Nikon D7000 User Manual

							
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Image Enhancement
Nikon’s unique Picture Control system makes it possible to share image processing 
settings, including sharpening, contrast, brightness, saturation, and hue, among 
compatible devices and software.
Selecting a Picture Control
The camera offers a choice of preset Picture Controls. In  P,  S,  A , and  M modes, you can 
choose a Picture Control according to the subject or type of scene (in other modes, 
the camera selects a Picture Control automatically).
1Display Picture Controls.
To display the menus, press the  G button. 
Highlight  Set Picture Control  in the 
shooting menu and press  2 to display a list 
of Picture Controls.
2Choose a Picture Control.
Highlight an option and press  J.
Picture Controls
OptionDescription
Q Standard Standard processing for balanced results.
 Recommended for most 
situations.
R Neutral Minimal processing for natural results.
 Choose for photographs that will later 
be extensively processed or retouched.
S Vivid Pictures are enhanced for a vivid, photoprint effect.
 Choose for photographs 
that emphasize primary colors.
T Monochrome Take monochrome photographs.
e Portrait Process portraits for skin with natural texture and a rounded feel.
f Landscape Produces vibrant landscapes and cityscapes.
(P, S, A, and M Modes Only)
G button 
						

							
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APreset Picture Controls Versus Custom Picture Controls
The Picture Controls supplied with the camera are referred to as  preset Picture Controls.
 
Custom Picture Controls  are created through modifications to existing Picture Controls using 
the  Manage Picture Control  option in the shooting menu ( 0136).
 Custom Picture Controls 
can be saved to a memory card for sharing  among other cameras of the same model and 
compatible software ( 0138).
AOptional Picture Controls
Additional optional Picture Controls may be available for download from Nikon websites.
AThe Picture Control Indicator
The current Picture Control is shown in the information display when 
the  R button is pressed.
Picture Controlindicator 
						

							
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Modifying Picture Controls
Existing preset or custom Picture Controls (0136) can 
be modified to suit the scene or the user’s creative 
intent.
 Choose a balanced combination of settings 
using  Quick adjust , or make manual adjustments to 
individual settings.
1Select a Picture Control.
Highlight the desired Picture Control in the  Set 
Picture Control  menu (0131) and press 2.
2Adjust settings.
Press  1 or  3 to highlight the desired setting and 
press  4 or  2 to choose a value ( 0134).
 Repeat 
this step until all settings have been adjusted, or 
select  Quick adjust  to choose a preset 
combination of settings.
 Default settings can be 
restored by pressing the  O button.
3Save changes and exit.
Press  J.
AModifications to Original Picture Controls
Picture Controls that have been modified from default 
settings are indicated by an asterisk (“*”). 
						

							
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❚❚Picture Control Settings
OptionDescription
Quick adjust Choose from options between 
–2 and  +2 to reduce or exaggerate the effect 
of the selected Picture Control (note that this resets all manual adjustments).
 
For example, choosing positive values for  Vivid makes pictures more vivid. 
Not available with  Neutral or Monochrome  Picture Controls.
Manual adjustments
(all Picture Controls)Sharpening Control the sharpness of outlines.
 Select 
A to adjust sharpening 
automatically according to the type of scene, or choose from values between 
0  (no sharpening) and  9 (the higher the value, the greater the sharpening).
Contrast Select 
A to adjust contrast automatically according to the type of scene, or 
choose from values between  –3 and  +3 (choose lower values to prevent 
highlights in portrait subjects from  being “washed out” in direct sunlight, 
higher values to preserve detail in  misty landscapes and other low-contrast 
subjects).
Brightness Choose 
–1 for reduced brightness,  +1 for enhanced brightness.
 Does not 
affect exposure.
Manual adjustments
(non-monochrome only)
Saturation Control the vividness of colors.
 Select 
A to adjust saturation automatically 
according to the type of scene, or choose from values between  –3 and  +3 
(lower values reduce saturation and higher values increase it).
Hue Choose negative values (to a minimum of 
–3) to make reds more purple, 
blues more green, and greens more yellow, positive values (up to  +3) to 
make reds more orange, greens more blue, and blues more purple.
Manual adjustments (monochrome only)Filter 
effects Simulate the effect of color filters on monochrome photographs. Choose 
from  Off, yellow, orange, red, and green ( 0135).
Toning Choose the tint used in monochrome photographs from 
B&W (black-and-
white),  Sepia, Cyanotype  (blue-tinted monochrome),  Red, Yellow , Green , 
Blue Green , Blue , Purple Blue , Red Purple  (0 135).
D“A”  ( A u t o )
Results for auto sharpening, contrast, and satura tion vary with exposure and the position of 
the subject in the frame.
 Use a type G or D lens for best results.
ACustom Picture Controls
The options available with custom Picture Controls are the same as those on which the 
custom Picture Control was based. 
						

							
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AThe Picture Control Grid
Pressing the  W button in Step 2 ( 0133) displays a Picture Control 
grid showing the contrast and saturation for the selected Picture 
Control in relation to the other Picture Controls (only contrast is 
displayed when  Monochrome is selected).
 Release the W button to 
return to the Picture Control menu.
The icons for Picture Controls that use auto contrast and saturation 
are displayed in green in the Picture Control grid, and lines appear 
parallel to the axes of the grid.
APrevious Settings
The line under the value display in the Picture Control setting menu 
indicates the previous value for the setting.
 Use this as a reference 
when adjusting settings.
AFilter Effects (Monochrome Only)
The options in this menu simulate the effect of color filters on monochrome photographs.
 
