Asigning the function button

I have been trying to set up the function button on a DF, however I

am slightly struggling. I want one press to access the top item in

my menu and a press of the function button and a turn of any dial

to set the auto ISO. However I'm only given the choice of one or

the other - both cannot be used.

 

Is this correct operation or is there a workaround? I really don't

want to go through the menu every time I want auto ISO so any

input welcome.

<p>Since the Preview button by default does almost nothing except make the viewfinder darker (it's pretty useless for judging DoF) can you not use that instead? All the functions available to the Fn button are duplicated on the Pv button according to the Df manual.</p>

<p>I think it is an either/or situation. I remember something similar when setting up my D200 Fn button. Here is a statement from the DF manual regarding Fn function:<br>

"If the option selected for <strong>Press</strong> can not be used in combination with the option selected for <strong>Press + command dials,</strong> a message will be displayed an whichever of <strong>Press</strong> or <strong>Press + command dials</strong> was selected first will be set to <strong>None</strong>. </p>

<p>The Function and Preview buttons can be programmed separately and selecting Press+Command on one doesn't affect the Press only function of the other.</p>

<p>For example; I've set up the Pv button on my D7200 to turn the Virtual Horizon on/off, and the Fn button+Command wheel to select non-CPU lens number. There's no direct access to Auto ISO available on the D7200 though.</p>

<p>It appears that with these two settings result is either or situation. Seems that last made change remains at use, while older setting is set to do nothing.<br>

<br />Usually I have flash value lock on Fn button press. And Fn button press + command dial is set to do nothing. </p>

<p>Thank you for the input. I did not realise that you could not have both methods assigned - I wondered why the camera was chastising me for trying! I have used the DOF preview button and the function button to get the two I needed. Sorted!</p>

<p>FWIW, it seems strange to me that Nikon didn't add a position for Auto-ISO directly on the ISO selector dial of the Df. Nor just have another "click" on the ISO menu of their other DSLRs for Auto-ISO. It would only be like adding "B" or "X" speeds to the shutter speed selector. Incidentally, I've noticed a strange thing: If B is set in Manual mode and you change to Shutter Priority, then B remains as the shutter speed but flashing and inoperable - you need to physically change the shutter speed before "B" disappears and is replaced by 30s. Weird and needless IMHO.</p>

<p>I suppose it's to remind you that you have an invalid and long shutter speed set when changing modes, but it could just as easily default to 1/60th instead of making you manually thumb through all the slow speeds. Only an idiot would change to S mode without checking which shutter speed was set.</p>

<p>Rodeo - totally agree. I think that would be a common sense addition to the ISO selections. Obviously, you still have to make your auto-ISO settings via menu, but it would be nice to easily switch in and out of auto-ISO with a button/scroll combo.</p>

<blockquote>Obviously, you still have to make your auto-ISO settings via menu,</blockquote>

 

<p>Why? The Df has a dedicated shutter speed dial. If you're specifying a minimum shutter speed for auto-ISO, it could pick this information up from the shutter speed dial. There's the focal-length-dependent version to worry about, but there are a couple of spare positions if you need that. I seem to remember oddities in how auto-ISO works on the Df (I'll have to search the thread - maybe it's that the camera's default ISO sets the minimum on most cameras and the ISO on the dial sets the maximum - if it's bigger than the maximum in the menu - on the Df; actually, I prefer the Df's behaviour here). The thing that annoyed me most about auto-ISO in aperture priority was that it was so fiddly to change the slowest shutter speed; fortunately the focal-length-dependent thing turned up, which massively helped with zooms, but by that point I'd mostly gone to shooting in manual+auto-ISO (with some risk of overexposure if there's a sudden brightening of my subject).<br />

<br />

Anyway, I'm sympathetic. I'd like the single-press and the press + dial options both to work on the same button, if they don't conflict. After the last thread of doom about handling (well, about the D300 and D7200, but <i>also</i> about handling), I resolved to put another thread together polling for how people would like the handling to work - as soon as I have time. I'll ensure I incorporate this.</p>

<p>Andrew - my statement applies to non-DF bodies. </p>

<p>Chip: At least on the D810 (and I think D800), when holding down the rec button (with it programmed to ISO in stills mode), one dial changes the ISO value, the other toggles auto-ISO. I think the actual ISO button behaves the same, but since I can't reach the damned thing when I'm shooting, I don't know. I believe you if you tell me other cameras don't do that. It's very useful for a quick override, though.<br />

<br />

I'd prefer it if you could use the "spare" dial in aperture priority (or program mode) to adjust the minimum shutter speed (as opposed to easy-ISO or EC), but that's a separate refinement. Now, what would be really nice is if you could toggle between "ISO", "Auto-ISO" and "Auto-ISO by focal length", then use the "spare" dial as mentioned above for minimum shutter speed in "plain" Auto-ISO and for program shift of the minimum in "...by focal length" mode. (The shift is currently deep in a menu, as I recall.) The Df has enough dials to do both explicitly, of course - and would want to, because using a dial actually <i>marked</i> with shutter speed to control shutter speed shift would be weird. But then I've said before that replacing the permanent writing on the dials with configurable eInk would remove most of my ergonomic complaints with a "fixed" dial layout.<br />

<br />

Oh, and I'd like it if the "spare dial" when using exposure compensation adjusted flash exposure compensation. And the "spare dial" when using the mode button to change either AF mode or metering mode (user configuration). And I'd probably allow "chording" (separate control over what happens when you hold down combinations of Fn, Pv, AE-lock etc.). And I'd put all this in configuration menus so people didn't get freaked out by it if they're happy using menus and their left hands for reasons other than holding the lens. (Huh. Now I think about it, it would be really nice if an eye sensor near the finder automatically put you in image review mode when you pulled your head back...)<br />

<br />

Ah the things I'd do if I got to play with the Nikon interface - as far as I can tell, at absolutely no cost to the camera manufacture. (Bonus marks for making the split-screen live view do what I actually wanted it to.) But, as I mentioned, I'll put a poll together and people can tell me I'm nuts.</p>