Nikon D2HNikon introduces an 8 frame/second speed demon, with WiFi connectivity and an amazing new flash system to boot!<<Optics :(Previous) | (Next): Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests>> Page 6:Exposure & FlashReview First Posted: 12/18/2003 |
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The D2H offers the many of the same (exceptional) exposure controls and
multiple options I liked so much on previous Nikon digital SLRs. First of all,
the D2H gives you a choice between Program AE, Manual, Aperture Priority, and
Shutter Priority exposure modes with shutter speeds from 1/8,000 to 30 seconds
available, as well as a Bulb setting for longer exposures (which doesn't appear
to be time-limited - I took test shots as long as three minutes). A very nice
touch is that, while in Program AE mode, you can rotate the Command dial to
select different combinations of aperture and shutter speed settings than those
normally chosen by the autoexposure system. (That is, if the automatic program
would have chosen 1/125-second and f/5.6, you could instead direct the camera
to use 1/60 at f/8 or 1/30 at f/11, to get greater depth of field.) This feature,
referred to as a "Flexible Program" mode, is a very handy option for
those times when you need some measure of increased control, but still want
the camera to do most of the work for you. You can also set the exposure step
size for adjusting the shutter speed, to one-third, one-half, or one full EV
unit, through the Custom Settings menu.
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An interesting feature when using Manual exposure mode is the electronic analog
exposure display visible in both the optical viewfinder and the top-panel data
readout. This shows the amount an image will be over- or underexposed, based
on the settings you have selected, and helps you find the best exposure for
the subject. I also liked the Command Lock feature (activated by pressing the
Command Lock button on the top panel) which locks the shutter speed and/or aperture
setting so that it is not accidentally changed when using the Command dial for
another purpose. (If you set either the shutter speed or aperture before activating
the Command Lock function, a "lock" icon will appear next to the corresponding
setting in both the viewfinder and data readout displays, and that setting can't
be changed until you change the Command Lock option.)
ISO can be set to a range of values from 200 to 1,600 via the ISO button on
the back panel, and to values of 3,200 or 6,400 by selecting the "Hi-1"
and "Hi-2" settings. Through the Custom Settings menu, you can also
activate an Auto ISO option, which disables the two high sensitivity settings.
The D2H's improved White balance system offers Auto (useful from 3,500K to 8,000K),
Incandescent (set to about 3,000K), Fluorescent (4,200K), Direct Sunlight (5,200K),
Flash (5,400K), Cloudy (6,000K), Shade (8,000K), Color Temperature (manually
selectable from 2,500K to 10,000K), and Preset (which allows you to manually
adjust the white value by using a white card or object as a reference point).
You can store as many as five Presets for instant recall. All white balance
settings can be adjusted from -3 to +3 units on an arbitrary scale by turning
the Sub-Command dial (on the front of the hand grip) while holding down the
White Balance button (with the exception of the Color Temperature and Preset
options, which are not adjustable). Higher values correspond to a decrease in
the camera's white point, in degrees Kelvin (meaning the images become "cooler"
in appearance). This is a very nice feature, as I often wish I could use one
of a camera's standard white-balance settings, though just a bit warmer or cooler.
To be sure, some experimentation would be required to familiarize yourself with
the impact of these tweaked white balance settings, but having them available
is a definite plus. In addition to manually tweaking the white balance, you
can automatically capture a bracketed series of images at different white balance
adjustments with one press of the Shutter button. Rotating the Command dial
while holding down the Bracket button lets you set the number of images in the
series. Pressing the Bracket button while rotating the Sub-Command dial lets
you set the adjustment variable between shots.
As flexible as they are, I found the D2H's white balance options one of the
few areas in which I was dissatisfied with the camera's performance. The much-vaunted
auto white balance system did seem to work pretty well under a variety of circumstances,
and did indeed appear to be less prone to being fooled by subjects dominated
by a particular color. What I can't understand is why Nikon limited the Auto
mode's range of usable color temperatures to a minimum of roughly 3500K. Conventional
incandescent lighting is far more warm-toned than this (household incandescent
lighting is typically in the range of 2400-2500K), so there's a vast range of
lighting environments likely to be encountered by working photographers that
the D2H's Auto white balance option won't be able to handle.
