Nikon D600 User manual

CHAPTER 1
Exploring the
Nikon D600
This chapter covers the
key components of the
D600, including the buttons,
switches, dials, and knobs.
These are the features you
most need to master
because you will use them
all the time as you modify
settings to adapt to chang-
ing shooting conditions.
The D600 is very similar
to its DX sibling the D7000
and, indeed, was designed
with this camera in mind. If
you’re upgrading to FX from
the D7000, you will feel
instantly at home. If you’re
stepping up from a D5100 or
a D3200, the number of con-
trols may surprise you. If you
are accustomed to using one
of Nikon’s compact pro bod-
ies such as the D300s, D700,
or D800, you will denitely
notice the difference in the
control layout. Getting to know all your camera’s menus, buttons, and
dials allows you to capture your images just as you
envision them.
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COPYRIGHTEDMATERIAL

Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
2
Key Components of the D600
The exterior controls of the D600 are used to access features that are most commonly
changed. The D600 is a more advanced model than the D3200 and D5100 series, so it
has a lot more buttons and dials to allow you to change your settings more quickly,
which is a good thing. On the other hand, the D600 has much fewer buttons than the
higher-end cameras, so a lot of the buttons perform double or even triple duty, depend-
ing on what mode the camera is in.
The good news is that a number of buttons can be customized so that you can control
the settings that you need to access the most.
Top of the camera
Most of the important buttons are on the top of the D600. This makes it easier to nd
them, especially when you have your eye to the viewnder. This is where you nd the
dials to change the shooting modes as well as the all-important shutter-release button
and the relatively new Movie record button.
▶ Shutter-release button. In my opinion, this is the most important button on the
camera. Pressing this button halfway activates the camera’s autofocus and light
meter. Fully depressing this button releases the shutter and takes a photograph.
When the camera has been idle, and has “gone to sleep,” lightly pressing the
shutter-release button wakes it up. When the image review is on, lightly press-
ing the shutter-release button turns off the LCD and prepares the camera for
another shot.
▶ On/off switch. This switch, located concentric to the shutter-release button, is
used to turn the camera on and off. Push the switch all the way to the left to turn
the camera off; pull the switch to the right to turn the camera on. The on/off
switch also has a spring-loaded momentary switch, which, when pulled to the
far right, turns on the control panel backlight.
▶ Movie record button. When the camera is in Live View movie mode ( ),
pressing this button (which has a simple red dot on it) causes the camera to start
recording video. Pressing it a second time stops the video recording. In Live
View still photography mode ( ) and standard shooting mode or scene modes,
this button has no function at all.
▶ Metering mode button ( ). Pressing this button and rotating the Main
Command dial allows you to change the metering mode among Matrix ( ),
Center-weighted ( ), and Spot metering ( ). This is also one of the buttons
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Chapter 1 Exploring the Nikon D600
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1
for the two-button formatting option used to format the active memory card.
Press and hold this button in conjunction with the Delete button ( ) until FOR
blinks on the LCD control panel, and then press the buttons in conjunction a
second time to complete formatting. This second button press is required as a
fail-safe against accidental formatting.
▶ Exposure Compensation button ( ). Pressing this button while spinning the
Main Command dial allows you to modify the exposure that is set by the D600’s
light meter when it is set to Programmed auto ( ), Shutter-priority auto ( ), or
Aperture-priority auto mode ( ). Turning the Main Command dial to the right
increases exposure while turning the dial to the left decreases the exposure.
You may also notice a green dot next to this button. Pressing and holding this
button in conjunction with the Zoom out/Thumbnail/ISO button ( ) resets
the camera to the default settings.
NOTE The button serves no function when shooting in automatic or scene
modes.
▶ Mode dial lock release button. Press this button to unlock the Mode dial so
that you can rotate the dial to change the settings.
▶ Mode dial. This is an important dial. Pressing the Mode dial lock release button
and rotating the Mode dial allows you to quickly change your shooting mode.
You can choose the scene mode, one of the semiautomatic modes, or Manual
exposure mode ( ), which lets you pick the exposure settings.
