Mastering the Nikon COOLPIX A (2014)

Chapter 6. Retouch Menu

Retouching allows you to modify your images in-camera. If you like to do digital photography but don’t particularly like to adjust images on a computer, these functions are for you! Obviously, the camera monitor is not large enough to allow you to make heavy creative changes to an image—as you can do within Nikon Capture NX 2 or Photoshop. However, it is surprising what you can accomplish with the Retouch Menu.

The COOLPIX A has 19 Retouch Menu selections.

Retouch Functions List

• D-Lighting: This feature opens up detail in the shadows and tends to protect highlight details from blowing out. This is similar to the Shooting Menu > Active D-Lighting function, but it’s applied after the image is taken.

• Red-eye correction: This removes the unwanted red-eye effect caused by light from a flash reflecting back from the eyes of human subjects.

• Trim: This feature creates a trimmed (cropped) copy of a selected photograph. You can crop the image into several aspect ratios, including 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 5:4, and 16:9.

• Monochrome: You can convert your color images to monochrome. There are three tints available: Black-and-white (grays), Sepia (reddish), and Cyanotype (bluish).

• Filter effects: Seven filter effects can be applied to an image to change its appearance. The seven filters are Skylight, Warm filter, Red intensifier, Green intensifier, Blue intensifier, Cross screen, and Soft.

• Color balance: To change the color balance of an image, you can increase or decrease the amount of Green, Blue, Amber, and Magenta.

• Image overlay: This creates a new image by overlaying two existing NEF (RAW) files. Basically, you can combine two RAW images to create special effects, like adding an image of the moon into a separate landscape picture.

• NEF (RAW) processing: You can create highly specialized JPEG images from your NEF (RAW) files without using your computer.

• Resize: You can take a full-size image and convert it into several smaller sizes. This is useful if you would like to send an image via e-mail or if you need a smaller image for other reasons.

• Quick retouch: The camera automatically tweaks the image with enhancements to saturation and contrast. In addition, when a subject is dark or backlit, the camera applies D-Lighting to open up shadow detail.

• Straighten: You can straighten an image with crooked horizons by rotating it in-camera until it looks good. The camera will trim (crop) the edges of the image to create a normal image perspective, without the tilt.

• Fisheye: This feature allows you to incrementally bulge an image from its center in an often hilarious way to get that strange fisheye effect you see when you look through a peephole. It provides a very distorted image that will either make your friends laugh or chase you. Warning: This effect can be dangerous to use on wives, sisters, and girlfriends! (Don’t ask me how I know!)

• Color outline: This creates an outline effect, as if you had traced an underlying image on paper with a pencil. The effect is in monochrome, contrary to the name of the function. Nikon provides this effect to “Create an outline of a photograph to use as a base for painting.” If you are a painter, this may be useful to you.

• Color sketch: The effect is very similar to Color outline; the main difference is that it is in pastel colors. It sketches the edges of the subjects in your image and colorizes them, similar to using colored pencils or crayons. You can control the vividness of the color and the contrast of the line edges.

• Perspective control: This useful control helps adjust perspective distortion. It’s useful for pictures of things like buildings, which can have a falling-over-backward effect when shot with a wide-angle lens. You can adjust the building so it looks more natural, instead of like it’s about to fall over backward. The camera automatically crops the edges of the image to allow the distortion to be removed.

• Miniature effect: This effect allows you to create a reverse diorama (an image taken from a high vantage point of a real scene with a very limited band of sharpness) to make the image look fake. The image may be of a real subject, like a city shot from the top of a tall building; however, the Miniature effect causes the scene to look artificial, as if small models of reality were being used.

• Selective color: You can use this function to create photographs with certain elements in color and the rest in black-and-white. Imagine a bright red rose with no other color in the image except the petals. You can selectively choose a color with an eyedropper icon, and only that color will appear in the image.

• Edit movie: You can shorten a movie by cropping out a small section from a large movie file.

• Side-by-side comparison: You can compare a retouched image—created via the Retouch Menu—with the original image. The images are presented side by side so you can see the before and after effects.

Figure 6.1: Retouch Menu

The Retouch Menu of the COOLPIX A is shown in figure 6.1. It is the fourth menu down the menu selection bar, just below the Setup Menu. Its icon resembles a palette and paintbrush.

Retouched File Numbering

When you use Retouch Menu items, the COOLPIX A does not overwrite your original file. It always creates a JPEG file with the next available image number. The retouched image will be numbered as the last image on the memory card. If you have 100 images on your card and you are retouching image number DSC_0047, the new JPEG image will be number DSC_0101 (it will be the 101st image).

Accessing the Retouch Functions: Two Methods

There are two methods for accessing the Retouch Menu. You can use the main Retouch Menu—under the Menu button—to choose an image to work with, or you can display an image in Playback mode and press the OK button to open the Retouch Menu.

They work basically the same way, except the Playback Retouch Menu leaves out the step of choosing the image (since there is already an image on the screen), and it has fewer retouch selections. The most comprehensive retouch selections are available under the Retouch Menu.

Since both the Playback Retouch Menu and Retouch Menu methods have the same functions, we’ll discuss them as if you were using the Retouch Menu. However, in case you decide to use the Playback method, let’s discuss it briefly.

Playback Retouching

Use the following steps if you want to work with an image that you are viewing on your camera monitor—what I call Playback retouching.

Figure 6.2: Playback Retouch Menu

Follow these steps to use the Retouch Menu options:

1. Press the Playback button and choose a picture by displaying it on the monitor (figure 6.2, images 1 and 2). You now have a picture ready for retouching.

2. Press the OK button to open an abbreviated Retouch Menu (figure 6.2, image 3).

3. Select one of the Playback Retouch Menu items and press the OK button (figure 6.2, image 4).

Some of the Retouch Menu options are not available under the Playback Retouch Menu. Remember that Playback retouching is available when you press the OK button while an image is displayed on the monitor.

The following descriptions require that you select a Retouch Menu function under the Menu button and then select an image to apply the effect. Let’s consider each section of the Retouch Menu in detail.

Limitations on Previously Retouched Images

Sometimes there are limitations imposed when you are working on an image that has already been retouched. You may not be able to modify a previously retouched image with another retouch function. When you use the Playback retouch method, the items will be grayed out on the menu. If you use the Retouch Menu directly, any images that are overlaid with a yellow X in a box cannot be retouched again with the current retouch function.

Using Retouch Menu Items Directly

D-Lighting

(User’s Manual, Page 200)

D-Lighting allows you to reduce the shadows in an image and maybe even rein in the highlights a bit. It lowers the overall image contrast, so it should be used sparingly. The COOLPIX A is not aggressive with D-Lighting, so you can use it sparingly if needed. Also, remember that Retouch Menu effects are applied to a copy of the image, so your original picture is safe.

Figure 6.3: D-Lighting

Use the following steps to apply D-Lighting to an image:

1. Select D-Lighting from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.3, image 1).

2. Select the image you want to modify and press the OK button (figure 6.3, image 2).

3. Choose the amount of D-Lighting you want for the chosen image, using the Rotary multi selector to scroll up or down. You’ll choose from Low, Normal (or medium), or High (figure 6.3, image 3). When the image on the right of the side-by-side comparison looks the way you want it to, press the OK button to save the new file.

4. The COOLPIX A will display a brief Image saved notice and then display the new file on the monitor. The retouched image will have a small paletteand-paintbrush icon to show that it has been retouched (figure 6.3, image 4). The original image is still available for future retouching.

