Nikon D300 User manual

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Table of Contents
Buttons and Dials...................................... 3
The Command Dials.................................. 6
Release Mode .......................................... 11
Using the Flash........................................ 12
Live View.................................................. 14
gHand-Held...................................................... 14
hTripod............................................................... 16
Picture Controls ...................................... 18
Custom Picture Controls................................ 20
The Fn Button.......................................... 22
Guides and Tips....................................... 23
Help ....................................................................... 23
Formatting Memory Cards............................ 23
Two-Button Reset:
Restoring Default Settings........................ 23
Menu Guide ............................................. 24
DPLAYBACK MENU........................................ 24
CSHOOTING MENU....................................... 25
ACUSTOM SETTING MENU......................... 28
BSETUP MENU ................................................. 37
NRETOUCH MENU.......................................... 40
OMY MENU........................................................ 40

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Buttons and Dials
Depth-of-field preview button
Preview depth of field.
Focus-mode selector
Modes S and C (autofocus)
The camera focuses using autofocus (AF) when shutter-release
button is pressed halfway.
In mode S(single-servo AF), focus locks
when the camera focuses.
In mode C(continuous-servo AF), the
camera continues to adjust focus until the shutter is released
(pg. 28).
Mode M (manual)
Focus is adjusted manually using the lens focusing ring.

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Buttons and Dials
K(playback) button
View photographs in the monitor (pg. 24).
R(info) button
Display the focus point, shutter
speed, and other shooting
information in the monitor (pg. 33).
AF-area mode selector
Choose how the camera selects the focus point for
autofocus.
HAuto-area AF
The camera automatically detects the subject and selects the
focus point.
IDynamic-area AF
The user selects the focus point with the multi selector (if focus
selection is locked, rotate the focus selector lock to I). If the
subject briefly leaves the selected focus point in focus mode C
(pg. 3), the camera will focus based on information from
surrounding focus points (pg. 28).
KSingle-area AF (default)
The user selects the focus point with the multi selector (if focus
selection is locked, rotate the focus selector lock to I); the
camera focuses on the subject in the selected focus point only.
Focus point
X(playback zoom in)/
W(thumbnail/playback zoom out) button
During playback, press the Xbutton to zoom in. When the
image is zoomed in, press the Wbutton to zoom out.

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Metering selector
Rotate the metering selector to choose a
metering method.
ZCenter-weighted (pg. 30)
Assigns the greatest weight to the center
of the frame.
aMatrix
Meters most of the frame.
bSpot
Meters the selected focus point.
Diopter adjustment control
Rotate until the display in the
viewfinder is in focus.
O(delete) button
(pg. 24)

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The Command Dials
The settings that can be adjusted by pressing a button and
rotating a command dial are listed below.
Main command
dial
Sub-command
dial
Control Panel

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Adjust flash
compensation
Choose flash mode
Select bracketing
exposure increment
Activate or cancel
bracketing/select
number of shots in
bracketing sequence

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The Command Dials
Choose an image
size*
Set image quality*
Fine-tune white
balance*/Set color
temperature*/Choose
a white balance
preset*
Choose a white
balance setting*
Set ISO sensitivity*

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* Can also be adjusted from the shooting menu (pg. 25).
Choose the
exposure mode
eProgrammed Auto
fShutter-Priority Auto
gAperture-Priority Auto
hManual
Set exposure
compensation

The Command Dials
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Once the exposure mode has been selected, the following
settings can be adjusted by rotating the command dials (pg.
9).
e
Choose a
combination of
aperture and
shutter speed
fChoose a shutter
speed
gChoose an aperture
hChoose an aperture
hChoose a shutter
speed