Nikon Custom Function Presets

[Jack]

This came up in another thread and Joe suggested we start a thread dedicated to our favorite custom function recipes. I will start with my 2 main ones:

1) Regular everyday use is group A which is basically stock with AF on shutter button, (AF mode chosen based on subject) low-continuous set to 3 FPS, center button to give 100% view on review.

2) Landscape/tripod mounted mode is group B, which has AF On rear button only, shutter delay set to 3 seconds, center button to give 100% view on review and in Live View.

 

[ustein]

>How about "walk around" street photography settings? Auto ISO?

I use Auto ISO 500 for handheld (most of the time ). Auto shutter speed at second fastest (may go down to medium).

 

[Jack]

Actually, I do use auto ISO. But I use auto ISO on my walk-around setting at 3200! The reality is it rarely goes there unless it's night and I have the 24-120 mounted. In landscape mode I limit ISO to 400. Honestly on this camera I have seen almost no difference between 100, 200 and 400, other than the slightest bit more deep shadow noise at 400. 800 starts to show more noise, but I would say still so subtle it would never be noted in a print, though might be noted if you push shadows up 2 or 3 stops and did not process it out. Finally, I actually like the look of the noise at 3200 in color and 6400 in B&W, so there are times I'll force it to those levels for artistic effect.

My basic walk-around settings are stock; AF on the shutter or rear button, AF and AE lock on the standard button. I use single or continuous AF depending on setting, and use the 21 point setting when in continuous since the manual said it was faster than auto. I also have the command set to wrap focus point for easy selection. I also have both settings prioritized for release over focus -- I'd rather catch the critical moment slightly out of focus than have a perfectly focussed missed shot .

 

[ustein]

The lower ISO are really nice for aerials because you want to see the finest possible detail as part of the content and not just pixel peeping.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Im a old dog I still set my ISO myself. I trust nothing when it comes to automation in cams.

 

[ustein]

>I trust nothing when it comes to automation in cams.

Right so. But I am lazy and there are many situations where I would need to tweak ISO shot by shot. In the end it maybe close what the auto does anyway. The Nikon auto ISO is the best I have seen so far,

 

[tashley]

I'm such a lazy tart that I haven't set up any shooting banks... The fact that they change on the fly as you change settings seems to negate their usefulness to me. So I tend to have:
Auto ISO, 6400, fastest shutter
Quick switchability between AF-s and AF-c 3D (brilliantly useful)
Everything else as it comes out of the can really apart from having aperture on the back wheel in A mode and with reverse direction.

BUT I have set up my own menu for quick switching of key things such as ISO settings, Image Area, exposure Delay Mode and Self Timer.

Recently started to shoot in continuous low rather than single shot mode too.

 

[Jack]

Oh, and I also set my ISO to whole stop increments because I *HATE* dealing with 1/3rd or 1/2 ISO steps. Set Continuous low to 3FPS -- I shoot Cont Low most of the time, and at 3 FPS I can easily get a single or multiple frames.

 

[D&A]

Im a old dog I still set my ISO myself. I trust nothing when it comes to automation in cams.

The more I read your posts how you shoot Guy, the more I"m convinced we both had the same philosophical photographic education in the "Photo" School of "hard knocks"' in which only stubborn photographers are admitted. . I will admit though I do cheat every once in a while by turning that mode dial to "A", when no one is looking. Auto ISO though would result in immediate expulsion!...LOL!

Dave (D&A)

 

[Jack]

What if I told you guys that from my observations, Auto ISO tracks right in line to keeping your shutter speed at 1/focal length, even with the zooms...

 

[Guy Mancuso]

The more I read your posts how you shoot Guy, the more I"m convinced we both had the same philosophical photographic education in the "Photo" School of "hard knocks"' in which only stubborn photographers are admitted. . I will admit though I do cheat every once in a while by turning that mode dial to "A", when no one is looking. Auto ISO though would result in immediate expulsion!...LOL!

