Nikon D300 User manual

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 1
Thom Hogan’s
Complete Guide
to the Nikon D300
1st Edition
By Thom Hogan
byThom Press

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 2
Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300
First Edition 2008
Published in the United States by
byThom Press
Emmaus, PA 18049
http://www.bythom.com
© 2008 Thom Hogan
All Rights Reserved
Copies of this work may not be distributed in any form or by
any transmission method.
All photographs by and © Thom Hogan
This book is not sponsored by Nikon Corporation.
Information, data, and procedures described herein are
correct to the best of the author’s and publisher’s knowledge;
all other liability is expressly disclaimed. Nikkor, Nikon, and
Speedlight are registered trademarks of Nikon Corporation,
Japan. CompactFlash is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation.
All other products or name brands are trademarks of their
respective manufacturers.
The author and publisher shall not be responsible for errors
contained herein or any damages in connection with the
furnishing, performance, or use of the material in this book. In
particular, the author and publisher shall not be responsible
for any damage to the sensor of the camera of any reader who
follows the cleaning instructions contained in this book. Nor
shall the author and publisher be responsible for damage to
camera electronics by anyone attempting to make their own
external power supply based upon the ideas presented in this
book. It’s a sad commentary on our society that I even need to
include this disclaimer.
1st Edition, version 1.02: 3/6/08

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 3
Acknowledgements
This book is better because of the reviews and comments of
William Ackerman, Paul Beiser, Jeff Blumenthal, Matt Buedel,
Stanley H. Burg, Joe T. Carter, Shun Cheung, Bob Cohen,
Nick Davis, Mark Delgado, Billy Dixon, Dan Frank, Mark
Fedak, Bill Ferreira, Lukas Harden, Stephen Hardman, Phillip
B. Holland, Joseph O. Holmes, Steve Horne, Devin M. Kani,
Yasha Karant, Dixon Kenner, Klifton Keplinger, Neal
Lippman, Nancy McMurtrie, Cris McRae, Ralph Mawyer Jr.,
Chandra Mouli, Harald Nagel, Barry Nelson, Adebayo
Olumide, Richard Ross, Steve Rucker, John J. Schmidt, Joel C
Schochet, Mitch Strauss, Chuck Tankersley, Mark Ward,
Doug Werner, Rob White, and Leroy Wiley.
Several Web sites proved useful in researching aspects of this
book. While I mention others at appropriate points in the
book, four need to be singled out for D300 users:
• Phil Askey’s http://www.dpreview.com has some of the
most thorough reviews of digital cameras (yes, even more
thorough than the ones on my own site) and an ongoing
forum that’s useful for getting answers to tough questions
(select Nikon D300/D200/D100 from the Discussion
Forums pop-up in the left navigation panel).
• Nikonians http://www.nikonians.com is another of the
“well-attended” public forums that are useful for Nikon
D300 users. Click on Forums, then click on the
D100/D200/D300 Users Group link.
• Nikon Café http://www.nikoncafe.com is a relatively new
moderated forum and has had a lively discussion of the
D300. Click on Lighting and Flash, Cameras, and
gear, and then click on the Nikon D3/D300 forum link.
• Nikon Gear http://www.nikongear.com is a moderated
forum with notables such as Bjorn Rorslett involved. Click
on FORUM at the top of the page, and then click on the
The New Nikon D300 forum link.

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 4
About this eBook
This eBook was created using Adobe Acrobat directly from
my original files. I’ve tried to retain as many of the
navigational features as Acrobat allows (for example, the
Bookmarks section at the left is derived from the Table of
Contents and is fully active—click on an entry and you’ll be
taken to it). Curiously, trying to create a fully functional eBook
using Adobe’s tools is worthy of an eBook itself (most of the
chapters would be centered on trying to get promised features
to work, and how they keep changing between Acrobat
Professional versions, sometimes going backwards in ability).
Your Rights versus Mine
I make my living documenting Nikon equipment. Thus, I have
registered the Copyright for this work in order to protect my
rights.
That said, I have not enabled copy protection, forced you to
enter a serial number, asked you to agree to a License
Agreement, or in any other way limited access to the
information in this eBook. I trust you to honor my Copyright
and to follow a few simple guidelines:
1. Treat the CD you received as you would a printed
book.
2. I grant those of you who purchased this eBook directly
from Thom Hogan the specific permission to print or
have printed by a third party a single copy of this
eBook for your own private use. You may not resell
that printed copy, and must destroy it if you sell or
pass on the original eBook you received to someone
else. Do not print a copy if you don’t agree with the
previous sentence.
3. I grant everyone who purchases the eBook directly
from Thom Hogan specific permission to create a
backup copy of this eBook file for their own private
use. However, you must destroy that backup copy and

