset as necessary. The clock can be reset using the World Time option in the setup menu (

201).

Introduction—First Steps

The Clock Battery

The clock-calendar is powered by a separate, non-rechargeable CR1616 lithium battery with a life of about four years. When this battery is exhausted, a icon will be displayed in the top control panel while the exposure meters are on. For information on replacing the clock battery, see “Technical Notes: Caring for the Camera” ( 243).

Step 4—Attach a Lens

Nikon recommends using a type G or type D CPU lens to take full ad van tage

Introduction—First Steps

of the features the camera offers.

contacts

.1 Turn the camera off

Turn the camera off before attaching or re mov ing lenses.

.2 Attach a lens

Keep ing the mounting mark on the lens aligned with the mounting mark 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.

.3 Lock aperture at the minimum setting

This step is not necessary if you are using a type G lens not equipped with an aperture ring. If you are using a lens of another type, lock aperture at the minimum setting (highest f/-num ber).

If this step is omitted when attaching a CPU lens, the ap er ture dis plays in the con trol panel and viewﬁ nder will show a blinking

when the camera is turned on. Pho to graphs can not be taken until the cam era is turned off and ap er ture locked at the highest f/-num ber.

Type D lensType G lensCPU lenses have CPU

Protect the Camera from Dirt and Dust

Any dust, dirt, or other foreign matter inside your cam era could show up as specks or blotches in your pho to graphs or the viewﬁ nder display. When no lens is in place, keep the lens mount covered with the supplied BF-1A body cap . When exchanging lens or replacing the body cap, keep the lens mount pointed down.

Detaching the Lens

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.

Introduction—First Steps

Step 5—Insert a Memory Card

Introduction—First Steps

In place of ﬁ lm, the D2Hs uses CompactFlash memory cards or microdrive cards to store photographs. For a list of approved mem o ry cards, see “Technical Notes: Approved Memory Cards” (

.1 Turn the cam era off

Turn the cam era off before inserting or re mov ing mem o ry cards.

.2 Open the card slot cover

Open the door protecting the card-slot cover release button (햲) and press the release button (햳) to open the card slot (햴).

240).

.3 Insert a memory card

Insert the memory card with the rear label toward the monitor (햲). When the memory card is fully inserted, the green access lamp will light and the eject button will pop up (햳). Close the card slot cover.

Inserting Memory Cards

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

No Memory Card

If no memory card is inserted in the camera when a charged EN-EL4 battery is inserted or the camera is pow ered by an AC adapt er, ex po sure-count displays in the control panel and viewﬁ nder

will appear in the

Di rec tion of insertion

Ter mi nals

Rear

label

.4 Format the mem o ry card

Memory cards must be for mat ted be fore ﬁ rst use.

Formatting Memory Cards

Formatting memory cards permanently deletes any data they may contain. Be sure to copy any photographs and other data you

wish to keep to a com put er be fore proceeding (

To for mat the card, turn the camera on and hold the ( and ) but tons down si mul ta neous ly for ap prox i mate ly two sec onds. A blink ing will appear in the shut ter-speed display and the frame count will blink. Press ing both but tons to geth er a sec ond time will for mat the mem o ry card. Press any other button to exit with out for mat ting.

During formatting, the letters will appear in the frame-count dis play. When for mat ting is com plete, the frame-count display will show the number of pho to graphs that can be re cord ed at current set tings.

During Formatting

Do not remove the card or battery or unplug the AC adapter (available sep a rate ly) during formatting.

223–225).

Introduction—First Steps

Format ( 202)

Memory cards can also be formatted using the Format option in the setup menu.

Memory Cards

• Memory cards may be hot after use. Observe due caution when removing memory

Introduction—First Steps

cards from the camera.

• Format memory cards before ﬁ rst use.

•Turn the pow er off before in sert ing or re mov ing mem o ry cards. Do not remove mem o ry cards from the camera, turn the camera off, or re move or disconnect the power source during formatting or while data are being recorded, deleted, or copied to a computer. Failure to observe these precautions could result in loss of data or in dam age to the camera or card.

• Do not touch the card terminals with your ﬁ ngers or metal objects.

• Do not apply force to the card casing. Failure to ob serve this precaution could dam age the card.

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

• Do not expose to water, high levels of humidity, or direct sunlight.

Removing Memory Cards

Memory cards can be removed without loss of data when the camera is off. Be fore removing the mem o ry card, wait for the green card access lamp next to the card slot cover to go out and then turn the camera off. Do NOT at tempt to remove the card while the ac cess lamp is on. Failure to observe this pre cau tion could re sult in loss of data or in damage to the cam era or card. Open the door protecting the card-slot cover release button and press the release button to open the card slot, then press the eject but ton to par tial ly 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 memory card.

Access lamp

Tutorial

Basic Photography and Playback

This chapter takes you step-by-step through the process of taking your ﬁ rst photographs and play ing them back.

Basic Photography

This section describes how to use autofocus and programmed auto autoexposure for sim ple, “point-and-shoot” pho tog ra phy that will produce optimal re sults in most situations.

Basic Playback

Read this section for information on viewing pho to graphs in the monitor.

Basic Photography

Taking Your First Photographs

There are six basic steps to taking photographs:

Tutorial—Basic Photography

Step 1 Ready the Camera .......................................................................... 27–28

To learn how to restore settings to their default values, see:

• Taking Photographs: Two-Button Reset...............................................

• Menu Guide: The Shooting Menu—Reset Shooting Menu..................

• Menu Guide: The Custom Settings Menu—Menu Reset ..................... 172–173

Step 2 Adjust Camera Settings.................................................................. 29–30

To learn more about the following camera settings, see:

• Taking Photographs: Choosing a Shooting Mode................................

• Taking Photographs: Image Quality and Size ...................................... 43–49

• Taking Photographs: Sensitivity (ISO Equiv a len cy) .............................. 50–51

• Taking Photographs: White Balance.................................................... 52–64

• Taking Photographs: Image Adjustment.............................................. 65–69

• Taking Photographs: Focus.................................................................. 70–81

• Taking Photographs: Exposure ............................................................ 82–103

Step 3 Frame the Photograph ................................................................... 31

To learn how to preview the effects of aperture, see:

• Taking Photographs: Exposure ............................................................

To learn about optional viewﬁ nder accessories, see:

• Technical Notes: Optional Accessories................................................. 236

Step 4 Focus............................................................................................... 32

To learn more about focus options, see:

• Taking Photographs: Focus..................................................................

Step 5 Check Exposure .............................................................................. 33

To learn how to change the composition after setting exposure, see:

• Taking Photographs: Exposure ............................................................

To learn more about ﬂ ash photography, see:

• Taking Photographs: Flash Photography ............................................. 104–114

Step 6 Take the Photograph ...................................................................... 34

For information on time-lapse photography, see:

• Taking Photographs: Interval Timer Photography ................................

To learn how to delay shutter release, see:

• Taking Photographs: Self-Timer Mode................................................. 120

126 161

41–42

70–81

115–119

Step 1—Ready the Camera

Before taking photographs, ready the camera as described below.

.1 Turn the cam era on

The control panel will turn on and the dis play in the viewﬁ nder will light.

.2 Check the battery level

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

Icon

Control

panel

(ﬂ ashes) (ﬂ ashes)

* No icon displayed when camera powered by optional AC adapter.

View-

ﬁ nder Status Notes

Battery fully

—

charged

—

Battery

partially

—

discharged

—

Low battery Ready fully-charged spare battery.

