spine=.64” Photography/Techniques/Digital CoInlor Making Everything Easier!™ Use every feature of your D90, get creative, and snap great shots! Open the book and find: D 9 0 n Your Nikon D90 offers professional-quality features to help N i k o (cid:127) Tips for taking perfect portraits, you take your photography to the next level. Take full advantage dynamic action shots, and NN ® of every one with this fun and easy guide! Understand and beautiful nature pics use all the dials and modes, manage photo size and quality, ii (cid:127) Techniques for manipulating color kk take creative control with manual settings, and share your and focus images in print or online. oo (cid:127) Detailed coverage of every menu (cid:127) Nuts and bolts — set up your camera, work with lenses and memory option nn cards, and use automatic photography modes (cid:127) Advice on which Custom Settings ®® (cid:127) Go live — get the scoop on using Live View mode and recording and to use (and which ones to avoid) DD playing HD movies (cid:127) How to choose the right Image (cid:127) Gain new shooting skills — find out how to use advanced options to Quality setting 99 capture any subject like a pro (cid:127) Help with using Retouch menu 00 (cid:127) Exposure is everything — control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO; options to fix problem photos work with Active D-Lighting; and use various flash modes (cid:127) Easy-to-understand explanations (cid:127) Out of the camera — download, organize, and archive your images of technical lingo and share them in prints, e-mails, and slide shows Learn to: Go to dummies.com® (cid:127) Master all of the features of your D90 for more! (cid:127) Take control of exposure, focus, and color (cid:127) Download, manage, and share your photos online or in print IN FULL COLOR! $29.99 US / $35.99 CN / £19.99 UK Julie Adair King is the author of many digital photography books, ISBN 978-0-470-45772-6 including Digital Photography For Dummies, Nikon D40/D40x For Dummies, and Nikon D60 For Dummies. She also teaches digital photography workshops at such locations as the Palm Beach Photographic Centre. Julie Adair King King Author of Digital Photography For Dummies Nikon D90 ® FOR DUMmIES ‰ by Julie Adair King 0011__445577772266--ffffiirrss..iinndddd ii 11//66//0099 55::5555::1177 PPMM Nikon® D90 For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permit- ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http:// www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affi liates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Nikon is a registered trademark of Nikon Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. 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Library of Congress Control Number: 2009920036 ISBN: 978-0-470-45772-6 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0011__445577772266--ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiii 11//66//0099 55::5555::1188 PPMM About the Author Julie Adair King is the author of many books about digital photography and imaging, including the best-selling Digital Photography For Dummies. Her most recent titles include a series of guides to popular digital SLR cameras, including Nikon D60 For Dummies and Nikon D40/D40x For Dummies. Other works include Digital Photography Before & After Makeovers, Digital Photo Projects For Dummies, Julie King’s Everyday Photoshop For Photographers, Julie King’s Everyday Photoshop Elements, and Shoot Like a Pro!: Digital Photography Techniques. When not writing, King teaches digital photography at such locations as the Palm Beach Photographic Centre. A graduate of Purdue University, she resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Author’s Acknowledgments I am extremely grateful to the team of talented professionals at John Wiley and Sons for all their efforts in putting together this book. Special thanks go to my awesome project editor, Kim Darosett, who is the type of editor that all authors hope for but rarely experience: supportive, skilled, and amaz- ingly calm in the face of any storm, including my not infrequent freakouts. I also owe much to the rest of the folks in both the editorial and art depart- ments, especially Heidi Unger, Rashell Smith, Shelley Lea, Steve Hayes, Andy Cummings, and Mary Bednarek. Thanks, too, to Jonathan Conrad for providing the awesome nighttime shot for Chapter 7, and to agent extraordinaire, Margot Maley Hutchison, for her continuing help and encouragement. And last but not least, I am also indebted to technical editor Dave Hall, without whose insights and expertise this book would not have been the same. 0011__445577772266--ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiiiii 11//66//0099 55::5555::1188 PPMM Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions and Editorial Composition Services Project Editor: Kim Darosett Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond Executive Editor: Steven Hayes Layout and Graphics: Stacie Brooks, Carrie A. Cesavice, Reuben W. Davis, Copy Editor: Heidi Unger Ronald Terry, Erin Zeltner Technical Editor: David Hall Proofreaders: John Greenough, Betty Kish Editorial Manager: Leah Cameron Indexer: Broccoli Information Management Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director Publishing for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services 0011__445577772266--ffffiirrss..iinndddd iivv 11//66//0099 55::5555::1188 PPMM Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................. 1 A Quick Look at What’s Ahead ......................................................................1 Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps .........................................................2 Part II: Taking Creative Control ............................................................2 Part III: Working with Picture Files ......................................................3 Part IV: The Part of Tens .......................................................................3 Icons and Other Stuff to Note ........................................................................3 About the Software Shown in This Book ......................................................4 Practice, Be Patient, and Have Fun! ...............................................................5 Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps .................................. 