Nikon D90 Manual
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Nikon D90 Manual

Nikon D90 Manual

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Table of Contents

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The Camera
Section A: Making Pictures
Section B: Viewing/Reviewing Images
Section C: Menus
Section D: Batteries, Memory Cards,
and Maintenance

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Table of Contents
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Summary of Contents for Nikon D90

  • Page 1 The Camera Section A: Making Pictures Section B: Viewing/Reviewing Images Section C: Menus Section D: Batteries, Memory Cards, and Maintenance...

  • Page 3: Making Pictures

    The Camera Section A: Making Pictures EXPOSURE Every time you take a picture there are a couple things you want to happen so you get a good picture. You want a good exposure and your subject to be in focus. Whether you choose all the settings on the camera or your camera does it for you, it’s important to understand what’s controlling how your pic- ture looks.
  • Page 4 The Camera Have just one element in focus, such as a flower Keep everything in focus, as with a landscape...
  • Page 5 Making Pictures Freeze a moving subject, like this chipmunk Blur a moving element, such as a river...
  • Page 6 The Camera APERTURE Inside the lens there’s an opening called the aperture. This opening controls how fast the light comes into the lens. You can have a very large hole or a tiny one. A big hole is going to let a lot of light into the lens very quickly.
  • Page 7 Making Pictures The next apertures, f/8 and f/11, are the mid-size openings. These apertures are good for having a moderate amount of your subject or scene in focus. They are good for bringing a group of things in focus, but still keeping the background out of focus. The photo below was taken at f/11.

  • Page 8: Depth Of Field

    The Camera Looking back on what we just learned, does it seem odd that the small number (f/4) refers Use f/16 or f/22 for landscape photos when to a big opening and the large you want the whole scene in focus. number (f/22) is a little opening? Let me explain since this can be a bit confusing.
  • Page 9 Making Pictures Here’s the same composition photographed at four different apertures. f/2.8. f/5.6. f/22. f/11.

  • Page 10: Shutter Speed

    Light is coming into the camera whenever the lens cap is off, but it can’t reach the sensor until you press the shutter release button and the shutter blades open. The D90 has a range of shutter speeds from very fast (1/4000 of second) to very slow (30 seconds) as shown below. 1/4000...
  • Page 11 Making Pictures hands are moving slightly (called hand shake) then your picture will be blurry. If you find yourself having to use shutter speeds where you can’t hold the camera still, it may be necessary to use a tripod. A tripod will hold the camera absolutely still no matter how slow the shutter speed.
  • Page 12 The Camera 1/15 of a second. 1 second. Take a look at this series of photos and what shutter speeds were used to capture them.
  • Page 13 Making Pictures 1/100 of a second. Using a very fast shutter speed allowed me to freeze the action of the kayaker and the water around him. 1/640 of a second. When photographing this young robin a fast shutter speed was necessary to capture the brief instant it opened its beak.
  • Page 14 The Camera 1/200 of a second. As this duck was swimming toward me I needed a fast enough shutter speed to stop its motion. The duck was not moving extremely quickly so 1/200 of a second was fast enough to keep it from blurring. 1/25 of a second.
  • Page 15 Making Pictures 1/3 of a second. A slow shutter speed of almost a half second allowed me to capture this graphic blur of a spinning windmill at sunrise. 4 seconds. To make water look silky smooth, often a shutter speed of 1/2 second or slower is necessary. I took this photo in a forest where the lighting was very dim, so an even slower shutter speed was required.

  • Page 16: Exposure Modes

    Now that we have an idea how aperture (or f-stop) and shutter speed affect our pictures, let’s look at the exposure modes on the D90. Use the dial on top of the camera to pick one of the exposure modes. As you can see there are a lot to choose from! Let’s take a look at each...

  • Page 17: Shutter Priority

    Making Pictures Automatic. No flash. Portrait. Landscape. Action. Close-up. Night portrait. PROGRAM In the Program mode the camera does a lot of the work. It chooses the aperture and shutter speed for you. However, you are still able to control the rest of the camera settings such as white balance, ISO, flash, exposure compensation, and metering.

  • Page 18: Aperture Priority

    The Camera If you press the button to bring up the shooting information notice there’s an “ S ” in the top left corner indicating you’re in Shutter Priority mode. The shutter speed used when photographing moving water makes a big difference in the water’s appearance. You can use Shutter Priority to pick the speed you want and know it’s not going to change.
  • Page 19 Making Pictures select the aperture, but the camera still sets the shutter speed for you. You still have full control over all the other camera settings. As you saw in the photos in the Aperture section, which aperture you choose can make a big difference in the background of your photo. Being able to choose the aperture gives you a lot of creative control over your image.
  • Page 20 The Camera MANUAL In Manual mode you control both the shutter speed and aperture. This is a more advanced exposure mode because the camera is not choosing any settings for you. You might be thinking, how do I know what aperture and shutter speed combination to set? Even though you have to choose the aperture and shutter speed, the camera still provides some information to guide you in the right direction.
  • Page 21 Making Pictures As you change the aperture and/or shutter speed the black lines below this scale will change. The number of lines will change and they’ll either be on the left or right half of the scale. The scale is telling you how your exposure settings (aperture and shut- ter speed) compare to what the camera thinks is a correct exposure.

