Nikon Coolpix 950 Digital Camera
Contents
1. SETOSHUTTER The chosen setting will be in effect whenever the camera is in M REC mode The current setting is indicated by an icon in the M REC menu In modes other than single icons indicating the multi shot mode also appear in the control panel and LCD monitor A setting of VGA SEQUENCE is indicated by the li icon together with the image size indicator VGA and the image quality indicator NORMAL The COOLPIX 950 is equipped with a memory buffer for temporary storage of photos during shooting This allows you to take several photographs in succession as you would with a traditional film camera without waiting for the images to be transferred to the memory card The number of images that can be stored in the buffer depends on the quality and size of the images When the buffer becomes full there will be a short pause while the camera transfers images to the card for permanent storage The time required depends on the number of images in the buffer and the speed of the CompactFlash memory card Do not remove the memory card from the camera while images are being transferred from the buffer to the card Doing so could result in loss of data or in damage to the camera or the card Be sure the camera is off before removing the memory card 16 Taking Photographs Multi shot Photography CONTINUOUS Best Shot Selection BSS The COOLPIX 950 offers a best shot selection BSS function that compensates for camera movement When this funct2. are outlined below Details may be found in the CD Heference Manual LCD Brightness all modes Choose to makethe lt jBK LCDBRIGHT LCD monitor darker or to make it brighter Normal brightness can be restored by selecting 0 Sound all modes This option controls the beep made by the camera when operations are performed LCD on off M REC Controls how the LCD monitor lt jBK ep o i Y will behave when the mode dial is set to M REC The ON AT STARTUP following settings are available ON amp C AF ON amp C AF the LCD monitor remains on and the ON amp S AF camera focuses continuously until the shutter re EASY GE WIE lease button is half pressed Photos are displayed in i E X i mui iie the monitor after shooting SETOSHUTTER ON amp S AF as above but the camera only focuses when the shutter release button is pressed half way FAST REVIEW as for ON amp C AF but photos are not displayed in the LCD monitor after shooting REVIEW ONLY monitor comes on only to display photographs immediately after they are taken LCD OFF monitor remains off while the camera is in M REC mode Other Camera Functions Camera Setup 21 Controls PLAY By default the zoom out W button lt jBK CONTROLS is used to move the highlight bar down through the menus and the zoom in T button to move itup This relationship is reversed when the MENU DIR option is MENU DIR checked See below for a descri
3. comes on Items can be highlighted using the zoom buttons and selected using the shutter release button You can page through menus that have multiple pages by pressing the MENU button To clear a menu from the screen highlight BK and press the shutter release button or press the MENU button 10 until the menu disappears Taking Photographs Lighting White Balance Different lighting conditions may change how the whites in your photographs look This is called white balance The COOLPIX 950 automatically adjusts white balance when the shutter release button is half pressed to produce natural coloration If desired a white balance program suited to specific light sources can be selected The COOLPIX 950 offers the following white balance programs AUTO This setting is suited to the widest variety of light A Sources White preset This option allows you to set white balance by m aiming the camera at a white object such as a piece of paper and selecting MEASURE from the WHITE PRESET submenu Alternatively you can select CANCEL from the submenu to use the white balance setting from the photo previously taken Sunny Use this setting when taking photographs out doors in bright sunlight Incandescent Use this setting when taking photographs in ahs doors under incandescent light Fluorescent Use this setting when taking photographs in S doors under fluorescent light Cloudy Use this setting when taking photographs out a doo
4. rapidly In this case use focus lock to focus on an object at the same distance from the camera as your subject then recompose your photograph Alter natively you can use a focus setting of Infinity or one of the manual focus settings available in M REC mode see the Fast Track Guide Note that if the monitor is off you will not be able to take photographs while the AF lamp is blinking Getting good results with autofocus Autofocus performs best when There is contrast between the subject and the background For example autofocus may not perform well on subjects that are the same color as the background The objects in the focus brackets are all at the same distance from the camera The subject is motionless The subject is evenly lit e The subject is well lit the subject should not however be too much brighter than the background Autofocus mode The autofocus system operates in one of two modes continuous or single In continuous AF mode the camera adjusts focus continuously so that the camera is ready to take a photo at any time Note however that this allows you to take pictures even when the camera is not focused check the AF lamp before shooting In single AF mode the camera focuses only when the shutter release button is pressed half way This saves battery power but there will be a slight delay before the camera is ready to take a picture In A REC mode the autofocus mode is determined by whether the LCD mon
