The D-lighting doesn't work if you are shooting RAW, only jpegs.
It is a set alogarithm for the shadows part of the levels curve and automatically, for the choice of low, medium or high, lifts the shadows curve in camera.
It is quite useful for increasing the dynamic range of your images when shooting for quick turn around (hence D-lighting.....D for dynamic range). The clever bit is that it does not touch the highlights. Some clever maths going on behind the scenes.
The thing to do is try it - if it is overcast and the contrast is low, then you won't need it.
In harsh shadow conditions (bright sunlight) then it is quite useful at times.
Read your manual, carefull, from cover to cover. Itis a lot of information to take in, I know. I find if you takeone particular aspect and just read that intimitately, then you get that logged in your brain...then move on to the next.
If you are shooting landscapes, you don't need the lock on follow focus. So just use the autofocus set with the button the side of the lensmount (left side looking through viewfinder) put this on S - it will also give you focus lock while the shutter button is half pressed. This focus setting is just focus and stay there mode.
On C it continually refocusses for moving subjects (don't use S for moving subjects or it will miss).
It is all in the book and for best understanding and results there is no shortcut, you have to sit down with the camera and book and go through it, a bit at a time. Try not to spill your whisky on the book - it makes the pages stick together.
