Nikon D200 Users Manual

							71
Reference—Exposure
While exposure lock is in eff ect, the following settings can be changed without altering 
the metered value for exposure:
Exposure mode Settings
Programmed auto Shutter speed and aperture (fl exible program;  63)
Shutter-priority auto Shutter speed
Aperture-priority auto Aperture
The new values can be confi rmed in the viewfi nder and control panel.  Note that the 
metering method can not be changed while exposure lock is in eff ect (changes to me-
tering take eff ect when the lock is released).
Adjusting Shutter Speed and Aperture
 Metered Area
In spot metering, exposure will be locked at the value metered in a 3-mm (0.12 in.) circle 
centered on the selected focus area.  In center-weighted metering, exposure will be locked 
at the value metered in an 8-mm (0.31 in.) circle at the center of the viewfi nder.
 c1—AE Lock ( 156)
If +Release Button is selected for AE Lock, exposure will lock when the shutter-release 
button is pressed halfway.
 c2—AE-L/AF-L ( 156)
Depending on the option selected, the AE-L/AF-L button locks both focus and exposure (the 
default setting), only focus, or only exposure.  Options are available for keeping exposure 
locked until the AE-L/AF-L button is pressed a second time, the shutter is released, or expo-
sure meters turn off .
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Reference—Exposure
Exposure Compensation
To obtain the desired results with certain subject compositions, it may be nec es -
sary to use ex po sure compensation to alter exposure from the val ue sug gest ed 
by the cam era.  As a rule of thumb, positive compensation may be needed when 
the main sub ject is dark er than the background, negative val ues when the main 
sub ject is bright er than the background.
1 Pressing the  button, rotate the main com-
  mand dial and confi rm ex po sure com pen sa tion 
in the control panel or the viewfi nder (in the 
viewfi nder, positive values are shown by a 
 
icon, negative values by a 
 icon).    Ex po sure 
com pen sa tion can be set to val ues be tween 
–5  EV  (un der ex po sure)  and  +5  EV  (over ex po sure) 
in in cre ments of / EV.
At val ues oth er than ±0, the 0 at the center of 
the electronic analog exposure displays will fl  ash 
and a 
 icon will be dis played in the control 
panel and viewfi nder af ter you re lease the 
 
but ton.  The cur rent val ue for ex po sure com pen -
sa tion can be con fi  rmed in the elec tron ic an a log 
ex po sure dis play or by press ing the 
 but ton.
±0 EV  ( button pressed)
–0.3 EV
+2.0 EV
2 Frame the pho to graph, fo cus, and shoot.
Normal ex po sure can be restored by set ting ex po sure compensation to ±0 or 
per form ing a two button reset (
 97).  Ex po sure com pen sa tion is not reset 
when the camera is turned off .
 b4—Exp Comp/Fine Tune ( 154)
Use this option to set the increments for exposure com pen sa tion to / or 1 EV.
 b5—Exposure Comp. ( 155)
If desired, exposure compensation can be set without pressing the  button.
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Reference—Exposure
Exposure and Flash Bracketing
In exposure brack et ing, the camera varies exposure compensation with each 
shot, while in the case of fl ash brack et ing, fl ash level is varied with each shot (i-
TTL and, with the optional SB-800 Speedlight, auto aperture fl ash control modes 
only).  Only one pho to graph is pro duced each time the shut ter is released, mean-
ing that sev er al shots (up to nine) are re quired to com plete the brack et ing se-
  quence.  Ex po sure and fl ash brack et ing are rec om mend ed in situations in which 
it is diffi 
   
cult to set ex po sure and there is not enough time to check re sults and 
adjust settings with each shot.
1 Se lect the type of brack et ing to be per formed 
us ing  Cus tom  Set ting  e5  (Auto BKT Set; 
 
