Thom Hogan's complete guide to the Nikon D2x and D2xs

Acknowledgements......Page 3
About this eBook......Page 4
Note on the First Edition......Page 7
Table of Contents......Page 8
Introduction......Page 15
Debunking Some Myths......Page 18
Conventions Used in this Book......Page 21
D70 Design......Page 23
Front View......Page 30
Top View......Page 31
Back View......Page 32
D70 Displays......Page 33
D70 Top LCD......Page 34
D70 Color LCD......Page 35
D70 Viewfinder......Page 37
CCD Specifications (Size)......Page 39
CCD Specifications (Pixels)......Page 40
35mm Film or Digital?......Page 53
Power......Page 56
Changing Batteries......Page 57
Alternate Power Sources......Page 58
Battery Life......Page 60
Battery Notes......Page 63
Image Storage......Page 65
CompactFlash......Page 68
Solid State CompactFlash......Page 69
Microdrives......Page 71
Microdrive Compatibility......Page 72
Using CompactFlash......Page 76
Nikon-Approved Cards......Page 78
CompactFlash Troubleshooting......Page 79
Image Formats......Page 82
Pixels......Page 83
JPEG......Page 85
Setting JPEG......Page 87
JPEG Artifacts......Page 90
NEF Format......Page 93
Compressed NEFs......Page 96
Why NEF?......Page 98
Setting NEF......Page 99
EXIF......Page 100
IPTC......Page 103
DPOF and PictBridge......Page 104
File Names and Folders......Page 105
Folders......Page 106
File Names......Page 115
File Numbering Sequence......Page 120
The SET UP Menu......Page 122
Date, Time, and Language......Page 125
Programming a Comment......Page 128
LCD Brightness Setting......Page 130
Image Quality......Page 132
Approximate Images Per Card......Page 134
Viewfinder Adjustment......Page 137
Settings after Reset......Page 138
The Last Resort Reset......Page 139
Firmware Version......Page 140
Matrix......Page 144
Spot......Page 148
Metering with Digital Requires Care......Page 150
Options for Evaluating Exposure......Page 152
Exposure Modes......Page 153
Program Exposure Table (at ISO 200)......Page 155
Scene Exposure Modes......Page 156
ISO Sensitivity......Page 159
Auto ISO......Page 164
How ISO Values are Created......Page 165
ISO Operating Suggestions......Page 166
Exposure Bracketing......Page 168
D70 Exposure Bracketing Values Table (Exposures)......Page 169
Exposure Compensation......Page 173
White Balance......Page 175
D70 White Balance Settings......Page 183
D70 White Balance Bracketing Values Table......Page 191
Changing Color......Page 192
Lenses and Focusing......Page 197
The Autofocus System......Page 198
Single Servo versus Continuous Servo Autofocus......Page 201
Autofocus Area Modes......Page 203
Autofocus Summary......Page 204
Autofocus Assist Lamp......Page 205
Manual Focus......Page 206
Sharpening......Page 208
Shutter Lag......Page 213
Motor Drive......Page 215
D70 Maximum Buffer Capacity with Noise Reduction ON......Page 217
Motor Drive Troubleshooting......Page 218
Self Timer......Page 219
Remote Control......Page 220
Depth of Field Preview......Page 221
18mm Lens......Page 223
28mm Lens......Page 224
70mm Lens......Page 225
D70 Menus......Page 227
PLAY menu (² icon)......Page 228
SHOOTING menu (õ camera icon)......Page 229
SET UP menu (Ø wrench icon)......Page 231
Error Messages......Page 234
Image Review......Page 240
Image Review Options......Page 241
The PLAY Menu......Page 245
Deleting Images......Page 246
Dealing with Folders......Page 248
Slide shows......Page 255
Hiding Images......Page 256
Printing Images......Page 257
Television Playback......Page 259
Connecting to a Computer......Page 261
Custom Settings......Page 266
Custom Setting #R Custom Settings Reset (Menu reset)......Page 269
Custom Setting #1 Audio Feedback (Beep)......Page 270
Custom Setting #2 Autofocus Mode (Autofocus)......Page 271
Custom Setting #3 Autofocus Area Mode (AF-area mode)......Page 272
Custom Setting #4 Autofocus Assist Light (AF assist)......Page 274
Custom Setting #5 Automatic ISO Setting (ISO auto)......Page 275
Custom Setting #6 Lock Camera with No CompactFlash (No CF Ca......Page 278
Custom Setting #7 Image Display Status (Image review)......Page 279
Custom Setting #8 Viewfinder Grid Display (Grid display)......Page 280
Custom Setting #10 Exposure Compensation Control (Exp comp)......Page 281
Custom Setting #11 Centerweight Circle Size (Center wtd)......Page 283
Custom Setting #12 Exposure Bracketing Method (BKT set)......Page 284
Custom Setting #13 Bracketing Order (BKT Order)......Page 285
Custom Setting #14 Aperture Control Dial (Command dial)......Page 286
