Nikon D300S Modes & Menus

Tweet Share

Camera Reviews / Nikon Cameras / Nikon D i Full Review

Operation Viewfinder Live View Modes & Menus Video

Navigate Review Jump to review page...

Nikon D300S Modes and Menus

Nikon D300S Exposure Modes

The Nikon D300S has a mode button, rather than a mode dial. The current exposure mode is displayed on the LCD and in the viewfinder, and can be changed by pressing this button and rotating the main (rear) command dial. Available exposure modes are: P (Programmed Auto), S (Shutter Priority), A (Aperture Priority) or M (Manual). Like all pro and semi-pro Nikons, the D300S doesn't offer any scene modes.

Programmed Auto: Lets the camera control the shutter speed and aperture settings, although you can vary its choices by turning the Command dial. That is, you can increase or decrease the aperture the camera has chosen, and the camera will vary the shutter speed to maintain the same overall exposure value. Once you've chosen an offset in the aperture/shutter combination, the camera will continue to control the exposure automatically, while maintaining the aperture/shutter bias you've selected. This ability to select a persistent bias for the exposure system is very useful, in many cases more so than conventional Aperture or Shutter Priority metering (see below). This is because the "tweaked" Program AE will track even radical changes in subject lighting, not being constrained to a single aperture or shutter speed.

Aperture Priority: Allows you to set the aperture value while the camera automatically selects the appropriate shutter speed. Available apertures will vary with the lens in use.

Shutter Speed Priority: Allows you to set the shutter speed value while the camera automatically selects the appropriate aperture. Shutter speeds range from 1/8,000 to 30 seconds in this mode.

Manual: Lets you select both the aperture value and shutter speed, and increases the shutter speed range to include a Bulb setting (shutter remains open as long as the shutter button is depressed) for exposures longer than 30 seconds.

Nikon D300S Menus

Pressing the Menu button provides access to the camera's full menu system. The D300S's menus are arranged in a vertical tab structure, with icons for each tab along the left side. The multi-selector is used to navigate the menus.

Playback Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
Delete	- Selected - All	- Selected Image - All pictures	Deletes pictures from the camera memory card. Hidden and protected images will not be deleted.
Playback Folder	- D300S - All - Current		Select a folder for playback. The camera will show images in all folders created by a Nikon D300S, but not those in folders created by other cameras.
Hide Image	- Select/set - Deselect all?		Reveal or hide selected images.
Display Mode	- Done		Allows you to select what shooting information is displayed with the picture during playback. Each listed parameter may be enabled or disabled.
	- Basic photo info	- Focus point
	- Detailed photo info	- Highlights - RGB histogram - Data
Copy Image(s)	- Select source	- CF card slot - SD card slot	Allows specific images or folders of images to be copied between cards, to either a new or an existing one.
	- Select image(s)	- Select source folder - Deselect all - Select all images - Select protected images -- Select additional images
	- Select destination folder	- Folder number entry screen - Existing folder list
	- Copy images?	- Yes - No
Image Review	- On - Off		Lets you choose to see each image right after shooting it or not.
After Delete	- Show next - Show previous - Continue as before		Lets you choose which remaining picture will be displayed after an image is deleted.
Rotate Tall	- On - Off		Rotates pictures that were shot in portrait orientation to be right side up on the LCD monitor.
Slide Show	- Start	- OK	Allows you to create a slide show of existing pictures with your choice of interval between pictures. Hidden pictures will not be displayed.
Slide Show	- Frame interval	- 2 s - 3 s - 5 s - 10 s
Print Set (DPOF)	- Select/set	- Select image screen -- Done -- Data imprint -- Imprint date	Allows you to select which pictures will print on a DPOF compatible printer.
Print Set (DPOF)	- Deselect all?	- Remove print marking from all images? - Yes - No

