Nikon D300s manual

En_03 DIGIT AL CAMERA En User's Manual Printed in Europe SB0C03(1 1) 6MB05711-03 No reproduction in an y form of this manual , in whole or in part (except for brief quotation in critic al articles or reviews), may be made without written authoriz ation from NIKON CORPORATION. En Q0660_UM_En_EUR_03_ Cover.fm Page 1 Wednesday, March 3, 20 10 5:1[...]

Wher e to F ind I t Find what you ’ re looking for from: Help Use the camera ’ s on-board hel p featur e f or help on menu items and other topics. See page 21 for details. Digitutor Digitutor , a series o f “watch and learn” manuals in movie form, is available from the f ollowing website: http://ww w .nikondigitutor .com/index_eng .ht ml i [...]

i Package C ontents Be sure all items listed here we re included with your camera. Memory cards are sold separately . •W a r r a n t y • User’ s Manual (this guide) •Q u i c k G u i d e • Software Installation Guide • Soft ware Suite CD-ROM • Registration card (U. S. A. only) • D 300S digital camera ( 0 3) •B o d y c a p ( 0 26, 3[...]

ii S ymbols and C on ventions T o make it easier to find the information you need, the follo wing symbols and conven tions are used: Menu items, options , and messages displayed in the camera monitor are shown in bold . A T rademark Informa tion Macintosh, Mac OS, and QuickTime ar e register ed trademarks of Apple Inc. Microsoft, Windows and W indo[...]

iii Introduction Tu t o r i a l Image Recordi ng Options Fo c u s Release Mode ISO Sensitivity Exposure White Balance Image Enhancement Flash Photography Other S hooting Options More About Playback Connec tions Menu Guide T echnica l Notes X k S Z r J l t I Q U n s d N Q&A Index T able of Contents 0 iv 0 x 0 1 0 17 0 67 0 73 0 85 0 95 0 101 0 1[...]

iv Find what you ’re looking for us ing this “ question and answer ” index. ❚❚ New Features ❚❚ Camera Setup Q&A Index Que sti on Key phrase 0 How do I tak e high-quality N EF (RA W ) photos? 14-bit NEF (RAW ) 70 Can I use the monitor as a viewfi nder? Live view 47 How do I shoot movies? Movi es 57 How do I record photograph s usin[...]

v ❚❚ Menus and Displays How do I set the clock? Time zone and da te 29, 302 How do I set the clock for daylight savings time? How do I chan ge time zones when I trav el? How do I adjust monitor brightness for menus or playback? L CD brightness 301 How do I change th e self-timer delay? Self-timer 273 How do I turn the speaker off? Beep 275 Can [...]

vi ❚❚ T a king Photographs How do I get more inf ormation abo ut the battery? Battery info 307 How do I keep the fi le number from being reset wh en I inser t a new me mory ca rd? File number sequence 277 How do I res et file numberi ng to 1? How do I clean the c amera or lens? Cleaning the camera 357 Que sti on Key phrase 0 How many more shot [...]

vii ❚❚ Viewing Photographs Can I set both shutter speed an d aperture manually? Exposure mode h (manual) 111 Can I mak e photos brighter or dark er? Exposure compensation 118 How do I mak e a time exposure? Long time-exposures 114 Can I vary exposure or flash l evel automatically over a series of photos? Exposure and flash bracketi ng 120, 289 [...]

viii ❚❚ Retouching Phot ographs How do I get rid of an unwanted photo? Deleting individual photos 220 Can I d ele te seve ral p hoto s at o nce? Delete 221 Can I zoom in on pictures? Playback zoom 218 Can I protect photos from accidental deletion? Prot ec t 219 Can I hide selected photos? Hide image 245 How do I tell if parts of my photos may b[...]

ix ❚❚ Viewing or Printing Photog raphs on Other Devices ❚❚ O ptional A ccess ories Que sti on Key phrase 0 Can I view my photos on TV? T elevision playback 239 Can I view my photos in High Definition? HDMI 241 How do I copy photos to my computer? Con nec t ing to a computer 224 How do I pri nt photographs? Printing phot ographs 228 Can I pr[...]

x Q&A Index ........... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... .. iv For Your Safety .......... ............. ............ ............. ............ ............ .......... xviii Notices .... .......... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... .......... .......... ...........[...]

xi Deleting Unwanted Photographs ............................................. 46 Framing Pictures in th e Monitor (Live View) 47 Framing Photo graphs in the Monitor ......... ............ ............. ........ 48 Record ing and Viewing Movies 57 Recording M ovies .......... .......... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... .....[...]

xii ISO Sensitivity 95 Choosing ISO Sensitivity Manually ......... .................... ........... ........ 96 Auto ISO Sensitivity Control ... .................... .................... ........... ...... 98 Exposure 101 Metering .. .......... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... 102 Exposure M[...]

xiii Flash Photography 169 The Built- in Flash ...... ........... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... .......... 1 70 Using the Built- in Flash.. ................ ............... ............ ............. .......... 1 71 Flash Modes ...... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... ........[...]

xiv Printing Multiple Pictures .......................................................... 233 Creating a DPOF Print Order: Print Set ................................. 237 Viewing Photogr aphs on TV ...... ............ ............. ............ ............. .. 239 Standard Definition Devices ..................................................... 23[...]

xv b: Metering/Exposure .................................................................. 270 b1: ISO Sensitivity Step Value ..............................................270 b2: EV Steps for Exposure Cntrl. .......................................... 270 b3: Exp Comp/Fine Tune .......................................................270 b4: Easy Exp[...]

xvi f6: Assign Preview Button ..................................................... 296 f7: Assign AE-L/AF-L Button ................................................. 296 f8: Customize Command Dials ............................................ 297 f9: Release Button to Use Dial.............................................. 298 f10: No Memory Card? .[...]

xvii Technical Notes 339 Compatible Lenses ..... .......... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... ........ 34 0 Optional F lash Units (Spe edlights) ......... ............ ............. ............ 3 47 The Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS) ..........................348 Other Acc essories .......... .......... .......... ....[...]

xviii F or Y our Safety T o prevent damage to your Nikon product or injury to yourself or to others, read the follo w ing safety precautions in their entirety before using this equipment. Keep these safety instructions where all those who use the product will r ead them. The consequences that could result from failur e to obser ve the precautions l[...]

xix A 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 . A Keep out of reach of children F ailure to observe this precaution could result in injury. A Do not place the strap around the neck of an infant or child Placing the camera strap around th[...]

xx A Obser ve proper precautions when handling the quick charger • Keep dry. F ailure to observe this preca utio n coul d resul t in f ire or electric shock. • Dust on or near the metal par ts of the plug should be remov ed with a dr y cloth. C ontinued use could resu lt i n fire. • Do not handle th e power cable or go near the char ger durin[...]

xxi Notices • No p a r t o f t h e m a n u a l s i n c lu d e d w i t h t h i s product may be repr oduced, transmitted , transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated int o any language in a ny form, by any means, wit hout Nikon’ s prior written permission. • Nikon reser ves the rig ht to change t he specificatio ns of the hardwar[...]

xxii Notices for Customers in the U .S.A. Fede ral Communications Commission (FCC) Radio Frequency Inter ference Sta tement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limit s for a Class B digital device, pursuan t to P art 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection a gainst harmful interference[...]

xxiii Disposing of Data Stor age Devices Pl ea s e n o te t ha t d e le t in g im a ge s or fo r m atting memor y cards or other data storage devices does not completely er ase the original image data. Deleted files can sometimes be recover ed from discarded storage devices using commercially availabl e soft ware , potentially r esulting in t he ma[...]

xxiv Use Only Nikon Brand Electronic Accessories Nikon cameras are designed t o the highest standards and include c omplex electronic circuitry. Only Nikon brand electronic a ccess ories (including battery chargers, batteries, AC adapters, and fl ash accessories) certified by Nikon specifically for use with this Nikon digital camera are eng ineered[...]

X 1 X Introduc tion This chapter covers inf ormation you will need to k now before using the camera, including the names of camera par ts. Over view .............. ............................ ....................... .................... 2 Getting to Know the Camera ..................... ............................ . 3 Camera Body .... .......... [...]

2 X Ov ervi ew Thank you for y our purchase of a Nikon single -lens reflex (SLR) digital camera. Please be sure to read all instruc tions th oroughly to get the most from th e camera, and keep the m where the y will be read by all those who use the product. D Use O nl y Ni kon Bran d Acces sor ie s Only Nikon brand accessories cer tified by Nikon s[...]

3 X Getting to Know the C amera T ake a few moments to familiariz e yourself with camera cont rols and displays. Y ou may find it he lpful to book mark this sec tion and refer to it a s you read thro ugh the rest of th e ma nu al. Camer a Body 1 2 3 4 5 8 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 Release mode dial ........ ............... ... 87 2 Release mode dia[...]

4 X Camer a Body (C ontinued) 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 15 16 17 18 A/V OUT MIC 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 1 Built-in flash ................ ............... ... 171 2 Flash pop-up button ...... ............. 171 3 M (flash mode) button. ............... . 171 Y (flash compensation ) button ............ ............... ............ ...... 177 4 Built-in microphone .... [...]

5 X D The Microphone and Speaker Do not place the microphone or speaker in close pro ximity to magnetic devices. F ailure to obser ve this precaution could affect audio data reco rde d wi th the cam era . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 12 11 9 8 10 1 AF-assist illuminator .. ............... ... 268 Self-timer lamp ........ ............... ........ 92 Red-eye reduct[...]

6 X Camer a Body (C ontinued) 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 1 Viewfinder eyepiece .............. ........ 36 2 DK-23 rubber eyecup .. ......... 91, 191 3 O (delete) button .............. .... 46, 220 Q (format) button.............. .......... 34 4 K (playback) button ....... .... 45, 204 5 Monitor ............. .............. ... 45, 47, 204 6 G (menu) butt[...]

7 X 1 2 5 4 3 6 7 8 11 10 13 14 12 9 1 Diopter adjustment control ........ . 36 2 Metering selector ....... ............... ... 103 3 A (AE/AF lo ck) button .. ............. .............. ... 80, 81, 296 4 B (AF-ON) button .. ..... 50, 59, 75 5 Main command dial ......... ........... 297 6 Multi selec tor ...... ............. .............. . 19 7[...]

8 X The C ontrol P anel 2 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 10 12 13 14 15 1 Color temper ature indicat or ......... 141 2 Shutter speed ................... ....... 108, 112 Exposure compensa tion value ..... 118 Flash compensation value......... .... 177 ISO sensitivity ............... .................... ... 96 White balance fine-tuning ............ 140 Color [...]

9 X 17 16 18 19 20 22 30 23 24 25 26 27 29 28 21 16 Flash compensation indicat or ...... 177 17 Exposure compens ation indicator................................. ............ 118 18 FV lock indicator .......................... .... 179 19 Com pa ct Fla sh (C F) card indicator................................. ...............32 20 Se cure Digi tal (S[...]

10 X The V iewfinder Displa y 1 4 2 3 5 6 7 12 91 1 8 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 19[...]

11 X D No Battery When the battery is totally exhausted or no battery is inser ted, the display in the viewfinder will dim. This is normal and does not ind icate a malfunction. The viewfinder display will return to normal when a fully- charged battery is inser ted. D The Co ntrol Panel and V iewfinder Displays The brightness of the control panel an[...]

12 X Th e I nformation Display Shooting information, including shutter speed, aperture, the number of exposures remaining , buffer capacity , and AF-area mode, is display ed in the monitor when the R button is pressed . A T urning the Monitor Off T o clear shooting inf ormation from the monitor , press the R button twice more or p ress the shutte r[...]

13 X 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 1 8 23 4 5 6 7 11 9 12 19 18 10 1 Exposure mode ........................ ........ 104 2 Flexible pr ogram indicator ............ 107 3 Flash sync indicat or......................... 281 4 Shutter speed .......................... 108, 111 Exposure compensa tion value ..... 118 Flash compensation value......... .... 177 Numb[...]

14 X The Informa tion Display ( Continued) 30 4 2 24 29 31 39 38 37 32 33 34 35 36 25 23 22 40 41 28 43 26 27 22 Exposure compens ation display ....... ..................... .................... 118 23 Fla sh co m pe ns at io n indicator................................. ............ 177 24 Interval timer indicator .................. 192 25 Eye-Fi c[...]

15 X ❚❚ Changing Settings in th e Information Display T o change settings for the items listed below , press the R button in the inf ormation display . Highlight items using the multi selector and press J to view options for the highlighted item. R button 6 7 8 9 10 3 4 5 1 2 1 Shooting menu bank ............. ..... 254 2 High ISO noise reduc t[...]

16 X The BM-8 Monit or Cov er A clear plastic cover is provided with the camera to keep the monitor clean and protect it when the camera is not in use . To a t t a c h t h e c o v e r, insert the projection on the top of the cover into the matching indentation abov e the camera monitor ( q ) and press the bottom of the cover until it clicks into pl[...]

s 17 s T utorial This section describes how to use the camera menus, how to ready the camera for use , and how to take your first pictures and play them back. Camera Menus .... ....................... ............................ .................. 18 Using Camera Menu s ............... .......... ........... .......... .......... ........... .....[...]

18 s Cam e ra M e n us Most shooting, playback, and setup options can be accessed from th e camera menu s. To view the menus, pr ess the G button. G button Choose from the following menus: • D : Playback ( 0 244) • B : Setu p ( 0 300) • C : Shooting ( 0 253) • N : Retou ch ( 0 315) • A : Custom Set tings ( 0 260) • O / m : My Menu or Re[...]

19 s Using C amera Menus ❚❚ Menu Controls The multi selector and J button are used t o navigat e the menus. ❚❚ Navigating the Menus F ollow the steps below t o navigate the menus. 1 Display the menus . Pr ess the G button to display the menus. 2 Highlight the icon for the curre nt menu . Pr ess 4 to highlight the icon for the current m enu.[...]

20 s 3 Select a menu . Pr ess 1 or 3 to selec t the desired menu. 4 P o sition the cursor in the selected menu. Pr ess 2 to positio n the cursor in the selected menu. 5 Highlight a menu item. Pr ess 1 or 3 to highlight a menu item. 6 Display options. Pr ess 2 to display options for the selected menu item. 7 Highlight an option. Pr ess 1 or 3 to hig[...]

21 s 8 Selec t the highlighted item. Pr ess J to select the highlighted item. T o exit without mak ing a selection, press the G button. Note the following points: • Menu items that are displayed in gray are not currently available. • While pr essing 2 or the cen ter of the multi selector gener ally has the same effect as pressing J , ther e are[...]

22 s F irst Steps Charge the Ba ttery The D300S is pow ered by an EN-EL3e r echarge able Li-ion batt ery (supplied). T o maximize shooting time, charge the battery in the supplied MH-1 8a quick charger before use . About two and a quarter hours are r e quire d to fully r echarge the battery when no charge r emains. 1 Plug the charger in. Inser t th[...]

23 s 3 Insert the batt er y . Inser t the battery into the charger . The CHARGE lamp will blink wh ile the batter y charges. 4 Remov e the battery when charg ing is complete . Charging is complete wh en the CHAR GE lamp stops blinking. Remove the batt er y and unplug the charger . Batter y charging Charging complete[...]

24 s Inser t the Batt er y 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o f f. 2 Open the battery-chamber cover . Unlatch ( q ) and open ( w ) the batter y- chamber cover . 3 Insert the battery . Inser t the batter y as shown at right. 4 Close the ba ttery-chamber cov er . D Inserting and Removing Batteries Always turn the camera off before inserting or removing bat[...]

25 s D The Battery and Charger Read and follow the warnings and cautions on pages xviii–xx and 364–367 of this manual . T o prev ent short- circuits, replace the terminal c over when the battery is not in use. Do not use the battery at ambient temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) or above 40 °C ( 104 °F). Charge indoors at ambient temperatures i[...]

26 s A ttach a Lens Care should be taken to pre vent dust fr om enterin g the camera when the l ens is removed. An AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nik kor 18–20 0 mm f/3.5–5.6G IF-ED len s is used in th is manual for illustra tive purposes . 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o f f. 2 Remov e the rear lens cap and the camera body cap . Fo c a l l e n g t h scale VR mo[...]

27 s 3 Att ac h t he le ns. Keeping the moun ting index on the lens aligned with the mounting index on the camera body , position the lens in the camera ’ s bay onet mount ( q ). Being careful not to press the lens-release button, rotate the lens coun ter- clockwise until it clicks into place ( w ). If the lens is equipped with an A-M or M/A-M sw[...]

28 s Basic Setup The language option in the setup menu is automatically highlighted the first time menus ar e displayed. Choose a language and set the time and date. Note th at if the time and date are not set, B will blink in the monitor an d the time and date r ecorded with photographs will be incorrect. 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o n . 2 Select [...]

29 s 4 Sel ect Tim e zo n e a n d da t e . Sel ect T ime zone and date and press 2 . 5 Set time zone. Sel ect Ti m e z on e and press 2 . Pr ess 4 or 2 to highlight the local time z one (the UT C field shows the difference between the selected time zone and Coordinated Universal Time, or UT C, in hours) and press J . 6 T urn daylight saving time on[...]

