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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
- Sprache: Englisch
Your guide to capturing that perfect shot The Nikon D7500 has created a buzz in the photography community, gaining recognition for its appealing combination of high-end features and compact size. If you're upgrading your existing dSLR or even purchasing your very first camera, Nikon D7500 For Dummies will help you feel like a pro in no time. This book highlights the importance of understanding all of the basic features of your new camera, before diving into insights about how to take top-notch photos. You'll learn about when and how to use flash, understand exposure, and control focus and depth of field. There is also information on taking expert action, close-up, and landscape shots, and how to access and download those photo files. Photography is a great way to capture lifelong memories, and this book makes it easy to get started. * Learn photography terminology * Shoot, view, and trim movies * Master color controls * Discover ways to customize your camera Don't just settle for auto mode; take advantage of all the D7500's amazing features with the help of Nikon D7500 For Dummies!
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017
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Nikon® D7500™ For Dummies®
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. Nikon and D7500 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nikon Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2017953579
ISBN 978-1-119-44832-7 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-44806-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-44808-2 (ebk);
Nikon® D7500™ For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Nikon® D7500™ For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Introduction
About This Book
How This Book Is Organized
Icons and Other Stuff to Note
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Fast Track to Super Snaps
Chapter 1: First Steps, First Shots
Preparing the Camera for Use
Checking Out External Controls
Using the Touchscreen
Navigating Menus
Checking Out the Displays
Saving Time with the i-Button Menu
Familiarizing Yourself with the Lens
Working with Memory Cards
Taking a Few Final Setup Steps
Restoring Default Settings
Shooting Pictures in Auto Mode
Chapter 2: Reviewing Five Essential Picture-Taking Options
Choosing an Exposure Mode
Setting the Release Mode
Selecting Image Size and Image Quality
Setting the Image Area
Chapter 3: Adding Flash
Turning the Built-in Flash On and Off
Comparing Built-in and External Flashes
Understanding Flash Modes
Adjusting Flash Strength
Enabling High-Speed Flash (Auto FP)
Using Flash Value Lock (FV Lock)
Exploring Additional Flash Options
Part 2: Taking Creative Control
Chapter 4: Taking Charge of Exposure
Meeting the Exposure Trio: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
Stepping Up to Advanced Exposure Modes (P, S, A, and M)
Reading the Meter
Choosing an Exposure Metering Mode
Setting Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
Solving Exposure Problems
Taking Advantage of Automatic Bracketing
Chapter 5: Controlling Focus and Depth of Field
Setting the Basic Focusing Method
Exploring Standard Focusing Options (Viewfinder Photography)
Mastering Live View Focusing
Manipulating Depth of Field
Chapter 6: Mastering Color Controls
Understanding White Balance
Creating Custom White Balance Presets
Bracketing White Balance
Taking a Quick Look at Picture Controls
Chapter 7: Putting It All Together
Recapping Basic Picture Settings
Shooting Still Portraits
Capturing Action
Capturing Scenic Vistas
Capturing Dynamic Close-Ups
Chapter 8: Shooting, Viewing, and Trimming Movies
Understanding a Few Recording Basics
Shooting a Movie Using Default Settings
Choosing a Video Format: MOV or MP4
Setting Frame Size, Rate, and Quality
Controlling Audio
Controlling Movie Exposure
Exploring Other Recording Options
Screening Your Movies
Trimming Movies
Saving a Movie Frame As a Still Image
Part 3: After the Shot
Chapter 9: Playback Mode: Viewing Your Photos
Picture Playback 101
Choosing Which Images to View
Adjusting Playback Timing
Disabling Automatic Picture Rotation
Shifting to Thumbnail Display
Displaying Photos in Calendar View
Magnifying Photos During Playback
Viewing Picture Data
Chapter 10: Working with Picture and Movie Files
Rating Photos and Movies
Protecting Photos
Hiding Photos During Playback
Deleting Files
Taking a Look a Nikon's Photo Software
Downloading Pictures to Your Computer
Processing Raw (NEF) Files
Preparing Pictures for Online Sharing
Part 4: The Part of Tens
Chapter 11: Ten More Ways to Customize Your Camera
Creating Custom Exposure Modes
Creating Your Own Menu
Adding Hidden Comments and Copyright Notices
Customizing Filenames
Customizing Folder Names
Changing the Purpose of the OK Button
Customizing the Command Dials
Assigning New Tasks to a Few Buttons
Modifying the Role of the Shutter Button
Adjusting Automatic Shutdown Timing
Chapter 12: Ten Features to Explore on a Rainy Day
Investigating the Retouch Menu
Straightening Crooked and Distorted Photos
Manipulating Exposure and Color
Cropping Your Photo
Three Ways to Play with Special Effects
Creating a Dust Reference File
Connecting Your Camera to an HDTV
Creating a Digital Slide Show
Appendix: Intro to Nikon SnapBridge
What Can I Do with SnapBridge?
Reviewing Basic Connection Steps
Reviewing Camera Options
Selecting Specific Photos for Transfer
Taking a Look at SnapBridge Functions
About the Author
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
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Introduction
Nikon. The name has been associated with top-flight photography equipment for generations, and the D7500 only enriches that reputation, offering terrific features for capturing both still photos and high-definition digital movies. But the fun doesn’t stop after the shoot: On top of everything else, the D7500 enables you to transfer photos wirelessly to certain smartphones and tablets so that you can instantly share images online. You can even use your smart devices as a wireless remote control.