166).  Choose AE & Flash to vary both ex po sure 
and fl ash level (the de fault setting), AE Only to 
vary only exposure, or Flash Only to vary only 
fl ash level.
2 Press ing  the  button, rotate the main com-
  mand dial to choose the number of shots in the 
bracketing sequence (
 198 – 199).  At settings 
other than zero, a BKT icon and bracketing indi-
cator will be dis played in the con trol pan el and 
the 
 icon will blink in the control panel and 
viewfi nder.
3 Press ing  the  button, rotate the sub-com-
  mand dial to choose the exposure increment 
(
  198 – 199).
 Bracketing Programs
See the Appendix for a list of exposure and fl ash bracketing programs.
 e8—Auto BKT Selection ( 167)
If desired, the main command dial can be used to turn bracketing on and off  and the sub-
command dial to select both the number of shots and the exposure increment.
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Reference—Exposure
4 Com pose a photograph, focus, and shoot.  The cam era will vary ex po sure 
and/or fl ash level shot-by-shot according to the brack et ing pro gram se-
  lect ed.  Mod i fi  ca tions to ex po sure are add ed to those made with ex po sure 
com pen sa tion  (
 72), making it possible to achieve exposure compensa-
tion values of more than 5 EV.
While bracketing is in eff 
 ect, a bracketing progress indicator will be dis-
played in the control panel.  A seg ment will dis ap pear from the in di ca tor 
af ter each shot.
To cancel bracketing, press the  button and rotate the main com mand 
dial until the number of shots in the bracketing sequence is zero and 
 
