Nikon D800 User Manual

Technical Guide

8Shooting TechniquesWhy Use Live View?2. Focus anywhere in the frame.With live view, the multi selector can be used to position the focus point anywhe

9Still SubjectsWhy Use Live View?3. Zoom in for precise focus. Press the X button to magnify the view in the monitor by up to 23× for precise focusing

10Shooting TechniquesSuggested SettingsWhite balance > Choose color temp.: White balance can be adjusted in steps as small as 10 K. To ad-just whit

11Still SubjectsLesson 3: Avoid Very Small Apertures Stopping down the aperture in manual (h) and aperture-prior-ity auto (g) exposure modes increases

12Shooting TechniquesCamera Control Pro 2The optional Camera Control Pro 2 software can be used to control most camera functions from a computer. To

13Still SubjectsSame Shot with View nder FramingThe second sample image below was captured without us-ing live view. As the mirror was not raised unt

14

15Shooting TechniquesPortrait Subjects—Focusing on a Selected Point—

16Shooting TechniquesThis section introduces a technique that achieves sharp focus on a selected point when framing portrait subjects through the view

17Portrait SubjectsLesson 1: Choose the Proper Focus SettingsA tripod is rarely used for portrait photography. Though por-trait subjects can and do mo

iiIntroductionThis “Technical Guide” details the principal techniques used to create two of the more technically advanced photographs in the D800/D800

18Shooting TechniquesLesson 2: Choose the Proper Exposure SettingsApertureUse a wide aperture for a softer feel.An aperture setting of f/4 captures fa

19Portrait SubjectsShutter SpeedChoose a speed slightly faster than the minimum required to prevent blur caused by camera shake.The superior resolutio

20Shooting TechniquesLighting and ISO SensitivityAdjust lighting and ISO sensitivity appropriately.Once the shutter speed and aperture settings have b

21Portrait SubjectsLearn from Mistakes: Same Shot, Di erent Focus PointSlight shifts in focus are more noticeable in photos captured with the D800/D

22Quick Tips1. High ISO Sensitivity1. High ISO SensitivityThe following sections introduce useful techniques and camera functions applicable to a vari

231. High ISO SensitivityHighNormalDetailed views of the same subject shot at di erent High ISO NR settings. Higher set-tings reduce the noise visibl

24Auto ISO sensitivity control au-tomatically adjusts ISO sensitiv-ity if optimal exposure cannot be achieved at the value selected by the photographe

252. Auto ISO Sensitivity ControlFocal length: 24 mmShutter speed: ½  sISO sensitivity: 900Focal length: 50 mmShutter speed: ⁄ sISO sensitivity:

26Quick Tips3. Improving Optical Performance3. Improving Optical PerformanceStopping down the aperture increases depth of  eld, mak-ing both the fore

27f/8 f/11f/16 f/22

1Table of ContentsIntroduction iIntroduction iiiShooting Techniques Shooting Techniques 22Still Subjects ...

28Quick Tips4. Backlit Portraits4. Backlit PortraitsThe RGB sensor with approximately 91K (91,000) pixels built into the D800/D800E o ers more accura

29Flash PhotographyThe D800/D800E also automatically optimizes  ash output for portrait subjects.D800/D800E Flash output is adjusted according to the

30The D800E1. 1. High-Resolution Images with the D800EHigh-Resolution Images with the D800EThe D800E is a good choice for those who require high-reso-

31Case 2: A Japanese GardenCapture roof tiles and other  ne details with superior resolution.Case 3: LeavesCapture individual leaves in crisp detail.

32The D800E2. Aperture and Complex Subjects2. Aperture and Complex SubjectsWith cameras like the D800E, which are suited to photogra-phy of visually c

33The D800E o ers better resolution at aperture settings with which di raction (page 26page 26) is not an issue. As the aperture set-ting has more i

34The D800E3. Color Aliasing and Moiré 3. Color Aliasing and Moiré Color artifacts and moiré are less frequent at the high resolu-tions supported by t

35Using Di raction to Combat Color Artifacts and MoiréAlthough stopping down the aperture increases the e ects of di raction, sometimes resulting

© 2012 Nikon CorporationCS SB2B02 (11)

2Shooting TechniquesStill Subjects—Keeping Blur to a Minimum—

3

4Shooting TechniquesAt the high resolutions o ered by the D800/D800E, even the slightest camera shake can result in blur. The technique re-vealed in

5Still SubjectsLesson 1: Use a TripodUse a tripod to reduce blur when photographing static subjects. It should be as sturdy as possible; avoid extendi

6Shooting TechniquesLesson 2: Use Live ViewLive view can be used to achieve sharper focus and prevent blur.Live View PhotographyRotate the live view s

7Still SubjectsWhy Use Live View?1. The mirror is raised prior to shooting, reducing blur.At the high resolutions o ered by the D800/D800E, even the