In fact, the D7500 offers so many features that sorting them all out can be more than a little confusing. And therein lies the point of Nikon D7500 For Dummies: With the help of this book, you can take full advantage of everything the camera has to offer, even if you’re brand new to photography.
About This Book
Unlike many photography books, this one doesn’t require any previous knowledge of photography or digital imaging to make sense of things. In classic For Dummies style, everything is explained in easy-to-understand language, with lots of illustrations to help clear up any confusion.
However, even if you have some photography experience — or quite a bit of experience, for that matter — this book has plenty to offer. I provide detailed information about all the camera’s advanced exposure, focus, and color controls, explaining not just what each feature does but why and how to put it to best use.
In short, what you have in your hands is the paperback version of an in-depth photography workshop tailored specifically to your Nikon picture-taking powerhouse.
How This Book Is Organized
This book is organized into several parts, each devoted to a different aspect of using your camera. Although chapters flow in a sequence that’s designed to take you from absolute beginner to experienced user, I’ve also made each chapter as self-standing as possible so that you can explore the topics that interest you in any order you please. Here's a brief preview of what you can find in each part of the book:
Part 1
: Fast Track to Super Snaps:
Part 1
contains two chapters to help you get up and running.
Chapter 1
guides you through initial camera setup, shows you how to view and adjust camera settings, and walks you through the steps of taking your first pictures using the Auto exposure mode.
Chapter 2
introduces you to other exposure modes and also explains critical picture options such as Release mode, Image Size (resolution), Image Quality (JPEG or Raw), and Image Area.
Chapter 3
covers flash photography, discussing basic flash techniques and also exploring some advanced flash features on your camera.
Part 2
: Taking Creative Control:
Chapters in this part help you unleash the full power of your camera by detailing the advanced shooting modes (P, S, A, and M).
Chapter 4
covers exposure settings;
Chapter 5
explains how to manipulate focus; and
Chapter 6
discusses color controls.
Chapter 7
summarizes techniques explained in earlier chapters, providing a quick-reference guide to the camera settings and shooting strategies that produce the best results for portraits, action shots, landscape scenes, and close-ups.
Chapter 8
shifts gears, moving from still photography to HD movie recording.
Part 3
: After the Shot:
Chapter 9
explains picture playback features, showing you how to adjust the type of data that appears with a picture, how to magnify an image to get a closer look, and how to quickly find and view photos taken on a particular day.
Chapter 10
topics include rating, hiding, protecting, and deleting photos, downloading images to your computer, processing Raw files, and resizing pictures for online sharing.
Part 4
: The Part of Tens:
In famous
For Dummies
tradition, the book concludes with two top-ten lists containing additional bits of information and advice.
Chapter 11
details options for customizing your camera;
Chapter 12
covers the tools found on the camera's Retouch menu, shows you how to use the Effects exposure mode, and explains a few other features that may come in handy on occasion, such as creating a slide show featuring your best work.
Appendix
: Intro to Nikon SnapBridge:
Nikon SnapBridge is an app that you can install on certain Android and Apple iOS smartphones and tablets. It’s this app that enables you to use the camera’s wireless functions to connect your D7500 to your smart device. After making the connection, you can transfer photos to the device for viewing or easy uploading to social media sites or online photo-storage sites. You also can use the smart device as a wireless remote control. Check out the
appendix
for an overview of these features.
Cheat sheet:
When you have a minute or two, visit
www.dummies.com
and enter the name of this book in the search box. You’ll find a link to a cheat sheet, which provides a handy reference to your camera’s buttons, controls, and exposure modes.
Icons and Other Stuff to Note
If this isn’t your first For Dummies book, you may be familiar with the large, round icons that decorate its margins. If not, here’s your very own icon-decoder ring:
The Tip icon flags information that will save you time, effort, money, or some other valuable resource, including your sanity. Tips also point out techniques that help you get the best results from specific camera features.
When you see this icon, look alive. It indicates a potential danger zone that can result in much wailing and teeth-gnashing if ignored. In other words, this is stuff that you really don’t want to learn the hard way.
Lots of information in this book is of a technical nature — digital photography is a technical animal, after all. But when I present a detail that is useful mainly for impressing your tech-geek friends, I mark it with this icon.
I apply this icon either to introduce information that is especially worth storing in your brain’s long-term memory or to remind you of a fact that may have been displaced from that memory by another pressing fact.
Additionally, replicas of some of your camera’s buttons and onscreen graphics appear in the margins and in some tables. I include these images to provide quick reminders of the appearance of the button or option being discussed.
Where to Go from Here
To wrap up this preamble, I want to stress that if you initially think that digital photography is too confusing or too technical for you, you’re in very good company. Everyone finds this stuff mind-boggling at first. So take it slowly, experimenting with just one or two new camera settings or techniques at first. Then, every time you go on a photo outing, make it a point to add one or two more shooting skills to your repertoire.
I know that it’s hard to believe when you’re just starting out, but it really won’t be long before everything starts to come together. With some time, patience, and practice, you’ll soon wield your camera like a pro, dialing in the necessary settings to capture your creative vision almost instinctively.
So without further ado, I invite you to grab your camera, a cup of whatever it is you prefer to sip while you read, and start exploring the rest of this book. Your D7500 is the perfect partner for your photographic journey, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to act as your tour guide.
Part 1
Fast Track to Super Snaps
IN THIS PART …
Familiarize yourself with the basics of using your camera, from attaching lenses to navigating menus.
Get step-by-step help with shooting your first pictures in Auto mode.
