Nikon D800E Set Up Choices

[John G]

After absorbing much valuable information from recent replies to my post D800E vs D4 post.
I have  investigated  my D800E menu and I have made a slight error which appears to have altered the  camera settings. I think it has returned to default.
I intend on re-using the Photography Life guidelines to set up the Bodies Menu, this will be the a return to how  I was using the body.
It would be nice to hear about other Menu Choices that are in use by NG members and a brief explanation of why  they are the users choice.
These alternatives can then be studied and employed by me for educational reasons.
The desire to grasp a much more informed overview of a cameras set up options has took hold.

[John Geerts]

A quick overview of my main settings

-Shooting menu - shoot only in RAW - 14 bit uncompressed and never touch that option.
- White balance - Auto1   works very good.
- When I shoot Auto-ISO  (depending on the situation) I use max 6400 ISO and use the Auto Minimum shutter speed in case of automated lenses (which I adapt in speed based on each focal length), I adapt this for any other manual lens. In the case of the 36mp it is good to sit on the higher side regarding the shutter speed.

Custom menu
- Use auto focus on AF-ON only, and reframe a lot.
- Assigned the FN-button to MY Menu which I use a lot -- Auto-ISO control, NON-CPU lens data - Multiple Exposure Mode and ISO sensitivity I use most.

Note that I use a lot of manual lenses on the D800E. 

If you have some specific questions, just ask    

[the solitaire]

Do settings for D800 also apply? I could look at how Kristina set up hers

[David H. Hartman]

Do settings for D800 also apply? I could look at how Kristina set up hers

Yes. The both use the same user's manual.

Dave

[the solitaire]

ok, then here is a complete list:

I guess the playback menu is not interesting

In the shooting menu:
Extended banks: On
Storage Folder: default
File naming: DSC
Primary slot: SD
Secondary slot function: Overflow
Image Quality: RAWImage Area: Auto DX crop: On
JPG compression: Optimal Quality
NEF recording: 14 bit lossless compressed
WB: Cloudy with a shift (she uses this as default setting for WB)
Picture Control: SD with a shift. Settings are: Sharpening -1; Contrast -2; Brightness 0; Saturation -2; Hue -1
Color Space: sRGB
All other settings: OFF

Custom Settings:
a1: release+focus (explained at the bottom of this post)
a2: focus
a3: 1 (I personally prefer 2, but focus lock is a bit of a bother when you reframe and refocus a lot which applies especially to randomly moving subjects in constantly moving surroundings)
a4: On
a5: Auto
a6: OFF
a7: AF51
a8: OFF
b1-b3: 1/3
b4: OFF
b5: 12mm circle
b6: (included in My Menu)

C, D and E are based on personal preference more then functionality

f1: backlight
f2: reset focus point
f3: OFF
f4: Non CPU
f5: DoF preview
f6: AE-AF lock
f7: greyed out
f8: BKT
f9: none
f10: OFF
f11: OK
f12: -0+
f13: OFF
f14: AF-ON
f15: OFF

g (video) settings all default

My Menu:
Shooting Menu Bank
Custom Settings Menu Bank
Set Picture Control
ISO Sensitivity Control
AF Fine Tune
Non-CPU Lens Data
Active D-Ligting
Vignette Control

Using the above settings gives us (my D3 uses the same configuration) maximum image control (JPG) and access to all vital settings.
Kristina only uses a single setup for the Shooting menu as well as for the Custom Settinsg Menu. On my D3 I use 4 different configurations for each hence these two options are the first in the My Menu list)

AF mode is AF-C by default because she photographs moving subjects 90% of the time

Default WB is Cloudy with a shift (A2) On my D3 I prefer more saturated greens so I use the Cloudy WB without a shift as default for my photos. This mostly affects the JPG preview because we both tend to shoot NEF only, but in Lightroom choosing the "in camera" WB as baseline gets us pretty much in the ballpark before editing. We both tried Auto WB and found that too cold and to have a green cast on the D800 and to lesser extent on the D3 as well. The D3 Auto WB is a lot more accurate then the one on the D800 though.

Default mode of operation is A which allows maximum control through minimum manipulation. Adjusting Aperture gives you direct control over the shutter speeds as well. If the shutter speeds drop below 1/1000th Kristina raises ISO first. She mostly shoots wide open, which leaves few other options. If above ISO 2200 the shutter speed at wide open Aperture is still below 1/1000th she dials in a further negative exposure value, up to -2Ev. Reason for that is that the D800 files fare better recovering shadows then recovering highlights.

Default metering correction is -0,7Ev, again, because noise tends to become more severe when recovering highlights and is less severe when recovering shadows.

AF operation through AF-On and shutter release. I always used that setting and she accepted it as the most intuitive. With the a1 setting to focus+release the camera tends to fire even if an image is not yet completely in focus which can get you a picture that isn't perfect but which you would have missed completely with any other comination of settings when using AF lenses.
We both tend to leave the My Menu option on top when leaving the menu so pressing the menu button gets us to My Menu.