Shooting Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
Shooting Menu Bank	- A - B - C - D	- Rename screen	This allows you to set up 4 different banks of preset menu settings, for rapid recall when switching between shooting situations. You can customize these options to your liking, and they stay set when you turn the camera off. The bank names can be changed if needed.
Shooting Menu Bank	- Rename	- A - B - C - D
Reset Shooting menu	- Yes - No		Restores all shooting menu options to their default values.
Active Folder	- New folder number	- 100-999	Choose the active folder name where your images will be stored.
Active Folder	- Select folder	- 100D300S - 101D300S ...etc.
File Naming	- sRGB - Adobe RGB	- File naming screen	This is used to change the file name prefixes use to distinguish files shot in the sRGB or Adobe RGB color spaces.
Primary Slot Selection	- CF card slot - SD card slot		Selects which card slot should be considered the primary card slot by the camera
Secondary Slot Function	- Overflow - Backup - RAW primary, JPEG secondary		Selects whether the secondary slot should serve as an overflow once the primary card is filled, a backup (duplicate) of data written to the primary card, or whether the primary card should receive Raw files while JPEGs are written to the secondary card. If either of the latter two options is selected, the "shots remaining" display will refer to the card with less capacity remaining, and the camera won't take any more pictures once either of the cards fills up.
Image Quality	- NEF (RAW) + JPEG fine - NEF (RAW) + JPEG normal - NEF (RAW) + JPEG basic - NEF (RAW) - TIFF (RGB) - JPEG fine - JPEG normal - JPEG basic		Choose the type(s) of file you want to capture.
Image Size	- Large - Medium - Small		Choose the images size you want to capture.
JPEG Compression	- Size priority - Optimal quality		Compress images based on a fixed file size or on the best quality.
NEF (RAW) recording	- Type	- Lossless compressed - Compressed - Uncompressed	Choose the type and bit depth of the Raw images you want to capture.
NEF (RAW) recording	- NEF (RAW) bit depth	- 12-bit - 14-bit
White Balance	- Auto - Incandescent - Fluorescent - Direct Sunlight - Flash - Cloudy - Shade - Choose color temp. - Preset manual	- Adjustment screen (all modes except "Choose color temp" which allows you to choose color temp from 2500K to10,000K)	Adjusts the white balance to match the conditions you are shooting in. The fluorescent preset can be set with the WB button and main command dial to either sodium-vapor lamps, warm-white fluorescent, white fluorescent, cool-white fluorescent, day-white fluorescent, daylight fluorescent, or high-temperature mercury vapor.
Set Picture Control	- Standard - Neutral - Vivid - Monochrome - C1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7 - C8 - C9	- Quick adjust - Sharpening - Contrast - Brightness - Saturation - Hue	Picture controls allow the look of images to be tweaked, adjusting the intensity of sharpening, contrast, brightness, saturation and hue. All presets can be further adjusted by the user, and the quick adjust function varies the cumulative strength of the other sliders.. The C1 through C9 options only appear when created by the user through the Manage Picture Control menu item, and can be renamed.
Manage Picture Control	- Save/edit - Rename - Delete	- Picture control selection screen	Allows up to nine new picture controls to be created in-camera at any one time. Picture controls can be renamed, copied, and saved to or read from a flash card, allowing them to be shared between cameras.
Manage Picture Control	- Load/save	- Copy to camera - Delete from card - Copy to card
Color Space	- sRGB - Adobe		Determines which color space should be used for JPEG and TIFF files.
Active D-Lighting	- Auto - Extra high - High - Normal - Low - Off		Selects whether Nikon's Active D-Lighting technology should be applied automatically, disabled altogether, or applied with a preset strength. Active D-Lighting attempts to optimize visual dynamic range by adjusting the exposure, and then selectively tone-mapping to preserve highlight and shadow detail.
Long Exp. NR	- On - Off		Enables or disables dark current noise reduction when using exposures longer than eight seconds. If enabled, the total time to capture each image is doubled.
High ISO NR	- High - Normal - Low - Off		Disables or selects the strength of noise reduction when using sensitivities of ISO 800 or higher. Even when set to off, images shot at Hi 0.3 (ISO 4,000) or greater will have high ISO noise reduction applied.
ISO Sensitivity Settings	- ISO sensitivity	- Lo 1 - Lo 0.7 - Lo 0.5 - Lo 0.3 - 200 - 250 - 280 - 320 - 400 - 500 - 560 - 640 - 800 - 1000 - 1100 - 1250 - 1600 - 2000 - 2200 - 2500 - 3200 - Hi 0.3 - Hi 0.5 - Hi 0.7 - Hi 1	Allows manual selection of ISO sensitivity, as well as control over the range of sensitivities available under automatic control. The precise selection of sensitivities offered varies depending on the ISO sensitivity step value set in Custom Setting b1. If ISO sensitivity auto control is enabled, then the camera will override the user's selection automatically if optimal exposure can't otherwise be achieved. The maximum sensitivity setting applies only when automatic control is enabled, and will override a higher manual setting by the user. The minimum shutter speed marks the point at which the camera will automatically raise sensitivity up to the selected sensitivity limit, when in program or aperture-priority modes.
	- ISO Sensitivity auto control	- On - Off
	- Maximum sensitivity	- 400 - 800 - 1600 - 3200 - Hi 1
	- Minimum shutter speed	- 1/4,000 to 1s, in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV steps, depending on Custom Function b1 setting.
Live View Mode	- Hand-held - Tripod		Allows you to select which Live View autofocus mode to use. Handheld mode uses phase detection, which briefly interrupts the live view feed during autofocus operation so the mirror can be lowered to perform an AF cycle. Tripod mode is intended for static subjects with the camera mounted on a tripod, and uses contrast-detection autofocus, which is slower but doesn't interrupt the live LCD display.
Multiple Exposure	- Done	- OK	Allows you to shoot from 2 to 10 exposures, and combine them into a single multiple-exposure image. Up to 30 seconds is allowed between exposures (plus the time set in Custom Setting c4, "Monitor Off Delay"), and the exposures can either be averaged by setting gain to "On", or the brightness values from each image simply added together.
	- Number of shots	- 2 - 10 shots
	- Auto gain	- On - Off
Movie Settings	- Quality	- 1,280 x 720 (16:9) - 640 x 424 (3:2) - 320 x 216 (3:2)	Allows setup of the camera's movie recording. Maximum clip length is five minutes for 1,280 x 720 pixel clips, or twenty minutes for lower resolutions. Microphone sensitivity can be set to one of three levels, Auto, or off. Movies can be recorded to either the CF or SD card slots, but not both simultaneously. The selection screen lists an estimation of the recording time currently available on each card.
	- Microphone	- Auto Sensitivity - High Sensitivity - Medium Sensitivity - Low Sensitivity - Microphone Off
	- Destination	- CF card slot - SD card slot
Interval Timer Shooting	- Choose start time	- Now - Start time	Allows automatic capture of images at a pre-determined interval. (Intervalometer function.) You can delay the start time or have shooting start "now" (in actual fact, roughly three seconds after settings are completed). The interval between shots, the number of shots per interval, and the total number of intervals before capture stops can also be set. Exposure, flash, Active D-Lighting and white balance bracketing are all possible, and all but the latter will override the shots per interval setting. Interval capture can be paused and resumed through the menu. A viewfinder cover should be used during interval shooting to prevent stray light through the eyepiece from affecting the exposure.
Interval Timer Shooting		- Start time -- (1m to 23h59m) - Interval -- (1s to 23h59m59s) - Select intvls X no. of shots -- (Intervals 1-999) -- (Shots 1-99) - On - Off

