Nikon Camcorder D50 User Manual

The Nikon Guide to Digital Photography

with the

DIGITAL CAMERA

Introduction

Tutorial

Photography and Playback

More on Playback

Reference

Setup

Basic Camera Settings:

The Setup Menu

Shooting Options:

The Shooting Menu

Playback Options:

The Playback Menu

Custom Settings:

The Custom Settings Menu

Technical Notes

For Your Safety

To prevent damage to your Nikon product or injury to yourself or to oth-

ers, read the following safety precautions in their entirety before using this

equipment. Keep these safety instructions where all those who use the

product will read them.

The consequences that could result from failure to observe the precautions

listed in this section are indicated by the following symbol:

This icon marks warnings, information that should be read before using this

Nikon product to prevent possible injury.

WARNINGS

Do not disassemble

Do not look at the sun through the view-

ﬁnder

Touching the product’s internal parts

could result in injury. In the event of

a malfunction, the product should be

repaired only by a qualiﬁed technician.

Should the product break open as the

result of a fall or other accident, remove

the battery and/or AC adapter and then

take the product to a Nikon-authorized

service center for inspection.

Viewing the sun or other strong light

source through the viewﬁnder could

cause permanent visual impairment.

Turn off immediately in the event of

malfunction

Should you notice smoke or an unusual

smell coming from the equipment or

from the AC adapter (available sep-

arately), unplug the AC adapter and

remove the battery immediately, tak-

ing care to avoid burns. Continued

operation could result in injury. After

removing the battery, take the equip-

ment to a Nikon-authorized service

center for inspection.

Observe proper precautions when han-

dling batteries

Batteries may leak or explode if im-

properly handled. Observe the following

precautions when handling batteries for

use in this product:

• Be sure the product is off before re-

placing the battery. If you are using an

AC adapter, be sure it is unplugged.

• Use only batteries approved for use in

this equipment. Do not mix old and

new batteries or batteries of different

types.

• Do not attempt to insert the battery

upside down or backwards.

• Do not short or disassemble the bat-

tery.

• Do not expose the battery to ﬂame or

to excessive heat.

Do not use in the presence of ﬂam-

mable gas

Do not use electronic equipment in the

presence of ﬂammable gas, as this could

result in explosion or ﬁre.

Do not place strap around the neck of

an infant or child

Placing the camera strap around the

neck of an infant or child could result

in strangulation.

• Do not immerse in or expose to water.

• Replace the terminal cover when trans-

porting the battery. Do not transport

or store with metal objects such as

necklaces or hairpins.

• Batteries are prone to leakage when fully

discharged. To avoid damage to the

product, be sure to remove the battery

when no charge remains.

• When the battery is not in use, attach

the terminal cover and store in a cool

place.

• Immediately after use, or when the

product is used on battery power for

an extended period, the battery may

become hot. Before removing the bat-

tery, turn the camera off and allow the

battery to cool.

CD-ROMs

The CD-ROMs on which the software

and manuals are distributed should not

be played back on audio CD equipment.

Playing CD-ROMs on an audio CD player

could cause hearing loss or damage the

equipment.

Observe caution when using the ﬂash

• Do not operate the ﬂash with the ﬂash

window touching a person or object.

Failure to observe this precaution could

result in burns or ﬁre.

• Using the ﬂash close to your subject’s

eyes could cause temporary visual

impairment. Particular care should

be observed if photographing infants,

when the ﬂash should be no less than

one meter (39˝) from the subject.

• Discontinue use immediately should you

notice any changes in the battery, such

as discoloration or deformation.

Use appropriate cables

When using the viewﬁnder

When connecting cables to the input

and output jacks, use only the cables

provided or sold by Nikon for the

purpose, to maintain compliance with

product regulations.

When operating the diopter adjustment

control with your eye to the viewﬁnder,

care should be taken not to put your

ﬁnger in your eye accidentally.

Avoid contact with liquid crystal

Keep out of reach of children

Should the monitor break, care should

be taken to avoid injury due to broken

glass and to prevent liquid crystal from

the monitor touching the skin or en-

tering the eyes or mouth.

Particular care should be taken to pre-

vent infants from putting the battery or

other small parts into their mouths.

iii

Notices

• No part of the manuals included with • Nikon will not be held liable for any

this product may be reproduced, trans- damages resulting from the use of this

mitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval product.

system, or translated into any language • While every effort has been made to

in any form, by any means, without ensure that the information in these

Nikon’s prior written permission.

manuals is accurate and complete, we

• Nikon reserves the right to change the would appreciate it were you to bring

speciﬁcations of the hardware and soft- any errors or omissions to the attention

ware described in these manuals at any of the Nikon representative in your area

time and without prior notice.

(address provided separately).

Notice for customers in the U.S.A.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Radio Frequency Interference Statement

This equipment has been tested and

found to comply with the limits for a

Class B digital device, pursuant to Part

15 of the FCC rules. These limits are

D50

Tested To Comply

With FCC Standards

FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE

designed to provide reasonable protec-

tion against harmful interference in a

residential installation. This equipment

generates, uses, and can radiate radio

frequency energy and, if not installed and

used in accordance with the instructions,

may cause harmful interference to radio

communications. However, there is no

guarantee that interference will not occur

in a particular installation. If this equip-

ment does cause harmful interference to

radio or television reception, which can be

determined by turning the equipment off

and on, the user is encouraged to try to

correct the interference by one or more of

the following measures:

CAUTIONS

Modiﬁcations

The FCC requires the user to be notiﬁed

that any changes or modiﬁcations made

to this device that are not expressly ap-

proved by Nikon Corporation may void

the user’s authority to operate the equip-

ment.

Interface Cables

Use the interface cables sold or provided

by Nikon for your equipment. Using oth-

er interface cables may exceed the limits

of Class B Part 15 of the FCC rules.

Notice for customers in the State of California

WARNING: Handling the cord on this

product will expose you to lead, a chemi-

cal known to the State of California to

cause birth defects or other reproductive

harm. Wash hands after handling.

•

Reorient or relocate the receiving an-

tenna.

• Increase the separation between the

equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet

on a circuit different from that to which

the receiver is connected.

Nikon Inc.,

• Consult the dealer or an experienced

radio/television technician for help.

1300 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, New York

11747-3064, U.S.A.

Tel.: 631-547-4200

Notice for customers in Canada

CAUTION

ATTENTION

This class B digital apparatus meets all re- Cet appareil numérique de la classe B res-

quirements of the Canadian Interference pecte toutes les exigences du Règlement

Causing Equipment Regulations.

sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

Notice Concerning Prohibition of Copying or Reproduction

Note that simply being in possession of material that has been digitally copied or

reproduced by means of a scanner, digital camera or other device may be punishable

by law.

• Items prohibited by law from being • Cautions on certain copies and re-

copied or reproduced

productions

Do not copy or reproduce paper money, The government has issued cautions on

coins, securities, government bonds, or copies or reproductions of securities is-

local government bonds, even if such sued by private companies (shares, bills,

copies or reproductions are stamped checks, gift certiﬁcates, etc.), commuter

“Sample.”

passes, or coupon tickets, except when

a minimum of necessary copies are to

be provided for business use by a com-

pany. Also, do not copy or reproduce

passports issued by the government,

licenses issued by public agencies and

private groups, ID cards, and tickets,

such as passes and meal coupons.

The copying or reproduction of paper

money, coins, or securities which are

circulated in a foreign country is pro-

hibited.

Unless the prior permission of the

government has been obtained, the

copying or reproduction of unused

postage stamps or post cards issued by

the government is prohibited.

• Comply with copyright notices

The copying or reproduction of copy-

righted creative works such as books,

music, paintings, woodcut prints, maps,

drawings, movies, and photographs is

governed by national and international

for the purpose of making illegal copies

or to infringe copyright laws.

The copying or reproduction of stamps

issued by the government and of certi-

ﬁed documents stipulated by law is

prohibited.

Trademark Information

Macintosh, Mac OS, and QuickTime are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are

registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. The SD logo is a trademark of the SD Card Association. Adobe

and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc. PictBridge is a trademark. All other trade names

mentioned in this manual or the other documentation provided with your Nikon product are trademarks or regis-

tered trademarks of their respective holders.

Table of Contents

For Your Safety.............................................................................................. ii

Notices........................................................................................................... iv

Introduction....................................................................................................

Getting to Know the Camera.......................................................................

First Steps ......................................................................................................

Attaching a Lens...........................................................................................

Charging and Inserting the Battery................................................................

Basic Setup ................................................................................................... 10

Inserting Memory Cards................................................................................ 11

Adjusting Viewﬁnder Focus........................................................................... 13

Tutorial: Photography and Playback ............................................................ 14

Taking Photographs in

Mode................................................................. 14

Digital Vari-Programs ................................................................................... 19

Choosing a Shooting Mode.......................................................................... 21

Using the Self-timer or Remote Control...................................................... 22

Basic Playback ............................................................................................... 24

Reference........................................................................................................ 25

Using Camera Menus.................................................................................... 26

Reference: More on Photography ................................................................ 30

Image Quality and Size................................................................................. 30

Image Quality ............................................................................................... 31

Image Size .................................................................................................... 32

Choosing the Focus Area.............................................................................. 33

Manual Focus ................................................................................................ 35

Flash Sync Mode............................................................................................ 36

Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency)......................................................................... 39

P, S, A, and M Modes .................................................................................... 40

Choosing an Exposure Mode......................................................................... 40

P: Programmed Auto..................................................................................... 42

S: Shutter-Priority Auto.................................................................................. 43

A: Aperture-Priority Auto .............................................................................. 44

M: Manual.................................................................................................... 45

Exposure Compensation (P, S, A, and M Modes Only).................................... 47

Optimizing Images ........................................................................................ 48

White Balance............................................................................................... 49

Restoring Default Settings ........................................................................... 50

Reference: More on Playback........................................................................ 51

Viewing Photographs ................................................................................... 51

Protecting Photographs from Deletion....................................................... 56

Deleting Individual Photographs................................................................. 57

Viewing Photographs on TV ........................................................................ 58

Viewing Photographs on a Computer......................................................... 59

Printing Photographs ................................................................................... 62

Setup............................................................................................................... 68

Basic Camera Settings................................................................................... 68

Format.......................................................................................................... 68

CSM/Setup Menu ......................................................................................... 69

Date ............................................................................................................. 69

LCD Brightness ............................................................................................. 69

Video Mode.................................................................................................. 69

Language (LANG).......................................................................................... 70

Image Comment........................................................................................... 70

USB .............................................................................................................. 71

Folders.......................................................................................................... 71

File No. Seq................................................................................................... 73

Mirror Lock-up.............................................................................................. 73

Dust Ref Photo.............................................................................................. 74

Firmware Ver................................................................................................. 75

Image Rotation ............................................................................................. 75

Shooting Options.......................................................................................... 76

Optimize Image............................................................................................. 76

Long Exp. NR ................................................................................................ 78

Image Quality ............................................................................................... 78

Image Size .................................................................................................... 78

White Balance............................................................................................... 79

ISO ............................................................................................................... 82

Playback Options .......................................................................................... 83

Delete........................................................................................................... 84

Playback Fldr................................................................................................. 84

Rotate Tall..................................................................................................... 84

Slide Show.................................................................................................... 85

Print Set........................................................................................................ 86

Small Picture ................................................................................................. 86

Custom Settings ............................................................................................ 87

Technical Notes............................................................................................... 101

Camera Settings............................................................................................ 101

Optional Accessories..................................................................................... 104

Caring for the Camera.................................................................................. 115

Troubleshooting............................................................................................ 120

Appendix....................................................................................................... 126

Speciﬁcations ................................................................................................ 129

Index.............................................................................................................. 136

A two-button reset (page 50) and Custom Setting R (Menu Reset; page 87) can be

used to restore factory default settings.

vii

Foreign Matter on the Low-Pass Filter

Nikon takes every possible precaution to prevent foreign matter from coming into

contact with the low-pass ﬁlter during production and shipping. The D50, however,

is designed to be used with interchangeable lenses, and foreign matter may enter the

camera when lenses are removed or exchanged. Once inside the camera, this foreign

matter may adhere to the low-pass ﬁlter, where it may appear in photographs taken

under certain conditions. To prevent foreign matter from entering the camera, do

not exchange lenses in dusty environments. To protect the camera when no lens is in

place, be sure to replace the body cap provided with the camera, being careful to ﬁrst

remove all dust and other foreign matter that may be adhering to the body cap.

Should foreign matter ﬁnd its way onto the low-pass ﬁlter, clean the low-pass ﬁlter as

instructed on pages 116–117 of this manual, or have the low-pass ﬁlter cleaned by

authorized Nikon service personnel. Photographs affected by the presence of foreign

matter on the low-pass ﬁlter can be retouched using Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3 or

later (available separately) or the clean image options available in some third-party

imaging software.

Take Test Shots

Before taking pictures on important occasions (for example, at weddings or before

taking the camera with you on a trip), take a test shot to ensure that the camera is

functioning normally. Nikon will not be held liable for damages or lost proﬁts that

may result from product malfunction.

Life-Long Learning

As part of Nikon’s “Life-Long Learning” commitment to ongoing product support

and education, continually-updated information is available on-line at the following

sites:

• For users in the U.S.A.: http://www.nikonusa.com/

• For users in Europe: http://www.europe-nikon.com/support

• For users in Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa: http://www.nikon-asia.com/

Visit these sites to keep up-to-date with the latest product information, tips, answers

to frequently-asked questions (FAQs), and general advice on digital imaging and pho-

tography. Additional information may be available from the Nikon representative in

your area. See the URL below for contact information:

http://nikonimaging.com/

Replacing This Manual

Should you lose this manual, replacements can be ordered, for a fee, from any autho-

rized Nikon service representative.

viii

Introduction

Thank you for your purchase of a Nikon D50 single-lens reﬂex (SLR) digital

camera with interchangeable lenses. This manual has been written to help

you enjoy taking pictures with your Nikon digital camera. Read this manual

thoroughly before use, and keep it handy when using the product. The docu-

mentation for this product also includes the manuals listed below. Please be

sure to read all instructions thoroughly to get the most from the camera.

• Quick Start Guide: The Quick Start Guide takes you through the process

of unpacking and setting up your Nikon digital camera, taking your ﬁrst

photographs, and transferring them to your computer.

• PictureProject Reference Manual (on CD): The PictureProject Reference

Manual contains information on using the PictureProject software provid-

ed with your camera. For information on viewing the reference manual,

see the Quick Start Guide.

To make it easier to ﬁnd the information you need, the following symbols

and conventions are used:

This icon marks cautions, informa-

tion that should be read before use

to prevent damage to the camera.

This icon marks tips, additional in-

formation that may be helpful when

using the camera.

This icon marks notes, information

that should be read before using

the camera.

This icon indicates that more infor-

mation is available elsewhere in this

manual or in the Quick Start Guide.

This icon marks settings that can be

ﬁne-tuned from the Custom Settings

menu.

This icon marks settings that can be

adjusted using camera menus.

Lens

An AF-S DX 18–55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED lens is used in this manual for illustrative

purposes. See the manual provided with the lens for more information.

Focal length scale

Mounting index:

CPU contacts:

Zoom ring:

105

Focus ring:

A-M mode switch:

15, 35

Getting to Know the Camera

Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with camera controls and dis-

plays. You may ﬁnd it helpful to bookmark this section and refer to it as you

read through the rest of the manual.

Camera Body

Accessory shoe:

Control panel:

109

Accessory

shoe cover:

109

AF-assist illuminator:

[Self-timer lamp: 22]

[Red-eye reduction lamp:

Built-in ﬂash:

109

36]

(ﬂash sync mode)

(self-timer/remote

button:

18, 36

control) button:

[Reset button:

50]

[

Flash compen-

sation:

38]

(exposure

compensation)

Mode dial:

button:

[

Aperture

button:

[Flash compen-

sation:

45]

Eyelet for

camera strap:

38]

Infrared

receiver:

Lens release

button:

Shutter-release Focus-mode selector:

button: 17 15, 35

Power switch:

Connector cover

USB connector:

60, 63

Video connector:

DC-IN connector for optional

EH-5 AC adapter: 113

Camera Body (continued)

Viewﬁnder eyepiece:

5, 13, 16 Viewﬁnder eyepiece cup:

Diopter adjustment control:

(shooting mode)

button:

[Reset button:

(AE/AF lock) button:

34, 97, 98

50]

(playback)

button:

24, 51

Command dial:

43–45, 51–55

(menu)

button:

Memory card slot

cover:

11, 12

(thumbnail)

button:

[ISO (sensitivity)

Memory card ac-

button:

39]

cess lamp:

12, 17

11,

(help/protect)

button:

[WB (white balance)

button:

26, 56

(delete)

button:

24, 57

49]

Battery-chamber

(enter) button:

[QUAL (image quality/

cover latch:

Tripod socket

Monitor: 24, 26

size) button:

32]

Battery-chamber

[

(playback zoom)

cover:

button: 55]

Reset switch:

120

Multi selector

The multi selector is used for menu navigation and to control the display of photo

information during playback.

Hide/display photo information Playback ( 51)

Move cursor up

Menu navigation ( 28)

Display previous page

Return to previous menu

Cancel

Display next page

Display sub-menu

Make selection

Hide/display photo information

Move cursor down

Control Panel

1 Shutter speed ..........................40–45 8 Number of exposures remaining ... 14

Exposure compensation value....... 47

Flash compensation value ............. 38

Sensitivity (ISO equivalency) .......... 39

2 Sensitivity (ISO) indicator............... 39

Auto sensitivity indicator......... 91, 92

3 Battery indicator ........................... 14

4 Flash sync mode ........................... 36

5 Image quality................................ 31

6 Image size .................................... 32

7 White balance mode..................... 49

Number of shots remaining

before memory buffer ﬁlls............. 21

Preset white balance recording

indicator....................................... 79

PC mode indicator........................ 59

9 “K” (appears when memory remains

for over 1000 exposures) ................ 5

10 “Beep” indicator .......................... 88

11 Aperture (f/-number) ...............40–45

PC mode indicator........................ 60

12 Flash compensation indicator........ 38 18 Self-timer/remote control

indicator....................................... 22

19 Bracketing progress indicator........ 93

20 Bracketing indicator...................... 93

13 Exposure compensation indicator.. 47

14 Flexible program indicator............. 42

15 Focus area .............................. 16, 33

AF-area mode............................... 89 21 Clock battery indicator.......... 10, 123

16 AF mode....................................... 88 22 Shooting mode............................. 21

17 Metering mode............................. 96

The Viewﬁnder Display

When the battery is totally exhausted, the

display in the viewﬁnder will dim. The view-

ﬁnder display will return to normal when a

fully-charged battery is inserted.

10 11

1 Reference circle for center-weighted

metering....................................... 96

2 Focus brackets (focus areas).... 16, 33

12 Number of exposures remaining ... 14

Number of shots remaining

before memory buffer ﬁlls............. 21

Preset white balance recording

“No memory card” warning .. 11, 123

indicator....................................... 79

Exposure compensation value....... 47

Flash compensation value ............. 38

PC mode indicator.................. 59, 60

13 Flash-ready indicator..................... 18

14 Autoexposure (AE) lock................. 97

15 Electronic analog exposure display.. 46

Exposure compensation................ 47

16 Auto sensitivity indicator......... 91, 92

4 Battery indicator ........................... 14

5 Focus indicator ............... 17, 35, 123

6 Focus area .............................. 16, 33

AF-area mode............................... 89

7 Flash value (FV) lock...................... 98

8 Shutter speed ..........................40–45

9 Aperture (f/-number) ...............40–45

10 Flash compensation indicator........ 38

11 Exposure compensation indicator.. 47

17 “K” (appears when memory remains

for over 1000 exposures) ................ 5

Large-Capacity Memory Cards

When enough memory remains on the memory card to

record a thousand or more pictures at current settings,

the number of exposures remaining will be shown in

thousands, rounded down to the nearest hundred

(e.g., if there is room for approximately 1,260 expo-

sures, the exposure count display will show 1.2K).

