Nikon D810 Setup and Configuration

Nikon D810 Front

The Nikon D800/D800 Setup and Configuration post I made a few years ago has been one of my most popular.  Now that I have the Nikon D810, I decided to create a new list of my settings (and a new setup file for download).  If you want more info on why I upgraded to the D810, you can read about that here.

The menu banks are not great because they don't save all of the settings you need to change, but they are better than nothing.  The U1/U2 settings of the D750, D610, and D7100 are superior to the menu banks both in terms of features and ease of use.  I have no idea why Nikon has decided to leave out such a fantastic function on their high-end cameras.  Neither the D800/D810 nor the D4/D4s have the U1/U2 settings.  Nice work Nikon.

Here are the four menu banks I created:

  • Landscape & HDR – sets up the camera for landscape or high dynamic range shooting.  I usually use a tripod and have time for manual focus, etc.
  • Action – I usually use this setting when chasing my young kids, but also for my dogs or any other moving subject.
  • Portrait – useful not just for portraits but for any stationary or slow moving targets.
  • Point & Shoot – Since I use the "AF-ON" focusing technique (*1), it makes it difficult for my wife or friend to use my camera.  Rather than try to explain the technique, I just change the settings and let them shoot.  Since my wife often just wants a couple of quick photos to post online, this is the only bank where I also shoot JPEG.

The settings for all four modes are outlined below.  Note that the settings just make the starting point for configuration easier.  It doesn't mean these are always the settings I use when shooting.  I may not use ISO64 for all situations nor the same AF settings.  If you want to use them as a starting point for your own custom settings it is easiest to just download my config file here.  Choose the right file for your firmware (check your firmwareSETUP MENU -> Firmware version).

C: 1.02, L:2.005 : Download Nikon D810 custom settings file 1.02.

C: 1.11, L: 2.013 : Download Nikon D810 custom settings file 1.11.

To use the custom settings file, copy it to the root folder of your media card using your computer, insert the media card into your camera and navigate to SETUP MENU -> Save/load settings -> Load settings. This will copy the settings over to your camera.You may want to save your own settings before you copy mine to your camera in case you need to revert back.

Note the [change this] in the settings below, these are things you will want to change in your own camera before you start shooting.  At the bottom of this post, you can also see what I put in "MY MENU" to access some controls I often change on the fly.

To switch between the various menu banks, you have several options:

  • The slow way:
    • Shooting menu bank: go to menu -> shooting menu -> shooting menu bank -> select your bank.
    • Custom settings menu: go to custom setting menu -> custom settings bank -> select your bank.
  • The fast way:
    • Press the "i" button on the back of the camera (no idea why Nikon gave us yet another button, sigh). "SHOOT" should be selected, press the center button in the multi-selector, pick your setting.  Do the same for custom settings bank ("CUSTOM").

If you have questions, or a suggestion feel free to leave them in the comments at the bottom of the page.  If you want more detail on the settings below download Nikon's D810 manual (free).