7 Chapter 1: Getting the Lay of the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Getting Comfortable with Your Lens ..........................................................10 Attaching a lens ....................................................................................10 Removing a lens ...................................................................................12 Using a VR (vibration reduction) lens ...............................................12 Setting the focus mode (auto or manual) .........................................13 Zooming in and out ..............................................................................14 Adjusting the Viewfi nder Focus ...................................................................15 Working with Memory Cards .......................................................................16 Exploring External Camera Controls ...........................................................18 Topside controls ..................................................................................19 Back-of-the-body controls ...................................................................20 Front-left buttons .................................................................................23 Front-right controls .............................................................................24 Ordering from Camera Menus .....................................................................26 Monitoring Shooting Settings ......................................................................28 Asking Your Camera for Help .......................................................................31 Reviewing Basic Setup Options ...................................................................31 Cruising the Setup menu .....................................................................31 Browsing the Custom Setting menu ..................................................35 Chapter 2: Taking Great Pictures, Automatically. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Getting Good Point-and-Shoot Results ........................................................42 Using Flash in Automatic Exposure Modes ................................................46 0022__445577772266--ffttoocc..iinndddd vv 11//66//0099 55::5555::2266 PPMM vvii Nikon D90 For Dummies Exploring Your Automatic Exposure Options ...........................................47 Auto mode ............................................................................................48 Digital Vari-Program modes ...............................................................50 Changing the (Shutter Button) Release Mode ...........................................55 Chapter 3: Controlling Picture Quality and Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Diagnosing Quality Problems .......................................................................60 Considering Resolution (Image Size) ..........................................................62 Pixels and print quality .......................................................................63 Pixels and screen display size ............................................................64 Pixels and fi le size ................................................................................64 Resolution recommendations ............................................................66 Understanding the Image Quality Options .................................................68 JPEG: The imaging (and Web) standard ..........................................68 NEF (Raw): The purist’s choice ..........................................................71 My take: Choose JPEG Fine or NEF (Raw).........................................75 Setting Image Size and Quality .....................................................................75 Chapter 4: Monitor Matters: Picture Playback and Live View Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Enabling Automatic Picture Rotation .........................................................80 Disabling and Adjusting Instant Review .....................................................81 Viewing Images in Playback Mode ..............................................................82 Viewing multiple images at a time .....................................................84 Displaying photos in Calendar view ..................................................86 Zooming in for a closer view ..............................................................87 Viewing Picture Data .....................................................................................89 File Information mode .........................................................................90 RGB Histogram mode ..........................................................................92 Highlight display mode .......................................................................94 Shooting Data display mode ...............................................................95 GPS Data mode .....................................................................................97 Overview Data mode ...........................................................................97 Hiding Photos during Playback ...................................................................99 Deleting Photos ............................................................................................101 Deleting images one at a time ..........................................................101 Deleting all photos .............................................................................102 Deleting a batch of selected photos ................................................102 Protecting Photos ........................................................................................104 Exploring Live View Shooting ....................................................................105 Taking pictures in Live View mode .................................................107 Recording movies ..............................................................................110 Customizing the Live View display ..................................................113 0022__445577772266--ffttoocc..iinndddd vvii 11//66//0099 55::5555::2266 PPMM vviiii Table of Contents Part II: Taking Creative Control ................................. 