D800 question

[ArthurDent]

I was shooting Black Skimmers today with a friend who shoots a D800. He was complaining about the amount of time it takes him to switch between regular and crop sensor modes. Is there a way to program a button to switch betwee the modes? If not, is there a quicker way to change the mode from regular to crop and back again without having to go through all the menus? Thanks for any help.

[Seapy]

I don't know the answer to your question but I don't understand why you would want to change format in flight as it were...

Staying in FX gives you more flexibility with BIF and you can crop as required later.  If it's speed you need then I don't think there is enough difference to justify switching during use.

Perhaps you can program a function button?

[Bent Hjarbo]

You can use a button and a command wheel to change from FX to DX

[BEZ]

You can assign a function button, but as Robert says why?

[ArthurDent]

He is dissatisfied with the frame rate and wants the extra frame per second available when shooting in crop mode.  He is a dedicated bif shooter who used to shoot a D300S, finally got tired of waiting for the  D500, bought a D800, and now is dissatisfied with the new, slower frame rate when shooting bif, but likes the iq of the D800 for other non-bif shooting. For example, today we were in Indian Rocks Beach at a skimmer rookery. Shooting birds on the water, he’d like to use crop mode, but shooting interactions between the chicks and adults, he’d like to use full frame. As the opportunity to shoot skimmers skimming might come up at any time, he’d like to be able to quickly change between modes.
I’m not familiar with the D800, could someone please point me to a source he might use which would show him how to program a button to do the switch between modes?

[mxbianco]

Download the D800 manual:

https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/16/D800.html

Then look up the information on page 314, you can assign the Choose Image Area menu to the Fn + command dial

As an alternative, you can put the Choose Image Area as the top item in the My Menu menu, and then assign the Fn button to Access top item in MY MENU.

This way, pressing the Fn button will display the Choose Image Area in the menu at once.

Please note, method (1) can further be personalized by selecting only the modes which will cycle by rotating the command dial. 4 modes are selecteds by default
Fx (36x24 mm)
1.2 (30x20)
DX (24x16)
5/4 (30x24)
You can unselect the 1.2 and 5/4 modes, so by rotating the command dial you alternate between FX and DX.
The selected mode will be displayed in the viewfinder: on the lower L side you will read "36 24" or "24 16" to indicate which mode you are selecting

Ciao from Massimo

[ArthurDent]

Download the D800 manual:

https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/16/D800.html

Then look up the information on page 314, you can assign the Choose Image Area menu to the Fn + command dial

As an alternative, you can put the Choose Image Area as the top item in the My Menu menu, and then assign the Fn button to Access top item in MY MENU.

This way, pressing the Fn button will display the Choose Image Area in the menu at once.

Please note, method (1) can further be personalized by selecting only the modes which will cycle by rotating the command dial. 4 modes are selecteds by default
Fx (36x24 mm)
1.2 (30x20)
DX (24x16)
5/4 (30x24)
You can unselect the 1.2 and 5/4 modes, so by rotating the command dial you alternate between FX and DX.
The selected mode will be displayed in the viewfinder: on the lower L side you will read "36 24" or "24 16" to indicate which mode you are selecting

Ciao from Massimo

Massimo- Thanks very much! I appreciate the information and I'm sure he will also be grateful for your assistance as well.