Settings Recommendation: There is no one setting that is correct for all images. I often use Normal (medium) to see if an image needs more or less D-Lighting, then I change it to High or Low if needed. Remember that any amount of D-Lighting has the potential to introduce noise in the darker areas of the image, so the less D-Lighting you use, the better.

Red-Eye Correction

(User’s Manual, Page 201)

Red-eye correction attempts to change bright red pupils—caused by flash exposure reflection—back to their normal dark color. Red eye makes a person look like one of those aliens with glowing eyes from a science fiction show.

If you used flash to create a picture, the Red-eye correction function will work on the image if it can detect any red eye. If it can’t detect red eye in the image, it will not open the red-eye system; instead, it will briefly display a screen that says Unable to detect red-eye in selected image.

If you try to select Red-eye correction for an image in which flash was not used, the camera will display a screen that says Cannot select this file.

Figure 6.4: Red-eye correction

Use the following steps to execute the Red-eye correction function:

1. Select Red-eye correction from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.4, image 1).

2. Select the image you want to modify and press the OK button (figure 6.4, image 2). Notice that there are several images I cannot use for retouching, as signified by the yellow rectangle with an X (pictures 733–735). These are landscape images that did not require flash. The camera recognizes that and will not let me use Red-eye correction on them.

3. After you press the OK button to run Red-eye correction on the picture, you’ll see an hourglass on the monitor for several seconds (figure 6.4, image 3).

4. Press the OK button to save the file with a new file name (figure 6.4, image 4) or press the Playback button to cancel. After Red-eye correction is complete, you can use the Playback zoom in button to zoom in on the image, and the Rotary multi selector to move around within the image, to see how well Red-eye correction worked. Zoom back out with the checkered Playback zoom out/thumbnails button.

Settings Recommendation: I’ve found that the Red-eye correction function works pretty well as long as the subject is fairly large in the frame. The young graduates in figure 6.4, image 4, had serious red eye in the original image. That gives you an idea of how large in the frame the subject has to be for this function to work well.

I have tried Red-eye correction on smaller images where there are larger groups of people. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t. When the subject is smaller, the eyes are much smaller too, and the camera may struggle to find red eye. I’ve seen it correct one eye that is closer to the camera (and therefore larger) and not the other. I would rate this function as quite helpful, but not always effective. However, it’s a good function to have for quick Redeye correction on critical images you need to use immediately.

Trim

(User’s Manual, Page 202)

The Trim function allows you to crop an image in-camera, change its aspect ratio, and save the file as a new image. Your original image is not modified.

This is a useful function if you need to cut out, or trim, the most useful area of an image to remove distracting elements from the background.

Figure 6.5: Trim function

Use the following steps to Trim an image in-camera:

1. Select the Trim function from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.5, image 1).

2. Select the image you want to modify then press the OK button (figure 6.5, image 2).

3. You’ll see a screen that has a crop outlined in yellow (figure 6.5, image 3). Use the checkered Playback zoom out/thumbnails button to reduce the yellow crop outline or the Playback zoom in button to enlarge the size of the yellow crop outline. Use the Rotary multi selector to move the yellow selection rectangle in any direction within the frame until you find the best crop.

4. Select the Aspect ratio of the crop by rotating the Command dial. Your choices are 3:2, 4:3, 5:4, 1:1 (square), or 16:9. Figure 6.5, image 3, shows that the 5:4 Aspect ratio is selected.

5. When you have the crop correctly sized and the Aspect ratio set, press the OK button to save the image with a new file name (figure 6.5, image 4).

Settings Recommendation: This is a very useful function for cropping images without a computer. The fact that multiple Aspect ratios are available is icing on the cake. The COOLPIX A has some useful Aspect ratios, including a square (1:1) and an HD format (16:9). You can use whichever crop best enhances your subject.

Monochrome

(User’s Manual, Page 203)

The Monochrome function in the COOLPIX A is fun to play with and can make some nice images. Converting the images to one of the three monochrome tones is a good starting point for creative manipulation. The three different types of Monochrome are as follows:

• Black-and-white (grays)

• Sepia (golden tone)

• Cyanotype (blue tone)

Figure 6.6: Monochrome images

Figure 6.6 shows a sample of the three monochrome tones you can use to convert a normal color photo. I chose the Darker setting on the Sepia and Cyanotype versions to show their maximum effects. The Black-and-white option has no darkness or lightness setting because the COOLPIX A provides only one level. However, for Sepia and Cyanotype, you can fine-tune the tint from almost nothing to very saturated in three levels.

Figure 6.7: Monochrome (Sepia) image creation

Use the following steps to create a Monochrome image from one of your color images:

1. Select Monochrome from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.7, image 1).

2. Select a Monochrome tone—Black-and-white, Sepia, or Cyanotype (figure 6.7, image 2). I selected Sepia.

3. Select the image you want to modify (figure 6.7, image 3).

4. For a Black-and-white image, you cannot adjust the level of lightness or darkness. For Sepia and Cyanotype, you can use the Rotary multi selector to saturate or desaturate the tone (figure 6.7, image 4). Press up or down and watch the screen until the tint is as dark or light as you want it to be. You can cancel the operation by pressing the Playback button.

5. Press the OK button to save the modified image with a new file name (figure 6.7, image 4).

6. A screen that says Image saved will briefly appear, then the final image will appear with a retouch icon at the top left of the image; it displays only on the camera screen—it’s not embedded in the image (figure 6.7, images 5 and 6).

Figure 6.8: Sample Sepia image conversion (border added in Photoshop)

Settings Recommendation: I normally use the Black-and-white conversion when I immediately need a Monochrome image. However, it’s a lot of fun to make the image look old-fashioned with either Sepia or Cyanotype. New Sepia-toned images can look very old if people are dressed accordingly (figure 6.8).

Filter Effects

(User’s Manual, Page 203)

The COOLPIX A allows you to add seven filter effects to any image. You can intensify the image colors in various ways and add starburst effects to points of light. Here is a list of the available effects:

• Skylight

• Warm filter

• Red intensifier

• Green intensifier

• Blue intensifier

• Cross screen (starburst filter)

• Soft

Skylight Filter Effect

Figure 6.9: Skylight filter effect

This effect is rather mild. It removes blue haze caused by atmospheric diffraction in distant scenes. Basically, when you use this effect the image will be slightly less blue.

Use the following steps to choose the Skylight filter effect:

1. Choose Filter effects from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.9, image 1).

2. Select Skylight and scroll to the right (figure 6.9, image 2).

3. Choose an image and press the OK button (figure 6.9, image 3). Before you press the OK button, you can zoom in to examine the image with the Playback zoom in button if you’d like.

4. You will see the image with the Skylight effect added (figure 6.9, image 4). Press the OK button to save the image with a new file name, or press the Playback button to cancel.

Warm Filter Effect

Figure 6.10: Warm filter effect

The Warm filter effect adds a mild reddish cast to the image to make it appear a little warmer. Here’s how to set it:

1. Select Filter effects from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.10, image 1).

2. Select Warm filter and scroll to the right (figure 6.10, image 2).

3. Choose an image and press the OK button (figure 6.10, image 3). Before you press the OK button, you can zoom in to examine the image with the Playback zoom in button if you’d like.

4. You will see the image with the Warm filter effect added (figure 6.10, image 4). Press the OK button to save the image with a new file name, or press the Playback button to cancel.

Red Intensifier Filter Effect

Figure 6.11: Red intensifier filter effect

The Red intensifier filter effect intensifies the reds in an image and adds a red cast. You can control this effect by making an initial selection then increasing or decreasing the effect by using the Rotary multi selector to scroll up or down when the image is on-screen. Even though it doesn’t tell you, there are three levels of intensity. The default level is applied first. You can scroll up for the maximum effect or scroll down for the minimum effect.

