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David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D7200
David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D7200
David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D7200
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David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D7200

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Throw away those cheat sheets and fold-out command cards! David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D7200 condenses the most essential reference information about the Nikon D7200 in a handy size that can be tucked into a camera bag and carried anywhere. Inside are explanations of when and why to use each setting and option—information that’s missing from cheat sheets and the book packaged with the camera. This complement to David Busch’s comprehensive full size guidebook details key adjustments for the D7200’s upgraded autofocus system, and details use of its Wi-Fi and Near Field Communications (NFC) to link the camera to computers and iOS or Android smart devices.
Filled with detailed how-to steps and full-color illustrations, David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D7200 covers all the camera’s features, including advanced details of setup, exposure, use of electronic flash, and more. Also included is the handy visual guide to the D7200, with close-up photos and descriptions of the camera’s essential features and controls, accompanied by the author’s recommended settings for every menu entry. With best-selling photographer and mentor David Busch’s field guide in your camera bag, you’ll quickly have full creative mastery of your camera’s capabilities, whether you’re shooting on the job, taking pictures as an advanced enthusiast, or are just out for fun.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherRocky Nook
Release dateOct 2, 2015
ISBN9781681980362
David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D7200
Author

David D. Busch

With more than two million books in print, David D. Busch is the world’s #1 best-selling camera guide author, with more than 100 guidebooks for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax, and Panasonic cameras, and many popular books devoted to digital photography and imaging techniques. His best-sellers include Digital SLR Cameras and Photography for Dummies, which has sold more than 300,000 copies in five editions, and Mastering Digital SLR Photography, now in its Fourth Edition. The graduate of Kent State University is a former newspaper reporter/photographer, and operated his own commercial photo studio, shooting sports, weddings, portraits, fashion, architecture, product photography, and travel images. For 22 years he was a principal in CCS/PR, Inc., one of the largest public relations/marketing firms based in San Diego, working on press conferences, press kits, media tours, and sponsored photo trade magazine articles for Eastman Kodak Company and other imaging companies. His 2500 articles and accompanying photos have appeared inside and on the covers of hundreds of magazines, including Popular Photography, Rangefinder, and Professional Photographer. For the last decade, Busch has devoted much of his time to sharing his photographic expertise, both in publications, and in seminar/workshops he hosts at the Cleveland Photographic Society School of Photography. He has been a call-in guest for 21 different radio shows nationally and in major markets, including WTOP-AM (Washington), KYW-AM (Philadelphia), USA Network (Daybreak USA), WPHM-AM (Detroit), KMJE-FM (Sacramento), CJAD-AM (Montreal), WBIX-AM (Boston), ABC Radio Network (Jonathan & Mary Show). He’s also been a call-in guest for one Canadian television show, and appeared live on Breakfast Television in Toronto, the Today Show of the Great White North. With a total of more than 200 books to his credit, Busch has had as many as five books appear simultaneously in the Amazon.com Top 25 Digital Photography Books, and when Michael Carr of About.com named the top five digital photography books for beginners, the initial #1 and #2 choices were Busch’s Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies and Mastering Digital Photography. His work has been translated into Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Bulgarian, German, Italian, French, and other languages. Busch lives in Ravenna, Ohio, and you can find him online at www.dslrguides.com.

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    David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D7200 - David D. Busch

    Chapter 1

    Quick Setup Guide

    This chapter contains the essential information you need to get your Nikon D7200 prepped and ready to go. You’ll learn how to use a few of the basic controls and features, and how to transfer your photos to your computer. If you want a more complete map of the functions of your camera, skip ahead to Chapter 2. Live view is touched on only briefly in this chapter; if you want to begin using live view or shoot movies immediately, check out Chapter 6.

    Pre-Flight Checklist

    The initial setup of your Nikon D7200 is fast and easy. You just need to charge the battery, learn a few controls, attach a lens, and insert a memory card.

    Charging the Battery

    When the battery is inserted into the MH-25a charger properly (it’s impossible to insert it incorrectly), an orange charge light begins flashing, and remains flashing until the status lamp glows steadily, indicating that charging is finished, generally within two to three hours. When the battery is charged, slide the latch on the bottom of the camera and ease the battery in, as shown in Figure 1.1.