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 5
any other copies you have of this work, printed or
electronic, if you sell or pass on the original eBook
you received.
It is a violation of Copyright law to distribute or sell copies of
this work. It is also a violation of Copyright law to put this
work in any public forum, send it to any newsgroup, place it
on a Web site, or allow it to be accessed on any file sharing
service.
This work is registered with the Copyright office. That means
that punitive damages and legal fees can and will be sought
against anyone found illegally copying this work. Ignorance of
the law and claims that someone else told you that you had
rights to resell this work1are not legal defenses.
Printing the eBook
On to a more positive subject: if you’d like a hard copy of the
eBook, you can print a copy for your personal use by
selecting Print from the File menu.
It’s possible to print on both sides of the paper and get a real
book-like experience by using the Print: Odd Pages Only
and Print: Even Pages Only options on the Print dialog, but
I don’t recommend this unless you’re good at keeping track of
paper, know how to properly re-orient the paper for the
second pass, and are sure that your printer won’t choke on a
page somewhere. With some HP printer drivers, for example,
you can print the odd pages, put the pages generated back
into the printer correctly oriented, then select Print: Even
Pages Only and Print Back to Front, saving you the step of
reordering the pages before the second pass.
Some recent printers offer something called “duplex printing,”
where the printer itself handles flipping the paper. That’s how
1I have not and will not pass rights for this work to other parties. Yes, other people
fraudulently claim that they own the rights when they don’t. And they hear from my
lawyer when they do. Don’t say you weren’t warned should you try this.

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 6
I print my eBooks for myself on my HP OfficeJet, which
supports duplex printing. Here’s the relevant dialog on my
Mac filled out correctly for this eBook:
Since there are so many printers available and their dialog
boxes all allow different printing options, I can’t help you
figure out the most economical or convenient way to print
your eBook2. Yes, it even took me a few minutes to figure out
how to create front and back copies on my laser printer, so I
know it’s a hassle. A complete set of step-by-step instructions
that work for the three printers I have available are included
on the CD in a separate file, called PRINTING.PDF.
Take the resulting pages to your copy shop, have them trim
the edges (the final page size is 5.5 x 8.5” unless you’ve let
Acrobat rescale the book to fit the full page) and bind. This
eBook is actually in three specific sections that could be
bound separately (“Before You Take Pictures,” “Shooting
Pictures with Your D300,” and “After You’ve Taken Pictures
with Your D300”); I’ve tried to keep the instructions you’d
want while out shooting in the middle section.
2Since I get the occasional question as to why I don’t publish a paper version, I’ll
explain: paper versions turn out to be more expensive to produce in the small
quantities at which a niche publication like this sells. Producing this eBook
electronically allows me to create it on demand, reducing waste and cost, and to
keep it up to date as I learn new things about the camera. It also gives me a chance to
correct the inevitable minor typos that somehow creep into every major production.
On that last point: I keep a current errata list on my Web site. You’ll find the one for
this version of the eBook (1.02) at http://www.bythom.com/d300guideerrata.htm.

