Nikon D5000 Owner Manual

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DIGITAL CAMERA

User's Manual

Page 2

Where to Find It

Find what you’re looking for from:

The Table of Contents

Find items by function or menu name.

The Q&A Index

Know what you want to do but don’t know the function name? the “question and answer” index.

The Index

Search by key word.

Error Messages

If a warning is displayed in the viewfinder or monitor, find the solution here.

Troubleshooting

Camera behaving unexpectedly?

A For Your Safety

Before using the camera for the first time, read the safety instructions in “For Your Safety” (0 xii).

Find the solution here.

➜

0 vi–xi

0 ii–v

Find it from

0 232–234

0 221–223

0 216–220

Help

Use the camera’s on-board help feature for help on menu items and other topics. See page 13 for details.

Digitutor

“Digitutor”, a series of “watch and learn” manuals in movie form, is available from the following website: http://www.nikondigitutor.com/index_eng.html

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Q&A Index 0 ii

Table of Contents 0 vi

Introduction 0 1

Basic Photography and Playback 0 27

Framing Pictures in the Monitor (Live View) 0 41

Recording and Viewing Movies 0 49

Q&A Index

Find what you’re looking for using this “question and answer” index.

❚❚ Camera Displays

Question Key phrase 0

What do these icons mean?

How many more shots can I take with this card?

How much charge does the battery have left? Battery level 28

How do I keep the displays from turning off? Auto off timers 157

How do I display the menus in another language? Language 169

How do I adjust monitor brightness? LCD brightness 166

Can I display a framing grid in the viewfinder? Grid display 158

How do I view more information about a photo? Photo information 117–121

The information display 8, 167

The viewfinder 6

Number of exposures

remaining

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❚❚ Taking Photographs

Question Key phrase 0

Is there a quick and easy way to take snapshots? Auto modes 28–32

How do I quickly adjust settings for different scenes? Scene modes 33–38

Can I frame photos in the monitor?

Can I angle the monitor for easier framing? 45

Can I shoot movies? Recording movies 50–51

How do I take pictures for printing at large sizes?

Can I take pictures with a small file size for e-mail?

Can I choose how the camera focuses? Focus mode 54–55

Can I choose the focus point? Focus point 58

Can I change the composition without refocusing? 3D-tracking 57

How do I focus on a subject that is not in a focus area? Focus lock 58

Can I set the flash to fire automatically when needed? Auto flash 71–72

How do I avoid “red-eye”? Red-eye reduction 71–72

How do I keep the flash from firing?

How do I turn off the light on the front of the camera? AF-assist illuminator 155

How do I shoot a series of photos in quick succession?

Can I reduce camera noise in quiet surroundings?

How do I take pictures with the self-timer? Self-timer

How do I use the optional remote control? Remote control

What is exposure? Exposure 80

How do I “freeze” motion?

How do I suggest motion by blurring moving objects?

Can I blur the background to bring out a subject?

Can I make photos brighter or darker? Exposure compensation 90

How do I create “light trails” behind moving objects? Long time-exposures 86–87

How do I preserve details in shadows and highlights? Active D-Lighting 94–95

Can I take photos at preset intervals? Interval timer shooting 76–77

How do I focus the viewfinder? Viewfinder focus 25

How do I keep the camera from beeping? Beep 158

Live view

Image quality and size 62–64How can I get more pictures on the memory card?

Auto (flash off) mode 30

Flash off 70–72

Release mode 65–66

Mode S (shutter-priority

auto)

Mode A (aperture-

priority auto)

41–47

67–69

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❚❚ Viewing, Retouching, and Printing Photographs

Question Key phrase 0

How do I view photographs on the camera? Playback 39, 116

How do I delete unwanted photos? Deleting photos

Can I zoom in on photos during playback? Playback zoom 124

Can I protect photos from accidental deletion? Protect 125

Can I view photos in an automatic slide show? Slide show 129

Can I view photos on HD or standard TVs? Viewing on TV 132–133

How do I copy photos to a computer? Computer 134–135

How do I print photos? Printing 136–144

Can I print the date of recording on my photos? Time stamp 138, 141

How do I order professional prints? Print set (DPOF) 143

Can I create retouched copies of photos? Retouch 174–189

How do I remove “red-eye”? Red-eye correction 176

Can I overlay two photos to make a single image? Image overlay 182–183

How do I make JPEG copies of RAW (NEF) photos? NEF (RAW) processing 184

Can I copy a photo to use as a base for a painting? Color outline 186

Can I make stop-motion movies from my photos? Stop-motion movie 187–188

40,

126–128

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❚❚ Menus and Settings

Question Key phrase 0

How do I use the menus? Using the menus 13–15

How do I get help for a menu or message?

The information display 8, 9

How do I adjust settings?

How do I restore default settings? Two-button reset 78

How do I set the camera clock? Time zone and date 20, 169

How do I keep the file number from being reset when I insert a new memory card?

How do I reset file numbering to 1?

Is there a quick way to access frequently-used settings? My Menu 191

Is there a quick way to access recently-used settings? Recent settings 190

File number sequence 159

Help 13

Error messages 221

The command dial 10–12

Menus 145–192

❚❚ Miscellaneous

Question Key phrase 0

What do I do with the eyepiece cap? The DK-5 eyepiece cap 67, 77

What memory cards can I use? Approved memory cards 203

What lenses can I use? Compatible lenses 194

What optional flash units (Speedlights) can I use? Optional flash units 198

What software is available for my camera?

What other accessories are available for my camera?

How do I clean the camera? Cleaning 205

Who do I go to for servicing and repairs? Servicing 205

Accessories 202

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Q&A Index .................................................................................................................................... ii

For Your Safety ......................................................................................................................... xii

Notices........................................................................................................................................ xiv

Introduction 1

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

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

The Camera Body ......................................................................................................................3

The Mode Dial.............................................................................................................................5

The Viewfinder............................................................................................................................6

The Monitor .................................................................................................................................7

The Information Display..........................................................................................................8

The Command Dial ................................................................................................................10

The Power Switch................................................................................................................... 12

Camera Menus..........................................................................................................................13

Using Camera Menus ............................................................................................................ 14

First Steps ...................................................................................................................................16

Charge the Battery ................................................................................................................. 16

Insert the Battery ....................................................................................................................17

Attach a Lens............................................................................................................................ 18

Basic Setup................................................................................................................................ 20

Insert a Memory Card............................................................................................................22

Format the Memory Card ....................................................................................................23

Adjust Viewfinder Focus ......................................................................................................25

Basic Photography and Playback 27

“Point-and-Shoot” Photography (i and j Modes)...................................................28

Step 1: Turn the Camera On................................................................................................ 28

Step 2: Select i or j Mode ...............................................................................................30

Step 3: Frame the Photograph .......................................................................................... 30

Step 4: Focus ............................................................................................................................31

Step 5: Shoot ............................................................................................................................ 32

Creative Photography (Scene Modes) .............................................................................33

k Portrait ..............................................................................................................................34

l Landscape........................................................................................................................ 34

p Child .................................................................................................................................. 34

m Sports ................................................................................................................................ 34

n Close Up ........................................................................................................................... 35

o Night Portrait..................................................................................................................35

r Night Landscape ...........................................................................................................35

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s Party/Indoor ....................................................................................................................35

t Beach/Snow ....................................................................................................................36

u Sunset................................................................................................................................36

v Dusk/Dawn ......................................................................................................................36

w Pet Portrait....................................................................................................................... 36

x Candlelight........................................................................................................................37

y Blossom.............................................................................................................................37

z Autumn Colors ...............................................................................................................37

0 Food....................................................................................................................................37

1 Silhouette.........................................................................................................................38

2 High Key............................................................................................................................38

3 Low Key............................................................................................................................. 38

Basic Playback ...........................................................................................................................39

Deleting Unwanted Photographs.....................................................................................40

Framing Pictures in the Monitor (Live View) 41

Framing Photographs in the Monitor ..............................................................................42

Recording and Viewing Movies 49

Recording Movies ....................................................................................................................50

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

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. To prevent possible injury, read all warnings before using

this Nikon product.

❚❚ WARNINGS

Keep the sun out of the frame

Keep the sun well out of the frame when shooting backlit subjects. Sunlight focused into the camera when the sun is in or close to the frame could cause a fire.

Do not look at the sun through the viewfinder

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

Using the viewfinder diopter control

When operating the viewfinder diopter control with your eye to the viewfinder, care should be taken not to put your finger in your eye accidentally.

Turn off immediately in the event of malfunction

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

Do not use in the presence of flammable gas

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

Keep out of reach of children

Failure to observe this precaution could result in injury.

Do not disassemble

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

Do not place the 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.

Observe caution when using the flash

• Using the camera with the flash in close contact with the skin or other objects could cause burns.

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

Avoid contact with liquid crystal

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

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Observe proper precautions when handling

batteries

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

• Use only batteries approved for use in this equipment.

• Do not short or disassemble the battery.

• Be sure the product is off before

replacing the battery. If you are using an AC adapter, be sure it is unplugged.

• Do not attempt to insert the battery upside down or backwards.

• Do not expose the battery to flame or to excessive heat.

• Do not immerse in or expose to water.

• Replace the terminal cover when

transporting the battery. Do not transport or store the battery with metal objects such as necklaces or hairpins.

• Batteries are prone to leakage when fully discharged. To a void dam a g e to the product, be sure to remove the battery when no charge remains.

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

• The battery may be hot immediately after use or when the product has been used on battery power for an extended period. Before removing the battery turn the camera off and allow the battery to cool.

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

Observe proper precautions when handling the

quick charger

• Keep dry. Failure to observe this precaution could result in fire or electric shock.

• Dust on or near the metal parts of the plug should be removed with a dry cloth. Continued use could result in fire.

• Do not handle the power cable or go near the charger during thunderstorms. Failure to observe this precaution could result in electric shock.

• Do not damage, modify, or forcibly tug or bend the power cable. Do not place it under heavy objects or expose it to heat or flame. Should the insulation be damaged and the wires become exposed, take the power cable to a Nikon-authorized service representative for inspection. Failure to observe this precaution could result in fire or electric shock.

• Do not handle the plug or charger with wet hands. Failure to observe this precaution could result in electric shock.

• Do not use with travel converters or adapters designed to convert from one voltage to another or with DC-to-AC inverters. Failure to observe this precaution could damage the product or cause overheating or fire.

Use appropriate cables

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

CD-ROMs

CD-ROMs containing software or manuals should not be played back on audio CD equipment. Playing CD-ROMs on an audio CD player could cause hearing loss or damage the equipment.

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Notices

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

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

Notices for Customers in the U.S.A.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Radio Frequency Interference Statement

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

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the

equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit 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).

CAUTIONS

Modifications

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

Interface Cables

Use the interface cables sold or provided by Nikon for your equipment. 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

may 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

D5000

Using other

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Notices for Customers in Canada CAUTION

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Notice for Customers in Europe

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

The following apply only to users in European countries:

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

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

Disposing of Data Storage Devices

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

Before discarding a data storage device or transferring ownership to another person, erase all data using commercial deletion software, or format the device and then completely refill it with images containing no private information (for example, pictures of empty sky). Be sure to also replace any pictures selected for preset manual white balance (0 99). Care should be taken to avoid injury when physically destroying data storage devices.