Landscape & HDR Action Portrait Point & Shoot
EXTERNAL CONTROLS
Exposure Mode A (Aperture Priority) A (Aperture Priority) A (Aperture Priority) P (Program)
Metering Mode 3D Matrix Metering 3D Matrix Metering Center Weighted Metering 3D Matrix Metering
Bracketing As needed (usually 3 frames +/-2 EV) Off Off Off
Shooting Mode Single, Timer, or MUP CH (continuous high) CH (continuous high) CH (continuous high)
Autofocus Mode *1 Manual or AF-C, single point AF-C, group AF-C, single point or group AF-S, Auto
PLAYBACK MENU
Delete Selected
Playback folder ND810 (default)
Hide image Default
Playback display options Highlights, RGB histogram, Overview
Copy image(s) N/A
Image review Off
After delete Show next
Rotate tall Off
Slide show N/A
DPOF print order N/A
SHOOTING MENU
Landscape & HDR Action Portrait Point & Shoot
Shooting menu bank A B C D
Extended menu banks ON ON ON ON
Storage folder Default Default Default Default
File Naming MKH [change this] MKH [change this] MKH [change this] MKH [change this]
Primary slot selection CF card slot CF card slot CF card slot CF card slot
Secondary slot function Backup Backup Backup RAW primary – JPEG secondary
Image quality RAW RAW RAW RAW + JPEG fine
JPEG/TIFF recording
– Image size N/A N/A N/A Small
– JPEG compression N/A N/A N/A Optimal quality
NEF (RAW) recording
– Image size Large Large Large Large
– NEF (RAW) compression Lossless compressed Lossless compressed Lossless compressed Lossless compressed
– NEF (RAW) bit depth 14-bit 14-bit 14-bit 14-bit
Image area
– Choose image area FX 1.2x FX FX
– Auto DX crop On On On On
White Balance Auto1 Auto1 Auto1 Auto1 (change as needed)
Set Picture Control SD (Standard) SD (Standard) PT (Portrait) SD (Standard)
Manage Picture Control Default Default Default Default
Color Space AdobeRGB AdobeRGB AdobeRGB sRGB
Active D-Lighting Off Off Off H (High)
HDR (high dyn. range) N/A (disabled when shooting RAW) N/A (disabled when shooting RAW) N/A (disabled when shooting RAW) Off
Vignette control Normal Normal Normal High
Auto distortion control On On On On
Long Exposure NR Off Off Off Off
High ISO NR Off Off Off Normal
ISO Sensitivity Settings
ISO sensitivity 64 64 (adjust as needed) 64 (adjust as needed) 100 (adjust as needed)
Auto ISO sensitivity control Off On (Max ISO: 6400,Min shutter: auto, auto, max fasteraster) Off On (Max ISO: 6400,Min shutter: auto, auto, max faster)
Multiple exposure Off Off Off Off
Interval timer shooting Off Off Off Off
Time-lapse photography Off Off Off Off
Movie settings
Frame size/rate 1920×1080; 60fps 1920×1080; 60fps 1920×1080; 60fps 1920×1080; 60fps
Movie quality High High High High
Microphone sensitivity Auto sensitivity Auto sensitivity Auto sensitivity Auto sensitivity
Frequency response Wide Wide Wide Wide
Wind noise reduction Off Off Off Off
Destination SD SD SD SD
Movie ISO sensitivity settings
– ISO sensitivity (mode M) 100 100 100 100
– Auto ISO control (mode M) On On On On
– Maximum sensitivity 6400 6400 6400 6400
CUSTOM SETTING MENU
Landscape & HDR Action Portrait Point & Shoot
Custom settings bank A B C D
a1 AF-C priority selection Release Release Release Focus
a2 AF-S priority selection Focus Focus Focus Focus
a3 Focus tracking with lock-on Long Off Normal Off
a4 AF activation Off (AF-ON focus technique) Off (AF-ON focus technique) Off (AF-ON focus technique) On
a5 Focus point display
– Manual focus mode Off Off Off Off
– Dynamic-area AF display On On On On
– Group-area AF illumination Boxes Boxes Boxes Boxes
a6 AF point illumination Auto Auto Auto Auto
a7 Focus point wrap-around On – Wrap On – Wrap On – Wrap On – Wrap
a8 Number of focus points AF 51 (51 points) AF11 (11 points) AF 51 (51 points) AF11 (11 points)
a9 Store by orientation Off Off Off Off
a10 Built-in AF-assist illuminator Off Off Off Off
a11 Limit AF-area mode selection All checked All checked All checked All checked
a12 Autofocus mode restrictions Off Off Off Off
b1 ISO sensitivity step value 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3
b2 EV steps for exposure cntrl 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3
b3 Exp./flash comp step value 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3
b4 Easy exposure compensation Off Off Off Off
b5 Matrix metering Off On On On
b6 Center-weighted area 12mm 12mm 8mm 12mm
b7 Fine-tune optimal exposure 0 (for all) 0 (for all) 0 (for all) 0 (for all)
c1 Shutter-release AE-L Off Off Off Off
c2 Standby timer 10s 10s 10s 10s
c3 Self-timer
– Self-timer delay 2s 10s 10s 10s
– Number of shots 2 (N/A if bracket enabled) 1 1 1
– Interval between shots 0.5s 0.5s 0.5s 0.5s
c4 Monitor off delay
– Playback 10s 10s 10s 10s
– Menus 1m 1m 1m 1m
– Information display 10s 10s 10s 10s
– Image review 10s 10s 10s 10s
– Live view 10m 10m 10m 10m
d1 Beep Off Off Off Off
d2 CL mode shoot speed 2fps 2fps 2fps 2fps
d3 Max continuous release 100 100 100 100
d4 Exposure delay mode 3s Off Off Off
d5 Electronic front-curtain shutter On Off Off Off