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 7
If you’re really the type that doesn’t like to struggle through
the paper handling idiosyncrasies of your printer, most
Kinko’s and similar copy shops can print, collate, and bind a
nice portable version of this book for you (show them the
statement on the back cover or on the previous page if they
balk at printing a Copyrighted work). Make sure they know
that the final page size is 5.5” x 8.5”.
Note: Kinko’s and other copy shops should actually refuse to
make a copy of this eBook, as it is protected by Copyright.
Show them the boxed area on the back cover of the eBook
jacket, my Web page for the eBook, or Item #2 in the “Your
Rights versus Mine” section where I grant you permission to
print or have printed a copy for your personal use. If that
doesn’t work, have them email me at
[e-mail] to verify that this is okay.
If you encounter a copy shop that doesn’t ask you to show
permission to reproduce a copyrighted work, or one that
still refuses after being shown permission, I’d like to hear
about it. If the former and the copy shop is a chain, it is
probably violating direct court orders that mandate that
they don’t do this. I’ve not put Digital Rights Management
on this file to block all copying and printing, because it’s a
hassle for the user. So, please respect my rights and help
report those that willingly violate them.
Note: Some Kinko’s now use a special piece of software to print
from PDF files, such as the one for this eBook. Since that
software first attempts to extract all text from the file and I
have selected to block text extraction in Acrobat, this means
that such software fails to work with this eBook. Kinko’s can
still print it by simply running Acrobat, but this limits some
of the fancier options they can do.
This eBook is designed to help you get quality results from
your Nikon D300. While I’ll try to provide introductory
material that should help even a photography novice get by,
this eBook probably isn’t the place to learn what an aperture
or shutter speed is (check out http://www.bythom.com/bookrecs.htm
if you want some recommendations for general photography
books).

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 8
Nevertheless, I will try to explain the concepts and
terminology that are necessary to understand how a D300
works. If you find something in this eBook unclear, or that I’ve
assumed knowledge on your part that you don’t have, don’t
hesitate to drop me an email asking for an explanation. Not
only will I answer your question, but it will give me some
insight on what I might want to change in future editions to
make the eBook even clearer.
Besides dealing with the practical side of the camera and
showing you how all the basic functions work, I’ll also
provide you with some tips on how to squeeze every last bit
of image quality out of your camera as well as how to make
up for some of its shortcomings.

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 9
Note on the First Edition
While this is a first edition, the D300 is enough like earlier
Nikon DSLRs that I’ve been able to re-purpose and rewrite
portions of earlier eBooks—specifically the D200 eBook, as
the D300 shares menu structure and many options with that
camera—which means that much of the information here has
been previously vetted.
One thing I have done with this eBook, though, is completely
restructure it from my previous ones. With my eBooks on
advanced Nikon bodies I’ve received feedback from readers
that indicates many of you want a tighter work with more
suggestions, and something that you can take with you.
So, to better serve my readers, I’ve made some changes from
the way I put together the D200 eBook. In particular, I’ve
removed the introductory material on DSLRs, added many
more suggestions on how to use various camera controls, and
produced a hard copy supplement entitled Thom Hogan’s
D300 To Go. That supplement isn’t designed so much to be
read as to be referred to for quick reference while out
shooting.
At the same time, there are still some of you who are coming
to the D300 who want additional introductory material. I’ve
moved that to a separate PDF file on the CD entitled Intro to
DSLRs.
But that’s not all. I’ve taken what used to be the “software
section” completely out of this eBook and made it into a
complete eBook of its own entitled Introduction to Nikon
Software. This new eBook is also found on the CD you
received and includes complete descriptions on the current
Nikon software. By putting the software into a separate work,
I’ve been able to expand it considerably and will now be able
to keep it up to date separately from the cameras.

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 10
Since I mentioned the change in structure earlier, let me
elaborate on it so that you know what to expect in this work.
This eBook is separated into three distinct sections:
•Things you should know and consider before using the
D300 (labeled “D300 Background” and starting on page
<25>). In this first major section I cover a lot about how
the D300 came to be, its specifications and capabilities,
and how it differs from previous Nikon DSLRs. I’ll also
cover how to set up your camera for shooting. This
section is up front because it’s the background material
you need to get up to speed with the unique aspects of
your camera.
•Things you need to know while using the D300 (labeled
“Shooting Pictures with Your D300” and starting on page
<224>). This is the “how-to” section of the eBook. Here’s
where I walk you through each feature of the camera as
you’d use it. I’ll explain why you might use it, how to
make that feature active, and what your options are. Yes,
you may find a few things repeated in this section from
the first, but in the interest of making for a complete
“how-to” section, I’ve elected to repeat some set-up and
other instructions. The separate Thom Hogan’s D300 To
Go is a highly abbreviated version of this section.
•Things you need to know and do after you’ve taken your
pictures (labeled “After You’ve Taken Pictures with Your
D300” and starting on page <708>). When you come
back from shooting with your camera you still have things
you may want to do, like print, view, or improve your
images. Note that I don’t cover what you do on a
computer with your images in this section—that’s reserved
for the new Introduction to Nikon Software eBook that
came with this one.
The structure of this eBook also mimics the order you’ll want
to follow as you master your new camera: initiation, use, and
post production.

