Nikon D300 User manual

Nikon

DIGITAL CAMERA

)(

User's Manual

Where to Find It

Find what you're looking for from:

Know what you want to do but don't know the function name? Find it

from the "question and answer" index.

Finditems by function or menu name.

A brief guide for those who want to get started taking pictures right away.

Search by key word.

Ira warning is displayed in the viewfinder or monitor, find the solution

here.

Camera behaving unexpectedly? Find the solution here.

Digitutor

Digitutor, a series of"watch and learn" manuals in movie form, is available

from the following website:

http://www.nikondigitutor.com/index eng.html

Package Contents

Be sure all items listed here were included with your camera.

Memory cards are sold separately.

• D300 digital camera (pg. 3)

• Body cap (pp. 34, 368)

• BM-8 LCD monitor cover (pg. 19)

• DK-5 eyepiece cap (pg. 20)

• EN-EL3e rechargeable Li-ion battery with terminal cover

(pp. 30, 32)

• MH-18a quick charger with power cable (pg. 30)

• UC-E4 USBcable (pp. 224, 232)

• EG-D100 video cable (pg. 242)

• AN-D300 strap (pg. 19)

• Warranty

•User'sManual (this guide)

•Quick Guide

•Software Installation Guide

• Software Suite CD-ROM

• Registration card (U. S.A. only)

Symbols and Conventions

To make it easier to find the information you need, the following

symbols and conventions are used:

This icon marks cautions; information that should be read before

_I_ uset0 prevent damage t0the camera.

This icon marks notes; information that should be read before

[] using the camera.

Menu items, options, and messages displayed in the camera monitor

are shown in brackets ([ ]).

[] Trademark Information

Macintosh, Mac OS, and QuickTime are registered trademarks of Apple

Inc. Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are either registered

trademarks, or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States

and/or other countries. CompactFlash is a trademark of SanDisk

Corporation. Microdrive is a trademark of Hitachi Global Storage

Technologies in the United States and other countries. HDMI, the HDMI

logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or

registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC. PictBridge is a trademark.

All other trade names mentioned in this manual or the other

documentation provided with your Nikon product are trademarks or

registered trademarks of their respective holders.

[] Introduction

[] Tutorial

[] Image RecordingOptions

[] Focus

[] ReleaseMode

[] ISOSensitivity

[] Exposure

[] White Balance

[] Image Enhancement

[] FlashPhotography

[] OtherShootingOptions

[] MoreAboutPlayback

[] MenuGuide

[] TechnicalNotes_

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Find what you're looking for using this "question and answer"

index.

II New Features

How do I take high-quality NEF (RAW) 14-bit NEF (RAW) 59

photos?

Can I use the monitor as a viewfinder? Live view 79

Can I control how photos are processed? 146

How do I preserve details in shadows and Active D-Lighting 165

highlights?

How do I focus on erratically moving

subjects? 3D-tracking 270

Can I adjust focus separately for different AF fine tune 327

lenses?

How do I remove dust from the low-pass Cleaning the low-pass 373

filter protecting the image sensor? filter

II CameraSetup

Question

How do I focus the viewfinder?

How do I keep the monitor from turning

off?

How do I keep the shutter speed and

aperture displays from turning off?

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Question Key phrase See page

How do I set the clock?

How do I set the clock for daylight

savings time?

How do I change time zones when I

travel?

How do I adjust monitor brightness for

menus or playback?

How do I restore default settings?

How do I restore shooting menu

defaults?

How do I restore Custom Setting

defaults?

How do I change the self-timer delay?

How do I turn the speaker off?

Can I reverse the electronic analog

exposure display?

Can I display the menus in a different

language?

Can I save menu settings for use on a

different D300 camera?

World time 37,315

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II Menusand Displays

Question i'_°_°_°_°_°_°_°_°_°_°_--"_=_l(ey phrase

How do I get more information on a

menu?

How do I use the menus?