5. will need to buy an adapter before you will be able to connect the cable To users of iMac computers TheiMacis not equipped with a serial port To connectthe camera with your computer you will require a serial board or a USB serial adapter If you are unable to connect the camera to a computer you can still transfer photos from the memory card to your computer using a CF card reader If your computer is equipped with a PC card slot you can use the CA 20 card adapter available separately to read photos from the memory card see the Reference Manual for details 28 Nikon View Connecting Your Camera to a Computer 3 If your computer is a Macintosh connect the adaptor to the other endofthe cable then connectthe adaptor to your computer s printer or modem port oh gt EN _ When the cable is connected to the camera and the camera is turned on the borders of the number display in the control panel will light up The LCD monitor and all other indicators apart from the battery indicator will be off and all camera functions will be disabled Normal functioning will be restored when the serial cable is unplugged Consult the Nikon View Reference Manual for your platform for infor mation on using Nikon Viewto browse the photographs in the camera s memory or to copy images to your computer While data are being transferred between the camera and your comput
6. Nikon DIGITAL CAMERA COOLPIX 950 Pocket Guide Contents OVOIVIOW 5 Taking Photographs 22 es 5 COMPOSITION GME FOCUS tic etit ee rete eerte ee PE Rea rosa ru rada 6 ME a E EE 9 WEEE O E 9 White Balance eccentric i ik Ree R 11 IMAGES Adjustment e eg eme nhe tei 13 Multi shot Photography CONTINUOUS sseeem 15 Best Shot Selection BSS seen 17 Other Shooting OPTIONS gt cries redeem e nr eee wets 18 aleh olo e QUEM MD 19 Phioto Inforrnation ttr ee 19 The PlaylbodckNIGrU itutte dro toeoteste uter omatus e Pes aaa sales 19 Other Camera Functions ssss 21 COME Setup einer a eee Hae a e na 21 Saving and Clearing Settings encesa iaaa Eii 24 USING FOIGSIS aa aana ta aaa EAEAN EO LEALE nia ccs 25 NIKOM Ve W a XLI Ud a DL dd odo da 27 Nikon View Software Manuals ssseeee e 27 Connecting Your Camera to a COMPUTED cere 28 Contents of the COOLPIX 950 Refer ence Manual on CD OVOIVIOW 2 n vececs H T SEE AE FICEEE MET TATE S E ERHA RU MES CHER AERE ER US 3 dijo 4 Putting Batteries in Your Carnera seeeeee mnn 4 Inserting and Removing Memory Caras veer 5 Choosing a Language for the Menus ssseenee 5 Setting the Time and Date creer 6 Taking Your First Photographi ensenen oneee iaer e 7 Using the Buttons A REC M REC 11 FICS SOTHIMGIS e 11 FOCUS Se
7. OLPIX 950 offers a menu of playback options that can be used when viewing photographs stored in the memory card This section outlines some of these options Playback is described in greater detail in the CD Reference Manual Photo Information When the mode dial is set to PLAY the most Date and Folder name time of File no and recording type recently recorded photograph will appear in the LCD monitor The LCD monitor will also display the photo information shown at right More information on the camera settings used to take the photograph can be obtained by turning the command dial Image size Frame no and quality total shots visible The Playback Menu To display the playback menu rotatethe mode IBK prav BACK dial to PLAY and press the MENU button PELETE d Operations specific to playback are described SLIDESHOW below Camera setup and folder options are PROTECT HIDE IMAGE described in the following chapter PRINT SET SET UR T gt SHUTTER mis S If the menu does not appear when you press the MENU button press the MONITOR button until the LCD monitor comes on Items can be highlighted using the zoom buttons and selected using the shutter release button To clear a menu from the screen highlight BK and press the shutter release button or press the MENU button until the menu disappears Playback The Playback Menu 19 Delete Delete selected pictures folders or all photos in memory This m
