Reference Manual
Error Messages
Where to Find It
Index
OThe Playback Menu
GThe Setup Menu
WRecent Settings
IThe Shooting Menu
Taking Photographs
Viewing Photographs
Retouching Photographs
Menus and Settings
Maintenance and Optional Accessories
Connections
Table of Contents
Recording and Viewing Movies
Release Mode
Live View
More on Photography All Modes
More on Playback
Connections 115
Menu Guide 129
Vii
Technical Notes 167
Viii
For Your Safety
Use only batteries approved for use in this equipment
AObserve proper precautions when handling batteries
AObserve proper precautions when handling the charger
AUse appropriate cables
Page
Battery Charger
Xii
Items prohibited by law from being copied or reproduced
Xiii
Comply with copyright notices
Before Taking Important Pictures
Xiv
Life-Long Learning
Overview
Symbols and Conventions
This icon marks references to other pages in this manual
Getting to Know the Camera
Camera Body
Power Switch
Camera Body
Mode Dial
Camera offers a choice of the following shooting modes Mode
8Single frame
ESelf-timer 0
Release-Mode Selector
IContinuous 0
Information Display
Button
Shutter-Speed and Aperture Displays
Hiding Shooting Information
Rotating the Camera
See Also
Choose an aperture mode a 0
Command Dial
Choose a combination of aperture and shutter speed mode P 0
Choose an aperture mode M
Set exposure Compensation Mode P, S, or a
Choose a flash mode 0
Viewfinder
Viewfinder
To display the on-screen guide, rotate the mode dial to g 0
Guide Mode
Camera Menus
Highlight the icon for the current menu
Using Camera Menus
Display the menus
Select a menu
Display options
Position the cursor in the selected menu
Highlight a menu item
Highlight an option
Charge the Battery
First Steps
Close the battery-chamber cover
Insert the Battery
Open the battery-chamber cover
Turn the camera off
Attach a Lens
Autofocus
CPU Lenses with Aperture Rings
Vibration Reduction VR
Detaching the Lens
Vibration Reduction
Basic Setup
Clock Battery
Setup Menu
Camera Clock
Insert the memory card
Insert a Memory Card
Open the card slot cover
Slide the card slot cover out q and open the card slot w
Highlight Yes
Format the Memory Card
Turn the camera on Display format options
Press J
Adjusting Viewfinder Focus
Adjust Viewfinder Focus
Remove the lens cap Turn the camera on Focus the viewfinder
Point-and-Shoot Photography i and j Modes
Check the battery level
Image Sensor Cleaning
Turn the Camera On
To shoot where use of a flash is prohibited
Select i or j Mode
Check the number of exposures remaining
Ready the camera
Using a Zoom Lens
Frame the Photograph
Frame the photograph
Focus
Check the indicators in the viewfinder
In-focus indicator Description
Shoot
Auto-Meter Off
Shutter-Release Button
Built-in Flash
Scene Modes
Mode Dial
Creative Photography Scene Modes
Mode
PChild
Use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur
View additional pictures
Basic Playback
Press the K button
Photograph will be displayed in the monitor
Delete the photograph
Deleting Unwanted Photographs
Display the photograph
Delete
Page
Change camera settings
Shoot View/delete Set up Take pictures
Guide
Shoot
Guide Mode Menus
More Settings
Start Shooting
View/Delete
Set Up
Flicker reduction Eye-Fi upload
Use
Framing Photographs in the Monitor
Rotate the live view switch
Follow the steps below to take photographs in live view
Choose an AF-area mode
Choose a focus mode
Press the P button again to return to live view
Choose the focus point
Focus
Subject Tracking
Rotate the live view switch to exit live view mode
Exit live view mode
Take the picture
Exposure Compensation
Shooting in Live View Mode
Flicker
Count Down Display
Will appear in a gray frame at the bottom right corner
Using Autofocus in Live View
Manual Focus
Out
Page
As described in of Live View 0
Movies can be recorded in live view mode
Recording Movies
See on page 38 for more information
Press the movie-record button to start recording
Start recording
End recording
Be locked by pressing the AE-L/AF-Lbutton 0 80 or
Choose frame size and sound recording options
Movie Settings
Select Movie settings
Audio Sound
Recording Movies
Count-Down Display
Use Description
Viewing Movies
Following operations can be performed
2Icon
Display a movie full frame
Editing Movies
Trimming Movies
Choose a starting or end point
Save the copy
Choose an option
Delete frames
Trimming Movies
Choose Save selected frame
Saving Selected Frames
View the movie and choose a frame
Create a still copy
