Chapter One
Exploring the Nikon D90
In This Chapter
Key components of the D90
The D90 DX CMOS sensor
Viewfinder display
Control panel
Shooting Info Display
This chapter covers the key components of the Nikon D90. These are the features that are most readily accessible because they''re situated on the outside of the camera: the buttons, knobs, switches, and dials.
If you''re upgrading from another Nikon dSLR, some of this may seem like 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''re an experienced Nikon dSLR user.
For those of you who are new to the world of dSLRs, this chapter is a great way to become acquainted with some of the terms that are used in conjunction with your new camera.
So, let''s explore the D90!
Key Components of the D90
If you''ve read the Quick Tour, you should be pretty familiar with the buttons and switches that you need for 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 camera''s surface does.
This section doesn''t cover the menus (see Chapter 3), only the exterior controls. Although there are many features you can access with just the push of a button, you can usually change the same setting inside of a menu option. While the D90 doesn''t have the same amount of buttons as some of its bigger siblings in the Nikon line, it does have quite a few of them. Knowing exactly what these buttons do can save you a lot of time and help you to not miss out on getting a shot.
Top of the camera
The top of the D90 is where you find some of the most important buttons and dials. This is where you can change the Shooting mode and press the Shutter Release to take your photo. Also included in this section is a brief description of some of the things you find on the top of the lens.
Note
Although your lens may vary, most of the features are quite similar from lens to lens.
* Mode dial. This is an important dial. Rotating this dial allows you to quickly change your Shooting mode. You can choose one of the Scene modes or one of the semiautomatic modes or you can choose to manually set the exposure.
Cross-Reference
For more on the Exposure modes, see Chapter 2.
* Focal plane mark. The focal plane mark shows you where the plane of the image sensor is inside the camera. The sensor isn''t exactly where the mark is; the sensor is directly behind the lens opening. When doing certain types of photography, particularly macro photography by using a bellows lens, you need to measure the length of the bellows from the front element of the lens to the focal plane. This is where the focal plane mark comes in handy.
* Shutter Release button. In my opinion, this is the most important button on the camera. Halfway pressing this button activates the camera''s autofocusing and light meter. When you fully depress this button, the shutter is released and a photograph is taken. When the camera has been idle and has gone to sleep, lightly pressing the Shutter Release button wakes up the camera. When the image review is on, lightly pressing the Shutter Release button turns off the LCD and prepares the camera for another shot.
* On/Off switch/LCD illuminator. This switch, which surrounds the Shutter Release button, is used to turn the camera on and off. Push the switch all the way to the left to turn off the camera. Pull the switch to the right to turn your camera on. This button also has a spring-loaded switch that, when pulled all the way to the right, lights up the LCD control panel on the top of the camera for viewing in dim light. You can also set this momentary switch to light up the LCD control panel and show the Shooting Info Display on the rear LCD in the Custom Setting menu (CSM f1).
* Metering mode button. This button is used to choose the Metering mode. Press this button and then rotate the Main Command dial until the desired mode appears on the LCD control panel. You can choose Matrix, Center-weighted, or Spot metering. This button also doubles as one of the two-button format buttons.
Cross-Reference
For more on Metering modes, see Chapter 2.
* Exposure Compensation button. Pressing this button in conjunction with rotating the Main Command dial allows you to modify the exposure that''s set by the D90''s light meter or the exposure you set in Manual mode. Turning the Main Command dial to the right decreases the exposure, while turning the dial to the left increases the exposure.
Note
You can reset the camera to its default settings by pressing the Exposure Compensation button and the AF mode button at the same time and holding them down for about 2 seconds.
* Release mode button. Pressing this button and then rotating the Main Command dial changes the Release mode of the camera. You can choose from Single Frame, Continuous Low Speed, Continuous High Speed, Self-timer, Delayed Remote, and Quick Remote. In order to use the remote function, you must purchase an ML-L3 wireless infrared remote.
* AF (Autofocus) mode button. Pressing this button and then rotating the Main Command dial allows you to choose the AF mode. Your choices are AF-A, AF-S, or AF-C.
Cross-Reference
For more on the ML-L3 wireless infrared remote, see Appendix A. For more on AF modes, see Chapter 2.
* LCD control panel. This monochrome LCD panel displays camera settings. This feature is covered later in this chapter.