Battery

exhausted

Aperture and shut ter-speed in di ca tors in top con trol pan el and all in di ca tors in viewﬁ nder turn off if no op er a tions are per formed for 6 s (auto meter off). Press shutter-re lease but ton halfway to re ac ti vate dis play.

Shutter release disabled.

Tutorial—Basic Photography

The Battery Indicator

If the segments in the control panel battery icon blink on and off, the camera is calculating the battery charge. The battery level will be displayed in about three seconds.

The Icon

A ﬂ ashing icon in the control panel indicates that the battery has malfunctioned or is otherwise unsuitable for use in the D2Hs (the icon in the viewﬁ nder may also ﬂ ash). Contact a Nikon-authorized service representative.

A /

V O U

A / V

U T

C IN

A /

V O U

.3 Check the num ber of exposures re main ing

Tutorial—Basic Photography

The exposure-count display in the top control pan el shows the num ber of pho to graphs that can be taken at current set tings. When this number reaches zero, the icon will ﬂ ash in the top control panel and a ﬂ ashing

icon will appear in the viewﬁ nder. No further pictures can be taken until you de lete pic tures or in sert a new mem o ry card. You may be able to take additional pictures at lower image qual i ty or size set tings.

The Monitor Cover

A clear plastic cover (the BM-3 LCD monitor cover) is pro vid ed with the cam era to keep the monitor clean, and to pro tect the mon i tor when the camera is not in use or when you are trans port ing the camera. To re move the mon i tor cover, hold the cam era ﬁ rmly, take the cover by its edges, and pull the bot tom of the cover gen tly out wards as shown at right (햲). Once the cover is un latched, you can move it slightly away from the mon i tor and then remove it as shown (햳).

To replace the cover for shooting or stor age, insert the two projections on the top of the cover into the match ing in den ta tions above the camera monitor (햲), then press the bot tom of the cover un til you hear it click into place (햳).

Camera Off Display

If the camera is turned off with a battery and memory card inserted, the frame count and num ber of ex po sures remaining will be displayed (some memory cards may only display this information when the camera is on).

Step 2—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. Information on when and how to change settings from their default values is provided in “Taking Photographs” ( 37).

Tutorial—Basic Photography

Exposure mode

Focus area

Top control panel

Option Default Description

Image quality

Image

size

Sensitivity

White

balance

Exposure

mode

Focus

area

NORM

(JPEG Normal)

(Large)

200

(Auto)

(Programmed auto)

Center focus area 72

Pictures are com pressed for balance be tween im age quality and ﬁ le size that is ideal for snap shots.

Images are 2,464 × 1,632 pix els in size.

Sensitivity (dig i tal equivalent of ﬁ lm speed) set to value roughly equiv a lent to ISO 200.

White balance is adjusted automatically for nat u ral col ors under most types of lighting.

Built-in exposure program automatically adjusts shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure in most situations.

Camera focuses on subject in center focus area.

.1 Set the shooting mode to single frame ( 41)

Hold the mode-dial lock re lease down (햲) and turn the shooting mode dial (햳) to S (sin gle frame). At this setting, the camera will take one pho to graph each time the shut ter-re lease but ton is pressed.

White balanceImage size

ear

control

panel

Image qualitySensitivity

43–

46–

50–

52–

83–

.2 Choose single-area AF ( 74)

Tutorial—Basic Photography

Rotate the AF-area mode se lec tor until it clicks into place point ing to (sin gle-area AF). At this setting, the user can choose from eleven focus areas. Pressing the shutter-release button halfway locks focus at the distance to the subject in the selected focus area.

.3 Choose single-servo autofocus ( 70)

Rotate the focus-mode se lec tor until it clicks into place point ing to S (sin gle-servo autofocus). At this setting, the cam era will au to mat i cal ly focus on the sub ject in the se lect ed focus area when the shut terrelease but ton is pressed half way. Pic tures can only be taken when the camera is in focus.

.4 Choose matrix me ter ing ( 82)

Press the metering selector lock button and rotate the me ter ing selector to (matrix metering). Matrix me ter ing uses in for ma tion from all ar eas of the frame to de ter mine ex po sure, en sur ing op ti mal results for the entire frame. If a type G or D lens is mounted on the camera, 3D matrix metering II is used for exposure control that takes into account maximum brightness, contrast, and the distance to the subject.

When matrix metering is selected, the metering display in the viewﬁ nder shows .

Step 3—Frame a Photograph

To prevent blurred photographs caused by unsteady hands (camera shake), hold the camera steadily in both hands, with your elbows propped lightly against your torso for support. Hold the handgrip in your right hand and cradle the cam era body or lens with your left.

The shutter-release button for vertical shooting ( 4) can be used when taking photographs in portrait (tall) ori en ta tion.

The rec om mend ed stance for tak ing pho to graphs is with one foot a half pace in front of the other and your upper body stable.

Viewﬁ nder Focus

The viewﬁ nder is equipped with diopter adjustment to ac com mo date individual dif fer enc es in vision. To adjust viewﬁ nder focus, pull the diopter adjustment knob out (햲) and rotate it until the viewﬁ nder display and focus brackets are in sharp focus (햳). When operating the diopter adjustment knob with your eye to the viewﬁ nder, be careful not to put your ﬁ ngers or ﬁ ngernails in your eye.

Diopter can be adjusted in the range –3 m–1 to +1 m–1. Cor rec tive lenses (avail able sep a rate ly; 236) allow di opt ers of –6 m–1 to +3 m–1.

Attaching Diopter Adjustment Viewﬁ nder Lenses

Before attaching a diopter-adjustment viewﬁ nder lens, remove the DK-17 viewﬁ nder eyepiece by closing the viewﬁ nder shutter to release the eyepiece lock (햲) and then unscrewing the eyepiece as shown at right (햳).

Tutorial—Basic Photography

Step 4—Focus

In sin gle-servo AF, the camera focuses on the sub ject in the se lect ed focus

Tutorial—Basic Photography

area when the shut ter-re lease but ton is pressed halfway. After cen ter ing the fo cus brack ets on your subject, press the shut ter-re lease button halfway and check focus in the viewﬁ nder.

Viewﬁ nder display Description

●

(ﬂ ashes)

Subject in focus.

Focus point is between camera and subject.

Focus point is behind subject.

Camera unable to focus on subject in focus brackets using autofocus.

To focus on an off-center subject, use focus lock ( focus area containing your subject using the multi selector ( 72). For information on what to do if the camera is unable to focus using autofocus, see “Getting Good Results with Autofocus” ( 80).

78–79) or select the

Step 5—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 shut ter-speed and aperture in di ca tors in the viewﬁ nder. If the photo would be un der- or over-exposed at cur rent settings, one of the fol low ing indicators will ap pear in either the shutter-speed or ap er ture display.

Indicator Description

Photo will be overexposed. Use optional Neutral Density (ND) ﬁ lter.

Photo will be underexposed. Raise sensitivity ( 50–51) or use optional Speedlight ( 104).

Tutorial—Basic Photography

Shutter Speed and Camera Shake

To prevent blurring caused by camera shake, the shutter speed should be faster than the inverse of the focal length of the lens, in seconds (for example, if a lens has a focal length of 50 mm, shutter speed should be faster than rec om mend ed when shooting at slower shutter speeds. To prevent blur, try increasing sensitivity ( 50–51) or using a VR lens. An optional Speedlight ( 104) can be used to prevent blur at shutter speeds of

60 s or slower.

