DIGITAL CAMERA User's Manual En Where to Find It Find what you're looking for from: i i i i i i The Q&A Index pp. iv­ix Know what you want to do but don't know the function name? Find it from the "question and answer" index. The Table of Contents The Quick Start Guide The Index Error Messages pp. x­xvii Find items by function or menu name. pp. 21­22 A brief guide for those who want to get started taking pictures right away. pp. 416­421 Search by key word. pp. 388­395 If a warning is displayed in the viewfinder or monitor, find the solution here. Troubleshooting pp. 381­387 Camera behaving unexpectedly? Find the solution here. A For Your Safety Before using the camera for the first time, read the safety instructions in "For Your Safety" (pg. xviii). Digitutor Digitutor, a series of "watch and learn" manuals in movie form, is available from the following website: http://www.nikondigitutor.com/index_eng.html Package Contents Be sure all items listed here were included with your camera. Memory cards are sold separately. · D300 digital camera (pg. 3) · Body cap (pp. 34, 367) · BM-8 LCD monitor cover (pg. 19) · DK-5 eyepiece cap (pg. 20) · EN-EL3e rechargeable Li-ion battery with terminal cover (pp. 30, 32) · MH-18a quick charger with power cable (pg. 30) · UC-E4 USB cable (pp. 224, 232) · EG-D100 video cable (pg. 242) · AN-D300 strap (pg. 19) · Warranty · User's Manual (this guide) · Quick Guide · Software Installation Guide · Software Suite CD-ROM · Registration card (U. S. A. only) i Symbols and Conventions To make it easier to find the information you need, the following symbols and conventions are used: D A This icon marks cautions; information that should be read before use to prevent damage to the camera. This icon marks notes; information that should be read before using the camera. Menu items, options, and messages displayed in the camera monitor are shown in brackets ([ ]). Trademark Information Macintosh, Mac OS, and QuickTime are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks, or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. CompactFlash is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation. Microdrive is a trademark of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies in the United States and other countries. HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC. All other trade names mentioned in this manual or the other documentation provided with your Nikon product are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. A ii X Introduction s Tutorial d Image Recording Options N Focus k Release Mode S ISO Sensitivity Z Exposure r White Balance J Image Enhancement l Flash Photography t Other Shooting Options I More About Playback Q Connections U Menu Guide n Technical Notes iii Q&A Index Find what you're looking for using this "question and answer" index. New Features Question How do I take high-quality NEF (RAW) photos? Can I use the monitor as a viewfinder? Can I control how photos are processed? How do I preserve details in shadows and highlights? How do I focus on erratically moving subjects? Can I adjust focus separately for different lenses? How do I remove dust from the low-pass filter protecting the image sensor? Key phrase 14-bit NEF (RAW) Live view Picture Controls Active D-Lighting 3D-tracking AF fine tune Cleaning the low-pass filter See page 59 79 148 168 270 327 371 Camera Setup Question How do I focus the viewfinder? How do I keep the monitor from turning off? How do I keep the shutter speed and aperture displays from turning off? Key phrase Viewfinder focus Monitor off delay See page 43 280 46, 279 Auto meter off iv Question How do I set the clock? How do I set the clock for daylight savings time? How do I change time zones when I travel? How do I adjust monitor brightness for menus or playback? How do I restore default settings? How do I restore shooting menu defaults? How do I restore Custom Setting defaults? How do I change the self-timer delay? How do I turn the speaker off? Can I reverse the electronic analog exposure display? Can I display the menus in a different language? Can I save menu settings for use on a different D300 camera? Key phrase See page World time 36, 316 LCD brightness Two-button reset Reset shooting menu Reset custom settings Self-timer delay Beep Reverse indicators Language Save/load settings 313 184 257 266 280 281 311 316 325 Menus and Displays Question How do I get more information on a menu? How do I use the menus? What do these indicators mean? What information is in the shooting information display? What does this warning mean? Key phrase Help Using the menus Viewfinder, control panel, shooting information display Error messages and displays See page 29 24 8, 10, 12 388 44 How much charge does the battery have Battery level left? v Question Key phrase How do I get more information about the Battery info battery? How do I keep the file number from being reset when I insert a new memory File number sequence card? How do I reset file numbering to zero? How do I clean the camera or lens? Cleaning the camera See page 322 283 370 Taking Photographs Question How many more shots can I take with this card? How do I take bigger photographs? How can I get more photos on the memory card? Can I control how the camera focuses? How do I take a lot of photographs quickly? Can I change the frame advance rate? Can I shoot a self-portrait? Can I take pictures under low light without the flash? Can the ISO sensitivity I choose be adjusted to ensure optimal exposure? How do I freeze or blur moving objects? Key phrase Number of exposures remaining Image quality and size Autofocus Release mode Shooting speed Self-timer mode ISO sensitivity ISO sensitivity auto control Exposure mode f (shutter-priority auto) See page 45 56, 60 61 74 76, 282 91 96 98 108 109 How do I blur background details or keep Exposure mode g both foreground and background in (aperture-priority auto) focus? vi Question Can I set both shutter speed and aperture manually? Can I make photos brighter or darker? How do I make a time exposure? Can I vary exposure or flash level automatically over a series of photos? Can I create multiple copies of a photo using different white balance settings? How do I adjust white balance? Can I take pictures with a flash? How can I reduce "red-eye"? How can I record multiple shots as a single