Nikon® D200 Digital Field Guide

Chapter 1. Exploring the Nikon D200

In This Chapter

• Up front

• On top

• On tht back

• Viewfinder display

• LCD display

• Viewing and playing back images

• Activating the onboard flash

• Matering modes

• Semiautomatic and Manual exposure modes

• ISO sensitivity

• Setting white balance

If you've gone through the Quick Tour and gained some basic familiarity with the layout and controls of the Nikon D200, you've probably gone out and taken some initial pictures with your camera. Even a few hours' of work with this advanced tool has probably whetted your appetite to learn more about the D200's features and how to use them.

For many of you, some of the information in this chapter will be a bit of a review. The D200 is a more sophisticated camera than Nikon's entry-level models, like the D70s and D50, so a hefty number of purchasers will be veteran photographers with extensive experience with digital single lens reflexes (dSLRs). It's likely that you've accumulated a year or two working with another Nikon digital SLR, perhaps even one of the pro models. (The D200 makes a great adjunct to the Nikon D2X!)

However, I think you'll still find the roadmap features of this chapter useful for helping you locate the key controls amidst the bewildering array of dials and buttons that cover just about every surface of the D200.

On the other hand, many new D200 owners are not old hands when it comes to digital SLR photography. Learning to use a D200 as a first dSLR poses a bit more of a challenge, but you won't have to upgrade in a ...