30 s 8 Set dat e forma t. Select Dat e format and press 2 . Pr ess 1 or 3 to choose the order in which the year , month, and day will be displayed and press J . 9 Exit to shooting mode. Pr ess the sh utter-release button halfway to exit to s hootin g mode. A The Clock Battery The camera clock is powered by an independen t, rechargeable power source[...]

31 s Inser t a Memor y Car d The camera has two memor y card slots, one for T ype I CompactFlash memory cards ( Type II car ds and microdrives can not be used) and another for S ecure D igital (SD ) memory cards (memor y cards are available separate ly ; 0 393). The following section describes how to insert and format a memory card . 1 Tu r n t h e[...]

32 s SD memory c ards : Holding the card as shown, slide it into the SD card slot until it clicks into place. The gr een access lamp will light brie fly . If this is the first time the memo r y card will be used af ter being used or formatted in another device, format the card as described on page 34. 4 Close the car d slot co ver . D Inserting Mem[...]

33 s ❚❚ Removing Memor y Cards 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o f f . Confirm that the acce ss lamp is off and turn the cam era off . 2 Remove the memory card. CompactFlash memor y cards : Open the memor y card slot c over and press the eject button ( q ) to par tially eject the card ( w ). The memor y card can then be remov ed by hand. Do not push[...]

34 s F ormat the Memor y Car d Memor y cards must be formatt ed before first use or after being used or formatte d in other devices. 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o n . 2 Pres s t he Q button s. Hold the Q ( I and O ) buttons do wn simultaneousl y until a blink ing C ap pears in the shutter-speed displays in the control panel and viewfinder . If two m[...]

35 s When formatting is complete , the control panel and viewfinder wi ll show the number of photog raphs that ca n be recorded at curr ent settings. D Memory Cards • Memor y cards may be hot af ter use. Observe due caution when removing memory cards from the camera. • T urn the power off befor e inser ting or removing memor y cards. Do not rem[...]

36 s Adjust V iewfinder F ocus The camera is equipped with diopte r adjustment to accommoda te individual differenc e s in vision. Check that the display in the viewfinder is in focus befor e shooting. 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o n . Remove the lens c ap and turn the camera on. 2 F ocus the viewfinder . Rotate th e diopter control until the viewfi[...]

37 s Basic Photograph y and Pla yback T urn the Camer a On Befor e tak ing photogr aphs, turn the camera on and check the battery level and number of exposures remaining as described below . 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o n . Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o n . The control panel will tur n on and the display in the viewfinder will light. 2 Check the batte[...]

38 s 3 Check the number of exposures remaining. The exposur e -count displays in the control panel and viewfinder show the number of phot ographs that can be taken at current settings (if two memor y cards are inserted, the displays sho w the space available on the card in the primary slot; 0 72). When this num ber reach es ze ro, A will flash in t[...]

39 s A L CD Illuminators Rotating the pow er switch toward D activates t he exposure meters an d the con trol pan el backlight (L CD illuminator), allowing the display to be read in the dark. After the power switch is released, the illuminators will remain lit for six seconds while the exposure meters are active or until the shutter is released or [...]

40 s Adjust C amera Settings This tutorial describes the basic steps involv ed in taking photos. 1 Choose exposure mod e e . Pr ess the I button and rotate the main command dial to select exposure mode e . The camera will automatically adjust shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure in most situations. 2 Choose single frame rel eas e m od e.[...]

41 s 4 Choose single -ser vo autof ocus. Rotate the focus-mode selector until it clicks into place pointing to S (single-ser vo autof ocus). At this setting , the camera will automatically focus on the subject in the selected focus point when the shutt er- release button is pressed halfway . Pictures can only be taken when the camer a is in focu s.[...]

42 s Ready the Camer a When framing ph ot ogr aphs in the viewfinder , hold the ha ndgrip in your right hand and crad le the camera bo dy or lens with your l eft. Keep your elbows propped lightly against your torso for suppor t and place one foot half a pace ahead of the other to keep yo u upper body sta ble. Hold the camera as shown at right when [...]

43 s F ocus and Shoot 1 Press the shutter- release button halfway to f ocus ( 0 44). At default set tings, the camera will focus on the subject in the center focu s po int . Frame a photo in the viewfinder with the main subject positioned in the center focus point and press the shut ter-release button halfway. If the camera is a ble to focus, a bee[...]

44 s 2 Press the shutter-release button th e rest of the wa y down to sho ot. Smoothly press the shutter- release-button the rest of the way down to take the picture. While the photograph is being recorded to the memory card, the access lamp next to the card slot cover will light. Do not eject the memor y card or remove or disconnect the power sour[...]

45 s V iewing Photographs 1 Press the K button. A photograph will be displayed in the monitor . The mem or y card containing the pic ture currently display ed is shown by an icon. 2 View additional pictures . Additional pictur es can be displayed by pressing 4 or 2 . T o view additional information on the curren t photog raph, press 1 and 3 ( 0 207[...]

46 s Deleting Un want ed Photographs T o delete the photogr aph currentl y display ed in the monitor , press the O button. Note that photographs can not be reco vered once deleted. 1 Display the photograph. Display the photograph you wish to delete as described in “Viewing Photographs” on the previous page. 2 Delete the photogr aph. Pr ess the [...]

x 47 x Framing Pic tures in the Monitor (Liv e View) This chapter describes how to frame pic tures in the monitor usin g live view . Fr aming Photographs in the Monitor . ............................ .... 48[...]

48 x F raming Photogr aphs in the Monitor Press the a button to frame pic tures in the monitor . The following options are available: • Tr ip o d ( h ): Choose when the came ra is mounte d on a tripod ( 0 49). Y ou can zoom in on the image displayed in the monitor for precise f ocus, mak ing this option suitable for static subjects. Contrast-dete[...]

49 x T ripod Mode ( h ) 1 Fr ame a picture in the viewfinder . With the camera mounted on a tr ipod or r esting on a stable , level surface, fra me the subject in the viewfinder . 2 Choose Tr i p o d fo r Live view mode . To d i s p l a y t h e m e n u s , press the G butt on. Highlight Tr i p o d in the Live view mo de menu and press J . 3 Press t[...]

50 x 4 Fo c u s. Autofocus (focus mode S or C ): In tripod mode, the f ocus point for contrast-detec t autofocus can be moved to any point in the frame using the multi selector . T o focus using contrast-detec t autofocus , press the B button. The focus point will blink gr een and the monitor ma y brighten while the camera foc us es . If the came r[...]

51 x 5 Ta k e t h e p i c t u r e . Pr ess the shutter- release button the rest of the way down to take the picture. The monito r turns off during shooting. 6 End liv e view . Pr ess the a button to end liv e view . D Focusing with C ontrast-Detect Autofocus Contrast-detect autofocus will take longer than normal (phase - detection) autofocus. In th[...]

52 x Hand-Held Mode ( g ) 1 Choose Hand-held for Live view mode . To d i s p l a y t h e m e n u s , press the G button. Highlight Hand-held in the Live view mode menu and press J . 2 Pres s t he a button. The mirror will be raised and the view through the lens will be di splayed in the camera monitor instead of the viewfinder . 3 Fr ame a pic ture[...]

53 x 4 Foc u s . Autof ocus (focus mode S or C ): Pr ess the shutter- release button half way or pr ess the B button. The camera will focus normally and set exposure. Note that the mirr or will click back into place while either button is pressed, tempo rarily interrupting live view . Live view is restor ed when the button is released. Manual f ocu[...]

54 x D No Picture After shooting, play the picture back in the monitor to ensur e that the photograph has been recorded. In hand held mode, note that the sound the mirr or makes when t he shutter-re lease button is pressed halfway or the B butt on is pressed can be mistaken for the sound of the shutter , and that if single -ser vo AF is used, a pho[...]

55 x A The Informa tion Display T o hide or display indicators in the monitor in liv e view mode, press the R button. Informa tion on Informa tion off Virtual horizon (not displayed during zoom) Fr aming guides (not displayed during zoom) A AF area brackets AF area brackets are displayed only in hand held mode. [ 1 20 2 0 m m 00s 00s ] AUTO NORM A [...]

56 x A Monitor Brightn ess Monitor brightness can be adjusted by pressing the K and 2 button. The brightness indicator at the righ t of the display will turn yellow; keeping the K button presse d, press 1 or 3 to adjust brightness (note that monitor brightness has no effect on pict ures taken in live view mode). T o return to liv e view, release th[...]

y 57 y Recording and Vie wing Mo vies This chapter de scribes how to r ecord movies in live view . Recording Mo vies .................. ....................... ........................... 58 Viewing Mo vies...................... ............................ ...................... 63 Editing Movies ............. ........................ ............[...]

58 y Rec ording Mo vies Movies can be recorded at 24 fps in live view mode . Befo re reco rdi ng, c ho ose a Pic tu re Co ntro l ( 0 154) and color spac e ( 0 166). 1 Choose a live view mode. T o display the menus, press the G button. Highlight an option in the Live v iew mode menu and press J : • Tr i p o d : In modes g and h , movi es are re co[...]

59 y 3 Foc u s . Before shooting, frame the opening shot and either press the B button ( Tr i p o d ) or press the shutter-re lease button halfway ( Hand-held ) to focus on your subject. In hand- held mode, autofocus is not available after recording begins. 4 Start recording . Pr ess the cent er of the multi selector to start recording. Both video [...]

60 y 5 End recording . Pr ess the center of the mul ti selector again to end recording (to e nd re cordi ng a nd t ake a st ill picture in live view , press the shutter-release button all the way down). Recording will end automatical ly when the maximum size is r eached or the memor y card is full. A Maximum Size Individual movie files can be up to[...]

61 y D Recording Mo vies Banding or distortion may be visible in the monitor and in the final movie under fluorescent, mercur y 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[...]

62 y ❚❚ Movie Settings Adjust movie settings befor e recording. 1 Select Mo vie settings . Pr ess the G button to display the menus. Highlight Movie settings in the shooting menu and press 2 . 2 Choose movie options. T o cho ose a frame size, highlight Qualit y and press 2 . Highlight one of the following options and press J to select: T o t ur[...]

63 y Vi e w i n g M o v i e s Movies are indicated by a 1 icon in fu ll-frame playback ( 0 204). Press the center of the multi selector to start playback. The f o llowi ng operat ions can be performed: To Use Descri ption Pa u se 3 / J Pause playback. Play Resume playback when movie is paused or during rewind/advance. Rewind/ advance 4 / 2 While pl[...]

64 y Editing Movies T rim unwanted footage to create edited copies of movies. 1 Display r etouch options. Display a movie in full-frame playback and press J to display retouch options. 2 Select Edit movie . Highlight Edit movie and press 2 . 3 Choose an option. T o t rim the opening footage from the copy , highlight Choose star t point and press J [...]

65 y 5 Sav e th e cop y . Sel ect Ye s and press J to save the edited copy . If nece ssa r y , th e copy can b e trimmed as described above t o remo ve additional footage. Edited copies are indicated by a 9 icon in full-frame playback. D Editing Movies Movies must be at least t wo seconds long. The current position will be displayed in r ed if crea[...]

66 y[...]

d 67 d Image Recording O ptions This section describes how to choose image quality and size. Image Quality .................... ............................ ....................... .... 68 Image Size....... ............................ ........................ ...................... 71 Using T wo Memory Cards ........ ........................ .....[...]

68 d Image Quality The D300S supports the foll owing image quality options . See page 394 for information on the number of pictures that can be stored at different image quality and size settings. Option File type Descriptio n NEF (RA W ) NEF RA W data from th e image sensor are sa ved dire ct ly to the me mor y c ard in N iko n Ele ct roni c F orm[...]

69 d Image quality is set by pressing the QUAL button and r otating the main command dial until the desired setting is displayed in the control panel. A NEF (RA W ) Once transferred to a computer , NEF (RAW ) images can only be viewed using V iewNX (ava ilable on the supplied Softwar e Suite CD ) or Capture NX 2 ( available separately ; 0 355). JPE[...]

70 d The following option s can be accessed fr om the shooting menu. Pr ess the G button to display the menus, highlight the desired option and press 2 . ❚❚ JPEG Compr ession Choose the type of compression for JPE G images. ❚❚ NEF (RA W ) Recording > T ype Choose the type of compr ession for NEF (RA W ) images. ❚❚ NEF (RA W ) Recordi[...]

71 d Image Size Image size is measured in pixels. Choose from the following options: * Print size in inches equals image size in pixels divided by printer resolution in dots per inch (dpi; 1 inch = approxima tely 2.54 cm). Image size can be set by pr essing the QUAL button and r otating the sub- command dial until the desired option is displayed in[...]

72 d Usi n g T wo M e m o r y Ca rd s When two memor y cards are inser ted in th e camera, you can choose one as the primar y card using the Primar y slot selection item in the shooting menu. Select CF card sl ot to designate the card in th e Comp ac tFlas h ca rd slo t as the prim ar y card, SD card slot to choose the SD me mor y card. The roles p[...]

N 73 N Fo c u s – Controlling H ow the Camera F ocuses This section describes the option s that control how your camera foc us es. F oc us Mode ....................... ............................ ....................... .... 74 AF-Area Mode ................... ....................... ............................ .... 76 F oc us Point Selection .[...]

74 N Fo c u s M o d e Fo c u s m o d e i s c o n t r o ll e d by t he focus-mode selector on the front of the camera. Ther e are two autofocus (AF) modes, in which the camera f ocuses automatically when the shutter -release button is pressed halfway , and one manual focus mode, in which focus must be adjusted manually using the focusing ring on the[...]

75 N A The B Button F or th e purpose of focusing the camera, pressing the B button has the same effect as pressing the shutter-release button half way; note, how ever , that vibration reduction (available with VR lenses) can only be engaged by pressing the shutter-release button halfway . A Predictive F ocus T rack ing In continuous-servo AF , the[...]

76 N AF-Area Mode AF-area mode determines how the focus point is selected in autof ocus mode ( 0 74). To s e l e c t t h e A F - a r e a mode, ro tate the AF-area mode selector . The f ollowing options ar e availabl e: Mode Descript ion K Single - point AF User selects focus point manually ; camera focuses on subject in selec ted focus point only .[...]

77 N A AF-Area Mode AF-area mode is shown in the c ontrol panel. A Manual Focus Single -point AF is automatically selected when manual focus is used. A See Also F or information on the settings available in dynamic-area AF , see Cust om S et tin g a3 ( Dynamic AF area , 0 264). F o r information on adjusting how long the camera waits before refocus[...]

78 N Fo c u s Po i n t S e l e c t i o n The D300S off ers a choice of 51 focus points that together cov er a wide area of the frame. The fo cus point can be selected manually, allowing photographs to be composed with the main subject positioned almost anywhere in the frame (single -point and dynamic- area AF), or automatically (auto-area AF; note [...]

79 N A See Also F or information on choosing when the focus point is illuminated, see Cust om S et tin g a6 ( AF point illumination , 0 266). F or information on setting focus-point selection to “wrap around, ” see Custom Setting a7 ( F ocus point wrap-around , 0 2 67). Fo r information on choosing the number of focus points that can be selecte[...]

80 N Fo c u s L o c k F ocus lock c an be used to change the com position af ter focusing, making it possible to focus on a subject that will not be in a focus point in the final composition. It can also be used when th e autofocus system is unable to f ocus ( 0 82). 1 Fo c u s. P osition the subject in the selec ted focus point and press the shutt[...]

81 N Continuous-ser vo AF Pr ess the AE-L/AF-L button to lock both focus and exposure (an AE-L icon appears in the viewfinder , see page 116). Fo c u s and exposur e will remain l ocked while the AE-L/AF-L button is pressed, even if you late r remove your fin ger from th e shutter-r elease button. 3 Recom pose the photograph and shoot. F o cus will[...]

82 N Getting Good Resu lts with A utofocus Autofocus does not per form 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-f ocus indicator ( ● ) ma y be displayed and the camera ma y sound a beep, allowing the shutter t o be release d even when the subj [...]

83 N Manual F ocus Man ual focus is av aila ble fo r le nse s that do n ot s upp or t a utofo cus (non-AF NIKKOR lenses) or when the autofocus does no t produce the desired re sults ( 0 82). • AF-S lenses : Set the lens focus mode switch to M . • AF lenses : S et the lens focus mode switch (if present) and camer a focus-mode selector to M . •[...]

84 N The Electronic Rangefinder If the lens has a maximum aper ture of f/5.6 or faster , the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm wh ether the subjec t in the selected focus point is in f ocus (the focus point can be selected fr om any of the 51 focus points) . After positionin g the subject in the selected f o cus point, press the shu[...]

k 85 k Release Mode – Single Frame, Continuous, Quiet Sh utter-Release, Self-T imer , or Mirror Up Release mode dete rmines how the camera t akes photographs: one at a time (with or withou t reduced camera noise), in a continuou s sequence, with a timed shutter-r elease delay , or with the mirror raised to enha nce shutter response and minimize v[...]