  • Page 22: Auto Modes

    (represented by the symbols on the Exposure Mode dial). STANDARD AUTO The Auto mode is the simplest exposure mode available. The cam- era controls most of the settings, giving you limited control. The D90 is truly in a “ point-and-shoot ” mode. DIGITAL VARI-PROGRAMS The Digital Vari-Programs are specialized auto modes in which the camera also controls most settings.
  • Page 23 Making Pictures Flash Off. In the Flash Off mode, the flash will not fire under any circumstances. This can be useful if you’re not allowed to use a flash or there is low lighting but you don’t want to use the flash. In this mode the camera focuses on the closest subject.
  • Page 24 The Camera Action. The purpose of the Action mode is to freeze action by using a fast shutter speed. To keep track of a moving subject the camera continu- ously focuses and the active focusing point will move to follow the subject.

  • Page 25: Exposure Compensation

    Making Pictures The Digital Vari-Programs such as Landscape can make it easy to grab a quick shot while you’re traveling. EXPOSURE MODES REVIEW Auto mode is best for when you need to take a shot as quickly as possible and want the camera to take care of everything for you. The Digital Vari-Programs are useful Auto modes for photographing spe- cific types of subjects.
  • Page 26 Initially you’ll probably use the exposure compensation after you’ve taken a picture and need to make an adjustment and take the same photo again. Though once you become familiar with how the D90 per- forms in different lighting situations, you may be able to anticipate when you’ll need exposure compensation.
  • Page 27 You will also see this same scale and numbers inside the viewfinder. BRACKETING Bracketing is another feature of the D90 related to exposure. Exposure bracketing is when a series of pictures is taken and the exposure for each photo is different. What you end up with is a range of exposures from lighter to darker of the same composition.
  • Page 28 The Camera Two photos will be taken: the first at the camera’s initial meter read- ing, the second one stop darker. Three photos will be taken: the first at the camera’s initial meter read- ing, the second one stop lighter, the third one stop darker. How do I know the second or third photos are going to be one stop light or darker? That’s where the second number on the display comes in.

  • Page 29: Depth Of Field Preview Button

    Here are all the quality options you’ll cycle through: There are two types of file formats you can choose from on the D90: JPEG and RAW. A JPEG is the common file format for photos. If you’ve used a compact digital camera it was saving your photos as...
  • Page 30 Basic. If you choose one of these settings then every time you take a picture the D90 will record a RAW file and a JPEG. Recording two files at once will fill up your memory card faster, but you’ll have both file formats available from the start.

  • Page 31: Image Size

    RAW files. In comparison, JPEGs are a common file for- mat so most software programs can be used to view them. A variety of manufacturers make RAW processing programs. Nikon’s software is called Capture NX and it is discussed in Part II. Other RAW processing programs include Aperture by Apple, Lightroom by Adobe, Capture One by Phase One, and Adobe’s Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop...

  • Page 32: Setting The Iso

    The Camera the shooting information display. It’s located just above the quality setting. To select the image size press and hold the button, then turn the sub-command dial. The Image Size options are Large, Medium, and Small. As with the quality setting, image size also affects what you can do with your photo.
  • Page 33 Making Pictures To change the ISO press and hold the button, then turn the com- mand dial. The ISO range goes from 200 to 3200, plus L 1.0 (ISO 100 equivalent) and H 1.0 (ISO 6400 equivalent). It might seem like a great choice to always go with a high ISO because then you won’t have any problems with freezing moving subjects or using small apertures.
  • Page 34 At high ISOs noise can be noticeable in dark areas of a picture. AUTO ISO The D90 also offers an Auto ISO option. Auto ISO will automatically raise or lower the ISO to help you achieve a correct exposure. This can be a useful setting if you don’t want to have to remember to...
  • Page 35 Matrix metering is a good all-purpose metering setting. The camera takes separate readings of the brightness and color from all parts of the scene in your viewfinder. This allows the D90 to take into consid- eration areas that are bright, dark, and in between.
  • Page 36 The Camera CENTER-WEIGHTED Center-weighted metering places an emphasis on what is in the mid- dle of the viewfinder. The camera takes a reading of everything in the viewfinder, but when calculating the exposure it gives more weight, or importance, to what is in the center of the image. This is a good option for portraits and other photos when your primary subject is in the mid- dle.

  • Page 37: Release Modes

    Making Pictures SPOT Spot metering is a very precise metering option. The spot meter reads one small area of the viewfinder and ignores everything else. In the view- finder there are eleven small squares. These are the focus area boxes. The spot meter reads from whichever one of these is active.

  • Page 38: Single-Frame

    SINGLE-FRAME In the single-frame release mode the D90 will take one picture each time you press the shutter release button. Even if you continue to hold down the shutter release button, the camera still only takes one pic- ture.
  • Page 39 Making Pictures (H) mode the D90 can capture 4.5 pictures per second. For the low (L) mode you can choose how fast it takes pictures (from 1 to 4 pic- tures per second), but that has to be set through the Custom Setting Menu.
  • Page 40 If you have the “ beep ” turned on, the D90 will also beep during the countdown, changing to a rapid beeping just before taking the picture.