CROSS REF For a detailed description of all the exposure modes, see Chapter 2.
▶ Focal plane mark. The focal plane mark shows you where the plane of the
image sensor is inside the camera. The sensor is directly behind the shutter.
When measuring distance for calculating ash output, you measure the subject-
to-focal-plane distance.
▶ Hot shoe. This is where you attach an accessory ash to the camera body. The
hot shoe has an electronic contact that tells the ash to re when the shutter is
released. A number of other electronic contacts allow the camera to communi-
cate with the ash, enabling the automated features of a dedicated ash unit
such as the SB-700.
▶ Control panel. This LCD panel displays numerous controls and settings. The
control panel is covered in depth later in the chapter.
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Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
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Image courtesy of Nikon, Inc.
1.1 Top-of-the-camera controls
On the kit lens, you nd four key features:
▶ Focus ring. Rotating the focus ring allows you to focus the lens manually. The
location of the focus ring varies by lens. With old AF (non AF-S) lenses, and even
older manual-focus lenses, you turn the ring to focus the lens. Newer AF-S
lenses, such as the kit lens, have a switch labeled A and M. Select M before
attempting to manually focus. If you don’t switch it over rst, you can damage
the lens. Some higher-end AF-S lenses have a switch labeled A/M and M. With
these lenses set to the A/M position, you can manually override the autofocus at
any time without damaging the lens.
▶ Focus distance scale. This window displays the approximate focus distance in
both metric and imperial measurements.
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Chapter 1 Exploring the Nikon D600
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CROSS REF For more information on lenses and compatibility, see Chapter 4.
▶ Zoom ring. Rotating the zoom ring allows you to change the focal length of the
lens. Prime lenses do not have a zoom ring.
▶ Focal length indicators. These numbers indicate which focal length in millime-
ters your lens is zoomed to.
Back of the camera
The back of the camera is where you nd the buttons that mainly control playback and
menu options, although a few buttons control some of the shooting functions. Most
of the buttons have more than one function — a lot of them are used in conjunction
with the Main Command dial or the multi-selector. On the back of the camera, you
also nd several key features, including the all-important LCD and viewnder.
▶ Release mode dial. Although technically the Release mode dial is located on
the top of the camera, on recent Nikon cameras the release modes are easier to
view from the rear of the camera. The release mode controls how the shutter is
released when you press the shutter-release button. Press the Release mode
dial lock release and rotate the Release mode dial to change the settings. There
are seven modes:
• Single frame ( ). This mode allows you take a single photograph with each
press of the shutter-release button. The camera does not re multiple
frames when the button is held down.
• Continuous low speed ( ). When you’re using this release mode, press-
ing and holding the shutter-release button allows the camera to shoot mul-
tiple frames at low speed. You can set the frame rate for this release mode
in Custom Settings menu d5 ( d5). You can select from 1 to 5 fps.
• Continuous high speed ( ). When you use this release mode, pressing and
holding the shutter-release button allows the camera to shoot multiple frames
at high speed. The camera shoots at the maximum frame rate of 5.5 fps.
NOTE The actual maximum frame rate depends on the shutter speed, buffer,
and memory card speed.
• Quiet shutter-release ( ). This mode allows you to control the release of
the reex mirror. When you press the shutter-release button, the reex mirror
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Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
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stays up until you release the button. This allows you to take pictures more
quietly by moving to a different area or covering up the camera before you
release the shutter-release button, allowing the mirror to reset.
• Self-timer ( ). This mode activates the self-timer that allows a delay
between the time you press the shutter-release button and the shutter is
released. You can set the timer in the Remote control mode ( ) in the
Shooting menu ( ).
• Remote control ( ). This mode allows you to use the optional ML-L3
wireless remote to release the shutter. You can change the settings in the
Remote control mode in the menu.
• Mirror up ( ). This mode raises the reex mirror with one press of the
shutter-release button and releases the shutter and resets the mirror with a
second press of the button. You can use this mode to minimize camera
shake from mirror movement when shooting long exposures on a tripod or
when using a long telephoto lens.