60 s). Use of a tripod is

Step 6—Take the Photograph

Smoothly press the shutter-re lease button the rest

Tutorial—Basic Photography

of the way down.

While the photograph is being recorded to the mem o ry card, the access lamp next to the card slot cov er will light. Do not eject the mem o ry

card, turn the camera off, or remove or dis con nect the power source until the lamp has gone out. Re mov ing the memory card or cutting

pow er in these cir cum stanc es could result in loss of data.

Do Not Photograph Strong Light Sources

Avoid taking pictures with the camera focused on the sun or other strong light source. Intense light may cause deterioration in the image sensor the camera uses in place of ﬁ lm. It may also produce a white blur effect in photographs.

Rotate Tall ( 157)

This playback menu option controls whether portrait-orientation photographs taken with On selected for the Auto image rotation option in the setup menu are automatically rotated during playback.

Image Review ( 156)

Photographs can be viewed at any time during or after recording by pressing the button. When On is selected for the Image review option in the playback menu, photographs are automatically displayed in the monitor immediately after shooting.

Basic Playback

Viewing Photographs

To play photographs back, press the will be dis played in the mon i tor.

Viewing Additional Photographs

To page through photographs in the order recorded, press the multi selector down. Press the multi selector up to view photographs in reverse order. To scroll rapidly through the images on the memory card, press and hold the up or down buttons on the multi selector.

When the last photograph on the memory card is displayed, you can return to the ﬁ rst photograph by pressing the multi selector down. When the ﬁ rst photograph in memory is displayed, you can view the last photograph by pressing the multi selector up.

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 de let ing the picture, press the multi selector left or right.

Take Additional Photographs

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

button. The most recent pho to graph

button or press

Tutorial—Basic Playback

Delete ( 146)

To delete multiple images, use the Delete option in the playback menu.

Taking Photographs

The Details

“Tutorial: Basic Photography” described the basic order of operations for taking photographs at the most commonly-used settings. This chapter explains how and when to adjust camera set tings for different shooting conditions.

The chart below shows the basic order for adjusting settings when taking photographs. Before proceeding, be sure to read “Using Camera Menus”

Taking Photographs

( 39) for information on menu operations.

Will this be a single photo, or a series of photos?

Choosing a Shooting Mode ...................................................... 41–42

How will this photograph be used?

Image Quality and Size ............................................................ 43–49

Image Adjustment ................................................................... 65–69

What lighting is available?

Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency) .................................................... 50–51

White Balance ......................................................................... 52–64

What is the subject, and how will I compose the photograph?

Focus ...................................................................................... 71–82

How important is background lighting to the photograph?

Exposure: Metering ................................................................. 82

What is more important, shutter speed or aperture?

Exposure: Exposure Mode ........................................................ 83–91

Is the subject very bright, very dark, or high contrast?

Exposure: Exposure Compensation ........................................... 95

Exposure: Bracketing ............................................................... 96–103

Will I need a ﬂ ash?

Flash Photography ................................................................... 104–114

How do I want to control the shutter?

Interval Timer Photography...................................................... 115–119

Self-Timer Mode ...................................................................... 120

Using Camera Menus

The next four sections involve settings that can be accessed via the camera menus. To view the menus, turn the camera on and press the button.

Choosing a Menu

There are ﬁ ve main menus: the playback menu, the shooting menu, the Custom Settings menu, the setup menu, and Recent Settings. When the menu button is pressed, the camera displays the last menu used. To select a different menu:

Basic Menu Operations

Taking Photographs—Using Camera Menus

If menu item is highlighted, press .

Position cursor in selected menu.

Recent Settings

The Recent Settings ( ) menu lists the eight most recently selected items in the shooting and Custom Settings menus. Items can be selected in the Recent Settings menu as described on the following page. Use this menu to access frequently-used options.

Help

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

Select menu.

Making a Selection

To modify settings for an item in the current menu:

Taking Photographs—Using Camera Menus

Highlight menu item. Display options.

Highlight option.

• To return to the previous menu without making a selection, press the multi se lec tor to the left.

• The selection for some options is made from a sub-menu. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make a selection from a sub-menu.

• Some menu items are not available while images are being recorded to the memory card.

• Pressing the button or the center of the multi selector performs the same func tion as press ing the multi selector to the right. In some cases, a selection can only be made using button or the center of the multi selector.

Exiting the Menus

To exit the menus, press the button (if a menu option is highlighted, press the button twice). You can also exit the menus by press ing the but ton to exit to playback mode or by turning the cam era off. To exit the menus and fo cus the cam era for the next shot, press the shut ter-release but ton half way.

Make selection.

Choosing a Shooting Mode

Single Frame, Continuous, Self-Timer, or Mirror Up

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.

DescriptionMode

Camera takes one photograph each time shutter-release button is

Single

frame

Continuous

low speed

Continuous high speed

Self-timer

M-UP

Mirror up

*Average frame rate with continuous-

servo AF, manual or shutter-priority auto ex po sure, a shutter speed of ½50 s or faster, and memory re main ing in memory buffer. Number of pictures that can be stored in buffer depends on image quality (see right; ﬁ gures assume a sensitivity of ISO 200 equivalent). Additional photographs can be taken as soon as enough memory is available in buffer.

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

While shut ter-re lease but ton is held down, camera records 1–7 frames

per second.* Frame rate can be chosen using Custom Setting d1 (Shooting Speed; 186).

While shut ter-re lease but ton is held down, camera records up to 8 frames per second.

Use the self-timer for self-portraits or to reduce blurring caused by camera shake ( 120).

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 released. Choose this mode to reduce release lag in situations in which timing is paramount, or 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.

Compressed NEF+JPEG

Uncompressed NEF+JPEG

Compressed NEF

Uncompressed NEF

TIFF (RGB)

JPEG

Taking Photographs—Choosing a Shooting Mode

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

Taking Photographs—Choosing a Shooting Mode

setting.

The Memory Buffer

The camera is equipped with a memory buffer 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 as long as the shutter-release button is held down, al though the frame rate will drop once the buffer 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 the 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 buffer, the power

will not turn off until all images in the buffer have been recorded. To turn the camera off without recording the images in the buffer, 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 buffer, the shutter release will be disabled and the images transferred to the memory card.

The approximate time required to write the entire buffer to a 512 MB SanDisk SDCFH (Ultra II) card is as follows (sensitivity set to ISO 200 equivalent):

Uncompressed NEF (RAW) + JPEG Basic (Large) 48 s (40 frames)

Uncompressed NEF (RAW) 42 s (40 frames)

TIFF RGB (Large) 394 s (39 frames)

JPEG Fine (Large) 13 s (50 frames)

Buffer Size

The number of im ag es that can be stored in the memory buffer at current set tings is shown in the ex po sure-count dis plays in the viewﬁ nder and top con trol pan el while the shutter-release button is pressed.

d2—Maximum Shots ( 186)

The maximum number of photographs that can be taken in a single burst can be limited to any amount between one and ﬁ fty.

Image Quality and Size

Making Effective Use of Memory

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

Image Quality

The D2Hs supports the following image quality options (listed in descending order by image quality and ﬁ le size):

Option Description

NEF + JPEG

Fine

NEF + JPEG

Normal

NEF + JPEG

Basic

NEF (Raw)

TIFF (RGB)

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.

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 normalquality JPEG image.

Two images are recorded, one NEF (RAW) image and one basic-quality JPEG image.

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

Record uncompressed TIFF-RGB images at a bit depth of 8 bits per channel (24-bit color). Time needed to record images increases.