* 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 Nikon''s brand-new SB-900 Speedlight.
* Focus ring. Rotating the focus ring enables you to manually focus the camera. With some lenses, such as the high-end Nikkor AF-S lenses that have M/A-A switches, you can manually adjust the focus at any time. On other lenses - typically older, low-end AF-S lenses that have an A-M switch, such as the Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 and non-Nikon lenses - you must switch the lens to Manual mode or disable the focusing mechanism by using the AF/M switch on the camera body. With the kit lens, you must switch to Manual mode.
Caution
Rotating the focus ring while the lens is set to Autofocus can damage your lens and/or camera.
* Zoom ring. Rotating the zoom ring allows you to change the focal length of the lens. Prime lenses don''t have a zoom ring.
* Focal length indicators. These numbers indicate to which focal length in millimeters your lens is zoomed.
Cross-Reference
For more on lenses, see Chapter 4.
Back of the camera
The back of the camera is where you find the buttons that mainly control playback and menu options, although there are a few buttons that control some of the shooting functions.
Most of the buttons have more than one function - a lot of them are used in conjunction with the Main Command dial or the Multi-selector. You also find several key features on the back of the camera, including the all-important viewfinder and LCD:
* LCD. This is the most obvious feature on the back of the camera. This 3-inch, 920,000-dot liquid crystal display (LCD) screen is a very bright, high-resolution screen that''s the same as the higher-end D3, D700, and D300 Nikon cameras. The LCD is where you review your images after shooting. The Shooting Info Display also appears here, and this is where you view all the menus.
* Viewfinder. This is what you look through to compose your photographs. Light coming through the lens is reflected through a pentaprism, which enables you to see exactly what you''re shooting (as opposed to a rangefinder camera, which gives you an approximate view). Around the viewfinder is a rubber eyepiece that serves to give you a softer place to rest your eye and to block any extra light from entering the viewfinder as you compose and shoot your images.
* Diopter adjustment control. Just to the right of the viewfinder is the diopter adjustment control. Use this control to adjust the viewfinder lens to suit your individual vision differences (not everyone''s eyesight is the same). To adjust this, look through the viewfinder and then rotate the diopter control until the viewfinder information is sharp. You can also press the Shutter Release button halfway to focus on something. If what you see in the viewfinder isn''t quite sharp, rotate the diopter control up or down until everything appears in focus.
* AE-L/AF-L. The Autoexposure/ Autofocus Lock button is used to lock the Autoexposure (AE) and Autofocus (AF). You can also customize the button to lock only the AE or only the AF. It can also be set to lock the exposure with a single press and reset with a second press (AE Lock (hold)). You can set the button to initiate AF (AF-On) and to lock the flash exposure value (FV Lock). This can be set using CSM f4. Cross-Reference For more on customizing the AE-L/ AF-L button, see Chapter 3.
* Main Command dial. This dial is used to change a variety of settings depending on which button you press in conjunction with it. By default, it''s used to change the shutter speed when in Shutter Priority and Manual modes. It''s also used to adjust exposure compensation as well as change the Release, AF, and Flash modes.
Tip
Setting the AE-L/AF-L button to AE Lock (hold) when shooting video allows you to lock the exposure so that the video doesn''t fluctuate between light and dark when filming in a setting with areas that have high contrast between the highlights and shadows, such as with spotlights at a performance or under dappled sunlight.
* Live View (Lv) button. Pressing this button activates the Live View function. Pressing the button a second time disables Live View and returns the camera to the standard Shooting mode.
* Multi-selector. The Multi-selector also serves a few different purposes. In Playback mode, the Multi-selector is used to scroll through the photographs you''ve taken, and it can also be used to view image information, such as histograms and shooting settings. When in certain Shooting modes, the Multi-selector can be used to change the active focus point when in Single Point or Dynamic Area AF mode. You also use the Multi-selector to navigate the camera''s menus.
* OK button. When in Menu mode, press this button to select the menu item that''s highlighted. When Live View is activated, pressing this button starts recording video by using D-Movie mode.
Cross-Reference
For more on D-Movie mode, see Chapter 7.
* Focus selector lock. This switch allows you to lock the selected focus area so that it can''t be accidentally changed.
