Nikon D1

Probably our single quibble with the D1's user interface design is the ineffably cryptic labeling of options on the Custom Settings menu. These are admittedly infrequently used settings, but you'd think Nikon could have found a bit more intuitive interface for accessing them. After all, there's that big bright LCD screen, just begging for more use. We do have to say that even after the limited playing around we did with the camera, we pretty quickly came to remember that 23-0 was normal sharpness, 23-3 was "none", 16-whatever was the self-timer delay, etc. Maybe it wouldn't be a problem in actual use, but we can't imagine why Nikon didn't make more use of the color LCD screen for navigating these. (One answer might be that you can flip through the options a LOT faster than the camera's processor could likely update the LCD screen, so maybe speed in the field is the justification for the impenetrable interface...)


Following is the list of available options through the Custom Settings menu:

• 0 - Custom Settings: allows the camera to store up to two sets of custom settings with options A and B.
  
  
• 1 - Image Status: offers a choice of capture modes for single-frameshooting and self-timer modes:
  • Option 0: Photograph is not displayed after capture.
  • Option 1: Capture-Preview Mode (photographs displayed before being saved).
  • Option 2: Record and Review Mode (photographs are displayed after being saved).
    
    
• 2 - EV Steps for Exposure Control: controls the size of the increments for adjusting shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation and auto exposure bracketing.
  • Option 3: 1/3 increments (default).
  • Option 2: 1/2 increments.
  • Option 1: Increments of 1.
    
    
• 3 - Bracketing Order: determines the order of auto bracketing.
  • Option 0: Default, positive to negative.
  • Option 1: Negative to positive bracketing.
    
    
• 4 - Autofocus Activation:
  • Option 0: Autofocus is performed only when the shutter button is released halfway (default).
  • Option 1: Autofocus is only performed when the AF-On button is pressed.
    
    
• 5 - Anti-Vibration Mode: delays the exposure until the mirror-shock has subsided.
  • Option 0: No delay (default).
  • Option 1: Release delay in effect.
    
    
• 6 - Focus Area Selection: under the default setting, the autofocus area display is bounded by the four outer focus brackets, meaning that moving the focus selector towards the top when the top area is already selected will have no effect. The wraparound setting will allow the focus selector to wrap around from the top to the bottom when the arrows are pressed.
  • Option 0: Default, no wrap around.
  • Option 1: Wrap around in effect.
    
    
• 7 - AE Lock:
  • Option 0: Auto exposure locks only when the AE-L button is pressed (default).
  • Option 1: Auto exposure locks when the shutter button is pressed halfway.
    
    
• 8 - Mirror Up: alters the mirror position for CCD cleaning.
  • Option 0: Mirror down during cleaning (default).
  • Option 1: Mirror up during cleaning.
    
    
• 9 - Dynamic AF Mode in Single-Servo AF: activates or deactivates the closest subject priority when dynamic AF is in use with single-servo autofocus.
  • Option 0: Closest subject priority enabled (default).
  • Option 1: Closest subject priority disabled.
    
    
• 10 - Dynamic AF Mode in Continuous-Servo AF: activates or deactivates the closest subject priority when dynamic AF is in use with continuous-servo autofocus.
  • Option 0: Closest subject priority disabled (default).
  • Option 1: Closest subject priority enabled.
    
    
• 11 - Auto Exposure / Flash Exposure Bracketing:
  • Option AS: Flash exposure bracketing and auto exposure bracketing performed together (default).
  • Option AE: Only auto exposure bracketing is performed.
  • Option Sb: Only flash exposure bracketing is performed.
• 12 - Command Dial Functions:
  • Option 0: Main command dial controls shutter speed, sub-command dial controls aperture (default).
  • Option 1: Sub-command dial controls shutter speed, main command dial controls aperture.
    
    
• 13 - Exposure Compensation Settings: sets exposure compensation without the use of the Exposure Compensation button.
  • Option 0: Exposure compensation is set by pressing the Exposure Compensation button.
  • Option 1: Exposure compensation can be set by turning the sub-command dial or main command dial (based on the setting under item 12).
    
    
• 14 - Center-Weighted Metering Area:
  • Option 6: Greatest weight assigned to a 6 mm circle.
  • Option 8: Greatest weight assigned to an 8 mm circle (default).
  • Option 10: Greatest weight assigned to a 10 mm circle.
  • Option 13: Greatest weight assigned to a 13 mm circle.
  • Option A: Exposure based average for entire frame.
    