Taking Photographs—Image Quality and Size

NEF (Raw) / NEF + JPEG

NEF (RAW) images can only be viewed in PictureProject or in Nikon Capture 4 version

4.2.1 or later (available via download to purchasers of Nikon Capture 4; 238). When

photographs taken at NEF + JPEG Fine, NEF + JPEG Normal, or NEF + 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. White balance for NEF (RAW) images can be adjusted using Nikon Capture 4.

TIFF (RGB)

About 10 s are required to record a TIFF (RGB) image (512 MB SanDisk SDCFH (Ultra II) card; recording time varies with make of memory card).

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.

Taking Photographs—Image Quality and Size

Two options are available for controlling compression: Raw compression for NEF (RAW) images (

46) and JPEG compression for JPEG images ( 45).

The Image Quality Menu

Highlight Im age quality in the shooting

menu ( 158) 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 (note that Raw compression and JPEG compression can only be adjusted from the shooting menu). Image quality is displayed in the rear control panel and viewﬁ nder sidebar:

Option Rear panel Viewﬁ nder

NEF + JPEG Fine

NEF + JPEG Normal

NEF + JPEG Basic

NEF (Raw)

TIFF (RGB)

JPEG Fine

JPEG Normal

JPEG Basic

RAW+FINE

RAW

NORM

RAW

BASIC

RAW

TIFF

FINE

NORM

BASIC

Rear control panel

Viewﬁ nder

The JPEG Compression Menu

The JPEG compression menu offers the following options for JPEG images:

Option Description

Size priority

(default)

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

The effects of these options are most pronounced with large image sizes ( 46), high sensitivity ( 50), complex scenes, image quality settings of NEF+BASIC or BASIC, or heavy sharpening ( 65). To choose an option:

Highlight JPEG compression in the shooting

menu ( 158) 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 takes effect whenever image quality is set to NEF + JPEG Fine, NEF + JPEG Normal, NEF + JPEG Basic, JPEG Fine, JPEG Normal, or JPEG Basic.

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

Taking Photographs—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 ascend-

ing order by the camera, and xxx is one of the following three letter extensions: “NEF” for NEF images, “TIF” for TIFF-RGB, “JPG” for JPEG im ag es, and “NDF” for Dust Off ref photos ( have the same ﬁ le names but different extensions. Images recorded in color mode II

67) have names that begin with an underbar (e.g., “_DSC0001.JPG”). The “DSC”

( portion of the ﬁ le name can be changed using the File Naming option in the shooting menu (

209–210). The NEF and JPEG ﬁ les recorded at a setting of “NEF+JPEG”

163).

The Raw Compression Menu

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

Taking Photographs—Image Quality and Size

Option Description

Comp. NEF (Raw)

(default)

NEF (Raw) NEF images are not compressed.

Highlight Raw compression in the shooting

menu ( 158) and press the multi selector to the right.

High light the de sired op tion and press the

NEF images are compressed, reducing ﬁ le size by about 40–50% per cent with almost no effect on image quality.

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.

Option

Large 31.3 × 20.7 (12˝ × 8˝)2,464 × 1,632

Medium 23.4 × 15.5 (9˝ × 6˝)1,840 × 1,224

* Approximate size when printed at 200 dpi.

Size (pixels) Print size (cm)

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 affect the size of NEF (RAW) images. When opened in PictureProject or Nikon Capture 4 version 4.2.1 or later, NEF im ag es are 2,464 × 1,632 pixels in size.

The Image Size Menu

Highlight Im age size in the shooting menu

( 158) 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

Image size can also be set by pressing the QUAL button and rotating the sub-command dial. Image size is displayed in the rear control panel and in the viewﬁ nder sidebar:

Taking Photographs—Image Quality and Size

Rear control panel

Viewﬁ nder

Memory Card Capacity and Image Quality/Size

The following table shows the approximate number of pictures that can be stored on

Taking Photographs—Image Quality and Size

a 512 MB card at different image quality and size settings.

Image quality Image size File size (MB) 1No. of images 1Buffer capacity

NEF + JPEG Fine

NEF + JPEG Normal

NEF + JPEG Basic

NEF (Raw)

3, 4, 5

TIFF (RGB)

JPEG Fine

JPEG Normal

JPEG Basic

8.90 53 40

8.00 60 40

7.90 61 40

7.50 65 40

7.40 66 40

7.20 69 40

— 6.90 72 40

L 12.00 39 40

M 7.00 69 40

L 1.90 205 50

M 1.10 354 50

L 0.99 390 50

M 0.57 650 50

L 0.51 709 50

M 0.30 1300 50

1 All ﬁ gures are approximate. Size of JPEG ﬁ les varies with scene recorded. 2 Maximum number of frames that can be stored in memory buffer. Turning Long

Exp. NR on halves buffer capacity. 3Total for NEF and JPEG images. 4 Figures assume Raw compression is set to NEF (Raw). Selecting Comp. NEF

(Raw) decreases ﬁ le size of NEF (RAW) images by approximately forty to ﬁ fty percent;

although number of exposures remaining does not change, number of images that

can be recorded increases. 5 Figures assume JPEG compression is set to Fixed size. Selecting Optimal quality

increases ﬁ le size of JPEG images by up to eighty percent; number of images and

buffer capacity drop accordingly. 6 Applies to JPEG images only. File size of NEF (RAW) images can not be changed.

Number of Exposures Remaining

The number of exposures remaining shown in the ex po sure count dis plays in the con trol panel and viewﬁ nder is only an ap prox i ma tion. The number of compressed NEF or JPEG im ag es that can be stored on a memory card de pends on the subject and com po si tion of each photograph. In gen er al, the more de tailed the image, the larger the re sult ing ﬁ le and the fewer the images that can be stored.

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).

d2—Maximum Shots ( 186)

The maximum number of photographs that can be taken in a single burst can be limited to any amount between one and ﬁ fty.

Taking Photographs—Image Quality and Size

Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency)

Reacting Faster to Light

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

Taking Photographs—Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency)

or smaller apertures.

Sensitivity can be set between values roughly equivalent to ISO 200 and ISO 1600 in steps equivalent to 1/3 EV. Settings of HI-1 and HI-2 (respectively 1 EV and 2 EV over ISO 1600) are avail able where high sensitivity is a priority. Sensitivity can be adjusted using the ISO option in the shooting menu or by pressing the ISO button and rotating the main command dial.

The ISO Menu

Highlight ISO in the shooting menu ( 158)

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

Sensitivity can also be set by pressing the ISO button and rotating the main command dial. Sensitivity is displayed in the control panels and viewﬁ nder sidebar:

Top control panel

Rear control panel

Viewﬁ nder

Viewﬁ nder display

shows and .

* *

HI-1 / HI - 2

The higher the sensitivity, the more likely pictures are to be subject to “noise” in the form of randomly-spaced, brightly-colored pixels. Pho tos taken at HI-1 or HI-2 will likely con tain ap pre cia ble amounts of noise.

High ISO NR ( 165)

This option can be used to reduce noise at sensitivities of ISO 800 or more. Note that although noise reduction is always in effect at sensitities of HI-1 and HI-2, turning

High ISO NR on will increase the amount of noise reduction performed.

b1—ISO Auto ( 180)

When ON is selected for Custom Setting b1 (ISO auto), the camera will automatically vary sensitivity from the value selected by the user to help ensure optimum exposure. Sensitivity can not be set to HI-1 or HI-2 while ISO auto is on, and ON can not be selected for ISO auto is when ISO is set to HI-1 or HI-2.

b2—ISO Step Value ( 181)

Depending on the option selected for Custom Setting b2, sensitivity can also be set in increments equivalent to ½ or 1 EV.

