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Nikon D5200 For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/nikond5200 to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction
A Quick Look at What’s Ahead
Icons and Other Stuff to Note
eCheat Sheet
Practice, Be Patient, and Have Fun!
Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps
Chapter 1: Getting the Lay of the Land
Looking at Lenses
Choosing a lens
Attaching and removing lenses
Choosing a focusing method (auto or manual)
Zooming in and out
Using a VR (Vibration Reduction) lens
Adjusting the Viewfinder to Your Eyesight
Using the Articulating Monitor
Working with Memory Cards
Exploring External Camera Controls
Topside controls
Back-of-the-body controls
Front-left buttons
Hidden connections
Ordering from Camera Menus
Displaying Help Screens
Viewing Picture Settings
Adjusting Settings via the Information Display
Taking a Few Critical Setup Steps
Setup menu options
Custom Setting options
Restoring Default Settings
Chapter 2: Choosing Basic Picture Settings
Choosing an Exposure Mode
Choosing the Release Mode
Single Frame and Quiet Shutter Release modes
Continuous (burst mode) shooting
Self-timer shooting
Wireless remote-control modes
Investigating other shutter-release options
Choosing the Right Quality Settings
Diagnosing picture-quality problems
Considering image size: How many pixels are enough?
Understanding Image Quality options (JPEG or Raw)
My take: Choose JPEG Fine or Raw (NEF)
Setting Image Size and Quality
Chapter 3: Taking Great Pictures, Automatically
Setting Up for Automatic Success
As Easy As It Gets: Auto and Auto Flash Off
Taking Advantage of Scene Modes
Choosing a Scene mode
Checking out the Scene modes
Chapter 4: Exploring Live View Photography and Movie Making
Using Your Monitor as a Viewfinder
Live View safety tips
Customizing the Live View display
Focusing in Live View Mode
Choosing a Focus mode
Selecting a focusing target (AF-area mode)
Choosing the right focusing pairs
Autofocusing in Live View mode
Manual focusing in Live View mode
Shooting Still Pictures in Live View Mode
Shooting Movies
Choosing the video mode (NTSC or PAL)
Setting video quality (frame size, frame rate, and bit rate)
Controlling audio
Manipulating movie exposure
Reviewing a few final recording options
Recording a movie
Screening Your Movies
Trimming Movies
Saving a Movie Frame as a Still Image
Part II: Working with Picture Files
Chapter 5: Playback Mode: Viewing, Erasing, and Protecting Photos
Customizing Basic Playback Options
Adjusting playback timing
Adjusting and disabling instant image review
Enabling automatic picture rotation
Viewing Images in Playback Mode
Viewing multiple images at a time (thumbnails view)
Displaying photos in Calendar view
Choosing which images to view
Zooming in for a closer view
Viewing Picture Data
File Information mode
Highlights display mode
RGB Histogram mode
Shooting Data display mode
Overview mode
Deleting Photos
Deleting images one at a time
Deleting all photos
Deleting a batch of selected photos
Protecting Photos
Creating a Digital Slide Show
Viewing Your Photos on a Television
Chapter 6: Downloading, Printing, and Sharing Your Photos
Choosing the Right Photo Software
Three free photo programs
Advanced photo programs
Sending Pictures to the Computer
Connecting the camera and computer for picture download
Starting the transfer process
Downloading using ViewNX 2
Processing Raw (NEF) Files
Processing Raw images in the camera
Processing Raw files in ViewNX 2
Planning for Perfect Prints
Check the pixel count before you print
Allow for different print proportions
Get print and monitor colors in sync
Preparing Pictures for E-Mail and Online Sharing
Prepping online photos using ViewNX 2
Resizing pictures from the Retouch menu
Part III: Taking Creative Control
Chapter 7: Getting Creative with Exposure and Lighting
Introducing the Exposure Trio: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
Understanding exposure-setting side effects
Doing the exposure balancing act
Exploring the Advanced Exposure Modes
Reading (And Adjusting) the Meter
Setting Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
Adjusting aperture and shutter speed
Controlling ISO
Choosing an Exposure Metering Mode
Sorting through Your Camera’s Exposure-Correction Tools
Applying Exposure Compensation
Using autoexposure lock
Expanding tonal range
Investigating Advanced Flash Options
Choosing the right Flash mode
Adjusting flash output
Controlling flash output manually
Bracketing Exposures
Chapter 8: Manipulating Focus and Color
Mastering the Autofocusing System
Changing the Focus mode setting
Choosing an AF-area mode: One focus point or many?
Choosing the right autofocus combo
Autofocusing with still subjects: AF-S + Single Point
Focusing on moving subjects: AF-C + Dynamic Area
Using autofocus lock
Focusing Manually
Manipulating Depth of Field
Controlling Color
Correcting colors with white balance
Changing the White Balance setting
Fine-tuning White Balance settings
Creating white balance presets
Bracketing white balance
Choosing a Color Space: sRGB versus Adobe RGB
Taking a Quick Look at Picture Controls
Chapter 9: Putting It All Together
Recapping Basic Picture Settings
Shooting Still Portraits
Capturing Action
Capturing Scenic Vistas
Capturing Dynamic Close-Ups
Part IV: The Part of Tens
Chapter 10: Ten Fun (And Practical) Ways to Manipulate Your Photos
Applying the Retouch Menu Filters
Removing Red-Eye
Straightening Tilting Horizon Lines
Removing (Or Creating) Lens Distortion
Correcting Perspective
Cropping (Trimming) Your Photo
Manipulating Exposure and Color
Creating Monochrome Images
Playing with Special Effects
Retouch menu special-effects filters
Shooting in Effects mode
Two Roads to a Multi-Image Exposure
Chapter 11: Ten Special-Purpose Features to Explore on a Rainy Day
Keeping the Image Sensor Clean
Changing the Look of the Information Display
Keeping the Information Display Hidden
Annotate Your Images
Creating Your Own Menu
Creating Custom Image Folders
Changing the Function of the AE-L/AF-L Button
Assigning a Duty to the Function Button
Using the Shutter Button to Lock Exposure and Focus
Reversing the Command Dial Orientation
Cheat Sheet