    
• 15 - Time Delay for Auto Meter Switch Off: varies the time-out of the display in the top status display panel.
  • Option 4: Four second delay.
  • Option 6: Six second delay (default).
  • Option 8: Eight second delay.
  • Option 16: Sixteen second delay.
    
    
• 16 - Self-Timer Duration:
  • Option 2: Two second delay.
  • Option 5: Five second delay.
  • Option 10: Ten second delay (default).
  • Option 20: Twenty second delay.
    
    
• 17 - LCD Illumination:
  • Option 0: LCD illuminator comes on when power switch is turned to the illuminator position (default).
  • Option 1: LCD illuminator comes on when any button is pressed.
    
    
• 18 - LCD Monitor Auto Power Off:
  • Option 0: Twenty second delay (default).
  • Option 1: One minute delay.
  • Option 2: Five minute delay.
  • Option 3: Ten minute delay.
    
    
• 19 - Aperture Setting During Zooming:
  • Option 0: Aperture does not change with focal length (default).
  • Option 1: Aperture changes with focal length.
    
    
• 20 - Shutter Release Indication via Self-Timer Lamp:
  • Option 0: Self-timer lamp does not light when shutter is released (default).
  • Option 1: Self-timer lamp lights immediately before shutter is released.
    
    
• 21 - AE/AF Lock Button:
  • Option 0: Both auto exposure and autofocus are locked while the button is pressed (default).
  • Option 1: Only auto exposure is locked while the button is pressed.
  • Option 2: Only autofocus is locked while the button is pressed.
  • Option 3: Auto exposure is locked when the button is pressed and remains locked until the button is pressed a second time.
    
    
• 22 - Aperture Selection: (when shooting in Aperture Priority and Manual exposure modes).
  • Option 0: Aperture can only be adjusted using sub-command dial (default).
  • Option 1: Aperture can only be adjusted with lens aperture ring.
    
    
• 23 - Sharpening:
  • Option 0: Normal (default).
  • Option 1: Low.
  • Option 2: High.
  • Option 3: None.
    
    
• 24 - Tone Compensation:
  • Option 0: Auto (default): camera adjusts curves to produce optimal contrast (matrix metering only; when another metering method is used, this option is equivalent to option 1, i.e. normal tone compensation).
  • Option 1: Normal: this curve is suitable for scenes with a normal distribution of shadows, mid-tones and highlights.
  • Option 2: Low-contrast: use this curve to prevent highlights in brightly lit scenes from being washed out.
  • Option 3: High-contrast: use this curve to bring out hazy background details.
  • Option 4: User-defined custom curve.
    
    
• 25 - Shooting Speed in Continuous Shooting Mode:
  • Option Ch: Approximately 4.5 frames per second (default).
  • Option 3: Approximately 3 frames per second.
  • Option 2: Approximately 2 frames per second.
  • Option 1: Approximately 1 frame per second.
  • Option CL: Each photograph is written to the memory card before the following photograph is taken and photographs are not stored in the memory buffer.
    
    
• 26 - Maximum number of Consecutive Shots in Continuous Shooting Mode:
  • Option 21: 21 standard photographs or 10 photographs in RAW format (default).
  • Option 1-20: Specified number of photographs, from one to 20(one to nine in RAW data format).
    
    
• 27 - LCD Monitor Display Mode:
  • Option 0: Image only (default).
  • Option 1: Image and histogram.
  • Option 2: Image and highlights.
  • Option 3: Image, histogram and highlights.
    
    
• 28 - Save RAW Images:
  • Option 0: RAW data format not available (default).
  • Option 1: RAW data format available.
    
    
• 29 - Auto File Numbering Mode:
  • Option 0: Normal filename assignment (default).
  • Option 1: Sequential filename assignment.
    
    
• 30 - Shooting in PC Mode: altering the frame advance mode.
  • Option S: Single frame shooting (default).
  • Option C: Continuous shooting.
    
    
• 31 - Sensitivity Up:
  • Option 0: Sensitivity can be set to values equivalent to 200, 400, 800 or 1600 (default).
  • Option 1: Sensitivity can be set to +1 (sensitivity display in rear control panel shows HI-1).
  • Option 2: Sensitivity can be set to +2 (sensitivity display in rear control panel shows HI-2).
    

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Select a topic Reference: Datasheet D1 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure 7. Amazing Flash Unit! 8. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 9. Operation & User Interface 10. Camera Modes & Menus 11. Image Storage & Interface 12. Video, Power, Software 13. Test Results & Conclusion 14. The All-Nikon, All-Digital Studio Reference: Custom Settings Menu --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index

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