Use Only Nikon Brand Electronic Accessories

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

The use of non-Nikon electronic accessories could damage the camera and may void your Nikon warranty. The use of third-party rechargeable Li-ion batteries not bearing the Nikon holographic seal shown at right could interfere with normal operation of the camera or result in the batteries overheating, igniting, rupturing, or leaking.

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

ATT EN TI ON

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

This symbol on the battery indicates that the battery is to be collected separately.

The following apply only to users in European countries:

• All batteries, whether marked with this symbol or not, are designated for separate collection at an appropriate collection point. Do not dispose of as household waste.

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

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Notice Concerning Prohibition of Copying or Reproduction

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

• Items prohibited by law from being copied or

reproduced

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

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

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

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

• Cautions on certain copies and reproductions

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

• Comply with copyright notices

The copying or reproduction of copyrighted creative works such as books, music, paintings, woodcuts, 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.

A Before Taking Important Pictures

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

A Life-Long Learning

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

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

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

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

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

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Introduction

This chapter covers information you will need to know before using the camera, including the names of camera parts, how to use the camera menus, and how to ready the camera for use.

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

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

The Camera Body........................................................................................................................ 3

The Mode Dial .............................................................................................................................. 5

The Viewfinder ............................................................................................................................. 6

The Monitor................................................................................................................................... 7

The Information Display ........................................................................................................... 8

The Command Dial..................................................................................................................... 10

The Power Switch........................................................................................................................ 12

Camera Menus ............................................................................................................... 13

Using Camera Menus................................................................................................................. 14

First Steps........................................................................................................................ 16

Charge the Battery ..................................................................................................................... 16

Insert the Battery ........................................................................................................................ 17

Attach a Lens ................................................................................................................................ 18

Basic Setup .................................................................................................................................... 20

Insert a Memory Card ................................................................................................................ 22

Format the Memory Card......................................................................................................... 23

Adjust Viewfinder Focus........................................................................................................... 25

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Overview

Thank you for your purchase of a Nikon single-lens reflex (SLR) digital camera. To get the most from your camera, please be sure to read all instructions thoroughly and keep them where they will be read by all who use the product.

❚❚ Symbols and Conventions

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

This icon marks cautions; information that should be read before use to

prevent damage to the camera.

This icon marks notes; information that should be read before using the

camera.

This icon marks references to other pages in this manual.

D Use Only Nikon Brand Accessories

Only Nikon brand accessories certified by Nikon specifically for use with your Nikon digital camera are engineered and proven to operate within its operational and safety requirements. THE USE OF NON-NIKON ACCESSORIES COULD DAMAGE YOUR CAMERA AND MAY VOID YOUR NIKON WARRANTY.

D Servicing the Camera and Accessories

The camera is a precision device and requires regular servicing. Nikon recommends that the camera be inspected by the original retailer or a Nikon-authorized service representative once every one to two years, and that it be serviced once every three to five years (note that fees apply to these services). recommended if the camera is used professionally. Any accessories regularly used with the camera, such as lenses or optional flash units, should be included when the camera is inspected or serviced.

A Camera Settings

The explanations in this manual assume that default settings are used.

Frequent inspection and servicing are particularly

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Getting to Know the Camera

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

The Camera Body

1 Mode dial...................................5

2 Focal plane mark (E) ...........61

3 R (information) button......... 8

Two-button reset button .....78

4 E (exposure compensation)

button ...................................90

N (aperture) button .............84

Flash compensation

button ...................................93

5 Shutter-release button.........32

6 Power switch...........................28

7 AF-assist illuminator .............55

Self-timer lamp ......................68

Red-eye reduction lamp ......72

8 Infrared receiver ....................68

9 Body cap 10 CPU contacts

11 Built-in flash............................ 70

12 M (flash mode) button ......... 70

Y (flash compensation)

button................................... 93

13 Eyelet for camera strap

14 Microphone............................51

15 Connector cover

16 E (self-timer) button........... 69

Fn (function) button ...........163

17 Mounting index..................... 18

18 Lens release button...............19

19 Mirror...............................42, 208

20 Lens mount.............................61

21 Accessory shoe cover......... 198

22 Accessory shoe (for optional

flash unit)........................... 198

23 Accessory terminal .............203

24 USB connector

Connecting to a computer

.............................................135

Connecting to a printer.. 136

A/V connector...................... 132

25 HDMI mini-pin connector

.............................................133

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The Camera Body (Continued)

17 18 19

1 Viewfinder eyepiece............. 25

2 DK-24 rubber eyecup 3 Monitor

Viewing settings ...................8

Live view .............................. 41

Viewing pictures................ 39

Full-frame playback.........116

4 O (delete) button

Deleting pictures ............... 40

Deleting pictures during

playback.............................126

5 K (playback) button.. 39, 116

6 G (menu) button .... 13, 145

7 W (thumbnail/playback

zoom out) button.............122

Q (help) button.......................13

8 X (playback zoom in)

button.................................124

9 P (information edit)

button..................................... 9

Two-button reset button..... 78

10 Tripo d socket 11 Diopter adjustment

control...................................25

12 A (AE-L/AF-L)

button..........................59, 164

L (protect) button...........125

13 Command dial........................10

14 a (live view) button

Taking photographs.......... 41

Shooting movies................ 49

15 Memory card slot cover....... 22

16 Multi selector......................... 14

17 J (OK) button....................... 14

18 Memory card access lamp

..........................................22, 32

19 Speaker 20 Power connector cover for

optional power connector

..............................................204

21 Battery-chamber cover latch

................................................ 17

22 Battery-chamber cover........ 17

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The Mode Dial

The camera offers a choice of the following shooting modes:

❚❚ P, S, A, and M Modes

Select these modes for full control over camera settings.

P— Programmed auto (0 81): Camera chooses shutter speed and aperture, user controls other settings.

S —Shutter-priority auto (0 82): Choose fast shutter speeds to freeze action, slow shutter speeds to suggest motion by blurring moving objects.

❚❚ Auto Modes

Select these modes for simple, point-andshoot photography.

i Auto (0 28): Camera adjusts settings automati- cally to produce optimal results with “point-andshoot” simplicity. Recommended for first-time users of digital cameras.

j Auto (flash off ) (0 28): As above, except that the flash will not fire even when lighting is poor.

A —Aperture-priority auto (0 83): Adjust aperture to soften background details or increase depth-of-field to bring both main subject and background into focus.

M—Manual (0 84): Match shutter speed and aperture to your creative intent.

❚❚ Scene Modes

Selecting a scene mode automatically optimizes settings to suit the selected scene.

k Port rait (0 34): Shoot portraits with back- ground in soft focus.

l Landscape (0 34): Preserve details in landscape shots.

p Child (0 34): Create portraits of children. Clothing and background details are vividly rendered while skin tones remain soft and natural.

m Sports (0 34): Freeze motion for dynamic sports shots.

n Close up (0 35): Take vivid close-ups of flowers, insects, and other small objects.

o Night portrait (0 35): Shoot portraits against a dimly-lit backdrop.

h (other scenes; 0 33): Other scenes can be selected with the command dial.

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The Viewfinder

2 3 4

1 Framing grid (displayed when

On is selected for Custom

Setting d2).........................158

2 Reference circle for center-

weighted metering ........... 88

3 “No memory card” indicator

4 Battery indicator ................... 28

5 Focus points ........................... 58

6 Focus indicator ................31, 61

7 Autoexposure (AE) lock

indicator............................... 89

8 Shutter speed ..................82, 84

9 Aperture (f-number) ......83, 84

10 Battery indicator ................... 28

11 Bracketing indicator........... 103

6 7

12 Number of exposures

remaining ............................29

Number of shots remaining

before memory buffer

fills..........................................66

White balance recording

indicator ...............................99

Exposure compensation value

................................................90

Flash compensation

value......................................92

Capture mode indicator.....134

ISO sensitivity .........................74

1110 1381691412

1715

13 “K” (appears when memory

remains for over 1000

exposures) ........................... 29

14 Flash-ready indicator........... 32

15 Flexible program

indicator............................... 81

16 Exposure indicator................ 85

Exposure compensation

display .................................. 90

17 Flash compensation

indicator............................... 92

18 Exposure compensation

indicator............................... 90

19 Auto ISO sensitivity

indicator............................. 149

20 Warning indicator ...............221

2019

D No Battery

When the battery is exhausted or no battery is inserted, the display in the viewfinder will dim. This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction. The viewfinder display will return to normal when a fully-charged battery is inserted.

D The Viewfinder Display

Owing to the characteristics of this type of viewfinder display, you may notice fine lines radiating outward from the selected focus point. This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction.

D The Viewfinder

The response time and brightness of the viewfinder may vary with temperature.

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The Monitor

The monitor opens outwards 180 ° and can be rotated 180° left or 90° right as shown below, allowing the monitor to be angled for high- and low-angle photography or rotated to face the user for self-portraits (0 45).

180°

90°

180°

❚❚ Shooting Position

In other situations, the monitor can be stowed on the camera body by opening it outward and rotating it 180° left before folding it back onto the camera body. most shooting and playback.

This position is recommended for

❚❚ Storage Position

To protect the monitor when the camera is not in use, fold it back onto the camera body as shown at right.

D Using the Monitor

Rotate the monitor gently within the limits shown above. Do not use force. Fai lure to obser ve these precautions could damage the connection between the monitor and the camera body.

Adjust the monitor before mounting the camera on a tripod.

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The Information Display

Shooting information, including shutter speed, aperture, and the number of exposures remaining, is displayed in the monitor when the R button is pressed.

Camera in normal orientation

2 3 4 5 6 7

1 Shooting mode

i auto/

j auto (flash off) .............. 28

Scene modes ...................... 33

P, S, A, and M modes........... 80

2 Aperture (f-number) ......83, 84

3 Shutter speed ..................82, 84

4 Shutter-speed display.............9

5 Aperture display.......................9

6 Exposure/white balance

bracketing indicator........103

7 Exposure indicator................ 85

Exposure compensation

indicator............................... 91

Bracketing progress indicator

..............................................105

8 Auto-area AF indicator ........ 57

3D-tracking indicator........... 57

Focus point............................. 58

9 Help indicator......................221

ADL bracketing indicator

33 32 31 30 29 28

Set

151412119 10 13 17

11 Flash mode..............................71

12 Exposure compensation ......90

13 ADL bracketing....................103

14 Flash compensation..............92

15 Picture Control .....................106

16 Number of exposures

17 “K” (appears when memory

18 Bracketing increment.........104

20 Metering..................................88

21 AF-area mode.........................56

22 Focus mode.............................54

23 Release mode.........................65

24 ISO sensitivity.........................74

25 White balance ........................96

26 Image size ...............................64

....105

Camera rotated 90° to shoot

in tall (portrait) orientation

27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18

remaining ............................29

Capture mode indicator.....134

remains for over 1000

exposures)............................29

Active D-Lighting

10 11 12 27 26

25 24

...................94

R button

34 33 32 31 30 29 28

7 16

17 13 15 14 19 18

Set

22 20 21

27 Image quality......................... 62

28 Battery indicator.................... 28

29 “Beep” indicator ..................158

30 Auto ISO sensitivity

indicator............................. 149

31 Manual flash indicator....... 162

Flash compensation indicator

for optional flash units ...200

32 Date imprint indicator ....... 160

33 GPS connection

indicator............................. 114

34 Eye-Fi connection

indicator............................. 173

Page 27

❚❚ Changing Settings in the Information Display

To change settings for the items listed in the information display, press the P button. Highlight items using the multi selector and press J to view options for the highlighted item.