  • Page 41: Remote On Duration

    A piece of blue fabric was held behind a cluster of flowers to create a colorful background that complemented the subject. REMOTE ON DURATION The D90 will wait for a signal from the remote control (Delayed or Quick-response remote modes) for one minute (default setting). If one minute passes and the remote has not been used, then the cam- era will reset to the single or continuous shooting mode, whichever was used last.

  • Page 42: Autofocus Modes

    Single Autofocus is good for subjects that are not moving. Press the shutter release button down halfway to lock the focus on your sub- ject. The D90 will stay focused on the subject as long as you keep the button pressed. Practice pressing and holding the shutter release but- ton to get a feel for how hard to press the button to lock focus, but not hard enough to take a picture.
  • Page 43 Making Pictures If your subjects are not moving, Single Autofocus mode is a quick and easy way to make sure they’re sharp. CONTINUOUS-SERVO AUTOFOCUS Continuous Autofocus is a great focusing mode when photographing something that is moving such as a person or an animal. When you press the shutter release button halfway, the camera focuses on the subject in the active focus bracket.

  • Page 44: Manual Focus

    The Camera MANUAL FOCUS To use manual focus just flip the AF/M switch on the left side of the camera. In Manual Focus mode you control where the camera focuses by turn- ing the focusing ring on the lens. If autofocus can’t lock onto your subject try using manual focus instead.

  • Page 45: Autofocus Area Modes

    In the viewfinder there are eleven small squares in the center area. Each square is a focus area. When using autofocus (described in the previous section) the D90 will focus on the subject in one of these boxes. The autofocus area modes control how the boxes are used by the autofocus system.
  • Page 46 The Camera DYNAMIC AREA Dynamic Area is a great mode for photographing action. You Dynamic Area is selected when you are using use the multi selector to choose the action mode the focus area where your sub- ject is located. Keep the shut- ter release button pressed halfway down.
  • Page 47 Making Pictures 3D-TRACKING 3D-Tracking mode is useful when your subject is not moving or mov- ing very little. This mode allows you to focus on your subject then recompose the picture (keep the shutter release button pressed half- way down). The camera keeps track of your subject and makes sure it stays in focus.

  • Page 48: Focus Lock

    The Camera Fine detail: a repeating subject that is small and does not have a lot of variation, a field of wildflowers for instance. Small subjects: if the subject is small enough that it doesn’t fill one of the focus boxes, the camera may focus on the background instead of the subject.

  • Page 49: White Balance

    Making Pictures hard. However, if having to press two buttons seems too complicated just stick with pressing the shutter release button halfway. Note: When you use the AE-L/AF-L button it also locks the exposure. If you just want it to lock the focus you can change this by going to #f4 in the Custom Setting Menu.

  • Page 50: Direct Sunlight

    Fluorescent lighting is often found in businesses and office buildings. Notice there’s a number after the fluorescent symbol. This is because the D90 offers multiple types of fluorescent lighting you can choose from. You have to go to the Shooting Menu to select a different fluo- rescent white balance setting.

  • Page 51: Preset White Balance

    Making Pictures CLOUDY On overcast days use the cloudy setting. If you use the direct sunlight setting on a cloudy day your pictures will have a slight blue color cast. The cloudy setting warms up your pictures to get rid of that blue cast.
  • Page 52 The Camera Direct sunlight. Cloudy. Shade. Incandescent. Fluorescent. Flash. The photos with the outside white balance settings (sunlight, cloudy, shade) are all noticeably warm. Fluorescent has a light magenta cast. Flash is warm as well because the color of light from a flash is simi- lar to daylight.
  • Page 53 Making Pictures Shade. Direct sunlight. Cloudy. Incandescent. Fluorescent. Flash. This photo was taken on an overcast day. The direct sunlight white balance renders the scene a little cool. The cloudy and shade photos both warm it up. Shade has a bit of a yellow cast, and is maybe a little too warm.
  • Page 54 The Camera Part of choosing a white balance setting is personal taste. Should you use cloudy or shade? That depends on how warm you want your sub- ject/scene to be. Perhaps you want to use the cloudy setting on a sunny day to add more warmth to your photo.

  • Page 55: Flash Modes

    Making Pictures USING THE FLASH WITH THE AND DIGITAL VARI-PROGRAM EXPOSURE MODES In these modes the flash only pops up if the camera senses there isn’t enough light for a proper exposure. In these situ- In these auto modes you can’t manually pop ations the flash pops up when up the flash.
  • Page 56 RED-EYE REDUCTION Use red-eye reduction when photographing people. It won’t eliminate red-eye in every photo, but it’s worth trying. When the D90 attempts to reduce red-eye it lights up the autofocus assist lamp on the front of the camera for about one second before taking the picture. So be aware there will be this lag between when you press the shutter release and when the flash fires/picture is taken.

