Nikon Digital SLR CamerasD800 Technical Guide
Summary
Master the art of high-resolution photography with this comprehensive manual tailored for the D800/D800E camera line. This guide teaches advanced professional techniques focused on maximizing image sharpness and detail, particularly addressing blur reduction through strategic use of tripods and Live View features. Designed for serious photographers, it covers everything from achieving perfect still shots to mastering complex portraiture and mitigating color moiré artifacts in demanding shooting environments.
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Technical Guide
Page Summary Contents For Nikon Digital SLR CamerasD800 Technical Guide
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Technical Guide
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Introduction This “Technical Guide” details the principal techniques used to create two of the more technically advanced photographs in the D800/D800E brochure. Take this opportunity to admire the ski...
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Table of Contents Introduction ii Shooting Techniques 2 Still Subjects ...............................................................................2 Lesson 1: Use a Tripod ............................
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Shooting Techniques Still Subjects —Keeping Blur to a Minimum—
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Shooting Techniques At the high resolutions off ered by the D800/D800E, even the slightest camera shake can result in blur. The technique re- vealed in this section minimizes blur through a combinatio...
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Still Subjects Lesson 1: Use a Tripod Use a tripod to reduce blur when photographing static subjects. It should be as sturdy as possible; avoid extending the legs or center column farther than necessa...
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Shooting Techniques Lesson 2: Use Live View Live view can be used to achieve sharper focus and prevent blur. Live View Photography Rotate the live view selector to C and press a to raise the mirror an...
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Still Subjects Why Use Live View? 1. The mirror is raised prior to shooting, reducing blur. At the high resolutions off ered by the D800/D800E, even the slight movement that occurs when the mirror is ...
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Shooting Techniques Why Use Live View? 2. Focus anywhere in the frame. With live view, the multi selector can be used to position the focus point anywhere in the frame, regardless of the options selec...
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Still Subjects Why Use Live View? 3. Zoom in for precise focus. Press the X button to magnify the view in the monitor by up to 23× for precise focusing with live view. This is particularly eff ective ...
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Shooting Techniques Suggested Settings White balance > Choose color temp.: White balance can be adjusted in steps as small as 10 K. To ad- just white balance on the amber (A) –blue (B) axis, hold d...
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Still Subjects Lesson 3: Avoid Very Small Apertures Stopping down the aperture in manual (h) and aperture-prior- ity auto (g) exposure modes increases depth of fi eld, bringing both the foreground and...
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Shooting Techniques Camera Control Pro 2 The optional Camera Control Pro 2 software can be used to control most camera functions from a computer. To use Camera Control Pro 2, start the computer and co...
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Still Subjects Same Shot with Viewfi nder Framing The second sample image below was captured without us- ing live view. As the mirror was not raised until the photo was taken, the resulting image is s...
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Shooting Techniques Portrait Subjects —Focusing on a Selected Point—
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Shooting Techniques This section introduces a technique that achieves sharp focus on a selected point when framing portrait subjects through the viewfi nder. Technical Data ■ Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 70-200m...
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Portrait Subjects Lesson 1: Choose the Proper Focus Settings A tripod is rarely used for portrait photography. Though por- trait subjects can and do move a little, they generally remain still long eno...
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Shooting Techniques Lesson 2: Choose the Proper Exposure Settings Aperture Use a wide aperture for a softer feel. An aperture setting of f/4 captures facial expressions. Depth of fi eld is suffi cient...
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Portrait Subjects Shutter Speed Choose a speed slightly faster than the minimum required to prevent blur caused by camera shake. The superior resolution of the D800/D800E makes even slight blur result...
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Shooting Techniques Lighting and ISO Sensitivity Adjust lighting and ISO sensitivity appropriately. Once the shutter speed and aperture settings have been manually specifi ed, lighting or ISO sensitiv...
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Portrait Subjects Learn from Mistakes: Same Shot, Diff erent Focus Point Slight shifts in focus are more noticeable in photos captured with the D800/D800E than with other cameras under the same condit...
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Quick Tips 1. High ISO Sensitivity The following sections introduce useful techniques and camera functions applicable to a variety of situations. The D800/D800E keeps noise to a minimum for high-resol...
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1. High ISO Sensitivity Normal Normal Detailed views of the same subject shot at diff erent High ISO NR settings. Higher set- tings reduce the noise visible in the sky but also reduce the sharpness of...
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Quick Tips 2. Auto ISO Sensitivity Control Auto ISO sensitivity control au- tomatically adjusts ISO sensitiv- ity if optimal exposure cannot be achieved at the value selected by the photographer. If A...
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2. Auto ISO Sensitivity Control Focal length: 24 mm Focal length: 50 mm Shutter speed: ½ s Shutter speed: / s ISO sensitivity: 900 ISO sensitivity: 2500 Focal length: 70 mm Focal length: 100 mm S...
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Quick Tips 3. Improving Optical Performance Stopping down the aperture increases depth of fi eld, mak- ing both the foreground and background sharper. Stop the aperture down too far, however, and diff...
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Quick Tips 4. Backlit Portraits The RGB sensor with approximately 91K (91,000) pixels built into the D800/D800E off ers more accurate face detection. When used with viewfi nder framing in exposure mod...
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Flash Photography The D800/D800E also automatically optimizes fl ash output for portrait subjects. D800/D800E Flash output is adjusted according to the brightness of the subjects’ faces, producing opt...
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The D800E 1. High-Resolution Images with the D800E The D800E is a good choice for those who require high-reso- lution photos of visually complex subjects. Case 1: A Model Wearing a Kimono Reproduce fi...
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Case 2: A Japanese Garden Capture roof tiles and other fi ne details with superior resolution. Case 3: Leaves Capture individual leaves in crisp detail. Movies The D800 and D800E off er the same level...
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The D800E 2. Aperture and Complex Subjects With cameras like the D800E, which are suited to photogra- phy of visually complex subjects, maximizing lens resolution is vital. Though results will vary fr...
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AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED PC-E NIKKOR 24mm f/3.5D ED PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED PC-E Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/2.8D The D800E off ers better resolution a...
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The D800E 3. Color Aliasing and Moiré Color artifacts and moiré are less frequent at the high resolu- tions supported by the D800/D800E, but when they do occur, they tend to be more noticeable in phot...
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Using Diff raction to Combat Color Artifacts and Moiré Although stopping down the aperture increases the eff ects of diff raction, sometimes resulting in lower resolution (page 26, 32), this same diff...
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CS SB2K04 (11)© 2012 Nikon Corporation
Manual Details
| Brand | Nikon |
|---|---|
| Pages | 38 |
| File Size | 2.65 MB |
| Published | May 27, 2026 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can I minimize blur when photographing static subjects?
Use a sturdy tripod and consider using the camera's TRIPOD option on vibration reduction lenses, especially at shutter speeds of 1/2–1 s.
What is Live View useful for?
It allows you to raise the mirror before shooting, reducing potential blur caused by the slight movement that occurs when the mirror is raised just before releasing the shutter.
Is Diffraction a concern with high-resolution cameras like the D800E?
Yes; because aperture settings have more influence on resolution with the D800E than with older models, users should keep diffraction's effects in mind when setting apertures.