The Kelvin color-temperature white balance option is a powerful one, potentially
highly useful for those photographers equipped with color-temperature meters.
I found that the Kelvin-based white balance system worked well across a range
extending down to about 2800K, but below that, the D2H seemed to over-correct
somewhat, producing rather bluish-tinted images under 2500K lighting when the
2500K white-balance setting was used. It's possible that my aging Minolta color
meter wasn't reading the color correctly, but the meter, the D2H, and a Canon
EOS-1D all seemed to agree pretty well at the 2800K level. (Given that my color
meter is indeed rather old, I don't want to place too much emphasis on this,
but did want to at least mention it so prospective purchasers can be aware of
the potential issue, and check the camera out carefully with their own color
meters.)
The table below shows approximate white point temperatures in degrees Kelvin
for the various adjustments in each of the major white balance settings.
| Camera Display--> | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Direct Sunlight | 5,600 | 5,400 | 5,300 | 5,200 | 5,000 | 4,900 | 4,800 |
| Shade | 9,200 | 8,800 | 8,400 | 8,000 | 7,500 | 7,100 | 6,700 |
| Overcast | 6,600 | 6,400 | 6,200 | 6,000 | 5,800 | 5,600 | 5,400 |
| Incandescent | 3,300 | 3,200 | 3,100 | 3,000 | 2,900 | 2,800 | 2,700 |
| Fluorescent | 7,200 | 6,500 | 5,000 | 4,200 | 3,700 | 3,000 | 2,700 |
| Flash | 6,000 | 5,800 | 5,600 | 5,400 | 5,200 | 5,000 | 4,800 |
Three metering options are available on the D2H: 3D Color Matrix, Center-Weighted, and Spot. The 3D Color Matrix setting uses a 1,005-pixel CCD sensor (separate from the main image sensor) to meter exposure based on several areas in the frame (useful when brightly colored or very dark subjects occupy a significant portion of the frame). This is the same 3D Color Matrix metering system used on the Nikon F5 and the previous D1, D1X, and D1H models. Center-Weighted metering measures light from the entire frame but places the greatest emphasis on a circular area in the center. (You can adjust the size of the area through a Custom Settings menu option.) Spot metering is pretty self-explanatory, taking a reading from the dead center of the image (best when using the AE Lock function). The D2H has a nifty trick with spot focus though. With D-type lenses, and in the proper focus-area mode, the spot metering actually centers on the focus area selected, giving you the option for off-center spot metering. You can also link the spot with the center of the Group Dynamic Area setting.
Exposure
compensation on the D2H is adjustable from -5 to +5 exposure equivalents
(EV) in one-third step increments, and is controllable in all exposure modes.
(Through the Custom Settings menu, you can also opt for one-half or one full
step size.) The Auto Bracketing feature takes as many as nine shots of the
same subject with varying exposure values determined by either the photographer
in Manual mode or by the camera in all other modes. Exposure settings for
bracketing can vary from -2 to +2 EV (values are added to the already chosen
exposure compensation value), with step sizes of one-third, one-half, or
one EV unit, and the bracketing biased toward either underexposure, overexposure,
or centered around the main exposure value. Through the Custom Settings menu,
you can designate whether the bracketing sequence adjusts the exposure, the
flash, both flash and exposure, or white balance (described above). For an
exposure series, the camera doesn't automatically snap a series of images
with one press of the Shutter button. Instead, the exposure varies with each
subsequent press of the Shutter button, and an indicator on the top status
display panel reports where you are in the sequence. By pressing the Bracket
button and rotating the Command dial, you can set the number of images you'll
capture in the series. Pressing the Bracket button while turning the Sub-Command
dial sets the exposure increment each shot will vary by.
On
a more mundane level, the D2H has a self-timer feature that allows you to
set the time interval anywhere from two to 20 seconds, activated by fully
pressing the Shutter button.
An interesting feature is the Mirror-Up Mode (which replaces the Anti-Mirror
Shock mode on the D1H), accessed on the Drive dial. Mirror-Up raises the
mirror with the first press of the Shutter button, then captures the exposure
with a second press. The mirror is lowered automatically after the exposure.