Camera Off Display

If the camera is turned off with a battery and memory

card inserted, the number of exposures remaining will

be displayed in the control panel.

The Mode Dial

The D50 offers a choice of the following eleven shooting

modes:

Advanced Modes (Exposure Modes)

Select these modes for full control over camera settings, in-

cluding shutter speed and aperture.

P: Programmed auto ( 42)

S: Shutter-priority auto ( 43)

A: Aperture-priority auto ( 44) M: Manual ( 45)

Point-and-Shoot Modes (Digital Vari-Programs)

Selecting a Digital Vari-Program automatically optimizes set-

tings to suit the selected scene, making creative photography

as simple as rotating the mode dial.

: Auto ( 14)

: Portrait ( 19)

: Child ( 20)

: Landscape ( 20)

: Sports ( 20)

: Close up ( 20)

: Night portrait ( 20)

First Steps

Attaching a Lens

Care should be taken to prevent dust from entering the camera when the

lens is removed.

Turn the camera off and remove the body

cap. Remove the rear lens cap from the

lens.

Keeping the mounting index on the lens

aligned with the mounting index on the

camera body, position the lens in the cam-

era’s bayonet mount. Being careful not to

press the lens-release button, rotate the lens

counter-clockwise until it clicks into place.

Detaching Lenses

Be sure the camera is off when removing or exchang-

ing lenses. To remove the lens, press and hold the lens-

release button while turning the lens clockwise.

Aperture Ring

If the lens is equipped with an aperture ring, lock aperture at the minimum setting

(highest f/-number). See the lens manual for details.

Attaching the Camera Strap

Attach the strap as shown below.

Charging and Inserting the Battery

Use the supplied EN-EL3 battery and MH-18a quick charger.

Charge the battery

1.1 Connect the power cord to the charger

and plug it in.

1.2 Place the battery in the charger. The

CHARGE lamp will blink as the battery

charges. About two hours are required

for an exhausted battery to fully charge.

1.3 Charging is complete when the CHARGE

lamp stops blinking. Remove the battery

from the charger and unplug the char-

ger.

The Battery and Charger

Read and follow the warnings and cautions on pages ii–iii and 118–119 of this

manual, together with any warnings and instructions provided by the battery

manufacturer.

Do not use the battery at ambient temperatures below 0°C (32°F) or above 40°C

(104°F). During charging, the temperature should be in the vicinity of 5–35°C

(41–95°F). Note that the battery may become hot during use; wait for the battery to

cool before charging. Failure to observe these precautions could damage the battery,

impair its performance, or prevent it from charging normally.

The supplied power cable is intended solely for use with the MH-18a and is for

domestic use only. It may be necessary to purchase another cable for use abroad;

consult with a local Nikon-authorized retailer or service representative.

Insert the battery

2.1 After conﬁrming that the camera is off,

open the battery chamber cover.

2.2 Insert a fully charged battery as shown at

right. Close the battery chamber cover.

Removing the Battery

Turn the camera off before removing the battery. Replace the terminal cover when

the battery is not in use.

Basic Setup

The ﬁrst time the camera is turned on, the language selection dialog shown

in Step 1 will be displayed in the monitor. Follow the steps below to choose

a language and set the time and date.

Display language-selection dialog.

Select language.

Display DATE menu.

Press multi selector left or right to

select item, up or down to change.

Exit DATE menu. Monitor turns off.

Choosing a Language from the Setup Menu ( 68)

Selecting Language (LANG) in the setup menu displays the menu shown in Step 1.

Highlight an option with the multi selector and press the

setup menu.

button to return to the

Changing the Time and Date ( 68)

Selecting Date in the setup menu displays the menu shown in Step 3. Set the time

and date as described in Step 4 and press the

menu.

button to return to the setup

Inserting Memory Cards

The camera stores pictures on Secure Digital (SD) memory cards (available

separately).

Insert a memory card

1.1 Before inserting or removing memory

cards, turn the camera off and open

the card slot cover.

1.2 Slide the memory card in as shown at

right until it clicks into place. The mem-

ory card access lamp will light for about

a second. Close the memory card slot

cover.

Front

1.3 Turn the camera on. If the control panel

shows the number of exposures remain-

ing, the card is ready for use.

If the message shown at right is displayed

in the monitor, the memory card must be

formatted before it can be used in the

camera. Proceed to Step 2.

The Write Protect Switch

SD cards are equipped with a write protect switch to

prevent accidental loss of data. When this switch is in

the “lock” position, the camera will display a message

to warn that photos can not be recorded or deleted

Write

and the memory card can not be formatted.

protect

switch

Format the memory card

Formatting memory cards permanently deletes all photographs and

other data they may contain. Be sure all data you wish to keep have

been copied to another storage device before formatting the card.

Highlight Yes.

Begin formatting. Do not turn

camera off or remove battery or

memory card until formatting is

complete.

Monitor turns off when formatting is complete.

Formatting Memory Cards

Use the camera Format option to format memory cards. Performance may drop if

cards are formatted in a computer.

Removing Memory Cards

1 Conﬁrm that the access lamp is off.

2 Turn the camera off and open the memory card slot cover.

ቢ

3 Press the card in to eject ( ). The card can then be

ባ

removed by hand ( ).

Adjusting Viewﬁnder Focus

Photographs are framed in the viewﬁnder. Before shooting, make sure that

the display in the viewﬁnder is in clear focus.

Remove the lens cap and turn the camera

on.

Slide the diopter adjustment control up and

down until the focus brackets are in sharp fo-

cus. When operating the diopter adjustment

control with your eye to the viewﬁnder, be

careful not to put your ﬁngers or ﬁngernails

in your eye.

Focus

brackets

The eyepiece cup can be removed when ad-

justing viewﬁnder focus.

Tutorial:

Photography and Playback

Taking Photographs in

Mode

“Point-and-Shoot” Photography

This section describes how to take pictures in

(auto) mode, an automat-

ic, “point-and-shoot” mode in which the majority of settings are controlled

by the camera in response to shooting conditions.

Turn the camera on

1.1 Remove the lens cap and turn the camera

on. The control panel will turn on and

the display in the viewﬁnder will light.

The monitor remains off during shoot-

ing.

1.2 Check the battery level in the viewﬁnder

or control panel.

Control View-

panel ﬁnder

Description

—

Battery fully charged.

—

Battery partially discharged.

Low battery. Ready fully-

charged spare battery.

Shutter-release

(blinks) (blinks) Change battery.

disabled.

1.3 The exposure count displays in the con-

trol panel and viewﬁnder show the num-

ber of photographs that can be stored on

the memory card. Check the number of

exposures remaining.

If there is not enough memory to store

additional photographs at current set-

tings, the display will ﬂash as shown at

right. No further pictures can be taken

until the memory card has been replaced

or pictures have been deleted.

Select

mode and adjust camera settings

2.1 Rotate the mode dial to

2.2 Rotate the focus-mode selector to AF

(autofocus).

2.3 Slide the lens A-M mode switch to A

(autofocus). See the lens manual for

details.

Illustrations

In illustrations throughout this manual, indicators in the control panel and viewﬁnder

are relevant to the explanation in accompanying text are shown in black. Indicators

not mentioned in the text are shown in gray.

Frame a photograph

3.1 Hold the camera as shown.

Holding the Camera

Hold the handgrip in your right hand and

cradle the camera body or lens with your

left. Keep your elbows propped lightly

against your torso for support.

3.2 Frame a photo in the viewﬁnder with the

main subject positioned in any of the ﬁve

focus areas.

Focus

area

Using a Zoom Lens

Zoom

Use the zoom ring to zoom in on the

subject so that it ﬁlls a larger area of the

frame, or zoom out to increase the area

visible in the ﬁnal photograph.

Zoom

out

Focus and shoot

4.1 Press the shutter-release button halfway.

The camera will automatically select the

focus area containing the subject closest

to the camera and focus on this subject.

When the focus operation is complete,

the selected focus area will be highlight-

ed, a beep will sound, and the in-focus

indicator (●) will appear in the view-

ﬁnder. Focus will lock while the shutter-

release button is pressed halfway.

If the subject is dark, the AF-assist illuminator may light to assist

the focus operation and the ﬂash may pop up.

4.2 Smoothly press the shutter-release button

the rest of the way down to release the

shutter and record the photograph. The

photograph will be displayed in the moni-

tor and the access lamp next to the card

slot cover will light. Do not eject the

memory card, turn the camera off,

or remove or disconnect the power

source until the lamp has gone out

and recording is complete.

The Shutter-Release Button

The camera has a two stage shutter-release button. The camera focuses when

the button is pressed halfway; focus locks until the button is released. To take the

picture, press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down.

Lock focus

Take

photograph

The Built-in Flash

If additional lighting is required for correct exposure in

mode, the built-in ﬂash will pop up automatically

when the shutter-release is pressed halfway. Subjects

outside the range of the ﬂash (0.6–7.5m/2´–24´7˝)

may not be properly lit. Remove lens hoods when

using the ﬂash.

Once the ﬂash is raised, it will only ﬁre when required

for additional lighting. If the ﬂash is required, pho-

tographs can only be taken when the (ﬂash-ready)

indicator is displayed. Wait until the ﬂash-ready indi-

cator is displayed before shooting.

To save battery power when the ﬂash is not in use,

return it to the closed position by pressing it gently

downward until the latch clicks into place.

If desired, the ﬂash can be turned off so that it will not ﬁre even when lighting

is poor. Press the

the control panel. To turn the ﬂash back on, press the

command dial until is displayed in the control panel.

button and rotate the command dial until

is displayed in

button and rotate the

Flash ﬁres when

lighting is poor

Auto with red-

eye reduction

Flash off

(see “Reference”)

Digital Vari-Programs

Creative Photography

In addition to , the D50 offers a choice of six Digital Vari-Program modes.

Selecting a program automatically optimizes settings to suit the selected

scene, making creative photography as easy as rotating the mode dial.

Mode

Portrait

Landscape

Child

Description

For portraits.

For landscapes.

For pictures of children.

For moving subjects.

Sports

Close up

For close up shots of small objects.

Night portrait For portraits taken against a backdrop of night scenery.

To take pictures in Digital Vari-Program modes:

Rotate the mode dial to select a Digital Vari-

Program mode.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot as described for

mode.

Portrait: Bringing out a Portrait Subject

Use for portraits. Camera selects focus area

containing subject closest to camera; this subject

stands out clearly while background details are

softened, lending composition sense of depth.

Colors are processed for soft, natural-looking

skin tones.

• Degree of softening depends on amount of light available. Increase

distance between subject and background or use telephoto lens for best

results.

The Built-in Flash

If additional lighting is required for correct exposure in

the built-in ﬂash will pop up automatically when the shutter-release is pressed

halfway. See “Taking Photographs in Mode.”

, and ,modes,

Landscape: Capturing Nature’s Majesty

Use for vivid landscape shots that enhance out-

lines, colors, and contrast in such subjects as

skyscapes and forests.

• Camera selects focus area containing subject

closest to camera.

• Built-in ﬂash and AF-assist illuminator turn off

automatically.

Child: Kid Pics in Living Color

Use for snapshots of children. Clothing and

background details are vividly rendered while

skin tones remain soft and natural.

• Camera selects focus area containing subject

closest to camera.

Sports: Bodies in Motion

High shutter speeds freeze motion for dynamic sports

shots in which main subject stands out clearly.

• Camera focuses continuously on subject in

center focus area while shutter-release button

is pressed halfway. Beep does not sound when

camera focuses.

• Built-in ﬂash and AF-assist illuminator turn off automatically.

Close up: Photographing Small Objects

Use for close-up shots of ﬂowers, insects, and

other small objects.

• Camera focuses on subject in center focus

area.

• Tripod recommended to prevent blurring at

slow shutter speeds.

Night Portrait: Taking Portraits at Night

Provides natural balance between main subject

and background in portraits taken under low

light.

• Camera selects focus area containing subject

closest to camera.

• Tripod recommended to prevent blurring at

slow shutter speeds.

Choosing a Shooting Mode

Shooting mode determines how the camera takes photographs: one at a

time or continuously while the shutter-release button is held down.

Mode

Single frame Camera takes one photograph each time shutter-release button

(default) is pressed.

Description

Continuous Camera records photographs at rate of up to about 2.5 frames

(burst mode) per second while shutter-release button is pressed.

To choose a shooting mode, press the

button

and rotate the command dial until the desired

mode is displayed in the control panel.

The Memory Buffer

The camera is equipped with a memory buffer for temporary storage, allowing

shooting to continue while photographs are being saved to the memory card.

When the buffer is full, the shutter is disabled until enough data have been trans-

ferred to the memory card to make room for another photograph. In continuous

mode, shooting will continue as long as the shutter-release button is held down,

although the frame rate will drop once the buffer has ﬁlled.

The number of images that can be stored in the

memory buffer at current settings is shown in the

exposure-count displays in the viewﬁnder and control

panel while the shutter-release button is pressed.

Using the Self-timer or Remote Control

The self-timer or optional ML-L3 remote control can be used for photo-

graphs in which you wish to appear yourself. To use the self-timer:

Mount the camera on a tripod (recommend-

ed) or place the camera on a stable, level

surface.

The current self-timer/remote control mode

is shown in the control panel. Use the

button to select one of the following modes:

Mode

NO Timer

ICON off

Description

Photos are taken when shutter-

release button is pressed.

Photos are taken about 10s

after shutter-release button is

pressed.

Self-

timer

Photos are taken about 2s after

shutter-release button on re-

mote control is pressed.

Delayed

remote

Quick- Photos are taken when shut-

response ter-release button on remote

remote control is pressed.

Frame the photograph.

To prevent light entering via the viewﬁnder

from interfering with exposure, cover the

viewﬁnder eyepiece with the supplied eye-

piece cap as shown at right.

Mode Selection

The self-timer/remote control mode can also be selected by pressing the

and rotating the command dial.

button

Take the photograph.

Self-timer: Press the shutter-release button all the way down to start

the self-timer. The self-timer lamp (AF-assist lamp) will blink for about

eight seconds. The lamp stops blinking two seconds before the pho-

tograph is taken and remains lit until the shutter is released.

Remote control: From a distance of 5m (16´)

or less, point the remote control at the in-

frared receiver on the front of the camera

and press the shutter-release button on the

remote control. In delayed remote mode, the

shutter will be released about two seconds

after the shutter-release button is pressed.

Basic Playback

Photographs are displayed automatically after

shooting. If no photograph is displayed in the

monitor, the most recent picture can be viewed

by pressing the

button. Additional pictures

can be displayed by rotating the command dial or

pressing the multi selector left or right.

To end playback and return to shooting mode,

press the shutter-release button halfway.

Deleting Unwanted Photographs

To delete the photograph currently displayed

in the monitor, press the

button. A conﬁr-

mation dialog will be displayed. Press the

button again to delete the image and return to

playback. Press any other button to exit without

deleting the picture.

Reference

This section builds on the Tutorial to cover more advanced shooting and

playback options.

Adjust image quality and size according to

how the picture will be used

Image Quality: 31

Image Size: 32

Choose the focus area or focus manually

Choosing the Focus Area: 33

Manual Focus: 35

Take photographs where lighting is poor

Flash Sync Mode: 36

Flash Compensation: 38

Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency): 39

Let the camera choose shutter speed and

aperture

Exposure Mode P

(Programmed Auto): 42

Freeze or blur motion

Exposure Mode S

(Shutter-Priority Auto): 43

Control depth of ﬁeld

Exposure Mode A

(Aperture-Priority Auto): 44

Choose shutter speed and aperture

manually

Exposure Mode M (Manual): 45

Exposure Compensation: 47

White Balance: 49

Make photographs brighter or darker or

enhance contrast

Make colors look natural

Take photos under unusual lighting

Viewing Photographs

Viewing Photographs on a Computer

Printing Photographs

Using Camera Menus

Most shooting, playback, and setup options can

be accessed from the camera menus. To view the

menus, press the

button.

Choose from play-

back, shooting, Cus-

tom Settings, and

setup menus (see

below)

Slider is displayed

if more options are

available in current

This icon indicates that help is avail-

able for current menu item. Press

button to view help.

Current setting for each

option is shown by icon

Current menu item is highlighted

Description

Playback

Adjust playback settings and manage photos.

Shooting

Adjust shooting settings.

Custom Settings Personalize camera settings.

Setup Format memory cards and perform basic camera setup.

Navigating the Menus

To make changes to a menu item, ﬁrst select the menu from the playback,

shooting, Custom Settings, and setup menus (1), then select the menu item

(2), and ﬁnally select an option (3).

(1) Choose menu

: Press multi selector up or down

: Press multi selector right

(2) Highlight item

(3) Choose option

Some menus may contain multiple pages. The selection for some options is

made from a sub-menu.

Making a Selection

The multi selector is used to navigate through the camera menus.

Move cursor up

Increase number

Display sub-menu

Make selection (selection

can also be made with

button)

Return to previous menu

Cancel (can also be per-

formed with button)

Move cursor down

Decrease number

To modify menu settings:

Display menus

Highlight icon for current menu

Select menu

Position cursor in selected menu

Highlight menu item

Display options

Highlight option

Make selection

• Menu items that are displayed in gray are not currently available.

• When formatting memory cards and in other cases in which user conﬁrmation is

required, a selection can only be made by pressing the

this effect will appear in the display.

button. A message to

• To exit the menus and return to shooting mode, press the shutter-release button

halfway.

Reference:

More on Photography

Image Quality and Size

➤Shooting menu➤Image Quality

➤Shooting menu➤Image Size

Controls used:

Together, image quality and size determine how much space each photo-

graph occupies on the memory card. Larger, higher quality images look

better when printed at a larger size but also require more memory, meaning

that fewer such images can be stored on the memory card.

Image Quality and Size

FINE

NORMAL

BASIC

Small

Image size

➤

Large

Image Quality, Image Size, and File Size

See the Appendix ( 126) for information on the number of pictures that can be

stored on a memory card.

Image Quality

The following options are available:

Option

Format

Description

Raw data from image sensor are saved in compressed Nikon

NEF Electronic Format (NEF). Suitable for images that will be

processed on a computer.

NEF (Raw)

(RAW)

JPEG Fine

(FINE)

Fine image quality, suitable for enlargements or Low

high-quality prints.

(1:4)

JPEG Normal

(NORM)

JPEG Basic

(BASIC)

Normal image quality, suited to most applica- Medium

JPEG

tions.

Smallest ﬁle size, suitable to distribution by e- High

mail or use in web pages. (1:16)

(1:8)

NEF+JPEG

Basic

(RAW BASIC)

Two images are recorded, one NEF (RAW) image and one

basic-quality JPEG image. Image size automatically set to L;

JPEG image is 3,008×2,000 pixels in size.

NEF+

JPEG

The current image quality setting is displayed in

the control panel.

NEF (Raw)/NEF+JPEG

NEF images can only be viewed using Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3 or later (avail-

able separately) or PictureProject. When opened on a computer, NEF images are

3,008×2,000 pixels in size. When photographs taken at NEF+JPEG Basic are

viewed on the camera, only the JPEG image will be displayed. When photographs

taken at NEF+JPEG Basic are deleted, both NEF and JPEG images will be deleted.

Image Size

The following options are available:

Image size

Size Size (pixels) Approximate size when printed at 200 dpi

L (3008×2000) Large 3,008×2,000

38×25cm (15˝×10˝)

29×19cm (11.5˝×7.5˝)

19×13cm (7.5˝×5˝)

(2256×1496)

2,256×1,496

S (1504×1000) Small 1,504×1,000

The current image size setting is displayed in the

control panel.

The QUAL Button

If the monitor is off, image quality and size can be set

by pressing the

(QUAL) button and rotating the

command dial until the desired combination of image

quality and size is displayed in the control panel.