photograph? Can I pick the standard exposure level? How can I reduce blur? Can the flash be used at shutter speeds faster than 1/250 s? Key phrase See page Exposure mode h 111 (manual) Exposure compensation 116 Long time-exposures 113 Exposure and flash 119, 298 bracketing White balance 123, 298 bracketing White balance 127 Flash photography, flash 173 mode, red-eye 176 reduction Multiple exposure Fine tune optimal exposure Exposure delay mode Flash sync speed 186 277 285 288 Viewing Photographs Question Can I view my photographs on the camera? Can I view more information about photos? Why do parts of my photos blink? Key phrase Camera playback Photo info Photo info, highlights See page 206 208 209, 250 vii Question How do I get rid of an unwanted photo? Can I delete several photos at once? Can I zoom in on pictures to make sure they're in focus? Can I protect photos from accidental deletion? Can I hide selected photos? How do I tell if parts of my photos may be overexposed? Key phrase Deleting individual photos Delete Playback zoom Protect See page 222 248 220 221 249 250 250 251 252 Hide image Display mode: highlights Display mode: focus How do I tell where the camera focused? point Can I view photos as they are taken? Image review Is there an automatic playback ("slide Slide show show") option? Retouching Photographs Question How do I bring out details in shadows? Can I get rid of red eye? Can I crop photographs on the camera? Can I create a monochrome copy of a photograph? Can I create a copy with different colors? Can I use the camera to create JPEG copies of NEF (RAW) photographs? Can I overlay two photos to make a single image? Key phrase D-Lighting Red-eye correction Trim Monochrome Filter effects Color balance Image overlay See page 334 335 336 337 338 338 339 viii Viewing or Printing Photographs on Other Devices Question Key phrase Can I view my photos on TV? Television playback Can I view my photos in High Definition? HDMI Connecting to a How do I copy photos to my computer? computer How do I print photographs? Printing photographs Can I print photos without a computer? Printing via USB Can I print the date on my photographs? Time stamp How do I order professional prints? Print set (DPOF) See page 242 244 224 230 231 234 240 Optional Accessories Question What optional flash units (Speedlights) can I use? What lenses can I use? What AC adapters, remote cords, and viewfinder accessories are available for my camera? What memory cards can I use? What software is available for my camera? Key phrase Optional flash units Compatible lenses Other accessories Approved memory cards Other accessories See page 357 350 364 369 367 ix Table of Contents Q&A Index ................................................................................................iv For Your Safety .................................................................................. xviii Notices.....................................................................................................xxi Introduction 1 Overview....................................................................................................2 Getting to Know the Camera..............................................................3 Camera Body ....................................................................................... 3 The Control Panel.............................................................................. 8 The Viewfinder Display..................................................................10 The Shooting Information Display ............................................12 The Command Dials .......................................................................14 Quick Start Guide................................................................................. 21 Tutorial 23 Using Camera Menus .....................................................................26 Help ......................................................................................................29 Camera Menus...................................................................................... 24 First Steps ............................................................................................... 30 Charge the Battery ..........................................................................30 Insert the Battery .............................................................................32 Attach a Lens.....................................................................................34 Basic Setup.........................................................................................36 Insert a Memory Card.....................................................................39 Adjust Viewfinder Focus ...............................................................43 Basic Photography and Playback................................................... 44 Image Recording Options 55 Image Quality........................................................................................ 56 Image Size .............................................................................................. 60 x Focus 61 Focus Mode ........................................................................................... 62 AF-Area Mode....................................................................................... 64 Focus Point Selection......................................................................... 66 Focus Lock.............................................................................................. 68 Manual Focus........................................................................................ 71 Release Mode 73 Choosing a Release Mode ................................................................ 74 Continuous Mode................................................................................ 76 Framing Pictures in the Monitor (Live View) ............................. 79 Self-Timer Mode................................................................................... 91 Mirror up Mode .................................................................................... 93 ISO Sensitivity 95 Choosing ISO Sensitivity Manually................................................ 96 Auto ISO Sensitivity Control ............................................................ 98 Exposure 101 Metering ......... ...