Here’s how to set the Red intensifier filter effect:

1. Select Filter effects from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.11, image 1).

2. Select Red intensifier and scroll to the right (figure 6.11, image 2).

3. Choose an image and press the OK button (figure 6.11, image 3). Before you press the OK button, you can zoom in to examine the image with the Playback zoom in button if you’d like.

4. You will see a new image with the Red intensifier effect added (figure 6.11, image 4). Press the OK button to save the image with a new file name, or press the Playback button to cancel.

Green Intensifier Filter Effect

Figure 6.12: Green intensifier filter effect

The Green intensifier filter effect intensifies the greens in an image and adds a green cast. You can control this effect by making an initial selection then increasing or decreasing the effect by using the Rotary multi selector to scroll up or down when the image is on-screen. Even though it doesn’t tell you, there are three levels of intensity. The default level is applied first. You can scroll up for the maximum effect or scroll down for the minimum effect.

Here’s how to set the Green intensifier filter effect:

1. Select Filter effects from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.12, image 1).

2. Select Green intensifier and scroll to the right (figure 6.12, image 2).

3. Choose an image and press the OK button (figure 6.12, image 3). Before you press the OK button, you can zoom in to examine the image with the Playback zoom in button if you’d like.

4. You will see a new image with the Green intensifier effect added (figure 6.12, image 4). Press the OK button to save the image with a new file name, or press the Playback button to cancel.

Blue Intensifier Filter Effect

Figure 6.13: Blue intensifier filter effect

The Blue intensifier filter effect intensifies the blues in an image and adds a blue cast. You can control this effect by making an initial selection then increasing or decreasing the effect by using the Rotary multi selector to scroll up or down when the image is on-screen. Even though it doesn’t tell you, there are three levels of intensity. The default level is applied first. You can scroll up for the maximum effect or scroll down for the minimum effect.

Here’s how to set the Blue intensifier effect:

1. Select Filter effects from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.13, image 1).

2. Select Blue intensifier and scroll to the right (figure 6.13, image 2).

3. Choose an image and press the OK button (figure 6.13, image 3). Before you press the OK button, you can zoom in to examine the image with the Playback zoom in button if you’d like.

4. You will see a new image with the Blue intensifier effect added (figure 6.13, image 4). Press the OK button to save the image with a new file name, or press the Playback button to cancel.

Cross Screen Filter Effect

The Cross screen filter effect adds a starburst to points of light. There are four adjustments for this effect, along with Confirm and Save commands.

In the following sample images, where I am manipulating the length and direction of the starburst rays, I did a confirmation step after each change—with the Confirm selection—so the images in the figures would display the effect. If you make a habit of confirming each change before you move to the next one, the camera will update the display so you can see what you have selected. Otherwise you must wait until you have made all the changes and Confirm them at the end.

To get a good point of light for the starburst cross screen effect, I placed a candleholder on the floor at my feet and shot down at it. The shadow of the candleholder made a round shadow under the candle that contrasts nicely with the starburst and makes it easy to see.

Figure 6.14: Cross screen filter effect image selection

To create the Cross screen filter effect, use the following steps:

1. Choose Filter effects from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.14, image 1).

2. Select Cross screen and scroll to the right (figure 6.14, image 2).

3. Choose an image with the Rotary multi selector and press the OK button (figure 6.14, image 3). Before you press the OK button, you can zoom in to examine the image with the Playback zoom in button if you’d like.

Figure 6.15: Cross screen filter effect: Number of points

4. Figure 6.15 starts where figure 6.14, image 3, leaves off. The first adjustment is the Number of points (4, 6, or 8) in the starburst (figure 6.15, image 1). Scroll to the right to select the Number of points (figure 6.15, image 2). You can see that an icon with the number of rays in the starburst is provided along with a numeral. I selected 8 points. Press the OK button to lock in your selection. Follow the same procedure for the next three adjustments, which are Filter amount, Filter angle, and Length of points on the starburst.

Figure 6.16: Cross screen filter effect: Filter amount

5. The second adjustment is the Filter amount (figure 6.16). This adjustment affects the brightness of the light sources. The more Xs, the brighter the light source. I selected the maximum level in image 2.

Figure 6.17: Cross screen filter effect: Filter angle

6. Select the angle of the starburst rays with the Filter angle adjustment (figure 6.17). You can rotate the rays in a clockwise direction until the starburst is at the angle you prefer. In image 2, I rotated the starburst until the rays were upright.

Figure 6.18: Cross screen filter effect: Length of points

7. Select the length of the starburst rays with the Length of points adjustment (figure 6.18). I wanted the longest rays, so in image 2 I selected the longest ray setting.

Figure 6.19: Cross screen filter effect: Confirm

8. Select Confirm to see the effect applied to your image (figure 6.19). This is like an update button. You can change the adjustments in steps 4 through 7 multiple times and Confirm them each time to see the updated image until the effect is the way you want it. As mentioned previously, I confirmed each step after I made changes so you can see the effects better.

Figure 6.20: Cross screen filter effect: Save

9. Select the Save menu item and press the OK button (figure 6.20, image 1). After a moment you’ll see a screen that says Image saved (figure 6.20, image 2). Then you’ll see the full-size image in normal Playback mode (figure 6.20, image 3). Notice the retouch icon at the top left of the image, which tells you that it has been retouched.

Soft Filter Effect

The Soft filter effect is designed to give your subject that dreamy look popularized by old movies, where the beautiful woman looks soft and sweet. You can select from three levels of softness: Low, Normal, and High.

Figure 6.21 shows small versions of the original image and the three softness settings.

Figure 6.21: Soft filter effect samples: Image 1, Original; Image 2, Low; Image 3, Normal; Image 4, High

This is an interesting effect. Even though the overall image has a softness to it after the effect has been applied, the subject is still somewhat sharp. It doesn’t look like the image is soft because of not being in focus or camera movement. It’s like a softness has been overlaid on the image, and the original image is still sharp. You’ll have to see this misty look in a full-size image to see what I mean.

Figure 6.22: Soft Filter effect setting

Use the following steps to select one of the Soft filter levels for your image:

1. Select Filter effects from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.22, image 1).

2. Choose Soft from the menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.22, image 2).

3. Select the image to which you want to apply the Soft filter effect and press the OK button (figure 6.22, image 3). Before you press the OK button, you can zoom in to examine the image with the Playback zoom in button if you’d like.

4. You’ll see the word Normal surrounded by yellow (figure 6.22, image 4). Use the Rotary multi selector to scroll up or down and select one of the softness levels (Low, Normal, or High). The small image on the left is the original image, and the one on the right is the adjusted image. You can easily see the softness vary as you select different levels. Choose the level you want to use.

5. Press the OK button to save the new image and display it on the monitor.

Settings Recommendation: I tend to like the Normal setting best. Low looks like I made a mistake, and High is too soft. Compare the three levels and see which works best for you.

Color Balance

(User’s Manual, Page 205)

Color balance lets you deliberately add various tones to your pictures. You can visually add a light or strong color cast. You might want to warm things up a bit by adding a touch of red or cool things down with a touch of blue. Or you could get creative and add various color casts to the picture for special effects. You’ll see what I mean when you try it. You can tone the image with the following color casts:

• Green

• Blue

• Amber

• Magenta

Figure 6.23: Color balance samples

Figure 6.23 shows four samples of the colors you can use for tinting. Notice the red arrow in image 1. It points to the color box. You move the little black square around in the color box to add tints to the image. In images 1 through 4 you can see that I moved the black square into different areas of the color box.