Find out how to select the exposure mode, Release mode, Image Size (resolution), Image Quality (JPEG or Raw file type), and Image Area.
Discover secrets to better flash photography, whether you stick with Auto mode or step up to advanced exposure modes.
Chapter 1
First Steps, First Shots
IN THIS CHAPTER
Preparing the camera for its first outing
Getting acquainted with the touchscreen and other camera features
Viewing and adjusting camera settings
Setting a few basic preferences
Taking a picture in Auto mode
Shooting for the first time with a camera as sophisticated as the Nikon D7500 can produce a blend of excitement and anxiety. On one hand, you can't wait to start using your new equipment, but on the other, you're a little intimidated by all its buttons, dials, and menu options.
Fear not: This chapter provides information to help you get comfortable with your D7500. The first section walks you through initial camera setup; following that, you can discover how to view and adjust picture settings and get my take on additional setup options. At the end of the chapter, I explain how to take pictures using Auto mode, which offers point-and-shoot simplicity until you're ready for more advanced options.
Preparing the Camera for Use
After unpacking your camera, you have to assemble a few parts. In addition to the camera body and the supplied battery (charge it before the first use), you need a lens and a memory card. Later sections in this chapter provide details about lenses and memory cards, but here's what you need to know up front:
Lens:
You can mount a wide range of lenses on your D7500, but some lenses aren’t compatible with all camera features. Your camera manual lists all the lens types that can be mounted on the camera and explains what features are supported with each type.
SD (Secure Digital) memory card:
Your camera accepts only this type of card. Most SD cards carry the designation SDHC (for
High Capacity
) or SDXC (for
eXtended Capacity
), depending on how many gigabytes (GB) of data they hold. SDHC cards hold from 4GB to 32GB of data; SDXC cards have capacities greater than 32GB.
With camera, lens, battery, and memory card within reach, take these steps:
Make sure that the camera is turned off.
Install the battery into the compartment on the bottom of the camera.
Attach a lens.
First, remove the caps that cover the front of the camera and the back of the lens. Then align the mounting index (white dot) on the lens with the one on the camera body, as shown in Figure 1-1. After placing the lens on the camera mount, rotate the lens toward the shutter-button side of the camera. You should feel a solid click as the lens locks into place.
Insert a memory card.
Open the card-slot cover on the right side of the camera and orient the card as shown in Figure 1-2 (the label faces the back of the camera). Push the card gently into the slot and close the cover. The memory-card access light, labeled in the figure, illuminates briefly to let you know that the camera recognizes the card.
Turn on the camera.
Set the language, time zone, and date.
When you power up the camera for the first time, you can't do anything until you take this step.
The easiest option is to use the touchscreen. To select an option, just tap it as you do on any touchscreen device. If you see an OK symbol in the lower-right corner of the screen, tap it to finalize your selection and return to the previous screen. To exit without making changes, tap the exit arrow in the upper-right corner of the screen.
You also can use the Multi Selector and OK button, labeled in Figure 1-2, to navigate menus. Press the edges of the Multi Selector up, down, right, or left to highlight an option; press OK to select it. You can find more details about selecting menu options later in this chapter.
Adjust the viewfinder to your eyesight.
This step is critical; if you don't set the viewfinder to your eyesight, subjects that appear out of focus in the viewfinder might actually be in focus, and vice versa. If you wear glasses while shooting, adjust the viewfinder with your glasses on.
After taking off the lens cap and making sure that the camera is turned on, look through the viewfinder and press the shutter button halfway. In dim lighting, the flash may pop up. Ignore it for now and concentrate on the row of data that appears at the bottom of the viewfinder screen. Rotate the dial labeled in Figure 1-3, officially known as the diopter adjustment dial, until the data appears sharpest. The markings in the center of the viewfinder, which relate to autofocusing, also become more or less sharp. Ignore the scene you see through the lens; that won't change because you're not actually focusing the camera.
When you finish, press down on the flash unit to close it if necessary.
Adjust the monitor position as desired.
You can lift the monitor up and away from the back of the camera and then tilt it up or down to view the screen at different angles, as shown in Figure 1-4. To return the monitor to its original position, gently push it inward toward the back of the camera.
If you prefer to use the monitor instead of the viewfinder to compose your photos, switch to Live View mode.
Live View enables you to compose photos using the monitor rather than by looking through the viewfinder. You must use Live View to record movies. To shift to Live View for still photography, rotate the Live View switch to the still-camera icon, as shown in Figure 1-5. Then press the LV button in the center of the switch. The viewfinder goes dark, and the live preview appears on the monitor, as shown in the figure.
To set the camera to Movie mode, rotate the Live View switch to the movie-camera symbol and then press the LV button. You can then start and stop recording by pressing the red button on top of the camera.
To return to viewfinder shooting, press the LV button again.
FIGURE 1-1: Align the white dot on the lens with the one on the camera body.
FIGURE 1-2: Insert the memory card with the label facing the back of the camera.
FIGURE 1-3: Rotate this dial to set the viewfinder focus for your eyesight.
FIGURE 1-4: You can tilt the monitor up to view the screen from a variety of angles.
FIGURE 1-5: Press the LV button to toggle Live View on and off.
That's all there is to it — the camera is now ready to go.
Checking Out External Controls
Scattered across your camera's exterior are numerous features that you use to change picture-taking settings, review your photos, and perform various other operations. In later chapters, I detail all these controls; this section provides just a basic “what's this thing do?” guide.
