Important Functions of Nikon Cameras

This article will be useful to Nikon Digital SLR owners. Many people already know how to adjust shutter speed, ISO, aperture, but Nikon cameras have very useful functions and settings. Today we will focus on a few basic ones.

Thoughts on setting up Nikon cameras

Thoughts on setting up Nikon cameras


Setting Picture Control Modes

Almost all Nikon DSLR cameras have image management modes. This setting is in Shooting Mode Menu -> Picture Control Mode. Depending on the model, you can select one of the shooting modes in the submenu. Most often it

  • SD – standard
  • NL - Neutral
  • VI - saturated
  • MC - monochrome
  • PT - portrait
  • LS - landscape or native shooting mode.

This is very convenient - with the desired type of shooting you just need to set the appropriate mode and get the image settings for a given plot.

These modes affect sharpness, contrast, brightness, saturation and hue the resulting image. For example, the portrait mode has low sharpness, contrast and brightness in order to correctly convey skin tones. A saturated mode, on the contrary, has saturated colors, great sharpness and contrast.

Here is an example of the same photo in different image management modes. There is an improvement in color saturation:

Standard and Rich snapshot management in action

Standard and Rich snapshot management in action

All sample photos in this article are made on Nikon D90 using a tripod and remote control Nikon ML-L3. Focusing with Live View on Nikon 50mm F1.8D in manual mode. The items are mounted on a studio stand and flash foot. If you look closer, 1 to 1, you can see the improvement in sharpness in VI mode compared to SD

Difference in SD and VI image management modes

Difference in Picture Control Modes SD and VI

Important notice! If you shoot in RAW format, then the file is actually recorded in RAW format raw information from the camera’s matrix, but in EXIF cameras record data about the shooting control mode. At the same time, a picture with the established image management mode will be visible on the camera’s display. But when loading into a RAW converter like ADOBE LIGHTROOM, ADOBE Camera RAW these converters will not accept the metadata from the file and you will see naked original RAW picture without overlaying Picture Control. So, shooting in RAW and processing the picture on a computer, you don't have to bother with the selected picture control mode.

But, if you are shooting in JPEG, then the selected mode will greatly affect the photo. I strongly recommend that you always remember about the mode that is set and change it depending on the situation. By the way, when shooting in MC mode - monochrome, BW letters will flash in red in the viewfinder, warning that you are shooting in black and white. And if you shoot in RAW, then on the computer you will be able to see the original color photo, and if you shoot in JPEG, it will already be impossible to restore the color in the photo.


High ISO Noise Reduction

In order to minimize noise at high ISOs, you can, and sometimes need to enable the noise reduction function. Function is in  Shooting Mode Menu -> High ISO Noise Reduction. This feature helps to reduce digital noise and make your photo more attractive. The function also has the name NR (noise reduction) and several intensity values.

Two photos with and without noise reduction

Two photos with and without noise reduction

If you increase the scale, then the difference in image quality will be really visible. See for yourself:

Noise Reduction Function

Noise Reduction Function

Important factor! Shooting in RAW mode does not actually reduce the noise in the image, and the camera, when reviewing the image, shows the RAW image with noise suppressed. If such a RAW image is viewed on a computer with and without noise reduction mode, they will be identical. At first for the article I shot in RAW, but when viewed on a computer, all the photos with or without noise reduction looked the same.

Shooting in JPEG you really get a picture with suppressed noise. But always remember that shumodav is not a panacea, it reduces noise but with the same success reduces the detail of the picture (including its sharpness). For non-commercial purposes and printing, 10 * 15cm can be safely shot in JPEG at super high ISO with noise reduction turned on at maximum power level.


Using Active D-Lighting

This feature expands the Dynamic Range and preserves shadow detail. In short - the function programmatically pulls information from the shadows.

Active D-Lighting in action

Active D-Lighting in action

As you can see for yourselves, dark details became brighter in the pictures and the picture turned out brighter at the same values excerpts and apertures.