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 11
As I wrote earlier, this eBook incorporates a few bits and
pieces from earlier eBooks I’ve written about Nikon
equipment. It’s not easy keeping up with all the changes
Nikon keeps making to its DSLR lineup and software. So if
you have any of my previous eBooks, you’ll find that my
words and explanations may have changed, even for features
that were common across many models. So don’t skip over
anything—read everything here as it stands, not as you think it
might be.
As I receive comments from readers of this eBook, I update
the original file. Since I generate this eBook directly from my
files, this means that I am usually able to keep the text nearly
error-free while adding or modifying sections to make a point
more clearly. Every now and then I make a full pass through
the manuscript, augmenting what I’ve previously written with
knowledge I’ve learned from using the camera, teaching
workshops, and from other sources. When I do that, I iterate
the “edition number.” And when I create a new edition, I offer
low-cost updates to people who bought the original eBook.
So, if you do find an error or confusing wording, take a look
at http://www.bythom.com/d300guideerrata.htm to make sure
that the problem hasn’t already been discovered; drop me an
email telling me about it if it hasn’t.

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Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................... 3
ABOUT THIS EBOOK ........................................................................................... 4
YOUR RIGHTS VERSUS MINE........................................................... 4
PRINTING THE EBOOK.................................................................... 5
NOTE ON THE FIRST EDITION............................................................................ 9
TABLE OF CONTENTS....................................................................................... 12
CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS EBOOK ........................................................... 20
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 22
D300 BACKGROUND.......................................................................................... 25
THE D300’S HISTORY ................................................................. 25
WHAT’S DIFFERENT?.................................................................... 29
IS IT BETTER THAN FILM? .............................................................. 33
DEBUNKING SOME MYTHS........................................................... 37
D300 BASICS.............................................................................. 44
D300 Design ........................................................................ 44
The D300 Sensor.................................................................. 48
Sensor Specifications (Size) 51
Sensor Specifications (Pixels) 52
Sensor Filtration ......................................................................... 53
Tonal Range ............................................................................... 63
Dynamic Range -- Dark v. Bright............................................... 68
Spectral Characteristics.............................................................. 71
Noise .......................................................................................... 72
Hot and Dead Pixels .................................................................. 79
Sensor Longevity ........................................................................ 80
Sensor Wrap-up ......................................................................... 81
EXPEED ................................................................................. 82
POWER ....................................................................................... 84
Changing Batteries ............................................................... 88
Charging Batteries ................................................................ 89
Battery Storage ..................................................................... 91
Clock Battery ........................................................................ 91
Alternate Power Sources ...................................................... 91
Battery Life............................................................................ 96
Battery Notes...................................................................... 102
IMAGE STORAGE ........................................................................ 104
Buffer Sizes ......................................................................... 107
CompactFlash..................................................................... 109
UDMA...................................................................................... 110
Solid-State CompactFlash ........................................................ 111
Microdrives .............................................................................. 113

