Nikon D3100 Forum for Beginners
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NEW! The Nikon D3100 forum has been moved – Due to the number of comments received on this page, I’ve created an actual forum that can handle the number of discussions we’ve got going. All future questions and comments will need to be posted in the new forum. To visit the new D3100 forum, click here.
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Happy shooting!
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I have a question about my photos after they’re uploaded. Everytime I upload pictures to the computer there’s doubles, one light and one dark. The lighter of the 2 always looks better. Is this a setting or is something wrong with the camers/upload process. PLEASE HELP!!!!
i will be shooting a party in a night club this weekend. i of course have the nikon d3100.. dont know much about photography.. just getting into it. can anyone give me some tips on setting etc.. i should use for this coming weekend?! htank you so mcuh
You could start by trying Auto mode, see what results it comes up with, although we don’t know exactly what sort of lighting there’ll be, but I’m guessing very variable if its in a club.
I would practice Manual beforehand by trying out different settings for aperture, shutter speed and ISO. They make up the ‘exposure triangle’ demonstrated on this chart:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6553869747_d0135ae39c_b.jpg
You change the shutter speed by turning the thumbwheel, top right of camera, and the aperture by holding down the ‘+/-’ button – top of camera – and turning that same wheel.
If you get poor results changing those settings, try increasing the ISO in the settings screen (see page 71 of the camera manual.)
Theres a link to the manual in the ‘Hsenid’ post, a bit further down this page.
Lastly, theres a magazine you can download, has an article about concert photography which might help:
http://min.us/mn2ayS9Wq
(click my name)
that’s gonna be a very tough shoot, the lighting will be very dim, which is a nightmare for dslr cameras. you can use the pop up flash, but you’ll get very harsh light, not ideal at all. if you can afford it, i would strongly suggest getting a speedlight (flash) for your d3100. the nikon sb600 (discontinued but great flash if you can find one), sb700, sb900 (discontinued and replaced by the sb910, but still worth a look if found on sale), and sb910 are all great speedlights for your camera. with them you can add a diffuser or bounce the light, which will soften the light and give you much better results than using the pop up flash. with a good speedlight you can put the camera in auto and put the flash in ttl mode (auto flash), and get great results with minimal fuss. the nikon speedlights are expensive, but are very high quality and offer functions not available on off brand speedlights. but if budget is tight you can look at non-nikon speedlights that will sell for half or less of thier nikon equivalent. just make sure any non-nikon speedlights you buy are nikon compatible, AND have a ttl or ittl function, which puts the flash into a fully auto mode. if you buy a speedlight without ttl/ittl support you’ll have to manually set the flash settings, which is very difficult when you’re just starting out. anyhow, hope that helps. good luck!
oh another thing that will help you shoot in low light conditions is getting a large aperture lens, such as the nikon 35mm 1.8G, or the nikon 50mm 1.8G. large aperture lenses can open thier aperture wider and allow more light in to the image sensor. most large aperture lenses are prime lenses, which means they dont zoom. they’re fixed focal length lenses, so you have to move closer/farther away from the subject to fit it into the frame. if you have the kit lens, set it to 35mm and walk around with it, looking through the viewfinder to get an idea what it’s like onlly having a 35mm focal length. then do it again at 50mm. that will give you a great idea what it’s like with a prime lens. it’s worth not having zoom though to get that large 1.8 aperture, it’s an extra 2-3 stops of light versus the kit lens, and tha’ts a big deal. combine that with a good speedlight and you can shoot in any low light situation.
sorry i didnt go into settings, if you’re new to photography you wont have time to really get down the manual settings before your party, and you’ll likely have very poor results. you’re best off in auto mode with your flash on, either the pop up, or a good speedlight.
I just bought a new d3100 and turned it on to get familiar with the new camera however in live view mode and also when I preview the pictures as I take then only the bottom 1/3 of the picture is there and the top is black. I though it could be the LCD but all the menus show up full screen. What could the problem be. Any help please!!!
Thats almost definitely a problem with the shutter mechanism in the camera working out of sync. (I’m not an expert – I did some research!).
As its a new camera, you need to get a new replacement – I doubt you should have to put up with a repair, but check with the supplier.
I bought a grip for my D3100 not the Nikon but a after market on on eBay. I recently bought a extra Nikon battery but when i put the new one in first this message come up on the screen “This battery cannot be used. Choose battery designated for use in this camera”. Do you think its the battery that is not good or something else? But when you put the original on in the camera it works fine.
Thanks Ryan
I’m afraid its your battery – it must not be a genuine Nikon one and the camera has detected this and rejected it. You said it yourself :”when you put the original one in, it works fine”.
Wonder why? Nikon want to sell you one of their own batteries – at £40 a pop here in UK.
The error message is on page 192 of the manual.
Thanks Man the only thing is that my extra battery came in a nikon box with the nikon sticker but like money it could be fake
Looks very much like it, theres lots of reports on the net about these batteries, not just for the D3100. Some people get away with it, but unfortunately Nikon have fixed it so the camera recognises a non-Nikon one.
Best bet is somewhere like Amazon, get a guaranteed one, if its faulty, they’ll exchange straight away.
i have a 14 month old D3100, my first DSLR. I am using a nikkor prime lense. i added a vivitar wide angle “cheater” to the lens, which takes great pictures.
when i took the cheater off, the camera does not autofocus. if i put the cheater back, it does.
if i change to another lense, they work. if i go back to the prime lense, it will only autofocus if i put the cheater back on.
it seems like the D3100 “learned” the prime lense with the cheater on it…. can this be reset easily ?
Naw, the D3100 might be clever, but its not THAT clever!
I have a Sony teleconverter, which screws onto the front of the lens, and though its not a wide-angle lens, it has the same function (I take it yours fixes to the front of the lens the same way?).
When attached to the camera, the camera’s focus system simply ‘looks through’ the additional glass and focusses accordingly. Your camera will do the same. The only difference is that I only use the converter on my 55-300mm lens, not on the kit lens.
But its a mystery why your camera now won’t focus on its own (anyone come across this?)
If the Vivitar does attach to the front, like I said, then I’m guessing that it’s done something to the lens – maybe the focussing motor inside the lens couldn’t cope with the extra weight and has burned out.
Sorry to sound so dramatic, but thats the only explanation I can think of. So when you try to focus the kit lens on its own – without the vivitar attached – can you hear the motor whirring? Or, try a short movie, make the focus adjust itself – play it back, can you hear that annoying clicking as the motor adjusts?
Can you let us know? Useful info if anyone has the same problem.
robbo,
the cheater i added is on a prime (my fisrt) lens, not the kit lens.
i have out other nikkor lenses on (and of and on again), and they work fine.
when i put the cheater back on the nikkor prime lense, autofocus is fine, with the whirring noises from the motor. when i take the cheater off, the whirring is consistent, but can’t find focus. cheater on again and all works again.
i am pure occasional hobbyist/ family pics. the D3100 is 14 months old, the prime is less than three months old…..
Theres probably a simple explanation, but i’m not experienced enough to see it yet.
I could understand if, when you install the ‘cheater’, the camera hunts for focus – thats because such added length and glass cuts down on the light and the camera can’t ‘see’ enough to focus on.
But this is the opposite.
Maybe still something to do with light – maybe the diaphragm inside the lens isn’t reacting properly, I can see the diaphragm on my kit lens, but of course I don’t know about your lens – if you shine a light down the lens you can usually see the diaphragm working that way.
Does manual focus work OK?
Other than that I give in! Have tried to reasearch the problem, but can’t find anything to match.
Folks kindly could you please explain what is Image Review button in nikon d3100. Is it same as play back menu.
It says ” To do this, press the Image Review button on the back of the camera and then press up or down on the Multi-selector button until you see the word “Highlights”at the bottom of the display screen”.
How to achieve this goal.
Thanks and Happy Valentine’s Day.
The image review button is top left, with the Play symbol on it.
Page 99 of the manual.
You can download my copy – for a quick installation – from here if you want:
http://min.us/mdOq2WDLe
(click my name)
Thanks Robbo.
I bought my D3100 around September but I only began taking videos on it recently. I realized each time I switched to video mode, on the left side of the screen, a red line would appear. Initially I assumed it was some alignment thing. But later on when I would play the video, the red line was still there on the left side of it.
Is there something wrong with the camera or is this just a natural thing?
If it’s natural, is there a way to turn the red line off?
Thanks!
Its not a natural thing.
Theres been a few posts on here about various colours of lines appearing – unfortunately, none of the posters gave feedback so I can’t tell if this suggestion worked or not :
Check your firmware version in the Setup menu (don’t bother about the ‘L’ bit)
The latest is 1.01. If you have an earlier version that is probably causing the problem and you need to upgrade – you can get this from the Nikon site.
i dropped My Nikon D3100 and i didnt notice anything wrong with it until the next day i tried to take a photo and it wouldn’t take on auto mode (on the lense) and auto on the actual camera setting, it will not focus either, UH OH IM IN TROUBLE! HELP PLEASE?!
I take it the camera at least switches on, but if it won’t work, not much we can do, except advise you to contact the people who sold it to you.
Maybe you could check if the lens has become dislodged, make sure it ‘clicks’ into place on the camera body.
→ Theres some advice from Landon and myself about taking care of your equipment, in a post further down the page, if anyone wants to read it – search the page (Ctrl-F) for ‘furniture’ to find it.
I have bought a nikon d5100 and tried to upload into aperture on my new mac laptop but it say unsupported image format
Looks like you need to update your copy of Aperture. Heres the Apple page for downloads:
http://support.apple.com/downloads/#aperture
ROBBO and ED,
Moose here, just wanted to thank you for keeping the D3100 forum going the last few months. It’s been a crazy year with my wife and I having our first baby. My free time has been spent changing diapers and slowly working on a redesign for the site.
Robbo – I sent you an email to the address you use when commenting. Not sure if it’s accurate or not?
Ed – I wasn’t sure if the email address you use to comment was accurate or not?
If both of you could get in contact with me, I’d like to thank you with a gift card to Amazon. Go ahead and shoot an email to me at moose “at” cameratips “dot” com.
I’ve also got something I’d like to get your opinions on. Anyway, thanks again for contributing to the site, your time and effort hasn’t gone unnoticed. Happy shooting! :)
Just a note to anyone reading this, I did respond to Moose by email!
Thanks Moose, i just sent you an email.
I have been using my D3100 extensively, one night a friend used it for 5 minutes to take pictures of my fiance and i, ever since then i have been unable to adjust any of the settings manually (while in ANY of the M,A,S,P settings) using the dial that sits directly across from the “AE-L AF-L” button.(which is the dial i have always used) I have tried trouble shooting this 100 ways, but to no avail…please tell me what my friend did!!
Maybe your friend thought the Command Dial was a button, and pressed it in – hard?
Does it still make the clicking sound when you turn it?
Can you test the dial with other functions apart from aperture and shutter > >
• Hold in the Fn button and turn the dial – does it respond to whatever you have your Fn button set to do (mine is set to change ISO, for example)
• Do the same with the flash button – do the flash options change?
• Go into image review and turn the command dial – does it scroll through the images?
If none of these work, then I think it’s bad news – otherwise I can only think its an electronics problem.
I just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you to the regular contributors to this thread (Ed and Robbo being the two I can think of from the top of my head.). I’ve found through reading this site that a lot of the troubleshooting that you all recommend mean I know how to solve a problem before I encounter it! I’ve seen a lot of people ask a question, get a useful reply and don’t say thank you – so thought I would send out a collective THANK YOU. You sharing your knowledge is helping out some flummoxed newbies!
I was bought a D3100 when my daughter was born in August as I was desperate to capture those precious moments. Only now and I really beginning to want to learn more than ‘point and shoot’ in auto. I have the kit lens and also got a 55-200mm zoom lens for Christmas, along with a sigma flashgun. Currently working through a selection of books to learn the basics, and getting out and about and trying out the tricks I’m reading about. Hoping over the next few months I’ll be more comfortable on A, S, P and M (although I’m still terrified of manual focus!) but I’m sure I’ll be using this resourse A LOT more.
Em
Thanks for your encouragement, Emma.
Yes, we don’t get many people coming back on – I’m not bothered about thanks, I’d rather have some useful feedback, like ‘that worked’, ‘that didn’t work’, or even ‘your suggestion was rubbish’! At least it would show if we’re on the right track or not, then I and others could learn from the posts here.
Well done learning how to use the camera, I think teaching yourself is the best way to learn, after all, if you get something wrong with digital photography, you can always try again.
On the manual focus, one way to get it right is to use Live View, then press the ‘+’ button (several times if you like), 2nd one up on the left, and this zooms the view in to the subject, lets you focus accurately.
Also, if you use the viewfinder, look for a dot to the bottom left of the display. When you focus the lens, the dot appears when focus is at its sharpest – after a while it just becomes second nature to notice it.
Oh thanks for the manual focus. Took a few round the house animal shots today and am getting there!
Thanks Emma, i appreciate your post alot.
How can I change the amount of time for the exposure if I wanted to take a slow exposure photo?
You need to be in (M)anual, (S)hutter priority, or (P)rogram mode to be able to control exposure time.
Manual is the most versatile, just turn the command dial on the right of the camera. In this mode, you can also change the shutter speed by holding down the +/- button, top of camera, and turning the command dial.
Hi
Can any one please tell me how to add frames (black) on your digital photo and write your name on it? Any free software i need to download, please let me.
Thanks
Regards
Chetan
What! You still haven’t got your frames software?
How about Irfanview.
I’m wishing to take a few snow pictures tomorrow …and I’m a newbie. what are some basic settings that I can try. Just plan on taking some pictures of yard,trees and street. Thanks
a tutorial on snow photography (one of many on the net):
http://www.digicamhelp.com/how-to/nature/snow/
A magazine you can download – has article on snow photography
http://min.us/mbeWHLTaw0
(click my name)
Thank you!
What would be an equivalent exposure for f.5.6 at 1/60th if i want to blur motion but still hand hold my camera?
With aperture speed of 1/60th, AND hand-holding, I would think your’e guaranteed to get a blurred image!
do I need a memory card for the camera or does it have, for example, a hard drive with a limited memory? If I need a memory card which is the best one(s)?
The D3100 has no memory of its own, so yes you need a memory card.
The best would be a class 10 – good if you want to do video work – and a high capacity like 32gb, but get the best you want to pay for.
I have my camera set on auto. When I squeeze the button to focus in, it starts to focus on the back, then right before when it’s normally perfectly in focus and i click, it gets darker and blurry…ack! What did I do to my camera.
It was working perfectly yesterday :(.
I did go into the menu but do not recall changing anything.
Questions, I’m afraid…
Does the camera still take pictures? If so, what are they like? Dark and blurry like you describe, or does that just refer to the LCD screen?
Maybe you have image view set to show information over the top of the actual image. If so, when you view the image, press the up or down part of the selector button – the round one on the right – until the image is normal.
Otherwise, just the old standby – go into the Shooting and Setup menus and use the Reset options.
I find that sometimes happens when I’m looking at the LCD rather than in the viewfinder, never happens when using viewfinder I don’t know why
Hi, I have a D3100 with an 18-200 lens (I think). I’ve noticed that I get a shadow in the bottom centre of my photos (indoors and outdoors). The shadow goes away as soon as I extend the lens a little. Do you think its a problem with the lens or camera?
Have you got a lens hood installed? At shorter focal lengths, yes, you could get a shadow caused by the hood intruding into the area of the image. When you zoom out, the lens ‘looks’ further through the hood so that you then can’t see it, as you found out.
No hood…
Ok, well…
From comments on Flickr about shadows from this lens, and this page on Ken Rockwell’s site:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18200/18200-flash.htm
the problem occurs with using the onboard flash – but if it happens to you without using the flash, it must be an ongoing problem with the lens itself.
I have the Nikon 55-300 lens and don’t have shadow problems, except when I use the popup flash.
So I spose the best you can do is to zoom out at least enough to get rid of it.
Thanks Robbo, will pay attention as to whether or not it happens without flash next time. Cheers
I have just recieved my Nikon D3000 with my 50mm G lens, ive been trying to take pictures but everytime i take a photo its it turns out all black with a red arrow on the left. Please help is it broken or damaged?
Mmm, red arrow? New one on me. Where exactly is this arrow, how big is it, what does it look like, is it pointing at something?
Did you remove the lens cap?
I plan to use my d3100 to take pictures depicting the changing conditions as the sun sets beneath the horizon. My plan is to take an initial picture just before the sun begins to set, lock the exposure, and then take subsequent photographs every 30-45 seconds until the sun is completely set. I could do this in manual mode to simply set the exposure, but in experimenting with the camera I’ve become frustrated with the AE-L/AE-F button. If using exposure modes other than manual, it appears that I could set the AE-L/AE-F button to AE Lock-only which would lock exposure so long as I hold the button down. However, since I would have to hold the button for 4-5 minutes to photograph the entire sunset sequence, it seems to make more sense to set the AE-L/AE-F button to AE Lock (hold). The manual says that this will lock exposure until the button is pressed again or until the exposure meters turn off. The problem I have encountered is that even if I go into the auto-off timers menu and choose a longer auto meter-off time, the AE-L only remains locked until the image review expires. I know I can go into the custom settings and just increase the image review times to match the auto meter-off times, but is there something else I am missing here that will allow me to maintain an exposure lock via the AE Lock (hold) option without increasing the image review to a much longer, battery wasting time?
Yeh, those darn buttons are confusing, aren’t they?!
●Theres a D3100 book by David Busch – he explains AE-L/AF-L locks (page 120) and auto-off timers in more detail than the manual.
You can get it here:
http://89.248.172.172/viewtopic.php?f=126&t=201576&hilit=david+busch
(I posted it on my own web space, but thanks to all the fuss about copyright, I deleted it)
● I found this on the same subject:
AUTOEXPOSURE (AE) LOCK
If you take a meter reading in any of the three automated exposure modes (P, A, or S) and recompose the picture after taking a reading, it is likely, particularly with Spot metering, that the metered area will now fall on a different part of the scene and probably produce a different exposure value. The D3100 allows you to lock the initial exposure reading in Center-Weighted or Spot metering before you reframe and shoot (note this feature is less effective for Matrix metering, because Matrix metering assesses the entire frame area and the range of contrast within it, as well as the level of overall
scene brightness to produce the most balanced exposure). Start by positioning the part of the scene you want to meter within the appropriate metering area. Next, press the shutter release halfway to acquire focus and an exposure reading, then press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button to lock the exposure (and focus, except in Manual focus mode). You can now recompose and take the picture at the metered value. An AE-L icon will appear in the viewfinder display while this function is active. When using AE Lock, it is possible, although it requires some dexterity, to alter the shutter speed and/or
aperture value in P, A, and S modes without changing the overall exposure level. A better option would be to assign the [AE Lock hold] option to the AE-UAF-L button using the [Buttons] item in the Setup menu, so that once the AE-L/AF-L button is pressed, the initial exposure settings are locked until the button is pressed again.
● To stop things switching off, you can get a mains power supply adaptor. The Nikon one is pricey, but Ex-pro do a cheaper version, and I read 3 good reviews on it on Amazon.
Hope this helps.
Guess I’ll never find out…
I have a Nikon D3100 – and I was using the camera on Tuesday with no issues, and now the lens won’t retract back in. I thought it was because I had a low battery, but after charging it, it didn’t help.
Any advice?
Thanks!
The very end of the lens doesn’t retract automatically when you switch off – the camera is probably OK, its just that didn’t notice it till now.
If it bothers you, just turn the barrel of the lens to retract the end.
Although it does no harm, I often leave mine protruding.
If that doesn’t work, maybe there a fault…
I have taken a video and I can watch the playback on the camera. There is the video image and the audio when I play it back. But then I try to upload it to my computer, via the insertion of the memory card directly into the computer and I’ve also tried using the uploading cable and importing the video using the camera program. No matter what I do though, I can only get the audio of the video to import. Am I uploading into the wrong program (I’ve been uploading into windows)?
I previously had another Nikon 3100 and I was really pleased with the quality, so when my last one I had broke, I bought the same type of camera again, and it did the exact same thing. Am I doing something wrong? Is there some trick I’m missing?
Sounds like it could be the program you are using to play the movie.
I’m guessing thats Windows Media Player, and, although it CAN play MOV files, there may be a problem with it – maybe a missing codec, which is the bit that converts the basic data into images on the screen.
It can handle the sound part of the signal, but not the picture part.
If you’re using some other program, could you let us know what it is?
Otherwise…
I use a program called VLC player. Its a good, all-round media player which automatically installs its own codecs and will play just about anything you throw at it.
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
(if you want to try it, click my name to go there)
Hi, Ive bought the very nice 3100 and when cropping pics in the camera I cant seem to crop from a landscape shot to a portrait shot? Can I only crop to the same style the shot was taken in?
thanks
You can change the size and shape of the area to be trimmed/cropped using the buttons on the left and the command dial.
See page 154 of the main manual.
Otherwise, you could use a program to do it on your computer. Irfanview is a good free one, for example.
I’m downloading pictures from my D3100 using a USB cable connected to PC. On one computer everything works fine but on a second computer I keep getting an error saying that the camera is disconnected. When I switch the camera on Transfer NX2 shows the pictures from the camera but then when I click “Transfer” I get the error message. Any ideas on solving this would be gratefully received.
I’m very wary re USB cables and their connections. Tried that method when I first got the camera, but got fed up messing around with it.
►Might just be a poor connector on the 2nd PC.
►If you’re using a different cable for each PC, try the one that works, on the other – bit obvious, I know!
►Might be too much static in the cable – happened to me once with a brand new printer, really frustrating until someone said leave the cable alone for a day and see what happens. It worked the next day.
►You might have to add a ferrite core, supplied with your camera, to the cable. Page 116 of the main manual (on the supplied disk)
I always remove the memory card and put it in a known-to-be-reliable card reader, saves a lot of bother in the long run.
I create a new subfolder in my ‘Pics’ store, copy the new images to it, pop card back in camera, and thats it. Then if theres any work to do on them, I use the copies.
Thanks for the advice – I’ll give your ideas a try.
Mike
Gord wrote (On February 6, 2012 at 2:05 am):
“Hey Robbo. Can you get a remote for the D3100?”
(I bumped this up, as its too far down the page now)
Yes, you can get the MC-DC2 Nikon remote, its wired, or there are 3rd party versions of it.
Or you can get wireless remotes, one end plugs into the socket on the camera and you press the remote switch to trigger the shutter.
There are various types and quality of these. Have a look on Amazon to see the range availabe.
Don’t buy an ‘infrared’ type – the D3100 doesn’t support it.
Hi! I have had the Nikon D3000 for about 2 years now and I use it almost weekly taking pictures of my children. Sometimes I blog these pictures and don’t ever print them out and when I do print them out, I just print 4×6 or 5×7. Recently, I ran into a situatio where I wanted an 8×10 and I keep getting a message that my image resolution is not high enough. At first I thought it was my lens and I needed a better lens. Then I started doing some reading and have since learned it’s simply a setting on my camera. Problem is, I cannot find out how to set whatever setting it is to the correct setting to have proper image resolution!
HELPPPPP!!!!!! Thanks in advance!
That would be the Image size setting. Set it to Large. Theres more info on page 66 of the manual, which is on the Nikon CD, or here:
http://min.us/mdOq2WDLe
(click my name)
I am a newbie to the Nikon 3100. I usually just use it in auto mode which probably defeats the purpose of getting this camera. Anyhoo, I would like to take some close up shots of my son in B&W. I have the camera set up in B&W. Any suggestions as to what manual settings to set the camera to? Many thanks in advance.
It all depends…
► on what the lighting is like – strong lighting = smaller aperture (larger f number). Lower light = larger aperture to let more light in (smaller f number). If you can add in a good strong light, all the better.
► whether the subject is posing – that is, sitting still, or moving around. I would guess you want him to pose.
► Kit lens? I’m guessing it is.
(Might be an idea to practice on a subsitute subject until you get things right). So try -
● theres a Portrait mode setting on the camera – picture of a person’s face on the Mode dial – maybe try that first (although you can usually do better with Manual mode).
● set the lens to the full zoom, turn it to 55mm. On the lens itself, set focus to A(uto) and VR (vibration reduction) to On.
● put the Mode dial on M (manual)
● Practice changing the camera settings: When you turn the command dial – thats the one top-right on the back of the camera (not the Mode dial), you change the shutter speed. Try 1/100 to start with.
● when you hold down the (+/-) button, which is near the shutter release button, and again turn the command dial, you change the aperture. Remember to hold the button down while turning.
Set aperture to 5.6 – thats the largest available.
● subject about 2 feet away, maybe a bit more, depending on if you want just his face or upper body+face.
● Focus on the subjects eyes and take a pic.
● If the result is too dark, pop the flash up and try again.
If still not happy, select a slower shutter speed to let more light in, but bear in mind that the slower the speed, the more risk of camera shake = need ways to stop the camera moving – and thats a whole new area to explore!
Manual mode can be a matter of trial and error, but well worth the effort.
Theres lots of other stuff, but I hope you’ll get good results with this.
If you want to delve deeper, theres this book:
http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
(click my name to go there)
He covers Portraits around page 146, and mention B&W as well, plus LOTS of other useful stuff.
i have a problem with my nikon D3100 and error message appear in the viewfinder .
hi ya,
lots of snow today, can anyone advise me what the best settings to use to take some good pictures,
thank you kindly x
Tutorial on snow photography (one of many on the net):
http://www.digicamhelp.com/how-to/nature/snow/
Magazine you can download – has article on snow photography
http://min.us/mbeWHLTaw0
(click my name)
Hi, I’ve had my D3100 for a while now and am really happy with it.
Recently, me and my friends have decided to start making videos for Youtube. The D3100 is the best camera we have available so we want to use that. I did some research and have downloaded a program that allows you to view that camera on your mac, via a USB cable. Thing is, my mac isn’t recognizing the D3100. :(. Please help! :D
1. it could be the cable, USB cables often fail, test it on something else, make sure connectors are secure.
2. You might have to add a ferrite core, supplied with your camera, to the cable. Page 116 of the main manual (on the supplied disk)
3. The section on connecting camera to computer is on page 115.
4. Theres a post further down this page about Macs, search for ‘uc-e4′ to see it. (Search is Ctrl-F)
I’m having a hard time recording videos in the pitch black(videos about fireworks) anyone know how i can set my camera so that it films without it stopping on its own every 10 seconds ?
The d3100 will take 10 minutes of video at a time. if yours is stopping at 10 seconds its probably your sd card. you need to get one that is at least a class 10
Okay when I view my photos it normally just shows the photo but I accidentally did something and now it shows the photo is just a 1/4 of the screen and the photos information and stuff in other 3/4s and I can’t stand that. I’ve been trying so hard to figure out how to change it back but I can’t. Does anyone know?
Yes – press the up or down part of the multi-selector – thats the round thing to the right of the LCD screen – to loop through the displays until you reach the one you want.
Its on page 100 of the incredibly-useful-and-easy-to-copy-to-your-hard-drive manual on the Nikon CD you got with the camera!
Faster reply??? anyone online???
was trying to take pics of international drama fest…. but flash from cameras is prohibited… also, the theater is dark… with lights only on the stage where the artists perform…..
can anyone help me to take a few pics…. which mode n settings(witout flash) …????
cam : nikon D3100 (18-55) lens….
a reply to my mail , krishnadas03@gmail.com will be highly appreciated…
thnx guys…..
I am a newbie and I’m trying to learn by using the guide menu on the camera, but have noticed that the battery life goes very quick!! …..Just by looking at the screen around 8 times and maybe taking about 4 pictures!! Is there a way that I can still use the….( help menu guide buttons )that Nikon provided to help us learn and still save on my battery?? ….. It is such a let down to see the battery go so fast when I’m trying to learn the settings on the screen. I’m concerned if this is normal or not.
No, it shouldn’t run out as quickly as that, I had a go with Guide mode, messed around with some settings, took a few pics, messed around again etc, and the battery charge still showed good.
I can only suggest you make sure you recharge the battery fully – wait until the blinking light stops, insert the battery, then check to see the battery charge indicator is on full and try again.
If it still doesn’t work, maybe theres a fault with the battery or the camera’s electronics.
To bypass Guide mode, you could try this free e-book, which walks you through using the D3100 (and is a good idea to read anyway):
http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
(click my name to go there)
Oh, I should add that using the LCD screen a lot does burn up power much faster – I’ve been doing some macro work, using Live View and found I had to change the battery much more often than normal.
Handy to have a spare (genuine) battery.
was trying to take pics of international drama fest…. but flash from cameras is prohibited… also, the theater is dark… with lights only on the stage where the artists perform…..
can anyone help me to take a few pics…. which mode n settings(witout flash) …????
cam : nikon D3100 (18-55) lens….
a reply to my mail , krishnadas03@gmail.com will be highly appreciated…
thnx guys…..
Thank you Robbo
hi, I’m having trouble with the multiple shots feature on the camera. I turn the flash off like it says in the manual and i put the release mode selector to the multiple shot but still no luck of getting more than one picture when i press the shutter, please help!!
You have to keep the button pressed down, then release when you have enough.
thankyou so much!
I just got my first DSLR camera and am very excited to take it out for a spin. The one thing I noticed is that you have to look into the eyepiece to snap pictures and that you can’t use the monitor. Is that correct or is that something I can adjust in menu? My last camera was a little canon powershot, so I’m used to seeing everything through the monitor/display area. Please let me know if you can help. Thank you!
The LIve View switch is to the right of the LCD screen.
Hi Anna,
I thought I posted the comment and for some reason, it didn’t appear.
Try this guide,
http://bit.ly/wlnrgj
I think it’s totally worth it. I am making the most of my D3100 now after following this guide.
hope this helps.
if you can adjust to it, use the eyepiece. the camera is much slower to focus in live view mode, which could cause you to miss a good shot.
I tried the link that Sarah gave and got a warning message:
Stop – there might be a problem with the requested link
Yeah don’t use the link that sarah gave, its probably a scam and any info from the book advertised can be found for free using google.
Thank you guys! The only button I see to the right of the LCD screen is the recording button, it’s a spring where it takes you to the video mode. Is that the switch you’re talking about Robbo?
Ed, thanks for the tip, my photographer friends did tell me to adjust to using the eyepiece as it’s just better. :)
We *are* talking about the D3100 here, aren’t we?
Yes, you found the red video button. Above and surrounding the button is a black lever which you push right to put you into Live View mode.
Theres an excellent manual on the CD which you got with the camera.
Page 37.
Thank you Robbo! I’ll go home and try it again tonight.
PhotographyBB Magazine is a free, downloadable monthly publication with the goal of educating beginner to intermediate level photographers, and has become a leading resource in the future of free information distribution
http://www.photographybb.com/magazine/
(click my name)
heeeelp
ok I have my D3100 which I am really happy with so far….what I am really having trouble with is my 18-55mmVR lens in manual mode…most of the time my images come out black or blurred and I can’t seem to focus on anything…I have played around with all the aperture settings and shutter stop but I don’t know what I am doing wrong or if there is a setting I am missing…it’s starting to get a bit disheartening as I end up just putting on my 35mm and never changing…I am doing a friend’s wedding soon and what to be able to have the use of all my lenses…..HELP :(
Yes, I know the feeling, but stick with it!
I’m guessing you’ve used the camera in Auto mode and got good results.
Well, go back to Auto, go outside on a bright day and take a pic. Remember to half-press the shutter release button to give the camera chance to get a good light reading and give you some useful settings.
Make a note of those settings – get the ISO setting off the image info – and switch to Manual, and enter the same settings, ie aperture, shutter speed and ISO, and you should be able to reproduce the image the camera gave you.
[Remember the 'exposure triangle - lots of references on the net - theres a diagram here:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6553869747_d0135ae39c_b.jpg
(click my name)]
Also, don’t forget that if you are looking at the image on the LCD screen and judging that as the final result, you might have something set in Picture Control (for example) that is applying unwanted effects to the image. So if you still don’t get good results, it might be advisable to go into the Shooting and Setup menus and reset everything to default, just in case.
Oh, and on the ‘blurred’ issue, make sure your lens is set to (A)uto focus, or… be prepared to focus manually.
aaah thank you i am going to go home tonight and try it….i will not give up!!! this has been really really helpful will let you know how it goes…
Try this guide,
http://bit.ly/wlnrgj
I think it’s totally worth it. I am making the most of my D3100 now after following this guide.
hope this helps.
How can you make lights sparkle on shots with lights from the menu settings? I did it once but I can’t remember how I did it..please help!
Its in Retouch menu, Filter Effects, cross screen.
Thank so much Robbo! It worked!
. YW
I got a D3100 for Christmas and love it; am trying to learn all about it. I found an ebook that was in chapter form, and it had “assignments” so that, little by little, you could learn about the different elements that go into taking pictures. I have no idea who wrote it or anything but was linked to it when I entered generic search criteria. I can’t find it now no matter what I do….. anyone got any ideas? I know I can buy a book, but I loved this one. Thanks!
Yes, its called From snapshots to Great Shots by Jeff Revell.
I had a copy on my own web space but deleted it with the recent scares about copyright.
You can still download it from here:
http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
Hi Mary,
I was just a beginner like you when I got my Nikon D3100 about six months ago. My brother got me to buy this digital guide from the internet and am glad to say that the picture quality has improved quite significantly.
You may want to try it out yourself:
http://bit.ly/wlnrgj
I think you’ll need to copy and paste this link. Good luck.
Robbo…That’s it!!!!! Thanks so much.
Just another reminder about scam photo equipment websites, especially Dontons.com
I found this link with info about what they do:
http://dontonscam.freewebspace.com/
(click my name to go there)
hello! is there any other way to charge the camera besides using the battery charger ? i left my battery charger at my friend’s house, it take time for me to have it back :’( any other way guys? thanx :)
No, sorry there isn’t, unless your’e into electronics and can rig up a power supply of the correct type and feed it to the battery contacts!
I am on manual mode trying to learn how to take pictures. Right not there is no difference between my pictures even when i change my aperture. F3.5 and F22 produce the same quality pictures. What am I doing wrong? How do i get my background to blur? On F 3.5 there is no change.
Thanks!
If your’e using the kit lens, things are a bit restrictive, but you can still get the ‘bokeh’ effect.
Set the camera to the full 55mm zoom – you’ll see the aperture change to 5.6, which is the largest you can get at that focal length.
Place an object about 2 feet away from the camera and focus on it. You might have to use the flash if the lighting isn’t very bright.
You should already be able to see that the background is blurred.
Take the pic. You can get in quite close with the kit lens, so try doing that – say a few inches away from the subject – you should see the background has become even more blurred.
Granted, there won’t be much blur with that lens, but if you move on and get a bigger-zoom lens, you’ll get the full effect with that.
Robbo,
I have tried all of this and it is not working. There is still no difference between f5 and f22. is it possible another setting is in the way blocking it?
Try resetting everything in each of the Shooting and Setup menus.
Is the lens set to Auto focus?
i been using my nikon D3100 for 3 mos. my problem is it can not transfer photos from my nikon D3100 to computer . Need help.
For my camera I have a a flash drive that I put my sd card in. It’s called a card reader that can go into your computer. It reads it as if it was a regular USB drive. It’s really easy to use. I would recommend getting one. Mine is from the company xtreme. They have many you can get. I’m not exactly sure what the exact name of the drive I have but you can purchase on at like best buy or any office supply store.
Hey there, you can also just get a usb cord and plug it into your computer, It took me some playing around to figure out how to get it to connect because Im use to it auto recognizing it but i found out and its pretty simple, just hookup the camera and the usb and turn on the camera, a screen will come up on the computer with all the options of what to do.
You should have received a USB cable with the camera. All you do is connect the camera to the PC via the cable. Explorer will detect the camera as another drive and the software should do the rest. If not there is something wrong and you should contact the supplier. You should never have to remove the card to insert it in a card reader. I have downloaded hundreds of photos via USB.
I was wondering is there a way to change the f-stops from 1/3 to 1/2.
You need to be in (S)hutter priority mode or (M)anual mode to control shutter speed.
Just turn the command dial to the required setting.
Instructions start on page 73 of the main manual.
I just bought the YN-560 how do I sync it with my nikon d3100 so that built in flash doesn’t keep pop out?
nice buy! i got one for the holidays and love it! you’ll have to shoot in a non-Auto mode, like M, P, S, or A to keep the pop up flash off. to fire the yn560 off the camera you’ll need a set of radio triggers like these
http://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-NPT-04-Channel-Wireless-Receiver/dp/B002W3IXZW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327679676&sr=8-1
Besides the modes M, P, S, and A, there is also an auto mode without flash one step away from auto. It’s the icon on the dial with a line through the flash symbol.
ah good catch Gord, i forgot about that. my appologies
Try this link if you are looking to purchase YN 560 for Nikon D3100.
http://amzn.to/ulQIMs
I am a beginner with my Nikon D3100. I would really love to shoot the sky this evening at dusk since there should be a great view of the Moon and Venus. I only have the lens it came with (18-55mm). I also have a tripod. Is there a particular setting that would best get this shot?
Found this: (haven’t tried this myself yet)
“I usually use manual exposure for my moon shots. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
What I do is to set it to about f/5.6 or f/8 to get maximum sharpness from the lens. I set it to the minimum ISO (100 for your D3100) and adjust your shutter speed until you get the line to middle of the meter (+ ——0—– -) and take a test shot. It will usually overexpose the shot in matrix metering and you’ll end up with a big white ball of light.
After that, you can slowly adjust your exposure by increasing/decreasing your shutter speed until you see all the detail of the ridges on the moon. The shutter speed is usually fast enough to hand hold the camera while you shoot.
For Aurora shots, you can use a similar approach but try to get a tripod because you would most likely be using a longer shutter to gather more light from the surrounding area. If the shutter becomes too slow (in excess of 30 seconds) try increasing the ISO to 200 or 400 so that you’ll get a faster shutter speed and minimise the likelihood of your tripod been affected by the wind. Also, I prefer to use a remote or timer to release the shutter so that your hand does not shake the camera when you release the shutter button. ”
and theres a similar post down the page, search this page (Ctrl-F) for ‘andromeda’.
Be nice to hear how you got on!
Huh, don’t know why I bother
Hey Robbo. Can you get a remote for the D3100?
Am loving using Nikon D3100. Just need one help, how to take sharper images. When I tranfer my clicks in my laptop, they appear to be grainy. The image is not that sharp as it seems in my camera while clicking. Can you please suggest me proper settings for taking sharper images. I have 2 lens so far 18-55, 18-105..
I am assuming the grain your are speaking about is not blur from poor focus. Grain (or “noise”) is usually a function of ISO. I find that at ISO 1600 and above the noise becomes increasingly problematic. This can be a challenge indoors without flash. Take a note of your settings on the photo. Try shooting manual so you can control ISO.
Actually, it could be your laptop. I have a laptop in which my pictures look awful; yet on my desktop with a higher resolution monitor they look terrific.
Hi,
This not a comment but a question. I own a D3100 and I am pretty happy with its performance. I am not a pro. I have got the 18-55mm kit lens and now I am planning to get a Zoom lens. I have SIGMA 70-300mm APO DG lens and Nikkor 55-200mm/55-300mm lens in my mind. Kindly suggest if Sigma is a good lens for my camera or I have to select Nikkor lens as price is a big constraint for me. Thanking you in advance.
it really depends on how demanding you are of your lenses. sigma and tamron make some ok lenses, but the nikon equivalents will outperform them, from an image quality perspective. also, sigma/tamron have higher failure rates with thier lenses compared to nikon, so if you buy them, make sure you buy from somewhere with a good exchange/return policy. me personally, i always recommend nikon glass, but i know how budget constraints go. if you can afford the nikon glass i’d get it, but if not give the sigma/tamron glass a try. if you are very demanding of your image quality and do lots of “pixel peeping” though, go with nikon for sure. i didnt think of myself as a pixel peeper at first, but i find myself doing it alot unfortunately.
Ive just recently got my d3100 and im loving taking pics with it so far… however i have been told to buy a filter for my lens.. however i have also been told to get a decent branded one because poor quality ones can affect the image. apart from that what filter do i need…. polarising … uv….?? i like to take landscape and wildlife shots thanks for the help guys
You don’t HAVE to have a filter – its not compulsory, you know!
But many people like to put a UV filter on – it has absolutely no effect with modern cameras (in fact, I think I saw somewhere that you can get plain glass ones just for the purpose), but can protect the expensive lens from damage.
Just buy the priciest if that suits you.
Hi Stewart,
I have a positive result with the use of filters. Did buy the pack from Amazon where you get few different varieties . You can always change around to suit your needs. Check this link :
http://amzn.to/xlEF7u
Rupert.
I took some video clips on my D3100. When I download them they are .MOV files. My movie maker software won’t accept that file type. I’ve tried downloading converter software, but some of the files are too large and I have to purchase software to do files this size. I want to edit the clips and put them into a short movie clip….HELP!!! Also, when I play the individual clips back on my computer…..it is all choppy and the audio doesn’t match the video (talking goes ahead of the video). This is so frustrating…..what am I doing wrong??? When I do the playback on the camera, it plays fine.
Thanks!
MOV format always seems to be causing problems…
RAD video tools can convert MOV to AVI.
I just checked my original download and its 1,292 kb, which isn’t bad.
You might have to update Quicktime to make it work, as it uses this to ‘read’ the MOV file.
On your ‘choppy’ problem, thats quite common – search this page (Ctrl-F) for ‘choppy’ to see other replies.
I have had the D3100 for a couple of months now and I love it; however, whilst taking some photos yesterday, the camera stopped functioning i.e. the LCD screen blacked out and none of the buttons would work. I didn’t think it was the battery but put it on charge anyway and the camera started again when I reinserted the battery but within 10 minutes the same thing happened. I left it for a half hour or so and the camera was o.k. again. I don’t think it was the battery but does anyone have any other ideas what it could be?
It could still be the battery. Do you charge it until the charger light goes out?
Do you check the battery level display on the LCD? Maybe the battery has gone to the Dead Battery Bin in the sky or maybe its not a genuine Nikon one.
Do you get any warning that its going to go, an error message maybe?
If its not the battery, I would think it must be the camera.
Thanks for the reply. It is a genuine Nikon battery which came with the camera. I didn’t get any warning, the camera just went off when I was moving a couple of things away after taking my photo’s. I will just keep an eye on my LCD screen to monitor the battery life. When fully charged, my red light stops blinking altogether and stays on which is o.k. according to my manual (thanks for the link by the way).
I love my new 3100 and have taken all sorts of photos learning as I go along. Instead of waiting to download and crop photos on the pc, I discovered accidentally that I could crop the photo and then “double” it so I had the original and then the cropped photo. However, I can’t remember how to do it and feel as though I am going through pages of manuals and instructions on the internet! Such an easy answer I am sure but where is it!!
I have seen lots of advice and guides on this website which is brilliant and I am looking forward to researching it to get the most out of this camera!
You have a manual on the CD that came with the camera.
I suggest, copy it to your PC and have it handy for reference.
Page 154 (starts on page 152):
Retouch Menu, Trim
HI, I have a NIkon D3100, I love it but every once in a while it refuses to focus and shoot a picture on auto focus. I am not sure if this is an error on my part or if there is something wrong with the camera. I would really appreciate any feedback, I am still knew to what everythingon the camera even means. Please help me get it working again! Thank you!
Could be poor lighting – the camera needs a certain amount of light to do its focussing.
Remember to half-press the shutter button and give the camera time to focus.
The best long-term solution if it sitll has problems would be to switch to Manual focus.
another trick is to try focusing on the highest contrast part of your picture. a good spot to focus on are the eyes and teeth. the camera will have the easiest time focusing when you give it a high contrast target.
when I check my pictures in my camera, I see a shadow
Not enough info
Iam using nikon d3100 for videos and I wonder does anyone have tryed magic lantern on nikon d3100 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS77CiN2WXo . I know its made for some canon cameras like 5d mark 2 and 550d. But what happens when I trye to install that on nikon d3100?
What settings do I apply to enable forced flash in outdoor bright light conditions?
Any of the P A S M modes let you open the flash unit.
my 3100 was working fine earlier, then when i tried to take a picture tonight the image appears pitch black in playback mode. i cant figure out what it is. every single picture i take is black. the lens is working. the camera is working. its like its just not capturing the image. it seems liek it takes one. it flashes, it focuses, the lens cap is not on, i dont know what it is. ive searched other forums and other people have had this problem but i cannot find a solution. im scared. help me plz
Battery fully charged?
Memory card ok, and not full?
Go into the Setup and Shooting menus and reset everything.
Go outside, in good light, in Manual mode, set the aperture to 5.3 and the shutter speed to around the 1/100 mark – you should get some positive reaction from those settings.
are you in Auto mode? if you’re getting black images i’m thinking you moved the mode dial from Auto to P,S,A, or M mode. move it back to auto and try a shot, should work.
I had this problem this week only on the “M” mode, so I changed shutter speed & aperture and it now is fine.
I am looking to purchase another lense and I am new to the DSLR world as I have just purchased my first camera at christmas. What is the difference between the lense NIKON AF-S DX 55-300 VR and the NIKON AF-S 70-300MM F4.5-5.6 VRII. I understand the difference with the 55-300 and 70-300 but I am not sure what else is different between the two. Essentially which is the better of the two lenses?
You can read about the 55-300 here
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/55-300mm.htm
and he mentions the 70-300 and gives a link to it.
I cant seem to get my battery out in order to charge it someone PLEASE help
What do you mean? You can’t get the battery door open?
Or you can, but the battery won’t come out?
I suppose you’ve tried turning the camera upside down so the battery drops out.?
If that doesn’t work, try tapping the camera – GENTLY – on the other side to try to coax it out.
Failing that – this is what I would do, but do it at your own risk – get a small screwdriver or similar, insert the point a SMALL/TINY way into the gap between the battery and the battery compartment – just enough so you can get some leverage – and carefully ease the battery out.
If you’re not happy trying that, then please don’t.
Then check the compartment, you may have got gunk in there somehow and it needs cleaning. (‘Gunk’ is a general technical photographic term for muck or anything sticky, lol.)
Just remembered, one more thing:
Its possible the battery is not a Genuine Nikon battery, thats one reason why it might be too tight a fit.
If thats the case, I strongly recommend you get a real battery – theyre overly expensive, I know, but better a new battery than a broken camera!
Hello! Anybody there? gettin a bit sick of this…
i have a Nikon D3100 and i was wondering if there was anyway to shoot in live mode in the dark? I’ve given it ago but, in darkness, i don’t seem to be able to see anything!
I think you answered your own question – “in darkness, i don’t seem to be able to see anything!”
Well, the camera has the same problem – you have it give it SOME light to be able to register an image.
If you have the camera set on Auto, and there isnt much light, the flash should pop up and give you some light. If that isnt enough:
Try M mode (Manual) – then turn the command dial (the one on the right) so that you see ‘F5.3′ on the LCD screen. Then hold down the ‘+/-’ button on top of the camera and at the same time turn the command dial so the shutter speed is around the 1/30 mark and take a picture.
If that still isn’t enough, make the shutter speed slower and increase the ISO setting. You can read how to do that on page 71 of the main manual.
Oops, correction:
should be the other way round >
“turn the command dial (the one on the right) so that you see ’1/30′ (or around that speed) on the LCD screen. Then hold down the ‘+/-’ button on top of the camera and at the same time turn the command dial so the aperture changes to ‘F5.3′.”
Moose – any chance of getting an edit facility on these posts?
Is there any way to use software other than Picturetown to edit and share photos?