Some

items can also be adjusted using the command dial and camera buttons (0 10).

P button

A The Shutter-Speed and Aperture Displays

These displays provide visual indications of shutter speed and aperture.

Fast shutter speed, large

aperture (small f-number).

While the mode dial is rotated, this display is replaced by an image of the mode dial.

Slow shutter speed, small

aperture (large f-number).

A Turning the Monitor Off

To clear information from the display, press the R button again. Note that the monitor turns off automatically while the shutter-release is pressed or if no operations are performed for 8 s (the default value). The information display can be restored by pressing the R button.

A See Also

For information on choosing how long the monitor stays on, see Custom Setting c2 (Auto off timers, 0 157). For information on choosing a design for the information display, see Info display format, (0 166). For information on choosing whether information is

displayed when the shutter-release button is pressed; see Auto information display (0 168). For information on choosing whether the cursor in the information display “wraps around,” see Info wrap-around (0 168).

Page 28

The Command Dial

The command dial can be used with other controls to adjust a variety of settings when shooting information is displayed in the monitor.

M button: flash mode and flash compensation

E button:

aperture,

Fn (E) button: release mode, image quality and size, ISO sensitivity, white balance,

ctive D-Lighting,

or bracketing

Command dial

Choose a scene (h mode; 0 34).

h mode Command dial Information display

Choose a combination of aperture and shutter speed (mode P; 0 81).

exposure compensation, and flash compensation

Mode dial

Choose a shutter speed (mode S or M; 0 82, 84).

Choose an aperture (mode A; 0 83).

Mode P Command dial Information display

Mode S or M Command dial Information display

Mode A Command dial

Information display

Page 29

Choose an aperture (mode M; 0 84).

Set exposure compensation (mode P, S, or A; 0 90).

Mode M E button Command dial Information display

Mode P, S, or A

Choose a flash mode (0 71).

E button Command dial Information display

M button Command dial Information display

Adjust flash compensation (mode P, S, A, or M; 0 92).

P, S, A, or M M button E button Command dial Information display

Page 30

The role of the Fn (E) button can be selected using Custom Setting f1 (Assign allowing the following settings to be adjusted by pressing the Fn (E) button and rotating the command dial:

Release mode (0 65) Image quality and size

ISO sensitivity (0 74) White balance (0 96)

Active D-Lighting (0 94) Bracketing (0 103)

E/Fn button; 0 163),

(0 62)

Fn (E) button Command dial

The Power Switch

Rotate the power switch as shown to turn the camera on.

Rotate the power switch as shown to turn the camera off.

Power switch

Page 31

Camera Menus

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

Ta bs

Choose from the following menus:

D: Playback (0 146) • B: Setup (0 165)

•

• C: Shooting (0 148) • N: Retouch (0 174)

• A: Custom Settings (0 153) • m: Recent settings or My Menu (defaults to

To view the

G button

Recent settings; 0 190)

Slider shows position in current menu.

Current settings are shown by icons.

Menu options

Options in current menu.

If a d icon is displayed at the bottom left corner of the monitor, help can be displayed by pressing the Q button. A description of the currently selected option or menu will be displayed while the button is pressed. Press 1 or 3 to scroll through the display.

Q button

Page 32

Using Camera Menus

The multi selector and J button are used to navigate the camera menus.

Move cursor up

J button: select highlighted item

Cancel and return to

previous menu

Select highlighted item or display sub-menu

Move cursor down

Follow the steps below to navigate the menus.

1 Display the menus.

Press the G button to display the menus.

2 Highlight the icon for the current menu.

Press 4 to highlight the icon for the current menu.

G button

3 Select a menu.

Press 1 or 3 to position the cursor in the selected menu.

Page 33

4 Position the cursor in the selected menu.

Press 2 to position the cursor in the selected menu.

5 Highlight a menu item.

Press 1 or 3 to highlight a menu item.

6 Display options.

Press 2 to display options for the selected menu item.

7 Highlight an option.

Press 1 or 3 to highlight an option.

8 Select the highlighted item.

Press J to select the highlighted item. To exit without making a selection, press the G button.

Note the following:

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

• While pressing 2 generally has the same effect as pressing J, there are some

cases in which selection can only be made by pressing J.

• To exit the menus and return to shooting mode, press the shutter-release button

halfway (0 32).

Page 34

First Steps

EL-EL9a

7.2V 1080mAh

7.8Wh

Charge the Battery

The camera is powered by an EN-EL9a rechargeable Li-ion battery (supplied). To maximize shooting time, charge the battery in the supplied MH-23 quick charger before use. battery when no charge remains.

1 Plug the charger in.

2 Remove the terminal cover.

About one hour and forty minutes are required to fully recharge the

Insert the AC adapter plug into the battery charger and plug the power cable into an electrical outlet.

Remove the terminal cover from the battery.

A a

-E

7.8

1080m

.2V 7

Ter mi na l cover

3 Insert the battery.

Insert the battery as shown in the illustration on the charger.

The CHARGE lamp will blink while the

battery charges.

4 Remove the battery when charging is

complete.

Charging is complete when the CHARGE lamp

stops blinking. the charger.

Remove the battery and unplug

Battery

charging

7.8Wh

7.2V 1080mAh

EL-EL9a

Charging complete

Page 35

Insert the Battery

1 Turn the camera off.

A Inserting and Removing Batteries

Always turn the camera off before inserting or removing batteries.

2 Open the battery-chamber cover.

Unlatch (q) and open (w) the battery-chamber cover.

3 Insert the battery.

Insert the battery as shown at right.

4 Close the battery-chamber cover.

Power switch

D The Battery and Charger

Read and follow the warnings and cautions on pages xii–xiii and 210–211 of this manual. Do not use the battery at ambient temperatures below 0°C (32 °F) or above 40°C (104°F). Charge the battery indoors at ambient temperatures between 5–35°C (41–95 °F); for best results, charge the battery at temperatures above 20°C (68°F). temporarily drop if the battery is charged at low temperatures or used at a temperature below the temperature at which it was charged.

The battery may be hot immediately after use. Wait for the battery to cool before recharging.

Use the charger with compatible batteries only. Unplug when not in use.

Battery capacity may

Page 36

Attach a Lens

Care should be taken to prevent dust from entering the camera when the lens is removed. illustrative purposes.

An AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6G VR lens is used in this manual for

Focal length index

Focal length scale

Lens cap

Focus ring (0 60, 229)

1 Turn the camera off.

2 Remove the rear lens cap and the

camera body cap.

3 Attach the lens.

Keeping the mounting index on the lens aligned with the mounting index on the camera body, position the lens in the camera’s bayonet mount (q). Being careful not to press the lensrelease button, rotate the lens counter-clockwise until it clicks into place (w).

Zoom ring

Mounting index

CPU contacts

A-M mode switch (see below)

VR (vibration reduction) switch (0 19)

(0 194)

Rear lens cap

If the lens is equipped with an A-M or M/A-M switch, select A (autofocus) or M/A (autofocus with manual priority).

D Autofocus

Autofocus is supported with only AF-S and AF-I lenses, which are equipped with autofocus motors.

Autofocus is not available with other AF lenses.

Page 37

❚❚ 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 (q) while turning the lens clockwise (w). replace the lens caps and camera body cap.

After removing the lens,

❚❚ Vibration Reduction (VR)

AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6G VR lenses support vibration reduction (VR), which reduces blur caused by camera shake even when the camera is panned, allowing shutter speeds to be slowed by approximately 3 EV at a focal length of 55mm (Nikon measurements; effects vary with the user and shooting conditions).

To use vibration reduction, slide the VR switch to ON. reduction is activated when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway, reducing the effects of camera shake on the image in the viewfinder and simplifying the process of framing the subject and focusing in both autofocus and manual modes. When the camera is panned, vibration reduction applies only to motion that is not part of the pan (if the camera is panned horizontally, for example, vibration reduction will be applied only to vertical shake), making it much easier to pan the camera smoothly in a wide arc.

Vibration reduction can be turned off by sliding the VR switch to OFF. reduction off when the camera is securely mounted on a tripod, but leave it on if the tripod head is not secured or when using a monopod.

Vibration

Turn vibration

D CPU Lenses with Aperture Rings

In the case of CPU lenses equipped with an aperture ring (0 194), lock aperture at the minimum setting (highest f-number).

D Vibration Reduction

Do not turn the camera off or remove the lens while vibration reduction is in effect. If power to the lens is cut while vibration reduction is on, the lens may rattle when shaken. This is not a malfunction, and can be corrected by reattaching the lens and turning the camera on. Vibration reduction is disabled while the built-in flash is charging. When vibration reduction is active, the image in the viewfinder may be blurred after the shutter is released. This does not indicate a malfunction.

Page 38

Basic Setup

A language-selection dialog will be displayed the first time the camera is turned on. Choose a language and set the time and date. Photographs can not be taken until you have set the time and date.

1 Turn the camera on.

A language-selection dialog will be displayed.

2 Select a language.

Press 1 or 3 to highlight the desired language and press J.

3 Choose a time zone.

A time-zone selection dialog will be displayed. Press 4 or 2 to highlight the local time zone (the UTC field shows the difference between the selected time zone and Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC, in hours) and press J.

4 Choose a date format.

Press 1 or 3 to choose the order in which the year, month, and day will be displayed. to proceed to the next step.

Press J

Power switch

5 Turn daylight saving time on or off.

Daylight saving time options will be displayed. Daylight saving time is off by default; if daylight saving time is in effect in the local time zone, press 1 to highlight On and press J.

Page 39

6 Set the date and time.

The dialog shown at right will be displayed. Press 4 or 2 to sel ect an ite m, 1 or 3 to change. Press J to set the clock and exit to shooting mode.

A The Setup Menu

Language and date/time settings can be changed at any time using the Language (0 169) and Time zone and date (0 169) options in the setup menu.

A The Clock Battery

The camera clock is powered by an independent, rechargeable power source, which is charged as necessary when the main battery is installed or the camera is powered by an optional EP-5 power connector and EH-5a AC adapter (0 204). Three days of charging will power the clock for about a month. If a message warning that the clock is not set is displayed when the camera is turned on, the clock battery is exhausted and the clock has been reset. Set the clock to the correct time and date.

A The Camera Clock

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.

Page 40

Insert a Memory Card

4.0

The camera stores pictures on Secure Digital (SD) memory cards (available separately).

1 Turn the camera off.

A Inserting and Removing Memory Cards

Always turn the camera off before inserting or

removing memory cards.

2 Open the card slot cover.

Slide the card slot cover out (q) and open the card slot (w).

3 Insert the memory card.

Ho ldin g the memo ry car d as show n at r ight , sl ide it in until it clicks into place. access lamp will light for a few seconds. the memory card slot cover.

D Inserting Memory Cards

Inserting memor y cards upside down or backwards could damage the camera or the card. Check to be sure the card is in the correct orientation.

If this is the first time the memory card will be used in the camera after being used or formatted in another device, format the card as described on page 23.