What do these indicators mean?

What information is in the shooting

information display?

What does this warning mean?

How much charge does the battery have

left?

Help

Using the menus

Viewfinder, control

panel, shooting

information display

Error messages and

displays

Battery level

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LCD brightness 312

Two-button reset 182

Reset shooting menu 257

Reset custom settings 266

Self-timer delay 280

Beep 281

Reverse indicators 310

Language 315

Save/load settings 325

Seepage

8,10,12

391

..................... Question ...................... -°_=_Ke_;pilrase _..................._'°Seepage-

How do Iget more information about the

battery? Battery info 321

How do I keep the file number from

being reset when Iinsert a new memory 283

card?

How do I reset file numbering to 1?

How do Iclean the camera or lens? 372

File number sequence

Cleaning the camera

II TakingPhotographs

Question

How many more shots can Itake with this

card?

How do I take bigger photographs?

How can I get more photos on the

memory card?

Can I control how the camera focuses?

How do I take a lot of photographs

quickly?

Can I change the frame advance rate?

Can I shoot a self-portrait?

Can I take pictures under low light

without the flash?

Can the ISO sensitivity I choose be

adjusted to ensure optimal exposure?

How do I freeze or blur moving objects?

How do I blur background details or keep

both foreground and background in

focus?

Number of exposures

remaining

Image quality and size

Keyphrase Seepage

56, 60

Autofocus 61

Release mode 74

Shooting speed 76, 282

Self-timer mode 89

ISO sensitivity 94

ISO sensitivity auto 96

control

Exposure mode _q 106

(shutter-priority auto)

Exposure mode FI 107

(aperture-priority auto)

_-_:::_' Question -::!T_--Key phrase

Can I set both shutter speed and aperture Exposure mode/I

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manually?

Can I make photos brighter or darker?

How do I make a time exposure?

Can I vary exposure or flash level

automatically over a series of photos?

Can I create multiple copies of a photo

using different white balance settings?

How do I adjust white balance?

Can I take pictures with a flash?

(manual)

Exposure compensation

Long time-exposures

Exposure and flash

bracketing

White balance

bracketing

White balance

Flash photography,

flash mode, red-eye

reduction

See page

109

114

111

117, 297

121,297

125

171

174

How can Ireduce "red-eye"?

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How can I record multiple shots as a Multiple exposure 184

single photograph?

Can I pickthe standard exposure level? Fine tune optimal 277

exposure

How can I reduce blur? Exposure delay mode 285

Can the flash be used at shutter speeds Flash sync speed 288

faster than 1/250 s?

'°'°'°'°'_'tSeepage

Camera playbac / 204

Photo info 206

208, 250

II Viewing Photographs

Question

Can I view my photographs on the

camera?

Can I view more information about

photos?

Why do parts of my photos blink?

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Question Keyphrase

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Seepage

How do I get rid of an unwanted photo? Deleting individual

_hotos 222

Can I delete several photos at once? Delete 248

Can I zoom in on pictures to make sure Playback zoom 220

they're in focus?

Can I protect photos from accidental

deletion? Protect 221

Can I hide selected photos? Hide image 249

How do I tell if parts of my photos may be Display mode: 250

overexposed? highlights

How do I tell where the camera focused? Display mode: focus 250

_oint

Can I view photos as they are taken? Image review 251

Is there an automatic playback ("slide Slide show 252

show") option?

II RetouchingPhotographs

Question _'_'I'_'I'_'I'_'_"I_"I_"T'='_

How do Ibring out details in shadows?

Can I get rid of red eye?

Can I crop photographs on the camera?

Can I create a monochrome copy of a

photograph?

Can I create a copy with different colors?

Can I use the camera to create JPEG

copies of NEF (RAW) photographs?

Can I overlay two photosto make a single

image? .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Red-eye correction

Trim

Monochrome

Filter effects

Color balance

Image overlay

.....

335

336

337

338

339