Custom Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
Custom Setting Bank	- A - B - C - D		Custom settings can be stored in four separate custom banks. You can switch between them at any time and give them your own names.
Custom Setting Bank	- Rename	- Rename screen - A - B - C - D
Reset Custom Settings	- Yes - No		Restores custom settings for the current bank to their default values.
A- Autofocus	- a1 AF-C priority selection	- Release - Release + focus - Focus	For continuous servo AF, determines whether photos can always be taken regardless of focus lock, with reduced frame-rate in continuous mode with dark / low-contrast subjects, or only when focus lock is achieved.
	- a2 AF-S priority selection	- Release - Focus	For single servo AF, determines whether photos can always be taken regardless of focus lock, or only when focus lock is achieved.
	- a3 Dynamic AF area	- 9 points - 21 points - 51 points - 51 points (3D tracking)	For dynamic area AF, determines the size of the AF area surrounding the selected point. 3D tracking only provides an incremental benefit when the subject and background are of differing colors, and the subject isn't restricted to too small an area of the frame.
	- a4 Focus tracking w/lock-on	- Long - Normal - Short - Off	Determines whether the camera should refocus immediately when the subject distance changes, or with varying levels of delay, to avoid losing focus when an object passes in front of the subject.
	- a5 AF activation	- Shutter/AF-ON - AF-ON only	Determines whether AF can be performed with both the shutter and AF-ON buttons, or only with the latter.
	- a6 AF point Illumination	- Auto - On - Off	Determines whether the active AF point should always be highlighted in the viewfinder, never be highlighted, or only highlighted when the camera determines that there is sufficient contrast to see the illuminated point.
	- a7 Focus point wrap-around	- Wrap - No wrap	Determines whether focus point selection should wrap around from top to bottom or left to right of the camera, and vice versa.
	- a8 AF point selection	- AF51 51 points - AF11 11 points	Determines whether all 51 AF points should be available for selection, or only a subset of eleven points evenly distributed across the frame.
	- a9 Built-in AF-assist illuminator	- On - Off	Enables or disables the camera's built-in AF assist illuminator.
	- a10 AF-ON for MB-D10	- AF-ON - AE/AF lock - AE lock only - AE lock (Reset on shutter release) - AE lock on/off (hold) - AF lock only - Same as FUNC. button	Determines the function of the AF-ON button on the optional MB-D10 battery pack. The button can lock exposure, focus, or both, or can mirror the setting chosen for the Function button in Custom Setting f5.
B- Metering/Exposure	- b1 ISO sensitivity step value	- 1/3 step - 1/2 step - 1 step	Selects the step size for ISO sensitivity adjustment.
	- b2 EV steps for exposure cntrl.	- 1/3 step - 1/2 step - 1 step	Selects the step size for shutter speed, aperture and bracketing. (Note, though, that if setting b3 below is set to a smaller step, exposure comp will be made in steps of that size, but the exposure readouts will only indicate changes in steps the size set here in b2.)
	- b3 Exp comp/fine tune	- 1/3 step - 1/2 step - 1 step	Selects the step size for exposure compensation, including flash exposure compensation.
	- b4 Easy exposure compensation	- On (Auto reset) - On - Off	Selects whether the exposure compensation button is needed to adjust the compensation level. Auto reset and On both allow adjustment without first pressing the exposure compensation button. Auto reset retains the compensation value only until the camera or exposure meters are turned off. On retains the value until the user cancels it.
	- b5 Center-weighted area	- 6 mm - 8 mm - 10 mm - 13 mm - Average	Determines what area at the center of the frame should be given greater weight in the center-weighted metering mode.
	- b6 Fine tune optimal exposure	- Matrix metering - Center-weighted metering - Spot metering	Allows separate fine-tuning of the camera's matrix, center-weighted and spot metering modes by +/-1EV in 1/6EV increments. This shift is not shown in the exposure compensation readout, but applies to all exposures in each mode.
C- Timers/AE Lock	- c1 Shutter-release button AE-L	- On - Off	Determines whether the metered exposure should be locked only the AE-L:/AF-L button is pressed, or also when the shutter button is half-pressed.
	- c2 Auto meter-off delay	- 4s - 6s - 8s - 16s - 30s - 1 min. - 5 min. - 10 min. - 30 min. - No Limit	Determines the period of inactivity that must elapse before the camera powers off its exposure meters to save battery life. The meter doesn't turn off when the camera is running on AC power.
	- c3 Self-timer	- 2 s - 5 s - 10 s - 20 s	Determines how many seconds delay should elapse before the shutter is fired in self-timer mode.