The small image above the color box shows you how the final image will look, and the histograms show the color changes in each of the red, green, and blue (RGB) channels. As you make color changes you will see the color shift in the histograms. Be careful not to overdo certain colors (clip them off on the right or left) or you will blow out the color channels. We’ll discuss histograms in more detail in the chapter titled Metering, Exposure Modes, and Histogram.

You can return the square to the center of the color box to neutralize any tints.

Figure 6.24: Color balance settings

Use the following steps to modify the Color balance in your image:

1. Select Color balance from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.24, image 1).

2. Choose the image you want to modify and press the OK button (figure 6.24, image 2). Before you press the OK button, you can zoom in to examine the image with the Playback zoom in button if you’d like.

3. Use the Rotary multi selector to move the black square in the center of the color box toward whatever color makes you happy (figure 6.24, image 3). Watch the histograms as they display the changing color relationships among the red, green, and blue color channels. You can see the color casts as they are applied to the small version of your image in the upper-left corner of the screen. I added a little red in image 3 to warm up the picture.

4. Press the OK button to save the image with a new file name, or press the Playback button to cancel (figure 6.24, image 4).

Settings Recommendation: This is a cool function for persnickety people, and I’m one of them! If you like to fine-tune the color of your pictures—but hate using the computer—here’s your control. You can introduce almost any color tint into the image by moving the black square in any direction within the color box, using combinations of colors to arrive at one that pleases you. This also allows you to fix color casts caused by various color temperatures of different light sources. The COOLPIX A is a very flexible camera!

Image Overlay

(User’s Manual, Page 206)

The Image overlay function is a nice way to combine two RAW images as if they were taken as a multiple exposure. This function will not work with JPEG images. Basically, you can select a couple of NEF (RAW) shots and combine them into a new overlaid image.

The results can be a lot like what you get when you use Shooting Menu > Multiple exposure, but Image overlay gives you a visual way to overlay two images instead of shooting multiple exposures on one frame. The final image can be high quality because the overlay is done using RAW image data.

Figure 6.25: Image overlay settings

Use the following steps to do an Image overlay:

1. Select Image overlay from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.25, image 1).

2. Insert the first RAW image in the Image 1 box (outlined in yellow) by pressing the OK button and selecting an image from the selection screen (figure 6.25, images 2 and 3). Press the OK button again to return to the combination screen (figure 6.25, image 4). You can vary the gain of the first image by using the Rotary multi selector to scroll up or down in the X1.0 field (figure 6.25, image 4). The X1.0 setting is variable from X0.1 to X2.0. It lets you control how bright or dark (dense) an image is so it can more closely match the density of the other image in the overlay.X1.0 is normal image density.

3. Use the Rotary multi selector to move the yellow box to the Image 2 position (figure 6.25, image 5). Press the OK button, select the second picture from the image selection screen, then press the OK button again to insert the image (figure 6.25, image 6). As mentioned in step 2, you can use the X1.0 field to vary the density of the second image in the overlay (figure 6.25, image 7). Try to match the density as much as possible to provide a realistic overlay.

4. Use the Rotary multi selector to move the yellow box to the Preview area. You’ll see two selections below it: Overlay and Save. Choose one of the options and press the OK button (figure 6.25, image 8).

5. If you select Overlay, the COOLPIX A will temporarily combine the images, and you’ll see another screen that displays a larger view of the new image. You can press the OK button to save the image with a new file name, or you can press the checkered Playback zoom out/thumbnails button to return to the previous screen.

6. If you choose Save instead of Overlay and press the OK button, the COOLPIX A immediately combines the two images and saves the image with a new file name without letting you review the image first. Basically, the Save selection saves now, and Overlay gives you a preview of the combination so you can modify or save it.

Settings Recommendation: This is an easy way to overlay images without a computer. There are some drawbacks, though. One image may have a strong background that is impossible to remove, no matter how much you fiddle with the image density or gain (X0.1 to X2.0). This is where a computer excels, since you can use software tools like masking in Capture NX 2 or Photoshop to remove parts of the background and make a more realistic overlay. However, if you must combine two images in the field, you have a way to do it in-camera.

NEF (RAW) Processing

(User’s Manual, Page 209)

NEF (RAW) processing allows you to convert a RAW image to a JPEG manually within the camera. If you normally shoot in RAW but need a JPEG quickly, this is a great function.

There is quite a comprehensive catalog of things you can do to an image during NEF (RAW) processing. A RAW file is not yet an image, so the camera settings you used when you took the picture are not permanently applied. In effect, when you use NEF (RAW) processing you are applying camera settings to the JPEG image after the fact, and you can change the settings you used when you originally took the picture.

You can apply settings when you take a picture through the Shooting Menu or by using external camera controls. However, with NEF (RAW) processing the settings are applied to the image after the fact, instead of while shooting. See the chapter titled Shooting Menu for a thorough explanation of each setting.

Here’s a list of post-shooting adjustments you can make with NEF (RAW) processing, with basic explanations of each function:

• Image quality: With NEF (RAW) processing you are converting a RAW file to a JPEG file, so the camera gives you a choice of FINE, NORM, or BASIC. These are equivalent to the Shooting Menu > Image quality settings called JPEG fine, JPEG normal, and JPEG basic.

• Image size: This lets you select how large the JPEG file will be. Your choices are L, M, or S, which are equivalent to the Large (16.1 megapixels), Medium (9.0 megapixels), and Small (4.0 megapixels) Shooting Menu > Image size settings.

• White balance: This lets you change the White balance of the image after you’ve already taken the picture. You can select from a series of symbols that represent various types of White balance color temperatures. As you scroll up or down in the list of symbols, notice that the name of the corresponding White balance type appears just above the small picture. You can see the effect of each setting as it is applied.

• Exposure compensation: This function allows you to brighten or darken the image by applying +/- Exposure compensation to it. You can apply compensation up to 2 EV in either direction (-2.0 to +2.0 EV).

• Set Picture Control: With this setting you can apply a different Picture Control than the one you used when you took the image. It shows abbreviations—such as SD, NL, VI, MC, PT, or LS—for each Nikon Picture Control, plus any Custom Picture Controls you might have created with the designation of C-1, C-2, C-3, and so on.

• High ISO NR: You can change the amount of High ISO noise reduction applied to the image. The camera offers you H, N, L, or Off settings, which are equivalent to the Shooting Menu > High ISO NR settings called High, Normal, Low, and Off.

• D-Lighting: This option lets you manage the level of contrast in the image by brightening the shadows and protecting the highlights. You have four choices: Off, Low (L), Normal (N), and High (H).

• EXE: This simply means execute. When you select this option and press the OK button, all your new settings will be applied to a new JPEG image, which will be saved to the memory card with a separate file name.

Figure 6.26: NEF (RAW) processing

Now, let’s look at the steps you can use to convert a file from NEF (RAW) to JPEG in-camera:

1. Select NEF (RAW) processing from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.26, image 1).

2. Select a RAW image with the Rotary multi selector and then press the OK button (figure 6.26, image 2). Now we’ll look at each setting found on the screen shown in figure 6.26, image 3. The following steps, and figures 6.27 to 6.36, begin where figure 6.26, image 3, leaves off.

Figure 6.27: NEF (RAW) processing: Image quality

3. Select one of the Image quality settings—FINE, NORM, or BASIC—from the Image quality menu (figure 6.27, images 1 and 2). FINE gives you the best possible quality in a JPEG image. Select the setting you want to use, then press the OK button to return to the main NEF (RAW) processing configuration screen. You can cancel the operation with the Playback button. You can zoom in to check the image quality with the Playback zoom in button.