Picturetown is Nikon’s own file sharing/display site…
Never tried it, I have been using Flickr – its easy to upload plus they have several groups dedicated to the D3100.
I just recently got a D3100, and I am having trouble with adjusting the aperture. I mainly use the AUTO mode because I have yet to learn the settings, but at times I want to focus the entire picture and it will focus on either a subject or the background. What can I do to fix this? Also, how do I set up the aperture so that I can choose what I want to focus? TIA!!!
you can either pick aperture priority mode or manual to control the aperture. If in auto the camera will choose.
Got Nikon D3100 for Christmas and it’s just started giving error message. Press shutter button.But nothing happens. The picture taken before this is fine. It just locks up the screen and camera. Have to switch off and start again. Anyone else having similar problems or know what’ss causing it? Other forum indicate shutter gearing issue.
I got the same camera for Christmas and used it for my trip to Europe, midway through the trip I started to have the same issue. I’d love to know what is causing it as well.
This problem crops up now and again. Search this page (Ctrl-F) for ‘error!’ to see a similar post.
make sure you have the latest firmware update for the camera, that might help fix the problem.
Hello! Anybody there?
I recently got my D3100. The main pictures I take are of my toddlers who are always on the move. What would be the best setting to use to get great shots of them outside and inside. Thanks in advance for your help!!
Try shutter priority mode or manual so you can pick a higher shutterspeed for movement. I would think anything above 200 maybe should be good. You could experiment and see what is best for you
Yes, Nancy is right – especially the bit about experimenting. I mean, thats half the fun of a more advanced camera, you can just play around until you get the quality you want. Look down this page, theres lots of advice about settings etc.
When I switch to Shutter Priority Mode on my D3100 how come i can’t go pass 1/200th unless i flipdown my popup flash.Please help
It’s a restriction built-in to the camera. Any faster shutter speed and the flash would have problems synchronising with the shutter. (Page 196 of the manual > “X=1/200 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/200 s or slower”).
If you slot an external flashgun onto the hot shoe, that restriction goes, and you can set any speed – in Manual or Shutter priority.
Robbo, most nikon flashes (sb600 – 910) will still hold you to the sync speed of 1/200 if it’s mounted on the camera. i own the sb600 and also used the sb900 and they both limit you to 1/200. a way around that is to mount the flash on a wireless trigger system, and then mount that on the camera hot shoe. that will allow you to select any shutter speed you want. but the image will have black bars on them with any shutter speed over 1/200, as you’ve exceeded the shutter sync speed. nikon’s more advanced camera bodies allow for high speed sync (Auto FP), allowing flash use at any shutter setting. but unfortunately for us the d3100 does not have that capability :(
just wanted to clarify
I have a Besel 328af flash. I attach it on the hot shoe and the camera lets me choose any speed up to the max.
Is their any cheap third party brand lens like sigma,tamron etc. that is camparable to nikon 18-105mm 3.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR
Hi D’Chef,
This is a nikon lens in Amazon. Approx $100 cheaper than the market.
http://amzn.to/yKpYoT
how to i transfer video from my d3100 to my mac? it is choppy when i add it to imovie
Hi there!
I just got my wonderful D3100 and i am loving this site. It helps me a lot. Now i have a question for you. Is there a possibility to connect the D3100 directly to a pc for realtime taking pictures while looking at the pc screen. Just like the professional photographer does in his shop. Do i need a special program, or is this just possible with the professional cameras?
Thanks for the answers!
Greetings from The Netherlands!
Bart
Its called ‘tethering’, but no, it can’t be done with the D3100.
You can get close with a remote camera/switch, a bit pricey. Search Amazon for ‘Hahnel Inspire’, but you can’t actually adjust the camera controls.
I made my own cheap version with a pinhole camera stuck on top of the D3100 and a remote shutter release. Search Amazon for ‘internal pinhole lens’. You can plug it into a TV or buy a gadget to connect it to your pc – look for ‘vcap305′.
Thanx for your answer Robbo! I gues i will just use the previewscreen on my D3100. ;-)
Can I attach 18-55mm and 55-200mm lens together to D3100. 18-55mm will get me 3x zoom, what about 55-200mm lens.
So when i connect both lens can i get better zoom.
what about 18-55 and 75-300 lens, can it be connected together.
Nope, it doesn’t work, unless anyone knows different.
You could get a teleconverter, you would have to careful its compatible with the lens.
You can play around with lenses for close up and macro work >>
1. A reversal ring, lets you put the lens on the wrong way round.
2. A 2-way thread ring, lets you attach one lens backside first to the attached lens.
I love to use my D3100 to take pictures of buildings and landscapes. What am I missing by just using my Kit Lens? If I were to upgrade to the next level lens, what would I get? Also, what’s a good website that could tell me the best setting in order to maximize my shots?
the kit lens is a pretty good choice for those types of shots. i’d say look into an ultra wide lens for really dramatic looking landscapes and cityscapes. an ultrawide adds depth and a sense of distortion to the image, elongating things like stairways and such. the nikon ultrawides are very expensive but offer the best performance. the 12-24mm af-s is a great nikon ultrawide. you’ll spend close to $1000 though! i’m looking for one too and i have my sights set on the Tokina 12-24mm F4 Pro II (make sure to get the “II” model, it has an internal focus motor to work on the d3100). that lens runs around $600 and performs very well. an even better option is the Tokina 11-16mm lens, but it does NOT have an internal autofocus motor, so you’ll have to manually focus that one yourself. but it is superior in performance to the 12-24mm Tokina. it’s actually considered one of hte best ultrawide lenses on the market from any maker, including Nikon.
for settings info i like to go onto flicker and when you see an image you like, click on it and on the upper right hand side of the screen you’ll see posted by “blah blah blah” and sometimes you’ll see something like “taken on blah blah blah using a Nikon D3100…”. if you see that, that means the user included the exif data, which contains all the settings they used on the camera. click on the camer name (ex D3100) and another screen pops up with all the settings.
oh another thing, to see the effects of an ultrawide lens i suggest going to amazon and searching “Nikon 12-24mm AF-S” and bring that product up. amazon lets users upload thier photos on the product page, so you can see what is possible with the product. i’ve checked that one out and htere are TONS of really good images uploaded, and you’ll easily see the ultrawide effect on some of them. to see the user images look at hte product images on the product page. you’ll see the default image of the lens itself. underneath that you’ll see a link that says something like “view customer images for this product”. you’ll see it when you’re on the page. hope that helps!
Hi Brad,
I agree with Ed. Tonka 12-24mm F4 Pro II is awesome upgrade.
Amazon has it for $599. ( Pretty sure the come with warranty and the rest).
http://amzn.to/vZOR14
Hi everyone,
I have a nikon dx vr af-s nikkor 18-55mm lesns on my d3100
The problem I have is that it turns stiffly from 24-35 and with a few clicks. Is this normal?
What is the problem and any fixes?
Doesn’t sound right – it should be smooth and quiet. It might have got damaged. How can you fix it? You would have to open it up.
Would this be under warranty? Any tips on how to open up the lens?
Warranty depends when you bought it.
If its been faulty since you got it, you might be able to get it repaired anyway, depends on the laws where you are.
No, I never tried opening a lens – there might be something on the net if you search.
For videoing, should I use my D3100 or buy a camcorder.
I have a D3100 as well and the video quality is GREAT but only takes 10 minute videos, so the choose is up to you. You can edit and put videos together as well.
I shoot in Aperture Priority Mode, and I’ve my ISO sensitivity on and set to Maximum sensitivity 800 (and also adjust whenever neccessary) and Minimum Shutter Speed set to 1/250th. My Question is, is 1/250th a good settings for everyday photography in all different lighting situations
I would say that depends on your lighting and your iso setting and what you set your aperature on. I usally am shooting at the lowest iso I can for best picture quality but it depends on the situation. I dont like my iso over 800 either as this camera seems to produce alot of noise above that. Even at 800 I find its to noisy.
and to answer your question I shoot alot at 1/60th below I use a tripod. And thats with an aperature of 2.8 or lower if in low light. then I use a flash I dont like raising my iso to much unless I have to
When I try to change the file format back to JPEG FINE from NEF (raw) it isn’t available to me. It comes up saying “Option not available in the current shooting mode”. I have not changed anything in the settings, only the mode I shoot in. I have tried every different shooting mode to get it to work and nothing has.
Try the P button and then click the button just below the + button.
On my camera, if I am in one of the ‘Pro’ modes, P S A or M, I can go into the menu and select ‘Picture Control’ and/or other settings.
If I switch to any other mode THEN go into the menu and try to select Picture Control (for example), its greyed out and I get the message which you mention: “Option not available in the current shooting mode”.
But switching between Fine JPG and RAW, which you describe, is never greyed out and is available in all modes, so I wonder if theres a fault with your camera.
I shoot in Aperture Priority Mode, and I’ve my ISO sensitivity on and set to Maximum sensitivity 800 (and also adjust whenever neccessary) and Minimum Shutter Speed set to 1/250th. My Question is, is 1/250th a good settings for everyday photography in all different lighting situations
It wouldn’t let me reply to my orginal post. I have fixed the problem, I forgot to mention that the battery was low. Once I charged it up, I could change formats again. I usually use a Canon 550D so the D3100 is new to me (and isn’t mine). Thanks for your time.
Thanks for the useful feedback, Bernard.
Im needing some pointers on how to take a silhouette photo.
If you Google (for example) “how to photograph silhouettes”, you’ll get about 2,100,000 results!
My D3100 flash compensation and exposure compensation settings are both currently at 0.0. Is that the best settings for all situation. If not what is the best settings for the flash compensation and exposure compensation for all shooting situation.
Just to add to that, i use the pop up flash on the D3100, and have not plans in buying any external flash.
You can use the exposure compensation (page 81 of the main manual) when the camera detects too much light or too little light. You would move the setting up by +.3 or more if the image looks too dark, or -.3 or more if it would come out too light.
The flash compensation (page 83) is for a similar purpose, you can add a ‘pop’ of light to a subject – just enough flash to add detail, for example – by moving the setting to a minus value – or the reverse.
Hi there
Whenever I shoot a film of my son it appears to be in focus on the Camera monitor but then is not completely in focus when I play it back on my computer.
My settings are as follows:
1. AF-S
2. Face priority AF
3. Think the dial setting is Auto but not sure (if not it would be the child setting)
Any ideas?
Thanks
Guy
Theres a section on how to set up video in this book, page 54:
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
by Jeff Revell
link: http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
(click my name to go there)
and he wrote an extra chapter on video:
D3100 video
http://min.us/mbpCL2lRzU
I have the book but I was wondering if you could give me the link to d3100 beyond the basics, the one posted is down
(just saw your comment by chance, its well down the page now!)
Yeh, I deleted those links because of the recent panic over such posts, not worth the bother.
You can still get it on the net though, just search for somewhere to download it from.
hi guys, can anyone tell which is a better lens between 50mm f1.8G and 85mm f1.8G. thx=)
A very subjective question. Which is better depends on what you want to use it for. With a DX sensor, remember that you multiply the XXmm by 1.5 to get the equivalent focal length. So the 50mm appears to be a 75mm.
Both will be very good for portraits, but perhaps the 85mm might be a bit long for general purpose shots like street photography or photographing the kids in the house. The 50mm 1.8g has been out for quite a while and is very well reviewed. I have it and love it but even then sometimes it’s a bit tight indoors. The new 85mm 1.8g has not really been universally reviewed so it’s tough to say with certainty it’s as great as it probably is (Nikon has been making very good primes).
Can anybody throw a few recommendations on what flash should i get for Nikon D3100 + 18-200mm lense ?
the built-in flash on the camera obviously can’t do the work with the 18-200mm. Picture taken always have a “black spot” in the bottom middle area, as i believed it’s blocked by the lense ?
Thanks
See ‘Hong Ly’ further down the page.
I am trying to connect my new d 3100 to my computer and it does not show up. It is supposed to be seen on the task bar, but not there. I am thinking my USB cable is defective. Any ideas?
try turning the camera on while its connected
Could anyone recommend a strong but lightweight and easy to transport tripod?
How do I take a long exposure shot with my D3100? I an wanting a 10-15 second shot at night, do I need the Nikon remote?
The best way would be in Bulb mode. Set the mode to M – Manual – and turn the command dial all the way past 30″ to Bulb. You press the shutter release button for the required time, then release it. Much easier with a remote trigger – you can get one reasonably priced at Amazon (for example).
Hi,
alternatively, you can use the 10 or 15 second shutter speed on the D3100 but make sure you set the camera on a 2 second timer delay. You dont want to run the risk of blurring the photo as you press the shutter buttion down.
I have tried both ways (with remote) and both give good results.
Hi. I just got a D3100 for Christmas. I’ve taken about 400 pictures since Dec. 18th and just now downloaded them to my computer. As I’m looking at them I can see little horizontal lines across many of the pics…. not all, but a lot. Is this a problem with the camera or am I doing something wrong?
These lines are mostly orange and sometimes blue, very fine, thin lines.
Help?
Thanks!
What firmware version have you got? You find it in the menu system.
There was a problem with coloured lines in early versions.
The latest is v1.01.
Hi i own a nikon D-3100…whenever i use the self-timer option i can only take a single picture..is it possible to get multiple pictures using the self-timer option?
Can anyone help me on this?
You can’t combine Continuous shooting with timer shooting, but you could get a remote release, set the camera on timer and use that.
Got a D3100 for Christmas and have been taking some great landscape photos with the Kit Lens. What should be the next lens I get? I’m sort of a beginner but I’d like to get a new lens so I can get better bokeh and greater landscape shots. Not looking to spend a fortune though.
Thanks,
Stu
for bokeh you’ll want a large aperture prime lens, like the nikon 50mm 1.8G. it will run you $220 and is the best lens under $500 for bokeh, in my opinion. for landscapes i’d stick with the kit lens, unless you want an ultrawide lens for those super wide shots. nikon ultrawides are very expensive, over $700 for the cheapest, unfortunately. i like the tokina 12-24mm F4 pro II lens for an affordable ultrawide. ultrawides are more of a speacialty lens, so i’d strongly suggest the nikon 50mm 1.8G for your 2nd lens, i think you’ll use it more. if you feel 50mm is too long for you, the nikon 35mm 1.8G is another great lens. it’s bokeh isnt as appealing as the 50, but it’s far better than the kit lens. and the 35mm focal length is very usable. for comparison set your kit lens at 50mm and lookk around with it, then set it to 35mm and try that. see if you think you can live with a fixed 50mm focal length. if so get the 50. if not, the 35 is for you. hope that helps.
I bought the 35mm f1.8g lens and it is an excellent lens. As Ed said, it can’t be beat for the price, around $199.
I am thinking about buying a flash for my d3100, but don’t know which one is the best for it. Please help!!!!
I’ll be splashing out this yeaqr ona new flash gun.
Depends on how much you want to pay and what features you want.
Metz do a range, good make.
Theres the NISSIN Di622 Mark II Digital TTL
Canon’s own SB-910, SB-700, & SB-600
The 910 is way out of my league pricewise.
Personally, I was going to go for the Nissin, as I already have one of their cheep versions, but am tempted by the SB-700 – looks good.
Look on Amazon and read the reviews – or Ken Rockwell, tho he hasnt got the 910 on his site.
*year
Hello Hong
You can buy the Nikon SB-400 speed light around $120 work great this camera, or you can take a step up for the SB600 or SB700 but that would cost more.
if you need ttl for auto flash modes, stick with the nikon flashes, like the SB600, 700, 900, and 910. but if you’re mainly looking to do off camera strobist work, try the Yongnuo YN-560 Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon. it’s a very cheap MANUAL flash, but great for strobist work with umbrellas and softboxes. being a manual flash it has no ttl/auto modes. you have to manually control all the settings. but if you’re doing off camera strobist stuff you’re most likely using wireless triggers that only offer manual control anyways. i have the sb600 and i love it. i just picked up the YN560 for the holidays for a 2nd off camera light, and i LOVE it! hope that helps.
oh the YN560 isnt widely available online, start with Amazon, that’s where i got mine.
Thank you so much!!!
Hi Hong,
If you haven’t bought it yet, you can get it from Amazon. This guys is pretty good.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GZRE1S?ie=UTF8&tag=yongnuoflashreview-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B004GZRE1S
Free downloads:
Digital Photography for Dummies 6th edition
by Julie Adair King & Serge Timacheff
http://min.us/mbnhBecpFf
Digital Photography All-In-1 For Dummies 4th Edition
http://min.us/m61O3GQPS
Sorry, now withdrawn.
My Nikon d3100 video feature is not working. Whenever you record videos, it will record everything except the IMAGE IS ALL WHITE. No matter how I adjust ISO, shutter or aperture, it’s still the same. It’s just capturing white image.
Please help me fix this. I was hoping there’s just something wrong with the configurations. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks!
All I can suggest is to use the Reset options in the Shooting and Setup menus and try again.
it’s still not working.. is it the firmware?
The latest firmware is v1.01.
I assume the camera takes still pictures OK?
Try setting it up for a still, make sure it produces a good picture, then switch to Live View, leave settings as as they are, and try a video.
I just found this, it could be your software:
http://malektips.com/quicktime_windows_0008.html
(click my name to go there)
I searched on ‘movie white screen’.
The firmware is good then. Still shot is OK. But still when recording a video, it’s still a white screen. I think I’m sure it was recording fine when we first got the camera.
I’m just starting to learn the Nikon 3100 and was wondering what is the best way to take good pictures of small antique items. I wish to take close up pictures that later can be blown up and framed …but I’m not ready to buy a expensive micro lens since I’m just starting out. I have a 55-200 lens….Is there anything that could be added to that lens that would would be helpful in bringing in the object? Any advise would be helpful.
The kit lens does quite a good job of closeup subjects.
Ken Rockwell loves it! See here:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/1855.htm
(click my name to go there)
I use the Raynox 250 attachment to get some extra power.
You can also use your zoom lens, quite powerful at the 200mm end – you’ll have to place the lens quite a way from the subject to get focus.
If you’d prefer to buy a dedicated lens, theres 50/60mm lenses which do an excellent job. I just got the Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens, and its superb. (Pricey though, I’ve been saving up for ages!)
It all depends on what level of quality you want.
When I push the button for multiple photos, it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do. What am I doing wrong.
you have the camera in continuous shooting mode? are you holding the shutter release down? you have to hold hte button down to make it continuously shoot, and you have to be in that mode.
also, it wont work if your flash is on
Just bought my D3100 Kit (18-55mm) a week ago, and I run into this issue sometimes were I press the shutter button to take a picture but its not but instead its continously trying to focus and off focus and then focus and still dont take a picture….Need help
that’s common when the camera struggles to obtain focus lock. it’s most common in low contrast, poor lighting conditions. try to focus on something with teh most contrast in the frame. white eyes/teeth are great. oh and make sure you’re not too close to the subject. every lens has a minimum distance it can focus. if you’re closer than the minimum focus distance the lens will just hunt and not lock on focus. i think for the 18-55 lens the minimum is about a foot, so you’re probably ok there. mostly try to focus on high contrast images in the frame to help the camera focus lock.
this is my first slr and I`ve been taking family pictures and let`s say the camera is focused and the sides are blurry. how do you setup the camera to a setting where it focuses everything and doesn’t blur the sides? is there something I have to do in the shooting setup to change this?
if there isn’t a defect with the body/lens, i’d recommend shooting in aperture priority mode and raising it to about f9 (if you have enough light) and just see if there is any blurriness-that would determine if what your describing is just your camera setting up depth of field. Which lens are you using? Some lenses do have a sort of blur vignette on the edges, but you shouldn’t be noticing anything with your G series kit lens-except it isn’t that sharp to begin with.
if you could provide a sample link that’d be great.
Hi I bought my 3100 just after xmas,but have noticed the aperture only goes as low as f5.6 but while watching a clip on you tube I noticed them setting the aperture to f3.5 with the same 18-55mm lens that comes supplied with it! is there a setting I need to adjust as you may have guessed with it being a 3100 this is my very first SLR
Yes, if you have the lens set at the 55mm end, the max aperture is 5.6. Set the lens at the 18mm end and it changes to 3.5.
robbo is spot on, 4.5-5.6 on a lens means the minimum focal length (zoomed out for a bigger picture) vs the maximum, 85mm in this case. for better bokeh, you’ll see that zooming it to 85mm on the lens will do better, but the video will be darker and shakier-so it’s great for the intense still/cutaway shots, not to do a whole movie in-though you can do anything with some work.
Hi, I’d like to know how the continous focus during video recording works. I tried to record a video on the d3100 with my dial set to “auto”. during the movie recording, i tried to change the objects/subjects being recorded by moving the camera left to right. however, i don’t think that the focus of changes even when the subject being recorded is different. i’m using the supplied 18-55mm kit lens which set to A and VR – ON. thanks!
If you search this page for ‘annie’ (Ctrl-F), theres a similar query there.
there maybe an auto continual focus as you move, but it comes setup where you have to hold the shutter button down-as if you were focusing for a still. the AF is really rubbish, set your camera to M, turn automatic focus off on the lens, and get to making some cinematic vids ;-) honestly, the AF is noisy and unreliable-as it bounces from focus/out of focus. You’ll do much better learning how to control everything manual. Keep VR on, it’s great for handheld.
Hi, thanks for the reply. I checked your link and I was able to download the book. Big thanks for sharing it! By the way the reason I was asking is because I came across this video in youtube. and the guy who made said that it was done by just using the autofocus of the D3100 during movie mode. i still don’t know how to achieve that kind of autofocus without pressing the shutter utton and just letting the camera do all of it in full auto. below is the link to the video… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhMXPgDadWw&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Hi “MrStevieDale” thanks for the reply. And thanks for the tip on the manual focus!
Yes, to get at these focus options, you have to be in Live View, not sure if you realised that – I don’t do much video and keep forgetting and curse the camera for not working properly!
When you switch to Live View, press the ‘i’ button, bottom left, as usual, to get to the options, and the AF-S and AF-F or Manual focus options are there. I just tried AF-F with wide view (cos I never tried it before) and the camera seemed to focus OK as I moved it around the room, tho I haven’t got time to watch it on my monitor.
But as Stevie says, some people prefer the manual focus – at least you know that will work, and it cuts out that weird motor noise.
I have a Nikon d3100 with a Nikon 18-105mm lens. Recently I have noticed shadows over the sides of my photos when using my flash indoors. It is possible that I have inadvertenly changed a setting for the flash. Anything I should check? Thank you!
What mode are you in when this happens?
If not in Auto mode, what settings are you using?
If youre trying to take very close close-ups and you have the lens hood on, it might be that.
Try in the Shooting menu, the Reset option.
im going to china this week, is the d3100 capable of the winter temperature outdoor? any tips or sugggestions? thanks….
This is from the manual>>
Operating environment:
Temperature
0–40 °C (+32–104 °F)
Humidity
Less than 85% (no condensation)
and there’s this:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6553869481_07163e0e31_b.jpg
(click my name to go there)
Hi guys. I was wondering Do i need to convert my videos from my D3100 once there put on my computer? In other words are they compressed at all when they are stored on SD card and theres a way to get even more quality out of the videos once put onto computer? Cheers
No need to convert, unless you want to convert to a different format, like mp4, for example.
to be able to work with the files easier it might be a good idea to convert them to avi/whatever works for you. some editing software are fully prepped to handle the files (which are compressed already) such as premiere pro cs5. CS3 can handle it, but the footage will have anomalies during playback-dslr video doesn’t play nice in general. I’ve also seen where Sony Vegas Pro 8 will use the d3100 video if you have Quicktime 7.2-or something installed. You’d have to downgrade your quicktime to make it work.
You can’t get anymore quality from the video than what you put on your comp, in the future hopefully nikon will do a better cam geared to video (d5100 was a step forward) but canon, pentax, and panasonic all have their great video dslrs leaving nikon behind.
I just got the Nikon D3100 for Christmas. My main reasoning for this is to take indoor Volleyball pictures at practice and tournaments. What is the best lens to get at an affordable price to get the best action shots? HELP!!!
for volleyball/sports you’ll want a telephoto lens for the reach. there are three good nikon telephotos, the 70-300mm AF-S, 55-300mm AF-S, and 55-200mm AF-S. the 70-300 is the superior lens for image quality, but it’s expensive at around $590. the 55-300 is the next best lens and varies alot in price, so shop around for a good price. the 55-200 is the cheapest but is only 200mm so it gives up some reach, and has the worst image quality. if you can afford it, the 70-300 is a great lens, but if you cant try to grab the 55-300, it’s a very good lens. oh you’ll want to learn either M (manual) mode, or S (Shutter Priority) mode for sports shots if you can. i say this because sports shots are very difficult shots to get. the action is usually fast, and to freeze that action you’ll need a fast shutter speed. if you know M mode or S mode, you’ll be able to set the shutter speed you want. but in Auto mode you’re at the mercy of the camera, it may slow the shutter speed in poor lighting, causing motion blur.
I purchased my camera before christmas and I was a little disappointed when I went through most of my christmas pictures to discover that when I took a picture of my kids opening gifts most of the pictures only one kid was in focus and the other was slightly blurry as well as the background. I did manage to get some really good shots probably out of sheer luck. This is my first DSLR so I am hoping someone can help me with some hits as to what I am doing wrong.
I have the same problem, got the d3100 for Christmas with 35mm G DX F1.8 lens and all the family shots I took indoors with auto setting had nearest person in focus and the rest blurred to varying degrees. Guessing it’s something to do with focus points? but I can fathom it out from manual or Snapshots to Great shots (another gift from Santa)
This is my first SLR so its all a bit over my head!
Hope we get a response Donna!
The appeture was opened to much, you were not getting depth of field. Try setting the appeture to around f/10 and take picture, background should be in focus as well. The f1.8 lens is great for portrait shots as face will be in focus while background is blurry. This is a great lens once you get use to it. Hope this helps.
this is more of an issue with the camera than you or the lens, the autofocus is not the greatest. the camera is notorious for blurring 1 out of two people in a photo. make sure that you are either shooting with a higher aperture like Dick said or that your focus points light up on both faces. the reasoning behind all of this is because with your first dslr you want to get bokeh, focused, brilliant shots using a shallow depth of field, but on the opposite end it’s a little harder to get quality sharpness in the foreground and background if you want to shoot both-like in a family vacation-in autofocus. Try working in A-mode, and turning it up if you can.
Is there a camera that is equivalent to the photography aspect of the nikon d3100 camera but doesn’t have video? I am a beginner and I was very drawn to the fact that the nikon d3100 takes beautiful, bright pictures but I wasnt looking for video.
Nikon d3000 is a great camera too but has no video.
The D3000 isn’t nearly as nice as the D3100. Just get the D3100 and think of the video feature as there if you need it in a pinch. I never really use mine, but the camera is great.
i’d vote d3100 atleast, or get a used d90 before a new d3000.
Hi, I’m new to the SLR world and have jumped in at the deep end with a lovely NIKON D3100. I am taking nice photo’s on auto but want to get to no the camera and it’s many functions. Can anyone recommend a good book that isn’t to complex and technical to use.
Cheers guys.
Get hold of the Magic Lantern Guides (one for the SLR (Red colour book) side of the camera and one for the Video (Blue colour)). I have them and they are very easy to read and explain everything without a lot of confusing techno-talk. There is also a DVD in the Blue one which is well worth a watch (or two).
Get David Bush’s Nikon D3100. I just bought it and it is so helpful.
Check the previous reply about 5 questions down. It refers to a great book that can be downloaded for free. “Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots” by Jeff Revell. Click on Robbo’s name to take you to the site. You’ll find this book very helpful.
how do I use my D3100 to make my picture’s background blurry?
You are seeking a narrow depth of field where the subject is focus and the background is not. The book Robbo mentions in a number of posts below details it quite well but basically you want a low aperture and some distance between the subject and the background. The blurry background is called bokeh, which the D3100 with its 18-55mm lens does just fine (others with wider apertures do an even better job). Using the higher end of your zoom (55mm on the basic kit lens) will help. Use either manual mode or aperture priority to set the aperture to its lowest setting (I also think the automatic portrait mode can accomplish this effect but I never use it).
You can also set the autofocus to a single point and move that point around in the viewfinder if for instance you want the subject in the left side of the frame and the background to the right to be blown out.
I am so happy to have found your site! I now have a better appreciation for my D3100. (purchased Sept-2010) But I have a dilemma ; for travel I find it a bit big. What Nikon would you recommend that is very comparable to the D3100 but smaller ?( keep in a shoulder bag)
Thanks!
I have a Nikon P7000. It is an advanced point and shoot with almost all the bells and whistles of the D3100, but you cannot change lenses. I find it great for travel. Of course if you are heading some place exotic, you’ll probably want your D3100!
I took my D3100 to the Philippines a few months ago. I took only one lens, the 35mm f1.8. I had no problems carrying it around. The weight is negligible; the pictures I got were worth it.
I have a Nikon D3100 and Photoshop Ellements 8 and I cannot import raw files. If I update to Elements 10 will I be able to download my raw files?
Thanks
Jean
In this list, you need Camera RAW v6.3
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/407/kb407111.html
and in this list, Photoshop Elements only supports up to Camera RAW 6.2
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/408/kb408941.html
so yes, you would have to upgrade.
I make that $80 to get to v10, Phew, what a scam!
I would convert my pics to TIFF using VIEWNX (free on the D3100 CD) and load those into Photoshop.
Thank you so much for a fast answer. It was very helpful xxxxxxxxx
Does the autofocus function interferes with the audio when recording videos? Thanks
It usually does, but why don’t you try it?
If it bothers you, you can use manual focus so the motor doesn’t make a noise.
I am wondering if and how I can hanger te depth of field and focus when videoing while usin the Nikon D 3100 ? Also what is the most visually effeftive way of doing this to achieve smooth transitions between the background and the foreground? Thank you!
This is taken from the book I’m always plugging, and is really worth downloading for reference:
(Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Jeff Revell
link: http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj [click my name to go there])
“As previously mentioned, you can focus the camera using the shutter release button before you start the video recording process. Once the video is recording you have a couple of different focusing options to choose from. To manually focus, simply slide the focus switch on the lens to the M position and then rotate the focus ring while recording. If your subject moves closer or farther from the camera position it will be necessary for you to turn the focus ring on the lens in order to maintain sharp focus.
You can also use the camera’s auto-focus during recording to keep your subjects in focus. By simply pressing the shutter release button, the camera will re-focus on your subject. Note, though, that if you are recording sound with your video, the auto-focus and vibration reduction functions will be audible in your video.”
Robbo, I just downloaded the Jeff Revell book. Thanks for that info. I was going to buy it. It is great.
I bought this camera about a month ago and am using it to take pictures of lapel pins. I will be using the photos on a website and need the colors to be accurate. I began shooting in closeup mode but noticed the colors were brighter when I downloaded them to my computer. I have spent hours changing the settings and still can not seem to get them right. I am shooting the pins on a white background inside a portable studio, ebox. I am by no means a photographer and need some help. Thanks!
I had a quick go with a badge, have a look at my effort:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6655694977_bc40297c56_b.jpg
(click my name to go there)
What do you think, is that the sort of thing your’e after?
Heres the info for the image (I don’t think flickr stores EX
IF data), anyway:
kit lens, 55mm, manual focus, 1/50 second on f8, ISO 400, spot metering, Image Quality – FINE, White Balance – AUTO.
I used a lamp and a bit of on-camera flash.
The only processing I did was crop, and reduced the Gamma slightly as it was a bit too bright – but I would have got that correct if I was going to do a lot of this!
In camera you may want to fiddle with the white balance setting, depending on your source of lighting. Try tungsten and go from there.
Another option that many photogrophers use is something like Adobe Lightroom and tweak it in there. I believe most product shots use some amount of post processing. Its a professional product with a learning curve but it will definitely give you unparralled control over color (and many many other things). Lightroom has a 30 day free trial available to download.
If you go the Lightroom route, make sure you shoot in RAW format (see your manual) which will give you greater color tweaking capabilities in Lightroom than jpeg. When you are ready to post them, export the photos out of Lightroom using the web optimized preset.
Also be conscious of how you are angling you light on the subject. It could make a difference in how the colors appear. If you want to provide more detail on what’s happening, perhaps folks can provide more specific answers.
Good luck!
So is it impossible to get true life color just using the settings on the camera? Will I have to use some sort of picture program to adjust every shot? I am planning on taking 1,000′s of shots and see a lot of work if that’s the case.
Robbo yes that’s basically what I am shooting, the only question I have for you is, does the red in the picture look the same as when you are holding it in your hand? It seems very bright. The lights I am using came with the photo box, they are hight intensity lights and I place them on the side of the box. So they are not pointed at the pin it’s self. Also I did not want to use flash because it will reflect off of the gold/silver lines on the pin. Like I said I really have no clue as to what I am doing and truly appreciate everyone’s advice.
You need to eliminate post-processing or at least keep it to a minimum.
Ok, heres one I took of those common phono plugs you will have got with your camera so you can compare the colours with yours.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6658513875_a84322ee65_z.jpg
(click my name to go there)
In this case, I used an off-camera flash as I don’t yet have any suitable strong lighting to try to represent your lights through the ebox.
I had to change the exposure and f number, but everything else is the same.
(ExposureTime – 1/200 seconds FNumber – 22.00 ExposureProgram – Manual control ISOSpeedRatings – 100
White Balance – Auto Contrast – Normal Saturation – Normal Sharpness – Normal)
There are articles on the net about ‘product photography’, and some vids on youtube, this is one I found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tBTY2PGVvs
and theres others listed on the page
Have you calibrated the colors on your computer?
So is the exposure time is done with a setting on the dial? I have read the manual but don’t understand some of the terms. I have the dial set on P. The youtube vid was helpful as I do get shadows. Whats an F number? and do you have to change the iso to manual?
Unfortunately I do not have the cords with me at the moment to compare photos. I trust your judgment. Yes I need to eliminate post processing.
Carolyn i have not calibrated the colors on my mac and didn’t know you had to. I am afraid to do that as I am not sure how that works and may make a huge mistake that I may not be able to fix later.
Set mode to A – Aperture priorty
In the Setup menu, set Info display format to Graphic.
Now when you turn the dial, top right, you can see on the screen how the aperture opens = lets more light in, and closes = less light. The different numbers are the f numbers – focal ratio.
The camera will use its light-meter readings to look after the shutter speed – – the exposure times you asked about – by itself.
You need the camera on a tripod (best to turn VR off via the lens switch) therefore the shutter speed doesn’t matter so much, because the camera is steady. A remote trigger is very useful, you can get one from Amazon – reasoable price, and saves all that button pushing and risk of shaking the camera.
You need really good lighting – see those lamps on the video?
Set ISO to 100, this gives best quality images.
Its now a matter of finding an aperture which lets enough light in to
bring out the detail and colour of the subject. Just trial and error.
Calibration is a very good idea – thanks Carolyn – but its rather involved. Its usually used to match up the colours you see on the monitor with what comes out of your printer.
There’s articles on the net if you want to have a go.
Have a go at the photos – and if you get stuck, get back to us.
I have a Nikon D3100 and want a bigger lens for it, currently I am using a AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 GED, what bigger Lenses are they for the Nikon D3100?
If you look on Amazon, search for ‘nikon 400mm’, you’ll see all those plus larger lenses, including 500mm and 600mm.
I have an 55-200mm lens on my D3100 and have had no problems until recently. Problems started when the camera would not take any vertical photos when I depressed the shutter button, but when I used the timer, the camera recognised the lens and took the photo. It has now got to the point where the camera simply won’t recognise the lens at all and I cannot take any photos at all with that lens. I have tried my 18-55mm lens which seems to working perfectly. Would it be that the lens itself is faulty? Any help would be appreciated.
Not sure what you mean by ‘vertical’ photos…
and when you say the camera won’t take any photos with that lens, is there an error message of any kind or does the camera just not respond at all?
Anyway, does the 55-200 lens click into place fully when you attach it?
Try cleaning the contacts on the lens, the ones which match up with the body.
Otherwise I would think it’s a call to the supplier…
What I meant by ‘vertical’ is turning the camera on its side to take ‘tall’ photos. There have been no error messages and the camera simply does not respond. I managed to take a couple of photos after I changed from the 18-55 lens with no problems focussing before it simply stopped working – no error messages at all.
I will try cleaning the contacts to see if there is any improvement – what do you suggest I clean it with?
Thanks for your help.
The cleaning, anything dry will do – a tissue – it was just to see if theres any grease or gunk on them.
The camera has got worse, it might be a bad contact or something like that inside the lens that has finally died. I would contact the supplier for advice.
Just a followup to the scam notices I posted further down the page…
Teamed up with ‘scamwebsites.co.uk’ and we managed to get one site closed down, it was Wells-cameras.com.
But BEWARE, there are still 3 that we know of –
DONTONS.COM
BEST-DSLR-DEALS.COM &
DONTILO.COM
Do Not Deal with them, or any other web site that you don’t know – always email or ring the company first, and if in doubt, DON’T BUY!!
hey so i just got the nikon d3100
I absolutely love it !! But it there is like a 5 second pause when i delete a photo or press on a menu button … is that normal?? it takes amazing pictures, just all the buttons lag ..
I’ve never come across that sort of delay, if I delete an image, its almost instant, and menus open quite quickly. I can only think its a faulty connection somewhere in the camera.
How does it behave when you take a picture? Or view images in playback?
I would contact the supplier and ask advice, then at least you are covering yourself by reporting the problem.
I have had the same problem, sometimes it wont even shoot at all. I almost missed the most important moment of a bday party I was shooting for last night. I also have a lot of problems with the focus and after doing some research I found out that other people are having the same problems as well. I am planning on returning this camera and as soon as I can afford it I am going to get a different camera.
I just got the Nikon D3100 and just looking for some help. I was taking photos yesterday and changing settings to learn how to use the camera. Whatever I did all my photos show the white parts in pink and look like a pink negative, even in auto mode!
HELP! :(
AF
Its possible you changed Picture Control (PC) settings.
If you refer to page 94 of the main manual, you can change PC to Standard, that should get rid of any weird colours.
Failing that, reset your settings in the Shooting menu, ‘Reset’ option – that clears PC settings as well.
If that doesn’t work, get back to us and we’ll think of something else!
I’m having trouble opening a RAW file from my D3100 in iphoto 09 OR in Elements 9. Can someone please help??
In Elements, you probably need to update the RAW camera compatibilty list so it recognises NEF files – get it from the Adobe site.
Probably the same for iphoto.
I just got a Nikon 3100 DSLR Camera. Whenever I take a photo they all turn out black on the LCD screen. The flash works and goes off but the photo is just black on the screen
what mode are you in? if you’re in Auto you shouldnt see a black image. but if you’re in M, A, S, or P then you’ll have to know how to manually adjust the camera to get a proper exposure. if you dont know how black photos are common. so make sure you’re in Auto mode and you have the lens cap off (it happens!), and you should be ok.
Hi I just bought the D3100, I am not sure if the battery is faulty, I am asking here before I return to the vendor.
The camera is not switching on when the battery is full. When I try to recharge the battery again it starts charging for about 2 mins and then it signals that it is ready again. I tried obviously also to remove the battery and put in again.
Anyone can suggest anything else please before returning it? Thanks!
Could be: faulty battery; faulty charger; faulty camera.
Has the camera worked before?
Is the battery a genuine EN-EL 14? Mine has a ‘Nikon’ hologram. Apparently the D3100 and D5100 cameras can detect cheap replacement batteries and refuse to work with them. If its a fake, you should get a replacement genuine one free of charge.
The light on the charger is supposed to flash while the battery is charging – the manual mentions an hour and a half to fully charge it (page 14) – then the light goes out when its ready . So does this happen, but after the 2 minutes you mention?
pls i want no the specification of external flash i can use for my Nikon D3100 i bougth newly
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb400.htm
you can use the nikon SB400, SB600, SB700, SB800, SB900, and the new SB910. all will work with full ttl.
How do i take a picture of a person and have the background look blurry?
Figured it out!
I am trying to do same …. Can you tell me . Thanks
Karen, I doubt Andrea will come back on now she figured it out!
But its a very popular question on this page.
Use your browser (Ctrl-F) to search for ‘bokeh’ – the technical term for narrow depth of field.
I got the d3100 for my bday, I want to know what everything means…
side button Fn
switches on lens A-M
VR on off
button near eye peice AE-L, AF-L and all the numbers inside the camera when looking at through the view finder, i know that one number on the right is how many more photos can be stored, but not sure of the others and what about the info display?
I really want to know what the shutter speed, and what aperture is? also what is ISO?
Also if anyone knows the best place for me to learn photography please share, Im wanting to learn what all these numbers and functions are so i know if i need to set or adjust them depending on what and where i am shooting! Thanks!
for most of your questions the best place to start is the instructions manual, it will go over all the stuff like the Fn button, etc, what it is, and how to use it. now for learning photography, google “the exposure triangle” and “photography composition” and read up on them. the exposure triangle will go into detail about iso, aperture, and shutter speed, which will allow you to manually control your camera. and composition will help you properly frame your shots for more appealing images.
Wow you have been dropped in at the deep end. OK. First you need to adopt the KISS mode. (Keep It Simple Stupid- not meant personally). I got my D3100 a few months ago and still don’t know the half of it. I signed up for a course called “Getting to know your digital camera”. £42 but worth it. Then I discovered much of the stuff the tutor was using was from the Photographymad website. It explains a lot of the theory very well. There is a guide mode on the camera. Use it. It’s there for beginners. One thing I learned on the course was something very simple but important. How to press the button. When you press to take a shot, press the button till you hear a beep. That means the camera has focussed. Then and only then should you continue to press down. If you don’t wait for the beep you may only get fuzz. As another contributor said, read the manual. The manual is downloadable. He’s right. But don’t bother. It will cost a fortune in paper and ink. Instead, go to Amazon and get one of the good D3100 manuals available for about £10 or so. Easier to flick pages than to scroll. READ THE DESTRUCTIONS!!! Keep it as a manual rather than as bedtime reading. Other tips – join a local camera club. Ask a friend who knows. None of your friends that knowledgeable? Join a camera club or make friends with a photographer. You will find that most photographers who are asked for advice, provided you tell them you are a complete beginner, will be helpful. Even one you have never met before. You may find one who will take you under his/ wing. And you make find it a way of making friends. Forget the difficult bits. Learn to hold the camera, press the button. Forget the ISO for the moment. Learn the basics. What you have there is one of the finest inexpensive (?) instruments you will ever get. Walk before you run. Tip. Go to photographymad and look at the page on composition. Then go into any travel agents and pick up a brochure. Look at the photos and see how the photographer has captured the scenes. Why do they use these photos? Cos they want the places to look inviting. How? They use composition techniques. Basically, keep it very simple at first. And lean on a photographer. Good luck.
I just got a D-3100 for Christmas and was playing around with it and somehow managed to turn off the flash and cannot get it to turn back on. Any idea how I can get my flash working again? PS really great site, thank you all!
on the left side of the camera you’ll see a button with the flash symbol. hold that down and turn the adjustment wheel on the right. as you do so you’ll see the flash symbol on the lcd screen change as you turn the wheel, indicating which mode you’re on. and try just pushing that button, the pop up flash should pop up. to disable the flash push it back down.
Hi, I just got the Nikon D3100 for Christmas and have no idea what I’m doing! :D Where do you suggest I learn from besides the owners manual? Thank you!!
There’s this great book in PDF format that you can download for free. It will help you with just about anything to take great pictures, very informative.”Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots” by Jeff Revell.
Download it at http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
another great place to learn is froknowsphoto.com
I have learned almost everything there….
Try the Magic Lantern Handbooks – they are very helpful and explain things in a way that makes it very easy to understand.
Hey! I am planning to take some photos of the traffic at night from a bridge. So obviously I will have to use the ‘S’ setting to control the shutter speed. However, I can’t work out how to turn off the flash when I’m shooting in S, A or M. When I’m on the main info screen it only gives me options of on, rear or red-eye.
If I press on MENU and then go into the Built-in-flash menu I have found menu settings. But there doesn’t seem to be a no flash option in there either.
So basically how do I turn my flash off?
Any other advice on how to get really nice photos where it looks like the cars are just long streams of light would be great. Thanks :)
in M mode the flash will not fire if the flash is pushed down and locked into place. that’s the “off” button really. not sure if S mode is the same but i’m thinking it is. but you can do that shot in M mode easy. just set your iso to 100, your aperture to f9 or f11, and then just adjust your shutter speed until you get the desired effect. i did a few of those shots and had good results with 30 seconds, but i’d suggest starting at a 10 second shutter then slowing it down from there after you review each picture. oh turn off your noise reduction and dynamic lighting options, they’ll increase the processing time for long exposure shots. if you still want a longer exposure than 30 seconds, use bulb mode (the next setting after 30 second exposure, cant miss it). with bulb mode you’ll need to hold down the shutter release for as long as you’d like for the exposure. that’s gonna shake the tripod so i’d suggest getting the wired shutter release cable for the d3100 and use that, it’s got a shutter release lock option. but 30 seconds should give you a really nice effect, all the lights should be nice and streaking. oh a quick way to cycle through the flash options is to hold the flash button on the side of the camera, then move the adjustment wheel (the one you use to change shutter speed). you’ll see the flash icon change with every turn of the wheel.
Hi All, Happy New Year
I was lucky enough to be bought a d3100 as a birthday gift, please would anyone know which Apple Mac would be best to use with this camera??? I have been told that the Mac Air wont work along side the d3100 by one person and totally the opposite by another , the same with the Apple Mac Pro so I am very confused and seeing as Apples are alot of money, I would prefer to get it right first time, many thanks for any help in advance
Jen :)
Hi Jen…
All new Macs come with the Operating System: OS X Lion
(http://www.apple.com/uk/why-mac/compare/)
and on this page you can see that the D3100 is compatible:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4757
“Supported by OS X Lion v10.7 or later…
Nikon D3100″
I have both the D3100 and a MacBook Pro. I LOVE them both and haven’t had a single issue with compatibility. I highly recommend the MacBook pro over the Air because the pro has a faster system and higher memory. If you plan on taking it everywhere with you and are concerned with “lugging” it around, there really isn’t a noticeable difference in weight just thickness (only slightly thicker). Just get the 13″ and you’ll be good to go. Hope this helps :)
Kristina
simplybold.blogspot.com
I just received the d3100 for Christmas and I feel I’m learning how to use it pretty well. It’s my first DSLR. My primary use will be for taking self portraits for my blog and doing videos for my youtube page. I can’t quite figure out how to take a good self portrait. I’m having a hard time with the focus and the pictures aren’t coming out as clear as I need them to. Do you have any tips for taking self portraits(full body shot with a tripod)? Or do you have a suggestion on where I can go for tips?
Theres a good video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdbO1bzpoQo
(click my name to go there)
(plus there are others listed on the page)
except you’ll have to ignore the bit about viewing on a TV, as the D3100 wont do that. A remote trigger is really useful, you can get a reasonably-priced one on Amazon (for example).
To start the camera recording video, you’ll have to just press the switch and move to your spot – you can edit out bits you don’t want in camera (see page 50 of the manual) or with software on your PC.
There is a bracket available, which you could use with a long shutter release cable, but it looks like too much bother to me, anyway you can search Ebay for “D3100 Nikon Video Remote Pause Bracket” if you want to see it.
I am a new owner of the Nikon D3100, I love this camera. but is there anyway you can choose NOT to have the date on your photo’s.. I set it up with the date on there , but when shooting for someone else they may opt not to have the date stamped on the print ? Help ~
That’s an easy one:
Menu / Setup Menu / Date Imprint OFF
thank you so much….