The memory card

Power switch

Access lamp

Front

4.0

❚❚ Removing Memory Cards

After confirming that the access lamp is off, turn the camera off, open the memory card slot cover, and press the card in to eject it (q). removed by hand (w).

The card can then be

Page 41

Format the Memory Card

Memory cards must be formatted after being used or formatted in other devices. Format the card as described below.

D 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 computer before proceeding (0 134).

1 Turn the camera on.

Power switch

2 Display format options.

Press the G button to display the menus. Highlight Format memor y card in the setup menu and press 2. using the menus, see page 13.

For more information on

G button

3 Highlight Ye s .

To exit without formatting the memory card, highlight No and press J.

4 Press J.

The message at right will be displayed while the card is formatted.

memory card or remove or disconnect the power source until formatting is complete.

Do not remove the

Page 42

D Memory Cards

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

• Turn the power off before inserting or removing memory cards. Do not remove memory cards from the camera, turn the camera off, or remove 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 damage to the camera or card.

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

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

• Do not apply force to the card casing. Failure to observe this precaution could damage

the card.

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

A The Write Protect Switch

Memory cards are equipped with a write protect switch to prevent accidental loss of data. When this switch is in the “lock” position, photos can not be recorded or deleted and the memory card can not be formatted. To unlock th e memory card, slide the switch to the “write” position.

4.0

Write-protect switch

Page 43

Adjust Viewfinder Focus

The camera is equipped with diopter adjustment to accommodate individual differences in vision. framing pictures in the viewfinder.

Check that the display in the viewfinder is in focus before

1 Remove the lens cap and turn the camera

Power switch

on.

2 Focus the viewfinder.

Slide the diopter adjustment control up and down until the viewfinder display and focus point are in sharp focus. control with your eye to the viewfinder, be careful not to put your fingers or fingernails in your eye.

A Adjusting Viewfinder Focus

If you are unable to focus the viewfinder as described above, select single-servo autofocus (AF-S; 0 54), single-point AF (c; 0 57), and the center focus point (0 58), and then frame a high-contrast subject in the center focus point and press the shutter-release button halfway to focus the camera. With the camera in focus, use the diopter adjustment control to bring the subject into clear focus in the viewfinder. If necessary, viewfinder focus can be further adjusted using optional corrective lenses (0 202).

When operating the

Focus point

Page 44

Page 45

Basic Photography and Playback

This chapter outlines the basics of taking and viewing photographs in auto and scene modes.

“Point-and-Shoot” Photography (i and j Modes)............................................... 28

Step 1: Turn the Camera On .................................................................................................... 28

Step 2: Select i or j Mode.................................................................................................... 30

Step 3: Frame the Photograph ............................................................................................... 30

Step 4: Focus................................................................................................................................. 31

Step 5: Shoot................................................................................................................................. 32

Creative Photography (Scene Modes)....................................................................... 33

k Portrait ....................................................................................................................................... 34

l Landscape ................................................................................................................................ 34

p Child ........................................................................................................................................... 34

m Sports ......................................................................................................................................... 34

n Close Up .................................................................................................................................... 35

o Night Portrait........................................................................................................................... 35

r Night Landscape .................................................................................................................... 35

s Party/Indoor............................................................................................................................. 35

t Beach/Snow ............................................................................................................................. 36

u Sunset......................................................................................................................................... 36

v Dusk/Dawn............................................................................................................................... 36

w Pet Portrait ............................................................................................................................... 36

x Candlelight................................................................................................................................. 37

y Blossom ..................................................................................................................................... 37

z Autumn Colors ........................................................................................................................ 37

0 Food............................................................................................................................................. 37

1 Silhouette.................................................................................................................................. 38

2 High Key .................................................................................................................................... 38

3 Low Key ..................................................................................................................................... 38

Basic Playback................................................................................................................ 39

Deleting Unwanted Photographs......................................................................................... 40

Page 46

“Point-and-Shoot” Photography (i and j Modes)

This section describes how to take photographs in i (auto) mode, an automatic “point-and-shoot” mode in which the majority of settings are controlled by the camera in response to shooting conditions, and in which the flash will fire automatically if the subject is poorly lit. take photographs with the flash off while leaving the camera in control of other settings, rotate the mode dial to j to select auto (flash off) mode.

Step 1: Turn the Camera On

1 Turn the camera on.

Remove the lens cap and turn the camera on. After a brief pause while the camera cleans the image sensor, the information display will appear in the monitor.

2 Check the battery level.

Check the battery level in the information display or the viewfinder (if the monitor is off, press the R button to view the information display; if the monitor does not turn on, the battery is exhausted and must be recharged).

Information display View finder Description

L — Battery fully charged. K — Battery partially discharged.

H d H

(blinks)

Low battery. Ready fully-charged spare battery or prepare to charge battery. Battery exhausted; shutter release disabled. Charge or exchange battery.

Power switch

Page 47

3 Check the number of exposures

remaining.

The information display and viewfinder show the number of photographs that can be stored on the memory card. exposures remaining.

If there is not enough memory to store additional photographs at current settings, a warning will be displayed. can be taken until the memory card has been replaced (0 22) or photographs have been deleted (0 40, 126).

When enough memory remains on the memory card to record a thousand or more pictures at current settings, the number of exposures remaining will be shown in thousands, rounded down to the nearest hundred (e.g., if there is room for 1,260 exposures, the exposure count display will show 1.2 K).

A Auto Meter Off

At default settings, the viewfinder and information display will turn off if no operations are performed for about eight seconds (auto meter off ), reducing the drain on the battery. Press the shutter-release button halfway to reactivate the display (0 32).

Check the number of

No further pictures

8 s

Exposure meters on Exposure meters off Exposure meters on

The length of time before the exposure meters turn off automatically can be adjusted using Custom Setting c2 (Auto off timers; 0 157).

A Image Sensor Cleaning

At default settings, the camera vibrates the low-pass filter covering the image sensor to remove dust when the camera is turned on or off.

Page 48

Step 2: Select i or j Mode

To shoot where use of a flash is prohibited, photograph infants, or capture natural lighting under low light conditions, rotate the mode dial to j. Otherwise, rotate the mode dial to i.

j mode i mode

Step 3: Frame the Photograph

1 Ready the camera.

When framing photographs in the viewfinder, hold the handgrip in your right hand and cradle the camera body or lens with your left. your elbows propped lightly against your torso for support and place one foot half a pace ahead of the other to keep your upper body stable.

Hold the camera as shown at right when framing photographs in portrait (tall) orientation.

Keep

Mode dial

In j mode, shutter speeds slow when lighting is poor; use of a tripod is recommended.

2 Frame the photograph.

Frame a photograph in the viewfinder with the main subject in at least one of the 11 focus points.

Focus point

Page 49

A Using a Zoom Lens

Use the zoom ring to zoom in on the subject so that it fills a larger area of the frame, or zoom out to increase the area visible in the final photograph (select longer focal lengths on the lens focal length scale index to zoom in, shorter focal lengths to zoom out).

Zoom in

Zoom ring

Zoom out

Step 4: Focus

1 Press the shutter-release button halfway.

Press the shutter-release button halfway to focus.

The camera will select the focus points automatically. may pop up and the AF-assist illuminator may light.

If the subject is poorly lit, the flash

2 Check the indicators in the viewfinder.

When the focus operation is complete, the selected focus points will be briefly highlighted, a beep will sound, and the in-focus indicator (I) will appear in the viewfinder.

In-focus indicator Description

I Subject in focus.

I (blinks)

While the shutter-release button is pressed halfway, the number of exposures that can be stored in the memory buffer (“t”; 0 66) will be displayed in the viewfinder.

Camera unable to focus using autofocus. See page 55.

In-focus indicator

Buffer

capacit y

Page 50

Step 5: Shoot

Smoothly press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down to release the shutter and record the photograph. card slot cover will light and the photograph will be displayed in the monitor for a few seconds (to resume shooting before the photograph clears from the display, press the shutter-release button halfway).

not eject the memory card or remove or disconnect the power source until the lamp has gone out and recording

is complete.

A The Shutter-Release Button

The camera has a two-stage shutter-release button. The camera focuses when the shutterrelease button is pressed halfway. To take the photograph, press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down.

A The Built-in Flash

If additional lighting is required for correct exposure in i mode, the built-in flash will pop up automatically when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway. If the flash is raised, photographs can only be taken when the flash-ready indicator (M) is displayed. If the flashready indicator is not displayed, the flash is charging; remove your finger briefly from the shutter-release button and try again.

The access lamp next to the memory

Access lamp

To save battery power when the flash is not in use, return it to its closed position by pressing it gently downward till the latch clicks into place.

A Using the Flash

For more information on using the flash, see page 70.

Page 51

Creative Photography (Scene Modes)

The camera offers a choice of “scene” modes. Choosing a scene mode automatically optimizes settings to suit the selected scene, making creative photography as simple as selecting a mode, framing a picture, and shooting as described on pages 28–32.

❚❚ The Mode Dial

The following scenes can be selected with the mode dial:

Portr ait

Land-

scape Child Sports Close up

Night

portrait

Other

scenes

klpmnoh

❚❚ h Mode

When the mode dial is rotated to h, the following scenes can be selected by rotating the command dial until the desired scene is shown in the information display (0 8):

Mode dial

Night

landscape Party/indoor Beach/snow Sunset Dusk/dawn Pet portrait Candlelight

Command dial Information display

rstuvw x

Blossom Autumn colors Food Silhouette High key Low key

yz0123

A h Mode

The mode selected when the mode dial is rotated to h can also be chosen using the Scene mode option in the shooting menu (0 148).

Page 52

❚❚ Scene Modes

kPortra it

pChild

Use for portraits with soft, naturallooking skin tones. If the subject is far from the background or a telephoto lens is used, background details will be softened to lend the composition a sense of depth.

lLandscape

Use for vivid landscape shots in daylight. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.

Use for snapshots of children. Clothing and background details are vividly rendered, while skin tones remain soft and natural.

mSports

Fast shutter speeds freeze motion for dynamic sports shots in which the main subject stands out clearly. flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off.

The built-in

Page 53

nClose Up

rNight Landscape

Use for close-up shots of flowers, insects, and other small objects (a macro lens can be used to focus at very close ranges). Use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur.

oNight Portrait

Use for a natural balance between the main subject and the background in portraits taken under low light. tripod is recommended to prevent blur.

Use of a

Reduce noise and unnatural colors when photographing night landscapes, including street lighting and neon signs. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur.

sParty/Indoor

Capture the effects of indoor background lighting. Use for parties and other indoor scenes.

Page 54

tBeach/Snow

Capture the brightness of sunlight expanses of water, snow, or sand. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off.

vDusk/Dawn

Preserves the colors seen in the weak natural light before dawn or after sunset. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.

uSunset

Preserves the deep hues seen in sunsets and sunrises. The built-in flash and AFassist illuminator turn off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.

wPet Portrai t

Use for portraits of active pets. assist illuminator turns off.

The AF-

Page 55

xCandlelight

zAutumn Colors

For photographs taken by candlelight. The built-in flash turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.

yBlossom

Use for fields of flowers, orchards in bloom, and other landscapes featuring expanses of blossoms. turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.

The built-in flash

Captures the brilliant reds and yellows in autumn leaves. The built-in flash turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.

0Food

Use for vivid photographs of food. a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor; the flash can also be used (0 70).

