Nikon D4 Settings Manual
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Nikon D4 Settings Manual

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S et t i n g G u i d e

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  • Page 1 Pro fes s io na l S et t i n g G u i d e...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Creating a Multiple Exposure ..........28 • Choosing a Memory Card for Playback ......30 • Copying Pictures Between Memory Cards ......31 • Copying Settings to Other D4 Cameras ......31 • Keeping the Camera Level: Virtual Horizon ....32 • Composing Photographs: The Framing Grid ....34 •...
  • Page 3 Autofocus Tips ..............35 • Focusing with the AF-ON Button ........35 • Choosing the Number of Focus Points ......35 • AF-C Priority Selection ............36 • AF-Area Mode ................38 • Focus Point Selection and Camera Orientation .....41 • Adjusting Autofocus to the Lens: AF Fine-Tune ....42 •...
  • Page 4 Table of Contents First-Time Users First-Time Users 67 7 • Customizing the Command Dials ........68 • Reversing Indicators ..............68 • Choosing the Primary Slot ............69 • Adjusting Monitor Brightness ..........69 • Choosing the Monitor off Delay ..........69 • Metering ..................70...

  • Page 5: Taking Photographs

    Taking Photographs This chapter describes how the camera can be confi gured for improved shutter response and settings adjusted for dif- ferent subjects, and gives tips on using autofocus.

  • Page 6: Improving Camera Response

    Improving Camera Response This section introduces settings for reliably and quickly photographing athletes and other moving subjects. Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C) Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C) Press the AF-mode but- ton and rotate the main command dial to select AF-C. Focus is adjusted continuously while the shutter-release button is Main command...
  • Page 7 A A Custom Settings Custom Settings a1 AF-C priority selection > Release: The camera gives priority to shutter release over fo- cus, ensuring that you never miss a shot (page 36). a10 Store points by orientation > Yes: Select separate focus points in landscape and portrait orientations for quick framing (page 41).
  • Page 8 Taking Photographs f3 Assign Fn button/f4 Assign preview button > Press > MY MENU: Add Custom settings bank to My Menu and then use the Fn or Pv button to quickly select a bank ac- cording to the scene. To add items to My Menu: Select Add items.
  • Page 9 Improving Camera Response f16 Assign movie record button > Press + command dial > ISO sensitivity: When taking photos, use your right hand on the movie record button and main command dial to set ISO sensitivity without taking your eye from the viewfi nder.

  • Page 10: Settings By Subject

    Settings by Subject In addition to the changes described above under “Im- proving Camera Response”, you can fi ne-tune settings to improve response for specifi c subjects. Situation Situation Most team sports (e.g., soccer/rugby). Choose these basic settings if subjects are often partially ob- scured by other objects or focus shifts quickly between nearby and distant subjects.
  • Page 11 AF-C priority AF-C priority AF-area AF-area Focus tracking Focus tracking selection selection mode mode with lock-on with lock-on (page (page 36 36) ) (page (page 38 38) ) (page (page 44 44) ) See also See also High-contrast scenes, Release 3 (Normal) backlighting: page 13 Dynamic-...
  • Page 12 Taking Photographs Situation Situation Outer focus points are used (e.g., speed skating). In- crease number of dynamic-area focus points by one level when framing pictures in “tall” (portrait) orientation. Choose Focus + release for improved focus when photographing ball sports and in other situations in which precise timing is not a priority.
  • Page 13 Settings by Subject AF-C priority AF-C priority AF-area AF-area Focus tracking Focus tracking selection selection mode mode with lock-on with lock-on (page (page 36 36) ) (page (page 38 38) ) (page (page 44 44) ) See also See also Dynamic- Focus + AF-C priority selec-...
  • Page 14 Taking Photographs Situation Situation Time between focus and shooting is short and there are obstacles between autofocus target and camera (e.g., volleyball or swimming). Use single-point AF to prevent camera focusing on obstacles such as volleyball net or splashes, and set standby timer to 1 minute or longer for improved shutter response.
  • Page 15 Settings by Subject AF-C priority AF-C priority AF-area AF-area Focus tracking Focus tracking selection selection mode mode with lock-on with lock-on (page (page 36 36) ) (page (page 38 38) ) (page (page 44 44) ) See also See also Single-point The standby timer: Release...

