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ManualsBrandsWiley Manualsbooks978-0-470-26092-0

CHAPTER

Exploring the

Nikon D300

his chapter covers the key components of the Nikon

D300. These are the features that are most readily

accessible because they are situated on the outside of the

camera: the buttons, knobs, switches, and dials.

If you are upgrading from another dSLR, some of this will

likely be a review, but there are some new features that you

may or may not be aware of, so a quick read through is a

good idea even if you are an experienced Nikon dSLR user.

Some of you who may be new to the world of dSLR cameras,

are upgrading from a more basic model, or if you’re just

beginning in the world of dSLRs, this chapter is a great way to

get acquainted with some of the terms that are used in con-

junction with your new camera.

So fasten your seatbelts, and get ready to explore the D300!

Key Components

of the D300

If you’ve read the Quick Tour, you should be pretty familiar

with the basic buttons and switches that you need to do the

basic settings. In this section, you look at the camera from all

sides and break down the layout so that you know what

everything on the surface of the camera does.

This section doesn’t cover the menus, only the exterior con-

trols. Although there are many features you can access with

just the push of a button, oftentimes you can change the

same setting inside of a menu option. The great thing about

the buttons, however, is that they give you speedy access to

important settings — settings you will use often. Missing shots

because you are searching through the menu options can get

✦✦✦✦

In This Chapter

Key components

of the D300

Viewﬁnder display

LCD control panel

✦✦✦✦

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Summary of content (18 pages)

