Nikon menu frustration

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RichF

RichF

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Occasionally I just can not find a menu item on my NIkon Z bodies. I know it exists, sometimes I can remember the name, more often than not, I simply remember that there is a menu command to do XYZ. I can most of the common menu items in My menu which is great. Glad it is more than single screen worth of menu items. Even if I could it would not make any sense to put all the menu items into My Menu (unless I sorted them by alphabetical order).

Does any have a similar problem? Any recos? Any cheat sheets - perhaps I could place it in notes (or similar) on my iphone and then have Siri Siri search it for me.

Thanks
 
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At the links below, Steve has a custom controls worksheet for Z8/Z9 and Z6III which you can download. They only contain the menu options in f2. If you have his set up guide for your camera model, the last chapter has a master list of settings for everything except the video shooting menu.

backcountrygallery.com

Nikon Z8 & Z9 Custom Controls Worksheet - Backcountry Gallery

Attention Z8 and Z9 Owners! Do you find setting your custom controls a little…daunting? Let’s face it – there are a ton of options and a lot of places to put them on the Z8 and Z9 and keeping track of everything is tough. That’s why I’ve created this free worksheet for setting up your […]
backcountrygallery.com backcountrygallery.com

backcountrygallery.com

Nikon Z6iii Custom Controls Worksheet - Backcountry Gallery

Attention Z6iii Owners! Do you find setting your custom controls a little…daunting? Let’s face it – there are a ton of options and a lot of places to put them on the Z6iii and keeping track of everything is tough. That’s why I’ve created this free worksheet for setting up your custom controls...
backcountrygallery.com backcountrygallery.com
 
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RichF said:
thanks. I have lookee at these before. I want a list of each command with a brief explanation menu item by menu item
Click to expand...
Okay. This probably not exactly what you're looking for, but I sometimes use Nikon's online reference guide if I have a question about a menu item. I've saved the links on my phone. I hope you can find what you need.
 
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JAJohnson said:
Okay. This probably not exactly what you're looking for, but I sometimes use Nikon's online reference guide if I have a question about a menu item. I've saved the links on my phone. I hope you can find what you need.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'll see if I can down load it. Need to have it offline for those times I don't have cell coverage
 
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RichF said:
Occasionally I just can not find a menu item on my NIkon Z bodies. I know it exists, sometimes I can remember the name, more often than not, I simply remember that there is a menu command to do XYZ. I can most of the common menu items in My menu which is great. Glad it is more than single screen worth of menu items. Even if I could it would not make any sense to put all the menu items into My Menu (unless I sorted them by alphabetical order).

Does any have a similar problem? Any recos? Any cheat sheets - perhaps I could place it in notes (or similar) on my iphone and then have Siri Siri search it for me.

Thanks
Click to expand...
I have perplexity on my phone, I just ask and it tells me the menu item if I forget anything.

Random example from right now:

“How do I change the viewfinder power setting on the Z8”

The Nikon Z8 viewfinder refresh rate can be changed from the default 60Hz to 120Hz through the following steps:
1. Navigate to Custom Settings menu and find setting d19.
2. Toggle the High FPS Viewfinder setting to “On” to enable 120Hz refresh rate.
While this higher refresh rate setting will use slightly more battery power, the impact on battery life is minimal. The 120Hz setting provides smoother tracking of fast-moving subjects like wildlife, sports, and aircraft.
For most photographers, it’s recommended to leave the high refresh rate enabled permanently unless you specifically need to maximize battery life. The improved smoothness and tracking capabilities generally outweigh the minor battery impact.

Here’s another, “how do I change the front FN button to Cycle AF?”

To set up a front Function (Fn) button for AF cycle mode on the Nikon Z8:
1. Go to Custom Settings menu and select Controls (f)
2. Choose Custom Controls Shooting (f2)
3. Select the desired Fn button (Fn1, Fn2, or Fn3)
4. Navigate through the menu and select “Cycle AF-area mode”
Before setting this up, you should first customize which AF modes will be included in the cycle:
1. Go to Custom Settings menu
2. Find Limit AF-area mode selection (a8)
3. Check only the AF modes you want to cycle through
 
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RichF said:
I may have to create a list for myself start with

The Photo Shooting Menu: Shooting Options

onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com
Click to expand...
Type all the items you would use and ask perplexity it’ll generate the entire thing with directions on how to change them. Store as a note on the phone for when out of cell range


Note if one Ai model isn’t what you like, you can change the model. Some are better than others based on the subject.

Perplexity uses Claude 3.5 Sonnet and haiku, Sonar large and Huge, GPT 4o, and Grok 2 models. At least the paid version I’m using. There is a free version with less advanced models.

Those answers came from Claude 3.5 Sonnet.
 
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RichF said:
thanks. I have lookee at these before. I want a list of each command with a brief explanation menu item by menu item
Click to expand...
I have had th esame problem in the past. What I finally did was to take a day and go through every menu setting and right down what that setting did and how to change it quickly. I did it all on the computer on a spreadsheet. After I finished, I went back through the spreadsheed and deleted the settings i would never use and there is more than you might think. Finally, i went back through and numbered each setting by priority. So everything I labeled as a 1 priority I put on My menu. After that i made a small cheat sheet that I keep in my camera bag.

Just going through the menu and typing out the list gave me a much clearer idea of the menu and where things are located helped me. Also it took me a while to get where i went to the i menu first.

It is time consuming to do this and it is a good task to do on a rainy day. Also I find the spreadsheet easier to review and can go back to the spreadsheet or menu anytime. I wish I would have referenced the page in the owners manual or even Steve's book.

I know this is old school but it worked wonders for me.
 
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I did something similar to the above spreadsheet idea but just did a doc. I went to the Nikon library where they have all the menu items and did a copy & paste of everything. Then using Steve's videos and his book on the Z6III I worked and worked at figuring it all out. I entered the settings I want for each menu item. Once set many will never be changed. Then I made a cheat sheet of the ones I may be changing over time or on a regular basis. I set it up in a way that works for me. I think every setting is probably an individual choice so everyone will have their own ideas. So now I have a cheat sheet of 1 page on my computer, tablet, phone, where I can quickly look for clues about things I might want to do in certain situations. As I did all of this - watching Steve's videos - reading Steve's book - working through the menus - I learned more and more about what all these things are about and what they do and when to do what with which. I am still working on it and have a ways to go but going through all of this gave me a much better idea of what is in there and what can be done with it. It has taken time. Rome wasn't built in a day. And now I have a very basic cheat sheet to help when I get dazed and confused.
 
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Lee R said:
I have perplexity on my phone, I just ask and it tells me the menu item if I forget anything.

Random example from right now:

“How do I change the viewfinder power setting on the Z8”

The Nikon Z8 viewfinder refresh rate can be changed from the default 60Hz to 120Hz through the following steps:
1. Navigate to Custom Settings menu and find setting d19.
2. Toggle the High FPS Viewfinder setting to “On” to enable 120Hz refresh rate.
While this higher refresh rate setting will use slightly more battery power, the impact on battery life is minimal. The 120Hz setting provides smoother tracking of fast-moving subjects like wildlife, sports, and aircraft.
For most photographers, it’s recommended to leave the high refresh rate enabled permanently unless you specifically need to maximize battery life. The improved smoothness and tracking capabilities generally outweigh the minor battery impact.
Click to expand...
this sounds great. Do you need wifi/cellular ? Or will it work in airplane mode (with internet connectivity).
 
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