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

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

d5—Cntrl Panel / Finder > Rear Control Panel ( 188)

If Frame Count is selected for Cntrl panel / ﬁ nder display > Rear control panel (Custom Setting d5), sensitivity will only be displayed in the rear control panel while the ISO button is pressed. If ISO is selected, sensitivity will be displayed except during voice memo recording and playback.

Taking Photographs—Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency)

White Balance

Keeping Colors True

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

Taking Photographs—White Balance

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

Auto

Choose color temp.

White balance preset

tem per a ture

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, image sensor, and ambient light sensor. For best results, use type G or D lens. With SB-800 or SB-600 Speedlight, white balance reﬂ ects conditions in effect when Speedlight ﬁ res.

Use under incandescent lighting.3,000 KIncandescent

Use under ﬂ uorescent lighting.4,200 KFluorescent

Use with subjects lit by direct sunlight.5,200 KDirect sunlight

Use with Nikon Speedlights.5,400 KFlash

Use in daylight under overcast skies.6,000 KCloudy

Use in daylight with subjects in the shade.8,000 KShade

Choose color temperature from list of values ( 56).

Use subject, light source, or existing photograph as reference for white balance ( 57).

DescriptionOption

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.

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 ( the right.

High light the de sired op tion and press the

multi se lec tor to the right. Selecting Choose color temp. displays a menu of color tem-

peratures ( 56), White balance preset a preset white balance menu ( 57), other options a ﬁ ne-tuning dialog ( 54).

The WB Button

White balance can also be set by pressing the WB button and rotating the main command dial. White balance is displayed in the rear control panel and viewﬁ nder sidebar:

Rear control panel Viewﬁ nder

158) and press the multi selector to

Taking Photographs—White BalanceTaking Photographs—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.

e5—Auto BKT Set ( 192)

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.

Fine-Tuning White Balance

At settings other than (Choose color temp.) and PRE (preset), white

Taking Photographs—White Balance

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 bal. option in the shooting menu or by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub-command dial.

The White Balance Menu

In the white balance menu ( 52), highlight

an option other than Choose color temp. or White bal. preset and press the multi selector to the 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.

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.

The WB Button

Press the WB button and rotate the sub-command dial until the desired value is displayed in the rear control panel. At settings other than ±0, a icon appears in the rear control panel and viewﬁ nder sidebar.

Cloudy

(daylight)

Viewﬁ nder

Shade

(daylight)

Rear control panel

Fine-Tuning and Color Temperature

Approximate color-temperatures for settings other than A (auto) are given below (values may differ from color temperatures given by pho to color meters):

Direct

Incandescent Fluorescent +3 2,700 K 2,700 K 4,800 K 4,800 K 5,400 K 6,700 K +2 2,800 K 3,000 K 4,900 K 5,000 K 5,600 K 7,100 K +1 2,900 K 3,700 K 5,000 K 5,200 K 5,800 K 7,500 K ±0 3,000 K 4,200 K 5,200 K 5,400 K 6,000 K 8,000 K

–1 3,100 K 5,000 K 5,300 K 5,600 K 6,200 K 8,400 K –2 3,200 K 6,500 K 5,400 K 5,800 K 6,400 K 8,800 K –3 3,300 K 7,200 K 5,600 K 6,000 K 6,600 K 9,200 K

sunlight Flash

* The size of the increments for Fluorescent reﬂ ects the wide variations in color tem-

per a ture among the many different types of ﬂ uorescent light source, ranging from low-tem per a ture sta di um lighting to high-temperature mer cu ry-vapor lamps.

“Mired”

Any given change in color temperature produces a greater difference 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 difference of 1000 K) = 83 mired

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

Taking Photographs—White BalanceTaking Photographs—White Balance

Choosing a Color Temperature

Choose a setting of (Choose color temp.) to select the color temperature

Taking Photographs—White Balance

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

In the white balance menu ( 52), highlight

an Choose color temp. and press the multi selector to the right.

Highlight the desired color temperature and

press the multi selector to the right. The shooting menu will be displayed.

The WB Button

At a setting of (Choose color temp.), color temperature can be selected by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub-command dial. The color temperature is displayed in the rear control panel:

…

Take Te st Shots

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

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. Four options are available for setting preset white balance:

Recording New Values with the Camera

(1) Frame a neutral gray or white object and press the shutter-release button

to measure a value for white balance (

(2) Measure white balance with the ambient light sensor ( 58).

Copying Values from Existing Photographs

(3) Copy white balance from another image on the memory card ( 63). (4) Copy white balance from Nikon Capture 4 version 4.2.1 or later ( 64).

The camera can store up to ﬁ ve values for preset white balance in presets d-0 – d-4. White balance values recorded with options (1) and (2) are stored in preset d-0. To prevent this value from being replaced the next time white balance is measured, the value stored in d-0 can be copied to presets d-1 – d-4 for long-term storage ( 64). White balance values copied using options (3) and (4) are also stored in presets d-1 – d-4. A descriptive comment can be added to any white balance preset ( 62).

d-0

Stores last value measured for white balance ( 58).

d-1 – d-4

Store values created in Nikon Capture 4 version

4.2.1 or later (available separately; 64).

58).

Store values copied from d-0 (

64).

Store values copied from images on memory card ( 63).

Taking Photographs—White BalanceTaking Photographs—White Balance

White Balance Presets

Changes to white balance presets apply to all shooting menu banks ( 159). 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).

Measuring a Value for White Balance

White balance can be measured with reference to a neutral gray object or by

Taking Photographs—White Balance

measuring the color of the light source. The new value for white balance is automatically stored in preset d-0.

Reference

Neutral

gray

object

Light

source

Neutral gray or white object is placed under lighting that will be used in ﬁ nal photograph and white balance is measured using both 1,005-pixel RGB sensor and main image sensor. Use for ﬂ ash photography or when the subject and camera are under different lighting. In studio settings, 18% diffusion panel can be used to make reference object appear gray.

Color of light source is measured by sensor on camera pentaprism and white balance adjusted to produce natural coloration without reference object. Use when subject is under same lighting as camera.

Description

Press the WB button and rotate the main com-

mand dial until is displayed in the rear control panel or viewﬁ nder sidebar.

Rear control panel

Viewﬁ nder

If the new value for preset white balance will be used immediately, select preset d-0 by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub-command dial until d-0 is displayed in the rear control panel ( 61). 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 in the rear control panel and viewﬁ nder sidebar start to ﬂ ash. A blinking will also appear in the top control panel and viewﬁ nder frame-count displays.

Rear control panel

Top control panel

Viewﬁ nder

To measure white balance using a neutral gray or white object…

…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 store it in preset d-0. No photograph will be recorded; white balance can be measured accurately even when the camera is not in focus.

To measure the color of the light source…

…make sure that the ambient light sensor is lit by the light source and press the FUNC. button. The camera will calculate a value for white balance and store it in preset d-0.

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

Taking Photographs—White BalanceTaking Photographs—White Balance

Exposure Mode

Preset white balance can be measured in all exposure modes. When using a reference object to set white balance, do not alter exposure from the value suggested by the camera.

If the camera was able to measure a value for white balance, will

ﬂ ash for about three seconds in the control panels, while the viewﬁ nder

Taking Photographs—White Balance

will show a ﬂ ashing .