    Introducing Menus and the Multi Selector

    You’ll find descriptions of most of the controls used with the Nikon D7200 in Chapter 2, which provides a complete roadmap of the camera’s buttons and dials and switches. However, you may need to perform a few tasks during this initial setup process, and most of them will require the MENU button and the multi selector pad.

    MENU button. It’s located to the top left of the LCD. When you want to access a menu, press it. To exit most menus, press it again. (See Figure 1.2, left.)

    Multi selector pad. This control is a thumbpad-sized button with projections at the north, south, east, and west navigational positions, plus a button in the center (see Figure 1.2, right). With the D7200, the multi selector is used for navigation—for example, to navigate among menus on the LCD or to choose one of the 51 focus points, to advance or reverse display of a series of images during picture review, or to change the kind of photo information displayed on the screen using the Info button.

    OK button. Located in the center of the multi selector pad, the OK button is used to confirm your choices and send the image currently being viewed to the Retouch menu for modification.

    Setting the Clock

    The in-camera clock might have been set for you by someone checking out your camera prior to delivery, but if you do need to set it, the flashing CLOCK indicator roughly in the center of the monochrome top-panel LCD will be the giveaway. Press the MENU button to the left of the LCD, and then use the multi selector to scroll down to the Setup menu (it’s marked with a wrench icon), press the multi selector button to the right, and then press the down button to scroll down to Time Zone and Date, and press the right button again. The options for setting the 24-hour clock will appear on the screen that appears next.

    Mounting the Lens

    If your D7200 has no lens attached, you’ll need to mount one before shooting:

    1. Select the lens and loosen (but do not remove) the rear lens cap.

    2. Remove the body cap on the camera by rotating the cap away from the shutter release button.

    3. Once the body cap has been removed, remove the rear lens cap from the lens, set it aside, and then mount the lens on the camera by matching the alignment indicator on the lens barrel with the white bump on the camera’s lens mount (see Figure 1.3). Rotate the lens toward the shutter release until it seats securely.

    4. Set the focus mode switch on the lens to AF or M/A (Autofocus). If the lens hood is bayoneted on the lens in the reversed position, twist it off and remount with the petals (if present) facing outward. A lens hood protects the front of the lens from accidental bumps, and reduces flare caused by extraneous light arriving at the front of the lens from outside the picture area.

    Adjusting Diopter Correction

    If you are a glasses wearer and want to use the D7200 without your glasses, or to add further correction, you can take advantage of the camera’s built-in diopter adjustment, which can be varied from –2.0 to +1.0 correction. Press the shutter release halfway to illuminate the indicators in the viewfinder, then move the diopter adjustment control next to the viewfinder (see Figure 1.4) while looking through the viewfinder until the indicators appear sharp. Should the available correction be insufficient, Nikon offers nine different Diopter-Adjustment Viewfinder Correction lenses for the viewfinder window, ranging from –5 to +3, at a cost of $15–$20 each.

    Inserting and Formatting a Memory Card

    Next, insert a memory card. Slide the cover on the right side of the camera toward the back, and then open it. Inside, you’ll find two slots for SD (Secure Digital) memory cards. You can use one card, or two. The camera will operate even if only one slot is in use.

    You should only remove the memory card when the camera is switched off, or, at the very least, when the yellow-green card access light (at the lower right of the Lv button on the back of the camera) that indicates the D7200 is writing to the card is not illuminated.

    Insert the memory card with the label facing the back of the camera, oriented so the edge with the connectors goes into the slot first (see Figure 1.5). Close the door, and, if this is your first use of the card, format it (described next). When you want to remove the memory card later, press the card inward, and it will pop right out.

    I recommend formatting the memory card before each shooting session, to ensure that the card has a fresh file system, and doesn’t have stray files left over. Format only when you’ve transferred all the images to your computer, of course.

    Setup menu format. Press the MENU button, use the up/down buttons of the multi selector (that thumbpad-sized control to the right of the LCD monitor) to choose the Setup menu (which is represented by a wrench icon), navigate to the Format Memory Card entry, choose which memory card to format, and select Yes from the screen that appears. Press OK to begin the format process.