86 k Choosing a Release Mode The camera supports the following r elease modes: Mode Description S Single frame Camera takes one photograph each time shutter-release button is pressed. C L Cont inuo us low speed While shutter-release button is held down, camera records 1–7 frames per second . 1 Fr ame rate can be chosen using Cust om S et ti ng d [...]

87 k T o choose a release mode , press the rele ase mode dial lock rele ase and turn the relea se mode dial to the desired setting. Release mode dial Release mode dial loc k relea se[...]

88 k C ontinuous Mode T o tak e pictures in C H (continuo us high speed) and C L (continuous low speed) modes: 1 Select C H or C L mode . Pr ess the release mode dial lock release and turn the release mode dial to C H or C L . 2 F rame a photogr aph, focus, and shoot. While the shutter-releas e button is pressed al l the way do wn, pic tures wi ll [...]

89 k A Po wer Source and Fr a me Rate The frame advance rate varies with the power source used. Powe r s ou r ce Frame ad vance rat e (appro x.) 1 Battery (EN- EL3e) 7 fps AC adapter 7.6 fps 2 MB-D10 battery pack with EN-EL3e battery 7 fps MB-D10 battery pack with EN-EL4a battery 8 fps 2 MB-D10 battery pack wi th AA-size batteries 3 7.7 f ps 2 1 Av[...]

90 k 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, how ever , that frame rate will dr op when the buffer is full. While photographs are being r ecorded to the memor y ca[...]

91 k Self- T imer Mode The self-timer can be use d to reduc e camera shak e or for self - por traits. T o use the self-timer , mount the camera on a tripod (recommended) or pl ace the camera on a stable, level surf ace and follo w the step s below: 1 Select self-timer mode. Press the r elease mode dial lock rele ase and turn the release mode dial t[...]

92 k 3 Star t the timer . Pr ess the sh utter-release button all the way down to star t the timer . The self-timer lamp (AF-assist illuminator) will start to blink and a beep w ill begin to sound. T wo seconds before the photograph is taken, the self-timer lamp wil l stop blinking and the beeping will become more ra pid. The shutter will be relea s[...]

93 k Mirror up Mode Choose this mode to min imize blurr ing caused by came ra movement when the mirror is raised . Use of a tripod is recommended. 1 Selec t mirror up mode. Press the r elease mode dial lock rele ase and turn the release mode dial to M UP . 2 Rais e t he m irr or . F rame the picture , focus , and then press the shutter-release butt[...]

94 k[...]

S 95 S ISO Se nsitivity – Reacting Faster t o Light “ISO sensitivity ” is the digital equ ivalent of film speed. The higher the ISO sensitivity , the less light needed to make an exposure , allowing higher shutter speeds or smaller aper tures. This chapter describes how to set ISO sensitivity manually and automatically . Choosing ISO Sensitiv[...]

96 S Choosing ISO Sensitivit y Manually ISO sensitivity can be set to valu es between ISO 200 and ISO 3200 in steps equivalent to 1 / 3 EV . Settings of from about 0.3 to 1 EV below ISO 200 and 0.3 to 1 EV abo ve ISO 3200 ar e also available for special situations. ISO sensitivity can be adjusted by pressing the ISO button and rotating the main c o[...]

97 S A The ISO Sensitivity Menu ISO sensitivity can also be adjusted using the ISO sensitivity option in the shooting menu ( 0 253). A ISO Sensitivity Settings The settings available depend on the option selected for Custom Setting b1 ( ISO sensitivity step value , 0 270). A Hi 0.3–Hi 1 The se tti ngs Hi 0 .3 through Hi 1 correspond to ISO sensit[...]

98 S A uto ISO Sensitivit y C ontrol If On is selected for ISO sensitivity settings > ISO sensitivity auto control in the shooting menu, ISO sensitivity will a u t o m a t i c a l l y b e a d j u s t e d i f o p t i mal exposure can not be achieved at the value selected by the us er (ISO sensitivit y is adjusted appropriately when the flash is u[...]

99 S adjusted if underexposure would r esult at the shutter speed selected for Minimum shutter speed ( 1 / 4000 –1 s). Slower shutter speeds may be used if optimum exposure can not be achieved at the ISO sensitivity value selected for Maximum sensitivity . Press J to exit when settings are complete. When On is selected, the cont rol panel and vie[...]

100 S[...]

V 101 Z Exposure – Controlling How the C amera Sets Exposure This section describes the option s available to co ntrol exposure, including metering, exposure mo de, exposure lock, expo sure compensation, and bracketing . Metering ....................... ........................ ........................... ....... 102 Exposure Mode ...............[...]

102 Z Metering Metering de termines how the camera set s exposure. The following options are available: Method Description a 3D color matrix II Recommended in most situations. Camera meters a wide area of the frame and sets exposure accor d ing to distribution of brightness, color , distance, and composition for natural results. Z Cent er- weigh te[...]

103 Z T o choose a meterin g method, rotate the met ering selector until the desired mode is display ed. A Matrix Metering The metering method used is determin ed by the type of lens attached: • Type G and D lenses : Range information is i ncluded when determining exposure (3D color m atrix metering II). • Other CPU lenses : Range information i[...]

104 Z Exposure Mode Exposure mode determines how the camer a sets shutter speed and aperture when adjusting e xposure . F our modes are available: programmed auto ( e ), shutter-pri ority auto ( f ), aper ture -priorit y auto ( g ), and manual ( h ). Mode Description e Progr ammed auto ( 0 106) Camera sets shutter speed and aperture for optimal exp[...]

105 Z T o choose the exposure mode, press the I button and rotate the main command dial until the desired mode is displayed in the control panel or viewf inder . A Depth-of-Field Pre view T o preview the eff ec ts of aper ture, pr ess and hold the depth-of-field preview button. The lens will be stopped down to the aper ture value selected by the c [...]

106 Z e : Pr ogrammed A uto In this mode, the camera automa tically adjusts shutt er speed and aperture according to a built-in prog ram to ensure optimal exposure in most situations. This mode is recommended f or snapshots and other situations in which you want to leave the camera in charge of shutter speed and aper ture. To t a k e photographs in[...]

107 Z A Flexi bl e Pro gra m In exposure mode e , differen t combinations of shutter speed and aperture can be selec ted by rotating the main command dial while the exposure meters are on (“flexible program ”). Rotate the command dial to the ri ght for large apertures (small f-nu mbers) that bl ur background details or fast shutter speeds that [...]

108 Z f : Shutter-Priority A uto In sh utter-pr iorit y auto, you c hoose the shutter speed while the camera automatically select s the aperture that will produc e the optima l exposure. T o take photographs in shutter-priority auto: 1 Select ex posure mode f . Pr ess the I button and rotate the main command dial until f is displayed in the viewfin[...]

109 Z g : Aperture -Priority A uto In aper ture -priorit y auto, you choose the apert ure while the camera automatically selec ts the shutte r speed that wi ll produc e the optimal exposure. T o take photographs in aper ture -priorit y auto: 1 Sel ect e xp osur e mode g . Pr ess the I button and rotate the main command dial until g is displayed in [...]

110 Z 3 F rame a photogr aph, focus, and shoot. A Non-CPU Lenses ( 0 342) Use the lens aperture ri ng to adjust aper ture. If the maximum aper ture of the lens has been specified using the Non-CPU lens data item in setup menu ( 0 196) when a non-CPU lens is attached, the current f-number will be displayed in the viewfinder and con t rol panel, roun[...]

111 Z h : Manual In manual exposur e mode, you contr ol both shutter speed and aper ture. T o take photographs in manual exposure mode: 1 Sel ect e xp osur e mode h . Pr ess the I button and rotate the main command dial until h is displayed in the viewfinder an d control pan el. I button Main command dial[...]

112 Z 2 Choose aperture and shutter speed. While the exposure meters are on, rotate the main command dial to choose a shutter speed, and the sub-command dial to set aper ture. Shutter speed can be set “ p ” or to values between 30 s and 1 / 8,000 s, or the shutter can be hel d open indefinitel y for a long time- exposur e ( A , 0 114). Aperture[...]

113 Z A Exposure Indicators The exposure indicators in the contr ol panel and viewfinder show whether the photograph would be un der- or ov er- exposed at current settings (if Lo or Hi is displayed in f or g modes, the indicators show the amount of under- or over-exposure). Depending on the option chosen for C ustom Setting b2 ( EV steps for exposu[...]

114 Z Long T ime -Exposures At a shutter speed of A , the shu tter will r emain open while the shutter-r elease button is held down. Use f or long time- exposur e photogr a phs of moving lights , the stars, night scen ery, or fireworks . A tripod and optional remote cord ( 0 356) are recommended to prev ent blur . 1 Ready the camera. Mount the came[...]

115 Z 3 Choose a shutter speed. While the exposure meters are ac tive, rotate the main c ommand dial until “ A ” appears in the shutter-speed displays. The expo sure indica tors do no t appear when “ A “ is selected. 4 Press the shutter-r e lease button all the wa y down. Press the shutt e r-release button on the camera or remote cor d all [...]

116 Z Aut o ex p os u re (AE ) Lo c k Use autoexposure lock to r ecompose photographs after metering exposure. 1 Select center- weight ed or spot metering ( 0 102). Matrix metering w ill not produce the desir ed results with autoexposure lock. If using center-weight e d metering, sele ct the ce nter focus point with the multi selector ( 0 78). 2 Lo[...]

117 Z 3 Recom pose the photo graph. Keeping the AE-L/AF-L button pressed, r ecompose the photograph and shoot . A Metered A rea In spot metering, exposure will be locked at the value meter ed in a 3-mm (0.12 in.) circle centered on the selected focus point. In ce nter- weighted met er ing, exposur e will be locked at the value metered in an 8-mm ci[...]

118 Z Exposure C ompensation Exposure compensa tion is used to alter exposure fr om the value suggested by the camer a, mak ing pictures bright er or darker . In exposure mode h , only the exposure in formatio n shown in the exposure indicat or is affected; shutter speed and aperture do not change. T o choose a value for exposu re compensation, pre[...]

119 Z Exposure compensation can be set to values between –5 EV (underexposure) and +5 EV (overexposure) in incr ements of 1 / 3 EV . In general, choose positive valu es to make the subject brighter , negative values to make it darker . At values other than ±0.0, the 0 at the center of the exposur e indicators will flash and a E icon will be disp[...]

120 Z Brack eting Bracketing automatically varies exposure, flash level , A cti ve D - L ighting (ADL), or white balance slightly with each shot, “bracketing” the current value. Choose in situations in which it is difficult to set exposur e, Active D-Lighting, or white balance and there is not time to check result s and adjust settings with eac[...]

121 Z 2 Choose the number of shots. Pressing the Fn button, rotat e the main command dial to choose the numbe r of shots in the bracket ing sequence. The number of shots is shown in the control panel. At settings other than zero , a M icon and exposure and flash bracketin g indicator will be display ed in the control pane l, and a E icon will blink[...]

122 Z 3 Select an exposure incr ement. Pr essing the Fn button, rotate the sub- command dial to choose the exposure increment. At default settings, the size of the increment can be chosen from 1 / 3 , 2 / 3 , and 1 EV . The bracketing pr ograms with an increment of 1 / 3 EV are listed below . Control panel display No. of shots Bracket ing order (EV[...]

123 Z 4 Fr ame a photograph, focus, and shoot. The camera will var y exposure and/or flash l evel shot-by-shot according to the bracketing prog ram selected. Modif icatio ns to exposure are added to those made with exposure compensation (see page 118), mak ing it possible to achieve exposure compensation values of more than 5 EV . While bracketing [...]

124 Z ❚❚ Canceling Bracketing T o cancel bracketing, pr ess the Fn button and rotate the main command dial until the number of shots in the bracketing sequence is zer o ( ) and M is no longer displayed in the control panel. The program last in eff ec t will be restored the next time bracketing is activated. Bracketing can also be canc elled by [...]

125 Z ❚❚ White Balanc e Bracketing The camera creat es multiple copies of each photograph , each with a different white balance. F or more information on whit e balance, see page 133. 1 Selec t white balance br acketing . Choose WB br acketing for Cu s tom Setting e5 Auto brack eting set . 2 Choose the number of shots. Pressing the Fn button, r[...]

126 Z 3 Selec t a white balance increment. Pr essing the Fn button, rotate the sub- command dial to choose the white balance adjustment. Each increment is roughly equivalent to 5 mired. Choose from increments of 1 (5 mir ed), 2 (10 mired), or 3 (15 mired). High er B values c orrespond to incr eased amounts of blue, higher A values t o increased amo[...]

127 Z 4 Fr ame a photograph, focus, and shoot. Each shot will be proc essed to create the n umber of copies specified in the bracketing progra m, and each copy will have a differ ent white balanc e. Modifications to wh ite balance ar e added to the white balance ad justment made with white balance fine-tuning. If the number of shots in the bracketi[...]

128 Z ❚❚ Canceling Bracketing T o cancel bracketing, pr ess the Fn button and rotate the main command dial until the number of shots in the bracketing se q ue n ce i s z e ro ( r ) and W i s n o l o ng e r d i sp l aye d i n t h e c o nt ro l panel. The program last in eff ec t will be restored the next time bracketing is activated. Bracketing [...]

129 Z ❚❚ ADL Brack eting The camera varies Act ive D-Lighting over a series of exposures. Fo r more information on Active D-Lighting, see page 164. 1 Sel ect AD L br ack etin g. Choose ADL br acketing for Cu stom Setting e5 Auto brack eting set . 2 Choose the number of shots. Pressing the Fn button, rotat e the main command dial to choose the n[...]

130 Z 3 Select Active D -Lighting . Pr essing the Fn button, rotate the sub- command dial to choose Active D -Lighting. Active D-Lighting is shown in the control panel. Control panel displa y Active D -Lighting Y Auto R Low Q Normal P High Z Extra high Fn button Sub -command dial[...]

131 Z 4 Fr ame a photograph, focus, and shoot. The camera will var y Acti ve D-Lighting shot-by-shot according to the bracketing progr a m selected. While bracke ting is in effect, a bracketing pr ogress indicator wi ll be displayed in the control pan el. A segment will disapp ear from the indicator after ea ch shot.[...]

132 Z ❚❚ Canceling Bracketing T o cancel bracketing, pr ess the Fn button and rotate the main command dial until the number of shots in the bracketing sequence is zer o. The program last in effect w ill be restored the next time bracketing is ac tivated. Bracketing can also be cancelled by per forming a two -button reset ( 0 182), a lthough in [...]

r 133 r White Balance – Keeping C olors True The color of light refl ected from an object varies with the color of the light source. The human brain is able to ada pt to changes in the color of the light source, with the result that whit e objects appear white whether seen in the shade, dir ect sunlight, or under incandescent lighting. Unlike the[...]

134 r White Balance Options F or natural color ation, choose a white balance setting that matches the light source befor e shooting. The fo llow ing opt ion s are a vailable: Option Color temp. * Descriptio n v Auto 3,500– 8,000 K White balance is adjusted automatically . For best results , use t ype G or D lens. If built-in or optional flash fir[...]

135 r Auto whit e balance is r ecommended with most light sou rces . If the desired results can not be achi eved with auto white balance, choose an option fr om the list above or use pr eset white balance . White balanc e can be selected by pressing the WB button and rotating the main command dial until the desired setting is displayed in the contr[...]

136 r A Color T emperature The perceiv ed color of a light sourc e varies with the viewer and other conditions. Color temperature is a n objective measure of the color of a light source, defined with reference to the temperature to which an object would have to be heated to radiate light in the same wavelengths. While light sources with a color tem[...]

137 r F ine - T uning White Balanc e White balanc e can be “fine tuned” to compensat e for varia tions in the color of the light source or to introduc e a deliberate color cast into an image. White balance is fine tuned using the White balance option in the shooting menu or by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub-command dial. ❚❚ The[...]

138 r 2 F ine tune white balanc e. Use the multi selector to fine - tune white balance. White balanc e can be fine tuned on the amber (A )–blue (B) axis and the green (G)–magenta (M) axis. The horizo ntal (amber- blue) axi s corresponds to color temp erature, with each increment equivalent to about 5 mired. The ver tical (green- magenta) axis h[...]

139 r A White Balance F ine T uning The colors on the fine-tuning axes are relativ e, not absolute. F or examp le, movi ng th e curs or to B (blue) when a “warm” setting such as J (incandescent) is selected f or white balance will make photographs slightly “ colder ” but will not actually make t hem blue. A Color T emperature F ine - T unin[...]

140 r ❚❚ The WB Button At settings other than K ( Choose color temp . ) and L ( Preset manual ), the WB button can be used to fine-tune white balance on the amber (A)–blue (B) axis ( 0 138; to fine -tune wh ite balance when K or L is selected, use the shoo ting menu as described on page 137). Six settings in both directions are available; eac[...]

141 r Choosing a Color T emperature When K ( Choose colo r temp. ) is selected for white balance, color temperature can be selec ted by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub- command dial. The colo r temper ature is displayed in the con trol panel: Cont rol pan el WB button Sub-command dial D Choose Color T emperature Note t hat the desir ed [...]

142 r Pr eset Manual Preset manual is used to record and recall custom white balance settings for shooting under mixed lighting or to compensate for light sources with a strong color cast. T wo methods a re available for setting pr eset white balance: Method Descri ption Direct measurement Neutral gray or white objec t is placed under lighting that[...]