▶ LCD monitor. This is the most prominent feature on the back of the camera.
This 3-inch, 921,000-dot liquid crystal display (LCD) is a very bright, high-resolution
screen. The LCD is where you view all your current camera settings and review
your images after shooting, and it displays the video feed for Live View and
video recording.
▶ Viewnder. This is what you look through to compose your photographs. Light
coming through the lens is channeled through a ve-sided reective prism
(called a pentaprism), enabling you to see exactly what you’re shooting. The rub-
ber eyepiece around the viewnder gives you a softer place to rest your eye and
blocks any extra light from entering the viewnder as you compose and shoot
your images.
▶ Diopter adjustment control. Just to the right of the viewnder (hidden behind
the eyecup) is the diopter adjustment control. Use this control to adjust the
viewnder lens to suit your individual vision strength (not everyone’s eyesight is
the same). To adjust this control, look through the viewnder, and press the
shutter-release button halfway to focus on something. If what you see in the
viewnder isn’t quite sharp, slide the diopter adjustment control up or down
until everything appears in focus. The manual warns you not to put your nger or
ngernail in your eye. I agree that this might not be a good idea.
▶ AE-L/AF-L button ( ). The Autoexposure/Autofocus Lock button is used to
lock the Autoexposure (AE) and Autofocus (AF). You can customize this button
in the Custom Settings menu ( f5) to provide AE/AF Lock, AE Lock only, AE
Lock (hold), AF Lock only, or AF-ON. AE Lock (hold) locks the exposure with one
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Chapter 1 Exploring the Nikon D600
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press of the shutter-release button; the exposure is locked until you press the
button again. AF-ON engages the AF in the same way that half-pressing the
shutter-release button does, but it disengages the shutter-release button from
any AF functions. You can also set the button to FV Lock when using the built-in
ash or an accessory Speedlight.
▶ Main Command dial. You use this dial to change a variety of settings, depend-
ing on which button you are using with it. By default, it is used to change the
shutter speed when the camera is in , , and Manual exposure mode ( ). It is
also used to adjust exposure compensation and change the ash mode.
▶ Multi-selector. The multi-selector is another button that serves a few different
purposes. In Playback mode, you use it to scroll through the photographs you’ve
taken, and you can also use it to view image information such as histograms and
shooting settings. When the D600 is in Single-point AF ( ) or Dynamic-area AF
mode ( ), you can use the multi-selector to change the active focus point. And
you can use the multi-selector to navigate through the menu options.
▶ OK button ( ). When the D600 is in the Menu mode ( ), you press the
button to select the menu item that is highlighted. In Playback mode ( ),
pressing brings up the Retouch menu ( ) options. In shooting mode, you
can set to a couple of different functions using f1, Select center focus
point, Highlight active focus point, or you can disable by selecting Not used.
▶ Focus selector lock. This switch, located concentric to the multi-selector, locks
the focus point so that it cannot be moved with the multi-selector.
▶ Ambient light sensor. This sensor detects the luminosity of the ambient light
so that the monitor brightness can be automatically adjusted.
▶ Live View button/Live View selector. With the introduction of the D800,
Nikon added this switch, which makes it much more convenient to use the Live
View settings. Simply pressing the Live View button ( ) activates the Live View
option, and ipping the switch allows you to choose between shooting stills ( )
or video ( ).
▶ Memory card access lamp. This light blinks when the memory card is in use.
Under no circumstances should you remove the card when this light is on or
blinking. You could damage your card or camera and lose any information in the
camera’s buffer. If the buffer is full when you switch the camera off, the camera
will stay powered on and this lamp will continue blinking until the data nishes
transferring from the buffer to the memory card.
▶ Info button ( ). Pressing this button displays the shooting information on the
monitor. Press this button twice to adjust settings in the menu.
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Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
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▶ Speaker. This small speaker enables you to hear the audio recorded with the
video you have shot. I must admit that the delity of the speaker isn’t that great,
and it’s quite hard to get an accurate representation of what the sound is going
to be like when it is played back through your TV or computer speakers.