	- c4 Monitor off delay	- Playback - Menus - Information display - Image review	The time-out for the LCD monitor can be set separately for four different scenarios - playback, menus, info display or image review. Options for each are four, 10 or 20 seconds, one, five or 10 minutes. When running on AC power, this setting is ignored and the monitor always remains on for ten minutes of inactivity.
D- Shooting/Display	- d1 Beep	- High - Low - Off	Determines whether the single-servo AF focus lock beep and self timer beep should have a high or low pitch, or be disabled altogether. The camera will never beep in quiet shutter release mode, when operating in release priority, or during movie recording.
	- d2 Viewfinder grid display	- On - Off	Enables or disables the on-demand grid display in the viewfinder, helpful for precise alignment of subjects in the frame.
	- d3 Viewfinder warning display	- On - Off	Enables or disables a warning of low battery levels in the viewfinder.
	- d4 Screen tips	- On - Off	Enables or disables "tool tips" help info for items in the information display.
	- d5 CL mode shooting speed	- 7 fps - 6 fps - 5 fps - 4 fps - 3 fps - 2 fps - 1 fps	Determines the camera's burst rate in frames per second when set to the Continuous Low shooting mode.
	- d6 Max. continuous release	- Select 1-100	Determines the maximum number of frames possible in a burst of continuous mode shooting. If the buffer fills before this limit is reached, burst shooting will continue at a reduced rate.
	- d7 File number sequence	- On - Off - Reset	Determines whether file numbering should continue or be reset when the card is formatted, the active folder changed, or the card changed. On always continues the numbering, Off always resets it, and Reset only resets the numbering when recording is switched to an empty folder.
	- d8 Information display	- Auto - Manual	Determines whether the information display should change based on light levels (as seen by the exposure system), or be manually set. Manual options are black lettering on a light background, or white lettering on a dark background. Auto selects black on light in bright conditions, and light on dark in dark surroundings.
	- d9 LCD illumination	- On - Off	Determines whether the control panel backlight should be active only when the power switch is rotated to the backlight position to reduce distraction and save battery life, or whether the control panel should be backlit whenever the camera's meters are active.
	- d10 Exposure delay mode	- On - Off	When set to on, shutter operation is delayed for one second after the shutter button is pressed and mirror raised, to reduce camera shake. (Handy if the camera is propped on something or on a rickety tripod.) When set to off, the shutter is triggered immediately.
	- d11 MB-D10 battery type	- LR6 (AA alkaline) - HR6 (NiMH) - FR6 (AA Lithium) - ZR6 (AA NiMn)	When AA batteries are inserted in the optional MB-D10 battery pack, tells the camera what their chemistry is, allowing more accurate determination of remaining battery life.
	- d12 Battery order	- Use MB-D10 batteries first - Use camera battery first	Selects which batteries should be used first, and which should be reserved until the other batteries have been completely drained.
E- Bracketing/Flash	- e1 Flash sync speed	- 1/320 s (Auto FP) - 1/250 s (Auto FP) - 1/250 s - 1/200 s - 1/160 s - 1/125 s - 1/100 s - 1/80 s - 1/60 s	Selects the flash sync speed. In the first two options, the Auto FP high-speed sync will match the actual shutter speed if using an SB-900, SB-800, SB-600 or SB-R200 flash unit. Other flashes will default to the selected speed in the Auto FP modes.
	- e2 Flash shutter speed	- 1/60 s - 1/30 s - 1/15 s - 1/8 s - 1/4 s - 1/2 s - 1 s - 2 s - 4 s - 8 s - 15 s - 30	Determines the slowest available shutter speed in Program or Aperture priority modes when using red-eye reduction or front / rear-curtain sync.
	- e3 Flash cntrl for built-in flash	- TTL - Manual - Repeating flash - Commander mode	Determines whether the built-in flash should determine exposure automatically, fire with a manually-set strength, fire repeatedly with reduced strength for a strobe effect, or act only as a wireless commander up to two remote strobes, using Nikon's Creative Lighting System. (Its own light can either contribute to exposure or not) Manual power can be set from full to 1/128th full power. Repeating flash allows the output strength to be set from 1/4 to 1/128th full power, the frequency to be set from 1 to 50 Hz, and the number of times the flash should fire from as few as two to as many as 35 times, depending on the strength selected.
	- e4 Modeling flash	- On - Off	Determines whether a modeling flash should be emitted when depth of field is previewed with the SB-900, SB-800, SB-600 or SB-R200 flash units attached.