115 Chapter 5: Getting Creative with Exposure and Lighting . . . . . . . . . .117 Introducing the Exposure Trio: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO .......118 Understanding exposure-setting side effects .................................120 Doing the exposure balancing act ...................................................124 Exploring the Advanced Exposure Modes ...............................................126 Reading the Meter .......................................................................................127 Setting ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed .................................................129 Adjusting aperture and shutter speed ............................................129 Controlling ISO ...................................................................................130 Choosing an Exposure Metering Mode .....................................................134 Applying Exposure Compensation ............................................................138 Using Autoexposure Lock ...........................................................................141 Expanding Tonal Range with Active D-Lighting .......................................143 Using Flash in P, S, A, and M modes ..........................................................145 Setting the fl ash mode .......................................................................146 Adjusting fl ash output .......................................................................151 Locking fl ash exposure on your subject .........................................154 Exploring a few additional fl ash options.........................................155 Using an external fl ash head ............................................................156 Bracketing Exposures .................................................................................158 Chapter 6: Manipulating Focus and Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163 Reviewing Focus Basics ..............................................................................164 Adjusting Autofocus Performance ............................................................166 Understanding the AF-area mode setting .......................................166 Changing the Autofocus mode setting ............................................171 Choosing the right autofocus combo ..............................................172 Using autofocus lock .........................................................................173 Autofocusing in Live View mode......................................................173 Manipulating Depth of Field .......................................................................176 Controlling Color .........................................................................................183 Correcting colors with white balance .............................................183 Changing the white balance setting ................................................185 Fine-tuning white balance settings ..................................................188 Creating white balance presets ........................................................190 Bracketing white balance ..................................................................196 Choosing a Color Space: sRGB vs. Adobe RGB ........................................198 Taking a Quick Look at Picture Controls ..................................................200 0022__445577772266--ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiii 11//66//0099 55::5555::2266 PPMM vviiiiii Nikon D90 For Dummies Chapter 7: Putting It All Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 Recapping Basic Picture Settings ..............................................................206 Setting Up for Specifi c Scenes ....................................................................206 Shooting still portraits ......................................................................206 Capturing action ................................................................................211 Capturing scenic vistas .....................................................................214 Capturing dynamic close-ups ...........................................................217 Coping with Special Situations ..................................................................219 Part III: Working with Picture Files ........................... 223 Chapter 8: Downloading, Organizing, and Archiving Your Picture Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 Sending Pictures to the Computer ............................................................226 Connecting the camera and computer ............................................227 Starting the transfer process ............................................................228 Downloading and Organizing Photos with the Nikon Software .............231 Downloading with Nikon Transfer ...................................................231 Browsing images in Nikon ViewNX ..................................................235 Viewing picture metadata .................................................................238 Organizing pictures ...........................................................................240 Processing Raw (NEF) Files ........................................................................242 Processing Raw images in the camera ............................................244 Processing Raw fi les in ViewNX .......................................................247 Chapter 9: Printing and Sharing Your Pictures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251 Printing Possibilities: Retail or Do-It-Yourself? ........................................252 Preventing Potential Printing Problems ...................................................253 Match resolution to print size ..........................................................253 Allow for different print proportions ..............................................256 Get print and monitor colors in synch ............................................258 Preparing Pictures for E-Mail .....................................................................260 Creating small copies using the camera .........................................262 Downsizing images in Nikon ViewNX ..............................................265 Creating a Digital Slide Show .....................................................................267 Setting up a simple slide show .........................................................268 Creating Pictmotion slide shows .....................................................269 Viewing Your Photos on a Television .......................................................271 0022__445577772266--ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiiiii 11//66//0099 55::5555::2266 PPMM