Figure 6.28: NEF (RAW) processing: Image size

4. Select one of the Image size settings from the Image size menu (figure 6.28, images 1 and 2): L is Large (4928 x 3264; 16.2 MP), M is Medium (3696 x 2448; 9.0 MP), and S is Small (2464 x 1632; 4.0 MP). Choose the setting you want to use, then press the OK button to return to the main NEF (RAW) processing configuration screen. You can cancel the operation with the Playback button.

Figure 6.29: NEF (RAW) processing: White balance

5. Select one of the White balance settings for your new JPEG (figures 6.29 to 6.31). You can choose from AUTO, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, or PRE (Preset manual). Please review the chapter titled White Balance for detailed information on each of these selections. The Fluorescent and PRE settings have additional screens with choices that you must select.

Figure 6.30: NEF (RAW) processing: White balance: Fluorescent

a. Fluorescent: You must choose a type of fluorescent light (figure 6.30). There are seven choices, with names like Sodium-vapor, Warm-white, Cool-white, and so on. Each choice has a number assigned to it. Figure 6.30, image 3, shows Cool-white fluorescent, which is number 4 on the list. Scroll to the right to move to the fine-tuning screen, where you can adjust the color tint by moving the black square in the color box (figure 6.30, image 4). Press the OK button to save the setting, or press the Playback button to cancel.

Figure 6.31: NEF (RAW) processing: White balance: PRE/Preset manual

b. PRE/Preset Manual: With this setting you can choose an already-saved White balance that you previously obtained if you let the camera measure the ambient light reflected from a gray or white card (the PRE method) (figure 6.31). See the chapter titled White Balance for information on how to do ambient light (PRE) readings. You can fine-tune the colors of the previously read PRE White balance by using the screen shown in figure 6.31, image 3. You’ll see your fine-tuning adjustment change the color temperature of the image. If you don’t want to fine-tune the White balance, simply press the OK button when you get to the fine-tuning screen. The camera will return to the main NEF (RAW) processing configuration screen. You can cancel the operation with the Playback button.

Figure 6.32: NEF (RAW) processing: Exposure compensation

6. Now you can lighten or darken the image by selecting an Exposure compensation value of +/– 2.0 EV steps in either direction (figure 6.32, images 1 and 2). Press up or down on the Rotary multi selector to change the number in the yellow box. When the image looks just right, press theOK button to return to the main NEF (RAW) processing configuration screen. You can cancel the operation with the Playback button.

Figure 6.33: NEF (RAW) processing: Set Picture Control

7. Next you can apply a Nikon Picture Control or one of your own Custom Picture Controls, if you’ve created any (figure 6.33). Picture Controls change how the image looks. You can make the picture sharper and give it more contrast, change the color saturation, or shoot it as a monochrome. You can even modify the settings of the current Picture Control by using the fine-tuning screen (figure 6.33, image 3). Choose from SD (Standard), NL (Neutral), VI (Vivid), MC (Monochrome), PT (Portrait), LS (Landscape), or any of your custom Picture Controls (C-1 toC-9) that appear farther down on the list than this picture shows (figure 6.33, image 2).

You can scroll to the right with the Rotary multi selector if you want to fine-tune the image (figure 6.34, image 3). Scroll up or down to select one of the settings—Sharpening, Contrast, Brightness, and so forth—and scroll left or right (-/+) to modify the selected setting. If you make a mistake and want to start over, press the Delete button and the camera will display a screen that says Selected Picture Control will be reset to default settings. OK? Choose Yes or No and press the OK button. If you have modified a Picture Control’s factory default, an asterisk will appear next to its name in all menus (e.g., SD*). The MC (Monochrome) Picture Control lets you adjust not only things like Sharpening, Contrast, and Brightness in the fine-tuning screen, but it also gives you toning (tint) controls like the Shooting Menu > Set Picture Control function. When the image looks just right, press the OK button to return to the main NEF (RAW) processing configuration screen. You can cancel the operation with the Playback button.

Figure 6.34: NEF (RAW) processing: High ISO NR

8. High ISO NR (figure 6.34) lets you protect your images from noise when you are shooting with the camera set to higher ISO sensitivity settings. You can choose from Off, L (low), N (normal), and H (high) (figure 6.34, image 2). The higher the setting, the more the camera will blur then resharpen the image to remove noise. Use as low a setting as possible to keep the image quality high. Press the OK button to set the High ISO NR level, or press the Playback button to cancel.

Figure 6.35: NEF (RAW) processing: D-Lighting

9. D-lighting (figure 6.35) is very similar to Shooting Menu > Active D-Lighting in that it restores shadow detail and protects highlights in your images. Active D-Lighting is applied when you take a picture, but D-Lighting is applied after the fact. Otherwise they are basically the same thing. You can select from H (high), N (normal), L (low), or Off (figure 6.35, image 2). Press the OK button to set the D-Lighting level, or press the Playback button to cancel.

Figure 6.36: NEF (RAW) processing: EXE

10. When you are finished with NEF (RAW) processing, scroll down to the EXE (execute) selection and press the OK button (figure 6.36, image 1). An hourglass will display for a few seconds while the new JPEG is being created with your carefully crafted settings. An Image saved screen will briefly appear (figure 6.36, image 2), then the new JPEG will be displayed in a normal Playback screen on the monitor and will be saved to the memory card with a new file name (figure 6.36, image 3). You can cancel the operation with the Playback button.

This is a nice way to create specialized JPEG images from NEF (RAW) files without using a computer. How much longer will it be until our cameras come with a keyboard, monitor, and mouse ports? They are computerized, after all!

Settings Recommendation: NEF (RAW) processing is a complex, multistep process because you’re doing a major conversion from NEF (RAW) to JPEG in-camera, without using your computer. You’re in complete control of each level of the conversion and can even replace the camera settings you originally used when you took the picture.

If you want to simply convert the image without going through all these steps, just scroll down to the EXE selection and press the OK button. That will convert the image with the camera settings you used to take the picture.

The camera will remember the settings you chose for the previous NEF (RAW) to JPEG conversion; when you are ready to do a new conversion, the camera will already be set to convert an image the same way as before.

Resize

(User’s Manual, Page 211)

The Resize function allows you to convert an image from a full-size 16.1 MP (4928 x 3264) picture to a smaller one, with four available megapixel sizes. This function appears to be designed so you can create images that can easily be emailed or used on a website or blog.

There are two selections:

• Select image: This selection allows you to choose one or more images for resizing

• Choose size: You can choose from four sizes:

o 1920x1280; 2.5 M

o 1280x856; 1.1 M

o 960x640; 0.6 M

o 640x424; 0.3 M

Figure 6.37: Resize: Choose size

Here are the steps to choose a size for a resized image:

1. Choose Resize from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.37, image 1).

2. Although it seems out of order, select Choose size and scroll to the right (figure 6.37, image 2). You’ll see four sizes, from 2.5 M to 0.3 M (figure 6.37, image 3). These are the actual megapixel sizes available for images after you save them. Select a size and press the OK button.

Figure 6.38: Resize: Select image

3. Next, choose Select image and scroll to the right (figure 6.38, image 2). You’ll see six image thumbnails. Use the Rotary multi selector to scroll around in this group of thumbnails. When you see an image you want to resize, press the Playback zoom out/thumbnails button to set the image as the one to be resized. You can select and set as many images as you’d like, and each of them will be resized. A resize symbol will appear in the top-right corner of each image thumbnail you Set (figure 6.38, image 3). When all the images are Set, press the OK button. A message will ask, Create resized copy? N images (figure 6.38, image 4). Select Yes and press the OK button to create the resized images. A screen that says Image saved will briefly appear (figure 6.38, image 5). The last image in the group of resized images will be displayed (figure 6.38, image 6). The resized image, saved with its own new filename, looks just like the original except it has a smaller megapixel size.

