The Nikon J1’s Business End

The back panel of the Nikon J1 bristles with more than a dozen different controls, buttons, and knobs. That might seem like a lot of controls to learn, but they are easy to use. Figure 3.5 shows the built-in flash release button (press it to pop up the flash), and the expansive LCD screen.

The most important controls are concentrated on the right side of the back of the camera, as shown in Figure 3.6. The key buttons and components and their functions are as follows:

F (Feature) button. This button performs different functions, depending on whether you’re using Still Image, Movie, Motion Snapshot, or Playback camera modes:

Still Image mode. Press to produce a screen that allows you to choose Mechanical, Electronic, or Electronic (Hi) shutter operation. I’ll explain the use of each of these in Chapter 4.

Movie mode. Press the F button to pop up a screen that lets you toggle between HD movie and Slow Motion movie modes, as described in Chapters 4 and 7.

Motion Snapshot mode. The F button produces a screen that allows you to choose from Beauty, Waves, Relaxation, and Tenderness themes.

Playback mode. When reviewing pictures, the F button pops up a scale that allows you to embed a star rating in an image’s file, ranging from 0 stars to 5 stars, plus a “trash” (negative) star you can apply to mark an image for deletion.

Zoom bar. This bar can be pressed up or down to zoom in and out of an enlarged image, or to increase/decrease the number of thumbnail images shown on the screen during review. In exposure modes it can be used to change f/stops or shutter speeds.

Mode dial. Changes from Motion Snapshot, Smart Photo Selector, Still Image, and Movie modes. I’ll explain all these photo modes in Chapter 4, and describe how and when to use them.

Figure 3.5

Figure 3.6

Playback button. Press this button to review images you’ve taken, using the controls and options I’ll explain in the next section. To remove the displayed image, press the Playback button again, or simply tap the shutter release button.

MENU button. Summons/exits the menu displayed on the rear LCD of the J1. When you’re working with submenus, this button also serves to exit a submenu and return to the main menu.

OK button. The button in the center of the multi selector can be pressed to choose a highlighted selection in a menu and to confirm choices.

Display (DISP) button. Use this button to change the amount and type of information shown on the screen in both Playback and Shooting modes. I’ll show you how this data can be changed in the next section.

Multi selector. This joypad-like button can be shifted up, down, side to side, and diagonally for a total of eight directions, or rotated. In navigational mode, it can be used for several functions, including AF point selection, scrolling around a magnified image, trimming a photo, or setting white balance correction. Within menus, pressing the up/down arrows moves the on-screen cursor up or down; pressing towards the right selects the highlighted item and displays its options; pressing left cancels and returns to the previous menu.

Directional/Function buttons. The N, S, E, and W positions on the multi selector have secondary functions in shooting (non-Playback) mode. The up button can be used to lock focus/and or exposure; the right button produces an LCD pop-up that dials in exposure compensation when working in Program, Aperture-priority, or Shutter-priority modes (but not automatic scene selection or manual exposure). The down button lets you specify an electronic flash mode.

Delete button. In Playback mode, press once to delete the picture currently being reviewed. Press a second time to confirm the deletion, or the Playback button to chicken out and cancel.

Memory card access lamp. Illuminates when the J1 is saving an image to the memory card.

What’s on the Screen?

If you’re accustomed to working with a digital SLR or a point-and-shoot digital camera, you’ll find that the informational display on the Nikon J1 is probably a bit different from what you’re used to. Its LCD viewing system is used to show you everything you need to see to operate your camera, from a live view preview of your frame before you take the picture, to the menus used to make settings, to the picture review that displays your photos after they’ve been taken.

You can choose the data shown on the LCD using the DISP button, as described next.

Shooting mode. In shooting mode, there are two different displays for the back-panel LCD, a Simplified Display (see Figure 3.7) and a Detailed Display (Figure 3.8). You can alternate between them by pressing the DISP button on the back of the camera.

Grid display. An additional grid display option is available for any of the shooting mode views. The grid divides the frame into quarters horizontally and vertically with an overlay. It’s not a “Rule of Thirds” layout, and so is of more use in checking the alignment of horizontal lines (such as the horizon) and vertical lines as you compose the image. Activate the grid in the Setup menu, using the Grid Display entry to turn it On or Off. (See Figure 3.9.)

Picture review/Playback mode. When reviewing your images after they’ve been taken, the DISP button can be used to cycle among three different views: Picture only (just a “clean” image with no information overlay; this allows you to view your photo with no distractions) (see Figure 3.10); simple photo info (see Figure 3.11), with basic data arrayed along the bottom and upper left/right corners of the image); and detailed photo information (see Figure 3.12), which displays a reduced size thumbnail of your image along with complete shooting information, including a histogram display). I’ll show you how to work with histograms in Chapter 5.

Figure 3.7 Simplified shooting mode display.

Figure 3.8 Detailed shooting mode display.

Figure 3.9 Optional grid display.

Figure 3.10 Image only photo playback.

Figure 3.11 Simple photo info playback.

Figure 3.12 Detailed photo info playback.

Figure 3.13 provides a “roadmap” of the information shown in the shooting mode LCD display.

Figure 3.13 Detailed shooting mode display roadmap.