  • Page 57: Flash Compensation

    The increased power of the flash is not enormous, but it does provide a little extra light if the normal flash power isn’t quite enough. The D90 provides more options for decreasing the output of the flash. Flash compensation allows you to balance the light from the flash with the light in the rest of the scene.
  • Page 58 The Camera the other is a dark shadow. You could use the flash to throw some light onto the person’s face to make the light more even and have less contrast. However, you wouldn’t want to use the flash at its normal power because the light on the person’s face would look unnatural.

  • Page 59: Live View

    Live View is a great new feature to take another picture. of the D90 and it’s very easy to Increasing the power of the flash will use use. To activate live view sim-...
  • Page 60 The Camera The numbers and symbols across the top and bottom of the moni- tor give you information about the camera’s settings. The informa- tion across the top includes the following: exposure mode, autofocus mode, file format and white balance. Along the bottom is the metering mode, shutter speed, aperture, ISO and number of photos remaining.

  • Page 61: Recording Movies

    Use the zoom ring on your lens for a wider or tighter composition. RECORDING MOVIES The D90 is the first DSLR able to record high definition videos. Make the live view screen brighter or darker...
  • Page 62 The Camera There are quality and sound options for movies in the Shooting Menu. To access these choices press the button and use the multi selector to move down to the Shooting Menu. The Movie Settings are at the bottom of the Shooting Menu. You can choose whether to record sound during your movies.

  • Page 63: Browse Images

    To view the photographs you have taken press the Playback button . A photograph will appear on the monitor on the back of the camera. The D90 will display the last photo taken or the last image on the memory card. To exit Playback...
  • Page 64 Playback Menu so that you’ll be able to see all those screens of informa- tion. By default the D90 only shows you a couple of the screens. This menu option lets you choose what other information you’d like to view.
  • Page 65 Viewing/Reviewing Images Image size (RAW, Fine, Normal, or Basic) Image quality (L, M, or S and resolution) Date the image was captured Time the image was captured RGB Histogram On the RGB histogram screen you can see your whole image, the white balance setting and four histograms.
  • Page 66 The Camera This is an incredibly useful screen because it warns you if parts of your image are overexposed. Any areas that are continually blinking “ black then white ” are overexposed. A blinking area means that part of the picture is so bright that some detail has been lost. To correct for this overexposure use the exposure compensation button .
  • Page 67 Viewing/Reviewing Images Detail 2 On the second details screen is information about the settings used to capture the image. This info also appears in a box overlaid on your image. Here’s what’s listed: White balance mode and any compensation made to the preset white balance ( / ) Color space Picture Control –...
  • Page 68 The Camera Detail 3 The third (and final) details screen just has a few pieces of informa- tion. The info is still in a box overlaid on your image. Here’s what’s listed: Noise Reduction: If noise reduction was applied to the image Active D-Lighting: If this feature was on or off Retouch: If you’re looking at an image created through the Retouch Menu, the type of retouching will be listed.
  • Page 69 Viewing/Reviewing Images Initially you should pay the most attention to the shadows and high- lights. When analyzing your histogram take a look at how it’s distrib- uted from left to right. The height of the histogram and the shape of the various peaks and valleys are unimportant when determining if you have a correct exposure.
  • Page 70 The Camera the Highlight screen in the Playback mode and the clouds were blink- ing. This means the clouds are now large areas of pure white. The clouds won’t look puffy with delicate texture because they’ve lost all their detail. They’ll simply be empty masses of white in your picture. Let’s look at histograms in a little more detail.
  • Page 71 Viewing/Reviewing Images Shadows Dark tones Mid-tones Light tones Highlights. Here’s the photo for this histogram. Once again the light and dark tones in the photo match what is seen in the histogram. PLAYBACK SUMMARY The basic info screen is good for viewing your photos and showing them to others.

  • Page 72: Deleting Photos

    The Camera DELETING PHOTOS While in Playback mode you can delete photos by pressing the trash button . The following message will appear to confirm that you do want to delete that photo: Press again to delete, press to cancel and return to your photo. PROTECTING PHOTOS FROM DELETION If you want to make sure you don’t accidentally delete a particular photo, press the...
  • Page 73 Viewing/Reviewing Images ZOOMING IN To zoom into your photos during playback press the button. Each press of the button will zoom in further until you are looking at a very small part of your photo. To zoom back out press the button.
  • Page 74 This can be helpful if you took multi- quality than the D90’s moni- ple photos of the same composition and want tor and will allow you to better to compare the same detail in each photo.
  • Page 75 Using one of the thumbnail views makes it easier to scroll through lots of photos to find the one you want. The D90 offers still another view if you press a fourth time. You’re now in the calendar view. This view groups your photos by the day they were taken.

  • Page 76: Slide Shows

    SLIDE SHOWS You can use your D90 to run a slide show of the photos on In any of the thumbnail/calendar views press your memory card. The slide to immediately jump back to regular play- show feature is an easy way to back mode.

