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Nikon
D200 User's Guide
© 2006 KenRockwell.com
I bought mine from Ritz here. I bought another D200 from Adorama here. Also try Amazon here. Adorama usually has D200/18-70 kits in stock here. It helps me keep adding to this site when you click these links to get yours.
CUSTOM SETTING MENU
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c1 - c5: TIMERS/AE&AF LOCK
How to Get Here
Press MENU, go to the left and select up and down to the pencil icon. You'll then see CUSTOM SETTING MENU on the color LCD. Click down to c TIMERS/AE&AF LOCK and click to the right.
What it Does
AF and AE lock are important to getting perfect files straight from the D200 without editing in rare instances where the lighting might confuse the Matrix meter. If you're using them a lot you're probably doing something wrong and should fix your lighting.
Timers optimize battery life vs. convenience.
What I Change
I change all of them except c1. I leave c1 at default.
c1 AE Lock lets you lock the exposure with the shutter button, like a point-and-shoot camera. You don't want that, so leave this one alone.
The D200 has a dedicated AE Lock button. You don't want the shutter button to lock exposure.
AE normally only locks if you hit the AE-L button explained next. It doesn't lock with the shutter as it does on simpler cameras.
When I use AE lock I:
1.) Fill the frame with something in the same light as the subject,
2.) Press the AE Lock Button and keep holding it,
3.) Point an AF sensor at something the same distance as the subject (or the subject itself),
4.) Press the shutter halfway to acquire and lock focus,
5.) Compose the shot and
6.) Press the shutter the rest of the way.
This becomes second nature, and gives great JPG files ready for printing straight from the camera without editing.
Keep holding the AE Lock button to save that exposure for the next shot.
I only use AE lock under weird conditions with harsh lighting that might confuse the Matrix meter. These conditions are few and far between, so I rarely use the AE Lock button. You shouldn't be using this very much. If you do you're probably doing something wrong.
c2 AE-L/AF-L sets the function of the AE-L/AF-L button on the rear of the D200.
I set mine to AE lock. This way I point the camera where I want my exposure, and hold the button until I recompose and make my exposure.
c3 Auto Meter-Off sets how long the meter stays awake.
Shorter times will save the battery. Set it longer if you have to keep hitting the shutter to wake the meter in the middle of composing shots.
c4 Self-Timer sets the self-timer delay.
10 seconds is for taking Christmas card photos.
2 seconds is for replacing a $100 cable release when using a tripod with long exposures.
c5 Monitor-Off sets how long the rear LCD stays lit when you ignore it. This is a drain on the batteries, so I often set this to 10s, the minimum.
This controls how long the monitor stays on in playback, the menus and Image Review.
PLUG
My D200 User's Guide continues below.
It took me two months to write this D200 User's Guide. No one pays me anything. If you find it as helpful as a book you might have had to buy or a workshop you may have had to take, feel free to help me share more.
Thanks!
Ken
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