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First Steps, First Shots

In This Chapter

Preparing the camera for its first outing

Getting acquainted with basic camera features

Viewing and adjusting camera settings

Setting a few basic preferences

Taking a picture in Auto and Auto Flash Off modes

Shooting for the first time with a camera as sophisticated as the Nikon D7200 can produce a blend of excitement and anxiety. On one hand, you can't wait to start using your new equipment, but on the other, you're a little intimidated by all its buttons, dials, and menu options.

Well, fear not: This chapter provides the information you need to start getting comfortable with your D7200. The first section walks you through initial camera setup. Following that, I explain how to view and adjust picture settings and offer my take on some basic setup options. At the end of the chapter, I walk you step-by-step through taking your first pictures using Auto mode, which offers point-and-shoot simplicity until you're ready to step up to more advanced options.

Preparing the Camera

Before you can use your D7200, you need to install the battery, attach a lens, and insert at least one memory card. (Your camera can use two cards at a time, but you only need one to begin taking pictures or recording movies.) A few preliminary notes:

• Battery: Use only the MH-25 charger that came with your camera to charge the battery. When the light on the charger stops blinking, the battery is fully charged. See the list at the end of this section to find out how to monitor the current battery charge.
• Lens: You can mount a wide range of lenses on your D7200, but some lenses aren't compatible with all camera features. Your camera manual lists all the lens types that can be mounted on the camera and explains what features are supported with each type. For maximum compatibility, look for Type D or G AF Nikkor, AF-S Nikkor, or AF-I Nikkor.
• Memory card(s): Like all digital cameras, your D7200 stores picture and movie files on memory cards. It has two card slots, both of which accept only SD (Secure Digital) cards. Most SD cards sold today carry the designation SDHC (for High Capacity) or SDXC (for eXtended Capacity), depending on how many gigabytes (GB) of data they hold. SDHC cards hold from 4GB to 32GB of data; the SDXC moniker indicates a capacity greater than 32GB.

With a charged battery, lens, and memory card(s) at hand, take these steps to get the camera ready to go:

1. Turn the camera off.
2. Install the battery into the compartment on the bottom of the camera.

3. Attach a lens.

   First, remove the caps that cover the front of the camera and the back of the lens. Then align the mounting index (white dot) on the lens with the one on the camera body, as shown in Figure 1-1. After placing the lens on the camera mount, rotate the lens toward the shutter-button side of the camera. You should feel a solid click as the lens locks into place.

4. Insert a memory card (or two).

   Open the card door on the right side of the camera to reveal the two memory card slots, labeled in Figure 1-2. If you're using a single card, install it into Slot 1. Orient the card with the label facing the back of the camera, as shown in the figure, and push it gently into the slot.

   After you close the card door, the memory-card access light, labeled in the figure, illuminates briefly as the camera checks out the card. If the card is damaged, full, or can't be used for some other reason, you see an error message in the Control panel (the LCD panel on top of the camera). You need to solve this issue before going forward; try a different card or visit the section "Working with Memory Cards," later in this chapter, for trouble-shooting tips.

5. Turn the camera on.

6. Set the language, time zone, and date.

   When you power up the camera for the first time, a screen appears on the monitor asking you to select your language, time zone, date, and time. To adjust these settings, use the Multi Selector and OK button, both labeled in Figure 1-2. Press the edge of the Multi Selector up, down, right, or left to highlight a setting and then press OK to activate the option. Again, press the edges of the Multi Selector to adjust the active option, and then press the OK button to lock in your choice. (See the next section for more details about using camera menus.)

   You don't need to take this step every time you use the camera; an internal battery separate from the main battery keeps the clock ticking for about three months. If you see a blinking clock symbol on the monitor, the clock battery is depleted. Simply charging the main camera battery and then putting that battery back in the camera restarts the clock, but you may need to reset the camera time and date.

7. Adjust the viewfinder to your eyesight.

   This step is critical; if you don't set the viewfinder to your eyesight, subjects that appear out of focus in the viewfinder might actually be in focus, and vice versa. If you wear glasses while shooting, adjust the viewfinder with your glasses on - and don't forget to reset the viewfinder focus if you take off your glasses or your prescription changes.

   You control viewfinder focus through the dial labeled in Figure 1-3. (In official lingo, it's called the diopter adjustment dial.) After taking off the front lens cap, follow these steps:

   1. Look through the viewfinder and press the shutter button halfway.

      In dim lighting, the flash may pop up. Ignore it for now and concentrate on the row of data that appears at the bottom of the viewfinder screen.

   2. Rotate the viewfinder dial until that data appears sharpest.

      The markings in the center of the viewfinder, which relate to autofocusing, also become more or less sharp. Ignore the scene you see through the lens; that won't change because you're not actually focusing the camera.

   3. When you finish, press down on the flash unit to close it if necessary.

8. Set the camera to normal (viewfinder) mode or Live View mode.

   Live View is the feature that enables you to compose photos using the monitor, as you do with most point-and-shoot cameras. To record movies, you must use this option; you can't use the viewfinder to frame movie shots.

   To shift to Live View photography, rotate the Live View switch to the still-camera icon, as shown in Figure 1-4; to set the camera to movie mode, set the switch to the movie-camera icon. Then press the center button (marked LV). The viewfinder goes dark, and the live preview appears on the monitor.

   To exit Live View mode, press the LV button again. The Live View display turns off, and the viewfinder is once again available.

Figure 1-1: Align the white dot on the lens with the one on the camera body.

Figure 1-2: You can install one or two SD memory cards.

Figure 1-3: Rotate this dial to set the viewfinder focus for your eyesight.

Figure 1-4: Press the LV button to toggle Live View on and off.

In addition to these initial setup steps, perform the following two preflight checks before each shoot:

• Check the amount of free space on your memory card(s). Where you find this information varies depending on whether you're using the viewfinder, shooting stills in Live View mode, or recording movies, as follows:

  • Viewfinder photography: A number indicating how many photos will fit in the available memory-card space appears in the Control panel on top of the camera, as well as in the Information display and viewfinder. Figure 1-5 shows you where to find the information in the Control panel; Figure 1-6 provides a guide to the Information display and viewfinder.

    Turn the Information screen on and off by pressing the Info button. To wake up the viewfinder, give the shutter button a half-press and then release it.

  • Live View mode: For still photography, refer to the Control panel or the shots-remaining value in the lower-right corner of the Live View display, as shown on the left in Figure 1-6.

    In movie mode, you don't see a shots-remaining value in either display; instead, the maximum recording time appears on the monitor, in the area labeled on the right in Figure 1-7. Don't consider this value a full reflection of the amount of empty space on your memory card. The camera limits the maximum recording time per movie even if your card has oodles of free space remaining. After you reach the time limit for your first recording, the number resets to show you the maximum recording time for your next movie.

    If your displays look different from the ones in the figures, press the Info button to cycle through the various display modes available for Live View shooting. I explain more about each display later in the chapter, in the section "Decoding the Displays."

  Keep in mind that certain picture- and movie-recording settings affect the size of the...