Active D-Lighting Function

Active D-Lighting Function

Attention! Although the function takes a picture with a large DD, at the same time there is one trick. Both pictures were taken in manual control of the camera at F2.8 1 \ 4c, but in automatic mode and with Active D-Lighting turned on, the camera tries to underexpose the frame by reducing excerpts or aperture. Also, information from the shadows is extracted by the program method and as a result there is an extra noise in the shadows.


More useful features

Long exposure noise reduction function should reduce noise when shooting at long exposures - but I tested and did not notice any significant change in noise. The test was carried out on shutter speed 30 seconds in RAW and JPEG - the result is almost the same at ISO100 and ISO 400. Therefore, I did not take any sample photos. Caution - Long exposure noise reduction also reduces frame buffer. For example, for Nikon D200 from 21 frames in the buffer, when this function is enabled, it sags up to 11 frames. Similarly, on other cameras. And also, when shooting at slow shutter speeds with this feature turned on, you reduce the speed of the camera. If a excerpt was 10 seconds, then the camera will “think” and process the image for 10 seconds after the picture is taken, and the display will show “work nr”. Personally, sometimes it is very, very inconvenient for me to wait 30 seconds before I can take the next picture, because this function is almost always turned off for me.

Chromatic Aberration Control Function - reduces HA. Distortion Control Function - reduces distortion. Since I have on mine Nikon D40, D80, D90, D200 I don’t have these functions, I can’t describe their work with examples, but in any case they are also very useful when shooting in JPEG.


Conclusions:

All image enhancement functions are mainly software implemented. When shooting in JPEG, they are an indispensable means of improving images, but all of them can equally well be implemented by editing a RAW file. In order for Nikon's RAW file (NEF) to be used with the image control function applied there, you need to use the native Capture NX utility, you will have to do everything yourself in other RAW converters.

Thank you for attention. Arkady Shapoval.

Add a comment: Arkady Shapoval

 

 

Comments: 354, on the topic: Important functions of Nikon cameras

  • Victor

    Good day to all! Tell me please, is it worth buying a filter, and which one? Nikon d5100 camera about 18-105. I bought a picture, mainly family, friends.

    • Victor

      the credited one definitely needs which of the filters is meant? when you make a family and friends, you yourself will understand what you need, 18-105 for a photo of family and friends? 18-55 would be enough

      • Artyom

        Why protective? Have you personally ever encountered the fact that this protective (UV) filter is REALLY useful to you? Those. did you break the filter, mortally stain it? What does this glass REALLY give besides more or less image degradation, and the guaranteed lightening of your pocket for a couple of thousand?

        • Lynx

          someone will hit you on the lens with something “accidentally” in the crowd, with an umbrella, or press it against a stone ledge, and you will immediately understand what is the meaning of a protective filter, at least for a correspondent and street photo.

          • Artyom

            TAPPED TO YOU? Have you read my post, or looked through with one eye? I ask, WHERE DO YOU FILTER REALLY FIT?
            PS You probably walk down the street in a helmet? Otherwise, someone will "accidentally" hit you on the head with a bat, or the brick will fall, and you are wearing a helmet, right?

            • anonym

              Knocked. And he himself tapped by accident. This happens much more often than you think.
              Well, at least with photographers who are actively shooting and using cameras for shooting, rather than putting them on a shelf, blowing off dust particles and theorizing.

            • Lynx

              Knocked. And he himself tapped by accident. This happens much more often than you think.
              Well, at least with photographers who are actively shooting and using cameras for shooting, rather than putting them on a shelf, blowing off dust particles and theorizing.

          • Andrei Alexandrovich

            For more than three years I have never used protective filters. Absolutely waste of money and extra obstruction in front of the lens. The camera is intact and nothing happened to him. If you buy expensive equipment, you need to use it accordingly, and not chop nuts (although it can be d7000). Protective filters are relevant except for public bloggers who always climb everywhere with their cameras, so apparently they get them :-)

            • Lynx

              Well, I also have a friend who wears a fotik in three protective cloths, blows off dust particles and shakes if someone sneezes in his direction "because the lenses will deteriorate."
              I have no such problems with the soaking - you can move it to the scoreboard, if cho, and chop nuts.
              Professional technique is therefore a professional - because it is not intended for majors.

