Part 7. : Manipulating a digital camera
"Let's use the functions of a digital camera completely"

Some cameras in COOLPIX series have functions for ensuring a focusing, which are called "Focus Confirmation" and "Manual Focus". (Some cameras in COOLPIX series do not have these functions. For example, COOLPIX 775 does not have both functions.)

Focus Confirmation

Photo 1.1.A.
Choose Menu > Focus > Focus Confirmation

Photo 1.1.B.
When Focus Confirmation is off, an image on the LCD display looks like this

Photo 1.1.C.
When Focus Confirmation is on, an image on the LCD display looks like this.
So you can easily find an area where a subject is in focus.
(An actual image is not affected by the Focus Confirmation Indication
whether the Focus Confirmation Indication
is on or off.)

Focus Confirmation Indication is a function that enhances an edge of a focused portion of an image on the LCD display of a digital camera. This function greatly enhances details of the focused portion. The enhanced image looks different from an actual image. So when you capture an image, if you wonder whether the picture is well focussed while viewing the LCD display without the Focus Confirmation Indication, it's better to use the Focus Confirmation Indication.
Keep in mind that an image enhanced by the Focus Confirmation Indication on the LCD display is different from a real image. Most of all, a portrait image enhanced by the Focusing Confirmation on the LCD display may look worse, because appearance of skin grain and acne of a subject is fairly enhanced than usual. But real images, such as an image on a computer display and a print image, are not affected by the Focus Confirmation Indication.

Photo 1.2.
To focus on a subject in the Manual Focus mode, enter a subject distance value to a camera

Manual Focusing

When you cannot focus on a subject even by using the Focus-locking mode (cf. 2.1.2.) or the AF area mode (cf. 2.1.3.), or when you want to capture an image at a given subject-distance, the Manual Focus mode is convenient for you to set a distance between the lens front and a subject or your desired subject distance.
The Manual Focus mode is also convenient when you want to make a time-lag smaller in shutter release action. By setting a subject distance in advance, a time difference between a moment of shutter-button release and a moment of shutter opening can be made smaller to some degree.

Some cameras in COOLPIX series have functions for comfortable exposure metering. They are "Auto Exposure Bracketing" and "Manual Exposure mode" [M]. (Some cameras do not have these functions, for example, COOLPIX 775 has neither of them.)

Photo 1.3.
Choose Menu > EXP. > Auto bracketing

Auto Bracketing

Auto Bracketing function is a function that enables a camera to automatically capture some sequential images while varying an exposure for each image. Exposure is shifted like this, "a little brighter", "normal", and "a little darker". One way to capture an image in proper exposure is to capture plural images while shifting an exposure time for each shot. One of the captured images will be in the best exposure. Auto Bracketing can perform these operations automatically without using awkward Exposure Compensation.

Photo 1.4.
A user can manually set a combination of Shutter Speed and Aperture

Manual Exposure mode [M]

Nikon COOLPIX series have an Exposure Compensation range of + 2EV to - 2EV, which is an enough compensation capacity. But when you want to adjust exposure beyond the range of +/- 2EV, you can do it by manually setting Shutter Speed and Aperture. (cf. 2.2.1.). (Refer to 6.1.3. Fig. 1.3.B. as an example image)

Many people may have encountered troubles such as a noisy electronic sound and a sudden disappearance of an image on the LCD display during operations of a digital camera.
These operational troubles almost can be avoided by setting a camera properly. Nikon COOLPIX series have various settings in the SETUP menu.

Shutter Sound and Auto Off

Photo 1.5.A.
In the Set-UP menu, choose Shutter Sound and select ON or OFF

Photo 1.5.B.
In the Set-UP menu, choose Auto Off and set a time limit before the display turns off automatically

If an electronic sound annoys you, select OFF in the Shutter Sound screen. If sudden disappearance of an image on the LCD display annoys you, set a longer time limit in the Auto Off screen.
But keep in mind that the longer time limit causes much power consumption.

Brightness and Hue

Photo 1.6.A.
In the Set-UP menu, choose Monitor Options > Brightness/Hue

Photo 1.6.B.
Setting brightness of an image on the LCD display in the Brightness screen.
(COOLPIX 880)

Photo 1.6.C.
Setting hue of an image on the LCD display in the Hue screen.
(COOLPIX 880)

We often feel differences in color among an image on the LCD display, an image on a computer display, and a print processed by a digital printer. To avoid these difference, it is necessary to properly adjust a camera, a computer, and a printer.
This adjustment is called "color matching". The color matching needs knowledge, much time, patience, and, in some cases, money. So it may be difficult for beginners to adjust them.
Nevertheless, if the differences in color still annoy you, try to adjust brightness and hue of an image on the LCD display, comparing an image on the LCD display with a real subject, an image on a computer display, and a print. (In the case of COOLPIX 775, you can adjust both of brightness and hue only on the Brightness screen.

Photo2.2.
In the Shooting Menu, choose Image Adjustment

Image Adjustment has functions that modify contrast and brightness of images to obtain better images on a computer display or better prints processed by a digital printer.
Changes modified by the Image Adjustment are slight, so you need to view a display carefully to confirm the changes. This function is needed when you enlarge an image or obtain a good print.

More Contrast and Less Contrast

Photo 2.3.A.
Using More Contrast
in the Image Adjustment

Photo 2.3.B.
Image Adjustment is
Normal

Photo 2.3.C.
Using Less Contrast
in the Image Adjustment

"Contrast" is a difference in brightness in an image, i.e., a difference in brightness between a bright area and a dark area in an image.
Although changing contrast sometimes results in a change in brightness of the whole image, changing contrast is fundamentally to change a difference in brightness between two areas.