My “ok” button is stuck on my Nikon D3100. It is possible that liquid could have gotten in it, but the rest of the buttons are completely fictional. How do I fix it?
Maybe the liquid was alcohol and it made the other buttons fictional!
Happy New Year!
I have a Nikon D-80 with Tamron Lens. I have recently purchased a D-3100———–I like the camera but all of my Tamron lens (which are auto focus) will not auto focus with the 3100.—-can anyone help me with an answer? Thanks Mike
Sounds like a compatibility issue.
I found this page, you might be able to work out where your lenses fit in the chart:
http://www.tamron.com/faq/en/faq1-1.html
the d3100 has no internal autofocus motor, so it relies on lenses with a built in autofocus motor to focus. i’m assuming the tamron lens you have does not have a built in autofocus motor.
I can’t figure out how to show the pictures from my camera (D3100) on our television. I bought the cable. I hooked it up. I don’t know what buttons to push to make it appear on the tv screen. Please advise?
You can connect using an AV cable or a HDMI cable.
Whichever you use, you have to set your TV to the appropriate channel.
Instructions will be in the TV manual, but on mine you go into the Setup menu, Display settings and theres a section for choosing input labels.
Choose AV or HDMI, whichever you have used.
Switch on the camera – images will appear on the camera’s LCD screen and should appear on the TV.
This is all on page 126 of the main manual, on the CD.
Replies don’t seem to be working today.
If this ‘comment’ works, I’ll use another for replies.
Hey Folks,
Happy New Year 2012.
Taking Photography Course vs Self-Taught. Do you think it is good idea to take basic courses for the beginners or one can be self taught by herself/himself. If self taught can be achieved then where to start. What learning material need to be collected(beside camera I do have d3100) if so where can I find them. What kind of books to choose. There are millions of em.
I just want to pick you folks brain out. Since you folks are in depth in photography. HELP ME OUT >>>> HELP ME OUT>>>
I would go with the classes.
Heres some resources which may interest you in the meantime:
N-Photo website tutorials
Getting Started
http://www.nphotomag.com/category/getting-started/
and theres this free book, which helped me a lot, and still does:
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Jeff Revell
and heres the link.
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
i had the same debate and went the self taught route. i’m no pro but i do think i’ve learned alot in less than a year. google search “photography composition” and learn it, it’s very very important. also google search “the exposure triangle”. those two topics will teach you alot. i also go on flickr alot and look at people’s pictures to get a sense for good and not so good. i also recommend doing a 365 project. you have to take a picture a day for 365 days, and post it somewhere where people can comment. i put mine on facebook but i also upload some to flickr when i want a better critique. the 365 forces you to use your camera and learn. hope that helps.
I just bougth a nikon 3100 and I shoot my first pictures, some raw and some raw + fine, when i use the nikon transfer to get my files only the jpg appear, soonly half of the pictures the shoot only raw dont show at all, not even the filenumber
What do I do wrong
Don’t know whats going on here, I’m trying to reply to your query, but the website won’t let me…
Oh, it accepted 2 lines lol!
The easiest way to deal with images from your camera is to remove the memory card and slot it into your pc – if it has a slot – or a card reader…
RAw files – use ViewNX on the CD – to deal with them
If your’e interested in RAW, you would be best getting a large capacity, fast memory card, like 32gb class 10 – you can get them reasonably priced if you look around.
Theres an updated version of ViewNX- google/search for ‘viewnx 2′ to locate it.
In ViewNX, you can manipulate your images as you like, and save them in RAW format again, or as TIFF files (preserves the detail, can be loaded into other image software), or as JPG.
I received my Nikon 55-300mm lens today and find that the lens does not retract all the way. The lens can retract all the way if I focus really really far away before turning off, otherwise, the end of the barrel will not flush with the end of the lens (extended 1/2 to 3/4 inch). Or the other way to get it retract is to change to Manual focus and adjust the front focus ring, is that normal?
Yes, the focus part of the lens is either locked for Auto focusing or unlocked for Manual focusing. When you switch off, the protruding part stays where it is. The only way to make it retract fully is to use Manual and adjust the focus to retract the barrel yourself – as you found.
Thank you very much Robbo, at least I know I didn’t get a lemon.
open for suggestion, is it a good decision if i will purchase a nikkor 10-24mm for my d3100? it will be delightful if there will be sample photos. thanks in advance.
Review is here, with images:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/10-24mm.htm
that’s a great lens, it reviews very well, it’s an ultrawide lens (UW), be aware. UW lenses accentuate depth and give a distored looking length to photos. the results when done right are amazing, but they’re a trickier lens to use, so do your homework if you havent already. an option to that lens is the Tokina 12-24mm Pro II for Nikon Mount. it’s significantly cheaper and rates extremely well. i’m thinking of getting that lens myself, i’m dying to get an UW. hope that helps. oh if you want sample pics for any lens i always go on amazon and find the lens, and people upload thier photos there. you’ll see the product picture, and underneath there usually is a link that says something like view other people’s images.
thanks for the help!!!
i would like to ask which is better d90 or d7000 im in tight budget and upto now still saving more money just can’t decide if i will go with the uw lense or between the 2 body.
the d7000 is the better camera, hands down. not to knock the d90, it was an amazing camera when it came out, but hte d7000 eclipses it. the d7000 is considered by many to be the best crop sensor camera on the market right now. i’m saving up for it myself, hopefully this year!
@ed thanks!!! i would like to ask if you any site for me to review how to shoot on ultra wide?
I’m am shopping for a camera, a friend of mine was telling me to get a D3100 sense I’m new at this. Any suggestions on cameras? Nikon or Canon?
Well, let me see….
Have to think about that one, Heni….
I was looking at them both and they seem to be very similar. However I guess because I’m knew at this I don’t want to get something I wont like. Looking at the D3100 and D5100 compaired to the Canon T2i, if that helps any?
well we’re all nikon shooters here so we’ll push nikon. but i spent almost 3 months researching the canon t2i vs the d3100 as those were the cameras i was choosing between. i went with nikon becuase they have better technology, especially thier sensors. the d3100 and even better d5100 have superior sensors to the canon. you”ll get better iso performance with less noise. the downside to the nikon d3100/5100 is they lack an internal autofocus motor, and need lenses that have built in autofocus motors to autofocus (G series AF-S lenses). so you’ll spend a bit more on lenses for them vs canon, which has autofocus motors in all thier cameras. now if you’re planning on really learning photography and advancing beyond auto mode into the more advanced features, i’d strongly recommend the nikon d7000, it’s a semi-professional camera, and one of, if not the best crop sensor dslr camera on the market. i got my d3100 in march 2010 and i’ve outgrown it already. BUT…i’m heavy into photography and pushed myself to learn alot, especially the more advanced features. so you may not push so hard or want to take your skills as far as i have done. but if you think you will, get the d7000, you really cant outgrow it, it’s amazing. now back to your question, sorry i love to ramble. if you’re gonna start out with a starter dslr like the d3100/5100, or canon t2i, dont stress about the choice. they’re all great cameras that can do alot. the d3100 and 5100 are very similar, and suffer the same basic shortcomings. yes the 5100 is a bit more advanced, with a better sensor, but it still suffers the same flaws as the 3100. my friend has the t2i and i’ve used it a bunch, it’s very very similar to the nikons. what matters more than the camera, is the lenses you use, and your skills, especially “photography composition”. google that and learn it if you dont know it, it’s far more important than which camera you eventually get. if you want a firm camera answer get the d3100 as it’s cheaper than the 5100, and t2i, and get a good lens to go with it, such as the nikon 50mm 1.8G AF-S. then google/learn “photography composition” and “the exposure triangle” and you’ll be taking pro looking shots in no time. and dont stress the decsion, any of those cameras will yield amazing results if you learn how to properly wield it. hope that helps.
Hello Heni,
I agree with Ed. I got a D3100 a few months ago and though still learning I have been very impressed. The UK What Camera magazine gave it 89% (dropped only because of price). I spent a long time browsing internet reviews and it did very well. An excellent camera, usually sold with an 18-55 lens. Great value. But shop around online very carefully to get the best deal. I have now added a F1.8 50mm lens (thank you Santa), a tripod for £15, an SB 400 flash, oh and get a clear filter for protection purposes. Great camera. With guide mode for beginners.
I got my Nikon d3100 for christmas, and I really want to take some good photos of the fireworks at new year’s eve. Anybody got some good tips on how to do this? And oh, I’m Norwegian, and only 15 years old, so if someone could explain this in a simple way, I would really appreciate it :)
Hi Mina…
Basically you’ll need a tripod and set your shutter speed to a long time, preferably using the Bulb setting.
There are similar questions on this page. Use Ctrl-F to start a search, and search for ‘countryside’ to find Steve’s question and my+Landon’s replies.
I found this magazine article about photographing fireworks:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6601766069_a367ef7a1a_b.jpg
thanks a lot! :D
Hi,
I am getting a used Nikon Nikkor Lens 55-200mm VR AF-S DX f/4-5.6G IF-ED lense.
May I know it will work properly with Nikon D3100 with autofocus feature.
I am getting these in around $130 as per the seller they are in perfect condition. Kindly let me it is worth to go with these?
Or I should strict with Brand new.
//Thanks. Sudhir
Yes, that lens will be fine, see this list:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikond3100/discuss/72157627009242329/
As for new or used… used is usually ok, but not really for us to say if the seller is reliable.
yes I purchased one off of ebay refurbished, and it works great. especially for portraits, and close ups. Next if you don’t have it you’ll want to get the 50mm 1.8, or 50mm 1.4. Oh, and you should only have to pay around 100 dollars for each.
I have recently purchased a Meike Ringflas FC100 for my Nikon D3100 but when it is placed on the camera the built in flash still pops up and flashes. Any ideas of how to solve this?
Ollie
The opposite of Tracie’s problem!
Again, try one of the ‘Pro’ modes – P A S M – to overrride the camera.
I tried that and the flash still pops up but it does not flash, the flash is created b the ring flash
problem solved
Thanks
The pop-up flash refuses to pop-up. What am I doing wrong?
Tracie, this is the camera doing its own thing, and it decided there was enough light to get a reasonable result. Try switching to P – Program – mode on the Mode dial. This lets you pop the flash up yourself – press the button just to the left of the flash unit.
Thanks Robbo. Sorry, I didn’t know how much to say about all I’d tried, but that’s one of the things I tried (the p setting….along with manual, and all the others). I tried all I could think of, even putting the lens cap on to be sure it thinks there’s not enough light. When I push that flash button on the left of the camera, I hear a faint click, but it doesn’t open. I have flashes I can put on it so it’s not a complete disaster, but it’s aggravating.
Sounds like the release catch is stuck somehow.
Can you run a thin piece of card along the left side of the flash unit where it meets the body of the camera.
A light bit of force against the catch should make it release.
I just tried it on my camera and it worked ok.
Then see what might be causing the problem – you should be able to move the catch backwards and forwards in its little channel.
Thanks! I mangled a couple of cards in the attempt but they were disposable. Yes, there was some residue along the edges. I wiped them and bravely closed it. Stuck again. I’ll try again. That catch was stiff, maybe more than residue is the problem. I’ll find another card and work at it some more. Thanks so much!
I wonder if somehow some gunge got into the mechanism, if so, it shouldn’t be too difficult to fix, maybe a matchstick or toothpick would get it out.
I wiped it clean again and pushed the hinge back and forth in it’s slot. The next time it released but didn’t pop up, My fingernail was enough to slide under and pull up which it allowed without resistance. A few more times of that and now it pops freely. So all is well and I SOOO appreciate the help!
Wow, something worked – well done!
My name is Frank Wilson
Looking for an explanation: On 13 Oct 2011 We purchased a Nikon D3100 DLSR camera body. With it we are using a Nikon AF-S 18-55 Lens from a D40 of some years old. Since we have been using the camera we have been getting a small dark band at the top of the picture. Meaning to use the picture we need to crop each shot
Can anyone explain this. We have tried all the different settings Auto, Manual etc. The band still shows even when we use the camera in Portrait mode, However the band is then showing on the side making me believe it is the camera not the lens. You can see some samples @
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8299574/DSC_0058.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8299574/DSC_0008.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8299574/DCSC0002.JPG
Frank,
Sounds like manufacturer defect… take your camera with you old lens back to the store where you bought it… try your lens on another D3100 at the store.. I doubt the lens is the problem..
The old lens should work flawlessly..
I recently purchased a Tokina Pro 3X Telephoto Lens Converter for my Nikon D3100. It seems to work GREAT as a Macro lens but I cannot seem to figure out how to get it to work as a 3X telephoto extender for my telephoto lens. Just how, exactly, am I supposed to mount it to get it to do this? Please help!!!!! THANKS!!!!!
NEED A PRINTER!! I’m shopping for a new photo printer but want to get one that is most compatible with my Nikon D3100. I’m currently deciding between the Canon Pixma MX882 and the HP Photosmart 6510. Wondering if anyone has experience with either of these or can recommend one similarly priced ($150 or less). Thank you!!
Harry, I can’t find instructions or manual for this item, but doesn’t it just screw onto the front of the existing lens? Adverts say it has a 52mm thread, which is right for the kit lens. I have a similar Sony lens which screws on and magnifies the view.
Robbo. Yes it does simply screw on the front. But I see no change in the telephoto extension. The only difference I see is when I use it as a macro.
Ok, established its the same principle as my Sony x1.7 converter.
Actually, when I attach it to my kit lens, its doesnt make all that much difference, but its noticeable on my 55-300 zoom lens, gives a bit of extra reach. (quality isn’t great as it’s not really designed for this camera, its left over from my HS10). I’m assuming then that you are using it on the kit lens – try zooming out to the 55mm? Prob wont make much difference. Try it on a stronger zoom lens though at full zoom – do you know anyone would let you test it on theirs? It wouldn’t even have to be fastened on, just hold it – careful not to scratch glass – in front of the lens and see if it works then.
i have the nikon coolpix s4100 and everytime im recording, it stops and says : Cannot record movie
why is it doing this? and what can i do to fix it?
Jenny,
I am guessing your SD card class is too low..
reformat the card then retry..
Lastly, buy a class 10 SD
BTW, wrong forum…this is for D3100 DSLR
Hello. I have the D3100 and am trying to take pictures of my puppy. She is all black. When I use Matrix, she turns out black (no details) and the surrounding areas are O.K. When I use Center-Weighted, same. When I use Spot, she show up in detail, but the surroundings are washed out (she is kind of washed out also). I use ‘P’ setting and it doesn’t matter if I use flash or not, indoors or outdoors. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Ralph,
Challenging problem…. I am suspecting that you might read up on the Auto exposure lock capabilities.. try to lock in the settings that is best.. I wish I could give you help but I am not that knowledgeable in this area..
Try different lighting…
Lastly, try bracketing aka HDR… three shot at different exposures and use Picturenaut to combine them.. this painful extra work for a shot of dog..
Anyway read up on the AE option first…
perhaps someone else might be able to offer advice… Moose would know.. he is active on Facebook..
I suggest using an extra light to bring out detail on the dog.
Or… use the flash – you can use flash compenstation to adjust the output of the flash (make sure its set to TTL flash) from -3 to +1. The minus settings should work – use it as fill-in flash. (Page 83 of the main manual).
Better might be a separate flash gun – bounce light off walls or ceiling to soften the output.
Some feedback on this would be really useful…
metering for very light/dark objects is tough, especially when the background is high contrast (black dog, light background). the easiest fix is to move the dog to a darker background so there is less contrast in the frame. also, you can get a 18% gray card and meter the camera for that. just put the card next to the dog, meter the camera, then remove the card, focus, and take the shot. you can also try exposure compensation. if the dog is too dark, add exposure comp +, if too light, add exposure comp -.
I found this (refers to snow or water but the principle is the same):
Popular Photography Magazine – Nov 2011
Dark subjects against snow or spectral water highlights can wreak havoc with light meters, even the “smart” evaluative types. We would advise RAW capture. We’d also suggest switching your camera to manual exposure, taking a spot meter reading directly from a doggie’s fur and underexposing about 2 stops from that (you can do this by setting exposure compensation to -2). Keeping your camera in manual will prevent its built-in meter from making wild swings of exposure settings. Experiment with the exposure levels to get a look you like. You could also try adding a little pop of fill with the camera’s built-in flash. With flash exposure compensation set to -2 EV, it will add detail to the fur without looking too “flashy.” Again, you may have to sacrifice highlight detail in very contrasty lighting, so go with an exposure that’s good for the dogs, not the background.
What would be the best lens for a complete beginner to buy for taking close up shots with a D3100?
if you can manually control the camera i’d get the nikon 50mm 1.8G AF-S lens as it has superior depth of field control. with it you can really blur the background and get that nice creamy bokeh. but you need to be able to at minimum control your aperture setting to do this. if you’re still learning and using Auto, just stick with the kit lens/lenses you got with your camera. you probably have the 18-55mm lens? if so zoom out to 55mm and use that to do close ups. if you also have a telephoto lens (ex – 55-200, 55-300, 70-300), use the telephoto at about 100mm to 150mm. you’ll have to stand far back but it’s a great way to get close and get some nice shots. now if you’re looking to do macro work, then forget everything i said and get a dedicated macro lens, you can t beat them. nikon has many good ones, such as the 40mm 2.8G AF-S, 60mm 2.8G AF-S, and 105mm 2.8G AF-S. that 105mm lens is amazing! but it’s also close to a grand. hope that helps.
Mick,
i have the 35mm G DX F1.8… it is super sharp at f4..absolutely in love this lens..
it is 200 dollars and it is fantastic.
Landon
Thank you I shall check those recommendations out.
It was macro work that I had in mind.
I can’t get my pictures to transfer onto my computer. Do I need to reintall some drivers??
You might have to if you’re using USB to connect camera to PC. Most ppl remove the memory card and slot it into the computer or a card reader – copy images onto the PC.
Where is Moose?
Hi! I also recently got the nixon D3100 and was wondering if it was normal for the lens that it came with to make small rattling sound when slightly shaken. is there something wrong with it or is it normal?? thanks!
it should not rattle… take it back and exchange it, there is 5 yr warranty on the lens..
ok thanks!
I just received the nikon D3100 as a christmas gift. I will be using this camera to take pictures of my daugher’s gymanstics. I plan to take a photography class this summer. Until then can you tell me how to set my camera to take the best fast action sports shots indoor? She does very fast movements, flips, etc. I really want someone to just tell me what to set each knob, etc. on for the best pictures. I will educate myself on it later. I don’t want to miss out on great shots again this year.
Thank you
First, their is a auto mode on the camera.. it works very well.
Secondly, I am assuming that the event is held indoors in a gym so other than auto and for fast moves….
S mode… play with the shutter speed.. slow shutter could result in blurred action pictures.. faster will be less blurred, your auto ISO will kick in to adjust for the light indoors why may give less sharpness.
For the best results..my advice is following but you are really going to have to play around the adjustment:
1. S -mode
2. 18mm to set the lowest aperture to f3,5.. you can crop the pics later
Another option would be to use auto…
Low light action pics are difficult… the on board flash is not adequate to handle your situation..you may want to invest in flash that can reach out further with increased lighting.. this will allow you to increase the shutter speeds.. and higher f-stops for sharper pics..
Good luck…
Thank you
I just received this camera for Christmas this past weekend and I love it so far! When I’m shooting a picture, how can I get the image I’m looking at through the eye piece to just show up on the large info display box on the back of the camera so I dont have to look through the eye piece? TIA!
You get into Live View by flicking the switch to the right of the LCD screen.
Robbo is right. But this eats up battery power.
I purchased my D3100 about 7 to 8 months ago. I must say I am impressed by the ease of use with this SLR. I tried the canon and Sony equivalent versions, such as the T3i and so on, and although the screen resolution on the display isn’t as clear as the other models, but the picture quality I have been experiencing has been brilliant. None the less since I was basically enjoying the kit lense that came with my camera, I decided to purchase a new lense. Considering my skill level, I went with the DX 55-300 Nikkor lense. The first week of use, I was really impressed all until this morning.
I decided to try different settings and decided to record some video. When I had the auto focus feature come on, I heard what sounded like a crack..I then looked down and realized I had my finger on the flash. Isn’t the first time this has happened, but this is the first time this has happened with my new lense. So I figured it was no big deal and continued with my focus, then I heard a weird low tone from my lense, like a slight squeal. I turned my camera off, removed my lense and did a quick inspection, and nothing seemed alarming. I swapped lenses and my kit lense 18-55 worked like a champ with no issues. I went ahead and reinstalled my new 55-300 lense and when I tried snapping a photo, the lense won’t focus. I switched to manual focus and when I tried snapping a picture, nothing will happen. I then switched my VR off and on, it would then work for a few then stop working.
I purchased my lense through amazon and they explained how they will replace my lense free of cost after I explained my situation.
I just want to know if I did anything that could have potentially damaged this lense? When my new one comes in tomorrow I am going to feel like I am walking on egg shells cause I am not sure of it was a defect with the lense or of it was operator error. Any info and help will be greatly appreciated!
Jesse
Just sounds like coincidence to me, I don’t see how putting your finger on the flash can affect the lens (trying to imagine how you do that, but its got me beat!). Probably faulty electronics inside the lens – anyway, Amazon are used to exchanging things.
Just enjoy the new one, theyre quite robust, I have the same one and use it all the time. Maybe an idea to keep your fingers away from the flash!
Thats what i figured, i just didnt see how holding down the flash could do much of anything…but now i am just paranoid lol
either way i was really impressed with the quality of pictures i was taking with that lense. (nikkor 55-300)
my next lense will probably be a telephoto lense and not a macro lense. want to try and do some really nice portrait photos of my new baby girl and the wife. this Macro zoom lense did really well, but i have seen what the telephoto lense has done, so i am curious to see the difference once i feel like dropping 700 dollars on some new glass. Just hard to push that far, but this lense that i just bought was on sale for 249, so i figured why not.
that brings up another question, what telephoto lense does anybody suggest? something for portraits, weddings and baby photos. I currently have the Macro zoom lense, and the stock 15-55 kit lense.
I would say, if you want another lens, go for something like a 50mm, good for portraits etc.
If you search this page (Ctrl-F) for ’50mm’, you’ll find lots of stuff by Ed and others about lenses.
I took a picture of a Tucan in a tree. On the camera when did playback, I did the zoom-in button to see the bird close up. I want to know how I can save the zoomed image, so when I transfer it to my computer the picture will be close-up. Can anyone help me?
with the photo editing software that came with the camera, use the CROP option. i only know how to do it in post production, not sure if you can or how to on the camera itself.
You can use the Retouch menu to alter certain aspects of the image, including ‘Crop’. It’s on page 151 of the main manual.
Just noting that this is exactly why high resolution is important.. cropping…
Sharing, I just found a great sight in photography.. search mansoruvs..
Landon
Mmm… interesting:
“The Mansurovs is represented by Lola and Nasim, partners in life and photography world.”
Lots to read – should keep me quiet for a few hours!
funny, I just caught the Kinks reference..Robo you must be old as I am..
Has anyone tried the lensbaby? will it fit on the D3100?
I`m using a pre Ai lens on my new d3100 it`s a nikkor-s auto f1.4 50mm, it`s much faster and has a way better bokeh than the 18-55mm kit lens, the bad side is that none of automatics nor the metering of the camara works, you can only use manual settings and have to set the speed and iso on the camara end the diafram on the lens, no problem with that.
What i need help with is that the contrast with this lens is poor, many pics looks like taken through frog or smoke and the lens is perfectly clean, how can i solve this?
P.D. : READ CAREFULLY BEFOR MOUNTING NON-AI LENSES ON YOUR DSLR CAMARAS, YOU CAN RUIN THE MOUNT OR ELECTRONICS OF YOUR CAMARA.
Julián :)
I found this:
“Your lens should be multi coated which is the most important upgrade from the mid 60′s to the mid 70′s. Multi coating improves contrast…”
here:
http://photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00COtp
So there you go, maybe your version isn’t multi coated?
Try loading images into ViewNX or Photoshop and play around with white balance and other settings.
Or take some RAW images, do the same, you should be able to eliminate haze with software.
Hi Robbo
Thanks for your fast reply, I`m shoting raw and i use lightroom for editing.
Thanks for the link, seems fair that my lens don´t have multy coating sins it`s from 1972 and only cost me maybe 30Usd.
Will look into how to deal with haze in lightroom, and maybe also get an shadow for the lens.
Happy newyear Julián.
$30 dollars for a 50mm AI-converted at f1.4.. now that is a deal… http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm
I am betting you lens needs a professional internal cleaning.. take it to a camera shop for cleaning..
BTW, I have the 35mmG f1.8, your 1.4 is much faster, estimated at actually 1.3 stops faster.
Greetings everyone, my name is chasi and my husband just got me the camera I have wanted for many years its a Nikon d3100 and its brand new and I am pretty much a camera virgin aside from the few basic camera’s and vid cams i have had over the years like Kodak easy share etc…but this camera is so complex and high tech i feel kinda ignorant when i try to figure it all out and adjust anything lol! can anyone please help me by explaining anything you feel useful to me and also explain what the aperture “f”. number means and what all the different things are that can be set and adjusted, basically I am using this camera for everyday family use and some beginner photography stuf like shooting photos of things i see on a walk or trip that i think would be beautiful in a frame on my wall, i would love to take professional quality photos of my daughters with clarity and depth, i just need know how to use this incredible piece of genius equipment lol!! thank you all so much and happy holidays!
You can send me a Facebook message-my acct name on Facebook is
“Chasity Kaegi” but please make sure of spelling my old acct isn’t active & please make sure it has a picture of my motorcycle as profile pic thank you!
Photography is rather a large topic to tackle on here (unless Ed wants to have a go!), but theres lots of excellent resources for you.
For example, theres a new magazine out for Nikon users, with an online set of tutorials:
http://www.nphotomag.com/category/getting-started/
and theres this free book, which helped me a lot, and still does:
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Jeff Revell
and heres the link.
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
You don’t have to read every word, just pick out bits that interest you.
Also, do not post your e-mail on forums, spambots are always on the lookout.. in the future break up the e-mail address so a spambot cannot read it..
e.g John PERIOD doe AT yahoo dot com
i agree with Robbo, the topic is too big to really explain here. i’ve ranted a few times on varios topics if you want to search for hte long “Ed” replies. but i’d just start out by google searching and reading up on the following topics: “the exposure triangle” and “photography composition”. those two topics will teach you so much. the exposure triangle will explain how the shutter, iso, and aperture are used to obtain exposure and the creative controls they give. and composition will show you how to most effectively frame your shots for maximum impact. start with those, and the books/references Robbo provided and you’ll learn alot.
Hi Friends,
I am plannin to buy dslr camera so i end up with tis 2
1.Canon 1100d
2.Nikon d3100
so any one can help me out in this since you guys would have also faced d same.
one more thing,
wat i found wen comparin both is, tht nikon does not have a auto focus in the body of camera is it very much important for beginner
Thanks all in advance! and
~~WiSh YoU aLl A MeRrY ChRiStMaS~~
(This page seems to take loooonger and loooonger to load each time I come on here!)
I chose Nikon over Canon mainly because, at the time, they had a promotion on. Plus, Canon cameras i looked at had nothing much extra that was worth paying more for. Remember, the D3100 doesn’t do bracketing – if that might be important to you…
And yes, it hasn’t got a lens motor in the body, but all you do is buy lenses with motors built-in. Advantage I suppose might be that if the camera motor broke down, NONE of your lenses would work, but when theres one in each lens, that lens will work! Did you follow that lol?
I am so glad i found this site! I just got the d3100 for Christmas yesterday and I really like it however it is sooooo much different from those point and shoot cameras. I am trying to change my image quality but it is hard coded telling me I can’t make the change in my current setting. It is currently set at fine, Jpeg I believe. I was taking pictures yesterday and the camera added 10 pounds to everyone. Help please!!!
I would start by resetting everything – go into the Setup and Shooting menus and choose the Reset option in each of them.
If you haven’t already tried – try some shots with the Mode set to Auto, just to get used to seeing what the camera can do. If the pictures look too dark, turn the mode dial to P – for Program – this lets you use the built-in flash – press the button to make the flash pop up.
You should be able to change the Image Quality and size whichever mode your’e in.
If you have a look at page 64 of your manual – it’s a PDF file on the supplied CD – it shows you how to change these.
Theres a new magazine out for Nikon users, with an online set of tutorials:
http://www.nphotomag.com/category/getting-started/
Hi great site!
Just received a 3100 for Xmas. One issue when viewing dark pics taken on the LCD there looks like white light coming from the top left corner? Is this a fault or normal. It’s not on the photos just on the LCD monitor when view dark pics back.
Seems to be an issue with some cameras, someone else has a yellow cast in that position, see this forum:
http://alturl.com/hjzta
(click my name)
I have a Nikon D3100 and it has worked beautifully until Christmas Eve. The shutter works and it seems to take a picture but it comes out black. Have I broken it or messed up a setting? I’m a novice at this but am trying to learn. Please advise. Thank you.
I had this problem, you might have it on the manual setting and on mine my aperture was set to F22 with a shutter speed at 1/4000. all my pictures were as black as the night sky until my sisters boyfriend told me that i should change my aperture. maybe you have the same problem. and if so then all you need to do is hold the +/- button next to the mode dial and then use the little wheel next to the live view switch.
I just received as a gift a Nikkor AF 50mm 1.8 lense for my D3100. I can see right away that auto-focus will not work. I think meteoring will work, but why is the camera telling me to lock the aperture at f22 regardless of the mode I’m in? Thanks Brian
I found this here:
http://www.reevoo.com/p/nikon-50mm-f-1-8d-af-nikkor
“Remember to keep your hands clear of the focus grip when in AF mode! All you need to do is point and click. Two tips for those new to Nikons/this lens. In order to use this lens correctly in AF mode, you have to set the aperture to f/22 and lock it into place via the little orange switch on the lens body. The f-stop is then controlled by the camera body. Secondly, this lens will not autofocus on the Nikon D40 or D60 which has no onboard motor. For those models you will need AF-S/AF-G lenses with inbuilt motors, not AF-D lenses”
Hope this helps.
PS, “D40 and D60″ will also include the D3100 as it has no onboard motor either.
I am the new owner of Nikon D3100. I need an advise what kind of lens that I should consider to invest on!…being as a beginner in photography. Wide angle? Special Purposes? Fish eye? Thanks guys :-)
Welcome to the D3100 proud owners club !!
To start with you have to decide ( or maybe you did ) before you decided to go for a DSLR. For everyday photography like on the streets, in your back door, indoor, etc, the 18-55mm lens ( which usually is bundled) with your camera body is good enough. If you are interested to click wildlife or sporting actions etc then you would need to invest in a telephoto lens -70-300 or similar. There are lot of 3rd party lens that are available with a Nikon mount. You can try Tamron or Sigma if you don’t want to invest in a expensive Nikkor one from Nikon.
Photography as they say is an art , and its a myth that you would need to invest in expensive lenses to start it unless you want to move it to being a pro.
Happy Clicking !!
Som
I am new to the DSLR world as well. I bought the D3100 a few months ago with the 18-55mm lens and the 55-200mm lens because I figured that those two would cover just about every kind of photo I wanted to shoot. But I found myself wishing that I had a prime lens (a fixed focal length) because I knew that they were typically faster and the images sharper so I bought the 35mm f/1.8 Nikon lens for DX camera and I am so glad that I did. I noticed a huge difference in the image quality and I haven’t taken it off my camera since I bought it. I highly recommend this lens. And the good news is, it’s a steal at only $200.
Hi all,
Can anyone please tell how can I shoot wide-angle photos with Nikon D3100 and the kit lens(Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ). is it possible? or do I have to buy another lens? If I had to buy then please mention which lens.
Hello Abhishek,
The 18-55mm that is usually shipped along with the D3100 body is a basic lens with a decent wide angle coverage if not really great. For really professional wide angle shots like scenery, or panoramic views or group photos you might need a specialized wide angle lens like
Nikon 10-24mm AF-S
Nikon 14-24mm AF-S
Sigma 10-20mm HSM
Just look for a wide angle lens that has AF-S/HSM/xxx anything that has a built-in motor that will allow you to use that lens on the D3100.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Som
Hi all,
Is it possible to take good bokeh with Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens. I have been trying a lot but some how I just could not get it right.
I tried shooting the subject from 18mm to 55mm with f/3.5. As well as moving closer and farther from the subject.
Any tips,tricks, or advice.
Thanks
Yes, you can. but some lens due a better job at bokeh.. for example my 50-200mm at 200mm seems to produce nice bokeh..
here is my advice
1. decrease the field of depth by reducing the f-stop to the lowest possible setting (aka open the aperture)…
2. get as close as you can to the subject
3. have at least 10 feet of more of back space.. I am guessing on this one since i assume the further the background less clear it becomes.. so play with distance..
Remember the kit lens is a great lens.. I use it all the time..
Hsenid, found this on bokeh..
http://mansurovs.com/nikon-lens-bokeh-performance
Hi,
I’ve been using the 30 days trial version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3, which has 2 days left to use. I just don’t want to buy it as I find it a little pricey. Would you please advise me what’d be the best alternate to it which has almost more features, and is cheaper(may be free ;)).
Thanks and Merry X-mas!
Raj
The Gimp: http://www.gimp.org/features/
Artweaver: http://artweaver.de/products-en/artweaver-free/
Paint: http://www.getpaint.net/features.html
Other suggestions:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-simple-free-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-under-2-mb/
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/photoshop-alternatives-another-14-free-image-manipulation-tools/
and Photoimpact X3 portable
http://avaxhome.ws/software/portable_software/CorelPhotoImpactX3v1300Portable.html
tested, it works
i have used this and it has features similar to that of Adobe PE. It is free to download. Just try.
http://www.splashup.com/
Raj,
I use:
1. Nikon free ViewNX which comes with the camers.. it has more than enough photo editing tools.
2. Picturenaut for HDR..
3. GIMP is powerful and not user friendly but free..works very well.
All free…. I do think one needs to spend any money for photo editing tools unless they make money from photography or are rich …just my opinion..
Thanks Guys. Much Appreciated. Have a happy new year!
Heres a Xmas present for you:
“Digital Photography for Dummies” 6th edition
by Julie Adair King & Serge Timacheff
http://min.us/mbnhBecpFf
(click my name to go there)
…and a reminder of 2 others to download:
(Firefox users – highlight the link, right-click, select Open…)
Book 1
“Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots”
by Jeff Revell
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
Book 2
“NIKON D3100 GUIDE TO DIGITAL SLR PHOTOGRAPHY”
(more technical)
David D. Busch
http://min.us/msKgUCtWp
FYI, I read all three, I like the Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots” by Jeff Revell the best..
for more technical information, I got to NIKON D3100 GUIDE TO DIGITAL SLR PHOTOGRAPHY”..
Hi,
Can anybody help me about the quality, performance of Tamron/Sigma lenses with Nikon D3100.
Please let me know which is better, Tamron or Sigma.
Thanks
Hi Sudhir,
I have tried both and found Tamron better. Though this is a complete personal choice and liking. Do you have any particular Focal length in mind ?
Cheers
Som
Hi, Thanks for response.
I am looking for 55-200mm or 70-300mm.
Hi,
I recently got the 50mm 1.8/G lens, which i use on the d3100. Does anyone know how to fine tune the AF? My pictures are a little soft when i use auto focus. Please Help!
The 50mm 1.8G lens has a manual focus override so all you need to do is grab the ring. You might want to try changing the autofocus point to focus on a face or a foreground object (spot focus).
Also, wide open at f1.8 you will have a very shallow depth of field so keep aperture in mind when your are trying to get multiple points in focus, such as in a landscape. Hope this helps.
Also, see http://www.cameratips.com/d3100/focus-modes-points-nikon-d3100#focuspoints
are you shooting at f1.8? if so expect softness. any lens wide open at it’s maximum aperture will be soft. if you stop down you’ll notice the sharpness increases alot. i have that lens and it is a softy at 1.8, but gets insanely sharp after 5.6. hope that helps!
when shooting with automatic focus, you need to set your autofocus to the situation for best results. for example, if you shoot a concert/guitarist on stage you usually want “spot” so you can make sure the autofocus is set to his face and not his collar, guitar neck, or some other poster in the background.
practice with each setting by selecting them in the menus, and don’t forget to definitely practice with manual focus.
I just bought a D3100 4 days ago. I tried taking a picture under low light and notice a light reflection coming from the upper left corner of the lcd. I returned it to the store thinking it was a defect and they were willing to replace it only to find out that all of the 4 stock of D3100 they have had that same light reflection on the upper left corner. I thought it might just be a bad batch of D3100 so we tried checking a different store but found the same problem. so here’s my question…Is this the standard for the D3100. Help!
I cant replicate this on my camera and I never heard of it before.
Found a similar post here:
http://preview.alturl.com/4gn8t
dont think that link works, and i give up, it wont accept the original link
http://alturl.com/rmo8g
Hi, anybody knows how to reset camera to factory settings??? I am having a lag during shooting …. by the time I press shoot and the picture comes back/ saved …I am not able to capture the right moment because of this lag, maybe some setting is messed up??
Theres reset options in each of the Shooting and Setup menus.
Hi,
I have recently bought a Nikon d3100, and am now trying to find a quality wide angle lens but at a cheapish price?
Also a fisheye lens?
And polarizing filters?
Thanks
i can only comment on the ultrawide (uw) lens as i’m currently in the market for one too and dont want to spend alot. tokina makes great uw lenses! thier best is the 11-16mm f2.8, it’s rated as good as any nikon brand uw lens. the only downside to that lens at $700ish is that is lacks an internal focus motor, so you have to autofocus yourself. i’m ok with that as i plan on updgrading to the d7000 next year, which has an autofocus motor in the body of the camera itself, unlike the d3100. but if you want autofocus then the next best tokina lens is the 12-24mm f4 II (two). this lens has two versions, the older non-auto focus version, and the newer II (two) model, with a built in autofocus motor. this lens will autofocus on your d3100 and is highly rated at $600ish. the 11-16 lens is a superior lens, but you have to be ok manually focusing. tokina was founded by ex-nikon employees and in general rates very well for build and image quality. my friend has the 11-16 lens and it is built like a tank, with metal construction and good weather sealing. it feels like a pro lens. i’ve seen the 12-24 in a store and it too is built very well. i’d stay away from sigma and tamron uw lenses, they tend to pale in comparison to the nikon and tokina uw lenses in terms of image quality. hope that helps!
Is a SB-400 flash good enough for a inside the house, inside a classroom? I usually try not to use flash or I take my pictures twice, if possible, one without flash and one with flash (the flash in the camera), but I do not like the flash results at all. And the non flash pictures only come out nice when there is a light source in the picture.They are too ‘white/cold’. Will an external flash fix this?
Some people say I have to go for the SB 700.
for a flash unit i have to recommend the SB700, or older SB600 if you can find one. if you compare the design of the 600/700 to the 400, you’ll see they’re very different in design. the 400 is basically a bigger pop up flash. good for simple light, but not very adjustable. the 600/700 flashes have adjustable heads that allow you to point the light in various directions to soften/diffuse it, giving much more natural light. what i like to do if the ceiling is low enough, is to point my flash up and bounce the light off the ceiling. i have the SB600. you can also bounce the light off walls to give some direction to the light. another trick i’ve learned is using a “Rogue Flashbender” (amazon search it), either the large or small one (i have the small). those are good when you’re outside or have high ceilings as it allows you to bounce the light off of it onto the subject, softening the light. if you’re mostly shooting inside houses with low/normal ceilings, just bouncing the light alone will yield much better results than head on flash on the subject. i know the SB700 is more $, but the results are worth it. oh and for that cold look, tweak the white balance of your photos a bit in post production. i shoot in raw and use adobe lightroom 3.5. what i do is increase the white balance of my flash shots to between 6000-6250K, giving a warmer cast to the light.
Thank you for all the information. I will google some more between the 600 and 700.
I hav ejust brought a Tamron 28mm f2.5 lens with nikon A1 mount is it possable to use it on the Nikon D3100.
Richard
Hi,
Can anybody help me about the quality, performance of Tamron/Sigma lenses with Nikon D3100.
Please let me know which is better, Tamron or Sigma.
Thanks in advance.
Tamron is great quality,..I like the 18-270mm
Hi Landon, Thanks a lot for advice. can you please let me know the exact model for Tamron 18-270mm.
//Thanks, Sudhir
Hi all,
Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Nikkor Zoom Lens
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
I need some informations about these lenses. What they are good for. I am very much confuse some said they are not good for landscape photography, some said they are not good for close up photography, some said they are not good for portrait photography, some said not good for day light , night light , low light, high light urggggg please help me out.
I have all 3 lens’s. they are ok for as being “cheaper glass”
the 18-55 and 55-200 are both kit lenses, and vary only in how far they reach/zoom (in mm). they’re good basic lenses for general photography, especially if you’re new to photography and use Auto mode alot. the 35mm 1.8G is a prime lens with a nice big maximum aperture of 1.8. that means this lens is great for low light conditions where you’re not using a flash. it’s also a significant step up in image quality over the two kit lenses. it’s a prime lens so it has a fixed focal length (no zoom). it’s a great tool if you know how to use it, but not neccessary if you’re shooting in Auto mostly. if you’re new to photography i’d start with the 18-55 and 55-200 as they’re cheap and still offer decent image quality. if you start to advance in photography and start using M (manual) mode, then start acquiring better lenses. what you’re most concerned with right now is reach, and the combination of the 18-55 and 55-200 offer a very broad and useful range. for those wide landscapes shots use hte 18-55 at 18 and you’ll capture alot in the frame. for those long wildlife shots use the 55-200 at 200. for portraits i’d use hte 55-200 anwhere between 100 and 200. those two lenses will cover 99% of your shooting situations. if you can afford to spend more, i’d sugggest a longer telephoto, either the nikon 70-300mm VR AF-S, or the nikon 55-300mm VR AF-S. both offer more reach (300mm) and superior image quality. dont stress too much on the lenses right now if you’re just starting out. get the 18-55 for sure, and a telephoto (55-200, 55-300, or best 70-300) and you’ll be good to go. as your knowledge of photography grows, you’ll better understand the lenses and what’s important. then you can add more lenses as you need.
Thanks Ed.
Hello, here I am again. I want to know how to take similar snaps as in the link I have given here. They have been shot with a Nikon D-60, 16-85 kit lens. I zoomed on the subject and then varied the aperture ring to get this result. In the bird shot, to avoid the mesh of the cage, and in the book shot, to highlight the title.
What is the equivalent for the aperture ring in D-3100??
Is it the Manual focus switch on the side of the lens that rotates the lens??
Please advice.
Thanks for looking and the feed back.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anupartha/6084696973/in/photostream
https://picasaweb.google.com/ranganayaky/Streets#5633333051352440082
Lots of stuff on here about bokeh with the D3100 – mostly by Ed.
Just search the page for ‘bokeh’.
Robbo
Lots of stuff on here about bokeh with the D3100 – mostly by Ed.
Just search the page for ‘bokeh’. —–> How to search bokeh or Ed posting in this site. Sorry for being technologically challenged.
Ctrl-F
Can i use HB-34 for my nikon d3100 ?
You don’t say which lens – for the kit lens, use HB-45 – see page 202 of the manual.
The HB-34 is for zoom lenses.
Videos-I record them fine and they playback fine on the camera, however when I upload them to the computer, the video drags, stutters or skips or is really slooooowwww.
It just does not play normal.
What am I doinng wrong?
TIA
Could be the memory card – although it plays ok on the camera, any delays/stutters get magnified in PC software. You really need a fast card – pref class 10 – for video.
Also, could be the PC, search for ‘realm’ on this page to see a similar post.
Ok- so I have the correct memory card like you mentioned. I tried to search for the post on realm, like you said, but the search engine is not working. It’s funny because other peoples videos that I play work just fine- for example if I go to youtube and watch something etc., but if it’s one of mine that I uploaded, forget it.
Im happy to see this forum. Pls continue posting, its help a lot ton a begginer like me.
Hi,
Can anyone help me to get the quality of TAMRON 70-300MM DI F4-5.6 Nikon Fit.
What about the performance and quality with Nikon D3100?
//Sudhir.
Search for “TAMRON 70-300MM DI F4-5.6 nikon review” and you’ll get about 1,140,000 results. First, and only, one I looked at was Amazon, 4 out 5 stars – wouldn’t be good enough for me, but there you go!
Thanks Robo,
Can you please let me know, which one is better Tamron or Sigma?
and I think they don’t have VR function?
Happy Xmas!
Very good. I am using the same one too !! Just recently got myself a 18-200 too.
Just found this page and I really hope you can answer my question. I’ve just got NIkon 3100 and I shoot some videos… The problem is they are all a type of file my programs cannot read. (.MOV) Is there any possibility to change files (for an example: could my camera store videos in avi file??? and how if possible? Or should I convert them on comp? If so, which programs could I use? I want to make a movie with a sony vegas or a program like that but so far I dont even know how to open videos:S
Thank you for your answers
Rendi
Hi Rendi
I had the same problem, I downloaded a free version of aneesoft video converter, google it and you can download it for free
Hope this helps
Colin
To play .mov on your pc make sure you have apple quick time installed, once thats installed windows media player should play it to.
Glenn
i have a nikon d3000 and was wondering if the lens would crack/break if i take it skiing with me…. its gonna be cold like minus 15 atleast and i was thinking that if our car windscreen breaks can my camera lens break??
I found this:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6553869481_07163e0e31_b.jpg
(click my name to go there)
I have a kit lens and 55-200mm lens. Can I get good bokeh with either???
you can with the 55-200. bokeh is dependant on a few things, the maximum aperture, the distance from the camera to the subject, the distance from the subject to the background, and the focal length of the lens used. to get the best bokeh try to get in close to your subject, shoot with a longer focal length (start with 100mm and then zoom out to 200mm to see how you like hte results), and shoot with the aperture wide open (f5.6 at 200mm). if you can get as much space between the background and subject too. that will maximize the blurring. hope that helps.
Hi, I have both these lenses and I have taken some fabulous shots with good bokeh, using exactly the settings as Ed suggested..good luck.
You can see a few of them here
http://colinmassey.weebly.com/
Love your website, Colin! Very professional looking.
Favourite is the Nature section, specially the cute robin in mid song!
I sometimes visit the local bird centre here in the North East, Saltholme.
I’m def not a ‘twitcher’, but I love observing and the challenge of photographing the birds.
Anyway, Happy Chistmas!
Thanks Ed and Colin …. Happy holidays!!
Thanks Robbo, glad you liked it
Does anyone have experience with digitizing kodachrome 35mm slides using a Nikon camera with macro lens?
The alternatives
- The labs get expensive when you do hundreds of slides
- cheap slide scanners do a poor job
- good slide scanners like Nikon Coolscan 9000cost $6000 new!
Hi Ed,
I was looking for the AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED or nikon 55-300mm AF-S VR but both are going out of my budget.
If I will go for Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6 G Lens. Will it be fine ? they will work with my Nikon D3100.
OR Can you suggest any other (Tamron or Sigma) lenses they are very much similar to 70-300mm VR and would be in my budget. I have budget around 200$.
I want some cheap and best telephoto lenses that will work perfactly with my Nikon D3100.