    Two-button format. Hold down the metering mode button (on top of the camera, just southwest of the shutter release button) and the trash can button (on the upper-left corner of the back) simultaneously for about two seconds. A Format label, color-coded in red, appears next to each button. (See Figure 1.6.) The characters For and the exposures remaining displays will blink in the viewfinder and top-panel LCD. If you have memory cards inserted in both memory card slots, Slot 1 will be selected. If you’d rather format the other card, rotate the main command dial to select that slot. Then press the pair of buttons again, and the D7200 will format your card. To cancel the format, press any other button.

    Selecting an Exposure Mode

    The Nikon D7200 has three types of shooting modes, advanced modes/exposure modes; auto modes, which includes Auto and Auto (flash off); and a third set, which Nikon labels scene modes. Also available on the mode dial are Effects modes, which process your image in interesting ways (and are discussed in this section). The advanced modes include Programmed-auto (or Program mode), Shutter-priority auto, Aperture-priority auto, and Manual exposure mode. These are the modes you’ll use most often after you’ve learned all your D7200’s features, because they allow you to specify how the camera chooses its settings when making an exposure, for greater creative control.

    The auto modes and scene modes take full control of the camera, make all the decisions for you, and don’t allow you to override the D7200’s settings. They are most useful while you’re learning to use the camera, because you can select an appropriate auto or scene mode (Auto, Auto/No Flash, Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up, Night Portrait, or another scene mode listed next) and fire away. You’ll end up with decent photos using appropriate settings, but your opportunities to use a little creativity (say, to overexpose an image to create a silhouette, or to deliberately use a slow shutter speed to add a little blur to an action shot) are minimal. First, here’s a list of the advanced modes, which you can choose by rotating the mode dial (shown in Figure 1.7):

    P (Program). This mode allows the D7200 to select the basic exposure settings, but you can still override the camera’s choices to fine-tune your image, while maintaining metered exposure.

    S (Shutter-priority). This mode is useful when you want to use a particular shutter speed to stop action or produce creative blur effects. Choose your preferred shutter speed, and the D7200 will select the appropriate f/stop for you.

    A (Aperture-priority). Choose when you want to use a particular lens opening, especially to control sharpness or how much of your image is in focus. Specify the f/stop you want, and the D7200 will select the appropriate shutter speed for you.

    M (Manual). Select when you want full control over the shutter speed and lens opening, either for creative effects or because you are using a studio flash or other flash unit not compatible with the D7200’s automatic flash metering.

    You can also select one of the fully automatic modes using the mode dial. The Auto and Auto (Flash Off) modes are available directly from the dial. Select SCENE for access to the other exposure modes. U1 and U2 are positions that activate custom sets of adjustments that you specify, as described later:

    Auto. In this mode, the D7200 makes all the exposure decisions for you, and will pop up the internal flash if necessary under low-light conditions. The camera automatically focuses on the subject closest to the camera (unless you’ve set the lens to manual focus), and the autofocus assist illuminator lamp on the front of the camera will light up to help the camera focus in low-light conditions.

    Auto (Flash Off). Identical to Auto mode, except that the flash will not pop up under any circumstances. You’d want to use this in a museum, during religious ceremonies, concerts, or any environment where flash is forbidden or distracting.

    SCENE. Rotate the dial to the SCENE position, then spin the main command dial on the back of the camera to select any of the following scene modes:

    Portrait. Use this mode when you’re taking a portrait of a subject standing relatively close to the camera and want to de-emphasize the background, maximize sharpness, and produce flattering skin tones. The built-in flash will pop up if needed.

    Landscape. Select this mode when you want extra sharpness and rich colors of distant scenes. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator are disabled.

    Child. Use this mode to accentuate the vivid colors often found in children’s clothing, and to render skin tones with a soft, natural-looking texture. The D7200 focuses on the closest subject to the camera. The built-in flash will pop up if needed.

