Nikon CoolPix L1 Manual

The nikon guide to digital photography with the coolpix l1 digital camera

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User manual (95 pages)

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Page 2 D-Lighting technology is provided by Apical Limited. Face-priority AF technology is provided by Identix®. All other trade names mentioned in this manual or the other documentation provided with your Nikon product are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Page 3 Symbols and Conventions To make it easier to ﬁ nd the information you need, the following symbols and conventions are used: This icon marks cautions, information that should be read before use to prevent dam- age to the camera. This icon marks notes, information that should be read before using the camera.
Page 4: For Your Safety
For Your Safety To prevent damage to your Nikon product or injury to yourself or to others, read the following safety precautions in their entirety before using this equipment. Keep these safety instructions where all those who use the product will read them.
Page 5 Use appropriate cables When connecting cables to the input and output jacks, use only the cables provided or sold by Nikon for the purpose, to main- tain compliance with product regulations. Handle moving parts with care Be careful that your ﬁ ngers or other objects are not pinched by the lens cover or other moving parts.
Page 6 This class B digital apparatus meets all require- ments of the Canadian Interference Causing Equipment Regulations. • Nikon will not be held liable for any damages resulting from the use of this product. • While every eﬀ ort has been made to ensure...
Page 7 Note that simply being in possession of material that has been digitally copied or reproduced by means of a scanner, digital camera or other device may be punishable by law. • Items prohibited by law from being copied or reproduced...
Page 8: Table Of Contents
Table of Contents For Your Safety ...ii Introduction Parts of the Camera ... 2 The Monitor ... 4 First Steps ... 6 Inserting Batteries ... 6 Basic Setup ... 7 Inserting Memory Cards ... 9 Basic Photography and Playback Mode ...10 Viewing Pictures ...13 Using the Flash ...14 Taking Pictures with the Self-Timer ...15...
Page 9 Format Memory/ Format Card ...46 Language ...46 Interface ...46 Reset all ...47 Battery Type ...47 Menus ...47 Firmware Version ...47 Shooting Options: The Shooting Menu ...48 Image Mode ...48 White Balance ...49 Metering ...50 Continuous ...51 BSS ...51 Color Options ...52 AF-Area Mode ...52 Auto-focus Mode ...52 Playback Options: The Playback Menu ...54...
Page 10 Only Nikon brand electronic accessories (including battery chargers, bat- teries, and AC adapters) certiﬁ ed by Nikon speciﬁ cally for use with this Nikon digital camera are engineered and proven to operate within the operational and safety requirements of this electronic circuitry.
Page 11: Introduction
(FAQs), and gen er al advice on digital imaging and pho tog ra phy. Ad- di tion al information may be available from the Nikon rep re sen ta tive in your area. See the URL below for contact in for ma tion: http://nikonimaging.com/...
Page 12: Parts Of The Camera
Parts of the Camera Power-on lamp Power switch ( Shutter-release button ( Eyelet for camera strap Power cord channel cover for optional AC adapter ( Battery-chamber Attaching the Camera Strap Attach the strap as shown at right. Microphone 25, 29) cover ( 7, 9) Memory card slot (...
Page 13 Flash lamp ( Monitor 4–5, 10, 13) Tripod socket Connector cover 31, 32, 35) Replacing the connector cover Cable connector 31, 32, 35) The Multi Selector Press the multi selector up, down, left, or right to highlight pictures and menu items, then press the center to select.
Page 14: The Monitor
The Monitor The following indicators may appear in the monitor during shooting and playback (actual display varies with current camera settings): Shooting Playback 10 10 + 1.0 + 1. 1.0 AUTO AUTO AUTO 9999 9999 9999 10.10.2005 10.10.2005 10.10.2005 100NIKON 100NIKON 100NIKON 00:00...
Page 15 Shooting mode ...10, 17, 25 Exposure lock ...24 Zoom indicator ...11, 16 Focus indicator ...12 Battery level indicator ...10 Internal memory / memory card indicator ...9 Camera shake icon ...12 “Date not set” indicator ...61 Time zone indicator ...42 Self-timer indicator ...15 Date imprint / date counter ...44 Current folder ...68 File number and type ...68...
