David Busch's Nikon Z7 II/Z6 II Guide to Digital Photography

Book description

David Busch's Nikon Z7 II/Z6 II Guide to Digital Photography is your all-in-one comprehensive resource and reference for Nikon’s next-generation Z7 II and Z6 II mirrorless cameras. The company has upgraded these compact cameras with the features most requested by enthusiasts, including two memory card slots, advanced autofocus features, and performance-enhancing dual EXPEED 6 processors. Serious photographers can select the high-resolution 45.7 megapixel Z7 II, or opt for the higher continuous shooting rates and stellar low-light versatility of the 24 megapixel Z6 II. Both cameras offer incredible image quality, especially when coupled with a burgeoning line of ultra-sharp S-series, Z-mount lenses. The affordable FTZ adapter allows you to use more than 300 different lenses in Nikon’s F-mount lineup, too. Five-axis in-body image stabilization provides up to five stops of anti-shake performance so you can hand-hold the camera at slower shutter speeds. An improved autofocus system with human and animal eye/face detection offers lightning fast focus for stills and both 4K and Full HD movie-shooting. With this book in hand, you’ll master all these impressive features, and fine tune your camera skills as develop your creativity taking great photographs with your new Z7 II or Z6 II. Filled with detailed how-to steps and full-color illustrations, David Busch's Nikon Z7 II/Z6 II Guide to Digital Photography covers the cameras’ capabilities in depth, from taking your first photos through advanced details of setup, exposure, lens selection, lighting, and more, and relates each feature to specific photographic techniques and situations. Also included is the handy visual guide to the Z7 II and Z6 II, with close-up photos and descriptions of the camera's essential features and controls. Learn when to use each option and, more importantly, when not to use them, by following the author’s recommended settings for every menu entry. With best-selling photographer and mentor David Busch as your guide, you'll quickly have full creative mastery of your camera’s capabilities, whether you're shooting on the job, as an advanced enthusiast, or are just out for fun. Start building your knowledge and confidence, while bringing your vision to light with the Nikon Z7 II or Z6 II today.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. About the Author