143 r The camera ca n stor e up to five v alues for pr eset white balance in presets d-0 through d-4. A descriptive comment can be added to any whit e balance preset ( 0 152). A White Balance P resets Changes to white balance presets apply to all shooting menu banks ( 0 254). A confirmation dialog will be d isplayed if t he user attempts to change [...]

144 r ❚❚ Measuring a V alue for Whit e Balance 1 Li ght a re fere nce ob je c t. Place a neutral gray or w hite objec t under the lighting th at will be used in the final phot ograph. In studio settings, a standard gray panel can be used as a ref e renc e object. Note that exposure is automatically incr eased by 1 EV when measuring white balanc[...]

145 r 4 Meas ur e whit e bala nc e. Befor e the indicators stop flas hing, frame the reference object so that it fills the viewfinder and press the shutter-release butt on all the way down. The camera will measure a value for white balance a nd store it in pr eset d-0. No ph otogra ph w ill be recorde d; wh ite b alanc e can be measured ac curately[...]

146 r 6 Select pre set d-0. If the new value f or preset white bala nce will be used immediately , se lect preset d-0 by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub-command dial until d-0 is displayed in the control panel. D Direct Measurement Mode If no operations are per formed while the displays are flashing, direct measurement mode will end in [...]

147 r ❚❚ Copy ing White Balance fro m d-0 to Presets d-1–d-4 F ollow the steps belo w to copy a measured v alue for white balance from d-0 to any of the other presets (d-1– d-4). 1 Sel ect L ( Prese t manual ). Pr ess the G button and select White balance in the shooting men u. Highlight Preset manual and press 2 . 2 Selec t a destination. [...]

148 r ❚❚ Copying Whit e Balance from a Photograph (d-1–d-4 Only) F ollow the steps below to copy a value for white balance from an existing photogr aph to a selected preset (d-1–d-4 only). Existing white balanc e values can not be co pied to pres et d-0. 1 Select L ( P reset manual ). Highlight Preset manual in the white balance menu and pr[...]

149 r 4 Highlight a source image . Highlight the source image. T o view the highlighte d image full frame, press and hold the X butt on. T o view images in other locations, press W and select the desired card and folde r ( 0 217). 5 Copy w hit e b al an ce. Press the center of the multi selec tor to copy the white balance value for the highlighted [...]

150 r ❚❚ Selec ting a White B alance Preset T o set white balance to a preset value: 1 Select L ( P reset manual ). Highlight Preset manual in the white balance menu an d press 2 . 2 Select a pre set. Highlight the desired preset and press the center of the multi selector . To s e l e c t t h e highlighted preset and displa y fine tunin g menu [...]

151 r A Selecting a White Balance Preset: the WB Button At a setting of L ( Preset manual ), presets can also be selected by pressing the WB button and rotating the sub- command dial. The current preset is display ed in the control panel while the WB button is pressed. Cont rol pan el WB button Sub-command dial[...]

152 r ❚❚ Entering a C omment F ollow the steps below to enter a descriptive comment of up to thirt y-six characters for a selected white balance preset. 1 Select L ( P reset manual ). Highlight Preset manual in the white balance menu and press 2 . 2 Select a pre set. Highlight the desired preset and press the center of the multi selector . 3 Se[...]

J 153 J Image Enhancement This chapter de scribes how to op timize sharpening, contr a st, brightness, saturation and hue using Picture Controls, how to preserve detail in highlights and shadows using active D- Lighting, and how to choo se a color spa ce. Picture Controls ................ ....................... ............................ .. 154 [...]

154 J Pic ture Controls Nikon’ s unique P icture Control sy st em makes it possible to share image processing settings, in cluding sharpen ing, contrast, brightness, saturation, and hue, among compatible devices and software. Sel ectin g a Pic tu re Contro l The camera offers a choice of preset Picture Controls. Choose a Picture Control accor din[...]

155 J A Preset P ic ture Contr ol s V ersus Custom Picture C o ntrols The P icture Controls supplied with the camera are r eferred to as prese t Pic tur e Co ntr ols . Custom Picture C ontrols are created thr ough modifications to existing Pic ture Controls using the Manage Picture Con tr ol option in the shooting men u ( 0 160). Cust om Pi ct ure [...]

156 J Modifying Existing Picture C ontrols Existing preset or cust om Pictu re Co ntrols ( 0 160) can be modified t o suit the scene or the user ’ s creative intent. Choose a balanced combination of setti ngs using Quick adjust , or make manual adjustments to individual settings. 1 Se lect a P ict ur e C ont ro l. Highlight the desired Picture Co[...]

157 J ❚❚ Pic ture Control Sett ings Option Description Quick a djust Choose from options bet ween –2 and +2 t o reduce or exaggerate the effect of the selected Picture C ontrol (note that this resets all manual adjustments). Fo r example, choosing positive values for Vivi d makes pictures more vivid. Not available with Neut ral , Monochrome ,[...]

158 J D Active D-Lighting Con tr as t and Brightness can not be adjusted when A c tive D-Lighting ( 0 164) is on. Any manual adjustments curr ently in effect will be lost when Active D-Lighting is turned on. D “A” ( A u t o ) Results for auto contrast and satura tion vary with exposure and the position of the subject in the frame. Use a type G [...]

159 J A T oning (Monochrom e Only) Pres si ng 3 when T oning is selected displays saturation o ptions. Press 4 or 2 to adju st saturation. Saturation control i s not available when B&W (black-and-white) is selec ted. A Cus t om Pi c t ur e Co nt ro l s The options available with custom P ic ture Controls are the same as those on which the custo[...]

160 J Creating C ustom Pic ture Control s The Picture Controls supplied with the camera can be modified and saved as cust om Picture Controls . 1 Select Manage P icture Co nt ro l . To d i s p l a y t h e m e n u s , press the G button. Highlight Manage Pic ture Contro l in the shooting menu and press 2 . 2 Select Sa ve/e dit . Highlight Sav e/edi [...]

161 J 4 Edit the selected P icture Cont ro l. See page 157 for more information. T o abandon an y changes and star t over from default settings, press the O button. Pres s J when settings are co mplete. 5 Selec t a destination. Choose a destination f o r the custom Picture Control (C-1 through C-9) and pr ess 2 . 6 Name the Picture Cont ro l. The t[...]

162 J A Manage Picture Contro l > Rename Custom Picture Controls can be renamed at any time using the Rename option in the Manage Pict ure Control menu. A Manage Picture Control > Delete The Delete option in the Manage Picture Con tr o l menu can be used to delete selected custom Picture Controls when they are no longer needed. A The Original[...]

163 J Sharing C ustom Picture Contr ols Custom Pictu re Cont rols c reated u sing the Picture Control Ut ilit y available with ViewNX or optional sof tware such as Capture NX 2 can be copied to a memory card and load ed into the camer a, or custom Picture Controls created with the camera can be copie d to the memor y card to be used in compatible c[...]

164 J A c tive D-Lighting Active D-Lighting preser ves details in highlights and shadows, creating photographs with natural contrast. Use for high contrast scenes, for example when photographing brightly lit outdoor scenery through a door or window or taking pic tures of shaded subjects on a sunny day . Active D-Lighting off Active D- Lighting: Y A[...]

165 J T o use ac tive D-Lighting: 1 Sele ct Ac ti ve D -L ig ht ing . T o display the menus, press the G button. Highlight Active D -Lighting in the shooting menu and press 2 . 2 Choose an option. Highlight Y Aut o , Z Extra high , P High , Q Norma l , R Low , or Off and press J . If Y Auto is selected, the camera will automatically adjust Active D[...]

166 J C olor Space The color space determines th e gamu t of colors available f or color reproductio n. Choose a color sp ace according to how photographs will be processed on lea v ing the camera. 1 Select Col or s p a ce . To d i s p l a y t h e m e n u s , press the G button. Highlight Color space in the shooting men u and press 2 . 2 Select a c[...]

167 J A Color Space Color spaces define the correspondence between colors and the numeric values that represen t them in a di gital image file . The s RGB color space is widely used , while the Adobe RGB color space is typically used in publishing and commercial printing. sRGB is rec ommended when taking photographs that will be printed without mod[...]

168 J[...]

l 169 l Flash Photograph y – Using the Built-in Flash This chapter de scribes how to use the bui l t-in flash. The Built-in F lash .............. ....................... ....................... ....... 170 Using the Built-in Flash ............................... ....................... .. 1 71 Flash Modes.............. ....................... ...[...]

170 l The Built-in F lash The built-in flash has a Guide Nu mber (GN) 17/56 (m/ft., ISO 200, 20 °C/68 °F). It suppor ts i- T TL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR, which uses monitor pre-flashes to adjust flash output for balanced lighting not only when natural li ghting is inadequate but when filling in shadows and backlit subjec ts or adding a[...]

171 l U sing the Built-in F lash F ollow these steps when using the built -in flash. 1 Choose a metering method ( 0 102). Selec t matrix or center-weighted meter ing to ac tivate i- T TL bal anced fill- flash for digital SLR. Standa rd i- T TL flash for digital SLR is activated automatically when spot metering is selected . 2 Press the flash pop-up[...]

172 l 4 Check exposure (shutter speed and aper ture). Pr ess the shutter-relea se button halfway and ch eck shutter speed and aper ture . The settings available wh en the built-in flash is raised are listed below . The effects of the flash can be previewed by pr essing the depth-of-fie ld preview button to emit a mo deling preflash ( 0 289). 5 Ta k[...]

173 l Lo wering the Built-in Fl ash T o save power wh en the flash is not in use , press it gently downward until the latch clicks into place. D The Built-in Flash Use with lenses with focal lengths of 16–300 mm ( 0 344). Remove lens hoods to preven t shadows. The flash has a minimum range of 60 cm (2 ft.) and can not be used in the macro range o[...]

174 l A Aperture, Sensitivity , and Flash Range The range of the built-in flash varies with sensitivity (ISO equivalency) and aper ture . Apertu re at ISO equivalent of Range 200 400 800 1600 3200 m ft. 1.4 2 2.8 4 5.6 1.0–12.0 3 ft. 3 in.–39 ft. 4in. 2 2.8 4 5. 6 8 0.7–8 .5 2 ft. 4 in.–27 ft. 11in. 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 0.6–6.1 2 ft.–20 ft. 4[...]

175 l Fla s h M o d e s The D300S suppor ts the following flash modes: Flash mode Description Fro n t- c u r ta i n sync This mode is recommend ed f or most situations. In programmed auto and aperture -priorit y auto modes, shutter speed wil l automaticall y be set to values betw een 1 / 250 and 1 / 60 s ( 1 / 8,0 00 to 1 / 60 s when an optional fl[...]

176 l D Flas h Con tro l M ode The information display show s the flash control mode for the built-in flash ( Built-in ) and for opt ional flash units attached to the camer a accessory s hoe ( Optional ) as follo ws: i-TTL Auto aperture (AA) 1 / non-TTL auto flash (A) Manual Built-in Opti onal Built-in Optiona l Built-in Op tion al TTL 2 — Auto F[...]

177 l F lash C ompensation Flash compensation is used to alter flash output by from –3 EV to +1 EV in increments of 1 / 3 EV , changing the brightness of the main subject relative to the background . Flash output can be increased to make the main subject appear brighter , or reduced to pr event unwanted highlights or reflections. Press the Y butt[...]

178 l FV Lock This featur e is used to lock flash output, allowing photogr aphs to be recomposed without changing the flash le vel and ensuring that flash output is appropriate to the subjec t even when the subject is not positioned in the center of the frame . Flash output is adjusted automatically for an y changes in ISO sensitivity and aper ture[...]

179 l 4 Lock f lash level. After confirming tha t the flash ready indicator ( M ) is displayed in the viewfin der , press the Fn button. The flash will emit a monit or pref lash to determine the appropriate flash level. Flash output will be locked at this level and FV lock ic ons ( e ) will appear in the control panel and viewfinder . 5 Recompose t[...]

180 l A Using FV L ock with Optional Flash Units FV lock is also available with SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-400, and SB-R200 flash units (ava ilable separat ely). Set the optional flash to TTL mode (the SB-900 and SB-800 can also be used in AA mode; see the flash manual for details). While FV lock is in eff ect, flash output will automatically be ad[...]

t 181 t O ther Shooting O ptions This chapter covers r estoring de fault settings, mak ing multiple exposures, int erval timer photograph y , and using GPS units and non-CPU le nses. T wo-Button Reset: Restoring Default Settings ................ 182 Multiple Exposure ..................... ............................ ................ 184 Interval T[...]

182 t T wo -Button Reset: Rest oring Default Settings The camera settings listed below can be rest ored to default values by holding the QUAL and E buttons down together f or more than two seconds (these buttons ar e marked by a gree n dot). The control panel turns off briefly while settings are reset . 1 Custom Setting f7 ( Assign AE-L/AF-L button[...]

183 t The following shooting-menu opt ions will also be reset. Only settings in the ba nk currently selected using the Shoo ting menu bank o p t i o n w i l l b e r e s e t ( 0 254) . Settings in the remaining banks are unaffected. If the curren t Picture C ontrol has been modified , existing settings for the P ic ture C ontrol will also be r estor[...]

184 t Multiple Exposure F o llow the steps below to r ecord a series of two to t en exposures in a single photog raph. Mu ltip le ex pos ures can b e reco rded at any image quality sett ing, and produce r esults with colors not iceably better than photographs combin ed in an imaging application because they make use of RA W data from the camera ima[...]

185 t 3 Selec t the number of shots. Pr ess 1 or 3 to choose the number of exposures that will be combined to f orm a single photograph and pr ess J . 4 Sel ect Auto ga i n . Highlight Aut o ga in and press 2 . 5 Set gain. Highlight one of the following options and press J . Opti on Descriptio n On Gain adjusted according to number of exposures act[...]

186 t 6 Select Done . Highlight Done and press J . A n icon will be displa yed in the control panel. T o exit without taking a multiple exposur e, select Multiple expo sure > Res et in the shooting menu. 7 F rame a photogr aph, focus, and shoot. In continuous high-speed and continuous low- speed release modes ( 0 86), the c ame ra re cords all e[...]

187 t D Multiple Exposure Do not remov e or replace the memory card while reco rding a multiple exposu re. Live view ( 0 47) can not be used to r ecord multiple exposures. The information list ed in the playback photo inf ormation display (including date of recor ding and camera orientation) is for the first shot in the multiple exposure. If no ope[...]

188 t ❚❚ Interrupting Multiple Exp osures Selecti ng Multiple exposure in the shooting menu while a multiple exposure is being recorded displays the options shown at right. T o interrupt a multiple exposure before the specified number of exposures have been taken, highlight Cancel and press J . If shooting ends before the specified number of ex[...]

189 t Int er val T i mer Photogr aph y The camera is equipped to take photographs automa tically at preset inter vals. 1 Sel ect Interval timer shooting . Pr ess the G button to display the menus. Highlight Interval timer shooting in the shooting menu and press 2 . 2 Selec t a starting trigger . Highlight one of the following and press 2 : • T o [...]

190 t 3 Choose a start time. Pr ess 4 or 2 t o highligh t hours or minutes; press 1 or 3 to change. The star ting time is not displayed if Now is selected for Choose start time . Pr ess 2 to continue. 4 Choose an interval. Pr ess 4 or 2 to h ighlight hours, minutes, or seconds; press 1 or 3 to change. Choose an inter val longer than the slowest ant[...]

191 t 6 Start shooting. Highlight Star t > On and press J (to r e turn to the shooting menu without starting the interval timer , highlight Start > Off and pr ess J ). The first series of shots will be take n at the specified star ting time, or after about 3 s if Now was selected for Choose start time in Step 2. Shooting will co ntinue at the[...]

192 t A Brack eting Adjust bracketing settings before starting inter val timer photography . If exposure, flash, or AD L bracketing is active while int erval timer photography is in effect, the camera will take the number of shots in the bracketing program at each inter val , r egardless of the number of shots specified in the interval timer menu. [...]

193 t ❚❚ P ausing Interval Timer Phot ography Interval time photography can be paused by: • Pr essing the J button between inte r vals • Highlighting Star t > Pau se in the inter val timer menu and pressing J • T urning the camera off and then on again (if desired, the memory card can be replaced while the camera is off ) • Selectin [...]

194 t ❚❚ Interrupting Int er val T imer Photography Inter val timer shooting will end automatically if the batter y is exhausted. Interval timer photograph y can also be ended by : • Selecting Start > Off in the interval timer menu • Performing a two button r eset ( 0 182) • Selecting Reset shootin g menu in the shooting menu ( 0 256) [...]

195 t Non- CPU Lenses By specifying lens data (lens focal length an d maximum aper ture), the user can gain acc ess to a variety of CPU lens functions when using a non-CPU lens ( 0 342). If the focal le ngth of the lens is known : • P ower zoom can be used with SB-900, SB-800, and SB-600 flash units (available separately) • Lens focal length is[...]