Page 16: First Steps
EN-MH1-B2 batteries. Charge the batteries (EN-MH1-B2 batteries only) If the camera came with a battery charger and rechargeable Nikon EN-MH1-B2 NiMH batteries, charge the batteries as described below. If the camera came with a pair of alkaline batteries, skip to Step 2 on the following page.
Page 17: Basic Setup
Insert the batteries Is the Camera Oﬀ ? Conﬁ rm that the power-on lamp is oﬀ before inserting or removing batteries. 2.1 Open the battery chamber Hold the camera upside down to prevent the batteries from falling out. 2.2 Insert the batteries Insert the batteries as shown.
Page 19: Inserting Memory Cards
Inserting Memory Cards Pictures are stored in the camera’s internal memory (approximately 10 MB) or on removable Secure Digital (SD) memory cards ( recording and deleting pictures only if no memory card is inserted. To insert a memory card: Turn the camera oﬀ Conﬁ...
Page 20: Basic Photography And Playback
Basic Photography and Playback Mode This section describes how to take pictures in and-shoot” mode recommended for ﬁ rst-time users of digital cameras. Select mode Slide the mode selector to Turn the camera on 2.1 Turn the camera on The power-on lamp will light and the monitor will turn on.
Page 21 Frame a picture 3.1 Ready the camera Hold the camera steadily in both hands, keep- ing your ﬁ ngers and other objects away from the lens, ﬂ ash, and microphone. 3.2 Frame the picture Frame the subject near the center of the monitor.
Page 22 Focus and shoot 4.1 Focus Press the shutter-release button halfway. The camera will select the focus area ( taining the subject closest to the camera. If the camera is able to focus on this subject, the focus (AF●) indicator and focus area will be displayed in green.
Page 23: Viewing Pictures
Viewing Pictures Press the button to display a picture in the monitor Use the multi selector to view additional pictures: press the multi selector down or right to view pictures in the order recorded, up or left to view pictures in reverse or- der.
Page 24: Using The Flash
Using the Flash The ﬂ ash has a range of 0.5–3.5 m (1 ft. 8 in.–11 ft. 6 in.) when the camera is zoomed all the way out. The range at maximum zoom is 0.5–2 m (1 ft. 8 in.–6 ft. 7 in.). The following ﬂ...
Page 25: Taking Pictures With The Self-Timer
Taking Pictures with the Self-Timer The camera is equipped with a ten-second timer for self-portraits. When using the self-timer, mount the camera on a tripod (recommended) or rest it on a ﬂ at, level surface. Self-timer Display options. Make selection (to exit without changing mode, wait two seconds).
Page 26: Macro Close-Up Mode
Macro Close-up Mode Macro close-up mode is used for taking shots of objects as close as 4 cm (1.6 in.). Exposure Compensation Use exposure compensation to make the entire picture brighter or darker. Exposure comp. Display options. +0.3 :Confirm :Confirm :Confirm –...
Page 27: Scene And Movie Modes
Scene and Movie Modes Scene Mode Scene mode oﬀ ers a choice of eleven “scene” and four “assist” settings. Camera settings are automatically op- timized for the selected subject type. Assist modes oﬀ er framing assist options to help compose shots: Mode Portrait For portraits.
Page 28: Assist Modes
Assist Modes These modes oﬀ er a selection of framing assist options that allow you to compose pictures with the help of framing guides displayed in the monitor. Highlight Highlight composition type. , or Display framing assist menu. Framing guides displayed in monitor. Position subject in framing guides and take picture.
Page 29 Portrait Assist Use for smooth, natural-looking portraits. Pictures taken at slow shutter speeds are processed to reduce noise ( 12). Face-priority AF Camera automatically focuses on face of portrait subject ( Camera focuses on subject in center of monitor. No guides are dis- PORTRAIT played.