File Names

Photographs are stored as image ﬁles with names of the form “DSC_nnnn.xxx,”

where nnnn is a four-digit number between 0001 and 9999 assigned automati-

cally in ascending order by the camera, and xxx is one of the following three letter

extensions: “NEF” for NEF images, “JPG” for JPEG images, and “NDF” for Dust

Off ref photos. The NEF and JPEG ﬁles recorded at a setting of NEF+JPEG Basic

have the same ﬁle names but different extensions. Small copies created with the

small picture option have ﬁle names beginning with “SSC_” and ending with the

extension “.JPG” (e.g., “SSC_0001.JPG”), while images recorded at an Optimize

Image> Color Mode setting of II (Adobe RGB) have names that begin with

an underscore, (e.g., “_DSC0001.JPG”, or “_SSC0001.JPG” for small copies of

Color Mode II pictures).

Choosing the Focus Area

Controls used: Multi selector

The D50 offers a choice of ﬁve focus areas that together cover a wide area

of the frame. By default, the camera selects the focus area automatically

or focuses on the subject in the center focus area. The focus area can also

be selected manually to allow photographs to be composed with the main

subject almost anywhere in the frame.

Manual Focus Area Selection

Select Single Area or Dynamic Area for

Custom Setting 3 (AF-Area Mode). Man-

ual focus area selection is not available with

Closest Subjct, which is the default setting

, and modes.

Press the multi selector left, right, up, or

down to select the focus area. The selected

focus area will be displayed in the viewﬁnder,

highlighted in red if necessary to establish

contrast with the background. The selected

focus area is also shown in the control panel

and viewﬁnder status display.

Advanced Settings

3: AF-Area Mode controls focus-area selection ( 89).

termines when the active focus area is highlighted ( 91).

8: AF Area Illm de-

The AF-Assist Illuminator

If the subject is poorly lit, the AF-assist illuminator will

light to assist the focus operation when the shutter-

release button is pressed halfway. The AF-assist illumi-

nator is not available in

or mode or when Off is

selected for Custom Setting 7 (AF Assist).

For the AF-assist illuminator to function correctly, the lens must have a focal

length of 24–200mm and the subject must be in range of the illuminator (0.5–

3m/1´8˝–9´10˝). Lens hoods should be removed.

Focus Lock

Focus lock can be used to focus on a subject that will not be in one of the ﬁve

focus areas in the ﬁnal composition. It can also be used when the autofocus

system is unable to focus ( 121). Single or dynamic area AF is recommended

when using focus lock ( 89).

Position the subject in the center focus area and

1press the shutter-release button halfway.

Check that the in-focus indicator (●) appears in

2the viewﬁnder. Focus will lock when the in-focus

indicator appears, and remain locked while the

shutter-release button is pressed halfway. Focus

can also be locked by pressing the AE-L/AF-L but-

ton while the shutter-release button is pressed

halfway. Focus will remain locked while the AE-L/

AF-L button is pressed, even if you later remove

your ﬁnger from the shutter-release button.

Recompose the photograph and shoot. Do not

3change the distance between the camera and

subject while focus lock is in effect.

Taking Multiple Photographs Without Refocusing

Focus will remain locked between shots if the shutter-release button is kept

pressed halfway. In continuous mode ( 21), focus will remain locked if the AE-

L/AF-L button is kept pressed between shots.

Advanced Settings

14: AE-L/AF-L controls the function performed by the AE-L/AF-L button ( 98).

Manual Focus

Controls used: Focus-mode selector➤Lens focus ring

Manual focus is available for manual focus lenses

or when autofocus does not produce the desired

results. To focus manually, set the focus-mode

selector to M and rotate the lens focus ring until

the image displayed on the clear matte ﬁeld in

the viewﬁnder is in focus. Photographs can be

taken at any time, even when the image is not

in focus.

A-M Selection/Autofocus with Manual Priority

When using a lens that offers A-M selection, select M when focusing manu-

ally. With lenses that support M/A (autofocus with manual priority), focus

can be adjusted manually with the lens set to M or M/A. See the documen-

tation provided with your lens for details.

The Electronic Range Finder

If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster,

the viewﬁnder focus indicator can be used to conﬁrm

whether the subject in the selected focus area is in

focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus

area, press the shutter-release button halfway and

rotate the lens focus ring until the in-focus indicator

(●) is displayed.

Focal Plane Position

To determine the distance between your subject and

the camera, measure from the focal plane mark on the

camera body.

Flash Sync Mode

Controls used: button + command dial

Choose a ﬂash sync mode according to shooting

conditions. The current ﬂash mode is displayed in

the control panel as shown below.

when the ﬂash is off.

is displayed

: Red-eye reduction

Use for portraits. AF-assist lamp lights

before ﬂash ﬁres, reducing “red-eye.”

AUTO: Auto ﬂash

When lighting is poor or subject is back lit,

ﬂash pops up automatically when shutter-release button is

pressed halfway and ﬁres as required. If this icon is not dis-

played, ﬂash will only pop up when

button is pressed.

SLOW: Slow sync

Shutter speed slows automatically to capture

background lighting at night or under low light.

REAR: Rear-curtain sync

Flash ﬁres just before shutter closes, cre-

ating stream of light effect behind moving subjects. If this icon is

not displayed, ﬂash will ﬁre immediately after shutter opens.

The ﬂash sync modes available depend on the mode currently selected with

the mode dial.

Auto

Auto slow sync

Auto slow

Auto+

red-eye

sync+

red-eye

reduction

Off

reduction

P, A

S, M

Fill ﬂash

Rear

Red-eye

reduction

curtain

+slow

sync

Rear-

curtain

sync

Red-eye

reduction

Slow sync+

red-eye

reduction

Slow sync

*SLOW is displayed after command dial is released.

Choosing a Flash Sync Mode

Press the

button and rotate the command dial.

The current ﬂash sync mode is displayed in the

control panel.

Using the Built-in Flash

, and modes: Choose the ﬂash sync

mode as described on the preceding page. The

ﬂash will pop-up as required when the shutter-

pressed halfway, and ﬁre when a photograph is

taken.

P, S, A, and M modes: Press the

button to raise the built in ﬂash and then

choose a ﬂash sync mode as described on the preceding page. Select a

metering method and set exposure before taking photographs.

Lowering the Built-in Flash

To save battery power when the ﬂash is not in use, press it gently down-

ward until the latch clicks into place.

Using the Built-in Flash

Use with lenses with a focal length of 18–300mm (CPU lenses; the maximum focal

length when the built-in ﬂash is used with non-CPU lenses is 200mm) and remove

lens hoods to prevent them from casting shadows on the subject. The ﬂash has a

minimum range of 60cm (2´), and can not be used in the macro range of macro

zoom lenses. See “Optional Accessories” ( 108) for details.

If the ﬂash is used in continuous shooting mode ( 21), only one picture will be

taken each time the shutter-release button is pressed.

After the built-in ﬂash has been used for several consecutive shots, the shutter re-

lease may be brieﬂy disabled to protect the ﬂash. The ﬂash can be used again after

a short pause.

See the Appendix for information on the type of ﬂash control used by the built-in

Speedlight ( 127).

Optional Flash Units (Speedlights)

See “Optional Accessories” for information on using optional ﬂash units ( 109).

Advanced Settings

See “FV Lock” for information on locking ﬂash output for a selected subject ( 98).

10: ISO Auto can be used to adjust sensitivity for optimal ﬂash output ( 92).

16: Flash Mode can be used for manual control of ﬂash output ( 99).

Flash Compensation (P, S, A, and M Modes Only)

Controls used: and

buttons + command dial

Flash compensation can be used to increase or reduce ﬂash output from

the level chosen by the camera’s ﬂash control system. Flash output can be

increased to make the main subject appear brighter, or reduced to prevent

unwanted highlights or reﬂections.

Pressing the

and

buttons, rotate the com-

mand dial and conﬁrm ﬂash compensation in the

control panel or viewﬁnder. Flash compensation

can be set to values between –3EV (darker) and

+1EV (brighter) in increments of /3 or ½EV. At

values other than 0, a

icon will be displayed

in the control panel and viewﬁnder after the but-

tons are released.

Normal ﬂash output can be restored by setting

ﬂash compensation to 0.0. Flash compensation

is not reset when the camera is turned off.

6: Flash Level ( 90)

This option can be used to select a value for ﬂash compensation from a menu.

Advanced Settings

11: EV Step controls the size of the increments for ﬂash compensation ( 92).

Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency)

Controls used:

➤Shooting menu➤ISO

Photographs taken at slow shutter speeds are prone to blurring. If sensitiv-

ity is raised above the default value of ISO 200 equivalent, the same expo-

sure can be achieved at faster shutter speeds, preventing blur. Sensitivity

can be set to values between ISO 200 and ISO 1600 in steps of 1EV.

Digital Vari-Program Modes

At default settings, manual sensitivity adjustment is not available in

, and modes. Instead, the camera adjusts sensitivity automatically. To

adjust sensitivity manually, select Off for Custom Setting 9 (ISO Control;

91).

The ISO Button

If the monitor is off, sensitivity can be set by press-

ing the

(ISO) button and rotating the command

dial until the desired value is displayed in the control

panel.

Sensitivity

“Sensitivity” is the digital equivalent of ﬁlm speed. The higher the sensitivity, the

less light needed to make an exposure, allowing higher shutter speeds or smaller

apertures. Just as higher speed ﬁlms tend to be “grainy,” pictures taken at high

sensitivities are prone to mottling.

P, S, A, and M Modes

P, S, A, and M modes offer control over a variety of advanced settings, in-

cluding shutter speed, aperture, and white balance.

Choosing an Exposure Mode

Controls used: Mode dial

P, S, A, and M modes offer varying degrees of control over shutter speed

and aperture.

Mode

Description

Camera sets shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure.

Recommended for snapshots and in other situations in which

little time is available for adjusting camera settings.

Programmed

auto

Shutter-priority User chooses shutter speed; camera selects aperture for best

auto

results. Use to freeze or blur motion.

User chooses aperture; camera selects shutter speed for best

results. Use to blur background or bring both foreground and

background into focus.

Aperture-priority

auto

User controls both shutter speed and aperture. Set shutter

speed to “bulb” for long time-exposures.

M Manual

P, S, A, and M Modes

When using a CPU lens equipped with an aperture ring, lock the aperture ring at the

minimum aperture (highest f/-number). Non-CPU lenses can only be used in mode

M, when aperture can be adjusted manually using the lens aperture ring. The cam-

era exposure meter can not be used. See “Optional Accessories” ( 105).

If the limits of the exposure metering system are exceeded, one of the following indi-

cators will be displayed in the control panel and viewﬁnder:

Indicator

Description

Subject too bright. Lower sensitivity or use optional Neutral Density (ND) ﬁlter.

Subject too dark. Raise sensitivity or use ﬂash.

Advanced Settings

11: EV Step controls the size of the increments for shutter speed and aperture

92). 12: BKT SET can be used to vary exposure automatically over a series of

photographs ( 93). Exposure can be locked using AE lock ( 97).

(

Exposure

Exposure controls the brightness of photographs. The same exposure can be

achieved with different combinations of shutter speed and aperture, allowing you

to blur or freeze motion or control depth of ﬁeld. The following ﬁgure shows how

shutter speed and aperture affect exposure.

Slow

Shutter speed

➤

Fast

P: Programmed Auto

In this mode, the camera sets shutter speed and aperture for optimal ex-

posure. This mode is recommended for snapshots and other situations in

which little time is available for adjusting camera settings.

Rotate the mode dial to P.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

Flexible Program

In mode P, different combinations of shutter speed

and aperture can be selected by rotating the com-

mand dial (“ﬂexible program”). All combinations

produce the same exposure. While ﬂexible program

is in effect, a icon appears in the control panel. To

restore the default shutter speed and aperture, rotate

the command dial until the

played.

icon is no longer dis-

S: Shutter-Priority Auto

In mode S, you choose the shutter speed while the camera automatically

selects the aperture that will produce optimal exposure. Use slow shutter

speeds to suggest motion by blurring moving objects, high shutter speeds

to “freeze” motion.

Rotate the mode dial to S.

Rotate the command dial to choose a shutter

speed between 30s and ¼,000 s.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

Shutter Speed and Camera Shake

To prevent blurring caused by camera shake, the shutter speed should be faster

than the inverse of the focal length of the lens, in seconds (for example, if a lens

has a focal length of 300mm, shutter speed should be faster than ¹/300 s). Use of

a tripod is recommended when shooting at slower shutter speeds. To prevent

blur, try increasing sensitivity ( 39), using the built-in ﬂash ( 18), mounting the

camera on a tripod, or attaching a VR lens.

A: Aperture-Priority Auto

In mode A, you choose the aperture while the camera controls shutter

speed for optimal exposure. Small apertures (high f/-numbers) increase

depth of ﬁeld, bringing both the main subject and background into focus.

Large apertures (low f/-numbers) soften background details and let more

light into the camera, increasing the range of the ﬂash and making photo-

graphs less susceptible to blurring.

Rotate the mode dial to A.

Rotate the command dial to choose the de-

sired aperture.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

M: Manual

In mode M, the user controls both shutter speed and aperture. Shutter

speed can be set to values between 30s and ¼,000 s, or the shutter can be

held open indeﬁnitely for a long time-exposure (

). Aperture can be

set to values between the minimum and maximum values for the lens.

Rotate the mode dial to M.

Rotate the command dial to choose a shutter speed. To set aperture,

rotate the command dial while pressing the

(

) button. Check

exposure in the electronic analog exposure display (see following

page), and continue to adjust shutter speed and aperture until the

desired exposure is achieved.

Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.

Long Time-Exposures

At a shutter speed of

, the shutter will remain open while the camera

shutter-release button is held down. In delayed remote and quick-response

remote modes, is displayed instead of ; the shutter opens when

the shutter-release button on the optional ML-L3 remote control is pressed (2s

after the button is pressed in delayed remote mode) and remains open until

the remote-control shutter-release button is pressed a second time (maximum

30minutes). Nikon recommends using a fully-charged battery or an optional EH-5

AC adapter to prevent loss of power while the shutter is open. Note that if the

shutter is open for more than approximately 1s at any setting, “noise” in the form

of randomly-spaced, brightly-colored pixels may appear in the ﬁnal photograph.

Noise can be reduced by turning long exposure noise reduction on before taking

photographs ( 78).

Electronic Analog Exposure Display

The electronic analog exposure display in the viewﬁnder shows whether the pho-

tograph would be under- or over-exposed at current settings. Depending on the

option chosen for Custom Setting 11 (EV Step), the amount of under- or over-

exposure is shown in increments of

3 EV or ½ EV. If the limits of the exposure

metering system are exceeded, the display will ﬂash.

“EV Step” set to “1/3 Step”

“EV Step” set to “1/2 Step”

Optimal exposure

Underexposed by ¹

3 EV

Underexposed by ½EV

Overexposed by more than 2EV

Overexposed by more than 3EV

The electronic analog exposure display is not shown when

shutter speed or a non-CPU lens is attached.

is selected for

Exposure Compensation (P, S, A, and M Modes Only)

Controls used:

button + command dial

To obtain the desired results with certain subject compositions, it may be

necessary to use exposure compensation to alter exposure from the value

suggested by the camera. As a rule of thumb, positive compensation

may be needed when the main subject is darker than the background,

negative values when the main subject is brighter than the background.

Center-weighted or spot metering is recommended when using exposure

compensation.

Pressing the

button, rotate the main com-

mand dial and conﬁrm exposure compensation

in the control panel or the electronic analog

exposure display. Exposure compensation can

be set to values between –5EV (underexposure)

and +5EV (overexposure) in increments of 3 or

½EV.

The current value for exposure compensation

is displayed in the control panel and viewﬁnder

–0.3EV

+2.0EV

when the

button is pressed.

Normal exposure can be restored by setting exposure compensation to

0. Exposure compensation is not reset when the camera is turned off.

Advanced Settings

11: EV Step controls the size of the increments for exposure compensation (

92).

Optimizing Images

Controls used:

➤Shooting menu➤Optimize Image

The options in the Optimize Image menu control sharpening, contrast,

saturation, and hue.

Option

Description

Normal

(default)

Recommended for most situations.

Enhances saturation, contrast, and sharpness to produce vivid

images with vibrant reds, greens, and blues.

VI Vivid

SH Sharper

Sharpens outlines.

Softens outlines. Use to ensure soft, natural-looking ﬂesh tones

in portrait subjects or when taking pictures that will be sharp-

ened in image application.

SF Softer

Optimizes images for printing “as is” via direct USB connection

DP Direct Print

PO Portrait

LA Landscape

Custom

(

62). Images will be sharp and clear even when enlarged.

Lowers contrast while lending natural texture and rounded feel

to skin of portrait subjects.

Enhances saturation and sharpness to produce landscapes with

vibrant greens and blues.

Customize sharpness, contrast, color reproduction, saturation,

and hue ( 76).

At Settings Other than Custom

At settings other than Custom:

• Photographs are optimized for current shooting conditions. Results will vary with

exposure and the position of the subject in the frame, even in scenes of the same

type.

• Photographs are recorded in the sRGB color space.

• Use a type G or D lens for best results ( 105).

White Balance

Controls used:

➤Shooting menu➤White Balance

White balance ensures that colors appear natural regardless of the color of

the light source. Auto white balance is recommended in most situations,

but it may necessary to choose another option if colors seem too cold or

warm.

Option

Auto

(default)

Description

White balance automatically adjusted to suit lighting condi-

tions. Recommended for most situations.

Incandescent Use under incandescent lighting.

Fluorescent Use under ﬂuorescent lighting.

Dir. sunlight Use with subjects lit by direct sunlight.

Flash

Use with the built-in ﬂash or optional Nikon ﬂash units.

Cloudy

Shade

Use in daylight under overcast skies.

Use in daylight with subjects in the shade.

Use gray or white object or existing photograph as reference

for white balance ( 79).

Preset

The current white balance setting is shown in the

control panel.

The WB Button

If the monitor is off, white balance can be set by press-

ing the

(WB) button and rotating the command

dial until the desired setting is displayed in the control

panel.

Advanced Settings

12: BKT SET can be used to vary white balance automatically over a series of

photographs ( 93).

Restoring Default Settings

Two-Button Reset

Controls used:

button +

button

The camera settings listed below can be restored

to default values by holding the and but-

tons down together for more than two seconds

(these buttons are marked by a green dot). The

monitor will turn off brieﬂy while these settings

are reset. Other settings are unaffected.

Option

Shooting mode

Description

Option

Flexible program

42)

Description

Single

Off

(

21)

(

Self-timer/

Exposure

remote control

Off

compensation

Off (0.0)

(

22)

Image quality

31)

(

47)

Optimize image

48)

White balance

49)

JPEG Normal

Normal

Auto

(

Image size ( 32)

Focus area ( 33)

(

Center

AE lock ( 97)

FV lock ( 98)

Off

Flash sync mode ( 36)

Auto

6: Flash Level

Auto slow sync

Fill ﬂash

(

90)

12: BKT Set

93)

13: Metering

96)

P, S, A, M

Off

(

ISO ( 39)

200

Matrix

(

Defaults

See pages 101–103 for more information on default settings.

Reference: More on Playback

Viewing Photographs

Photographs can be viewed in the monitor one at a time (“single-image

playback”) or in “contact sheets” of up to nine images (“thumbnail play-

back”).

Single-Image Playback

Press the

button to view the most recent

photograph in the monitor. Photographs taken

in “tall” (portrait) orientation are displayed in tall

orientation.

The following operations can be performed in

single-image playback:

Use

Description

Press multi selector right or rotate command dial

right to view photographs in order recorded.

Press multi selector left or rotate command dial

left to view photographs in reverse order.

View

additional

photos

View photo

information

Press multi selector up or down to view infor-

mation about current photograph ( 52).

Zoom in on

photo

Press

button for enlarged view of current

( )

photograph ( 55).

Delete photo

Protect photo

View

thumbnails

Return to

shooting

mode

Delete photograph ( 57).

Protect photograph ( 56).

View thumbnail display ( 54).

To turn monitor off and return to shooting

Shutter release/

mode, press

button or press shutter-release

button halfway.

Display

menus

Display menus ( 26).