196 t ❚❚ The Non-CPU Lens Data Menu 1 Select Non-CPU lens data . Pr ess the G button to display the menus. Highlight Non-CPU lens data in the setup menu and press 2 . 2 Select a lens number . Highlight Lens n umber and press 4 or 2 to choose a len s number between 1 and 9. 3 Select a focal length. Highlight Focal length (mm) and press 4 or 2 to[...]

197 t 5 Sel ect Done . Highlight Done and press J . The specified focal length and aperture will be stor ed under the chosen lens number . This combination of fo cal length and aper ture can be recalled at any time by sele cting the lens number using camer a controls as described below . ❚❚ Choosing a Lens Number Using Camera Controls 1 Assign [...]

198 t Using a GPS Unit A GPS u nit can be connec ted to the ten-pin remote ter minal, allowing the current latitude, longitude , altitude, Coordinat e d Universal Time (UTC), and heading to be recorded with each photograph taken. The ca me ra c an be u se d w it h a n o pti on al GP- 1 GPS unit (see bel ow; n ote that the GP-1 does not pro vide the[...]

199 t ❚❚ Other GPS Units Optional Gar min GPS units that conform to version 2.01 or 3.01 of the National Ma rine Elec tronics Association NMEA0183 data format can be connec ted to the camera’ s ten-p in remote ter minal using an MC-35 GPS adapter cord (a vaila ble separately; 0 356). Operation has been confirmed wi th Garmin eT rex and Garmin[...]

200 t ❚❚ The k Icon When the camera establishe s communication with a GPS device, a k icon will be displayed in the control panel. Photo information f or pic tures taken while the k icon is displayed will incl ud e a p ag e o f G PS da ta ( 0 214). GP S data are onl y recor ded when the k icon is display ed; confirm that the k icon is displayed[...]

201 t ❚❚ Setup Menu Options The GPS item in the setup menu contains the options listed below. • Auto me ter of f : Choose whether or not the expo sure meters wil l turn off automatically wh en a GPS unit is attached. • Pos i t io n : This item is only available if a GPS device is conn ected, when it displ ays the current latitude, longitude[...]

202 t[...]

I 203 I More About Pla yback – Playback O ptions This chapter de scribes how to pl ay back photographs and details the operations that can be performed during playback. F ull-Frame Playback.... ........................ ....................... ........... 204 Photo Information .. ....................... ....................... ................ 207[...]

204 I Fu l l - F r a m e P l a y b a c k T o play photographs back, press the K button. The most recent photograph will be displayed in the monit or . A Rotate T all T o display “tal l” (por trai t-o rientatio n) photog raphs in tall orienta t ion, select On for t he Rotate tall option in the playb ack menu ( 0 251). Note that because the c ame[...]

205 I To Use Description View additional photographs Pre ss 2 to view photographs in order recorded, 4 to view photographs in reverse order . View photo inf ormation Pre ss 1 or 3 to view information about current photograph ( 0 207). Vie w thumbnails W See page 216 for more information on the thumbnail display . Zoom in on photog raph X See page 2[...]

206 I A Image Review When On is selec ted for Image review in the playback menu ( 0 251), photographs are automatically dis played in the monitor for about 4 s after shooting (becaus e the camera is already in the correc t orientation, images are not rotated automatically during image review). In single- frame, quiet shutter -release, self-timer , [...]

207 I Photo Informa tion Photo information is superimposed on images display ed in full- frame pla yback. Ther e are up to 9 pages of information for each photo . Pr ess 1 or 3 to cycle through photo information as shown below . Note that shooting da ta, RGB histogr ams, and high lights are only displa yed if corresponding op tion is selected for D[...]

208 I ❚❚ File Informa tion 1D i s p l a y e d o n l y i f Fo cu s p oi n t is selected f or Display mode ( 0 247). 2 If photograph was taken in focus m ode S , display show s point wher e focus first locked . In focus mode C , focus point is only displayed if single -point or dynamic area was selected fo r AF-area m ode and camera was able to f[...]

209 I ❚❚ Highlights 1 1 Displayed only if Highlights is selected for Display mode ( 0 247). 2 Blinking ar eas indicat e highlights (area s that may be overexposed) for current channel. Press 4 or 2 while pressing W butt on to cycle thro ugh channels as foll ows: 100 - 1 Select R , G , B Highlights 1 2 3 4 6 5 1 Protect status ..................[...]

210 I ❚❚ RGB Histog ram 1 1 Displa yed only if RGB his togram is selected for Display mode ( 0 247). 2 Blinking areas indicate highlights (areas that may be overexposed) for cur rent channel. Press 4 or 2 while pressing W button to cycle through channels as follows: 100 -- 1 Select R , G , B Highlights 1 2 6 3 5 4 7 8 1 0 9 1 Image highlights 2[...]

211 I 3 Some sample histograms are sh own below: • If the image contains objec ts with a wide range of brightn esses, the dist ribution of tones will be relativel y even. • If the image is dark, tone distri bution will be shifted to the left. • If the image is br ight, tone distribution will be shifted to the right. Increasi ng exposur e comp[...]

212 I ❚❚ Shooting Data Page 1 1 1 Displa yed only if Dat a is selecte d for Display mode ( 0 247). 2 Displayed in red if photo was taken with ISO sensitivit y auto control on. 3 Di splaye d if Custom Set tin g b6 ( Fi ne tune op timal expo sure , 0 272) has been set to a value other than zero for any met ering method. 4 Displayed only if VR len[...]

213 I ❚❚ Shooting Data Page 2 1 1 Displayed only if Data is selec ted for Display mode ( 0 247). 2 Standard and Vivid Pic ture Co ntro ls o nly. 3 Neutral , Monochrome , and custom Picture Controls. 4 Not displ ayed with monoch rome P icture Contr ols. 5 Monochr ome Picture Co ntrol s only . ❚❚ Shooting Data Page 3 * * Displayed only if Dat[...]

214 I ❚❚ Shooting Data Page 4 * *D i s p l a y e d o n l y i f Data is selected for Display mode ( 0 247) and copyright information was appended to photograph ( 0 309). ❚❚ GPS Data 1 1 Displayed only if GPS device was use d when photo was ta ken ( 0 198). 2 Displayed only i f GPS device is equip ped with elec tronic compass. 100 -- 1 N I KO[...]

215 I ❚❚ Overview Da ta * Displayed in red if photo was taken wit h ISO sensitivity auto control on. * -- is displayed if photo was taken us ing optional Pictu re Control ( 0 155) that is no longer st ored in camer a. 1 Fr ame number/total number of fr ames 2 Protect status ........................................ 219 3 Camera name 4 Retouch in[...]

216 I V iewing Multiple Images: Thumbnail Pla yback T o display images in “ contact sheets” of four , nine, or 72 images, press the W button. The follo w ing operations can be performed: F u ll-frame playb ack Thumbnail pl ayback To Use Description Display m ore images W Pres s W button to increase number of images displayed. Display fewer imag[...]

217 I A Choosing a Memory Card If two memor y cards are inserted, you can select a memor y card for playback by pressing the W button when 72 thumbnails are displayed . The dialog sh own at right will b e display ed; highlight the desired memory card sl ot and press 2 to display a list of folders, then highlight a folder and press J to view the pic[...]

218 I T aking a Closer Look: Playback Z oom Press the X button to zoom in on the current image . The following operatio ns can be performed while zoom is in effec t: To Use Description Zoom in or out X / W Press X to zoom in to maximum of approximately 27 × (large images), 20 × (medium images) or 13 × (small images). Press W to zoom out. While p[...]

219 I Pr otec ting Photogr aphs from Deletion In full-frame, zoom, and thumbnail pla y back, the L button ca n be used to protect photographs from accidental deletion. Protected files can not be dele ted using the O button or the Delete option in the playback menu. Note t hat pro tecte d imag es will be deleted when the memory card is forma tted ( [...]

220 I Deleting Photographs T o delete the photograph displ a yed in full-frame pla yback or highlighted in the thumbnail list, press the O button. To d e l e t e multiple selected photogr aphs or all photographs in the curr ent playback fo lder , use the Delete option in the pla yback menu. Once deleted, phot ographs can not be re covered. Note tha[...]

221 I The Pla yback Menu The Delete option in the playback menu conta ins the following options. Note that dependin g on the number of imag es, some time may be required f or deletion. ❚❚ Selected: Deleting Selected Photographs 1 Choose Selected . Pr ess the G button and select Delete in the playback menu. Highl igh t Selected and press 2 . 2 H[...]

222 I 3 Select the highlighted picture. Pr ess the center of the multi selector to select the highlighted picture. Selected pictures are marked by a O icon. Repeat steps 2 and 3 t o selec t additional pictures; to deselec t a picture, highlight it and press the cent er of the multi selector . 4 Pres s J to complete the operation. A confirmation dia[...]

Q 223 Q Connec tions – Connecting to Ex ternal Devices This chapter de scribes how to c o py photographs to a c omputer , how to print pictures, and how to view them on a television set. Connecting to a Computer ................ ....................... ........... 224 Direct USB Conne ction .... .......... .......... ........... .......... ......[...]

224 Q C onnec ting to a C omputer This section describes how to use the supplied UC-E4 USB cable to connect the camera to a computer . Before connecting the ca mera, install Nikon T ransfer and ViewNX from the supplied Software Suite CD (see th e Install Guide for more info rma tion ). Nikon T ransfer star ts automatically when the camera is connec[...]

225 Q Direct USB Connection Connect the camera using th e supplied UC-E4 USB ca ble. 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o f f . 2 T urn the comput er on. T urn the computer on and wait for it to star t up. 3 Connect the USB cable. Connect the USB cable as shown. Do not use force or attempt to inser t the connec tors at an angle. 4 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a [...]

226 Q 5 T ransfer photogr aphs. Nikon Tr a nsfer will star t automatically ; click the Start T ransfer button to transfer phot ographs (for more information on using Nikon T ransfer , select Nikon T ransf er help from the Nikon T ransfer Help menu). 6 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o f f. T urn the camera off and disc onnect the USB cabl e when transfer [...]

227 Q W ireless and Ethernet Netw orks If the optional W T -4 wireless transmitt er ( 0 352) is attached, photographs can be transf erred or printed ov er wireless or Ethernet net works and the camera can also be controlled from network computers ru nning Camera Control Pr o 2 (available separately). The W T -4 can be used in any of the following m[...]

228 Q Prin ting Photographs T o print selec ted JPEG pictures on a PictBridge printer via direct USB connectio n, follow the steps below . T ake photographs Select photographs f or printing using Print set (DPOF) ( 0 237) Connect camera to printer ( 0 229) Prin t photographs one at a time ( 0 230) Prin t multip le photog raphs ( 0 233) Creat e inde[...]

229 Q C onnecting the Printer Connect the camera using th e supplied UC-E4 USB ca ble. 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o f f . 2 Connect the USB cable. T urn the printer on and connect the USB cable as shown. Do not use force or attempt t o inser t the connectors at an angle. 3 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o n . A welcome screen will be displayed in the mon[...]

230 Q Printing P ic tures One at a T ime 1 Se lect a p ictu re . Pr ess 4 or 2 to view additional pictures. Pr ess 1 or 3 to view photo information ( 0 207) , or press and hold the X button to zoom in on the c urrent fr ame ( 0 218). T o view six pic tures at a time, press the W button. Use the multi selec tor to highlight pictures, or press X to d[...]

231 Q Border Menu shown at right will be displayed. Pres s 1 or 3 to choose print style from Pri nter default (default for current printer), Print with bor d er (print photo with white border), or No border , then press J to select and return to previous me nu. Time stamp Menu shown at right will be displayed. Pres s 1 or 3 to choose Printer defaul[...]

232 Q 4 Star t printing. Select Start pri nting and press J to star t pri nting. To c a n c e l before all c opies have been printed, press J .[...]

233 Q Printing Multiple P ic tures 1 Display the P ictBridge menu. Press the G butt on in the PictBridge pla yback display (see Step 3 on pa ge 229). 2 Choose Print sel ec t or Print (DPOF) . Highlight one of the following options and press 2 . • Prin t select : Sel ect p ict ure s for pr i nti n g. • Print (DP OF ) : Print an existing print or[...]

234 Q 3 Se lect pi ctur es . Use the multi selector to scroll through the pictures on the memor y card. T o display the current picture full screen, press and hold the X button. T o select the current picture f or printing, pr ess the L button and press 1 . The pictur e will be marked with a Z icon and the number of prints will be set to 1. Keeping[...]

235 Q 5 Adjust printing options. Pr ess 1 or 3 to highlight an option and press 2 to selec t. 6 Start printing. Sel ect Start printing and press J to star t printing. T o cancel before all copies have been printed, press J . Opti on Descriptio n Pag e s iz e Menu of page size options will be displayed ( 0 230). Pres s 1 or 3 to choose page size (to[...]

236 Q ❚❚ Creating Index Prints T o create an index print of all JP EG pictures on the memor y card, select Index prin t in Step 2 of “Printing Multiple P ic tures” ( 0 23 3). Note that if the memor y card contains mo re than 256 pic tures, only the firs t 256 images will be pr inted. 1 Select Inde x print . Highlight Index print in the Pic [...]

237 Q Creating a DPOF P rint Order: Prin t Set The Print set (DPOF) option in the playback menu is used to create digital “ print orders ” for PictBridge -compatible printers and devices that suppor t DPOF . 1 Choose Select/set . Pr ess the G button and select Print set (DPOF) in the playback menu. Highlight Selec t/set and press 2 (to remove a[...]

238 Q 3 Select imprint options. Highlight the following options and press 2 to toggle the high lighted option on or off (to complete the print order without including this information, proceed to St ep 4). • Data imprint : P rint shutter speed and aper ture on all pictures in print order . • Imprint date : P rint date of recording on all pictur[...]

239 Q V iewing Photographs on T V The supplied EG-D2 audio/video (A/V ) ca ble can be used to connect the D300S to a television or VCR f or playback or recording . A type C mini-pin H igh- D efinition M ultimedia I nter face (HDMI) cable (available separately from co mmercial sources) can be used to connect the camera to high- definition video devi[...]

240 Q A Vi d eo M o d e If no image is displayed, check that camera is correctly connec ted and that the option selected for Vid e o mo d e ( 0 30 1) matches the vid eo stan dard used in the T V . A T elevision Playback Use of an EH-5a or EH-5 AC adapter (available separately) is recommended f or extended playback. When the EH-5a or EH-5 is connect[...]

241 Q High-Definition Devic es The camera can be connected to HDMI devices using a type C mini- pin HDMI cable (available separately fr om commercial sources). 1 Tu r n t h e c a m e r a o f f . Always turn the camera off bef ore connecting or disconnecting an HDMI cable. 2 Connect the HDMI cable as shown. 3 T une the device to the HDMI channel. 4 [...]

242 Q[...]

U 243 U Menu Guide This chapter de scribes the option s a vailable in the camera menus. D The Playback Menu: Managing Images ....................... 244 C The Shooting Menu : Shootin g Options ...... .................. 253 A Custom Settings: F ine-T uning Camera Settings ......... 260 B The Setup Menu: Camera Setup............. ....................[...]

244 U D The Pla yback Menu: Managing Images T o display the playback menu, pr ess G and select the K (playba ck menu) tab . G button Opti on 0 Delete 221 Playback folder 245 Hide image 245 Display mo de 247 Copy image(s) 248 Image review 251 After de lete 251 Rotate tall 251 Slide show 252 Print se t (DPOF) 237[...]

245 U Choose a f older for playback. Hide or reveal selected pictures as described below . Hidden pictures are visible only in the Hide image menu and can only be deleted by formatting the memory ca rd. 1 Choose Select/set . Pr ess the G button and select Hide image in the playback menu. Highlight Select/set an d press 2 (to skip the remaining step[...]

246 U 2 Se lect pi ctur es . Use the multi selector to scrol l thro ugh t he p ict ures o n the memory card (to view the highlighted picture full screen, press and hold the X button; to view images in other locations, press W and select the desired card and f older as described on page 217) and press the c enter of the mul ti selector to select the[...]

247 U Choose the information av ailable in the playback photo information display ( 0 207). 1 Sel ect op tion s. Pres s 1 or 3 to highli ght an option, then press 2 to selec t the option for the photo informati o n display . A L appears nex t to selected items; to deselect, highlight and press 2 . 2 Save changes and exit . T o return to the playbac[...]

248 U Copy images bet ween memor y c ards. This option is only available when two memory cards are in serted in the camera. To c o p y i m a g e s : 1 Choose S el ec t so urce . Highlight Selec t source and press 2 . 2 Select the sou rc e card . Highlight the slot containing the card fr om which images will be copied and press J . 3 Choose Sele ct [...]

249 U 5 Make the initial select ion. Before going on select or deselect individual images, you can mark all or all prot ec ted images in the folder for copying by ch oosing Select all images or Select protected images . To m a r k o n l y individually selected imag es for copying, choose Deselect all befor e proceeding. 6 Selec t additional images.[...]

250 U T o choose from a list of existing folders, choose Select folder from list , highlight a fold er , and pre ss J . 9 Co py th e im a g es . Highlight Copy image(s)? and press 2 . A confirmation dialog will be displayed; highlight Ye s and press J . Pr ess J aga in to exit when copying is complete. D Cop ying Images Images will not b e copied i[...]

