Nikon D4: Manual exposure and vintage lens setup

[@XL2man]

Appreciate the video. I have a D4 that I have not used for a couple of years, so your instructions are a refresher for me.

[@frederikboving]

Thank you for sharing! Hope your D4 is activated - it is simply too good a camera to sit on the shelf IMHO 🙂

[@nielskristianbechjensen1626]

The long processing time for bulb mode images is probably due to “long exposure noise reduction” being set to “on” in the shooting menu. The camera then makes a second dark frame image with the same shutter speed and use that frame to reduce noise.

[@frederikboving]

Thanks for sharing Niels! Yes, noise reduction is indeed set to on.

[@PunjabiGymBeats]

I love the position of Mode dial in old cameras Like D700 and D4 series but now in D850 its on left side dial with wb its bit inconvenient there to reach.

[@Kevinacharles]

Really useful video. I just stepped up to a secondhand D4, my first professional camera, so the layout is slightly less user friendly than my D5100. The user manual is quite wordy, but this video got straight to the point. Good job.

[@frederikboving]

Thank you Kevin for your kind words! 🙂

[@Kevinacharles]

@@frederikboving No problem. It was a great, no-nonsense tutorial.

[@atrbear]

Hi, love your instructional videos!! Question, on the D4s when in Manual mode and assigning one of the function buttons to Virtual Horizon, the indicator in Vertical configuration displays exposure status not virtual horizon? Nikon seems to agree with this, wanted your assistance on a work around for this, thanks in advance for your time, Ted

[@frederikboving]

Thank you Ted! When you push and hold the function button and tilt the camera left and right, don't you have some red boxes in the middle of the viewfinder that shows how much the camera tilts? All the best! /frederik

[@atrbear]

@@frederikboving Thanks for your prompt reply, yes you get that indication in the horizontal left and right however when switched to the vertical camera position it defaults to the exposure metering indicators not the leveling position indicators?

[@frederikboving]

@@atrbear Ok, got it now. It actually uses the viewfinder for roll, and the meter indicator for pitch, and then flips them when you put the camera in portrait mode - so you have no meter indicator in both cases. I think - other than shooting in live view where you have a more advanced horizon indicator - the logic is that you work sequentially and first get the exposure right, and then get the camera level, or the other way around. The reference manual does really not mention any workarounds, so this is the best I can come up with! /frederik

[@atrbear]

@@frederikboving Thanks again for your attention to my question, it seem when in portrait orientation in Manual mode with auto iso you lose vertical indicators in favor of exposure metering according to Nikon, seems odd since other Nikon cameras don’t follow suit.

[@frederikboving]

@@atrbear Ok, mine is only a D4 (no S), but even in portrait mode with the auto ISO on, both the meter and the viewfinder indicators do exactly as in landscape mode, just flipped, when virtual horizon is activated.

[@IkeCantle]

Can you m akea video of your lenses & what you use them for? ...or wh at Nikkor lenses are bargains but good quality?

[@frederikboving]

Hi Ike, I can, added to my list of videos to do. The angry photographer has a lot of videos about Nikon vintage lenses - if you can endure his profound language then there is good information in those videos.

[@thebalansmemories593]

Hi, Could you please confirm if Nikon D4 has the green focus lock indicator on the viewfinder? I am not sure if I am getting mixed up with Z9 as I cannot see that green focus lock on D4. Thank you.

[@frederikboving]

It does. Bottom left in the viewfinder. But maybe I do not understand your question? I think most, if not all, Nikon cameras have had the green focus confirmation dot since around 1948, so maybe I have not understood your question properly?

[@JackDFlava]

Same question. When manual lens (no electronic pin). I need to know, am I still can use rangefinder dot, to confirm focusing?

[@frederikboving]

@@JackDFlavaThe focus system does not need the CPU contacts for focusing (only to provide distance information) so yes you can use the green focus confirmation dot also on lenses without CPU contacts.

[@JackDFlava]

@@frederikboving well, thank you. So I will try the old Nikon glass to provide some vintage bokeh

[@davidburton2294]

Does the d4 meter with non cpu manual lenses? Like the Sony?

[@frederikboving]

Hi David, not sure how the Sony does it, but the D4 meters with non-CPU lenses. However, the Matrix metering does not work, as it depends on information from the CPU contacts to do its advanced metering, so I think it is a more "primitive" version of the metering that is provided for non CPU lenses.

[@duncanthorn6338]

So the non-cpu lens data is only for getting correct exif data? It has no effect on getting correct exposure?

[@frederikboving]

Thank you Duncan! That is a VERY good question, as I normally say when I don't know the answer! In fully manual mode you control everything, so the exposure is entirely up to you, so here I would say that it has no effect on exposure (other than maybe the metering scale). But you can also shoot with non-CPU lenses in Aperture priority, and what then? It depends on the metering mode, but as a general rule it is mentioned in a footnote in the manual that "for improved precision with non-CPU lenses, specify lens focal length and maximum aperture in Non-CPU lens data menu". And further describing the non CPU lenses it is mentioned that "specifying both the focal length and the maximum aperture of the lens (...) enables color matrix metering (center-weighted or spot metering may be necessary to achieve accurate results)". So I would say it is a yes, the non-CPU lens data is used for more than just the EXIF information. Hope this clarifies. I know the video gives a different impression, but I simply had not thought about this as my simple logic (before your question) was that manual is manual is manual.

[@duncanthorn6338]

@@frederikboving thanks for the detailed clarification. Much appreciated. Keep it up!

[@frederikboving]

@@duncanthorn6338 Thank you Duncan - will do!

[@ni-ro9785]

More setting video put brother.thx alot

[@frederikboving]

🙏🏻

[@nickfanzo]

You also can’t use non ai lenses because they don’t couple with the mount properly. Make sure they are at least ai/ai-s

[@frederikboving]

Thanks 🙏🏻 for sharing!

[@MountainGurkha14]

Very good Job Keep it Up 💯❤👍🙏 New Subscribe

[@frederikboving]

Thank you 🙂