  7. Contents
  8. Preface
  9. Introduction
  10. Chapter 1 Thinking Outside the Box
    1. First Things First
      1. In the Box
      2. Optional and Non-Optional Add-Ons
    2. Initial Setup
      1. Mastering the Multi Selector and Command Dials
      2. Setting the Clock
      3. Battery Included
      4. Final Steps
  11. Chapter 2 Your Quick Start Guide
    1. Choosing a Release Mode
    2. Selecting an Exposure Mode
    3. Choosing a Metering Mode
    4. Choosing a Focus Mode
    5. Choosing the Focus Area Mode
      1. Adjusting White Balance and ISO
    6. Reviewing the Images You’ve Taken
    7. Transferring Photos to Your Computer
    8. Attaching the MB-N11 Power Battery Pack
    9. Changing Default Settings
      1. Resetting the Camera
      2. Recommended Default Changes
    10. Shooting Tips
      1. Photo Shooting Menu Recommendations
    11. Custom Setting Menu Recommendations
  12. Chapter 3 Your Visual Roadmap
    1. Front View
    2. The Business End
    3. Playing Back Images
      1. Zooming the Playback Display
      2. Viewing Thumbnails
      3. Using the Photo Data Displays
    4. Going Topside
    5. Lens Components
    6. Underneath Your Camera
    7. The Viewfinder/Monitor Displays
    8. What’s the Fuss about BSI?
      1. About Low-Pass Filters
  13. Chapter 4 Nailing the Right Exposure
    1. Getting a Handle on Exposure
      1. Equivalent Exposure
    2. Calculating Exposure
      1. Correctly Exposed
      2. Overexposed
      3. Underexposed
      4. Metering Mid-Tones
    3. Choosing a Metering Method
      1. Matrix Metering
      2. Center-weighted Metering
      3. Spot Metering
      4. Highlight-weighted Metering
    4. Choosing an Exposure Method
      1. Aperture-Priority
      2. Shutter-Priority
      3. Program Mode
      4. Manual Exposure
    5. Adjusting Exposure with ISO Settings
      1. Dealing with Noise
    6. Bracketing
      1. White Balance Bracketing
      2. ADL Bracketing
    7. Working with HDR
      1. Auto HDR
      2. Bracketing and Merge to HDR
    8. Fixing Exposures with Histograms
      1. Tonal Range
      2. Histogram Basics
      3. Understanding Histograms
    9. Fine-Tuning Exposure
  14. Chapter 5 Mastering the Mysteries of Focus
    1. Autofocus or Manual Focus?
    2. How Focus Works
      1. Contrast Detection
      2. Phase Detection
      3. Adding Circles of Confusion
    3. Working with Autofocus
    4. Bringing the AF System into Focus
    5. Focus Mode and Priority
      1. Autofocus Mode
      2. Focus-Priority versus Release-Priority
    6. Choosing an Autofocus Area Mode
    7. Face/Eye Detection and Subject Tracking
      1. Face/Eye Detection
      2. Subject Tracking
      3. Store by Orientation
    8. Autofocus Activation . . . and More
    9. Manual Focus
      1. Using the Focus/Control Ring
    10. Trap (Auto) Focus
    11. Back-Button Focus
      1. Activating Back-Button Focus
    12. Fine-Tuning the Focus of Your Lenses
    13. Lens Tune-up Options
      1. Evaluating Current Focus
      2. Changing the Fine-Tuning Setting
    14. Split-Screen Display Zoom
  15. Chapter 6 Advanced Techniques
    1. Continuous Shooting
    2. A Tiny Slice of Time
      1. Working with Short Exposures
    3. Long Exposures
      1. Three Ways to Take Long Exposures
      2. Working with Long Exposures
    4. Delayed Exposures
      1. Self-Timer
      2. Interval/Time-Lapse Photography
      3. Using Interval Photography
      4. Time-Lapse Movies
      5. Star Trails
      6. Multiple Exposures
    5. Geotagging with the Nikon GP-1a
    6. Focus Shift Shooting
    7. Connecting to Your Smart Device or Computer
    8. Linking Your Camera to a Smart Device
    9. Using the SnapBridge App
      1. Camera Screen
    10. Other Connection Options
  16. Chapter 7 Focus on Lenses
    1. Sensor Sensibilities
    2. Choosing Native Z-mount Lenses
    3. Nikon Lens Overview
    4. Ingredients of Nikon’s Alphanumeric Soup
    5. Wide-to-Normal Zoom Lenses
      1. Nikkor Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3
      2. Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S
      3. Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S
      4. Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S
      5. Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
    6. Wide-Angle/Normal Prime Lenses
      1. Nikkor Z 20mm f/1.8 S
      2. Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8 S
      3. Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.8 S
      4. Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S
      5. Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S
      6. Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct
    7. Telephoto Lenses
      1. Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 S
      2. Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S VR
      3. Nikkor Z 24-200mm f4-6.3 VR
