D80 setup.

creators · D80 setup.

I've been looking into how my D80 is set up and came across this wonderful site http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d80/users-guide/index.htm

I have set my camera using the advice below and am very impressed with the settings. Other advice on the site I completely disagree with like his advice on image quality, but you take the meat and spit out the bones.

OPTIMIZE IMAGE

This is set in the Shooting Menu. I crave vivid color! I tweak my D80 to give color as vivid as I can get. If it went to 11 I'd use that, too.

I go to MENU > Shooting Menu (green camera icon) > Optimize Image > Custom.

Here's how I set each item under Custom:

Image Sharpening: Auto (default).

Tone Compensation (contrast): Auto (default). The D80 automatically adjusts its contrast and dynamic range to each and every shot. It works great.

Color Mode: IIIa (three-a). This is critical: this gives brighter colors than the default of I. No, color mode II is pronounced "two" and not to be confused with 11 (eleven). You don't want Mode II even if you could use it. Details are here.

Saturation: +, of course. This gives brighter colors in addition to the boost from Color Mode III.

Hue: 0 (Default). Don't touch this! it will subtly mess around with your colors. Leave it at 0.

After setting this it's critical to save it by selecting " Done" and clicking to the right actively to select OK. If you forget to hit OK it won't remember all these settings!

hil26

Now that is interesting as it seems to fly in the face of all the other recommendations I have seen, especially sharpening, which all articles I have seen says "Don't let the camera do it" leave it to the PC as there is more control.

Ken Rockwell also says about colour mode II

Don't touch this unless you really know what you're doing and print your own work.

He also only works with basic jpeg files, which seems to me that he might just set this camera so he can take the card down to his local store for printing.

I am not saying its wrong and if it works, great, I seem to remember following some of his tips for the D70 I once had.

He gives much the same advice for the D200, so might just try a test when I get a minute spare.

creators

For me this is a work in progress. I have owned a camera for six or seven years, and to put that in perspective, it was three years ago that I looked at aperture and began to get to grips with depth of field. So I am still such a newcomer to photography that nothing is yet solid for me, I am still in that state of constant discovery and change.

With sharpening, although I do use unsharp mask a great deal, if I compare what I know about photography with Nikon I come out of the equation at about zilch. I will, at some point do a series of test shots using the cameras onboard software and then switch that off and see what I can come up with. Based on what I discover from those test shots I'll set the camera accordingly. Given where I am that will probably happen quite soon.

I did do a series of test shots using the basic jpeg setting and compared that with the fine setting. I found the amount of artefacts and blockiness that basic gave me absolutely unacceptable. But then I do a great deal of image manipulation and so require the best quality to start with, because the process of manipulation is a process of degrading the image at every stage. Even if I didn't do image manipulation, I don't think I would use the basic setting, he may be right in that you would never notice the difference in a standard print, but I don't print pictures, almost all my image use is electronic. If I submit a picture for print in a magazine or something like that, then I think they deserve the best quality my camera is capable of.

What he does offer is a huge amount of information that I think anyone at whatever stage they are at can look at and try in a very practical hands on way. Reading the camera manual is difficult because it doesn't really tell you what things do, just where they are and how to change settings. A more hands on approach to camera settings is something I have always needed and so find Rockwell very useful. I also like his very opinionated style, he really gives me something to get to grips with and use.