	- e5 Auto bracketing set	- AE & flash - AE only - Flash only - WB bracketing - ADL bracketing	Determines which settings should be bracketed when auto bracketing is in effect - exposure and flash level together, exposure only, flash level only, white balance only, or Active D-Lighting only.
	- e6 Auto bracketing (Mode M)	- Flash/speed - Flash/speed/aperture - Flash/aperture - Flash only	When in Manual mode and Custom Setting e5 is set to AE & flash or AE only, determines whether the camera should vary the shutter speed, aperture, or both. If set to AE & flash, it is also possible to fix both shutter speed and aperture, and bracket only the flash strength.
	- e7 Bracketing order	- MTR > under > over - Under > MTR > over	Determines the order of bracketed exposures. Options are metered / under / over, or under / metered / over.
F- Controls	- f1 Backlight switch	- LCD backlight - LCD backlight and information display	Determines whether rotating the Power switch to the backlight position should only illuminate the control panel for six seconds, or also display shooting information on the main LCD display.
	- f2 Multi selector center button	- Shooting mode -- Select center focus point -- Highlight active focus point -- Not used - Playback mode -- Thumbnail on/off -- View histograms -- Zoom on/off --- Low magnification --- Medium magnification --- High magnification -- Choose slot and folder	Determines the function of the multi-selector's center button in shooting and playback modes.
	- f3 Multi selector	- Reset Meter-off delay - Do nothing	Determines whether the exposure meters should be enabled when the multi-selector is pressed with the meters powered off.
	- f4 Photo info/playback	- Info (left/right)/ Playback (up/down) - Info (up/down)/ Playback (left/right	Determines whether the left / right multi-selector directions should be used to access info displays, and up / down to scroll through images, or vice versa.
	- f5 Assign Fn button	- FUNC. button press - FN button + dials	Determines the Function button's purpose. Options for the Function button alone include Preview, FV lock, AE/AF lock, AE lock only, AE lock (Reset on release), AE lock (Hold), AF lock only, Flash off, Bracketing burst, Matrix metering, Center-weighted, Spot metering, Playback, Access top item in My Menu, NEF+Raw, or None. Options for Function button together with dials include One step speed/aperture, Choose non-CPU lens number, Auto bracketing, Dynamic AF area, or None.
	- f6 Assign preview button	- Preview button press - Preview + command dials	Determines the depth-of-field preview button's purpose. Options are the same as those for the Function button, with the exception that the default is Preview for a button press alone, and None when used with command dials.
	- f7 Assign AE-L/AF-L button	- AE-L/AF-L button press - AE-L/AF-L + command dials	Determines the AE-L / AF-L button's purpose. Options are the same as those for the Function button, with the exception that the default is AE/AF lock for a button press alone, and None when used with command dials. There is also an extra option of AF-ON for the button press by itself, and "AE-L/AF-L + command dials" lacks the "1 step spd/aperture" option.
	- f8 Customize command dials	- Reverse rotation - Change main/sub - Aperture setting - Menus and playback	Controls operation of the main and sub-command dials. Reverse rotation selects which rotation direction should increase or decrease values, and applies to the dials on the MB-D10 battery pack as well. Change main/sub chooses which dial should control shutter speed, and which should control aperture. Aperture setting determines whether the command dial or lens aperture ring should adjust aperture, and precludes use of live view when set to use the aperture ring of an attached CPU lens. When set on, Menus and playback allows the command dials to be used in place of the multi-selector to navigate menus and playback mode.
	- f9 Release button to use dial	- Yes - No	Selects whether related buttons must be held in while rotating the command dials to change values, or whether the button can be pressed once and then the command dial turned to change the value.
	- f10 No memory card?	- Release Locked - Enable Release	Selects whether the shutter can be triggered without a memory card in the camera. Pictures captured without a flash card can be displayed on the monitor, but cannot be stored. When connected to a computer using the optional Camera Control Pro 2 package, this setting is ignored and photos are transferred directly to the computer without being written to the flash card.
	- f11 Reverse indicators	- + 0 - display - - 0 + display	Determines whether the exposure indicators should read left to right from high to low, or low to high.