  • Page 77: Viewing Photos On Tv

    VIEWING PHOTOS ON TV Standard Definition Devices: You can connect your D90 to a television or VCR using the supplied EG-D2 video cable. First choose the cor- rect video mode in the Setup Menu. Press the button then use the multi selector to navigate to Video Mode.
  • Page 78 The Camera 1. Choose the correct video mode. NTSC is used when connecting the D90 to an NTSC television or VCR. Use PAL if you’re connecting to a PAL video device. 2. Turn off the camera. 3. Connect the video cable. The video connection on the D90 is under the door on the left side of the camera.
  • Page 79 1. Choose the correct HDMI mode (or leave it set to Auto and go to Step 2). 2. Turn off the camera. 3. Connect the HDMI cable. The HDMI connection on the D90 is under the door on the left side of the camera. Plug the cable into the bottom...
  • Page 80 5. Turn on the camera and press the button to start playing your photos. During playback the images will appear on the screen of the HDMI device. The monitor on the D90 won’t turn on. 6. Turn the camera off to stop playback.

  • Page 81: Navigating The Menus

    The Camera Section C: Menus Pressing the Menu button brings up the main Menu screen on the monitor. There are six menu groupings, each repre- sented by an icon down the left side of the monitor: Playback, Shooting, Custom Setting, Setup, Retouch and My Menu. NAVIGATING THE MENUS To navigate to the differ-...

  • Page 82: Playback Menu

    The Camera PLAYBACK MENU The Playback Menu adjusts settings related to when you are viewing your photos. DELETE In Part 1B Viewing/Reviewing Images you learned how to delete pho- tos in the playback mode using the button. You can also delete photos through the Playback Menu.
  • Page 83 Menus If you choose to delete photos by date, you’ll see a list of the dates the photos on your memory card were taken. If you choose to delete selected photos, you’ll see thumbnails of your images. Use the left and right of the multi selector to navigate through the thumbnails.

  • Page 84: Playback Folder

    Nikon camera (and the photos are still on the card), there will be another folder created by that camera on the card. If you choose “ All ” you will likely be able to playback those photos on the D90.

  • Page 85: Hide Image

    Menus HIDE IMAGE Images you designate as “ hidden ” will not be shown in playback and cannot be deleted. Once labeled as hidden you have to go to the Hide Image setting to see the hidden images or to “ unhide ” them. The Hide Image option gives you the same choices as the Delete option above: selecting individual images, selecting by date and choosing all photos.

  • Page 86: Display Mode

    The Camera through the thumbnails. To make one of the thumbnails larger press and hold the Zoom button. When you release the Zoom button you’re back to the thumbnail view. When the yellow box is surrounding a photo you want to hide (or unhide) press the button.

  • Page 87: Image Review

    Menus Highlights shows the highlight warning screen. RGB Histogram shows histograms for the red, green and blue channels of a photo. Data shows three screens of information about what set- tings were used for each photo. See Part 1B Viewing/Reviewing Images for more information. To dis- play the Highlights, RGB Histogram and Data screens the boxes next to them need to be checked.

  • Page 88: Rotate Tall

    The Camera ROTATE TALL Rotate Tall controls whether vertical photos (portrait orientation) are rotated during playback. “ On ” means vertical photos will be shown correctly during playback. “ Off ” means vertical photos will be shown sideways and you have to turn the camera (or your head) to view them.

  • Page 89: Slide Show

    Menus You also have options for the type of music you want to play during the show and how the photos transition. SLIDE SHOW A quick way to share the photos on your memory card is to run a slide show. It’s a lot easier than repeatedly pressing the multi selector in playback mode if you want to show a lot of pictures.

  • Page 90: Print Set (Dpof)

    The Camera Frame interval allows you to choose how long each photo will be dis- played. There are a number of options available while the slide show is playing: Skip back/skip ahead Left on the multi selector goes to the previous photo. Right on the multi selector skips to the next photo.
  • Page 91 Menus Choose “ Select/set ” and you’ll see thumbnails of the photos on your memory card. Use the left and right of the multi selector to navigate through the thumbnails. To see one of the thumbnails in full-frame view press and hold the Zoom button.

  • Page 92: Shooting Menu

    When you’re ready to print take the following steps: 1. Turn the printer on. 2. Turn the D90 off. 3. Connect the D90 to the printer using the USB cable that came with the camera. 4. Turn the camera on.

  • Page 93: Set Picture Control

    Menus SET PICTURE CONTROL The Set Picture Control options give you the ability to fine tune how the colors, contrast, and sharpness of your subject are captured by the camera. If you’re happy with the color, contrast, and saturation in your pictures then you can leave Set Picture Control on the Standard setting.
  • Page 94 The Camera Standard: Works well for most photography. Neutral: Very little processing in camera. Offers the most flexibility for extensive processing or retouching later. Vivid: Increases saturation, contrast, and sharpness. Particularly empha- sizes reds, greens, and blues. Best used for nature photography. Monochrome: Images are all taken in black and white.

