Nikon D90 - Digital Camera SLR User manual

Airborne Digital Reconnaissance System (ADRS)
Nikon D90 Camera Kit
-Checklist and Operations Manual-
V3.0
March 11, 2014
National Headquarters, Civil Air Patrol
Advanced Technology Group

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1.0 Equipment Pre-Mission Check
1.1 Open the ruggedized camera case and verify the following items are enclosed:
Nikon D90 camera with attached Sigma 18-200 mm stabilized lens, Nikon MB-
D80 Multi-Power Battery Pack, UV optical filter/lens protector and lens cap.
Sandisk (or equivalent) SDHC memory card (may be stored in camera).
Nikon quick charger
2 –Rechargeable camera batteries
6 AA battery fixture for use with the D80 Multi-Power Battery Pack (back-up
camera power module)
Nikon GP-1 GPS
Nikon GP-1 to D90 camera cable
Camera to computer cable
Camera to TV video cable (used to view photos on a television set)
Satechi TR-M or similar Timer Remote Control with 2 AAA batteries
AMOD AGL3080 GPS Data Logger with USB cable and 3 AA batteries
(not all kits were delivered with this item –local purchase)
Instruction manuals for the camera, GP-1 GPS, TR-M Remote Control and
AMOD Data Logger (if included in the kit)
Spare AA and AAA batteries
A cable may be enclosed that is used to connect the GP-1 GPS to a Nikon D200
camera. This cable is not for use with the D90 system.
Photos on next two pages help with identification of components.

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Photos of equipment located in the D90 System Case
D90 camera with attachments Battery pack note: lens shield not used

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Photos of equipment located in the D90 System Case
AA batteries Satechi Timer Remote with AAA batteries
(some kits have a timer made by a different
manufacturer)
AMOD Data Logger with USB cable (not all kits were
delivered with this item)
An inexpensive tripod or monopod is not included in the D90 Kit provided by
National Headquarters. Local purchase is recommended. Make sure it has an
articulating camera mount so camera pointing angle can be adjusted up and down.

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1.2 Charge Camera Batteries
Plug in each battery pack, one at a time, and bring the batteries to full
charge. The indicator light will flash during charging. When fully
charged, the light will illuminate continuously.
1.3 Nikon D90 Camera Pre-mission Initiation
Verify the camera is turned off
Install memory card (card may already be in the camera)
by opening the door located on the right side of the
camera and gentally pushing the card in until it clicks in
place. A light located on the back-right of the camera
will briefly illuminate to confirm the card is seated. The
card can be removed by pushing the card in
and it will pop out. One 4 GB (or larger)
card is furnished with the system. Local
purchase of additional cards is
recommended.
Set the autofocus switches on the camera and lens to
AF
Just above the lens AF switch is a switched marked
“lock”. It is used to lock the zoom function in the
18mm position. Make sure this switch is set to the
unlock position (towards the front of the lens).

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Rotate mode switch to “auto-no-flash”. The Mode
switch is located on the top-left side of the camera.
“auto-no-flash” is reached by setting the Mode dial to
“Auto” (green camera symbol) and then moving the
Mode dial one notch counter-clockwise. Auto-no-flash
assures the flash will not automatically pop up and
contact the hot-shoe mounted GP-1 GPS module if a
low light condition is encountered.
Set the focus selector switch to L
Install the garmin GP-1 hot-shoe mounted GPS
If the GP-1 cable is not attached to the GPS, do so
by selecting the smaller of the two connector ends
(the end does not have the words Nikon or CA 90
on it) and pushing it into the side of the GP-1
marked “camera” while lining up the arrows on the
GP-1 and cable. Push it in. The arrow on the cable
will no longer be visible.
Plug the other end of the cable into the camera
GPS port. The arrow on this cable end should be located so that it is visible from the back
of the camera. This connection does not snap into place; just slide it in all the way.
It is recommended the GP-1 cable be left attached at the GP-1 end while in storage.

