Nikon D5500 User manual

Chapter 1
Quick Setup Guide
This chapter contains the essential information you need to get your Nikon
D5500 prepped and ready to go. You’ll learn how to use a few of the basic
controls and features, and how to transfer your photos to your computer. If you
want a more complete map of the functions of your camera, skip ahead to
Chapter 2. Live view is touched on only briefly in this chapter; if you want to
begin using live view or shoot movies immediately, check out Chapter 6.
Pre-Flight Checklist
The initial setup of your Nikon D5500 is fast and easy. You just need to learn
a few controls, charge the battery, attach a lens, and insert a memory card.
Charging the Battery
When the EN-EL14a battery is inserted into the MH-24 charger properly (it’s
impossible to insert it incorrectly), an orange Charge light begins flashing, and
remains flashing until the status lamp glows steadily, indicating that charging
is finished, generally within about 90 minutes. When the battery is charged,
slide the latch on the bottom of the camera and ease the battery in, as shown
in Figure 1.1.
Figure 1.1
Insert the battery in
the camera; it only
fits one way.

David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D55002
Introducing the Basic Controls
You’ll find descriptions of most of the controls used with the Nikon D5500 in
Chapter 2, which provides a complete “roadmap” of the camera’s buttons and
dials and switches. However, you may need to perform a few tasks during this
initial setup process, and most of them will require the MENU button, the
multi selector pad, and command dial. Figure 1.2 shows the location of these
controls.
n MENU button. It’s located to the left of the LCD monitor. When you
want to access a menu, press it. To exit most menus, press it again.
n Multi selector pad. This is a thumbpad-sized button with projections at
the up, down, left, and right “navigational” positions, plus a button in the
center marked “OK.” With the D5500, the multi selector is used exclu-
sively for navigation; for example, to navigate among menus on the LCD
monitor or to choose one of the 39 focus points, to advance or reverse
display of a series of images during picture review, or to change the kind
of photo information displayed on the screen. The OK button is used to
confirm your choices.
n Command dial. This dial, located on the right corner of the top surface,
is used for some navigation and to make settings, such as f/stop or shutter
speed.
n Touch screen. You can use your fingers to tap, slide, pinch, and stretch on
the D5500’s LCD monitor. I’ll show you how to use these gestures next.
Figure 1.2
The D5500’s basic
controls.
Multi
selector OK button MENU button
LCD monitor/
Touch screen
Command
dial

Chapter 1 nQuick Setup Guide 3
The Touch Screen
The LCD monitor supports a limited number of touch operations, such as
adjusting some camera settings, zooming in and out of the image in playback,
and, in live view only, selecting a focus point and taking a picture by tapping
the screen. When adjustments are available, a white rectangle is drawn around
the indicator that can be accessed by touch. You will see up/down and left/
right triangles used to adjust increments, or a reversed arrow that represents
“return” to the previous menu. Available gestures include:
n Tap. Touch the screen with a single finger to make an adjustment. For
example, you can tap an up/down or left/right triangle to increment or
decrement a setting, such as monitor brightness. In live view, when Touch
Shutter is activated, tapping the screen locates the focus point at the
tapped location and takes a picture. When Touch Shutter is deactivated,
tapping the screen simply relocates the focus point. (You’ll find a Touch
Shutter on/off icon at the left side of the live view screen, as explained in
Chapter 6.)
n Flick. Move a single finger a short distance from side to side across the
monitor. Note that if a second finger or other object is also touching the
monitor, it may not respond. During playback, a flick to the right or left
advances to the next or previous image.
n Slide. Move a single finger across the screen in left, right, up, or down
directions. You can use this gesture during playback to scroll around
within a zoomed image.
n Stretch/pinch. Spread apart two fingers to zoom into an image during
playback, or pinch them together to zoom out.
A TOUCH OF SCREEN
Throughout this book, when telling you how to use a menu or feature, I’m
going to stick to referring to the physical buttons and dials rather than explicitly
say something like “press OK or tap the Return icon on the LCD monitor.”
Nikon really needs to redesign the camera interface to take full advantage of the
touch screen capabilities. Cameras from other vendors, for example, use slider
controls instead of left/right touch arrows to make many adjustments. While
some may find Nikon’s implementation helpful, it’s really best when used with
the Touch Shutter feature in live view, zooming in/out of a playback image, or,
perhaps, tapping a menu entry rather than scrolling up/down with the direc-
tional buttons.