8. REC M REC and PLAY menus to display a menu similar to that shown at right If more than one folder exists on the memory card currently in the camera select the folder that will be used for playback or to store subsequent photo graphs in A REC and M REC modes To select a folder simply highlight it using the zoom buttons and press the shutter release button The folder options menu To create a new folder or to rename or delete existing folders choose OPTIONS from the FOLDERS menu The menu shown atright will be displayed Other Camera Functions Using Folders Bk FOLDERS OPTIONS NIKON APRIL SHOW SETOSHUTTER lt BK NEW Ud RENAME OPTIONS i DELETE SETOSHUTTER 25 Creating new folders Choose NEW from the OPTIONS menu to display the window shown at right where you can enter a name for the new folder Highlight letters using the command dial and press the zoom buttons to change the high lighted letter Press the shutter release button when the last letter is highlighted to create a folder with the specified name and return to normal viewing mode Until another folder is selected from the FOLDERS lt BK NEW SETOSHUTTER menu all subsequent photographs will be stored in the new folder To exit the window without creating a new folder press MENU or use the command dial to highlight BK then press the shutter release button to return to the FOLDERS menu Renamin
9. S LIGHTING SHOOTING Optical Continuous Metering Multi shot zoom autofocus White mode Digital Single balance Best shot zoom autofocus mage selection Autofocus adjustment lock Overview 5 Composition and Focus The COOLPIX 950 is equipped with motor driven x3 optical zoom linked to the viewfinder This feature can be used to frame photo graphs either in the viewfinder or the LCD monitor Photographs can be enlarged electronically a further 1 25 1 6 2 0 or 2 5 times using digital zoom Focus can be adjusted according to your composition Autofocus can be used to adjust focus automatically to match the distance to your subject A variety of manual focus settings are available for situations in which autofocus may not produce the desired results as for example when your subject is poorly lit see the Fast Track Guide This section describes how to compose photographs using zoom and how to get the best results with autofocus Framing Photographs Photos can be framed in the viewfinder or LCD monitor using the zoom buttons Press the zoom in button T to magnify the subject so that only a portion of it fills the frame or use the zoom out button W to expand the field of view so that more of the subject is visible While the zoom switch is pressed an indicator showing the amountof zoomis displayed in the LCD monitor In digital zoom image data from the CCD are processed digitally enlarging t
10. detailing operation To view the Quick Start Guide insert the reference CD provided with your camera into your computer s CD ROM drive Then double click the qkstart html icon to start your web browser where the manual will be displayed the Quick Start Guide can be viewed with Netscape Naviga tor version 2 0 or higher or Internet Explorer version 3 0 or higher for those who do not have a suitable browser a README text file is provided describing installation The reference manuals can be accessed by following the instructions in the Quick Start Guide Nikon View Nikon View Software Manuals 27 Connecting Your Camera to a Computer The COOLPIX 950 can be connected to an IBM compatible computer PC using the serial cable provided An adapter is also provided for connection to Macintosh computers To connect the camera follow these steps 1 Connect the cable to the camera as shown at right 2 Ifyourcomputeris an IBM compatible con nectthe other end of the cable directly to the computer s serial port p Both the camera and the computer can be on when the serial cable is connected or disconnected but do not disconnect the cable while data transfer is in progress To users of IBM compatible computers The cable provided is for connection to a male 9 pin serial connector standard on many IBM compatibles Your PC may however use a different type of serial connector in which case you
11. e flash is set to Off when BSS is on Taking Photographs Best Shot Selection BSS 17 Other Shooting Options In addition to items outlined above the M REC menu offers the shooting options listed below See the Reference Manual for details Digital zoom DIGITAL TEL By default the camera BK p rELE automatically enters digital zoom mode when the AUTO zoom in button T is held down for two seconds at the ELTE maximum optical zoom position see Composition X Ea and Focus in this chapter In M REC mode you can choose a fixed setting for digital zoom making it OFF possible to change optical zoom while digital zoom is SETOSHUTTER in effect Digital zoom only takes effect when the LCD monitor is on BLACK amp WHITE Choose YES to shoot photos in lt BK B amp W black and white Choose NO for color photography NO VES SET SHUTTER Lens converter LENS This menu offers a choice of settings suited to the lens adapters available separately for the COOLPIX 950 These settings are described in the Reference Manual AE LOCK Locks exposure and white balance allow lt BK AE LOCK ing you to produce a series of photographs with con sistent color balance and exposure The flash is setto ASE a off when AE LOCK is in effect ON RESET SETOSHUTTER 18 Taking Photographs Other Shooting Options Playback In addition to the playback features described in the Fast Track Guide the CO