  • Page 16: Matching Settings To Your Goal

    Matching Settings to Your Goal ● ● Reducing Camera Blur: Vibration Reduction Vibration reduction (VR) is supported with VR lenses. To re- duce camera blur, choose a setting suited to the subject. Situation Situation VR mode VR mode Moving subjects shot at shutter speeds of 1⁄500 s or faster: Because blur is less likely, OFF is recommended at fast shutter speeds.

  • Page 17: Preserving Natural Contrast: Active D-Lighting

    ● ● Preserving Natural Contrast: Active D-Lighting Active D-Lighting helps pre- serve details in highlights and shadows. Use Active D-Lighting for natural con- trast when photographing day matches in stadiums and other venues that mix sunlight and shade. Note Noise may appear when Active D-Lighting is used at high ISO sensitivities.

  • Page 18: Quick Setting Selection: Shooting Menu Banks

    Taking Photographs ● ● Quick Setting Selection: Shooting Menu Banks Use the Shooting menu bank option in the shooting menu when you need to switch rapidly from one group of settings to another, for example when alternating be- tween sunlight and shade. Shooting Menu Banks Shooting Menu Banks Shooting menu settings are stored in four banks (A, B, C,...

  • Page 19: Finding Controls In The Dark: Button Backlights

    Matching Settings to Your Goal ● ● Finding Controls in the Dark: Button Backlights If you are having trouble fi nding camera controls in the dark, rotate the power switch toward D to activate the control panel and but- ton backlights. The back- lights remain on for 6 s after the switch is released.

  • Page 20: Reducing Noise And Blur: Auto Iso Sensitivity Control

    Taking Photographs ● ● Reducing Noise and Blur: Auto ISO Sensitivity Control When On is selected for ISO sensitivity settings > Auto ISO sensitivity control in the shooting menu, the camera au- tomatically adjusts ISO sensitivity if op- timal exposure can not be achieved at the value selected by the user.

  • Page 21: Reducing Shutter Noise: Quiet And Silent Release

    Matching Settings to Your Goal ● ● Reducing Shutter Noise: Quiet and Silent Release To reduce the amount of noise made by the shutter during viewfi nder photography, rotate the release mode dial to J. In live view, shutter noise can be eliminated by selecting Silent for Live view photography in the shooting menu (note that while FX format pictures taken when Quiet is selected for Live view photography are the same size as...

  • Page 22: Optimizing White Balance

    Taking Photographs ● ● Optimizing White Balance If auto white balance does not produce the desired results, you can try another setting, choose a color temperature, or use preset manual white balance as described below. Choosing a Setting Choosing a Setting Press the U button and rotate the main command dial until the desired setting is displayed in the rear control panel.
  • Page 23 Matching Settings to Your Goal Choosing a Color Temperature Choosing a Color Temperature To choose a color temperature for the amber (A)–blue (B) axis, select a white balance setting of K (Choose color temp.) as described opposite and then press the U but- ton and rotate the sub-command dial until the desired value is displayed in the rear control panel.
  • Page 24 Taking Photographs Preset Manual White Balance Preset Manual White Balance To choose a white balance preset, select a white balance setting of L (page 18) and then press the U button and rotate the sub-command dial until the desired preset (d-1 to d-4) is displayed in the rear control panel.
  • Page 25 Matching Settings to Your Goal Select direct measurement mode. Press the U button briefl y and then press the button until the L icon in the rear control panel starts to fl ash. A fl ashing D will also ap- pear in the top control panel and viewfi nder.

  • Page 26: Varying White Balance: White Balance Bracketing

    Taking Photographs ● ● Varying White Balance: White Balance Bracketing Use bracketing if you have trouble adjusting white bal- ance. Every time you take a photo, the camera will create multiple copies, each with a diff erent white balance. Select white balance bracketing. Select WB bracketing for Custom Setting e6 (Auto bracketing set).
  • Page 27 Matching Settings to Your Goal Select a bracketing increment. Pressing the D button, rotate the sub-command dial to choose an increment of 1 (5 mired), 2 (10 mired), or 3 (15 mired). Bracketing increment D button Sub-command Top control panel dial Programs with increments of 1 are shown below.
  • Page 28 Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot. Each shot is processed to create the selected number of copies; with each copy, white balance is incre- mented by the selected amount, starting from the value selected for white balance fi ne-tuning. If space is insuffi cient for all the copies, and the icon for the aff ected card will fl ash in the top...
  • Page 29 Matching Settings to Your Goal Cancelling Bracketing Cancelling Bracketing To cancel bracketing, press the D button and rotate the main command dial until the number of copies is 0 (r) and W is no longer displayed. The program last in ef- fect will be restored the next time bracketing is activated.

