D7100 Auto Burst Exposure Bracketing

<p>Friends, as explained, poorly, on page 136 of the D7100 manual, you can use the Self Timer mode in combination with auto bracketing to obtain an automatically exposed and bracketed burst of 3 or 5 images with each push of the shutter release. The CL and CH modes also work, but you must hold down the shutter release, with concomitant potential for camera shake. I discovered this after seeing a similar functionality on a Canon body being used to photograph one of my completed building projects. After observing the professional, I came away convinced my new camera MUST have similar functionality, which it does. Surprisingly, my good friend's D700 does not, nor did my D5100, so far as I can tell. The D750 is very similar to the D7100, as is the D600/610 and D800/810. I haven't investigated other Nikon bodies. For landscape, architectural, and HDR photographs, this functionality is extraordinarily useful. The Nikon manual does not explain very well, but you access this function as follows:</p>

<ol>

<li>Push and hold the external BKT button.</li>

<li>While holding the BKT button, rotate the Main Command (rear) Dial to select the quantity of bracketed exposures.</li>

<li>While holding the BKT button, rotate the Sub Command (front) Dial to select the EV offset between exposures.</li>

<li>In the Custom Setting Menu, sub-setting e6, select the type of exposure setting to be bracketed, such as Auto Exposure, Flash, White Balance, or ADL.</li>

<li>In the Custom Setting Menu, sub-setting e7, select the offset and order of the bracketed shots from the best exposure as determined by the camera. You can place best in the middle, or offset by a number of exposures towards either end of the scale. For example, if you want the "best" exposure to be first, and increasing EV's from that point, then offset the best exposure to the left, beginning of the exposure sequence. With a 5 exposure burst, you can choose to go either 2 or 3 frames either direction. With 3 exposure burst, you can only go one frame either way.</li>

<li>Set the Release Mode Dial to Self Timer.</li>

<li>Push and release the Shutter Release. After the delay set for the Self Timer (I use 2 seconds), allowing any camera shake to settle, the shutter will automatically expose 3 or 5 bracketed images in a burst, without you having to touch the camera again.</li>

</ol>

<p>I have used this function successfully for landscape and architectural shots, bracketing for shutter speed only. So far I have only used this in Aperture Priority (A) mode, but I believe it will work also in Manual (M), Shutter Priority (S), and Program (P) modes. You can also use Exposure Compensation to offset the bracketed frame set. Good luck and have fun. Be aware that you'll make a lot of exposures. There are also a number of useful videos available on the Internet. I hope this is helpful, David.</p>

<p>Useful to know David. Thanks.<br /> The period between shots is about 1 second and, surprisingly, it does work in manual mode (on a D7200) by altering the shutter speed away from what's been set.<br /> Doesn't work with the D800 though. :-(<br /> To get a similar auto bracket sequence on the D800, it appears you have to set up the interval timer, and use of the self-timer and interval timer together are not allowed.</p>

<p>RJ, check out this tutorial specific to the D800: "http://lukezeme.com/tutorials/hdr-bracket-setup-for-nikon-d800-hdr-tutorial/". Supposedly it works as described above. Please let us all know if this is in error. Thanks!</p>

<p>Yep. It works as described in that link.</p>

<p>I rarely use bracketing however, finding it just as quick to take a shot and review the histogram, then adjust if necessary.<br>

HDR? Never found a use for it on a camera that has 12 stops + of native dynamic range. I prefer to just shoot RAW and adjust the tone curve or combine "exposure" layers as necessary in post. The false colours of HDR software aren't something I find appealing either.</p>

<p>I haven't used this for HDR. I have used it for night and landscape shots where the correct exposure was changing quickly and difficult to determine.</p>