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Install Camera Batteries
The Nikon MB-D80 Multi-Power Battery Pack is capable of holding two rechargeable
batteries or six AA batteries. The camera will work properly with only one rechargeable
battery installed. Two batteries give extended operation time. The six AA batteries are
only used if the rechargeable batteries are discharged and there is no electrical power
available to operate the charger, or if time is limited to allow for recharge.
The camera battery door is located on the back of the camera at the bottom. Flip out the
latch and rotate it counter clockwise to open the door. Gentally press the white tab to the
outside of the pack and then insert the battery as shown. To remove a battery, press the
associated white tab to the outside of the pack and the battery will pop out.
If the AA battery accessory is used, install the six batteries while observing proper
polarity. The accessory will move the white tabs as required.
Remove Lens Cap
Turn on the camera
Check Batteries
Note: the battery symbol above shows the status of the battery in use. When two batteries
are installed it is better to follow the procedure below to check battery status.
Press the “Info” button to turn on the Monitor.
The following will show on the Monitor. Both batteries are shown;
the active battery (chosen by the camera) and the standby battery.

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Reset the Camera
Press the +/- and AF buttons. Hold them pressed for
four seconds. The two buttons have green dots next to
them. The Control Panel Display will flash to confirm
reset has been completed.
Control Panel Display
Clear the memory card
Press the Menu button to bring up the Menu
Display on the Monitor.
The Menu Display is navigated by pressing the
up, down, left and right arrows on the Multi
selector. The Multi Selector also has an “OK”
button located in its center.
Press the left arrow key on the Multi Selector in order to
navigate the various Menu
screens. Press the up and
down keys to find the “Play
Back” menu. Press the right
key and then the up and/or
down keys to select the
Delete Menu. Press the right
key to select the Delete Page
and then move the up and/or
down keys to select All All. Push the right key and then the up
and/or down key to select “Yes” on the Delete All screen and
then push the OK button. All images on the memory card will
be erased.
Set the sensitivity of the imaging receptor by adjusting its ISO value.
Press the Menu Button to bring
up the Menu Screen. Press the
left arrow key on the Multi

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Selector in order to navigate the various Menu screens. Press the up and down keys to
find the “Shooting Menu”. Press the right key and then the up and/or down keys to select
ISO sensitivity setting. Press the right key to go to the ISO selection screen. Press the up
and/or down keys to select the ISO value; a setting of 800 is suggested for aerial
photography. Click OK.
GPS Setup: Go to the settings menu. Scroll down to GPS. Move to the right. Make sure
GPS Auto is set to OFF.
Check Camera Settings
Press the Info button to bring up the Monitor Screen. The screen should look similar the
one shown here.
Automatic Mode No Flash
Battery Condition
Large Picture Size
JPEG Setting to JPEG Normal
GPS Active and Locked onto the Network
ISO Set to 800
Memory capable of storing 760 photos
(larger memory card will result in a larger number)
1.4 Photo Check
The following is best done outside. Take the
camera, the GP-1 GPS.
Take a photo of anything; scenery, airplane,
automobile, people, hanger…etc. Hold the shutter
button down half way for a second to allow the lens
to auto-focus. Press the shutter button all the way
down to take the photo.
Check the results.
Press the Playback button.
The picture will appear on the Monitor.
The photo should be sharp and properly exposed.
Push the Multi Selector “up” button to see the shooting data
display. The display shows the f-stop, shutter speed, ISO
value, lens focal length and an icon confirming the camera is
set to the auto mode with no flash.

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Press the Multi Selector “up” button one more time to
view the latitude, longitude, altitude, and time and date.
Presence of this data shows that the GP-1 GPS is working
correctly. Note that altitude is in meters.
Delete the Photo
Press the Delete Button twice to delete the photo just
taken.
1.5 Set the Camera Clock
The track log recorded by the AMOD Data Logger (assuming one is in the kit or
available) may be coordinated with the photographs during post-processing of mission
data. The coordination is done by matching photo time and Data Logger time.
Confirm the D90 camera is set to Coordinated Universal Time in London, England (UTC 0).
Push the camera menu button. Press the Multi Selector left button and then press the up and/or
down buttons until the “Setup Menu”appears. Press the right button. Press the up and/or down
buttons until “World Time”is highlighted. Press the right button to bring up the “World Time”
screen. Make sure daylight savings time is off and UTC 0 is selected. Now select “Date and
Time”. Press the right button to bring up the “World Time, Date and Time” screen. Use the right
button to scroll through the settings while using the up and down buttons to set Year, Month and
Day and then Hour, Minutes and Seconds. Set the time (hours) to that currently in London,
England. The hour offset will depend upon where you are.
Daylight Savings Time Off and UTC 0 selected