Use of

Page 56

1Silhouette

Silhouette subjects against bright backgrounds. The built-in flash turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.

2High Key

3Low Key

Use to create dark, somber images that bring out highlights when shooting dark scenes.

The built-in flash turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.

Use to create bright images that seem filled with light when shooting bright scenes.

The built-in flash turns off.

Page 57

Basic Playback

NOROR

MALAL

At default settings, photographs are automatically displayed for about 4 s after shooting. be viewed by pressing the K button.

1 Press the K button.

2 View additional pictures.

If no photograph is displayed in the monitor, the most recent picture can

A photograph will be displayed in the monitor.

K button

Additional pictures can be displayed by pressing 4 or 2 or rotating the command dial.

To view additional information on the current photograph, press 1 and 3 (0 117).

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

1/ 12

1/250 F11

AUTO 0, 0

100D5000 DS

15/04/2009 10:02:27

0001. JPG

NIKON D5000

200

4288x2848

35mm

Page 58

Deleting Unwanted Photographs

To delete the photograph currently displayed in the monitor, press the O button. Note that photographs can not be recovered once deleted.

1 Display the photograph.

Display the photograph you wish to delete as described on the preceding page.

2 Delete the photograph.

Press the O button. A confirmation dialog will be displayed; press the O button again to delete the image and return to playback (to exit without deleting the picture, press K).

O button

A Delete

To delete selected images (0 127), all images taken on a selected date (0 128), or all images in the current playback folder (0 146), use the Delete option in the playback menu.

Page 59

Framing Pictures in the Monitor

(Live View)

This chapter describes how to frame pictures in the monitor using live view.

Framing Photographs in the Monitor........................................................................ 42

Page 60

Framing Photographs in the Monitor

Follow the steps below to take photographs in live view.

1 Press the a button.

The mirror will be raised and the view through the lens will be displayed in the

camera monitor. be visible in the viewfinder.

Item Description 0

Shooting mode The mode currently selected with the mode dial.

“No movie” icon Indicates that movies can not be recorded. 50

Time remaining

Live view autofocus The current autofocus mode. 43

Focus point

Audio recording

indicator Time remaining

(movie mode)

The subject will no longer

The amount of time remaining before live view ends automatically. Displayed if shooting will end in 30 s or less.

The current focus point. The display varies with the option selected for autofocus mode (0 43).

Indicates whether sound is being recorded with movies. 51

The recording time remaining in movie mode. 50

a button

30, 33,

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2 Choose an autofocus mode.

Press the P button and use the multi selector to highlight the current autofocus mode in the monitor. following options (the default option differs depending on the shooting mode; 0 78). Highlight an option and press J.

Mode Description

8 Face priority

9 Wide area

! Normal area

" Subject tracking Track a selected subject as it moves through the frame.

Press J to display the

P button

The camera automatically detects and focuses on portrait subjects facing the camera. Use for portraits. Use for hand-held shots of landscapes and other non-portrait subjects. Use the multi selector to select the focus point. Use for pin-point focus on a selected spot in the frame. A tripod is recommended.

A Live View Autofocus

The autofocus mode for live view autofocus can also be chosen using Custom Settings a3 (Live view autofocus, 0 155).

3 Choose the focus point.

Face priority: A double yellow border will be

displayed when the camera detects a portrait subject facing the camera (if multiple faces, up to a maximum of five, are detected, the camera will focus on the closest subject).

Focus point

Wide area and normal area: Use the multi selector to move the focus point to any point in the frame.

Subject tracking: Frame the subject in the center of the monitor and press 1 to focus. When the camera focuses, the focus point will turn yellow and then start tracking the selected subject as it moves through the frame.

Focus point

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4 Focus.

Press the shutter-release button halfway to focus.

Face priority: The camera sets focus and exposure for the face in the double yellow border while the shutter-release button is pressed halfway; if the camera can no longer detect the subject (because, for example, the subject has looked away), borders will no longer be displayed.

Wide area and normal area: The camera focuses on the subject in the selected focus point while the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

Subject tracking: The camera focuses on the current subject. To end tracking, press 1.

D Subject Tracking

Some time may be required for the camera to initiate focus. The camera may be unable to track subjects if they are small, moving quickly, or a similar color to the background, or if both the subject and the background are very bright or very dark, the brightness and color of the subject or background varies greatly, or the subject visibly changes size.

The focus point will blink green and the monitor may brighten or darken while the camera focuses. displayed in green; if the camera is unable to focus, the focus point will blink red.

Note that pictures can be taken even when the focus point blinks red.

Check focus in the monitor before shooting.

5 Take the picture.

Press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down to shoot. complete, the photograph will be displayed in the monitor for 4 s or until the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

6 Exit live view mode.

Press the a button to exit live view mode.

If the camera is able to focus, the focus point will be

The monitor will turn off. When shooting is

The camera will then return to live view mode.

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A Live View Display Options

Press the R button to cycle through display options as shown below. The options available depend on the setting selected for Custom Setting d7 (Live view display options; 0 161).

Show indicators Hide indicators Framing grid Show shooting info

A Positioning the Monitor

The monitor can be adjusted for self-portraits or for low- or high-angle shots.

Low-angle shots High-angle shots Self-portraits

Frame shots with the camera

close to the ground.

Frame shots while holding

the camera over your head.

Monitor shows mirror image

of what will appear in final

picture.

A Exposure Compensation

In P, S, and A modes, exposure can be adjusted by ±5 EV in increments of 1/3 EV (0 90). Note that the effects of values over +3 EV or under –3 EV can not be previewed in the monitor.

A HDMI

When the camera is attached to an HDMI video device, the camera monitor will turn off and the video device will display the view through the lens as shown at right.

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D Shooting in Live View Mode

To prevent light entering via the viewfinder from interfering with exposure, remove the rubber eyecup and cover the viewfinder with the supplied DK-5 eyepiece cap before shooting.

Although they will not appear in the final picture, banding or distortion may be visible in the monitor under fluorescent, mercury vapor, or sodium lamps or if the camera is panned horizontally or an object moves at high speed through frame. Bright light sources may leave after-images in the monitor when the camera is panned. Bright spots may also appear. When shooting in live view mode, avoid pointing the camera at the sun or other strong light sources. Failure to observe this precaution could result in damage to the camera’s internal circuitry.

Live view shooting ends automatically if the monitor is closed or the lens is removed.

Live view mode can be used for up to an hour. Note, however, that when used in live view mode for extended periods, the temperature of the camera’s internal circuits may rise, resulting in image noise and unusual colors (the camera may also become noticeably warm, but this does not indicated a malfunction). To prevent damage to the camera’s internal circuits, live view shooting will end automatically before the camera overheats. A countdown display will appear in the monitor 30 s before shooting ends. At high ambient temperatures, this display may appear immediately when live view mode is selected.

During live view, the camera displays the shutter speed and aperture in effect at the start of live view. Exposure is metered again when the shutter-release button is pressed all the way down.

To reduce blur when using a tripod, choose On for Custom Setting d5 (Exposure delay mode).

D Using Autofocus in Live View

Autofocus is slower in live view. situations:

• The subject contains lines parallel to the long edge of the frame

• The subject lacks contrast

• The subject in the focus point contains areas of sharply contrasting brightness, or the

subject is lit by spot lighting or by a neon sign or other light source that changes in brightness

• A cross (star) filter or other special filter is used

• The subject appears smaller than the focus point

• The subject is dominated by regular geometric patterns (e.g., windows in a skyscraper)

• The subject is moving

Note that the focus point may sometimes be displayed in green when the camera is unable to focus.

The camera may be unable to focus in the following

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A Manual Focus

To focus in manual focus mode (0 60), rotate the lens focus ring until the subject is in focus.

To magnify the view in the monitor up to about 6.7 for precise focus, press the X button. While the view through the lens is zoomed in, a navigation window will appear in a gray frame at the bottom right corner of the display. Use the multi selector to scroll to areas of the frame not visible in the monitor (available only if Wide area or Normal area is selected for Live view autofocus), or press W to zoom out.

X button Navigation window

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Page 67

Recording and Viewing Movies

This chapter describes how to record movies in live view.

Recording Movies.......................................................................................................... 50

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

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Recording Movies

Movies can be recorded at 24 fps in live view mode.

1 Press the a button.

The mirror is raised and the view through the lens is displayed in the monitor instead of the viewfinder.

D The 0 Icon

A 0 icon (0 42) indicates that movies can not be recorded.

A Modes A and M

Set aperture before recording in mode A or M.

2 Focus.

Frame the opening shot and press the shutter-release button halfway. Autofocus is not available after recording begins; use manual focus to focus (0 60) during recording.

3 Start recording.

Press J to start recording (at default settings, both video and sound are recorded; do not cover the microphone on the front of the camera during recording). time available are displayed in the monitor. Exposure can be locked by pressing the AE-L/AF-L button (0 89) or (in P, S, and A) altered by up to ±3 EV in steps of

4 End recording.

Press J again to end recording (to end recording and take a still picture in the mode currently selected with the mode dial, press the shutter-release button all the way down). when the maximum size is reached or the memory card is full.

Shooting can not begin until the camera has focused.

Recording indicator

A recording indicator and the

/3 EV using exposure compensation (0 90).

Recording will end automatically

a button

Time remaining

A Maximum Size

Ea ch m ovie f ile can be u p to 2 G B in siz e. The maximum length is 5 min for movies with a frame size of 1280 × 720, 20 min for other movies; note that depending on memory card write speed, shooting may end before this length is reached.

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❚❚ Movie Settings

To choose movie frame size and sound options:

1 Select Movie settings.

Press the G button to display the menus. Highlight Movie settings in the shooting menu and press 2.

G button

2 Choose frame size and sound

recording options.

To choose a frame size, highlight Quality and press 2. options and press J to select:

3 1280× 720 (16:9) 1280 × 720 5 min. 4 640× 424 (3:2) 640 × 424 5 320× 216 (3:2) 320 × 216

Highlight one of the following

Option Frame size (pixels) Maximum length

20 min.

To turn sound recording on or off, highlight Sound and press 2. monaural sound with movies, highlight On and press J. silent movies.

To record

Select Off to record

D Recording Movies

Banding or distortion may be visible in the monitor and in the final movie under fluorescent, mercury vapor, or sodium lamps or if the camera is panned horizontally or an object moves at high speed through frame. Bright light sources may leave after-images when the camera is panned. Jagged edges, false colors, moiré, and bright spots may also appear. When recording movies, avoid pointing the camera at the sun or other strong light sources. Fai lure to observe this precaution could result in damage to the camera’s internal circuitry.

Recording ends automatically if the lens is removed. Unless the camera is connected to a TV, recording will also end if the monitor is closed.

When used in live view or movie-recording mode for extended periods, the temperature of the camera’s internal circuits may rise, resulting in image noise and unusual colors (the camera may also become noticeably warm, but this does not indicated a malfunction). To prevent damage to the camera’s internal circuits, recording will end automatically before the camera overheats. A count-down display will appear in the monitor 30 s before shooting ends. At high ambient temperatures, this display may appear immediately when live view mode is selected.

Matrix metering is used regardless of the metering method selected.

The camera may record the sound made by VR lenses when vibration reduction is on.