12. e lowest number available on the current card choose RESET Choose OFF to restore normal filename assignment Card format A REC PLAY Formats compact flash memory cards for use in the COOLPIX 950 note that this erases all data on the card The card format option for M REC mode is located in the second page of the main M REC menu rather than in the setup menu ON RESET Date all modes The camera s internal clock calen DATE dar puts time stamps on your photographs The DATE n W D menu at right is used to set this clock calendar to the REX os 20 current time and date Use the command dial to y highlight the item to be changed and the zoom switches 29 95 to change its value To change the order in which the year month and day are displayed highlight Y M D SET 3 SHUTTER e and use the zoom switches to select a new order Pressing the shutter release button when Y MD is selected sets the clock calender to the specified values Language M REC PLAY Choose the language for the menus from German Deutsch English French Frangais and Japanese Other Camera Functions Camera Setup 23 Saving and Clearing Settings The M REC menu provides the following options for saving camera settings and restoring settings to their default values USER SET The COOLPIX 950 can memorize upto lt jBK USER SET three combinations of settings including metering e white balance BSS AUTO multi shot ima
13. enu can also be used to delete printer information files created using the PRINT SET option see below Todelete selected images choose SELECTED from the delete menu then choose the photos to be deleted from a thumbnail menu Slideshow Photographs are displayed one after the other in the order taken Choosing SLIDESHOW from the playback menu displays a start screen Highlight START and press the shutter release button to start the slideshow The time each image is displayed can be altered by selecting FRAME INTVL to display a menu of interval settings Protect This item is used to protect selected pictures from deletion The images to be protected can be chosen from a thumbnail menu Protected pictures are marked with a icon when played back on the camera and have read only status when viewed on a computer Hide This item is used to conceal selected pictures during playback and slide shows Choose the images you want to hide from a thumbnail menu Hidden pictures can only be seen from mE hide image menu Si They are treated as hidden files when viewed from a computer Print setup This item is used when you want to print images using a DPOF compatible printer or print ser vice After you have selected the images you want to print from a thumbnail menu a menu of print options will be displayed from which you can select the num ber of copies to be printed and whether to print the date of recording on the photos This infor
14. er the borders of the number display in the control panel will flash on and off in sequence to form a marching ants marquee Do not unplug the serial cable while data transfer is in progress Do not use Nikon Viewwith the camera while battery power is low or the batteries are exhausted If the battery indicator changes to low or starts to flash while the camera and computer are connected wait for the borders of the number display to stop flashing then disconnect the camera and replace the batteries or connect the AC adapter sold separately Nikon View Connecting Your Camera to a Computer 29 30
15. g existing folders Choose RENAME from the OPTIONS menu to display a list of user created folders the folder name NIKON can not be changed Highlight the folder you want to rename and press the shutter release button The name of the selected folder will be displayed allowing you to change the name as described in Creating New Folders Deleting folders Folders can be deleted using the DELETE option in the playback menu or from the OPTIONS menu Select DELETE FOLDER from either menu to bring up a list of user created folders the NIKON folder can not be deleted Selectthe folder you would like to delete and press the shutter release button A confirmation mes sage will appear select YES to delete the folder or NO to exit Note that all photographs in the folder will be lt IBK RENAME APRIL SHOW SETOSHUTTER lt IBK DELETE APRIL SHOW SETOSHUTTER permanently erased when a folder is deleted Folders containing hidden or protected files can not be deleted 26 Other Camera Functions Using Folders Nikon View This chapter describes how to connect your camera to a computer running Nikon View version 2 or later required Using Nikon View you can view or print the photographs stored in your camera s memory or copy photographs to your computer for long term storage Nikon View Software Manuals The Nikon View manuals come in two parts a Quick Start Guide covering installation and a reference manual