Choosing a Release Mode
Mount the camera on a tripod
Self-Timer Mode
Select self-timer mode
Take the photograph
Place the cursor in the information display
Focus Mode
Focus
Display focus-mode options
Continuous-servo Autofocus
Getting Good Results with Autofocus
AF-Assist Illuminator
Beep Speaker
Display AF-area mode options
AF-Area Mode
Option Description Single-point AF
3D-tracking 11 Points
Focus Point Selection
Focus Lock
Recompose the photograph and shoot
Lock focus
AE-L/AF-L Button
Manual Focus
Set the lens focus-mode switch
Slide the switch to M
Selecting Manual Focus with the Camera
Focal Plane Position
Exposure Indicator
Electronic Rangefinder
Is 46.5 mm 1.83
Display image quality options
Image Quality and Size
Image Quality
Choose a file format and compression ratio image quality
NEF RAW + Jpeg Fine
Choose a file type
NEF RAW Images
File Names
Display image size options
Image Size
Choose an image size
Using the Built-in Flash P, S, A, and M Modes
Using the Built-in Flash
Using the Built-in Flash i, k, p, n, and oModes
Choose a flash mode 0 Take pictures
Choose a flash mode
Flash Mode
Display flash mode options
Flash modes available vary with shooting mode
Flash Modes
N, P, a
Mode Shutter speed
Shutter Speeds Available with the Built-in Flash
Aperture, Sensitivity, and Flash Range
Display ISO sensitivity options
ISO Sensitivity
Choose an ISO sensitivity
Auto
Hi 1/Hi
Lens Aperture Rings
Mode Description
Shutter Speed and Aperture
Shutter Speed and Aperture
Frame a photograph, focus, and shoot
Mode P Programmed Auto
Command dial flexible program. Rotate the dial
Flexible Program
Choose a shutter speed
Mode S Shutter-Priority Auto
To take photographs in shutter-priority auto
Choose an aperture
Mode a Aperture-Priority Auto
To take photographs in aperture-priority auto
Mode M Manual
Choose aperture and shutter speed
Open the shutter
Long Time-Exposures M Mode Only
Self-timer Mode
Close the shutter
Display metering options
Exposure
Metering
Choose a metering method
Lock exposure
Autoexposure Lock
Set metering to M or N0
Recompose the photograph
Display exposure compensation options
Exposure Compensation
Choose a value
Using a Flash
Mode M
E Button
Flash Compensation
Display flash compensation options
Button
Y M and E Buttons
Optional Flash Units
Active D-Lighting
Display Active D-Lighting options
Active D-Lighting
Active D-Lighting Versus D-Lighting
Display white balance options
White Balance
Choose a white balance option
Cool-white fl ,200 K
Color Temperature
Day white fluorescent 5,000 K Shade 8,000 K Fn Button
Fine tune white balance
Fine-Tuning White Balance
Select a white balance option
Save changes and exit
Select Preset manual
Preset Manual
Measuring a Value for Preset White Balance
Light a reference object
Measure white balance
Check the results
Other Methods for Measuring Preset White Balance
Measuring Preset White Balance
Preset White Balance
Studio Settings
Copying White Balance from a Photograph
Display Picture Controls
Picture Controls
Selecting a Picture Control
Choose a Picture Control
Display the Picture Control menu
Adjust settings
Modifying Picture Controls
Select a Picture Control
Picture Control Settings
Filter Effects Monochrome Only
Previous Settings
Picture Control Grid
Option Description Yellow
Setup Menu Options
GP-1 GPS Unit
Full-Frame Playback
Photo Information
100
Playback Zoom
RGB Histogram
101
Histograms
Shooting Data Page 1
Highlights
102
Shooting Data Page 3
Shooting Data Page 2
103
Overview Data
GPS Data
104
Thumbnail Playback
105
Calendar Playback
106
107
Press the L a button
Protecting Photographs from Deletion
Select an image
108
Press the O button
Deleting Photographs
Full-Frame, Thumbnail, and Calendar Playback
Press the O button again
Playback Menu
Selected Deleting Selected Photographs
Highlight a date
Select Date Deleting Photographs Taken on a Selected Date
Choose Select Date
Select the highlighted date
Select Start
Slide Shows
Select Slide show
112
113
114
Supplied Software
Connecting to a Computer
Before Connecting the Camera
Supported Operating Systems
Connect the USB cable
Connecting the Camera
Turn the camera off Turn the computer on
Turn the camera on Transfer photographs
Turn the camera off Connect the USB cable
Connecting the Printer
Printing Photographs
117
Display printing options
Printing Pictures One at a Time
Select a picture
118
Press 1 or 3 to highlight an option and press 2 to select
Adjust printing options
119
No.