About the Author

Julie Adair King is the author of many books about digital photography and imaging, including the best-selling Digital Photography For Dummies. Her most recent titles include a series of For Dummies guides to popular digital SLR cameras, including the Nikon D600, D3200, D7000, D5100, and D300s. Other works include Digital Photography Before & After Makeovers, Digital Photo Projects For Dummies, Julie King’s Everyday Photoshop For Photographers, Julie King’s Everyday Photoshop Elements, and Shoot Like a Pro!: Digital Photography Techniques. When not writing, King teaches digital photography at such locations as the Palm Beach Photographic Centre. A native of Ohio and graduate of Purdue University, she resides in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Author’s Acknowledgments

I am deeply grateful for the chance to work once again with the wonderful publishing team at John Wiley and Sons. Kim Darosett, Jennifer Webb, Steve Hayes, Virginia Sanders, and Katie Crocker are just some of the talented editors and designers who helped make this book possible. And finally, I am also indebted to technical editor Dave Hall, without whose insights and expertise this book would not have been the same.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We're proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions and Editorial

Senior Project Editor: Kim Darosett

Executive Editor: Steven Hayes

Copy Editor: Virginia Sanders

Technical Editor: David Hall

Editorial Manager: Leah Michael

Editorial Assistant: Annie Sullivan

Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case

Cover Photo: © Slobodan Vasic / iStockphoto; camera image courtesy of Julie Adair King

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Katherine Crocker

Layout and Graphics: Carrie A. Cesavice, Jennifer Creasey, Joyce Haughey

Proofreaders: Lauren Mandelbaum, Penny L. Stuart

Indexer: Steve Rath

Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies

Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director

Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director

Publishing for Consumer Dummies

Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Introduction

Nikon. The name has been associated with top-flight photography equipment for generations. And the introduction of the D5200 has only enriched Nikon’s well-deserved reputation, offering all the control a die-hard photography enthusiast could want while at the same time providing easy-to-use, point-and-shoot features for the beginner.

In fact, the D5200 offers so many features that sorting them all out can be more than a little confusing, especially if you’re new to digital photography, SLR photography, or both. For starters, you may not even be sure what SLR means or how it affects your picture-taking, let alone have a clue as to all the other techie terms you encounter in your camera manual — resolution, aperture, white balance, and so on. And if you’re like many people, you may be so overwhelmed by all the controls on your camera that you haven’t yet ventured beyond fully automatic picture-taking mode. Which is a shame because it’s sort of like buying a Porsche and never actually taking it on the road.

Therein lies the point of Nikon D5200 For Dummies. Through this book, you can discover not just what each bell and whistle on your camera does, but also when, where, why, and how to put it to best use. Unlike many photography books, this one doesn’t require any previous knowledge of photography or digital imaging to make sense of things, either. In classic For Dummies style, everything is explained in easy-to-understand language, with lots of illustrations to help clear up any confusion.

In short, what you have in your hands is the paperback version of an in-depth photography workshop tailored specifically to your Nikon picture-taking powerhouse.

A Quick Look at What’s Ahead

This book is organized into four parts, each devoted to a different aspect of using your camera. Although chapters flow in a sequence that’s designed to take you from absolute beginner to experienced user, I’ve also tried to make each chapter as self-standing as possible so that you can explore the topics that interest you in any order you please.