Dave (D&A)

Lol I guess us old guys that shot stuff manually for years even with strobes and no polariods to even peek at stuff are just stubborn old goats on this stuff. I admit I am looking a little like a old goat. Lol

Honestly the auto ISO is nice indeed it's me more than anything else plus I think we all will admit the D800 has so many darn options it's actually a little scary . I honestly try and not use everything but just go through the normal steps that I am used too over the years. I'm lazy too in not wanting to read the manual and figure some of this stuff out. Sometimes I'll just call Jack and say WTF do I do here. nice having a smart business partner. Lol

I do use CL also at 3fps.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Lol I guess us old guys that shot stuff manually for years even with strobes and no polariods to even peek at stuff are just stubborn old goats on this stuff. I admit I am looking a little like a old goat. Lol

Honestly the auto ISO is nice indeed it's me more than anything else plus I think we all will admit the D800 has so many darn options it's actually a little scary . I honestly try and not use everything but just go through the normal steps that I am used too over the years. I'm lazy too in not wanting to read the manual and figure some of this stuff out. Sometimes I'll just call Jack and say WTF do I do here. nice having a smart business partner. Lol

I do use CL also at 3fps.

Crap now he can't get his head through the door. ROTFLMAO

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Okay I'm going to try it today I decided. Going to a wedding but I'm not the hired gun on this one so I can do what I want. So I'll play a little today. Admittedly I won't try things like this on paying gigs. I tried the other night with 2 910 strobes firing with PW and I tested it before the event sort of worked than decided not to take the risk until I got it right and turns out I needed to update the firmware in the PW. I shot Nikons before but the D800 has a lot of new stuff than those days so I'm just being careful. I honestly believe it takes a good deal of time to wear in your shoes, no diffrent here.

 

[D&A]

I think when it comes to auto anything, it basically comes down to trust and knowing before hand, that it provides a level of performance advantages above and beyond what one can do manually themselves...and do it in a way that reliable enough that it won't generally foul things up. Sort of like future cars with auto breaking...trust that when you need to stop from crashing into the car in front of you, the car will reliably apply the brakes! LOL!

Hey, who you're calling old man...I plan on living long enough for the day where flying cars are an everyday thing and where any sensor less than 600 MP is considered small .

Jack, regarding Auto ISO where it keeps shutter speeds at 1/focal length of the lens, especially zooms...wouldn't that be essentially too low if one was handholding camera/lens combo on a D800?.....unless I am mis-interpreting what you're saying?

Dave (D&A)

 

[Jack]

Jack, regarding Auto ISO where it keeps shutter speeds at 1/focal length of the lens, especially zooms...wouldn't that be essentially too low if one was handholding camera/lens combo on a D800?.....unless I am mis-interpreting what you're saying?

Dave (D&A)

Yes, and that's when I bump up the *base* ISO for auto . Note that in Auto ISO you can set BOTH the desired or starting ISO and then the top ISO. So in landscape mode I goto ISO 100 at base. In hand-held, I usually bump that to a base of 400. Of course VR helps here too if the subjects aren't moving very fast.

 

[D&A]

Yes, and that's when I bump up the *base* ISO for auto . Note that in Auto ISO you can set BOTH the desired or starting ISO and then the top ISO. So in landscape mode I goto ISO 100 at base. In hand-held, I usually bump that to a base of 400. Of course VR helps here too if the subjects aren't moving very fast.

Thanks, makes perfect sense, especially if lens has VR. It often takes time to sometimes switch ISO or shutter speed on the fly when a fleeting image is about to pass by and can often be missed...but on the other hand, if the selected ISO in auto ISO isn't quite what is needed, the resulting image may be soft or blurred. So pluses and minuses to whatever one uses. For some, one may save them more often than the other.

Dave (D&A)

 

[ustein]

>1/focal length of the lens, especially zooms...wouldn't that be essentially too low if one was handholding camera/lens combo on a D800?

Think so too unless you use VR. I use auto shutter speed at second highest level. If I want faster I also bump up ISO.