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TTL (default) lets the flash work normally and give great exposures all by itself.
M (manual) lets you force the flash to one brightness value. It adjusts in full stops from full power
down to seven stops below, shown as 1/128 power.
I use manual if I'm using the built-in flash to trigger my studio strobes or if I'm trying to set up
something tricky which isn't working in the usually perfect TTL mode. The manual mode also
cancels the preflashes for photographing peope with REAR flash sync (page 19) or to eliminate
blinking.
The D40 lacks wireless control and Flash Exposure lock of more expensive Nikons. If you want to
uses these features, get a D80 or D200. I explain these at D80 Built-in Flash Modes.
15 Auto Off Timers
This changes the time delays of the various battery-saving timers that turn off the D40 and its LCD
when you ignore it.
This setting is more advanced than more expensive Nikons, for example, there's no way on my
D80 to extend how long an image stays on in Image Review (page 30) to other than 4 seconds.
When making self portraits with a tripod my D80 tauntingly shut off its Image Review (page 30) the
moment I get back to the tripod, and there's no way around that.
On my D40 I can choose to have the Image Review hang for as long as I want.
The settings are:
SHORT: Everything turns of more quickly to extend battery life.
NORM: Default.
LONG: Everything stays on longer so it's less likely you'll have to wake up the D40 in the
middle of something.
CUSTOM: I use this. You may set the time individually for each of:
Playback/Menus: How long the monitor stays lit for most uses.
Image Review: How long the just-shot image stays up after you shoot it. Of course pressing any
other button lets the D40 immediately change to whatever more you want.
Auto Meter Off: How long the D40 and it's meters stay on before you take a picture. The meter
turns on when you tap the shutter. The meter turns off after you take a picture, or after the tie you
set here.
In the old days (2002) my Nikon D1H and D1X sucked through batteries and we did everything we
could to get more than 200 or 300 shots on a charge of the huge Ni-Cd batteries. Today battery
life is so long I'd select whatever value you find the most convenient. I've played with my D40
menus for hours at a sitting with no complaints.
© 2007 KenRockwell.com 33 converted by Sándor Nagy