(Obviously meant for times when the camera is on a tripod.) This mode allows
you to take images without worrying about extended shutter delay from an
arbitrary anti-vibration delay or any vibration from the mirror. The D2H
also offers image Sharpness, Tone Compensation (Contrast), Color Mode, and
Hue Adjustment options. The Sharpness setting has been expanded from the
D1H's offerings, and now includes Medium Low and Medium High options in addition
to the standard Auto, Normal, Low, High, and None settings. As with previous
camera models, the Tone Compensation option’s Custom setting allows
you to download a custom tone curve from your computer. (If no curve is downloaded,
the Custom setting defaults to the Normal setting.) The Hue adjustment offers
arbitrary adjustments from -9 to +9 degrees, set in three-degree increments.
Raising the Hue setting in the positive direction results in a stronger yellow
cast in the image, causing blues to shift toward neutral. Alternatively,
lowering the Hue setting to negative values introduces a blue cast, which
consequently shifts a yellow cast toward neutral. The Color Mode option allows
you to capture images in sRGB I or II, or Adobe RGB color. The first sRGB
setting is calibrated for portraits, while the second is better for nature
and landscape shots.
When reviewing images on the LCD monitor, you can pull up a histogram and
a highlight function to give you a complete readout on the exposure. This
is a useful tool to examine your exposure in the camera instead of waiting
to download images and then deciding to reshoot.
Continuous Shooting Mode
The D2H offers Low and High Speed Continuous Shooting modes, for capturing
rapid series of images. In Low Speed Continuous Shooting, the camera records
from approximately one to seven frames per second, for as long as the Shutter
button is held down. The actual frame rate and the number of shots in the
series is determined through the Custom Settings menu. High Speed Continuous
Shooting captures at a much faster rate, approximately eight frames per second.
Once the designated frame limit is reached, the camera won't record any more
photographs until at least one of the images is transferred from the buffer
memory to the memory card. Regardless of the set number of images in the
series, the amount of memory card space will ultimately limit the length
of the series if there's not enough room to store the number selected.
Voice Memo Mode
New on the D2H is a Voice Memo recording option, which lets you record
short sound clips up to 60 seconds to accompany captured images. You can set
the camera to automatically record voice memos after capture, or opt to manually
record memos by pressing and holding the Microphone button on the rear panel.
This can either be done immediately after capturing a photo, or can be done
whilst reviewing images at a later time.
Interval Shooting Mode
Another new feature on the D2H is Interval Shooting mode, which facilitates
time-lapse photography by taking a series of images at preset intervals. You
can set the starting and ending times for the series, as well as the amount
of time between shots and the total number of shots to be captured. This is
a good way to capture a timeline of slower events, such as clouds passing across
the sky, tidal changes, a flower opening, etc.
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Flash 
Like most professional SLRs, the D2H doesn't carry a built-in flash, but rather
is designed to work with external strobe systems, or Nikon Speedlights. The
camera features an external flash hot-shoe on its top panel, as well as a secondary
PC Sync socket on the front of the camera. The Flash button on top of the camera
accesses the five sync modes, which include Front Curtain Sync, Slow Sync, Rear
Curtain Sync / Slow Rear Curtain Sync (Aperture Priority and Program modes),
Red-Eye Reduction, and Red-Eye Reduction with Slow Sync. Just as these modes
sound, the camera times the flash exposure with either the opening or closing
of the shutter. Red-Eye Reduction simply means that a small pre-flash fires
before the full-strength flash to eliminate the effects of Red-Eye in portraits.
The Slow Sync setting times the flash with a slower shutter speed, which in
turn allows more ambient light into the frame.The SB-800 Speedlight
Simultaneous with the announcement of the D2H, Nikon also announced an
all-new Speedlight, the new SB-800. By far the most advanced integrated flash
system announced by Nikon (or anyone else, for that matter) to date, the
SB-800 features "i-TTL" wireless through-the-lens flash exposure
control when used with the D2H. - While the SB-800 can be used with other
Nikon cameras, many of its groundbreaking features are only available when
coupled with the D2H. (Although we can expect that this is a new standard
for Nikon Speedlights, so future camera bodies will doubtless also support
the full range of SB-800 features.
The new SB-800 offers a range of new features, including a new and highly advanced wireless control system by which multiple SB-800 speedlights can be controlled from a single master unit, with full wireless control over relative exposure levels between units, and full "i-TTL" through-the-lens metering. Other new features include a new Auto FP high-speed sync, flash color information communication for improved color accuracy, a flash value ("FV") exposure lock, and a new wide-area AF-assist illuminator that's tailor-made for the D2H's new 11-area Multi-Cam 2000 AF sensor unit.