16. ge adjustment best shot mode SETOSHUTTERe amp digital zoom lens converter autoexposure and white balance lock By default whenever you change any of the above settings in M REC mode the changes are automatically saved as Set 1 These settings are restored when the mode dial is next set to M REC To record additional combinations of settings select USER SET in the M REC menu and rotate the command dial until the number 2 or 3 appears next to the USER SET item Any changes you make to settings will be recorded under the new number The settings recorded for the current settings number are shown in the USER SET menu which can be accessed by pressing the shutter release button when USER SET is highlighted RESET ALL Restores to their default values any M REC options modified by the user Language date MENU DIR and DIST FT settings are not affected 24 Other Camera Functions Saving and Clearing Settings Using Folders By default photographs taken with the COOLPIX 950 are stored in the memory card in a folder labeled NIKON To make it easier to locate photographs during playback you can create additional folders and organize your photographs by theme The FOLDERS menu enables you to select the folder in which subsequent photographs will be stored or to choose the folder from which photographs will be played back You can also create folders rename existing folders or delete folders Select FOLDERS from any of the A
17. he center portion of the image to fill the frame Unlike optical zoom digital zoom does not increase the amount of detail visible in the photograph Instead details visible at maximum zoom are enlarged producing a slightly grainy image In addition to the automatic digital zoom described in this section M REC mode offers fixed settings for digital zoom of 1 25 1 6 2 0 or 2 5 times This allows you to set a value for digital zoom and then use optical zoom to compose photos To use turn the mode dial to M REC and select DIGITAL TELE from the shooting menu then choose the desired magnification This setting will take effect whenever the mode dial is set to M REC To restore automatic digital zoom choose AUTO from the DIGITAL TELE menu more information on menu operations may be found below 6 Taking Photographs Composition and Focus Automatic Digital Zoom At the maximum optical zoom position hold the T button down for two seconds to trigger digital zoom While digital zoomis in effect the zoom indicator and the green AF lamp will blink and the amount of magnification pro duced by digital zoom will be displayed to the right of the zoom indicator Four settings from x1 25 to x2 5 can be selected using the T and W buttons to increase or decrease the magnification To restore optical zoom press the W button until the digital zoom indicator disappears Note that digital zoom is only available when the LCD monitor is on or
18. in feet If this item is not checked distance will be shown in meters Auto off all modes To save power the LCD monitor lt jBK AUTO OFF will turn off if no operation is performed for a specified period of time The monitor will remain off until the ze MONITOR button is pressed or the shutter release 5 M button is pressed half way The length of time the LCD 30M monitor will remain on can be changed using AUTO OFF Two settings are available one for playback and SETOSHUTTER the other for A REC and M REC modes 22 Other Camera Functions Camera Setup SEQ XFER M REC Photographs taken by the IBK sfa XFER COOLPIX 950 are stored as image files Each file is assigned a name which includes a four digit number Because no two photographs on any given memory OFF card will have the same number at the same time there is no possibility of confusion so long as you continue to use a single memory card without format SETOSHUTTER amp ting it If you format the card or use a new card however a number previously assigned may be used again If you then copy the new photograph to a computer on which you had saved the earlier photograph the earlier photograph may be overwritten To prevent this select ON from the SEQ XFER menu Numbers will then continue to be assigned in ascending order starting from the lowest available number and continuing to a maximum of 9 999 even when a new card is inserted in the camera To reset the number to th
19. ins nete eem aei ce se o RR CREER as 13 UsinGsthe SelfsTl ter 3 ee efte reet aa cb e aae ane ates 15 Image Quality and Size oo ieee eme 16 Ni ja u a 17 Exposure MIOGO 7 utres trit dr ete eh reet bred b PEE E Cir ens 18 Using the Buttons PLAY 20 The Camera MONS s 22 The REC MODUS eode he P edet eat e tr Ru TE S c evn eee 22 Using Folders A REC M REC ssseeee 23 EC DBrIgEiTIY8SS sis a ne et ERE PHAR EE EM Prts 25 Sourid Settings 2 x eg e dpa ren a I e ul C etes 26 PUTO OT Steeda EEE EE te onstia T A ty eedenatenuahenntenags 26 Formatting Memory Cards esssseeeeemmeeemns 27 Thi MERECZ MERU 3 iiid ce trit de ecce d te trit awed iene Pru 28 Digital Zoom DIG IEEE heme tei a oett ts 30 Black and White Photography seen 3 Lens Converter Settings LENS sesee 32 Making a Panorama Tips AE LOCHK seeeee 33 User SSNS eite ret ent ene rix gib te st P e ur e tra 34 Restoring Default Settings cities 35 LED On OF nico iem apre ri mmi er ERE 36 The Controls Menu M REC e emnes 37 SEQ XEER E tava eate sire Ee RR RAM EUR EROR RR 38 The Playback Menu essem eem nemen 39 Deleting Multiple Photographs seee 40 Using Folders Playback sse 42 MASSON P 42 Protecting Photographs from Deletion ssssse 43 Hiding Photographs During Playback ccc 44 Prepa