In upcoming figures, some buttons bear multiple labels to indicate that they play different roles depending on whether the camera is in shooting or playback mode. As Nikon does in the camera’s user manual, I refer to the button by the name that relates to the function that I’m currently discussing. To avoid any confusion, though, a picture of the button appears in the margin or is labeled in a nearby figure.
Back-of-the-body controls
Starting in the upper-left corner and working clockwise around the camera back, you find these controls, shown in Figure 1-6:
FIGURE 1-6: Here’s a look at the backside controls.
Playback button:
Press this button to switch the camera to picture review mode; press it again to return to shooting.
Chapter 9
details picture playback.
Delete button:
Sporting a trash can icon, the universal symbol for delete, this button enables you to erase pictures.
Chapter 10
has specifics.
Eye sensor:
This window senses when you put your eye to the viewfinder and, in response, turns off the monitor to save battery power. Not working? Open the Setup menu and make sure that the Info Display Auto Off option is set to On. If the option is enabled, you may need to press your eye closer to the viewfinder. Also, when you wear glasses, sometimes the sensor can’t detect your eye. You do have the option of pressing the Info button to turn the monitor on and off instead of relying on the eye sensor.
Diopter adjustment control:
Rotate this dial to adjust the viewfinder focus to your eyesight; see the preceding section for details.
AE-L/AF-L button:
When taking pictures in some exposure modes, you can lock focus and exposure settings by holding down this button.
Chapter 4
explains.
Main command dial:
You use this dial to adjust a variety of settings, often in combination with pressing a camera button.
Multi Selector/OK button:
This dual-natured control plays a role in many camera functions. You press the outer edges of the Multi Selector left, right, up, or down to navigate camera menus and access certain options. At the center of the control is the OK button, which you press to finalize a menu selection or other adjustment.
Focus Selector Lock switch:
Just beneath the Multi Selector, this switch relates to autofocusing. When the switch is set to the position shown in
Figure 1-6
, you can use the Multi Selector to specify which focus point that you want to use. Setting the switch to the L (locked) position prevents you from choosing a different point. See
Chapter 5
for details.
Memory-card access light:
When you insert a memory card, this light located above the
i
button flashes briefly to indicate that the card is installed. After you take a picture, the light appears until the camera finishes recording the picture or movie file to the memory card. Be careful not to turn off the camera before the light goes off; doing so can ruin the file.
i
button:
Pressing this button displays a special menu that gives you quick access to a handful of settings. The upcoming section "
Navigating Menus
" explains.
Live View switch:
Rotate the Live View switch to the camera symbol to use Live View for still photography; move the switch to the movie-camera symbol for movie recording. Either way, press the LV button at the center of the switch to actually turn on Live View; press it again to exit Live View.
Speaker:
When you play movies that contain an audio track, the sound comes wafting through these holes.
Info button:
During viewfinder photography, press this button to display the Information screen, which provides an overview of your current camera settings. In Live View mode, pressing the button changes the type of data that appears over the live preview. See "
Checking Out the Displays
,” later in this chapter, for details.
Zoom Out/Thumbnails/Metering Mode: In playback mode, pressing the button enables you to display multiple image thumbnails on the screen and to reduce the magnification of the current photo. In Live View mode, the button reduces the magnification of the live preview.
During viewfinder photography, this button provides access to the Metering mode, which determines which part of the frame the autoexposure system uses to calculate exposure. Chapter 4 has details.
Zoom In/Qual (Quality): In playback mode, pressing the button magnifies the image and also reduces the number of thumbnails displayed at a time. Note the plus sign in the middle of the magnifying glass — plus for zoom in.
In picture-taking mode, pressing the button gives you fast access to the Image Quality and Image Size options, both of which you can explore in Chapter 2. However, this function works only for viewfinder photography; in Live View mode, pressing the button magnifies the display so that you can check focus closely.
Help/Protect/White Balance (WB) button:
This button serves three purposes:
Help:
When you see a question mark symbol in the lower-left corner of a screen, press this button to display information about the active option.
Protect:
In playback mode, pressing the button gives the photo or movie protected status, locking the file so that you can’t accidentally erase it. (The key symbol on the button represents the lock function.) Note, though, that protection applies only to normal file-deletion options, described in
Chapter 10
. If you format the memory card, both locked and unlocked files are erased.
White Balance control:
During shooting, the button’s main function is to access white balance options, a color-related topic you can explore in
Chapter 6
.
Menu button:
Press this button to access camera menus. The section “
Navigating Menus
,” later in this chapter, explains how to use the menu system.
Topside controls
Your virtual tour begins with the bird's-eye view shown in Figure 1-7. There are a number of features of note here:
On/Off switch and shutter button:
Okay, I'm pretty sure you already figured out this combo button. But you may not be aware that if you rotate the switch past the On position to the light bulb symbol, a backlight illuminates the Control panel, covered next.
Control panel:
You can view many picture-taking settings on this LCD panel. The section “
Checking Out the Displays
” has more information about the Control panel and other data screens.
Exposure Compensation button:
This button relates to an exposure correction detailed in
Chapter 4
. Press the button while rotating the Main command dial to set the amount of Exposure Compensation.
ISO button:
Press this button to access ISO settings, which determine the camera’s sensitivity to light.
Chapter 4
explains.
Movie-record button:
After setting the camera to movie mode, press this button to start and stop recording. (Engage movie mode by setting the Live View switch to the movie camera icon and then pressing the LV button.)
Mode dial: Use this dial to select an exposure mode, which determines how much control you have over exposure and other camera features. See Chapter 2 for an introduction to each mode.