  • Page 95: Manage Picture Control

    Menus MANAGE PICTURE CONTROL Manage Picture Control lets you save settings from the Set Picture Control adjustments described above. This gives you the ability to fully customize these settings and save them as separate files. Once they are saved you could load them onto another camera, thereby saving you from having to enter all the settings again.
  • Page 96 The Camera through the control panel or Shooting Information Display. For more information on quality settings and JPEG and RAW files see Part I: Section A. IMAGE SIZE The Image Size menu is available if you choose one of the JPEG options for Image Quality.
  • Page 97 Menus WHITE BALANCE White balance helps to avoid unnatural color casts when photograph- ing under various light sources. Auto white balance is a good option that doesn’t require you to change the white balance every time you’re under a different light source.
  • Page 98 The Camera Fluorescent fine-tuning doesn’t have a color grid, but it lets you choose different types of fluorescent light. If you’re not sure which one is right, pick one, take a picture, and see how the image looks. Repeat the process until you find the one that gives you the best results. The Choose Color Temperature provides you with a list of color tem- peratures to select from.
  • Page 99 It’s the last choice in the white balance menu: Preset Manual. The D90 can store up to five custom white balance settings. If you have multiple custom white balances it’s a good idea to label them so you know which is which (select the preset then press the button).

  • Page 100: Iso Sensitivity Settings

    The Camera ISO SENSITIVITY SETTINGS The ISO Sensitivity refers to how sensitive the sensor is to light. At higher ISO numbers the camera needs less light to make a good expo- sure. This can allow you to use faster shutter speeds or smaller aper- tures while still achieving a proper exposure.

  • Page 101: Active D-Lighting

    Menus ACTIVE D-LIGHTING Active D-Lighting is an adjustment the camera applies to retain more detail in the highlight and shadow areas of your pictures. It can be useful in high-contrast situations where part of the scene is very bright and part is dark; for example, photographing outside with your subject in the shade, but other parts of the scene are brightly sunlit.

  • Page 102: Long Exposure Noise Reduction

    (appearing as pinpoints in your photo) to be brightly colored. Noise is caused by taking pictures at high ISOs and by using very long exposures (multiple seconds). The D90 offers two types of noise reduc- tion: Long Exposure Noise Reduction and High ISO Noise Reduction.

  • Page 103: Active Folder

    MOVIE SETTINGS The Movie Settings are options for using the D90’s video mode. You can choose from three quality settings, as well as whether you want sound to be recorded. For more information about these settings and...

  • Page 104: Custom Setting Menu

    The Camera CUSTOM SETTING MENU The Custom Setting Menu offers options for specializing camera func- tions and features to your needs/preferences. You won’t need to use this menu very much if you don’t want to. Some settings you can set once and won’t need to change them. The custom settings are divided into six groups: Autofocus, Metering/exposure, Timers/AE lock, Shooting/display, Bracketing/flash, and Controls.

  • Page 105: Reset Custom Settings

    Menus RESET CUSTOM SETTINGS If you reset the custom settings menu all the settings are returned to their defaults (what they were when you got the camera). AUTOFOCUS AF-AREA MODE The options for autofocus area mode control how the autofocus sys- tem locks onto a subject.

  • Page 106: Built-In Af-Assist Illuminator

    “ brackets ” it will stay in focus. BUILT-IN AF-ASSIST ILLUMINATOR The autofocus assist uses the lamp on the front of the D90. It looks like a little headlight near the shutter release button. If you have AF- Assist set to “...
  • Page 107 Menus On: The boxes will always light up red. Off: The boxes will never light up. I recommend using Auto or On. It’s certainly useful when the lighting is poor, but you may find it convenient to have the boxes light up all the time.
  • Page 108 The Camera AE-L/AF-L FOR MB-D80 The MB-D80 is the vertical grip attachment for the D90. On the grip is another AE-L/AF-L button. These are the options for the function of that button. AE/AF Lock: Press and hold to lock the exposure and focus.

  • Page 109: Easy Exposure Compensation

    Menus METERING/EXPOSURE EV STEPS FOR EXPSOURE CONTROL EV Steps control the increments for changes to shutter speed, aper- ture and auto bracketing. I recommend 1/3 step as it offers the most precise adjustments. Here are a couple examples: 1/3 step increments for changing the aperture from f/8 to f/11: f/8, f/9, f/10, f/11 1/3 step increments for changing the shutter speed from 1/125 to 1/250: 1/125, 1/160, 1/200, 1/250.

  • Page 110: Center-Weighted Area

    The Camera you’re automatically changing the compensation. This is very conve- nient but there are a couple things to be aware of: 1) You don’t see any numbers changing just the symbol appears to let you know you’ve changed the compensation, 2) You could accidentally turn the dial and engage exposure compensation without knowing it.

  • Page 111: Shutter-Release Button Ae-L

    Menus TIMERS/AE LOCK SHUTTER-RELEASE BUTTON AE-L By default the shutter release button locks focus when pressed half- way. Shutter-release button AE-L controls whether the shutter release button locks the exposure when it’s pressed halfway down. Off: Shutter release button does not lock the exposure (default setting, and good for most types of photographs).

  • Page 112: Monitor Off Delay

    The Camera SELF-TIMER With the self-timer you can set the length of the delay before the pic- ture is taken. To actually use the self-timer you need to choose the self-timer release mode (use the control panel to set it, see Part 1A). You can also select the number of photos that will be taken.