  • Page 30: Copying White Balance From A Photograph

    Taking Photographs ● ● Copying White Balance from a Photograph Follow the steps below to copy a value for white balance from an existing photograph to a selected preset. Select preset manual white balance. Press G and select White balance in the shooting menu.
  • Page 31 Matching Settings to Your Goal Highlight a source image. Highlight the source image. To view the highlighted image full frame, press and hold the X button. To view images in other locations, press W and select the desired card and folder. Copy white balance.

  • Page 32: Creating A Multiple Exposure

    Taking Photographs ● ● Creating a Multiple Exposure Record from 2 to 10 exposures in a single photo. Select Multiple exposure. Select Multiple exposure in the shooting menu. Select a mode. Highlight Multiple exposure mode and press 2, then highlight one of the following and press J to select the highlighted option and return to the multiple exposure menu.
  • Page 33 Matching Settings to Your Goal Adjust gain. Select Auto gain and choose from the following options. • On: Gain is adjusted according to number of exposures actually re- corded (gain for each exposure is set to ½ for 2 exposures, 1⁄3 for 3 exposures, etc.).

  • Page 34: Choosing A Memory Card For Playback

    Taking Photographs Interrupting Multiple Exposures Interrupting Multiple Exposures To interrupt a multiple exposure before the specifi ed num- ber of exposures have been taken, select Off for multiple exposure mode. If shooting ends before the specifi ed num- ber of exposures have been taken, a multiple exposure will be created from the exposures that have been recorded to that point.

  • Page 35: Copying Pictures Between Memory Cards

    • Copy image(s): Copy the selected pictures to the specifi ed destination. ● ● Copying Settings to Other D4 Cameras The Save/load settings option in the setup menu can be used to share set- tings among D4 cameras. Select Save...

  • Page 36: Keeping The Camera Level: Virtual Horizon

    Taking Photographs ● ● Keeping the Camera Level: Virtual Horizon Roll and pitch data from the camera tilt sensor can be dis- played for assistance in levelling the camera on a tripod and in other similar situations. The Monitor The Monitor The Virtual horizon option in the setup menu is used to display a virtual horizon in the monitor.
  • Page 37 Matching Settings to Your Goal The Viewfi nder The Viewfi nder When Viewfi nder virtual horizon is selected for Custom Setting f3 (Assign Fn button) or f4 (Assign preview but- ton) > Press, pressing the button displays pitch and roll indicators in the viewfi nder.

  • Page 38: Composing Photographs: The Framing Grid

    Taking Photographs ● ● Composing Photographs: The Framing Grid For help composing photo- graphs, select On for Custom Setting d6 (Viewfi nder grid display) to display a framing grid in the viewfi nder. Framing grid ● ● Resizing Photographs for Upload: Resize Use the Resize option in the retouch menu to create small copies of selected photographs.

  • Page 39: Autofocus Tips

    Autofocus Tips ● ● Focusing with the AF-ON Button B button If AF-ON only is selected for Custom Set- ting a4 (AF activation), the B button can be used to focus and the shutter-re- lease button to release the shutter. To lock focus or suspend autofocus when an obstacle comes between you and the subject, release the B button.

  • Page 40: Af-C Priority Selection

    Taking Photographs ● ● AF-C Priority Selection Custom Setting a1 (AF-C priority selection) controls whether the camera gives priority to focus or shutter re- lease. G Release: Pictures can be taken whether or not the camera is in fo- cus. Frame rates do not slow during burst photography.
  • Page 41 Autofocus Tips : Subject not in focus : Subject in focus : Shutter released...

  • Page 42: Af-Area Mode

    Taking Photographs ● ● AF-Area Mode AF-area modes are described below. Top control Top control Sample focus- Sample focus- AF-area mode AF-area mode panel panel Viewfi nder Viewfi nder point display point display Single-point AF 9-point dynamic-area AF 21-point dynamic-area AF 51-point dynamic-area AF 3D-tracking Auto-area AF...
  • Page 43 Autofocus Tips Description Description The focus point is selected manually. The camera focuses on the subject in the selected focus point only. Choose for subjects you can keep framed in the selected focus point. The focus point is selected manually. The camera focuses on the subject in the selected focus point when autofocus is initiated, but if the subject later leaves the selected point for...
  • Page 44 Taking Photographs Focus Point Selection and Aperture The focus points available vary with the maximum aperture of the lens. Maximum aperture f/5.6 or faster: Focus point selection is supported with all 51 points: 15 cross sensors ( ) at the center of the display and 18 line sensors ( ) on either side.