One of the most technologically impressive aspects of the SB-800 is its use of Nikon's new Advanced Data Communication system, which uses rapid pulses of the flash units during the pre-flash metering period to pass setup and exposure information between multiple units. With this system, you can control four independent sets of SB-800 speedlights wirelessly from the camera itself. (No more crawling/climbing around to set exposure levels on remote flash units!) The four groups consist of the speedlight attached to the camera (the master), and three separate sets of remote units, each of which can consist of any number of SB-800 units for the ultimate in lighting flexibility. Settings for each group of speedlights are made via the control panel and large LCD panel on the Master unit attached to the camera. It deserves repeating that all speedlights in all groups can operate in i-TTL mode for completely automatic flash exposures, including relative exposure differences dialed-in for each group from the Master controller. (You can also run different groups in different flash modes if you'd like, setting two groups to i-TTL, and another to Manual mode, for instance.)
When you press the shutter button, the Master fires each group of speedlights in turn, collecting exposure information via the camera's TTL metering system. This exposure information is then integrated, power levels are set for all groups, and the shutter and speedlights are fired for the exposure itself. If it sounds like there's a lot going on, it's because there is, but the whole process takes only as much time as does the normal pre-exposure metering flash from a conventional "smart" strobe unit.
It's hard to overstate how effortless the SB-800 makes multi-flash lashups. If you've ever had to climb up and down a ladder or crawl behind a set a few dozen times to get flash levels set properly, you'll immediately understand the benefit of being able to set the exposure levels for up to 3 groups of remote strobes, without leaving the camera.
Wireless TTL multi-flash functionality is only part of the story though, as the SB-800 offers a range of other new features as well. Here's a list, copied from Nikon's marketing materials:
- Auto White Balance Adjustment using Flash Color Temperature
Information: The SB-800 achieves a high level of color accuracy
when used with the D2H digital SLR camera. With changes in the duration
of light emitted by a speedlight, there are slight variations of color
temperature. Using the D2H in Auto White Balance mode, the SB-800 communicates
these slight variations in color data back to D2H and the camera’s
auto white balance system implements the fine adjustment needed for
overall excellent white balance.
- FV-Lock: FV-Lock (Flash Value Lock) is comparable
to the way an AE-Lock functions in a camera. Once the camera measures
a correct flash value, the SB-800 locks this value until the photographer
resets it – helping to maintain the flash value for correct exposure
of the subject.
- Auto FP High-Speed Sync Flash: The SB-800’s Auto
FP function can automatically fire the speedlight in i-TTL mode at shutter
speeds up to 1/8,000 second, offering excellent opportunities to use
flash in bright light with fast aperture lenses. (My own note: This
is a really significant capability, as it makes delicate fill-flash
lighting possible even in full sunlight when using a f/2.8 lens.)
- Modeling Flash: A modeling flash feature in the SB-800
fires a stroboscopic burst of light for approximately one second, allowing
photographers to visually confirm lighting and shadow effects before
shooting.
- Quick Battery Recycle Pack: Included with the SB-800
Speedlight is the SD-800 Quick Battery Recycle pack that cuts recycling
time in the SB-800 to as short as 2.7 seconds for full power manual
flash.
- Additional features: Additional features in the SB-800 include zoom coverage, bounce and rotating flash head, large LCD read-out panel, accessory filters for special color effects and emulation of fluorescent and incandescent lighting, robust locking flash shoe, and autofocus assist light.
It's no stretch to say that the SB-800 is by far the most impressive flash system I've seen to date. It makes wireless, TTL-metered, multi-flash photography not only possible but easy. I expect Nikon will sell SB-800DXs by the thousands, and quite likely more than a few D2H bodies as well, simply because the D2H is currently the only Nikon camera that takes full advantage of the SB-800DX's incredible capabilities. (Truth be told, I think that the SB-800DX is a more revolutionary development than the D2H itself, it promises to have a greater impact on photographer's creative capabilities. The D2H does much the same things that previous digital SLRs did, just faster. The SB-800 offers entirely new capabilities that are more than just refinements on those of previous systems.)
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