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Microdrive Compatibility 114
Using CompactFlash ................................................................ 117
Nikon-Approved Cards ............................................................ 121
How Much Card? .................................................................... 122
CompactFlash Troubleshooting ............................................... 123
Image Formats .................................................................... 126
Pixels ........................................................................................ 129
JPEG ......................................................................................... 131
Setting JPEG 133
JPEG Rendering 143
JPEG Artifacts 144
JPEG Recommendation 150
TIFF Format .............................................................................. 150
Setting TIFF 152
TIFF Recommendation 154
NEF Format .............................................................................. 155
Typical D300 File Sizes 159
Compressed NEFs 159
Why NEF? 162
Setting NEF 163
NEF Recommendations 168
EXIF .......................................................................................... 170
IPTC.......................................................................................... 173
DPOF and PictBridge............................................................... 174
File Names and Folders...................................................... 175
Folders...................................................................................... 176
File Names ............................................................................... 182
File Number Sequence............................................................. 189
CAMERA SETUP.......................................................................... 191
How Menus Work.............................................................. 191
The SETUP Menu ............................................................... 194
Date, Time, and Language ....................................................... 198
Setting Date and Time 199
Setting Language 204
Programming a Comment........................................................ 205
Setting the LCD Brightness....................................................... 208
Set Up Recommendations Summary ....................................... 211
Viewfinder Adjustment....................................................... 211
Focus Screens........................................................................... 213
Resetting the Camera ......................................................... 214
Resetting Basic Settings............................................................ 214
Settings after Reset 214
Resetting Other Settings........................................................... 215
Settings after Reset 216
Resetting Custom Settings ........................................................ 217
The Last Resort Reset ............................................................... 217
Firmware Version ............................................................... 218
SHOOTING PICTURES WITH THE D300 ........................................................ 224

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 14
CAMERA AND SHOOTING CONTROLS ......................................... 224
D300 Controls.................................................................... 224
Front View................................................................................ 225
Top View .................................................................................. 226
Back View ................................................................................ 227
Side View ................................................................................. 228
D300 Displays.................................................................... 229
D300 Top LCD......................................................................... 229
D300 Color LCD ...................................................................... 231
D300 Viewfinder...................................................................... 235
IMAGE QUALITY ........................................................................ 237
Approximate Images Per Card 239
METERING AND EXPOSURE ......................................................... 245
Metering Methods .............................................................. 246
Matrix ....................................................................................... 246
Center-weighted....................................................................... 252
Spot .......................................................................................... 253
Spot Meter Point 255
Metering Compatibility 256
Setting the Metering Method ................................................... 256
So Which Metering System Should You Use? ................... 257
Metering with Digital Requires Care .................................. 259
Options for Evaluating Exposure ........................................ 263
How to Interpret Histograms ................................................... 267
Exposure Modes ................................................................. 274
Flexible Program....................................................................... 277
Program Exposure Table (at ISO 200) 277
ISO Sensitivity..................................................................... 278
Noise Reduction Settings ......................................................... 286
Auto ISO .................................................................................. 290
How ISO Values are Created ................................................... 295
ISO Operating Suggestions ...................................................... 295
Exposure Bracketing........................................................... 299
D300 Exposure Bracketing Values Table (Exposures) 301
Exposure Compensation..................................................... 307
Active D-Lighting ................................................................ 310
White Balance .................................................................... 313
D300 White Balance Settings 324
D300 White Balance Bracketing Values Table 333
Picture Controls.................................................................. 334
Contrast Parameter .................................................................. 354
Hue Parameter ......................................................................... 355
Saturation Parameter................................................................ 357
Brightness Parameter................................................................ 358
LENSES AND FOCUSING.............................................................. 360
An Aside About Lenses ...................................................... 364