Page 30 Taking Pictures with Face-Priority AF ( Highlight and press center of multi selector. icon blinks in monitor. * If camera detects multiple faces, closest subject will be indicated by double border, other subjects by single border. Camera will focus on closest subject. If camera can no longer detect subject (for example, because subject has looked away from camera), borders will no longer be displayed and Set focus and exposure.
Page 31 Sports Assist Capture motion in a series of high-speed shots. No framing guides are displayed. Camera shoots about 0.7 frames per second (fps) while shutter-release but- SPORTS ton is pressed. Camera focuses continuously even when shutter-release button is not pressed. Sport As above, except that camera focuses at about 1.5 m/5 ft.
Page 32: Other Scenes
Other Scenes To take pictures in other scene modes: Select mode. Highlight scene. The following modes are available: Party/Indoor Party/Indoor Captures the eﬀ ects of candlelight and other indoor background light- ing. Camera focuses on subject in center of frame. Hold camera steady to prevent blurring;...
Page 33 Dusk/Dawn Dusk/Dawn Preserves the colors seen in the weak natural light before sunrise or after sunset. Camera focuses at inﬁ nity. vent blurring; pictures may be processed to reduce noise ( Night Landscape Night Landscape Slow shutter speeds are used to produce stunning night landscapes. Camera focuses at inﬁ...
Page 34 Taking Pictures for a Panorama ( The camera focuses on the subject in the center of the frame. Use a tripod for bet- ter results. Panorama Assist Flash mode ( 14), self-timer ( 16) can not be adjusted after the ﬁ rst picture is taken. Pictures can not be deleted or zoom or image mode ( 48) adjusted until shooting is complete.
Page 35: Movie Mode
Movie Mode Follow the steps below to shoot movies with sound recorded via the built-in mi- crophone. Movies recorded to internal memory at the default setting of Small Size 320★ can be up to 16 seconds long; a 256 MB memory card can hold up to 6 minutes 30 seconds.
Page 36: Viewing Pictures On The Camera
Viewing Pictures on the Camera To view pictures full-frame in the monitor (full-frame playback), press the pressing the button for about two seconds will turn the camera on in playback mode). The following op- erations can be performed: View next picture View previous picture Delete picture Zoom picture in...
Page 37: Taking A Closer Look: Playback Zoom
Cropped Copies Cropped copies may not display or transfer correctly when viewed on other models of Nikon camera. See the Appendix for more information on cropped copies ( 26), the...
Page 38: Enhancing Contrast: D-Lighting
During playback, copies created with D-lighting are in- dicated by a icon. D-Lighting Copies created with D-lighting may not display or transfer correctly when viewed on other mod- els of Nikon camera. See the Appendix for more information on D-lighting copies ( 10.10.2005 10.10.2005 10.10.2005 15:30...
Page 39: Voice Memos: Recording And Playback
Voice Memos: Recording and Playback The built-in microphone ( voice memos for pictures marked with a in full-frame playback ( Recording Voice Memos To record a voice memo, press and hold the shutter-release button. Recording ends after about 20 seconds or when the button is released. Do not touch the mi- crophone during recording.
Page 40: Movie Playback
Movie Playback In full-frame playback ( cated by a icon. To play a movie, display it in full-frame playback and press the center of the multi selector. Playback con- trols appear at the top of the display; press the multi selector left or right to highlight a control, then press the center of the multi selector to perform the selected operation.
Page 41: Connecting To Televisions, Computers, And Printers
Connecting to Televisions, Computers, and Printers In addition to viewing pictures on the camera, you can also: • View pictures on TV and record movies to video (see below) • Copy pictures to a computer for storage and editing ( •...
Page 42 Choose an Interface > USB option as described in “Choosing a USB Option for Connection to a Computer” ( 33). Turn the camera oﬀ and connect the USB cable as shown at right. Turn the camera on. Press the center of the multi selector to copy all marked pictures to the computer.