Thanks a lot …
Hi,
I have one other option as well :
NIKON AF FIT TAMRON 70-300MM DI F4-5.6
please let me know for this as well?
the non-VR nikon 70-300 lens is not a very good lens, i would not recommend it. the nikon 55-200 AF-S is a decent budget lens, you might be able to get it under $200. unfortunately i dont know much about non-nikon lenses. i’ve tried a few but returned most of them due to back focusing issues and other quality problems. if you’re ok with 200mm for maximum reach i’d stick with the nikon 55-200. anyone else here have any good telephoto suggestions that aren’t nikon brand for around $200? the tamron you mentioned in your 2nd post will work fine on your d3100, though i worry about quality. sorry i couldnt be more help.
Thanks Ed,
Can you please give me the complete name of 55-200 AF-S. so I can look for the same.
Any one who can help me regarding the Following Tamron lenses:
NIKON AF FIT TAMRON 70-300MM DI F4-5.6
what about the quality? Autofocus will work?
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Nikkor Zoom Lens
Amazon has it for $149 right now.
HI I HAVE A NIKON D3100 WITH A TAMRON SP 70-300MM F/4-5.6 LENS I TAKE A LOT OF PICTORES INSIDE A JYM FOR BASKETBALL GAMES THE PIC COME OUT RELLY DARK . WHAT IS THE BEST WHAY TO SET IT UP IN THE SPORT MODE? THINKS AND SHOULD I US THE LENS HOOD?
i shoot my son’s basketball games also, i ran into the same problem. Here’s what i did; switched to a the Manual Setting kept the speed between 80 and 100, turned the Exposure comp. up to abt +2, then i got closer. started to sit on the ground level then stared to move around the gym and found key spots where the lighting is better. Also I didn’t zoom so much, tried to keep it to 55 – 70mm. Just experiment soon you’ll have everybody asking for your pics of their kids in action.
Also you know the game so you know where the shots are going to happen. the coolest positions I’ve been in is right under the basket. it makes for some wicked shots especially on free throws. but always be on the lookout cause the ball bounces. Don’t be afraid to roam everybody respects a photographer. just capture the moment.
Hi I have been using a 55-200 zoom on my d3100 with varying results. I took photos of small birds from app.7ft with seemingly no increase in magnification yet got a fantastic close up of a clock on a church from 40+ft. I did not expect this lens to photo a fly on a mountain top I thought it would get me closer at such a short distance.Am I doing something wrong?
Try: set your zoom to 200mm, focus on the clock, then point the camera at something 7 feet away, without changing the zoom setting – half-press the shutter button to make the camera focus again. The closer object should appear quite large in the viewfinder.
If it doesn’t – might be a fault.
hey.
i would like to use a battery grip in my d3100..
can you suggest me some shop location can i buy in shah alam malaysia
ebay or amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Vertical-Battery-D3100-Digital/dp/B004S958VU
Is there a way to downsize a video clip (or photo for that matter) after it’s already been taken? I tried to attach a 29 second video clip to an email to send to my mom, but my email system says the attachment is too large. (I know there is a setting for small, medium & large photos, but I thought setting it down to a medium is defeating the purpose of why I got a dslr camera) The’s gotta be a way to downsize it afterwards. Right? But how??? Thanks!
You can use Windows Movie maker to convert the movie to a smaller file size.
In Movie maker, click on Add vidoes and photos, load your movie.
Click Save movie – near the right of the box, and choose Email.
My 71k movie converted to 7k and the quality looked OK, see what you think.
I don’t do Facebook, but I would think that same file would now upload there. If anyone else knows about this, can you advise please!
I have a new D3100 and I want to buy a new lens what should I buy? 50 mm 1.8D or 35mm 1.8G I just a student so what is the best lens that suites me better as a beginner. thank you
Lots of similar queries on this page – for example, search for ’2:47′ to see one. ’50mm’ will show others.
if you get a nikon 50mm lens make sure you get a G series lens, unless you want to focus yourself. the 50 you mentioned in your post is a D series lens and CANNOT autofocus on the d3100. no D series lens will autofocus on the d3100, only G series AF-S lenses will. i have both the nikon 50mm 1.8G and the nikon 35mm 1.8G, and i love them both. but i do prefer my 50mm lens as it gives superior bokeh (quality of the blurring of the foreground/background). i love bokeh shots so it’s my go to lens. the 35 is a great lens too, so if you’d rather have the shorter focal length dont hesitate to get it. either lens is a winner.
I recently purchased a d3100 nikon camera. I took a 29 second video of my son & wish to email it or post on faceook. When trying to attach to my email like I normally do pictures, I get a failure response saying the attachment is too large. (the video clip is 67.1 mb) When trying upload to facebook, it’s like it’s jammed or something…I noticed facebook says the max size limit is (approx) 1000 mb, so I don’t understand what’s the problem atleast in the latter case. My main question is “How do I downsize a video clip ( or picture for that matter) so I can email it & post to facebook? Thanks!
I use a program called AVS Video convertor, I change mine from a .mov format to say a mp4 or mpeg format, plus you can change the output file quality aswell which can make the file smaller again.
Hi all! I am new to the DSLR and want to take excellent pictures of my kids indoors. I like the images where the faces are clear, and the background is blurry. What is the best setting for this? I have the standard 18-55mm lens and also the 55-200 lens
A good way to see the effects of bokeh – the blurred effect – is to use your 55-200 lens, set it to about the 100mm mark on the scale.
Move the switch on the lens to M (Manual focus).
Sit in a corner of the room and focus on objects in the room (you turn the ring near the front of the lens) and see how those objects move in and out of focus as you turn the control. And when one object is in focus, note how objects in front of and behind that object become blurred.
If you’re comfortable with manual focus, you could carry on and take those kids pics. Otherwise, put the lens back on Auto, and theres a portrait mode you can set on the mode dial, or see what results the camera comes up with – if there isn’t enough light, you can switch to the P mode and flip the flash up. Or, if you wanted to delve a bit deeper, theres an excellent section on portraits in this free book, page 140:
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
by Jeff Revell
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
(click my name to go there)
Hi, I just got my first DSLR camera last night. Having family holiday time tonight and can’t figure out which setting is the best to use for indoor overhead light. I’m a newby to this camera and I have a 3.5mm and a 18-55mm. Any help would be appreciated. Read the manual and have searched online but just can’t find a sufficient site; any ideas? Thanks!
It is a DS3100
I need to know where my matrix button is on my D-3100. So far i have only used auto, but would like to try some different settings.
I have the SB-3100 flash unit and would like to make sure i have the right settings.
Matrix metering is on any of the ‘Pro’ settings, P A S M.
Bottom left button to get settings screen, set Matrix under metering options.
Page 79 of the main manual.
I purchased a AF-S KIKKOR 55-200 mm lens for my D3100 Nikon.
It doesn’t have much zoom power. Is there a setting that I am overlooking.
Prob not, maybe it faulty, or maybe you can xchange it for a 300mm?
You can see what 200mm should look like (approx) here:
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/simulator/index.htm
I am having trouble with my Nikon D3100. When I try to take a picture the lense won’t focus and it makes a strange noise. I can’t get the continous shutter release to work either.
Continuous won’t work if the flash is in operation. Switch the mode dial to the flash-off symbol and try it. You have to keep pressing the shutter release button – it doesn’t take bursts of pics like some cameras do.
The focus problem – maybe the camera is ‘hunting’ for good focus, try in good light or try manual focus, just to test the system.
Could be a fault.
Hey, I was at a party about 2 weeks ago and my Nikon D3100 was dropped onto the carpet from about 3 ft up. I didn’t use it for a couple days but I did but the SD card into my computer to upload pictures. I tried using it, but at first I saw a black screen and then I played around with it, and now it keeps saying “Error! Press the shutter release button again!” Does anyone have any idea what could have happened, and anyway to fix this? Someone please give me advise! I’m freaking out. I also tried to put my other lens in and it gave me the same Error. Thanks!
If its the error on page 194 of the manual:
“Error. Press shutter release button again…”
Their solution is:
Release shutter. If error persists or appears frequently, consult Nikon authorized service rep.
One fix I found:
“…continuously hit the shutter release button for about a minute. It suddenly snapped back into place, and began working again. ”
Otherwise, if its still in/not far out of warranty, contact Nikon.
Hi All, I am recently bought a D3100 with an extra Tamron 70-300 lens. But I am entirely new to SLR cameras but want to learn and enjoy my photography. Have no knowledge at all about technical aspects. I have read some info on this website and forum which have given me some confidence. I am going India tommorrow for 2 weeks and want to take a lots of landscape pictures as well as family and individual potraits. I know I cant understand everything in few days and it will take sometime. Any basic tips please which I can easily remember. Once I am back I will start learning more technical stuff. Many thanks in advance.
What would be wrong with my Nikon D 3100 when I take picture and all I see is a black screen and then when I put the card into computer it only shows black. No picture
If the camera worked before, it may be a fault.
Battery ok? removed the lens cap? Outside, good lighting, on Auto, does it work then? card work ok on computer?
(several ppl had this problem, but as they never come back on, don’t know if the advice they were given was any use)
Hello, I’ve just bought myself a D3100. It’s my first SLR and i’m loving it. Basically.. I go away travelling next month and I was wondering if you thought it’s worth buying another lens? If so, which would you recommend? If currently have the standard 18-55.
Thank you, look forward to your reply.
Ian
the 55-200mm lens is good for far away photos. i wouldnt go much bigger until you get familiar with it! and learn how to use it well
right now during the holiday season you can get the nikkor 55-300mm lense for about $250, normally $400. I chose to go with that versus the 55-200 for street photography, wildlife, and overall candids while on vacation. On the other hand, on a trip to New York I shot completely with the kit lense and the photos came out great. Best lenses you can get relatively cheap would be your kit lense, 55-300mm, 50mm/1.8g, and the 35mm/1.8d (for video).
definitely practice with each piece of glass before buying the next and remember that you can sell them pretty easily to finance your next lense if you don’t like them.
Ian,
The kit lens is excellent!!!!! I think we all envy other lens, but really this kit lens is truly excellent…
For travel I would put the money towards an extra battery, extra SD card, and hip holster like the Spider Black widow or cotton carriers.. google them.
For night shots and lighter carrier I like the 35mm DX prime
Lastly, my advice is to take lots of pictures. to do that you have to carry that D3100 around..
I purchased a 50mm f1.8 lens a few months back and haven’t gone back to using my kit lens or my 55-200 zoom! That’s how much I love it. I noticed a huge difference in my pictures over the kit lense. Getting used to moving your feet versus a zoom takes some time…
Thank you everyone for your advice. Will be looking into all of your replies. Thanks again, much appreciated,
Happy Snapping!
Ian
Hi Landon,
Thanks a lot for helping me. But I am bit confused here. I read a lot about 70-300 lenses to capture good landscape pics.
May I know something about 35mm 1.8G what is the purpose of these lenses. If I have 18-55 still they are useful?
I have another question? which card will be compatiable with Nikon D3100? SDHC Class 10 ?
If I capture a image on Class 4 memory card and on Class 10 memory card will there be any quality differece between?
Might be I asked very silly question but I want to clarify.
Thanks.
hi Sudhir,
70-300 is a telephoto lens, which is good for capturing stuff that is physically far away, such as animals and people. but if you want to do landscape pictures such as mountain tops or hills or beaches, you want a lens with a shorter focal length, like the kit lens at 18mm. the longer the focal length (say 300mm), the more “zoom”, or reach you have with the lens. the offset to that is you get a more narrow field of view the more you zoom. so for those wide shots/landscapes, you want a nice short focal length to get as much width as possible. a good way to visualize this effect is get out your camera with the kit lens, set the lens to 18mm, and look through the viewfinder. now keep the camera steady and slowly zoom out to 55mm. see how the frame narrows and things get closer?
lenses like the 35mm 1.8G and 50mm 1.8G are used mostly for low light conditions and/or for blurring the background (bokeh). the “1.8″ part of the product description is the maximum aperture of the lens. 1.8 is a fairly large aperture opening, so it’s great for letting in lots of light. also, the larger the aperture, the more blurring of the background you’ll get (which is a shallow depth of field). if you know how to use these kinds of lenses they’re powerful creative tools. but if you’re mostly using auto mode they’re not really neccessary as your camera wont take full advantage of them in auto.
the class of a memory card is the speed. the bigger the number, the faster the card saves to memory. so a class 4 is much slower than a class 10. for video you want class 10, it’s important. for shooting pictures it isnt nearly as important. the d3100 can use SC, SDHC, and SDXC cards. the class will NOT affect your image quality at all. so feel free to save some $ and get a slower class card as long as you’re just shooting photos. i have two class 4 16GB SDHC cards and they work great.
I second what Ed said…
Thanks a lot
Although I spend many years with Nikon FM film camera I’m a beginner with digital photogarphy. I’m looking at the d3100 and d5100. The d3100 seems to have all I need. I mainly do outdoor photos while climbing and hiking
- can i do 1 aperture priority 2 shutter priority and 3 manual modes with the d3100?
- can I use my 30 year old nikon A lenses and manually focus?
- is bracketing my expossure much trouble with the d3100
the d3100 has aperture and shutter priority modes, as well as full manual mode. the d3100 does not have a dedicated bracketing function so if that’s important to you you might want the d5100. there are workarounds for bracketing but i think if you plan on bracketing alot you’ll want a bracketing mode and not have to hassle with workarounds. as for those old A lenses, i really cant say, but i found this page on nikon’s support site for compatible lenses for the d3100/d5100
http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/16436/~/what-lenses-can-i-use-on-the-nikon-d5100,-d5000,-d3100,-d3000,-d60,-d40x,-and
Thanks for the reply. The support web site was a great help. It appears pre AF lenses will work, but they are not worth the trouble.
Regarding bracketing. I do not do it often. Does the d3100 tell me the auto exposure settings for eaach shot? If so I could change to manual and over or underexpose from the auto setting.Would that be much trouble if used only for difficult lighting situations?
yes the camera will store the exposure settings in auto so you can review them. when you view a picture you’ve taken, press up on the circular pad with the “ok” in the middle. you’ll see the image shrunk down and the exposure data will be displayed. learning manual control seems daunting at first, but it’s actually pretty easy once you get comfortable with the settings and what they do. google search “exposure triangle” to get familiar with the 3 main settings of manual control, the shutter, iso, and aperture. then put the camera in M mode and zero in the light meter to get exposure. if you understand how the 3 variables of the exposure triangle work, you’ll have no trouble zero’ing in the light meter and getting a good exposure. the easiest way to practice is in sunlight as you’ll have plenty of light for exposure. dont try to learn it in a dim room, you’ll have a hard time getting proper exposure.
Hi there!
I just bought a Nikon D3100. I’m preparing for a trip to Las Vegas. I want to take good night shots of the city. Which settings should I use?
Thanks in advance for the help!
Emjaybee
the city lights at night would be fun to shoot. for that you’ll want to do a long exposure shot with a tripod. set camera up on a tripod, turn VR off on your lens if it has VR capability, set your iso to 100, your aperture to f11, and then play with different shutter speeds to see what you get. i’d start with 3 seconds and see how you like the shot. oh and make sure to turn noise reduction and dynamic lighting off, they will significantly increase the processing time of long exposure shots. make sure you’re taking pictures of stationary buildings, anything that’s moving at that long of a shutter speed will blur badly. you can go as high as 30 seconds shutter speed without a problem, but if you want to go longer than that, you’ll need to use bulb mode and hold down the shutter release button. i dont recommend this as doing so hill make the tripod shake, bluring your images. get the nikon shutter release cable for the d3100. it plugs into one of the ports and acts as a shutter release button, but you’re not touching the camera and inducing vibration into the tripod. the method i outlined above is great for those streaking lights shots of freeways you might have seen, it’s fun to do. anyhow hope that helps, good luck.
Thank you Ed! Very helpful! Will try this method around town before leaving!
I have not used the video function of my D3100 much yet, but am no longer happy with my current camcorder and am hoping the Nikon may produce nicer, more film like images, as it records at 24fps. Does anyone know
1. can SMPTE stamps to synch audio recorded externally be added to footage after filming using any type of software?
2. can I record video using the viewfinder and not the LCD screen?
3. can I connect the D3100 to my laptop while filming to monitor the picture on the larger laptop screen?
I use Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 for editing, but am still a beginner with this editing software…
Thanks in advance for any input
Andrea
1. Don’t know – does anyone know anything about SMPTE stamps?
2. No
3. No, sorry. See various other queries below on that topic.
nikon d3100 is not a professional camera for photo or video so it lacks features in both realms.
1. you can’t burn timecode, it’s best to use a clapper or some visual/audio que.
2. no, but you can purchase a viewfinder to mount onto the lcd. it defeats the angle versatility you have with this camera, but it’s the easiest way to gaurantee focus.
3. as the other person stated, no.
premiere cs5 is great for dslr editing-maybe the best, but know that if you are serious about dslr filming you’ll either have to hope that nikon picks up the ball for the next generation or make a switch to canon that is leading the way in dslr filming (aside from pentax k5)
if you’re interested in dslr video as a hobby or as a way to make a living, check out http://philipbloom.net/ he’s one of the best.
The SD card on my daughters D3100 wont come out…. she has done a bit of googling and found that this is not rare.
The card goes in normally, then after you push to unlock it wont come out. She is very upset as she has had the camera for about 1 hour!
I bought the camera and shipped it over to England where she is an exchange student so I dont have it in hand to attempt any fixes myself
Any ideas?????
We had one other query like this, search this page for ‘tweezers’ to find it.
Unfortunately we never got to hear the outcome of that problem, but I would stress to your daughter to be very gentle if she tries. On the other hand, a gentle tug might be all thats needed.
Hey all, I have had the Nikon D3100 for about a year and I have an event tomorrow which I need to know if I can take pics and view them instantly on my mac? Basically can I take images and see the instant result on my mac and how?
There is ‘tethering’ software for Windows/Mac to control Nikon cameras, but unfortunately it doesn’t work with the D3100, you can double check here if you like:
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/software/control_pro2/
Had this question several times, and I have researched it exhaustively, but no luck anywhere I’m afraid. Would love to be able to do that myself!
I have a Nikon D3100 and I guess I’ve pressed some button that makes it so I cannot preview the picture on the screen before I take it and I have to look through the eye hole to see what I’m taking a picture of. I was wondering how I could fix this? I feel like I’ve tried everything!
Sound like you simply need to put it in Live View. See 3:18 in the following video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTW-j4WM0M8
for best results, try using the eyepiece and not the lcd. in some cases it does make sense, but the first thing someone does who has never owned a dslr does is try to take pictures with the lcd (if it has one) and it doesn’t look good. for a better reason is that you’ll have 3 contact areas with the camera (your two hands and your eye) which will help you stabilize your shot better than holding it out in front to view.
YES I WANT TO BUY A NIKON D3100 AND I WAS WANDERING WHY IT SAYS I NEED A CARD READER. DOESNT IT HAVE A MEMORY CARD SLOT?
Yes, the camera has a slot for a memory card.
To copy or view images through your computer, you have the option of attaching a USB cable (not usually supplied with the camera) between your computer and the camera OR removing the card from the camera and slotting it into a card reader – this could be a slot already installed on your pc, or a separate one which you connect with a cable.
Most people use the second method.
If you want to know more about card readers, you can see them on Amazon (for example), just search for ‘card reader’.
I have to use a card reader for the SD card I bought for my camera but that is only because I have an older desktop and it doesn’t read the newer SDHD cards. They are very inexpensive..around 10 bucks.
Hi, I just baught Nikon D3100 i got the 18-55 VR kit with it. I am not very much familiar with lenses. can anybody help me to select best and suitable lenses. I need the lenses to capture some nature scenes and for indoor photography.
Will 18 – 55 will be sufficient for it I have to some other.Can i know what is the use of nikon 50mm 1.8G AF-S OR 35mm 1.8G. they are still useful if I have 18 – 55 VR.
Thanks a lot in advance.
35mm 1.8G i
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm
Hi Landon,
Thanks a lot for helping me. But I am bit confused here. I read a lot about 70-300 lenses to capture good landscape pics.
May I know something about 35mm 1.8G what is the purpose of these lenses. If I have 18-55 still they are useful?
I have another question? which card will be compatiable with Nikon D3100? SDHC Class 10 ?
If I capture a image on Class 4 memory card and on Class 10 memory card will there be any quality differece between?
Might be I asked very silly question but I want to clarify.
Thanks.
I’m looking for a lens to shoot close up pictures of kids. My price range is less than 250. I’ve been looking at the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8. My question is, do I need the DX lens or FX? will I see a difference on my camera? and is this a good lens for a blurred background?
Thanks!
35mm DX 1,8G is the same as a 52mm fx due to cropping.. plus at $199.. the 5omm AF will not auto focus and is cheaper at $125 but 50mm DX is about 70+mm in fx
I thought as long as it has the “S” in AF-S, that it would auto focus on my camera. I just want a lens that will auto focus and have a blurred background when taking portraits.
flickr has its own AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/afsnikkor35mm18/
flickr “list of all lenses that will Autofocus and Meter with the D3100″
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikond3100/discuss/72157627009242329/
Almost forgot…
flickr again – discuss Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D AF vs. Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
http://www.flickr.com/groups/50mm_vs_35mm/discuss/72157624846026948/
Jo,
According to the compatibility chart the AF-S 50mm should auto-focus.. I would still go with the 35mm DX..
if your main objective is bokeh (the quality of the blurring of the foreground/background), go with the lens you mentioned, the 50mm 1.8G. you are correct, any AF-S lens will autofocus on the d3100. AF-S lenses are G series lenses, and you’ll see the “G” in the lens product description…1.8″G”. if you see a “D” then that’s just an older AF lens and wont autofocus on your camera. i have the 50mm 1.8G and the 35mm 1.8G, and love them both. for good bokeh go with the 50mm lens as it has a superior bokeh. good lens choice.
oh as for fx/dx, all that designates is if the lens will work on a full frame (fx) camera, or just on a crop sensor camera (dx) like the d3100. fx lenses work great on dx cameras, but you cant put a dx lens on an fx camera as the fx camera’s sensor is too big. the great thing about fx lenses on dx cameras is you’re using the best part of the optics of an fx lens on a dx camera, usually resulting in superior image quality over a dx only lens. that’s another reason i recommend the 50mm lens over the 35mm lens. the 50mm lens is an fx lens, the 35mm a dx only. hope that helps.
Hello everyone!!
I just bought a Nikon D3100 with the 18-55mm VR and I am really loving it! hehehe…
A friend of mine told me that I should buy a UV filter because this will make me take better pics and also protects the glass of the lens. I am quite rookie about this still “rocket science” facts… the question is:
What does the filter really do to the photos?? what do I improve?
Should I buy one of those?? and if that is the case which filter should I buy??
Thank you for your help!
Most photographers aren’t very impressed with UV filters, they dont add much, if anything, to photos, and many say they have the opposite effect.
A filter can be useful to protect the glass of your lens from damage, and even then, many ppl prefer using a lens hood, so that if the camera was bashed or dropped, the hood takes the damage instead of the lens.
Theres a lot of advice on this page about filters, just search the page for ‘filter’.
I am a biguiner and i want to make some photos to jewelries for my online shop. i dont know how to use my camera i dont know how to use the focus and macro . Can any one help me?
Thank you .
I’ve never tried photographing jewelry, and unless anyone else reading this has experience and would like to offer, I would advise you to use the internet to get expert advice.
Try a net search with “how to photograph jewelry at home” and you’ll get lots of sites offering advice.
I am setting up the camera settings and when I am in the shooting menu I only have two options. The other options are not highlighted. How do I change the other settings? I get an error “This option is not available with current settings.”
Actually, you have more than 2 options – if you use the down arrow on the round button, you’ll see another screen of options.
Anyway, to set other options, you have to be in one of the ‘Pro’ modes > S P A or M.
You can read about how to use these in the manual, or free books (search this page for the links), or photo sites like ‘froknowsphoto.com’ (some excellent beginners videos on there) or http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm
and lots more
I have a question about transferring pictures from the memory card. Is it better to use the Windows option ( I have a Toshiba laptop with Vista) or the enclosed ViewNX2? I am asking because I have trouble figuering the latter out, but if it would affect the quality of the pictures, or what i can do with them later in Photoshop (is ViewNX2 like Photoshop?) As you can see I am a complete beginner. Please advise.
Also, although the short movies I made in the video mode reply fine on the camera, i had to import Quicktime and VLC to get them to play at all, and they are still chopped up, with more continuous image in Quicktime(still far from perfect) and better color in VLC. I don’t want to erase the memory card until I solve these issues in case the transfer method matters. Thanks for all and any help in advance.
Most ppl use the quickest and easiest way to transfer images, remove the card from the camera and slot it into your computers card reader.
If you like, make a new folder on your hard drive and copy any new stuff to that.
ViewNX is Nikon software, it lets you view and manipulate RAW files. You might have seen RAW on the settings, the camera doesn’t do anything to the image, what you see is what you get! Ppl use RAW when they want to make their own changes to an image without the camera doing anything. So at this stage, you don’t need to bother with ViewNX.
Your video problem could be because the memory card is too slow to keep up with the recording, or it may be your computer, search this page for ‘raizy’ to see comments about this.
I am shooting at my sisters graduation this weekend…It is in a gym/field house, so I know the lighting will probably be poor and I will be at a distance. Can you suggest some settings or tips?
Thank you!
Try some test shots before the event, with similar lighting and distance.
If its the kit lens, put it at 55mm.
Try Auto mode, see what results it gives.
If the results are too dark, make a note of the settings it chose, switch to Manual mode, enter the same settings, then try a slower shutter speed (let more light in) or a larger aperture (hold down the +/- button on top of the camera and turn the Command dial to a SMALLER aperture number). If still not happy, try increasing the ISO setting.
Try Program mode, you can make the flash pop up, see what difference it makes.
If you have a separate flash gun, even better.
Does anyone know of any wireless or wired remote shutter control for the Nikon Coolpix P300?! I would greatly appreciate any info anyone has on this…
Thank you all in advance.
tork
torkeula@gmail.com
I don’t know much about the P300, as this is a D3100 forum, but welcome anyway!
According to the P300 specs on this page:
http://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/compacts/nikon_cpp300
There is no remote available>>
Connectivity
USB USB 2.0 (4-0Mbit/sec)
HDMI Yes
Wireless None
Remote control No
Thans Paul for prompt respond. Really helpful links. Now I have one more question since you are one of the expert on Nikon d3100.
I have Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Nikkor Zoom Lens
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Now do you still think it is good idea to get Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 SLD DG Macro Lens with built in motor for Nikon Digital SLR (US$ 169 at Amazon US) Cameras. Or I am all set with it for now. Mind you I am just an amateur in the field of photography.
Again Thank you for your help.
Hey, I’m not an expert by any means, just a keen amateur!
Looks like your’e set on getting on that lens, and why not! After all, thats the point of SLR cameras, have as many lenses as you want.
I have the 55-300 and its brilliant having that extra reach.
PS, Ed and others are the ‘lens experts’, maybe they have better advice for you.
Ed and others,
Need your expert advice on this lens. Should or should I not get this lens.
Seeing as its the season of goodwill and all that, heres a present, a link to a PDF copy of the new Nikon magazine.
It has a review of zoom lenses, including the Sigma.
http://forum.mobilism.org/viewtopic.php?f=123&t=263242&hilit=n+photo
Hey Paul,
Thanks a lot. Happy Holidays to you as well.
Hi folks,
I was browsing online and stumbled on Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 SLD DG Macro Lens with built in motor for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras.
My first question is… is this a good/great buy.
secondly is this lens works for nikon d3100.
Folks need your advice.
Thanks
Yes, fine with the D3100, its in this list:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikond3100/discuss/72157627009242329/
example reviews here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000A7V2DC/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
Thans Paul for prompt respond. Really helpful links. Now I have one more question since you are one of the expert on Nikon d3100.
I have Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Nikkor Zoom Lens
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Now do you still think it is good idea to get Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 SLD DG Macro Lens with built in motor for Nikon Digital SLR (US$ 169 at Amazon US) Cameras. Or I am all set with it for now. Mind you I am just an amateur in the field of photography.
Again Thank you for your help.
I have a nikon d3100 and it was working great but all of sudden I went to download pics onto my mac desktop (which is new and I am still trying to figure it out) and it says that the pics are not in the right format. It looks like when I look at them they are jpeg normal and I think that is what all the others were before and I never had a problem. Now all of a sudden since then I cannot delete any photos on the camera and when i turn it off the last picture I took stays on the screen. Its only a year old. Help me!!!
I have a Canon powershot IS20 with which I am very comfortable while taking group shots and wedding guests.(only for personal use). Now, I would like to use the d3100 for the engagement function of my niece tomorrow. Can you suggest some settings with which I can take some decent shots?? Can the guide mode be used as an all purpose setting?. I am a bit unsure of things with this. Plz help.My kit lens is 18-55.
Thanks for looking.
Just try Auto mode, take some practice shots before hand.
If you have a separate flash gun, you could use that.
Just got an email with this link, it might be useful
http://froknowsphoto.com/how-to-take-a-holiday-family-portrait/
(Firefox user – highlight link, right-click, select Open…)
Hello! What a wonderful site!!
I’ve had my Nikon D3100 for about a year now and I’m getting very frustrated that all faces don’t come in focus when taking a group shot. I’ve tried all different focus modes and the camera still seems to hold focus on the closest face. Trying to take a photo of a family of 3 or 4 never comes completely in focus. HELP!! please?
Thanks so much,
Lauren
Hi Lauren
Have you tried shooting in aperture mode and using a smaller aperture say around F/11, that should do the trick and everyone should be in focus.
Thanks, Colin. I’ll have to give it a try. It’s very frustrating… I wish there was face detection…
Hi Moose and to all in this forum!
Happy Holidays to you all and Mabuhay from the Philippines!
Wanted to know if it would be safe to use my Dad’s Old VIVITAR 2600 External Flash (148V as rated at Photo Strobe Trigger Voltage Site) with my Nikon D3100. Any info on this would mean a lot. Please advise, thanks!
According to the D3100 manual, (page 172), the safe voltage for the camera’s hot shoe is 250v, so you should be OK with the Vivitar, assuming the contacts fit the camera’s hotshoe.
Thanks for the greetings, and ‘Mabuhay’ from North-east UK!
Hi Paul, appreciated it a lot , just a bit worried if the voltage rating on that site is as true as its indicated and if d3100 can handle it, again many thanks…
Yes, there is that risk.
If you search for vivitar 2600 on Amazon, see this review:
“I recently pulled it out of the drawer, replaced the batteries, and stuck it into the hot shoe on my new Nikon D90. Still works just fine!! ”
So it works ok on a D90.
Maybe you could use it as a slave, triggered from the camera’s own flash, tho I cant find any mention of this being possible.
Theres a manual here:
http://www.cameramanuals.org/flashes_meters/vivitar_2600-d.pdf
but can’t see any mention of the voltage.
Ask someone to treat you to a new one! Doesn’t have to be Nikon.
Hi All,
Can any member please recommend the best background settings for general photography, ie white balance, image quality & saturation etc, I am concerned that my camara may not be set up correctly.
Any help will be most appreciated.
Tony
I think the best way to test your camera is to reset all the menu options – there are ‘reset’ options in the Shooting and the Setup menus.
Then try some general shots, preferably outside in good light.
This snippet is taken from the first D3100 book (see various posts below):
“set your ISO to 100, your shutter speed to 1/125 of a second, and your aperture to f/16. Now press your shutter release button to get a meter reading. You should be pretty close to that zero mark. If not, make small adjustments to one of your settings until it hits that mark.”
and see what results you get.
Okay so I shot with my Nikon 3100 in multi-shot mode, I was wondering how I can view the other two images I shot in my iPhoto application!
Thanks
All a bit vague…
Do you mean Continuous mode?
So you can see the images you took in that mode?
But you took 2 others (in single-shot mode?) and you cant see them?
Try copying everything to your Apple and viewing them from there.
Hi
Anyone got any suggestions for the best settings to use for shooting birds, I am using the 55-200 lens, I am shooting in the back garden so fairly close…took some this morning and most came out blurred…
what would be the best setting, focus points & modes
many thanks
If blurring is your main problem…
I would try manual focus mode – use a tripod or firm support, fairly high shutter speed, say 1/250 or faster to ‘freeze’ any motion, large aperture (small f number), and start at ISO 100. If the results are rather dark, increase the ISO.
Focus on the birds eyes.
Try switching VR off, it sometimes messes with focus if you’re not using hand-held.
Oh yes, set Metering to Spot.
Cheers Paul will give it a go when it decides to stop bloody raining
how do i download my pictures from my nikon d3100 camera to the computer?
Although you can use a USB cable, most ppl remove the memory card and slot it into the computer’s card reader, or an attached card reader.
Then copy the images to a folder on your computer.
If you use a Mac and have a mini USB cable scroll down to my posts from December 4.
In short, open iPhoto when the camera is attached and the pictures will be there.
I have captured the eclipse today. I took the shot hand held, with 55-300 lens, @ guide mode.I couldnt capture the total eclipse for I didnt know the setting here. The guide mode was continuously focusing and I got no image. I managed up to 90% totality. What setting and which mode can I use while taking such picture??..ok an eclipse is not a routine affair, but still I am eager to know abt shooting it in a better way.
Plz chk the image in my flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anupartha/6486847683/in/photostream
thanks for looking.
Thanks for the link – excellent picture, and I looked at some of your others – you’re so lucky having such interesting and exotic locations to photograph.
On the mode question, your camera would be hunting for focus because it didn’t have anything near or clear enough to focus on.
I would go for Manual and choose manual focus, set to infinity, largest aperture, then you could try various shutter speed/ISO combinations to get the best results.
If you search the web for eclipse photography, theres lots of more detailed advice.
using D3100 since Nov 2010 – took some 21k images – fantastic digicam. I used to take RAW images which are big in size & take large proportion of my Hard disk.
Should I switch over to JPEG (Fine) mode – which are smaller readily editable in most of the photo-editing software?
A matter of choice really. I didn’t used to use RAW for that reason – too big to fit on memory cards, but I got a 32 gb card for a good price and now I’m taking RAW more often. I carry a spare 16gb card just in case.
Copy images to the hard drive, then its easy to load RAW into the ViewNX software, and play around with the settings.
Its better you stick with Raw if you really want some high quality pics. I agree its big in size but then you have to sacrifice something for such great detail pic. About Jpeg in fine mode, you can easily compare it with your raw image in any software(I use Adobe Lightroom). Raw is ten times better then any JPEG.
Solution : Get a 16 or 32Gb card and happy clicking dude..!!
I was wondering if you can use a power pack and lights with the d3100. I use a D70 at work with a Novatron power pack and lights. When I tried my d3100 connected to the power pack it will only shoot 1/2 a photo and the rest of the screen is black. I have the camera set on manual but with auto focus on yet. Is there something I am doing wrong or is it just you can’t use the lighting kits with this camera?
According to their respective manuals:
the D70 is compatible with the ‘EH-5′ AC adaptor (page 190). Presumably the Novatron fits this description.
the D3100 is compatible with the ‘EP-5A’ adaptor (page 178)
So I would deduce that the Novatron, or similar, is not suitable for the D3100.
You can get radio-signal-controlled flash systems for the D3100 which attach to the hot shoe and trigger one or more remote flash unit/s – I have a cheapy one which works fine, but there are more expensive versions.
I have been trying to view pictures fully but i somehow can only get it to show up with all the picture information and a smal viersion of the actual picture in the top left. please help
Press the up or down direction key (on the round button) until you reach the full-image view.
How do I use and fix a remote release on my D3100
Theres a reply below on this topic, search for ‘darius’.
I’m new to DSLR’s and am experimenting with different settings to learn what I can do.
Yesterday, I tried to take a photo of a plain white subject to use as a background to paste other photos (cut, copy, and paste) onto it. The camera would only hum and not snap. Yet, if I moved the camera slightly to the side (off the white subject), it would snap (same light as far as I know), but now with an object (door knob).
Why? What should I have been doing re settings?
If you don’t have a focus on the subject the camera will not snap. You can always use manual focus.
Thank you. That makes sense. Never thought of that.
hey guys,
need some help, bought the d3100 with kit lens 18-55mm, and i’m kind of looking for some tele photo lens, i’m thinking of the 55-300 (Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX NIKKOR Lens) , but what about your opinion? and are third parties as good in quality as Nikkor lenses… any other suggestions?!
Thanks by the way
the 55-300mm nikon lens is good, but the nikon 70-300mm VR AF-S is better, though it costs more. the 70-300 lens is made for both crop sensor cameras (dx) like the d3100, and full frame cameras (fx) like the d700, d3 etc. what this means is on a dx body you’re using the sweet spot of the optics becuase they’re bigger, and the camera sensor is smaller. almost all the time, an fx lens on a dx camera body will result in superior image quality over a dx only lens, which uses smaller optics due to the smaller sensor size if the dx camera. now is the nikon 55-300 a bad lens? nope not at all. if your budget cant handle the 70-300, the 55-300 is a fine alternative. as for non-nikon glass (lenses), i personally do not recommend it. some people have good luck with non nikon glass, but in the end nikon glass is superior to the off brands. and nikon glass holds its value more than the off brands. and nikon glass have less failures than the off brands. if you do choose non nikon glass make sure you buy from somewhere with a good return policy ssuch as B&H
Hope,
I like the Tamron 18-270mm and expensive. about $600
The Nikkor 55-200mm is great and cheap..about 150 to 250 depending on where you get..
Landon
Ken Rockwell has lots of lens reviews:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/
(click my name to go there)
You cant always depend on Ken Rockwell’s review. They say 18-55mm is better then 18-105mm which I found little bit awkward, Its about personal view.Go through every user’s view, what they say.
And even i support go with Nikkor lens.They are far more better then any sigma or temaron lenses.!!
I have the standard 18-55 lens & all of a sudden, I can’t focus when zooming in. The lens is set to Auto, but nothing works. Help!
Maybe youre trying to get too close to the subject, try Manual focus and see how close/far you need to move the camera to get good focus.
Is there anyway to load pictures from your computer onto your camera? I’ve tried writing the pictures onto my memory card but they show up in my camera as an [X] and says “Cannot display this file”
D3100 file system seems to be very choosy what images it will display.
If you put the pics through some software on your pc, it could be that it has changed the file headers in some way, so that the camera won’t recognise them.
Theres several other similar queries on here, try search page for ‘cannot display’
ANDREW!!!!
SORRY TO SHOUT, BUT DON’T ORDER FROM DONTONS, ITS A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i JUST SAW JAMIE’S WARNING BELOW.
Hi, I dont know why, but when I connect my nikon d3100 to my computer it no longer open a folder with my pictures, i had to take out the memory and insert it to the computer, does anyone know why is this happening?
Thanks
did you change your windows options so that when you plug in a peripheral device it wont take any actions? also, after transfering your images off the memory card did you reformat it? it’s good practice to reformat the memory card after every transfer. hopefully the reformat will do the trick, if not check your windows settings for when new hardware is detected. beyond that i’m at a loss.
Thanks Ed,
I’ll try reformating my card, but I tried multiple computers and if I open the D3100 folder its empty.
When I connect my camera with USB cable, a window comes up, its heading is “Control Panel>All Control Panel Items>Devices and Printers>D3100″, but not a file-contents-type window.
Could be your cable developed a fault – try a different one, or try the existing one on a different device.
Assuming you have Windows, go into Control Panel, then Devices & Printers, click Add a Device, see if it detects your camera.
If it still doesn’t work, why not just do it the easy way, like you said, remove the card. Then copy your pics to the HD.
First off thanks for this forum its been very helpful. Im complete noob could someone tell me how to make pics smaller for email and posting to the web? Thanks!!!
i save my jpegs in a folder, then i hold down CTRL and highlight the files i want to email, then right click on one of the highlighted files, and select Send To, then select Mail Recipient. when you click on mail recipient, a pop up should appear offering different size options and how big the file will be. now that’s with microsoft outlook as an email option. if you dont have outlook set up on your computer i’m not sure how to resize. hopefully that helps.
If you search the net for ‘resize jpg’, like I just did, theres lots (“About 230,000,000″) of results. Several are on-line resize services, others are downloads.
Thanks but this advice is not what I was looking for. I did figure it out if others search this and want to know
If you are in menu mode select pic you want, hit ok button. Scroll down to ‘small picture’ Save to the size you want. Cheers all!!
I just bought a Nikon d3100 and I need to take pictures of a Dance preformance with out a flash. What is the best settings for action shoots in a dark theatre?
April, there lays the challenge for everyone, low light pics, add the movement and you have a challenge..
Here is my advice:
1. Get as close as possible to stage/action but just outside the direct stage lighting.
2. Lens: set the kit lens at 18mm.
3. Set the D3100 mode to Aperture: adjust the it down to f3.5, the widest setting to allow the most light into the sensor
4. ISO: set the ISO to 800, 1600 or 3200 – play with setting
5. Noise reduction set to ON
6.. VR on
7. try manual focus but keep in mine thaat the depth of fied will be shallow because of the wide aperture setting. This i unavoidable. You goal is getting enough natural light to capture the imagine.
Taking the picture:
Note, the shutter speed will automatically adjust to compensate for the reduce lighting.. slower than about 1/6 will require a stationary platform like a tripod or I just brace the D3100 against something like a wall or chair etc..
1. brace the D3100 against something stable like the seat in front of you.
2.Try to take your shot when the dancers are stationary in a pose… the dancer’s movements will be too fast in low light conditions. But dancers do have moves where that they freeze to emphasis their next moments. Try to fine those spots to shoot your pictures.
Lets us know how it comes outs..
Hi,
On my D3100, when I take a photograph, the photo is named as ‘DSC_0001′, then the next as ‘DSC_0002′ and so forth. However, after about ‘DSC_0350′, the numbering sequence begins from the start at ‘DSC_0001′, even though I haven’t removed any of the photos from the card. This is confusing and annoying in terms of storing the photos, has anyone else had this problem? I’d really appreciate people’s comments on this,
thanks.
This is taken from:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3100/users-guide/index.htm
(click my name to go there)
File Number Sequence (Setup menu)
Set this ON. It defaults to off due to a firmware defect.
If left OFF, files will start at 0001.JPG every time a card is formatted, or a blank card is inserted.
If left off, as time goes on you will have a hundred files with the same number, like DSC_0024.JPG on your hard drive, and never be able to search or catalog them properly.
By setting this to ON, the D3100 numbers files up to DSC_9999.JPG, and only then does it repeat.
This prevents too much file name duplication on your hard drive, or on your online galleries.
Paul, you are amazing. I forgot I read that. you bring moose to shame. Where is Moose?
Moose has been otherwise engaged having a baby, at least his wife has!
He posted an update on the main page of these forums in October.
I have the Nikon D3100 and using the 18-55 lens. I am able to take a photo through the view finder close up in the dark using the flash without any difficulty however when I transition the view finder to the LCD screen to take the same photo the shot is completely out of focus. The battery is fully charged and am unsure what the difference is taking the same picture in the same conditions with such different results!
Live View mode use a different type of focus than the normal, viewfinder mode.
When you switch to Live View, It could be that you have Manual focus set, in which case, of course, the camera’s autofocus wont work.
So when in Live View, have a look to see which type of focus is set – press the bottom left button to see settings, and look at the Focus Mode setting. If its ‘MF’, change it to ‘AF-S’ to switch autofocus on, and test.
Pls let us know how you get on – feedback on this sort of problem is very useful to me and other readers.
I just purchased the Nikon DSLR 3100 with AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm + AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm Telephoto Lens. I have a couple of important questions. 1.) How in the world do I set my appeture, and my ISO? 2.) and the MOST important question, what are the best settings for PROFESSIONAL photos for indoor and outdoor shoots with this camera? I am really struggling and NEED this camera up and running. I have read, and read, and feel like I am getting no where….
I was right where you are at one year ago. I discovered a great website and I have learned so much from froknowsphoto.com
they have a section you can click on called beginner and it’s wonderful. videos. One of them explains how to get out of auto! check it out. and the forums are fantastic.
hope this helps
hi Jess, I am actually reading a book, Its “The Digital Photography Book” – By Scott Kelby, juste get the first volume and you might like it. Perhaps the best way to know, i think, which appeture to use, which exposure or shutter speed, (sure there are some rules) but first try to get more intimate with your DSLR, go out for shootings, shoot nothing and everything using every settings, then you’ll know when to use the settings later…
And the d3100 is equipped with a guide, first time i didn’t go through it, but tried it after and found some answers to my questions.
Hope this might help
….Hope
Asking for comments/opinions..
should I get the DX 35mm 1.8f DX for my D3100 for $200 or get the 12mp P300 Nikon point and shoot that already has a the 1.8f lens..
or should I get the 10mp CannonS95 which has 2.0f
Moose, your coveted opinion is reverended as well as elusive.
Hi Landon, I have the 35mm DX F1.8 AFS and use when walking around taking photos as I see, shoot what I see if you get my meaning. I also have the AF 50mm F1.8, although manual focus, is about half the price of the DX 35mm and is a cracking lens, dont rule out as a option.
Thanks Nick..
I am debating either to invest my money in the 35 mm DX lens as your have or to put the money towards great point & shot who has the same performance as the 35mm DX lens in the 1.8f range..
The D3100 is a wonderful camera and the kit lens works wonderfully.. The DX 35mm f1.8 would increase its capabilities in low light conditions..
More prime objective is to take lots of pictures of my family. Wen I go back to review the pictures, I always wish I had taken more pictures..
That said, I feel I would take more picture is I had light point and shoot to carry in my pockets.
Right now the D3100 is small for a DSLR but still clunky to carry around. The D7000 would be just unbearable to me to lug around..
I need to use a system where the camera is more easier to carry and hopefully easier to use..
For the D3100, I am also looking at the the Spider holster and cotton carrier which is basically a belt loop connector for easy access..
Thanks for the thought on the cheaper 5omm 1.8f..
..
what card is beter for the d3100….sd…sdhc…and what number 2,4,8,16,32….thank’s in advance!
THe imprnt rating to me is speed… look for class 10…. go with 8gb or more..
I just saw a Kingston class 10 16 mb.. for 19.95 at buyDOTcom free shipping..
how do you put slow motion in the camera
You cant record in slomo with this camera – the best I can think of is to play a movie slow in the player software – all the players I have let you do this.
Hi..
Looking for filters for my D3100.. Suggestions Please.
I have been told UV and Polarized are a must, any recommendations on which manufacture you like ??
hoya and B+W are great filters. tiffen makes some good ones too, just watch out for thier lower end ones, not good at all. in general just stay away from the cheap end filters, they’ll degrade your image quality. make sure whatever filters you buy are glass and have reflective coatings.
Can you plz tell me how to avoid the lens shadow while shooting in the macro mode (the flower symbol on the dial) with the kit lens in my D-3100??. And also how to turn off the auto flash in that mode. Thanks for looking.
Avoiding the shadow is a matter of positioning the lighting so it doesn’t cause the shadow.
I just took a good close-up pic of my keyboard using a wall light which is off to the left and above the desk, sort of at 1 o’clock position.
To make sure the flash doesnt operate, have enough light on the subject to prevent it, or go into one of the ‘pro’ modes, like Manual, Aperture priority or Shutter priority, and adjust settings to allow enough light in the camera without triggering the flash.
Thank you Paul. That helps.
Recently got a D3100 but can’t figure out how to get pictures from the camera to my Mac. I couldn’t believe the the transfer cable (UC-e4) was not included – nor available for sale from Nikon – but after digging around it looks like a regular mini USB should work. I tried this and it does not. Is there a transfer setting on the camera that I have not found yet? In other words, once you plug the cable into the computer should you be able to view your pictures on the computer (same as all my previous cameras)? Or am I wrong about the mini USB and need to buy a UC-e4 replica?