      4. Nikkor Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x/TC-2.0x
    8. DX Lenses
      1. Nikkor Z 16-50mm DX f/3.5-6.3 VR
      2. Nikkor Z 50-250mm DX f/4.5-6.3 VR
      3. Lenses to Come
    9. Universal VR
      1. How It Works
    10. Using the FTZ Adapter
      1. Other Adapters
    11. Categories of Lenses
    12. Using Wide-Angle and Wide-Zoom Lenses
      1. Avoiding Potential Wide-Angle Problems
    13. Using Telephoto and Tele-Zoom Lenses
      1. Avoiding Telephoto Lens Problems
      2. Telephotos and Bokeh
    14. Using F-Mount Lenses
      1. Macro Lenses
      2. The F-Mount Magic Three
      3. Wide Angles
      4. Wide-to-Medium/Long Zooms
      5. Telephoto and Normal Lenses
  17. Chapter 8 Mastering Light
    1. Light That’s Available
    2. Continuous Lighting Basics
      1. Living with Color Temperature
      2. Daylight
      3. Incandescent/Tungsten/Halogen Light
      4. Fluorescent Light/LEDs
      5. Other Lighting Accessories
  18. Chapter 9 Electronic Flash
    1. Electronic Flash Basics
      1. The Moment of Exposure
      2. A Tale of Two Exposures
      3. Measuring Exposure
      4. Guide Numbers
    2. Choosing a Flash Sync Mode
      1. Ghost Images
    3. High-Speed Sync
    4. Using External Flash
      1. Using Flash Exposure Compensation
      2. Specifying Flash Shutter Speed
      3. Previewing Your Flash Effect
      4. Flash Control
    5. Working with Nikon Flash External Units
      1. Nikon SB-300
      2. Nikon SB-400
      3. Nikon SB-500
      4. Nikon SB-700
      5. Nikon SB-R200
      6. Nikon SB-910
      7. Nikon SB-5000
      8. Light Modifiers
      9. Using Zoom Heads
      10. Flash Modes
      11. Repeating Flash
  19. Chapter 10 Wireless and Multiple Flash
    1. Elements of Wireless Flash
      1. Master Flash
      2. Channels
      3. Groups
      4. Lighting Ratios
    2. Setting Your Master Flash
      1. Setting Commander Mode for the SB-5000
      2. Setting Commander Modes for the SB-910 or SB-900
      3. Setting Commander Modes for the SB-700
      4. Setting Commander Modes for the SB-500
      5. Setting Remote Modes
      6. Radio Control
  20. Chapter 11 Playback, Photo Shooting, and Movie Shooting Menus
    1. Menu Anatomy
    2. Playback Menu Options
      1. Delete
      2. Playback Folder
      3. Playback Display Options
      4. Dual-Format Recording PB Slot
      5. Image Review
      6. After Delete
      7. After Burst, Show
      8. Rotate Tall
      9. Copy Image(s)
      10. Slide Show
      11. Rating
    3. Photo Shooting Menu Options
      1. Reset Photo Shooting Menu
      2. Storage Folder
      3. File Naming
      4. Primary Slot Selection
      5. Secondary Slot Function
      6. Choose Image Area
      7. Image Quality
      8. Image Size
      9. NEF (RAW) Recording
      10. ISO Sensitivity Settings
      11. White Balance
      12. Set Picture Control
      13. Manage Picture Control
      14. Color Space
      15. Active D-Lighting
      16. Long Exposure NR
      17. High ISO NR
      18. Vignette Control
      19. Diffraction Compensation
      20. Auto Distortion Control
      21. Flicker Reduction Shooting
      22. Metering
      23. Flash Control
      24. Flash Mode
      25. Flash Compensation
      26. Focus Mode
      27. AF-Area Mode
      28. Vibration Reduction
      29. Auto Bracketing
      30. Multiple Exposure
      31. HDR (High Dynamic Range)
      32. Interval Timer Shooting
      33. Time-Lapse Movie
      34. Focus Shift Shooting
      35. Silent Photography
    4. Movie Shooting Menu
      1. Reset Movie Shooting Menu
      2. File Naming
      3. Destination
      4. Choose Image Area
      5. Frame Size/Frame Rate
      6. Movie Quality
      7. Movie File Type
      8. ISO Sensitivity Settings
      9. White Balance
      10. Set Picture Control
      11. Manage Picture Control
      12. Active D-Lighting
      13. High ISO NR
      14. Vignette Control
      15. Diffraction Compensation
      16. Auto Distortion Control
      17. Flicker Reduction
      18. Metering
      19. Focus Mode
      20. AF-Area Mode
      21. Vibration Reduction
      22. Electronic VR
      23. Microphone Sensitivity
      24. Attenuator
      25. Frequency Response
      26. Wind Noise Reduction
      27. Headphone Volume
      28. Timecode
  21. Chapter 12 The Custom Settings Menu
    1. Custom Settings Menu Layout
    2. Reset Custom Settings
    3. a. Autofocus
      1. a1 AF-C Priority Selection
      2. a2 AF-S Priority Selection
      3. a3 Focus Tracking with Lock-on
      4. a4 Focus Points Used
      5. a5 Store Points by Orientation
      6. a6 AF Activation
      7. a7 Limit AF-Area Mode Selection
      8. a8 Focus Point Wrap-Around
      9. a9 Focus Point Options
      10. a10 Low-Light AF
      11. a11 Built-in AF-Assist Illuminator
      12. a12 Manual Focus Ring in AF Mode
    4. b. Metering/Exposure
      1. b1 EV Steps for Exposure Cntrl.
