06_037482 ch01.qxp 9/18/06 1:37 PM Page 11 Exploring the CHAPTER Nikon D200 11 ✦✦✦✦ f you’ve gone through the Quick Tour and gained some In This Chapter basic familiarity with the layout and controls of the Nikon I Up front D200, you’ve probably gone out and taken some initial pic- tures with your camera. Even a few hours’ of work with this On top advanced tool has probably whetted your appetite to learn more about the D200’s features and how to use them. On the back For many of you, some of the information in this chapter will Viewfinder display be a bit of a review. The D200 is a more sophisticated camera than Nikon’s entry-level models, like the D70s and D50, so a LCD display hefty number of purchasers will be veteran photographers with extensive experience with digital single lens reflexes (dSLRs). Viewing and playing It’s likely that you’ve accumulated a year or two working with back images another Nikon digital SLR, perhaps even one of the pro mod- els. (The D200 makes a great adjunct to the Nikon D2X!) Activating the onboard flash However, I think you’ll still find the roadmap features of this chapter useful for helping you locate the key controls amidst Metering modes the bewildering array of dials and buttons that cover just about every surface of the D200. Semiautomatic and Manual exposure On the other hand, many new D200 owners are not old modes hands when it comes to digital SLR photography. Learning to use a D200 as a first dSLR poses a bit more of a challenge, ISO sensitivity but you won’t have to upgrade in a short time as your needs outgrow the capabilitiesCOPYRIGHTED of your camera. It’s likely MATERIAL that the Setting white balance D200 will serve you well for a long, long time. ✦✦✦✦ For D200 owners in this category, I’m providing a bit more detail on controls and features in this chapter and those that follow. It’s likely that you’ll find the information in this book more accessible and easier to understand than the descriptions in the manual furnished with your camera. However, this book isn’t intended to completely replace the manual — you’ll still want to use it to look up seldom-used settings and options — but it will help you use your camera effectively more quickly. 06_037482 ch01.qxp 9/18/06 1:37 PM Page 12 12 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D200 Although you may have reviewed your Most of the controls on the D200 are acti- D200’s buttons and wheels in the manual, vated with the left hand. However, there are this chapter’s illustrations are designed to a few controls within the reach of your right help you sort through the D200’s features hand’s digits, as shown in figure 1.2. These and controls quickly, especially when you’re controls and features include the following: out in the field taking photos. ✦ Handgrip. The grip is the housing This chapter concentrates on the buttons, for the D200’s battery, and also dials, and other controls that you can access serves as a comfortable handhold directly, without visiting menus. Some of the for your fingers. You can hold the settings discussed in this chapter, such as grip for both horizontal and vertical flash options or white balance, are dupli- photos, but many D200 owners cated in the menus or have additional prefer using the grip on the options available from the menus. optional vertical grip/battery pack, the Nikon MB-D200 Multi-Power This chapter does not cover the Battery Pack, which enables you to D200’s menu and setup use two batteries at once. options. To learn more about ✦ the menu and setup options, Depth-of-field preview. This is see Chapter 2. the upper button (see figure 1.2) next to the lens mount. Press and hold the depth-of-field preview button. The lens stops down to the Up Front taking aperture, the view through the finder might dim a little (or a The front panel of the Nikon D200 is shown lot), and you can see just how in figure 1.1. You can’t see all the buttons much of the image is in focus. and controls from a straight-on perspective, ✦ so I’ll show you separate, three-quarters- Func button. This is a button that view looks at each half of the front of the you can define to provide the func- camera, which I’ve color-coded green (the tion of your choice. The available options (described in more detail left side of the camera when looking at it in Chapter 3) include activating head-on) and red (the right side of the cam- matrix, center-weighted, or spot era as seen from this angle). metering; or turning the flash off. This button is also used with the FV lock to emit a preflash before locking the flash exposure. ✦ Sub-command dial. This is a sec- ondary control dial used to supple- ment the main command dial on the back of the D200. It’s used when you can apply two different, related settings, as in Manual exposure mode when you set the shutter speed using the main com- mand dial and adjust the aperture using the sub-command dial. 1.1 The “business end” of the Nikon D200. 