Lighten Image and Darken Image in the Image Adjustment

Photo 2.3.C.
Using Lighten Image
in the Image Adjustment

Photo 2.3.B.
Image Adjustment is
Normal

Photo 2.3.E.
Using Darken Image
in the Image Adjustment

Although the Image Adjustment is similar to the Exposure Compensation at a glance, the Image Adjustment does not decrease amounts of information in a white area and black area in an image.
The Image Adjustment is used to have a better result in image processing and printing.
For usual purposes, the Exposure Compensation is easier to use than the Image Adjustment.

Black & White

Unlike the Image Adjustment function, the Black & White function provides distinct effect. The Black & White function allows you to capture a monochrome image, which is recorded in tones of black to white.
Of course, it is impossible to restore a color image from a monochrome image.

Photo 2.3.B.
Image Adjustment is
Normal

Photo 2.3.F.
Using Black & White
in the Image Adjustment.
(In some digital camera manuals, Black & White is categorized as Saturation Adjustment.)

Photo 2.4.
In the Shooting Menu, choose Image Sharpening

Photo 2.5.A.
The enlarged portion of an image in which the Image Sharpening is set to High.
Sharpened letters on a newspaper is easy to read.
But sharpened edges of flowers looks unnatural

Photo 2.5.B.
The enlarged portion of an image in which the Image Sharpening is set to Off

For a digital image, which is formed by using an electrical signal, increasing or decreasing sharpness of edges of a subject is not so difficult.
When you want to sharpen edges of a subject, choose High. When you want to make an image soft, choose Off. Degrees of sharpness ranges from High to Off, that is, High > Normal > Low > Off.
At first glance, difference in sharpness is not so great. But if you view an enlarged image on a computer display, you can distinctly recognize difference in sharpness.
Keep in mind that the High sharpness setting makes an image unnatural.
These differences in sharpness are not reflected in an image on the LCD display. So confirm them on a computer display.

Photo 2.6.
In the Shooting Menu, choose Sensitivity

Photo 2.7.A.
The enlarged portion of an image in which the Sensitivity is set to ISO 100 equiv.

Photo 2.7.B.
The enlarged portion of an image in which the Sensitivity is set to ISO 400 equiv.

An imaging element of a digital camera doesn't have a fixed sensitivity like that in silver-halide film.
But, to know exposure instinctively when determining shutter speed and aperture, digital cameras also have a sensitivity setting as that in conventional cameras.
Setting the Sensitivity to High (i.e., large ISO number) allows you to use fast shutter speed and a large aperture value. So you can avoid a camera shake and use deep depth of field. But the high-sensitivity setting makes an image slightly blurred and noisy.
Sometimes it is said, "When a photographer uses high-sensitivity film in a conventional camera or sets a high sensitivity to a digital camera for a dark scene, he can take a bright image". But this is not true.
Strictly speaking, he cannot take a bright image but can take a non-camera-shake picture or non out-of-focus picture. Brightness of an image depends on the Exposure Compensation but not on the Sensitivity. For example, comparing Photo 2.7.A. (using sensitivity of ISO 100 equiv.) with Photo 2.7.B. (using sensitivity of ISO 400 equiv.), brightness of the two photos is approximately equal, and interestingly, the photo 2.7.B using a setting of ISO 400 equiv. looks slightly darker.

Photo 3.1.
In the Shooting Menu, choose Metering > Spot

A digital camera with an LCD display allows you to check a captured image just after shooting. If you don't like tones of the captured image, you can immediately retake an image by using the Exposure Compensation function.
So, I think that use of the Exposure Compensation results in better images instead of choosing a method in the Metering menu. From this point of view, it is said that the previously-described Auto Exposure Bracketing is a convenient function.
But if you want to capture an image having your desired tones with the first shot, it's better to have detailed knowledge about metering.
And you also need to know about exposure deeply in order to take better images.
Each metering method is as follows.

Matrix Metering
You can automatically capture a good image in a fairy wide range of light conditions. Note that this method is sometimes named as a different name among camera makers.

Spot Metering
Brightness in a narrow area of the screen is measured and then exposure is determined automatically.

Center-Weighted Metering
Brightness of the whole screen is measured in a center-weighted measuring way and then exposure is determined automatically.

Spot AF Area Metering
Brightness in an area around AF area in the screen is measured and then exposure is determined automatically.

In the Spot Metering, brightness within a rectangular area in the center of the screen is measured, and then exposure is determined automatically. Since brightness of the narrow rectangular area is applied to the whole image area, the brightness of the whole area varies depending on the brightness of the narrow area.

Examples of using Spot Metering

Photo 3.2.A.
If an image within a spot metering area is lighter......,

Photo 3.2.B.
The captured image becomes darker

Photo 3.2.C.
If an image within a spot metering area is darker......,

Photo 3.2.D.
The captured image becomes lighter

Photo 3.4.
In the Shooting menu, choose Continuos

Photo 3.5.
Examples of using Multi-Shot. An image includes 16 continuous shots

Photo 3.6.
One shot captured by using Movie is displayed on a computer display. (This is a still image and not a movie.)
When you buy a digital camera with a movie function, it is better to select a digital camera that enables auto focusing (AF) and auto exposure (AE) during movie-shooting

Some digital cameras have a function for capturing images at high speed to avoid missing a chance to take the best shot. Some digital cameras can movie-shoot a scene for ten and several seconds to several ten seconds.
In these cameras, image quality and an image size are sometimes limited, and a folder and a file are different from commonly used ones.
Check a user's manual in detail.

Now I have just come to the end of this issue. I may crammed too many things in this article. But I had to introduce many functions that are not always included in each product. If you want to know more details, please refer to a user's manual. Use each function as necessary. When you select a function meeting your purpose, you'll be able to capture a high-quality image.

The next issue will describe accessories. There are many kinds of accessories.