▶ Rear infrared sensor. This picks up the infrared signal from the optional wire-
less remote, the ML-L3.
Image courtesy of Nikon, Inc.
1.2 Back-of-the-camera controls
▶ Playback button ( ). Pressing this button activates Playback mode and by
default displays the most recently taken photograph. You can also view other
pictures by pressing the multi-selector left and right.
▶ Delete button ( ). If you are reviewing your pictures and nd some that you
don’t want to keep, you can delete them by pressing this button. To prevent
you from accidentally deleting images, the camera displays a dialog box asking
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Chapter 1 Exploring the Nikon D600
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you to conrm that you want to erase the picture. Press a second time to
permanently erase the image. This is also one of the buttons for the two-button
formatting option used to format the active memory card. Press and hold this
button in conjunction with the button until FOR blinks on the LCD control
panel, and then press the buttons in conjunction a second time to complete for-
matting. As mentioned previously, this second button press is required as a fail-
safe against accidental formatting.
▶ Menu button ( ). Press this button to access the D600 menu options.
There are a number of different menus, including Playback ( ), Shooting ( ),
Custom Settings ( ), and Retouch ( ). Use the multi-selector to choose the
menu you want to view and press to enter the specic menu screen.
▶ Retouch/Picture Control button ( ). Pressing this button in Shooting mode
allows you to select and adjust the Picture Controls ( ). When the camera is in
Playback mode, pressing this button brings up the Retouch menu ( ) options or
the Movie editing options if a video is selected during playback.
▶ Help/Protect/White balance button ( ). Pressing this button and rotat-
ing the Main Command dial allows you to change the white balance (WB) set-
tings when in Shooting mode. Rotating the Sub-command dial allows you to
ne-tune the selected WB setting by adding blue or amber to make the image
cooler or warmer, respectively. You can add blue (b1–b6) by rotating the dial to
the right and amber (a1–a6) by rotating to the left. When you’re viewing the
Information display and a question mark appears or when you’re scrolling
through the menu options and a question mark appears in the lower-left corner,
you can press this button to get more information. When the D600 is in Playback
mode, press this button to protect (lock) the image from accidentally being
deleted. Press it again to unlock it.
▶ Zoom in/QUAL button ( ). When the D600 is in Shooting mode, pressing
this button and rotating the command dials allows you to quickly change the
image quality and size settings. Rotating the Main Command dial allows you to
choose a format (RAW, JPEG, or RAW+JPEG) as well as the JPEG compression
(Basic, Normal, Fine). Rotating the Sub-command dial allows you to choose the
JPEG size but has no effect when the quality is set to RAW. When reviewing
your images or using the option, you can press the button to get a
closer look at the details of your image. This is a handy feature for checking the
sharpness and focus of your shot. When you are zoomed in, use the multi-selector
to navigate around within the image. To view your other images at the same
zoom ratio, you can rotate the Main Command dial. To return to full-frame play-
back, press the Zoom out button ( ). You may have to press multiple
times, depending on how much you have zoomed in.
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Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
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▶ Zoom out/Thumbnail/ISO button ( ). In Shooting mode, pressing this
button and rotating the Main Command dial allows you to change the ISO set-
tings. In Playback mode, pressing this button allows you to go from full-frame
playback (or viewing the whole image) to viewing thumbnails. The thumbnails
can be displayed as 4, 9, or 72 images on a page. You can also view images by
calendar date. When you’re viewing the menu options, pressing this button dis-
plays a help screen that explains the functions of that particular menu option.
This button also allows you to zoom out after you have zoomed in on a particular
image. Pressing and holding this button in conjunction with the button resets
the camera to the default settings.
Front of the camera
The front of the D600 (with the lens facing you) is where you nd the buttons to
quickly adjust the ash settings as well as some camera-focusing options, and with
certain lenses, you will also nd some buttons that control focusing and Vibration
Reduction (VR).