  • Page 113: Viewfinder Grid Display

    If you don’t use the remote in that period of time the D90 will switch back to your previous release mode (single or continuous). To choose the release mode use the con- trol panel, for more information see Part 1A.

  • Page 114: Viewfinder Warning Display

    The Camera ISO DISPLAY AND ADJUSTMENT By default the ISO is not displayed in the control panel, but this set- ting gives you a way to change this. If you choose “ Show ISO sensi- tivity ” the ISO will be displayed in place of the frame-count number (bottom right of control panel).

  • Page 115: Screen Tips

    Screen Tips to off. CL SHOOTING MODE The D90 offers a low and a high continuous shooting mode. The high mode (4.5) is the greatest number of photos the camera can take in one second. Here you can choose what you want the low continuous setting to be.

  • Page 116: Shooting Info Display

    The Camera On: The camera continually counts up when numbering (0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, etc.) all the way to 9999, then it returns to 0001. This sequence will continue even if a new memory card is used or the memory card is formatted. Off: Every time you put in a new memory card, reformat a memory card or create a new folder the camera resets the file numbering back to 0001.

  • Page 117: Lcd Illumination

    Menus LCD ILLUMINATION If you set LCD Illumination to “ On ” , every time you press the shutter release button halfway the control panel will light up. Otherwise to turn on LCD illumination you turn the ON/OFF switch past ON to the light bulb symbol.

  • Page 118: Flash Shutter Speed

    If you are using AA bat- teries to power the vertical grip you need to tell the D90 what kind of AA’s they are so it can accurately display how much power is left.
  • Page 119 FLASH CONTROL FOR BUILT-IN FLASH There are three flash modes to choose from, plus the Commander mode which allows you to control other Nikon flashes wirelessly from you D90. TTL: Good all-around flash mode, camera decides how much power the flash should put out.

  • Page 120: Modeling Flash

    For your other flash units to be controlled by the D90 they must be set to their “ remote ” mode. Check your flash manual to find out how to do this.

  • Page 121: Bracketing Order

    Menus AUTO FP Tuning “ On ” Auto FP enables FP high-speed sync and allows you to use shutter speeds faster than 1/200 with an external flash unit. Auto FP does not work with the built-in flash. Therefore, when using the built-in flash the fastest shutter speed you can use is 1/200.

  • Page 122: Illumination Switch

    Not used: OK button does nothing in the shooting mode. ASSIGN FUNCTION BUTTON Think of the function button as a shortcut button. The function but- ton is located on the front of the D90 near the Autofocus Assist Light. It has “ Fn ” printed next to it.

  • Page 123: Assign Ae-L/Af-L Button

    Access top item in MY MENU: Press the Function button and the options will be displayed for the top item in the MY MENU list. NEF (RAW): Press the Function button to have the D90 start record- ing RAW files for subsequent photos. It will continue to record RAW files until the Function button is pressed again.

  • Page 124: Customize Command Dials

    The Camera Here are all the options you can choose from: AE/AF Lock: Press and hold to lock the exposure and focus. AE Lock Only: Press and hold to just lock the exposure. AF Lock Only: Press and hold to only lock the focus. AE Lock Hold: Press and release to lock the exposure, press again to remove the exposure lock.

  • Page 125: No Memory Card

    Menus Change Main/Sub: Switch what the main and sub-command dials con- trol. OFF regular function, ON functions of dials are switched. Menus and Playback: These settings control how the dials are used when navigating through the menus and your pictures. On: You can use the command dials to move through menus and during playback.

  • Page 126: Reverse Indicators

    Release locked means you can’t take a picture when there is no mem- ory card. If you try and take a picture nothing will happen. Keeping the D90 set to Release Locked is a good safety precaution to avoid accidentally taking pictures when there’s no memory card.

  • Page 127: Format Memory Card

    CLEAN IMAGE SENSOR The D90 has the extremely useful ability to clean the sensor itself. With an SLR camera dust and dirt will eventually get inside the cam- era and find their way to the sensor. Having a self-cleaning sensor...

  • Page 128: Lock Mirror Up For Cleaning

    The Camera The “ Clean now ” choice lets you clean the sensor whenever you want. The “ Clean at ” option allows you to tell the camera when to auto- matically clean the sensor. You can have it clean the sensor when the camera is turned on, when it’s turned off, or both.

  • Page 129: Video Mode

    HDMI cable. WORLD TIME You set this info when you first turned on the D90 and did the set-up steps. If you need to change your time zone or adjust the date format you can do that here.

  • Page 130: Image Comment

    The Camera LANGUAGE Language was selected when you initially set up the camera. However you can always change it if you would like the menus and messages displayed in a different language. IMAGE COMMENT Image Comment allows you to attach a text comment to your images. This comment is stored as part of the image along with shooting data such as aperture and shutter speed.

  • Page 131: Auto Image Rotation

    (no comment attached for this photo). AUTO IMAGE ROTATION If you turn “ On ” Auto Image Rotation the D90 will sense the orienta- tion of the camera (horizontal or vertical) and record this information with the image. The benefit comes when you look at the photos on your computer.