Before you can rotate the dial, you must press and hold the Mode dial unlock button, labeled in Figure 1-7.
Release Mode dial:
You use this dial, set directly under the Mode dial, to switch from normal shooting, where you take one picture with each press of the shutter button, to one of the camera’s other Release modes, including Self-Timer mode. As with the Mode dial, you must press the dial's unlock button, labeled in
Figure 1-7
, to change the Release mode setting. A letter representing the selected mode appears at the bottom of the dial. For example, in the figure, the S (Single Frame) mode is selected. See
Chapter 2
for a look at all your options.
Hot shoe:
A
hot shoe
is a connection for attaching an external flash head such as a Nikon Speedlight. See
Chapter 3
for information about a few flash features that work only with this type of flash.
Focal plane mark: Should you need to know the exact distance between your subject and the camera, the focal plane indicator labeled in Figure 1-7 is key. This mark indicates the plane at which light coming through the lens is focused onto the image sensor. Basing your measurement on this mark produces a more accurate camera-to-subject distance than using the end of the lens or some other external point on the camera body as your reference point.
FIGURE 1-7: Press and hold the Mode dial’s unlock button before rotating the dial.
Front-right controls
Figure 1-8 offers a look at the front-right side of the camera, which sports the following features:
Sub-command dial:
This dial is the counterpart to the Main command dial on the back of the camera. As with the Main command dial, you rotate this one to select certain settings, usually in conjunction with pressing a camera button.
AF-assist/Self-timer/Red-eye reduction lamp:
In dim lighting, a beam of light shoots out from this lamp to help the camera’s autofocus system find its target. The lamp also lights before the shutter is released in Self-Timer mode and before the flash fires in Red-Eye Reduction flash mode.
Function (Fn) buttons: The Fn1 and Fn2 buttons are customizable buttons that you can set up to access certain features that don’t already have their own buttons.
Fn1:
By default, pressing the Fn1 button during viewfinder shooting adds
virtual horizon
markings along the bottom and right side of the viewfinder framing area. Check out the upcoming section “
Viewfinder display
” for information on how to interpret the markings. Press the button again to turn the virtual horizon off.
Fn2:
For viewfinder and Live View photography, pressing Fn2 accesses the Image Area setting, which determines whether the camera records your picture using the entire image sensor or a smaller area at the center of the sensor. For details on the Image Area setting, see
Chapter 2
.
To find out how to assign other functions to the buttons, check out Chapter 11.
Microphone:
Your camera has a built-in stereo microphone for recording movie audio. Two openings lead to the mic; one in the spot labeled in
Figure 1-8
and the other on the opposite side of the camera.
AC-adapter connection cover:
Lift up this rubber flap to find the connection for the optional AC power adapter. The camera manual provides specifics on running the camera on AC power.
FIGURE 1-8: You get two Function buttons that can be set to perform a variety of operations.
Left-front features
The front-left side of the camera, shown in Figure 1-9, sports these features:
FIGURE 1-9: Press the Flash button to use the built-in flash in P, S, A, or M mode.
Flash/Flash Compensation button:
Pressing this button pops up the camera’s built-in flash (except in automatic shooting modes, in which the camera decides whether the flash is needed). Depending on your exposure mode, you may be able to adjust the Flash mode (normal, red-eye reduction, and so on) by holding the button down while rotating the Main command dial and change the flash power by rotating the Sub-command dial (the dial on the front of the camera).
BKT (Bracket) button:
Press this button to access settings related to automatic
bracketing,
a feature that simplifies the job of recording the same subject using different settings for each shot. You can bracket exposure, flash power, white balance, and Active D-Lighting.
Chapter 4
details exposure, flash, and Active D-Lighting bracketing;
Chapter 6
discusses white balance bracketing.
Lens-release button:
Press this button to disengage the lens from the camera body so you can remove the lens.
Focus-mode selector:
This switch sets the camera to manual (M) or autofocusing (AF).
Chapter 5
gives you the lowdown on focusing.
AF-mode button:
This button accesses two autofocusing options. While pressing the button, rotate the Main command dial to adjust the Focus mode and rotate the Sub-command dial to adjust the AF-area mode.
Chapter 5
explains these settings.
Infrared sensor:
If you own the optional ML-L3 wireless remote control unit, aim its transmitter at this spot. See
Chapter 2
for more information about using a remote control to trigger the camera’s shutter release.
Connection port covers:
Lift open these two doors to connect various devices to the camera; see the next section for specifics.
Hidden connections
You can connect a variety of accessories by plugging them into the openings hidden under the two doors on the left side of the camera. Figure 1-10 offers a look at what’s behind each door.
FIGURE 1-10: You can connect a variety of devices, including an external microphone and headphone, to the camera.
The top panel has a jack for connecting an external microphone, a port for connecting a USB cable (for image download to your computer), and an HDMI-out port, for connecting your camera to a TV.
Under the lower door, you find a headphone jack and accessory terminal, where you can attach devices such as the Nikon GP-1/GP-1A GPS (Global Positioning System) unit; the ML-L3, WR-1, and WR-R10/WR-T10 wireless remote controllers; and the MC-DC2 wired remote control. I don’t cover these devices, so refer to the device instruction manuals to find out more.
In case you’re wondering, the two symbols above the top door have no function other than to remind you of two built-in wireless connection technologies: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The appendix of this book explains how to use those features.
On the bottom of the camera, you find the battery chamber and a socket that enables you to mount the camera on a tripod that uses a ¼-inch screw.
