Nikon D300 SLR Review

Here you can see the Live View function.

Shooting Menu

Shooting menu bank - Select active memory set: A,B,C,D. Banks can be renamed with up to 20 characters

Reset shooting menu - Reset entire shooting menu to default

Active folder - Select/create the active image folder

File Naming - Create a prefix for image file names

Image quality - NEF(RAW)+JPEG (Fine/Normal/Basic, JPEG (Fine/Normal/Basic), TIFF

Image size - 4288x2848 Large, 3216x2136 Medium, 2144x1424 Small

JPEG compression - Optimize compression for consistent file size or optimal image quality

NEF (Raw) recording - Choose Type (Lossless compressed, Compressed, Uncompressed) and Bit depth (12-bit or 14-bit)

White balance - Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, Choose color temp (2,500-10,000K), Preset manually

Set picture control - Select from Picture Controls to instantly adjust image processing settings

Manage picture control - Save and modify Picture Control combinations, or copy settings to and from the CF card

Color Space - Select sRGB or Adobe RGB

Active D-lighting - High, Normal, Low, Off (default)

Long exp. NR - Off (default) or On (enabled when shutter speeds are 8 seconds or slower)

High ISO NR - High, Normal (default), Low, Off

ISO sensitivity settings - 200 - 3200 in 1/3 EV steps with LO and HI 0.3 - 1EV settings

Live view - Choose the Live View mode, Hand-held or Tripod

Multiple exposure - Create a single image from 2 to 10 exposures

Interval timer shooting - Time-lapse recording options

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) , only when focus is locked (focus priority) or when the camera in Not focused (release+focus priority)

a2 AF-S Priority Selection - Capture whenever shutter release is pressed (release priority) or only when focus is locked (focus priority)

a3 Dynamic AF Area - Choose 9-pints (default), 21 points, 51 points or 51 points 3D-trakcing

a4 Focus Tracking with Lock-On - Select a long, normal, 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.

a5 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.

a6 AF Point Illumination - Controls whether the active focus areas are highlighted in red in the viewfinder

a7 Focus Point Wrap-Around - Select whether the focus-point selection "wrap around" from top to bottom, right to left, etc.

a8 AF point selection - Choose 51 (default) or 11 points

a9 Built-in AF-assist illuminator - Enables the built-in AF-assist illuminator for poorly lit subjects, or not

a10 AF-ON Button for MB-D300Battery Pack - Assigns one of several functions to the AF-ON button of the D300's optional MB-D10 battery pack

Custom Menu - Metering/Exposure

b2 ISO Step Value - ISO increments in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV steps

b3 EV steps for Exposure Cntrl - 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. - Controls weather the +/- button is needed to set exposure comp. (Reset On/Auto reset, On or Off)

b6 Center weight area - Select diameter for the center-weighted metering circle: 6, 8, 10 or 13mm, or Average

b7 Fine Tune Optimal Exposure - Fine tune the exposure for each metering method +/-1EV in 1/6 EV steps

Custom Menu - Timers/AE&AF Lock

c1 Shutter-Release Button AE-L - Controls whether the exposure locks when the shutter release is half-pressed, or only when the AE-L/AF-L button is depressed

c2 Auto meter-off delay - Controls how long the camera continues to meter the exposure when no operations are performed: 4 seconds - 30 minutes or No Limit

c3 Self-timer delay - Length of self-timer delay: 2, 5, 10, 20s

c4 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 Viewfinder Grid Display - Turns on grid lines in viewfinder d3 Viewfinder Warning Display - Enables viewfinder display of low battery, no memory card, or shooting in black warning

d4 CL Mode Shooting Speed - Determines frame rate in Continuous-low speed mode, choose from values between 1 and 7fps (max 6fps without MB-D10 battery pack)

d5 Max. Continuous Release - Maximum number of shots that can be taken in a single burst using continuous mode (1 - 100)

d6 File No. Seq. - Sequential file numbering options (On, Off or Reset)

d7 Shooting Info Display - Choose the color settings for the Shooting info display (Auto, Black or White)

d8 LCD Illumination - Illuminate data displays only with lamp switch or whenever meter is active.

d9 Exposure Delay Mode - Delay shutter release by about 1 sec to minimize camera shake caused by mirror slap

d10 MB-D10 Battery Type - Specify AA battery type installed (LR6, HR6, FR6 or ZR6)

d11 Battery Order - Use MB-D10 batteries first or the camera's battery first

Custom Menu - Bracketing/Flash

e1 Flash sync speed - Select the flash sync speed: 1/320 to 1/60s (1/250 default)

e2 Flash shutter speed - Determines slowest shutter speed with flash when in P or A mode: 1/60 to 30s

e3 Flash Cntrl for Built-in Flash - 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 Bracketing set - Controls what settings are affected by AE Bracketing: AE & flash, AE only, Flash only, WB bracketing

e6 Auto Bracketing (Mode M) - Controls what settings are affected when AE & flash or AE only is selected for CS e5 in manual mode: Flash/speed, Flash/speed/aperture, Flash/aperture, Flash only

e7 Bracketing Order - Controls the order in which bracketing is performed: MTR>Under>Over, Under>MTR>Over

Custom Menu - Controls

f1 Multi Selector 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 Assign FUNC. Button - Controls the function performed by the FUNC button: Preview, FV lock, AE/AF Lock, AE lock only, AE Lock (reset), AE Lock (Hold), AF lock only, Flash off, Bracketing burst, Matrix metering, Center-weighted, Spot metering, None

f5 Assign Preview Button - Choose the role of the depth-of-field preview button, either by itself of when used in combination with the command dials

f6 Assign AE-L/AF-L Button - Choose the role of the AE-L/AF-L button, either by itself of when used in combination with the command dials

f7 Customize 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

f8 Release Buttons to Use Dial - 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

f9 No Memory Card? - Enable shutter release if no CF card is present

Reverse Indicators - Change the exposure indicators in the control panel, viewfinder shooting, and shooting information display From positive - negative (+0-) to negative - positive (-0+)

Setup Menu

Format memory card - Format the CF card

LCD brightness - Adjust LCD back light +2 to -2

Clean Image Sensor - Cleans the Low Pass Filter to remove dust and dirt particles

Lock Mirror up for cleaning - Lock mirror up for cleaning the low-pass filter manually (the EN-EL3 battery has to have greater than 60% charged)

Video mode - Select video output format: NTSC or PAL

HDMI - Select the HDMI format: Auto (camera selects appropriate format), 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i)

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

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

Wireless transmitter - Adjust settings for connection to a wireless network when using the WT-4 transmitter

Image authentication - On or Off

Save/load settings - Save personal settings to the memory card

GPS - Adjust settings for connection to a GPS unit

Non-CPU lens data - Specify lens data for non-CPU lenses to gain access to a variety of CPU functions

AF fine tune - Fine-tune the focus for up to 12 lenses

Firmware Version - Display the camera's current firmware version information

The D300's My Menu can be used to create and edit a customized list of options for the playback, shooting, Custom Settings, setup, and retouch menus for quick access.