Nikon D800 Review: Digital Photography Review

Menus cont.

The D800's exhaustive custom settings are split into seven color coded categories, labeled 'a - g'. This makes it easier to remember a specific option and quicker to enter the custom settings menu at the correct position. You can still scroll through all custom settings options as one big menu if you wish. In the camera's custom menu an asterisk (*) appears next to a setting once it has been changed from the camera default setting.

Custom Settings Menu (a: Autofocus)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
a1 AF-C priority selection	• Release • Release + focus • Focus	Defines if camera must have focus lock before shutter release.
a2 AF-S priority selection	• Release • Focus
a3 Focus tracking with lock-on	• 5 (Long) • 4 • 3 (Normal) • 2 • 1 (Short) • Off	Controls how focusing is affected by subject distance changing and how quickly the system should react.
a4 AF activation	• Shutter / AF-ON • AF-ON Only
a5 AF point illumination	• Auto • On • Off
a6 Focus point wrap-around	• Wrap • No wrap
a7 Number of focus points	• 51 points • 11 points
a8 Built-in AF-assist illuminator	• On • Off

Custom Settings Menu (b: Metering / exposure)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
b1 ISO sensitivity step value	• 1/3 step • 1/2 step • 1 step	Set the steps used for selection of ISO sensitivity.
b2 EV steps for exposure cntrl.	• 1/3 step • 1/2 step • 1 step
b3 Exp./flash comp. step value	• 1/3 step • 1/2 step • 1 step
b4 Easy exposure compensation	• On (Auto reset) • On • Off	Enables control via a command dial without first pressing the exp. comp. button.
b5 Center weight area	• 8 mm • 12 mm • 15 mm • 20 mm • Average	Sets the diameter of the center-weighted metering area
b6 Fine tune optimal exposure	• Yes Matrix metering Center-weighted Spot metering • No	Allows you to fine tune metered exposure values in the range of -1.0 EV to +1.0 EV in 1/6 EV steps.

Custom Settings Menu (c: Timers / AE Lock)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
c1 Shutter-release button AE-L	• On • Off	Define AE lock during shutter release half-press.
c2 Auto meter-off delay	• 4 s • 6 s • 8 s • 16 s • 30 s • 1 min • 5 min • 10 min • 30 min • No Limit	Define how long the camera continues to meter with no other operatiosn performed. Longer times reduce battery life.
c3 Self-timer delay	• Self-timer delay 2 s 5 s 10 s 20 s • Number of shots * Choose 1 - 9 • Interval between shots * .5 s 1 s 2 s 3 s	Define number of images to be taken at specified intervals.
c4 Monitor off delay	• Playback 4 s 10 s 20 s 1 m 5 m 10 m • Menus 4 s 10 s 20 s 1 m 5 m 10 m • Information display 4 s 10 s 20 s 1 m 5 m 10 m • Image review 2 s 4 s 10 s 20 s 1 m 5 m 10 m • Live view * 5 m 10 m 15 m 20 m 30 m No limit

Custom Settings Menu (d: Shooting / display)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
d1 Beep	•Volume 3 2 1 • Pitch * High Low
d2 CL mode shooting speed	• 5 fps • 4 fps • 3 fps • 2 fps • 1 fps	Define shooting speed for the Continuous L drive mode.
d3 Max continuous release	• 1 - 100	Maximum shots in a burst.
d4 Exposure delay mode	• 3 s • 2 s • 1 s • Off	Shutter release is delayed to avoid vibration.
d5 File Number Sequence	• On • Off • Reset
d6 Viewfinder grid display	• On • Off
d7 ISO display and adjust. *	• Show ISO sensitivity • Show ISO/Easy ISO • Show frame count	Determine whether ISO value or frame count is displayed in the top LCD panel.
d8 Screen tips	• On • Off	Activates help comments in the quick settings display
d9 Information display	• Auto • Manual Dark on light Light on dark	Defines if shooting info display should automatically change color in low light
d10 LCD illumination	• On • Off	Enable to allow a button press to light the control panel.
d11 MB-D10 battery type	• LR6 (AA alkaline) • HR6 (AA Ni-MH) • FR6 (AA lithium)
d12 Battery order	• Use MB-D10 batteries first • Use camera battery first