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Lens Compatibility.............................................................. 367
Focal Length Limitations..................................................... 371
Lens Differences When Used for 35mm film or FX body vs D300 374
Lens Angle of View 375
The Autofocus System........................................................ 377
Focus Mode (Single Servo, Continuous Servo, and Manual).. 384
Single Servo versus Continuous Servo Autofocus 385
Autofocus Area Modes ............................................................ 387
Autofocus Summary................................................................. 389
Autofocus Settings Summary 390
Trap Autofocus......................................................................... 391
Autofocus Assist ....................................................................... 392
Lock-On (Focus Tracking) ....................................................... 394
The Pro Approach to Autofocus .............................................. 394
Adjusting Your Lenses ........................................................ 395
Chromatic Aberration Correction ...................................... 405
Manual Focus ..................................................................... 406
Depth of Field Preview....................................................... 407
18mm Lens............................................................................... 409
20mm Lens............................................................................... 409
24mm Lens............................................................................... 409
28mm Lens............................................................................... 410
35mm Lens............................................................................... 410
50mm Lens............................................................................... 410
70mm Lens............................................................................... 411
Diffraction ................................................................................ 411
Other DOF Theories ................................................................ 412
Sharpening.......................................................................... 413
SHOOTING CONTROLS .............................................................. 420
Shutter Releases.................................................................. 420
Shutter Lag ............................................................................... 421
Shooting Method (and Frame Rate) .................................. 423
Self Timer ................................................................................. 426
Live View .................................................................................. 428
Using Hand-held Live View 432
Using Tripod Live View 435
Frame Rate Troubleshooting.................................................... 439
Interval Shooting ................................................................ 440
Multiple Exposures and Overlays....................................... 448
Remote Control .................................................................. 451
Connecting to a GPS .......................................................... 451
Shooting Information Display ............................................ 454
D300 Menus....................................................................... 455
PLAYBACK menu (tab)...................................................... 456
SHOOTING menu (õcamera tab)......................................... 457
Setting and Naming Shooting Menu Banks 461
CUSTOM SETTING menu (pencil tab)............................. 464

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 16
SETUP menu (Øwrench icon) ................................................ 465
RETOUCH menu (folder tab).................................................. 469
MY MENU (checked tab) ........................................................ 470
Error Messages.................................................................... 477
IMAGE REVIEW AND PLAYBACK ................................................... 484
Image Review ..................................................................... 484
Image Review Options............................................................. 485
Rotating Images........................................................................ 493
The PLAYBACK Menu ........................................................ 496
Deleting Images ....................................................................... 496
Image Recovery 501
Dealing with Folders ................................................................ 501
Hiding Images .......................................................................... 505
Other PLAYBACK Menu Items................................................. 507
CUSTOM SETTINGS .................................................................... 508
Custom Setting #C Custom Settings Bank ......................... 514
Custom Setting #R Reset Custom Settings for Current Bank519
Custom Setting #A1 Continuous Servo AF Priority............ 521
Custom Setting #A2 Single Servo AF Priority..................... 524
Custom Setting #A3 Dynamic Area AF Customization ..... 525
Custom Setting #A4 Set Focus Lock-On Parameters ......... 528
Custom Setting #A5 Autofocus Initiation Method ............. 529
Custom Setting #A6 Focus Area Illumination .................... 531
Custom Setting #A7 Focus Point Selection Wrap .............. 532
Custom Setting #A8 Number of AF Points ........................ 532
Custom Setting #A9 Autofocus Assist Illumination............ 533
Custom Setting #A10 MB-D10 AF-ON Button Options.... 534
Custom Setting #B1 ISO Increment ................................... 536
Custom Setting #B2 Exposure Control Increment ............. 537
Custom Setting #B3 Exposure Compensation Increment .. 538
Custom Setting #B4 Exposure Compensation Control ...... 539
Custom Setting #B5 Center-weight Metering Circle Size .. 541
Custom Setting #B6 Meter Compensation......................... 542
Custom Setting #C1 Shutter Release Exposure Locking .... 544
Custom Setting #C2 Meter/Camera Active Time .............. 545
Custom Setting #C3 Self Timer Delay Setting.................... 546
Custom Setting #C4 Color LCD Active Time ..................... 547
Custom Setting #D1 Sound Feedback Setting ................... 548
Custom Setting #D2 Grid Line Display in Viewfinder ....... 549
Custom Setting #D3 Viewfinder Warnings Display ........... 550
Custom Setting #D4 Continuous Low Shooting Speed ..... 551
Custom Setting #D5 Maximum Continuous Shots ............ 552
Custom Setting #D6 File Number Sequence ..................... 553
Custom Setting #D7 Shooting Info Display Style .............. 554