Photo Information

Photo information is superimposed on images

displayed in single-image playback. Press the

multi-selector up or down to cycle through photo

information as follows: File Information↔ Shoot-

ing Data Page 1↔ Shooting Data Page 2 ↔ High-

lights↔ Histogram↔ File Information.

ቢ

ባ

File Information

1 Protect status...........56 4 File name.................32

2 Frame number/total

number of images

5 Image size ...............32

6 Image quality...........31

3 Folder name ............71

ቤ

ቢ

ብ

ቦ ቧ

ባ

Shooting Data, Page 1

1 Protect status...........56 7 Shutter speed ..........40

ቤ

ቦ

ቨ

ቪ

ቭ

2 Frame number/total

number of images

3 Camera name

8 Aperture..................40

9 Mode ........................6

Exposure

ብ

ቧ

ቩ

ቫ

4 Date of recording.....10

compensation..........47

5 Time of recording ....10 10 Focal length...............1

6 Metering .................96 11 Flash control............36

ቢ

ባ

Shooting Data, Page 2

1 Protect status...........56 7 Sharpening..............76

ቤ

ቦ

ቨ

ቪ

ቭ

2 Frame number/total

number of images

3 Image optimization..48

4 Sensitivity

8 Tone compensation..77

9 Color mode .............77

Hue .........................78

10 Saturation................77

ብ

ቧ

ቩ

ቫ

(ISO equivalency)¹....39 11 Image comment².....70

5 White balance .........49

6 Image size ...............32

Image quality...........31

1Displayed in red if Custom Setting 10 (ISO Auto) was

on when photograph was taken and sensitivity was

altered from value selected by user.

2Only ﬁrst twelve letters appear in photo information

display.

ቢ

ባ

ቤ

Highlights

1 Protect status...................................................... 56

2 Image highlights (brightest areas of image) are

marked by a ﬂashing border.

3 Frame number/total number of images

ቢ

ባ

Histogram

1 Protect status...................................................... 56

2 Frame number/total number of images

3 Histogram showing the distribution of tones in the

image. The horizontal axis corresponds to pixel

brightness, with dark tones to the left and bright

tones to the right. The vertical axis shows the num-

ber of pixels of each brightness in the image. Note

that camera histogram is intended as guide only and

may differ from histograms displayed in imaging ap-

plications.

ቤ

Advanced Settings

Rotate Tall controls whether “tall” (portrait-orientation) photographs are dis-

played in tall orientation during playback ( 84). 5: Image Review controls

whether photographs are automatically displayed in the monitor after shooting (

90). 17: Monitor Off controls how long the monitor will remain on when no

operations are performed ( 100).

Viewing Multiple Images: Thumbnail Playback

To display images in “contact sheets” of four or

nine images, press the

button in single-image

playback. The following operations can be per-

formed while thumbnails are displayed:

Use

Description

Rotate command dial right to view photographs

in order recorded, left to view photographs in

reverse order.

View additional

pages of photos

Change num-

ber of images

displayed

Press

button to switch between four-thumb-

nail display, nine-thumbnail display, and single-

image playback.

Highlight

photographs

Press multi selector up, right, left, or down to

highlight thumbnails.

Zoom in on

photograph

Delete photo

Protect photo

Press

button for enlarged view of highlighted

( )

photograph ( 55).

Delete highlighted photograph ( 57).

Protect highlighted photograph ( 56).

To turn monitor off and return to shooting

mode, press

button halfway.

Return to

shooting mode

Shutter release/

button or press shutter-release

Display menus

Display menus ( 26).

Taking a Closer Look: Playback Zoom

Press the

button to zoom in on the image

displayed in single-image playback or on the im-

age currently highlighted in thumbnail playback.

The following operations can be performed while

zoom is in effect:

Use

Description

Press

button to display frame

showing area currently zoomed

in. While button is pressed,

multi selector can be used to

move frame and command dial

can be used to control size of

frame—rotate dial counterclockwise to zoom out,

clockwise to zoom in to maximum of approximately

4.7× (large images), 3.5× (medium images), or 2.4×

Change zoom

ratio/ navigate

to other areas

of image

(small images). Release

lected area to ﬁll monitor.

button to magnify se-

View other

images

Rotate command dial to view same area of other im-

ages at current zoom ratio.

Use multi selector to view area not visible in monitor.

Hold multi selector down to scroll rapidly to other

areas of frame.

View other

areas of image

Cancel zoom and return to single-image or thumbnail

playback.

Cancel zoom

( )

Delete photo

Protect photo

Return to

shooting

mode

Delete photograph ( 57).

Protect photograph ( 56).

To turn monitor off and return to shooting mode,

Shutter

release/

press

button or press shutter-release button

halfway.

Display menus

Display menus ( 26).

Protecting Photographs from Deletion

In full-frame, zoom, and thumbnail playback, the

protect photographs from accidental deletion. Protected ﬁles can not be

deleted using the button or the Delete option in the playback menu,

button can be used to

and have DOS “read-only” status when viewed on a Windows computer.

Note that protected images will be deleted when the memory card is for-

matted ( 68).

To protect a photograph:

Display the image in full-frame playback or highlight it in the thumb-

nail list.

Press the

marked with a

button. The photograph will be

icon.

To remove protection from the photograph so that it can be deleted, display

the photograph or highlight it in the thumbnail list and then press the

button.

Deleting Individual Photographs

To delete a photograph displayed in single-image playback, or the pho-

tograph highlighted in thumbnail playback, press the

deleted, photographs can not be recovered.

button. Once

Display the image in full-frame playback or highlight it in the thumb-

nail list. Note that protected images ( 56) can not be deleted.

Press the

button. A conﬁrmation dialog

will be displayed.

To delete the photograph, press the

button again. Press any other

button to exit without deleting the photograph.

Advanced Settings

Delete can be used to delete multiple photographs ( 84).

Viewing Photographs on TV

The supplied video cable can be used to connect the camera to a television

or VCR for playback or recording.

Select the appropriate video mode from the

Video Mode menu ( 69).

Turn the camera off. Always turn the cam-

era off before connecting or disconnecting

the video cable.

Connect the video cable as shown below.

Connect

to video

device

Connect

camera

Tune the television to the video channel.

Turn the camera on. During playback, images will be displayed on the

television screen or recorded to video tape; the camera monitor will

remain off. Note that the television may not be able to display the

entire image when pictures are played back.

Use an AC Adapter

Use of an EH-5 AC adapter (available separately) is recommended for extended play-

back. When the EH-5 is connected, the camera monitor-off delay will be ﬁxed at ten

minutes and the exposure meters will no longer turn off automatically.

Viewing Photographs on a Computer

The supplied USB cable can be used to connect the camera to a computer.

Once the camera is connected, the supplied PictureProject software can be

used to copy photographs to the computer, where they can be viewed and

retouched.

Before Connecting the Camera

Install PictureProject after reading the manuals and reviewing the system

requirements. To ensure that data transfer is not interrupted, be sure the

camera battery is fully charged. If in doubt, charge the battery before use

or use an EH-5 AC adapter (available separately).

Before connecting the camera, choose a camera

USB option ( 71) according to the computer

operating system:

Operating system

Windows XP Home Edition

Windows XP Professional

Mac OS X

USB option

Choose PTP or Mass Storage

Windows 2000 Professional

Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

Windows 98 Second Edition (SE)

Choose Mass Storage^*

*Do NOT select PTP. If PTP is selected when the camera is connected, the Windows

hardware wizard will be displayed. Click Cancel to exit the wizard, and then dis-

connect the camera. Be sure to select Mass Storage before reconnecting the

camera.

Nikon Capture 4

Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3 or later (available separate-

ly) can be used to control the camera from a computer

and supports batch processing and more advanced im-

age editing options. Before connecting the camera to a

computer running Nikon Capture 4 Camera Control, set

USB to PTP ( 71). The display shown at right will ap-

pear in the control panel and viewﬁnder while Camera

Control is running.

Connecting the USB Cable

Turn the computer on and wait for it to start up.

Turn the camera off and connect the supplied

USB cable as shown. Do not use force or at-

tempt to insert the connectors at an angle.

Connect the camera directly to the comput-

er; do not connect the cable via a USB hub or

keyboard.

Turn the camera on. If Mass Storage is

selected for USB, the control panel and

viewﬁnder will display the icons shown at

right (this display is not shown when PTP is

selected). Photographs can be transferred to

the computer as described in the PicturePro-

ject Reference Manual (on the silver CD).

Disconnecting the Camera

If PTP is selected for USB ( 71), the camera can be turned off and the USB

cable disconnected once transfer is complete. If the USB option in the cam-

era setup menu is still at its default setting of Mass Storage, the camera

must ﬁrst be removed from the system as described below.

Windows XP Home Edition/Windows XP Professional

Click the “Safely Remove Hardware” icon ( ) in

the taskbar and select Safely remove USB Mass

Storage Device from the menu that appears.

Windows 2000 Professional

Click the “Unplug or Eject Hardware” icon ( ) in

the taskbar and select Stop USB Mass Storage

Device from the menu that appears.

Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

Click the “Unplug or Eject Hardware” icon ( ) in

the taskbar and select Stop USB Disk from the

menu that appears.

Windows 98 Second Edition (SE)

In My Computer, click with the right mouse but-

ton on the removable disk corresponding to the

camera and select Eject from the menu that ap-

pears.

Macintosh

Drag the camera volume (“NIKON D50”) into the

Trash.

Printing Photographs

Photographs can be printed by any of the following methods:

• Connect the camera to a printer and print photographs directly from the

camera ( 63).

• Insert the memory card in a printer equipped with a card slot (see the

printer manual for details). If the printer supports DPOF ( 128), photo-

graphs can be selected for printing using Print Set ( 67).

• Take the memory card to a developer or digital print center. If the center

supports DPOF ( 128), photographs can be selected for printing using

Print Set ( 67).

• Transfer the pictures using PictureProject and print them from a computer

(see the PictureProject Reference Manual, on CD).

Note that RAW photographs can only be printed by transferring them to

a computer and printing them using Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3 or later

(available separately) or PictureProject.

Printing Via Direct USB Connection

When the camera is connected to a printer that supports PictBridge (

128), photographs can be printed directly from the camera.

Take photographs

Select photographs for printing using

Print Set ( 67)

Select PTP in camera USB menu and connect camera to printer ( 63)

Print photographs

one by one ( 64)

Print multiple

photographs ( 65)

Create index

prints ( 65)

Disconnect USB cable

Printing Via Direct USB Connection

If possible, use the EH-5 AC adapter when printing to reduce the drain on the camera

battery. When taking photographs to be printed without modiﬁcation in P, S, A, and

M modes, choose Direct Print for Optimize image ( 48) or select Custom and

set Color mode to Ia (sRGB) or IIIa (sRGB) (the default option).

Connecting the Printer

Set the USB option in the setup menu to PTP

(

71).

Turn the printer on.

Turn the camera off and connect the supplied

USB cable as shown. Do not use force or at-

tempt to insert the connectors at an angle.

Connect the camera directly to the printer;

do not connect the cable via a USB hub.

Turn the camera on. A welcome screen will

be displayed, followed by the PictBridge

playback display. Proceed to “Printing Pho-

tographs One at a Time” ( 64) or “Printing

Multiple Photographs” ( 65).

Press the multi selector left or right to view additional photographs,

or press and hold the

button to zoom in on the current photo (

66). To view six photographs at a time, press the

multi selector to highlight photographs, or press the

to display the highlighted photograph full frame.

button. Use the

button again

Printing Pictures One at a Time

To print the photograph selected in the PictBridge

playback display, press and release the

button.

The menu shown at right will be displayed. Press

the multi selector up or down to highlight an op-

tion and press to the right to select.

Option

Description

Print selected picture. To cancel and return to PictBridge playback dis-

play before all images have been printed, press

button. PictBridge

Start

Printing

playback display will be shown when printing is complete. Print ad-

ditional pictures as described above or turn camera off and disconnect

USB cable.

Page sizes for current printer will be displayed.

Press multi selector up or down to highlight de-

sired page size, then press multi selector to right to

select and return to print menu.

Page Size

Menu shown at right will be displayed. Press multi

selector up or down to choose number of copies

(maximum 99), then press multi selector to right to

select and return to print menu.

No. of

Pages

Menu shown at right will be displayed. Press multi

selector up or down to highlight Printer Default

(default setting for current printer), Print with

Border (print photo with white border), or No

Border, then press multi selector to right to select

and return to print menu.

Border

Menu shown at right will be displayed. Press multi

selector up or down to highlight Printer Default

Time (default setting for current printer), Print Time

Stamp Stamp (print time and date of recording on pho-

to), or No Time Stamp, then press multi selector

to right to select and return to print menu.

Page Size, Border, and Time Stamp

Choose Printer Default to print at current printer settings.

Option

Description

Menu shown at right will be displayed. Press multi

selector up or down to highlight Crop (crop photo

for printing) or No Cropping, then press multi se-

lector to right.

Cropping

If Crop is selected, dialog shown at right will be

displayed; rotate command dial to choose size of

crop and use multi selector to choose position of

crop. Press

to return to print menu.

Printing Multiple Pictures

To print multiple selected pictures or to create an

index print listing all JPEG photographs as small

thumbnail images, press the

button. The

menu shown at right will be displayed. Press the

multi selector up or down to highlight an option

and press to the right to select.

Option

Description

Print Select Print selected pictures ( 66).

Print (DPOF) Print current DPOF print order ( 67).

Create index print of all JPEG photos (if

memory card contains more than 256 pho-

tos, only 256 photos will be printed). Press

button to display menu shown below at

right; choose page size, border, and time

Index Print stamp options as described on page 64

(warning will be displayed if selected page

size is too small). To start printing, highlight

Start Printing and press multi selector

right. PictBridge menu will be displayed

when printing is complete.

Printing Selected Photographs

Choosing Print Select in the PictBridge menu (see above) displays the

menu shown in Step 1.

Scroll through pictures. To display

Select current picture and set num-

ber of prints to 1. Selected pictures

marked by icon.

current picture full screen, press

button.^*

*To print photos in print order created with Print Set ( 67), select Print (DPOF) in

PictBridge menu. Print order can be modiﬁed as described on this page.

Specify number of prints (up to 99).

To deselect picture, press multi selec-

tor down when number of prints is 1.

Repeat steps 1–3 to select additional

pictures.

Display print options. Choose page

size, border, and time stamp options

as described on page 64. To print

selected pictures, highlight Start

Printing and press multi selector right.

PictBridge menu will be displayed

when printing is complete.

Error Messages

If the dialog shown at right is displayed, an error has

occurred. After checking the printer and resolving any

problems as directed in the printer manual, press the

multi selector up or down to highlight Continue and

press the multi selector to the right to resume printing.

Select Cancel to exit without printing the remaining

images.

Selecting Photographs for Printing

NEF (RAW) photos and pictures created using the small picture option ( 86) are

displayed in the Print Selected menu but can not be selected for printing.

Print Set

The Print Set option in the playback menu is used to create digital “print

orders” for PictBridge-compatible printers and devices that support DPOF.

Selecting Print Set from the playback menu ( 83) displays the menu

shown in Step 1.

Highlight Select / Set.

Display selection dialog.

Select pictures and specify number of prints as described in Steps 1–3 on

previous page.

Return to Print Set menu. To select or

deselect options, highlight and press

multi selector to right. Selected items

are marked with a ✔.

• Data Imprint: Print shutter speed and aperture on all pictures in print or-

der.

• Imprint Date: Print date of recording on all pictures in print order.

To complete print order and return to playback, highlight Done and press

multi selector right. To exit without altering print order, press

button.

Print Set

NEF (RAW) photos and pictures created using the small picture option ( 86) are

displayed in the Print Set menu but can not be selected for printing. Note that the

Print Set option may not available if there is not enough space on the memory card

to store the print order. After creating a print order, do not change the hidden status

of images in the print order or use a computer or other device to delete images.

Either action could cause problems during printing.

Setup

Basic Camera Settings

The Setup Menu

The setup menu contains the following options.

Option

Format

CSM/Setup Menu

Date

LCD Brightness

Video Mode

Language (LANG)

Image Comment

USB

Select Detailed ( 69) to display

the following additional options:

Option

Folders

File No. Seq.

Mirror Lock-Up

Dust Ref Photo

Firmware Ver.

Image Rotation

116

Format

Formats the memory card. Note that this perma-

nently deletes all photographs and any other data

the card may contain. Copy all required ﬁles to a

computer before formatting.

Formatting Memory Cards

Do not turn the camera off or remove the memo-

ry card while formatting is in progress.

CSM/Setup Menu

Choose Simple to display only basic options in

the Custom Settings ( 87) and setup menus (

68), Detailed to list all options.

Date

Set the camera clock ( 10). Nikon recommends

resetting the clock monthly.

LCD Brightness

Adjust monitor brightness.

Video Mode

Before connecting your camera to a video device

such as a television or VCR, choose a video mode

setting that matches the video standard used in

the device.

The Clock Battery

The clock-calendar is powered by an independent, rechargeable power source, which

is charged as necessary when the main battery is installed or the camera is powered

by an optional EH-5 AC adapter. Three days of charging will power the clock for

about one month. If the

icon ﬂashes in the control panel, the clock battery is

exhausted and the clock has been reset. Set the clock to the correct date and time.

Language (LANG)

Choose from the following languages:

De Deutsch

En English

Es Español

Fr Français

It Italiano

German

English

Spanish

French

Italian

Po Português Portuguese

Русский

Sv Svenska Swedish

Traditional Chinese

Russian

Simpliﬁed Chinese

Japanese

Ne Nederlands Dutch

Korean

Image Comment

Add brief text comments to photographs as they

are taken. Comments can be viewed when the

photographs are displayed using PictureProject

or Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3 or later. The ﬁrst

twelve letters of the comment are also visible on

the third page of the photo information display

(

52).

Done: Save changes and return to the setup menu.

Input comment: The following dialog will be displayed. Enter a comment

as described below.

Keyboard area: Use multi selector to highlight letters,

press

Comment area: Comment appears here. To move cur-

sor, press button and use multi selector.

button to select.

To delete the character at the current cursor position, press the

return to the setup menu without changing the comment, press the

button. To

button.

Comments can be up to thirty-six characters long. Any additional characters will

be deleted.

After editing the comment, press

to return to the image comment menu.

Attach comment: A comment is added to all photographs taken when this

option is checked (✔). Highlight this option and press the multi selector to

the right to toggle the check mark on or off.

USB

Choose a USB option for connection to a com-

puter or PictBridge printer. Choose PTP when

connecting to a PictBridge printer or using the

Camera Control function in Nikon Capture 4

version 4.3 (available separately). See “Viewing

Photographs on a Computer” for information on

selecting a USB option for use with PictureProject

(

59).

Folders

Create, rename, or delete folders and to choose

the folder in which new photographs will be

stored.

Select Folder

Choose the folder in which subsequent images

will be stored.

Current folder

NCD50 (default folder)

Other folders

(in alphabetical order)

Folder Names

On the memory card, folder names are preceded by a three-digit folder number as-

signed automatically by the camera (e.g., 100NCD50) Each folder can contain up

to 999 photographs. If a photograph is taken when the current folder contains 999

ﬁles or a picture numbered 9999, the camera will create a new folder by adding one

to the current folder number (e.g., 101NCD50). For the purposes of selection and

naming, all folders with the same name are treated as the same folder. For example,

if the folder NIKON is selected, pictures in all folders named NIKON (100NIKON,

101NIKON, 102NIKON, etc.) will be visible when Current is selected in the Play-

back Fldr menu ( 84). Renaming similarly applies to all folders with the same

name. During shooting, pictures are stored in the highest-numbered folder with the

selected name.

New

Create a folder with a new name as described in “Naming Folders,” be-

low.

Rename

Rename an existing folder. Select the folder from a list of existing folders

and rename it as described in “Naming Folders,” below.

Delete

Delete all empty folders on the memory card.

Naming Folders

Keyboard area: Use multi selector to highlight letters,

press

Name area: Folder name appears here. To move cur-

sor, press button and use multi selector.

button to select.

