Nikon D7200 For Dummies
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In addition to some initial setup steps, such as installing the battery and memory card(s), you should perform the following two preflight checks on your Nikon D7200 before each shoot:

  • Check the amount of free space on your memory card(s). Where you find this information varies depending on whether you're using the viewfinder, shooting stills in Live View mode, or recording movies, as ­follows:

    • Viewfinder photography: A number indicating how many photos will fit in the available memory-card space appears in the Control panel on top of the camera, as well as in the Information display and viewfinder. The figure shows you where to find the information in the Control panel.

      The Control panel displays the shots-remaining value and a symbol representing the battery status.
      The Control panel displays the shots-remaining value and a symbol representing the battery status.

      The following figure provides a guide to the Information display and viewfinder.

      During viewfinder photography, you can verify the shots-remaining value and battery status in these
      During viewfinder photography, you can verify the shots-remaining value and battery status in these displays.

      Turn the Information screen on and off by pressing the Info button. To wake up the viewfinder, give the shutter button a half-press and then release it.

    • Live View mode: For still photography, refer to the Control panel or the shots-remaining value in the lower-right corner of the Live View display.

      In movie mode, you don't see a shots-remaining value in either display; instead, the maximum recording time appears on the monitor, in the area labeled on the right in the following figure. Don't consider this value a full reflection of the amount of empty space on your memory card. The camera limits the maximum recording time per movie even if your card has oodles of free space remaining. After you reach the time limit for your first recording, the number resets to show you the maximum recording time for your next movie.

      In Live View mode, the displays offer these hints about memory-card capacity.
      In Live View mode, the displays offer these hints about memory-card capacity.

      If your displays look different from the ones in the figures, press the Info button to cycle through the various display modes available for Live View shooting.

    Keep in mind that certain picture- and movie-recording settings affect the size of the image/movie file, so the number of files that can fit in the available card space changes as you adjust those settings.

    When two cards are installed, the shots-remaining number also depends on how you configure the camera to send image data to those cards. For still photography, the camera is set by default to fill the card in Slot 1 and then switch to the second card. For movie recording, files can be stored on only one of the two cards; by default, the card in Slot 1 gets the honors.

    One final note: If the shots-remaining number is greater than 999, the initial K appears next to the value to indicate that the first number represents the picture count in thousands. (K being a universally accepted symbol indicating 1,000 units.) The number is rounded down to the nearest hundred. So if the number of shots remaining is, say, 2,004, the value reads as 2.0K, as shown in the figures here.

  • Checking battery status: Also confirm the battery status before every outing with your camera. You can check the battery level as follows:

    • Viewfinder mode: Both the Control panel and Information screen display a battery-status symbol. When the battery is fully charged, the symbol looks as shown in the figure. As the battery loses power, the bars in the symbol disappear one by one to let you know that you need to find a battery charger or spare battery soon.

      In the viewfinder, you see battery data only when you're running low on power. In that case, an empty-battery symbol appears at the bottom of the viewfinder.

    • Live View mode: When Live View is engaged, battery info appears only in the Control panel.

    For more detailed battery data, choose Battery Info from the Setup menu, as shown here. The Charge data shows you the current power remaining as a percentage value, and the No. of Shots value tells you how many times you've pressed and released the shutter button since the last time you charged the battery. The final readout, Battery Age, lets you know how much more life you can expect out of the battery before it can no longer be recharged. When the display moves toward the right end of the little meter, it's time to buy a new battery. (If you attach the optional battery pack, see its manual and the camera manual to find out how to interpret the data that's reported on this menu screen.)

    The Battery Info option on the Setup menu provides details about battery life.
    The Battery Info option on the Setup menu provides details about battery life.

That's all there is to it — the camera is now ready to go.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Julie Adair King's history as a digital photography author dates back to 1997 with the publication of the first edition of Digital Photography For Dummies. Since then she has authored over 50 books on digital photography, cameras, and photo editing and design software. She also teaches workshops at various locations including the Palm Beach Photographic Centre.

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