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Top 5 Nikon
Tips and Tricks

camera

Its Amazing how some small changes to the way you use you camera can make life so much easier!

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These 5 simple tips and tricks can easily be added to your Nikon camera and will make a world of difference to the way you use it

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So give them a try

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Some models may differ in their functionality but these will work on the majority

Programming the OK Button - This will ensure you get sharp images

 

For Live view

To improve your focusing in live view mode. Programming the OK button in this way will enable you to quickly zoom in when in the live view mode which will allow you to focus much more accurately.

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Here's How to Do It

  • Menu (Button on back of the camera)

  • Custom Settings Menu (Pencil icon on screen)

  • Controls (f – on the menu on screen)
    OK button or ‘Multi selector center button’ (depends on model)
    Live view (scroll to select this option, and Press OK)

  • Zoom on/off (Press OK )

  • 1:10 (100%) (scroll to select this option, and Press OK)

  • Menu x2 (To exit click the Menu button on back of the camera twice

 

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For Playback

To ensure you've captured a pin sharp image simply press the OK button when in review mode and you will instantly be taken to a 100% zoomed in view of the focus point

  • Menu (Button on back of the camera)

  • Custom Settings Menu (Pencil icon on screen)

  • Controls (f – on the menu on screen)

  • OK button (depends on model) Playback mode (press OK )

  • Zoom on/off (press OK )

  • 1:10 (100%) (scroll to select this option, and press OK)

  • Menu x2 (To exit click the Menu button on back of the camera twice)

Nikon Tip/Trick #1 - Sharp Images

Nikon Tip/Trick #2 - Seeing in Monochrome

We know that its best to shoot in RAW and by setting the camera to Raw you end up with a data rich colour images.

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What some folk don't realise is that the image you see on the display on instant preview is not the RAW image but is in fact a processed Jpeg version of the image.

You can you this to your advantage particularly if you find it difficult to "see" good monochrome images.

 

Simply set the "Picture Control" to monochrome and the images on the display will be in black and white.

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When you get home and download the RAW files they will be in colour and can be processed to monochrome

 

  • Menu (Button on back of the camera)

  • Photo Shooting Menu  (Camera icon on screen)

  • Set Picture Control (scroll to select this option, and press OK button)

  • Monochrome (press OK button)

  • Menu x2(To exit click the Menu button on back of the camera twice)

Nikon Tip/Trick #3 - Clever Focus Points

​With so many focus points on the camera its annoying to have to keep moving the focus point about when you go from landscape to portrait orientation!

 

You can set the camera to remember the last focus point position used in portrait and landscape orientation.

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After making this change, each time you rotate the camera it will automatically select the last focus position used.
You can still move the point if you need to but it will probably be closer to where you want it to be.

 

  • Menu (Button on back of the camera)

  • Custom Settings Menu (Pencil icon on screen)

  • Autofocus (on the menu on screen)

  • Store points by orientation 

  • OK (Button on back of the camera

  • Yes (Press OK button) Menu x2(To exit click the Menu button on back of the camera twice)

 

Advanced Pro Cameras Extra Options

On some models the camera can also remembers the autofocus area, so if your using a group focus point in the horizontal orientation and a single point on portrait orientation.

If that option is on your camera, it will show at the point of selecting Store Points by Orientation yes or no.

Nikon Tip/Trick #4 - Save Time

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10 Seconds can be a long time and a lot of shots.

So change your self timer in the camera from 10 seconds to 2 seconds.

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This will help if shooting in bracketing mode and also if shooting on a tripod as 2 seconds is sufficient.

 

2 seconds is a long time when shooting and you can judge this in elephants!

If you say to yourself "one elephants, two elephants" then that's about 2 seconds.

 

So resetting the camera self timer will reduce the waiting time between shots

 

To make the change…

 

  • Menu (Button on back of the camera)

  • Custom Settings Menu (pencil)

  • MenuTimers/AE Lock (scroll to select this option, and press OK button)

  • Change “Self-Timer” to  2 or 5 Seconds (press OK button)

  • Menu x2 (To exit click the Menu button on back of the camera twice)

Nikon Tip/Trick #5 - Keep Level

The right-hand middle finger button can be Re-programmed to give a virtual in camera spirit level

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Some of the buttons on your camera can be programmed to do a number of things and this is one of the best

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You could program it to display as small level tool, made of vertical lines, to the left or right, displayed at the bottom of your viewfinder, this is not as good as the Live View leveler, but i still use this a lot. It will allow you to ensure the camera is horizontally and vertically level.

 

  • Menu (Button on back of the camera)

  • Custom Settings

  • Menu Controls (scroll to select this option, and press OK )

  • Assign Preview Button (press OK)

  • Change “Press” to “Viewfinder Virtual Horizon” (press OK)

  • Menu x2(To exit click the Menu button on back of the camera twice)

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