Using the Touchscreen
If you've used a smartphone, tablet, or other touchscreen device, working with the camera's touchscreen will feel familiar. Just as with those devices, you communicate with the camera by tapping the screen or by dragging one or two fingers across the screen. For example, you can tap a menu option to select it. And during picture playback, you can magnify a photo by placing your thumb and forefinger in the center of the screen and then dragging outward — a maneuver Nikon refers to as a stretch. Dragging inward from the edges of the screen — pinching — reduces the image magnification.
By default, the touchscreen is enabled for both shooting and playback. But you can disable it entirely or use it just for playback if you wish. The following steps walk you through the process of adjusting this option and give you some practice in using the touchscreen:
Press the Menu button to display the camera menus.
Sadly, there's no touchscreen control that takes you to the menus.
Tap the Setup menu icon, labeled in the left screen in Figure1-11.
The options on that menu appear to the right of the icons.
Drag the scrollbar, labeled in
Figure
1-11
, to scroll the menu display until you see the Touch Controls option.
Tap Touch Controls to display the screen shown on the right in
Figure
1-11
.
Set your touchscreen preferences.
First, tap Enable/Disable Touch Controls to display these choices:
Enable:
All touchscreen functions on (the default setting).
Playback only:
The touchscreen works only when the camera is in playback mode. This setting avoids the possibility that an errant tap during shooting adjusts a picture-taking option that you didn’t mean to change. But it also prevents you from using the touchscreen to change shooting settings that you
do
want to adjust. Instructions in this book assume that you stick with the Enable setting, but in most cases, you can change settings via other means if you prefer not to use the touchscreen.
Disable:
All touchscreen functions are turned off. To restore touchscreen function, you must use the Multi Selector and OK button to select Enable or Playback Only. (See the next section for more help with navigating menus.)
Tap your choice to return to the Touch Controls screen. Or, to exit without making any changes, tap the exit arrow in the top-right corner of the screen, labeled on the right in Figure 1-11.
The Full-frame Playback Flicks setting on the Touch Controls screen determines which direction you flick to see photos in the order you took them. At the default setting, a right-to-left flick scrolls from photo 1 to photo 2, and a flick in the other direction takes you back to picture 1. Choose left-to-right to reverse things. Again, tap your choice or tap the exit arrow to leave the settings screen without making any changes.
Tap the exit arrow to return to the Setup menu.
FIGURE 1-11: Enable or disable the touchscreen via this Setup menu option.
Some final tips about the touchscreen:
A white border around a symbol indicates that tapping the symbol performs a function.
For example, a border appears around the exit arrow in the second screen in
Figure 1-11
.
During Live View shooting, you can tap the screen to set focus and take a picture.
The last section of this chapter tells you more about this feature, known as the Touch Shutter. You also can tell the camera to set focus only when you tap or to disable both tap-to-focus and tap-to-shoot.
Don't apply a screen protector. Applying a screen protector can actually damage the monitor and make it less responsive to your touch.
Navigating Menus
Although you can change some settings by using camera buttons or by tapping touchscreen symbols, other options are accessible only via the menus.
To display the menus, press the Menu button. You see a screen similar to the one shown in Figure 1-12. The icons along the left side of the screen represent the menus. To the right of the icons are options associated with the current menu. Table 1-1 offers a quick guide to the menus.
FIGURE 1-12: The scroll bar indicates that the menu is a multi-page affair.
TABLE 1-1 D7500 Menus
Symbol
Open This Menu …
To Access These Functions
Playback
Viewing, deleting, and protecting pictures
Photo Shooting
Basic photography settings
Movie Shooting
Options related to movie recording
Custom Setting
Advanced photography options and some basic camera operations
Setup
Additional basic camera operations
Retouch
Photo and movie editing options
My Menu/Recent Settings
Your custom menu or a menu listing the 20 most recently used menu options
Here's how to work your way though the menu maze:
Select a different menu.
Your fastest option is to tap the menu's icon. But you also can press the Multi Selector left to activate the icon strip, press up or down to select the icon that represents the menu you want to view, and then press right to access that menu’s options.
Select and adjust a menu option. Again, you can take advantage of the touchscreen or use the Multi Selector:
Touchscreen:
If you see a scroll bar on the right side of the window, as in
Figure 1-12
, drag up or down to scroll to the next page of menu options. Tap the option you want to adjust. Settings available for the selected item then appear; tap the setting you want to use. Or, to exit without making any changes, tap the exit arrow in the upper-right corner of the screen.
Multi Selector/OK button:
Press the Multi Selector up or down to scroll the menu until the option you want to change is highlighted. Press OK to display the available settings. Repeat the old up-and-down scroll routine until the choice you prefer is highlighted. Then press OK.
In some cases, a right-pointing triangle appears next to a menu item. That's your cue to tap that triangle or to press the Multi Selector right to display a submenu.
During shooting, items that are dimmed in a menu aren't available in the current exposure mode. For access to all settings, set the Mode dial to P, S, A, or M. When you open the Retouch and Playback menus, the camera dims options that can’t be used with the currently selected photo.
Select items from the Custom Setting menu. Displaying the Custom Setting menu, represented by the Pencil icon, takes you to a screen that contains submenus that carry the labels A through G, as shown in Figure 1-13. Each submenu holds clusters of options related to a specific aspect of the camera's operation. To get to those options, tap the submenu name or highlight it with the Multi Selector and press OK.