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Viewing Movies

Movies are indicated by a 1 icon in full-frame playback (0 116). The following operations can be performed while a movie is displayed:

1 icon Recording time

Audio indicator

To Use Description

Start/pause/

resume

Advance/

rewind

Adjust volume X/W Press X to increase volume, W to decrease.

Exit to shooting

mode

Display menus G See page 145 for more information.

Return to full-

frame playback

J Press J to start, pause, or resume playback.

Press 4 or 2 to rewind or fast forward. paused, press 4 or 2 to rewind or advance one frame.

Monitor will turn off.

/K Press 1 or K to exit to full-frame playback.

Photographs can be taken immediately.

While playback is

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More on Photography (All Modes)

This and the following two chapters build on the Tutorial to cover more advanced shooting and playback options.

Focus................................................................................................................................ 54

Focus Mode................................................................................................................................... 54

AF-Area Mode .............................................................................................................................. 56

Focus Point Selection ................................................................................................................ 58

Focus Lock ..................................................................................................................................... 58

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

Image Quality and Size................................................................................................. 62

Image Quality ............................................................................................................................... 62

Image Size...................................................................................................................................... 64

Release Mode ................................................................................................................. 65

Self-Timer and Remote Modes............................................................................................... 67

Using the Built-in Flash ................................................................................................ 70

Flash Mode .................................................................................................................................... 71

ISO Sensitivity ................................................................................................................ 74

Interval Timer Photography ........................................................................................ 76

Two-Button Reset.......................................................................................................... 78

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Focus

Focus can be adjusted automatically or manually (see “Focus Mode,” below). The user can also select the focus point for automatic or manual focus (0 60) or use focus lock to focus to recompose photographs after focusing (0 58).

Focus Mode

Choose from automatic and manual focus modes.

1 Place the cursor in the information display.

If shooting information is not displayed in the monitor, press the R button. Press the P button to place the cursor in the information display.

R button Information display P button

2 Display focus-mode options.

Highlight the current focus mode in the information display and press J.

3 Choose a focus mode.

Highlight one of the following options and press J.

Note that AF-S and AF-C are available only in

modes P, S, A, and M.

Option Description

Auto-servo AFCamera automatically selects single-servo autofocus if subject is

AF-A

Single-servo AFFor stationary subjects. Focus locks when shutter-release button

AF-S

Continuous-

AF-C

servo AF

MF Manual focus Focus manually (0 60).

stationary, continuous-servo autofocus if subject is moving.

is pressed halfway. For moving subjects. Camera focuses continuously while shutterrelease button is pressed halfway.

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illumi

D Continuous-servo Autofocus

In AF-C mode or when continuous-servo autofocus is selected in AF-A mode, the camera gives priority to shutter response and the shutter may be released before the in-focus indicator is displayed.

A Getting Good Results with Autofocus

Autofocus does not perform well under the conditions listed below. The shutter release may be disabled if the camera is unable to focus under these conditions, or the in-focus indicator (I) may be displayed and the camera may sound a beep, allowing the shutter to be released even when the subject is not in focus. In these cases, focus manually (0 60) or use focus lock (0 58) to focus on another subject at the same distance and then recompose the photograph.

There is little or no contrast between the subject and the background.

Example: Subject is the same color as the background.

The focus point contains objects at different distances from the camera.

Example: Subject is inside a cage.

The subject is dominated by regular geometric patterns.

Example: A row of windows in a skyscraper.

The focus point contains areas of sharply contrasting brightness.

Example: Subject is half in the shade.

Background objects appear larger than the subject.

Example: a building is in the frame behind the subject.

The subject contains many fine details.

Example: A field of flowers or other subjects that are small or lack variation in brightness.

D The AF-Assist Illuminator

If the subject is poorly lit, the AF-assist illuminator will light automatically to assist the autofocus operation when the shutterrelease button is pressed halfway. The AF-assist illuminator will not light during continuous-servo autofocus or manual focus, in shooting modes in which the AF-assist illuminator can not be used, or if Off has been selected for Custom Setting a2 (Built-in AF-assist illuminator; 0 155). The illuminator has a range of about 0.5–3.0 m (1 ft. 8 in.–9 ft. 10 in.); when using the illuminator, use a lens with a focal length of 18–200 mm and remove the lens hood.

-assist

A The Beep Speaker

Custom Setting d1 (Beep; 0 158) can be used to turn the beep speaker on or off.

nator

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AF-Area Mode

Choose how the focus point for autofocus is selected.

1 Place the cursor in the information display.

If shooting information is not displayed in the monitor, press the R button. Press the P button to place the cursor in the information display.

R button Information display P button

2 Display AF-area mode options.

Highlight the current AF-area mode in the

information display and press J.

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3 Choose an AF-area mode.

Highlight one of the following options and press J.

Option Description

c Single point

Dynamic

area

e Auto-area Camera automatically detects subject and selects focus point.

3D-tracking

(11 points)

A AF-Area Mode

AF-area mode can also be selected from the Custom Settings menu (0 155). AF-area mode selections made in shooting modes other than P, S, A, or M are reset when another shooting mode is selected.

User selects focus point using multi selector (0 58); camera focuses on subject in selected focus point only. Use with stationary subjects. In AF-A and AF-C focus modes, user selects focus point manually (0 58), but camera will focus based on information from surrounding focus points if subject briefly leaves selected point. Use with erratically moving subjects. In AF-S focus mode, user selects focus point manually (0 58); camera focuses on subject in selected focus point only.

In AF-A and AF-C focus modes, user selects focus point using multi selector (0 58). If subject moves after camera has focused, camera uses 3Dtracking to select new focus point and keep focus locked on original subject while shutter-release button is pressed halfway. If subject leaves viewfinder, remove your finger from shutter-release button and recompose photograph with subject in selected focus point. In AF-S focus mode, user selects focus point manually (0 58); camera focuses on subject in selected focus point only.

A 3D-tracking (11 Points)

When the shutter-release button is pressed halfway, the colors in the area surrounding the focus point are stored in the camera. Consequently 3D-tracking may not produce the desired results with subjects that are the same color as the background.

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Focus Point Selection

In manual focus mode or when autofocus is combined with AF-area modes other than e Auto-area, you can choose from 11 focus points, making it possible to compose photographs with the main subject almost anywhere in the frame.

1 Choose an AF-area mode other than

e Auto area

(0 56).

2 Select the focus point.

Use the multi selector to select the focus point in the viewfinder or information display. select the center focus area.

Focus Lock

Focus lock can be used to change the composition after focusing in AF-A, AF-S, and AF-C focus modes (0 54), making it possible to focus on a subject that will not be in a focus point in the final composition. autofocus (0 55), you can also focus on another subject at the same distance and then use focus lock to recompose the photograph. an option other than e Auto-area is selected for AF-area mode (0 56).

Press J to

Focus point

If the camera is unable to focus using

Focus lock is most effective when

1 Focus.

Position the subject in the selected focus point and press the shutter-release button halfway to initiate focus. (I) appears in the viewfinder.

Check that the in-focus indicator

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2 Lock focus.

AF-A and AF-C focus modes: With the shutter-release

button pressed halfway (q), press the AE-L/AF-L button (w) to lock both focus and exposure (an AE-L icon will be displayed in the viewfinder). Focus will remain locked while the AE-L/AF-L button is pressed, even if you later remove your finger from the shutter-release button.

AF-S focus mode: Focus will lock automatically when the in-focus indicator appears, and remain locked until you remove your finger from the shutterrelease button. above).

Focus can also be locked by pressing the AE-L/AF-L button (see

Shutter-release button

AE-L/AF-L button

3 Recompose the photograph and shoot.

Focus will remain locked between shots if you keep the shutter-release button pressed halfway (AF-S) or keep the AE-L/AF-L button pressed, allowing several photographs in succession to be taken at the same focus setting.

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.

A The AE-L/AF-L Button

Custom Setting f2 (Assign AE-L/AF-L button; 0 164) controls the behavior of the AE-L/AF-L button.

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Manual Focus

Manual focus can be used when you are not using an AF-S or AF-I lens or when autofocus does not produce the desired results (0 55).

1 Set the lens focus-mode switch.

If the lens is equipped with an A-M or M/A-M switch, slide the switch to M.

A-M switch

2 Focus.

To focus manually, adjust the lens focus ring until the image displayed on the clear matte field in the viewfinder is in focus. any time, even when the image is not in focus.

A AF-S Lenses

Users of AF-S lenses (including the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6G VR lens used in this manual for illustrative purposes; 0 229) can select manual focus simply by setting the lens focus-mode switch to M.

A M/A

If the lens supports M/A (autofocus with manual override, MF priority), manual focus can also be selected by setting the camera focus mode to MF (manual focus; 0 54). Focus can then be adjusted manually, regardless of the mode selected with the lens.

Photographs can be taken at

M/A-M switch

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❚❚ The Electronic Rangefinder

If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the subject in the selected focus point is in focus (the focus point can be selected from any of the 11 focus points). After positioning the subject in the selected focus point, press the shutter-release button halfway and rotate the lens focus ring until the in-focus indicator (I) is displayed. Note that with the subjects listed on page 55, the in-focus indicator may sometimes be displayed when the subject is not in focus; confirm focus in the viewfinder before shooting.

A 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 flange and the focal plane is 46.5 mm (1.83 in.).

46.5mm

Focal plane mar

A The Exposure Indicator

If desired, the exposure indicator can be used to determine whether the focus point for manual focus is in front of or behind the subject (0 156).

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Image Quality and Size

Together, image quality and size determine how much space each photograph occupies on the memory card. sizes but also require more memory, meaning that fewer such images can be stored on the memory card (0 215).

Image Quality

Choose a file format and compression ratio (image quality).

1 Place the cursor in the information display.

If shooting information is not displayed in the monitor, press the R button. Press the P button to place the cursor in the information display.

R button Information display P button

2 Display image quality options.

Highlight the current image quality in the information display and press J.

Larger, higher quality images can be printed at larger

3 Choose a file type.

Highlight one of the following options and press J.

Option File type Description

NEF (RAW) NEF

JPEG fine

JPEG normal

JPEG basic

Raw 12-bit data from the image sensor are saved directly to the memory card. Choose for images that will be processed on a computer. Record JPEG images at a compression ratio of roughly 1 : 4 (fine image quality). Record JPEG images at a compression ratio of roughly 1 : 8 (normal

JPEG

image quality). Record JPEG images at a compression ratio of roughly 1 : 16 (basic image quality).

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Option File type Description

NEF (RAW) +

JPEG fine NEF (RAW) + JPEG normal NEF (RAW) +

JPEG basic

Two images are recorded: one NEF (RAW) image and one finequality JPEG image.

NEF/

Two images are recorded: one NEF (RAW) image and one normal-

JPEG

quality JPEG image. Two images are recorded: one NEF (RAW) image and one basicquality JPEG image.

A NEF (RAW) Images

Note that the option selected for image size does not affect the size of NEF (RAW) images. White balance bracketing (0 103) and date imprint (0 160) are not available at image quality settings of NEF (RAW) or NEF (RAW) + JPEG.

NEF (RAW) images can be viewed on the camera or using software such as Capture NX 2 (available separately; 0 202) or ViewNX (available on the supplied Software Suite CD). JPEG copies of NEF (RAW) images can be created using the NEF (RAW) processing option in the retouch menu (0 184).