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1.6 AMOD Data Tracker
Install fresh batteries as follows:
1. Remove the back cover
2. Install three AA batteries as shown.
The AMOD Tracker can use either rechargeable or non-
rechargeable batteries. If rechargeable batteries are used, they
must be charged with an external battery charger.
Fresh batteries will provide approximately 15 hours of use.
Power pushbutton
Take the Data Tracker outside to a place with a clear view overhead. Turn the device on
by depressing the power pushbutton for one second. The three status lights will illuminate
briefly then turn off. The green GPS status light will light continuously until a fix is
obtained. The GPS status light will then blink continuously.
GPS acquisition may take several minutes or more.
The amber Battery Power light will blink when the battery has less than 20% capacity
left.
The red Storage light comes on when the memory is full. When that happens, no further
data logging is possible. At this point the log must be downloaded to a computer and the
memory cleared.
It is recommended that the memory be cleared before each flight but only after the data
logs for previous flights have been downloaded or considered no longer required.
See the following for how to clear the memory.

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Clear the memory by holding the Mark button down for 5 seconds. All
three status lights will illuminate sequentially. After all three lights have
blinked in sequence, release the mark button. The track memory should
now be erased.
Mark Button
It is also possible to erase the memory when the device is connected to a
computer via its USB cable. See the AMOD manual for more detail.
Power Button
1.7 The Multi Function Timer Remote Control
Some aerial photography missions require
multiple photos be taken in accurate time-
sequence. Obtaining multiple overlapping
photographs of a road, shoreline or river is one
example. Another is imaging a large area with
multiple photographs overlapping in two
dimensions. At the speed and altitude typically
flown by CAP aircraft, for these types of missions
the time between photographs is typically 4
seconds. The Multi Function Timer Remote
Control included with the D90 camera system kit
will automate the shutter release.
If your kit has a different timer than that shown in this section, refer to its manual for how
to accomplish the following.
Install two AAA batteries in the Timer Remote Control. The battery compartment access
is at the rear of the unit.
Turn the unit on.
The Timer Remote Control is able to operate in several
modes. The mode of interest for aerial photography is timed
interval (shown as IT on the front face of the unit). Two
settings must be defined for this mode; time between shutter
releases and total number of photos to be taken while in
automatic mode.

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Use the left, right, up and down pushbuttons to select the time
interval. Using the right button, move the horizontal bar until it
is below INT. Press the Set push button located in the center of
the direction selector. The hours will blink on and off. Use the
right pushbutton until the seconds blink. Use the up pushbutton
to set the time to the required number of seconds between
photos. Press Set again.
Press the right pushbutton to move the horizontal bar to the right
until it is under N. Press Set. Use the up and down pushbuttons
to enter the number of photos to be taken (10 for example). Press
Set again.
Press the left pushbutton to move the horizontal bar below INT. The unit will now
display the time interval and total number of photos.
The Timer Remote Control cable plugs into the right side of
the Nikon GP-1 GPS. The arrow on the unit’s cable faces up
when plugged into the GP-1.
Activate the Timer Remote Control by pushing the
Start/Stop button. Push the button a second time to stop
automatic operation.
Note: the camera must be photographing an adequately lighted subject in order for the
shutter to close automatically. Do not attempt to test the camera and timer remote
control with the lens cap on the camera!
1.8 The Camera and associated equipment are now ready for an aerial photo
mission.
Turn off the camera, AMOD Data Logger and the Remote Timer
Control now that the Equipment Pre-Mission Check has been
completed!