* Information (info) button. Pressing this button causes the Shooting Info Display to appear. This shows some camera settings, such as aperture, shutter speed, and others. Pressing the Shutter Release button lightly returns you to the default Shooting mode. Press this button again while viewing the Shooting Info Display to enter the Quick Settings Display, which allows you to quickly access some commonly used features. The Shooting Info Display and Quick Settings Display are discussed later in this chapter.
* Memory card access lamp. When this light is blinking, the camera is transferring data to the memory card. Under no circumstances should the memory card be removed when this is lit. This can damage your camera or the card and will almost certainly result in a loss of images.
* Delete button. When reviewing your pictures, if you find some that you don''t want to keep, you can delete them by pressing the button marked with a trash can icon. To prevent accidental deletion of images, the camera displays a dialog box asking you to confirm that you want to erase the picture. Press the Delete button a second time to permanently erase the image.
Note
You can format the SD card by pressing the Metering mode button and the Delete button at the same time and holding them down for about 2 seconds then release the buttons and press them again.
* Playback button. Pressing this button displays the most recently taken photograph. You can also view other pictures by pressing the Multi-selector left or right.
* Menu button. Press this button to access the D90 menu options. There are a number of different menus, including Playback, Shooting, Custom Setting, Setup, Retouch, and Recent Settings/My Menu. Use the Multi-selector to choose the menu you want to view.
* White Balance/Help/Protect. This button has the icon of a key and question mark on it. Above it is WB. This button actually has a few different uses. When in Shooting mode, press this button and then rotate the Main Command dial to change the white balance (WB) setting. Rotating the Sub-command dial allows you to fine-tune the current WB setting, making it warmer or cooler. The WB setting can only be changed when using the M, A, S, and P settings. When in Playback mode, this button is used to lock an image to prevent it from accidentally being erased. When viewing the image you want to protect, simply press this button. A small key icon is displayed in the upper right-hand corner of images that are protected. When viewing the menu options or when the camera is set to a Scene mode, pressing this button displays a help screen that explains the functions of that particular menu option or Scene mode.
* ISO/Thumbnail/Zoom Out button. When the camera is in Shooting mode, pressing this button allows you to manually adjust the ISO sensitivity. When using a Scene mode in which the Auto ISO function is set, using this option allows you to override the Auto ISO setting. In Playback mode, pressing this button allows you to go from full-frame playback (or viewing the whole image) to viewing thumbnails. You can view either four, nine, or 72 thumbnails on a page. Pressing this button a fourth time shows a calendar view that displays images taken on a specific day. When you''re zoomed into an image during playback or Live View, this button allows you to zoom out.
* Quality (QUAL)/Zoom In button. When in Shooting mode, press this button and then rotate the Main Command dial to change the image quality and JPEG compression. You can choose from RAW, fine, normal, or basic JPEG or RAW + fine, normal, or basic JPEG. Rotating the Sub-command dial allows you to choose the size of your JPEG files: Large, Medium, or Small. 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 Multi-selector to navigate around within the image. To view your other images at the same zoom ratio, you can rotate the Main Command dial. To return to full-frame playback, press the Zoom Out button. Depending on how much you''ve zoomed in, you may have to press the Zoom Out button multiple times.
Front of the camera
The front of the D90 (lens facing you) is where you find the buttons to quickly adjust the flash settings, bracketing, and some focusing options, and with certain lenses, you find some buttons that control focusing and Vibration Reduction (VR).
Right front
* Flash pop-up button/Flash mode button/Flash Exposure Compensation button. Press this button to open and activate the built-in Speedlight when in M, A, S, or P mode. Rotate the Main Command dial to change the Flash mode, and rotate the Subcommand dial to adjust the Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) button. When using Scene modes, this button functions differently for different modes.
Cross-Reference
For more on Scene modes, see Chapter 2.
* Bracketing (BKT) button. This button allows you to activate exposure bracketing. Pressing this button and then rotating the Main Command dial, you can set the number of bracketed exposures. You can bracket up to three frames. The choices are 3 frames (metered, over, under), -2 (metered, under), and +2 (metered, over). Pressing this button and then rotating the Sub-command dial allows you to
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Excerpted from Nikon D90 Digital Field Guideby J. Dennis Thomas Copyright © 2009 by J. Dennis Thomas. Excerpted by permission.
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