Custom Setting #15 AE-Lock Button Use (AE-L/AF-L)......Page 287
Custom Setting #17 Focus Area Selection Wrap (Focus area)......Page 290
Custom Setting #18 Active Focus Sensor Illumination (AF area......Page 291
Custom Setting #19 Flash Mode for Internal Flash (Flash mode......Page 292
Custom Setting #20 Flash Needed Indicator (Flash sign)......Page 294
Custom Setting #21 Flash Shutter Speed Barrier (Shutter spd)......Page 295
Custom Setting #22 Color LCD Active Time (Monitor off)......Page 296
Custom Setting #23 Meter/Camera Active Time (Meter-off)......Page 297
Custom Setting #24 Self Timer Delay Setting (Self-timer)......Page 299
Custom Setting #25 Remote Active Setting (Remote)......Page 300
What Happens When Flash is Used......Page 301
Flash Basics......Page 302
Digital Flash Differences......Page 303
Allowable Apertures in Program Mode......Page 305
Flash Modes......Page 306
i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash......Page 307
Summary of i-TTL Flash Modes......Page 308
Non-TTL Flash Modes......Page 309
Setting Flash Options......Page 312
Flash Exposure Compensation......Page 314
Flash Features Available using a D70 with Speedlights......Page 316
Controlled, Repeatable Flash Results......Page 317
D70 Internal Flash......Page 320
To Set TTL on the Internal Flash......Page 323
To Set Commander Mode......Page 324
To Set Manual Flash......Page 329
Using the Internal Flash for Fill......Page 331
SB-29/SB-29s......Page 332
Specifications......Page 333
To Set Manual Flash Exposure......Page 334
Using the Modeling Light......Page 335
SB-29 Notes......Page 336
SB-600......Page 337
Specifications......Page 338
To Set TTL Flash......Page 339
24mm......Page 340
50mm......Page 341
To Set Manual Flash......Page 342
SB-600 Guide Numbers (Meters) at ISO 200......Page 344
To Manually Set the Zoom Head......Page 345
To Set Flash Exposure Compensation......Page 346
SB-600 Notes......Page 347
SB-800......Page 348
Specifications......Page 349
To Set TTL Flash......Page 350
24mm......Page 352
50mm......Page 353
105mm......Page 354
To Set Auto Aperture Flash......Page 355
To Set Manual Flash......Page 356
SB-800 Guide Numbers (Feet) at ISO 200......Page 357
To Set Repeating Flash......Page 358
Maximum Number of Repeating Flashes at Each Power Setting......Page 360
To Manually Set the Zoom Head......Page 361
To Set Flash Exposure Compensation......Page 362
SB-800 Notes......Page 363
Wireless Flash Notes......Page 365
Flash Troubleshooting......Page 366
General Settings You Make Once......Page 368
Things To Do Before You Head Out on a Shoot......Page 369
Check Each Time You Turn the Camera ON......Page 370
Settings You Change Rarely (and then only for a reason)......Page 371
Settings You Change Often......Page 372
Things To Do After Each Shooting Session......Page 373
Keeping Track of Batteries......Page 374
Temperature Considerations......Page 375
Focal Length Limitations......Page 376
Lens Differences When Used for 35mm film and D70......Page 378
Lens Angle of View......Page 380
Panoramas......Page 381
How to Interpret Histograms......Page 382
Dealing with JPEG......Page 385
Custom Curves......Page 387
sRGB Versus Adobe RGB......Page 389
Ultraviolet......Page 391
Infrared......Page 392
Shooting Under Fluorescent Lighting......Page 393
Keeping the CCD Clean......Page 395
Camera Doesn’t Write to Card......Page 402
Tough Subjects (Color, Moiré, and the Sun)......Page 403
Humidity......Page 407
White Balance Color Temperatures......Page 408
D70 Related Software......Page 411
Nikon View......Page 412
Nikon Capture......Page 425
Controlling the Camera......Page 427
Taking Pictures with Capture......Page 428
Making Settings with Capture......Page 431
Manipulating Images......Page 436
Individual Palette Tools......Page 442
One Image Processed by Capture......Page 456
Photoshop NEF Filter......Page 467
Color Profiles and Color Spaces......Page 469
Output on Commercial Printers......Page 477
Manipulating Levels and Curves......Page 478
Digital Workflow......Page 480
Other Useful Software......Page 483
NEF Converters......Page 484
Image Editors......Page 487
Catalog Programs......Page 490
Other Manipulation Tools......Page 497
Photoshop Actions......Page 500
Excel Workbooks......Page 501
A Word About Computers......Page 502
Accessories......Page 506
Lens Compatibility......Page 510
Specifications......Page 514
Getting Service......Page 517
Questions and Answers......Page 522