Nikon D40 / D40x Digital Field Guide E-Book

David D. Busch

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Serie: Digital Field Guide
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 354

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide is filled with everything you need to know in order to take amazing photographs using your Nikon D40 or Nikon D40x. This full-color portable guide walks you through the essential controls, features, and functions of your Nikon D40 or D40x digital SLR using step-by-step instructions and full-color images of each menu screen. This robust guide not only shows you how to adjust white balance, autofocus, exposure, and choose lenses, it also teaches you when and why you should adjust each of these key settings. The Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide goes beyond camera settings to offer you a refresher guide to the principles of digital photography, covering the essentials of lighting, composition, and exposure. Filled with amazing examples, this book also presents you with a variety of tips and tricks to capturing portraits, candids, sports, travel, macro photography, and much more.

Leseprobe

Nikon® D40/D40x Digital Field Guide

by David D. Busch

Nikon® D40/D40x Digital Field Guide

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030 www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-0-470-17148-6

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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About the Author

David D. Busch was a roving photojournalist for more than 20 years, illustrating his books, magazine articles, and newspaper reports with award-winning images before he turned full time to writing and illustrating books. He has operated his own commercial studio, suffocated in formal dress while shooting weddings-for-hire, and shot sports for a daily newspaper and Upstate New York college. His photos have been published in magazines as diverse as Scientific American and Petersen’s PhotoGraphic, and his articles have appeared in Popular Photography & Imaging,The Rangefinder, The Professional Photographer,and hundreds of other publications. He has reviewed dozens of digital cameras for CNet Networks and Computer Shopper.

When About.com named its top five books on Beginning Digital Photography, occupying the first two slots were Busch’s Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, and Mastering Digital Photography. He has published more than 90 other books since 1983, including best-sellers Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies, and Digital Photography For Dummies Quick Reference.

Busch earned top category honors in the Computer Press Awards the first two years they were given (for Sorry About The Explosion and Secrets of MacWrite, MacPaint and MacDraw) and later served as Master of Ceremonies for the awards.

Credits

Acquisitions Editor

Courtney Allen

Project Editor

Cricket Krengel

Technical Editor

Benjamin D. Holland

Copy Editor

Lauren Kennedy

Editorial Manager

Robyn B. Siesky

Vice President & Group Executive Publisher

Richard Swadley

Vice President & Publisher

Barry Pruett

Business Manager

Amy Knies

Sr. Marketing Manager

Sandy Smith

Project Coordinator

Adrienne Martinez

Graphics and Production Specialists

Stacie Brooks Denny Hager Jennifer Mayberry

Quality Control Technician

John Greenough

Proofreading

Broccoli Information Management

Indexing

Sherry Massey

Special Help

Christina Wolfgang

Dedication

For Cathy.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Courtney Allen, who is always a joy to work with, for her valuable input as this book developed; to Cricket Krengel for keeping the project on track; and to tech editor Ben Holland. Finally, thanks again to my agent, Carol McClendon, who has the amazing ability to keep both publishers and authors happy.