If someone could post a step by step tutorial of transferring pics I’d appreciate it. I’m reasonably tech-savvy, I swear, I just can’t figure out what I’m missing.
Thanks.
Brett
Akron, Ohio
I have a mini USB that I
This site is great. There are so many comments you might consider adding a search function or a subject field for posts to enhance browsing experience.
I don’t own a Mac, so found a similar discussion here:
http://nikonites.com/d3100/2311-usb-connection-my-new-mac.html
Why not so as PC users do and just remove the card and slot it into a card reader?
*do
Brett,
While I can’t speak to the Mac issue, I do use a normal MiniUSB cable with my D3100 on Windows with no problem. The cable it NOT a Nikon one – I also use it with both my GPS’s and my eReader.
The wife has MacBook Pro – I can try it with that to see if it works.
Brian
depends on the mac, on the macbook pro I use there is a slot you put the card directly in the machine.
No card reader on my machine – it’s an older MacBook.
UPDATE
It turns out it was working. When the camera is attached to the computer there’s no icon to let the user know everything is working properly. So, naturally, I figured something wasn’t working properly. On a hunch though I launched iPhoto (while the camera was connected) and there my pictures were.
So all is good.
Thanks.
is there a way to make auto focus single point the default? every time I change to single point the next time i use the camera I always have to change it back to single point.
When you set it to single point, what mode are you in when you switch off the camera?
and what has the camera set itself to when you switch it back on again?
I have had my 3100 for almost a year and have noticed that when I take pictures inside the flash does not always work and the pictures come out very blurred. I took it in to where I bought it and it worked fine inside the store, not sure if it worked becuase it was so bright in there, it’s frustraighting because I had most of my daughters wedding pictures not come out right because of this. Has any one had a problem with this?
I have just had a much needed lesson on how to use the manual mode and get great results indoors in poor light. You can turn off the flash, increase the aperture and slow down the shutter speed to ensure enough light gets into the lens. A bit of trail and error is needed.
I recently purchased the D3100. Its my first SLR and love it already. I have the 18-55mm VR and 55-200mm VR lenses that came with the kit. What would be the most cost effective way of getting more range out of my camera. I find that on some pictures I need more zoom. Thanks
Go for a higher zoom lens!
I just looked on Ebay and theres a Tamron 70-300 refurbished-by-Tamron lens for £100, from Camera Centre, Cardiff – not Hong Kong!
Thats just an example.
I meant to add, if youre in the US, theres similar on Ebay there – 159$.
New!
Just got the camera, so I think a lot of my questions will be resolved as I read and use! However, since I am coming from a Panasonic Lumix with built in lens from macro to 18x zoom (not sure how that translates to focal length), I do feel like I’ve had my wings clipped in range! Buying multiple new lenses is out of the question ( only have the 18-55 that came with the camera) and really, I don’t want to be changing lenses constantly, nor carry multiple cameras– I do a lot of shooting in the field where I go back and forth from flower close-ups to landscapes constantly, and frequently telephoto as well.. is there realistically a zoom that can give me a similar range from macro to a decent amount of tele without costing more than the camera?
Can you shoot video in any other format than QT? If so, how?
Thanks
Simple answer – no, but you can get hold of free conversion software on the net.
I just got my d3100 2 weeks ago love the camera still trying to figure out all the settings. My question does nikon even sell one of those rear lcd plastic screen covers. I looked and nikon apparently does not sell any for the 3100 series also if anybody knows of a good lens cleaning kit it would be appreciated
I use Giottos glass screen protectors on my cameras.
Moose recommends GGS – see under ‘Recommendations’, top of page.
Lens cleaning – I use a lens pen, has a brush on one end and a cleaning pad on the other.
Hi
I’m just about to buy a D3100. There are cameras with 18-55 lens kits and also 18-55 VR (Vibration Reduction) lens kits. The VR versions are £30 ($40) dearer. Is it worth the extra expense ? What are the main differences for quality of pics. Thanks in anticipation of response. Sorry if this has been asked before
Andrew
VR is very useful to have, but several ppl, on here and other forums, have said that sometimes VR interferes with the pictures, ie, can cause some blurring as it ‘kicks in’ and makes the camera jerk very slightly. (See some of Ed’s comments further down the page). I decided to test this out – with my 55-300 zoom lens – and found its true, especially at slowish shutter speeds. For the same shots, I used a fast speed and turned VR off – used a tripod to be on the safe side – and the results were pin sharp.
Still, I think I would go for the VR if you can.
You in the UK? Have you looked at Dontons.com? I came across their site yesterday, looking for a macro lens, and theyre cheaper than Amazon by about £25 for the one I want. I will be ordering later in the week. Maybe worth a look, they have the D3100 at £331.
VR is more important when you’re using longer focal length lenses, such as a 70-300mm lens zoomed out to 300mm. for the 18-55mm kit lens, i personally dont think VR is that important. a good rule of thumb for minimizing/eliminating motion blur is to have a shutter speed twice the focal length you’re using. so for the kit lens fully extended to 55mm you want a shutter speed at or faster than 1/110 (110 = 55×2). well there is no shutter speed of 1/110 but 1/100 is close enough. that’s not a fast shutter speed to attain even in so-so lighting conditions if you up your iso, so VR really isnt that that neccessary. good shooting technique (being steady handed) is more imporant than VR for such a short lens. now if you get a telephoto lens then get VR, it’s worth it. my kit came with the VR 18-55 lens and i never have it on. that’s just my preference though, i think the most important thing is to research the image quality differences between the VR and non VR versions of that lens. i have not so i wont guess, but go with the lens that offers the better image quality, it’s far more important.
Dear Paul and Ed
Thanks for your inputs, most useful
Paul, coincidently I discovered Dontons on Saturday and it has the best price VR and in stock. My credit card will go into action shortly. Thanks again !!
Andrew
Yes, wish I’d come across Donton’s sooner, they have some excellent prices, but never mind.
Ordering my lens off them tomorrow.
Don’t buy anything from Dontons, it’s a fraudelent company and have set up this scam before, previously trading as Yorkshire Cameras, check out this link: http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=4187382
Thanks Jamie
I too did some research and heard similar tales. CC details needing to be resubmitted. Prices are also too good to be true. Will now put off my D3100 purchase until the new year as the Thailand monsoon floods have made availability scarse and has increased prices for those still for sale.
Tempted by the D5100 but, being my first DSLR, prob best to go with the recommended entry level D3100. Oh, and the minus £200 or so.
Andrew
just one more question, I promise. what is the best all around 52mm tiffen filter for the nikon 55-200mm lens. The universal tiffen for around 9.00 got bad reviews. the polarizing and warming tiffens got good reviews. if I had to buy one, and I have a lens hood hb-34, is the polarizing better or the warming tiffen 52 mm filter? or is there one tiffen filter that combines these two criteria? thank you.
Can someone tell me why my video always get stuck when I move to my laptop, is it about the format ?, please help me how can I get a good quality video on my camera and laptop, I’m using Nikon D3100.
Theres some comments on videos down the page – search for “Raizy”.
Hey guys,
I have seen couple of Nikon flashes at the market like Nikon sb400,sb600, and sb700. Those flashes are pretty pricey for me to afford. I need expert advice as of any good third party DSLR Speedlight / Bounce Flash that I can use for Nikon d3100. Are they equally good flashes to use.
Thanks in advance.
You might have a look at the Nissin Di466 Speedlite (£47 in the UK).
Hi all. I’m a novice to photography and looking to purchase my first camera. I’ve been looking at the D7000 as I’ve been told it’s a camera that I will grow into. I was thinking about getting the 18-105 vr and the 55-300 vr lenses. However, the more I read I see time and again that it’s not the camera but more the lenses and the skills of the photographer. My goal is to simply take great portrait photos, party gatherings, casual street photos, all with sharp image quality on a budget of $2000.
My budget is around $2000
Should I get the D3100 and invest in a better lens(s)? Which lens to meet my goal? What would the D7000 really offer me to achieve my goal?
tough question! ok first things first, great glass is very very very important, so always get the best you can afford. the d3100 vs d7000 is a very tough decision, and all depends on how far you plan on taking your photography. the d3100 is a camera you can easily and quickly grow out of if you advance your photography skills. the d7000 is a camera that you aren’t likely to grow out of as it’s closer to a professional camera than a consumer camera. i bought the d3100 as a total novice and i’ve outgrown it already. i got it in feb of this year and i’m already looking to upgrade to….the d7000! the d3100 is a bare bones basic camera body, and offers very few advanced features. if you think you’re going to learn M mode and really explore the depth of photographic technique, i highly suggest the d7000. if you want to learn lighting then i really suggest the d7000. the d7000 offers Nikon’s CLS (creative lighting system), and when you buy nikon flash units such as the SB600, 700, 800, and 900, you can remotely fire them in full auto TTL mode off camera. off camera lighting can be difficult to learn and master (i’m learning and it’s not easy), so with the CLS you can fire up to like 16 flash units remotely off the camera in full auto mode, which saves you a ton of hassle trying to get your exposure down. another thing the d7000 offers is high speed sync (hss). what hss does is allow you to use flash AND choose a shutter speed that is faster than the camera’s sync speed. without hss you can only use a shutter speed of 1/200 or slower with your flash. with hss you can choose any shutter speed you want. why does this matter? ever see those bright sunlight pictures where the subject is nicely exposed but the background/sunny areas are totally overexposed? hss eliminates that. it allows you to meter and expose for the bright areas (by using a fast shutter speed) and use the flash to expose the subject, giving you a nice even exposure even in super bright sunlight. another nice thing about the d7000 is it has an internal autofocus motor for the lenses, so you can buy the older D series AF lenses. the d3100 has no such motor so you can only buy the G series AF-S lenses. they’re more expensive than the D series lenses and sometimes (not always) offer no improvement in image quality. so you’ll save $ in the long run on glass if you can buy the D series lenses. just do your research to make sure the specific D and G series lens you are looking at are equivalent if you do buy the d7000. some D series lenes are equal to thier G series counterpart, but some are slightly inferior. the d7000 has an amazing sensor, and shoots at very high iso with minimal noise. i know two people with it and they shoot at iso 6400 and the images look great, considering how high the iso is. the d3100 only shoots as clean up to iso 800, considerably less. what does that mean? the d7000 is excellent in low light conditions. there are many other small features that i’m not going to ramble on about that the d7000 has/does that the d3100 cant. so i hate the d3100 dont i? nope! i actually love my d3100. i’ve taken some amazing pictures with it, and i’ve learned so much. but i now consider my photography skills to be at a more advanced level, and the d3100 is holding me back in some areas. so i strongly suggest you ask yourself how far you think you will go with your photography skills. if you think you will really push yourself to become an advanced photographer, especially with flash units/strobes, then go with the more advanced d7000. if you wont push yourself too far, then i’d say get the d3100 and some lenses. now for the lenses…get a prime lens such as the nikon 50mm series. now here’s where you get a choice…if you get the d7000 you can get either the G or D series 50mm lenses. but if you get the d3100 you’re stuck with the G series lenses. you’ll see both 1.4 and 1.8 aperture versions for each series, and i recommend the 1.8. they’re less than half the price and dont give up much to thier 1.4 brothers. you lose 2/3 of a stop of light, not critical at all. i have the 50mm 1.8G and i love that lens! why get a prime lens? for creative control and low light shooting. the prime lenses can do things the kit lenses cant. google “prime lens vs kit lens” for more info. i’m rambling on quite a bit and getting technical, but you’re in a situation i was in a few months back. i outgrew my d3100 and now i wish i had gotten the d7000 for it’s more advanced features and high iso performance. but let me stress this, the d3100 is a great starter camera and even if you get advanced with your skills, you can still do alot with it. and yes good glass is very important. that’s why i suggest getting the 50mm prime lens. just think long term when you make your decision. really think about how far you’ll take your skills. you can aquire glass over time, and the prime lenses are cheap. to save yourself some $ get the body only of either camera, and a 50mm prime lens for general shooting, and a good telephoto such as the nikon 70-300 AF-S VR. it’s superior to the 55-300.
http://www.digitalphotographywriter.com/2010/10/nikon-d3100-vs-nikon-d7000-which-camera.html
it’s an interesting article, though it doesnt really give any hard answers
Nick,
Their is an article that address your exact question.. search the thread for Landon.. I posted it a few months ago..
In sum, the DPR articlae says get the D3100 and spent the money on the lens…
My opinion for you to get the D5100 which is margianlly more expensive than the D3100 and has the same censor as the D7000.. Get the D5100 body and the 35mm DX Nikkor lens and the Tamron 18-270. It is all you will need..
Ed and Landon, very helpful. Thank you
Nick
Having problems taking in guide mode thought my memory card is full but it’s not ?? Takes in manual flash mode but blurred shot please help this beginner !!!
Whats the problem in Guide mode? you dont say what happens, do you mean a memory card full error? Otherwise, just follow Guide mode’s instructions and you should get results.
Blured shots are usually the result of camera movement at the moment of taking the pic. Try using a tripod or other support and maybe a faster shutter speed.
Thanks Paul – no it doesn’t take any photos at all ?? V
If it doesn’t respond, I can only think its a problem with the camera itself.
I could only create connection between lightroom 3.0 and facebook but still unable to upload photos. Could anyone guide please?
Hi,
Tried firework snaps last week here in Sydney. Shoot in Bulb Shutter speed and and f8-f16 aperture. Could take a few pictures and most are good. But I faced difficulties focusing. Someone somewhere suggested to auto-focus first and then switch to the Manual button on lens. Did not know how to do that. Could anyone elaborate how does that work please?
Thanks
You can just turn auto focus off – move the switch on the lens to M – assuming you have that type of lens – then turn focus as far as it will go – infinity.
I am thinking about buying the nikon d3100. I am just starting out with a dslr camera. Do I need the kit lens or can I instead by the camera body and use the 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED AF-S Dx VR zoom lens as my everyday lens? or should I use both? What’s the difference?
Also, is the Tiffen 52mm filter kit appropriate for the 55-200mm zoom lens? And is a lens hood necessary. Thanks for your feedback.
The kit lens gives you a wider view of things, whereas the zoom lens does just that, it lets you zoom in on areas of interest and magnifies them. It starts approx where the kit lens leaves off – 55mm.
I bought the camera + kit lens, then got a zoom lens separately later on. I hardly ever use the kit lens, but use the zoom almost constantly.
Depends on what you want to do!
Lens hood – you get one supplied with the kit, and you should get one with the zoom.
Filter kit looks ok, though I’ve never tried a ‘warming filter’ yet.
UV and polarising should be useful tho.
Nearly forgot, theres a lens simulator here, gives you an idea of the views with the different lenses, just move the slider to 55 then 200 (for example).
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/simulator/index.htm
(in Firefox, highlight the link, right-click, select Open…)
hi, i have this d3100 since February 2011,i took pics by experiment. just glad to know there are people i can ask for regarding this cam. i am using the AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm lens. Id to like ask, is taking a panoramic view possible with SLR? I’d like to ask what kind of lens do i need to have in order to get panoramic view?
Your lens will be fine for a panorama.
These instructions are from the book – (link is further down the page):
SHOOTING PROPERLY FOR A MULTIPLE-IMAGE PANORAMA
1. Mount your camera on your tripod and make sure it is level.
2. Choose a focal length for your lens that is somewhere between 35mm and 50mm.
3. In Aperture Priority mode, use a very small aperture for the greatest depth of field. Take a meter reading of a bright part of the scene, and make note of it.
4. Now change your camera to Manual mode (M), and dial in the aperture and shutter speed that you obtained in the previous step.
5. Set your lens to manual focus, and then focus your lens on a point about one-third of the way into the scene.
(If you use the autofocus, you risk getting different points of focus from image to image, which will make the image stitching more difficult for the software.)
6. While carefully panning your camera, shoot your images to cover the entire area of the scene from one end to the other, leaving a 30-percent overlap from one frame to the next.
Then you need to load the images into a program to stitch them together, like Microsoft ICE:
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/groups/ivm/ice/
or any other suitable software, like Photoshop.
thanks Paul i will try it.
I have a Nikon D3100 and am needing to take pictures that i will likely enlarge to 11×14 to be printed. Just wondering what the settings should be to ensure the quality will be perfect for enlarged prints. THanks!
fine jpeg if you dont post process your pics, or raw then export to jpeg at full quality if you post process. 11*14 isnt too big so if you dont crop the image quality should be great.
Hi,
I have an old flash unit which has been working fine and is still working fine on my Nikon FM camera for many years. Can I use the flash unit on my new D3100 camera without damaging it? I understand that I have to be in manual mode for it to work.
Thanks.
Paul.
You should be OK as long as the flash unit has the single contact on the connector.
I used an existing flash unit on my D3100 – a Besel 328AF, which is very basic, but works fine, and I use it mostly off-camera, as it can be triggered by the camera’s own flash.
Hi, i would like to buy a nikon d3100 for my 14year daughter this weekend. i would like to know what is exactly included in the kit i.e memory card, lens, bag, tripod etc.? 4gb memory card is enough or should i opt for 8gb? thanks for you help.. :)
The camera itself + lens.
Rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL + charger for this
Neck strap.
BF-1A/B body cap/rear
Quick guide booklet and warranty
Cd containing the manual and drivers/VIEWNX software
Thats the standard contents, so unless you get a bundle deal of some sort, you’ll need a memory card – bigger the better, and a card reader so you can remove the card from the camera and copy images to the PC.
*should read ‘body cap + rear lens cap’
thank you Paul!
susea
I have Nikon D3100 since june 2011. I have noticed that when using the automatic mode the picture are very under exposed.This is mainly for Close up mode , portrait and child mode The Exposure meter is almost towards the end “-” end of the meter, since it is automatic I cannot adjust the exposure compensation. I have adjusted the ISO and it helps in portrait and child mode, but not for the Close up mode. But still I cannot get meter to “0″. is it the fault with camera ??. I use the Nikon 18-105mm VR lens.
Maybe there isn’t enough light.
Try pointing a bright light at an object, take a picture of it, and see what readings the camera comes up with.
you have options, use the d-lighting to t lighten you pics up after the shot.
I do not know for sure but this MAY work in auto, try increasing the EV to +1.
So There Is This Small Black, Cylindrical piece that came with my Nikon D3100 and for the life of me, I cannot figure out what it is for???
They filter high frequency noise in electronics.
These are for use with third party USB or Audio/Video (A/V) cables that do not already contain them.
The larger of the two cores is for an A/V cable, and the smaller is for a USB cable.
Heres how to use if youre interested:
http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/17084/~/ferrite-cores
Thanks Paul, I did not knew either, wonder if the they really work. To avoid these problem I just do a direct transfer from the card to pc.
I can not figure out (and no, I didn’t read the manual and it is packed from a recent move) how to use the video mode. I thought I could figure my D3100 out just by play and experimenting and I’ve utterly failed. So.. where is it? ;) Thank you!
Flick the Live View switch to right of screen and press the red record button.
I just got a Nikon d3100 and the 50mm f/1.8g af-s lens for portraits. I can’t afford the 50mm 1.4. Is this the ideal portrait lens or do I need the 35mm 1.8? Which will give me best portrait results? Thanks.
you made the right choice for a portrait lens. the 50mm lens gives a much nicer bokeh than the 35mm, which you want for portraits. you dont need the 1.4 version, in my opinion. in quite a few reviews the 1.8 was thought to have a more pleasing bokeh, at half the cost. the only reason you’d want the 1.4 is if you need the extra 2/3 stop of light for low light shooting. good call with your lens choice, i think you’ll be very happy with it. keep in mind that if you shoot that lens wide open (f1.8), your depth of field is very very shallow. it’s great for bokeh, but be careful not to blur too much of the face. i’ve taken close up portraits where i focused on the eyes (always focus here for portraits) and had the nose and ears already blurring. the picture was still nice, but i should have closed the aperture a bit or stepped back a few steps and cropped in to avoid the ultra shallow depth of field. i’m rambling….
Thank you so much Ed!
OMG! I just spoke to my friendly neighborhood camera store, and they totally screwed me up! Does anyone know about the Nikon J 1 as it compares with the D3100?
J1 is great, does about the same as the D3100 and smaller. It is mirror less. You may like it because of its size. But the D3100 has me to offer..
The J1 is faster in snapping shots but has much smaller sensors.. plus only 4 lens to choose from..
I do not think you screw up since the price of the D3100 has dropped.. It is an excellent value right now..
http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon-J1-vs-Nikon_D3100
Larry, also my only grip so far is the D3100, which is a the smallest DSLR out is still too big to lug around all the time.. I force myself to take it places with me so I will it to take pictures. But this D3100 does performed very well.
I may also buy a Cannon S95 or S100 pocket camera since they are super small and powerful just to carry around all the time to take quick pic of the family.
i would ask yourself this, what’s more important to you, image quality and expandability of equipment? or size/portability? if you want the best performance possible, a dslr right now is the better choice. AND there is tons of equipment for them. if you’re more interested in size/portability, then the J1 is a good choice. with the pancake lens it’s a very small setup that easily can fit in a coat pocket. i’m more into camera performance and equipment, so dslr is the only choice for me right now. the J1 and it’s new mirrorless tech is very interesting, but it’s in it’s infancy in regards to it’s technology, and equipment available. i would wait on mirrorless right now and let the tech mature more. it may end up replacing the dslr tech, but that wont be anytime soon. that’s just my opinion. i’d google search “mirrorless vs dslr” and also read up on specific reviews of the J1 so that you’re highly informed before making your final decision.
My wife and I have decided to buy a D3100, but would like to buy everything we need right away. I have a few questions:
1. Is the 18-55 lens sufficient for all or most situations?
2. If not, what other lens (telephoto?) should we get?
3. Is the card reader necessary?
4. Are there any more accessories, other than in a normal kit that would be convenient to have?
Good questions,
A few choices here..my preference is number one below. You can also get a newer body down the road and use the lens on newer or higher level Nikon cameras except the FX cams.
But if you were shooting FX, you would be hanging out with Moose in some posh place other than this forum..
1. D3100 Body + Tamron 18-270mm ($579) + 35mm f1.8 Nikkor ($200).. this gives you two excellent lens.. all you will ever need.. the tamron for everything, travel etc.. and the 35mm for low lights.
2. D3100 with kit lens 18-55mm ($100) + 55-200mm Nikkor ($150) + 35mm Nikkor ($200). – this is the most inexpensive route but the your have one extra lens to carry/switch.
Notes: For the price the kit lens 18-55mm, the 55-200mm, 35 nikkor lens are excellent values.. The lens are light and have a plastic feel. The cheap plastic feel and made in China are not reflective of the sharpness of the lens..again, great value.
The Tamron 18-270 offers a higher quality lens.. (quality meaning, slight sharper lens and heavy construction). I mean this lens is heavy, you know you have it. It feels of high quality construction.. I think made in Japan.. I did an amateurish comparison of sharpness for the Tamron against my Nikkor 55-200mm. The Tamron was slightly sharper to me.. I did this a few months. Now that said, I am still learning, I feel by hitting the sweet spot in the aperture settings, I could really do better comparison today..
Get a 8bg or larger class 10 SD card, the fastest write speed .
Get an extra battery.
1 UV filter and
1 polarized filter..
1 – the 18-55 lens is a good starter lens, and has ok reach at 55mm, but for things more than say 20ish feet away a telephoto lens would be a good addition to get up close.
2 – i highly suggest the nikon 70-300mm AF-S VR lens, it’s an amazing telephoto and has great reach up to 300mm. if it’s out of your price range the nikon 55-300mm AF-S VR is a very good kit telephoto lens.
3 – i dont use one, i just use a mini-usb cable and transer files via that. it’s a preference thing. the d3100 does NOT come with the cable so you’ll need either it or the card reader to transfer your files.
4 – a good camera bag is a must, to keep your gear safe and protected. also make sure you get some memory cards. memory is cheap so load up. if you travel alot a 2nd battery is a good idea since you may be away from an outlet for extended periods of time.
ok if you’re going to learn manual photography in M mode i must suggest a prime lens such as the nikon 50mm 1.8G AF-S. a prime lens has a fixed focal length, so no zooming, you gotta move your feet to zoom. but it’s a large aperture lens that excels in low light and for depth of field control. google image search “bokeh”, it’s the quality of the blurring of the foreground/background. large aperture lenses excel at delivering stunning bokeh. the kit lens will not deliver much in the way of bokeh. so if you plan on getting more artistic in your photography and want to manually control the camera, a prime lens is a must have. i stress manual control becuase in auto mode you never know what aperture the camera is going to choose, and you need to open the aperture up to get nice bokeh. if you’re interested in manual control M mode google search “exposure triangle” and study up on those concepts. those three variables are the heart of M mode.
I am glad I stumbled upon you guys!!!..Got my first DSLR, D-3100, last week for my B’day:). Been shooting with Canon point&shoot for quite sometimes, and hope to learn and shoot effectively soon.with this new toy.
Hi Atom…
Theres plenty on this page to help a new user.
Heres a link to a free D3100 book you can download:
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
by Jeff Revell
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
and just down the page I put a link to a Nikon magazine ‘starter’ page you can look at.
I have a friend that has just got a D3100 with an VR 18-105mm Nikon lens
When he uses the flash he gets a blacked out area on the bottom of the picture, I think the lens is blocking out the flash or something, has anyone else experienced this before with this lens or any other lens?. (Its not the whole bottom of the picture just the middle section shaped like a semi circle just like the top of the lens shape)
It does not happen on every picture, mainly those where its more an upclose shot. Perhaps because the light can not bounce off other surfaces, but im just guessing there.
I personally have a D5100 and looking to get the VR 70-300mm lens and would like to know if I might run into the same problems
I’ve never come across this problem and can’t reproduce it – tried flash at various focal lengths and distances from subject and all is OK.
I also have the 55-300 and thats fine as well.
The flash light itself is set high enough to avoid any obstructions on the camera. I even tried partly blocking it with my hand, but that doesn’t produce anything like you describe.
Maybe a fault with the lens?
Does it happen in all modes?
Thanks for you help Paul, I cant say if it happens in every mode or not, It happens when the flash is in use on auto mode but not in auto mode with no flash,
However I might have left out a critical detail, I think from memory he had a lens hood attached when the problem occured. Anyway perhaps its having the hood on thats the problem, or perhaps its just the lens so will suggest he gets it checked out at the shop if thats the case.
ok is the dark area at the bottom a black bar? and is your friend using an off camera flash? if you’re using a manual flash and exceed the camera/flash sync speed (1/200 shutter speed), you’ll get a black bar accross the bottom of the image. to stop the black bar use a shutter speed of 1/200 or less. now if he’s using the pop up flash the camera shouldnt let him go above the sync speed, and there is something odd going on. if it’s not a black bar accross the bottom and just some random darkness then i’d check to make sure the lens and sensor are clean (preferably by a shop/pro who knows how to clean them). hopefully he’s just doing manual flash and just exceeded the sync speed, that’s an easy fix.
as for you and the 70-300 vr, excellent choice! i have it, and i love it, it’s my favorite lens for image quality. i think you’ll enjoy it alot. i’ve given many tips in below replies on how to effectively use them so if you’re new to a telephoto and/or VR, maybe look for the longwinded “ed” replies below. it’s an amazing lens, i think you’ll love it.
It could well be the lens hood…
I tried with mine – never used it for ages and it reminded that, yes, you can see the edges of the hood through the lens. I have to zoom slightly to get past that.
thanks again for the help, I have passed on your replies to the owner.
-Ed – Yes looking forward to getting that lens, it seems very well priced for what it is and I have always seen great things said about it.
Hello,
I own a D3100. I tried to check the burst mode to take multiple pics at a click and tried in the flashless mode as it was in the manual. Still its not working. Is there any other setting i need to change in order to get it clicked in that mode or is it the issue with my camera? Please do help.
Thanking you,
Abhishek Reji Jacob
you selected burst mode on the top of the camera? that lever with 4 different modes? the icon should look like 3 pages, signifying burst mode. are you holding down the shutter release button? you have to keep the button held down to keep the camera bursting. if you just press once and let go it will not burst. also, is the camera struggling for focus lock? if it cant focus it will not burst. to test the burst mode, make sure you’re in burst mode on the top of the camera. put the camera in m mode, and turn off autofocus. then just hold down the shutter release button and listen to see if the camera is indeed bursting. dont worry about getting usable pictures, dont meter or adjust the camera. just see if it will burst. if you set it up right it should burst without trouble. now remember there is a memory buffer in burst mode, so once the memory buffer is filled the burst rate will slow down considerably. but sounds like you’re having issues just getting the camera to burst. give my basic test a try and see if the camera will burst for you. if not you might need technical support from nikon. hope that helps!
Just got your new Nikon camera?
Getting Started 1: The Basics
http://www.nphotomag.com/2011/11/10/getting-started-1-the-basics/
(Firefox users can highlight the link, right-click, select Open…)
It would be nice if you had a section for member to upload images shot with the d3100, it may also help to solve some problems members are having.
Sorry if I’ve missed the section if you can upload images.
Good site by the way and very helpful.
You can do that on the Facebook page, I believe.
Or join Flickr and post links to images on there.
Somehow I’ve changed the display window so that I can’t see the picture that I’m taking. I get all the technical details but I’d rather be able to switch back and forth between that info and the actual picture. How do I switch it back and forth?
Mark
While your’e viewing an image press the up or down direction key until you get to the full image.
Just seeing if comments work for me yet…
and replies?
I have recently bought a D3100; i am still in the learning part of how to use the manual modes however i was of the impression that with the AUTO and GUIDE modes it is totally automatic, like any other point and shoot camera. My problem is that some times the photo is totally dark….. i mean just black. Can somebody please help me with this? Thankyou.
Jon, this happened to me to when I first started using the camera… I assume you are using the 18-55 kit lens or the 55-200. either way, you need to use the “i” button to adjust some settings which may be affecting your image quality..like the ISO setting may be too low, or the aperture (f number) may not be low enough to allow ample light into the lens depending on the lighting situation. Lastly, you can try adjusting your exposure compensation which allows for optimal exposure in not so optimal lighting…I know all this can be overwhelming at first, but I’ve only owned my camera for maybe about 3 months and I am more comfortable now because of situations like this that made me question why my images weren’t what I expected in the auto/guide modes…trying out the manual mode and picking up a field guide for the d3100 worked wonders for me…I Hope this helps, and doesn’t completely confuse you, but the quicker you learn these terms and how they are applied to photography, the more you’ll understand your tool, which is a great one!!! Best of luck shooting ;>
Thanks….. I only started reading about these things recently and some I understand…. however, i was mostly surprised because i thought that with the AUTO and GUIDE i still sometimes get photos which are totally dark…. am afraid it may be a problem with the camera?
Hi can anyone tell me if I am able to use the timer mode at the same time as the continuous mode on my Nikon D3100?
As Continuous and Timer are both on the same switch, you can’t use both at the same time.
Hi I am very new to photography and have just got a Nikon D3100.
I need to take a self portrait for a challenge I have joined and have been researching ideas and tips.
One tip was to use the timer mode with the continuous mode. Can anyone tell me if this is possible with my Nikon please?
Many thanks
Sending my camera for repair, do I need the N.Y. center which I heard is one of the 2 Nikon own repair centers or can I go to one of the – more available- authorized repair centers?
I’m amazed at how many people appear on this page who have damaged their D3100. Dropped, fell off the furniture, bashed it against something – what a shame, all that expensive equipment.
Of course accidents happen, but there are precautions you can take.
So use the CAMERA STRAP or ask someone to get you a SECURITY STRAP for Xmas – it fastens firmly to the tripod point in the base of the camera and wraps around your wrist. You soon get used to using one, and it works. Also, anyone trying to snatch the camera would have a hard time!
Get an LCD SCREEN PROTECTOR – not a cheap flimsy plastic one, but a good one, like Giottos or GGS (as recommended by Moose). They work as well – and its cheaper to send for a new one of those than replace expensive camera parts.
Get into the habit of storing your camera somewhere SAFE, not where it can be knocked off, and keep away from pets and small children.
I keep my cameras in my back pack, in a corner of the room where they’re safe.
Anyone got any other ideas?
Sharing..I am experiencing a different camera.. I must have a tough one..
These broken D3100′s do make me nervous, since I carry my cam around all the time just slung around my neck.bumping into everything. I am determined to use this camera a lot.
To me, I would rather have it be broken (after 1000′s of pics) than not using it. So I carry it around hen I am out with the family.. That said I take the following precautions..
1. UV filter on the lens to protect lens ( I am just start not to use it even though I broke one on the camera already.). I may continue with the UV filter and drop the lens cap..
2. I use the sling all the time. Even though I hate it, I use it.. I wrap it around my wrist or neck.. etc..
3. To make sure i would never break it (snarky comment), I bought the insurance from Best Buy. I wrestle with should I have bought this or not.
4. I use the lens cap, but this causes me to miss shots..so I make just use the UV lens.
I have drop my camera about six feet and it landed on the lens, broke the UV filter but everything worked fine.
I bumped the thing over the weekend a dozen times and I keep knocking the lens cap off, no problems..
#.
Wow, you must have a toughy version!
But, yes, a LENS HOOD or a FILTER is a good idea in case the main lens gets knocked.
Insurance is always good if you can afford the extra – I have my camera covered by the house contents insurance.
I once damaged a Konica Minolta camera – it swung against a park bench – and never worked properly again. I had to send it off to the insurers to see if it was a write-off. It was, and I got the cash to buy a new one – so it was well worth the bother of insuring.
I think you are correct about the hood cover, that may be the best protection option, better than the lens cover and UV filter..
hi, i just bought a nikon d3100 18-105mm lens. do i need the 52mm or 67mm lens cover kit.
According to this site:
http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/410-nikkor_18105_3556vr
your filter size is 67mm
You can check by measuring across the front of the lens from one side to the other.
I have a Nikon D3100. Today it won’t take a picture. I only get a black screen on the display and the resulting image is black. When I set the camera to display the image as I take it only shows a off black image when I hit preview. I’m not sure what is wrong.
Thanks
Could be one of many things.
Lots of similar posts on this page. Search on here for Dina, Sarah, Sophie, & Gemma to see possible solutions.
Can’t give a positive answer as we hardly ever get any feedback from posters.
My daughter did drop the camera I found out. Can I see the actual light sensor? I don’t see anything broken on the inside of the camera? Where is the sensor?
I point the camera directly into a light and I still get a black image. The LCD display shows an odd black gray image in preview.
So, do I now have to take this to Nikon or a local dealer? Sounds costly. I assume there are no other setting I can adjust or play around with? And yes, the cap is off. Quite frustrating, indeed.
Having probs getting my reply to ‘stick’…
The sensor is under the mirror, which you can see when you remove the lens.
To see it properly, open the Setup menu, choose Mirror lock-up, press OK when prompted. When done, you switch the camera off to release that mode.
Trying to post the rest of my reply, but having real problems here, wonder if I’ve been blocked in some way
Hi all, I have just recently been given my Nikon dslr as a birthday present and am quite new to using one. I have a 18-35mm lens, the problem that I seem to be having is that when I go to take close up shots, I still have to be a fair distance away from the object in order for the camera to take. Is this normal? I have to be at least 15-20cm for the photo to take. I half press the shutter button for the lens to readjust, then the screen goes from info to black when i fully press the shutter button and the photo does not take. I always have it on auto focus. Also does really low light lock the shutter button and stop the photo from being taken? Thanks.
15-20cms is about right for that lens.
Theres 2 main conditions the camera looks for – focus and lighting.
Try using a bright light on an object.
Try switching the lens to Manual – turn the end of the lens to get focus – and you might be able to get in a bit closer. It did for me when I just tried it.
For macro work you can get a dedicated macro lens, or a closeup attachment like the Raynox 250, or extension tubes which fit between the lens and the camera.
Can anyone tell me whether is D3100 SLRcamera is suitable for use in cold country below temperature of minus degree?
This is from the manual>>
Operating environment:
Temperature
0–40 °C (+32–104 °F)
Humidity
Less than 85% (no condensation)
I try to check out which Firmware version I have, when I open my menu I see:
A 1.01
B 1.01
L 1.002
Done O.K.
So which one do I have? I cannot scroll through them? Only go to Done and O.K.
Only A and B are important to you – and you have the latest firmware (1.01)
‘L’ refers to a built-in lens database.
Why can I put the D3100 in ‘macro’ mode with my 55-200 lens, if this lens is not for macro pictures?
Or when do I use the macro mode with this lens?
The shutter won’t work if the subject is 2 feet away, it will work if its 3 feet away, no matter if I zoom in or not.
I use my 55-300 lens for macro work as well. Yes, you have to move quite a way from the subject but you can get good results. Often best with focus set to Manual, just move nearer or further.
I havent got any Macro lenses, but you would prob find they give better results – you can get in really close to the subject. (Ed is the expert on lenses!)
I have the Raynox 250 close-up lens, which clips on to the front of the main lens and gives excellent magnification.
I accidentally dropped my camera over the weekend and it cracked the LCD. Everything else works fine. I just need to replace the LCD. I just bought a replacement LCD on Ebay for $20 from ProCameraRepair. But, I cannot find a video showing how to install the LCD on a Nikon D3100. Does anyone know if I screwed up by not buying it directly from Nikon? It had a Nikon logo in the same spot as the original (at the bottom of LCD). Also, does anyone know if I have to loosen any of the screws on the body of the camera to get to the LCD? Or, will I only have to peel off the LCD itself and glue the new one in place?
Or, do you think the LCD is connected to the inside of the camera via those gold connector wires, and I am better off letting a professional perform the replacement? If anyone has a video of it, please paste the link; I’d appreciate it much. Otherwise, please just let me know if you think the LCD will work just fine, and whether I will need to remove the body screws to get to the LCD, or if it only requires peeling off the body?
Thanks.
Nikon D70 (similar) , replace LCD screen:
http://www.ifixit.com/Device/Nikon_D70
and here:
http://blog.stephanmantler.com/d70s-camera-repair/
Best one is video for D90/D300, but looks very similar/same as the D3100:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGeQornLXP0
You’ll have to weigh up – confident enough to have a go?/how old is the camera? – could you get it repaired free? or send it off for repair?
You’ll have to remove the whole back plate.
Careful to keep a note of where each screw goes, and those ribbon cables can be really tricky – careful not to bend them.
Thanks much for your reply. I looked at the videos, and wanted to ask you this: if you look at this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wo72TZGphs)…it shows the replacement for a D70 too but, it did not require taking off the entire back plate. I wonder if I am describing itto you right. What I have broken is the outside glass/plastic screen that your fingers touch. I just want to verify that I am describing it right.
To your questions: the camera is only 3.5 months old, warranty doesn’t cover, I am 2 weeks past Amex’s product protection coverage, and I cannot send it for free repairs. I wished I could.
The video you attached for the D90 seems a little too risky for me to attempt myself. I may just have to bite the bullet & pay the over $300 they may charge to replace. But, can you please review the link above & give me your thoughts? Only because they did not remove the back plate on this D70. Thanks.
Yes I looked at that vid b4 I replied, was puzzled as to what exactly theyre doing. Looks like he removes a protective screen first – I have a Giotto one on mine, so I cant see the actual camera LCD screen but I seem to remember its a similiar ‘stick-on’ type idea, with a border around the edge, which rests on the plastic opening of the camera.
He says in comments, “Yes it will be similar procedure for the Nikon D3100″.
Looks like you might be right, it may just be the outer surface which can be replaced.
But why don’t you just email them and ask? Seeing as you bought the spare off them, they should be able to advise the best way of replacing it.
Thanks a lot, Paul. I actually emailed them yesterday and unfortunately, below is what they sent back:
“Unfortunately we do not provide technical support at this time, the few videos we have posted oh YouTube are the only technical support we can offer. I do believe the procedure would be similar but can not confirm it… I apologize for not being able to better help you. Let me know if you have any further questions or if there is anything else I can help you with.”
I guess I will await the LCD and see what to do. I just don’t want to damage it any more than it already is if their video is not how to fix the D3100. Thanks for your help. This is a great forum. Much thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Looks like you’ll get the ‘cover screen’ part of the LCD, not the actual, internal part of LCD itself.
Looks fairly easy to do from that video.
Thanks Paul! I received the LCD and it was simple to replace. I saved hundreds this way. Thanks again for your encouragement.
I almost have the same problem as you, Steven. I dropped my D3100, but it wasn’t the outer glass that cracked. It was the inner LCD, and now when I turn it on, I see cracks and scattered black splotches. I purchased the camera 3 months ago from Sam’s Club, and the warranty doesn’t cover accidental damage. I’m willing to repair it myself. Could you or Paul advise me on what to do from this point?
So sorry to hear! when i opened mine up, i saw the inner LCD but, I did not look to see if I could have taken that off from the back. But, I suspect in your case, you may haveto actually take out the screws to get to the inner LCD. I do not know what you’d call that if you wanted to buy a replacement though. You may call the company I bought my outer LCD from. They are called Procamerarepair.com and they were sort of helpful.
It is strange that your outer one stayed intact and the inner one cracked, quite unfortunate. Goodluck with it. I called Nikon on mine and the guy was asking me to send it in to see how much they’d charge. But, I had read someone say they paid $350 in Canada to get theirs replaced. The person didn’t say whether it was the inner or outer though.
I have 3 lenses, 18-55, 55-200 and a 105/2.8
With all of them, I find my camera sometimes ‘searching’ too long to focus, it makes a scratching noise, the lens keeps moving back and forth, but it doesn’t ‘find’ the focuspoint. It happens a lot indoors when I don’t want to use flash. I will see the ‘flash-sign’ flashing, so if I do use my flash (which I don’t want) I can still not use the shutter, its ‘locked’.
Could there be something wrong with the body? I don’t remember it was like this in the beginning, specially the scraching noise. If I put it on automatic, its the same story.
The motors controlling the focus are in each of the actual lenses, and that ‘scratching’ noise doesnt sound too good.
The camera will ‘hunt’ looking for good focus.
Can you test it with metering set to Spot? Keep the camera very steady, preferably on a tripod or solid surface just for the test.
Half-press the shutter button, wait a second for the camera to respond, and take the picture.
Also, switch the lens to Manual focus, turn the focus ring until its well out of focus, switch back to Auto focus and try a test pic. Does the camera hunt again? Is the noise still there?
And test with VR On and Off.
Thanks, I kind of ‘discovered’ manual mode doing the above, which I rarely use, but it will let me take a picture of something which doesn’t have a clear focus point.
The autofocus will not. Don’t know if thats a good or bad thing.
I will have to try different situations and lenses, but the scratching sound is there.
Next thing to try then is the lighting. You mention the flash, maybe your lighting is just too poor for the camera to respond.
Can you try better lighting – try a desk lamp or something bright, pointing at an object and see if the camera will take that.
try focusing on something with the highest contrast, say teeth, or the eyes. something that stands out from the rest of the frame. that will help the af system focus. in low light any lens, even the pro stuff, will hunt around, it’s normal.
Hey guys, I have been playing arond with photography for a few years now. I always used a very basic camera, but recently bought a NIKON D3000. And I am having a terrible time with it. I love the pictures it takes, but when it comes to editing and printing,I keep running into problems. I nticed when I transfer my pictures, it transfers 2 of every picture, a JPEG version and a NEF Version. How do I convert the NEf’s nothing seems to work. And then I edite4d a full photoshot that I did and Walmart will not let me print them because of the format,. I want to get these edited and sent to the family and it is taking forever! HELP!
You have Image Quality set to RAW+JPEG.
Change this to RAW on its own or JPEG on its own.
(Page 60 of the manual)
You can load RAW (the Nef files) images into the supplied ViewNX software, and convert to another format if you like.
Theres an updated version on the Nikon site, just google “Viewnx 2″.
Sorry, dont know about Walmart formats, but they should handle jpegs, surely.
Oh I just noticed, you say the D3000, not the D3100, in which case the relevant info is on page 50 of your manual.
Hello, on my Nikon D3100 is always shows a question mark in the bottom left corner of the screen. It doesn’t affect the images or anything. I was just unsure of what it meant, and if you could help. Thank you!
It just means you can press the ‘question-mark’ button, left of the screen, to see current info.
Hi-I have taken photos on my camera-but somehow they were not saved on my memory card-but on the actual camera. Does anyone know how I get them off..???.I don’t have a cable for my camera.
Thanks
I think you’ll find that the camera doesn’t store images permanently in its own memory.
If it does, can you tell us how you managed it? The info may be useful for other users.
Hi
Does anyone know what magnification of zoom the lens is with the basic Nikon D3100 kit? The lens is a 18-55 VR.
Also, how does it differ from the vastly greater zoom lenses on modern compact cameras ?
Cheers
Theres a simulator here:
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/simulator/index.htm
You can enter D3100 under camera body and see what effect different lenses have.
Thanks Paul
i am a d3100 beginner, i would like to know..what is the best setup for indoor & outdoor photography? i assigned to take a photo for my friends wedding this coming december.. i would like to give my best shot for them :)
thanks please help me!!!!!
Trying to decide between 2 different telephoto lenses for my D3100. The main use of the lens would be to shoot baseball action shots of my son. I’m trying to decide between the Nikkor 55-300 with VR and the Nikkor 70-300 without VR. I’m a novice but know the benefits of VR. I heard the auto focus on the 55-300 is slow and will cause problems, or at least be an irritant. So would it be beneficial to go with the 70-300 and get better AF without VR or deal with the AF issues on the 55-300. I would just buy the 70-300 with VR but it is super expensive for my budget.
would $399 be in your budget for the VR 70-300? i got mine for that price refurbished from the online nikon store. it looked brand new and works great! the VR 70-300 is an amazing lense, i’d recommend that most of all if you can afford it. if that’s too much go with the 55-300 VR. it’s a newer lens and will perform better than the older 70-300 non VR.
to add, if you do go with the refurbished 70-300 VR from the nikon store, check the website daily to see if it’s in stock. when i finally decided on that route i went to the site and it was out of stock. after a week of daily checking it came back in stock, and i jumped on it. and sure enough the next day was back out of stock for awhile. just be patient, it will come back in stock. hopefully sooner rather than later.
oh and to add more, the AF on the 55-300 should be better than the AF on the older non VR 70-300. that lens wasnt all that good, based on what i’ve read in reviews. i had looked at it becuaes of it’s low price when i was shopping a telephoto, but quickly ruled it out based on many sub par reviews from various online sources. the 70-300VR is the best non-pro telephoto nikon offers, and the 55-300 VR is the next in line below that.
Thanks for all the info, Ed! I need to ask the “Boss” if $399 is too much. I think in the long run I’ll be much happier with the VR 70-300.
yeah i had to convince the boss too. she said no to full price but when i found it refurbished she gave in. it is an excellent lens, i do love it. but it is on the slower end for AF. but any non-pro telephoto will be on the slower side for AF. i’ve done surf shots and gotten stellar results. my suggestion, to help the AF get a quick lock on, try to focus on something that is high contrast, such as letters/numbers on the uniforms, or faces. good luck, hope you like whichever lens you get.
oh forgot to mention, i turned VR off when i did the surf shots, it helped alot. VR is great but has limitations. if you dont have enough light to maintain a high shutter speed (faster than say 1/500), you want VR on. BUT..if you have a fast enough shutter speed, turn it off, it will slow you down. when you use a telephoto with VR you’ll notice it takes a second or two to lock the image. if you’re trying to shoot something in motion, such as a basketball player, they’ve moved around too much and the VR has trouble locking on, which will really slow down your shooting. so turn it off if you can. now if the lighthing is low and your shutter speed is low, then you’re kinda stuck, keep it on, it will do more good than harm in that situation.
Excellent info, thanks!