is no longer displayed in the control panel.  The program last in eff ect will 
be restored the next time brack et ing is ac ti vat ed.  Brack et ing can also be 
cancelled by per form ing a two-button reset (
 97), although in this case 
the bracketing program will not be restored the next time brack et ing is 
activated.  Selecting WB Bracketing for Custom Setting e5 cancels the 
current the bracketing program.
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Reference—Exposure
The camera modifi es exposure by varying shutter speed and aperture (programmed 
auto), aperture (shutter-priority auto), or shutter speed (aperture-priority auto, manual 
exposure mode).  When On is selected for Custom Setting b1 (ISO Auto), the camera 
will automatically vary ISO sensitivity for optimum exposure when the limits of the cam-
era exposure system are exceeded.  If Custom Setting e5 (Auto BKT Set) is set AE Only 
or to AE & Flash and On is selected for Custom Setting b1 (ISO Auto), the camera will 
vary ISO sensitivity without varying shutter speed or aperture, regardless of the setting 
chosen for Custom Setting e6 (see below).Exposure Bracketing
 Shooting Mode
In single frame and self-timer modes, one shot will be taken each time the shutter-release 
button is pressed.  In continuous low speed and continuous high speed modes, shooting 
will pause af ter the number of shots specifi ed in the bracketing pro gram have been taken.  
Shooting will resume the next time the shutter-release button is pressed.
 Re sum ing Exposure or Flash Bracketing 
If the mem o ry card fi lls before all shots in the sequence have been taken, shooting can be 
resumed from the next shot in the sequence after the memory card has been re placed or 
shots have been deleted to make room on the memory card.  If the camera is turned off  
before all shots in the sequence have been taken, brack et ing will resume from the next 
shot in the sequence when the cam era is turned on.
 e6—Manual Mode Bkting ( 167)
This option controls how the camera performs exposure and fl ash bracketing in manual 
exposure mode.  Bracketing can be performed by varying fl ash level together with shutter 
speed and / or aperture, or by varying fl ash level alone.
 e7—Auto BKT Order ( 167)
This option can be used to change the bracketing order.
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Reference—Flash Photography
The D200 is equipped with a Guide Number 12/39 fl ash (ISO 100, m/ft) that can 
be used not only when natural lighting is inadequate, but also to fi ll in shadows 
and backlit subjects or to add a catch light to the subject’s eyes.
The built-in fl ash supports the following types of fl ash control:
i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash for Digital SLR: Speedlight emits series of nearly invisible prefl ashes 
(monitor prefl ashes) immediately before main fl ash.  Prefl ashes refl ected from objects in 
all areas of frame are picked up by 1,005-pixel RGB sensor and are analyzed in combina-
tion with information from matrix metering system to adjust fl ash output for natural bal-
ance between main subject and ambient background lighting.  If type G or D lens is used, 
distance information is included when calculating fl ash output.  Precision of calculation 
can be increased for non-CPU lenses by providing lens data (focal length and maximum 
aperture; 
 93 – 95).  Not available when spot metering is used.
Standard i-TTL Flash for Digital SLR: Flash output adjusted to bring lighting in frame to stan-
dard level; brightness of background is not taken into account.  Recommended for shots 
in which main subject is emphasized at expense of background details, or when exposure 
compensation is used.  Standard i-TTL fl ash for digital SLR is activated automatically when 
spot metering is selected.
Flash Photography
Using the Built-in Flash
 ISO Sensitivity
i-TTL fl ash control can adjust for ISO sensitivities between 100 and 1600.  It may not be 
able to adjust fl ash level appropriately for ISO sensitivities over 1600.  When On is selected 
for Custom Setting b1 (ISO Auto; 
 152), ISO sensitivity will automatically be adjusted as 
required for optimal fl ash output.  This may result in foreground subjects being underex-
posed in fl ash photographs taken at slow shutter speeds, in daylight, or against a bright 
background.  In these cases, choose a fl ash mode other than slow sync or select mode A or 
M and choose a larger aperture.
 Using the Built-in Flash
If the built-in fl  ash is used in continuous shooting mode, only one photograph will be taken 
each time the shutter-release button is pressed.
Vibration reduction (available with VR lenses) does not take eff ect if the shutter-release but-
ton is pressed halfway while the built-in fl ash is recharging.
After the built-in fl ash has been used for several consecutive shots, it may turn off  briefl y to 
protect the fl ash.  The built-in fl ash can be used again after a short pause.
 Flash Angle
The fl ash angle of the built-in fl ash can cover the fi eld of view of an 18 mm lens.  It may not 
be able to light the entire subject with some lenses or apertures (
 201).
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Reference—Flash Photography
Flash Sync Modes
The camera supports the following fl ash sync modes:
Flash sync mode Description
Front-curtain syncRecommended for most situations.  In programmed auto and ap-
erture-priority auto modes, shutter speed will au to mat i cal ly be set 
to values between / and / s (/ to /, s when using optional 
Speedlight with Auto FP High-Speed Sync;  160).
Red-eye reductionRed-eye reduction pre-fl ash lights for approximately one second 
before main fl ash.  Pupils in subject’s eyes to contract, reducing 
“red-eye” eff ect sometimes caused by fl ash.
Red-eye reduction 
with slow syncCombines red-eye reduction with slow sync.  This mode is only 
available in programmed auto and aperture-priority auto ex po -
sure modes.  Use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur ring 
caused by camera shake.
Slow syncFlash is combined with speeds as slow as 30 s to cap ture both 
subject and background at night or under dim light.  This mode 
is only available in programmed auto and aperture-priority auto 
ex po sure modes.  Use of tripod is recommended to prevent blur-
  ring caused by camera shake.
Rear-curtain syncIn shutter-priority auto or manual exposure mode, fl ash fi res just 
before the shutter closes, creating eff ect of a stream of light be-