PAGE 1
Exploring the Nikon D300 C H A P T E R ✦ ✦ ✦ AL T ✦ In This Chapter Key components of the D300 TE RI his chapter covers the key components of the Nikon D300. These are the features that are most readily accessible because they are situated on the outside of the camera: the buttons, knobs, switches, and dials.
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16 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D300 irritating fast, which is one of the key reasons that most people upgrade from a consumer model camera to a professionalgrade camera like the D300. Top of the camera The top of the D300 is where you find the most important buttons. This is where you’ll find the buttons for the settings that tend to get changed most frequently. Also included in this section is a brief description of some of the things you will find on the top of the lens.
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Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D300 ✦ Hot shoe. This is where an accessory flash is attached to the camera body. The hot shoe has an electronic contact that tells the flash to fire when the shutter is released. There are also a number of other electronic contacts that allow the camera to communicate with the flash to enable the automated features of a dedicated flash unit such as the SB-600. ✦ Release mode dial. Rotating this dial changes the release mode of the camera.
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18 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D300 For more information on image quality and size settings see Chapter 2. ✦ ISO button. Press this button and rotate the Main Command dial to change the ISO sensitivity. The higher the ISO setting, the less light is needed to make an exposure. The ISO value is displayed on the LCD control panel while the ISO button is pressed. The ISO value is also displayed in the viewfinder. ✦ White balance button.
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Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D300 adjust this, look through the viewfinder, and press the Shutter Release button halfway to focus on something. If what you see in the viewfinder isn’t quite sharp, turn the Diopter control until everything appears in focus. The manual warns you not to put your finger or fingernail in your eye. I agree that this might not be a good idea. ✦ Metering mode dial. This dial is used to choose the metering mode. Turn the dial to the desired mode.
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20 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D300 ✦ Protect / Info / Help button. The Protect button has the icon of a key on it. This button actually has a few different uses. The primary use of the Protect button is to lock the image to prevent it from being deleted. This function can be accessed only when the camera is in Playback mode. When viewing the image you want to protect, simply press this button. A small key icon will be displayed in the upper right-hand corner of images that are protected.
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Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D300 whole image) to viewing thumbnails. The thumbnails can be displayed either four images or nine images on a page. ✦ Zoom in button. When reviewing your images you can press the Zoom in button to get a closer look at the details of your image. This is a handy feature for checking the sharpness and focus of your shot. When zoomed in, use the multiselector to navigate around within the image.
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22 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D300 Built-in Speedlight Flash pop-up button Flash mode button Flash sync terminal cover 10-pin remote terminal cover Lens release button Focus mode selector AF-area mode selector Image courtesy Nikon 1.3 Right-front camera controls ✦ Lens release button. This button disengages the locking mechanism of the lens, allowing the lens to be rotated and removed from the lens mount. ✦ Focus mode selector.
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Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D300 23 Af-assist illuminator Sub-command dial Depth of field (DoF) preview button Function (Fn) button Image courtesy Nikon 1.4 Left-front camera controls For more information on apertures, see Chapter 5. ✦ Fn button. The Function button can be customized to perform different functions depending on user preference. It can be used to set exposure, flash, WB bracketing, flash value (FV) lock, or a number of other settings.
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24 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D300 ✦ Video out. This connection, officially called Standard video output, is used to connect the camera to a standard TV or VCR for viewing your images on-screen. The D300 is connected with the EG-D100 video cable that is supplied with the camera. ✦ HDMI out. The High-definition video output terminal is used to connect the camera to a high-definition TV (HDTV). The camera is connected with an optional Type A HDMI cable that can be purchased at an electronics store. ✦ DC in.
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Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D300 25 Left side Bottom On the left side of the camera (lens facing you) is the memory card slot cover. When the card slot cover latch is released the cover opens so you can insert or remove your CF card. The bottom of the camera has a few features that are quite important. ✦ Battery chamber cover. This covers the chamber that holds the ENEL3a battery that is supplied with your D300. ✦ Tripod socket.
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26 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D300 Viewfinder Display When looking through the viewfinder you see a lot of useful information about the photo you are setting up. Most of the information is also displayed in the LCD control panel on the top of the camera, but it is less handy on top when you are composing a shot. Here is a complete list of all the information you get from the viewfinder display. ✦ Focus points.
PAGE 13
Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D300 half-pressed and focus is achieved. When in Auto-area AF and set to Continuous focus mode the focus point is not displayed at all. ✦ Framing grid. When this option is turned on in the CSM d2, you will see a grid displayed in the viewing area. This is to help with composition. Use the grid to help line up elements of your composition to ensure that things are straight (or not). ✦ Battery indicator. This is another optional display that can be turned on in the CSM d3.
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28 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D300 ✦ Exposure compensation indicator. When this appears in the viewfinder your camera has exposure compensation activated, and you may not get a correct exposure. ✦ ISO sensitivity. This tells you what the ISO sensitivity is currently set to. ✦ Exposures remaining. This set of numbers lets you know how many more exposures can fit on the CF card. The actual number of exposures may vary according to file information and compression.
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Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D300 • ISO. The ISO sensitivity appears when the ISO button is pressed. Rotating the Main Command dial changes the sensitivity. • WB fine-tuning. Pressing the WB button and rotating the Sub-command dial fine-tunes the white balance setting. A is warmer, and B is cooler. • Color temperature. When the WB is set to K, the panel displays the color temperature in the Kelvin scale when you press the WB button. For more information on white balance and Kelvin, see Chapter 2.
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30 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D300 ✦ Multiple exposure indicator. This icon informs you that the camera is set to record multiple exposures. ✦ Flash mode. These icons denote which flash mode you are using. The flash modes include Red-Eye Reduction, Red-Eye with slow sync, Slow Sync, and Rear-Curtain Sync. ✦ Battery indicator. This display shows the charge remaining on the active battery. ✦ Image size.
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Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D300 ✦ Custom Settings menu bank. ✦ WB fine-tuning indicator. When Similar to the Shooting menu bank, this is where you store Custom Settings. The banks are A, B, C, or D. This bank is chosen in the CSM. For more information on Menu banks, see Chapter 3. ✦ Auto-exposure bracketing/ WB bracketing indicator. When in Auto-exposure bracketing this appears on the LCD control panel; when using WB bracketing, a WB icon also appears above the icon. ✦ AF area mode indicator.
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32 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D300 Exposure compensation indicator Auto ISO indicator Flash sync indicator Flash value (FV) lock Flash exposure compensation (FEC) indicator GPS connection indicator Aperture stop Beep indicator Interval timer indicator Clock indicator Custom menu bank Image comment indicator Auto-exposure bracketing/ WB bracketing indicator Shooting menu bank Multiple exposure indicator Electronic analog exposure display Battery grip indicator 1.