I’m not sure if this has been talked about yet or not, but I’m having issues with my D3100. For some reason the pop-up flash is not working any more. I’ve tried resetting the settings, messing around with everything, googling what to do, etc. but no luck so far. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do to get the flash working again? It pops up, but just won’t flash!!!
I found this:
“Try this: Turn the camera to ‘Manual’ (he actually says ‘AUTO’, but you cant open the flash in Auto!) then press the flash selection button (the top one on the front left hand side of the camera as it faces away from you) keep it pressed down and turn the thumb wheel until the flash mode on the rear LCD says Auto. then make sure the lighting is dark or subdued…There will be a little flash icon in the far right lower corner of the viewfinder…and take a picture. The flash should operate. If it doesn’t then. unfortunately there’;s a fault on your camera.”
Thanks Paul, I’ll check it out tonight!!
I am a total novice and just bought this camera to start taking better picures, it was perfect in the auto mode and now, for some reason (I think it is still in the auto mode) it takes forever ( I mean like a minute) to take one picture. Did I mess up the settings by accident and put it into some secret manual mode??
Thanks
Prob some setting you made – look to see if Noise Reduction is on, or something in Picture Control. Otherwise, just reset your menus with the Reset selection and try again.
Check your shutter speed and iso your shutter speed is probaby nearer to one put it higher.
I have a new Nikon D3100 with the kit lens 18-55mm and I cannot seem to get the blue tint out of my pictures. I do a lot of waterfall photography at higher open shutter speeds. I am using a polarized filter and ultraviolet filter as well. I have tried going in and experimenting with the contrast brightness saturation..and nothing seems to take the blue tint out! Any suggestions?
odd tinting or color casts usually suggests the white balance isnt correct. try adjusting the white balance in post production and see if that helps.
You could try changing the White Balance setting, and see what happens if you use RAW.
Thank you I will try the white balance. I did experiment with it a little yesterday. First tried auto..then direct sunlight..because the sun was out which is a killer on Waterfall shots! Every picture I have on my website I have had to post correct to get the blue out. I did use raw plus jpeg yesterday on my shots so I could experiment a little with raw images.
hi Paul and Ed just wanted to let you know I edited my RAW image and it was indeed the white balance set it to shade and the picture looks great now! Thanks for the help!
Glad it worked.
Love your work!
Why does the battery and SD card side overheat after continuous burst shooting? Is it a defect?
Depends on how long your’e continuously taking pictures I suppose.
But yep, could be a defect.
I was continuously taking pictures for about less than 20 shots.
hello all i have a nikon D3100 and just getting off automatic mode and venturing with manual,can anyone pls help me figure out how to use the built in light meter.thanks in advance Hila
On page 77 of your manual (diagrams are there as well):
Choose aperture and shutter speed.
Check the exposure indicator, and adjust shutter speed and
aperture until the pointer is in or around the middle of the guage.
Shutter speed is selected by rotating the command dial: choose from
values between 30 s and 1 / 4,000 s or select “bulb” to hold the shutter open indefinitely for a long time-exposure.
Aperture is selected by pressing and holding down the +/- button and rotating the command dial:
choose from values between the minimum and maximum for the lens.
Shutter speed and aperture are shown in the viewfinder and information display.
to add, google search “exposure triangle” and “photography composition”, both will help you alot
i am looking at purchasing a d3100 but cannot decide weather i should get the 18-55mm or 18-105mm lens. i will mostly be taking photos of the kids and some landscaping shots.
can anyone tell me what lens takes the best shots in low light, and roughly how far each lens shoots to (meters)?
Thank you so much
well the 18-105mm lens has almost double the reach of the 18-55mm lens, it really comes down to if you have a telephoto or are planning on getting one. if you dont have a telephoto lens for far reach, i’d get the 18-105mm lens so you have some reach. but if you have or plan on getting a true telephoto, then just get the 18-55mm lens and save the $. i suggest going to a camera store if possible and asking to see a camera with a lens that covers from 18-105mm. that way you can see the range you’re getting. zoom to 55mm with it, and see how it looks to you. then zoom to 105mm and see the difference. then ask yourself if you want/need that extra reach. for landscapes you definitely want a wide lens, and 18mm is plenty wide. for low light though you want a large aperture lens, which neither of those two are. aperture is designated in the product description. for the 18-55mm lens you’ll see something like 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S. the “f/3.5-5.6″ part is the maximum aperture. the lower the number, the larger the aperture. for the nikon 50mm 1.8G AF-S, the maximum aperture is 1.8, which is nice and big. so if you really need a strong low light lens, i’d get either the 35mm 1.8G, or 50mm 1.8G lens. they’re both very good in low light. but they’re prime lenses, so no zooming! you have to zoom yourself by moving yourself forward/backward of the subject.
Theres a simulator here:
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/simulator/index.htm
Just slide the slider to 55 then 105 to see what sort of zoom each lens has.
Can the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Auto focus with the D31000? Can it do manual and autofocus? Please help.
yep that lens works great on the d3100, i have it. it will do both manual and autofocus. i leave mine in auto focus, and you can override it by just turning the focus ring if you wish to fine tune it. for any nikon lens, the G series, or AF-S, lenses will autofocus with the d3100. the older D series, or AF, lenses are manual focus only. so if you want autofocus keep your eye out for the G or AF-S designation in the lens description. you’ll see both usually
HI! I got my Nikon D3100 in July. My kids are young and are models. They’ve had several successful “jobs” and constantly need updated pictures. I wanted to be able to do those on my own. Aside from getting them to sit still I’ve been doing ok with taking their pictures. I have trouble with lighting and I’m planning on dressing them all up and taking some pictures for holiday cards. Is it better to open our shades and do pics in the living room? (I know outdoors is best but it’s freezing here) Also, if I’m taking pics outside where should the sun be in order to get great pics of them not squinting? They both have huge blue eyes, I want them to show up and not look fake. What is the best photo editing software? I really want to get more into photography, but don’t have a ton of time to learn (I will make time!)…..thanks so much any info is helpful!!!
the best editing software I have is lightroom 3, and I also have adobe elements 9. I work with both but do 90 percent of my pictures in lightroom. I also shoot in raw format. And as for pictures just practice as much as you can. I finally after a few months with my camera started to use manual setting then raw. I learned so much on froknowsphoto.com. Hope this helps. and by the way you can download adobe lightroom 3 for a 30 day free trial and play with it. Thats how I became hooked then waited for it to go on sale then I bought it.
for best results learn how to do off camera lighting. it’s very daunting at first but once you get used to it, it’s amazing what you can do. first google search “one light tips/techniques” and read up on how to use one off camera strobe. if you think you can get that down, get yourself a strobe/flash, like the nikon sb700 or sb900, and a wireless radio trigger. i got a cowboy studios wireless radio trigger on amazon for $20. with the triggers you can remotely fire your strobe off the camera, adding directional lighting to your shots. you want that for model shots. also get yourself a 60″ photo umbrella and/or a 28 to 50″ softbox. those are light modifiers that will soften and direct the light. and get a light stand! you can often find umbrella and softbox kits that come with a cheap but very usable stand. i suggest Photoflex for umbrellas and Wescott Apollo for softboxes. with that you just set up your light with the modifier, position and zero in the exposure, and take the shots. i wont lie, it’s very difficult at first, i’m still learning and struggling with it. but when done right it’s amazing.
but if you need shots right right now and cant wait for all taht stuff to come in, just try to use the softest, most warm and neutral light available. the best times to shoot are at sunrise and sunset when the light is nice and golden looking. try not to put the subjects in direct sunlight, but have it filtering in from a window. if you are outside, put the sun to the side of hte kids so it’s not in their eyes, but still illuminating them nicely. that way they wont squint so much.
for editing i use lightroom 3.5 only, and i love it. photoshop is too extensive for my uses.
oh if you do start doing manual off camera lighting, remember your aperture, and only your aperture, controls flash exposure. it’s different from ambient light exposure. i spent 2 weeks taking essentially the same exposure becuase i didnt know that :(
I want to buy a tripod, while the d3100 fit any tripod?
Anyone know any decent brands and what I should look for?
Thanks
Yes, any tripod.
I use Velbon – tripod and monopod.
tripods are pretty universal, so i suggest just bargain hunting. i got a Proline entrly level one with a ball joint head for about $40 on amazon, and i love it. it’s a lighter and flimsier tripod, but for my basic uses it works great. i do suggest trying to get a ball joint head if you can, makes positioning your shot much easier. but dont worry about brands too much, just look for a good deal, especially with black friday and cyber monday coming! i’m hoping to snag a good bag!
I got a very light and cheap one but with one of my heavier lenses when I want to press the shutter, its moving so it has no use, so watch out with ‘too light’.
Billy Basic user …just purchased my first DSLR and think i chose wisely with the Nikon D3100..
Plan to take the kids up town to see the christmas lights..
Any tips for a novice on which settings to produce best results…..
if you’re brand new to photography just stick it in auto and it should do well. google search and study “exposure triangle” and “photography composition” to learn the basics of exposure and how to compose a photo. the exposure triangle will help you learn how to use your camera manually, which usually gives the best results. and composition will help you take more aesthetically (cant spell it!) pleasing photos.
Hi all
I’m keen to get a D3100 for Crimble but due to excessive monsoon floods in Thailand, demand is greater than supply. Saw a pic today of the Nikon plant underwater.
Easter present maybe ? Happy snapping all.
can you recommend best settings for shooting in a dark auditorium with stage lights using my 55-300 zoom?
that’s gonna be tough. you need to maximize the light gathering ability of the camera to get those shots, and it’s not for certain you will be able to depending on how dark it is. ok you’ll need M mode, open the aperture wide open, that would be between f4.5 and f5.6 depending on how zoomed in you are. set your iso to 1600, then meter for proper exposure with the shutter. if your shutter is anything lower than 1/60 you’re going to get alot of camera shake and motion blurring, so hopefully it’s faster than that. can you use flash? if you can i’d strongly suggest going and getting a good nikon flash unit like the sb700 or even better, the sb900. now that’s if you’re reasonably close to the stage. if not, then forget it, the flash wont properly illuminate the area. good luck with that shoot, it’s going to be challenging.
if at 1600 iso you’re still not getting good exposure, increase it to 3200. you’ll have alot of noise in the image, but it’s better to have noisy images than no images at all. and if you know how to apply noise reduction in post production, you can clean the images up alot.
Hey, Just want to ask. I’ve already record video using D3100. For the first time the sound appear, but suddenly, the sound didn’t come out. Why its can be happen? what should I do? ;( I also have try to using another memory card, but its still same even though the movie sound setting is on
hey, maybe somebody are using remote shutter release (HRN 280)it doesn’t work on my D3100
It’s always a good idea to look at on-line reviews of products like this b4 you buy. Look at this item on Amazon (UK) – 2 stars out of 4 reviews, mainly bad because of the connector part which fits into the camera, tight and unreliable.
I got the Pixel Pro remote – 5 stars on Amazon in 19 reviews – and never had a problem with it. Also, it is true remote, using a wireless signal instead of mechanical contacts.
Maybe you can return your Hahnel one?
d3100 not have wireless
The transmitter end plugs into the camera, the control unit has batteries. When you press the button on the control unit, it triggers the camera to take a pic.
It also has options for Continuous, Bulb, and Timer.
There are other, more expensive versions, but this suits me fine.
I am looking to purchase a 3100 but most likely just the camera body. What is the best lens for a newby to SLR’s? I’m not looking into doing photography professionally, but just want better picture quality than with my point and shoot. I’d love to learn manual mode, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be an AF compatible lens. Thanks for your help
i’m a huge fan of the nikon prime lenses. both the 35mm 1.8g or the 50mm 1.8g are affordable and offer excellent image quality and creative control. they also excel in low light conditions. they’re called prime lenses becuase they have fixed focal lengths and do NOT zoom. but that’s a small price to pay for the nice big maximum aperture of 1.8. these lenses excel in depth of field control and will do much for your creative control of it. the 35mm lens has a wider field of view but has a poorer bokeh (quality of the blurring of the foreground/background when shooting with a shallow depth of field). the 50mm lens has a great bokeh but is tigher, so you have to move back more to fit the same scene into the frame. either lens is a great choice. if i had to suggest one over the other, i’d say get the 50mm lens, it’s bokeh is amazing. make sure to get the G series, or AF-S verision. there is a D, or AF series 50mm 1.8 which is cheaper, but will not autofocus on the d3100. and the G series is superior in image quality.
I just got the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D AF to use on my D3100 for £40.00 second hand, absolutely love it, Ok its is manual focus but pictures are pin sharp and the Bokeh beautiful, even more useful was the camera telling you what to do when the lens is attached, would recommend this lens for the price to all.
I have the D3100 and want a prime lens but I need one that I can use with auto focus. Haven’t figured out the manual focus yet…any suggestions?
they have the 50mm 1.8 afs now. I just bought this and it auto focuses with your camera or you can use manually. I use this lense most of the time.
Also if your just starting out, I would get the kit lense with it then you can play around with the zoom and see what you use the most. Then you would know if you like 35mm or 50! have fun
Hi,
I’m getting a D3100 at Christmas but I was wondering, apart from the body and the kit lens, what else is included in the packaging. Eg any cables, batteries and chargers.
Any help is much appreciated
Thanks
Harry
in the box will be the camera, lens, battery, charger, paperwork, and software for the view nx2 editing program. you WONT get a usb cable to transfer files off the camera, so plan accordingly.
Thanks:)
I bought a Nikon D3100. I love taking pictures of children and get a lot of compliments on my work (surprisingly since I shoot in auto mode) anyway my question is …because I know nothing about maunual mode if I were to buy new lenses (I want a macro, prime and telephoto are they all made to shoot in auto mode. I was told to be careful that some of the lenses are manual only. Thanks in advance for any info you might have on this.
Heres a list of all lenses that will Autofocus and Meter with the D3100
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikond3100/discuss/72157627009242329/
(click my name to go there)
Thank you Paul :)
I’ve recently got my self a nikon D3100 and so badly want to be able to use it’s full potential. What i mean is that auto mode sure is good, but i want to be able to learn to fully handle the m mode and create those images you just can’t do with the auto mode. I can do some things, but do any one know a good tutorial or something similar where i can really learn? For me it takes forever to get the right settings for every picture i want to take, and i can’t figure out how you good photographers really set the setting so quick! I’m grateful for any tips! God I really want to learn!
- Dharma
I read nikon d3100 for dummies….bought on amazon.co.uk, silly title but very uselful book
Heres a free book about the D3100.
You can just ‘dip in’ to any sections youre interested in
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
by Jeff Revell
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
the heart of M mode is the exposure triangle – ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed. those three settings are your basic controls over exposure and the creative elements of photography. i’ve given a few long winded explanations in responses below if you want to search for the “ed” replies, but the best thing is to google “exposure triangle” and start reading up. in that you’ll learn how each of the three variables affect how your shot will turn out. also, google “photography composition”, it’s equally important. beginning photographers often obsess over basic exposure settings and fail to really capture compelling images. that’s becuase thier composition is poor. if you read up on the many many online articles about those two subjects and thier related subjects, you’ll advance far in your photography skills. it’s a bit daunting at first but trust me, it becomes second nature after awhile. and as you’re reading up on all those things make sure you shoot, and shoot alot. practice makes perfect! good luck!
I read booth books, the Jeff Revell is best..
I have learned so much with froknowsphoto.com great website and the forums are fantastic. He also has alot of info on youtube
Heres a link to an excellent DSLR simulator – lets you play around with the different settings and see the results:
http://camerasim.com/camera-simulator.html
I recently started a camera class and we are to shoot all our pictures in manual mode. I am not able to blance my camera’s shutterspeed and f-stop on indoor pictures. I am using the kit 18 – 55mm lens. The shutterspeed seems to only work at 2 – 3 seconds and I don’t want to use a tripond on every picture. Any advice?
sounds like you’re shooting in poor light. to maximize shutter speed open the aperture fully. for the kit lens at 18mm that’s f3.5. adjust your iso up to about 800 or 1600, and turn on as many lights in the room as possible to increase available light. that should allow you to increase your shutter speed quite a bit. or you can turn on the flash, then you can shoot up to 1/200 without worry. but i’m assuming for the class you’re not supposed to use flash huh? hope that helps.
I’m just guessing, but I think you might not be giving the camera enough light to work with – 2/3 seconds is a long time!
Can you increase the lighting?
Set the lens to the 18mm mark and use the largest aperture, 3.5 and see what sort of shutter speed you can get.
Also, you can try increasing the ISO value by one step at a time, increasing the shutter speed with each step until you get an acceptable speed.
ed – Snap!
Great minds thinks alike Paul!
FYI, I just saw the ranking for the D3100 in Nov issue if c*ns*r s rpts.. it ranked 10 and c r recommended.. not too bad for model over a year old..
I feel that last year the D3100 was a top notched entry level DSLR, one year later which a long time in electronics.. it now is solid value or great buy..
I have recorded some short video clips on my 3100 and can play them thro the camera.
When playing the sd card thro the blueray cd player connected to the TV the videos are not recognised.
Any suggestions how to download them to view thro the TV
Rgds
MOV format always seems to be causing problems…
You could convert the videos to a format your TV will recognise and copy them onto the card.
Check which formats will be accepted.
RAD video tools can convert MOV to AVI.
You might have to update Quicktime to make it work, as it uses this to ‘read’ the MOV file.
Hi,
Very useful issues and their solutions have been brought up in here, so thanks to every one for contributing.
Would anyone suggest if there is any blog or site where there is a great collection of amazing photos and each shot is described with details(Mode, Shutter speed, aperture, ISO, a brief note on setting). It would guide beginners like me a lot. Thanks in advance!
i go on flickr and look at people’s shots all the time. if you look by thier name sometimes (not always), you’ll see something like “take on (date) with a Nikon D3100″. it’s usually located on the upper right hand area near thier name, if it’s available. if you see that, click on it, and it will give you all the exif data, like the shutter speed, iso, aperture, and all other camera settings. it’s info overload but very very useful in trying to break down how the photographer set the camera for the shot.
If you go to Flickr.com, search for ‘D3100′, then select Groups, theres lots of D3100 groups to look through.
Note that some are not too popular – so “first time users” only has 5 ‘discussions’, while “Nikon D3100″ has over 700 to read.
go to froknowsphoto.com on their forums people critique each others photos. I have learned so much from this site.
Can you shoot straight to computer using the Nikon D3100
Thanks
Maggie
Why would you? The pics go straight to a SD mem card which is a data storage device like a hard hard drive or mem stick..
I know you can take pics while viewing the display on your TV or other monitor. But all pics get saved to the SD card internally in the camera. I do not think you can bypass that function nor would you want too.
What an amazing blog! I just got a Nikon D3100 and so far I love it. I am wanting to take outside pictures of my kids for Christmas card pics. What settings do you suggest?
Since you just got it.. try auto a close pic at18mm which the widest..
The auto work great!!
Then crop it to your liken..
If images are “lost” on the memory card, can they be retrieved?
As long as you did not reformat the card, they should be still there..place the card in a pc card reader and use a file recovery program which I suspect you can get from tucows.com or some other freeware site..
Good luck..
We had a Nikon 3100 and cannot figure out why when we take pictures they are black, both on the screen and whe we download them. The camera worked great last night and now it is doing this. Could there be a button that was pressed that is making it do this?
black images are totally underexposed images. you probably changed the mode you’re shooting in from Auto to something else like M, P, S, or A. those modes require you to adjust the iso, aperture, and shutter speed to get proper exposure. so look at the mode select wheel (the biggest wheel on the top of hte camera) and make sure you’re in Auto, then you’ll be fine. unless you forgot to take off the lens cap…. dont laugh, i’ve done it! haha
I have the Nikon D3100. I found a zoom lens online for a good price, but would like to make sure it is the correct lens for my camera before buying it.
The lens is: AF-S NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Zoom Lens
will the two pieces work correctly together?
Looks like the same as mine, this is whats on my lens:
“Nikon DX – AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm 1:4.5:5.6 G ED” and its
VR.
yes that lens will work with the d3100. any nikon lens that says AF-S will work. AF-S lenses are G series lenses, and will work fine on the d3100. you’ll see the G designation after the aperture info. f/4.5-5.6″G”, see it? if you see G or AF-S you’re good to go.
What mode and lens would you use to shoot someone surfing? Thanks
auto or S would work..
i love surfing shots, they’re amazing when you nail it just right. you’ll want a telephoto lens for reach, preferably a maximum 300mm lens such as the 70-300mm nikon af-s. i’m assuming the light is strong, sunny and bright. you want to shoot with the fastest shutter speed possible, so i suggest M mode, keep your iso at 100-400, aperture about 7.1-9, and then just meter the camera to proper exposure with the shutter speed. in bright sunlight with those settings the shutter will have to be very fast, so you’ll be good. for a specific shutter speed anything over 1/500 should be good. the faster, the better. if you’re unsure about M mode, go to S mode and set the shutter to 1/1000 and see how it looks. it should look very good if hte light is strong. hope that helps, have fun! some of my favorite shots are my surfing shots. if you can, get up on a peir, the angle is great and you get closer to the action.
oh, to add, if you’re not comfortable with S mode either there is a sports auto mode, with the icon of a runner i believe, try that. that mode tells the camera you’re shooting fast moving objects, and will try to keep the shutter speed as high as possible given the available light. the only problem with that mode is you have zero control, so you’re at the mercy of hte camera.
I just bought a Nikon D3100. I am trying to shoot in continuous mode indoors, low light and all pictures are coming out blurry. I’ve played around with the aperture/shutter and ISO settings and still coming out blurry or dark. Any suggestions? I am new at this.
Seems like youre setting the camera difficult conditions for your first attempts…
Try some well-lit indoor pics, or outdoors with good lighting, set on Auto, make sure the switch on your lens is set to “A” (Auto focus) and VR set to ON. Half-press the shutter button, give the camera a bit of time to ‘read’ the situation.
Hopefully, you’ll get some good clear pics.
Then, if you want to be more adventurous, make a note of the settings for a good pic, switch to one of the ‘Pro’ settings (P A S M) and transfer those settings manually.
Continuous mode doesn’t always produce good results, as the camera is geared up for producing fast results, not necessarily good quality ones.
sometimes when i take a pic it comes out blurry with my 3100???
Could be camera shake or a too-slow shutter speed, try fixing both.
Hi ,
I need to take a portrait picture, ive just purchased the Nikon d3100 and unsure of the settings at the mo, any tips on the settings i should use,, thankyou in advance x
I am assuming that you have the 18-55 mm kit lens. Keep the lens in 55m (maximum zoom) position. Use low ISO (less than or equal to 400), aperture 5.6 (minimum). You may use the A (aperture priority) mode. Also make sure to have enough lighting, try in day light.
Hi,
my problem about movie in D3100.
i have recorded lot of movies,but i can’t edit this in adobe premier
it correctly imported into premier,but it showing only white screen when playing in premier
i am trying to convert this to avi with Canopus procoder ,but that do not support this format
it will be playing on computer without any editing,but i can’t edit
could you help me please
thanks
Rakesh
RAD video tools can convert MOV to AVI.
I just tried it – you might have to update Quicktime to make it work, as it uses this to ‘read’ the file.
Hi,I recently bought a Nikon D3100 and so far the pictures are awesome.I shoot in either manual or aperture mode,mostly food and in a portrait position.Picture is in portrait position in the LCD screen in the camera but when I upload it into the machine it’s in landscape position,wider than tall.I’ve turned on the “Rotate Tall” option in the camera but it’s still coming in lanscape position which I don’t want.How can I correct this?
I found this, relating to the D90 camera, but same principle:
“Setting to ON ‘adds’ something (invisibly) to the picture to change the orientation of it if you turned the camera 90 degrees when shooting (from Landscape to Portrait). It will not turn the picture on the MONITOR, so you will still have to turn the camera to look at the photo (I believe the manual is a bit misleading here). It just saves time when downloading to a computer as you don’t have to manually rotate each picture. However, this relies on the program you use to view your photos – not all programs recognise this feature – most annoyingly it doesn’t work with Windows Explorer. I’ve never viewed photos from the camera direct to a TV (using the AV cable) but I assume that the correct orientation will be shown here.”
I use the free Irfanview, which automatically detects the ‘auto rotation’ setting of the photo, and turns it so it appears portrait on your screen.
Picasa also does this.
how do you take GOOD sports pics with the d3100?
S mode..
i’ve replied to a few similar questions like that, look through the “ed” replies below, hopefully you’ll find what you’re looking for.
I had just gotten used to my D3100, so I bought myself a tripod. The thing is I don’t know how to fit it on the tripod exactly, and the salesmen were completely unhelpful… So, help please?
If your tripod comes with a quick-release plate, you can fasten that to the bottom of the camera – the screw turns in the screw hole underneath – and then you attach the camera+plate to the tripod by inserting the plate in the space in the tripod top. You can release the camera quickly by flicking the lever on the tripod.
Theres a brief demo here, you can ignore the beginning part, look at the bit one minute 40 seconds in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYdsazUp2y0
(click on my name)
Theres other tripod stuff on youtube as well.
How to shoot the night sky:
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-shoot-the-night-sky-introduction-to-astrophotography
(click on my name)
Paul, thanks I have been interested in taking night pics of the sky.. My eye sight is poor and I am amazed at what the D3100 can see that I cannot.
I got some pics of Andromeda.. fuzzy, I can make the shape out with the kit lens.. truly amazing..
Well done getting Andromeda, even if fuzzy…
We have problems in our part of the world – NE UK – with overcast night skies and light pollution, the best I have done is some pics of the moon.
My son has a quite powerful telescope and on a good night sets it up for viewing – the most memorable sight was Saturn and its rings – incredible!
Paul,
FYI, when the skies clear, M31 (Andromeda) should be directly overhead at after twilight.
I am using 18mm, ISO 800-1600, f3.5 at 25 seconds..sometimes less..I use the timer so I do not shake the imagine, VR on, AF off.
I can lock on M31 with my 200mm telephoto.. I use D-lighting and I turn off the noise reduction
Thanks for the tips…
I just went out to try some and would you believe, the nice clear sky I saw earlier tonight has now clouded over. Typical!
Will try tomorrow.
Hi all,
Have purchased a 500mm lens yet when fitted to my d3100, the camera is unable to work as it tells me to add a lens? Any advice?
Stemp
Make sure the lens is in DX format.
what specific lens is it? the brand/model? it could be an incompatible lens, we’ll need more specifics to help you out.
i am looking for the cheapest telephoto lens for my d3100 i have looked A sigma 70-300
both tamron and sigma make very inexpensive telephoto lenses. good choice with the classic 70-300mm focal length. just make sure the lens you buy has an internal auto focus motor, as the d3100 cannot focus a lens without it. also try to get some sort of image stabilization feature on the lens if you can, it will help reduce/eliminate hand shake on stationary and seim-stationary subjects. i cant provide model numbers or give recommendations as my telephoto is a nikon brand, but i’ve heard decent things about both the tamron and sigma telephotos.
I just got the AF-S 35mm 1.8G lens. Anyone have any pointers. So far i’m not doing so well with the lens.
great lens choice! i have that lens and love it! can you give more specifics as to what you’re not liking about the lens? being a large aperture 1.8 lens, it will have significant impact on your depth of field. that’s the bokeh, or blurring of the foreground and background you’ll see when you shoot wide open (f1.8). are you not pleased with the bokeh? are you looking for images that are sharp and in focus all throughout the image? if so that’s a depth of field issue. the more open the aperture (ie lower f #s, like 1.8 etc), the shallower the depth of field (dof). the shallower the dof, the more blurring you’ll get in your image. to reduce that effect you’ll have to close down your aperture (ie larger f #s, like f8-11 etc). hopefully that helps, if not add more specifics on what you’re not liking and/or what you want the lens to do that it’s not and we’ll help you out.
I am new to photography and after researching, I bought a D3100 with an additional Nikkor 35-300mm lens so that I could shoot soccer photos of my kids. The daytime photos in the sports mode turned out super and I was really impressed. However, the night games under the lights required such a slow shutter speed that most action shots were blurry. Is there a method to get crisp action shots at night?
Thanks in advance, Terry
night shots are tough, the lighting isnt very good usually. to gather as much light as possible in these situations you’ll have to shoot with aperture wide open, f5.6 i believe for that lens. also increase your iso to 1600. hopefully that will allow a fast enough shutter speed to freeze motion. if at 1600 iso you cant get a fast enough shutter, increase iso to 3200. just be warned, the higher the iso, the more noise you’ll see in your images. if you know how to apply noise reduction in post processing it wont be as big of a factor.
Thank you Ed for the quick response and the information! very helpful website
i am 71 and just got a fancy camera, Nikon d3100.
can you show me how to use it please
/
Heres links to some free books about the D3100.
You can just ‘dip in’ to any sections youre interested in.
Book 1
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
by Jeff Revell
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
Extra chapters:
D3100 video
http://min.us/mbpCL2lRzU
Pimp my ride
http://min.us/m67QOI8v8
Book 2
NIKON D3100 GUIDE TO DIGITAL SLR PHOTOGRAPHY
(more technical)
David D. Busch
http://min.us/msKgUCtWp
I have Nikon D3100. I have the 18-55 mm lens. I have noticed that with any automatic mode i have indictor suggesting over exposed. (since being automatic, I have no control on it) But with all manual mode I can change. is it a problem with the camera. I did try 18-105 and 55-200mm lens, all have the same problem, so I think it cannot be the lens since it persist with all other lens. what should I do now
how do the images look in auto mode? are they indeed overexposed? or do they look properly exposed to you? if they’re properly exposed i’d just ignore the indicator. if they are indeed overexposed there is a problem with the camera. my camera in M mode always indicates “too dark” but i just ignore it. do you have the exposure compensation on? i’m not sure if you can use exposure compensation in auto but if you can and it is set to brighter exposure, that could be the problem. hopefully your images are coming out ok, then you can just ignore the indicator. hope that helps.
Found this site on photography.. sharing..
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/
Hi
Need your view on AF-S NIKKOR 55-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 G ED. When Checked Nikon website, I could only see AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR. How you guys would differentiate between these two on the basis of their function?
Thanks,
Sharad
i did quite a few internet searches for a G series 55-300mm lens and there seems to be only one. the two you listed above are actually the same lens, just described differently.
i have a tamron 70-300mm on my nikon D3100 but looking for more reach :-) would a 2x converter work OK with autofoucs?
IMHO.. I think the 2x converter would not work that great…you may lose the AF abilities and the you could only use it on bright days.. you would loose the clarity as well..
300mm is great reach couple the electronic zoom and the megapixel of this camera..
the highest you could go with a converter would be about 1.5x
also read this on converters..
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/tc.htm
Got the Nikon D3100 wanted to know the best settings to shoot different cars with landscape (still shots) and also some moving car shots like rolls were the car comes out really clean and wheels show movement I’m guessing its shutter speed I need to change?
for the still shots these are my settings – Image quality : NEF(RAW) ・ Exposure: [Landscape] mode, 1/500 second, f/11 ・ White balance: Auto ・ Sensitivity: ISO 250 ・ Picture Control: Standard
and for moving shots I tried Image quality : NEF(RAW) ・ Exposure: [Sports] mode, 1/1250 second, f/5 ・ White balance: Auto ・ Sensitivity: ISO 100 ・ Picture Control: Standard
any tips on getting a better shot settings wise?
my guess is to keep the aperture and ISO fixed say at f11 and ISO200 and playing with the shutter speed between the two settings you mentioned above.. it will be trial and error..
yes for motion control you want to use your shutter speed setting. 1/1250 you mentioned is plenty fast for trying to freeze motion. now you mentioned f5 for the moving shot, that’s going to give you a more shallow depth of field. if you want the whole car in focus close the aperture down as Landon mentioned above. that way the whole car is in focus. now doing that will lose some light as your aperture is smaller, so you’ll have to either slow down the shutter some and/or increase your iso to compensate. i’d say since motion control is so important to your shot, increase the iso first, say up to 800, and see if you’re getting proper exposure with the same shutter speed. you can lower the shutter a bit if you want, but try not to go below 1/500. experiment while you’re shoooting to see what yeilds the best results.
hey guys…..
just recently brought a nikon d3100. awesome piece just loved it!
but there is a problem……….
my 18-55 lens is not focusing whenever i look through the eyepiece even in ‘a’ mode…… but focusses correctly whenever i look through the lcd screen…
what do i do ?????
confused ?
HELP.
Maddy,
Here is my guess since this is very odd, almost not possible since the the view finder and sensor imager both look through the same mechanical lens which apparently IS auto focusing.. I betting it is working.. but the AF is picking another subject to focus on..change the settings to single point focus, not the 11 point focus. Also try manual focusing..’
let us know how it turns out..
if you look on the upper right hand side of your eye piece, there’s a wheel with a plus and minus sign, play around with that and it should sort it out.. its actually ment to help those with a poor eye sight adjust and sharpen their view through the eye piece, like spectacles.
Hi there,
I purchased my d3100 just a few months ago and have loved it so far, however I have been trying to use my 55-200 lens and am having a hard time. It seems as though with this lens the camera doesn’t want to focus and actually take the picture. I think its trying to focus…? I can’t get the camera to shoot a photo with this lens, is there something I am doing wrong? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Is the AF button on the side of the lens on A or M ?
Take your camera or lens to a camera store and try it on the same len in the store to see if their is problem..
Hi, I’ve got a Nikon D3100 and everytime time I zoom in on something or someone the picture comes out really blurry. Can anyone give me any advice on how to stop this happening please?
You have to refocus when changing the zoom level.. there is term for it.. I forgot.. but some expensive lens apparently keep the focus when you change zoom..
Try the manual focus when you zoom in on something, turn the side button from A to M on the lens it self..
hello!just had my cam for a few months,doind some street photography this saturday in bright light tropical set up.blak n white and colour.any suggestion how to set up my camera on manual would be welcomed.:)
bright light is tough to shoot in. the one good thing is you wont need a high iso, so set it to 100 for nice noise free images. as for shutter and aperture, it’s really just a matter of your creative intentions. if you want to use your aperture to create a shallow depth of field, then just open it up, and adjust your shutter accordingly to get proper exposure. same with shutter speed. if you want to freeze or blur motion, set your shutter to your desired setting and use the aperture to get proper exposure. one thing i do like doing is keeping the sun to the right or left of the camera, not behind it. that way the people looking at you and the camera wont be squinting as much, or at all. you can also put the sun behind the subjects and use your flash for some nice fill light. do watch for lens flares in your viewfinder, they can make or break an image. sorry dont have much to offer on this one, it’s a tough question, as there are so many variables and your intentions.
For street photography, I use aperture priority mode set to f/4 which lets the camera set the shutter speed for a correct exposure. For the lenses I use, a 50mm and 35mm f/1.8 prime lenses, f/4 tends to be the sweet spot for sharpness. However, aperture should be adjusted as needed to control depth of field. But, I always make sure that the camera is preset before i raise it to my eye. If the shutter speed becomes too slow, bump up the iso; Noise in a street photo is not a bad thing. Lastly, I use burst mode and take at least 3 shots and pick the best one.
Reasoning behind this technique is that you don’t have much time to take a shot, especially when taking candid photographs of people. If you need to monkey around with camera settings, you’ll likely miss the shot. It’s best to quickly compose and shoot. With a street photo, composition and story telling will make or break a photo.
This is just one setup technique for street photography. Experiment with different settings to determine the settings to get the photos you want; eg, experiment with shutter priority mode to see how photos look with different shutter speeds. Experiment with manual mode to gain different levels of overexposure, underexposure, etc. A well executed street photo with heavily overexposed and underexposed areas with motion blurring and flaring can be appealing.
What settings would you recommend for shooting basketballall inside a gym using the Nikon D3100?
if you can manually control the camera in M mode then set your iso to about 800, maybe 1600, set your aperture to about f8, then use your shutter to meter a proper exposure. you want a shutter speed around 1/500 to try to freeze motion. the slower your shutter, the more motion blur you”ll get. anything under 1/200 on a moving player will probably be unacceptable. if at iso 1600 and aperture f8 you’re still having trouble getting the shutter speed up, then open up the aperture more, all the way to wide open if you need to. the reason i suggest starting at f8 for your aperture is you dont want a shallow depth of field in this situation. with teh players moving around alot the camera will have some trouble focusing. f8 will give you a nice broad depth of field, so if the focus is off a bit, you should still get reasonably sharp images. but as you open up the aperture towards wide open (lower f#), you’re narrowing the depth of field. so a missed focus will be more blurry and out of focus. also change your metering setting to matrix, and the auto focus setting to the full 11point option, i forget the name. you’ll see it in the options though. what lens are you using? are you using the kit lens? or a telephoto? if you’re using a telephoto and it has VR, turn it off. VR works great for stationary or barely moving objects, but struggles with fast moving objects. as long as you ahve a good fast shutter speed of 1/500 or around there, VR isnt really neccessary. what happens when VR is on is the lens will take an additional few seconds to lock the image and steady it. if something is moving around alot, like sports players, the VR will struggle to lock in and will blur the images if it’s not locked in. that’s the one dirty secret of VR that few know, if the VR hasnt locked in, it will blur the image if you take the shot. anyhow that was long winded, just turn vr off and you’ll be fine.
now if you’re only used to auto modes and cant use M mode, use the auto sports setting. on the mode select wheel you’ll see the image of a runner. that mode knows your shooting fast moving objects and tries to use the fastest shutter speed possible.
hope that helps!
Thank you for your quick response. I will get a chance to try this out Thursday night. It is the kit lens I will be using.
Cracked body on nikon D40 . Flash will not pop up. Any suggestions.
ok do this at your own risk… try prying the flash open. it’s the only thing i can think of, outside of sending it to nikon for repairs. but you run the risk of breaking the flash, so make sure you’re ok with that outcome as it could happen.
the D40 is long in the tooth…take a chance and pry it open.. breaking it will give you an excuse to buy something newer..
hi im wanting to buy a 70-300mm zoom lens but i need some model numbers can eny body help
here is the nikon lens description directly from nikon’s site:
AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR
70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
Product Number: 2161
i have that lens, it’s amazing, probably my favorite lens. for image quality it’s definitely my best, and i have a few good lenses.
i got it refurbished from nikon for $399 and it looked brand new
I have this lense and love it. It is the Nikkor 70-300 and works great. Great all around zoom lense for anything.
Does mounting a speedlight on the hot shoe over-ride the internal flash on the Nikon D3100?
Thanks for any replies.
usually the answer is yes. sometimes older or off brand flashes might not get picked up by the hotshoe, but it’s rare. when the camera detects a flash unit on the hotshoe it will disable the pop up flash.
Thanks Ed for your speedy and concise answer. I have ordered a YN467 Flash Speedlite and was wondering if it would be okay to put on the hot shoe. I could of course use it as a slave, which would fill the bill anyway, although not quite as convenient.
ah nice choice! i’m debating getting that one or the YN560 for an off camera strobe. i have some cheap radio triggers to trigger my flash. i have the nikon sb600 as my main light, but i’m eager to try doing multiple lights, and no way i’m spending alot of $ when i have to do everything manually off camera. a nice cheap manual strobe will be just fine! ok i cannot speak on the YN467, but from everything i’ve read, even camera mounted the YN560 is a totally manual strobe, there are no auto capabilities (iTTL).
oh, yes the YN467 should be just fine on the hotshoe, just not sure if any auto modes will work on it, you’ll have to research that part. if you’re using it on camera and want to soften and direct the light, look at the “Rogue Flashbender” products. i just got the small one last week and it’s a great product. it will soften and diffuse the light considerably compared to just bare bulb flash directly on the subject. if you have low ceilings then you dont really need it, you can bounce the light easily. but i’m shooting an event with high ceilings, and for that situtation it’s a great product. even if you can bounce light off a low ceiling, they’re still worht a look. and they work great for outside, sunny day shots. anyhow i’m rambling, good luck with the yn467, hope it works well for you.
In “A” auto mode of D3100, the ISO speed jumps to very high speed like iso 3200. Specially indoors with very good lighting.We were waiting from long time and any firmware updates are redy by NIKON to avoid this defect.
Thanks,
Shane
sounds like you have the Auto ISO function on, and the max iso range high, like 3200. go into the menu and find the iso options, and turn the auto iso off. then just manually adjust your iso as needed. hope that helps.
to add to my comment, when auto iso is on the camera will usually use the highest iso setting that’s available, based on what the setting is for Maximum ISO. you’ll see the maximum iso setting in the iso settings menu. but turning auto iso off will disable the max iso setting, so no need to do anything with that one. so i’m assuming for your camera the auto iso is on, and the max iso is probably 3200. i had trouble with that myself when i first got the camera. my images were excessively noisy. turning auto iso off fixed it.
to add my experience with this issue .i have actually seen some low noise pics at 3200, I am still amazed at their clarity..I chose not to limit my max ISO. I just use M and manually set it form there..
Probably the low noise is is one the best features of this camera..
Hi! i bought a ikon D3100 last Friday… I know it good. Can you help me with bracketing? Expline me what is bracketing and how can I make it.
the d3100 does not have a bracketing function, unfortunately. and in my opinion it’s not really neccessary. bracketing is a function where the camera will take a burst of 3 shots, with different exposure levels. it will take on properly exposed, 1 stop underexposed, and 1 stop overexposed. the function can be fine tuned to be slightly different from what i described, but that’s the concept. now if you’re trying something and you need to bracket, you can do it yourself. this will only work on a stationary object, and it’s best to have a tripod. ok so set the camera up on a tripod, focus, and take your shot. then set the exposure compensation to -1 and take the same exact shot again. now do exposure compensation +1, and bingo, you have bracketing. also google search “how to bracket with nikon d3100″ and you’ll get lots of different options. hope some of that helps.
Following Ed’s directions you can then use the in camera software to edit or free software to merge the pics..
HDR photos look fantastic..
http://captainkimo.com/luminance-hdr-software-review
i am a complete beginner,i tryed to take photos of lightining at night,my camera wouldnt really take a photo,when it did it was blurred,i have read the manual and it just doesnt make any sense,can you help please,,,
lightening is a tough one, i’ve tried it before too. it’s a long explanation and can easily be found by google searching “how to photograph lightening”. i found many many useful tutorials/explanations that way. i’ve yet to get it right so i wont offer my strategies.
http://www.lightningphotography.com/tips.html
Here is what I would do for nighttime lightening shots.. day time will be difficult:
Use manual mode..
use 18mm for wide shot…
close the aperture to f10 for the kit lens
Set the ISO to 100 or 200
Turn on VR
Turn off AF
Manually focus using LV if you can..for distant object use the magnifier on the LV
Now play with the shutter time to find out works best. Start with 25 seconds.
My D3100 pop up flash stopped working recently. It just does not pop up and the flash ends up going off while still attached to the body. This causes the flash to heat up and smell like burning plastic. I immediately stopped using the camera but now I’m at a loss. There are no repair shops in my area and I’m thinking it has to do with the hot shoe thinking there’s a flash attached there. Please help.
I have recorded many movies on my D3100 but am not able to upload them to my computer as I cannot find them on the memory card. I have recorded on multiple SD cards using ultra disks but still cannot locate my movies. I have tried using different types of software to locate them but they seem lost and I don’t know why. What am I doing wrong? I really would like to view my holiday videos
Just sharing another sight that has information on night sky shots..
http://www.astropix.com/HTML/I_ASTROP/TOC_AP.HTM
Hi, just wondering if I should turn off the auto focus. Thanks
Steve,
I have done both.. under the majority of situations, the AF is better than me…
I turn off the AF for pictures of stars or distant night objective..
I also turn of the 11 pt multiple focusing and set it to a single point AF..
Landon
How can I take a picture outside in the countryside with just moonlight? I have tried recently using my Nikon D3100 but with no success,the shutter wouldn’t even press, obviously I am a novice but would appreciate some advice, thanks
This is from the book:
To select the Bulb setting, simply place your camera in Manual mode and then rotate the Command dial to the left until the shutter speed displays Bulb on the rear LCD screen.
When you’re using the Bulb setting, the shutter will only stay open for the duration that you are holding down the shutter button. You should also be using a sturdy tripod or shooting surface to eliminate any self-induced vibration while using the Bulb setting.
I want to point out that using your finger on the shutter button for a bulb exposure will definitely increase the chances of getting some camera shake in your images.
To get the most benefit from the Bulb setting, I suggest using a wireless remote switch. You’ll also want to turn on the Noise Reduction.
If you download the book, you can read this stuff for yourself, and its on page 78 of the main manual.
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
by Jeff Revell
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
Steve,
I take many night pics for the challenge.. stars, streets and horizons look great..
You will need a tripod or set the camera on a on a railing etc..
Use manual mode..
use 18mm
open the aperture to f3.5 for the kit lens
Set the ISO to 800, 1600, 3200 etc
Turn on VR
Turn off AF
Manually focus using LV if you can..for distant object use the magnifier on the LV
Now play with the shutter time to find out works best. Start with 8 seconds, 10 secs etc..
Other notes
I use the timer button because it reduces user movements.
I turn off the noise reduction because it takes twice the time to process imagine for night shots. e.g. 25 exposure will result in 25 sec noise reduction process. If the shot looks good then I will go back an retake using the NR.
Hello All
I wanted to ask for some help regarding my D3100.
I had an issue with movies I’ve shot with my D3100.
I shoot in 1080 and the playback on the camera is great, however when Ive uploaded them to my PC and play them on quicktime or windows media player they play back choppy. Not exactly sure what it could be and would like some advice please
Thank You
Theres about 3 similar posts on this page, search for ‘choppy’ to see them.
We just had our baby 2 days ago and of course the picture lady comes by. She takes awesome pictures with a d3000. We didnt buy any pictures since we had just purchased a d3100. The pictures that she took looked way better than mine. I shot in auto. Is there a better way to get better pictures of an infant??
Why don’t you try the Child mode?
From the book mentioned below:
“The Child mode is like a blend of the Sports and Portrait modes.
Understanding that children are seldom still, the camera will try and utilize a slightly faster shutter speed to freeze any movement. The
picture control feature has also been optimized to render bright vivid colors that one normally associates with pictures of children. ”
Or portrait mode.
Keith,
There is an art to this stuff.. First we learn the basics, then technique, the rest artistic inspirations which is unquantifiable..
BTW, I am have the same problems as your..
Ken Rockwell has great advice on his website on how to take a better photographs..
Landon
Hi, i have just started to use my D3100 and i was trying out the different functions and i tried to put into live mode and now i can’t get any pictures. when i take a picture now it comes up black with red lines, please help…
We recorded our son playing a violin solo with our Nikon 3100D. The image, when viewed from the camera, looks great and movement coincides with sound. However, after we downloaded to our computer and tried to play the video from the download, the image movement lags far behind from the actual sound they are not in sync. We need to make a cd from this video. Your advice is appreciated.
A video/audio sync problem.
I am def not an expert on this, try a net search.
I got this:
http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/257022-How-to-fix-audio-synch-problem-in-AVI-file
to fix it with Media Player Classic.
I don’t know if it works with MOV files, you may have to convert first.
Hello Everybody,
This is the the great website.
I bought Nikon D3100 last week. I m just a beginner. One thing which is bothering me is that my lens does not extract or retract. Lens is setup as Auto Mode. Also Auto is set under menu options. I am not sure whats going on?
Am I missing something?
Please help.
What lens are you using? Maybe its a non-auto one.
Its an auto focus lens, do you mean zoom? You have to twist the lens to do that. Then press and hold your trigger and it should auto focus. then hold your trigger and picture taken. Hope this helps,
Passion at photography i puchased nikon D3100 and am a beginer but am good now i want to change lenses as now am using Af-S 18-55mm i want to purchase Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D and i dont know about this lense. Is this a good one for me and my camera. If not which one i can choose and why?