Rear control panel

Top control panel

If lighting is too dark or too bright, or if some types of artiﬁ cial lighting are used when measuring white balance using the ambient light sensor, the camera may be unable to measure white balance. A ﬂ ashing will appear in the control panels and viewﬁ nder for about three seconds. Return to Step 3 and measure white balance again. If the camera is unable to measure white balance using the ambient light sensor, try measuring white balance using a neutral gray or white reference object.

Rear control panel

Top control panel

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). If white balance was set using a reference object, a thumbnail will be displayed in the preset white balance list. Presets measured using the ambient light sensor are marked by a

icon.

To use the new value for white balance, 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 sun- light). 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 ( 64).

Viewﬁ nder

Selecting a White Balance Preset

To set white balance to a preset value:

Highlight White bal. preset in the white bal-

ance menu ( to the right. The menu shown at right will be displayed. (To return to the shooting menu, press the

Presets are identiﬁ ed by an icon or thumbnail,

a name (d-0 – d-4), and a comment. Press the multi selector up, down, left, or right to highlight the desired preset. To select the highlighted preset and return to shooting mode without completing steps 3–5, press the button.

Press the center of the multi selector to display

the menu shown at right. To view options for other presets, highlight the name of the current preset (d-0 – d-4) and press the multi selector right.

Selecting a White Balance Preset: the WB Button

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

52) and press the multi selector

button.)

Taking Photographs—White BalanceTaking Photographs—White Balance

Press the multi selector up or down to high-

light Set.

Taking Photographs—White Balance

Press the multi selector to the right to set

white balance to the value stored in the selected preset and return to the shooting menu.

Entering a Comment

To enter a descriptive comment of up to thirty-six characters for a selected white balance preset, highlight the preset in the thumbnail display and press the center of the multi selector as described in steps 1–3 on the previous page. The menu shown at right will be displayed.

Press the multi selector up or down to high-

light Edit comment.

Press the multi selector to the right to display

the text edit dialog. Edit the comment as described on page 205.

Press the button to return to the thumbnail

display.

Copying White Balance from a Photograph (d-1 – d-4 Only)

To copy a value for white balance from a photograph on the memory card to a selected preset (d-1 – d-4 only), highlight the preset in the thumbnail display and press the center of the multi selector as described in steps 1–3 on page 61. The menu shown at right will be displayed.

Press the multi selector up or down to high-

light Select image.

Press the multi selector to the right to display

the photographs on the memory card. Only photographs taken with the D2Hs will be displayed; other images can not be selected.

Press the multi selector up, down, left, or right

to highlight the desired image. To view the highlighted image full frame, press the button. Press the button again to return to the thumbnail list.

Press the center of the multi selector to copy

the white balance value for the highlighted photograph to the selected preset and return to the thumbnail display. If the highlighted photograph has a comment, the comment will be copied to the comment for the selected preset.

Taking Photographs—White BalanceTaking Photographs—White Balance

Copying White Balance from d-0 to Presets d-1 – d-4

To copy a measured value for white balance

Taking Photographs—White Balance

from d-0 to any of the other presets (d-1 – d-4), highlight the destination preset in the thumbnail display and press the center of the multi selector as described in steps 1–3 on page 61. The menu shown at right will be displayed.

Press the multi selector up or down to high-

light Copy d-0.

Press the multi selector to the right to copy

white balance from d-0 to the selected preset and return to the thumbnail display. If comment has been created for d-0, the comment will be copied to the comment for the selected preset.

Nikon Capture 4

Nikon Capture 4 version 4.2.1 or later (available via download to purchasers of Nikon Capture 4) can be used to edit white balance when RAW photographs taken with the D2Hs 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.

Image Adjustment

Shooting Menu Settings

This section describes settings that can only be adjusted from the shooting menu (

Making Edges More Distinct: Image Sharpening

When a photograph is taken, the camera au to mat i cal ly processes the image to increase the dis tinc tion be tween light and dark areas, mak ing the pic ture appear sharper. The Im age sharpening menu con trols the amount of sharp en ing performed.

158).

DescriptionOption

The camera automatically adjusts sharpening according to the

Auto

(default)

Highlight Im age sharpening in the shooting

menu ( 158) and press the multi selector to the right.

subject and how other camera settings are adjusted. Amount of sharpening varies from shot to shot, even in scenes of same type; to take multiple shots with same sharpening, choose different setting. For best results, use a type G or D lens.

Camera sharpens all im ag es the same standard amount.Normal

Images are sharpened less than the standard amount.Low

Images are sharpened slightly less than the standard amount.Medium low

Images are sharpened slightly more than the standard amount.Medium high

Images are sharpened more than the standard amount.High

Images are not sharpened.None

Taking Photographs—Image AdjustmentTaking Photographs—Image Adjustment

High light the de sired op tion and press the

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

Adjusting Contrast: Tone Compensation

As photographs are saved to the memory card, they are processed to adjust

Taking Photographs—Image Adjustment

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 Tone compensation menu controls the type of curve used.

DescriptionOption

Camera automatically optimizes con trast by selecting the ap pro pri ate

Auto

(default)

Normal

Less contrast

More contrast

Custom

Highlight Tone compensation in the shoot-

ing menu ( 158) and press the multi selector to the right.

curve. Curve varies from shot to shot, even in scenes of same type; to take multiple shots with same curve, choose different setting. For best results, use a type G or D lens.

Camera uses same standard curve for all im ag es. Suit ed to most scenes, whether dark or bright.

Produces “softer” images. Pre vents highlights on portrait subjects from being “washed out” in direct sunlight.

Choose this curve to preserve de tail in misty land scapes and other low-contrast subjects.

Nikon Capture 4 version 4.2 or later (available via download to purchasers of Nikon Capture 4) can be used to deﬁ ne a custom curve and download it to the camera. Choose Custom to se lect this user-deﬁ ned curve. If no custom curve has been created, this op tion is equiv a lent to Nor mal.

tone

High light the de sired op tion and press the

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

Suiting Colors to a Workﬂ ow: Color Mode

Color mode determines the gamut of colors available for color reproduction. Choose a color mode according to how pho to graphs will be pro cessed on leaving the cam era.

DescriptionOption

I (sRGB)

(default)

II (Adobe RGB)

III

III (sRGB)

Highlight Color mode in the shooting menu

( 158) 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.

Choose for portrait shots that will be print ed or used “as is,” with no fur ther modiﬁ cation. Photographs are adapted to sRGB color space.

Photos are adapted to Adobe RGB color space, which can express wider gamut of colors than sRGB. Choose for images that will be extensively processed or retouched.

Choose for nature or landscape shots that will be print ed or used “as is,” with no fur ther modiﬁ cation. Photographs are adapted to sRGB color space.

Taking Photographs—Image AdjustmentTaking Photographs—Image Adjustment

Color Mode

Modes I and III are recommended when taking photographs that will be printed with-

Taking Photographs—Image Adjustment

out 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. Photographs taken in Mode II can also be printed using these options, but colors will not be as vivid.

JPEG photographs taken in Mode II 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. An ICC color proﬁ le is embedded in TIFF photographs taken in Mode II, allowing applications that support color management to automatically select the correct color space. For more information, see the documentation provided with the application or device.

Nikon Software

Nikon Capture 4 version 4.2.1 or later (available via download to purchasers of Nikon Capture 4) and PictureProject automatically select the correct color space when opening photographs created with the D2Hs.