A NEF (RAW)/NEF+JPEG

When photographs taken at NEF (RAW) + JPEG fine, NEF (RAW) + JPEG normal, or NEF (RAW) + JPEG basic are viewed on the camera, only the JPEG image will be displayed. When

photographs taken at these settings are deleted, both NEF and JPEG images will be deleted.

A File Names

Photographs are stored as image files with names of the form “DSC_nnnn.xxx,” where nnnn is a four-digit number between 0001 and 9999 assigned automatically in ascending order by the camera, and xxx is one of the following three letter extensions: “NEF” for NEF images, “JPG” for JPEG images, or “AVI” for movies. The NEF and JPEG files recorded at a setting of “NEF+JPEG” have the same file names but different extensions. Small copies created with the small picture option in the retouch menu have file names beginning with “SSC_” and ending with the extension “.JPG” (e.g., “SSC_0001.JPG”). St op m oti on mov ies have fil e na mes beginning with “ASC_” (e.g., “ASC_0001.AVI”); images recorded with the other options in the retouch menu have file names beginning with “CSC” (e.g., “CSC_0001. JPG”). recorded with the Color space option in the shooting menu set to Adobe RGB (0 150) have names that begin with an underscore (e.g., “_DSC0001.JPG”).

Images

A The Shooting Menu

Image quality can also be adjusted using the Image quality option in the shooting menu (0 148).

A The Fn Button

Image quality and size can also be adjusted by pressing the Fn (E) button and rotating the command dial (0 163).

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Image Size

Image size is measured in pixels.

1 Place the cursor in the information display.

If shooting information is not displayed in the monitor, press the R button. Press the P button to place the cursor in the information display.

R button Information display P button

2 Display image size options.

Highlight the current image size in the

information display and press J.

3 Choose an image size.

Highlight one of the following options and press J.

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

Large 4,288 × 2,848 54.5 × 36.2 cm (21.4 × 14.2 in.)

Medium 3,216 × 2,136 40.8 × 27.1 cm (16.1 × 10.7 in.)

Small 2,144 × 1,424 27.2 × 18.1 cm (10.7 × 7.1 in.)

A The Shooting Menu

Image size can also be adjusted using the Image size option in the shooting menu (0 148).

A The Fn Button

Image quality and size can also be adjusted by pressing the Fn (E) button and rotating the command dial (0 163).

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Release Mode

Release mode determines how the camera takes photographs: one at a time, in a continuous sequence, with a timed shutter-release delay or remote control, or with reduced camera noise.

1 Place the cursor in the information display.

If shooting information is not displayed in the monitor, press the R button. Press the P button to place the cursor in the information display.

R button Information display P button

2 Display release mode options.

Highlight the current release mode in the information display and press J.

3 Choose a release mode.

Highlight one of the following options and press J.

Mode Description

8 Single frame

I Continuous

E Self-timer

" Delayed remote

Quick-response

remote

Quiet shutter-

release

Camera takes one photograph each time shutter-release button is pressed. Camera records about 4 frames per second while shutter-release button is held down. Use for self-portraits or to reduce blurring caused by camera shake (0 67). Optional ML-L3 wireless remote control required. Shutter is released after two-second delay (0 67). Optional ML-L3 wireless remote control required. Shutter is released immediately (0 67). As for 8 (single frame) except that camera makes no sound until finger is removed from shutter-release button after shooting and beep does not sound when camera focuses, keeping noise to a minimum in quiet surroundings.

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A The Memory Buffer

The camera is equipped with a memory buffer for temporary storage, allowing shooting to continue while photographs are being saved to the memory card. Up to 100 photographs can be taken in succession; note, however, that frame rate will drop when the buffer is full.

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 buffer, recording may take from a few seconds to a few minutes. Do not remove the memory card or

remove or disconnect 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. 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.

A Continuous Release Mode

Continuous release mode (I) can not be used with the built-in flash; rotate the mode dial to

j (0 30) or turn the flash off (0 70–71).

A Buffer Size

The approximate number of images that can be stored in the memory buffer at current settings is shown in the viewfinder

exposure-count display while the shutter-release button is pressed. The illustration shows the display when space remains in the buffer for about 21 pictures.

A Auto Image Rotation

The camera orientation recorded for the first shot applies to all images in the same burst, even if the camera is rotated during shooting. See “Auto Image Rotation” (0 170).

A See Also

For information on using the Fn (E) button and the command dial to select a release mode, see page 163. For information on the number of photographs that can be taken in a single burst, see page 215.

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Self-Timer and Remote Modes

The self-timer and optional ML-L3 wireless remote control (0 203) can be used to reduce camera shake or for self-portraits.

1 Mount the camera on a tripod.

Mount the camera on a tripod or place the camera on a stable, level surface.

2 Select a release mode (0 65).

Select self-timer (E), delayed remote ("), or quick response release mode (#).

3 Frame the photograph.

A Using a Remote Control

If autofocus is in effect in delayed remote or quick response release mode, the camera can be focused by pressing the shutter-release button halfway (the shutter will not be released if the shutter-release button is pressed all the way down).

A Cover the Viewfinder.

After framing the photograph, remove the rubber eyecup (q) and insert the supplied DK-5 eyepiece cap as shown (w). This prevents light entering via the viewfinder interfering with exposure. Hold the camera firmly when removing the eyepiece cup.

q w

DK-5 eyepiece cap

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4 Take the photograph.

Self-timer mode: Press the shutter-

release button halfway to focus, and then press the button the rest of the way down to start the self-timer. self-timer lamp will start to blink and a beep will begin to sound. seconds before the photograph is taken, the self-timer lamp will stop blinking and the beeping will become more rapid. released about ten seconds after the timer starts.

The timer will not start if the camera is unable to focus or in other situations in which the shutter can not be released.

The shutter will be

Two

The

Delayed remote and quick response modes: From a distance of 5 m (16 ft.) or less, aim the transmitter on the ML-L3 at the infrared receiver on the camera and press the shutter-release button on the ML-L3. mode, the self-timer lamp will light for about two seconds before the shutter is released. mode, the self-timer lamp will flash after the shutter has been released. No picture will be taken if the camera is unable to focus or in other situations in which the shutter can not be released.

If no operations are performed for about a minute after selecting delayed remote or quick-response remote modes, the camera will automatically return to single frame, continuous, or quiet shutter-release mode, cancelling remote control mode.

Turning the camera off cancels self-timer and remote release modes and restores single frame, continuous, or quiet shutter-release mode.

In delayed remote

In quick-response remote

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D Before Using the Remote Control

Before using the remote control for the first time, remove the clear plastic battery insulator sheet.

D Using the Built-in Flash

Before taking a photograph with the flash in P, S, A, M, or 0 modes, press the M button to raise the flash and wait for the M indicator to be displayed in the viewfinder (0 70). Shooting will be interrupted if the flash is raised after the self-timer or delayed remote timer has started. In auto or scene modes in which the flash pops up automatically, the flash will begin charging when delayed remote or quick-response remote mode is selected; once the flash is charged, it will automatically pop up and fire if required when the shutter-release button on the ML-L3 is pressed. The camera will only respond to the shutter-release button on the ML-L3 once the flash has charged. Only one photograph will be taken when the flash is used, regardless of the number of shots selected for Custom Setting c3 (Self-timer, 0 157).

In flash modes that support red-eye reduction, the red-eye reduction lamp will light for about one second before the shutter is released. In delayed remote mode, the self-timer lamp will light for two seconds, followed by the red-eye reduction lamp, which lights for one second before the shutter is released to reduce red-eye.

A The E Button

Self-timer mode can also be selected by pressing the

E button (0 163).

E button

A See Also

For information on changing the duration of the self-timer and choosing the number of shots taken, see Custom Setting c3 (Self-timer, 0 157). For information on choosing the length of time the camera will remain in standby mode before remote control mode is cancelled, see Custom Setting c4 (Remote on duration, 0 157). For information on controlling the beeps that sound when the self-timer and remote control are used, see Custom Setting d1 (Beep, 0 158).

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Using the Built-in Flash

The camera supports a variety of flash modes for photographing poorly lit or backlit subjects.

❚❚ Using the Built-in Flash: i, k, p, n, o, s, and w Modes

1 Choose a flash mode (0 71).

2 Take pictures.

The flash will pop up as required when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway, and fire when a photograph is taken.

❚❚ Using the Built-in Flash: P, S, A, M, and 0 Modes

1 Raise the flash.

Press the M button to raise the flash.

2 Choose a flash mode (0 71).

This step can be omitted when shooting in 0 mode.

3 Take pictures.

The flash will fire whenever a picture is taken.

M button

❚❚ Lowering the Built-in Flash

To save power when the flash is not in use, press it gently downward until the latch clicks into place.

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Flash Mode

To choose a flash mode:

1 Place the cursor in the information display.

If shooting information is not displayed in the monitor, press the R button. Press the P button to place the cursor in the information display.

R button Information display P button

2 Display flash mode options.

Highlight the current flash mode in the information display and press J.

3 Choose a flash mode.

Highlight a flash mode and press J.

i, k, p, n, s, w

No Auto

NYo

NY Red-eye reduction

NYp Slow sync+ red-eye reduction

Np Slow sync

* p appears in information display when setting is complete.

Auto + red-eye reduction

j Off

N Fill flash

Rear curtain +slow sync

P, A

NYr

Nr Auto +slow sync

Auto +slow sync + red-eye reduction

Off

N Fi ll flash

NY Red-eye reduction

Nq Rear-cur tain sync

N Fill flash

S, M

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A Flash Modes

The flash modes listed on the previous page may combine one or more of the following settings, as shown by the flash mode icon:

• AUTO (auto flash): When lighting is poor or subject is back lit, flash pops up automatically when shutter-release button is pressed halfway and fires as required.

• Y (red-eye reduction): Use for portraits. Red-eye reduction lamp lights before flash fires, reducing “red-eye.”

• j (off): Flash does not fire even when lighting is poor or subject is back-lit.

• SLOW (slow sync): Shutter speed slows automatically to capture background lighting at night

or under low light. Use to include background lighting in portraits.

• REA R (rear-curtain sync): Flash fires just before shutter closes, creating a stream of light behind moving light sources (below at right). If this icon is not displayed, flash will fire as the shutter opens (front-curtain sync; the effect this produces with moving light sources is shown below at left).

Front-curtain sync Rear-curtain sync

A Choosing a Flash Mode

The flash mode can also be selected by pressing the M button and rotating the command dial (in P, S, A, and M modes, raise the flash before using the M button to choose the flash mode).

M button Command

A The Built-in Flash

For information on the lenses that can be used with the built-in flash, see page 196. Remove lens hoods to prevent shadows. The flash has a minimum range of 60 cm (2 ft.) and can not be used in the macro range of macro zoom lenses.

The shutter release may be briefly disabled to protect the flash after it has been used for several consecutive shots. The flash can be used again after a short pause.

A Shutter Speeds Available with the Built-in Flash

The following shutter speeds are available with the built-in flash when vibration reduction (VR) is not used.

Mode Shutter speed Mode Shutter speed

i, k, p, s, w, P, A

n, 0

/200–1/60 s S

/200–1/125 s M

/200–1 s

Information display

dial

/200–30 s

/200–30 s, bulb

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A Aperture, Sensitivity, and Flash Range

Flash range varies with sensitivity (ISO equivalency) and aperture.

