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Basic Camera Controls

Lesson 4 from: Nikon D5 Fast Start

John Greengo

Basic Camera Controls

Lesson 4 from: Nikon D5 Fast Start

John Greengo

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Lesson Info

4. Basic Camera Controls

Next Lesson: Exposure Modes

Lesson Info

Basic Camera Controls

Alright folks, it is time for camera controls, which is one of the big main sections of this class. This is where we're going to go through the entire operations on the outside of the camera. So first off, you want to turn your camera on and off. Turn it on. Now when you turn it on there is a little filter right in front of the sensor that shakes off any sort of dust. So if dust accumulates on the sensor, it'll try to shake it off. Now it's possible that it's got a little stick'em on it and it still sticks to it, and we'll talk about cleaning the sensor much later on in the class. But it has that built-in, and that's something that you can turn on and off whenever you want. But by default, it's usually there right when you turn the camera on. The shutter release for taking photos is also how we wake our camera up and activate it, and so you'll want to press down halfway to kind of wake the camera up and get all the readings set. Now some buttons and dials that we're going to be using o...

n a regular basis, the main command dial is on the back and there are two of them. One for holding the camera horizontally, one for holding the camera vertically. We're going to be using this to make lots of changes on the camera. The one in front is called the sub command dial, and I may sometimes forget to call these by their official name, and I'll just say the back dial or the front dial. And it should be fairly clear which one I am talking about. There is the multi selector in the back, which I also forget the name on from time to time, and I will call it the mouse or the up/down button on the back of the camera. It's how we navigate through the menu system. It's how we select different focusing points. Now in the middle of that is a center button, and a lot of times when we're in the menu, and we're kind of working our way through different options and we want to select something, we will often be able to press that center button to select that particular item as what we want the camera to do. On other times, we're going to have to press the OK button over on the side. Now there is also a lock and be very aware of where that lock position is. Is it in the L position or just where the dot is? If it's in the L position, it's going to lock the multi selector, and so that you're not going to be able to make changes. Now you can still push down on the multi-selector it's just going to prevent it from doing anything. And there is a sub-selector. We can use this the same way that we use the multi selector. The sub selector is mainly used for changing the focusing points. But we can also navigate through the menu system using it in many different cases. And then finally, in some cases we can use the center button but in other cases we have to use the OK button to confirm that we want to do something. And so, for instance, I think on formatting the memory card you select that you want to reformat the memory card you actually have to press the OK button rather then the center button on the multi selector. Alright so, okay some real basic stuff for anyone's who's new to Nikon. Maybe you're switching from Canon or Sony or something like that. Many of the buttons on the camera you have to hold down on while you are turning the dial. This is kind of a safety precaution that you go through, so that if you are changing the ISO you're holding down on the ISO and turning the button. You can't accidentally make these sorts of changes, and so that's the default system. And if you do want to change that, there will be an option I'll talk about when it comes down to the custom functions of the camera, you can change the way the buttons operate on the camera.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

NikonĀ® D5 Recommended Settings
NkonĀ® D5 Fast Start Class Slides

Ratings and Reviews

Michelle Mealing
 

As usual, John Greengo has provided me with a wealth of information, this time to decide on my next Nikon camera purchase. John has a talent for explaining technical aspects in a simply to understand, yet intelligent, language. I feel very lucky to be able to tap into the knowledge of such experts and thank the day I found out about Creative Live. Unfortunately I had to miss a little part of the live broadcast due to international time differences. I will definitely be watching the class again and again (there's so much content). Thanks John and Creative Live. Looking forward to my next class.

a Creativelive Student
 

Already set the Fn3 button for Voice Memo - easy peasy thanks to this and so many other "buried" ( in the manual ) treasures. Notwithstanding three years with the D4 and one year with the D5, I am substantially more familiar and comfortable with the available tools / features of this amazing camera, Nikon's D5. Thank you, John, for the relaxed, easy-to-follow yet informative, professional instruction - well done!

Dave Safley
 

John Greengo does a fantastic job of going over all the great features of this camera. Yes, there is a lot of information, but the format of the class enabled me to drive right into the features I needed for an upcoming shoot. I am new to Creative Live but this class is showing me the fantastic value of this platform. Happy Shooting!

Student Work

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