▶ Sub-command dial. The Sub-command dial is used to adjust a number of differ-
ent things, but by default, it’s used to change the aperture setting in , , and
exposure modes. It also changes various settings when used with other buttons.
▶ AF-assist illuminator. This is an LED that shines on the subject to help the
camera focus when the lighting is dim. The AF-assist illuminator only lights up
when in Single-servo AF mode ( ) or Full-time-servo mode ( ) and the cen-
ter AF point is selected. This LED also lights up when you set the camera to
Red-Eye Reduction mode ( ) using the camera’s built-in ash.
▶ Built-in ash. This handy feature allows you to take sharp pictures in low-light
situations. Although not as versatile as one of the external Nikon Speedlights,
such as the SB-600 or SB-400, the built-in ash can be used very effectively and
is great for snapshots. I highly recommend getting a pop-up ash diffuser if you
plan on using it often. You can also use it to control off-camera Speedlights,
which is a great option that isn’t included on some of Nikon’s lower-end models.
▶ Preview button. By default, this button stops down the aperture to the current
setting (the lens aperture stays wide open until the shutter is released) so that
you can see in real time what the depth of eld will look like. It’s a customizable
button that you can change to a number of different settings. You can set the
button to quickly change the image quality, ISO sensitivity, white balance, or
Active D-Lighting settings via the Info display. Pressing the Preview button and
rotating the Command dial changes the settings. You can change the setting
options in f3.
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Chapter 1 Exploring the Nikon D600
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1
▶ Function button ( ). You can set the button to a number of different set-
tings so that you can access them quickly, rather than searching through the
menu options manually. You can set the button to change the image quality, ISO
sensitivity, white balance, or Active D-Lighting settings via the Info display.
Pressing one of the command dials changes the settings, depending on which
option is selected. You can change the setting options in the Setup menu ( ) in
f2 under the Buttons option.
CROSS REF For a complete list of options for the Preview and buttons, see
Chapter 3.
▶ Front infrared sensor. This receiver picks up the infrared signal from the
optional wireless remote, the ML-L3.
▶ Built-in microphone. This microphone can record sound while you’re recording
HD video. For best sound quality, I recommend using an external microphone.
Image courtesy of Nikon, Inc.
1.3 Front of the Nikon D600
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Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
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Right side of the camera
On the right side of the camera (with the lens facing you) are the output terminals on
the D600. These terminals are used to connect your camera to a computer or to an
external source for viewing your images directly from the camera. They are hidden
under a rubber cover that helps keep out dust and moisture.
▶ Flash pop-up/Flash mode/Flash Exposure Compensation button ( /).
When you’re using , , , or exposure mode, press this button to open and
activate the built-in Speedlight. Pressing this button and rotating the Main
Command dial on the rear of the camera allows you to choose a ash mode.
Depending on the shooting mode, you can choose from Front-Curtain Sync
(default) ( ), Red-Eye Reduction ( ), Red-Eye Reduction with Slow Sync ( ),
Slow Sync ( ), Rear-Curtain Sync ( ), or Rear-Curtain Slow Sync ( ).
Once the ash pops up, pressing this button and rotating the Main Command dial
allows you to adjust the Flash Compensation ( ). This enables you to adjust the
ash output to make the ash brighter or dimmer depending on your needs.
When you’re shooting in Auto or scene modes, the ash is automatically acti-
vated and some Flash sync modes aren’t available depending on the scene mode.
• Auto ( ), Portrait ( ), Child ( ), Close-up ( ). When using these modes,
you can select Auto-ash ( ), Auto with Red-Eye Reduction ( ),
or Off.
• Night portrait. With this mode, you can select Auto with Slow Sync and
Red-Eye Reduction ( ), Auto with Slow Sync ( ), or Off ( ).
• , . With these modes, you can select , , , or .
• , . These modes allow you to use , or .
