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Higher ISOs can give sharper images in dimmer light because they let the D40 shoot at faster
shutter speeds or smaller apertures, but they also can add more grain (noise) to your photos.
ISO 200 gives the cleanest images, but the most potential for blur in dim light.
ISO 400 and ISO 800 are perfect for outdoor sports.
ISO 1,600 gives the noisiest images, with the least potential for blur. ISO 1,600 still looks pretty
good if you need it, but I only use it indoors.
ISO 3,200 is for use as a last resort. It is grainy, and lets you shoot in the dimmest light without
flash.
Auto ISO selects magically among all these (except for ISO 3,200) so you and I don't have to
worry about it. See Auto ISO (page 30).
Hint: ISO goes from 200 to 3,200. Nikon code-names ISO 3,200 as "HI 1" to scare amateurs
away from using it, because these same amateurs would clog up Nikon's (800) NIKON-UX
support lines complaining about grainy photos.
Hint: If you've set AUTO ISO ON, Auto ISO turns off if you select ISO 3,200. Auto ISO come back
on when you set a lower ISO.
Noise Reduction
This is short for Long Exposure Dark-Frame Subtraction Noise Reduction.
It doesn't reduce noise or grain. It will eliminate the occasional hot pixel, and correct purple fog
around the edges of insanely long astronomical exposures.
OFF: Default. Leave it here.
ON: Don't use this. If you do, the D40 will double the amount of time you have to wait around for
time exposures of a second or longer. You people who need this know who you are, and even for
you I suggest trying the D40 with out NR first. it may save you a lot of time waiting around out in
the cold.
I have details with examples from my D200 at D200 Dark Exposures.
CUSTOM SETTING MENU (Pencil icon)
Many of these menu options are shown only after you select the FULL MENUS option in
the Setup Menu (page 35) and are often deactivated in anything except the P, S, A and M
modes (page 11).
This menu really should be called the camera menu and shown with an icon of a camera, except
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