To delete the character at the current cursor position, press the

without changing the folder name, press the button.

button. To exit

Folder names can be up to ﬁve characters long. Any additional characters will be

deleted.

After editing the folder name, press

to return to the setup menu.

File No. Seq.

Choose how the camera names ﬁles.

• Off (default): File numbering is reset to 0001

when a new folder is created, the memory card

is formatted, or a new memory card is inserted

in the camera.

• On: When a new folder is created, the memory card is formatted, or a

new memory card is inserted in the camera, ﬁle numbering continues

from the last number used. If a photograph is taken when the current

folder contains a photograph numbered 9999, a new folder will be cre-

ated and ﬁle numbering will begin again from 0001.

• Reset: As for On, except that ﬁle numbering is reset to 0001 with the

next photograph taken (a new folder will be created if the current folder

already contains photographs).

Mirror Lock-up

Lock the mirror in the up position for inspection

or cleaning of the low-pass ﬁlter that protects the

image sensor ( 116).

File Numbering

If the current folder is numbered 999 and contains 999 photographs or a photograph

numbered 9999, the shutter release will be disabled. If File No. Seq. is on, turn it

off, then format the memory card or insert another memory card in the camera.

Dust Ref Photo

Acquire reference data for the Image Dust Off

function in Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3 or later

(available separately; for more information, see

the Nikon Capture 4 User’s Manual).

Highlight Yes and press the multi selector to

the right. The message shown at right will

be displayed, and will be displayed in the

control panel and viewﬁnder.

To cancel the operation and return to the

setup menu, press the

button.

With the lens ten centimeters (four inches) from a bright, featureless

white object, frame the object so that nothing else is visible in the

viewﬁnder and press the shutter-release button halfway. In autofo-

cus mode, focus will automatically be set to inﬁnity; in manual focus

mode, set focus to inﬁnity manually before pressing the shutter-re-

lease button.

Press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down to acquire

Image Dust Off reference data. The monitor turns off when the shut-

ter-release button is pressed.

If the reference object is too bright or too

dark, the camera may be unable to acquire

Image Dust Off reference data and the

message shown at right will be displayed.

Choose another reference object and repeat

the process from Step 1.

Firmware Ver.

View the current camera ﬁrmware version.

Image Rotation

Photographs taken while Automatic (the default

option) is selected contain information on camera

orientation, allowing them to be rotated auto-

matically during playback ( 84) or when viewed

in PictureProject or Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3

or later (available separately).^*The following

orientations are recorded:

Landscape (wide)

orientation

Camera rotated 90°

clockwise

Camera rotated 90°

counter-clockwise

*In continuous mode ( 21), orientation recorded for ﬁrst shot applies to all images

in same burst, even if camera orientation is changed during shooting.

Camera orientation is not recorded when Off is selected. Choose this op-

tion when taking photographs with the lens pointing up or down.

Image Dust Off

Dust Ref Photo is only available with CPU lenses. A lens with a focal length of at least

50mm is recommended ( 105). If using a zoom lens, zoom all the way in.

The same reference image can be used for other pho-

tographs taken with different lenses or at different

apertures. Reference images can not be viewed using

computer imaging software. A grid pattern is displayed

when reference images are viewed on the camera.

Shooting Options

The Shooting Menu

Adjustments to shooting options are made from

the shooting menu ( 26).

Option

Description

Optimize Image Optimize images for type of scene.

Long Exp. NR Reduce noise at slow shutter speeds.

Image Quality Choose ﬁle type and compression ratio.

48, 76

Image Size

White Balance¹Adjust colors according to color of light source.

ISO²

Raise sensitivity when lighting is poor.

1Available in P, S, A, and M modes only.

2Available in P, S, A, and M modes and when Off is selected for Custom Setting 9

(ISO Control) in , and modes.

Choose image size.

49, 79

Optimize Image

See “Optimizing Images” ( 48) for more infor-

mation.

Optimize Image>Custom

To make separate adjustments to sharpening,

contrast, color reproduction, saturation, and hue,

select Custom for Optimize Image.

Sharpening

Choose the degree to which outlines are sharp-

ened. The default setting is Auto.

Tone Comp.

Choose the amount of contrast. The default set-

ting is Auto; a setting of Custom is available to

select a user-deﬁned tone curve downloaded to

the camera using Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3 or

later (available separately). See the Nikon Cap-

ture 4 manual for details.

Color Mode

Choose from the following options for color reproduction:

Option

III a (sRGB)

(default)

Description

Produces nature and landscape shots with vivid colors. Photo-

graphs are adapted to sRGB color space.

Produces portraits with soft, natural colors. Photographs are

adapted to sRGB color space.

Ia (sRGB)

Photographs taken at this setting are adapted to Adobe RGB

color space. This color space is capable of expressing wider

gamut of colors than sRGB, making it preferred choice for im-

ages that will be extensively processed or retouched.

II (Adobe RGB)

Saturation

Control the vividness of colors. The default set-

ting is Normal.

“Auto”

If Auto is selected for Sharpening or Tone Comp, results will vary with exposure

and the position of the subject in the frame. A type G or D lens is recommended.

Color Mode

Choose the “Adobe RGB” color proﬁle when using imaging software to open pho-

tographs taken in Mode II. See the software documentation for details. Modes IIIa

and Ia are recommended for photographs that will be printed without modiﬁcation

or viewed in applications that do not support color management.

Hue Adjustment

Hue can be adjusted from the default setting of 0° in increments of 3°.

Taking red as an example, raising hue introduces a yellow cast, making

reds more orange. Lowering hue introduces a blue cast, making reds

more purple.

Long Exp. NR

Photographs taken at slow shutter speeds are

subject to “noise” (randomly-spaced, brightly-

colored pixels that tend to appear predominantly

in shadows). If On is selected, photos taken at

shutter speeds slower than about 1s will be pro-

cessed to reduce noise before being recorded to

the memory card (the default setting is Off). Note

that the time required to process images more

than doubles when noise reduction is on; during

processing, the display shown at right appears in

the control panel and viewﬁnder. The next photo

can be taken when the display stops blinking.

Image Quality

See “Image Quality and Size” ( 31) for more

information.

Image Size

See “Image Quality and Size” ( 32) for more

information.

White Balance

See “White Balance” (

mation.

49) for more infor-

White Balance>Preset

Preset white balance is used to record and recall custom white balance set-

tings for shooting under mixed lighting, to compensate for light sources

with a strong color cast, or to replicate the white balance used in an existing

photo. Two methods are available for setting preset white balance:

Option

Description

Neutral gray or white object is placed under lighting that will be used in

ﬁnal photograph and white balance is measured by camera.

White balance value is copied from photo on memory card (note that

Measure

Use Photo Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3 or later can be used to adjust white bal-

ance of existing pictures if desired).

Measuring a Value for White Balance

The existing measured value is lost when a new value is measured. The

value for Use Photo is unaffected.

Place a neutral gray or white object under the lighting that will be

used in the ﬁnal photograph. For more accurate results, use an 18%

diffusion panel to make the reference object appear gray.

Select Measure.

Press the shutter-release button halfway to

return to shooting mode.

Press the

(WB) button until a blinking

appears in the control panel and viewﬁnder.

Frame the reference object so that it ﬁlls the

viewﬁnder and press the shutter-release but-

ton all the way down. No photograph will

be recorded; white balance can be measured

accurately even when the camera is not in

focus.

To exit without measuring a new value for white balance, press the

(WB) button.

If the camera was able to measure a value for

white balance,

will ﬂash in the con-

trol panel, while the viewﬁnder will show a

ﬂashing . White balance is set to the new

value, and the new value will be used when-

ever Preset>Measure is selected for white

balance.

If lighting is too dark or too bright, the cam-

era may be unable to measure white balance.

A ﬂashing

will appear in the control

panel and viewﬁnder. Return to Step 4 and

measure white balance again.

Copying White Balance from a Photograph

Selecting a new source photograph overwrites any white balance values

previously selected with Use Photo. The value for Measure is unaf-

fected.

Highlight Use photo.

Display current source photo.

Highlight Select Image.^*

Display folder list.

*Select This Image to use white balance value for current photo.

Highlight folder.

Display images in selected folder.

Highlight photograph.^†

Set preset white balance to value

for highlighted photograph.

†Images displayed may include those created by other cameras, but only photo-

graphs created with D50 can be used as source for preset white balance.

ISO

See “Sensitivity (ISO Equivalency)” (

more information.

39) for

Playback Options

The Playback Menu

Adjustments to playback options are made from

the playback menu ( 26). Note that the play-

back menu is only displayed when a memory card

is inserted.

Option

Delete

Description

Delete all or selected photos.

Playback Fldr Choose folder for playback.

Rotate Tall Rotate portrait (“tall”) orientation photos for playback.

Slide Show Play photos back in automatic slide show.

Print Set

Select photos for printing.

67, 86

Small Picture Create small copies of photos.

Selecting Multiple Pictures

To select multiple pictures in the Delete> Selected ( 84), Print Set>

Select/Set ( 67, 86), Small Picture ( 86), or Print Select ( 66)

menus:

Highlight photo.^*

Select photo. Selection

shown by icon.

*Press and hold

button to view selected photo full frame. Thumbnail display

restored when button is released.

Repeat steps 1–2 to select addi-

tional photos. To deselect, high-

light and press multi selector up

or down.

Complete operation.

Delete

Choose from:

Option

Description

Selected Delete selected photos.

All Delete all photos.

Note that photographs marked with an

icon

are protected and can not be deleted ( 56).

More time may be required if the number of pho-

tographs to be deleted is very large.

Playback Fldr

Choose the folder from which photographs will

be played back.

Option

Current

All

Description

Only images in folder currently selected for storage in setup Folders

menu are displayed during playback ( 51). This option is selected

automatically when photo is taken. If memory card is inserted and this

option selected before photos have been taken, message stating that

folder contains no images will be displayed during playback. Select All

to begin playback.

View photos in all folders.

Rotate Tall

Select Yes to rotate portrait-orientation (“tall”)

photographs for display in the monitor. Pho-

tographs taken with Off selected for Image

Rotation ( 75) will be displayed in landscape

(“wide”) orientation.

Slide Show

View photographs in an automated slide show

(see “Playback Fldr” for information on choosing

the folder from which photographs will be played

back;

84).

Start

Start the slide show. The following operations can be performed during a

slide show:

Use

Description

Go forward or back

one frame

Press multi selector left to return to previous frame,

right to skip to next frame.

View photo info

Change photo info displayed during slide show.

Pause

Pause slide show (see below).

Exit to playback menu

End slide show and display playback menu.

End slide show and return to single-image or thumb-

nail playback.

Press shutter-release button halfway to turn monitor

off and return to shooting mode.

Exit to playback mode

Exit to shooting mode

The dialog shown at right is displayed when the

show ends or when the button is pressed to

pause playback. Select Restart to restart the

show or Exit to return to the playback menu.

Frame Intvl

Choose how long each slide is displayed. The

default setting is 2s.

Print Set

Choose Select/Set to select photographs for

printing on a PictBridge printer or DPOF-compat-

ible device ( 128). Choose Deselect All to re-

move all photos from the current print order.

Small Picture

Create small JPEG copies of selected pictures for

e-mail or the web. Choose Select Pictures to

select the pictures (

83) and select Choose

Size to choose a size from 640×480, 320×240,

160×120. A 640×480 pixel copy is about one-

twentieth the size of a Large (3,008×2,000)

photo.

Small Picture

During playback, small copies are indicated by a gray border. Copies can only be

created if sufﬁcient memory is available. Small copies may not display or transfer

correctly when viewed on other models of Nikon camera.

Custom Settings

The Custom Settings Menu

Custom Settings are used to customize camera

settings to suit individual preferences.

Option

R Menu Reset

1 Beep

2 Autofocus

3 AF-Area Mode

Option

4 No SD Card?

5 Image Review

6 Flash Level

38, 90

To display the following options, select Detailed for

the CSM/Setup Menu option in the setup menu ( 69):

Option

7 AF Assist

8 AF Area Illm

9 ISO Control

10 ISO Auto

11 EV Step

Option

14 AE-L/AF-L

15 AE Lock

16 Flash Mode

17 Monitor Off

18 Meter Off

19 Self-Timer

20 Remote

100

12 BKT Set

13 Metering

R: Menu Reset

Select Reset to restore all Custom Settings

(including those that are not affected by a two-

button reset;

50) to their default values. See

pages 101–103 for a complete list of default set-

tings.

1: Beep

At the default setting of On, a beep will sound

while the release timer is running in self-timer and

delayed remote modes ( 22), when a photograph

is taken in quick-response remote mode ( 22), or

when the camera has focused in single-servo AF (

88). The beep will not sound when Off is selected.

The current setting is shown in the control panel:

for On and for Off.

2: Autofocus

Choose from:

Option

Description

AF-A

Camera selects AF-S or AF-C mode automatically according to shoot-

(default) ing conditions and whether the subject is moving.

Single-servo AF. Focus locks when shutter-release button is pressed

halfway. Use with stationary subjects.

AF-S

Continuous-servo AF. Camera focuses continuously while shutter-re-

AF-C

lease button is pressed halfway; AF-assist illuminator turns off. Use

with moving subjects.

This option takes effect only in P, S, A, and M

modes. The current autofocus mode is shown in

the control panel when AF-S or AF-C is selected.

No icon is displayed in AF-A mode.

Focus Lock (Continuous-Servo AF)

The

button can be used to lock focus when AF-C is selected.

3: AF-Area Mode

Choose how the camera focuses in autofocus

mode.

Option

Single

Area¹

Description

User selects focus area manually ( 33); camera focuses on subject

in selected focus area only. Use for stationary subjects.

User selects focus area manually ( 33), but camera uses information

Dynamic from multiple focus areas to determine focus. If subject leaves se-

Area²

lected focus area even brieﬂy, camera will focus based on information

from other focus areas. Use with erratically moving subjects.

Camera automatically selects focus area containing subject closest

Closest to camera. If subject leaves active focus area, camera will focus

Subjct³based on information from other focus areas. Works best when

there is contrast between subject and background.

1Default for P, S, A, M, and modes.

2Default for mode.

3Default for

, and modes.

The current AF-area mode is displayed in the

control panel and viewﬁnder (icon shows active

focus area).

AF-Area Mode

Choose Single Area or Dynamic Area when using focus lock.

4: No SD Card?

At the default setting of Release Locked, the

shutter-release button is only enabled when a

memory card is inserted. Choose Enable Re-

lease to enable the shutter-release button when

no memory card is inserted. Photographs will be

displayed in the monitor but will not saved.

5: Image Review

This option determines whether photographs

are automatically displayed in the monitor after

shooting (On, the default option) or only when

the

button is pressed (Off).

6: Flash Level

Adjust ﬂash level (P, S, A, and M modes only;

38). The default setting is 0.

7: AF Assist

At the default setting of On, the AF-assist lamp

lights automatically when required to assist the

focus operation. The AF-assist lamp will not light

when Off is selected or when the camera is fo-

cusing using continuous-servo autofocus ( 88).

This option is not available in

and modes.

8: AF Area Illm

At the default setting of Auto, the active focus

area will be highlighted in red in the viewﬁnder

as needed to establish contrast with the back-

ground. The active focus area will not light if

Off is selected; if On is selected, the focus area

will light regardless of the brightness of the back-

ground (this may make it difﬁcult to see the focus

active focus area against a bright background).

9: ISO Control

At the default setting of On, the camera will au-

tomatically adjust sensitivity (ISO equivalency) to

help achieve optimal exposure in

, and modes. ISO AUTO will be displayed

in the control panel and viewﬁnder. Select Off to

choose a value for sensitivity using the ISO option

in the shooting menu ( 39). This option is not

available in P, S, A, and M modes.

“ISO Control” “ISO Auto”

These settings determine how sensitivity is set:

Mode

P, S, A, M

9: ISO Control>On

9: ISO Control>Off

10: ISO Auto >Off

9: ISO Control>Off

10: ISO Auto >On

—

Camera sets sensitivity

User sets sensitivity

10: ISO Auto >Off

User sets sensitivity; camera

adjusts for optimal exposure

10: ISO Auto >On

The sensitivity value displayed when the

(ISO) button is pressed is the value

selected by the user. Values selected automatically by the camera are not dis-

played ( 39).

10: ISO Auto

At the default setting of Off, sensitivity (ISO

equivalency) will remain ﬁxed at the value selected

by the user ( 39). If On is selected, the camera

will automatically choose a sensitivity between

ISO 200 and 1600 if optimal exposure can not be

achieved at current settings. An ISO AUTO icon is

displayed in the control panel and viewﬁnder; this

icon will blink when sensitivity is altered from the

value selected by the user.

Selecting On displays the menu shown at right.

In P, A,

, and

modes, the

user can choose a maximum shutter speed. If

the shutter speed would exceed this value at the

sensitivity selected by the user, the camera will au-

tomatically raise sensitivity to compensate. Select

P, A, DVP mode to choose a maximum shutter

speed (the default is ¹³⁰s). Select Done to exit to

the CSM menu.

11: EV Step

Choose whether the camera makes adjustments

to shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensa-

tion, bracketing, and ﬂash compensation in incre-

ments equivalent to 3 EV (1/3 Step, the default

option) or ½EV.

12: BKT Set

In P, S, A, and M modes, the camera offers the

following bracketing options:

Option

Description

Off (default) No bracketing performed.

Camera varies exposure and ﬂash level over three shots, “bracket-

ing” optimal exposure value.

AE & Flash

Camera creates three images each time shutter is released, “bracket-

ing” current white balance setting. Not available at image qualities

of NEF (Raw) or NEF+JPEG Basic.

Bracketing

Exposure and Flash Bracketing

Highlight AE & Flash and press the multi

selector to the right.

Highlight a bracketing increment and press

the multi selector to the right. The settings

available depend on the option selected for

Custom Setting 11 (EV Step).

Press the shutter-release button halfway to

exit to shooting mode. The display shown

at right will appear in the control panel and

viewﬁnder.

Take a series of three photographs. The

ﬁrst photograph will be taken at optimal

exposure, the second will be underexposed

by the selected exposure increment, and the

third overexposed by the same amount. A

segment will disappear from the bracketing

progress indicator after each shot. Repeat

Steps 3–4 to record additional bracketing

sequences.

Start

After 1st shot

After 2nd shot

After 3rd shot

Series complete

To end bracketing when shooting is com-

plete, select Off for Custom Setting 12.

Exposure and Flash Bracketing

In continuous mode, shooting will stop after each series of three photographs.

Bracketing is not cancelled when the camera is turned off or the memory card is

exchanged. Bracketing will however be cancelled if the user selects a mode other

than P, S, A, or M.

White Balance Bracketing

Highlight WB Bracketing and press the

multi selector to the right.

Highlight a bracketing increment and press

the multi selector to the right.

Press the shutter-release button halfway to

exit to shooting mode. The display shown

at right will appear in the control panel and

viewﬁnder.

Compose a photograph, focus, and shoot. Each photograph will be

processed to create three images, the ﬁrst with unmodiﬁed white

balance, the second with slightly warmer colors, and the third with

slightly colder colors. Repeat Steps 3–4 to record additional bracket-

ing sequences.

To end bracketing when shooting is complete, select Off for Custom

Setting 12.

White Balance Bracketing

The shutter is released only once each time the shutter-release button is pressed,

even in continuous mode. Each shot is processed to create three separate images.

13: Metering

In P, S, A, and M modes, metering determines

how the camera sets exposure.

Option

Description

Camera meters wide area of frame and instantly sets exposure

based on composition, distance, shading, and color. Produces

natural-looking results in almost any situation.

Matrix

(default)

Center-

Camera meters entire frame but assigns greatest weight to center.

weighted Classic meter for portraits.

Camera meters active focus area only (if Closest Subjct is selected

for AF-Area Mode, camera meters center focus area). Ensures that

main subject will be correctly exposed, even when background is

much brighter or darker.

Spot

Metering

Metering is available with CPU lenses only. If a type G and D lens is used when

matrix metering is selected, the camera will set exposure using the full range of

information available from its 420-segment RGB sensor (3D color matrix metering

II). Color matrix metering II is used with other CPU lenses.