Setup Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
Format Memory Card	- Yes - No		Formats camera memory card. This can also be achieved by holding the delete and mode buttons in simultaneously for two seconds.
LCD Brightness	- -3/+3 adjustment		Adjusts LCD brightness darker or lighter 3 arbitrary units each way.
Clean Image Sensor	- Clean Now	- Cleaning activated	Cleans dust from the image sensor immediately, or configures when this should be done automatically.
Clean Image Sensor	- Clean at startup/shutdown	- Clean at startup - Clean at shutdown - Clean at startup and shutdown - Cleaning off
Lock Mirror Up for Cleaning	- Start		This locks the mirror up to allow manual cleaning of the imaging sensor. This should only be done on AC power or with a fully-charged battery, The camera will try to warn you two minutes before the battery runs out by beeping and flashing the self-timer lamp, so if this happens, remove your tools immediately before the shutter closes on them causing damage to the camera!
Video Mode	- NTSC - PAL		Selects the standard definition video output mode for display on a TV
HDMI	- Auto - 480P (progressive) - 576P (progressive) - 720P (progressive) - 1080I(interlaced)		Selects the high definition video output mode for display on HDMI-compatible displays. (Note that an HDMI cable is not included.)
Time Zone and Date	- Time zone	- Graphical time zone selector - YMD and HMS - YMD, MDY, DMY - On - Off	Selects the time zone and date format that you want to use and sets the camera to use Daylight Savings time or not
	- Date and time	- YMD and HMS
	- Date format	- YMD,MDY,DMY
	- Daylight saving time	- On - Off
Language	- Danish - German - English - Spanish - Finnish - French - Italian - Dutch - Norwegian - Polish - Portuguese - Russian - Swedish - Traditional Chinese - Simplified Chinese - Japanese - Korean		Selects the language that the camera will use for menus and messages.
Image Comment	- Done	- OK	Allows comments to be added to a picture. (Comments are viewable in Nikon's ViewNX or Capture NX 2 software.)
	- Input comment	- Data entry screen
	- Attach comment	- Set
Auto Image Rotation	- On - Off		Decides if the camera will record information at capture time allowing it to orient your picture properly for viewing during playback in camera, or with software that supports this feature.
Image Dust Off Ref Photo	- Start - Clean sensor then start	- Take photo of bright featureless white object 10cm from lens. Focus will be set to infinity	Captures the reference data used to filter out dust electronically
Battery Info	- Batt. meter % - Pic. meter (nnn) - Calibration - Battery age		Gives very detailed information about battery condition, age and shots fired on the current battery / batteries. Can also display a warning if using an EN-EL4a or EN-EL4 battery pack in the MB-D10 battery pack which requires recalibration.
Wireless Transmitter	- Mode - Transfer settings - Print - Device info - Device settings		Select various settings for use with a wireless network (Menu available only when WiFi transmitter is attached)
Image Authentication	- On - Off		Allows you to turn image authentication on for photos about to be taken for detection by Nikons image authentication software
Copyright Information	- Done		Allows copyright info to be embedded in the headers of images. Artist names can be 36 characters long. Copyright holder names can be 54 characters long. Attachment of copyright info can be temporarily enabled or disabled without clearing the entered names.
	- Artist	- Data entry screen
	- Copyright	- Data entry screen
	- Attach copyright information
Save/Load Settings	- Save settings - Load settings		Allows you to save most settings to or restore them from the memory card. This includes all custom settings. (Handy for getting the camera back to some predetermined state, after making changes.)
GPS	- Auto Meter off	- Enable - Disable	When a GPS unit is connected to the camera it can record or display latitude, longitude, altitude, time and heading information. Since the GPS takes time to become ready after the camera's meters are powered on, pressing the shutter button fully with the meters powered off can result in a picture with no GPS info. Disabling auto meter off altogether prevents this, at the cost of reduced battery life. See manual for specific GPS units the camera has been tested with; the cable is an optional extra.
GPS	- Position
Virtual Horizon	- Virtual horizon display screen		Displays a "virtual horizon" on the LCD display, aiding in precise alignment of the camera.
Non-CPU Lens Data	- Done	- OK	Allows you specify data for lenses without CPUs to allow them to use some functions of CPU equipped lenses. Up to 9 lenses can be entered. See manual for full details.
	- Lens Number	- 1 thru 9
	- Focal Length	- 6 thru 4000
	- Maximum aperture	- f1.2 thru f22
AF Fine Tune	- AF fine tune	- On - Off	Allows you to enter focus correction factors to fine tune focusing with lenses that you define via this menu. See manual for full details.
	- Saved value	- -20 thru + 20 units
	- Default	- -20 thru + 20 units
	- List saved values	- previously saved values
Eye-Fi Upload	- Enable - Disable		Enables or disables use of an Eye-Fi SD card to automatically upload photos via WiFi to a preselected destination.
Firmware Version	- A	-Version	Displays which firmware versions the camera is using
Firmware Version	- B	-Version	Displays which firmware versions the camera is using

