Want free reside phone assist, 24 hours a day, one year a 12 months? When you’re within the USA, name (800) NIKON-UX! Nikon additionally has a few of it’s own operator’s tutorials here.
I start off explaining things so simply my mom can understand, and get on to deciphering each menu item for superior users at the bottom.
For extra examples of why you’d need to change these settings and why, additionally see my Maui Picture Expedition page.
BASICS:
CAMERA
Many of these changes require you to be in be in the P, S, A or M exposure modes. You set that on the top dial. The lovable preset modes usually lock out some adjustments.
I depart most settings at their defaults and use the Program publicity mode. I by no means use the cute little preset icon modes as a result of I desire to set anything particular myself.
ISO: I take advantage of 200. If the light will get dim and my images would get blurry from slower shutter speeds I improve the ISO to 400, 800 or 1,600. I never bother with in-between settings like 250 or 640. The D50 appears tremendous at ISO 1,600 if you happen to want it. I might a lot rather have a barely grainy however sharp image than a much less grainy however blurry one. Unlike film, the D50 seems to be great at high ISOs, so I use them anytime I need them.
I would love to use ISO AUTO, however normally don’t because it additionally stays active in Guide exposure mode. This firmware defect defeats the aim of the guide publicity mode. Using menus to deactivate AUTO ISO for guide exposure mode takes extra time than AUTO ISO saves. Rats.
White Balance (WB): I might use AUTO and an 81A glass warming filter on the lens. I choose hotter (oranger) images. I clarify white steadiness on my White Balance web page and clarify more about how you can alter it on the D50 later.
QUAL: I shoot JPG NORMAL. This is referred to as NORM and L on the top LCD, which stands for NORMal JPG compression and Massive (3,008 x 2,000) picture size.
I’ve made 12 x 18″ prints of the identical shot made in BASIC, NORMAL, FINE and raw. I saw NO distinction! Critically, in the event you saw these prints you wouldn’t be capable to type them out either. I can see only the slightest variations on my monitor enlarged to a hundred%, which is analogous to a 20 x 30″ print, and my digital LCD monitor has one hundred% MTF pixel-to-pixel, which prints don’t. Don’t fret: for those who need area, shoot BASIC and no one will see the difference. The one solution to tell is by trying on the file size.
I’ll use BASIC for parties and sports activities after I’m capturing many a whole lot and lots of of images at once. In these instances I’m extra involved with time wasted for the files to switch, copy and archive. Fundamental appears 99% the same as FINE, even blown up big.
I’ll use FINE on uncommon events the place I’m taking pictures just some photos and expect to see at them very closely. In these instances the extra measurement isn’t vital if I count on to be spending a lot of time analyzing each image.
I keep away from FINE JPG as a result of NORM provides me the same results, with half the file size. If I shot FINE I’d run out of room on a card and miss a shot. Missing a shot is a very visible defect, and I see no defects in NORM. Nikon is aware of what they’re doing. That’s why they call it Normal and that is why I usually use Regular JPG.
OPTIMIZE IMAGE: I prefer the vivid coloration I get from Fuji’s Velvia 50 film, so I tweak a D50 to offer colour as vivid as I can get. To do that go to MENU > Shooting Menu (digicam icon) > Optimize Picture > Custom > (set Saturation to + and Coloration Mode to IIIa) > – - Performed > OK. For those who forget to select “- – Achieved” and hit OK it will not bear in mind these settings! Details are on the Shooting Menu page.
For pictures of people I both set the colors again to normal, or cheat and use the Portrait preset mode on the top dial.
FOCUS: AF.
METERING: Matrix.
LENS
Many lenses haven’t any switches or settings. If so, do not worry.
More advanced lenses have focus mode settings, which will probably be either “M/A – A,” or “A – M” on older lenses.
On older lenses I depart it at “A,” which is Autofocus. “M” is handbook focus. Generally you also have to maneuver the change on the digicam, which is a pain.
If the swap says “M/A – A” then I take advantage of M/A. This gives autofocus, and if I seize the main focus ring it immediately lets me make guide corrections. As soon as I tap the shutter button again I get autofocus. This M/A setting, if the lens has it, offers both sorts of focus without ever having to maneuver any switches . It is the best.
Non-G lenses will have an aperture ring the place the lens is connected to the camera. Set this this ring to the most important number, usually 22, if not 32 or 16. This quantity will likely be in orange on autofocus lenses. There often is a lock to maintain this ring set there, since if it comes off that setting you may get an error message from the D50.
