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