              • Andrei Alexandrovich

                For lenses, I use a bulb and a lenzpen pencil or a cloth of the same company. Sea water got on the lens - it is worse than sneezes. And I do not take the camera as the apple of my eye, but I treat it like a camera and use it for its intended purpose. No matter how protected it is, it is still a high-precision technique, and no attachments and gadgets will save it from internal damage if something happens.

            • Lynx

              um .. well, if you think that the "lens attachment" should save the device from internal damage - I see no reason to continue the discussion.

              • Andrei Alexandrovich

                And here it should or should not, it is not necessary for me to come up with something that I do not write. Everything is clearly set out for you, and you start to chew some garbage to me. Nothing to say in the case, better keep silent.

        • BB

          In our city, when there was a branch of the PhotoMag, they had a separate shelf with dead protective filters: cracked, scratched, broken, with a bent frame - see especially for those in doubt :-)

        • Alex

          I suspect that you have a camera (if you have one) then it’s standing in a numbed window just for admiring. And on the street in bad weather they didn’t even try to shoot. You don’t even have to knock here. Safer with a napkin then wipe the filter from stains than the lens. But this does not concern you ARTEM, your camera will stand on the shelf for another 200 years, the main thing is to blow dust;)

          • Sergos

            I read the reviews and am surprised at the tolerance of Arkady. There is a continuous stream of debates that are not related to the topic and photography, boorish remarks, and sometimes some painful tricks mainly from the old-timers of the site. I know you are cleaning the site from tyrants. Please, if you find the time, do it’s tougher. Bearded boys genetically turn everything into a farce by draining their negativity. The site must be kept at the level of decency.

        • Eugene

          I am nowhere without a protective filter. Saves from rain, lenses are clean. filter wiped and all. In the crowd, when a dense stream, no one pokes a finger at the lens, from dust. And in general, the less you touch the lenses, the more intact they will be. It is much cheaper to replace a damaged filter than a lens.

        • Vladimir

          I just neglected the protective filter once. And on Christmas -16 a scratch appeared on the front lens, probably from a porcelain plate - someone inadvertently helped. This is how about 35 pieces flew in. (A specific scratch of 3 mm - but completely invisible in the picture - it's out of focus). The d7100 device is 18-105 mm.

          • Valery A.

            It is curious why a 3mm scratch on the front lens 18-105 costs 35 thousand rubles.?

          • Anton

            I bought an expensive lens. There was not enough money for a good filter. I had to buy a cheap filter temporarily. There is no place without a filter! Then of course I bought an expensive good filter. You need to take care of your favorite equipment, it is a living being. By the way I said ...

          • Pastor

            Amazing 18-105 used is worth 6-8 thousand without scratches. How did you manage to fly into 35 thousand? By the way, scratches do not particularly affect the image. And yet, the porcelain plate was directly beaten on the lens and then rubbed with sharp edges?
            Personally, I don't really like filters, I only put on protected lenses when shooting a reportage in the rain and snow. Filters are permanent only on a few glasses of type 17-40 4l, 24-70 2.8l and 70-300vr. I do not put unprotected glass under the filter - excess glass does not add quality. Especially I do not put on fixes, otherwise give 20 for a fix for the sake of sharpness and then see the soaping even from an expensive filter, that would be a pity.

            • Artem K.

              And Valera does not know that the lenses are removable. Scratched the lens, changes with the camera))

              • Artem K.

                Sorry, this is to Vladimir.

        • anonym

          I personally very useful filter. On a wedding walk, the groom prettyly wet the camera (and me too) with champagne. The carcass and lens body were wiped with a damp cloth, but with a light filter it is not so simple: having champagne with a certain amount of sugar in its composition eliminates very significant stains. As a result, spoiled enlightenment on an expensive filter. But, I unscrewed this glass and continued to work, but if it hadn’t happened? Continue to work with a defective set of equipment?