20. ion is on the camera shoots photos as long as the shutter release button is held down to a maximum of ten The camera then compares the images and selects the photo with the highest level of detail Only this image is saved to the memory card Turning BSS on and off Best shot selection is only available in M REC mode To turn BSS on or off 1 Turn the mode dial to M REC 2 Press the MENU button to display the shoot Grecia ing menu 3 Using the zoom buttons highlight BEST SHOT DIGITALTELE 4 To change the setting either rotate the command dial press the MENU EET SER button twice to return to shooting mode once you have adjusted settings to your satisfaction or press the shutter release button and E3 choose NO BSS off or YES BSS on Cd from the BEST SHOT menu SHOOTING WHITE BAL METERING CONTINUOUS IMG ADJUST BESTSHOT lt IBK BESTSHOT NO SETSSHUTTER amp The chosen setting will be used whenever the camera is in M REC mode When best shot selection is on a check mark appears next to the BEST SHOT item in the shooting menu and a BSS indicator appears in the LCD monitor BSS can be usedin situations in which inadvertent camera movement may affect the outcome of the photograph for example when the camera is zoomed in macro close up is used or shutter speed is low BSS may not produce the desired results with a moving subject or if you change the composition during shooting Th
21. itor is on or off continuous AF is used when the monitor is on single AF when it is off These settings can be changed in M REC mode see page 21 of this manual for more information 8 Taking Photographs Composition and Focus Lighting The COOLPIX 950 offers a number of functions for dealing with different lighting conditions In addition to the flash sensitivity and exposure compensation settings discussed in the Fast Track Guide you can use metering white balance and image adjustment to cope with different lighting conditions or produce a variety of lighting effects Metering The camera measures the amount of light available and adjusts exposure accordingly using one of the three metering methods listed below Exposure is fixed when the shutter release button is half pressed exposure lock Matrix rN KJ Center weighted 9 Camera measures the brightness and contrast of the scene in 256 ar eas of the frame and adjusts exposure to a levelthatcaptures both bright and shaded por tions of the image Camera measures light only in a small area at the center ofthe frame shown by a square in the LCD monitor Camera measures light in the entire frame but assigns greatest weight to center portion Taking Photographs Lighting This setting is best for general use Exposure is calculated by com paring measurements from 256 areas of the scene with a reference library of typical com positions prod
22. mation will be recorded on the memory card for use when the card is inserted in an DPOF compatible printer DELETE SELECTED ALL FOLDER PRNT SET SETOSHUTTER lt IBK s_LiDESHOW 4 START CHFRAME INTVL TEMP SUSPEND gt SHUTTER SETOSHUTTER a BROTE ECT a dc FRE eA MULTI SEL 32H SETASHUTTERe amp XIBK HIDE MACERA SEL ET MULT l SET SHUTTER lt BK PRINT SET DONE COPIES DATE SETOSHUTTER amp To select multiple photos from a thumbnail menu highlight images with the zoom buttons and press the 9 399 button Selected images are marked with an icon to deselect an image highlight it and press Q 4 again To complete the operation highlight the last of the images to be selected and press the shutter release button 20 Playback The Playback Menu Other Camera Functions This chapter describes additional camera functions accessible from the A REC M REC and PLAY menus These include camera setup options for saving M REC settings or restoring them to their default values and file management functions for organizing photographs as you shoot Camera Setup Each mode has its own setup menufor adjusting basic camera settings To access the setup menu for A REC turn the mode dial to A REC and press the MENU button The setup menus for M REC and PLAY can be accessed by choosing SETUP from the menu for each mode The options available in the setup menus
23. ption of the control options available in M REC mode u SETSSHUTTER Controls M REC In M REC mode the CONTROLS lt jBK coNTROLS menu offers the following options I 9 SAVE e SAVE FLASH MODE SAVE When this item E m SAA VE is checked the camera saves the flash setting active mi pA SAVE atthe time the mode dial is set to OFF this setting is GINTFLASH restored when the mode dial is turned to M REC E ipsia amp SAVE FOCUS MODE SAVE As above but SETOSHUTTERee the camera saves the focus mode setting EXPOSURE MODE SAVE As for FLASH MODE SAVE but the camera saves the exposure mode setting A SAVE EXPOSURE COMPENSATION SAVE As for FLASH MODE SAVE but the camera saves the exposure compensation setting INTL FLASH OFF The COOLPIX 950 is equipped with an external flash connector that allows an external flash to be used in combination with the camera s built in flash This item allows you to turn the internal flash off while you are using an external flash at settings of Auto Slow sync or Forced on see the COOLPIX 950 Reference Manual for information on using an external flash MENU DIR Reverses the roles of the zoom buttons for the purpose of scrolling through the menus When this item is checked the zoom out W button is used to move the highlight bar up and the zoom in T button to move it down DIST FT Displays the focus distance for manual focus