Ed mentions this lens severla times further down the page, search for ’50mm’.
I just purchased this lens and love love love it! Makes a huge difference in my pictures. It takes getting used to it but it is compatible with your camera.
I meant to say you need the AF-S version. You’ll love it
Hi all, this is a great site and it’s very helpful to read all the comments and replies.
My problem is more of a niggle but I’m just wondering if it’s an indication of a lens problem. Using a 18-105mm VR with nikon D3100.
In all modes except AUTO, the ?/flash icon continuously flashes even when the exposure is correct. I tend to ignore it but wonder why it keeps appearing. Does anyone else experience this?
Many thanks for any replies
Tess:)
Not sure what the icon is that you are talking about, can you describe it and where it appears?
Hi Paul,
in Live View it’s the question mark sign at bottom left of screen (?) – in the viewfinder it appears in the extreme right and is accompanied by the flash sign. In modes M, A, S & P it flashes continuously even when the meter exposure is at 0. It disappears completely when in Auto modes.
Thanks
Tess
OK, got it.
Its on Page 193 of the main manual:
• Use the flash.
• Change distance to subject, aperture, flash range, or ISO sensitivity.
• Lens focal length is less than 18 mm: use a longer focal length.
(blinks)
• Optional SB-400 flash unit attached: flash is in bounce position or focus distance is very short.
Continue shooting; if necessary, increase focus distance to prevent shadows from appearing in photograph
If you press the ‘?’ button (3rd down on left) you should get the error message on screen.
Also, you could try changing the flash setting in Menu, Shooting menu, Built-in flash – if set to TTL – to Manual.
Thanks Paul,
I’ll muck about with this to see if it will disappear:)
Tess
Hi, I bought a nikon d3100 in the summer for an art and design course because i want to study photography further, however i turned it on today and when i look through the viewfinder the image is very dark and i gets darker the closer you get to it and when i take the photo it comes up black, ive taken the lens off and cleaned it ect, i really dont know what is wrong with it it worked perfectly last time i used it any help would be much appriciated thanks x
Battery charged up? Lens ‘clicked’ into place OK?
You did remove the lens cover, didn’t you.
May be an electronics fault.
This might be useful to see how shutter speed and aperture work together to produce your images.
Simcam lets you input different values for each and you can see what an image would look like with those values (pity it doesn’t include ISO levels)
http://www.photonhead.com/simcam/shutteraperture.php
(or click on my name)
For example, try 1/125 at f22 – why is the result so dark?
(remember that higher-value apertures are actually quite small physically)
and what can you do to rectify it?
Great. Thanks much for sharing!
I just bought a D3100 and I cant get the SD card out. It pops up part e=war, but I cant pull it the rest of the way out. Any suggestions?
Try tweezers or some fine-nosed pliers.
The SD card will pop up part way, but when I try to pull it out the rest of the way, it wont come out. it’s like it is cought on somthing.
The only suggestions I can find:
the card is upside down
the card is the wrong way round
My own thought was that the lock/unlock tag has come loose and got caught on the side of the slot.
try using a bit more force, but you might damage the camera.
Otherwise, can you take it into the dealer? let them have a go.
Hey bill… what happened with this? How did you get the card out?
How can I best take clear, crisp action shots without blur? I have a Nikon D 3100. Which setting should I use. Sports setting still gives me blur and “S” setting is showing my photos very dark? I must be setting something wrong. Any sugestions?
good idea with S mode, that’s what you’ll want so you can control the shutter speed. what’s making the images dark is your iso setting. S and A modes make you set your iso yourself, so increase your iso and see how the images look then, i’m assuming they’ll be better exposed. dont go too high up on the iso as you’ll get alot of noise in your image. i’d say try iso 800 and see if you get a good enough exposure. i’ve used 1600 for small prints, but they will have alot of noise. if you know how to apply noise reduction in post production that will clean up the noise levels considerably. i use lightroom, it’s got a great noise reduction feature.
HI i have a nikon d5100 twin kit set,i would like to know how to take clean photos of snowboarders in action,i took a few of a friend at snow planet and they keep coming out fuzzy,what do i need to do or what settings should i use?
-Azza
You’ll need a fast shutter speed if you want to ‘freeze’ the subject.
Try on S (shutter speed priority) at around 1/500 of a second.
Hi All,
The Nokkor 70 to 300mm lens seems to be well rated via this forum, does anyone have any thoughts regarding the Nikkor 55 to 200mm AFS VR, Any comments would be welcome.
Thanks
Tony
the 55-200 and 55-300 are both kit level lenses, and offer the lowest levels of image quality, when compared to other nikon lenses. the 55-300 rates above the 55-200 in terms of image quality. the 70-300 is a step up becuaes it’s an fx lens, meaning it was made to be used on a full frame sensor camera. the d3100 is a dx, or crop sensor camera. basically the sensor of an fx camera is equivalent in size to a 35mm film strip. crop sensors are much smaller. why do i go on about that? because when you’re mounting an fx lens on a dx camera, you’re using the sweet spot of the glass, resulting in better image quality. sorry i love to talk hahaha. going back to the 55-200 lens, it’s not a bad lens, dont let me mislead you. though it ranks lowest on the image quality spectrum of nikon branded telephoto lenses, it’s still a good performer and can and will outperform many non-nikon branded telephotos. so if you’re tight on the budget and want some reach, dont hesitate to get it. but if you can spring for a bit more $, i’d strongly recommend the 70-300, or maybe the 55-300 if hte 70-300 is too much $. another good thing to do is to google “nikon 55-200mm lens vs nikon 70-300mm lens” and look for comparisons with images, so you can visually see the differences in performace. hope all that helps.
oh full frame cameras are fx cameras
Ed,
Thanks Ed for your comments, perhaps it’s the same situation in the fact that maybe the quality of the 55-200mm lens is perhaps the same as the supplied kit lens 18-55mm and as I have already discovered if you require something a little better then you need to pay a little extra.
Tony
you should be able to use the flash on your d3100, but you’ll lose any auto modes on the flash. you’ll have to set it to manual, and also set your camera to manual M mode. in auto mode the camera will not detect the flash and will not meter for it, so when the flash fires when you take the pic, it will overexpose your image. if you can shoot in M mode though you’ll be fine, as you’ll have to manually dial in your exposure. hope that helps.
how to chnge the brightest of the slr???
Is there any major difference in make of D3100 ( as made in japan/thiland/China)?
hi guys…..my girelfriend has problems with her nikon d3100. The problem is that her autofocus is not workin’….so i was readin some things on the internet about this but i couldn’t find nothing….i could use some help because shes really sad :( and i hate it when shes sad.Thanks guys ;)
Has she got the lens on M or AF?
make sure the lens is set to autofocus. you’ll see M/A and M,make sure the switch is on the M/A side. if that doesnt work you’ll have to make sure the camera is set to autofocus in the menu.
oh sorry, forgot to say the M/A and M switch is on the side of the lens itself
Can anyone help me,Will the old 70-300 f4.5-5.6 D AF ED work on my camera.
that lens will not autofocus on your camera, it’s a D (AF) series lens. you need G series lenses (AF-S) for autofocus. now if you dont mind focusing yourself yes it will mount on the camera and can be used, as long as you’re doing the focusing. the G series of that lens is awesome, if you have the $ for it highly recommend it. i got mine refurbished from nikon’s online store for $399.
As the forum title says “for beginners”. I couldn’t understand most of the comments, its too advanced and technical. Please Keep It Short and Simple (KISS). Most of the readers are first time DSLR owners and are really not into photography (including me). Just bought a new D3100 kit this week since its cheap before the supply shortage(Thailand flood) and because of the trend. Just a point and shoot person, any tips or advice on how to get quality images?
Too big a subject for someone to cover here.
Heres some free books you can download and read;
Book 1
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
by Jeff Revell
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
Extra chapter about D3100 video
http://min.us/mbpCL2lRzU
Book 2
NIKON D3100 GUIDE TO DIGITAL SLR PHOTOGRAPHY
(more technical)
David D. Busch
http://min.us/msKgUCtWp
Hello everyone, My name is Natalia and I just got a D3100 Nikon and I was wondering what the Do’s and Don’t are with this Camera. I am also going on vacation this summer and wanted to know how I can use my camera to it’s full use. I am still looking at the manual but any advice is greatly appreciated. I love taking photos and I thought it was time to bump up my camera. Thank You
I have had my D3100 for about 5 months now and have been loving it. Just recently, when I try to view the photos on the camera (hitting the playback button), nothing happens. If I hit Menu button and others, nothing happens as well. It takes photos just fine. I just cannot get it to playback images. Anyone else experience this or have suggestions? I have removed and recharged battery, removed and replace SD card, etc.
only thing I can think of is the formatting the SD card..
is the lcd screen completely dead? nothing displays at all? i think you need nikon support, give them a call. you might have a dead screen. i would suggest a full system reset but unfortunately on our model that’s performed through the menu on the screen, there is no buttons to push. hopefully it’s it’s something nikon support can help you with without having to send in your camera. good luck!
Thanks for the replies Ed and Landon. The screen actually shows the current camera settings and Live View when selected. It’s just the playback that won’t work. I will try re-formatting the SD card.
It is still doing this. I will be taking the camera to an Nikon Authorized repair shop. Fortunately, there is one within 5 miles of my home.
Just back from a trip with many photos. How do I best display them on a TV?
FYI, I use an AV cord that I have from my old cannon point and shoot. You do not have to use a Nikon cord.
how do i show the pictures on tv with av cable?
You need an AV cable of the type with a jack at one end and the coloured plugs at the other. Connect the jack to the round connector inside the camera’s cover (the bottom one) and the phono plugs to the TV.
See page 126 of the manual.
Paul explain it better.. but I just want to emphasize that I used my Cannon cables.. meaning, it is universal and you do not have to buy a Nikon brand cable..
I noticed my pictures look clearer on my computer monitor than my old TV screen,
Also, the LCD view screen on the camera itself is poor. The pictures are much clearer on both my TV and computer monitor than they appear to be on the camera’s LCD.
Well, I had a go at viewing pics on the TV when I first got the camera, as you do!
But now I remove the memory card and copy pics to the hard drive so I can view them on the monitor – this has the advantage that you are automatically giving yourself a backup of your pictures, and of course this lets you do things to the pictures if you need to, like crop or improve the colours etc.
I use (free) Irfanview for jpg pics, and the supplied ViewNX for RAW pics.
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Nikon_Nikkor_35mm_lens_comparison/Nikkor_35mm_f1-4G_vs_35mm_f2D_vs_DX_35mm_f1-8G_compared.shtml
Just sharing stuff I find..
You can see that the cheap Nikkor 35mm 1.8f is excellent. In this case the less expensive is the best…
And i can recommend this lens because i bought one….brilliant lens especially at this time of year with the low light levels
I’m planning on getting this camera, I was wondering if I should just buy the camera with a kit lens, or should I by the body only and opt for a better lens to start of with?
it is best to start with kit lens, then will go for better lens,
Good question, I wish I had found this forum before I bought the camera to ask questions like this.. a few choices here..my preference is number one below. You can also get a new body and use the lens on newer or higher level Nikon cameras except the FX. But if you were shooting FX, you would be hanging out with Moose in some posh place other than this forum..
1. D3100 Body + Tamron 18-270mm ($579) + 35mm f1.8 Nikkor ($200).. this gives you two excellent lens.. all you will ever need.. the tamron for everything, travel etc.. and the 35mm for low lights.
2. D3100 with kit lens 18-55mm ($100) + 55-200mm Nikkor ($150) + 35mm Nikkor ($200). – this is the most inexpensive route but the your have one extra lens to carry/switch.
Notes: For the price the kit lens 18-55mm, the 55-200mm, 35 nikkor lens are excellent values.. The lens are light and have a plastic feel. The cheap plastic feel and made in China are not reflective of the sharpness of the lens..again, great value.
The Tamron 18-270 offers a higher quality lens.. (quality meaning, slight sharper lens and heavy construction). I mean this lens is heavy, you know you have it. It feels of high quality construction.. I think made in Japan.. I did an amateurish comparison of sharpness for the Tamron against my Nikkor 55-200mm. The Tamron was slightly sharper to me.. I did this a few months. Now that said, I am still learning, I feel by hitting the sweet spot in the aperture settings, I could really do better comparison today..
well i’d say it depends. a good lens can do much for the creative control of your shots, BUT… you’re going to have to learn how to manually control your camera to really get the most out of it. if you’re thinking you’re going to stick to auto mode i’d start with the kit lens, it’s a good versatile lens. the 18-55mm focal length is very useful for most situations. you can add either the 55-200mm or 55-300mm telephoto lenses for reach. those telephotos are equivalent in quality and performance to the kit lens. the 55-300mm lens does review better for image quality and performance, and gives you more reach. if you want to drop more money and want a one lens solution, the nikon 18-200mm lens is a good option.
now if you think you’ll learn to manually control the camera, i’d skip the kit lenses and start with a prime lens, either the nikon 35mm 1.8g, or the nikon 50mm 1.8g. both are amazing lenses that will far out perform the kit lens. they’re both large aperture lenses and excel in low light and depth of field control. they’re called prime lenses becuase they dont zoom, they have fixed focal lengths. obviously they’re both on the shorter end for reach, so for those situations where you want some reach you can add one of the kit telephotos i mentioned above. but i’d strongly recommend getting the nikon 70-300mm lens. it rates well above the two kit telephotos in terms of image quality and performance. if you are interested in learning more about manual control i’ve talked alot about it in replies below, so look for those long ed replies. i’ve also talked at length about the two primes i suggested.
Thanks for the advice guys! I’ll probably just start off with the kit lens and buy better ones as I learn more.
I can only endorse Ed’s comments, I was dissatisfied with the D3100 and even tried to return the camara in favour of a Canon but no joy there so decided to bite the bullet and purchase the Nikkor 35mm 1.8 lens as I was going nowhere with the kit lens.
So my advice is go for the D3100 body & the 35mm prime lens as this lens is really sharp in fact it’s first class in every way.
Tony
(Nikon D3100) I like to be able to view my pictures on my camera and then use the zoom feature. I used to be able to zoom in on the picture and then save it to my camera. Now I’m having troubles saving those zoomed in images and I can’t remember exactly how I did it. Can you tell me what I need to do to save these pictures? The image quality is much better if I can zoom in on the photo that I am looking at on my camera, and then save it as an additional picture. Thank you!
You can use the Retouch menu to alter certain aspects of the image, including ‘Crop’. See page 151 of the main manual.
Thank you Paul! That’s it! I couldn’t remember how I did it last time…thanks so much!!!
YW
The exposure level on my D3100 keeps blinking. Why? Also, how do I fix it?
From page 77 of the manual:
“If the limits of the exposure metering system are exceeded, the indicator will flash.”
Adjust aperture/shutter speed/ISO to settings which the camera will accept.
thank you! why does continuous burst mode work when there is no flash? how could I fix that?
Do you mean “why doesn’t the flash work with continuous mode”?
If so, well, continuous mode goes too fast to allow the flash to charge up and be discharged for each image, so flash is disabled in this mode.
aha yes that was what i meant. how would i fix that? do i buy another flash?
Well Well Well !! at long last my D3100 has delivered me the photos I was expecting from a DSLR, I had decided in my mind that today was a do or die for the camera because it just hasent being delivering the quality of shots all the reviews rave about.
I went onto Plymouth Hoe and spent an hour taking shots on a bright sunny day and I have to say they have come out fantastic, I decided to take the advice and mainly shoot in M or P mode, dont get me wrong I still think there are issues with the D3100, for example while I was taking shots on a brightly sunny day all the right conditions I was still pressing the button and nothing would happen, basicly it would not lock on and this happened a lot (any advice on this would be appreciated)
So although I was on the verge of selling and buying a bridge I am now prepared to stick with it and learn some more, after all this is what DSLR is all about. OK I might miss some shots along the way but the quality of shots I have got today really rock my boat, so I say to others stick with it !!
Battery Life! Just a tip that worked for me , while out shooting my battery gave up and the camera refused to shoot, so I took the battery out and then popped it back in again and it gave me at least another 30 mins of shooting, really saved the day.. it might be a fluke but worth a mention I thought.
Happy Snapping
when you’re in dim or very bright light the camera will have trouble getting focus lock. to help the camera out put the focus point on whatever had the most contrast in the frame. remember, you can focus on one spot, keep the shutter release half pressed, then move the frame around, and the camera will keep the focus locked. doing so helped me alot to get a quick focus lock in difficult lighting conditions. hope that helps.
Thanks Ed useful feedback, another wee problem I had while out the other day was trying to decide which slections I should be using when it came to choosing the metering, matrix/center weighted or spot, If I was shooting vista’s should I of been selecting Matrix. Also the AF area mode should that be set to dynamic or single point or auto area
Many thanks for any tips you can give me
Colin
i’ll admit i dont know much about the metering and autofocus modes beyond the basics. i use single point for my autofocus mode as i like to select which focus point is doing the focusing. it’s almost neccessary to use single point when you’re doing tight bokeh shots. say you line up a row of cans and want to focus on the can in the middle. any option other than single point will try to focus on multiple areas or somewhere you dont want. with single point i can just use the circle pad to select my point and go. i’ve gotten so used to it it’s not even a thought anymore. for metering i keep mine on spot metering. again same reason as the choice of single point autofocus, i like the maximum control that metering option gives you. you know the camera is metering to only the point that’s focusing. but beyond that i cant offer much insight unfortunately. for landscapes and large shots i dont think the autofocus mode matters much, but for metering in that situation you’re probably best off with matrix as it will try to incorportate light readings from the whole frame, balancing the exposure best. oh! forgot to add if you’re shooting in raw mode the metering method wont matter too too much as you can easily tweak your exposure in post production without negatively affecting image quality. any of the metering options should get you really close to ideal exposure, and with a raw file and exposure tweak you’ll be fine.
which one is best in 3100d red or black…
the camera is the same, just a color difference. so pick the color you like most.
I can’t even imagine the D3100 in red, but each to their own..lol
Why not try the black one first, then exchange for the red if you don’t like it?
I think the black version produces better images than the red one.
is image quality is depending on cmera color? i dont think so…
LOL, my little joke!
I mean, who would come on a forum and ask which colour to get?
its right paul….i only saw red in image, thats y i asked
any way thanks to all
im going to buy in two days…black or red
Just buy the black one and if you don’t like it then paint it red
Hi could someone help me please. I was at a wedding the weekend and I was taking photos on auto and I noticed every portrait photo I took had a dark patch down the right side of the photo so every photo has a huge shadow line on a diagonal. Every landscape photograph was fine. Now is there any way of fixing these faults preferably in photoshop? Thanks
seem odd, return the camera…why take a chance..
Hi i was wondering how one would get the blur of lights, like when taking a picture of cars and the light has like a line blur effect. Or if it’s been mentioned anywhere?
that’s a long exposure shot, you’ll have to do it in M mode. i’ve talked about it in other posts, look for one of the long “ed” replies, i specifically mention freeway lights in the response.
I just purchased the D3100, this is my first “good” digital camera. The sole purpose for this purchase was to be able to take better pictures of my boys playing sports……I have done some research on the best way to accomplish this with the D3100, just really wanted to get the thoughts of people that have this camera or rather a better understanding than I of what the better lens would be to use.
learn M mode, manual control. with it you’ll have total control of the camera. i’ve written a ton on the basics of it on this page, so look for the “ed” replies. oh they’re usually the most long winded and repetative, so you cant miss them! congrats on the camera.
Hi. I have a Nikon 3100D camera. I bought the camera mainly to take pictures of my children’s events. My son plays high school football and soccer. When I take action pictures at night when the field is lighted, most of the pictures are blurry. I have tried different settings on the camera, but have not found one that really eliminate this. I am sitting in the stands when I take the pictues. I have a 70 – 300 mm lens, so i am able to get close up shots. I would so appreciate if you could tell me what I need to do to eliminate the blurry pictures. I have not been able to enjoy some great actions shots because of the blurry picture. Thank you!!!
At night, dump the telephoto lens, use the kit at 18mm, open the aperture to 3.5, up the ISO to 1600 or 3000..
Or use the auto with the flash with the 18mm setting.
It will be challenging…
oops, use auto without the flash…not with..
those type of shots are the most challenging shots for the gear you have. do you know how to manually control the camera in M mode? this will greatly increase the chance for success. if not you can try to put the camera into the sports auto mode. you’re probably shooting in AUTO on the control wheel. turn the wheel to the icon of the person running, that’s sports mode. in that mode the camera knows you’re shooting action shots and will try to increase shutter speed to reduce blurring. another option if you can use is S mode on the mode wheel. that stands for Shutter Priority mode. that allows you to select a shutter speed, and the camera will try to achieve proper exposure by adjusting the aperture of the lens. you’ll have to set your iso in this mode, so it’s only a semi-automatic mode. if you know how to adjust your ISO sensitivity, i suggest using S mode, set your iso to 1600, and try a shutter speed of at least 1/200. you’ll still get some blur but probably alot less than what you’re getting now. if you know how to read the camera’s light meter, and zero in your exposure then use M Mode, that gives you total control. in M mode, set your Aperture to f4.5, which is the most open the 70-300 lens can get at 70mm, set your iso to 1600, and then adjust your shutter to proper exposure. hopefully the lighting is sufficient enough to get a shutter speed of or fast than 1/200. unfortunately that may not be enough, sometimes you just dont have enough light to get a good exposure. what’s happening now is you’re probably in Auto mode, and the camera is trying to obtain proper exposure by adjusting iso, aperture, and shutter speed. those are the three main variables for exposure. when ambient light is low, the camera will slow the shutter speed down to allow enough light to hit the sensor to get the exposure right. but the shutter speed also is the main variable in controlling motion in an image. the faster the shutter speed, the more action is frozen. so for sports you want a fast fast shutter speed. if the lighting is bad then the camera just cant gather enough light for exposure. i dont suggest using iso over 1600 as the images will be very grainy/noisy looking. and i dont suggest using the kit lens unless you’re very very close to the action. if you’re in the stands then you’ll likey need the reach of the telephoto. oh another suggestion, turn that VR off on the lens and see how the images look to you. i have that lens, and i love that lens, but i know how slow vr can be locking in. i’m sure you’ve noticed with the vr on the lens will take an extra second or two to “freeze” the image. if you release the shutter before the vr has fully activated, it will blur the image. i will use vr when what i’m shooting isnt moving around that much, then it works wonderfully. but for a fast paced sports game, i think vr may be hurting you, not helping you. anyhow hope some of that helps.
Just sharing my fascinating results..
I took the knowledge gain the following link on sharpness.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/50-comparison/f-stops.htm
I did a few test shot and sure enough, there is a f-stop sweep spot for super sharp pics..for the kit lens in the 20-30mm range.. I found that to be around f10-f12
I suppose it will change depending on lifting and mm.. It would be interesting if someone else had found the same sweep spot..
Landon
sorry, i meant “sweet spot” …
Hey i was wondering if anyone can help me with taking photos in the dark with my Nikon 3100. I try to take photos at parties but it just wont do it unless i aim it at light and then shoot the photo. Any suggestions, thanks.
Nights shot are hard.. but I I think fun..here are my comments..
1st try the auto option, with or with the flash..try both
or if you are brave
2. Go to A mode,
use the 18mm,
open the aperture as wide as possible,
set the ISO up to 1600,
make sure VR is on..
3. Buy the 35mm Nikon lens which should help with low light
good luck
can i connect my nikon d3100 to my laptop using hdmi cord? and how? i want to use my dslr as my external camera on my computer
As long as your laptop has a HDMI socket, yes you can connect them.
But its only for viewing images or video, you can’t use the camera like a webcam.
hi can you help me out please, i have just tried to take a photo of some fireworks and no matter which setting i had the dial set to, it would not let me take a photo. please in basic terms what do i need to do thank you
.see my comments above to Ryan,
If camera will not get autofocused, then it will not let you to take picture.
Better try to capture the fireworks using manual focus(by switch on lens)
Hi! I am in a photography class this year and we had an assignment over the weekend to take pictures of animals…and I know this is off topic of everything that is being asked on here but I would like to know, if anyone knows, where I could get help with my Minolta x-700 SLR 35mm camera….it let’s me take like 5 pics and then the advance lever becomes really loose, and it won’t do anything unless I just go ahead and take the film out and start over, with new film of course,and it is really starting to frustrate me…please help if you can…if you can’t I understand :) i can always wait and ask my teacher..I just figured I would see if anyone could help me on here so I could get the assignment done…
Thank you in advance for your time of listening :)
Go digital..
Sounds like the sprockets might be wearing out, thats the pointy things that stick into the edges of the film and turn it on.
Or some similar problem.
As you can see, wer’e all digital on here,so thats my best guess!
Hi, I bought a d3100 in july for holiday. Took it away and placed on auto and didn’t work. The hotel photographer who was a nikon user tried it out and advised it was defective. i returned it to the store and they confirmed on testing it was defective and so replaced.
I have used twice since. first okay but last night on my daughter’s halloween dance performance a yellow line has appeared on my photos. This appearing on the LV screen also.
Would this be a fault with the camera or are there settings I can adjust. I am not an expert in the photography field.
Any ideas greatly appreciated as it is very frustrating. thanks
Take it back, sound slike another defect..
try updating the firmware, i had heard of some weird pixel/image issues with older firmware versions. its easy to do and if that doesnt work then just take it back for another. sorry about the bad luck with the cameras.
Hi Moose,
my question for you is, i have a D3100 with an 70 – 300 mm lens, when i use autofocus the focus ring turn and let’s say that lens becomes longer.
When i’m done I put the lens on MF so that I can retract the focus part of the lens, my question, can I do this in AF too, letting the camera retract the focus part when I’m finished shooting?
Thnx, Steven
Hi Moose, I just found your website. Thank you! I am very low tech and am frustrated with the camera. I keep getting the error message “The card is not formatted, format the memory card”. I have formatted the memory card and it was working fine. It will even let me take pictures and I can review the pictures and see that they are stored on the camera and then it gives me the error message and all pictures are lost. I have hooked the camera up to my computer and the there are no pictures on the camera.
Also is there any way to recover pictures that were taken but now do not appear on the memory card.
Thank you so much for you help, Jen
For folks who seek sharpness.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/50-comparison/f-stops.htm
I bought a Nikon D3100 for shooting video.
I going to shoot a dance recital inside of a school’s auditorium. I’m looking for tips on camera settings.
auto..
Just bought the D3100. Novice to digital slr. Can take pictures, but image not appearing in viewfinder.only the information display when i turn on the camera.
I meant to say image not appearing on the monitor.
next to the lcd screen there is a switch with LV on it, thats the live view switch. the camera will be less responsive in live view, be warned. the autofocus will be much slower. if you can adjust to it, use the viewfinder.
Hi, i am looking ay buying the D3100 and was hoping someone could tell me what the night pictures are like, i have had cameras in the past that the night shots are not good.
thanks in advance
Andrea,
The night shots are great..but it takes skill as with all cameras.. I find it challenging to make night shots..
I really like the D3100, but there are much better choices today.. The new SONY NEX7 and SLT-A65 are 24mp is 200% more resolution at about $1,100
I would recommend the two SONY camera’s mentioned above..
The D3100 is getting long in the tooth. Also I feel Nikon’s are overpriced but they do have very good resale value.. I mean the D90 is still selling and that camera is now way over the hill.
Even the D40s sell over $200 used.. amazing, kinda like a Hondas..
Thailand is getting hit with floods and I heard the Nikon factory is shutdown, so the supply of D3100 may dry up a bit.
Again, the D3100 is over a year old.., prices have dropped by $50 and sometimes $100.. Go for the 24mp..
That said,those of use who have the D3100 should use it has much as possible on the maximum settings..meaning large and fine + RAW. Also get larger and faster mem cards..
Hi Andrea, disregard landon’s post, it’s just someone trying to push sony products on this forum. you dont need 24mp. here is the truth about mp…higher mp does NOT equal better images neccessarily. it only equals BIGGER images. so viewed at maximum size a 24mp image will be bigger blown up than a 14mp image. the main things that affect image quality are the glass/lenses used, and the camera’s sensor quality. i’m not knocking the sony camera, it’s probably a great camera. but dont do thinking you need it over the d3100. my suggestion is get the d3100 and spend some $ on good glass, that will give you the best results.
ok on to your question. by night shots are you talking about shots of landscapes and city stuff at night? or are you talking about shooting friends/people in low light/night?
ok answer 1 applies to stationary things at night, like landscapes, etc. you’ll want to get a tripod, keep the iso low, at 100, set your aperture to f9 or f11, either works. then set your shutter speed to a nice long exposure, say 15 seconds, or 30 seconds. then just let the camera do it’s thing. turn the noise reduction off as this will cause the camera to take a long time to generate the image once the shutter closes. if you keep moving the shutter and reach “BULB”, this setting allows the shutter to remain open as long as the shutter release is held. so you can do hours if you’d like. you’ll have to get the wired nikon shutter release cable as it has a locking feature. without it you hae to sit there with your finger on the button. dont think you’ll want to do that.
ok answer 2 applies to shooting people and stuff that might be moving a bit in low light/night. this gets really tricky, and is very dependant on the lenses you’re using. but for a quick answer you’ll want to set your iso higher, say iso 800 or iso 1600, and open your aperture to it’s maximum, which will be displayed as the lowest f number. for the kit lens it would be between 3.5 and 5.6. then just adjust your shutter speed until the light meter shows proper exposure. try not to go too slow on the shutter or you’ll get motion blur. you can probably hand hold hte camera and get decent shots at as low as 1/30 shutter speed. just have to be steady.
now that’s all assuming you’ll manually control the camera in M mode. if you’re not going to learn how to do that and only plan on using Auto mode, try the night setting on the mode select wheel, it should show a moon symbol. that’s a full auto mode that lets the camera know you’re shooting in poor light.
Andrea,
I forgot, for low light, get a prime lens. If you choose the D3100, then get the 35mm f1.8 Nikkor lens at $200.
I will not say disregard Ed. I would say take your time, listen to everyone comments. Be wary of the one who says disregard others..
Landon
Ed,
First of all, I am not pushing other products. I am just sharing my opinions about a new camera that is on the cutting edge. BTW, I expected disagreement. Note, I am own the Nikon, not the Sony.
Second, your positions are supported by Ken Rockwell on the megapixel part. And sinking the money in the lens as oppose to the camera was supported in an article that I linked in this blog several months ago.
Following your and Ken Rockwell’s logic that megapixels are not that important. If that was the case, than why waste any money on the D3100, save 100 bucks and get the old D3000 at 10mp, or
better yet pick up the excellent D40 at 6mp for a mere $200..wait, the iphone is 8mp.. According to your logic, the D40 at 6mp is the way to go.. because at 6mp, you would also have to blow the pics up to 10×12 to see differences in resolution.
Here is the benefit of the high .. cropping.. I can take at 14mp with my D3100 and crop to my desire… in fact, I am such a lousy picture taker that I can cropped some great shots of crappy photos.
Now, lets think don’t the road little, what do you think is going to happen in 2 or 3 years.. we can assume, that great advances will come our way.. the D3100 will become the as famous and obsolete as the D40 is today.. For me, in two years, the 24mp will still be competitive, not obsolete.. So one has to decide to sink their money in a product with a longer life cycle or a product that is really a middle aged man.
Last, the the two 24 mp Sonys have really set the bar high.. we are talking about a significant leap in resolution.. it just happens to be Sony, who may happen to make the censors for Nikon..
Technology changes, the DSLR is under threat by the mirrorless cameras like the Sony NEX or Nikon new mirrorless camera. In fact, the death of the DSLR may be here already..
For the D3100, it is over a year old.. It is great low end DSLR camera. solid value, but it is eclipsed by others.. Nikon has a great brand, great following, great marketing… But really, just because we own the camera, lets not be in denial that there may be better choices out there, even other brands..I am not blinded by the brand nor the marketing hype, or the herd mentality..
I say, Andrea, the choice is not easy, look at the all factors and make a decision that is best for you.. listen to everyone’s opinion, including Ed, avoid the herd mentality..
It would be great to here Moose’s opinion…where are you Moose?
Hi,
I’ve bought my first DSLR at the beginning of August this year. Up until then I’ve only ever used compact, but I’ve been shooting manual for a long time. My problem is FOCUS. Even when my aperture is set between 12 and 18… I still have blur in my shot when blown up to actual size. I could crank it up to F22, but I try to keep my ISO as low as possible and my shutter fast enough to help with focus and 22 is quite dark. What am I doing wrong?
Thank you.
Melody
do you ever get sharp images from your camera/lens? or is it always blurry? if so you may need to call nikon to get them calibrated. are you using hte kit lens? the 18-55mm one that’s usually packaged with the camera body? at f12 that lens should be reasonably sharp. the closer you get to f22 the more you’ll encounter defraction, which will deteriorate image quality. one way to test the camera/lens is to put the camera on a tripod or set it down on something very stable and take a shot of something stationary with it. with no movement/vibration the image should be sharp. now what shutter speeds are you shooting at when you get the blurry images? if you’re shooting at 1/1000 yeah hand shake/motion blur should be well controlled. but if you’re at only say 1/30 then things can blur up pretty good depending on your technique. another thing to try is mount another lens on the camera and see if you get sharp images from that lens. if so you know it’s the lens creating the blur. but if all lenses are blurring then it’s most likely the camera needing calibration.
oh you do have the lens let to autofocus correct? on the side of the lens you’ll see M/A and M, with a switch. make sure the switch is on the M/A side.
Make sure the VR and Auto focus switch is on.. switches are on the lenses.. try auto for few shout then switch A or S modes..
Hi again,
Yes, I have it on autofocus and even with a tripod I am getting blurry pics. It’s so frustrating! It doesn’t seem to matter what lens I use.
What do you mean by ‘the closer you get to f22 the more you’ll encounter defraction’?
My shutter speed, even at 160 upwards, doesn’t make a difference.
Thank you for previous responses…
Melody
Hi,
I have brought a Nikon D3100 for a xmas present ans not knowing an awful lot about cameras I have brought ‘body only’ I need to get a lens it has been recommended 18-55mm but it needs to be cheap and packaged I have found one that is not VR does this mean its not very good or is it ample for a first time? Please HELP!
any emails will be greatly recived.
Natalie
Hi Natalie,
A VR lens is a lens that has an image stablizer, which is nice if you don’t have a steady hand. A lens that is not VR just means you must have a steady hand or use a tripod. Hope that helps.
Melody
vr isnt that important if you’re using a shorter focal length lens. focal length is the magnification of the lens. so the 18-55mm kit lens has a variable focal length of 18mm up to 55mm. if the lens you buy has a focal length under 60mm you’re fine without vr, in my opinion. there are a few versions of the 18-55mm kit lens, with and without vr.
you’re actually in a really good position buying the body only camera, you get to select your lens! ask yourself this: will i just keep the camera in auto mode and not explore the manual controls of the camera? if you answered yes, then i’d suggest either the 18-55mm kit lens, or if you can afford it, the 18-105mm kit lens. these lenses are very flexible as they have a wide focal range, and offer decent image quality. BUT!!!! if you answered no to my question, and plan on or even think you’re going to explore the more creative control offered via manually controlling the camera, then i’d highly recommend getting one of nikon’s prime lenses. both the 35mm 1.8G and 50mm 1.8G lenses from nikon are amazing. they’re called prime lenses as they dont zoom. they have a fixed focal length. that means YOU have to move around to zoom in/out. but that’s ok! you know why? the primes i’m suggest are large aperture lenses, which give you excellent low light performance, and exceptional creative control over your depth of field. google image search “bokeh” for an example of what is possible with large aperture lenses. you’ll notice alot of blurring of the foreground and/or background. that blurring is called bokeh, and it’s easy to do with large aperture lenses. the “1.8″ in the product description of the lens is the indicator of the maximum aperture of any lens. so the 50mm 1.8G has a maximum aperture of 1.8. the 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 has a variable maximum aperture depending on what focal length you’re at. so at 18mm it’s 3.5, and at 55mm it’s 5.6. the lower the number, the bigger the maximum aperture. aperture is the opening of the iris in the lens itself. the bigger it can open, the more light it can let in, and the shallower the depth of field will be. a shallow depth of field will give you those nice creamy bokeh shots! why did i say all that? well the kit lenses i suggested first have relatively small maximum apertures, and will not provide you with a pleasing bokeh. but the prime lenses have very large maximum apertures, and can really produce excellent bokeh. BUT… you gotta be able to manually control the camera to set the aperture yourself. so coming full circle, if you dont learn how to manually control the camera, you dont really need the primes as you wont get that much out of them. the camera wont automatically open the aperture to 1.8 that much, you’ll have to set it manually in M mode. so back to the question…. get the kit lenses if you’re just sticking to auto, and the primes if you’re going to learn manual control. the primes will give you much more creative freedom with thier superior depth of field control. they are limited in that they dont zoom, so you have to do the zooming by moving your feet, but its a small price to pay for such amazing results. and as a newbie to M mode myself, it’s really not that hard, just research and practice, practice, practice. if you’re interested in manual controls google the “exposure triangle” and learn the basics of it, as that’s the manual controls you’ll be using. wow i write alot! ;)
I just bought the D3100 and I have spend just a few hours checking things out. The one immediate thing I have noticed is that I can not take a picture looking through the LCD screen only. I was under the understanding this camera allows you to take pictures through the ldc screen and the view finder. I do not have the english version of the manual yet(left out of box, sending it to me via mail) to check on this.
Any help would be much appreciated!
Julie
hi Julie,
You can use the LCD screen for taking photo’s, to the right of the screen there’s a little lever/switch, with lv written underneath which stands for live view. Push the lever to the left, and the live view will appear on the screen for 30 seconds, after 30 seconds it will automatically go back to the view finder, pressing any button will reset the 30 second countdown, also turning the lever again will exit live view.
hope this helps,
Andy
Would like to say I have figured out how to take pictures with the lcd screen. Watched a Nikon video!
Hi, could someone please help me decide or recommend a lens to buy next. Mainly for shooting people, and landscape. I have the 18-55mm which works great but i need to take the next step. I’m new to all of this so I’m not to sure on what is good and what is not for what I need. Also a lens I can zoom further with would be great.
Thank you.
ok you need two different lenses from what i can tell. for landscapes i honestly would stick with the kit lens at 18mm as it’s nice and wide at 18mm. for people/portraits the nikon 50mm 1.8G ($220) lens is amazing. it’s bokeh (blurring of foreground/background) is very pleasing and works great to seperate the subject from the background. for those far off shots where you want to zoom in, you’ll want a telephoto lens. the nikon 70-300mm 4.5-5.6G ($399 refurbished from Nikon,or about $500 new) lens is a great telephoto. the 300mm max focal length is very useful, and that lens has amazing image quality. if you’re only going to get one lens i’d say get the 50mm 1.8G though, unless you plan on shooting wildlife mostly, where you need lots of reach. the 50mm length is very useful for everyday shooting, and the maximum 1.8 aperture is great for low light shooting and bokeh.
now if you feel the 18-55mm kit lens isnt wide enough for you at 18mm for landscapes, you’ll want an ultra wide lens. those are very pricey! i know, i’m saving up for one. the nikon ultra wides are all very good but in my opinion too pricey. if you have the budget the nikon 12-24mm AF-S is a great lens. but i think there are very good alternatives from other brands when it comes to ultra wide lenses. i’m saving up for the Tokina 12-24mm ultrawide, it retails for about $550-600. make sure you get the model with the internal auto focus motor. the older version of that lens does not have it, but is significantly cheaper. just read the product description and you’ll be fine. i’ve done alot of reading on the tokina lenses and that model compares very very well to the Nikon brand glass. the nikon is slightly better in comparison, but only in the slightest bit. and it’s double the cost.
hope all that helps.
i just wanted to add that i would really work on learning how to manually control the camera in M mode before getting new lenses. if you’re already familiar with manual controls then disregard this. if not though you wont get that much out of a new lens other than say a wider field (ultra wide) or longer zoom (telephoto). now if you know how to manually control the camera and understand the exposure triangle (google that), then you’ll get so much more out of new glass, especially large aperture lenses like the 50mm 1.8G. that lens in the hands of someone that knows what they’re doing is amazing. if you’re just using auto mode you’ll be doing yourself a disservice with that lens, in my opinion.
What is the difference with the 50mm 1.8D to the 50mm 1.8G?
never mind i youtubed it and got a great answer. Thanks for the help. I think the 50mm 1.8G will be a great choice.
excellent choice! hope you like that lens, i love mine!
I have a d3100 love it so far, took photos of a memorial and have lost them some how on the memory card they were very important is there a way to retrieve photos if they have been deleted, they were so important
maybe this tool will help:
http://www.piriform.com/recuva
Hi, great site by the way I check it every day..
I have the D3100 and 18-55 and 55-200 lenses, getting slightly frustrated now with the camera, I have been using bridge cameras now for a couple of years more recently the Lumix FZ45 and Fuji HS10, have taken some cracking shots over this period with these cameras but decided to I really wanted to step up my game and go to DSLR.
So far I am really beginning to loose the enjoyment of taking this camera out because I cannpt be sure I will going home with any decent shots, On Sunday I was out in Fowey Cornwall using the 18-55 lens and ok the light was fair but cloudy, constantly the camera had trouble locking on and the flash kept popping up all the time really annoying. I know this is not a point and shoot and I am being patient but I at least expected better shots than I am getting so far, even the auto produces low end shots.
Any beginners help would really be appreciated
thanks
Colin
Well, Colin, it sounds like you’re relying too much on Auto or Programmed Auto mode. Try shooting in either S, A or M modes (SAM for short). They’re the best ways to learn how to produce better shots. What I usually do is that I take multiple shots of my subject and then pick the best ones to keep. I fiddle with the camera settings, change my angle of approach, and also vary the distance between my subject and me in between shots (an unexpected benefit of shooting with the 18-55mm kit lens is that you are forced to constantly shift positions to compensate for the very short focal length of the lens). I find that performing these few steps improves my photography tremendously.
Regarding the annoying flash, in SAM, the flash won’t pop up without you manually pressing the flash button. If your camera has trouble locking focus on something, then, you might’ve been standing too close to it, perhaps? The minimum focusing distance is usually 1.5 feet (or so, I believe).
Lastly, my friend, I would tell you to be thankful that you can actually still use your D3100. I should be the one getting frustrated with my camera! Around a week ago, I received a dreaded Error message on my unit. It seems like my shutter release / mirror mechanism has jammed up and sending it back to Nikon would deprive me of my camera for two months. Still, I have no choice but to send it back soon because my D3100 isn’t able to take any pictures now… :( :( :(
And mind you, my unit is not even half a year old… I bought it in June. After approximately 4-5 months of use, it failed on me. This is making me think of switching over to Canon or even Sony, sad to say.
Hi Ace
Many many thanks for taking the time to reply to my post and I will take your advice on board , I am of to Cornwall this weekend so will endevour to try out your suggestions.
Sorry to hear about your D3100 I can sympathise with you it must be like loosing an arm being without a camera, I hope you get it back soon, I haven’t heard of many going wrong so hopefully you will get it back and continue to love it..
Cheers again
I have a new Nikon d3100 camera with an 18-55 lens and Nikon af 70-300mm lens. The 70-300 lens will not auto focus. Could you tell us what may be wrong. Thanks Don Jones.
on the side of the lens you’ll see a few switches, for autofocus, VR, and VR mode. the switch that says M/MA and M is the autofocus switch. it stands for Manual/Automatic and Manual. So make sure its over on the M/MA side for autofocus. good choice on that lens, i have it as well, it’s my favorite lens for image quality. hope it works!
oh i’m assuming you have the newer AF-S version of the lens. it will say it in Gold somewhere on the lens if you’re unsure. if you have the older version of the lens it may not have an internal auto focus motor, so you’ll have to manually focus only as the D3100 has not autofocus motor in the body. unfortunately it relies on G series AF-S lenses that have built in autofocus motors in the lens itself. so give the lens a good lookover and look for AF-S somewhere on it. if it says it you’re fine.
Thankyou for your reply, it was a great help. Don Jones
PS. Great forum.
I’m a newbie to the Nikon D3100…well, I’ve had it for about 2 months and I’ve been trying to learn full manual (for photography) and I’m doing OK, but I’ve got alot of learning to do. I’ve been readying and reading and reading, trying to learn about f-stops and ISO and shutter speeds, oh my! But I just don’t feel like it’s sinking in…I understand that I won’t learn it all overnight, but I don’t feel like I can even get a grasp on it well enough to figure it out yet. Please don’t give me a link to read (probably already read it :) I want someone who owns and uses this camera to help me, that’s why I’m here! So, here’s what I wanna know and understand:
When I’m doing outdoor photography, sunlight, portraits of a 3mo old baby who is obviously staying in one position, what is an “ideal” combination of settings that I can at least start with? I know I’ll have to change them according to the sun and stuff, but I just can’t figure all this out and it’s driving me nuts! I also don’t understand how to LEARN the correlations between ISO, f-stops, shutter speeds, etc..any help there?
Sorry if I sound like an idiot, I’m just trying to learn my camera. I feel like I’m trying to learn how to use a computer for the very first time! And I’m normally a pretty tech-savvy person, but this camera is stumping me :)
Thanks for any help!
Alison
And I meant to add…one “look” I’m trying to learn is making my background blurry and my subject in focus (portrait photography). I can get that effect sometimes, but not quite as much as I’d like. I feel like I just get lucky instead of actually doing it on purpose..ha..so any tips there?
ok that’s a tall order to give a full manual training here. i really suggest googling “exposure triangle” as it will specifically go over ISO, shutter, and aperture, which comprise the exposure triangle. it’s a tough thing to learn at first, i know. i’m assuming you know how to read the light meter in the camera, and how to zero it in for proper exposure. you know, get the bar in the middle? with that said dont overthink it, use your iso, shutter, and aperture to get that light meter in the middle and take a shot. if it’s too light/dark for your tastes, do a small adjustment. i’ll go over briefly what the exposure triangle is to get you started.
iso is the camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. it’s a range from about 100 to whatever the maximum iso is for the specific camera. for the d3100 i wouldnt go over 1600. iso affects the “noise” in an image. you know, those ugly grainy looking things in dark images? so always try to shoot at the lowest iso possible to minimize noise. but if it’s dark out and you dont have a good flash, then start cranking up the iso as needed. 100 to 800 on the d3100 is very clean, but after that the image will get pretty noisy. if you know how to apply noise reduction in post production then you can clean it up alot. learn how to use lightroom, it’s a great tool.
ok next up is your shutter. that’s the mechanical screen that covers the sensor in the body of hte camera. when you release the shutter it snaps open, exposing the sensor to light. your shutter is a function of speed. the majority of your shutter speeds are fractions of a second. say 1/10, 1/200, 1/4000. the shutter is used for two main functions, controlling ambient light, and motion. your shutter is the main tool in controlling ambient light, such as sun light and light bulbs, etc. when you’re shooting without a flash you’ll probably be adusting this the most to get proper exposure. but! it also has a creative purpose, controlling motion. a slow shutter speed will allow motion blurring in an image. a fast shutter speed will freeze motion. so if you’re shooting kids running around, get that shutter speed up!
last but not least, aperture! this is the opening of the iris in the lens, and is expressed in f stops. if you look at a lens it will tell you the maximum aperture (maximum size wide opened). for example the nikon 50mm 1.8G lens has a maximum aperture of 1.8, which is very big! aperture also has some control over light hitting the sensor, as the opening of the lens iris can be big or small, depending on your settings. but! aperture is used more for creative control of your depth of field (dof). this is the blurring or not blurring of the foreground and background of an image. a shallow depth of field has more blurring, and vice versa. if you want to blur the background, you’ll want your aperture wide open, at the smallest f stop. again for the 50mm 1.8G lens that’s f1.8. depth of field is also affected by the distance from the camera to the subject, and the subject to the background. so get up close with your camera, and get your subject far away from a background to maximize the blurring.
so understanding those three variables will really help you to understanding M mode and what settings to use. ok so if you know your main objective is blurry backgrounds, you know you have to use a wide open aperture, and get in close to your subject! or if you want to make sure there is no motion blurring of your kids running around, get that shutter speed up! find what your main objective is and kind of preset that setting ahead of time. then use the other two settings and any ambient light to get proper exposure on the light meter. and practive practice practice! trust me you’ll get it, it will “click” for you eventually.
oh i’m assuming you have the kit lens, the 18-55mm f:3.5-5.6 lens. that lens doesnt do a very good shallow depth of field as it’s maximum aperture is f3.5 at 18mm. if you really want to blur the background for portraits i suggest the nikon 50mm 1.8G lens. it’s got a maximum aperture of 1.8, which is great for blurring and low light.
hope all the helps
Christopher’s post, October 24, 2011 at 12:33 am
“I’m having problems with the quality of my video on my camera (Nikon d3100). Once I transfer it from my camera to my computer the video is chippy and color is bad. It doesn’t look like an hd video at all. I’m not sure if it is the cable that I’m connecting it with to my computer or if it is certain setting on the camera that I am turning it to. Is there a certain setting on my camera that I’m not doing right? What Iso should I have it at? I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but the video on it doesn’t look good at all. Could you email me about this please? I would greatly appreciate your help.”