In the Nikon manual, instructions reference the Custom Setting menu items by a menu letter and number. For example, “Custom Setting a1” refers to the first option on the a (Autofocus) submenu. I try to be more specific, so I use the actual setting names. (Really, we all have enough numbers to remember, don't you think?)
After you jump to the first submenu, you can simply scroll up and down the list to view options from other submenus. You don't have to keep going back to the initial menu screen and selecting a submenu.
Create a custom menu or view your 20 most recently adjusted menu items: The seventh menu is actually two menus that share an apartment: Recent Settings and My Menu, both shown in Figure 1-14. Each menu contains a Choose Tab option as the last item on the menu; select this option to shift between the two menus.
Here's what the two menus offer:
My Menu:
From this screen, you can create a custom menu that contains your favorite options.
Chapter 11
details the steps.
Recent Settings: This screen lists the 20 menu items you ordered most recently. The idea is to save you the time of wading through all the other menus to look for these options.
To remove an item from the Recent Settings menu, use the Multi Selector to highlight the item and press the Delete button. Press Delete again to confirm your decision. (If you tap the item in the menu, you pull up that item's options screen.)
FIGURE 1-13: The Custom Setting menu contains seven submenus of advanced options.
FIGURE 1-14: My Menu enables you to design a custom menu; Recent Settings offers quick access to the last 20 menu options you selected.
Checking Out the Displays
Your camera offers several displays to help you keep track of critical shooting settings and other information. The next sections introduce you to each display.
A word of reassurance before you move on: Don’t freak out if what you see on your displays doesn’t match what’s shown here or if you don’t have a clue what the symbols and values in the displays mean. The data changes depending on the current camera settings, and most of the data that’s displayed relates to features covered later in the book.
For now, just familiarize yourself with the elements labeled in the figures, especially the ones that indicate the battery status and the shots-remaining value — how many more photos your memory card can hold. On the latter point, note that if the card can hold more than 999 photos, the shots-remaining value is followed by the letter K, which is the universal symbol for 1,000. So a shots-remaining value of 1.0K means that you can store 1,000 more pictures. The number is rounded down to the nearest hundred. During movie shooting, the display instead reveals how many minutes of video you can record.
Also know that the camera preserves battery power by automatically turning off the displays after a period of inactivity. Bring the displays back to life by pressing the shutter button halfway and releasing it. In some cases, you can use other techniques, which I spell out in the section discussing each display.
Control panel (top LCD display)
Control panel is the official name of the display on top of the camera, shown in Figure 1-15. The symbol that represents a full battery is labeled in the figure, as is the shots-remaining value.
FIGURE 1-15: You can quickly confirm the battery status and shots-remaining value in the Control panel.
As noted earlier, rotating the On/Off switch to the light bulb position temporarily adds a backlight to make the panel easier to read in the dark. The light turns off automatically a few seconds after you release the switch. If you regularly need the backlight, you can set the camera to turn it on any time the exposure meters are activated: Open the Custom Setting menu, choose Shooting/Display, and set the LCD Illumination option to On. Of course, this option adds to battery consumption.
Note that even when the camera is turned off, the shots-remaining value remains visible in the Control panel unless you remove the camera battery.
Information display
Shown in Figure 1-16, the Information display appears on the monitor during viewfinder photography — that is, when Live View is not engaged.
FIGURE 1-16: The Information display provides a larger and more complete view of camera settings than the Control panel.
By default, the screen appears when you turn on the camera and when you press the shutter button halfway. It turns off automatically when you put your eye to the viewfinder, thanks to the eye sensor located above the viewfinder. You also can press the Info button to toggle the display on and off.
You can customize a few aspects of the display through the following Setup menu options:
Change the color scheme.
By default, the camera tries to make the data easier to read by automatically shifting from black text on a light background to light text on a black background, depending on the ambient light. If you prefer one style over the other, scroll to the second page of the Setup menu and choose Information Display, as shown in
Figure 1-17
. On the next screen, select Manual, and then choose either Dark on Light or Light on Dark. In this book, I show the Dark on Light display because it reproduces better in print. To go back to the default setup, change the Information Display setting to Auto.
Limit the on/off function to the Info button:
By default, you actually can press a number of buttons other than the Info button to turn the Information display on. You can press the
i
button, for example, and other buttons related to adjusting shooting settings. If you want to rely solely on the Info button to turn on the display, choose the Auto Info Display option, found just below the Information Display option on the Setup menu, and change the setting to Off. But here’s a tip: Even if you select this setting, you can press the
i
button to get to the Information display: Press once to bring up the
i
-button menu, explained a few sections from here. Press the button a second time to exit that menu and view the Information display.
Disable the eye sensor: If for some reason you want the Information display to remain on even when you’re looking through the viewfinder, you can make it so. Travel one more step down the Setup menu and change the Info Display Auto Off option to Off.
If you’re thinking, “Gee, Nikon might have made some effort to make the names of these three settings a little less similar,” I’m in complete agreement. Fortunately, help screens are available to remind you which option does what. Just press the Help button to view information about the currently selected option. (The question mark in the lower-left corner of the menu screen indicates that help is available.)
Display a virtual horizon on the monitor.
Scroll back to the first page of the Setup menu, shown in
Figure 1-18
, and choose Virtual Horizon to display an electronic level, as shown on the right side of the figure. This feature is useful when you use a tripod and need to make sure that the camera is level. A green line like the one shown in the figure indicates the level position. Tap the exit arrow in the upper-right corner to return to the menu screens.
FIGURE 1-17: Scroll to the second page of the Setup menu to access options that customize the Information display.