Settings Recommendation: I use this function when I’m in the field and want to make a small image to send via e-mail. The full-size JPEG file may be too large to send through some e-mail systems. It’s nice to have a way to reduce the image size without having to find a computer. Please notice that this function does not reduce the image size by cropping, like the Trim function we studied earlier. Instead, it reduces the image size in the same aspect ratio as the original, except it has a smaller megapixel size.

Quick Retouch

(User’s Manual, Page 213)

If you want to simply adjust an image so that all parameters are within viewable range, use the Quick retouch function. It creates a new copy of an existing image with “enhanced saturation and contrast,” according to the user’s manual. D-Lighting is automatically applied to your old image to brighten dark areas, and the new image is supposed to look better. You can scroll up and down in the preview screen to see the range of enhancements that can be applied when the new image is created.

Figure 6.39: Quick retouch of some college graduates

Here are the steps to Quick retouch an image:

1. Select Quick retouch from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.39, image 1).

2. You’ll see the images on your memory card that are eligible for Quick retouch. Use the Rotary multi selector to scroll to an image you want to retouch, and press the OK button to select it (figure 6.39, image 2).

3. Use the Rotary multi selector to scroll up or down, and select High, Normal, or Low (figure 6.39, image 3). You can preview the effect of your changes by looking at the before (left) and after (right) images. I chose Normal.

4. Press the OK button when you’re satisfied. An Image saved message will appear on the monitor as the new image is created, saved, and displayed (figure 6.39, image 4).

Settings Recommendation: This function can help some images have a little more snap. I use Quick retouch only if I am going to give someone an image directly out of the camera and want to enhance it a little first. This function can be used for quick saturation and contrast enhancements.

Straighten

(User’s Manual, Page 213)

Straighten allows you to level the horizon in your images. I often shoot a landscape or ocean view handheld, and in my excitement I forget to level the horizon. With Straighten I can adjust the image to level before anyone else sees it.

You can rotate an image up to 5 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. Use the Rotary multi selector to scroll right or left through a graduated scale. Each increment is equal to about 0.25 degree. As you rotate the image, the camera will automatically trim the edges so the picture looks normal. Of course, this means you are throwing away some of the image and making it smaller. However, it’s better for the image to be a little smaller and have a nice level horizon, don’t you think?

Figure 6.40: Straighten an image

Here are the steps to Straighten or level an image:

1. Select Straighten from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.40, image 1).

2. You’ll see the images on your memory card. With the Rotary multi selector, scroll to the one you want to Straighten and press the OK button to select it (figure 6.40, image 2).

3. Now, rotate the image to the right (clockwise) or the left (counterclockwise) in 0.25-degree increments with the Rotary multi selector (figure 6.40, image 3, red arrow). The yellow pointer is in the middle of the tilted image in figure 6.40, image 3. This image needs to be rotated to the right, so I moved the yellow pointer to the right in image 4 (red arrow) until it was level in the monitor.

4. When you are happy with the new image, press the OK button to save it, or press the Playback button to cancel (figure 6.40, image 4). 5. A screen that says Image saved will briefly appear (figure 6.40, image 5).

6. You’ll see the newly saved image on the monitor (figure 6.40, image 6).

Settings Recommendation: This is a handy function to level an image—as long as it is not tilted more than 5 degrees—without using a computer. Some of us tend to tilt our cameras just a little when we take pictures. Use this function to save embarrassment later.

Fisheye

(User’s Manual, Page 213)

The Fisheye function is quite fun! You can distort your friends and make hilarious pictures that will make everyone laugh (well, maybe not everyone). Although the results are not true circular fisheye images, they do have a similar distorted appearance.

Figure 6.41: Fisheye distortion samples

Figure 6.41 shows four samples of the Fisheye setting. Notice the small yellow pointer at the bottom under the scale. The farther right you move it, the more distorted the image. The first image is normal, the second and third images are more distorted, and the fourth image is fully fisheyed! (Can you detect trouble brewing with friends and family?)

Figure 6.42: Fisheye settings

Here are the steps to use Fisheye to distort one of your images:

1. Select Fisheye from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.42, image 1).

2. You’ll see the images on your memory card. Scroll to the one you want to distort and press the OK button to select it (figure 6.42, image 2).

3. Now press the Rotary multi selector to the right and watch the yellow pointer move and the distortion grow (figure 6.42, images 3 and 4).

4. When you’ve found the perfect distortion amount (to the max, right?), simply press the OK button to save the image (figure 6.42, images 4–6), or press the Playback button to cancel.

Settings Recommendation: Be careful with this one! If you publish many pictures of your friends with this effect, I’m afraid they’ll start running when they see you with your camera.

Color Outline

(User’s Manual, Page 214)

Have you ever wanted to convert one of your images to a cartoon or a line drawing? This retouch setting creates an interesting outline effect on the distinct lines or color changes in your image. Figure 6.43 shows an original image and the image after I applied Color outline. The final image is not in color.

Figure 6.43: Color outline sample

You can convert an image to a Color outline, open it in Photoshop, and use the fill functions to add cartoon colors between the lines (like the Color sketch function, coming up next). Or you can post-process the image into a fine-art line tracing. This is an unusual functionality and shows the direction that our highly computerized cameras are going. They have computer power built in, so why not make use of it in new and fun ways?

Figure 6.44: Color outline settings

Here are the steps to create a Color outline:

1. Choose Color outline from the Retouch Menu (figure 6.44, image 1).

2. Select an image from the list of thumbnails. You can either press the OK button to start the conversion to outline form, or press the Playback zoom in button to check the image first (figure 6.44, image 2).

3. The new Color outline image will display on the monitor (figure 6.44, image 3). All color edges are drawn in black-and-white line form.

Settings Recommendation: The Color outline setting lets you be creative and have some fun with your images. It makes a very sparse image that resembles a line drawing. You could use it as a basis for a painting, hand coloring, or just to have a cool-looking image that most cameras won’t make.

Color Sketch

(User’s Manual, Page 214)

With the Color sketch setting you can create a copy of your image that looks like a sketch made with colored pencils or crayons. This function is similar to Color outline, except it uses pastel colors instead of a gray scale. Figure 6.45 shows an image before and after I applied Color sketch.

Figure 6.45: Color sketch sample

You can convert an image to a Color sketch and change the Vividness (color saturation) and Outlines (line and color contrast) until they meet your needs.

Figure 6.46: Color sketch settings

Use the following steps to create a Color sketch:

1. Choose Color sketch from the Retouch Menu (figure 6.46, image 1).

2. Select an image and press the OK button (figure 6.46, image 2).

3. You can now set the Vividness, or color saturation, of the colors. Next set the Outlines, which will change the contrast of the lines and colors. I set both Vividness and Outlines to the plus side, or maximum (figure 6.46, image 3).

4. Press the OK button to make the new image, or press the Playback button to cancel. The new image will be displayed on the monitor.

Settings Recommendation: Like Color outline, the Color sketch function lets you play around with the post-processing computer in your camera. Occasionally I like to play with these functions. Are they really useful? Well, I guess it depends on how often you need a Color outline or Color sketch. Maybe you have a great use for them in mind.

