Nikon digital camera settings

Settings I use on the Nikon d850. In case anything should happen with the camera, I can piece together the settings.

I prefer to work with image composition to fiddling with settings, these are some nice settings I’ve picked up over the years.

Many of these settings are not specific to Nikon d850 and will be available (perhaps under different names) for many semi-pro or pro models or makes.

Back-button focus

Custom settings bank

Auto-ISO with minimum shutter speed

This is one of my favourite features. The image quality on the d850 is fairly acceptable up to ISO 3200. After that, it becomes very grainy, but can still be usable.

I’ve got mine set up to max 3200, minimum normally at 64, but this can be changed with the modifier wheels.

If I’m shooting quickly, I’ve got the minimum shutter set to 1/125. I can then control the aperture to get the focus I want.

In low-light conditions or where I’ve got more time per shot, I dial the minimum shutter to 1/60.

The minimum shutter speed depens on the focal length of the camera. Longer focal lengths require shorter shutter speeds.

A-mode

Aperture mode gives me control of the depth of field and allows me to concentrate on what I want in focus.

Teamed with the auto-ISO settings and exposure compensation, this allows me to shoot close to what I want straight away without having to fiddle with manual settings.

More time to work on composition.

Pinpoint focus

Filters

The polarising filter makes the light about an f-stop darker. Remove if shooting at night or in difficult conditions.

A cheap polarising filter is often clearly visible in the final image (on the d850), so if we’re shooting with a high-quality lens, we should also use high quality glass for the filter.

The UV filter only makes the image a little bit darker.

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