Autoexposure Lock

If the subject is not in the metered area when center-weighted or spot

metering is used, exposure will be based on lighting conditions in the back-

ground, and the main subject may not be correctly exposed. This can be

prevented using autoexposure lock:

Rotate the mode dial to P, S, or A and select center-weighted or spot

metering (exposure lock has no effect in mode M).

Position the subject in the selected focus area

and press the shutter-release button halfway

(when using center-weighted metering, po-

sition the subject in the center focus area).

With the shutter-release button pressed

halfway and the subject still positioned in

the focus area, press the AE-L/AF-L button

to lock exposure. Conﬁrm that the in-focus

indicator (●) appears in the viewﬁnder.

While exposure lock is in effect, an EL indi-

cator will appear in the viewﬁnder.

Without releasing the AE-L/AF-L button, re-

compose the photograph and shoot.

Adjusting Shutter Speed and Aperture

While exposure lock is in effect, the following settings can be changed without alter-

ing the metered value for exposure:

Mode

Description

Shutter speed and aperture (ﬂexible program; 42)

Shutter speed

Aperture

Advanced Settings

14: AE-L/AF-L controls the function performed by the AE-L/AF-L button ( 98).

15: AE Lock controls whether exposure locks when the shutter-release button is

pressed halfway ( 99).

14: AE-L/AF-L

Choose the function performed by the AE-L/AF-L

button.

Option

AE/AF Lock Pressing button locks both focus ( 34) and exposure (

(default) 97).

Description

AE Lock Only Pressing button locks exposure only ( 97).

AF Lock Only Pressing button locks focus only ( 34).

Exposure locks when button is pressed and remains locked

until button is pressed again ( 97).

Camera focuses when button is pressed. Camera does not

focus when shutter-release button is pressed halfway.

Flash level locks when button is pressed and remains locked

until button is pressed again (see below).

AE Lock Hold

AF-ON

FV Lock

This feature is used to recompose photographs without changing the me-

tered ﬂash value, ensuring that ﬂash level is appropriate to the subject even

when the subject is not in the center of the frame.

Highlight FV Lock and press the multi se-

lector to the right.

Press the shutter-release button halfway to exit to shooting mode. In

P, S, A, and M modes, press the

button to raise the ﬂash.

Position the subject in the center of the

frame and press the shutter-release button

halfway.

Conﬁrm that the ﬂash-ready indicator is

displayed in the viewﬁnder and press the

AE-L/AF-L button. The built-in ﬂash will emit

a low-intensity pulse to determine the appro-

priate ﬂash level. Flash output will be locked

at this level and an EL icon will be displayed

in the viewﬁnder.

Recompose the photograph and shoot. If de-

sired, additional pictures can be taken without

releasing FV lock. When shooting is complete,

press the AE-L/AF-L button to release FV lock.

15: AE Lock

At the default setting of AE-L Button, exposure

can only be locked by pressing the AE-L/AF-L

button (

97). If +Release Bttn is selected,

exposure will also lock when the shutter-release

button is pressed halfway.

16: Flash Mode

At the default setting of TLL, the camera adjusts

ﬂash level automatically in response to shooting

conditions. Selecting Manual allows the user to

select the ﬂash level for P, S, A, and M modes

from the menu shown below at right (at full

power, built-in ﬂash has a Guide Number [m/ft] of

17/56 [ISO 200] or 12/39 [ISO 100]).

icons will

blink in the control panel and viewﬁnder when

Manual is selected.

17: Monitor Off

Choose how long the monitor will remain on

when no operations are performed. The default

setting is 20s.

18: Meter Off

Choose how long the camera continues to meter

exposure when no operations are performed.

The default setting is 8s. When the exposure me-

ter turns off, the viewﬁnder and the shutter speed

and aperture displays in the control panel will also

turn off to save power. Press the shutter-release

button halfway to reactivate the display.

19: Self-Timer

Choose the length of the shutter-release delay

in self-timer mode ( 22). The default setting

is 10s.

20: Remote

Choose how long the camera will wait for a signal

from the remote control when no operations are

performed in delayed or quick-response remote

modes ( 22). The default setting is one minute.

Remote mode will end if no signal is received in

the speciﬁed period.

The EH-5 AC Adapter

When the camera is powered by an optional EH-5 AC adapter, exposure meters will

not turn off and the monitor will only power off after ten minutes, regardless of the

options chosen for Custom Settings 17 (Monitor Off) and 18 (Meter Off).

100

Technical Notes

Camera Settings

Available Settings and Defaults

The following table lists the settings that can be adjusted in each mode.

✔

Optimize Image ( 48)¹

Long Exp. NR ( 78)

Image Quality ( 31)¹

Image Size ( 32)¹

White Balance ( 49)¹

ISO ( 39)¹

Shooting mode ( 21)¹

Flexible program ( 42)¹

Autoexposure lock ( 97)¹

Exposure compensation ( 47)¹

Flash sync mode ( 36)¹

1: Beep ( 88)⁴

2: Autofocus ( 88)⁴

3: AF-Area Mode ( 89)⁴

4: No SD Card? ( 90)⁴

5: Image Review ( 90)⁴

6: Flash Level ( 38, 90)^{1, 4}

7: AF Assist ( 90)⁴

8: AF Area Illm ( 91)⁴

9: ISO Control ( 91)⁴

10: ISO Auto ( 92)⁴

11: EV Step ( 92)⁴

12: BKT Set ( 93)^{1, 4}

13: Metering ( 96)^{1, 4}

14: AE-L/AF-L ( 98)⁴

15: AE Lock ( 99)⁴

16: Flash Mode ( 99)⁴

17: Monitor Off ( 100)⁴

18: Meter Off ( 100)⁴

19: Self-Timer ( 100)⁴

20: Remote ( 100)⁴

✔

1Reset with two-button reset ( 50).

3Reset when mode dial rotated to new setting.

2Available when Off is selected for Custom Setting 9. 4Reset with R: Menu Reset ( 87).

101

The following defaults are restored when a two-button reset is performed:

—

Normal

Optimize Image ( 48)

Image Quality ( 31)

Image Size ( 32)

JPEG Normal

L (3008×2000)

White Balance ( 49)

ISO ( 39)

Shooting mode ( 21)

Focus area ( 33)

—

Auto

200

200 (Custom Setting 9 off)

Single frame

—

Center —

Off

Center

—

Focus lock ( 34)

Flexible program ( 42)

Autoexposure lock ( 97)

Exposure compensation ( 47)

Flash sync mode ( 36)

6: Flash Level ( 38, 90)

12: BKT Set ( 93)

—

Off

—

Off (0.0)

—

Off (0.0)

Off

Matrix

13: Metering ( 96)

The following defaults are restored with Custom Setting R (Menu Reset):

1: Beep ( 88)

2: Autofocus ( 88)

—

AF-A

3: AF-Area Mode ( 89)

4: No SD Card? ( 90)

5: Image Review ( 90)

6: Flash Level ( 38, 90)

7: AF Assist ( 90)

8: AF Area Illm ( 91)

9: ISO Control ( 91)

10: ISO Auto ( 92)

Closest Subjct DA^*SA^*CS^*Single Area

Release Locked

—

0.0

—

On Off On Off

Auto

Off

11: EV Step ( 92)

1/3 Step

12: BKT Set ( 93)

13: Metering ( 96)

—

Off

Matrix

14: AE-L/AF-L ( 98)

15: AE Lock ( 99)

AE/AF Lock

AE-L Button

16: Flash Mode ( 99)

17: Monitor Off ( 100)

18: Meter Off ( 100)

19: Self-Timer ( 100)

20: Remote ( 100)

—

TTL

20s

10s

1min

*DA=Dynamic Area, SA=Single Area; CS=Closest Subjct.

102

Factory defaults for other menu options are listed below. These settings are

not affected by two-button resets or Custom Setting R (Menu Reset).

Shooting menu Long Exp. NR ( 78)

Off

Playback Fldr ( 84)

Rotate Tall ( 84)

Current

Yes

Playback menu

CSM/Setup Menu ( 69)

LCD Brightness ( 69)

Video Mode ( 69)

Language (LANG) ( 70)

Image Comment ( 70)

Simple

Varies with region of sale

None

Setup menu

USB ( 71)

File No. Seq. ( 73)

Image Rotation ( 75)

Mass Storage

Off

Automatic

103

Optional Accessories

One advantage of digital SLR cameras is the wide variety of accessories

available for broadening the scope of digital photography. The following

types of accessory are available for the D50:

Flash units (Speedlights)

ML-L3 remote control

Viewﬁnder accessories

Lenses

Batteries

AC adapters

Software

Filters

Use Only Nikon Brand Accessories

Only Nikon brand accessories certiﬁed by Nikon speciﬁcally for use with your Nikon

digital camera are engineered and proven to operate within its operational and safety

requirements. THE USE OF NON-NIKON ACCESSORIES COULD DAMAGE YOUR CAMERA AND MAY VOID

YOUR NIKON WARRANTY.

104

Lenses

CPU lenses (particularly type G and D lenses) are recommended for use

with the D50 (note that IX Nikkor CPU lenses can not be used). CPU lenses

can be identiﬁed by the presence of CPU contacts. Type G lenses have no

aperture ring and are marked with a “G” on the lens barrel. Type D lenses

are indicated by a “D.”

CPU lens

Type G lens

Type D lens

Calculating Picture Angle

Picture size (35-mm format)

The size of the area exposed by a 35-

mm camera is 36×24mm. The size of

the area exposed by the D50, in con-

trast, is 23.7×15.6mm, meaning that

the diagonal picture angle of a 35-mm

camera is approximately 1.5 times that

of the D50.

(36 mm × 24 mm)

Picture diagonal

Lens

Picture size (D50)

(23.7 mm × 15.6 mm)

Picture angle (35-mm format)

Picture angle (D50)

105

The following lenses can be used with the D50:

Focus

Mode Metering

DVP,

Camera setting

M (with

AF electronic

range ﬁnder)

P, S,

✔

Lens/accessory

Type G or D AF Nikkor²; AF-S, AF-I Nikkor

PC-Micro Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D⁴

AF-S/AF-I Teleconverter⁶

Other AF Nikkor (except lenses for F3AF)

AI-P Nikkor

AI-modiﬁed,AI-,AI-S, or Series E Nikkor

Medical Nikkor 120mm f/4

Reﬂex Nikkor

✔

—

✔

—

✔

—

✔

— ✔¹¹

— ✔¹²

— ✔¹¹

—

PC-Nikkor

AI-type Teleconverter

✔

— ✔¹¹

PB-6 Bellows Focusing Attachment¹³

Auto extension rings (PK-series 11-A, 12,

or 13; PN-11)

—

✔

— ✔¹¹

—

1 IX Nikkor lenses can not be used.

8 If AF 80–200mm f/2.8S, AF 35–70mm f/2.8S, new-

model AF 28–85mm f/3.5–4.5S, or AF 28–85mm

f/3.5–4.5S is zoomed in while focusing at minimum

range, image on matte screen in viewﬁnder may not

be in focus when in-focus indicator is displayed.

Focus manually using image in viewﬁnder as guide.

9 With maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster.

2 Vibration Reduction (VR) supported with VR lenses.

3 Spot metering meters selected focus area.

4 The camera’s exposure metering and ﬂash control

systems do not work properly when shifting and/or

tilting the lens, or when an aperture other than the

maximum aperture is used.

5 Electronic range ﬁnder can not be used with shifting 10 Some lenses can not be used (see following page).

or tilting.

11 Can be used in mode M, but camera exposure meter

6 Compatible with AF-I Nikkor lenses and with all AF-

can not be used.

S lenses except DX 12–24mm f/4G, ED 17–35mm 12 Can be used in mode M at shutter speeds slower

f/2.8D, DX ED 17–55mm f/2.8G, DX ED 18–70mm

than 1/125s, but camera exposure meter can not be

f3.5–4.5G, ED 24–85mm f/3.5–4.5G, VR ED

used.

24–120mm f/3.5–5.6G, and ED 28–70mm f/2.8D. 13 Attach in vertical orientation (can be used in hori-

7 With maximum effective aperture of f/5.6 or faster. zontal orientation once attached).

106

Incompatible Accessories and Non-CPU Lenses

The following accessories and non-CPU lenses can NOT be used with the D50:

• TC-16A AF Teleconverter

• Non-AI lenses

• 200–600mm f/9.5 (serial numbers

280001–300490)

• Lenses that require the AU-1 focus- • Lenses for the F3AF (80mm f/2.8,

ing unit (400mm f/4.5, 600mm f/5.6, 200mm f/3.5, TC-16 Teleconverter)

800mm f/8, 1200mm f/11)

• PC 28mm f/4 (serial number 180900 or

• Fisheye (6mm f/5.6, 8mm f/8, OP earlier)

10mm f/5.6)

• 21mm f/4 (old type)

• K2 rings

• PC 35mm f/2.8 (serial numbers

851991–906200)

• PC 35mm f/3.5 (old type)

• ED 180–600mm f/8 (serial numbers • 1000mm f/6.3 Reﬂex (old type)

174041–174180) • 1000mm f/11 Reﬂex (serial numbers

• ED 360–1200mm f/11 (serial numbers 142361–143000)

174031–174127)

• 2000mm f/11 Reﬂex (serial numbers

200111–200310)

Compatible Non-CPU Lenses

Non-CPU lenses not included in the list above can be used, but only in mode M.

Aperture must be adjusted manually using the lens aperture ring and the camera

exposure meter and TTL ﬂash control can not be used. If another mode is selected

when a non-CPU lens is attached, the shutter-release will be disabled.

AF-Assist Illumination

The following lenses may block the AF-assist illuminator at ranges under 1m (3´3˝).

Note that the camera may not be able to focus using autofocus if the AF-assist il-

luminator is blocked.

• AF Micro ED 200mm f/4D

• AF-S ED 17–35mm f/2.8D

• AF ED 18–35mm f/3.5–4.5D

• AF 20–35mm f/2.8D

• AF ED 24–85mm f/2.8–4D

• AF-S VR ED 24–120mm f/3.5–5.6G

• AF 24–120mm f/3.5–5.6D

• AF Micro ED 70–180mm f/4.5–5.6D

• AF-S DX IF ED 17–55mm f/2.8G

• AF-S ED 28–70mm f/2.8D

AF assist is not available with the following lenses:

• AF-S VR ED 70–200mm f/2.8G

• AF ED 80–200mm f/2.8D

• AF-S VR ED 200–400mm f/4G

• AF-S VR 300mm f/2.8G

• AF-S ED 80–200mm f/2.8D

• AF VR ED 80–400mm f/4.5–5.6D

• AF-S VR 200mm f/2G

107

Using the Built-in Flash

The built-in ﬂash can be used with any CPU lens with a focal length of 18–300mm.

Note that the ﬂash may be unable to light the entire subject if the following lenses

are not used at or above the minimum ranges given below:

Lens

Zoom position

20mm

24mm

20mm, 24mm

28mm

35mm

20mm, 24mm

28mm

Minimum Range

2.5m/8´2˝

1.0m/3´3˝

2.5m/8´2˝

1.0m/3´3˝

0.6m/2´

2.5m/8´2˝

1.5m/4´11˝

0.7m/2´4˝

0.6m/2´

2.0m/6´7˝

0.7m/2´4˝

0.6m/2´

1.5m/4´11˝

1.0m/3´3˝

0.6m/2´

0.8m/2´7˝

0.6m/2´

3.0m/9´10˝

1.0m/3´3˝

0.6m/2´

4.0m/13´1˝

2.5m/8´2˝

0.6m/2´

1.0m/3´3˝

0.6m/2´

AF-S DX ED 12–24mm f/4G

AF-S ED 17–35mm f/2.8D

AF-S DX IF ED 17–55mm f/2.8G

AF ED 18–35mm f/3.5–4.5D

35mm

45–55mm

18mm, 21mm

24mm

28–35mm

20mm

24mm

28–35mm

24mm

28–120mm

28mm

35mm

50–70mm

200mm

250mm

AF 20–35mm f/2.8D

AF-S VR ED 24–120mm f/3.5–5.6G

AF-S ED 28–70mm f/2.8D

AF-S VR 200–400mm f/4G

300–400mm

18mm

24–70mm

AF-S 18–70mm f/3.5–4.5G

Red-Eye Reduction

Some lenses may interfere with red-eye reduction by preventing the subject from

seeing the AF-assist illuminator.

108

Optional Flash Units (Speedlights)

When used with a compatible Speedlight such as the SB-800 or SB-600

(available separately), the D50 supports the Nikon Creative Lighting System

(CLS), including i-TTL ﬂash control ( 127), Flash Color Information Com-

munication, and FV lock ( 98). The built-in ﬂash does not ﬁre when an

optional ﬂash unit is used.

SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights

These high performance Speedlights have Guide Numbers of 53/174 and

42/138 respectively (m/ft, 35-mm zoom head position, ISO 200, 20°C/

68°F; GNs at ISO 100 are 38/125 and 30/98 respectively). The ﬂash head

can be rotated through 90° above the horizontal, 180° left, and 90° right

for bounce-ﬂash or close-up photography. The SB-800 can be rotated 7°

below the horizontal. Auto power zoom (24–105mm and 24–85mm, re-

spectively) ensures that the illuminating angle is adjusted in accord with lens

focal length. The built-in wide panel can be used for an angle of 14mm

(the SB-800 also supports 17mm). An illuminator is included to assist in

adjusting settings in the dark.

Use Only Nikon Flash Accessories

Use only Nikon Speedlights. Negative voltages or voltages over 250V applied to

the accessory shoe could not only prevent normal operation, but damage the sync

circuitry of the camera or ﬂash. Before using a Nikon Speedlight not listed in this sec-

tion, contact a Nikon-authorized service representative for more information.

The Accessory Shoe

The D50 is equipped with an accessory shoe that

allows SB-series Speedlights, including the SB-800,

600, 80DX, 28DX, 28, 27, 23, 22S, and 29S to be

mounted directly on the camera without a sync cable.

The accessory shoe is equipped with a safety lock for

Speedlights with a locking pin, such as the SB-800

and SB-600. Before attaching an optional ﬂash unit,

remove the accessory shoe cover.

The AS-15 Accessory Shoe Adapter

An AS-15 accessory shoe adapter (available separately) can be mounted on the

accessory shoe to allow ﬂash accessories to be attached via a sync cable.

109

The following features are available with SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights:

Speedlight

SB-800

(Advanced

Wireless

SB-600

(Advanced

Wireless

Flash mode/feature

i-TTL¹

Auto aperture¹

SB-800 Lighting) SB-600 Lighting)

✔

—

✔

—

✔

Non-TTL auto

Range-priority manual

Manual

✔

—

✔

RPT

REAR

Repeating ﬂash

Rear-curtain sync

Red-eye reduction

✔

—

✔

—

✔

—

✔

—

✔

—

✔

Flash Color Information Communication

FV lock¹

✔

AF-assist for multi-area AF⁶

Auto zoom¹

ISO Auto (Custom Setting 10)¹

—

✔

—

1Available only with CPU lenses (IX Nikkor lenses 5Adjusted automatically according to camera aperture

excluded). setting when CPU lens is used. When non-CPU lens

2Standard i-TTL Flash for Digital SLR is used when spot is used, must be adjusted manually to match aperture

metering is selected. Otherwise, i-TTL Balanced Fill- selected with lens aperture ring.

Flash for Digital SLR is used.

3Use Speedlight controls to select ﬂash mode.

4Available only with non-CPU lenses.

6Available with CPU AF lenses only (IX Nikkor lenses

excluded).

110

The following Speedlights can be used in non-TTL auto and manual modes.

If they are set to TTL, the camera shutter-release button will lock and no

photographs can be taken.