Page 43 Choosing a USB Option for Connection to a Computer Consult the following table when choosing a USB option for connection to a computer 32). The default option is Mass Storage. For more information on menu operations, see “Menus” ( 39–40). Computer operating system Windows XP Home Edition Windows XP Professional...
Page 44: Printing Pictures
Printing Pictures Users of PictBridge-compatible printers can connect the camera directly to the printer and print pictures without using a computer. Print pictures one at a time ( Other Ways to Print Pictures Pictures can also be printed by: • Inserting a memory card in the printer: If the printer is equipped with a card slot, a memory card can be inserted in the printer and pictures printed directly from the card.
Page 45 Connecting the Printer Turn the printer on. Set the Interface > USB option in the setup menu to PTP ( 46). See “Menus” ( more information on menu operations. Turn the camera oﬀ and connect the USB cable as shown at right. Turn the camera on.
Page 46: Printing Pictures One At A Time
Printing Pictures One at a Time Press multi selector up or down to highlight option, press center to select: Option Start printing. To cancel before all copies have been printed, press cen- Start ter of multi selector. Camera returns to PictBridge playback display when Print printing is complete;...
Page 47: Printing Multiple Pictures
Printing Multiple Pictures To print multiple pictures, press the MENU button while the PictBridge playback screen is displayed ( menu shown at right will be displayed; press the multi selector up or down to highlight an option, then press the center to select. Option Print Selection Print selected pictures (see below).
Page 48 006 PRINTS 006 PRINTS 006 PRINTS Back Back Back Start Print Start Print Start Print...
Page 49: Menus
Menus Menus are available for shooting, playback, movies, and camera setup. Press the MENU button to display the menus; press again to return to shooting or playback. To display the shooting menu: Select mode. To display the playback menu: Display picture full frame ( To display the movie menu: Select mode.
Page 50 To make a selection from a menu: Highlight menu item. Highlight option. To select multiple pictures in the Print Set ( 55), Protect ( 55), Transfer Marking > Select Image(s) ( lected Images ( 56) menus: Scroll through pictures. Current picture shown at center of display.
Page 51: Basic Camera Setup: The Setup Menu
Basic Camera Setup: The Setup Menu The setup menu contains the following options: Option Welcome Screen Select screen displayed when camera is turned on. Date Set clock and choose home and destination time zones. Monitor Settings Adjust monitor brightness and choose display style. Date Imprint Imprint date or birthday counter on pictures.
Page 52: Date
Date Set the camera clock and to choose home and travel destina- tion time zones. Option Date Set camera clock to current date and time ( Choose home ( ) or travel destination ( ) time zone Time Zone 69); turn daylight saving time on or oﬀ . To switch between home ( ) and travel destination ( ) time zones: Highlight * To change home or travel destination time zone, highlight and press multi selector right.
Page 53: Monitor Settings
Monitor Settings The following options are available: Option Photo Info Choose information displayed in monitor. Brightness Choose from ﬁ ve settings for monitor brightness. Photo Info The following display options are available: Option Description Indicators are displayed in Show Info monitor ( Auto Info Indicators are displayed for 5 s.
Page 54: Date Imprint
Date Imprint Imprint date information on pictures as they are taken. Option Oﬀ Time and date do not appear on pictures. Date Date or date and time are imprinted on pic- tures taken while this option is in eﬀ ect. Date and Time Time stamp shows number of days between date Date Counter...
Page 55: Sound Settings
Sound Settings Adjust the following sound settings: Option When On is selected, beep will sound once when Button Sound operations are completed successfully, three times when error is detected. Shutter Sound Choose volume of shutter sound. Choose volume of sound that plays when camera Start-Up Sound is turned on.
Page 56: Format Memory/Format Card
Format Memory/ If no memory card is inserted, this option is named Format Memory and formats internal memory. Otherwise it is named Format Card and formats the memory card for use in the camera. Note that formatting permanently deletes all pictures and other data.