251 U Choose whether pictures are automatically displayed in the monitor immediately after shooting . If Off is selected, pic tures can only be displayed by pr essing the K button. Choose the picture displayed after an image is deleted . Choose wheth er to rotate “tall ” (por trait- orientation) pic tures for display during playback. Note that [...]

252 U Creat e a slide show of the pictur es in the current pl ayback f older ( 0 245). Hidden images ( 0 245) are not displayed. T o star t the slide show , highlight Sta rt and press J . The following operat ions can be performed whil e the slide show is in progress: The dialog shown at right is display ed when the show ends. Select Restart to res[...]

253 U C The Shooting Menu: Shooting O ptions T o display the shoo ting menu, pr ess G and selec t the C (shooting menu) tab . G button Opti on 0 Shooting menu bank 254 Reset shooting me nu 256 Active folder 256 File naming 258 Primary slot selec tion 72 Secondar y slot function 72 Image quality 68 Image size 71 JPEG compre ssion 70 NEF (RAW) record[...]

254 U Shooting menu option s are stored in one of four banks. With the exceptions of Interval timer shooting , Multiple exposure , and modifications to Picture Contr ols (quick adjust and other manual adj ust men ts) , ch ang es to set tin gs i n on e ba nk h ave no effec t on t he others. T o store a par ticular combination of frequently-used s et[...]

255 U 2 Enter a name . T o move the cursor in the name area, press the W button and press 4 or 2 . T o enter a new letter a t the curre nt cursor position, use the multi selector to highlight the desired character in the keyboard area and press the ce nter of the mult i selector . To d e l e t e t h e character at the current cursor position, press[...]

256 U Select Ye s to restore default settings fo r the current shooting menu bank. See page 368 for a list of default settings . Select the folder in which subsequent imag es will be stor ed. ❚❚ New Folder Number 1 Select Ne w folder number . Highlight New folder number and press 2 . The dialog shown at right will be displayed. 2 Choose a folde[...]

257 U ❚❚ Select Folder 1 Choose Selec t folder . Highlight Selec t folder and press 2 . 2 Highlight a folder . Pr ess 1 or 3 to highlight a f older . 3 Selec t the highlighted folder . Pr ess J to selec t the highlighted folder an d return to the shooting menu (to exit without changing the active folder , press the G butt on). Subsequent photog[...]

258 U Photographs are saved using file names consis ting of “DSC_” or , in the case of images that use the Adobe RGB color sp ace, “_DSC” , follow ed by a four - digit number and a three-letter extension (e.g ., “DSC_0001.JPG”). The Fil e na mi ng option is used to sel ect three lett ers to replace the “DSC” por tion of the file nam[...]

259 U Photographs taken a t high ISO se nsitivities can be processed t o redu ce “nois e. ” High ISO NR G button ➜ C sh ooting menu Option Description S High Noise reduction is per formed at ISO sensitivities of ISO 800 and higher . While photographs are being processed, the capacity of the memor y buffer will drop . Choose the amount of nois[...]

260 U A C ustom S ettings: Fine- T uning Camer a Settings T o display the Custom Settings menu, press G and sele ct the A (Cust om S ettings menu) tab . Custom Settings are used to customiz e camera settings to suit individual preferences . G button Custom Setting groups Main menu B : Custom setting bank ( 0 262) A : Reset custom settings ( 0 262)[...]

261 U The following Custom Settings are ava ilable: Custom Sett ing 0 B Custom setting bank 262 A Reset cust om settings 262 a Autofocus a1 AF-C priorit y selection 263 a2 AF-S priorit y selectio n 2 64 a3 Dyn amic AF area 2 64 a4 Focus tracking with lock-on 266 a5 AF activation 266 a6 AF point illumination 266 a7 Foc u s p oi n t wr a p - a ro u n[...]

262 U Custom Settings are stor ed in one of four banks. Changes to settings in one bank hav e no effect on the others. To s t o r e a par ticular combination of frequently-used settings , selec t one of the four banks and set the camera to these settings. The new settings will be sto red in the bank even when the camera is turn ed off , a nd will b[...]

263 U This option controls whether photographs can be taken whenever the sh utter-release button is pressed ( release priority ) or on ly wh en th e c am e ra i s i n fo c us ( focus priority ) in continuous-ser vo AF . T o select continuo us-ser vo AF , rotate the f ocus mode selec tor to C . Regardless of the optio n selected, f ocus will not loc[...]

264 U This option controls whethe r photogr a phs can be taken onl y when the camer a is in focus ( foc us priority ) or whenev er the shutter - release butt on is pressed ( release priority ) in single -servo AF . To s e l e c t single -servo AF , rotate the focus mode selector to S . Regardless of the option selected , if the in-focus indicat or [...]

265 U d 21 points If the subject leaves the selected focus point, the camera will focus based on information from the surro unding 20 f o cus poin ts. Choose when photographing subjects that are moving unpredictably (e.g., players at a f o otball game). e 51 points If the subject leaves the selected focus point, the camera will focus based on infor[...]

266 U This option controls how autofocus adjusts to sudden large changes in the distance to the subject. If Shutter/ AF-ON is selected, both the shutter-r elease button and the B button can be used to initiate autofocus . If AF-ON only is selected, autofocus is only initiated when the B button is pr essed. Choose whether the active f ocus po int is[...]

267 U Choose whether focus-point selection “wraps a round” from one edge of the viewfinder to another . Choose the number of focus points av ailable for manual f ocus- point selection. a7: Focus Point Wrap-Around G button ➜ A Cu stom Settin gs menu Option Description Wra p F ocus-point selec tion “wraps around” from top to bottom, bottom [...]

268 U Choose whether the built-in AF-assist illuminator lights to assist the focus operation when lighting is poor . a9: Built-in AF-assist Illuminator G button ➜ A Custo m Setti ngs menu Option Description On The AF-assist illuminator lights when lighting is poor . AF- assist illumination is only available when both of the following conditions a[...]

269 U Choose the fun ction assign ed to the B button on the optional MB-D10 battery pack . a10: AF-On for MB-D10 G button ➜ A Cu stom Setti ngs menu Opti on Description A AF-ON Pr essing the MB-D10 B button initiates autofocus. B AE/AF lock F o cus and exposure lock while the MB-D10 B button is pressed . C AE lock only Exposure locks while the MB[...]

270 U Select the increm ents used when making adjustments to ISO sensitivity . Select the increm ents used when making adjustments to shutter speed , ape rtur e, and bracketing. Select the increm ents used when making adjustments to exposure and flash compensation. b: Metering/Exposure b1: ISO Sensitivi ty Step Value G button ➜ A Custom Set tings[...]

271 U This option controls whether the E button is needed to set exposure compensation ( 0 11 8). If On ( Auto reset) or On is selected, th e 0 at the center of the exposur e display will blink even when exposure compensation is set to ±0. b4: Easy Exposure Compensati on G button ➜ A Custom Setti ngs menu Option Description K On (Auto r eset) Ex[...]

272 U Note that the dia meter is fixe d at 8 mm when a non-CPU lens is used. Use this option to fine -tune the exposure value selected by the camera. Exposure can be fine tuned separately for ea ch metering me th od by f rom +1 to – 1 EV in ste ps of 1 / 6 EV . b5: Center-Weighted Area G button ➜ A Custo m Setti ngs menu When calculating exposu[...]

273 U At the default setting of Off , exposure only locks when the AE-L/A F-L button is pressed. If On is selected, e xposure wil l also lock when the shutter-release butt on is pressed halfway . Choose how long th e camera continues to meter expo sure when no operatio ns are per formed. The shutter-speed and aper ture displays in the control panel[...]

274 U Choose how long the monitor remains on when no operat ions are performed during playback ( Playback ; defaults to 1 0 s) and image review ( Image review ; defaults to 4 s) or when me nus ( Menus ; defaults to 20 s) or information ( Inf ormation display ; defaults to 10 s) are displayed . Choose a shorter monitor-off delay for longer battery l[...]

275 U If High (high pitch) or Low ( l o w p i t c h ) i s s e l e c t e d , a b e e p w i l l s o u n d at the select ed pitch while the self- timer is active or when the camera focuses using single -servo AF . Note that a beep will not sound when the camera focuses during movie r ecording or in quiet-s hutter rel ease mo de (mod e J ) or if Releas[...]

276 U Choose On to display tool tips for items selected in the information display . Choose the maximum frame advance rate in C L (continuous low speed) mode (during interval timer photography , this setting also determines the frame adva nce rate for single- frame). Note that the frame advance rate may dro p below the sel ected value a t slow shut[...]

277 U When a photograph is taken, the camera names the file by adding one to the last file number used. This option controls whe ther file numbering continue s from the last number used when a new folder is created, the memor y card is f ormatted, or a new memory card is inserted in the ca mera. d7: File Number Sequence G button ➜ A Custom Setti [...]

278 U At the default setting of Au to ( AU TO ), the color of the lettering in the information displa y ( 0 12 ) will automatically cha nge from black to white or white to black to mainta in c ontrast with the background. T o always use the same color lettering, selec t Manual and choose Dark on light ( B ; black lettering) or Light on dark ( W ; w[...]

279 U T o ensure that the camera functions as expe cted when eight AA batteries are used in the optional MB-D10 battery pack, match the option selected in this menu to th e type of batteries inser ted in the battery pa ck. There is no need to adjust th is option when using EN-EL3e or optional EN-EL4a or EN-EL4 batteries . d11: MB-D10 Battery Type G[...]

280 U Choose whether the batt er y in the camera or the batteries in the battery pack are used first when an optio nal MB-D10 batte r y pack is attached. A X icon is displayed in the camera control panel when the batte ries in the MB-D10 are in use . d12: Battery Order G button ➜ A Custom Set tings me nu A The MB-D10 Battery Pack The MB-D10 takes[...]

281 U This option controls flash sync speed. e: Brack eting/Flash e1: Flash Sync Speed G button ➜ A Custom Setti ngs menu Option Description 1/320 s (Auto FP) Use auto FP high-speed sync with SB-900, SB-800, SB- 600, and SB-R200 flash units. I f othe r flash units are used, shutter speed is set to 1 / 320 s. When the camera shows a shutter speed [...]

282 U Fl ash Cont rol a t 1/320 s (Auto FP ) When 1/320 s (A uto FP) is sele cted for Custom Setting e1 ( Flash sync speed , 0 281), the built-in flash can be used at shutter speeds as fast as 1 / 320 s, whi le o pt io nal SB -9 00, SB-800, SB-600, and SB-R200 flash units can be used at any shutter speed ( Auto FP High- Speed Sync). This option det[...]

283 U Choose the flash mode for th e bu ilt- in fla sh. e3: Flash Cntrl for Built-in Flash G button ➜ A Custom Settings m enu Option Description 1 TTL F lash output is ad justed automatically i n response to shooting conditions. 2 Manual Choose the flas h level ( 0 284). 3 Repeating flash The flash fires repeatedly while the shutter is open, prod[...]

284 U ❚❚ Manu al Choose a flash l evel between Fu l l and 1/128 ( 1 / 128 of full power ). At full power , the built-in flash ha s a Guide Number of 17/56 (m/ft., ISO 200, 20 °C/68 °F). ❚❚ Repeating Flash The flash fir es repeatedly whil e the shutter is open, producing a strobe -light effect. Press 4 or 2 to highlight the f o llowing opt[...]

285 U ❚❚ Commander Mode Use the built-in flash as a master flash controlling one or more remote optional SB-900, SB-800, SB -600, or SB-R200 fla sh units in up to two gr oups (A and B) using advanced wir eless lighting . Selecting this option displays the menu shown at right. Press 4 or 2 to highlight the fol low in g o p tio ns, 1 or 3 to chan[...]

286 U F o llow the steps below t o take photographs in commander mode . 1 Adjust settings f or the built-in flash. Choose the flash control mode and output level for the built-in flash. Note that output level can not be adjusted in –– mode. 2 Adjust settings f or group A. Choose the flash control mode and output level for the flash units in gro[...]

287 U 6 Com po se th e s ho t. Compose the sh ot and arrange the flash units as sh own below . Note that the maximum distan ce at which the remote flash units can be placed may var y with sh ooting conditions. 7 Set the remote flash units to the selected channel. T ur n all the remote flash units on and set them to the channel selected in Step 4 . [...]

288 U A The Flash Sync Mode Display M does not appear in the control panel flash sync mode display when –– is selected for Built-in flash > Mode . A Flash C o mpensation The flash compensation value selected with the Y ( M ) butt on and sub- command dial is added to the flash compensation values selected for the built-in flash, group A, and [...]

289 U If On is selected when the camera is being used with the built-in flash or an optional SB-900, SB-800, SB -600, or SB-R200 flash unit, a modeling flash will be emitted when the camera depth-of-field preview button is pressed ( 0 105). No modeling flash is emitted if Off is selected. Choose the setting or settings bra cketed when aut o bracket[...]

290 U This option determines which settings ar e affecte d when AE & flash or AE only is selected for Custom Setting e5 in manual exposure mode. Flash bracketing is per formed only with i- T TL or AA flash control. If a setting other t han Flash only is selected and the flas h is not used, ISO sensitivity will be fixed at the value for the firs[...]

291 U Choose what ha ppens when the power switch is rotated to D . This option det ermines the role assig n ed to the ce nter of the multi selector in shooting and playback mode s (regar dless of the option selected, pr essing the center of th e multi selector when a movie is displayed full frame starts movie playback). ❚❚ Shooting Mode ❚❚ [...]

292 U If Reset meter-off delay is selec ted, operating the multi selector when the exposure meters are off ( 0 39) will activate the exposure meters. If Do nothing is selected, the e xposure met e rs will not be activated when the multi selector is pressed. If Inf o 13 /Playback 42 is selected, pr essing 1 or 3 in full-frame playback changes the ph[...]

293 U ❚❚ Fn Button Press Selecting Fn b ut to n p res s for Custom Setting f5 display s the fol lo wi ng o pt io ns : Option Description q Previe w * Pr ess the Fn button to preview depth of field ( 0 105). r FV lock * Press the Fn butt on to lock flash value (built -in flash and SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-400, and SB-R200 flash units only , 0 [...]

294 U M Center - wei gh ted metering Center -weighted metering is activated while the Fn button is pressed. N Spot metering Spot metering is a ctivated while the Fn button is pressed. K Playback * Fn button per forms same function as K button. Select when usi ng a telephoto lens or in other circumstances in which it is difficult to operate the K bu[...]

295 U ❚❚ Fn butt on + dials Selecting Fn but ton + dials f or Custom Setting f5 displays the fol lo wi ng o pt io ns : Option Description v 1 step spd/ aperture If the Fn button is pressed when the command dials are rotated, changes to shutter speed (exposure mo des f and h ) and aperture (exposure modes g and h ) are made in increments of 1 EV[...]

296 U Choose the role played b y the depth-of-field preview button, either by itself ( Preview button press ) or when used in combina tion with the command dials ( Preview + command dials ). The options available are the same as for Fn button press ( 0 293) and Fn but ton + dials ( 0 29 5), except that the default o ption for Preview button press i[...]

297 U This option controls the operation of the main and sub- command dials. f8: Customize Command Dials G but ton ➜ A Cu stom Setti ngs menu Opti on Descriptio n Reve rse rotation Controls the direction of the command dials. Choose No for normal command dial operation, Ye s to reverse the rotation of the command dials. This setting also applies [...]

298 U Selecti ng Ye s allows adjustments that are n ormally made by holding the I , E , M , ISO , QUAL , or WB button and rotating a command dial to be made by rotating the command dial after the button is released (this also applies to the button to which bracketing is currently assigned; 0 295). Setting ends when any of the affected buttons is pr[...]

299 U Selecting Enable release allows the shutter to be released wh en no me mor y card i s inse r ted, al thou gh no pic tures will be reco rded (they will however be display ed in the monitor in demo mode). If Release locked is selected, the shutter-release button is only enabled when a memory card is inserted in the camer a. Note that when photo[...]

300 U B The Setup Menu: Cam era S e tu p T o display the setup menu, press G and select the B (setup menu) tab. G button Opti on 0 Opti on 0 For m at me m or y c a rd 301 Batt ery info 307 LCD brightness 301 Wireless transmitter 227 Clean image sensor 358 Image authentication 30 8 Lock mirror up for cleaning 1 361 Copyright infor mation 309 Video m[...]

301 U T o be gin formatting, choose a memor y card slot and select Ye s . Note that formatting permanently deletes all pi ctures and other data on the card in the selected slot . Befor e formatting, be sur e to make backup copies as requ ired. Press 1 or 3 to choose monit or brightness . Choose higher values for increased brightness, lower values f[...]

302 U The camera is equipped with an HDMI ( H igh- D efi n ition M ultimedia I nter face) connec tor , allowing pic tures to be played back on high-definition televisions or monitors using a cable with a type C mini-pin connector (available separately from commer cial suppliers). Befor e connecting the camera to high-definition device, choose the H[...]