d6 File number sequence On On On On
d7 Viewfinder grid display On On Off Off
d8 ISO display adjustment Off Off Off Off
d9 Screen tips On On On On
d10 Information display Auto Auto Auto Auto
d11 LCD illumination On On On On
d12 MB-D12 battery type LR6 LR6 LR6 LR6
d13 Battery order MB-D12 MB-D12 MB-D12 MB-D12
e1 Flash Sync Speed 1/250 1/250 1/250 1/250
e2 Flash shutter speed 1/60 1/60 1/60 1/60
e3 Flash cntrl for built-in flash TTL TTL TTL TTL
e4 Exposure comp. for flash Entire frame Entire frame Entire frame Entire frame
e5 Modeling flash On On On On
e6 Auto bracketing set AE AE AE AE
e7 Auto bracket (Mode M) Flash/speed Flash/speed Flash/speed Flash/speed
e8 Bracketing order Under > MTR > over Under > MTR > over Under > MTR > over Under > MTR > over
f1 switch LCD Backlight and info display LCD Backlight and info display LCD Backlight and info display LCD Backlight and info display
f2 Multiselect center button
– Shooting mode Reset Reset Reset Reset
– Playback mode Zoom, 1:1 (100%)c Zoom, 1:1 (100%) Zoom, 1:1 (100%) Zoom, 1:1 (100%)
– Live view Zoom, 1:1 (100%) Zoom, 1:1 (100%) Zoom, 1:1 (100%) Zoom, 1:1 (100%)
f3 Multi selector Off Off Off Off
f4 Assign Fn button
– Fn button press Viewfinder virtual horizon Viewfinder virtual horizon Viewfinder virtual horizon Viewfinder virtual horizon
– Fn button + command dials Off Off Off Off
f5 Assign preview button
– Preview button press Preview Preview Preview Preview
– Preview button + command dials Off Off Off Off
f6 Assign AE-L/AF-L button
– AE-L/AF-L button press AE/AF lock AE/AF lock AE/AF lock AE/AF lock
– AE-L/AF-L + command dials Off Off Off Off
f7 Shutter spd & aperture lock Off Off Off Off
f8 Assign BKT Button BKT BKT BKT BKT
f9 Customize command dials Default (Off, on, off) Default (Off, on, off) Default (Off, on, off) Default (Off, on, off)
f10 Release button to use dial Off Off Off Off
f11 Slot empty release lock Lock Lock Lock Lock
f12 Reverse indicators – 0 + – 0 + – 0 + – 0 +
f13 Assign movie record button Choose image area Choose image area Choose image area Choose image area
f14 Live view button options On On On On
f15 Assign MB-D12 AF-ON AF-ON AF-ON AF-ON AF-ON
f16 Assign remote (WR) Fn button Off Off Off Off
f17 Lens focus function buttons AF lock only AF lock only AF lock only AF lock only
g1 Assign Fn button Power aperture (open) Power aperture (open) Power aperture (open) Power aperture (open)
g2 Assign preview button Power aperture (close) Power aperture (close) Power aperture (close) Power aperture (close)
g3 Assign AE-L/AF-L AE Lock AE Lock AE Lock AE Lock
g4 Assign shutter button Record movies Record movies Record movies Record movies
SETUP MENU
Format memory card As needed
Monitor brightness Manual (0)
Monitor color balance Default
Clean image sensor Clean at shutdown (no sense delaying startup)
Lock mirror up cleaning As needed
Image Dust Off ref photo As needed
Flicker reduction Auto
Time zone and date Set to local time
Language English
Auto image rotation On
Battery info N/A
Image comment *2 None
Copyright Information On [change this]
Save/load settings As needed
Virtual horizon N/A
Non-CPU lens data N/A
AF fine tune Set for your lenses if needed
HDMI N/A
Location data N/A
Firmware version N/A
RETOUCH MENU
Never use it
MY MENU
c3 Self-timer
d4 Exposure delay mode
d5 Electronic front-curtain shutter
Time zone and date
Long exposure NR
High ISO NR
Active D-Lighting

Footnotes

*1 – Autofocus : I use the "AF-ON" technique (for lack of a better term) to focus my camera. You can read more about the technique here. You will see that in my settings, I primarily use AF-C as the default focus mode when I use the camera. With the AF-ON technique, you decouple the focusing of the camera from the shutter press. The nice thing is that you can have both continuous and static autofocus at the same time. Focus and recompose is also easier as you don't have to keep the shutter half-pressed, just release the AF-ON button and the camera stops focusing. It works very well, but takes a bit of getting used to. This technique works on both Nikon and Canon cameras (likely other brands as well but I haven't checked into it).

*2 – Image comment : There are two spots to put your personal info into the file EXIF data: "Image comment" and "Copyright information". Some people use both, but there isn't really a reason to do so. I have found one reason not to use the 'image comment' field, and that is because the comment shows up in the description field when you post images online (facebook for example). At times, I post images to facebook and I don't want the description for each one to say "copyright Mike Heller Photography", blah, blah, blah. My friends want to see something about the image, not a copyright notice. For me, it just makes the upload process more time consuming and it doesn't add any value. You may want to use it, so feel free to use the field if that fits into your workflow.