Page 57: Reset All
Reset all Select Reset to restore camera settings to their default values 66). Battery Type To ensure that the camera shows the correct battery level ( 10), choose a type that matches the batteries currently in use. Option Alkaline COOLPIX (NiMH) Lithium Menus Choose how menus are displayed.
Page 58: Shooting Options: The Shooting Menu
* See the Appendix for information on restrictions that may apply to these settings ( Image Mode Pictures taken with a digital camera are recorded as image ﬁ les. The size of the ﬁ les, and with it the number of images that can...
Page 59: White Balance
White Balance Process pictures to produce natural colors under diﬀ erent types of light. Option White balance automatically adjusted to suit lighting conditions. Auto Best choice in most situations. Description...
Page 60: Metering
Highlight Measure. * To restore most recent value for preset white balance, highlight Cancel and press center of multi selector. Metering Choose how the camera sets exposure. Option Camera analyzes distribution of brightness over Matrix wide area of frame, producing optimal results in most situations.
Page 61: Continuous
Continuous Capture a ﬂ eeting expression on a portrait subject, photo- graph a subject that is moving unpredictably, or capture mo- tion in a series of pictures. Option Single One shot is taken each time shutter-release button is pressed. While shutter-release button is pressed, camera takes pictures at up to 0.7 Continuous frames per second (fps).
Page 62: Color Options
Color Options Make colors more vivid or record pictures in monochrome. Option Standard Color Natural color. Vivid Color Vivid, “photoprint” colors. Black-and-White Take pictures in black-and-white. Sepia Record pictures in sepia. Cyanotype Take pictures in blue-tinted monochrome. The eﬀ ects of the selected option can be previewed in the monitor.
Page 63 Focus Lock With AF-Area Mode set to Center and Single AF selected for Autofocus Mode, focus lock can be used to focus on oﬀ -center subjects: AUTO AUTO AUTO Position subject in center of frame. Recompose picture with shutter-release button pressed halfway. AUTO AUTO AUTO...
Page 64: Playback Options: The Playback Menu
Playback Options: The Playback Menu The playback menu contains the following options. See “Menus” for information on viewing and using the playback menu ( 39–40). Option SET-UP Display the setup menu. Print Set Select pictures for printing. Slide Show View pictures in an automatic slide show. Delete Delete all or selected pictures.
Page 65: Delete
To skip to the next picture, press the multi selector to the right, or press the multi selector to the left to return to the previous picture. Hold the multi selector down to fast forward or rewind. To pause the slide show, press the center of the multi selector.
Page 66: Small Pic
Small Picture Small copies are compressed for reduced ﬁ le size and may not display or transfer correctly when viewed on other models of Nikon camera. See the Appendix for more information on small copies ( Copy Copy pictures between internal memory and a memory card.
Page 67: Movie Options: The Movie Menu
Movie Options: The Movie Menu The movie menu contains the options shown at right. See “Menus” for information on viewing and using the movie menu ( 39–40). Movie Options Movies can be recorded at the following sizes: Option TV Movie 640 ★...
Page 68: Technical Notes
AC adapter EH-62B AC adapter kit (connects as shown) Approved Memory Cards The following cards have been tested and approved for use with the COOLPIX L1: Panasonic 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB SanDisk 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB, 256 MB...
Page 69: Caring For The Camera
Caring for the Camera To ensure continued enjoyment of this Nikon product, observe the following pre- cautions when storing or using the device. Handle the lens and all moving parts with care Do not apply force to the lens, monitor, or battery-chamber and lens covers.
Page 70: Cleaning
Some smear may appear in movies. • Images in the monitor may be diﬃ cult to see in a bright light. • The monitor is lit by an LED backlight. Should the monitor begin to dim or ﬂ icker, contact your Nikon service representative.
Page 71: Error Messages
Error Messages The following table lists the error messages and other warnings that appear in the monitor and how to deal with them. Display (blinks) Clock not set. Batteries running low. WARNING ! ! Batteries exhausted. BATTERY EXHAUSTED AF● Camera cannot focus. (●...