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Custom Setting #D8 LCD Illumination Control ................. 555
Custom Setting #D9 One Second Shutter Delay............... 556
Custom Setting #D10 Battery Type in MB-D10 ................ 558
Custom Setting #D11 Order Batteries are Used................ 559
Custom Setting #E1 Flash Top Sync Speed ....................... 560
Custom Setting #E2 Flash Low Shutter Speed Barrier........ 562
Custom Setting #E3 Flash Mode for Internal Flash ............ 563
Custom Setting #E4 DOF Preview Triggers Modeling Flash566
Custom Setting #E5 Exposure Bracketing Method ............ 567
Custom Setting #E6 Manual Exposure Mode Bracketing .. 569
Custom Setting #E7 Bracketing Order ............................... 570
Custom Setting #F1 Direction Pad Center Button ............. 572
Custom Setting #F2 Additional Direction Pad Control...... 574
Custom Setting #F3 Direction Pad Scrolling during Playback
............................................................................................ 575
Custom Setting #F4 FUNC Button Setting ......................... 576
Custom Setting #F5 DOF Preview Button Setting ............. 580
Custom Setting #F6 AE-Lock Button Function ................... 583
Custom Setting #F7 Command Dial Functions.................. 587
Custom Setting #F8 Pressing or Holding Buttons .............. 590
Custom Setting #F9 Lock Camera with No CompactFlash 591
Custom Setting #F10 Reverse the Manual Metering Bar... 592
USING FLASH ............................................................................ 593
What Happens When Flash is Used .................................. 593
Flash Basics......................................................................... 594
Digital Flash Differences .................................................... 595
More Hidden Flash “Gotchas” .......................................... 598
Allowable Apertures in Program Mode ................................... 598
D300 Safe Flash Head Focal Length Settings .......................... 599
Flash Modes ....................................................................... 600
i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash .......................................................... 600
Standard TTL ............................................................................ 602
High-Speed TTL (TTL FP)......................................................... 603
Summary of i-TTL Flash Modes 604
Non-TTL Flash Modes .............................................................. 604
Setting Flash Options ......................................................... 608
Flash Option Interactions......................................................... 610
Flash Exposure Compensation ........................................... 610
Flash Features Available using a D300 with Speedlights 613
Controlled, Repeatable Flash Results................................. 614
Third Party Flash Units ....................................................... 617
Studio Flash ........................................................................ 618
D300 INTERNAL FLASH ............................................................. 618
Internal Flash Basics ........................................................... 621

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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 18
To Set TTL on the Internal Flash .............................................. 621
To Set Manual Flash................................................................. 622
Internal Flash Guide Numbers (Feet) 623
Internal Flash Guide Numbers
(Meters) 624
To Set Repeating Flash............................................................. 624
Wireless Flash........................................................................... 627
EXTERNAL FLASH MODELS FOR THE D300 .................................. 637
SB-400 ................................................................................ 637
Specifications ........................................................................... 637
To Set TTL Flash ....................................................................... 638
SB-400 Usable Apertures and Flash Range in TTL mode (Feet) 639
SB-600 ................................................................................ 639
Specifications ........................................................................... 639
To Set TTL Flash ....................................................................... 640
SB-600 Usable Apertures and Flash Range in TTL mode (Feet) 641
To Set Manual Flash................................................................. 642
SB-600 Guide Numbers at ISO 100 (feet) 644
SB-600 Guide Numbers at ISO 100 (meters) 644
SB-600 Guide Numbers at ISO 200 (feet) 644
SB-600 Guide Numbers at ISO 200 (meters) 644
To Manually Set the Zoom Head............................................. 645
To Set Flash Exposure Compensation ...................................... 645
To Set Red-Eye Reduction........................................................ 646
SB-600 Notes ........................................................................... 646
SB-800 ................................................................................ 648
Specifications ........................................................................... 648
To Set TTL Flash ....................................................................... 649
SB-800 Usable Apertures and Flash Range in TTL mode (Feet) 651
To Set Manual Flash................................................................. 651
To Set Repeating Flash............................................................. 652
Maximum Number of Repeating Flashes at Each Power Setting 654
To Manually Set the Zoom Head............................................. 655
To Set the Distance Scale to Feet or Meters ............................ 655
To Set Flash Exposure Compensation ...................................... 656
To Set Red-Eye Reduction........................................................ 657
SB-800 Notes ........................................................................... 657
Flash Troubleshooting ........................................................ 658
USING A D300 IN THE FIELD...................................................... 661
The “Routine” .................................................................... 661
General Settings You Make Once............................................ 661
Things To Do Before You Head Out on a Shoot ..................... 661
Check Each Time You Turn the Camera On............................ 663
Settings You Change Rarely (and then only for a reason)....... 664
Settings You Change Often...................................................... 665
Things To Do After Each Shooting Session.............................. 666
Keeping Track of Batteries ................................................. 668
Maintaining Image Quality................................................. 669
Which Type of Photographer are You?.................................... 671