hind moving objects.  In programmed auto and ap er ture-pri or i ty 
auto, slow rear-curtain sync is used to capture both sub ject and 
background.  Use of tripod is rec om mend ed to pre vent blurring 
caused by camera shake.
 Red-Eye Reduction
Some lenses may block the red-eye reduction lamp, preventing the subject from seeing 
the lamp and interfering with red-eye reduction.
 Studio Flash Systems
Rear-curtain sync can not be used with studio fl ash systems, as the correct syn chro ni za tion 
can not be obtained.
 Compatible Lenses
See the Appendix for information on the lenses that can be used with the built-in fl ash.
 e3—Built-in Flash ( 161)
Flash mode can be selected from TTL, Manual, Repeating Flash, and Commander 
mode.  When fi red at full power in Manual mode, the built-in fl ash has a Guide Number 
of 13/42 (ISO 100, m/ft).  In Repeating Flash mode, the fl ash fi res repeatedly while the 
shutter is open.  The fl ash output, number of fl ashes, and interval between fl ashes can 
be selected from a menu.  Commander mode can be used for wireless off -camera fl ash 
photography with optional SB-800, SB-600, or SB-R200 Speedlights.
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Reference—Flash Photography
Using the Built-in Flash
To use the built-in fl ash:
1 Choose a metering method ( 61).  Select ma-
trix or center-weighted metering to activate i-
TTL Balanced Fill-Flash for Digital SLR.  Standard 
i-TTL Flash for Digital SLR is activated automati-
cally when spot metering is selected.
2 Press the fl ash pop-up button.  The built-in fl ash 
will pop up and begin charging.  When the fl ash 
is fully charged, the fl ash-ready indicator will 
light.
3 Press the  button and rotate the main com-
mand dial until the desired fl ash sync icon is dis-
played in the control panel.
Red-eye
reduction+
slow sync 
1
Rear
curtain 
sync 
3
Slow 
sync 2
Red-eye
reductionFront curtain 
sync
1 Available only in exposure modes P and A.  In 
modes S and M,  (red-eye reduction) is selected 
when the  button is released.
2 In exposure modes P and A, fl ash-sync mode will 
be set to 
 (slow rear-cur tain sync) when the  
button is released.
3 Available only in ex po sure modes P and A.  In 
modes S and M, 
 (front-cur tain sync) is selected 
when  button is released.
To save battery power when the Speedlight is not in use, return it to the closed position 
by pressing it lightly downward until the latch clicks into place.
When the Speedlight Is Not in Use
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Reference—Flash Photography
4 Press the shutter-release button halfway and check exposure (shutter 
speed and aperture).  The shutter speeds and apertures available when the 
built-in fl ash is raised are listed below.
Exposure mode Shutter speed AperturePSet automatically by camera (/–/ s) 1Set automatically 
by camera63
SValue selected by user (/–30 s) 264
ASet automatically by camera (/–/ s) 1Value selected by 
user 366
MValue selected by user (/–30 s) 268
1 Limit for slow shutter speed is set using Custom Setting e2 (Flash Shutter Speed; 
 161).  Regardless of option selected, camera may set shutter to speeds as slow 
as 30 s at fl ash sync settings of slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync, and slow sync 
with red-eye reduction. 
2 Speeds faster than / s will be reduced to / s when built-in fl ash is raised or 
optional Speedlight is attached and turned on.
3 Flash range varies with ISO sensitivity and aperture.  Consult table of fl ash of fl ash 
ranges (
 200) when setting aperture in A and M modes.
5 Check that the fl ash-ready indicator appears in 
the viewfi nder.  If the fl ash-ready indicator is not 
displayed when the built-in fl ash is used, the 
shutter release will be disabled.
6 Compose the photograph, making sure that the subject is within range of 
the fl ash (
 200), then focus and shoot.  If the fl ash-ready light blinks for 
about three seconds after the photograph is taken, the fl ash has fi red at 
full output and the photograph may be underexposed.  Check the results 
in the monitor.  If the photograph is underexposed, adjust settings and try 
again.
 e1—Flash Sync Speed ( 160)
This option can be used to enable Auto FP High-Speed Sync (optional SB-800, SB-600, or 
SB-R200 Speedlight required; not available if built-in fl ash is fi red) or to limit the fastest sync 
speed to a speed slower than / s.  To fi x shutter speed at the sync speed limit in exposure 
modes S and M, select the setting after the slowest possible shutter speed (30 s or 
).  
An X will be displayed in the fl ash sync indicator in the control panel.
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Reference—Flash Photography
Flash Exposure Compensation
Flash exposure compensation can be used to increase or reduce fl ash output 
from the level chosen by the camera’s fl ash control system.  Flash output can 
be increased to make the main subject appear brighter, or reduced to prevent 
unwanted highlights or refl ections.  As a rule of thumb, positive compensation 
may be needed when the main subject is darker than the background, negative 
compensation when the main subject is brighter than the background.
Pressing the 
 button, rotate the sub-command 
dial and confi rm fl ash exposure compensation in the 
control panel or viewfi nder.  Flash exposure compen-
sation can be set to values between –3 EV (darker) 
and +1 EV (brighter) in increments of / EV.
At values other than ±0, a 
 icon will be displayed 
in the control panel and viewfi nder after you release 
the 
 button.  The current value for fl ash exposure 
compensation can be confi rmed by pressing the 
 
button.
Normal fl ash output can be restored by setting fl ash exposure compensation to 
±0.0 or performing a two button reset (
 97).  Flash exposure compensation is 
not reset when the camera is turned off .
 Using Flash Exposure Compensation with Optional Speedlights
Flash exposure compensation is also available when an optional SB-800 or SB-600 
Speedlight is attached.
 Modeling Illumination
The built-in fl ash and optional SB-800, SB-600, and SB-R200 Speedlights emit a model-
ing fl ash when the camera depth-of-fi eld preview button is pressed.  Modeling illumi-
nation can be turned off  using Custom Setting e4 (Modeling Flash; 
 166).
 b3—EV Step ( 154)
This option can be used to set the increments for fl ash compensation to / or 1 EV.
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