Nikon D200 SLR Review

Playback Menu

Shooting Menu

Shooting menu bank - Select active memory set: A,B,C,D. Banks can be renamed with up to 20 characters
Menu Reset - Reset entire shooting menu to default
Folders - Select/create the active image folder
File Naming - Create a prefix for image file names
Optimize Image - Optimize color, contrast, sharpness, saturation and hue, or black and white. Choose from presets of:
Normal
Softer
Vivid
More vivid
Portrait
Black-and-white
or create your own Custom settings.

Color Space - Select sRGB or Adobe RGB
Image quality -
NEF(RAW)+JPEG Fine
NEF(RAW)+JPEG Normal
NEF(RAW)+JPEG Basic
NEF (RAW)
JPEG Fine
JPEG Normal
JPEG Basic

Shooting Menu (cont.)

Image size - 3872x2592 Large (10.0-megapixel), 2896x1944 Medium (5.6-megapixel), 1936x1296 Small (2.5-megapixel)
JPEG compression - Optimize compression for consistent file size or optimal image quality Raw compression - Compressed NEF: On or Off
White balance - Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, Choose color temp (2,500-10,000K), Preset
Long exposure NR - Off, On - reduced image noise in long exposures using dark frame subtraction
High ISO NR - On (normal), On (high), On (low), Off - reduces image noise of high ISO exposures
ISO Sensitivity - depends on Custom Setting b2 (ISO Step value 1 EV or 1/2 EV
1/3 EV step - 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, 1600 plus HI-0.3, HI-0.7 and HI-1
1/2 EV step - 100, 140, 200, 280, 400, 560, 800, 1100, 1600, HI-0.5, HI-1
1 EV step - 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, HI-1

Shooting Menu (cont.)

Image Overlay - Create a new image by superimposing 2 RAW images
Multiple exposure - Create a single image from 2 to 10 exposures
Interval timer shooting - Time-lapse recording options
Non-CPU lens data - Enter focal length and aperture of non-G/D type lenses

Custom settings allow the user to fine-tune a great number of camera settings and/or button functions to suit their particular needs. Up to four sets (A,B,C,D) can be created and quickly recalled using the Bank select option.

To make it easy to get to the settings you want, the Custom Menu is organized into six color-coded groups:

Autofocus
Metering/Exposure
Timers/AE&AF Lock
Shooting/Display
Bracketing/Flash
Controls

Custom Menu - Autofocus

a1 AF-C Priority Selection - Capture whenever shutter release is pressed (release priority) or only when focus is locked (focus priority)
a2 AF-S Priority Selection - Capture whenever shutter release is pressed (release priority) or only when focus is locked (focus priority)
a3 Focus Area Frame - Choose Normal Frame (11 areas) or Wide Frame (7 areas) for wider focus areas when single-area af or dynamic area af is selected for AF-area mode.
a4 Pattern Selection in Group Dynamic AF - Select focus area pattern (1 or 2) and whether the center area or area with the closest subject should be used for AF
a5 Focus Tracking with Lock-On - Select a short, long or no delay in AF adjustment to sudden large changes in subject distance. Delay is useful when subject will pass behind an object, or an object may pass between the camera and subject.
a6 AF Activation - Controls whether the AF is activated by both the shutter release button and AF-ON button, or only by the AF-ON button.
a7 AF Area Illumination - Controls whether the active focus areas are highlighted in red in the viewfinder
a8 Focus area select - Select whether the focus area selection can be changed with "wrap around" from top to bottom, right to left, etc.
a9 Built-in AF-Assist Illuminator - Enables the built-in AF-assist illuminator for poorly lit subjects, or not
a9 AF-ON Button for MB-D200Battery Pack - Assigns one of several functions to the AF-ON button of the D-200's optional battery pack

Custom Menu - Metering/Exposure

b1 ISO auto - If ON the camera will automatically adjust the ISO speed up to the maximum specified to maintain the specified minimum shutter speed.
b2 ISO Step Value - ISO increments in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV steps
b3 EV step - Shutter speed, aperture and bracketing adjustment increment in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV steps
b4 Exposure Comp/Fine Tune - Exposure compensation increments in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV steps
b5 Easy exposure comp. - Change exposure comp. by holding +/- button down and rotating command dial or just rotating command dial
b6 Center weight area - Select diameter for the center-weighted metering circle: 6, 8, 10 or 13mm, or Average
b7 Fine tune exposure - Fine tune the exposure for each metering method +/-1EV in 1/6 EV steps