The following filter effects are available:
OptionDescription
Y Ye l l o w
Enhances contrast.
 Can be used to tone down the brightness of the sky in 
landscape photographs.
 Orange produces more contrast than yellow, red 
more contrast than orange.
O
Orange
R Red
G Green Softens skin tones.
 Can be used for portraits.
Note that the effects achieved with  Filter effects are more pronounced than those 
produced by physical glass filters.
AToning (Monochrome Only)
Pressing  3 when  To n i n g  is selected displays saturation options.
 
Press 4 or  2 to adjust saturation. Saturation control is not available 
when  B&W (black-and-white) is selected. 
						

							
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Creating Custom Picture Controls
The Picture Controls supplied with the camera can be modified and saved as custom 
Picture Controls.
1Select  Manage Picture Control .
To display the menus, press the  G button. 
Highlight  Manage Picture Control  in the 
shooting menu and press 2.
2Select  Save/edit .
Highlight Save/edit  and press  2.
3Select a Picture Control.
Highlight an existing Picture Control and 
press  2, or press  J to proceed to step 5 to 
save a copy of the highlighted Picture 
Control without further modification.
4Edit the selected Picture Control.
See page 134 for more information. To  
abandon any changes and start over from 
default settings, press the  O button.
 Press  J 
when settings are complete.
5Select a destination.
Highlight a destination for the custom 
Picture Control (C-1 through C-9) and 
press 2.
G  button 
						

							
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6Name the Picture Control.
The text-entry dialog shown at right will be 
displayed.
 By default, new Picture Controls 
are named by adding a two-digit number 
(assigned automatically) to the name of the 
existing Picture Control.
 To  m o v e  t h e  c u r s o r  
in the name area, hold the  W button and press  4 or  2.
 To enter a new letter 
at the current cursor position, use the  multi selector to highlight the desired 
character in the keyboard area and press  J.
 To delete the character at the 
current cursor position, press the  O button.
 To return to the shooting menu 
without saving the Pictur e Control, press the G button.
Custom Picture Control names can be up to nineteen characters long.
 Any 
characters after the nineteenth will be deleted.
7Save changes and exit.
After editing the name, press  X to save 
changes and exit.
 The new Picture Control 
will appear in the Picture Control list.
AManage Picture Control > Rename
Custom Picture Controls can be renamed at any time 
using the  Rename option in the  Manage Picture 
Control  menu.
AManage Picture Control > Delete
The  Delete  option in the  Manage Picture Control  
menu can be used to delete selected custom Picture 
Controls when they are no longer needed.
AThe Original Picture Control Icon
The original preset Picture Control on which the 
custom Picture Control is based is indicated by an icon 
in the top right corner of the edit display. Original Picture Control icon
Keyboard 
area
Name area 
						

							
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Sharing Custom Picture Controls
Custom Picture Controls created using the Picture Control Utility available with 
ViewNX 2 or optional software such as Capture NX 2 can be copied to a memory card 
and loaded into the camera, or custom Picture Controls created with the camera can 
be copied to the memory card to be used  in compatible cameras and software and 
then deleted when no longer needed.
To copy custom Picture Controls to or from the 
memory card, or to delete custom Picture Controls 
from the memory card, highlight  Load/save in the 
Manage Picture Control  menu and press2.
 The 
following options will be displayed:
• Copy to camera : Copy custom Picture Controls from the 
memory card to custom Picture Controls C-1 
through C-9 on the camera and name them as 
desired.
• Delete from card : Delete selected custom Picture 
Controls from the memory card.
 The confirmation 
dialog shown at right will be displayed before a 
Picture Control is deleted;  to delete the selected 
Picture Control, highlight  Ye s and press  J.
• Copy to card : Copy a custom Picture Control (C-1 
through C-9) from the camera to a selected 
destination (1 through 99) on the memory card.
ASaving Custom Picture Controls
Up to 99 custom Picture Controls can be stored on the memory card at any one time.
 The 
memory card can only be used to store user-created custom Picture Controls.
 The preset 
Picture Controls supplied with the camera can not be copied to the memory card, renamed, 
or deleted.
The options in the  Manage Picture Control  menu apply only to the memory card in Slot 1. 
Custom Picture Controls can not be deleted from or copied to or from the card in Slot 2. 
						

							
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Active D-Lighting
Active D-Lighting preserves details in highlights and shadows, creating photographs 
with natural contrast.
 Use for high contrast scenes, for example when 
photographing brightly lit outdoor scenery through a door or window or taking 
pictures of shaded subjects on a sunny day.
 It is most effective when used with 
matrix metering ( a).
To  u s e  A c t i v e  D - L i g h t i n g :
1Select  Active D-Lighting .
To display the menus, press the  G button.  
Highlight  Active D-Lighting  in the shooting 
menu and press  2.
2Choose an option.
Highlight an option and press J. If 
Y Auto  is selected, the camera will 
automatically adjust Active D-Lighting 
according to shooting conditions (in mode 
M , however,  YAuto  is equivalent to 
Q Normal ).
Active D-Lighting off Active D-Lighting: 
YAuto Active D-Lighting off Active D-Lighting: 
PHigh
(P, S, A, and M Modes Only)
G  button 
						

							
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DActive D-Lighting
Noise (randomly-spaced bright pixels, fog, or lines) may appear in photographs taken with 
Active D-Lighting.
 Uneven shading may be visible with some subjects. Active D-Lighting can 
not be used at ISO sensitivities of Hi 0.3 or above.
D“Active D-Lighting” Versus “D-Lighting”
The  Active D-Lighting  option in the shooting menu adjusts exposure before shooting to 
optimize the dynamic range, while the  D-Lighting option in the retouch menu ( 0251) 
optimizes dynamic range in images after shooting.
ASee Also
When  ADL bracketing  is selected for Custom Setting e5 ( Auto bracketing set, 0 229), the 
camera varies Active D-Lighting over a series of shots.
 See page 114 for more information.