Display the PictBridge menu
Printing Multiple Pictures
Start printing
120
Select pictures or choose a date
121
To previous menu
Errors
122
Menu
Select Index print
Creating Index Prints
123
Display imprint options
Creating a Dpof Print Order Print Set
Select pictures
124
125
Select imprint options
Complete the print order
Highlight Done and press J to complete the print order
Connect the A/V cable as shown
Viewing Photographs on TV
Standard Definition Devices
126
Connect the Hdmi cable as shown
Close the Connector Cover
High-Definition Devices
127
Device Control
Output Resolution
Hdmi Options
128
Playback menu contains the following options
Playback Folder
129
Choose a folder for playback
Rotate Tall
Display Mode
Image Review
130
131
Reset Shooting Options
Select Yes to reset shooting menu settings
Shooting menu contains the following options
Auto ISO Sensitivity
ISO Sensitivity Settings
Adjust ISO sensitivity 0
132
Color Space
Auto Distortion Control
133
Noise Reduction
If On is selected and lighting is poor when photographs are
Focus mode when e Auto-area AF is selected for AF-area
AF-Assist
Manual
Built-in Flash
135
SB-400
Setup menu contains the following options
BThe Setup Menu Camera Setup
Reset Setup Options
136
Select a format
LCD Brightness
Info Display Format
Select a background color
138
Classic display is shown below
Flicker Reduction
Video Mode
Auto Info Display
Time Zone and Date
Image Comment
Language
140
Choose a start option
Auto Image Rotation
Dust off Ref Photo
141
142
Frame a featureless white object in the viewfinder
Acquire dust off reference data
Image Dust Off Reference Data
Self-Timer Delay
Auto off Timers
143
Beep
Indicator Description
Using the Electronic Rangefinder
Rangefinder
145
KReset
File Number Sequence
File Number Sequence
AE-L/AF-L Button
Buttons
Fn Button
AE Lock
Date Imprint
Slot Empty Release Lock
147
Date Counter
148
149
Storage Folder
Naming and Renaming Folders
Folder Names
150
Eye-Fi Upload
Firmware Version
View the current camera firmware version
NThe Retouch Menu
151
Select retouch options
Creating Retouched Copies
Display retouch options
Create a retouched copy
153
Lighting
Red-Eye Correction
Rapidly to other areas of frame. Navigation
154
Trim
Monochrome
Selected image press 1 to increase color
155
Filter Effects
Intensifier , or blues Blue intensifier . Press 1 to
Select Choose size
Color Balance
Small Picture
156
Highlight Select image and press
Choose the desired size
157
Deselect. Selected pictures are marked by an
Display NEF RAW images
Image Overlay
Select Image overlay
Highlight a photograph
Highlight the Preview column
Select the second photograph
Set gain
Preview the overlay
Select NEF RAW processing
Adjust NEF RAW processing settings
NEF RAW Processing
Select a photograph
Distortion Control
Quick Retouch
Straighten
161
Perspective Control
Fisheye
Color Outline
162
163
Miniature Effect
Press Description
Compare the copy with the original
Before and After
Select Before and after
164
Removing Items from the Recent Settings Menu
MRecent Settings
165
166
167
Compatible Lenses
Compatible CPU Lenses
IX Nikkor Lenses
168
Identifying CPU and Type G and D Lenses
Compatible Non-CPU Lenses
Incompatible Accessories and Non-CPU Lenses
169
170
Lens
AF-Assist Illumination
171
Calculating Angle of View
172
Use Only Nikon Flash Accessories
Optional Flash Units Speedlights
AS-15 Sync Terminal Adapter
173
Nikon Creative Lighting System CLS
CLS-Compatible Flash Units
Guide Number
Other Flash Units
174
Is available only with the focus points shown at right
175
SB-900 AF-assist illumination is available for all focus
Shown at right
Other Accessories
176
Approved Memory Cards
177
Connect the AC adapter
Attaching a Power Connector and AC Adapter
Insert the EP-5A power connector
178
Storage
Cleaning
Caring for the Camera
179
Select Clean now
Clean Now
Display the Clean image sensor menu
Low-Pass Filter
Select an option
Clean At
Select Clean at
181
Manual Cleaning
183
Clean the filter
Use a Reliable Power Source
Under no circumstances should you touch or wipe the filter
Caring for the Camera and Battery Cautions
184
185
Focus mode Flexible program
Available Settings
Noise reduction AF-area mode Viewfinder
186
Memory Card Capacity
187
Shooting All Modes
Troubleshooting
Display
188
189
Playback
Adjust Set Picture Control settings 0
Shooting P, S, A, M
190
Miscellaneous
191
Error Messages
192
193
194
Nikon D3100 Digital Camera
Specifications
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
Keep the CPU contacts clean
AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR
Camera
202
Supplied Accessories
Optional Accessories
Subject does not fill the focus point
203
Supported Standards
Trademark Information
204
Battery Life
Once every other shot. Live view not used
Index
205
206
104
207
131
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