Nikon D3000 Tips by Moose

Howdy friends! Wondering which memory card to get for your Nikon D3000? In this post I’ll answer all your questions about the different types of memory cards for the D3000 and their capacities.

If you’d like to skip straight to my memory card recommendation for the Nikon D3000, click here.

Nikon D3000 Memory Card Types

The D3000 takes 2 types of memory cards…

• SD
• SDHC

Now if the above list sounds confusing, don’t worry! The major difference between the two types of cards is the capacity or the amount of images or video they can hold.

SD cards can hold up to 4GB worth of images and video.

SDHC cards can hold up to 32GB worth of images and video.

On page 167 of the Nikon D3000 Manual it states that SanDisk, Toshiba, Panasonic and Lexar branded SD memory cards have been tested and “approved” to work with the D3000. Don’t worry too much about buying a memory card from the above list. I’ve been using a 16GB SDHC Transcend memory card with the D3000 and it has performed brilliantly.

Image Capacity on the Nikon D3000

Now that you know the different types of memory cards that work with the D3000, I wanted to give you an idea of the image capacity depending on which card you choose.

• A 4GB SD card will give you approximately 541 photos using the Fine image quality setting. If you’re shooting RAW, then you can expect around 235 images.
• A 16GB SDHC card will give you approximately 2,164 photos using the Fine image quality setting. If you’re shooting RAW, then you can expect around 940 images.
• A 32GB SDHC card will give you approximately 4,328 photos using the Fine image quality setting. If you’re shooting RAW, then you can expect around 1880 images.

Best Memory Card for the Nikon D3000

The best memory card for the Nikon D3000 based on both price and performance is the Transcend 16GB class 6 memory card.

This memory card will allow you to capture 2,164 images at the highest quality setting. It comes equipped with a Class 6 rating which ensures that you get the best possible performance when shooting continuous (burst) mode. It’s currently on sale at Amazon, click here to check the lowest price.

If you’re at your computer, take a quick look at the memory card reader and see if it says SDHC anywhere. If it doesn’t, then your computer won’t be able to read SDHC memory cards using the SD slot. For those of you in this category, I recommend getting the Transcend 16 GB with USB Card Reader package. For additional $5 you get the 16GB memory card and a USB memory card reader which will allow your computer to read SDHC memory cards.

Nikon has announced a new $50 instant rebate for the D3000 digital SLR camera, click here. The instant rebate is a special Father’s Day promotion so it’s only valid until June 26, 2010.

Happy Shooting!

Howdy friends! I received a couple questions regarding compatible lenses for the Nikon D3000 and thought it would be best to post the answers here in an easy to understand compatibility guide.

The D3000 can only autofocus with lenses that have a built-in focusing motor. If the lens doesn’t have a built-in focusing motor, you’ll need to adjust the focus manually.

Nikon (Nikkor) Lenses compatible with the D3000

Here’s what you’ll need to look for. If you’re purchasing a Nikon (Nikkor) branded lens, you’ll want to make sure that it’s labeled with either AF-S or AF-I. These are the only Nikon lenses that will autofocus on the Nikon D3000.

Here’s a short list of the compatible Nikon (Nikkor) lenses:

• Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G AF-S VR Lens
• Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G AF-S VR Lens
• Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR Lens
• Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S Lens
• Nikon 105mm f/2.8G AF-S VR Lens

Sigma Lenses compatible with the D3000

If you’re wanting to purchase a lens designed by Sigma for the Nikon D3000, you’ll have to make sure the lens is labeled with HSM. These are the only Sigma lenses that will autofocus on the D3000.

Here’s a short list of the compatible Sigma lenses:

• Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 HSM Lens
• Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 HSM Lens
• Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 HSM Lens
• Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 HSM Lens
• Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 HSM Lens

Tamron Lenses compatible with the D3000

Tamron lenses are a little bit trickier to sort out. On Amazon, there are certain Tamron lenses that are labeled with ‘Built-in Motor for Nikon DSLR‘. These are the only Tamron lenses that will autofocus on the D3000.

Here’s a short list of the compatible Tamron lenses:

• Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Lens with Built-in Motor for Nikon DSLR
• Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Lens with Built-in Motor for Nikon DSLR
• Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 Lens with Built-in Motor for Nikon DSLR
• Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Lens with Built-in Motor for Nikon DSLR

Will older lenses still work on the Nikon D3000?

The answer to that question is yes…lenses without a built-in motor will “work” on the D3000, but you’ll have to adjust focus manually.

I hope that clears up some of the confusion surrounding the compatible lenses for the Nikon D3000. If you have any questions, feel free to post a question to this post.

Happy Shooting!

You can download the Official Nikon D3000 User’s Manual by clicking here (this PDF manual is provided by Nikon).

If you’d rather download the manual from Nikon’s website, just go to the D3000 resource page located here: www.nikonusa.com

1. Once you’ve reached the D3000 homepage, locate the ‘Related Links‘ section.
2. Click on the link labeled ‘Product Manual‘.
3. This will take you to their Support page.
4. From this page you can either download a printable version which requires a serial number or a non-printable version which you can download instantly.
5. The D3000 PDF User’s Manual is around 11MB, so it may take a few minutes to download to your computer depending on your internet connection.
6. Once downloaded Adobe Reader should open and display the manual.

Nikon D3000 Guide for Beginners

The Official Nikon D3000 manual is very short and straight to the point. Many times you’ll find a chart or a feature that has a really short explanation. Many of the terms in the manual can be confusing and as a beginner you’ll find yourself putting it down in frustration.

If you’re like me…then you want a manual that not only touches on the different features that the D3000 has to offer, but also SHOWS you detailed steps in setting up your camera for the best results. The Nikon D3000 Guide written by David Busch is the answer!

Each button, dial, feature and shooting mode found on the Nikon D3000 is illustrated with large full color illustrations and photos to help you easily setup your camera.

The Nikon D3000 guide also has individual chapters on understanding exposure, mastering the D3000′s autofocus options, working with burst mode and many other advanced techniques written in a way that even beginners can understand.

If you haven’t done so already, then I would mosey on over to Amazon and pick up yourself a copy today, click here.

Nikon D3000 Guide to Photography

Since we’re talking about great beginners guides for the Nikon D3000, I also wanted to point out the
Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby.

This book helps you quickly setup your camera without a lecture about technical terms like aperture, exposure, and depth of field.

If you’re wondering…

“‘How do I get my subject into focus, but with the background out of focus?”

…Scott gives you a very short (usually one paragraph) answer as how to setup your camera for the best shot.

He currently has three volumes of the Digital Photography Book and each one has hundreds of quick tips to help you shoot in many different situations. As I mentioned above, each shooting topic is covered in one page or less which is great for beginners who just want to start shooting.

I highly recommend the Digital Photography Book as a great beginners guide to photography, click here for a quick link to Scott’s books.