  • Page 132: Image Dust Off Ref Photo

    The data captured in the photo can be used by Nikon’s Capture NX software to identify and remove dust from your images. This data can only be used by Capture NX.

  • Page 133: Firmware Version

    FIRMWARE VERSION The firmware screen tells you what version of firmware the camera is using. Unless Nikon releases an update for the D90 firmware, both A, B and L will stay at 1.00. No need to do anything here.

  • Page 134: Retouch Menu

    Retouch to adjust. After the retouching is Menu: Side-By-Side Comparison. Find a finished, the D90 will create an retouched photo in Playback mode, press OK, adjusted copy of your photo. and go all the way to the bottom of the list.

  • Page 135: Red-Eye Correction

    D-Lighting will change your photo. RED-EYE CORRECTION The D90 will attempt to detect red-eye in photos where flash was used. This tool won’t let you select an image if the flash wasn’t used. If the camera can’t detect red-eye it won’t create a corrected copy.
  • Page 136 The Camera TRIM Trim gives you the ability to create cropped versions of your photos. After selecting your photo, choose the ratio for your cropped photo. Turn the command dial to cycle through the three ratios available (3:2, 4:3, 5:4). 3:2 is ratio for your original photo. 3:2 Ratio 4:3 Ratio 5:4 Ratio...
  • Page 137 Menus MONOCHROME The Monochrome option gives you three settings to choose from: black and white, sepia, or cyanotype. A monochrome image is either black and white or only made up of varying tones of one color. The sepia and cyanotype options let you adjust the saturation. Experiment with different photos to see what works for the different monochrome options.

  • Page 138: Filter Effects

    The Camera Cyanotype images are blue-tinted. FILTER EFFECTS Filter Effects offer a variety of filters that affect the colors in a photo. Consider the colors and subject of your photo when deciding which filters to try. The Skylight Filter adds a little warmth to photos by removing blue. The Warm Filter adds more warmth than the Skylight Filter.

  • Page 139: Color Balance

    Menus The Red Intensifier creates stronger red tones and the Green Intensifier increases green tones. The Blue Intensifier strengthens the blues in an image. With the Cross Screen Filter bright areas become the center of a star pattern with lines radiating outward. You can choose how many star points there are as well as the length of the points.

  • Page 140: Small Picture

    The Camera Above is the original image. Extreme green and magenta color balance adjustments. Extreme blue and red color balance adjustments. SMALL PICTURE Are you shooting at the high quality JPEG setting, but have a photo you’d like to e-mail to a friend? No problem, just use the Small Picture Tool to create a smaller version of your photo.

  • Page 141: Image Overlay

    Menus The D90 will confirm that you want to process the selected images, then save the new smaller size. Any image produced by the “ small picture ” process will have a gray border around it so you know it’s not a full size photo.

  • Page 142: Nef (Raw) Processing

    The Camera NEF (RAW) PROCESSING The RAW Processing is used to create an adjusted JPEG copy of your RAW photo. After selecting the photo to adjust you have a number of options. Let’s work from the top down. First, choose the JPEG quality and then the size.

  • Page 143: Distortion Control

    Menus Press OK to save the retouched version. You’re then switched to Playback Mode to view the retouched image. This will hap- pen when you create a retouched photo with any of the tools. STRAIGHTEN The Straighten tool makes it easy to fix a tilted horizon line.
  • Page 144 The Camera The Auto adjustment is more subtle than the Manual adjustment. Move the yellow marker along the scale to reduce the distortion around the sides of your photo. Use the sub-command dial or press left and right on the multi selector. FISHEYE Create the bulging fisheye look from a regular image.
  • Page 145 Menus The further you move down the scale the more exteme the fisheye effect. Use the sub-command dial or press left and right on the multi selector. RECENT SETTING/MY MENU The last menu actually contains two menus: Recent Settings and My Menu.
  • Page 146 The Camera My Menu gives you more options because it lets you pick exactly what you want to have in the menu. When you go into My Menu you then choose “ Add Items ” . This takes you to a list of five menus: Playback,...

  • Page 147: Section D: Batteries

    “ write ” mode and you can save pictures to it. If you move the slider down, the card will be locked. If a locked card is inserted into the D90 the letters “ CHA ” will flash in the control panel. If you press the shutter release button you’ll see the following message on the monitor: “...

  • Page 148: Maintenance

    To download photos to your computer use either a card reader or connect the D90 directly to your computer with the provided USB cable. When looking for a card reader make sure it can read Don’t turn the camera off if the memory card...
  • Page 149 KEEPING YOUR SENSOR CLEAN One major difference between compact digital cameras and digital SLRs, like the D90, is that you can attach different lenses to the cam- era. However, taking lenses on and off the camera exposes the sensor to dust and dirt. If tiny pieces of dust and dirt land on the sensor, they will appear as little black specs on every picture you take.

  • Page 150: Sensor Cleaning

    Visible Dust ( www.visibledust.com ). I wouldn’t worry too much about manual sensor cleaning. Take advantage of the sensor cleaning option in the D90 and see how good a job it does keeping dust off the sensor.

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