The Fn button is then assigned to Non-CPU Lens Settings, where I programmed almost the same 10 lenses in both cameras. The difference is that hers does not have the 50mm f2, 135mm f3,5 or the 80mm f4 setting (for the 80-200 f4 Ai-S zoom). Mine doesn't have the 50mm f1,4 or 135mm f2,8. Just for the record, she has the following 8 lenses in there:
16mm f3,5, 20mm f3,5, 24mm f2,8, 50mm f1,4, 55mm f1,2, 105mm f2,5, 135mm f2,8 and 200mm f4

[Thomas Stellwag]

why do you use primary slot SD and 2nd for overflow?
I use primary slot CF (at least my feeling tells me it is faster access in both directions)
and 2nd slot for JPEGs, thus I have a backup and still a possibilty
to easily transfer a pic in place to most laptops, etc without
use of add. software

[John Geerts]

I also use SD as primary, basically because the cards are easier to use in combination with the PC and other camera's  and a lot cheaper. Never noticed a difference in speed, but that is not really a priority for me.  The back up is for CF, however I wish that was a SD slot as well.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

I use CF as primary on my D810 as I've lost several SD cards due to malfunction (3 cards in five years; in 12 years I've lost zero CF cards). Also I find the transfer to computer is faster with CF despite nominally faster SD cards. I suppose it can be a computer or reader issue but that's what I've experienced.

I hope the D810's successor has XQD/XQD or at least XQD/SD if they must support the cheap but poor longevity SD format. CF cards seem not to get new tech updates any more and I guess the broken pin problem means they should be phased out (though I've never experienced it; I don't insert anything by force). In my opinion the flexible chassis of SD cards is a bad thing. XQD has none of these problems and the IO is very fast.

[charlie]

Last I checked they didn't make SD cards with a transfer rate as high as the fastest CF cards, that was a few years ago though. When shooting in Continuos High mode and the buffer fills a CF card will clear the buffer quicker than SD cards. In "normal" shooting it doesn't make a difference which card is shot to, with regards to speed. I suspect if an SD card had the same transfer rate as a CF card the speed would be equal. 

Mine is setup for CF Primary, SD Overflow.
All NEF files, video goes to the SD card.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

My SD cards have a nominal speed 50% faster than my CF but in practice the CF transfers are faster.

[John G]

Thank you for all your support, there is a very valuable list of options to consider.
It will be good to work with the camera with a different set of base choices and assess the differences between them, working out which will best suit my usage.
The Auto Minimum Shutter Speed set up has got my attention immediately and I am already looking for further writings on this selection.
I intend on reading up on all the choices offered to further my knowledge.   

[Bjørn Rørslett]

... the cheap but poor longevity SD format. ... In my opinion the flexible chassis of SD cards is a bad thing...

Whole-hearted agree. SD cards are designed against their human users in every way: too small to handle, too flexing, too easy to get lost. The only thing worse than SD is the micro-SD card

Although its current lack of universal acceptance and support might be a problem for the future, XQD is superior in every way to SD and large enough to provide handling almost as good as the CF cards. Transfer speeds are excellent.

[David H. Hartman]

I haven't had problems with SD cards mostly because I almost never take them out of my cameras. In my D300s and D800 I use them for overflow. I understand why Nikon used them in the D300s but why in the D800? I guess their marketing research told them they needed to. For point and shoot cameras they work OK as those cameras really need a smaller card than a dSLR. SD cards should have been made stronger, thicker. I will be glad to see a time when SD cards are no longer used in dSLR(s).


Micro SD cards are great where you install them once and never take them back out like a smart phone or advanced scientific calculator.

Dave

Although its current lack of universal acceptance and support might be a problem for the future, XQD is superior in every way to SD and large enough to provide handling almost as good as the CF cards. Transfer speeds are excellent.

I'm glad to hear that XQD are not as small and fragile as SD cards. I hope they become widely used.

[the solitaire]

why do you use primary slot SD and 2nd for overflow?
I use primary slot CF (at least my feeling tells me it is faster access in both directions)
and 2nd slot for JPEGs, thus I have a backup and still a possibilty
to easily transfer a pic in place to most laptops, etc without
use of add. software

CF is faster and more durable, but as mentioned by John, the SD cards go into the slot on Kristinas notebook better so she prefers using the SD card instead.

So far we destroyed 3 SD cards with regular use, and the CF card used for backup is one I bought for my D300 6 years ago. YMMV, but not by much I wager.

Personally I would also stick with the CF card as primary and transfer files through USB, but that's a matter of preference I guess.

We tried using a cardreader, but we keep losing it, placing it in places where we do not find it, can't use it in the field because it's still at home etc. etc. etc.
The only merit of SD is that Kristinas notebook has an SD card slot and no CF card slot

[John Geerts]

Personally I would also stick with the CF card as primary and transfer files through USB, but that's a matter of preference I guess.

That has advantages but I like to add that the D800/E uses a completely different USB-cable, not compatible with D200/600/700 and Df.