D7100 setting up U1 & U2

[Dave A]

I'm at work this weekend but being that it looks like a slow few days here I plan to finally set up the two user program settings on my D7100. After going through the somewhat vague manual a few times I'm still not clear on a few things.


If I have U1 set up for in camera HDR do I still need to set the release dial to CL or CH before shooting?


If I have U2 set up for exposure bracketing (5 exposures) do I still need to set the release dial to CL or CH before shooting?


Dave

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Dave,

I have never got my head round how the U1 and U2 apparently remember switches that have defined physical positions either.

Although I have tried using them briefly, I don't use them, because of my lack of confidence exactly in what is happening when they are selected, or, when further changes are made after their use.

e.g. how do you know what the camera is going to do if you cannot rely on looking at position of the CH, CL, etc. switch?

I'm busy this afternoon, but may, in the absence of anyone else knowing the answer, dive in to my copy of David Busch's Field Guide on the D7100 this evening, to see if that explains it any better.

If not, a YouTube search may bring the answer with demonstration.

Later, Dave

[Mike Buckley]

Consider testing the two situations by making test captures. If you conduct the tests, you'll likely remember the results more than if you simply read about what is supposed to happen.

[NorthernFocus]

I can't speak to the HDR because I don't use it. But for bracketing it doesn't matter which shutter mode you use because it is up to you to shoot the correct number of frames for the bracketing. In other words the camera is not going to automatically shoot the five frames. For that reason when I do use bracketing I use single shutter mode so I can keep count/control of where I am in the sequence.

[billtils]

Dave

You may find this helpful.
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[Dave A]

One thing I did just read in the manual is that if I have exposure bracketing set to 5 exposures as an example, and the release dial set to either CL or CH, when I release the shutter the camera will automatically shoot the 5 exposures then stop. If I release the shutter again the same thing will happen until I turn bracketing off. Guess I will have to try it and see what happens. Thank you for all the help so far. Sometimes as mentioned I think it may be easier to just do the exposures manually, but then again if I can set the number of exposures and the amount of separation in f-stops then why not let the camera do it. My old Canon AE-1 was so much easier

Dave

[NorthernFocus]

Well there you have it. Now that I consider, when shooting landscape I always shoot single frame mode thus have unknowingly been self limiting rather than utilizing the technology. Thanks for raising the subject as I've learned something useful for the day. And it's still early

[NorthernFocus]

...My old Canon AE-1 was so much easier...

Simpler perhaps, but not easier

[billtils]

My old Canon AE-1 was so much easier

Dave

Happy days, Dave.

[Mike Buckley]

That piece by Ken Rockwell states "Each U1 and U2 mode saves and recalls everything." The use of the italic font for emphasis is by Rockwell, not me. The camera's manual explains very clearly that those modes in fact do NOT save everything.

[Dave A]

Simpler perhaps, but not easier

That is true, really wasn't easier. Life was simpler back then when I was 20 and not a worry.

Dave

[Dave A]

This subject does bring up a question to those that are way more experienced than I. I now have my 5 shot exposure bracket set to a 1 f-stop interval. Is that a good setting or would it be recommended to go more or less?

Dave

[Dave Humphries]

The D7100 book I referred to wasn't much help
Although it did list several things the U settings do not remember; "storage folder and file naming scheme, Picture Controls, multiple exposure settings, interval timing shooting." Interpret that list as you will, some are obvious, others less so (to me).

Neither really, was Ken Rockwell, especially if he's incorrect - although we should acknowledge he was talking about the D7000, and as Mike and I know, there are subtle operational differences between the D7000 and D7100.

However, I don't doubt Ken's sweeping generalisation is wrong; he's renowned for them.


I think I remember now what puts me off using U1 and U2, I frequently change between A and M modes, which are on the same mode control, so if I am using U1 or U2, I won't know which mode I'm in (for sure).

I haven't tried, but suspect that as the release mode control; the one which chooses CH or CL, etc., is an 'absolute' control and is therefore probably not remembered by U1 or U2. This is probably what David Busch refers to as "multiple exposure settings" in my quote above.

[Manfred M]

Dave (A) - it depends on the scene I am shooting. On the D800 I can get up to 9 exposures 1-stop apart. I wish I could set the spacing to 2 stops (as this would be more useful for the way I shoot) as I generally throw away the exposures that are 1-stop off optimum. I don't think I've ever shot a burst in the 1/3 or 2/3 stop increments.

How many shots is very much a judgement call and really depends on the lighting. On an overcast day when the lighting is quite diffuse and even, I might not bracket at all or limit myself to a 3-stop range. As the difference between highlights and shadows increases (think of a bright winter day with lots of snow on the ground), I might go all the way up to 9 shots.

If I shoot off a tripod, I'll tend to go for more than when I handhold.

I think the question is what I am trying to use the extra shots for. In general I'm pretty careful with my exposures and they tend to be right on, even in difficult shooting conditions (I love the histogram on my camera and use in in conjunction with the exposure compensation control on my camera), and will then use subtle overlays in post to bring out highlight details and shadow details from the extra images I have recorded.

[Mike Buckley]

we should acknowledge [Ken Rockwell] was talking about the D7000, and as Mike and I know, there are subtle operational differences between the D7000 and D7100.

Very true. However, the D7000 manual also clearly indicates that his sweeping statement is simply not true.

[Dave A]

Dave (A) - it depends on the scene I am shooting. On the D800 I can get up to 9 exposures 1-stop apart. I wish I could set the spacing to 2 stops (as this would be more useful for the way I shoot) as I generally throw away the exposures that are 1-stop off optimum. I don't think I've ever shot a burst in the 1/3 or 2/3 stop increments.

How many shots is very much a judgement call and really depends on the lighting. On an overcast day when the lighting is quite diffuse and even, I might not bracket at all or limit myself to a 3-stop range. As the difference between highlights and shadows increases (think of a bright winter day with lots of snow on the ground), I might go all the way up to 9 shots.

If I shoot off a tripod, I'll tend to go for more than when I handhold.

I think the question is what I am trying to use the extra shots for. In general I'm pretty careful with my exposures and they tend to be right on, even in difficult shooting conditions (I love the histogram on my camera and use in in conjunction with the exposure compensation control on my camera), and will then use subtle overlays in post to bring out highlight details and shadow details from the extra images I have recorded.

You bring up some good points. 1 stop apart won't necessarily be a good setting depending on what I'm trying to accomplish.
Interestingly I tried setting up the U1 with the exposure bracketing I wanted and it seems to work.
-exposure bracket turned on
-set to 5 exposures at 1 stop apart
-set metering to matrix
-spot focus
-aperture priority
-then save to U1

What I found was that once I saved the above settings to U1 then selected U1 as my shooting mode it did save all these setting with one exception.
While set to U1 one press of the shutter release button only gave me one exposure. Not the 5 I saved under U1. But while in U1 if I also set the release mode to CL or CH then with a press of the shutter button it gave me 5 exposures then stopped. If I press it again I get another 5 bracketed exposures. If I get out of U1 and go to A mode but stay in CH release mode I get continuous shooting until I release the shutter button. This is expected.

My reason for trying to set up the U1 mode like this is for the reason most people would bracket exposure as Manfred has noted. But I also want the five exposures in certain conditions so I can use them in PP with HDR processing. I may now set up the U2 mode for exposure/flash bracketing.......worth a try.

Dave

[billtils]

It (namely what it says in the Rockwell article) worked for me (but I don't use it, as prefer to set my own on a case by case basis).