  • Page 45: Focus Point Selection And Camera Orientation

    Autofocus Tips ● ● Focus Point Selection and Camera Orientation When Yes is selected for Custom Setting a10 (Store points by orientation), separate focus points can be selected for “wide” (landscape) orientation and for “tall” (portrait) ori- entation (camera rotated 90° clockwise or counterclock- wise).

  • Page 46: Adjusting Autofocus To The Lens: Af Fine-Tune

    Taking Photographs ● ● Adjusting Autofocus to the Lens: AF Fine-Tune If you fi nd that certain lenses do not produce the desired results with autofocus, you can adjust focus for each lens using the AF fi ne-tune > Saved value or Default options in the setup menu (note that AF tuning may interfere with normal focus;...
  • Page 47 Autofocus Tips Checking Focus Checking Focus Position a ruler at an angle so that one of the rules is at the same distance from the camera as a vertical surface such as the cover of a book stood upright. Using autofocus, focus on the vertical surface and then photograph the selected rule using focus lock.

  • Page 48: Focus Tracking With Lock-On

    Taking Photographs ● ● Focus Tracking with Lock-On By preventing the camera from refocusing when your sub- ject is briefl y obscured by another object, focus tracking with lock-on ensures that the camera will continue to track the main subject once the obstacle has moved away (con- tinuous-servo AF only).

  • Page 49: Movies

    Movies This chapter covers basic camera set- tings and tips and tricks you can use when shooting movies, in the order you will use them during fi lming.

  • Page 50: Before Filming

    Before Filming Before fi lming, ready the camera as described below. ● ● Sound The D4 supports the following sound recording features. External Microphones External Microphones The optional ME-1 stereo microphone can be used to re- cord sound in stereo or to avoid recording lens noise dur- ing autofocus.

  • Page 51: Movie Settings

    ● ● Movie Settings In addition to microphone sensitivity, the following op- tions can be adjusted using Movie settings. Frame Size, Frame Rate, and Movie Quality Frame Size, Frame Rate, and Movie Quality Frame size, frame rate, and movie quality can be chosen using Frame size/frame rate and Movie quality.
  • Page 52 Movies Image Area Using an FX lens with movie live view gives you a choice of two crops in addition to the standard FX-based format: 1. To record movies with a crop factor 2.7× that of an FX format lens used with a non-DX image area, select a “1920 ×...
  • Page 53 Before Filming Destination Destination Choose the slot to which movies are recorded. The menu shows the time available on each card; recording ends automatically when no time remains. Live view can be used to record movies up to 29 minutes 59 seconds in length.

  • Page 54: Starting Movie Live View

    Movies ● ● Starting Movie Live View Select movie live view. Rotate the live view selector to 1. Live view selector Start live view. Press the a button. a button The Shutter-Release Button If Record movies is selected for Custom Setting g4 (As- sign shutter button), you can press the shutter-release button halfway once to start live view and then press it halfway again to focus (autofocus only) or all the way down...

  • Page 55: Exposure Mode

    Before Filming ● ● Exposure Mode Before recording, press the I (Q) button and rotate the main command dial to choose an exposure mode. The settings that can be adjusted in movie live view are deter- mined by the exposure mode as shown below. Aperture Aperture Shutter speed...

  • Page 56: Using Autofocus

    Movies ● ● Using Autofocus To focus using autofocus, Focus-mode selector rotate the focus-mode se- lector to AF and select auto- focus and AF-area modes as described below. Choosing a Focus Mode Choosing a Focus Mode Press the AF-mode button and rotate the main command dial until the desired mode is displayed in the monitor.
  • Page 57 Before Filming Choosing an AF-Area Mode Choosing an AF-Area Mode Press the AF-mode button and rotate the sub-command dial until the desired mode is displayed in the monitor. AF-mode button Sub-command Monitor dial Face-priority AF: Camera focuses on faces. If multiple faces (up to 35) are detected, desired subject can be chosen with multi selector.

  • Page 58: Lens Vibration Reduction (Vr)

    Movies ● ● Lens Vibration Reduction (VR) We recommend using VR lenses with the vibration reduction ON/OFF switch in the ON position. If the lens has a vibration reduction mode switch, choose NORMAL for hand-held photography or when using a mono- pod.