David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D55004
Because the screen uses static electricity, it may not respond when touched with
gloved hands, fingernails, or when covered with a protective film. I have a
“skin” over my D5500’s monitor and it works just fine; your experience may
vary, depending on the covering you use. Don’t use a stylus, pen, or sharp
object instead of a finger; if your fingers are too large, stick to the physical
controls such as the buttons or dials. As you’ll learn in Chapter 4, you can
enable or disable the touch controls or enable them only during playback, using
an option in the Setup menu.
Setting the Clock
The in-camera clock might have been set for you by someone checking out
your camera prior to delivery. Press the MENU button to the left of the view-
finder, and then use the multi selector to scroll down to the Setup menu (it’s
marked with a wrench icon), press the multi selector button to the right, and
then press the down button to scroll down to Time Zone and Date, and press
the right button again. The options for setting the 24-hour clock will appear
on the screen that appears next. They include Time Zone, actual Date and
Time, Date Format, and Daylight Saving Time (on/off).
Mounting the Lens
If your D5500 has no lens attached, you’ll need to mount one before
shooting:
1. Select the lens and loosen (but do not remove) the rear lens cap.
2. Remove the body cap on the camera by rotating the cap away from the
shutter release button.
3. Once the body cap has been removed, remove the rear lens cap from the
lens, set it aside, and then mount the lens on the camera by matching the
alignment indicator on the lens barrel with the white bump on the cam-
era’s lens mount (see Figure 1.3). Rotate the lens toward the shutter release
until it seats securely.
4. Set the focus mode switch on the lens to AF or M/A (Autofocus with
manual adjustment possible). If the lens hood is bayoneted on the lens in
the reversed position, twist it off and remount with the “petals” (if pres-
ent) facing outward. A lens hood protects the front of the lens from acci-
dental bumps, and reduces flare caused by extraneous light arriving at the
front of the lens from outside the picture area.

Chapter 1 nQuick Setup Guide 5
Adjusting Diopter Correction
If you are a glasses wearer and want to use the
D5500 without your glasses, or to add fur-
ther correction, you can take advantage of the
camera’s built-in diopter adjustment, which
can be varied from –1.7 to +0.5 correction.
Press the shutter release halfway to illuminate
the indicators in the viewfinder, then move
the diopter adjustment control next to the
viewfinder (see Figure 1.4) while looking
through the viewfinder until the indicators
appear sharp. Should the available correction
be insufficient, Nikon offers nine different
Diopter-Adjustment Viewfinder Correction
lenses for the viewfinder window, ranging
from –3 to +1, at a cost of $16 to $20 each.
Inserting and Formatting a Memory Card
Next, insert a memory card. Slide the cover on the right side of the camera
toward the back, and then open it. Inside, you’ll find an SD card slot. You
should only remove the memory card when the camera is switched off, or, at
the very least, when the yellow-green card access light (just above the Trash
button on the back of the camera) that indicates the D5500 is writing to the
card is not illuminated.
Insert the memory card with the label facing the back of the camera, oriented
so the edge with the gold connectors goes into the slot first (see Figure 1.5).
Close the door, and, if this is your first use of the card, format it (described
next). When you want to remove the memory card later, press the card inward,
and it will pop right out.
Figure 1.3
Match the indicator
on the lens with the
white dot on the
camera mount to
properly align the
lens with the bayonet
mount.
Figure 1.4 Viewfinder diopter
correction from –1.7 to +0.5 can
be dialed in.
Diopter adjustment control