06_037482 ch01.qxp 9/18/06 1:37 PM Page 13 Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D200 13 On/Off switch LCD illuminator Autofocus assist lamp Shutter Self-timer lamp release Red-eye reduction lamp Handgrip Func button Sub-command dial Depth-of-field preview 1.2 Nikon D200 left-front side, viewed from the subject’s position. Another example of this use is ✦ Front lamp. This front-mounted when you set the white balance source of illumination serves three (which controls how the D200 different functions: autofocus assist reacts to illumination sources of lamp, self-timer lamp, and red-eye different colors, such as daylight reduction lamp. Under dim lighting and incandescent light). The main conditions that make autofocusing command dial flips among the dif- difficult, you can set this light ferent light-source types, while the source to cast a little extra light on sub-command dial fine-tunes your subject to assist the autofocus those settings. Although you can system. If you’ve set your camera swap the command dials (turning to self-timer mode, so that a pic- the sub-command dial into the ture is taken after a short delay, the command dial, and vice versa) lamp blinks in a pattern as a sort using the D200’s menus, it’s best of countdown to the eventual to leave them in their default con- exposure. Finally, this lamp also figuration to start out. can send out a little blast of light 06_037482 ch01.qxp 9/18/06 1:37 PM Page 14 14 Part I ✦ Using the Nikon D200 shortly before a flash exposure, ✦ Flash sync mode/Flash exposure which can serve to close down the compensation. Nikon has kept the pupils of your subjects’ eyes, D200’s design clean by assigning reducing the demon red-eye effect. multiple functions to many but- tons, and this flash control (shown ✦ On/Off switch/Backlight illumi- in figure 1.4) is one of them. It nator. Rotate this switch one click serves two different purposes. to turn power on or off. Push the Holding this button while spinning switch to its limit to turn on the the command dial on the back of status panel LCD backlight illumi- the camera changes flash sync nation lamp, making it easier to modes, such as red-eye reduction, view the information on the panel. or slow sync (which combines The lamp remains on while the flash and a regular exposure to exposure meter is active, or until lighten backgrounds). Holding this you press the shutter release. button while spinning the sub- command dial adds or subtracts Note Nikon Speedlights, as well as the Nikon SC-29 Speedlight from the flash exposure, making cable, have their own less- your flash picture a little lighter or obtrusive focus assist lights that darker, as you prefer. can take over for the one built into the camera. ✦ Lens release. Press and hold this button to unlock the lens so you ✦ Shutter Release button. Canted can rotate the lens to remove it atop the handgrip are the Shutter from the camera. Release button and power switch. ✦ Camera body focus mode selec- tor. You can flip the autofocus The other side of the D200 has a few more mode lever on the camera body to controls, as shown in figure 1.3. These set the focus mode to Continuous include the following: Autofocus (C), Single Autofocus (S), or Manual focus (M). Some lenses, ✦ Flash lock release. Press this but- as you can see in figure 1.3, also ton to pop up the built-in flash and have switches that allow alternat- begin charging it. ing between automatic focus/ ✦ Flash accessory shoe. You can manual over-ride (M/A) and man- slide an external flash unit, a flash ual focus (M.) connecting cable, or another acces- You can find more information sory here. Infrared and radio- on choosing focus modes in control units and other add-ons Chapter 2. often use this shoe as a convenient mounting point on the D200. 06_037482 ch01.qxp 9/18/06 1:37 PM Page 15 Chapter 1 ✦ Exploring the Nikon D200 15 Flash sync mode Flash exposure compensation Flash accessory shoe Flash lock release PC/X flash connector Flip-up flash Mode dial Lens focus mode selector USB port cover Lens release Camera body focus mode selector 10-pin remote connector AC power/AV connector cover 1.3 Nikon D200 right-front side, viewed from the subject’s position.