303 U Choose a language for camera menus and messages. The following options are available. Add a comment to new photographs a s they are taken. Comments can be viewed as metada ta in V iewNX (sup plied) or Capture NX 2 (available separat ely ; 0 355). The comment is also visible on the third shooting data page in the photo information display ( 0 [...]

304 U Photogr aphs taken while On is selected contain in formation on camera orientation, allowing them to be rotated automatically during playback ( 0 204) or when viewe d in Vie wNX (su p pli ed) or in Capture NX 2 (available separately; 0 355). The following orientations are recor ded: Camera orientation is not recorded when Off is selected. Cho[...]

305 U Acquire r eference data for the Image Dust Off option in Capture NX 2 (available separately; for more information, see the Capture NX 2 m anua l). Image Dust Off ref photo is available only wh en a CPU lens is mounted on the camera. A lens with a focal lengt h of at least 50 mm is recommended. When using a zoom lens, zoom all the way in. 1 Ch[...]

306 U 2 F rame a f eatureless white obje ct in the viewfinder . With the lens about ten centimet ers (four inches) from a well- lit, fe atureless wh ite object, frame the object so that it fills the viewfinder and then press the shutter-release button halfway . In a uto fo cu s m o de, fo cu s w il l a u tomatically be set to infinity ; in manual f[...]

307 U View information o n the battery currently inserted in the camera. Battery Info G button ➜ B Setup menu Item Description Bat. m eter The current battery level expressed as a percentage. Pic. meter The number of times the shutte r has been released with the current ba tter y since the battery was last charged . Note that the camera may somet[...]

308 U This option is used to adjust se ttings for connection to a wireless network , using an optiona l W T -4 wireless transmitter . See “Connections: Wireless and Ether net Net works” ( 0 227). Choose s On t o embed image authentication information in new photog raphs as they are take n, allow ing alter ations to be detected using Nikon ’ s[...]

309 U Add copyright information to n ew photographs as th ey are taken. Copyright information is visible on the f our th shooting data pa ge in the photo information display ( 0 214) and can be viewed as metadata in ViewNX (supplied) or in Captur e NX 2 (available separately; 0 355). • Done : Save changes and re turn to the setup menu. • Ar tis[...]

310 U Select S av e settings to save the following settings to the memory card, or to the memory card in th e primar y card slot if two memor y cards are in ser te d (if t he m emor y card is fu ll, an error wil l be displayed; 0 381). Save/Load Settings G button ➜ B Setup menu Menu Option Playback Display mode Image review After delete Rotate ta[...]

311 U Settings saved using the D300S ca n be rest ored by selecting Lo ad settings . Note that Save/load settings is only available when a memory card is inserted in the camera, and that the Load settings option is only available if the card contains saved settings. Display a vir tual horizon based on information from the camera image sensor . The [...]

312 U Fine-tune focus for up to 12 lens t ypes. AF tuning is not recommended in most situations and may interfere with normal focus; use only when required. AF Fine Tune G button ➜ B Setup menu Opti on Description AF fine tune (On / Of f ) • On : T urn AF tuning on. • Off : T ur n AF tuning off . Sa ved value T une AF for the current lens (CP[...]

313 U This option is displayed only wh en an Eye -Fi memory card (available separately fr om third-pa r ty sup pliers) is inser ted in the camera. Choose Enable to upload phot ographs to a preselected destination. Note that pictures will n ot be uploaded if signal strength is insufficien t. Obser ve all local laws concerning wireless devices and ch[...]

314 U View the curr ent camera firmwar e version. D Eye -Fi Car ds F or information on errors involving Eye-Fi cards , see the manual provided with the Eye-Fi car d, and direct any inquiries to the manufacturer . The camera can be used to turn Eye-Fi cards on and off , but may not suppor t other Eye-Fi functions. A Suppor ted Eye-Fi Cards As of Apr[...]

315 U N T he Retouch Menu: Crea ting Retouched Copies T o display the retouch menu, press G an d select the N (retouch menu) tab . The options in the retouch menu a re used to create trimmed, or retouched copies of existing pic tures. The retouch menu is only displayed when a memory card containing photographs is inserted in the camera. G button Op[...]

316 U Creating Ret ouched Copies To c r e a t e a r e t o u c h e d c o p y : 1 Choose a pic ture. Display the desired picture in full-frame playback ( 0 204). 2 Display the ret ouch menu. Pr ess J to display the retouch menu. 3 Display r etouch options. Highlight the desired item in the ret ouch menu and press J . A Retouch The camera may not be a[...]

317 U 4 Sel ect r eto uc h o pt ions . F o r more information, see the section for the selected item. To return to full-frame playback without creating a r etouched copy , press K . 5 Create a retouc hed co py . Pr ess J to create a retouche d copy . Retouched copies are indicated by a N icon. A Monitor off Dela y The monitor will tu rn off automat[...]

318 U D Retouching C o pies Most options can be ap plied to copies created using other retouch options, although with the exceptions of Image ov erlay and Edit movie each option can only be applied on ce (note that multiple edits may result in loss of d etail). Options that can not be applied to the current image are gray ed out and unavailable. A [...]

319 U D-lighting brightens sha dows, making it ideal for dark or backlit photographs . Press 1 or 3 to choose the amoun t of correction pe r formed. The effect c an be previewed in the edit displa y . Press J to copy the photograph. D-Lighting G button ➜ N retouch menu Befo re Afte r[...]

320 U This option is used to correc t “r ed-eye” caused by the flash, and is available only with photogr a phs taken using the f l ash. The pho togra ph sel ect ed for red-e ye cor rect ion is previewed as shown at right. Confi rm the effects of re d-eye correction and crea te a copy as described in the following table . Note that re d-eye corr[...]

321 U Creat e a cropped copy of the selected photograph. The selected photo graph is displayed with the selected crop sho wn in yellow ; create a crop ped copy as descr ibed in the following table. Trim G button ➜ N retouch menu To Use Description Reduce siz e of crop W Press the W button to reduc e the size of the cr op. Increase size of crop X [...]

322 U Copy photographs in Black-and-white , Sepia , or Cya n o t y p e (blue and whit e monochr ome). Selecti ng Sepi a or Cy a no t y p e displays a preview of the se lected image; press 1 to increase color saturation, 3 to decrease. Press J to create a m onochrome co py . Choose from the following color filter effects. After adjusting fil ter eff[...]

323 U Use the multi selec tor to create a copy wi th modified color balance as shown below . The effect is displayed in the monitor together with red, green, and blue histograms ( 0 210) giving the distribution of tones in the copy . Press J to copy the photog raph. Color Balance G button ➜ N retouch menu A Zoom T o zoom in on the image displayed[...]

324 U Image overlay combines two existing NEF (RA W ) photographs to create a single picture that is sav ed separately from the originals; the results, which make use of RA W data from the camera image sensor , are noticeably better th an phot ographs combined in an imaging application. The new pic ture is saved at current image quality and size se[...]

325 U 4 Sel ect th e se co nd photo graph. The selected imag e will appear as Image 1 . Press 2 to highlight Image 2 and repeat steps 2–3 to select the se cond photo. 5 Set gain. Highlight Image 1 or Image 2 and optimize exposure f or the overlay by pressing 1 or 3 to select the gain for image 1 from values between 0.1 and 2.0. Repeat for the sec[...]

326 U 8 Save the overl ay . Pr ess J while the preview is displayed t o save the ov erlay . After an overlay is created, the resulting image will be displayed full-frame in the monitor . + D Image Overlay Only NEF (RA W ) photographs created with the D300S can be selected for image ov erlay . Other images are not displayed in the selection screen. [...]

327 U Create JPEG copies of NEF (R A W ) photographs. 1 Sel ect NEF (RA W ) processing . Highlight NEF (RA W ) processing in the retouch menu and press 2 to displa y a picture selection dialog listing only NEF (RA W ) images created with this camera. 2 Selec t a photograph. Use the multi selector t o highlight a photograph (to view the highlighted [...]

328 U 3 Adjust NEF (RA W ) processing settings . Choose image quality ( 0 68), image size ( 0 71), white balance ( 0 134), exposure compen sation ( 0 118), a P icture Con tro l ( 0 154; note that the Picture C ontrol grid can not be displayed) and high ISO noise reduction ( 0 259), and color space ( 0 166) for the JPEG copy . Note that white balanc[...]

329 U Creat e small copies of selected photo graphs . Resize ca n be used during full-frame pla yback as described on page 316. If you se lect Resize in the retouch menu, you can resize multiple ph otographs as described below . 1 Choose a destination. If tw o mem ory ca rds ar e inser ted, you can choose a destination for the resiz e d copy by hig[...]

330 U 3 Choose pic tures. Highlight Selec t image and press 2 . The dialog sho wn at right will be displayed; highligh t pictures using the multi selector and press the center of the multi selec tor to selec t or deselect (to view the highlighted pic ture full screen, press and hold the X button; to view images in other locations, press W and sel e[...]

331 U I Compare retouched copies to the original photogr aphs. This option is only availabl e if the J button is pressed t o display the ret ouch menu when a c o py or orig inal is played back ful l frame . ❚❚ Making a Side-by-Side Comparis on 1 Sel ect a p ictu re . Sel ect a r eto uch ed co py (shown b y a N icon) or a photograph that has bee[...]

332 U 3 Compare the c opy with the original. The source image is display ed on the left, the retouched copy on the right, with the options used to cre ate the c opy listed at the top of the display . Pr ess 4 or 2 to switch between the source image and the ret ou ch ed co py. T o view the highlighte d picture full fr ame, press and hold the X butto[...]

333 U O My Menu: Creating a Custom Menu T o display M y Menu, press G and selec t the O (My Menu) ta b. The My Menu option can be used to create and edit a customized list of option s from the playback, shooting, C ustom Settings , setup, and r etouch menus for quick access (up to 20 items). If desired, recent settings can be displayed in place of [...]

334 U 3 Select an item. Highlight the desired menu item and press J . 4 P o sition the new item. Pr ess 1 or 3 to m ove the new item up or down in My Menu. Pr ess J to add the new item. 5 Add mo re i te ms. The items currently displayed in My Menu are indicated by a check mark. Items indicated by a V icon can not be selected. Repeat steps 1–4 to [...]

335 U Deleting Options from My Menu 1 Sel ect Remo ve items . In My Men u ( O ), highlight Remove items and press 2 . 2 Sel ect it ems . Highlight items and press 2 to select or deselec t. Selecte d items are indicated by a check mark. 3 Sel ect Done . Highlight Done and press J . A confirmation dial og will be displayed. 4 Delete the selected item[...]

336 U Reordering Options in My Menu 1 Select Ran k items . In My Menu ( O ), highlight Rank ite ms and press 2 . 2 Select an item. Highlight the item you wish to move and pr ess J . 3 P o sition the item. Pres s 1 or 3 to m ove the item up or down in My Menu and press J . Repeat Steps 2–3 to reposition additional items.[...]

337 U Displaying Rec ent Settings T o display the twenty most rec ently used settings , select m Recent settings for O My Menu > Choose tab . 1 Sel ect Choose tab . In My Men u ( O ), highlight Choose tab and press 2 . 2 Sel ect m Rec ent settings . Highlight m Recent settings and press J . The name of the menu will change from “MY MENU” to [...]

338 U[...]

n 339 n T echnic al Not e s – Cam era Ca re, O p tio ns, a nd Re source s Read this chapter for informat ion on compat ible accessories, cleaning and storing the camera, an d what to do if an error message is displayed or y ou enco unter problems using the camera. Compatible Lenses ...... ........................ .................. ..............[...]

340 n C ompatible Lenses CPU lenses (par ticularly types G and D) are recommended for use with the D300S. CPU lenses can be iden tified by the prese nce of CPU contacts, type G and D lenses by a letter on the lens barrel. T ype G lenses ar e not equipped with a l ens aperture ring . Compa tible CPU Lenses 1 1 IX-NIKKOR lenses can not be used. 2 Vib[...]

341 n 9 When focusing at minimum focus distance with AF 80–200mm f/2.8, AF 35– 70mm f/2.8, AF 28–85mm f/3. 5–4.5 <New>, or AF 28–85mm f/3.5–4.5 lens at maximum zoom, in-focus indicator may be displa yed when image on matte screen in viewfinder is not in f ocus. Adjust focus manuall y until image in viewfinder is in focus. 10 With [...]

342 n Non-CPU Lenses 1 Non-CPU lenses include man ual foc us lenses and other lenses without a built-in CPU. The f ollowing is a list of compatible non- CPU lenses and ac cessories. 1 Some lenses can not be used (see page 343). 2 Range of rotation for AI 80–200mm f/2.8 ED tripod mount is limited by camera body . Filters can not be ex chang ed whi[...]

343 n 11 With maximum effective aperture of f/5.6 or faster . 12 R equires PK-12 or PK-13 auto extension ring. PB-6D may be required depending on camera orientation. 13 Use preset aper ture. In aper ture-priorit y auto exposure mode, set aperture using focusing attachmen t befor e determining exposure and taking photograph. • PF-4 Reprocopy Outfi[...]

344 n A The Built-in Flash The built-in flash can be used with CPU l enses with f ocal lengths of 16– 300 mm. Remove lens hoods to prev ent 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 flash may be unable to light the enti re subject with the following lenses at ranges le[...]

345 n D AF-Assist Illumination The AF-assist illumination is available with lenses with focal lengths of 24–200 mm. It can not however be used to assist the focus operation with the following lenses: • AF-S VR 200mm f/2G ED • AF-S VR 200–400mm f/4G ED At ranges under 0.7 m (2 f t. 4 in.), the following lenses may block the AF- assist illumi[...]

346 n A Calcul ating Pic tu re Angle The size of the area exposed b y a 35mm camera is 36 × 24 mm. The si ze of the area exposed by the D300S, in c ontrast, is approximately 23.6 × 15.8 mm, meaning that the diagonal picture angle of a 35mm camera is approx imately 1.5 times that of the D300S. T o calculate the focal length of lenses f or the D300[...]

347 n Optional F lash Units (Speedlights) The camera suppor ts the Nikon Creative Lighting System ( CLS) and can be used with CLS- compatible flash units . Optional flash units can be attached directly to the ca mera accessory shoe as described below . The accessory shoe is equipped with a safety lock for flash units with a lock ing pin, such as th[...]

348 n The Nik on Creativ e Lighting S y stem ( CLS) Nikon’ s advanced Creative Lighting System (CLS) offers improv ed communication between the ca mera and compatible flash units for impr oved flash photography . ❚❚ CLS-Compatible Flash Units The camera can be used with th e following CLS-compatible flas h units: • The SB-900, SB-800, SB-60[...]

349 n The f ollowing f eatures a re av ailable with the abo ve flash units: 1 Only available when SU-800 is used to control other flash units. 2 Standard i- T TL flash for digital SLR is used with spo t metering or when selected with flash unit. 3 Standard i- T TL flash for digital SLR is used with spot metering. 4 Selected with flash unit. Non- T [...]

350 n Other Flash Units The follo w ing flash units can be used in non- T TL auto and manual modes. If they are set to T TL, th e cam era sh utter- rele ase but ton will lock and no photographs can be taken. Flash unit SB-80DX, SB-28DX, SB-28, SB-26, SB-25, SB-24 SB-50DX SB-30, SB-27 1 , SB-22S, SB-22, SB-20, SB-16B, SB-15 SB-23, SB-29 2 , SB-21B 2[...]

351 n D Notes on Optional Flash Units ( Continued) The SB-900, SB-800, SB-600 , and SB -400 provide red-eye reduction, while the SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, and SU-800 pr ovide AF-assist illumination with the following restrictions: • SB-900 : AF-assist illumination is available for all focus points; with 17–135 mm AF lenses, however , autofocus is[...]

352 n Oth er A c c es so ri es At the time of writing, the following accessories were available for the D300S. Powe r so u rc e s • Rechargeable Li-ion Ba tter y EN-EL3e ( 0 22, 24). • Mu lt i-Po wer Bat te r y Pa ck MB -D 10 : The MB-D10 is equipped with a shutter-release button, B button, multi selector , and main- and sub- command dials for [...]

353 n Viewfinder ey epiece accessories • Diopter- Adjustment V iewfinder Le ns DK-20C : T o accomm odate individual differences in vision, viewfinder lenses are available with diopters of –5, –4 , –3, –2, 0, +0.5, +1, +2, and +3 m –1 . Use diopter adjustment lenses only if the desir ed focus can not be achieved with the built-in diopter[...]

354 n Filt ers • Nikon filters can be divided into three types: screw- on, slip-in, and rear-interchange. Use Nikon filters; filters manufactured by other makers may interfere with autofocus or electronic range finding . • The D300S can not be used with linear polarizing filters. Use the C-PL cir cular po larizing filter instead. • Use NC and[...]

355 n Soft war e • Capture NX 2 : A complete photo editing package with such advanced editing featur e s as selection control points and an auto reto uch brush. • Camera Control Pro 2 : Control the camera remo tely from a computer and sav e photographs directly to the computer hard disk. • Image Authentic ation : Determine whether photographs[...]

356 n Remote term ina l accessories The D300S is equipped with a ten- pin remote terminal for remote control and automatic photog raphy . The terminal is provided with a cap, which protects the contacts when the terminal is not in use. The following accessories can be used (all lengths are ap proximat e): • Remote Cord MC- 22: Remote shutter rele[...]