David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D55006
I recommend formatting the memory card before each shooting session, to
ensure that the card has a fresh file system, and doesn’t have stray files left over.
Format only when you’ve transferred all the images to your computer, of
course.
n Setup menu format. Press the MENU button, use the up/down buttons
of the multi selector (that thumb-pad-sized control to the right of the
LCD monitor) to choose the Setup menu (which is represented by a
wrench icon), navigate to the Format Memory Card entry with the right
button of the multi selector, and select Yes from the screen that appears.
Press OK to begin the format process.
Selecting an Exposure Mode
The Nikon D5500 has four types of shooting modes: advanced modes/expo-
sure modes; auto modes, which includes Auto and Auto (Flash Off); and a
third set, which Nikon labels Scene modes. Also available is a fourth option,
Special Effects, which allows you to process your images with some retouching
effects, such as Color Sketch or Miniature Effect, as the picture is actually
taken. Nikon D5500 has two types of exposure modes: Auto/Scene/Effects
modes, in which the camera makes virtually all the shooting decisions for you,
and advanced modes, which include semi-automatic and manual exposure
modes (Program, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority, and Manual).
Choosing a Scene Mode
The two Auto modes and 16 Scene modes can be selected by rotating the mode
dial on the top right of the Nikon D5500. The Auto and Auto (Flash Off)
settings have their own positions on the dial, while the Scene modes can be
selected by rotating the mode dial to the SCENE position, and then rotating
the main command dial to select one of the additional modes.
Figure 1.5
The memory card is
inserted with the
label facing the back
of the camera.

Chapter 1 nQuick Setup Guide 7
These options include:
n Auto. In this mode, the D5500 makes all the exposure decisions for you,
and will pop up the internal flash if necessary under low-light conditions.
The camera automatically focuses on the subject closest to the camera
(unless you’ve set the lens to manual focus), and the autofocus-assist illu-
minator lamp on the front of the camera will light up to help the camera
focus in low-light conditions.
n Auto (Flash Off). Identical to Auto mode, except that the flash will not
pop up under any circumstances. You’d want to use this in a museum,
during religious ceremonies, concerts, or any environment where flash is
forbidden or distracting.
n Portrait. Use this mode when you’re taking a portrait of a subject stand-
ing relatively close to the camera and want to de-emphasize the back-
ground, maximize sharpness, and produce flattering skin tones. The
built-in flash will pop up if needed.
n Landscape. Select this mode when you want extra sharpness and rich
colors of distant scenes. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator are
disabled.
n Child. Use this mode to accentuate the vivid colors often found in chil-
dren’s clothing, and to render skin tones with a soft, natural-looking tex-
ture. The D5500 focuses on the closest subject to the camera. The built-in
flash will pop up if needed.
n Sports. Use this mode to freeze fast-moving subjects. The D5500 selects
a fast shutter speed to stop action, and focuses continuously on the center
focus point while you have the shutter release button pressed halfway.
However, you can select one of the other two focus points to the left or
right of the center by pressing the multi selector left/right buttons. The
built-in electronic flash and focus assist illuminator lamp are disabled.
n Close Up. This mode is helpful when you are shooting close-up pictures
of a subject from about one foot away or less, such as flowers, bugs, and
small items. The D5500 focuses on the closest subject in the center of the
frame, but you can use the multi selector right and left buttons to focus on
a different point. Use a tripod in this mode, as exposures may be long
enough to cause blurring from camera movement. The built-in flash will
pop up if needed.
n Night Portrait. Choose this mode when you want to illuminate a subject
in the foreground with flash (it will pop up automatically, if needed), but
still allow the background to be exposed properly by the available light.

