Exploring the Nikon D700 5

Exploring the CHAPTER Nikon D700 11 ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ he Nikon D700 is considered one of Nikon’s pro-level In This Chapter performance camera models and, therefore, has many T D700 FX-format CMOS more buttons, dials, and knobs than most consumer and mid- level cameras. This makes it faster and easier to access the con- sensor trols that are used most, especially for advanced or professional photographers. To use the same functions in consumer cam- Key components of the D700 eras such as the D60 and D90, you need to navigate the menu functions, which can cost precious time when you are in the Viewfi nder display midst of shooting. Instead of pressing the Multi-selector ten times to fi nd the correct option in the menu system, you simply Control panel press one button and rotate a dial — it’s quick and easy Shooting info display With its many buttons and dials, the D700 can be daunting, especially if you are upgrading from a consumer camera, are ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ new to photography in general, or are switching camera brands. This chapter helps you become familiar with the D700’s various features, as well as the LCD control panel and viewfi nder displays. D700 FX-format CMOS Sensor The FX-format CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semi- conductor) sensorCOPYRIGHTED is arguably the most important MATERIAL part of the camera and the main reason why many photographers buy the D700. For quite a few years, Nikon has been using APS-C sized sensors (which they call DX-format) in all their cameras. They are about 24mm × 16mm and because they are much smaller than a standard frame of 35mm fi lm, lenses are sub- ject to a “crop factor.” This causes the lenses to perform differ- ently than they have on fi lm cameras. Finally Nikon released the D3, their fi rst “full-frame,” or FX, dSLR, meaning that the sensor is the same size as a standard frame of 35mm fi lm. This allows lenses to perform exactly as they had with fi lm 005_413203-ch01.indd5_413203-ch01.indd 3 111/14/081/14/08 99:24:33:24:33 PPMM 4 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D700 cameras, giving you the same angle of view. consumer level D90. Although CMOS and Unfortunately, the D3 was a bit expensive, CCD sensors do the same job, they do it dif- out of the price range for most amateurs. ferently and each type of sensor has its own Surprisingly, not long after the launch of the strengths and weaknesses. D3, Nikon released a dSLR that is essentially a D3 in a D300-sized body at nearly half the CCD price. This amazing 36 × 24mm, 12 mega- The name Charge Coupled Device refers to pixel CMOS sensor gives almost no noise, how the sensor moves the electrical charges even at ISO settings up to 6400. created by the photons that the pixels have For more information on DX sen- collected. The CCD sensor moves these sors and lenses, see Chapter 4. electrical charges from the fi rst row of pixels to a shift register (a digital circuit that allows the charges to be shifted down the line) and From analog to digital from there, the signal is amplifi ed so the A/D converter can read it. The sensor then Believe it or not, digital image sensors are repeats the processes with each row of pix- actually analog devices that capture light els until every row of pixels on the sensor just like emulsion on a piece of fi lm. When has been processed. This is a pretty precise the shutter is opened, light from the scene method of transfer, but in digital terms it’s that you’re photographing, whether it be quite slow. It requires a large amount of sunlight or fl ash, travels through the lens power, relatively speaking, so it uses more and is projected (hopefully in focus) onto of the camera battery, which equals fewer the sensor. Each sensor has millions of pix- shots per charge. CCD sensors have a higher els, which act as a receptacle that collects signal to noise ratio; which makes them less individual photons of light. A photon is a prone to high ISO noise than CMOS sensors quantum particle of light, which is a form of and enables them to provide a higher image electromagnetic radiation. The more pho- quality. tons the pixel collects, the brighter the area is; conversely, if the pixel doesn’t collect a lot of photons, the area is dark. CMOS Just like a CCD sensor, a CMOS sensor has Each pixel has a photodiode that converts millions of pixels and photodiodes. The these photons into minute electrical charges main difference between the CMOS and that the Analog/Digital (A/D) converter CCD sensor is that each pixel has its own reads. The A/D converter renders this ana- amplifi er and it converts the charge to volt- log data into digital data that can be utilized age on the spot. It’s much more effi cient to by Nikon’s EXPEED imaging processor. transfer voltage than it is to transfer a charge; therefore, CMOS sensors use less power than CCDs. Multiple channels of sensor data CMOS versus CCD can also be sent out at the same time, so About half of Nikon’s dSLRs use Charge the CMOS sensor can send the data to the Coupled Device (CCD) sensors, although A/D converter much faster. CMOS chips are Nikon appears to be moving away from this also cheaper to manufacture than CCDs. technology by putting a CMOS sensor in the 005_413203-ch01.indd5_413203-ch01.indd 4 111/14/081/14/08 99:24:33:24:33 PPMM Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D700 5 Pixels pattern. (Dr. Bryce Bayer was a scientist at Kodak who developed this pattern.) The The more pixels the sensor has, the higher Bayer pattern lays the fi lters out in an array the resolution of the sensor. However, pack- that consists of 50 percent green, 25 per- ing more pixels onto a sensor means that cent blue, and 25 percent red. The green although the resolution is higher, each pixel fi lters are luminance (brightness) sensitive becomes less effective at gathering light elements and the red and blue fi lters are because its much smaller. A larger pixel is chrominance (color) sensitive elements. more effective at gathering photons; there- Twice as many green fi lters are used to sim- fore you get a wider dynamic range and a ulate human eyesight given our eyes are better signal-to-noise ratio, which means more sensitive to green than to red or blue. less inherent noise and the ability to achieve a higher ISO sensitivity. The camera determines the colors in the image by a process called demosaicing. In One of the reasons that Nikon chose to use demosaicing, the camera interpolates the a lower resolution sensor on their full-frame red, green, and blue data for each pixel by sensor than their competitors do is to keep using information from adjacent pixels. the pixel size larger, thereby allowing better Interpolation is a mathematical process in low-light capability. The D700 and D3 sen- which sets of known data are used to deter- sor has a pixel size of 8.5 microns, which is mine new data points. (I like to call it an the largest pixel pitch of any digital sensor educated guess.) on the market at this time. Micro-lenses In addition to having larger pixels to gather Key Components more light, camera manufacturers place of the D700 micro-lenses over the pixels. These micro- lenses collect the light and focus them onto If you’ve used a Nikon dSLR before, you the photodiode much the same way the should be pretty familiar with the basic but- camera lens focuses the image onto the tons and switches that you need to do the sensor. By making the micro-lenses larger, basic settings. In this section, I cover the Nikon has decreased the gaps between the camera from all sides and break down the pixels, increasing the effective light gather- layout so that you know what everything on ing ability of each one. the surface of the camera does. Interpreting color Although you can access many features with just the push of a button, oftentimes you The light-sensitive pixels on the sensor only can change the same setting using menu measure the brightness in relation to how options. The great thing about the buttons, many photons it has gathered, so the basic however, is that they give you speedy access image captured is, in effect, black and white. to important settings — settings you will use To determine color information, the pixels often. Missing shots because you are search- are covered with red, green, or blue colored ing through the menu options can get irritat- fi lters. These fi lters are arranged in a Bayer ing fast, which is one of the key reasons 005_413203-ch01.indd5_413203-ch01.indd 5 111/14/081/14/08 99:24:33:24:33 PPMM 6 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D700 most people upgrade from a consumer is turned on. When you push the model camera to a professional-grade cam- spring-loaded switch all the way to era like the D700. the right, the top-panel LCD illumi- nator turns on. This enables you to For information about specifi c view your settings when in a dimly menus and their functions, see lit environment. The LCD illumina- Chapter 3.

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