Quickie D300/s question

cab.in.bostoncab.in.boston Registered Users Posts: 634 Major grins
edited November 30, 2009 in Cameras
I've been reading reviews of the D300 and D300s lately, as I am considering one, perhaps as a graduation present to myself when I finish my masters in May, and have a quick question that I can't seem to find discussed in any of the reviews I've read. On my D90, in CSM d3 (Shooting/Display), you can set "Show ISO/Easy ISO." That means in A or S priority modes, the unused command wheel will adjust ISO without having to hold in the ISO button on the rear of the camera, which of course one has to do in M. I don't see this option in the D300/s menus, and I think it's a very handy function.

So the question is, to change ISO on a D300/s in A or S mode, do you have to hold down the button, or does the unused wheel automatically allow you to set ISO? If it doesn't, does the unused wheel do *anything* at all in those modes? Bear in mind, the D300s looks like an awesome camera, and the answer to this question would not prevent me from getting one, but it just seems like a really useful function to have on the D90, and I'm surprised that I don't see it on the higher-end body.
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Comments

  • rookieshooterrookieshooter Registered Users Posts: 539 Major grins
    edited November 29, 2009
    I do not have a d300, but according the manual you can either set ISO manually via the button or set it to Auto ISO.

    FWIW, I have the D700 and the auto ISO works very well. I use it probably 50% of the time. I set it to ISO 3200 max at 1/80th shutter speed.

    On the D300 you use the second dial for easy exposure compensation via CFB4.
  • cab.in.bostoncab.in.boston Registered Users Posts: 634 Major grins
    edited November 29, 2009
    I do not have a d300, but according the manual you can either set ISO manually via the button or set it to Auto ISO.

    FWIW, I have the D700 and the auto ISO works very well. I use it probably 50% of the time. I set it to ISO 3200 max at 1/80th shutter speed.

    On the D300 you use the second dial for easy exposure compensation via CFB4.

    Thanks. I can set easy exposure comp on the D90, too, and it also has auto ISO. I prefer to manually set ISO and keep it as low as possible (although I know you can set a max ISO for the auto mode to use), and it's just quite a nice feature, IMO, to be able to set it one-handed when in A or S mode without having to hold down the ISO button. Maybe it's not really so neat a feature, but it just seems nice, and weird to me that it would be included on the D90 but not the higher bodies. It's also weird that the D90 has a dedicated bracket button and they removed it when they went from D200 to D300. I know you can set the Fn button to be bracketing, but that seems to be a function that is used enough to justify a dedicated button. Oh, well, I was just curious... Thanks again.
    Father, husband, dog lover, engineer, Nikon shooter
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  • rookieshooterrookieshooter Registered Users Posts: 539 Major grins
    edited November 29, 2009
    It could be that Nikon considers easy ISO to be an "consumer" feature thus is leaves it off their lower end bodies, same with built-in wireless flash control.
  • cab.in.bostoncab.in.boston Registered Users Posts: 634 Major grins
    edited November 29, 2009
    It could be that Nikon considers easy ISO to be an "consumer" feature thus is leaves it off their lower end bodies, same with built-in wireless flash control.

    Could be, although D300 and D700 retain that particular feature. It's probably just a factor of my inexperience with photography. Just seems a nice thing to have, it's just weird to me that it's not there on the higher body. I understand leaving off the scene and auto modes from the higher cameras, but otherwise, I'd think that most features included on lower bodies would be included. I can't think that including that on the higher bodies would cost much in terms of development cost and/or performance. Oh, well.
    Father, husband, dog lover, engineer, Nikon shooter
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  • time2smiletime2smile Registered Users Posts: 835 Major grins
    edited November 30, 2009
    D90 That works in P also, but it switches to the other dial.
    D300 Sorry dont know, but someone with one will answer
    Ted....
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  • Wil DavisWil Davis Registered Users Posts: 1,692 Major grins
    edited November 30, 2009
    snip…
    So the question is, to change ISO on a D300/s in A or S mode, do you have to hold down the button, or does the unused wheel automatically allow you to set ISO? If it doesn't, does the unused wheel do *anything* at all in those modes? Bear in mind, the D300s looks like an awesome camera, and the answer to this question would not prevent me from getting one, but it just seems like a really useful function to have on the D90, and I'm surprised that I don't see it on the higher-end body.

    I'm not sure as to the exact answer to your question, but there is a neat feature on the D300 which I find to be very useful when needing to make one-handed adjustments, and that is (from the destructions): "f8 - Release Button to Use Dial - This option allows adjustments that are normally made by holding a button and rotating a command dial to be made by rotating the command dial after the button had been released. At the default setting of 'No' the button must be pressed while the command dial is rotated. If 'Yes' is selected, the setting can be changed by rotating the command dial after the button is released. Setting ends when the button is pressed again, or the shutter-release button is pressed half-way…"

    HTH -
    - Wil
    "…………………" - Marcel Marceau
  • cab.in.bostoncab.in.boston Registered Users Posts: 634 Major grins
    edited November 30, 2009
    Wil Davis wrote:
    I'm not sure as to the exact answer to your question, but there is a neat feature on the D300 which I find to be very useful when needing to make one-handed adjustments, and that is (from the destructions): "f8 - Release Button to Use Dial - This option allows adjustments that are normally made by holding a button and rotating a command dial to be made by rotating the command dial after the button had been released. At the default setting of 'No' the button must be pressed while the command dial is rotated. If 'Yes' is selected, the setting can be changed by rotating the command dial after the button is released. Setting ends when the button is pressed again, or the shutter-release button is pressed half-way…"

    HTH -
    - Wil

    That means you would still have to press the ISO button on top left, then rotate dial, yes? What I'm talking about, in A or S mode, one wheel adjusts aperture or SS, the other does ISO, so you can adjust it without having to find and press a button while looking through the VF. I'm sensing that this function is non-existent on the D300/s, and that's fine, I was just curious. Thanks.
    Father, husband, dog lover, engineer, Nikon shooter
    My site 365 Project
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited November 30, 2009
    I've been reading reviews of the D300 and D300s lately, as I am considering one, perhaps as a graduation present to myself when I finish my masters in May, and have a quick question that I can't seem to find discussed in any of the reviews I've read. On my D90, in CSM d3 (Shooting/Display), you can set "Show ISO/Easy ISO." That means in A or S priority modes, the unused command wheel will adjust ISO without having to hold in the ISO button on the rear of the camera, which of course one has to do in M. I don't see this option in the D300/s menus, and I think it's a very handy function.

    So the question is, to change ISO on a D300/s in A or S mode, do you have to hold down the button, or does the unused wheel automatically allow you to set ISO? If it doesn't, does the unused wheel do *anything* at all in those modes? Bear in mind, the D300s looks like an awesome camera, and the answer to this question would not prevent me from getting one, but it just seems like a really useful function to have on the D90, and I'm surprised that I don't see it on the higher-end body.

    Simple answer is no.....or at least not that i found.....except for as mentioned above by using the release button setting........
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