  • Page 59: Adjusting Settings During Live View

    Before Filming ● ● Adjusting Settings During Live View You can highlight the microphone sensitivity, headphone volume, or monitor brightness indicator in the live view display by holding W and pressing 4 or 2, and then ad- just the highlighted setting by pressing 1 or 3. Headphone volume Microphone...

  • Page 60: The Information Display

    Movies ● ● The Information Display Press the R button to choose the information displayed during movie live view. Information on Information off Framing guides Virtual horizon Histogram Hide indicators when the camera is connected to an exter- nal recording device (page 64).

  • Page 61: Checking Focus

    Before Filming ● ● Checking Focus If Zoom on/off is selected for Custom Setting f1 (Multi selector center but- ton) > Live view, you can press the center of the multi selector to zoom in on the current focus point. The initial Navigation zoom setting can be selected from low, window...

  • Page 62: Filming Movies

    Filming Movies ● ● Starting and Ending Recording Press the movie-record button to start Recording recording. If Record movies is selected indicator for Custom Setting g4 (Assign shutter button), you can start and end movie recording by pressing the shutter-re- lease button all the way down.

  • Page 63: Editing Movies

    Filming Movies ● ● Editing Movies The Edit movie option in the retouch menu can be used to create edited cop- ies of the movies on the memory card. Select Choose start/end point to trim unwanted footage in amounts as small as 0.5 s, or Save selected frames to save selected frames as JPEG stills.

  • Page 64: Time-Lapse Movies

    Time-Lapse Movies ● ● Time-Lapse Movies Follow the steps below to create silent time-lapse movies from photos taken automatically at selected intervals. The resulting movie is recorded at the settings currently select- ed for Movie settings in the shooting menu. We recom- mend that you connect the camera to an AC power supply using an optional EH-6b AC adapter and EP-6 power con- nector to ensure that shooting is not interrupted.
  • Page 65 Time-Lapse Movies Choose the shooting time. Enter a shooting time of from 1 minute to 7 hours 59 minutes (the selected setting is shown in the bottom section of the dialog) and press 2 to proceed. Start shooting. Highlight On and press J (to return to the shooting menu without start- ing time-lapse photography, select Off ).
  • Page 66 Movies Interrupting Time-Lapse Photography Interrupting Time-Lapse Photography Time-lapse photography will end automatically if the bat- tery is exhausted. The following will also end time-lapse photography: • Selecting Start > Off for Time-lapse photography Pressing J between frames or immediately after a frame •...
  • Page 67 Time-Lapse Movies Time Lapse Photography Time-lapse photography is not available in live view, at a shutter speed of or when bracketing, High Dynamic Range (HDR), multiple exposure, or interval timer photog- raphy is active. To record changes in brightness, use manual exposure; for consistent framing, colors and focus, turn vibration reduc- tion off , choose a white balance setting other than auto, and use manual focus.

  • Page 68: Hdmi Output

    HDMI Output The camera can be connected to HDMI recording devices. Connect to HDMI device The HDMI option in the setup menu controls HDMI out- put. Output Resolution Output Resolution Auto is recommended. Other settings should be used only if Auto does not produce the desired results.
  • Page 69 HDMI Recording The D4 does not compress HDMI output, with the result that the camera can be connected to an HDMI recording device and movie footage recorded at a higher quality than if it were saved to a memory card. Note that while...

  • Page 71: First-Time Users

    First-Time Users...

  • Page 72: Customizing The Command Dials

    First-Time Users ● ● Customizing the Command Dials Custom Setting f10: Customize Command Dials Custom Setting f10: Customize Command Dials Reverse rotation: Reverse the direction of rotation for the main and sub-command dials when making adjustments to Ex- posure compensation and/or Shutter speed/aperture (these settings also ap- ply to the command dials for vertical shooting).

  • Page 73: Choosing The Primary Slot

    First-Time Users ● ● Choosing the Primary Slot When using two memory cards, you can choose one as the primary card using the Primary slot selection item in the shooting menu. ● ● Adjusting Monitor Brightness The Monitor brightness option in the setup menu can be used to adjust monitor brightness for playback, menus, and the information display.

  • Page 74: Metering

    First-Time Users ● ● Metering To choose how the camera sets exposure, press the Y but- ton and rotate the main command dial until the desired metering option is displayed in the viewfi nder and top control panel. Choose from matrix (L), center-weighted (M), and spot (N) metering.
  • Page 76 Printed in Japan © 2012 Nikon Corporation CS SB#### (11)

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