Custom Menu - Timers/AE&AF Lock

c1 AE Lock - Controls whether the exposure locks when the shutter release is half-pressed, or only when the AE-L/AF-L button is depressed
c2 AE-L/AF-L button - Controls the action of the AE-L/AF-L button
c3 Auto meter-off delay - Controls how long the camera continues to meter the exposure when no operations are performed: 4, 6, 8, 16s or No Limit
c4 Self-timer delay - Length of self-timer delay: 2, 5, 10, 20s
c5 Monitor off delay - Length of time the color LCD remains on when no operations are performed: 10s, 20s, 1m, 5m, 10m

Custom Menu - Shooting/Display

d1 Beep - High, Low or Off volume of sound for self timer and AF-S focus
d2 Grid Display - Turns on grid lines in viewfinder d3 Viewfinder Warning - Enables viewfinder display of low battery, no memory card, or shooting in black warning
d4 Shooting Speed - Determines frame rate in Continuous-low speed mode, 4, 3, 2, or 1 frame per second
d5 Exposure Delay Mode - Delay shutter release by about .4 sec to minimize camera shake caused by mirror slap
d6 File No. Seq. - Sequential file numbering options
d7 Illumination - Illuminate data displays only with lamp switch or whenever meter is active.
d8 MB-D200 Batteries - Specify AA battery type installed in MB-D200 battery pack, LR6, HR6, FR6 or ZR6.

Custom Menu - Bracketing/Flash

e1 Flash sync speed - Select the flash sync speed: 1/250 to 1/60s
e2 Flash shutter speed - Determines slowest shutter speed with flash when in P or A mode: 1/60 to 30s
e3 Built-in flash mode - Controls built-in flash mode, TTL, Manual, Repeating flash or Commander mode (controls remote flash units)
e4 Modeling flash - Determines whether the built-in and optional Speedlights emit a modeling flash when DOF button is pressed
e5 Auto BKT set - Controls what settings are affected by AE Bracketing: AE & flash, AE only, Flash only, WB bracketing
e6 Manual Mode Bracketing - Controls what settings are affected when AE & flash or AE only is selected for CS e5: Flash/speed, Flash/speed/aperture, Flash/aperture, Flash only
e7 Auto BKT Order - Controls the order in which bracketing is performed: MTR>Under>Over, Under>MTR>Over
e8 Auto BKT selection - Controls how bracketing is selected: Manual value select or Preset value select

Custom Menu - Controls

f1 Center button - Determines what function is performed when the multi selector is pressed in the center:
Shooting mode - Center AF area, Illuminate AF area, or not used
Playback mode - Thumbnail on/off, Histogram on/off, Zoom on/off
f2 Multi selector - Multi selector can be used to activate the exposure meters or initiate autofocus
f3 PhotoInfo/Playback - Reverse the multi selector function in playback mode: Info (L-R)/Image (Up-Dn) or Info (Up-Dn)/Image (L-R)
f4 FUNC. Button - Controls the function performed by the FUNC button: FV lock, FV lock/lens data, 1 stop speed/aperture, same as AE-L/AF-L, Flash off, Bracketing burst, Matrix metering, Center-weighted, Spot metering, Focus Area Frame selection (wide or normal)
f5 Command dials - Change the rotation direction of command dials, swap the function of main and sub command dials, set aperture with sub-command dial or aperture ring, change functions performed by command dials in playback mode and menu navigation
f6 Buttons and dials - Changes to settings that involve both a command dial and a button can be made so that the button does not need to be held down
f7 No CF Card? - Enable shutter release if no CF card is present

Setup Menu

Format - Format the CF card (FAT-16 and FAT-32 compatible)
LCD brightness - Adjust LCD back light +2 to -2
Mirror lock-up - Lock mirror up for cleaning the low-pass filter (only available when the EN-EL3 battery is fully charged)
Video mode - Select video output format: NTSC or PAL
World Time - Set the date, time, time zone, date format
Language - Select the menu language
Image comment - Enter a comment that will be embedded in the image information
Auto image rotation - Auto rotates portrait mode images for proper video display
Recent Settings - The D200 retains a memory of recent setting changes. The Recent Settings menu can be locked, preventing the addition or deletion of items, or the recent settings can be deleted.
USB - Select PTP or Mass Storage USB mode
Dust Off ref photo - Capture a photo to be used with Capture 4's Dust Off feature
Battery info - Display the battery info screen
Firmware Version - Display the camera's firmware version information

The D200 maintains a memory of changes in camera settings. The Recent Settings menu provides access to that memory, conveniently enabling you to undo or modify changes you've made without wading through the menu structure.