Page 72 No need to change time zones if desti- nation is in same time zone as home. Turn camera oﬀ and then on again. If error persists, contact retailer or Nikon representative. If PictureProject displays error, click OK to exit. Resume operation after turning camera oﬀ...
Page 73: Troubleshooting
Turn the camera oﬀ , remove and replace the batteries, and then turn the camera on again. In the event of continued malfunction, contact your retailer or Nikon representative. Note that disconnecting the power source as described above may result in the loss of any data not recorded to internal memory or the memory card at the time the problem occurred.
Page 74 Problem • Use ﬂ ash. Pictures are blurred • Use BSS. • Use tripod and self-timer. • Flash is oﬀ . • Flash window is blocked. Pictures are too dark • Subject is outside range of ﬂ ash. (underexposed) • Exposure compensation is too low. •...
Page 75 PictureProject Transfer button to transfer pictures. Transfer marking does Pictures were marked for transfer using another model of not appear camera. Mark pictures for transfer using COOLPIX L1. • Camera is oﬀ . • Batteries are exhausted. • USB cable is not correctly connected.
Page 76: Appendix
Supported Standards Supported Standards • DCF: Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF) is standard widely used in the digital camera industry to ensure compatibility among diﬀ erent makes of camera. • DPOF: Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) is an industry-wide standard that allows pictures to be printed from print orders stored on the memory card.
Page 77 Scene Mode Settings ( Scene Mode Settings ( The following table lists the default ﬂ ash mode, self-timer, macro close-up, and exposure com- pensation settings for each scene. These settings are restored when the camera is turned oﬀ , mode is selected, pictures are played back, or Reset is selected for Reset All in the setup menu.
Page 78 “P_” plus a three-digit sequence number for pictures taken using panorama assist (e.g, “101P_001”; 23–24) and “NIKON” for all other pictures (e.g, “100NIKON”). Folders can hold up to 200 pictures; if a picture is taken when the current folder contains 200 pictures, a new folder will be created by adding one to the current folder number.
Page 79 Copies ( Copies ( 27, 28, 56) 27, 28, 56) Copies created using crop ( GMT +/– Location –11 Midway, Samoa –10 Hawaii, Tahiti –9 Alaska, Anchorage –8 PST (PDT): Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver –7 MST (MDT): Denver, Phoenix, La Paz –6 CST (CDT): Chicago, Houston, Mexico City –5...
Page 80: Speciﬁ Cations
Speciﬁ cations Nikon COOLPIX L1 Digital Camera Type Compact digital camera Eﬀ ective pixels 6.2 million 1 2.5 -in. CCD; total pixels: 6.37 million Image size (pixels) • 2,816 × 2,112 (2816 • 2,048 × 1,536 (2048) Lens Zoom-Nikkor with 5 × optical zoom Focal length F=6.3 –31.4 mm (35-mm [135] camera-format equivalent: 38 –190 mm)
Page 81 110 g (3.9 oz.), excluding power cable Speciﬁ cations Nikon will not be held liable for any errors this manual may contain. The appearance of this product and its speciﬁ cations are subject to change without notice. EN-MH1-B2 NiMH Batteries The capacity of NiMH batteries will drop if they are charged repeatedly without ﬁ...
Page 82: Index
Index Symbols (auto) mode, 10–12 (delete) button, 13, 26, 27, 29 (movie) mode, 25 (playback) button, 13, 26–30 , see (scene) mode (wait) icon, 61 Accessories, 58 AEL, 24 AF●, see Focus, indicator AF-area mode, 52 Assist modes, 18–21 Autofocus, see Focus Auto-focus mode movie menu, 57 shooting menu, 52...
Page 83 viewing, 30 MOVIE menu, 57 Moving subjects, 21, 51 Multi selector, 3, 7, 39 Night photography, 14, 21, 22–23 Noise reduction, 12, 19–23 NTSC, see Video mode Number of exposures remaining, 10, 67 On/oﬀ , see Power switch PAL, see Video mode Panorama, 23–24 Photo info, see Monitor set- tings...

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Coolpix l101