V1.02
Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 19
Dealing with JPEG.................................................................... 673
Custom Curves......................................................................... 674
Color Profiles and Color Spaces............................................... 674
Setting Color Spaces in the Camera 679
Setting Color Spaces and Profiles in Your Software 680
Fine Tuning the Color 682
Special Lighting Issues ........................................................ 685
UV and Infrared ....................................................................... 685
Ultraviolet 686
Infrared 687
Shooting Under Fluorescent Lighting....................................... 689
Other Field Shooting Issues................................................ 692
Keeping the Sensor Clean ........................................................ 692
It’s Not Just Static Cling 701
Worst Case Scenario 702
Temperature Considerations.................................................... 702
Humidity .................................................................................. 703
White Balance Settings............................................................. 703
White Balance Color Temperatures 704
AFTER YOUVE TAKEN PICTURES WITH YOUR D300................................ 708
THINGS YOU DO AFTER THE SHOT IS TAKEN............................... 708
THE RETOUCH MENU ................................................................ 709
D-Lighting ........................................................................... 710
Red-eye correction ............................................................. 713
Trim .................................................................................... 715
Monochrome...................................................................... 718
Filter Effects ........................................................................ 720
Color Balance ..................................................................... 723
Image Overlays................................................................... 725
TRANSFERRING YOUR IMAGES TO YOUR COMPUTER.................... 731
Connecting to a Computer................................................. 733
PRINTING YOUR IMAGES ............................................................ 736
Selecting Images to Print .................................................... 738
PictBridge Printing .............................................................. 741
Printing Resolution ............................................................. 744
Output on Commercial Printers......................................... 747
VIEWING YOUR IMAGES............................................................. 748
Television Playback............................................................ 749
Slide Shows ........................................................................ 752
D300 ACCESSORIES........................................................................................ 754
SPECIFICATIONS.............................................................................................. 758
GETTING SERVICE ........................................................................................... 761
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.......................................................................... 766

V1.02
Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300 Page 20
Conventions Used in this eBook
In this eBook I occasionally make comparisons between the
D300 and previous Nikon models. In general, whenever this
eBook uses the term D1 or D1 series, I’m referring to the
entire D1 family (i.e. the D1, D1h, and D1x). The same is true
of the D2 series (D2h, D2hs, D2x, and D2xs). Use of an
individual model name in the text indicates a model-specific
feature or characteristic. In tables, if there are differences
between the cameras, I’ve either added columns for each
camera, or separated the information into model-specific
tables.
Why am I including some D1 and D2 information in this
eBook? Many readers own multiple DSLRs or have experience
with previous Nikon models. Moreover, many D300
purchasers followed the earlier camera developments but
held off buying one until Nikon came out with a camera that
was less expensive. The introduction of the D300 was what
they were waiting for, though the resulting camera is a bit
different from the earlier models they learned about. Finally, it
is just good form to know how your camera compares against
other Nikon DSLRs.
When software products are mentioned, including those that
Nikon supplies with the camera, I try to identify the version I
used for this eBook when I introduce the product. I also note
any significant differences between versions that I think you
should be aware of. If I refer to a software program
generically, as in “use the Unsharp Mask in Photoshop,” this
usually applies to the entire range of Photoshop versions.
Specific instructions for software, as in “select Remove
Redeye in the JustDoIt menu,” are for the version current as
of the publication of this eBook. Also, you’ll note that I use a
different font to distinguish menu items or messages that
you’ll see on the computer or camera screens—this makes it
easier for you to differentiate what I’m writing about from
what you should be seeing on your equipment.