FIGURE 1-18: Choose this Setup menu option to display an electronic level on the monitor.
Viewfinder display
You can see limited shooting data at the bottom of the viewfinder, as shown in Figure 1-19. Again, ignore everything for now but the battery information and shots-remaining value, labeled on the left in the figure. The latter works the same way as in the other displays, but the battery-status symbol does not: When the battery is running low on power, the almost-empty symbol shown in the figure appears. But the icon only shows up to alert you that the battery will soon need charging. When the battery is full, no icon appears.
FIGURE 1-19: Along with the shots-remaining value, the viewfinder displays a low-battery warning (left); you also can add an alignment grid (right).
When it’s important to align objects in your shot precisely, you may want to display a grid in the viewfinder, as shown on the right in Figure 1-19. Turn the grid on and off through the Viewfinder Grid Display option, found in the Shooting/Display section of the Custom Settings menu.
Additionally, you can display a viewfinder version of the virtual horizon feature. Instead of the graphic you can display on the monitor (refer to Figure 1-18) you see pitch and roll bars, which indicate alignment with respect to a horizontal and vertical axis. To see what I’m talking about, find the Fn1 button on the front of the camera. With your finger on the button, look through the viewfinder, holding the camera in the normal horizontal position. Press and hold the Fn1 button, and bars appear along the bottom and the right side of the viewfinder framing area. As you tilt the camera this way and that, the number of notches on the bar changes to show you the pitch (alignment to horizontal axis) and roll (alignment to vertical axis). When you see just a single notch at the center of each bar, you’ve hit the mark.
If you rotate the camera to a vertical orientation, the bars at the top of the frame indicate pitch; the bars on the right, roll.
Live View display
During Live View photography and movie recording, settings appear on the live preview, as shown in Figure 1-20. The left screen shows the default display for photography; the right screen, for movie recording. In both cases, this display is officially called Information On.
FIGURE 1-20: These screens show the default display for Live View photography (left) and movie recording (right).
By pressing the Info button, you can cycle from the Information On display to the Information Off display, shown in the upper-left screen in Figure 1-21. Keep pressing the button to cycle through the remaining display styles, also shown in the figure. Note, though, that the Histogram display is available only during movie recording. (A histogram is a chart that indicates exposure information; Chapter 9 explains how to read a histogram.)
FIGURE 1-21: Press the Info button to cycle through the available Live View and Movie mode display styles.
Regardless of which display you prefer, note the following Live View tips and precautions:
Cover the viewfinder to prevent light from seeping into the camera and affecting exposure.
Nikon provides the DK-5 eyepiece cap just for this purpose; dig around in the camera box if you haven’t already discovered the cap. To use the cap, first slide the rubber eyecup that surrounds the viewfinder up and out of the groove that holds it in place. Then slide the eyepiece cap down into the groove. (Orient the cover so that the Nikon label faces the viewfinder.)
In Live View mode, the monitor turns off by default after 10 minutes of inactivity.
When monitor shutdown is 30 seconds away, a countdown timer appears in the upper-left corner of the screen. To adjust the shutdown timing, open the Custom Setting menu, choose Timers/AE Lock, choose Monitor Off Delay, and select Live View.
Using Live View for an extended period can harm your pictures and the camera.
In Live View mode, the camera heats up more than usual, and that extra heat can create the proper electronic conditions for
noise,
a defect that gives your pictures a speckled look. More importantly, the increased temperatures can damage the camera. For that reason, Live View is automatically disabled if the camera detects a critical heat level.
Aiming the lens at the sun or another bright light can damage the camera.
Of course, you can cause problems by doing this even during viewfinder shooting, but the possibilities increase when you use Live View. You can harm not only the camera's internal components but also the monitor (not to mention your eyes).
Some lights interfere with the Live View display. The operating frequency of some types of lights, including fluorescent and mercury-vapor lamps, can cause the monitor to flicker or exhibit odd color banding during Live View shooting and movie recording. Changing the Flicker Reduction option on the Movie Shooting menu may resolve this issue. At the default setting, Auto, the camera gauges the light and chooses the right setting for you. But you also can choose from two specific frequencies: 50 Hz and 60 Hz. (In the United States and Canada, the standard frequency is 60 Hz; in Europe, it's 50 Hz.)
This Flicker Reduction setting, by the way, is a different animal than the one on the Photo Shooting menu, which is designed to address exposure problems related to certain types of artificial lighting. See Chapter 4 for help with that Flicker Reduction option.
Saving Time with the i-Button Menu
Pressing the i button, labeled in Figure 1-22, displays a limited menu, henceforth known as the i-button menu. The idea is to give you a faster way to access these options than going through the regular menu system.
FIGURE 1-22: During viewfinder shooting, press the i button to display this mini-menu of settings.
Which options appear depends on whether you’re using the viewfinder, shooting stills in Live View mode, recording movies, or viewing pictures in playback mode. Figure 1-22 shows the i-button menu that appears during viewfinder photography when you shoot in the P, S, A, or M exposure modes. As is the case with regular menus, dimmed options are unavailable, either because they conflict with a current shooting setting or, during playback mode, don’t work with the type of picture or movie file you’re viewing.
During viewfinder photography and picture playback, select menu items as you normally would: Tap the item or use the Multi Selector to highlight it and then press the OK button.
In Live View or Movie mode, the i-button menu appears as shown in Figure 1-23. The icons that run down the right side of the screen represent the various menu options, which vary depending on whether you’re shooting photographs or recording movies. The name of the currently selected option appears at the top of the screen; in
