A few friends asked me about my D7000 settings. So I just thought it will be nice to document all my settings neatly and share with everybody. Only settings that are different from the default are noted below. I mostly use the Programmed Auto (P) mode while shooting, so all the settings noted below are for that mode (where applicable). So here it goes. I have tried to be as thorough as possible. But add comments to let me know if I missed anything. [STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS; STAY TUNED].
Note: I have mentioned Nikon Capture NX 2 a number of times here. I am planning to document my computer work-flow (CNX2 is integral part of that) for my reference and for my friends' curiosity.
Menu Item/Setting | My preferences/Comments |
Playback Menu | |
Image Review | ON; I like to review images immediately after shooting. I don't have to press 'Play' button. |
Rotate Tall | ON; Auto-rotate images while playing back, so I don't have to. |
Shooting Menu | |
Role Played by card in Slot 2 | Backup; I use two identical 32GB cards in 2 slots. I use RAW files primarily (because I use Nikon Capture NX 2 for editing photos). But keep JPEGs around just in case I need to post something to Facebook etc. in a hurry. |
Image Quality | RAW+JPEG Basic; RAW for primary use. JPEG Basic mainly for uploading to Facebook or other places in a hurry. I discard JPEGs once RAWs are transferred to my main computer. In my opinion Capture NX 2 provides the best and most faithful RAW rendering (I've tried Lightroom on Windows and Aperture on Mac) for obvious reasons. |
Image Size | Large; I don't bother with lower resolution images. In case I have to crop some photo, smaller sizes are not convenient. |
JPEG Compression | Optimal Quality; I don't compromise on quality. |
NEF (RAW) Recording | Type: Lossless Compressed; NEF Bitdepth: 14bit; No compromise on quality. |
White Balance | Auto → Auto2 (Keep warm lighting colors) → A2 trim. I like warm colors, especially indoors. |
Set Picture Control | Vivid → Saturation +3; Saturated colors make photos more interesting. Since I shoot RAW and then use Capture NX2 to edit photos, these settings can be changed without any loss of image quality later. |
Auto Distortion Control | ON; This can be done in computer too with Capture NX 2, but setting it here means I have to remember one less thing. Since all my lenses are G or D, I leave it on always. |
Color space | Adobe RGB; Wider color gamut, better for editing. My work-flow includes color space conversion (to RGB) when I publish to web. If you don't want this hassle or don't have color management setup on your computer (Windows 7 now has very good support, MacOS always had this) then just use RGB. |
Active D-Lighting | Auto; This is a very good feature of Nikon cameras and it's getting better in successive camera models. Again I can change this setting on computer if required in Capture NX 2. |
Long exp. NR | Off; I don't bother with this as I rarely use long exposure. And can always get much better results on computer with Capture NX 2. |
High ISO NR | NORM; Plus I can use Capture NX 2 for higher quality NR. |
ISO sensitivity settings | ISO sensitivity: 100. Maximum sensitivity: 6400 Minimum shutter speed: 1/60 In D7000 noise is much less compared to older Nikon models (and even Canon). Images shot with ISO 6400 are quite usable. I change the minimum shutter speed setting to 1/30 or even 1/15 when I'm using a VR lens. |
Remote Control Mode | Quick-response remote; I use the ML-L3 wireless remote (~$15) and keep it tied to the camera neck strap). |
Custom Settings Menu | |
a5: Focus point wrap-around | ON; Very convenient when you're using a camera with 39 focus points. |
c1: Shutter-release button AE-L | ON; This comes handy when you have very high contrast patterns behind your objects. I just leave it on as in normal situations it doesn't hinder anyway. |
d2: Viewfinder grid display | ON; I like the grid to be always on, it helps in composing better photos. |
d3: ISO display and adjustment | Show ISO/Easy ISO; Knowing ISO value is much more important than knowing how many photos I can take. With Easy ISO, I can use the sub-command dial or main dial to quickly change ISO without going into menus. |
e1: Flash Sync Speed | 1/250s (Auto FP); I use SB-600 flash unit. Auto FP allows me to set any shutter speed when using SB-600 flash. |
| f1: Light Switch | Light and information display; The 'info' button is not as easy to reach, so prefer this arrangement. |
| f3: Assign Fn Button | Access to top item in MY MENU; The top item in My Menu is ISO Sensitivity Settings. I often change the minimum shutter speed depending on the scene and whether I'm using a VR lens or not. So need it handy. |
Setup Menu | |
Image Comment | ON; I set the image comment my website address and phone number. |
Copyright information | ON; I set Artist to email address and Copyright message to my address. |