Perspective Control

(User’s Manual, Page 215)

When you take a picture from the base of a tall object, like a building, with a wide-angle lens, the building looks like it’s falling over backwards. You can correct the problem with large-format view cameras and their rise, fall, shift, tilt, and swing controls. Nikon makes perspective-control lenses that perform some of the functions of a view camera, namely tilt and shift. However, good view cameras and perspective-control lenses cost significantly more than the COOLPIX A camera.

Figure 6.47: Sample of a Perspective control adjustment

Perspective control allows you to stretch the left, right, top, or bottom of an image in a way that tends to twist objects that are leaning so they appear straighter in the corrected image (figure 6.47). It crops the edges of the image somewhat in the process, according to how much perspective adjustment is needed.

Figure 6.48, image 3 (red arrows), shows yellow pointers and their indicators. You can move these pointers to change the perspective of the image by tilting the top toward or away from you or rotating the image to the left or right. This is a powerful control because it can help give certain images a much better perspective.

Figure 6.48: Adjusting an image with Perspective control

Use the following steps to configure Perspective control:

1. Select Perspective control from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.48, image 1).

2. Choose an image from the list of thumbnails and press the OK button (figure 6.48, image 2).

3. You’ll see gridlines so you can compare the edges, and two slider controls that are operated by the Rotary multi selector (figure 6.48, image 3). Move the yellow pointer on the vertical scale up or down to tilt the top of the image toward you or away from you. Slide the yellow pointer on the horizontal scale to the left or right to turn the left or right edge toward you or away from you (figure 6.48, image 4).

4. When the image looks the way you want it, press the OK button to save the image, or press the Playback button to cancel.

To show the flexibility and power of this function, image 6.49 is a compilation of the perspective control set on all four of its maximum settings, using a COOLPIX A camera box as the subject (see the small center picture for the natural look of the box).

Figure 6.49: Tilting the four sides of the image

Figure 6.49, images 1 and 2, shows what happens to the subject when you use the vertical slider (red arrows). Notice how the top of the subject leans either toward you or away from you (forward-to-backward tilt), depending on how the slider is positioned.

Figure 6.49, images 3 and 4, shows how the image swings to the left or right as you move the yellow slider (red arrows). Can you see how powerful this functionality is to control perspective? The camera automatically crops off the top and bottom of the stretched ends to keep the image looking like a normal rectangle, so the final image will be smaller.

Settings Recommendation: Learn to use this rather powerful function! You now have excellent Perspective control, with no additional lens or software purchases! Add Straighten for leveling horizons (rotating the image) and you have the basics of a graphics software program built right in to the camera.

Remember that you can also convert RAW files to JPEG with NEF (RAW) processing and use DPOF print order (see the chapter titled Playback Menu) to create a print order and print directly to a PictBridge printer. Why do we need a computer? What an amazing camera!

Miniature Effect

(User’s Manual, Page 216)

Miniature effect is unusual because it allows you to create a reverse diorama. A diorama is a small 3-D model that looks like the real thing. You may have seen a city diorama, where there are tiny detailed houses and cars and even figures of people. A diorama is often used to make a movie when the cost would be too high to use real scenes.

The reason I call the Miniature effect a reverse diorama is that the camera takes an image you have shot and uses a very narrow band of sharpness with a very shallow depth of field to make it appear to be a diorama when it is actually real.

Figure 6.50 is a sample Miniature effect image I took while overlooking a train depot from a bridge over the tracks. It’s best to shoot this type of image from a high vantage point so it looks like a real miniature.

Figure 6.50: Miniature effect reverse diorama

The camera added lots of extra saturation to the image to make the train cars look unreal. Notice how there is a band of sharpness running horizontally across the middle of the image. That very shallow depth of field in a full-sized image makes it look fake. The depth of field is usually that narrow only in closeup and macro shots.

Figure 6.51: Miniature effect settings

Here are the steps to create your own Miniature effect reverse diorama:

1. Select Miniature effect from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.51, image 1).

2. Choose an image that was shot from a high vantage point, which makes a good reverse diorama, and press the OK button (figure 6.51, image 2).

3. Notice the narrow yellow rectangle in figure 6.51, image 3. This band represents a horizontal, movable band of sharpness. Everything outside the band is blurry, as if it’s out of focus. You can move the band up or down on the screen until you find the optimum place to put the sharpness by pressing up or down on the Rotary multi selector. You can change the width of the band by pressing left or right on the Rotary multi selector. You can also rotate the band so it’s vertical by pressing the Playback zoom out/thumbnails button (figure 6.51, image 4).

4. After you size and position the band where you want it, press the OK button (Save). Image saved will briefly appear, and the new Miniature effect image will be displayed on the monitor (figure 6.51, images 5 and 6). The image is saved with a new file name on your memory card.

Settings Recommendation: To get good use out of this function you need to be looking down on your subject, such as from a bridge, on top of a building, or from an airplane. It’s a lot of fun to make these images, although it’s difficult to make one look realistic. Next time you are high above a real scene with lots of detail, try shooting a Miniature effect image for fun.

Selective Color

(User’s Manual, Page 217)

Selective color allows you to create black-and-white still images with selective colors left in. We have all seen pictures of a lovely red rose with only the petals in color while the rest of the image is black-and-white. Well, the Nikon COOLPIX A goes a step further and allows you to create black-and-white images with up to three selective colors. Let’s see how to do it.

Figure 6.52: Using Selective color

Use these steps to create black-and-white images with up to three selective colors:

1. Choose Selective color from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.52, screen 1).

2. Choose an image to use as a base, preview it with the Playback zoom in button, and press the OK button to use it (figure 6.52, screen 2). I chose image number 68.

3. Turn the Command dial to select one of the color boxes (figure 6.52, screen 3, top red arrow), where you will store one of the colors you want to retain in your image. Turn the Command dial multiple times in either direction to make it skip over a color box and move to the next one. You can zoom in with the Playback zoom in button to select a color more precisely from a small section of the subject, and you can zoom back out with the Playback zoom out/thumbnails button. I zoomed in on the image and selected the red roof of the railroad boxcar (figure 6.52, image 3, bottom red arrow). In the next step we will insert the color of that boxcar into the color box. Figure 6.52, image 4, shows the selection of the boxcar after I zoomed back out with the Playback zoom out/thumbnails button.

4. Now that the red roof of the boxcar is selected, I simply pressed the +/-Exposure compensation button to add the color to the first color box (figure 6.52, screen 4).

5. In figure 6.52, image 5, I added the color of the building on the right to the second color box, using the same method as described in steps 3 and 4.

6. In figure 6.52, image 6, I added the color of the building on the right to the third color box.

7. You can adjust the range of colors that will be retained by highlighting the up/down selector next to a color box with the Command dial and then using the Rotary multi selector to raise or lower the number from 1 to 7 (figure 6.52, screen 7, red arrow). Higher numbers indicate that more colors, similar to the selected color in the box, will be retained.

8. After you have finished configuring the Selective color system, press the OK button to save the image. An hourglass will stay on the screen for a few seconds while the camera removes the colors you have disallowed, and an Image saved screen will appear briefly (figure 6.52, image 8). The final image will then appear on the monitor and will be saved under a new file name (figure 6.52, image 9). Figure 6.53 shows before and after images.

Figure 6.53: Before and after Selective color

Settings Recommendation: Selective color images are a lot of fun. You can shoot images and later remove most of the colors for fine-art black-and-white images. Other than the clunky interface for the color boxes, this function is a useful one. You may want to spend a few minutes learning to use it and then see if you can make some art.