    Sports. Use this mode to freeze fast-moving subjects. The D7200 selects a fast shutter speed to stop action, and focuses continuously on the center focus point while you have the shutter release button pressed halfway. However, you can select one of the other two focus points to the left or right of the center by pressing the multi selector left/right buttons. The built-in electronic flash and focus assist illuminator lamp are disabled.

    Close Up. This mode is helpful when you are shooting close-up pictures of a subject from about one foot away or less, such as flowers, bugs, and small items. The D7200 focuses on the closest subject in the center of the frame, but you can use the multi selector right and left buttons to focus on a different point. Use a tripod in this mode, as exposures may be long enough to cause blurring from camera movement. The built-in flash will pop up if needed.

    Night Portrait. Choose this mode when you want to illuminate a subject in the foreground with flash (it will pop up automatically, if needed), but still allow the background to be exposed properly by the available light. The camera focuses on the closest main subject. Be prepared to use a tripod or a vibration-resistant lens like the 18-55 VR kit lens to reduce the effects of camera shake.

    Night Landscape. Mount your camera on a tripod and use this mode for longer exposure times to produce images with more natural colors and reduced visual noise in scenes with streetlights or neon signs.

    Party/Indoor. For indoor scenes with typical background lighting.

    Beach/Snow. Useful for bright high-contrast scenes with sand or snow.

    Sunset. Emphasizes the rich colors at sunset or sunrise, disables the flash, and may use a slow shutter speed, so consider working with a tripod.

    Dusk/Dawn. Similar to Sunset mode, but preserves the subtle colors in the sky just after sunset, or just prior to dawn.

    Pet Portrait. An action mode specifically for fast-moving, erratic subjects, such as pets.

    Candlelight. Disables your flash to allow photographs by candle; a tripod is recommended.

    Blossom. Uses a small f/stop to expand depth-of-field when shooting landscapes with broad expanses of blossoms. This scene mode may result in longer shutter speeds, so consider using a tripod.

    Autumn Colors. Makes reds and yellows in Fall foliage richer.

    Food. Boosts saturation to make food look more appetizing in your snaps.

    EFFECTS. Rotate the dial to the EFFECTS position, then spin the main command dial on the back of the camera to select any of the following special effects:

    Night Vision. Monochrome images at high ISO settings; use a tripod to eliminate blur.

    Color Sketch. Produces outline effects in still camera and movie modes. Available in Live View mode, too.

    Miniature Effect. Makes subjects look like miniature models. Can be used in Live View mode.

    Selective Color. You highlight a color or colors and all other hues are rendered in black-and-white. Also available in live view.

    Silhouette. Exposes for bright backgrounds, turning foreground objects into underexposed silhouettes.

    High Key. Exposes for bright scenes with lots of highlight areas.

    Low Key. Tailors exposure for darker scenes, retaining murky shadows while allowing highlights to remain.

    Choosing a Release Mode

    The release mode determines when (and how often) the D7200 makes an exposure. Your D7200 has six release (shooting) modes: Single frame, two continuous shooting options (Low and High), Quiet shutter release, Self-timer, and Mirror Up (MUP). Set any of these by pressing the release mode lock button southwest of the large mode dial on the top-left edge of the camera, and rotating the outer release mode dial to the mode you want. (See Figure 1.8.) I’ll explain what each of these modes does in Chapter 2.

    Choosing a Metering Mode

    The metering mode you select determines how the D7200 calculates exposure. To change metering modes, press the metering mode button, just southwest of the shutter release, and rotate the main command dial to select from among the choices that follow. (See Figure 1.9.)

    Matrix metering. The standard metering mode; the D7200 attempts to intelligently classify your image and choose the best exposure based on readings from a 2,016-point color CCD sensor that interprets light reaching the viewfinder using a database of hundreds of thousands of patterns.

    Center-weighted metering. The D7200 meters the entire scene, but gives the most emphasis to the central area of the frame, measuring about 8mm. (You can change the size of this area to 6mm, 12mm, or 13mm.)

    Spot metering. Exposure is calculated from a smaller 4mm spot, about 1.5 percent of the image area, centered on whichever of the 51 focus points is currently the active point.

    Choosing a Focus Mode

    When you are using Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, or Manual exposure mode, you can select the Autofocus mode when the D7200

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