Contents

Title

Introduction

The Nikon D40/D40X’s Advantages

Where to Go from Here

Quick Tour: Shooting Your First D40/D40x Picture

Selecting a Shooting Mode

Reviewing Your Pictures

Correcting Exposure

Transferring Images to Your Computer

Part I: Using the Nikon D40/ D40x

Chapter 1: Exploring the Nikon D40/D40x

Up Front

Sides and Bottom

On the Lens

On Top

On the Back

Viewfinder Display

LCD Display

Viewing and Playing Back Images

Choosing Metering Modes

Adjusting ISO Sensitivity

Setting White Balance

Programmed Exposure Modes

Semiautomatic and Manual Exposure Modes

Chapter 2: Nikon D40/D40x Essentials

Choosing Metering Modes

Adjusting Exposures with EV

Adjusting ISO Sensitivity

Using Noise Reduction

Working with the Retouch Menu

Chapter 3: Setting Up the Nikon D40/D40x

Playback Menu Settings

Shooting Menu Preferences

Custom Settings

Setup Menu Options

Part II: Creating Great Photos with the Nikon D40/ D40x

Chapter 4: Exposure Essentials

Understanding Exposure

Getting the Right Exposure

Chapter 5: All About Lenses

Evaluating Your Basic Lens Options

Choosing Between Zoom and Fixed Focal Length

Assessing Lens Compatibility

Deciphering Nikon’s Lens-Naming Scheme

Understanding Automatic Focus

Working with Depth of Field

Using Wide-Angle and Telephoto Lenses

Chapter 6: Working with Light

Choosing Between Continuous and Flash Illumination

Mastering Continuous Lighting

Conquering Electronic Flash

Reviewing Key Flash Settings

Using External Flash

Chapter 7: Photo Subjects

Basics of Composition

Abstract and Pattern Photography

Action Photography

Animal Photography

Architectural Photography

Black-and-White and Monochrome Photography

Event Photography

Fireworks and Light Trails Photography

Flower and Plant Photography

Infrared Photography

Landscape Photography

Macro Photography

Night Scene Photography

People Photography

Seasonal Photography

Still Life and Product Photography

Sunset and Sunrise Photography

Water Scene Photography

Chapter 8: Downloading and Editing Images

Starting with Nikon PictureProject

Looking at Nikon Capture NX

Using Nikon Camera Control Pro

Appendix A: Troubleshooting

Upgrading Your Firmware

Extending Battery Life

Fixing Flash Problems

Reviving Bad Memory Cards

Cleaning Your Sensor

Glossary

Introduction

This is my fifth Digital Field Guide devoted to a Nikon digital SLR (dSLR), and my seventh Digital Field Guide overall, and it’s been one of the most enjoyable to work on. The company that we old-timers still think of as Nippon Kogaku (Japan Optical), but now goes by the moniker Nikon, has really outdone itself with its new Nikon D40 and D40X cameras. This descendant of the pioneering and wildly popular Nikon D70/D70s had a high bar to leap, but the Nikon D40 and D40X have set new standards as an ultra-compact, ultra-friendly entry-level camera for those looking for a lot of photographic prowess in a small package.

Indeed, the D40 and D40X include many of the same features found in Nikon’s more upscale models, like the Nikon D80, for a lower price. If you want a flexible camera with good performance and excellent image quality, this camera is tough to beat. It’s an incredible camera in its own right and can serve as a worthy companion for anyone using one of Nikon’s pricier cameras.

What Nikon has done is take many of the features that were less than perfect in the D70/D70s, and upgrade them, while adopting some useful features from the D80. For example, the D40/D40X’s eyelevel viewfinder is big and bright, much improved over that of Nikon’s original digital SLR series, and the back panel color LCD is a huge and brilliant 2.5-inches (diagonally).

Instead of a top panel LCD with status information, Nikon has placed all the menus and shooting data on the back LCD, where it’s readily accessible while shooting. The new camera is quite D80-like in its D40x version (using a similar 10.2 megapixel sensor), and includes a useful Function button that I use to switch between several different shooting modes on the fly. The D40X has a more useful ISO 100 minimum sensitivity setting, and it uses more petite memory cards. What’s not to like about this pair of powerful, bargain-priced cameras?

Well, the manual that’s furnished with the camera is not the best. It’s thorough and complete, but doesn’t explain things as clearly as it could, and you frequently must flip back and forth among two or three cross-references to find everything you need to know. That’s one of the reasons I wrote this book: To provide an easy-to-understand introduction to the Nikon D40 and D40X and their features, accompanied by chapters on basic photographic concepts and techniques, and a series of recipes you can use to take great pictures in many of the most common shooting situations.

The Nikon D40/D40X’s Advantages

There is a lot that’s new about the D40 andD40X, but there’s a great deal to like about what these cameras share with their predecessors and the other models in the Nikon line. Here are some of them:

Nikon lenses. Nikon has a vast selection of lenses, including the 18-55mm and 18-135mm kit lenses, which offer lots of versatility and performance at economical prices. You can find dozens of other compatible AF-S lenses available from Nikonthat provide excellent value. Of the other digital camera vendors, very few can match Nikon’s broad selection of lenses that any photographer can afford.