Speedlight SB-80DX, SB-28DX, SB-50DX, SB-23, SB-30, SB-27¹, SB-

SB-28, SB-26,

SB-25, SB-24

SB-29², SB-21B², 22S, SB-22, SB-20,

Flash mode

SB-29S²

SB-16B, SB-15

Non-TTL auto

Manual

Repeating ﬂash

✔

—

✔

—

✔

—

✔

REAR Rear-curtain sync

1When an SB-27 is mounted on the D50, the ﬂash mode is automatically set to TTL, and the shutter-release will

be disabled. Set the SB-27 to A (non-TTL auto ﬂash).

2Autofocus is only available with AF-Micro lenses (60mm, 105mm, 200mm, or 70–180mm).

, and Modes

When an optional Speedlight is attached in

, and

modes, the

ﬂash ﬁres whenever a photograph is taken. The following ﬂash modes are avail-

able:

•

, and

modes: Front-curtain sync and red-eye reduction. If off or auto

front-curtain sync is selected when an optional Speedlight is attached, the ﬂash

sync mode selection will change to front-curtain sync. Auto with red-eye reduction

becomes red-eye reduction.

•

and

modes: Front-curtain sync is selected automatically. Red-eye reduction

can also be selected.

mode: Slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction, and front-curtain sync. Auto

slow sync becomes slow sync, auto slow sync with red-eye reduction becomes red-

eye reduction, and off becomes front-curtain sync.

111

Notes on Optional Speedlights

Refer to the Speedlight manual for detailed instructions. If the Speedlight supports

the Creative Lighting System, refer to the section on CLS-compatible digital SLR cam-

eras. The D50 is not included in the “digital SLR” category in the SB-80DX, SB-28DX,

and SB-50DX manuals.

The shutter will synchronize with an external ﬂash at speeds of ¹

500 s or slower.

i-TTL and Auto Aperture (AA) ﬂash control are available only with CPU lenses. Se-

lecting spot metering while an SB-800 or SB-600 Speedlight is attached activates

standard i-TTL Flash for Digital SLR.

i-TTL ﬂash control is available at all sensitivity (ISO equivalency) settings. If the ﬂash-

ready indicator blinks for about three seconds after a photograph is taken with i-TTL

ﬂash control, the photograph may be underexposed.

When an SB-800 or SB-600 is mounted on the camera, AF-assist illumination and

red-eye reduction are performed by the optional Speedlight. With other Speedlights,

AF-assist illumination is performed using the AF-assist illuminator on the camera (

34).

Auto power zoom is available only with SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights.

In P,

, and modes, the maximum aperture (minimum f/-number)

is limited according to sensitivity (ISO equivalency) as shown below:

Maximum aperture at ISO equivalent of

Mode

200

400

4.8

9.5

800

5.6

1600

6.7

For each one-step increase in sensitivity (e.g., from 200 to 400), aperture is stopped

down by half an f/-stop. If the maximum aperture of the lens is smaller than that

listed above, the maximum value for aperture is the maximum aperture of the lens.

When an SC-series 17, 28, or 29 sync cable is used for off-camera ﬂash photography,

correct exposure may not be achieved using i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash for Digital SLR.

We recommend that you choose spot metering to select Standard i-TTL Flash for

Digital SLR. Take a test shot and view the results in the monitor.

In i-TTL mode, use the ﬂash panel provided with your Speedlight. Do not use other

panels such as diffusion panels, as this may produce incorrect exposure.

112

Other Accessories

At the time of writing, the following accessories were available for the D50.

Contact your retailer or local Nikon representative for details.

Batteries/

Chargers/

AC adapters

♦EN-EL3 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery: Additional EN-EL3 batteries are

available from local retailers and Nikon service representatives.

♦EH-5 AC Adapter: Use the EH-5 to power the camera for extended

periods.

♦MH-19 Multi Charger: The MH-19 can be used to recharge the fol-

lowing batteries: EN-EL3 rechargeable Li-ion batteries, MN-30 bat-

teries for the F5 camera (with MC-E1), MN-15 batteries for the F100

camera (with MC-E2), EN-4 batteries (for D1 series cameras), or EN-3

batteries for the E3 camera. The charger can charge two pairs of

batteries of different types, for a total of four batteries, and comes

with a twelve-volt cable for connection to a cigarette-lighter socket.

♦Diopter-Adjustment Viewﬁnder Lenses: Lenses are available with

diopters of –5, –4, –3, –2, 0, +0.5, +1, +2, and +3m^–1. Use diopter

adjustment lenses only if the desired focus can not be achieved with

the built-in diopter adjustment control (–1.6 to +0.5m^–1). Test diopter

adjustment lenses before purchase to ensure that the desired focus

can be achieved.

Viewﬁnder

eyepiece

accessories

♦DG-2 Magniﬁer: Magnify the scene displayed in the center of the

viewﬁnder for close-up photography, copying, telephoto lenses, and

other tasks that call for added precision. Eyepiece adapter required

(available separately).

♦Eyepiece Adapter: Use to attach the DG-2 Magniﬁer to the D50.

♦DR-6 Right-Angle Viewing Attachment: The DR-6 attaches at a right

angle to the viewﬁnder eyepiece, allowing the image in the view-

ﬁnder to be viewed from above when the camera is in the horizontal

shooting position.

Body caps

♦BF-1A Body Cap: The BF-1A keeps the mirror, viewﬁnder screen, and

low-pass ﬁlter free of dust when a lens is not in place.

Remote

controls

♦ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control: Use the ML-L3 as a remote shutter

release for self-portraits or to prevent blur caused by camera shake.

The ML-L3 uses a 3V CR2025 battery.

ቢ

ባ

ቤ

ብ

ቦ

113

Filters

•

Nikon ﬁlters can be divided into three types: screw-in, drop-in, and rear-

interchange. Use Nikon ﬁlters; other ﬁlters may interfere with autofocus

or electronic range ﬁnding.

• The D50 can not be used with linear polarizing ﬁlters. Use the C-PL

circular polarizing ﬁlter instead.

• The NC and L37C ﬁlters are recommended for protecting the lens.

•

When using an R60 ﬁlter, set exposure compensation to +1.

• To prevent moiré, use of a ﬁlter is not recommended when the sub-

ject is framed against a bright light, or when a bright light source is

in the frame.

• Center-weighted metering is recommended with ﬁlters with exposure

factors (ﬁlter factors) over 1× (Y48, O56, R60, X0, X1, C-PL, ND4S,

ND8S, A2, A12, B2, B8, B12).

Software

♦Nikon Capture 4 (Version 4.3 or Later): Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3

or later can be used to capture photos to a computer and to edit and

save RAW images in other formats.

Approved Memory Cards

The following cards have been tested and approved for use in the D50:

SanDisk

Toshiba

64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB

64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB

Panasonic

64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB

Operation is not guaranteed with other makes of card. For more details on

the above cards, please contact the manufacturer.

Memory Cards

• Format memory cards in the camera before ﬁrst use.

• Turn the power off before inserting or removing memory cards. Do not remove

memory cards from the camera, turn the camera off, or remove or disconnect the

power source during formatting or while data are being recorded, deleted, or cop-

ied to a computer. Failure to observe these precautions could result in loss of data

or in damage to the camera or card.

• Do not touch the card terminals with your ﬁngers or metal objects.

• Do not apply force to the card casing. Failure to observe this precaution could dam-

age the card.

• Do not bend, drop, or subject to strong physical shocks.

• Do not expose to heat, water, high levels of humidity, or direct sunlight.

114

Caring for the Camera

Storage

When the camera will not be used for an extended period, remove the

battery, and store the battery in a cool, dry area with the terminal cover in

place. To prevent mold or mildew, store the camera in a dry, well-ventilated

area. Do not store your camera with naphtha or camphor moth balls or in

locations that:

• are poorly ventilated or subject to humidities of over 60%

• are next to equipment that produces strong electromagnetic ﬁelds, such

as televisions or radios

• are exposed to temperatures above 50°C/122°F (for example, near a

space heater or in a closed vehicle on a hot day) or below –10°C (14°F)

Cleaning

Use a blower to remove dust and lint, then wipe gently with a soft,

dry cloth. After using the camera at the beach or seaside, wipe off

sand or salt with a cloth lightly dampened in distilled water and dry

thoroughly.

Camera

body

IMPORTANT: Dust or other foreign matter inside the camera may

cause damage not covered under warranty.

These elements are made of glass and are easily damaged. Remove

dust and lint with a blower. If using an aerosol blower, keep the can

Lens,

mirror, and vertical to prevent the discharge of liquid. To remove ﬁngerprints and

viewﬁnder other stains, apply a small amount of lens cleaner to a soft cloth and

clean with care.

Remove dust and lint with a blower. When removing ﬁngerprints

and other stains, wipe the surface lightly with a soft cloth or cham-

ois leather. Do not apply pressure, as this could result in damage or

Monitor

malfunction.

The Monitor

Should the monitor break, care should be taken to avoid injury caused by broken

glass and to prevent liquid crystal from entering your eyes and mouth.

The Control Panel

Rarely, static electricity may cause the control panel to brighten or darken. This does

not indicate a malfunction; the display will shortly return to normal.

115

The Low-Pass Filter

The image sensor that acts as the camera’s picture element is ﬁtted with a

low-pass ﬁlter to prevent moiré. Although this ﬁlter prevents foreign ob-

jects from adhering directly to the image sensor, under certain conditions

dirt or dust on the ﬁlter may appear in photographs. If you suspect that dirt

or dust inside the camera is affecting your photographs, you can check for

the presence of foreign objects on the low-pass ﬁlter as described below.

Remove the lens and turn the camera on.

Choose Yes for the Mirror Lock-Up option

in the setup menu ( 68). The message,

“Press shutter-release button” will be dis-

played.

Press the shutter-release button all the way

down. The mirror will be raised and the shut-

ter curtain will open, revealing the low-pass

ﬁlter, and a row of dashes will blink in the

control panel.

Holding the camera so that light falls on the

low-pass ﬁlter, examine the ﬁlter for dust or

lint. If there are foreign objects on the ﬁlter,

the ﬁlter requires cleaning. See the following

section.

Turn the camera off. The mirror will return to the down position and

the shutter curtain will close. Replace the lens or body cap and dis-

connect the AC adapter.

Use a Reliable Power Source

To prevent the camera from powering off while the mirror is raised, use a fully-

charged battery or an EH-5 AC adapter (available separately) for prolonged inspec-

tion or cleaning of the low-pass ﬁlter.

116

Cleaning the Low-Pass Filter

The low-pass ﬁlter is extremely delicate and easily damaged. Nikon recom-

mends that ﬁlter be cleaned only by Nikon-authorized service personnel.

Should you choose to clean the ﬁlter yourself, follow the steps below.

Raise the mirror as described in steps 1–3 on the preceding page.

Remove dust and lint from the ﬁlter with a

blower. Do not use a blower-brush, as the

bristles could damage the ﬁlter. Dirt that can

not be removed with a blower can only be

removed by Nikon-authorized service per-

sonnel. Under no circumstances should you

touch or wipe the ﬁlter.

Turn the camera off. The mirror will return

to the down position and the shutter curtain

will close. Replace the lens or body cap.

Servicing the Camera and Accessories

The D50 is a precision device and requires regular servicing. Nikon recommends that

the camera be inspected by the original retailer or Nikon service representative once

every one to two years, and that it be serviced once every three to ﬁve years (note

that fees apply to these services). Frequent inspection and servicing are particularly

recommended if the camera is used professionally. Any accessories regularly used

with the camera, such as lenses or optional Speedlights, should be included when the

camera is inspected or serviced.

117

Caring for the Camera and Battery: Cautions

Do not drop

Do not touch the shutter curtain

The product may malfunction if subjected to The shutter curtain is extremely thin and

strong shocks or vibration.

easily damaged. Under no circumstances

should you exert pressure on the curtain,

poke it with cleaning tools, or subject it to

powerful air currents from a blower. These

actions could scratch, deform, or tear the

curtain.

Keep dry

This product is not waterproof, and may

malfunction if immersed in water or ex-

posed to high levels of humidity. Rusting

of the internal mechanism can cause irrepa-

rable damage.

Handle all moving parts with care

Do not apply force to the battery-chamber,

card-slot, or connector covers. These parts

are especially susceptible to damage.

Avoid sudden changes in temperature

Sudden changes in temperature, such as

occur when entering or leaving a heated

building on a cold day, can cause conden- Cleaning

sation inside the device. To prevent conden- • When cleaning the camera body, use a

sation, place the device in a carrying case or

a plastic bag before exposing it to sudden

changes in temperature.

blower to remove dust and lint, then wipe

gently with a soft, dry cloth. After using

your camera at the beach or seaside, wipe

off any sand or salt using a cloth lightly

dampened with pure water and then dry

your camera thoroughly. In rare instances,

static electricity produced by a brush or

cloth may cause the LCD displays to light

up or darken. This does not indicate a

malfunction, and the display will shortly

return to normal.

• When cleaning the lens and mirror, re-

member that these elements are easily

damaged. Dust and lint should be gently

removed with a blower. When using an

aerosol blower, keep the can vertical (tilt-

ing the can could result in liquid being

sprayed on the mirror). If you do get a

ﬁngerprint or other stain on the lens, ap-

ply a small amount of lens cleaner to a

soft cloth and wipe the lens carefully.

• See “Cleaning the Low-Pass Filter” for in-

formation on cleaning the low-pass ﬁlter

Keep away from strong magnetic ﬁelds

Do not use or store this device in the vicinity

of equipment that generates strong elec-

tromagnetic radiation or magnetic ﬁelds.

Strong static charges or the magnetic ﬁelds

produced by equipment such as radio trans-

mitters could interfere with the monitor,

damage data stored on the memory card, or

affect the product’s internal circuitry.

Do not leave the lens pointed at the sun

Do not leave the lens pointed at the sun or

another sight source for an extended period.

Intense light may cause the image sensor to

deteriorate or produce a white blur effect in

photographs.

Blooming

Vertical white streaks may appear in pho-

tographs of the sun or other strong light

sources.

This phenomenon, known as

(

117).

“blooming,” can be prevented by reducing

the amount of light that falls on the image Storage

sensor, either by choosing a slow shutter • To prevent mold or mildew, store the cam-

speed and small aperture or by using an

ND ﬁlter.

era in a dry, well-ventilated area. If you will

not be using the product for long periods,

remove the battery to prevent leakage and

store the camera in a plastic bag containing

118

a desiccant. Do not, however, store the Turn the product off before removing or

camera case in a plastic bag, as this may disconnecting the power source

cause the material to deteriorate. Note Do not unplug the product or remove the

that desiccant gradually loses its capacity to battery while the product is on, or while

absorb moisture and should be replaced at images are being recorded or deleted. Forc-

regular intervals.

ibly cutting power to the product in these

• Do not store the camera with naphtha or circumstances could result in loss of data or

camphor moth balls, close to equipment in damage to product memory or internal

that produces strong magnetic ﬁelds, or in circuitry. To prevent an accidental inter-

areas subject to extremes of temperature, ruption of power, avoid carrying the product

for example near a space heater or in a from one location to another while the AC

closed vehicle on a hot day.

adapter is connected.

• To prevent mold or mildew, take the cam-

era out of storage at least once a month.

Turn the camera on and release the shut-

ter a few times before putting the camera

away again.

• Store the battery in a cool, dry place.

Replace the terminal cover before putting

the battery away.

Batteries

• Dirt on the battery terminals can prevent

the camera from functioning.

• When you turn the device on, check the

battery-level displayed in the control panel

to determine whether the battery needs

to be recharged or replaced. The battery

needs to be recharged or replaced when

the battery-level indicator is ﬂashing.

Notes on the monitor

• The monitor may contain a few pixels • When taking photographs on important

that are always lit or that do not light.

This is a characteristic common to all TFT

LCD monitors and does not indicate a

malfunction. Images recorded with the

product will not be affected.

occasions, ready a spare EN-EL3 battery

and keep it fully charged. Depending on

your location, you may ﬁnd it difﬁcult to

purchase replacement batteries on short

notice.

• Images in the monitor may be difﬁcult to • On cold days, the capacity of batteries

see in a bright light.

tends to decrease. Be sure the battery is

fully charged before taking photographs

outside in cold weather. Keep a spare

battery in a warm place and exchange the

two as necessary. Once warmed, a cold

battery may recover some of its charge.

• Should the battery terminals become dirty,

wipe them off with a clean, dry cloth be-

fore use.

• Do not apply pressure to the monitor; this

could cause damage or malfunction. Dust

or lint on the monitor can be removed

with a blower. Stains can be removed

by rubbing the surface lightly with a soft

cloth or chamois leather.

• Should the monitor break, care should be

taken to avoid injury due to broken glass

and to prevent the liquid crystal from the • After removing the battery from the cam-

monitor touching the skin or entering the

eyes or mouth.

era, be sure to replace the terminal cover.

• Used batteries are a valuable resource.

Please recycle used batteries in accord

with local regulations.

119

Troubleshooting

If the camera fails to function as expected, check the list of common prob-

lems below before consulting your retailer or Nikon representative. Refer to

the page numbers in the right-most column for more information.

Problem

Camera takes time to turn on.

Solution

Delete ﬁles or folders.

113

•Adjust viewﬁnder focus.

Viewﬁnder is out of focus.

Viewﬁnder is dark.

•Use optional diopter adjustment lens.

Charge battery or insert charged battery.

Choose longer monitor off or meter of

delays.

Displays turn off without warning.

100

—

Unusual characters displayed in See “A Note on Electronically Controlled

control panel Cameras,” below.

Displays in control panel or view- Displays are affected by high or low tem-

—

ﬁnder are slow and dim

peratures.

•Fine lines around active focus

area in viewﬁnder

•Viewﬁnder display turns red

These phenomena are normal and do not

indicate a malfunction.

—

Menu item is not displayed.

Select Detailed for CSM/Setup Menu.

Choose another mode or insert memory 11

Menu item is unavailable.

card.

101

NEF (Raw) or NEF+JPEG Basic selected for

image quality.

Image size can not be changed.

•Aperture not locked at highest f/-number.

•Memory card is locked.

•Memory card is full.

Shutter release is disabled.

•Flash is charging.

A Note on Electronically-Controlled Cameras

In extremely rare instances, unusual characters may appear in the control panel and

the camera may stop functioning. In most cases, this phenomenon is caused by a

strong external static charge. Turn the camera off, remove and replace the battery,

and turn the camera on again, or, if you are using an AC adapter (available sepa-

rately), disconnect and reconnect the adapter and turn the camera on again. If the

problem persists, press the reset switch (see right) and then reset the camera clock

to the correct date and time ( 68). In the event of

continued malfunction, contact your retailer or Nikon

representative. Note that disconnecting the power

source as described above may result in loss of any

data not recorded to the memory card at the time the

problem occurred. Data already recorded to the card

Reset switch

will not be affected.

120

Problem

Solution

•Camera is not in focus.

•Non-CPU lens: camera not in M mode.

Shutter release is disabled (con-

tinued).

•Mode dial rotated to S after shutter speed 43

of bulb selected in M mode: choose new

shutter speed.

•Replace battery in remote control.

•Choose remote control mode.

•Time selected for Remote has passed: 100

113

No photo taken when remote con-

trol shutter release is pressed.

reselect remote control mode.

•Bright light is interfering with remote.

•AF-Area Mode set to Closest Subjct

Can not select focus area.

•Monitor is on: camera in playback mode. 24

•Mode dial is rotated to or

•Continuous-servo AF is in effect.

AF-assist illuminator does not •Off selected for AF Assist.

light.

•Illuminator has turned off automatically. —

Illuminator may become hot with contin-

ued use; wait for lamp to cool down.

Slow shutter speeds not available. Flash raised (P, S, A, and M modes)

128

Focus does not lock when shutter- AF-C selected for Autofocus (P, S, A, and 34

release button is pressed halfway. M modes: use

Area shown in viewﬁnder is smaller Viewﬁnder has vertical and horizontal frame

button to lock focus.

—

than ﬁnal photo.

coverage of about 95%.

•Rotate focus-mode selector to AF.

•Camera unable to focus using autofocus: 34

use manual focus or focus lock. Camera 35

may not focus if focus area contains ob-

jects at different distances from camera

or subject is low contrast, contains highly

detailed or repeating patterns, is much

brighter or darker than background, or is

much smaller than objects in background.