  • Nika

    Good evening! I need your help!
    I bought an M42 adapter (http://m42-adapter.in.ua/adapter-m42-nikon-f-bez-linzyi/) under the owl. optics, in particular Helios 44. I connected everything as needed, the manual mode M was selected, but in the end the pictures are black ...
    What's wrong???

    • Lynx

      Learn to shoot in M-mode with the choice of exposure pairs, for example?

      • Artyom

        You either missed "b", or in principle you cannot be understood. Correct.

        • Lynx

          Well, I can’t guarantee that every professional photographer knows what an expopair is and what he will understand))

          • Artyom

            The site has rolled into a dull g @ fno, thanks koffka for help in this difficult matter, cheers!
            Delete from bookmarks)))

            • Lynx

              ....

              • anonym

                Lynx, you are an amazing boor with amazing conceit. Well done among the sheep. For almost 2 years, I have been watching you with your “professionalism” only approach ignorant people and with a clear intention to make fun of it for your pleasure, and fearlessly. I will only note from some of your comments that you are a fake photography expert. It seems that the laurels of the site's author do not give you to live in peace. Why, they listen to him, but nobody turns to you either for advice or just to talk. What a shame, yes. Understand that people must be respected regardless of the presence or absence of knowledge in any area. You shouldn't be flattering in front of an inept, not solid for a man. However, as a child, it seems that your father and mother did not explain what is good and what is bad.

              • Valery A.

                “Not solid for a man” - keywords, and everything falls into place.

              • Alexander

                Yarkiy, I have been visiting this site with pleasure for several years. And never and nowhere have I noted Arkady's incorrect attitude to anyone who applied for technical advice, even on very obvious issues. Sorry, I did not introduce myself - I, the same Anonymous from 01.02.2016/19/07 at XNUMX:XNUMX, who doubted the participation of parents in the upbringing of an amazing creature and “professional” of photography “lynx”. Well, perhaps, if his parents somehow brought up "lynx", then, with some degree of probability, I can say his parents were also amazing boors, not in the least disrespectful to people. Maybe the "lynx" has an inborn inferiority complex?
                And now according to your post, Yarkiy. I must agree with you - you are right about my personal statements about boorish insinuations "lynx" on someone else's site. I mean my posts. I apologize to the owner of this site for his posts that do not correspond to the theme of the site. You, Yarkiy, are also right in your recommendations to me to try to give advice on the merits of the case myself, even if you jar with an offensive tone. Thank you for your timely comments addressed to me.

            • Lynx

              Well, Arkady himself is asking me for advice. So all the rules.

              • Anonymous # 2

                The lynx is impenetrable ...

            • Lynx

              I have something to be proud of, but you do not.

              • anonym

                “Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thy wisdom was ruined by thy vanity; for that I will cast you to the ground, before the kings I will give you to shame "

              • anonym

                And here are the true causes of Rysky rudeness:
                “Any creation of an idol, including from oneself, a loved one, starting“ harmlessly ”, leads to the fact that the idol becomes the focus of attention and consciously or unconsciously seeks to oust God. And then the idol demands sacrifices. Not necessarily bloody, but the idol will certainly claim the spiritual strength of an enslaved admirer ”

              • Yarkiya

                You devote so much time to raising Lynx that your flood is frankly tiring, and in fact, from the beginning it was just advice to learn how to use an expopair. If you don’t like the tone and it bothers you, is it not better to give your own answer in the way that seems most suitable for you in this case, instead of educating the forum participants.

  • Valery A.

    Hello. Victor: if you ask which filter you need, then you don't need any. In fact, the protective one is needed for very good. an expensive lens and also expensive (it is better to take care of the front lens), you will want a polaric if you notice that reflected (and polarizing) light interferes, gradient - if you decide to keep the color of the sky, etc.

  • novel

    Nikon D3100, after experiments at the bottom of the holiday, the shutter speed on the camera became a long 20 seconds between shots. Earlier this was not possible, and it does not depend on the lighting.