Full feature set. You don’t give up anything in terms of essential features when it comes to the Nikon D40/D40X. It has significant advantages over the D70/D70s it replaced, and rivals its more expensive sibling, the D80, in many ways. The D40/D40X has a large memory buffer, improved color LCD, a nifty black-and-white photography mode, and the ability to shoot both unprocessed RAW files and three quality levels of JPEG format files.

Fast operation. The Nikon D40 and D40X operate more quickly than many other digital SLRs. It includes a memory buffer that’s more than twice as large as the one found in some dSLRs, so you can shoot continuously for a longer period of time. It also writes images to the memory card rapidly. Many D40/D40X users report being able to fire off shots as almost as quickly as they can press the shutter release, for as long as their index finger (or memory card) holds out.

One popular low-end dSLR takes as long as three seconds after power-up before it can take a shot. If you don’t take a picture for a while, it goes to sleep and you have to wait another three seconds to activate it each time. The D40/D40X switches on instantly and fires with virtually no shutter lag. (Actually, it uses so little juice when idle that you can leave it on for days at a time without depleting the battery much.) Performance-wise, the D40/D40X compares favorably with digital cameras costing much more. Unless you need a burst mode capable of more than two-and-a-half or three frames per second, this camera is likely to be faster than you are.

Great expandability. There are tons of add-ons you can buy that work great with the D40/D40X. These include bellows and extension rings for close-up photography, and at least three different electronic flash units from Nikon and third parties that cooperate with the camera’s through-the-lens metering system. Because Nikon dSLRs have been around for awhile, there are lots of accessories available, new or used, and Nikon cameras are always among the first to be served by new gadgets as they’re developed.

Where to Go from Here

If you’re brand new to digital photography and digital SLRs, you should spend a lot of time with the Quick Tour, which includes all the basic information you need to learn just enough to go out and begin taking pictures. There’s no need to memorize all the controls and learn what every function is. You can learn more making a few basic settings and then going out and enjoying yourself by taking a few hundred great photographs.

Within a short period of time, you’ll be eager to learn more, and you can begin reading Chapter 1 to discover the location and function of all the dials, buttons, and other controls that are on the D40/D40X. You can learn about different exposure options in Chapter 2, how to use automatic exposure, work with the retouch menu to fix red-eye defects, or do minor fix-ups of your photos.

When you’re ready to customize the more advanced settings of your camera, you can find everything you need to know in Chapter 3. But I think you probably want to take a detour first into the photography basics chapters of this book. Learn about exposure in Chapter 4, discover how lenses work and how to select the lenses you need in Chapter 5, and read everything you need to know about working with electronic flash and natural light in Chapter 6.

And should you want some tips for taking pictures under a variety of photo situations, you can find discussions of photo subjects like animal and action photography, fireworks, landscapes, sunsets, and close-up photography in Chapter 7. This chapter also discusses recommended lenses, settings, accessories, and shooting techniques to get the kind of pictures you expect from your D40 or D40X.

Because this is a field guide, rather than a software manual, you won’t find instructions in this book about how to use Photoshop or similar programs. In Chapter 8, you can find an introduction to Nikon Capture NX and other tools. If you’re having trouble with your D40/D40X, you might find the troubleshooting tips in the Appendix helpful.

That’s a lot of material to cover in a guidebook that I hope you carry along with you as you go out in the field with your D40/D40X; I hope I’ve given you the help you need to take the kind of pictures you expect.

Shooting Your First D40/D40x Picture

In This Quick Tour

Selecting a shooting mode

Reviewing your pictures

Correcting exposure

Transferring images to your computer

Even if you know nothing about photography, you can be taking great pictures five minutes after you slip your Nikon D40 or D40x out of that shiny gold box. The camera is smart enough to choose the correct exposure settings for you, focus a sharp, clear image, pop up the flash if there isn’t enough light, and snap a winning shot at the press of a button. All you need to do is charge the battery, insert a digital memory card, and remember to take off the lens cap.