▶ Auto-bracketing button ( ). You use this button to activate the Auto-
bracketing feature. Pressing the button and rotating the Main Command dial
allows you to choose from a three-frame bracket (normal, under, over), or a two-
frame bracket (normal, over, or normal, under). Rotating the Sub-command dial
lets you choose the bracketing increments; by default you can choose 0.3, 0.7,
1, 2, or 3 EV. When b2 is set to 1/2 step, the choices are 0.5, 1, 2, or 3.
▶ Lens mounting mark. Most lenses have a white or red mark on them to help
you to line up your lens bayonet so that it can be rotated and locked into place.
Use this mark to line up with the mounting mark on the lens.
▶ Lens release button. This button disengages the locking mechanism of the
lens, allowing the lens to be rotated and removed from the lens mount.
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Chapter 1 Exploring the Nikon D600
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1
Image courtesy of Nikon, Inc.
1.4 The right side of the D600
▶ AF mode/AF-area mode button/Focus mode switch. Flipping the switch allows
you to choose between autofocus and manual focus. Pressing the button and
rotating the Main Command dial allows you to select the AF mode; you can choose
Auto-area AF ( ), Single-servo AF ( ), or Continuous servo AF ( ). Rotating
the Sub-command dial allows you to select the AF-area mode. In , you can
choose Single-point AF ( ) or Auto ( ). In or , you can select from Single-
point AF ( , Dynamic-area AF ( ) (9, 21, or 39 points), 3D-tracking ( ), or .
▶ Microphone input. You can use this port to connect an external microphone,
which records sound for your videos at a better quality that you can get from the
built-in microphone.
▶ USB port. This is where you plug in the USB cable, attaching the camera to your
computer to transfer images straight from the camera to the computer. You can
also use the USB cable to connect the camera to the computer when using
Nikon’s optional Camera Control Pro 2 software.
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Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
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▶ HDMI output. This terminal is for connecting your camera to an HDTV or HD moni-
tor. It requires a type C mini-pin HDMI cable that’s available at any electronics store.
▶ GPS port. This is an accessory port that allows you to connect the optional
Nikon GP-1 or a third-party GPS accessory for geo-tagging your images. You can
also use this port for connecting the WT-T10 transceiver.
If you purchased the camera with a kit lens, there are a few switches on the lens as
well. If you’re using a different Nikon lens or a third-party lens, there may be different
switches or no switches at all, depending on the lens and the features that it offers.
▶ Autofocus switch. This switch is used to choose between using the lens in
Auto or Manual focus.
▶ VR on/off switch. This switch enables you to turn the Vibration Reduction (VR)
on or off. When you’re shooting in normal or bright light, it’s best to turn the VR
off to reduce battery consumption.
Left side of the camera
On the left side of the camera (with the lens facing you) is the memory card slot cover.
Sliding this door toward the back of the camera opens it so you can insert or remove
your memory cards.
Image courtesy of Nikon, Inc.
1.5 Memory card slot cover
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Chapter 1 Exploring the Nikon D600
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1
Viewfinder Display
The viewnder display is kind of like the heads-up display in a jet plane. It allows you
to see all the useful information about the settings of the camera. This aids you in set-
ting up the shot without having to take your eye away from the viewnder to check
your settings. Most of the information also appears in the Information display, but it is
less handy when you are looking through the viewnder composing a shot. Here is a
complete list of all the information you get from the viewnder display:
1.6 Viewnder display
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Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
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▶ Framing grid. When this option is turned on in the d2 menu, you will see a
grid displayed in the viewing area. Use the grid to line up elements of your com-
position to ensure they are straight.
▶ AF points. The rst thing you are likely to notice when looking through the view-
nder is a small rectangle near the center of the frame. This is your active focus
point. Note that only the active focus point is shown full-time when you’re using
the , , or AF setting. When you set the camera to Auto-area AF ( ), no
focus point is shown until the shutter-release button is half-pressed and focus is
achieved. When you use , the AF point lights up momentarily and disappears.
When you use , the AF point lights up and remains lit, although the point may
change if the focus point shifts due to camera or subject movement.
