Nikon D810A - Astrophotography Digital Camera Manual

Introduction

The D810A is an astrophotography version of the D810. With an infrared filter approximately four times more transparent to H-alpha (656 nm) light than the D810, it can clearly capture red emission nebulas and other astronomical phenomena. When used with other subjects, it may in some cases produce unexpected colors or add a red cast to some scenes. Take a test shot before taking important photographs. This document lists the supplied accessories and describes how the D810A differs from the D810.

Package Contents

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

• D810A digital camera
• BM-12 monitor cover
• BF-1B body cap
• EN-EL15 rechargeable Li-ion battery with terminal cover
• MH-25a battery charger (comes with either an AC wall adapter or power cable of a type and shape that varies with the country or region of sale)
• USB cable clip
• HDMI cable clip
• AN-DC16 strap
• UC-E22 USB cable
• D810 User' s Manual
• The D810A Astrophotography Digital Camera (Warranty)(this manual)

Memory cards are sold separately. The ViewNX 2 installer CD mentioned in the D810 manual is not provided, but Nikon ViewNX-i photo viewing software and Capture NX-D NEF (RAW) processing and image fine-tuning software can be downloaded free of charge from the following websites:

• ViewNX-i : http://nikonimglib.com/nvnxi/
• Capture NX-D : http://nikonimglib.com/ncnxd/

Cameras purchased in Japan display menus and messages in English and Japanese only; other languages are not supported. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Comparison to the D810

The D810A differs from the D810 in the following respects:

ISO Sensitivity

ISO sensitivity defaults to ISO 200 and can be set to values between ISO 200 and 12800 (the D810 defaults to ISO 100 and supports values of from ISO 64 to 12800). The D810A also supports values of from about 0.3 to 1 EV below ISO 200 and 0.3 to 2 EV above ISO 12800.

Exposure Mode (Long-Exposure Manual)

The D810A offers a mode for astrophotography. To choose mode , keep the MODE () button pressed and rotate the main command dial until is displayed in the control panel or monitor.

Shutter speed can be set to values between 4 seconds () and 900 seconds () or to (Bulb) or (Time). Choose mode for precise control of shutter speed, but note that selecting mode cancels HDR. In addition, the WR-1 can not be used, the exposure indicator is not displayed, and the following are not available while mode is in effect:

1. Multiple exposure > Auto gain
2. The Exposure smoothing option in the Interval timer shooting and Time-lapse photography menus
3. ISO sensitivity settings > Auto ISO sensitivity control
4. Movie live view (mode can not be selected if movie live view is in effect, while mode will automatically be selected if movie live view is activated in mode )
5. Bracketing and shutter-speed, aperture, and exposure lock
6. Connection to computers or other external devices via USB ( mode can not be selected while the camera is connected; connecting to a computer in mode 0 automatically selects mode )

Mode is included among the exposure modes that can be stored in menu banks when On is selected for Extended menu banks. Menu banks can also store the shutter speed, aperture, and fl ash mode selected in mode 0.

Exposure Preview

In mode and when or is selected for shutter speed, an exposure preview can be displayed in the monitor during photo live view by pressing the button. The exposure preview may diff er from the fi nal image.

The Virtual Horizon Focus Point Illumination Display

If the virtual horizon is displayed in the viewfinder in mode 0, the virtual horizon display and active focus points will be displayed in red at all times. In other modes and on the D810, these indicators are highlighted in red only when the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

Camera Settings Files

Settings files created with the Save/load settings option in the setup menu are named "NCSETUPI". Note that the camera will be unable to load settings if the file name is changed.

Long Time-Exposures and High Sensitivities

Before pressing the shutter-release button to record a long time-exposure or photographs at high ISO sensitivities, close the viewfinder eyepiece shutter to prevent light entering via the viewfinder affecting photographs.

VR Lenses

The lenses in Table 1 are not recommended for long exposures or photographs taken at high ISO sensitivities, as due to the design of the vibration reduction (VR) control system the resulting photos may be marred by fog. We recommend turning vibration reduction off when using other VR lenses.