Setting up a new Camera
These are the questions I get asked more than most. How do you focus?, what exposure mode do you use?, Do you use bracketing? etc….
So I put together a video all about setting up a camera. It is aimed at beginners but I suspect everyone will get something from it. When doing this I also asked everyone for ideas of how they set up their camera. So if you are interested in getting all those ideas let me know.
Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours at the top of mountains, in woodlands or by the ocean refining how I set up my camera for landscape work. With the Nikon Z8 (and previously the Z6/Z7), I’ve dialled in a setup that lets me focus on the composition, and capturing the moment rather than fiddling with menus when the weather is changing fast.
These are the settings I rely on every time I head out. And the principles apply whatever camera you are using. Also - I share some of your best ideas below and a link to a spreadsheet with over 640 ideas.
Clean Up the Display and Silence the Camera
First thing I do when I pick up the camera: switch off all sounds. Beeps and clicks are my pet hate and there is nothing worse than 6 cameras all beeping as the sun rises above an inversion.
I also assign the record button to “clear display” (you can customise this in the controls menu). One press and everything disappears grids, histograms, levels leaving just the iamge. It massively helps me concentrate on the composition without any clutter.
Exposure Settings I Actually Use
For landscapes, I’m almost always in Aperture Priority or full Manual with Auto ISO as a safety net.
Aperture Priority for most situations: I choose the aperture (usually f/8–f/11 for sharpness and depth), and let the camera handle shutter speed.
Manual + Auto ISO when light is changing quickly (sunrise/sunset). I set aperture and shutter (to avoid blur from wind or when I want a specific exposures), and let ISO float with a sensible upper limit. You can easily set this on all camera.
In reality now I use manual (including setting auto) 90% of the time as I just want total control.
I am always looking at the histogram to ensure I am pushing it to the RHS without clipping highlights. I recommend that you do tests on your own camera to see what you can bring back if it looks slightly over exposed in camera. Remember sometimes that the colour channels react differently to pulling back the highlights in Lightroom.
Base ISO I always try to stay at the native base ISO for maximum dynamic range when I can. For my Z8 and Z7 this is ISO 64 and for the Z6 this is ISO 100
The secondary boosted base (Z8 ISO 500, Z6 ISO 800) is important to know for your camera. As this has been optimised for best dynamic range and noise and is often better to shoot at ISO 500 than between ISO 250-<500 on a Z8. Check this 2nd base ISO for your camera.
White Balance I set white balance to cloudy almost all the time as then I know all my images are consistent. However as you can change this in post if you are shooting RAW it doesn’t really matter. The Z8 has the “Natural Light Auto” option. It’s warmer and more accurate than standard Auto, especially in golden-hour light and is optimised for Landscapes.
Histogram & Zebras Live histogram is always on. I also assign a function button to toggle zebras (highlight warning) instantly. Remember: the histogram you see is based on the JPEG preview, even when shooting RAW. RAW files have more latitude.
Bracketing I assign another function button to turn exposure bracketing on/off instantly. Essential for tricky high-contrast scenes when I might want to blend exposures later.
Image Quality – Always RAW
There’s simply no comparison. RAW gives you 14-bit colour depth, massive dynamic range recovery, and total flexibility in post. I shoot Nikon’s High-Efficiency RAW ★ (the starred option). It’s still full 14-bit data but with smaller file sizes perfect for long trips when card space and backup time matter. I haven’t noticed any quality degradation.
Focusing Setup for Landscapes
Landscapes are mostly static, so I use single point single AF with back-button focus (AF-ON button) exclusively. It decouples focusing from the shutter button, letting me lock focus on the exact spot I want and recompose without refocusing.
For the actual shutter release::
Touch shutter (tap the screen to focus and fire) when the camera is low on a tripod.
2-second timer or remote release to eliminate any shake.
(I do keep a separate shooting bank for wildlife—single point, continuous AF, etc.—but for pure landscapes I stay in the dedicated bank.)
Shooting Banks
The extended menu banks on the Z8 (and custom shooting banks on earlier bodies) are a game-changer. I have:
Bank A: Wildlife
Bank B: Landscapes
Bank C: Aurora
Everything—exposure mode, AF settings, image quality, function buttons—is saved per bank. Switching takes two seconds instead of digging through menus in the cold.
Bonus Habits
Practise blindfolded I change core settings so often that I can now do most of it by feel—ISO, aperture, function buttons—without taking my eye from the viewfinder.
Quick reset: I have a custom button that resets most settings to my defaults. Handy if I’ve been experimenting.
Your Ideas
I asked you for your best ideas on Instagram and in my email newsletter and you came back with loads of great ideas. Here are a few of them.
You can check out all the settings everyone provided here - https://geni.us/camerasettings
Ian Perkins (@ian_perkins_photography)
Use a small Canon remote on a wrist strap (repurposed from a Wii remote) for seascape photography. This allows precise timing for wave trails without the risk of dropping a corded remote or slipping.
Thijs Kupers (@thijs.kupers)
Set the camera to black-and-white preview (while shooting RAW) to visualize contrast and tonal interactions in real-time, helping subjects stand out. The color version is preserved for post-processing.
Callum White (@cwhitephotos)
For astrophotography, use Nikon Z cameras’ interval timer with auto ISO and exposure smoothing for flicker-free day-to-night timelapse transitions.
Phil Patelis (@philpatelis)
Challenge yourself to turn off all camera automation (beyond manual exposure) to mimic large-format photography. This deepens understanding of exposure and sensor limits, allowing intentional use of automation later.
Jack Lodge (@jacklodgephotography)
Set up dual back button focus: one button for full-field eye-tracking AF (for dynamic wildlife) and another for a single-spot focus (for precise shots in tricky environments or landscapes).
Paul Harrison (@pvharrison)
For astrophotography on Sony A7III, set the DISP button to “Monitor Off” to save battery and prevent the screen from appearing in other cameras’ shots during star trails or timelapses.
Reza (@yassis_camera)
Use “reverse back button focus” where the camera defaults to continuous focus (AF-C) but switches to single focus (AF-S) when pressing the back button. This suits his dynamic shooting style better than standard BBF.
Marco (@marcofarberr)
As a beginner, set the camera to automatically shoot an exposure stack (±0.5 EV) in challenging lighting. This ensures a usable shot and helps learn how exposure affects the image, though it requires more sorting in post.
Mads Peter Iversen (@madspeteriversenphotography)
Assign a custom button to star/rate photos in-camera, helping mark standout images during a shoot for easier selection when editing at home.
Ted Forman (@tpformanphotography)
Assign the Depth of Field preview button to change aspect ratios in-camera, allowing quick toggling between crop ratios to visualize different compositions during a shoot.