The Nikon D300S' Retouch Menu lets you modify images in-camera. NOTE that it always saves the results as a new image, so your original images are preserved.

Retouch Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
D-Lighting	- Picture selection	- Normal - High - Low	Uses Nikon's D-lighting to brighten shadows or compensate for under-exposed images.
Red-Eye Correction	- Picture selection		Automatically removes red-eye from your pictures, and allows preview of the results with pan and zoom.
Trim	- Picture selection	- Trim screen	Allows you to crop a picture, with control of crop size, aspect ratio (3:2, 4:3, 5:4, 1:1, or 16:9), and crop position. The cropped area can be previewed, then the new picture can be saved as a copy, while retaining the old one.
Monochrome	- Black-and-white - Sepia - Cyanotype	- Selection screen	Allows you to make copies of pictures as black and white, sepia or cyanotype
Filter Effects	- Skylight - Warm filter	- Selection screen	Allows you to make copies of pictures as if taken with a skylight or warm filter attached.
Color Balance	- Selection window	- Adjustment screen	Allows you to change the color balance with green / magenta and blue / amber bias via the adjustment window. An RGB/luminance histogram is shown alongside the image, corresponding to the currently-viewed area, which you can zoom in and out and pan around.
Image Overlay	- Selection window	- Image overlay screen	Allows you to take 2 Raw images and combine them into a third picture. Gain for each image can be adjusted from 0.1 to 2.0, and a live preview is shown.
NEF (RAW) Processing	- Selection window	- Image quality - Image size - White balance - Exposure compensation - Picture Control - High ISO noise reduction - Color space	Creates JPEG copies of NEF Raw files, changing a wide range of exposure parameters in the process.
Resize	- Select image	- Selection window	Creates a low-resolution version suitable for email or web use. Sizes are 1,920 x 1,080, 1,280 x 856, 960 x 640 or 640 x 424 pixels.
	- Choose destination	- CF card slot - SD card slot
	- Choose size	- 2.5M - 1.1M - 0.6M - 0.3M
Edit Movie	- Choose start point - Choose end point	- Selection window	Lets you make a new movie clip from any portion of an existing movie file, discarding uninteresting material at the beginning or end.
Side-By-Side Comparison	- Select a picture, press OK	- Comparison screen	This option does not appear on the menu screen until you select an image that has already been retouched. Once it is selected you press the Menu button and this option will be there. It lets you compare your retouched image with your original image.

