2. Z 7II/Z 6II Online Manual
  3. Basic Photography and Playback
  4. Taking Photographs (b Mode)

Taking Photographs (b Mode)

Select b (auto) mode for simple “point-and-shoot” photography.

Lenses with Retractable Barrels

Lenses with retractable barrels must be extended before use. Rotate the lens zoom ring as shown until the lens clicks into the extended position.

  1. Turn the camera on.

    The monitor and control panel will light.

  2. Select photo mode by rotating the photo/movie selector to C.
  3. Pressing the mode dial lock release on top of the camera, rotate the mode dial to b.

  4. Ready the camera.

    Holding the handgrip in your right hand and cradling the camera body or lens with your left, bring your elbows in against the sides of your chest.

    • Framing photos in the viewfinder:

      Landscape (wide) orientation

      Portrait (tall) orientation

    • Framing photos in the monitor:

      Landscape (wide) orientation

      Portrait (tall) orientation
  5. Frame the photograph.

    Position the main subject in the AF-area brackets.

    • If the camera detects a human face, the AF-area brackets will be replaced by a yellow border around the subject’s face indicating the focus point. If eyes are detected, the yellow focus point will instead appear over one or the other of the subject’s eyes.

  6. Press the shutter-release button halfway to focus.

    • The focus point will be displayed in green when the camera focuses. If the camera is unable to focus, the AF-area brackets will flash.

    • The AF-assist illuminator may light to assist the focus operation if the subject is poorly lit.

    • You can also focus by pressing the AF‑ON button.

    • If the camera detects the faces or eyes of human portrait subjects, the active focus point will be displayed in green. The focus point will flash red if the camera is unable to focus.

    The AF-Assist Illuminator

    Do not obstruct the AF-assist illuminator while it is lit.

  7. Smoothly press the shutter-release button the rest of the way down to take the photograph.

    • You can also take a photograph by touching the monitor. Touch your subject to focus and lift your finger to release the shutter (The Touch Shutter).

The Memory Card Access Lamp

The memory card access lamp will light while the photograph is being recorded. Do not remove the memory card or battery.

The Standby Timer

The camera uses a standby timer to help reduce the drain on the battery. If no operations are performed for about 30 seconds, the standby timer will expire and the monitor, viewfinder, and control panel will turn off. A few seconds prior to turning off, the monitor and viewfinder will dim. They can be reactivated by pressing the shutter-release button halfway. The length of time before the standby timer expires automatically can be selected using Custom Setting c3 [Power off delay] > [Standby timer].

Using Zoom in Photo Mode

To zoom in on the display in photo mode (to a maximum of approximately 12×), press the X button.

  • Press X to zoom in, W (Q) to zoom out.

  • A navigation window will appear at the bottom right corner of the display.

  • Use the multi selector to scroll to areas of the frame not visible in the monitor.