Controlling Color: Hue Adjustment

Hue can be adjusted in the range 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.

Highlight Hue adjustment in the shooting

menu ( 158) 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.

Taking Photographs—Image AdjustmentTaking Photographs—Image Adjustment

Hue

The RGB color model used in digital photographs re pro duc es colors using dif fer ing amounts of red, green, and blue light. By mixing two colors of light, a variety of dif fer 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 dif fer 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 different 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 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.

Focus

Controlling How the Camera Focuses

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

Taking Photographs—Focus

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:

DescriptionOption

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). Shut ter can only be re leased when in-fo cus in di ca tor is dis played (fo-

Sin gle-servo

Con tin u ous-

servo AF

Man u al

cus pri or i ty). If sub ject was mov ing when shutter-release button was pressed half way, cam era will track sub ject until fo cus ing is complete

and the shut ter can be re leased (pre dic tive fo cus tracking; 71). If subject stops mov ing before shutter is released, in-focus in di ca tor will ap pear in viewﬁ nder and focus will lock at this dis tance.

Camera focuses continuously while shutter-release but ton is pressed

halfway. If subject moves, focus will be adjusted to compensate (predictive fo cus tracking; 71). Pho to graphs can be taken whether or

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.

Choosing single-servo AF ensures a sharp, focused image. Continuous-servo 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.

The AF-ON Buttons

For the purpose of focusing the camera, pressing either of the AF-ON buttons has the same effect as pressing the shutter-release button halfway (the AF-ON button for vertical shooting can only be used when the shutter-release button for vertical shooting is unlocked).

Predictive Focus Tracking

If the camera autofocus system detects that the subject is moving when the shutterrelease button is pressed halfway, it will au to mat i cal ly ini tiate pre dic tive focus track ing. If the sub ject is mov ing toward or away from the cam era, the camera will track focus while at tempt ing to predict where the subject will be when the shutter is re leased. In single-servo autofocus, the camera will initiate pre dic tive focus tracking if the sub ject was moving when the shut ter-release button was pressed halfway. Fo cus will lock when the subject stops moving. In con tin u ous-servo AF, the camera will also initiate predictive focus tracking if the subject starts mov ing after the shutter-re lease button is pressed halfway. Focus will not lock when the sub ject stops moving.

Predictive focus tracking is not available in manual focus mode.

a1—AF -C Mod e Priority ( 174)

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. Select FPS rate + AF for improved focus during continuous shooting.

a2—AF-S Mode Priority ( 174)

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.

a5—AF Activation ( 177)

If AF-ON only is selected for Custom Setting a5 (AF activation), the camera will only focus when one of the AF-ON buttons is pressed, not when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

a8—Vertical AF - ON ( 179 )

Custom Setting a8 (Vertical AF-ON) controls whether the AF-ON button for vertical shooting is used to initiate autofocus, select the focus area, or both.

c2—AE-L / AF - L ( 186)

If desired, the AE-L / AF- L button can perform the same function as the AF-ON button.

Taking Photographs—Focus

Focus Area Selection

The D2Hs offers a choice of eleven focus areas that together cover a wide

Taking Photographs—Focus

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;

75). Group dynamic-AF can be used to focus on the closest subject in a

selected area of the frame ( 75).

To select the focus area, rotate the focus selector lock. The multi selector can then be used to select the focus area. The se lect ed focus area is displayed in the top control panel and is highlighted brieﬂ y in the viewﬁ nder.

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 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 during playback or while menus are displayed.

Focus Area Selection for Portrait (Tall) Orientation Photographs

If the shutter-release button for vertical shooting is unlocked, the focus area can also be selected by pressing the AF-ON button for vertical shooting and rotating the sub-command dial for vertical shooting. The se lect ed focus area is displayed in the top control panel and is highlighted brieﬂ y in the viewﬁ nder.

Taking Photographs—Focus

Rotate the sub-command dial clockwise to cycle endlessly through focus areas in the order shown at right, counter-clockwise to cycle through focus areas in the

9811

reverse order.

172

a6—Focus Area Illum ( 178 )

Custom Setting a6 (Focus area Illum) controls how long the focus area is illuminated in the viewﬁ nder after selection and whether focus areas are displayed in manual focus mode or continuous shooting mode.

a7—Focus Area ( 179)

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

a8—Vertical AF - ON ( 179 )

Custom Setting a8 (Vertical AF-ON) controls whether the AF-ON button for vertical shooting is used to initiate autofocus, select the focus area, or both.

f1—Center Button > Shooting Mode ( 194 )

Depending on the option selected for Center button > Shooting mo de (Custom Setting f1), pressing the center of the multi selector will have no effect or will illuminate the selected focus area.

Autofocus

When the focus mode selector is set to S (single-servo autofocus) or C (con-

Taking Photographs—Focus

tin u ous-servo auto fo cus), the cam era fo cus es au to mat i cal ly when the shut ter-re lease but ton is pressed half way. This section de scribes fo cus op tions that are only avail able in sin gle- and con tin u ous-servo AF.

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 top control panel (see following page).

a1—AF -C Mod e Priority ( 174)

In focus mode C (continuous-servo autofocus) photographs can be taken even when the camera is not in focus (release priority). To ensure that the camera is in focus when the picture is taken, choose Focus for Custom Setting a1 (AF-C mode priority). Select FPS rate + AF for improved focus during continuous shooting.

a2—AF-S Mode Priority ( 174)

In focus mode S (single-servo autofocus) photographs can be taken only when the camera is in focus (focus priority). To allow photographs to be taken regardless of whether or not the camera is in focus, choose Release for Custom Setting a2 (AF-S

mode priority).

a3—Group Dynamic AF ( 175)

This option controls how focus areas are grouped in group dynamic-AF mode and whether the camera tracks the subject in the center focus area of the selected group.

a4—Disable Lock-On ( 177)

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

Single-

area AF

Dynamic-

area AF

Group

dynamic-

Dynamic-

area AF

with

closest subject priority

Icon

User selects focus area manually; 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 when fol low ing 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.

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 focus areas are not displayed in viewﬁ nder or top control panel. Camera may be unable to select focus area containing closest subject when telephoto lens is used or subject is poorly lit. Single-area AF is recommended in these cases.

DescriptionMode

CenterLeft Right

Bottom

Taking Photographs—Focus

Top

Manual Focus

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

The Top Control Panel

The selected focus area or group of focus areas is shown in the top 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 top control panel display does not show the focus area selected by the camera for dynamic-area AF with closest subject priority.

Summary of Autofocus Options

Taking Photographs—Focus

Focus mode

AF-area mode Control-panel display

Focus-area selection

AF-S

AF-C

Single-area AF

Dynamic-area AF

Group dynamic-AF

Dynamic-area AF

with closest-

subject priority

Single-area AF

Dynamic-area AF

Group dynamic-AF

Dynamic-area AF

with closest-

subject priority

Manual

(camera focuses on

center focus area of

selected group)

Automatic

Manual

(camera focuses on

center focus area of

selected group)

Automatic

How it works When to use it

Camera focuses on subject in selected focus frame. Focus will remain locked while shutter-release button is pressed half way.

Camera focuses on subject in selected focus frame. If sub ject moves before cam era has focused, camera will focus based on in for ma tion from other focus areas. Fo cus will remain locked while shut ter-re lease but ton is pressed half way.

As above, except camera focuses on subject in center focus area of selected group. If subject moves before camera has focused, camera will focus based on information from other focus areas in same group.