This option lets you create a custom menu screen, with your most-used camera options on it. (This animation shows some menu items already added.)

My Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
Add Items	- Playback menu	- Delete - Playback Folder - Hide Image - Display Mode - Copy Image(s) - Image Review - After Delete - Rotate Tall - Slide Show - Print Set (DPOF)	This lets you add options to create a customized list of options.
	- Shooting menu	- Reset Shooting Menu - Active Folder - File Naming - Primary Slot Selection - Secondary Slot Function - Image Quality - Image Size - JPEG Compression - NEF (raw recording) - White Balance - Set Picture Control - Manage Picture Control - Color Space - Active D-Lighting - Long Exposure NR - High ISO NR - ISO Sensitivity Settings - Live View - Multiple Exposure - Movie Settings - Interval Timer Shooting
	- Custom setting menu	(Select any item from any Custom Settings Menu) - Reset Custom Settings - A Autofocus - B Metering/Exposure - C Timers/AE Lock - D Shooting/Display - E Bracketing/Flash - F Controls
	- Setup menu	- Format Memory Card - LCD Brightness - Clean Image Sensor - Lock Mirror Up for Cleaning - Video Mode - HDMI - Time Zone and Date - Language - Image Comment - Auto Image Rotation - Image Dust Off Ref Photo - Battery Info - Wireless Transmitter - Image Authentication - Copyright Information - Save/Load Settings - GPS - Virtual Horizon - Non-CPU lens data - AF Fine Tune - Firmware Version
	- Retouch menu	- D-Lighting - Red-Eye Correction - Trim - Monochrome - Filter Effects - Color Balance - Image Overlay - NEF (RAW) Processing - Resize - Edit Movie
Remove Items	- Select Item - Done	Select the item(s) you wish to delete, then select Done to delete.	This lets you remove options to create a customized list of options.
Rank Items	- Menu of items - Move - OK	Select item and move it using Up or Down on the multi-selector.	This lets you move My Menu items up or down in the list.

Buy the Nikon D300S

Your purchases support this site

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-200mm Lens

All D300S Deals

Operation Viewfinder Live View Modes & Menus Video

Navigate Review Jump to review page...

Follow Imaging Resource

Top Nikon Cameras

Nikon D3500

Nikon D5

Nikon D500

Nikon D5600

Nikon D610

Nikon D750

Nikon D7500

Nikon D850

Nikon P1000

Nikon Z6

Nikon Z7

Photo of the Day from Daily Digital Photo

Today’s Photo of the Day

Enter your photo