Edit Movie

(User’s Manual, Page 47)

Edit movie gives you a two-step process to cut a section out of the middle of a movie created with your COOLPIX A, or you can remove a beginning or ending segment. In addition, you can save an individual frame as a still image from anywhere in the movie with the Save selected frame option.

There are two parts to the process of editing a movie—Choose start point and Choose end point—and you use them one at a time. When you complete one of the start point or end point choices, the camera saves the file as a new movie with a new file name. This tends to create a bunch of smaller movies on your memory card that you’ll need to delete—take care that you don’t delete the wrong one!

There are three parts to Edit movie:

• Choose start point: This allows you to delete frames from the beginning of your movie and choose a new starting point

• Choose end point: This allows you to delete frames from the end of your movie and choose a new ending point

• Save selected frame: You can take a low-resolution snapshot of any frame in the movie

Since Choose start point and Choose end point use exactly the same screens and steps, the two functions are combined in the next section. Do one function, then, if needed, do the other by repeating the steps.

Choose Start Point and Choose End Point

Figure 6.54: Edit movie

Let’s examine the steps to remove a movie segment:

1. Press the Playback button to display movies and pictures on your monitor and find the movie you would like to trim.

2. Press the OK button to start playing the movie (figure 6.54, image 1). Watch the progress bar in the bottom-left corner of the movie until it gets close to the point where you want to trim it (figure 6.54, image 2, left red arrow), then press down on the Rotary multi selector to pause the movie (figure 6.54, image 2, right red arrow). While the movie is paused, you can scroll left or right with the Rotary multi selector to examine individual frames. Start the movie again by pressing the OK button. You can make the movie display faster or slower (2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x) by tapping left or right multiple times on the Rotary multi selector while the movie is playing. This can save time when you are dealing with a long movie. Basically, you want to get to the point in the movie where you plan to make the change, then move to the next step.

3. With the movie paused, press the +/- Exposure compensation button (figure 6.54, image 3), and the information shown in figure 6.54, image 4, will appear. Highlight Choose start/end point and press the OK button.

4. Another message will appear, as shown in figure 6.54, image 5, which gives you the choice of choosing the Start point or End point. Decide whether you are cutting off the beginning of the movie (Start point) or the end of the movie (End point), and press the OK button to execute the command.

5. Press up on the Rotary multi selector (figure 6.54, image 6, red arrow, which indicates a scissors symbol) and a new window will open and allow you to save the trimmed movie (figure 6.54, image 7). From this screen you can choose Save as new file, Overwrite existing file (be careful, this destroys the original file), Cancel, or Preview. Cancel is self-explanatory. Preview plays the shortened movie without actually trimming it, then it jumps back to the screen shown in figure 6.54, image 7.

6. Press the OK button when you have highlighted your choice. If you selected Save as new file, the camera will save the new trimmed movie under a new file name and display it on the monitor, ready to be played (figure 6.54, images 8 and 9).

7. Repeat these steps for trimming the other end of the movie, if you would like to, and select the other choice in step 4.

This process will leave several trimmed versions of the movie on your memory card—the final of which is the fully trimmed version—unless you choose Overwrite existing file. If you decide to use the overwrite method, back up the movie first in case you make a mistake.

Note: Your movie must be at least two seconds long when you’re done or the camera will refuse to cut any more frames; it will give you the terse message Cannot edit movie.

Save Selected Frame

You can save an individual low-resolution frame from anywhere in the movie. The frame size is based on the Shooting Menu > Movie settings > Frame size/frame rate setting:

• A 1920x1080 (1080p) movie contains single still images of just over 2 MP

• A 1280x720 (720p) movie contains single still images of just under 1 MP

Figure 6.55: Save selected frame from movie

Let’s examine how to save a frame from a movie:

1. Choose Edit movie from the Retouch Menu and scroll to the right (figure 6.55, image 1).

2. Select Save selected frame and scroll to the right (figure 6.55, image 2).

3. Choose one of the available movies, preview the first frame with the Playback zoom in button, and press the OK button to select the movie (figure 6.55, image 3).

4. Press the OK button to start playing the movie, and when it gets to the point where you want to cut out a frame, press down on the Rotary multi selector to pause the movie (figure 6.55, image 4). While the movie is paused, you can scroll left or right with the Rotary multi selector to examine individual frames. Start the movie again by pressing the OK button. You can make the movie display faster or slower (2x, 4x, 8x, and 16x) by tapping left or right multiple times on the Rotary multi selector while the movie is playing. This can save time when you are dealing with a long movie. You want to get to the point in the movie where you plan to cut out a frame. Notice that the icon at the top left of the movie in screen 4 looks like a frame being removed from a piece of film.

5. Press up on the Rotary multi selector when you have located the frame you want, and a small box will appear that says Proceed? Yes/No (figure 6.55, image 5). Choose Yes from the menu, and the camera will make a copy of the frame as a separate image. While the selected frame is being saved you will see an hourglass then a screen that says Done.

6. The new image will be displayed on the monitor (figure 6.55, image 6). It is in the format of the movie, with a 16:9 ratio, even though it is now a still image. The icon at the top of the screen, which looks like a pair of scissors over a film frame, indicates that the image has been cut out of a movie (figure 6.55, screen 6).

Settings Recommendation: This series of steps becomes easier when you do it a few times. Practice it several times, and you’ll remember it later.

Side-by-Side Comparison

(User’s Manual, Page 219)

Side-by-side comparison allows you to compare an image you’ve retouched with the original source image. Interestingly, this function is not available from the Retouch Menu. You’ll find it on the Playback Retouch Menu, which you access by pressing the OK button when a picture is displayed on the monitor.

Figure 6.56: Side-by-side comparison

Here are the steps to compare the original and retouched images side by side on the monitor:

1. Press the Playback button and find the image you want to compare (figure 6.56, image 1).

2. Press the OK button to access the Playback Retouch Menu. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the menu, select Side-by-side comparison, and scroll to the right (figure 6.56, image 2).

3. The original image will appear on the left, and one of the retouched versions will appear on the right (figure 6.56, images 3 and 4). If you retouched an original image more than once, a yellow arrow will appear above and below the retouched image. You can scroll up or down with theRotary multi selector to see the other retouched images. The right-side pictures of the railroad scene in figure 6.56, images 3 and 4, are two different retouched images from one original image (the original picture is on the left in images 3 and 4). Image 3 shows Selective color conversion, and image 4 shows NEF (RAW) processing. The fact that there is still a yellow arrow above the picture in image 4 means that there are even more conversions to compare. When the yellow arrow disappears from the top or bottom of the yellow selection frame, you have run out of comparisons.

Settings Recommendation: I often use this function when I want to compare images that I’ve added a color cast to so I can see how they compare to the original. It’s very convenient since you can choose the original image or one of the retouched images, and the camera is smart enough to place them in the proper position in the Side-by-side comparison. You can tell an image is retouched by looking for the retouch icon in the upper-left corner of the image when it’s displayed on the monitor.

Author’s Conclusions

Nikon has given photographers who dislike computers a way to work with their images in-camera. Although the Retouch Menu is not as fully featured as a computer graphics program, it does allow you to do quick one-off conversions for convenience.

I didn’t think this group of Retouch Menu functions would be all that useful when I first read about them. However, in the field I find myself using them more than expected. Whether you use them or not, it’s good to know you have them for emergency use.

Next, we’ll move into the final menu system in the camera. It’s called My Menu, and it may become very valuable to you as you learn how it works. It’s a place to put your often-used, favorite settings so you can get to them very quickly. Next, let’s see how My Menu and its cousin, Recent Settings, work.