Nikon Camera D7100 Users Manual

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Preserving Detail in Highlights and 
Shadows
Active D-Lighting
Active D-Lighting preserves details in highlights and shadows, creating photographs 
with natural contrast.
 Use for high contrast scenes, for example when 
photographing brightly lit outdoor scenery through a door or window or taking 
pictures of shaded subjects on a sunny day.
 It is most effective when used with 
matrix metering ( 083).
Active D-Lighting off Active D-Lighting:  YAuto
D“Active D-Lighting” Versus “D-Lighting”
The  Active D-Lighting  option in the shooting menu adju sts exposure before shooting to 
optimize the dynamic range, while the  D-Lighting option in the retouch menu ( 0276) 
brightens shadows in images after shooting.
(P, S, A, and M Modes Only) 
						

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To  u s e  A c t i v e  D - L i g h t i n g :
1Select Active D-Lighting  in the 
shooting menu.
To display the menus, press the  G button.  
Highlight  Active D-Lighting  in the shooting 
menu and press  2.
2Choose an option.
Highlight  YAuto , Z Extra high , 
P High , Q Normal , R Low , or Off and 
press J.
 IfY Auto  is selected, the camera 
will automatically adjust Active D-Lighting 
according to shooting conditions (note, 
however, that the effects may not visible in mode  M and when center-weighted 
or spot metering is used).
DActive D-Lighting
Active D-Lighting can not be used with movies.
 Noise (randomly-spaced bright pixels, fog, 
or lines) may appear in photographs taken with Active D-Lighting.
 Uneven shading may be 
visible with some subjects. Active D-Lighting can not be used at ISO sensitivities of Hi 0.3 or 
above.
ASee Also
When  ADL bracketing  is selected for Custom Setting e6 ( Auto bracketing set, 0 251), the 
camera varies Active D-Lighting over a series of shots ( 0139).
 For information on using the 
Fn  button or depth-of-field preview button  and a command dial to select an Active 
D-Lighting option, see page 255.
G  button 
						

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High Dynamic Range (HDR)
Used with high-contrast subjects, High  Dynamic  Range (HDR) preserves details in 
highlights and shadows by combining tw o shots taken at different exposures.
 HDR is 
most effective when used with matrix metering ( 083; with other metering methods 
and a non-CPU lens, a strength of  vAuto  is equivalent to  TNormal ).
 It can not 
be used to record NEF (RAW ) images.
 While HDR is in effect, movie recording 
( 0 161), flash lighting, bracketing ( 0133), and multiple exposure ( 0141) can not be 
used and shutter speeds of Bulb ( A) and Time ( %) are not available. 
1Select  HDR (high dynamic range) .
Press the G button to display the menus. 
Highlight  HDR (high dynamic range)  in 
the shooting menu and press 2.
2Select a mode.
Highlight  HDR mode  and press 2.
Highlight one of the following and press  J.
• To take a series of HDR photographs , select 
6 On (series) .
 HDR shooting will 
continue until you select  Off for  HDR 
mode .
• To take one HDR photograph , select On 
(single photo) .
 Normal shooting will resume automatically after you have 
created a single HDR photograph.
• To exit without creating additional HDR photographs , select Off.
If  On (series)  or On (single photo)  is selected, a k icon 
will be displayed in the control panel. 
+
First exposure (darker) Second exposure (brighter) Combined HDR image
(P, S, A, and M Modes Only)
G  button 
						

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3Choose the HDR strength .
To choose the difference in exposure 
between the two shots (HDR strength), 
highlight HDR strength  and press 2.
Highlight  vAuto , c Extra high , 
S High , T Normal , or U Low  and 
press  J.
 If v Auto  is selected, the camera 
will automatically adjust HDR strength 
according to shooting conditions.
4Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot.
The camera takes two expo sures when the shutter-
release button is pressed all the way down.
 l  k  will 
flash in the control panel and  l u  in the viewfinder 
while the images are combined; no photographs can be 
taken until recording is complete.
 Regardless of the 
option currently selected for release mode, only one 
photograph will be taken each time the shutter-release 
button is pressed.
If  On (series)  is selected, HDR will only turn off when  Off 
is selected for  HDR mode; if On (single photo)  is selected, HDR turns off 
automatically after the photograph is taken.
 The  k icon clears from the display 
when HDR shooting ends.
Control panel
Viewfinder 
						

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DFraming HDR Photographs
The edges of the image will be cropped out.
 The desired results may not be achieved if the 
camera or subject moves during shooting.
 Depending on the scene, the effect many not be 
visible, shadows may appear around bright objects, or halos may appear around dark 
objects.
 Uneven shading may be visible with some subjects.
AInterval Timer Photography
If  On (series)  is selected for  HDR mode before interval timer shooting begins, the camera 
will continue to shoot HDR photographs at the selected interval (if  On (single photo) is 
selected, interval timer shooting will end after a single shot).
ASee Also
HDR can also be adjusted using the  Fn or depth-of-field preview button and the command 
dials.
 See Custom Setting f2 ( Assign Fn button, 0 255) or f3 ( Assign preview button , 
0 255). 
						