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Put the lens cap back on the camera!
2.0 Pre-Mission Planning
2.1 Identify Customer Requirements
The flight crew needs the following information to assure successful acquisition of the
aerial photographs required by the customer:
Type of mission. The major types are:
Spot Photography
Route Photography
Photographic Mapping
Location
Target location(s) for spot photography and type of pattern to be flown
Beginning and end of a route (highway, shoreline, river)
oPercent of successive photo overlap
Corner point coordinates defining area for photographic mapping
oAmounts of successive photo overlap and parallel photo overlap
Ground level coverage of each photograph (how many feet wide and how many feet deep)
Camera pointing angle (how many degrees down from the horizontal)
Resolution at ground level at the center of the photograph
2.2 Translate customer requirements into specific photographic shooting parameters to
include:
Altitude above ground (AGL)
Aircraft speed
Camera pointing angle
Lens focal length
Time between photographs (required for route photography and photographic mapping)
Altitude above ground level (AGL)
1200 feet AGL is an ideal altitude for aerial photography; the closer to the ground, the
less build-up of haze and thus a clearer photograph. Higher altitudes allow for more
ground coverage per picture but at lower ground resolution.
Aircraft Speed
At 90 Knots, the aircraft moves 150 feet per second. This is a good speed for aerial
photography.

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Camera Pointing Angle
Camera pointing angle is the angle below the
horizon.
In a Cessna 182 or Cessna 172 with a photo
window it is not possible to get a pointing
angle much greater than 45 degrees. Smaller
angles result in the photos being greater in
extent perpendicular to the direction of flight
and thus lower resolution at ground-level.
Haze also becomes more significant at smaller pointing angles. 45 degrees is an excellent
choice although 30 degrees is a reasonable compromise.
Setting Camera Pointing Angle
Taking photos with a consistent pointing angle requires the use of a monopod. The
following pictures show how one squadron sets the pointing angle using a locally
fabricated guide. The guide shown is for 45 degrees.
Camera mounted to monopod. Mono pod rests on seat. Lens set to 45 degrees
Pointing angle set using guide. Photographer holds
monopod so camera
does not rest against
the photo window

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Lens Focal Length
The 18mm to 200 mm lens furnished with the Nikon D90 Kit covers a wide range of
photographic requirements, from wide angle to long-telephoto. Focal length settings less
than 50 mm are not useful when the camera is used in a Cessna 182 or Cessna 172
equipped with a photo window. Taking photos at focal length
settings from 18mm to approximately 40mm results in the picture
including parts of the aircraft (landing gear, wing). Customers do
not want parts of the aircraft in the photo. In addition, when parts
of the aircraft are in the photo field, the camera’s automatic focus
and exposure devices may not work correctly; the landing gear
may be in focus but the scene below may not!
Focal length is set by rotating the focal length ring.
Focal length setting
Choosing the best camera Pointing Angle and lens Focal Length
Consult the following table to select shooting parameters. Data is given for an aircraft
altitude of 1200 feet AGL. The data can be scaled for other altitudes as the scaling is
linear. Example, to fly at 1800 feet AGL, multiply the number in the rows “Horizontal
Image dimension in direction of flight” and below by 1800/1200 = 1.5.
Base upon the customer’s requirement for image size at ground level, go down the table
and find the closest fit. For example, if the customer wants each photo to be about 800
feet by 600 feet, choose the first data column; 812 feet horizontal and 847 feet
perpendicular to the direction of flight is a close fit. From that column, find the required
lens focal length (50 mm) and camera pointing angle (45 degrees). The bottom data entry
in the column indicates that the aircraft will need to be directed to a point 1200 feet from
the target. Resolution at the center of the photo will be 2.3 inches!
Important –the data in the table applies to the Nikon D90 camera. Most of the data also applies
to the Nikon D200 although resolution values will be reduced slightly. For other cameras, the
data may be way off as other cameras may have different image sensor dimensions.

