Welcome to this detailed guide on how to use the Nikon D810. If you just got the camera and don’t know your way around it, this is for you.
We’ll walk you through everything you need to know before you start pictures. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
- 36.3 MP FX format CMOS sensor without an Optical Low Pass Filter (OLPF)
- 30 Percent faster EXPEED 4 image processing engine. Shutter Speed: 1/8000 to 30 sec
- 51point AF system and 3D Color Matrix metering III with a 91,000 pixel RGB sensor
- ISO 6412,800 expandable to 51,200
- Featuring a new RAW Small Size option, which produces 16MP images with much smaller file sizes
- Professional video and audio capabilities
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How To Use The Nikon D810 — Specs
The Nikon D810 is an Advanced-Level DSLR which was released July 2014. It has a 36-megapixel Full frame CMOS sensor.
This means you will get a lot of detail in your photos. The D810 also has Face Detection Focus, and an optical viewfinder. This gives you better framing, and more control.
The D810 also has a headphone jack, a microphone jack, and a battery life of 1200 shots. It also has weather sealing, which protects internal components from dust and moisture.
The Nikon D810 also has a few downsides. For instance, it has no image stabilization. This increases the chances of getting blurry photos.
The LCD screen isn’t articulating, and has no touch capabilities. It’s also quite heavy and bulky.
How To Use The Nikon D810 — Ports and Jacks
The D810 comes with a headphone jack which you can use to connect your headphones for proper audio monitoring..
It also has a microphone jack for external microphones. This will come in handy when shooting videos, because the built-in mic sucks.
The D810 also has a USB 3.0 port. This makes it easier to connect your camera to a laptop or desktop PC.
The Nikon D810 also has an HDMI port which you can use to view the camera’s display on a monitor for video recording.
How to use the Nikon D810: Buttons and dials
The first is the power button (or switch). Without this, you wouldn’t be able to power up your camera.
The D810 also has a D-pad which can us to can navigate through the menu. It also has a magnification button for zooming in on your photos.
The shutter button is also important. This is the button you press to take a picture. Depending on what mode you’re in, you can capture multiple images by pressing the button once.
The D810 also has a Live View button. This deactivates the viewfinder, and turns on the LCD screen at the back of the camera. This is useful for those that shoot video.
Speaking of videos, the D810 also has a Record button. Obviously, you use this button to record videos. Once you have finished recording, press the button again to stop.
The D810 has an Info button which brings up information about any selected option in the menu. There’s also a plus/minus button, which you can use to adjust your aperture.
The D810 also has a mode dial at the top. You use this to change your shooting mode. These are the shooting modes available on the Nikon D810…
AUTO mode
In this mode, the camera handles all the settings for you. This is the most ideal option beginners.
S – shutter priority mode
This mode gives you the ability to set the shutter speed by yourself, while the camera handles other settings.
A – aperture priority mode
Using the command dial, you can control the aperture by yourself, while the camera sets the shutter speed.
P – program mode
In this mode the camera sets the aperture and shutter speed, but still gives you the ability to tweak a few settings.
M – manual mode
This mode gives you full control over the shutter speed and aperture. The camera will notify you if the exposure is off, but won’t stop you.
Note: for a more visual explanation, please refer to the video below.
How To Use The Nikon D810 — Menu
Note: these aren’t all the menus and options. We have just selected those that are most important.
To enter the D810’s main menu, press the menu button on the camera. Once you are in the main menu, you’ll find other sub-menus. Here are a few of them…
In this menu, you can review your images, rotate them, play them in a slide-show, etc.
In the shooting menu you can configure the quality and size of your images. You can also set your white balance, picture control, customize movie settings, and change ISO settings.
In this menu, you can customize things like autofocus, exposure, shooting/display, bracketing/flash, timers/AE lock, and controls.
This is menu is the easiest to customize. In the SETUP menu, you can format your memory card, lock the camera’s mirror for cleaning, clean the image sensor, control flicker reduction.
You can also set the language, time/date, location data, remote control, HDMI, video mode, and control Wi-Fi.
How To Use The Nikon D810 — Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Nikon D810 good for video?
If you are looking for a good video camera, the Nikon D810 isn’t the best choice. It can’t record 4K, but has a maximum resolution of 1080p at 60fps.
If you would like to see other video cameras, feel free to check out our Sony a7S vs Panasonic GH4 comparison article.
The Nikon D810 wasn’t really built for videographers. However, If resolution and frame rate don’t matter that much to you, the D810 will be good enough.
Is the Nikon D810 good for portraits?
The Nikon D810 is a great camera for portrait photography. It has a high sensor resolution which brings out a lot of detail in your photos. It also has an optical viewfinder which helps you compose your shots better.
The Nikon D810 also has a large full-frame sensor. This gives you shallower depth of field, and a nice blurry background in your photos.
Due to the lack of built-in image stabilization, you have to rely on lenses with optical stabilization for sharper photos.
What lenses are compatible with the Nikon D810?
Here is a list of the Nikon D810’s compatible lenses…
Normal lenses
Nikon AF-S 24-120mm f/4 G ED VR II
Nikon PC-E 45mm f/2,8 D Micro ED
Tamron SP AF 24-70mm f/2,8 Di VC USD
Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2,8 G ED
Nikon AF-S 58mm f/1,4 G
Wide-angle lenses
Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1,4 G ED
Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1,4 G
Nikon AF-S 16-35mm f/4 G ED VR
Nikon AF 14mm f/2,8 D ED
Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2,8 G ED
Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3,5 D ED
Tilt shift lenses
Nikon PC-E 45mm f/2,8 D Micro ED
Nikon PC-E 85mm f/2,8 D ED
Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3,5 D ED
Telephoto lenses
Sigma EX 200-500mm f/2,8 APO HSM DG
Sigma EX 300-800mm f/5,6 DG APO HSM
Sigma EX 300mm f/2,8 APO DG HSM
Nikon AF-S 200-400mm f/4 G IF-ED VR II
Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2,8 G ED VR
Nikon AF-S 500mm f/4 D IF-ED II
Nikon AF-S 500mm f/4 G ED VR
Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4 G ED VR
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2,8 G IF-ED VR
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2,8 G IF-ED VR II
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/4 G ED VR f/4
Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4,5-5,6 G ED VR
Nikon AF-S 800mm f/5,6 E FL ED VR
Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1,4 G ED
Nikon PC-E 85mm f/2,8 D ED
Sigma EX 120-300mm f/2,8 APO DG HSM
Sigma EX 120-300mm f/2,8 DG OS APO HSM
Sigma EX 180mm f/2,8 HSM OS DG Macro
Nikon AF-S 200mm f/2 G ED VR II
Nikon AF-S 200mm f/2 G IF ED VR
Nikon AF-S 300mm f/2,8 G IF-ED VR
Nikon AF-S 300mm f/2,8 G IF-ED VR II
Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2,8 D IF-ED II
Sigma EX 70-200mm f/2,8 APO HSM DG OS
Sigma EX 800mm f/5,6 HSM APO DG
Sigma EX 85mm f/1,4 DG HSM
Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2,8 G IF-ED Micro-Nikkor VR
Nikon AF-S 200-400mm f/4 G IF-ED VR
Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2,8 E FL ED VR
*You can get these lenses at Amazon.com
Conclusion
That brings us to the end of this guide. This everything you need to know to get started with the Nikon D810.
Hope you found this helpful. If you have any more questions, feel free to comment below. Also check out other guides and comparisons.