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Flash Photography
The built-in flash has a Guide Number (GN) 12/39 (m/ft, ISO 100, 20 °C/68 °F) and 
provides coverage for the angle of view of  a 16 mm lens.
 It can be used not only 
when natural lighting is inadequate but to  fill in shadows and backlit subjects or to 
add a catch light to the subject’s eyes.
❚❚ Using the Built-in Flash:  i, k , p , n , o , s , w , and  g Modes 
1Choose a flash mode ( 0120).
2Ta k e  p i c t u r e s .
The flash will pop up as required when the 
shutter-release button is pressed halfway, and fire 
when a photograph is taken.
 If the flash does not 
pop up automatically, 
DO NOT attempt to raise it by 
hand.
 Failure to observe this precaution could 
damage the flash.
❚❚ Using the Built-in Flash: P, S, A, M, and  0 Modes 
1Raise the flash.
Press the  M (Y ) button to raise the flash.
2Choose a flash mode ( P,  S,  A , and  M modes 
only;  0120).
3Ta k e  p i c t u r e s .
The flash will fire whenever a picture is taken.
Using the Built-in Flash
AMetering
Select matrix or center-weighted metering to ac tivate i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR.
 
Standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR is activated automatically when spot metering is selected 
(0 122).
M (Y ) button 
						

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Flash Mode 
The flash modes available vary with shooting mode:
To choose a flash mode, press the M (Y ) button and rotate the main command dial 
until the desired setting is di splayed in the control panel.
i, k , p , n , s , w , go0
Auto Auto + slow sync +
red-eye reductionFill flash
Auto +red-eye reduction Auto + slow sync
j Off jOff
P,  AS, M
Fill flash Fill flash
Red-eye reduction Red-eye reduction
Slow sync + red-eye reduction Rear-curtain sync
Slow sync
Rear curtain + slow sync
*
* S  is displayed when setting is complete.
M (Y ) button Main command dial Control panel
ALowering the Built-in Flash
To save power when the flash is not in use, press it gently downward 
until the latch clicks into place. 
						

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ADefault Flash Modes
Default flash modes are shown below.
ModeDefaultModeDefault
i , k , p , n , w , g Auto oAuto+slow sync
s Auto+red-eye reduction 0, P,  S,  A , M Fill flash
AFlash Modes
The flash modes listed on the previous page may combine one or more of the following 
settings, as shown by the flash mode icon:
• AUTO (auto flash) : When lighting is poor or subject is backlit, flash pops up automatically 
when shutter-release button is pressed halfway and fires as required.
• Y  (red-eye reduction) : Use for portraits.
 Red-eye reduction lamp lights before flash fires, 
reducing “red-eye.”
• j (off ) : Flash does not fire even when lighting is poor or subject is backlit.
• SLOW (slow sync) : Shutter speed slows automatically to capture background lighting at night 
or under low light.
 Use to include background lighting in portraits.
• REAR (rear-curtain sync) : Flash fires just before shutter closes , creating a stream of light behind 
moving light sources (below at right).
 If this icon is not displayed, flash will fire as the 
shutter opens (front-curtain sync; the effect  this produces with moving light sources is 
shown below at left).
Front-curtain sync Rear-curtain sync
DThe Built-in Flash
For information on the lenses that can be us ed with the built-in flash, see page 299.
 Remove 
lens hoods to prevent shadows.
 The flash has a minimum range of 0.6 m (2 ft) and can not 
be used in the macro range of zoom lenses with a macro function.
 i-TTL flash control can be 
used at ISO sensitivities between 100 and 6400.
 At values over 6400, the desired results may 
not be achieved at some ranges or aperture settings.
If the flash fires in continuous release mode ( 057), only one picture will be taken each time 
the shutter-release button is pressed.
The shutter release may be briefly disabled to  protect the flash after it has been used for 
several consecutive shots.
 The flash can be used again after a short pause. 
						

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AShutter Speeds Available with the Built-in Flash
The following shutter speeds are available with the built-in flash.
ModeShutter speedModeShutter speed
i , P,  A , k , p , s , w , g1/250–1/60s S1/250–30 s
n , 01/250–1/125s M1/250–30 s, A
o1/250–1 s
AFlash Control Mode
The camera supports the following i-TTL flash control modes:
• i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR : Flash emits series of nearly invisible preflashes (monitor 
preflashes) immediately before main flash.
 Preflashes reflected from objects in all areas of 
frame are picked up by 2016-pixel RGB sensor and are analyzed in combination with range 
information from metering system to adjust  flash output for natural balance between 
main subject and ambient background lighting.
 If type G or D lens is used, distance 
information is included when  calculating flash output.
 Precision of calculation can be 
increased for non-CPU lenses by providing lens data (focal length and maximum aperture; 
see  0149).
 Not available when spot metering is used.
• Standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR : Flash output adjusted to bring lighting in frame to standard 
level; brightness of background is not taken into account.
 Recommended for shots in 
which main subject is emphasized at expense of background details, or when exposure 
compensation is used.
 Standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR is activated automatically when 
spot metering is selected.
The flash control mode for the built-in flash  can be selected using Custom Setting e3 (Flash 
cntrl for built-in flash ,  0 246).
 The information display shows the flash control mode for 
the built-in flash as follows:
Flash syncAuto FP ( 0244)
i-TTL —
Manual
—
Repeating flash
—
Commander mode