      2. b2 Easy Exposure Compensation
      3. b3 Center-Weighted Area
      4. b4 Fine-Tune Optimal Exposure
    5. c. Timers/AE Lock
      1. c1 Shutter-Release Button AE-L
      2. c2 Self-Timer
      3. c3 Power Off Delay
    6. d. Shooting/Display
      1. d1 CL Mode Shooting Speed
      2. d2 Max. Continuous Release
      3. d3 Sync. Release Mode Options
      4. d4 Exposure Delay Mode
      5. d5 Shutter Type
      6. d6 Extended Shutter Speeds (M)
      7. d7 Limit Selectable Image Area
      8. d8 File Number Sequence
      9. d9 Apply Settings to Live View
      10. d10 Framing Grid Display
      11. d11 Focus Peaking
      12. d12 View All in Continuous Mode
    7. e. Bracketing/Flash
      1. e1 Flash Sync Speed
      2. e2 Flash Shutter Speed
      3. e3 Exposure Compensation for Flash
      4. e4 Auto Flash ISO Sensitivity Control
      5. e5 Modeling Flash
      6. e6 Auto Bracketing (Mode M)
      7. e7 Bracketing Order
    8. f. Controls
      1. f1 Customize i Menu
      2. f2 Custom Controls
      3. f3 OK Button
      4. f4 Shutter Spd & Aperture Lock
      5. f5 Customize Command Dials
      6. f6 Release Button to Use Dial
      7. f7 Reverse Indicators
      8. f8 Reverse Ring for Focus
      9. f9 Assign MB-N11 Buttons
    9. g. Movie
      1. g1 Customize i Menu
      2. g2 Custom Controls
      3. g3 OK Button
      4. g4 AF Speed
      5. g5 AF Tracking Sensitivity
      6. g6 Highlight Display
      7. g7 Assign MB-N11 Buttons
  22. Chapter 13 The Setup Menu, Retouch Menu, and My Menu
    1. Setup Menu Options
      1. Format Memory Card
      2. Save User Settings
      3. Reset User Settings
      4. Language
      5. Time Zone and Date
      6. Monitor Brightness
      7. Monitor Color Balance
      8. Viewfinder Brightness
      9. Viewfinder Color Balance
      10. Control Panel Brightness
      11. Limit Monitor Mode Selection
      12. Information Display
      13. AF Fine-Tuning Options
      14. Non-CPU Lens Data
      15. Save Focus Position
      16. Clean Image Sensor
      17. Image Dust Off Ref Photo
      18. Pixel Mapping
      19. Image Comment
      20. Copyright Information
      21. Beep Options
      22. Touch Controls
      23. HDMI
      24. Location Data
      25. Wireless Remote (WR) Options
      26. Assign Remote (WR) Fn Button
      27. Airplane Mode
      28. Connect to Smart Device
      29. Connect to PC
      30. Wireless Transmitter (WT-7)
      31. Conformity Marking
      32. Battery Info
      33. USB Power Delivery
      34. Energy Saving (Photo Mode)
      35. Slot Empty Release Lock
      36. Save/Load Menu Settings
      37. Reset All Settings
      38. Firmware Version
    2. Retouch Menu
      1. NEF (RAW) Processing
      2. Trim
      3. Resize
      4. D-Lighting
      5. Red-Eye Correction
      6. Straighten
      7. Distortion Control
      8. Perspective Control
      9. Monochrome
      10. Image Overlay
      11. Trim Movie
      12. Side-by-Side Comparison
    3. Using My Menu
  23. Chapter 14 Capturing Video
    1. Quick Start Checklist
    2. Lean, Mean, Movie Machine
    3. Capturing Video
      1. Slow-Motion Movies
    4. Shooting Your Movie
    5. Using the i Button
    6. Stop That!
    7. Viewing Your Movies
    8. Trimming Your Movies
      1. Saving a Frame
  24. Chapter 15 Tips for Shooting Better Video
    1. Using an External Recorder
    2. Gamma, Gamma Ding Dong
      1. N-log
      2. HLG/HDR
      3. But Wait! There’s More: RAW Video
    3. Refocusing on Focus
    4. Lens Craft
      1. Depth-of-Field and Video
    5. Zooming and Video
    6. Keeping Things Stable and on the Level
    7. Shooting Script
      1. Storyboards
    8. Storytelling in Video
    9. Composition
    10. Lighting for Video
      1. Illumination
      2. Creative Lighting
      3. Lighting Styles
    11. Audio
      1. Tips for Better Audio
      2. External Microphones
      3. Special Features
  25. Chapter 16 Troubleshooting and Prevention
    1. Upgrading Your Firmware
      1. How It Works
      2. Why Multiple Firmware Modules?
      3. Updating from SnapBridge
      4. Updating from a Card Reader
      5. Starting the Update
      6. Updating Other Accessories
    2. Protecting Your LCD
    3. Troubleshooting Memory Cards
      1. All Your Eggs in One Basket?
      2. Preventive Measures
      3. What Can Go Wrong?
      4. What Can You Do?
    4. Cleaning Your Sensor
      1. Dust the FAQs, Ma’am
      2. Identifying and Dealing with Dust
      3. Avoiding Dust
      4. Sensor Cleaning

Product information

  • Title: David Busch's Nikon Z7 II/Z6 II Guide to Digital Photography
  • Author(s): David D. Busch
  • Release date: February 2021
  • Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
  • ISBN: 9781681987736