As above, except that camera selects focus area con tain ing sub ject closest to camera. If sub ject moves before cam era has focused, camera will focus based on in for ma tion from other focus areas.

Camera continues to focus on subject in selected focus area while shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

Camera focuses on subject in selected focus area. While shutter-release button is pressed halfway, camera tracks sub ject as it moves from one fo cus area to the next.

As above, except camera focuses on subject in center focus area of selected group.

As above, except that camera selects focus area con tain ing sub ject closest to camera.

Taking Photographs—Focus

Use with static sub jects when time is avail able to com pose pho to.

Use with static sub jects when time is avail able to com pose photo.

Use when sure of subject’s place in overall composition but unsure of its exact position.

Use when sure that sub ject will be clos est ob ject to cam era but un sure where it will ap pear in ﬁ nal com po si tion.

Use with moving subjects that can be continuously framed in single focus area.

Use with subjects that are moving unpredictably.

Use when sure of moving subject’s place in overall composition but unsure of its exact position.

Use with erratically mov ing sub jects when you know sub ject will be clos est ob ject to camera.

Focus Lock

Focus lock can be used to change the com po si tion after focusing, making

Taking Photographs—Focus

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 ( 80).

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-re-

lease button halfway to ini tiate focus.

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

Single-servo AF

Focus will lock automatically when the info cus indicator appears, and re main locked until you remove your ﬁ nger from the shutterre 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 effect. If the subject moves, focus again at the new distance.

Taking Photographs—Focus

c2—AE-L/AF-L ( 184)

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

Getting Good Results with Autofocus

Autofocus does not perform well under the conditions listed below. If the

Taking Photographs—Focus

camera is unable to focus using autofocus, use manual focus 81) or use focus lock ( recompose the photograph.

78) to focus on another subject at the same distance and then

AF-Assist Illuminators

If the subject is dark, a Speedlight with an AF-assist illuminator can be used to assist the autofocus.

Manual Focus

Manual focus is available for lenses that do not sup port autofocus (non-AF Nikkor lens es) or when the autofocus does not produce the desired re sults ( 80). To focus manually, set the focusmode 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, the viewﬁ nder fo cus indicator can be used to con ﬁ rm whether 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 in-fo cus in di ca tor (●) is dis played.

Taking Photographs—Focus

A-M Selection/Autofocus with Manual Priority

When using a lens that offers 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.

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˝).

Exposure

Controlling How the Camera Sets Exposure

Metering

The metering method determines how the cam era sets exposure:

Taking Photographs—Exposure

DescriptionMethod

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 for natural results even when frame is dominated by

3D color matrix II/

Color

matrix II/

Color

matrix

Center-

weighted

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

aperture in Non-CPU lens data menu ( 121).

Before shooting, press the metering selector lock button and 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.

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 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 ( 121; center-weighted metering is used if focal length or aperture is not speciﬁ ed). Matrix metering will not produce desired results with autoexposure lock ( 93) or exposure compensation ( 95), 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 diameter, shown by corresponding 8-mm reference circle in viewﬁ nder. Classic meter for portraits; recommended when using ﬁ lters with an exposure factor (ﬁ lter factor) over 1 × ( 237).

Camera meters circle 3 mm (0.12˝) in diameter (approximately 2% of frame). Circle is centered on current focus area (in group dynamic AF, on center focus area of current group; 74), making it possible to meter off-center subjects (if non-CPU lens is used or if dynamic-area AF with

Spot

closest subject priority is in effect, 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.

b6—Center Weight ( 183)

This option controls the size of the area assigned the greatest weight in centerweighted metering.

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).

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 top control panel and viewﬁ nder. Type G lenses are not equipped with an aperture ring.

Depth-of-Field Preview

To preview the effects 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 (if an optional SB800 or SB-600 Speedlight is attached, a modeling ﬂ ash will be emitted).

b1—ISO Auto ( 186)

When On is selected for Custom Setting b1 (ISO auto), the camera automatically varies sensitivity in the range 200–1600 (ISO equivalent) to help ensure optimum ex po sure when the limits of the camera exposure me ter ing sys tem are exceeded (exposure modes P, S, and A) or optimum exposure can not be achieved at the shutter-speed and aperture selected by the user (exposure mode M). When sen si tiv i ty is al tered from the value se lect ed by the user, ISO-AUTO will ﬂ ash in the rear control panel and a ﬂ ashing ISO-A will be displayed in the viewﬁ nder. In the camera photo information display for pictures taken at altered sensitivities, the ISO value will also be displayed in red. Note that noise is more likely to ap pear in pho to graphs taken at higher sen si tiv i ties.

On can not be selected for ISO auto when sensitivity is set to HI-1 or HI-2; sim i lar ly, HI-1 or HI-2 can not be se lect ed when ISO auto is on. If a ﬂ ash is used when ISO auto is on, ISO will be ﬁ xed at the value selected by the user. If ISO auto is on when

autoexposure bracketing is selected in exposure mode M, sensitivity will vary around the value selected by the user as required by the bracketing program.

b7—Fine-Tune Exposure ( 189)

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).

e4—Modeling Flash ( 197)

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

Taking Photographs—Exposure

P: Programmed Auto

In this mode, the camera automatically adjusts shutter speed and aperture

Taking Photographs—Exposure

ac cord ing to a built-in program (see below) 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

95), and auto ex po sure bracketing ( 96). Programmed auto is only

( available with CPU lenses.

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 top control panel.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

Non-CPU Lenses

Exposure mode A (aperture-priority auto) is automatically selected when a non-CPU lens is attached. The exposure mode indicator (P) in the top control panel will blink and A will be displayed in the viewﬁ nder. For more information, see “Aperture-Priority Auto” ( 88).

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 sensitivity (ISO equivalency; 50). Subject too dark. Use optional Speedlight or raise sensitivity (ISO equiv a len cy; 50).

Flexible Program

In programmed auto, different 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 effect, an asterisk (“*”) appears next to the exposuremode indicator in the top 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 (

126), or choosing another setting

for Custom Setting b3 (EV step; 181).

Exposure Program

The exposure program for programmed auto is shown in the fol low ing graph:

ISO 200; lens with maximum aperture of f/1.4 and minimum aperture of f/16 (e.g., AF 50 mm f/1.4 D)

]

-4

[

F1.4

F2.8

Aperture

F5.6

F11

F16

F22

F32

30" 15"8"4" 2" 1" 2 4 8 15 30 60

-1

-3

-2

678

125 250 500

1000

2000 4000

8000

Shutter speed

The maximum and minimum values for EV vary with sen si tiv i ty (ISO equivalency); the above graph assumes a sen si tiv i ty of ISO 200 equivalent. When matrix metering is used, values over 17

3 EV are re duced to 17

3 EV.

Taking Photographs—Exposure

S: Shutter-Priority Auto

In shutter-priority auto, you choose the shutter speed while the camera

Taking Photographs—Exposure

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 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 and top control panel.

Rotate the main com mand dial to choose the

de sired shut ter speed.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

8,000 s. Use slow shutter

Nikon D2HS User Manual 2

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Product Documentation

How to Read This Manual

For Your Safety

Caring for the Camera and Battery

Notices

Table of Contents

Introduction

Overview

Getting to Know the Camera

First Steps

Tutorial

Basic Photography

Basic Playback

Taking Photographs

Using Camera Menus

Choosing a Shooting Mode

Image Quality and Size

Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency)

White Balance

Image Adjustment

Focus

Exposure