24. ring Photographs for Printing sseees 44 The Controls Menu PLAY een 45 Connec os titer cece a et EE 46 Connecting to a Television or VCR utente 46 Viewing Photos on a COMPUTES ees 47 Caring for Your Cammerg iseo cere no pae ein ron er exire e e 48 CIS OMIM Gh coins E A A A E EENE 48 DIGIA GS ES 48 Pvee ll Cm 49 What sip the BOK noctes etr tr ni ence x e EE IRR E RR er ed R 49 Optional Accessories ssssseeeeeeeeemeeeenennns 49 Troubleshooting eese 50 General Probleris sissies eon cente eie nr RE ORE Re PETER 50 Error Messages eren epa it ree er er ERR neta 53 SDecifiCallons arre pU PUDE EU Um EpRPU DAE PR 55 4 Overview Thank you for buying a COOLPIX 950 This Pocket Guide offers advice concerning the most commonly used features of your camera It has been designed for portability and ease of reference The other docu mentation for this product includes Fast Track Guide printed basic camera operations For Your Safety printed safety precautions cautions and notices Reference Manual CD ROM full description of camera functions Software manuals CD ROM detailed instructions on using your camera with Nikon soft ware Taking Photographs This chapter provides information on composing photographs using autofocus dealing with different lighting conditions and on the shoot ing options available in M REC mode COMPOSE FOCU
25. rs in overcast weather Flash Use this setting when taking photographs with 9 the flash Taking Photographs Lighting 11 Choosing a white balance program In A REC mode the camera uses automatic white balance Follow the steps below to select another white balance program 1 Turn the mode dial to M REC 2 Pressthe MENU button to display the shoot ing menu Be 3 Using the zoom buttons highlight WHITE lt BK swoorrwe BAL A WHITE BAL OR METERING CONTINUOUS IMG ADJUST BESTSHOT Dye DIGITALTELE L1 BLACK amp WHIT A SET SHUTTER 4 To change the setting either rotate the command dial the chosen setting will be shown as an icon next to the WHITE BAL item in the shooting menu press the MENU button twice to return to shooting mode once you have adjusted settings to your satisfaction or press the shutter release button and se BK wuHrirTE BAL lect the desired setting from the WHITE BIEUT9 PRESET BAL menu SETOSHUTTER The chosen white balance program will take effect whenever the camera is in M REC mode The current program is shown by icons in the shooting menu and LCD monitor if no white balance icon appears in the LCD monitor automatic white balance is in effect 12 Taking Photographs Lighting Image Adjustment Althoughthe sophisticated autoexposure control ofthe COOLPIX 950 produces excellent results in most cases there may be some in stances in which further adjustment
26. s and combines them into a collage VGA sequence Thecamera takes a series of photographs 640 x Lj 480 pixels in size An image quality of NORMAL is used to speed processing allowing photos to be taken at approximately two frames per sec ond Selecting a multi shot mode The multi shot mode is automatically set to SINGLE as long as the mode dial is on A REC Tochoose another multi shot mode for M REC 1 Turn the mode dial to M REC 9 2 Press the MENU button to display the shoot e ing menu PLAY s OFF With CONTINUOUS and VGA SEQUENCE the built in flash will be set to Off An external flash can however be used When battery power is low the maximum number of shots that can be taken in a single sequence at a setting of Continuous or VGA Sequence is ten Taking Photographs Multi shot Photography CONTINUOUS 15 3 Using the zoom buttons highlight CON TINUOUS SHOOTING WHITE BAL METERING CONTINUOUS IMG ADJUST BESTSHOT DIGITALTELE BLACK amp WHIT A SETO SHUTTER 4 To change the setting either rotate the command dial the chosen setting will be shown as an icon next to the CONTINUOUS item in the shooting menu press the MENU button twice to return to shooting mode once you have adjusted settings to your satisfaction or e press the shutter release button and se lt BK cont MoDE lect the desired setting from the CONT MODE menu SINGLE CONTINOUS 16SHOTS VGA SEQ Cul