David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D55008
The camera focuses on the closest main subject. Be prepared to use a tri-
pod or a vibration-resistant lens like the 18-55 VR kit lens to reduce the
effects of camera shake.
n Night Landscape. Mount your camera on a tripod and use this mode for
longer exposure times to produce images with more natural colors and
reduced visual noise in scenes with street lights or neon signs.
n Party/Indoor. For indoor scenes with typical background lighting.
n Beach/Snow. Useful for bright high-contrast scenes with sand or snow.
The built-in flash and AF-assist lamp are disabled.
n Sunset. Emphasizes the rich colors at sunset or sunrise, disables the flash,
and may use a slow shutter speed, so consider working with a tripod.
n Dusk/Dawn. Similar to Sunset mode, but preserves the subtle colors in
the sky just after sunset, or just prior to dawn.
n Pet Portrait. An “action” mode specifically for fast-moving, erratic sub-
jects, such as pets.
n Candlelight. Disables your flash to allow photographs by candle; a tripod
is recommended.
n Blossom. Uses a small f/stop to expand depth-of-field when shooting
landscapes with broad expanses of blossoms. This Scene mode may result
in longer shutter speeds, so consider using a tripod.
n Autumn Colors. Makes reds and yellows in Fall foliage richer.
n Food. Boosts saturation to make food look more appetizing in your snaps.
Special Effects modes, available when you rotate the mode dial to Effects,
provide additional special looks. Of the following, Color Sketch, Miniature
Effect, and Selective Color are available in both still and live view/movie-
shooting modes.
n Night Vision. Produces images of the darkest scenes using the D5500’s
high ISO sensitivity settings. Use a tripod, because blur is likely with the
longer shutter speeds. Under this dim lighting, you’ll need to focus manu-
ally if working with the optical viewfinder; autofocus is available only in
live view.
n Super Vivid. Provides brilliant, rich, contrasty colors.
n Pop. Increased saturation without excessive contrast.
n Photo Illustration. Sharpens the outlines and reduces the number of col-
ors to create a posterization effect.
n Toy Camera Effect. Blurry, vignetted pictures that look as if they were
taken with a toy camera. In live view, you can vary the strength of the
effect.

Chapter 1 nQuick Setup Guide 9
n Miniature Effect. This effect is widely becoming known as “Tilt/Shift”
because it can be reproduced with special lenses that tilt and shift the
plane of focus. By throwing backgrounds and foregrounds out of focus,
the subjects in the middle of the frame appear to be miniatures photo-
graphed with shallow depth-of-field. A cool effect, but it’s already starting
to be over-used.
n Selective Color. You choose the colors that you want to dominate the
main subject in your image, and everything else is rendered in
black-and-white.
n Silhouette. Exposes for bright backgrounds, turning foreground objects
into underexposed silhouettes.
n High Key. Exposes for bright scenes with lots of highlight areas.
n Low Key. Tailors exposure for darker scenes, retaining murky shadows
while allowing highlights to remain.
Choosing an Advanced Mode
The advanced modes include Programmed auto (or Program mode), Shutter-
priority, Aperture-priority, and Manual exposure mode, known collectively as
PSAM modes, for their initials. These are the modes that allow you to specify
how the camera chooses its settings when making an exposure for greater cre-
ative control. Figure 1.6 shows the position of the modes described next.
n P (Program). This mode allows the D5500 to select the basic exposure
settings, but you can still override the camera’s choices to fine-tune your
image, while maintaining metered exposure.
n S (Shutter-priority). This mode is useful when you want to use a particu-
lar shutter speed to stop action or produce creative blur effects. Choose
your preferred shutter speed, and the D5500 will select the appropriate
f/stop for you.
Figure 1.6
Select exposure
modes using the
mode dial.
Scene modes
Auto mode
Special Effects
modes
Auto (flash off)
mode
Manual and
semi-automatic modes

David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Nikon D550010
n A (Aperture-priority). Choose when you want to use a particular lens
opening, especially to control sharpness or how much of your image is in
focus. Specify the f/stop you want, and the D5500 will select the appropri-
ate shutter speed for you.
n M (Manual). Select when you want full control over the shutter speed
and lens opening, either for creative effects or because you are using a
studio flash or other flash unit not compatible with the D5500’s auto-
matic flash metering.
Changing Settings with the Information
Edit Screen
All the settings that follow can be changed using the information edit screen.
You can see your current settings from the shooting setting screen, shown at
left in Figure 1.7. If this screen is not shown on the LCD monitor, you can
produce it by pressing the Info button located to the right of the viewfinder
window. You can change any of the settings arrayed along the bottom two
rows of the shooting setting screen. To do so, press the i button, positioned
next to the multi selector at roughly the 11 o’clock position. That summons the
information edit screen (at right in the figure), which allows you to use the
multi selector buttons to navigate to the settings in the bottom two rows.
Navigate to the setting you want to change, press the OK button to view your
options, and highlight your choice with the up/down multi selector buttons,
and press OK again to confirm.
Figure 1.7 The shooting settings (left) and information edit (right) screens.