357 n Caring f or the Camera Storage When the ca mera will not be used for an extended period , replace the monitor cover , remove the battery, and stor e the batter y in a cool, dry area with the terminal cover in place. T o prevent mold or mildew , store the camera in a dry, w ell-ve ntilated a rea. Do not stor e your camer a with naphtha or camp[...]

358 n The Low-Pass Filter The image sensor that acts as the came ra ’ s picture element is fitt ed with a low -pass filter to pr event moiré . If you suspect that dir t or dust on the filter is appearin g in photographs, y o u can clean the filter using the Clean image sensor option in the setup menu. The filter ca n be cleaned a t any time usin[...]

359 n 3 Sel ect Cl ean now . Highlight C lean now and press 2 . The message shown at right will be displayed while cleaning is in progr ess. The message shown at right will be displayed whe n cleaning is comple te. ❚❚ “Cle an at Star tup/Shutdown ” 1 Sel ect Cl ean at startup/ shutdown . Display the Clean image sensor menu as described in S[...]

360 n 2 Select an option. Highlight one of the following options and press J . Opti on Description 5 Clean at startup The image sensor is automatically cleaned each time the camera is turned on. 6 Clean at shutdown The image sensor is automatically cleaned during shutdown each time the camera is turned off. 7 Clean at startup & shutdown The ima[...]

361 n ❚❚ Manual Cleani ng If fore ign matter can not be r emo ved from the low-pass filt er using the Clean image sensor ( 0 358) option in the setup menu, the filter can be cleaned manu ally as described below . Note, however , that the filter is extremely delicate and easily damaged. Nikon recommends that the filter be cl eaned only by Nikon-[...]

362 n 4 Rais e the m irro r . Pr ess the sh utter-release button all the way down. The mirror will be raised and the shutter cur tain will open, revealing the low-pass filter . The display in the viewfinder will turn off and the row of dashes in the control panel will blink. 5 Examine the low-pass filter . Holding the camera so that l ight falls on[...]

363 n D Use a Reliable P ower Sourc e The shutter curtain is del icate and easily damaged. If t he ca mera pow ers off while the mirror is raised, the curtain will close automatically . To prevent damage to the curtain, obser ve the following pr ecautions: • Do not turn the camera off or remove or disconnect the power sour ce while the mirror is [...]

364 n Car i ng for t he Ca me ra an d Batter y: Cautions Do not drop : The product may malfunction if subjected to strong shocks or vibration. Keep dry : This product is not waterproof , and may malfunction if immersed in water or exposed to high levels of humidity . Rusting of the internal mechanism can cause irreparable damage. Avoid sudde n chan[...]

365 n Cleani ng : When cleaning the camera body , use a blower to gently remove dust and lint, then wipe gently with a soft, dry cloth. Afte r u sing the camera at the beach or seaside, wipe off an y sand or salt using a cloth lightly dampened in pu re water and then dry the camera thoroughly. In rare instances, static elec tricit y may cause the L[...]

366 n Turn the product off before removing or disconnec ting the power source : Do not unplug the product or r emove the ba tter y while the product is on or while images are being recor d ed or deleted. F o rcibly cutting pow er in these circumstances could r esult in loss of data or in damage to product memor y or internal circuitr y . T o preven[...]

367 n Batteries : Dirt on the batter y terminals can prevent the camera from functioning and should be removed with a soft, dry cl oth before use. Batteries may leak or explode if improperly handled. Obser ve the following precautions when handling batteries: T urn the produc t off before replacing the battery . The battery may become hot when used[...]

368 n Defaults The default settings for the options in the ca me ra menus are listed below . F or information on t wo-button resets, see page 182. ❚❚ Playback Menu Defaults ❚❚ Shooting Menu Defaults 1 Option Default Playb ack fold er ( 0 244) D300S Image review ( 0 251) Off Afte r d elet e ( 0 251) Show next Rotate tall ( 0 251) Off Slide s[...]

369 n ❚❚ Custom Settings Menu Defaults * Live view mode ( 0 49, 52) Tripod Multiple exposure ( 0 184) Reset 2 Movie settings ( 0 62) Quality 640 × 424 (3 : 2) Microphone Auto sensitivity (A ) Destination CF card slot Inter val timer shooting ( 0 189) Reset 3 1 Default settings can be restored using Reset shooting menu ( 0 256). With the ex cep[...]

370 n c1 Shutter-rele ase butto n AE-L ( 0 273) Off c2 Auto meter-off d elay ( 0 273) 6 s c3 Self- timer ( 0 273) 10 s c4 Monitor off d elay ( 0 274) Playb ack 10 s Menus 2 0 s Info rmation d ispla y 10 s Image review 4 s d1 Beep ( 0 275) High d2 Viewfinder grid display ( 0 275) Off d3 Viewfinder warning display ( 0 27 5) On d4 Screen tips ( 0 276)[...]

371 n ❚❚ Setup Menu Defaults f5 Assign Fn button ( 0 292) Fn butt on press None Fn butt on + dials Auto bracketing f6 Assign preview button ( 0 296) Preview butt o n press Preview Preview + command dials None f7 Assign AE-L/AF-L button ( 0 296) AE-L/AF-L button press AE/AF lock AE-L/AF-L + command dials None f8 Cust omize command dials ( 0 297)[...]

372 n Exposure P rogram The exposure program for pr ogrammed auto is shown in the follow ing graph : The maximum and minimum values fo r EV vary with ISO sensitivity ; the above graph assumes an IS O sensitivity of ISO 20 0 equivalent. When matrix mete ring is used, v alues over 17 1 / 3 EV are r educed to 17 1 / 3 EV . -4 -3 12 13 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 [...]

373 n T roubleshooting If the camera fails to func tion as expected, check the list of common problems below bef ore consulting your retailer or Nikon repres entat ive. ❚❚ Display Viewfinder is o ut of focus : Adjust viewfinder f oc us or use optional diopter adjustment lenses ( 0 36, 353). Viewfinder is dark : Inser t a fully- charged batter y[...]

374 n ❚❚ Shooting Camera takes time to turn o n : Delete files or folders. Shutter-release disabled : • Memor y card is full or not inse rted ( 0 31, 38). • Memor y card is locked (SD cards only ; 0 35). • CPU lens with aperture ring attached but aper ture not locked at highest f-number . If B is displayed in control panel, selec t Apertu[...]

375 n Beep does not sound : • Off is selected for Custom Setting d1 ( Beep ; 0 275). • Camera is in quiet shutter-r elease mode ( 0 86). • Camera is in focus mode C or M ( 0 74). • Release is selec ted for Custom Setting a2 ( AF-S priority selection ; 0 264). • Movie is being recorded ( 0 58). Photos no t recorded i n live view mode : •[...]

376 n ❚❚ Playback White balance bracketing una vailable : • NEF (RA W ) or NEF+JPEG image quality option selected for image quality ( 0 68). • Multiple exposure mode is in eff ect ( 0 187). Effects of Pic ture Control differ from image to image : A (auto) is selected for sharpening, contrast, or sa turation. F or consistent results over a s[...]

377 n ❚❚ Miscellaneous Can not change print order : • Memor y card is full: delete photos ( 0 38, 220). • Memor y card is locked (SD cards only; 0 35). Can not sele ct photo for printi ng : Photo is in NEF (RA W ) format. Create JPEG copy using NEF (RA W ) processing or transfer to computer and print using ViewNX (supplied) or Capture NX 2 [...]

378 n Error Messages This section lists the indicators and err or messages that appear in the viewfinder , control panel, and monitor . Indicator Problem Solution 0 Control panel View- finder B (blinks) Lens aperture ring is not set to minimum aper ture. Set ring to minimum aper ture (largest f-number). 27 H d Low battery. Ready a ful ly-charged sp[...]

379 n F No lens attached, or non-CPU lens attached without specifying maximum aperture. Aper ture shown in stops from maximum aper ture. Aper ture value will be displayed if maximum aperture is specified. 195 — D (blinks) Camera unable to focus using autofocus. Fo c u s m a n u a l l y. 8 3 q Subject too br ight; photo will be overexposed . •U [...]

380 n r Subject too dark ; photo will be underexposed. •U s e a h i g h e r I S O sensitivity 96 • In exposure mode: e Use flash f Lower shutter speed 171 108 g Choose a larger aper ture (smaller f-number) 109 A (blinks) A selected in exposure mode f . Change shutter speed or select manual exposure mode. 108, 111 (blinks) c (blinks) Optional fl[...]

381 n — c (blinks) If indicator blinks for 3s after flash fires , photo may be underexposed. Check photo in monitor; if underexposed, adjust settings and try again. 172 n x / y (blinks) j (blinks) Memor y insufficient to reco rd fu r th er pho tos at cur rent se ttings, o r camera has run out of file or folder numbers . • Reduce quality or size[...]

382 n Indicator Problem Sol ution 0 Monitor Control panel No memory car d. S Camera cannot detect memor y card. Tu r n c a m e r a o f f a n d confirm that card is correctly inserted. 31 This memory car d can not be used. Card may be damaged. Insert another card. x / y (blinks) •E r r o r a c c e s s i n g memor y card. •U s e N i k o n - appro[...]

383 n Fai l ed to update flash unit firmware. Flash cannot be used. Contact a Nikon- authorized service representative. — Firm ware for flash unit mounted on camera was not updated correctly. Cont act a N ik on- authorized service representative. — Fo ld e r contains no images. — No images on memory card or in folder(s) selected for p lay ba [...]

384 n This movie c an not be edited . — The selected movie can not be edited. •M o v i e s c r e a t e d w i t h other devices can not be edited. • Movies must be at least two seconds long . — 65 Check printe r . — P rinter error . Check printer . To resume, select Cont in ue (if avail able ). 229 * Check paper . — Paper in printer is n[...]

385 n Specifications ❚❚ Nikon D300S Digital Camer a Ty pe Typ e Single -lens reflex digital camera Lens mount Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF c ontacts) Ef fe ctiv e p ict ur e an gle Approx. 1.5 × lens focal length (N ikon DX f ormat) Effect ive pixels Effectiv e pixel s 12.3 milli on Image sensor Image sensor 23.6 × 15.8 mm CM OS sen[...]

386 n Dual card sl ots Either card can be used for primar y or backup storage or for separate storage of c opies created using NEF+JPEG; pic tures can be copied between cards. File system DCF ( D esign Rule for C amera F ile S ystem) 2.0, DPOF ( D igital P rint O rder F ormat), Exif 2.21 ( Ex change able I mage F ile F ormat for Digital Still Camer[...]

387 n Shutt er Typ e Electronically- controlled ver tical-travel focal-plane shutter Speed 1 / 8000 – 30 s in steps of 1 / 3 , 1 / 2 , or 1 EV, bulb , X25 0 Flash sync speed X= 1 / 250 s; synchroniz es with shutter at 1 / 320 s or slower (flash range drops at speeds between 1 / 250 and 1 / 320 s) Release Release mode S (single fr ame), C L (conti[...]

388 n Flash bracketing 2 – 9 frames in steps of 1 / 3 , 1 / 2 , 2 / 3 , o r 1 EV White balance bracketing 2 – 9 frames in steps of 1, 2, or 3 ADL bracke ting 2 frames using selected value for one frame or 3 – 5 frames using preset values for all frames Exposure l ock Luminosity locked at det ected value with AE-L / AF-L button ISO sensitivity[...]

389 n Flash control • TTL : i- T TL balanced fill-f lash and standard i- T TL flash for digital SLR using 1,005-pix el RGB sensor ar e available with built-in flash and SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, or SB-400 • Auto aperture : Available with SB-90 0 or SB-800 and CPU lens • Non-TTL auto : Supported flash units include SB-900, SB-800, SB-28, SB-27, [...]

390 n Movie Frame size (pi xels) • 1,2 80 × 720/24 fps • 320 × 216/24 fps •6 4 0 × 4 2 4 / 2 4 f p s File for mat AV I Compression Moti on- JPEG Audio M icrophone sensitivit y can be adju sted Monitor Monitor 3-in., 921k-dot ( VGA), low-t emperature poly silicon TFT L CD with 170 ° viewing angle, 100% frame cov erage, and brightness ad ju[...]

391 n • Unless otherwise stated, all figures are for a camera with a fully-charged battery operating at an ambien t temperature of 20 °C (68 °F). • Nikon reserves the right to change th e sp ecifications of the hardware and software described in this manual at any time and without prior notice . Nikon will not be held liable for damages that [...]

392 n EN-EL3e rechargeable Li-ion ba ttery Typ e Re chargeable lithium-ion b attery Rated capacity 7.4 V/1500 mAh Dimensions ( W × H × D) Approx. 39.5 × 56 × 21 mm (1.6 × 2 .2 × 0.8 in.) Wei gh t App rox. 80 g (2.8 oz.), excluding terminal cover A Suppor ted Standards • DCF Version 2.0 : The D esig n Rule for C amera F ile System (DCF) is a[...]

393 n Approved Memor y Cards The following cards have been tested and approved f o r use in the D300S. • Type 1 Compac tFlash memory cards • S D memory c ards * Othe r cards have not been tested. F o r more details on the above cards, please contact the manufacturer . San Dis k Extreme IV SDCFX4 2G B , 4G B , 8G B , 1 6G B Extreme III SDCFX3 1G[...]

394 n M em or y Card Cap a ci t y The following table shows the ap proximate number of pictures that can be sto red on a 4 GB SanDisk Ex treme IV (SDCFX4) card at different image quality and size settings. Image quality Image size File size 1 No. of images 1 Buffer capacity 2 NEF (RA W ), Lossless compressed, 12-bit — 12.1 MB 197 18 NEF (RA W ), [...]

395 n 1 All figures are appro x imate. Fi le size varies with scene rec orded. 2 Maxi mum n umbe r of ex posu res th at can be stor ed in m emor y b uffer a t ISO 2 00. Drops if Optimal quality is se lected for JPEG comp ression , ISO sensitivity is set to P or higher , High ISO NR is on when auto IS O sens itivit y control is on or ISO sensitivity[...]

396 n Batter y Life The number of shots that can be taken with fully- charged batteries varies with the condition of the battery , temperature, and how the camera is used. In the case of AA batt eries, capacity also varies with make and storage conditions; so me batteries can not be used. Sample figures f or the camera an d optional MB-D10 multi-po[...]

397 n The following can reduce battery life: •U s i n g t h e m o n i t o r • Keeping the shutt er-re lease button pr essed halfway • Repeated autofocus ope rations • T ak ing NEF (RA W ) or TIFF (RGB) photographs • Slow shutter speeds • Using the optional W T -4 wireless transmitter • Using the optional GP-1 GPS unit • Using VR (vi[...]

398 Inde x Symbols K (Single-point AF) ... ............. ....... 76, 77 I (Dynamic-area AF) .......... 76, 77, 264 H (Aut o -area AF) ........... ............ ..... 76, 77 S .......... ............ ................... ... 74, 80, 86, 264 C L ............ ............ ............ ............ .. 86, 88, 276 C H ........... ............ ............[...]

399 Battery .............. 22, 24, 37 , 279, 280, 307 Battery info ............. ............ ............ ....... 307 Battery order ................. ............ ............ 280 Battery pack .............. 279, 28 0, 307, 352 Beep ................ .......... ............ ................... 275 Black-and-white (Monochrome).... 322 Body cap .....[...]

400 Electronic rangefinder ...... . 84, 3 40, 342 Ethernet ................. ............ ............ 227, 352 EV steps for exp o sure cntrl . ...... ....... 270 Exif version 2. 21 .............. ............ 167, 392 Exp comp/fine tune................... ......... 270 Exposure ............. ........ 101, 102, 116, 118 Exposure brack eting .......[...]

401 Incandescent ( White balance)........ 134 Index print ................... ............ ............ .. 236 In-focus indicator ........ ............ ........ 43, 74 Information ............ ............ .......... 207, 247 Information display ................... .. 12 , 278 Interval timer shooting ..................... 189 ISO sensitivity ......[...]

402 NEF (RA W ) bit depth ..... ............ ............ 70 NEF (RA W ) processing ..................... .. 327 NEF (RA W ) recording .................. .......... 70 Neutral (Set P icture Contr ol) ........... 154 Nikon T ransfer ................. ............ ......... 224 No memory card? ........... ............ ......... 299 No. of copies (Pic[...]

403 SD card sl ot........... ................... ... 32, 62, 72 SD card slot (Primary slot selection) ............. .......... 72 SD memory card .................. .. 32, 72 , 393 Secondary slot function................ ....... 72 Self-timer............... ............ ....... 86, 91, 273 Sensitivity................ ............ ........ 95, 96, 98[...]

404[...]

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En_03 DIGIT AL CAMERA En User's Manual Printed in Europe SB0C03(1 1) 6MB05711-03 No reproduction in an y form of this manual , in whole or in part (except for brief quotation in critic al articles or reviews), may be made without written authoriz ation from NIKON CORPORATION. En Q0660_UM_En_EUR_03_ Cover.fm Page 1 Wednesday, March 3, 20 10 5:1[...]