27. sthe MENU button to display the shoot ing menu UU Be 3 Using the zoom buttons highlight IMG EIER SHOOTING WHITE BAL ADJUST tJ METERING CONTINUOUS IMG ADJUST BESTSHOT lire DIGITALTELE oO BLACK amp WHIT A SET SHUTTER 4 To change the setting either rotate the command dial the chosen setting will be shown as an icon next to the IMG ADJUST item in the shooting menu press the MENU button twice to return to shooting mode once you have adjusted settings to your satisfaction or press the shutter release button and se lt BK iweapuausT lect the desired setting from the IMG AD MEISTIVATNIDTATRID Oo CONTRAST JUST menu fo CONTRAST SETOSHUTTER The chosen setting will be in effect whenever the camera is in M REC mode The current setting is indicated by means of icons in the shooting menu and LCD monitor if no image adjustment icon appears in the LCD monitor the image adjustment setting is STANDARD 14 Taking Photographs Lighting Multi shot Photography CONTINUOUS In M REC mode you can use the COOLPIX 950 to shoot frames one after the other while the shutter release button is held down Four settings are available Single Only one photograph is taken each time the shutter release button is pressed Continuous Photographs will be taken one after the other as Lu long as the shutter release button is held down 16 shots The camera takes up to sixteen consecutive EE thumbnail image
28. the camera is connected to a television set The effects of digital zoom are not visible in the viewfinder Framing Photographs in the Monitor When framing photographs in the LCD moni tor youcantake advantage of the rotating lens sectionto hold the camera at almost any angle You can even rotate the lens to point at your self and frame self portraits in the monitor in d this case all indicators are hidden and the monitor shows a mirror image of what will appear in the final photograph Autofocus The focus brackets C D visible in the viewfinder show the focus point for autofocus operations When selecting the focus point or when the monitor has been turned off to save power you can use the viewfinder to frame photos as shown at right When framing photographs keep your fingers and other objects away from the lens and flash window Taking Photographs Composition and Focus After framing your photograph you can check autofocus by gently pressing the shutter release button half way If the camera is able to focus on the subject framed in the viewfinder focus brackets the AF lamp will glow green Focus will remain constant as long as the shutter release button is held halfway down this focus lock can be used to focus on a subject that is off center in the final composition see the Fast Track Guide Zoom can not be adjusted while focus lock is in effect If the camera is unable to focus the AF lamp will blink
29. to brightness and contrast can enhance the image Brightness can be increased using the ighten option to bring out poorly lit portions of the composition or decreased using the darken option to prevent bright portions of the composition from being washed out Unlike exposure compensation in which aperture and shutter speed are adjusted to increase or decrease exposure the image is processed digitally to increase or decrease brightness Contrast can be used to adjust the difference between light and dark portions of the image making shadows and outlines more distinct or softening edges The COOLPIX 950 offers the following image adjustment options Seng When to use t Standard Use this setting for natural brightness and con 0 trast Contrast Use this setting to increase contrast making the O difference between light and dark portions of the image more distinct Contrast Use this setting when you want to reduce con Q9 trast for a softer less distinct image Lighten This setting increases the brightness of the im age Darken Use this setting to prevent bright objects from O being washed out Only one image adjustment setting can be used at a time Selecting a new image adjustment option cancels the previous setting Taking Photographs Lighting 13 Using image adjustment Image adjustment is only available in M REC mode To change the image adjustment setting 1 Turn the mode dial to M REC 2 Pres
30. ucing the best possible set ting for the photo Ensures that the sub ject will be correctly exposed even if the background is very bright or very dark Use this setting to pre serve background de tails while letting light ing conditions at the center of the frame de fine exposure Choosing a metering method When the mode dial is set to A REC the camera automatically uses matrix metering To choose another metering method follow these steps 1 Turn the mode dial to M REC 2 Pressthe MENU button to display the shoot A ing menu iul 3 Using the zoom buttons highlight METER IBK sHooTING ING A WHITE BAL Hg METERING CONTINUOUS IMG ADJUST BESTSHOT Ded DIGITALTELE BLACK amp WHIT 5 SET SHUTTER 4 To change the setting either rotate the command dial the chosen setting will be shown as an icon next to the METERING item in the shooting menu press the MENU button twice to return to shooting mode once you have adjusted settings to your satisfaction or e press the shutter release button and se BK werERING lect the desired setting from the METER OJ MATRIX ING menu GC SPOT CENTERWEIGHT SETOSHUTTER The chosen metering method will be active whenever the camera is in M REC mode The metering method is shown by icons in the control panel LCD monitor and shooting menu If the menu does not appear when you press the MENU button press the MONITOR button until the LCD monitor
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