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For shallow camera pointing angles (see the 15 degree entry) the dimensions of each
photograph for a 50 mm lens focal length become very large (approximately 2240 feet
horizontal by 8900 feet perpendicular to the aircraft). Resolution is lower at the center of
the camera axis; it becomes significantly degraded near the edges of the photo.
Telephoto focal length settings (greater than 50 mm) provide increased resolution with
smaller ground-level coverage. See the 100 mm data entries. Where maximum detail is
required, use of a telephoto lens setting adds value.
Maintaining a Focal Length Setting
During route photography and aerial mapping it is important
that the lens focal length setting not change. There is no built-
in mechanism to lock the focal length setting at any value
other than 18 mm. The following photo shows a simple
solution. Wide rubber band
Where overlapping photographs are required, the time between shutter-release must be
determined. A 25% photo overlap is a good choice and will be used as an example.
Horizontal picture dimension should have already been determined in the steps above. If
shooting parameters result in each photo nominally covering 800 feet at ground level,
25% overlap means that a photo should be taken every time the aircraft moves (100%-
25%) x 800 feet = 600 feet. At 90 knots, the aircraft moves 150 feet in one second.
Therefore, a photo must be taken every four seconds. Program the Multi Function Timer
Remote Control for four seconds.

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Determining Number of Photos
For spot photography, take multiple photos as appropriate. More are better than less!
For route photography and aerial mapping, one must determine the length of each leg.
Using a map, determine each leg length in statute miles. Multiply the leg length in statute
miles by 5280 feet per mile. Divide that number by the length of each photo less the
photo overlap (see “Selecting a Time Interval”above). The result is the number of photos
that need to be taken during the leg. Program the Multi Function Timer Remote Control
with the result. For example, for a leg length of 8 miles and a 25% overlap of photos with
each photo 800 feet wide, 5280x8=42,240. (100%-25%) x 800 feet = 600 feet.
42,240/600 = 70 photos.
2.3 Planning the Flight Path
A spot photography mission requires that the target-center be accurately located and that
the flight pattern to be flown around the target be defined. This will require accurate
determination of waypoints which are defined by their latitude and longitude. Those
numbers will be used by the flight crew to program the aircraft GPS accordingly.
An aircraft sectional map can be used to determine the numbers. All qualified flight crew
members know how to do so.
An alternative is to use a computer-based mapping program such as DeLorme Street
Atlas or Google Earth. In both cases, make sure the latitude and longitude values are set
to display degrees, minutes and fractional minutes (D M.M) and not degrees, minutes and
seconds.
DeLorme Street Atlas has the advantage that it is self contained on a computer and does
not require an Internet connection to work. Google Earth is a better alternative where a
Web connection is available.
DeLorme Street Atlas is not included in the D90 kit. It is a local-purchase item;
Squadrons may elect to use other computer tools to determine waypoint information.
The following is a snapshot of a Street Atlas map:

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The Myakka Bridge in Charlotte County, FL was located by scrolling around the map. If
an address is available for the target, it can be entered to find it on the map using the
search feature.
The computer cursor is pointed at the center of the bridge. The longitude
and latitude of the pointer is listed to the right of the map. Move the
cursor to any location on the map to get Lat/Long.
To fly a constant distance circle around the target, have the flight crew enter the Lat/long
of the center of the target into the aircraft GPS. The flight crew then selects “Go To” and
the distance to the target center will appear on the aircraft GPS screen. Keep the distance
constant to fly a circle around the target.
Some spot photography missions require that the flight path around the target be a
rectangle. With a computer mapping program the Lat/long of the corner points can be
quickly determined using the Draw tool to define the flight path.

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The Draw tool has
been used to
surround the target
with a square box
with each side 1
mile from the center
of the target. The
cursor is then placed
over each corner
point, in turn, so that
the Lat/long of each
corner point can be
determined for entry
into the flight
planning form.
For Route Photography, Street Atlas can be used to determine the beginning and end
points of the route as well as intermediate waypoints as necessary.
Planning an aerial mapping mission is more complex. Details are beyond the scope of
this manual.
2.4 Mission Planning Forms
See Sections 4.1 and 4.2 for spot-photography mission planning forms.