    • Alexander Malyaev

      Shutter speed 20 seconds or interval between shots 20 seconds? If the first - see what affects your exposure (aperture, exposure compensation). If the latter is the case, perhaps a northern fur animal has come running to the memory card. Or maybe you turned on the self-timer? - there is just 20 seconds maximum waiting between pressing the shutter button and the shutter release.

      • novel

        thanks, like the scribe went hunting. I changed the memory card better, but the settings are knocked down, you need to look for a person who can explain to me where you can click and where to dunce it’s better not to climb

        • Alexander Malyaev

          Does the light on the front of the camera flash after pressing the shutter? If yes, then it's the self-timer. And you never answered: you have an exposure of 20 seconds or an interval.

    • Lynx

      I'll tell you something scary ... You have a lever on top, which was on a “constant” descent, moved to a “descent with a timer”.
      Learn the tool already!

    • Peter Sh.

      I immediately introduced myself - Ilya Repin. "At the bottom. Celebration."

    • Alex

      Here you read such questions-comments, and you think; why did you buy a DSLR and you ask such stupid questions. To shoot "at the bottom" enough and soapy. The main thing is that there are more megapixels;)

  • Melikhov

    Good evening!
    I work in the press. I photograph as necessary on Nikon D5000. Mostly news stories. A week ago, problems began. Photos are very light, whitish. In manual mode, with aperture priority, something is somehow more or less, but there is no sharpness. Do not tell me what could happen? Buying a new one is expensive, and at work only dead soap dishes with scratched lenses.

    • BB

      “In manual mode with aperture priority ...” - will you decide in “manual” mode, or in “Aperture priority” mode?
      These are KAK-BE two different modes ...
      In general, read the instructions for the camera - it helps in 90% of cases. Perhaps the exponentiation was twisted, for example.
      “No harshness” is one problem, “light, whitish” is another.
      Yes, but what kind of lens?

    • Yarkiya

      I had it after the camera fell, and not much. The focus and metering were lost, I had to carry it to the service. The camera was 5100. It's good that at least the mechanics are reliable.

  • Melikhov

    I read and read the instructions, it is not clear, since I just ran into a problem. I do everything as it should be. But so far no result. The fact that different modes of KAK-BE is understandable, but in this case KAK-BE does not care. I take pictures with the machine. Where do we put the manual there. Have time to click and write. I'm a journalist, not a photographer.

    • Pastor

      First, try all the modes in a row and see, in which there are no problems. You can also reset all camera settings to factory settings - it can help. If there is no sharpness, it is possible that the autofocus switch on the lens is touched - just make sure the focus is on. And finally, remember, maybe the camera fell, hit. Are there any unusual sounds when photographing.

    • Peter Sh.

      "Chukchi is not a reader, Chukchi is a writer" (c)
      :))

  • Melikhov

    Pastor, thanks!
    I dropped the settings. Did not help. I checked the modes - the quality is bad in varying degrees - in all modes. And one more thing: quality floats. That is, in the same mode, it turns out better, then worse. Either light, then not sharp, then something else ... Since the requirements for the quality of photographs are not great for us, since the pictures are posted only on the site and with small sizes, it seems to be patient, but very sick, dp and for the time being.
    The camera did not drop. But the problem appeared at the moment when I started trying to shoot in manual modes. I do not exclude what happened due to crooked hands and little knowledge. However, in theory, when switching to auto mode, all my setup curves should turn off. I will contact the service. Thanks again for your attention.

  • Natasha

    near the memory of the daytime image

  • anonym

    Hello. I have such a problem. Just yesterday I bought a Nikkor 35mm 1: 1,8 lens. I’m testing. Yesterday everything seemed to be fine. Today I set the M mode, a few photos are normal, and then suddenly automatically jumps to the auto mode. And all modes are shifted. Maybe someone faced a similar problem. I will be grateful for the feedback. I have Nikon 5100. Everything works with Kitov.