Photos are out of focus.

Recording time increases.

Turn noise reduction off.

•Choose lower sensitivity.

•Shutter speed is slower than 1˝: use noise 78

reduction.

Randomly-spaced bright pixels

(“noise” appears in photos.

•Clean lens.

•Clean low-pass ﬁlter.

•Select P, S, A, or M mode and adjust white 49

balance to match light source.

•Select P, S, A, or M mode and adjust Opti- 48

mize Image setting.

115

116

Blotches appear on photos.

Colors are unnatural.

121

Problem

Solution

Can not measure white balance. Subject is too dark or too bright.

Image can not be selected as

Image was not created with D50.

source for preset white balance.

White balance bracketing unavail- NEF (Raw) or NEF+JPEG Basic selected for 31

able.

image quality.

Results for Optimize Image vary Select Custom and choose setting other than

from shot to shot.

Metering can not be changed.

Exposure compensation can not

be used.

Auto for Sharpening and Tone Comp.

Autoexposure lock is in effect.

Rotate mode dial to P, S, or A.

Continuous shooting ends unex- •P, S, A, and M modes: lower ﬂash.

pectedly. •Turn bracketing off.

RAW image is not displayed during Photo taken at image quality of NEF+JPEG

playback.

Basic.

•Select Yes for Rotate Tall.

•Photo was taken with Off selected for Im- 75

age Rotation.

•Camera orientation was changed while 75

shutter-release button was pressed in con-

tinuous mode.

“Tall” (portrait-orientation) photos

are displayed in “wide” (land-

scape) orientation.

•Camera was pointed up or down when 75

shot was taken.

•Photo is protected: remove protection.

•Memory card is locked.

Can not delete photo.

Select All for Playback Fldr. Note that

Current will automatically be selected 84

when next photo is taken.

Some photos are not displayed

during playback.

Photos are not displayed in moni-

tor after shooting.

Select On for Image Review.

•Memory card is full: delete photos.

•Memory card is locked.

Can not change print order.

Can not print pictures via direct

USB connection.

Set USB to PTP.

Photo is a RAW (NEF) image. Use Picture

Can not select photo for printing. Project or Nikon Capture 4 version 4.3 or 59

later (available separately) to print photo.

Photo is not displayed on TV.

Can not copy photos to computer. Choose correct USB option.

Can not use Nikon Capture 4 Cam-

era Control.

Choose correct video mode.

Set USB to PTP.

Date of recording is not correct. Set camera clock.

122

Camera Error Messages and Displays

This section lists the indicators and error messages that appear in the

viewﬁnder, control panel, and monitor when there is a problem with the

camera.

Indicator

Control View-

panel ﬁnder

Problem

Low battery.

Solution

Ready a fully-charged spare

battery.

Battery exhausted.

Replace battery.

Insert battery.

(blinks) (blinks)

(blinks)

Camera can not detect bat-

tery.

Camera clock is not set.

Set camera clock.

(blinks)

No memory card.

Insert memory card.

(blinks)

Memory insufﬁcient to record

further photos at current set-

tings, or camera has run out of

ﬁle or folder numbers.

Lens aperture ring is not locked Lock ring at minimum aperture

at minimum aperture.

• Reduce quality or size.

• Delete photographs.

• Insert new memory card.

(blinks) (blinks)

(blinks)

(largest f/-number).

Attach CPU lens (IX Nikkor ex-

No lens attached, or non-CPU cluded), or rotate mode dial to

105

(blinks)

lens attached.

M and use lens aperture ring to

set aperture.

●

Camera unable to focus using

(blinks) autofocus.

Focus manually.

•Choose lower sensitivity.

•Use optional Neutral Density 114

(ND) ﬁlter

• In mode:

Subject too bright; photo will

be overexposed.

S Increase shutter speed

A Choose smaller aperture 44

(larger f/-number)

123

Indicator

Control View-

panel ﬁnder

Problem

Solution

•Choose higher sensitivity.

•Use built-in ﬂash.

Subject too dark; photo will be •In mode:

underexposed.

S Lower shutter speed

A Choose larger aperture 44

(smaller f/-number)

•Flash required for correct ex- •Raise built-in ﬂash.

posure (P, S, A, M modes).

•Flash has ﬁred at full power ( •Check photo in monitor; if 24

blinks for three seconds after underexposed, adjust settings

(blinks)

ﬂash ﬁres) .

and try again.

Speedlight that does not

support i-TTL ﬂash control at-

tached and set to TTL.

Change ﬂash mode setting on 110

(blinks)

optional Speedlight.

127

selected in mode M Change shutter speed or select 43

and mode dial rotated to S. mode M. 45

selected in mode M and Change shutter speed or select 43

(blinks)

mode dial rotated to S.

mode M.

Release shutter. If error per-

sists or appears frequently,

consult with Nikon-authorized

service representative.

Camera malfunction.

—

(blinks)

124

Indicator

Control

panel

Monitor

Problem

Solution

Turn camera off and con-

ﬁrm that card is correctly 11

inserted.

NO CARD

PRESENT

Camera

memory card.

cannot

detect

• Error accessing memory • Use Nikon-approved card. 114

card.

• Check that contacts are —

clean. If card is damaged,

contact retailer or Nikon

representative.

THIS CARD

CAN NOT BE

USED

(blinks)

• Unable to create new • Delete ﬁles or insert new 11

folder

memory card.

• Card has not been format- • Format memory card.

ted for use in D50.

CARD IS NOT

FORMATTED

Memory card has not been

Format memory card.

formatted for use in D50.

FOLDER

CONTAINS

NO IMAGES

FILE DOES

NOT

• Memory card contains no •Insert another card.

images.

• Current folder is empty.

•Set Playback ﬂdr to All. 84

File has been created or

modiﬁed using a computer Delete ﬁle or reformat 11

CONTAIN

IMAGE DATA

or different make of camera, memory card.

or ﬁle is corrupt.

CARD IS

LOCKED

Memory card is locked (write Slide write-protect switch to

protected).

“write” position.

(blinks)

125

Appendix

Memory Card Capacity and Image Quality/Size

The following table shows the approximate number of pictures that can be

stored on a 256MB card at different image quality and size settings.

Buffer capacity²

Image

quality

NEF (Raw)

Image

File size

(MB)¹

5.0

No. of

images¹

Long Exp. NR Long Exp. NR

size

—

Off

2.9

JPEG Fine

—/L

1.6

0.8

1.5

0.8

0.4

0.8

0.4

0.2

123

258

137

233

464

258

423

770

JPEG Normal

JPEG Basic

NEF+JPEG Basic

5.8³

1All ﬁgures are approximate. File size varies with scene recorded and make of

memory card.

2Maximum number of frames that can be stored in memory buffer. Actual number

of photos that can be taken before buffer ﬁlls may vary with make of memory

card.

3Total ﬁle size of NEF (RAW) and JPEG images.

126

Exposure Program (Mode P)

The exposure program for mode P is shown in the following graph:

F (lens focal length) 55mm

135mm

Shutter speed

The maximum and minimum values for EV vary with sensitivity (ISO equivalency); the

above graph assumes a sensitivity of ISO 200 equivalent. When matrix metering is

used, values over 17¹3 EV are reduced to 17¹

/3 EV.

Flash Control ( 36, 109)

The following types of ﬂash control are supported when a CPU lens is used

in combination with the built-in ﬂash or an optional SB-800 or SB-600

Speedlight:

i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash for Digital SLR: Flash output is adjusted for a natural bal-

ance between the main subject and the background.

Standard i-TTL Flash for Digital SLR: Flash output is adjusted for the main subject;

the brightness of the background is not taken into account. Recommended for

shots in which the main subject is emphasized at the expense of background de-

tails, or when exposure compensation is used.

Standard i-TTL ﬂash control is used when Spot is selected for Custom

Setting 13 (Metering;

96) or exposure mode M is selected when the

built-in ﬂash is used. i-TTL balanced ﬁll-ﬂash for digital SLR is used in all

other cases.

127

Shutter Speeds Available with Built-in Flash

The following shutter speeds are available when the built-in ﬂash is used.

Mode

, P, A

Shutter speed

Mode

Shutter speed

/500–¹/60 s

/500–1s

/500–¹/125 s

S, M

/500–¹/30 s

Flash Range, Aperture, and Sensitivity

Flash range varies with sensitivity (ISO equivalency) and aperture.

Aperture at ISO equivalent of

Range

200

2.8

5.6

400

2.8

5.6

800

5.6

—

1600

5.6

—

1.0–7.5

0.7–5.4

0.6–3.8

0.6–2.7

0.6–1.9

0.6–1.4

0.6–0.9

0.6–0.7

3´3˝–24´7˝

2´4˝–17´8˝

2´–12´6˝

2´–8´9˝

2´–6´3˝

2´–4´7˝

2´–2´11˝

2´–2´4˝

—

Supported Standards

DCF Version 2.0: Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF) is standard

widely used in the digital camera industry to ensure compatibility among

different makes of camera.

DPOF: Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) is an industry-wide standard that

allows pictures to be printed from print orders stored on the memory card.

Exif version 2.21: The D50 supports Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format

for Digital Still Cameras) version 2.21, a standard that allows information

stored with photographs to be used for optimal color reproduction when

images are output on Exif-compliant printers.

PictBridge: A standard developed by in cooperation with the digital cam-

era and printer industries, allowing photographs to be output directly to a

printer without connecting the camera to a computer.

128

Speciﬁcations

Type

Single-lens reﬂex digital camera with interchangeable lenses

Effective pixels

6.1 million

CCD

23.7×15.6 mm; total pixels: 6.24 million

Image size (pixels)

•3008×2000 (Large)

•1504×1000 (Small)

•2256×1496 (Medium)

Lens mount

Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts)

Compatible lenses^*

Type G or D AF Nikkor All functions supported

Micro Nikkor 85mm

f/2.8D

All functions supported except autofocus and some expo-

sure modes

Other AF Nikkor^†

AI-P Nikkor

All functions supported except 3D color matrix metering II

and autofocus

Non-CPU

Can be used in mode M, but exposure meter does not

function; electronic range ﬁnder can be used if maximum

aperture is f/5.6 or faster

*IX Nikkor lenses can not be used

†Excluding lenses for F3AF

Picture angle

Equivalent in 35-mm format is approximately 1.5 times lens

focal length

Viewﬁnder

Diopter adjustment

Eyepoint

Fixed-eyelevel penta-Dach-mirror type

–1.6–+0.5m^–1

18mm (–1.0m^–1)

Focusing screen

Type B BriteView clear matte screen Mark V with superim-

posed focus brackets

Frame coverage

Magniﬁcation

Approximately 95% of lens (vertical and horizontal)

Approximately 0.75× (50-mm lens at inﬁnity; –1.0m^–1)

Reﬂex mirror

Quick return

Lens aperture

Focus-area selection

Lens servo

Instant return with depth-of-ﬁeld preview

Can be selected from 5 focus areas

•Autofocus (AF): Instant single-servo AF (AF-S); continu-

ous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); pre-

dictive focus tracking automatically activated according to

subject status

•Manual focus (M)

129

Autofocus

TTL phase detection by Nikon Multi-CAM900 autofocus

module with AF-assist illuminator (range approximately

0.5–3.0m/1´8˝–9´10˝)

Detection range

AF-area mode

–1–+19EV (ISO 100 at 20°C/68°F)

Single-area AF, dynamic-area AF, dynamic-area AF with

closest subject priority

Focus lock

Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button

halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button

Exposure

Metering

Matrix

Three-mode through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering

3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color

matrix metering II (other CPU lenses); metering performed

by 420-segment RGB sensor

Center-weighted

Spot

Weight of 75% given to 8-mm circle in center of frame

Meters 3.5-mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on

active focus area

Range

(ISO 100 equivalent,

f/1.4 lens, 20°C/68°F)

0–20EV (3D color matrix or center-weighted metering)

2–20EV (spot metering)

Exposure meter coupling CPU coupling

Exposure control

Operating mode

Digital Vari-Program ( auto,

portrait,

landscape,

child, sports, close up, night portrait), programmed

auto (P) with ﬂexible program; shutter-priority auto (S);

aperture priority auto (A); manual (M)

Exposure compensation –5–+5EV in increments of ¹/3 or ½EV

Bracketing

Exposure and/or ﬂash bracketing (up to 2EV over 3 ex-

posures)

Exposure lock

Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button

Shutter

Speed

Combined mechanical and CCD electronic shutter

30–¹/4000 s in steps of ¹/3 or ½EV, bulb, remote

Sensitivity

200–1600 (ISO equivalent) in steps of 1EV

White balance

Auto (TTL white-balance with 420 pixels RGB sensor), six

manual modes with preset white balance

Bracketing

3 exposures in increments of 1, 2, or 3

130

Built-in Speedlight

•

: auto ﬂash with auto pop-up

• P, S, A, M: manual pop-up with button release

•ISO 200: approximately 15/49 (manual 17/56)

•ISO 100: approximately 11/36 (manual 12/39)

Guide number

(m/ft at 20°C/68°F)

Flash

Sync contact

Flash control

TTL

X-contact only; ﬂash synchronization at up to ¹/500 s

TTL ﬂash control by 420-segment RGB sensor (CPU lenses only)

•Built-in Speedlight: i-TTL balanced ﬁll-ﬂash for digital SLR,

or standard i-TTL ﬂash for digital SLR (spot metering)

•SB-800 or 600: i-TTL balanced ﬁll-ﬂash for digital SLR, or

standard i-TTL ﬂash for digital SLR (spot metering)

Available with SB-800 with CPU lens

Auto aperture

Non-TTL auto

Available with such Speedlights as SB-800, 80DX, 28DX,

28, 27, and 22s

Range-priority manual Available with SB-800

Sync modes

•

: front curtain sync, red-eye reduction

: slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction

: front curtain sync and red-eye reduction available

with optional Speedlights

•P, S, A, M: front curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync,

red-eye reduction, slow sync with red-eye reduction

–3–+1EV in increments of ¹/3 or ½EV

Flash compensation

Accessory shoe

Nikon Creative

Standard ISO hot-shoe contact with safety lock

Supports Flash Color Information Communication and FV

lock with built-in Speedlight, SB-800, and SB-600. SB-800

and 600 also support Advanced Wireless Lighting.

Lighting System

Storage

Media

SD (Secure Digital) memory cards

File system

Compliant with Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF)

2.0 and Digital Print Order Format (DPOF)

•NEF (RAW): compressed 12-bit

Compression

•JPEG: JPEG baseline-compliant

Self-timer

Monitor

Electronically controlled timer with 2–20s duration

2.0˝, 130,000-dot, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD

with brightness adjustment

131

Video output

Can be selected from NTSC and PAL

USB 2.0 Hi-speed

External interface

Tripod socket

¼˝ (ISO)

Firmware upgrades

Firmware can be upgraded by user

Supported languages Chinese (Simpliﬁed and Traditional), Dutch, English, French,

German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian,

Spanish, Swedish

Power source

•One rechargeable Nikon EN-EL3 Li-ion battery; charging

voltage (MH-18a quick charger or optional MH-19 multi

charger): 7.4V DC

•EH-5 AC adapter (available separately)

Dimensions (W×H×D) Approximately 133×102×76mm (5.2˝×4.0˝×3.0˝)

Weight

Approximately 540g (1lb 3oz) without battery, memory

card, or body cap

Operating environment

Temperature

0–+40°C (+32–104°F)

Humidity

Less than 85% (no condensation)

• Unless otherwise stated, all ﬁgures are for a camera with a fully-charged battery

operating at an ambient temperature of 20°C (68°F).

• Nikon reserves the right to change the speciﬁcations of the hardware and software

described this manual at any time and without prior notice. Nikon will not be held

liable for damages that may result from any mistakes that this manual may con-

tain.

132

MH-18a Quick Charger

Rated input

AC 100–240V, 50/60Hz

Rated output

DC 8.4V/900mA

Supported batteries

Charging time

EN-EL3 rechargeable Li-ion batteries

Approximately 120min

Operating temperature 0–+40°C (+32–104°F)

Length of cord Approximately 1800mm (5´11˝)

Dimensions (W×H×D) Approximately 58×90×35mm (2.3˝×3.5˝×1.4˝)

Weight Approximately 80g (2.8oz), excluding power cable

EN-EL3 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery

Type

Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Rated capacity

7.4V/1400mAh

Dimensions (W×H×D) Approximately 39.5×56×21mm (1.6˝×2.2˝×0.8˝)

Weight Approximately 80g (2.8oz), excluding terminal cover

133

AF-S 18–55mm, f/3.5–5.6G Lens

Type

Type G CPU AF-S DX Nikkor zoom lens with Nikon mount

Supported cameras

Focal length

Nikon DX-format digital SLR cameras

18–55mm

Max. reproduction ratio 1:3.5–5.6

Construction

7 elements in 5 groups, including 1 ED glass element and

1 aspherical element

Zoom positions

18, 24, 35, 45, and 55mm

Distance information Supplied to camera body

Zoom

Zoom adjusted by rotating lens zoom ring

Focus

Autofocus with Silent Wave motor; manual focus

0.28m at all zoom positions

Min. focus distance

Aperture

Auto aperture

Aperture range

Metering

f/3.5–22 (18mm zoom); f/5.6–38 (55mm zoom)

Maximum aperture

Attachment diameter 52mm (P=0.75mm)

Dimensions (W×H×D) Approximately 69mm diameter×74mm (2.7˝×2.9˝)

Weight

Approximately 210g (7.4oz)

Lens hoods

HB-33 (available separately; attaches as shown below)

134

Battery Life

The number of shots that can be taken with a fully-charged EN-EL3 battery

(1400mAh) varies with the condition of the batteries, temperature, and how the

camera is used. The following measurements were performed at a temperature of

20°C (68°F).

Example 1: 2000 shots

AF-S DX ED 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6G lens; continuous shooting mode; continuous-

servo autofocus; image quality set to JPEG Basic; image size set to M; shutter speed

½50 s; shutter-release pressed halfway for three seconds and focus cycled from inﬁnity

to minimum range three times; after six shots, monitor turned on for ﬁve seconds

and then turned off; cycle repeated once exposure meters have turned off.

Example 2: 400 shots

AF-S DX ED 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6G lens; single-frame shooting mode; single-servo

autofocus; image quality set to JPEG Normal; image size set to L; shutter speed

½50 s; shutter-release pressed halfway for ﬁve seconds and focus cycled from inﬁnity

to minimum range once with each shot; built-in Speedlight ﬁred at full power with

every other shot; AF-assist illuminator lights when Speedlight is used; cycle repeated

once exposure meters have turned off; camera turned off for one minute with every

ten shots.

The following can reduce battery life:

• Using the monitor

• Keeping the shutter-release button pressed halfway

• Repeated autofocus operations

• Taking NEF (RAW) photographs

• Slow shutter speeds

To ensure maximum battery performance:

• Keep the battery contacts clean. Soiled contacts can reduce battery performance.

• Use EN-EL3 batteries immediately after charging. Batteries will lose their charge if

left unused.

135

Index

Symbols

. See Exposure compensa-

tion

Exposure compensation, 47

Exposure meters, 96. See also

Meter Off

CCD, 129

cleaning, 116–117

. See Flash compensation Clock, 69

Eyepiece cap, 13

. See Flash ready indicator

. See FV lock

CLOCK. See Clock

Closest subject priority. See

AF-area mode

Color Mode, 77

Color proﬁle. See Color

Mode

Computer, 59–61

Continuous shooting. See

shooting mode

Contrast. See Tone Comp.

CPU lenses, 105–106

Custom Settings, 87–100, 101

defaults, 87, 102

CSM. See Custom Settings

CSM/Setup Menu, 69

File No. Seq., 73

. See

Files. See image ﬁles

FINE. See Image quality

Firmware, 75

Mode, Digital Vari-Program

. See Remote control

. See Self-timer

Firmware Ver., 75

Flash, 18, 36–38, 109–112.