Here’s a brief preview of what you can find in each part of the book:

check.png Part I: Fast Track to Super Snaps: Part I contains four chapters to help you get up and running. Chapter 1 offers a tour of the external controls on your camera, shows you how to navigate camera menus to access internal options, and walks you through initial camera setup. Chapter 2 explains basic picture-taking options, such as shutter-release mode and Image Quality settings, and Chapter 3 shows you how to use the camera’s fully automatic exposure modes. Chapter 4 explains the ins and outs of using Live View, the feature that lets you compose pictures on the monitor, and also covers movie recording.

check.png Part II: Working with Picture Files: This part offers two chapters, both dedicated to after-the-shot topics. Chapter 5 explains how to review your pictures on the camera monitor, delete unwanted images, and protect your favorites from accidental erasure. Chapter 6 offers a look at some photo software options — including Nikon ViewNX 2, which ships free with your camera — and then guides you through the process of downloading pictures to your computer and preparing them for printing and online sharing.

check.png Part III: Taking Creative Control: Chapters in this part help you unleash the full creative power of your camera by moving into the advanced shooting modes (P, S, A, and M). Chapter 7 covers the critical topic of exposure, and Chapter 8 explains how to manipulate focus and color. Chapter 9 summarizes all the techniques explained in earlier chapters, providing a quick-reference guide to the camera settings and shooting strategies that produce the best results for portraits, action shots, landscape scenes, and close-ups.

check.png Part IV: The Part of Tens: In famous For Dummies tradition, the book concludes with two “top ten” lists containing additional bits of information and advice. Chapter 10 covers the photo-editing and effects tools found on the camera’s Retouch menu and also shows you how to use the Effects exposure mode to add special effects to movies and photos as you record them. Chapter 11 wraps up the book by detailing some camera features that, although not found on most “Top Ten Reasons I Bought My Nikon D5200” lists, are nonetheless interesting, useful on occasion, or a bit of both.

Icons and Other Stuff to Note

If this isn’t your first For Dummies book, you may be familiar with the large, round icons that decorate its margins. If not, here’s your very own icon-decoder ring:

tip_4c.eps A Tip icon flags information that will save you time, effort, money, or some other valuable resource, including your sanity. Tips also point out techniques that help you get the best results from specific camera features.

warning_4c.eps When you see this icon, look alive. It indicates a potential danger zone that can result in much wailing and teeth-gnashing if ignored. In other words, this is stuff that you really don’t want to learn the hard way.

technicalstuff_4c.eps Lots of information in this book is of a technical nature — digital photography is a technical animal, after all. But if I present a detail that is useful mainly for impressing your technology-geek friends, I mark it with this icon.

remember_4c.eps I apply this icon either to introduce information that is especially worth storing in your brain’s long-term memory or to remind you of a fact that may have been displaced from that memory by some other pressing fact.

Additionally, I need to point out these extra details that will help you use this book:

check.png Other margin art: Replicas of some of your camera’s buttons and onscreen symbols also appear in the margins of some paragraphs. I include these to provide a quick reminder of the appearance of the button or feature being discussed.

check.png Software menu commands: In sections that cover software, a series of words connected by an arrow indicates commands that you choose from the program menus. For example, if a step tells you to “Choose File⇒Convert Files,” click the File menu to unfurl it and then click the Convert Files command on the menu.

eCheat Sheet

As a little added bonus, you can find an electronic version of the famous For Dummies eCheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/nikond5200. The eCheat Sheet contains a quick-reference guide to all the buttons, dials, switches, and exposure modes on your camera. Log on, print it out, and tuck it in your camera bag for times when you don't want to carry this book with you.

Practice, Be Patient, and Have Fun!

To wrap up this preamble, I want to stress that if you initially think that digital photography is too confusing or too technical for you, you’re in very good company. Everyone finds this stuff a little mind-boggling at first. So take it slowly, experimenting with just one or two new camera settings or techniques at first. Then, each time you go on a photo outing, make it a point to add one or two more shooting skills to your repertoire.

I know that it’s hard to believe when you’re just starting out, but it really won’t be long before everything starts to come together. With some time, patience, and practice, you’ll soon wield your camera like a pro, dialing in the necessary settings to capture your creative vision almost instinctively.

So without further ado, I invite you to grab your camera, a cup of whatever it is you prefer to sip while you read, and start exploring the rest of this book. Your D5200 is the perfect partner for your photographic journey, and I thank you for allowing me, through this book, to serve as your tour guide.

remember_4c.eps Occasionally, Wiley's technology books are updated. If this book has technical updates, they'll be posted at www.dummies.com/go/nikond5200updates.

Part I

Fast Track to Super Snaps

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In this part . . .

check.png Get familiar with the basics of using your camera, from attaching lenses to using the Information display.

check.png Find out how to select the shutter-release mode, exposure mode, picture resolution, and file type (JPEG or Raw).

check.png Discover tips for getting good results in the automatic exposure modes.

check.png Start taking creative control by stepping up to Scene modes.

check.png Switch to Live View mode to compose pictures using the monitor.

check.png Record, play, and trim digital movies.