    • BB

      maybe you accidentally clamped two green buttons?
      Or auto-iso turned on?

      Read the instructions, I have never had this on a 5100.

  • anonym

    Thanks. just already specially pressed two green buttons. and reset all the settings. Like all the rules. Today worked without failures. I hope everything will work out. thanks.

  • anonym

    I have been looking at this site for a long time, from the moment I bought a DSLR. Every time I find something new for myself, rereading old articles. Now I’ll have the nerve to disagree with you in this article and here’s why. When shooting with the first Nikon D5100 camera in balb mode, I noticed that the whole picture was dotted with multi-colored dots and I wandered, as I was sure that these were dead pixels, about which I had read a lot. As a result, I went to the Niokon representative office in Russia, they contacted me and recommended using the built-in noise control in this mode and I will be happy. And you know, they turned out to be right, although it takes twice as long to take such a picture, all the red-blue-green dust “disappeared” and I became happy.

    • Alexey

      There is no bulb mode in nikon d5100

  • anonym

    Thank you!

  • anonym

    Vova
    You can tell people tell me by the D90 fotik. Here for some reason how I drop the photo from the fotik to the created folder. After I take the photo and drop it again into this folder and it’s more or less confused with the numbering, they can also be thrown off in the middle, or in the beginning, and by numbers I look at that photo that, for example, took a picture a couple of days ago for some reason the number goes with the one that took a picture, for example now.

    • BB

      Include 'sequential file numbering' - 'd7'. Then, after deleting pictures from the card (or inserting another card), the numbering will continue until 'DSC_9999', only after that it will automatically be reset to 'DSC_0001'.

      Sometimes it’s useful to read the instructions for your device, there are 99% of the answers to your questions.

  • First name

    The instructions are very thick! Go read it all, life won't be enough ...

  • anonym

    Good afternoon, please tell me on the Nikon camera when setting the manual mode M there are no pictures instead of them a black screen!

    • Jury

      why, the black screen is the picture, just very underexposed. You put the camera in manual mode: set a slower shutter speed, open the aperture, raise the ISO and see what the camera's exposure meter shows, if there is little light, you can open the flash.

      • Yarkiya

        I recall “M mode - completely mechanical”.)))

        • Jury

          catchy video tutorial was :)

        • BB

          M - "male"))

    • Valery A.

      Hello. Does the OVI metering scale stand at zero? It must be set to zero, increasing shutter speed or (and) aperture.

  • Vovanvk

    Damn, an ambush. Tell me where on the Nikon D-800 flash sync on the rear curtain is turned on. 3 hours I fight, I studied the manual. I can not find.

    • KalekseyG

      )))))))))))))))))))))))

  • Alexey

    Good afternoon.
    If I shoot only in RAW in Aperture A priority mode, is it better to completely disable Active D-Lighting so that underexposed pictures are not obtained?
    It is also probably better to turn off any handlers in order to see the real raw photo on the screen, rather than the camera jeep, which is sewn into RAW and on which all camera handlers are superimposed.

  • Alexey

    So turn off Active D-Lighting when shooting in RAW?

  • Vladimir

    Good night. Tell me please how to delete a saved image of a white sheet that is selected in Pre mode and saved in the Nikon D7000 camera. In short, how to delete it from there or will it be overwritten with a new setting?

  • remontokna.com.ua

    If you want, you can use your camera’s white balance settings to “heat” or “cool” photos. You can try experimenting with a non-neutral calibration target.

  • Yeshka

    What instruction, after reading the comments under this article, I found all the answers to the questions. Thank you, good fellows.

  • anonym

    He writes that the memory card is locked, what should I do?

    • KalekseyG

      Unlock. There is an engine on the card.

  • Lion-like

    Thank you!

  • anonym

    tell me, my photos in a simple image on a computer do not open = (((camera Nicon d800

  • ling

    tell me, several times this happened - I’m starting to shoot in the studio with a pulsed light, at some point, the button stops working. I take off the synchronizer - everything is fine, the shutter works. Tell me what could be the reason?

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