Aperture at ISO equivalent of Range

200 400 800 1600 3200 m ft.

1.4 2 2.8 4 5.6 1.0–12 3ft. 3 in.–39 ft. 4in. 2 2.8 4 5.6 8 0.7–8.5 2ft. 4in.–27ft. 11in.

2.8 4 5.6 8 11 0.6–6.1 2ft.–20 ft. 4 5.6 8 11 16 0.6–4.2 2ft.–13ft. 9in.

5.6 8 11 16 22 0.6–3.0 2ft.–9ft. 10in. 8 11162232 0.6–2.1 2ft.–6ft. 11in.

11 16 22 32 — 0.6–1.5 2ft.–4ft. 11in. 16 22 32 — — 0.6–1.1 2ft.–3ft. 7in. 22 32 — — — 0.6–0.8 2 ft.–2ft. 7in.

Page 92

ISO Sensitivity

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

1 Place the cursor in the information display.

If shooting information is not displayed in the monitor, press the R button. Press the P button to place the cursor in the information display.

R button Information display P button

2 Display ISO sensitivity options.

Highlight the current ISO sensitivity in the information display and press J.

3 Choose an ISO sensitivity.

Highlight an option and press J. ISO sensitivity can be set between values roughly equivalent to ISO 200 and ISO 3200 in steps equivalent to

/3 EV. For special situations, ISO sensitivity can be lowered below ISO 200 by about 0.3 EV (Lo 0.3, equivalent to ISO 160), 0.7 EV (Lo 0.7, equivalent to ISO 125), or 1.0 EV (Lo 1, equivalent to ISO 100), or raised above ISO 3200 by about 0.3 EV (Hi 0.3, equivalent to ISO 4000), 0.7 EV (Hi 0.7, equivalent to ISO 5000), or 1.0 EV (Hi 1, equivalent to ISO 6400). allows the camera to set ISO sensitivity automatically in response to lighting conditions.

Auto and scene modes also offer an AUTO option, which

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A AUTO

If the mode dial is rotated to P, S, A, or M after AUTO is selected for ISO sensitivity in another mode, the ISO sensitivity last selected in P, S, A, or M mode will be restored.

A Hi 0.3–Hi 1

Pictures taken at these settings are more likely to be subject to noise and color distortion.

A Lo 0.3–Lo 1

Use for larger apertures when lighting is bright. Contrast is slightly higher than normal; in most cases, ISO sensitivities of ISO 200 or above are recommended.

A The Shooting Menu

ISO sensitivity can also be adjusted using the ISO sensitivity settings option in the shooting menu (0 149).

A See Also

For information on enabling auto ISO sensitivity control in P, S, A, or M modes, see page 149. For information on using the High ISO NR option in the shooting menu to reduce noise at high ISO sensitivities, see page 151. For information on displaying ISO sensitivity in the viewfinder, see page 158. For information on using the Fn (E) button and the command dial to select ISO sensitivity, see page 163.

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Interval Timer Photography

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

1 Select Interval timer shooting.

To display the menus, press the G button. Highlight the shooting menu tab (C) and press 2 to display the shooting menu, then highlight Interval timer shooting and press 2.

2 Select a starting trigger.

Choose from the following starting triggers:

• To start shooting immediately, highlight Now and

press 2. settings are completed (proceed to Step 4).

• To cho os e a st ar tin g ti me, highlight Start time and

press 2 (see Step 3).

Shooting begins about 3 s after

3 Choose a start time.

Press 4 or 2 to highlight hours or minutes; press 1 or 3 to change.

displayed if Now is selected for Choose start time.

Press 2 to continue.

The starting time is not

G button

4 Choose an interval.

Press 4 or 2 to highlight hours, minutes, or seconds; press 1 or 3 to change. interval longer than the slowest anticipated shutter speed.

Press 2 to continue.

5 Choose the number of intervals.

Press 4 or 2 to highlight number of intervals; press 1 or 3 to change.

Choose an

Press 2 to continue.

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6 Start shooting.

Highlight Start > On and press J (to return to the shooting menu without starting the interval timer, highlight Start > Off and press J). first shot will be taken at the specified starting time, or after about three seconds if Now was selected for Choose start time in Step 2. shooting is in progress; shooting will continue at the selected interval until all shots have been taken. to record the image to the memory card may vary from shot to shot, the interval between a shot being recorded and the start of the next shot may vary.

Note that because shutter speed and the time needed

D Before Shooting

Before beginning interval timer photography, take a test shot at current settings and view the results in the monitor. To ensure that shooting starts at the desired time, check that the camera clock is correctly set (0 20). Settings can not be changed while interval timer photography is in progress.

Use of a tripod is recommended. Mount the camera on a tripod before shooting begins.

To ensure that shooting is not interrupted, be sure the EN-EL9a battery is fully charged or use an optional EH-5a AC adapter and EP-5 power connector.

D Bracketing

Bracketing can not be used with interval timer shooting.

A Cover the Viewfinder

Before starting the interval timer, remove the rubber eyecup (q) and insert the supplied DK-5 eyepiece cap as shown (w). This prevents light entering via the viewfinder interfering with exposure. Hold the camera firmly when removing the eyepiece cup.

The

The self-timer lamp blinks while

DK-5 eyepiece cap

q w

A Release Mode

Regardless of the mode selected, the camera automatically takes one photograph at each interval; the self-timer and remote control can not be used. Camera noise is reduced in quiet shutter-release mode.

A Interrupting Interval Timer Shooting

To interrupt interval timer shooting, turn the camera off or rotate the mode dial to another position. Returning the monitor to the storage position does not interrupt interval timer shooting.

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Two-Button Reset

The camera settings listed below can be restored to default values by holding the R and P buttons down together for more than two seconds (these buttons are marked by a green dot). briefly while settings are reset.

The information display turns off

R button P button

Option Default

Image quality (0 62) JPEG normal Image size (0 64) Large White balance (0 96) Auto

Fine tuning (0 98) 0

ISO sensitivity (0 74)

Auto and scene modes AUTO P, S, A, M 200

Release mode (0 65) Single frame

Focus mode (0 54) AF-A Live view autofocus (0 43)

i, k, p, o Face priority j, l, m, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z, 1, 2, 3, P, S, A, M n, 0 Normal area

AF-area mode (0 56)

l, n, r, t, u, v, x, y, z, 0, 1, 2, 3 m, w Dynamic area i, j, k, p, o, s, P, S, A, M Auto-area

D Live View

Two-button reset is not available in live view.

Wide area

Single point

Option Default

Focus point (0 58) Metering (0 88) Matrix AE-L/AF-L button hold (0 89) Off Active D-Lighting (0 94) Auto Bracketing (0 103) Off Picture Control modifications (0 106) Flash compensation (0 92) Off Exposure compensation (0 90) Flash mode (0 71)

i, k, p, n, w Auto

o Auto slow sync 0, P, S, A, M Fill flash

Flexible program (0 81) Off 1 Focus point not displayed if Auto-area is

selected for AF-area mode.

2 Current Picture Control only.

Center

None

Off

Auto+ red-eye

reduction

Page 97

P, S, A, and M Modes

P, S, A, and M modes offer control over a variety of advanced settings, including shutter speed and aperture, metering, flash compensation, and white balance.

Shutter Speed and Aperture ....................................................................................... 80

Mode P (Programmed Auto)................................................................................................... 81

Mode S (Shutter-Priority Auto)............................................................................................... 82

Mode A (Aperture-Priority Auto)........................................................................................... 83

Mode M (Manual)........................................................................................................................ 84

Long Time-Exposures (M Mode Only) .............................................................................. 86

Exposure ......................................................................................................................... 88

Metering......................................................................................................................................... 88

Autoexposure Lock..................................................................................................................... 89

Exposure Compensation .......................................................................................................... 90

Flash Compensation .................................................................................................................. 92

Active D-Lighting ........................................................................................................................ 94

White Balance ................................................................................................................ 96

Fine-Tuning White Balance...................................................................................................... 98

Preset Manual............................................................................................................................... 99

Bracketing....................................................................................................................... 103

Picture Controls ............................................................................................................. 106

Selecting a Picture Control ...................................................................................................... 106

Modifying Existing Picture Controls..................................................................................... 108

Creating Custom Picture Controls ........................................................................................ 111

Sharing Custom Picture Controls .......................................................................................... 113

The GP-1 GPS Unit ......................................................................................................... 114

Page 98

Shutter Speed and Aperture

P, S, A, and M modes offer different degrees of control over shutter speed and aperture:

Mode Description

Programmed auto

(0 81)

Shutter-priority auto

(0 82)

Aperture-priorit y auto

(0 83)

M Manual (0 84)

D Lens Aperture Rings

When using a CPU lens equipped with an aperture ring (0 194), lock the aperture ring at the

minimum aperture (highest f-number). Type G lenses are not equipped with an aperture ring.

A Shutter Speed and Aperture

The same exposure can be achieved with different combinations of shutter speed and aperture. Fast shutter speeds and larger apertures freeze moving objects and soften background details, while slow shutter speeds and small apertures blur moving objects and bring out background details.

Shutter speed Aperture

Camera sets shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure. Recommended for snapshots and in other situations in which there is little time to adjust camera settings. User chooses shutter speed; camera selects aperture for best results. Use to freeze or blur motion. User chooses aperture; camera selects shutter speed for best results. Use to blur background or bring both foreground and background into focus. User controls both shutter speed and aperture. Set shutter speed to “bulb” or “time” for long time-exposures.

Fast shutter speed

(1/1,600 s)

Slow shutter speed

(1 s)

Small aperture (f/22) Large aperture (f/5.6)

(Remember, the higher the f-number, the

smaller the aperture.)

Page 99

Mode P (Programmed Auto)

In this mode, the camera automatically adjusts shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure in most situations. other situations in which you want to leave the camera in charge of shutter speed and aperture.

To take photographs in programmed auto:

This mode is recommended for snapshots and

1 Rotate the mode dial to P.

Mode dial

2 Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

A Flexible Program

In mode P, different combinations of shutter speed and aperture can be selected by rotating the command dial (“flexible program”). Rotate the dial to the right for large apertures (low f-numbers) that blur background details or fast shutter speeds that “freeze” motion. Rotate the dial to the left for small apertures (high f-numbers) that increase depth of field or slow shutter speeds that blur motion. All combinations produce the same exposure. While flexible program is in effect, a U (R) indicator appears in the viewfinder and information display. To restore default shutter speed and aperture settings, rotate the command dial until the indicator is no longer displayed, choose another mode, or turn the camera off.

A The Exposure Program

See page 216 for information on the built-in exposure program.

Command dial

Page 100

Mode S (Shutter-Priority Auto)

In shutter-priority auto, you choose the shutter speed while the camera automatically selects the aperture that will produce the optimal exposure. shutter speeds to suggest motion by blurring moving subjects, fast shutter speeds to “freeze” motion.

Fast shutter speed (1/1,600 s) Slow shutter speed (1 s)

To take photographs in shutter-priority auto:

Use slow

1 Rotate the mode dial to S.

2 Choose a shutter speed.

Shutter speed is shown in the viewfinder and information display. dial to choose the desired shutter speed from values between 30 s and

Rotate the command

3 Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

/4,000 s.

Mode dial

Command dial