▶ AF-area brackets. These brackets are used to indicate where the boundaries of
the AF points are. The AF system does not recognize anything that lies outside
the brackets. In the middle of the AF-area brackets on the top and bottom there
is a semi-circle, which is the 12mm center-weighted metering circle.
▶ Focus indicator. This green dot lets you know whether the camera detects that
the scene is in focus. When focus is achieved, the green dot lights up; if the
camera is not in focus, no dot is displayed. On either side of a dot is an arrow.
When the left arrow lights up, the focus is in between the camera and the sub-
ject; when the right arrow lights up, the focus is falling behind the subject. Both
arrows blinking indicates that the camera is unable to achieve focus.
▶ Metering mode indicator ( ). This indicator shows you which metering mode
is active: Matrix metering ( ), Center-weighted metering ( ), or Spot meter-
ing ( ).
▶ AE-Lock indicator ( ). When this indicator lights up, you know that the
Autoexposure has been locked.
▶ FV-Lock indicator ( ). When this indicator lights up, it means you have locked
in the ash exposure value. The ash value (FV) can only be locked when the
button (or Preview button) has been set to do this.
▶ Flash sync indicator ( ). This indicator is displayed as a small X. It comes on
when you set your camera to the sync speed in e1. This setting is only avail-
able in mode or mode. To set the camera to the preset sync speed, dial the
shutter speed down one setting past the longest shutter time, which is 30 sec-
onds in mode and Bulb in mode.
▶ Shutter speed/Autofocus mode. This indicator shows how long your shutter is
set to stay open, from 30 seconds (30") up to 1/4000 (4000) second. When you
press the AF mode button, this shows your AF mode setting ( , , or ).
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Chapter 1 Exploring the Nikon D600
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1
▶ F-stop indicator. This indicator appears when a non-CPU lens is attached that
hasn’t had non-CPU lens data entered. The camera displays the aperture steps
in numbers. When wide open, the indicator reads F0, and each stop you click
down is another full number; for example, stop down to f/5.6 when using an
f/2.8 lens and the indicator reads F2. Stop down to f/22 and it reads F6, which is
6 stops away from f/2.8.
▶ Aperture. This indicator shows your current aperture setting. The words aper-
ture and f-stop are used interchangeably. Your aperture setting indicates how
wide your lens opening is. The aperture setting appears as numbers (1.4, 2, 2.8,
4, 5.6, and so on).
▶ Exposure indicator/Exposure Compensation indicator/Roll indicator. When
the bars are in the center, you are at the proper settings to get a good exposure;
when the bars are to the left, you are underexposed, and when the bars are to
the right, you are overexposing your image at those settings (you can reverse
this in f8). This option only appears when in mode and when is applied.
This display also doubles as a roll indicator for the Virtual horizon feature that
allows you to ensure your camera is level, which is great when shooting land-
scapes. When the camera is tilted to the right, the bars appear on the left. When
the camera is tilted to the left, the bars appear on the right. When the camera is
level, a single bar appears directly under the zero. To use this feature, you must
assign the Virtual viewnder horizon to either the button or Preview button.
▶ Flash Compensation indicator ( ). When this indicator appears, Flash
Exposure Compensation is on. You adjust FEC by pressing the Flash mode but-
ton ( ) and rotating the Sub-command dial.
▶ Low battery indicator ( ). This indicator appears when the battery is low.
When the battery is completely exhausted, this icon blinks and the shutter-
release is disabled.
▶ Auto-bracketing indicator ( ). This indicator appears when Auto-bracketing
is engaged.
▶ ISO indicator ( ). When you press the button, this indicator shows up
next to the ISO sensitivity setting, letting you know that the numbers you are
seeing are the ISO numbers.
▶ Auto ISO indicator ( ). This indicator appears when the Auto ISO setting is
activated to let you know that the camera is controlling the ISO settings. You
can turn on Auto ISO in the ISO sensitivity settings, located in the Shooting
menu ( ), or by pressing and rotating the Sub-command dial.