Custom Settings Menu (e: Bracketing / flash)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
e1 Flash sync speed	• 1/320 (Auto FP) • 1/250 (Auto FP) • 1/250 • 1/200 • 1/160 • 1/125 • 1/100 • 1/80 • 1/60
e2 Flash shutter speed	• 1/60 s • 1/30 s • 1/15 s • 1/8 s • 1/4 s • 1/2 s • 1 s • 2 s • 4 s • 8 s • 15 s • 30 s	Set minimum flash shutter speed.
e3 Flash cntrl for built-in flash	• TTL • Manual Full 1/1.3 1/1.7 1/2 1/2.5 1/3.2 1/4 1/5 1/6.4 1/8 1/10 1/13 1/16 1/20 1/25 1/32 1/40 1/50 1/64 1/80 1/100 1/128 • Repeating flash Output Times Frequency • Commander Mode Built-in flash Group A Group B Channel	Set the mode for the built-in flash. Commander mode lets you choose a flash mode and flash compensation for the internal flash and flash groups A and B.
e4 Modeling flash	• On • Off	Allow DOF preview button to trigger modeling flash.
e5 Auto bracketing set	• AE & flash • AE only • Flash only • WB bracketing • ADL bracketing
e6 Auto bracketing (Mode M)	• Flash / speed • Flash / speed / aperture • Flash / aperture • Flash Only
e7 Bracketing order	• Meter > under > over • Under > meter > over

Custom Settings Menu (f: Controls)


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
f1 LCD backlight switch	• LCD backlight • LCD backlight and information display	LCD light switch can activate LCD illumination only or LCD illumination and shooting information on the rear display.
f2 Multi selector center button	• Shooting mode Select center focus pt Highlight active focus pt Not Used • Playback mode Thumbnail on/off View histograms Zoom on/off Low mag. Medium mag. High mag. Choose slot and folder • Live view Select center focus pt Zoom On/Off Low mag. Medium mag. High mag. Not used	Define multi selector center button function.
f3 Multi selector	• Reset meter-off delay • Do nothing
f4 Assign Fn button	• Fn button press Preview FV Lock AE/AF lock AE lock only AE lock (reset on rel.) AE lock (hold) AF lock only AF-ON * Flash off Bracketing burst Matrix metering Center-weighted mtr. Spot metering Playback Top item in My Menu + NEF (RAW) Viewfinder virt. horizon * None • Fn button + command dials Choose image area Shutter spd & apert. lock 1 step spd / aperture Choose non-CPU lens Active D-Lighting * None	Define the operation of the Fn button both with and without the command dial.
f5 Assign preview button	• Preview button press Preview ¹ FV Lock AE/AF lock AE lock only AE lock (reset on rel.) AE lock (hold) AF lock only Flash off Bracketing burst Matrix metering Center-weighted mtr. Spot metering Playback * Top item in My Menu + NEF (RAW) Viewfinder virt. horizon * None • Fn button + command dials Choose image area Shutter spd & apert. lock 1 step spd / aperture Choose non-CPU lens Active D-Lighting * None	Define the operation of the DOF Preview button both with and without the command dial.
f6 Assign AE-L/AF-L button	• AE-L/AF-L button press Preview FV Lock AE/AF lock AE lock only AE lock (reset on rel.) AE lock (hold) AF lock only AF-ON Flash off Bracketing burst Matrix metering Center-weighted mtr. Spot metering Playback * Top item in My Menu + NEF (RAW) Viewfinder virt. horizon None • AE-L/AF-L button + dials Choose image area Shutter spd & apert. lock Choose non-CPU lens None
f7 Shutter spd & aperture lock	• Shutter speed lock On Off • Aperture lock On Off	- Available in S and M modes - Available in A and M modes
f8 Assign BKT button	• Auto bracketing • Multiple exposure • HDR
f9 Customize command dials	• Reverse rotation Exposure compensation Shutter speed/aperture • Change main/sub On On (Mode A) * Off • Aperture setting Sub-command dial Aperture ring • Menus and playback On On (image rev. exclud.) * Off
f10 Release button to use dial	• Yes • No
f11 Slot empty rel. lock	• Release locked • Enable release	Enable shutter release with no card in camera.
f12 Reverse indicators	• + ---- 0 ---- - • - ---- 0 ---- +
f13 Assign MB-D12 AF-ON *	• AE-L/AF-L button press AF-ON FV Lock AE/AF lock AE lock only AE lock (reset on rel.) AE lock (hold) AF lock only Same as Fn button

Custom Settings Menu (g: Movie) *


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
g1 Assign Fn button	• Fn button press Pwr apert. (open) Index marking View photo info None	Define Fn button operation in movie mode.
g2Assign Preview button	• Preview button press Pwr apert. (close) Index marking View photo info None	Define Preview button operation in movie mode.
g3 Assign AE-L/AF-L button	• AE-L/AF-L butt. press Index marking View photo info AE/AF lock AE lock only AE lock (hold) AF lock only None	Define AE-L/AF-L button operation in movie mode.
g4 Assign shutter button	• Take photos • Record movies	Define shutter button operation in movie mode.