Closest Subject AF (page 28), it reads from the center one. I never use this.

06 No Memory Card?

I leave mine at LOCK. If I have no memory card it won't let me take pictures.

Don't set it to OK. If you do, you could have no memory card and be shooting all day, thinking you're making pictures when you really aren't. Shoot one wedding without a card and this set to OK and you'll see how stupid you'll feel.

Only set this to OK if you want to demonstrate the D40 in a camera store with no card.

07 Image Review

ON plays the picture after you take it. OFF leaves the screen dark.

When the image pops on the screen, even if the D40 is still at your eye, spinning the command dials will change the playback, not the shooting settings like apertures. While shooting you might want not to use this, or remember that you must wait a moment and tap the shutter release to reset the D40 to interpret the command dials for changing shooting settings instead of playback screens.

08 Flash Level

You can ignore this menu, because it's much easier to adjust this with the Flash Button (page 17). Hold the Flash Button (page 17) and the +/- Compensation Button (page 13) and spin the dial. You will see the flash brightness value in the finder without ever needing to take your eye away. This is much easier than it sounds.

I have no ideas why Nikon added this as a menu option, except to match Canon which has some cameras so clumsy that the only way to adjust them is through the menus. Maybe Nikon is pandering to Canon users; I don't know.

09 AF Assist

I leave this at ON.

Turning this OFF disables the bright white light that shines in the dark to help you focus. I turn this off if I'm shooting where I don't want to disturb people, or be identified as photographing.

10 ISO Auto

This is one of the strongest reasons I prefer my Nikons to my Canons. Canons lack this critical feature.

ISO Auto Increases sensitivity (ISO) in dim light automatically to prevent blur from slow shutter speeds.

I use this all of the time, unless I'm using manual exposure mode. Auto ISO is a crucial

© 2007 KenRockwell.com

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