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Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
18
▶ ISO sensitivity/AD-L setting/AF-area mode. By default this readout displays
the ISO sensitivity setting number. If Active D-Lighting is assigned to the
Preview button or button, then when you press the button the AD-L amount
is displayed here. Pressing the button and rotating the Main Command dial
changes the setting. When you press the AF-area mode button, the AF-area
mode is displayed.
▶ Shots remaining/Buffer/WB preset/Exposure and Flash Compensation
value. By default, this set of numbers lets you know how many more exposures
can t on the memory card. The actual number of exposures may vary according
to le information and compression. When you half-press the shutter-release
button, the display changes to show how many exposures can t in the cam-
era’s buffer before the buffer is full and the frame rate slows down. The buffer
is in-camera RAM that stores your image data while the data is being written to
the memory card. This also shows the WB preset recording indicator ( ), as
well as values and values.
▶ Thousands indicator ( ). This indicator lets you know that there are more than
1,000 exposures remaining on your memory card.
▶ Flash ready indicator ( ). When this indicator appears, the ash, whether it is
the built-in ash or an external Speedlight attached to the hot shoe, is fully
charged and ready to re at full power.
Control Panel
The control panel on the top of the camera gives you a quick way to reference some
of the most important settings on your D600.
▶ Kelvin color temperature indicator ( ). This indicator displays to alert you that
the numbers you are seeing represent the color temperature in the Kelvin scale.
It only appears when you have set the camera to Kelvin WB and you press the
button.
▶ Shutter speed. By default, this set of numbers shows you the shutter speed
setting. These numbers also show a myriad of other settings depending on
which buttons you are pressing and what modes are activated. Here’s a list:
• Exposure compensation value. When you press the button and rotate the
Sub-command dial, the exposure value (EV) compensation number appears.
• FEC value. Pressing the button and rotating the Sub-command dial dis-
plays the FEC value.
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Chapter 1 Exploring the Nikon D600
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1
1.7 Control panel
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Nikon D600 Digital Field Guide
20
• WB ne-tuning. Pressing the button and rotating the Sub-command
dial ne-tunes the white balance setting. A is warmer and B is cooler.
• Color temperature. When you set the WB to K, the panel displays the color
temperature in the Kelvin scale when you press the button.
• WB preset number. When you set the WB to one of the preset numbers,
pressing the button displays the preset number currently being used.
• Bracketing sequence. When the D600 Auto-bracketing feature is activated,
pressing the button displays the number of shots left in the bracketing
sequence. This includes WB, exposure, and ash bracketing.
• Interval timer number. When you set the camera to use the interval timer
for time-lapse photography, this displays the number of shots remaining in
the current interval.
• Focal length (non-CPU lenses). When the camera’s button is set to
choose a non-CPU lens number when you press the button, the focal
length of the non-CPU lens appears. You must enter the lens data in the
menu.
▶ MB-D14 battery indicator. When the MB-D14 battery grip is attached and the
camera is using the battery installed in the grip, this icon appears.
▶ Battery indicator. This display shows the charge remaining on the active
battery. When this indicator is blinking, the battery is dead and the shutter is
disabled.
▶ Flash modes. These icons denote which ash mode you are using. The ash
modes include Red-Eye Reduction ( ), Red-Eye Reduction with Slow Sync ( ),
Slow Sync ( ), and Rear-Curtain Sync ( ). To change the Flash sync mode,
press the button and rotate the Main Command dial.
▶ Autofocus mode. This indicator lets you know which focus mode is being used:
, , or .
▶ JPEG image size. When you’re shooting JPEG or RAW + JPEG les, this indica-
tor tells you whether you are recording Large, Medium, or Small les. This dis-
play is turned off when shooting RAW les.
▶ Image quality and compression. This indicator displays the type of le format
you are recording. You can shoot RAW or JPEG. When you’re shooting JPEG or
RAW + JPEG, it displays the compression quality: FINE, NORM, or BASIC.
▶ WB ne-tuning indicator. When the white balance ne-tuning feature is acti-
vated, this asterisk appears. You can ne-tune WB by pressing the WB button
and rotating the Sub-command dial.
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