1. A reply from Moose in Feb says:
“Anything above a class 6 rating will be fine for recording HD videos.”
2. Theres a chapter on video in the book:
http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
3. Try resetting your settings – you can find the the reset option in the menus – and try again.
Having the same problem here. On the camera itself the video looks great but once I put it on my computer I see how unclear it is. Tia for any advice;)
As for the video playback on the computer…..I have only experimented w/ one video but what i found was while viewing the video at a smaller dimension on my computer screen it came out pretty good. However when I went to full screen is when I experienced the choppy video. I hate to say it but that usually means one thing….your computer or video card on your computer is getting too old! I am guessing that when you computer was made HD video was just coming about and it doesn’t have a powerful enough video card to process the HD video on full screen. My computer runs great but is a 6 year old macbook pro and I know that video card is getting pretty dated by this point. If you have the HDMI cable for your camera, try plugging it straight into your HD TV and see what kind of results you get. Good luck!
So Paul,
Can I shoot the video in any mode or there is any particular mode that gives best quality video?
Thanks,
Sharad
i have a d 3100 nikon lens is loose .and it don;t take picture ,the one that move in and out
Make sure the lens is turned fully in the socket, thats anti-clockwise until it clicks.
Otherwise best ask the supplier for advice.
Hey I have the d3100 camera, I am trying to set very bright vivid pictures. I have seen some pictures that look almost like they aren’t taken from a camera, they are very bright and vivid. Is this a setting on the camera or do you have to do this with a computer program. thanks
Probably High Dynamic Range images.
Try google “hdr photography d3100″
I just recently purchased the D3100, when I’m taking a photo using the view finder, after the photo has been taken, and I’m still looking through the view finder – there is a shift of the image I just took and and it looks like it shifts to the left and you can hear a clicking sound that is noticeable when you are still looking thru the view finder. The images once downloaded on my computer are in focus. This happens with both of my lenses that I purchased. I have returned 2 other Nikon D3100 with the same problem and this is my 3rd camera. Is this normal? Has anyone else experience this problem?
That is due to the shutter that moves in blocking the view finder and letting the light hit the CMOS sensor. After the shot has been taken, the reflector drops down, enabling the viewer to once more see through the view finder.
Try having a longer shutter release time, like 2-5 sec, and notice that all through the shutter release time, the view finder will not be displaying anything.
But this happens *after* you took the pic? – the image shifts and theres a click? Weird.
So if it IS a fault, then you’ve been very unlucky getting 3 faulty cameras in a row, all with the same fault.
I think fried_fish is prob right and its just the camera working normally, else is it going to be number 3 to return?
I experience this slight shift after the picture is taken too, though I don’t believe this is a fault of the camera.
I may be wrong but I believe it is the VR (vibration reduction) which causes this slight shift. When you half press the shutter to autofocus this is also at the point where the VR begins to operate – you should notice that through the viewfinder the image is more stabilised. If you then relaesae the shutter without taking the photo you will notice a slight shift and a clunk as the VR disengages. Can anyone else confirm that this is ture?
Try turning the VR switch to off on the lense…I think this will prove my theory and you won’t get the shift through the viewfinder or cluning noise.
Thanks for the input. I have tried to narrow it down as to when this occurs. It is a very noticeable the “shift” thru the view finder after the picture is taken and very loud sounding. It is very annoying. I called Nikon customer service – they said this issue has not been reported and they have never heard of this happening. I really don’t want to have to turn off the VR or change shutter speed to avoid this issue. I was just wondering if this was “normal” and if others had experience this when using the D3100. Thanks again!
Videos for Beginners by Jared Polin
He explains things clearly for you:
(if you have Firefox, you can highlight the link, right-click, select Open…)
Camera Basics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHsET3W56KM
Menus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUpTKryVOMQ
Jared Polin is a bit of a retard though tbh
You an acquaintance of his?
Guys, I’ve recently bought Nikon D3100 and this is my first DSLR. Obviously, I’m a learner photographer but have always been jealous to beautiful snaps around. Next week, I’m heading to a beautiful city with awesome beaches close by. I wanna take this opportunity to have some beautiful beach photography. Please guide me in easy steps. I’d appreciate your comments. Thanks!
Google “beach photography” – I got 263,000,000 results.
well usually i Purchased d3100 with Kit. I want to take pictures in low light. Please Give me advice. To Start with
Low light photography is a whole subject on its own.
Heres 3 vids for you, but theres LOTS more on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZZRJvXSmxs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBPaYaZYUCc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61wwaesVYQY
when i try to set my picture control, it tells me that this option is not available with current settings even after i reset the settings to default. Does anyone know how i can fix this?
disregard. you have to take it out of the auto modes
Hi,
Its been 6 months I got my new D3100, couple of months back I removed the cover were we insert the external flash and put it back in without doing anything.. since then my Cam is acting weird. Even when the flash is closed and I shoot in Manual mode, it flashes and also I can not get the flash to open with the flash button. Can someone please help me with this..
Thanks…
If light is poor and the camera is in Auto mode, the flash should pop up.
If you’re in Manual mode and you press the flash pop-up button, the flash should pop up.
If none of this happens, maybe theres a fault?
Hi,
I just got the Nikon D3100 and I’m completely lost. I installed the Nikon ViewNX2 (came with the camera) and I’m not sure what to do on it, I cant figure out how to do anything with any pictures expect look at them… is this an editing software? Also i was wondering what is the best settings for taking outside pictures and indoor pictures?
Hi Emily…
Don’t worry about the ViewNX software at this stage.
Best way is to remove the memory card from the camera and connect it directly to your PC, eg with a card reader or maybe a slot if you have a laptop.
Depends what you want to do with your pics, I use the free Irfanview to view my pics, and do a little bit of processing like cropping or maybe brighten the colours, print out – that sort of thing.
Best settings – I would use Auto mode until you get used to the camera, see what sort of settings the camera is giving you.
Theres a free book about the D3100 if you want to delve a bit further:
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
by Jeff Revell
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
(or click my name)
Thanks for the quick response.
Do you recommend Auto over sport, child, landscape and close up for outdoor photography? My family and I are going to the state park and id like to get some really good pictures of my daughter, husband and the scenery. Thanks for your help in advance :)
If you feel like ‘having a go’ at those modes, then why not?
Hi Emily. for the software there should be an edit/develop tab or button to do edits. sorry its been ages since i’ve used it so i cant help you there. as for the shots of the family i would definitely try the different auto settings. the sports setting is good when the kids are running around as it knows this is a moving situation, so it will try to adjust accordingly. the portrait setting is nice for those close ups as it will try to seperate the subject from the background via the depth of field. the landscapes mode i would be wary of as it may assume you’re using a tripod. if you have one, go for it, if not, stay away. in the end they’re all auto modes that try to tailor the settings to the situation. you’ll get good results i’m sure. even if you just keep it in regular auto the camera should do a fine job. but if you want to control the creative aspects of photography, say depth of field/bokeh, motion, etc, you’ll have to learn manual mode M. i’ve written alot about it in other posts above/below so look for them if you’re interested. if not experiment with the different auto modes, and dont stress too much, regular auto mode should give you very nice results.
Hello, I just purchased a Nikon D3100 this week. I have taken over 100 photos and downloaded many of them. While reviewing and deleting photos on the camera the message “This card is not formatted. Format card appeared”. I have attempted to format the card 3 times and there is no change. I have removed the card and battery several times and the same error massage remains. Can you help?
Have you tried formatting the card IN the camera?
Maybe the card is not compatible – approved cards are on page 177 of the manual.
Try a different card – can you borrow one?
Otherwise, same advice as on the other forum:
“More than likely the card is corrupted. Buy a new one and it should fix the problem and just throw this one away. “
Will Nikkor 70-300 suit my D3100 gear?
Yes it will
i have the af-s 70-300mm lens and it’s my favorite lens for image quality. if you’re new to telephoto lenses keep in mind they’re trickier to use than shorter lenses such as the 18-55mm kit lens. the longer the focal length, the more prounounced hand shake/image blur becomes. the great thing about that lens is it has VR, keep it on. when using VR make sure you wait a second or two for the VR to activate. you’ll see it, the frame will move about as your hand/body moves, then it will snap into a steady image with little to no movement. that’s when you release your shutter. this may seem strange but trust me, you’ll see it when you use the lens, and it will make sense. also, to help eliminate hand shake/motion blur follow this rule of thumb: keep your shutter speed at twice the focal length you’re using. you’ll have to round up/down as the shutter speeds wont exactly match up, but it’s a good rule to follow. so if you’re shooting at 70mm you want a shutter speed at least 1/140. at 300mm you want a shutter speed at least 1/600. hope that helps, and hope you get the lens, i think you’ll like it.
Is it possible to turn the flash off when the D3100 is in the aperture priority or shutter priority modes? Logic tells me that surely you should be able to do this, I just can’t see where. ( i have looked at the various flash options available within these settings but can’t see an off setting.) Can you advise? Many thanks
In A or S modes (and M & P) you don’t need to turn flash off. If the flash unit is closed, flash is disabled but you can enable it by pressing the flash pop-up button, then the flash will fire. Close the flash unit again to disable it.
It just worked like that in my tests, anyway.
Ah, thanks Paul. I hadn’t realised i’d enabled flash by pressing that button. Schoolboy error! Thanks again for putting me straight :-)
YW.
Nice to have someone come back on and give feedback!
How do i take photos of the stars…? Is it possible to take good images with the basic D3100 kit? I would appreciate any advice.
Thank you.
Search for ‘Brea’ on this page to see a reply on this topic from fried_fish.
Maybe it’s somewhere in all of the above comments and questions, but I’m at my wits’ end, ok, maybe not that far. I love my D3100 however, while on a school field trip recently, my infant son reached across and hit a button. Now when I take a picture I don’t get a full screen view of it afterwards, I get a small thumbnail sized image and all of the photo information surrounding it. How do I get it back? I have looked in the manual, no dice. The only way that has solved it is to shoot in GUIDE mode which of course is not ideal at all. HELP. PLEASE.
While the picture is on the screen, press the up or down buttons and the camera will rotate through the photo information screens. When you reach full view, stop – and that view should ‘stick’ for all subsequent pictures.
Page 99 of the main manual.
Hi.
I have a nikon d3100 and when i take long exposures (anything upto 5 minutes) at night, it takes a long long time to process the picture so it can be viewed on screen.
Is this normal? i think not.
Does anyone else have this problem? I also have a canon 1000d and the image comes on screen imediately no matter how long the exposure is.
This is becoming very frustraiting, please help.
Thanks Nobby.
There could be something set in one of the menus, like Picture Control, for example, thats giving the camera a lot of work to do before it can display the picture.
Does it happen in normal light during the day?
Anyway, have a look in the menus, and if necessary reset them and try again.
yes that’s normal if you have noise reduction on. i think there is another setting as well that contributes to the long generation time. maybe dynamic lighting? i suggest turning off all the image options like noise reduction, etc, and it should speed up the process.
Hello, I recently bought nikon d3100 which is pretty awesome but man i am so awkward with it. At my work people here perfer to have photos set in NEF format not JPEG format. I wonder if it is because I am using wrong memory card (Sandisk 4g SDHC) or is it something I need to set manually inside the camera? If it is latter, can you please tell me how to do that? Thank you
Gloria
ah never mind :) found the answer from one of your previous questions (sandeep oct 3rd). Thanks!
Do you have a recommendation for a wireless trigger for my D3100. Both shutter and flash would be preferable.
Thanks for your advice
I have the Pixel Wireless Remote Control RW-221RX, works fine.
And the “iShoot” remote flash trigger.
You can find these or similar on Amazon and ebay.
Nikon D3100 does have a lot of snap? like Canon?
yup
You don’t give much info about the error message, but I’m guessing its this one, on page 194 of the manual:
Error. Press shutter release button again…
Their solution is:
“Release shutter. If error persists or appears frequently, consult Nikon authorized service rep.”
Reply in wrong place, see ‘Raz’
hlo.. all …
I got d3100 with 18-55 & 55-200 mm lense…
i want to but macro lens.. for it my budget is $350
n i found nikkor lenses are expensive can u pls suggest me third party lenses… (i.e sigma, Tamron.. )
i want to buy* macro
Theres info on macro lenses further down this page – for example, search for ‘chetan’.
actually nikon has a new nikon 40mm 2.8 micro, it’s thier cheapest macro lens, and retails for about $280. i’ve toyed with getting this lens myself, but i’m saving for an ultra wide lens. the 40mm reviews extremely well so take a look, you might like it. honestly i’d stick with the nikon glass, it’s better. yes some sigma and tamron lenses review well, but in comparison to nikon glass they’re not as good. and they tend to have higher defect rates. that’s just my opinion though, alot of people have great luck with the off brand glass. just make sure you do your research so you’re not dissappointed.
Just got a D3100.
Tried taking a few pics, but get a permanent “Error”, relating to “Shutter”.
Please advise why this has happened?
You don’t give much info about the error message, but I’m guessing its this one, on page 194 of the manual:
Error. Press shutter release button again…
Their solution is:
Release shutter. If error persists or appears frequently, consult Nikon authorized service rep.
Hi There, I have a nikon d3100 dslr camera but i cannot use the video because i don’t know how to use it. I only use it for photo images. I want to know how to use the video. Can you tell me how to use it. Even i read the manual but still i can’t do it. I have been owning this for a year now. Please tell me how to do it. Thanks.
Hi Maria…
You have to put the camera into the active Live View mode to even begin to capture video. This is accomplished by rotating the Live View switch on the rear of the camera to the LV position, which activates the live video on the rear display.
Once Live View is active, you need to focus the camera on your subject by placing the red focus box on the subject and holding down the shutter button halfway until the focus operation is complete and the rectangle turns green.
Once your subject is in focus, you can push the red Record button located on the Live View switch to begin the recording process. When the camera begins recording, you will notice that a few new icons show up on the LCD. At the top left will be a blinking red Record icon to let you know that the camera is in active record mode. In the upper right, you will notice the timer that is counting down your remaining recording time. This number is directly related to the quality you have selected for your video, which is also displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
To stop the video recording, simply press the Record button a second time. This will take you back to Live View mode.
To turn off the Live View, simply rotate the Live View switch to the right once more or turn the camera off.
Paul,
I’m having problems with the quality of my video on my camera (Nikon d3100). Once I transfer it from my camera to my computer the video is chippy and color is bad. It doesn’t look like an hd video at all. I’m not sure if it is the cable that I’m connecting it with to my computer or if it is certain setting on the camera that I am turning it to. Is there a certain setting on my camera that I’m not doing right? What Iso should I have it at? I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but the video on it doesn’t look good at all. Could you email me about this please? I would greatly appreciate your help.
flipping’ eck….ok, my head hurts!! i haev been “sold” a 58mm uv filter protector, my lens says its a 55mm…is it me or am i going bonkers!!
Your filter has a thread around its edge – this screws on to the front of the lens.
The ’58mm’ refers to the thread size.
standard shop bought kit lenses, 18mm to 55mm or 55mm to 200mm have a 52mm circular filter size.
i took a movie video of disneyland, but i forgot to remove the camera lens cover, when i realised what i had done, i removed the lid but kept on taking the movie, when i checked this frame i had a black area at the beginning up to the removal bit. i want to keep the rest of what was on the same frame. how can i delete the black area without deleting the rest of what was taken in the same frame
Download this free converter program:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/mp4cam2avi/
Copy your movie to your computer.
Load it into the program.
See the middle panel, it should show a preview of the movie.
Slide the slider right until you come to the part you want to keep.
Click on the button just to the right of the ‘Stop’ button – you should see the part you want to keep highlighted in blue.
Click on the Start button, find the new movie and play it.
when I try to print or upload pictures from my memory card the pictures will not display. What is wrong? The camera is a Nikon D50.
This is a D3100 forum, but generally speaking…
Try removing your card and attaching it directly to your computer.
I am new to SLRs ad just bought a nikon d3100 with an 18 mm lens. I’m registered in a class at the end of the month to learn how to use it but in the meantime I need some help!
What settings would you suggest to take a picture of a subject in a field to get the background is super blurry? I understand I would need a low f-stop but I dont know what I’m doing wrong/what else I need to change.
Thanks!!!
The supplied lens is a general-purpose lens and not very good for achieving blurred backgrounds.
But theres other queries on this page on that subject:
Search for ‘shallowest’ to see Ed’s reply and ‘Lex’ to see the fried_fish reply.
Hi
I just had a question, I’m new this the hole camera thing. I bougth a Nikon d3100 last year and I was looking to buy a flash for it. Not sure what would be my best bet for me and this camera I am a beginner at photography, I mainly use my camera to take pictures of freinds and family and landscape. I am looking for something simple but also something I can grow into. If anyone has any suggestions that would be a great help to me. Thanks in advance-Tina
You could get Nikon’s own brand, Speedlight – see Wikipedia for a description, though you might find them a bit pricy.
Theres other, cheaper makes, look on Amazon for descriptions, something like ‘flash for d3100′ should find them.
Thats where I bought mine and its adequate for what I want. It has a remote sensor, which means you can place the flash unit off-camera – say to one side of the subject, for example – & attach a transmitter to your camera (theyre not too expensive), and when you take the picture, the flash unit is triggered as if it were on the camera. Gives you more versatility over those glaring flash snaps we all see.
I’ve had a problem where even though I’m pressing the shutter down, the camera still won’t take the photo. Even when I can see the green box in live view. Any ideas what I need to change?
Try taking a picture in normal mode, that is, not in Live View.
Does it work?
I just bought the nikon d3100, please share the best settings for night potrait photos which can cover the background & foreground as super sharp. What needs to done on Shutter Speed, Aperture (F-stop) & ISO to get sharp night potrait/landscape photos.
Thanks in advance!!!!
Ohh… my camera lens is 18-55mm VR :)
You mean increase the depth of field at night.. challenging.. but
1. increase the f-stops (closes the aperture) this increases the depth of field..
2. Slow the shutter peed down
3. Increase the ISO to 800 to 3600..
4. Turn on the noise reduction..
You will need to play around with aperture, shutter speed and ISO to find the sweet spot.. I am betting you will need a tripod..
For the len:
1. Turn the VR to on
2. Use the 18mm..
use M mode, put the camera on a tripod, set your iso to 100, your aperture to f11-ish, and then just adjust your shutter speed until your light meter reads proper lighting. this may be several seconds if the light is very very dim. oh and turn your vr off when you shoot on a tripod, it can actually blur the image. this is an easy way to get nice low light landscape shots. just make sure nothing is in motion in the image, or you’re going to get alot of blur as you’re using a long shutter speed. this technique works great for those cool freeway light shots you may have seen. i’ve done it a few times, gone out at night, done a 30second shutter speed, and gotten really nice headlight and taillight light trails. anyhow i’m rambling, hope this helps.
Just purchased d3100, first SLR and I am in the middle of time sensitive project. I need to take close up photos of items such as coins, jewelry and firearms for this. I do not need the flash. I have the 18-55mm lens that came with the body. Any settings or ideas you can share with me? Thanks!
Get a macro lense.. or the Raynox DCR-250
i agree, you reallly need a macro lens to get the most of close up shots. BUT… if you’re stuck with just the kit lens here is a fairly easy way to get decent close ups. use M mode to manually adjust the following settings. ok mount the camera on a tripod and turn vr off (only when on a tripod). zoom to 55mm with the lens. now try to get the camera as physically close to the subject as possible. remember each lens has a minimum focus distance so you cant get too too close. i’m not sure on the minimum for hte kit lens but i’d say probably about a foot or so. set your iso to 100, your aperture to f11-ish, and then just adjust your shutter speed until the light meter reads proper exposure. this may be a long exposure so make sure nothing is moving in the frame or you’re gonna get alot of motion blur. after you take hte image, go into whatever photo editing software you use (i use lightroom, but have used the packaged software) and crop in to increase magnification. oh shoot in raw format so you have the most flexability when editing. you can also crank up the sharpness and detail in post production if you wish, just dont get too heavy handed with it as your photos will start to look too edited. hope that helps
oh that technique works great for landscapes as well. the key is using an aperture of about f9-f11 as the lens is sharpest at that setting. if you shoot wide open (say f5.6 at 55mm with the kit lens) you’ll get very soft images.
How do I live stream using d3100??
You can’t
Hi
Please suggest me any digital software where i can add my name to the photo and add frame to the photo.
Regards
Chetan
Photoimpact has lots of photo frames and you can add text.
Freeware HDR software
Picturenaut
Picturenaut is a free and easy to use HDR program, but very limited features for tone mapping. It does a great job of creating realistic HDR images.
OS: Windows Only Price: FREE
http://www.hdrlabs.com
7. Luminance HDR
Luminance HDR has potential… but it’s the most time consuming and difficult program to use. Over time I’m sure this program will evolve to something great.
OS: Windows & MAC Price: FREE
http://qtpfsgui.sourceforge.net
I bought a Nikon D3100 with the kit. I am looking to get an different lense…suggestions I recieved are 70-300mm and 18-200mm. I love to take landscapes, pictures of kids and pets. I have read good reviews on both. Any suggestions?
Katie,
Here is rehash of my earlier post..
I have the both the kit and Nikkor 55-200..and I am sorry I got the lens because I wish I had the 70-300 instead or better yet the Tamron 18-270 which I cannot afford at about $570
i use the 18-55 kit lens for travel and the 55-200 for sports or outdoor pics. The 55-200 does great portrait pics too. It is also relatively inexpensive.
I recommend that you get the Tamron 18-270mm, it is pricey but it offers a one lens solution for travel.
I used my friends Tamorn on my D3100, I ran test shots at the 200mm level for both, same conditions etc. The Tamron is more clear than the my 55-200mm Nikkor at 200mmm and at 100mm under the exact same conditions.. However, the difference is only noticeable when i magnify the imagine to the extreme.
The other lens is the fast action and for low light Nikkor 35mm, 200 bucks.Meaning you can use a higher shutter speed because the aperture opening is greater.
All said, if I could do it again, I would buy the D3100 body along Tamron 18-270 and the Nikkor 35mm, an extra battery and the the fastest and largest memory card possible.
for landscapes and family shots a telephoto lens may be too long. telephotos are great for far off shots like wildlife and such, but for indoors they’re tough to use. also, telephotos can be tricky to use for beginners. i’d suggest the nikon 35mm 1.8g or the nikon 50mm 1.8g lenses. they’re great prime lenses that are excellent in low light and indoors. they dont zoom, that’s what prime lens means, so you have to physically move back and forth to get things in/out of the frame that you want. BUT…they have big maximum apertures (f1.8 for both), which are great for low light conditions, and for blurring the foreground and/or background (called bokeh). i have both those lenses and i love them.
ok with all that said if you thought to my above post “well i do want the long reach of a telephoto” then get the nikon 70-300mm 4.5-5.6 af-s lens, it’s a great lens! of all my lenses i do think it’s got the best image quality. it’s definitely a big step up from the 18-200mm lens for image quality. the 18-200mm lens is very useful as it covers such a wide focal range, BUT in doing so it does suffer in image quality compared to lenses with tighter focal ranges. taht’s why i’m suggesting the 70-300mm lens over it.
one thing to keep in mind with telephoto lenses is they are tricky to use. the longer the focal length, the more prounounced hand shake/image blur becomes. the great thing about that lens is it has VR, keep it on. when using VR make sure you wait a second or two for the VR to activate. you’ll see it, the frame will move about as your hand/body moves, then it will snap into a steady image with little to no movement. that’s when you release your shutter. this may seem strange but trust me, you’ll see it when you use the lens, and it will make sense. also, to help eliminate hand shake/motion blur follow this rule of thumb: keep your shutter speed at twice the focal length you’re using. you’ll have to round up/down as the shutter speeds wont exactly match up, but it’s a good rule to follow. so if you’re shooting at 70mm you want a shutter speed at least 1/140. at 300mm you want a shutter speed at least 1/600.
I just recently bought a Nikon D3100 and still learning on some of the features of the camera. I bought the kit with a 18-55 mm lens. When I tried to set it in guide mode for softer background and set it to f 3.5, the background of my subject was not blurred. Is it possible for a 18-55 mm lens to blur the background?
Thanks.. I’m a newbie in photography.
There are several posts on this page with the same query.
Search for ‘shallowest’ to see Ed’s reply and ‘Lex’ to see the fried_fish reply.
yeah the kit lens is not good for bokeh (blurred background). there are a few things that control your depth of field/bokeh (how blurred the background is). they are the aperture of the lens, the distance from the camera to the subject, and the subject to the background. to minimize the dof (depth of field), which will give the most blurring, you want to get the camera as close to the subject as possible, you want to set your aperture to the maximum available per the lens (which would be f3.5 at 18mm on the kit lens), and try to get the subject as far away from the background as possible. that will give you the most blurring. but honestly dont expect much with the kit lens. i highly recommend either the nikon 35mm 1.8g or 50mm 1.8g lenses. the 50mm lens gives superior bokeh but the 35mm focal length is more useful as it’s wider. but with either of those lenses set your aperture to f1.8 and you’ll reallly blow out hte backgrounds. if you’re planning on getting either of them but not sure which to get, i suggest setting your kit lens to 35mm and walk around with it, see how you like that focal length, then do the same at 50mm. if you are ok at 50mm i’d get the 50mm lens for the superior bokeh. but if you find it a bit too long, go for the 35mm lens, its a winner too. i have both and tend to use them about equally. just depends on what i need, the wider frame of the 35mm or the superior bokeh of the 50mm. either way i think you’ll be happy with them.
Here are some useful D3100 PDF files you can download:
(if you use Firefox, highlight the link, right-click and select Open…)
D3100 Manual (off CD)
http://min.us/mdOq2WDLe
Book 1
Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots
by Jeff Revell
http://min.us/mPlgDbzoj
Extra chapter about D3100 video
http://min.us/mbpCL2lRzU
Book 2
NIKON D3100 GUIDE TO DIGITAL SLR PHOTOGRAPHY
(more technical)
David D. Busch
http://min.us/msKgUCtWp
PAUL!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Great links and books! Warmly recomended to all…
Tell me, no luck finding Chapter 11 of “From Snapshots to Great Shots”? The name of the chapter is “Pimp My Ride” according to the book…
Here you go:
Pimp My Ride
http://min.us/m67QOI8v8
Thank you!! You are the best!
Thanks Paul.. FYI, I read the book 1.. it was very good..
I also bought the “D3100 for Dummies.” It was as good as Revel’s book.
Book 2,looks to be more advanced like you noted..
Thanks again..
Mmm, I might get the Dummies book.
Paul,
I meant the the Dummies book was NOT as good as the Revell’s book You two books are better..
Sorry for the typo..
Hi, I recently got a Nikon D3100 and I love it. The thing is I cant quite figure out how to get the widest aperture in manual mode of f/1.4. I know how to change shuter speed and aperture but I cant get the aperture lower than f/5.6,f/4.5 Hope You guys can help :)
You cannot go any wider then the aperature on your lens. If your lens is f5.6 you cannot go any wider than that.
i’m assuming you have the 18-55mm kit lens. if you look at the lens you’ll see something like f:3.5-5.6 on it. those are the widest/maximum aperture settings. you’ll notice it’s a range/variable. at 18mm you can open the aperture to 3.5, but as you zoom towards 55mm the maximum aperture closes to 5.6.
if you want a good fast lens with a big aperture get one of nikon’s prime lenses. i suggest the 50mm 1.8g, it’s cheap and has a great bokeh. the 50mm 1.4g is great too but more than double the cost. and in my opinion it’s not worth double the cost. the 35mm 1.8g is another great affordable lens.
Hi I have a d3100 and am having trouble connecting to TV and/or DVD recorder to display pics or video, tried both PAL & NTSC settings also AV and USB cables (supplied with camera) followed all instructions by the book without success am I missing something or do you think there may be a fault with the camera?
Are you definitely able to access the TV channel which connects to the camera input?
Hi Paul Thanks for your reply Yes I’ve tried a different camera on the same input and that works OK (input line 2) also the DVD hard drive recorder and with the same cables Gordo.
Hi again. I’ve been trying different things and have got a USB connection from the D3100 to the hard drive recorder to work (I first connected to my laptop which worked and then the recorder) But still nothing on the A/V side of things so unless you can think of anything else there’s probably a problem with the camera.
ps I don’t sit up all night I’m in Western Australia +12 hours
Looks like you’ve eliminated all the likely causes.
You could try emailing one of the Nikon centres, they might advise.
Thanks Paul, I’ll try that, and let you know if I get a positive answer for future reference.
Have talked to Nikon, they think a problem with camera and will fix it under warranty even though it ran out on the 12/10 (5days ago) Chalk one up for Nikon! Thanks again for the great website
So glad you got a result. Actually, this ‘years warranty’ thing is a bit of a con. Youre entitled to some action if theres a fault with the item, regardless (up to 6 years in the UK) of when u got it.
Hi there, I am using the Nikon D3100, am loving it to pieces, I have owned it for a while now and am still finding more features it has! :)
At the moment I’m using 2 continuous soft boxes in my studio, and camera on Aperture Priority, I can never get pictures bright enough, I shoot in RAW so I can do it in Photoshop, but I want better results in camera.
Should I be shooting in Manual like you would using strobes? And is it the camera’s choosing shutterspeed in Aperture mode that is creating this?
I’m considering getting a light meter, but I would like to know how to use the one built in the camera before spending money??
Any help would be great :)
I looked up the specs for these lights and think you should be able to get enough light for decent images.
Definitely try Manual, as I would think your setup is not a typical one and not what the camera would be designed for.
Adjust aperture and shutter speed, and keep an eye on the camera’s meter.
I do desktop photography using smaller LED lights with no problems.
A mode will not adjust your ISO for you, so you gotta do that yourself. i also had trouble at first with A and S mode and my light umbrella, the images were always dark. then i learned the camera was not adjusting ISO, so i did it and bingo, good exposures. just dont go too high with your ISO or you’ll get excessive noise levels. try to keep it at ISO 800 or lower if you’re doing studio work. if just small prints ISO 1600 is acceptable, just use some noise reduction in post production. i suggest just using M mode as you’ll learn more and have total control over the camera. hope that helps.
I just got a nikon 3100 .. I take a lot of pictures of my grandkids.. I cannot find a find a motion blur setting.. but I have taken pictures of a baby sleeping.. to a 5 year old posing and I get a blurry picture..
The 5 year old posed it was blurry then the three pictures after that were not but she was being silly LOL ANything I can do or is htis just the camera or mee???
Thank you Patricia ..
does the camera ever take sharp pictures? or are all images taken blurry? if so call nikon service, you may need to have your camera/lens recalibrated. if you occasionally get nice sharp images then the camera is fine, it’s the shooting situation and your technique that are causing the problems. i’m assuming you’re shooting in auto mode so this answer will try to cater to that assumption. the motion burring is being caused by too slow of a shutter speed, most likely. this is happening becuase of low light conditions. the camera in auto will adjust the iso, aperture, and shutter speed (these three things make up the exposure triangle, google it and learn it if you want to shoot manually) based on the lighting conditions you’re shooting in. the shutter speed controls motion. if the shutter speed is faster, it will freeze motion, and if slower it will blur motion. so what i’m suspecting is you’re shooting in not so great light, and the camera is having to slow the shutter down to compensate and get proper exposure. here are some things you can try to aleviate this: use the flash. with the flash on the camera can generate light and thus increase shutter speed. when you shoot make sure you give the shutter release only a half press and give the camera time to achieve focus lock. the camera will beep by default when focus lock is achieved. once you have focus lock, then fully depress the shutter to take the photo. on the control dial on the top of the camera switch from AUTO mode to sports mode, designated by the icon of a person running. This is also a full auto mode but it’s intended for fast moving action shots, so the shutter will be higher than in regular auto mode. and in general try to shoot in good strong light when possible. this makes it easy for the camera to use a relatively faster shutter speed and lower iso, improving image quality.
ok that’s the quick here is some info to help you out right now answer. but the best answer is google “exposure triangle” and learn the basics. then put the camera in M mode and practice. it’s really not that hard to use M mode if you just practice. learn how to adjust your iso, shutter, and aperture settings manually via M mode and you’ll always be in control of what the camera is doing. in auto mode you’re at the mercy of the camera and what it thinks is best, which isnt always a good thing. hope my long winded answer helps.
i am thinking of buying that 3100D as my first DSLR camera but am unsure whether i should just go for the 18-55mm VR lens only option and buy a lens once i get into it or get the deal with the 55-200mm but is not VR?
I find many used for the 55-200mm lens, mostly outdoor shots. I am looking for a 300mm lens to zoom closer for distant subjects.
the 55-200mm lens is ok but is one of nikon’s worst performing telephoto lenses, from an image quality perspective. that’s why it’s so cheap. check to see if nikon is running the buy a dlsr body, get a rebate on select lenses promotion. if so get the nikon 70-300mm 4.5-5.6 af-s lens, it’s amazing! the nikon 55-300mm 4.5-5.6 af-s is also a good lens, better than the 55-200mm lens. dont get me wrong, the 55-200 does great work for the price. but spending a bit more will give you more length and superior image quality.
ok. thanks for your help.
oh forgot to address VR, you want it on a telephoto lens. the longer the focal length, the more pronounced camera shake is. i have the 70-300mm af-s nikkor and i cannot shoot that lens without VR on at anything over 100mm. so if the 55-200mm lens in the package your looking at doesnt have VR, skip it, in my opinion. oh telephotos are tricky to shoot. as a rule of thumb try to keep your shutter speed at twice the focal lenght (rounded to the next nearest shutter speed). so if you’re shooting at 200mm you’ll want your shutter speed at 1/400, which rounds to 1/500. this is to ensure camera shake is minimized/eliminated. that’s assuming hand holding. if you’re on a tripod use whatever shutter you’d like, you’ll be fine.
Just sharing some free HRD software I found for HDR..Although, the D3100 does not have bracketing.. you can take three different photos at different exposures levels and then combine that to make a HDR photo.. not natural but interesting concept.. let me know if any tries it..
Luminance HDR 2.1.0
http://qtpfsgui.sourceforge.net/?page_id=10
Oh, I thought Jessop was his own printer. sorry for the confusion. You can always lighten up the photos before printing as well.
Best Settings for shooting 1080 24p?
I have noticed that when I am shooting video with my D3100 that when I play back the video it seems choppy when the camera moves or cars move in the frame. Traditionally you set the shutter to 1/48 which is suppose to be equal to the 180 degree shutter on a film camera. I have tried several setting and nothing seems to be working.
I am using a Lexar platinum II SDHC 100x Class 6 card.
Is the shutter affected when in video mode?
Also do you get choppiness when playing back 1080p video on your computer? Is that a hard drive or video?
What is the best setting for shooting video with the D3100?
I don’t do much video stuff but from what I’ve read on here, you might need a faster card. in fEB, SAYS:
“Anything above a class 6 rating will be fine for recording HD videos.”
Try again!
I don’t do much video stuff but from what I’ve read on here, you might need a faster card. A reply from Moose in Feb says:
“Anything above a class 6 rating will be fine for recording HD videos.”
Theres a chapter on video in the book:
http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
PS – I see you asked this question on Facebook – no sign of a reply there yet!
Hi there. I love my d3100. I’ve been playing around for a while, mostly shooting wildlife and landscapes using the 18-55mm and the nikkor 55-200. I just bought the Nikkor 55-300 for a little more range, but really want a 500mm preset lens. The Nikkors are way too expensive, and since I’m not a pro I can’t justify spending the $. Does anyone have experience with the Opteka 500mm? I know it’s not autofocus, which is fine – the 55-300 AF is really really slow so I usually keep it in manual. Many thanks!
I have the 55-300 and find it fits my needs.
I also looked at the Opteka and I think it would be best if you read the comments and reviews on the net, like Amazon buyers comment. Heres a quote from one:
“It works strictly in manual mode, so you have to know how to actually work your camera! Don’t expect anything automatic: if you are a point and shoot photographer in full-auto mode, then this is not the lens for you!
Images are of reasonable quality.”
But then its cheap enough that you might consider giving it a go.
Samyang also do mirror lenses, tho theyre a bit more expensive.
Theres a review here:
http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/channel/reviewitem.asp?c=11&review=2854
but look for others.
…or maybe Jessops printer is at fault
Big Thanks to Paul for his relentless answering the questions!!!!
Thanks Landon, and others who are having a go at answering.
Are forums dying ? Is the new medium Facebook?
I think Moose owes Paul a monthly payment for keeping the hits on website going…
Howdy boys,
Landon…I’ve been absent for a bit due to a wonderful new addition to my growing family. The last few months I’ve been knee deep in diapers and spending my free time feeding, rocking and singing lullabies. Check out the CameraTips.com homepage for a more in-depth update as to where I’ve been.
Paul…until I can figure out a way to get comments on this site sent straight to my phone, Twitter and Facebook allow me to comment and answer questions on the go. I’m working on a major re-design and will look into integrating comments so I can respond when I’m on location and away from the office. I do greatly appreciate the help you’ve provided to many of the D3100 owners that frequent this site.
Happy shooting,
Moose
check the PPI settings (min should be 300) on your printer and read the printer instructions for printing pics
I have had to shoot quite a lot in auto mode recently as I am travelling and often have to snap pictures quickly when I’m on my way around places. I would much rather use P mode but whenever I’ve tried the shutter speed has been so slow that its felt like ten minutes before the picture has taken, even during the day, and then of course the picture is blurry. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Use S mode..
OK, but is my P mode broken? Surely it should not be like that.
I recently purchased a D3100 camera and am in the process of learning the different settings. My question is when I am in Aperature priority mode, Shutter mode or Program mode the metering graph is visible sometimes and sometimes it is not. Is it something I am doing or not doing?
Could be a couple of things >>
Page 144 of the main manual:
In Menu, Setup Menu, Rangefinder – choose ON to use the exposure indicator to determine whether the camera is correctly focused in manual focus mode – note that this function is not available in shooting mode M when the exposure indicator instead shows whether the subject is correctly exposed.
Page 169 – compatible lenses, the meter won’t work with some lenses.
Thanks Paul !!!
Ive heard of people using FX format lenses on the D3100. can you do that?
yes.
but you cannot use DX on a FX DSLR..
Hey i just bought a nikon d3100 and I’m very new to the DSLR scene. I want to buy a UV filter but what size is the d3100 52mm?
yes, read the end of the lens to confirm..
Hi,
I am using 18-55mm lens for my d3100 nikon SLR,when ever i try to zoom an capture an object sometimes its not getting clicked,i mean it only allows me to capture it from a certain distance but not with zoom.When ever i encounter this problem i reduce zoom or move far away from the object to get it clicked.Not able to capture as how i wanted it.can anyone help me with this?Thanks in advance.
The camera also measures the light available and it may refuse to ‘click’ if there isn’t enough light.
Can you try some test shots in good daylight – outside where conditions should give you good results. If that doesn’t work, reset your menus (page 131 of the manual) and try again.
Hi
Can anyone tell me whether I can use Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens for both telephoto and macro photography.
Regards
Chetan
the 55-300 lens is definitely a good telephoto lens, but for macro work you’re better off with a dedicated macro lens, which the 55-300 is not. you want an image ration of 1:1 for macro work. any nikon lens that has “micro” in it’s product name is a dedicated macro lens. if you have the budget the nikon 105mm 2.8 micro is an amazing lens. if you’re super tight on budget you can try the new nikon 40mm 2.8 micro, it’s retailing under $300 and rates well. the short focal length (40mm) means you have to get really really close to your subject, which will affect the lighting on the subject, so keep that in mind. a longer focal length will allow you to stand back a bit let more light onto the subject. hope all the helps
I think the tamron lens have a macro button to switch too.
Hi Ed/Landon
How is Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro (for Nikon Digital SLR) Lens….this lens is both telephoto and macro one…any idea on the quality of the lens and picture
Regards
Chetan
It should be the same great quality that I found on the Tamron 18-270.. The Tamron lens are heaver than the Nikor.. They feel less plastic and more substantial. Still better..I would add the 35mm Nikkor to the mix for low light..
Hi Chetan. the tamron lens you were asking about isnt a 1:1 ratio macro lens, it’s a 1:2, so it wont get as close as a true macro lens. if you’re just toying with macro photography this might be an ok choice, but if you really love macro work and plan on doing alot of it, i’d get a true macro lens. and be careful with non-nikon glass. there are lots of great lenses from tamron, sigma, tokina, etc. but they have higher failure rates. just make sure where you buy from has a good return policy. i’ve had only so so experience with non-nikon glass, returning two of the 4 i’ve purchased. oh! if you dont mind doing the focusing yourself and have the budget try the Tokina 100/2.8 ATX Digital Ready 1:1 AF-D Macro Lens for Nikon USA. it reviews very well and is relatively cheap for a fast (2.8 max aperture) macro lens. and the image quality i’ve seen online has been stunning. i’m actually thinking of getting that one myself after i get an ultra wide lens.
oh and that tokina lens does great portrait work. amazing bokeh!
Can someone help me. I just purchased a Nikon d3100… when i manually focus lense to up close it becomes very blurry…blurry in picture or just when i focus up close period… please help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ONf7DdRFpvY
each lens has a minimum focus distance. if you’re closer than that distance for hte lense you are using, it wont be able to focus, and will look blurry. google search the lense you’re using and minimum focus distance for a quick answer on how close you can get. ex – “nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 af-s lens minimum focus distance”
Tina, I think you might have only adjusted the zoom ring instead of the focus ring on the lens.
I bought a D3100 in June 2011 and have been enjoying it. The problem is frequently when I try to switch to Manual mode the camera stays in automatic. Sometimes it won’t switch to the other modes as well.
Any suggestions? Does the camera need repairing?
Thanks,
Andy
Sounds like a manufacturer defect, take it back and exchange it…
Hi there thank you for nice awesome cool photography tips on Nikon D3100. BTW I love Nikon D3100 too feel free to see my vids at http://youtube.com/watch?v=88MOE8E5_WM
Thank You and Take Care
Regards
Pendekar Laut
Excellent video – thanks
Lens that came with the camera has a A/M for focus…i have another (older) lens that doesn’t have Auto or Manual on it…it there a way to have the d3100 use Auto focus for other lenses?
If the lens doesn’t have auto focus then it wont auto focus.
the d3100 can only focus g series, or af-s lenses. if you mount d series, or af, lenses they will not autofocus. that’s a big drawback to the d3100.
Jim,
There are several other companies that have lenses made with an Auto-focus Motor in the lens (same feature in afs Nikon lenses. Tamron calls it HIM and I forget what sigma calls it. Look for lenses with this feature. Also, you can use any lense made for Nikon as long as you manually focus the subject. This is not difficult and yields great pictures for less expensive lenses (it costs much money to pack a auto-focus motor in a small lens body).
Joe
I would like to know if it is necessary to have a video camera or is it enough with the nikon D3100 to make a video of a sightseeing tour of Europe with a memory of 16 GB.
Thanks.
The camera should be fine – you can take movies of up to 10 minutes in length each.
Just bought this camera with 55mm kit lens, memory card and Tamron 70-300mm lens with Macro.
Been playing with the camera for an hour or so and, probably stupidly, was anticipating super-sharp detailed pictures right out of the box. Reality is, I’m underwhelmed. It seems, on the surface, to be treading water with a point and shoot compact…
Mmm, I wonder what the problem is…
because I got excellent pics from the camera right from the start.
I came from the Fujiflm HS10, which was ok, but a bit hit and miss.
Decided to upgrade to this DSLR and never had any problems.
Almost certainly expecting too much. I have a digital compact Fujifilm AX280.
Underwhelmed by the macro lens too. Much to learn I’m sure.
sharpness is affected by alot of variables, mostly the shutter speed and aperture (assuming the camera and lenses are functioning correctly and dont need recalibration). the shutter speed must be fast enough to eliminate hand shake/motion blur, or your pictures will not be sharp. also, each lens has a sweet spot in it’s aperture range where it is at its sharpest. usually this is around f8 or so. for your kit lens, the 18-55mm nikon, i suggest turning the vr off, it can actually add softness to an image if you’re not careful in how to use it. and even at 55mm you dont really need vr. as for shutter speed, try to keep the shutter speed at 1/focal length times two. so if you’re at 55mm try to keep your shutter speed over 1/110 (which would be 1/125 or faster). this helps eliminate motion blur. you’ll have to be shooting in M, A, or S modes to control those variables so i highly suggest learning them, especially M mode. once you can control exposure manually you’ll see a huge difference in your images. also keep in mind telephoto lenses are extremely difficult to shoot cleanly when you’re just starting out. you really have to keep your shutter fast (over 1/600), and the aperture in the middle of the range (f8 or close to). that requires alot of good light to do.
hi;just got my 1st dslr d3100 i,m thinking about buying a dx 55-200 lens for shots when traveling has any one used this lens ?
Yes, I have the Nikkor 55-200..and I am sorry I got the lens because I wish I had the 70-300 instead or better yet the Tamron 18-270 which I cannot afford at about $570
i use the 18-55 kit lens for travel and the 55-200 for sports or outdoor pics. The 55-200 does great portrait pics too. It is also relatively inexpensive.
I recommend that you get the Tamron 18-270mm, it is pricey but it offers a one lens solution for travel.
I used my friends Tamorn on my D3100, I ran test shots at the 200mm level for both, same conditions etc. The Tamron is more clear than the my 55-200mm Nikkor at 200mmm and at 100mm under the exact same conditions.. However, the difference is only noticeable when i magnify the imagine to the extreme.
The other lens is the fast action and for low light Nikkor 35mm, 200 bucks.Meaning you can use a higher shutter speed because the aperture opening is greater.
All said, if I could do it again, I would buy the D3100 body along Tamron 18-270 and the Nikkor 35mm, an extra battery and the the fastest and largest memory card possible.
Get a big card max the resolution to shoot both JPEG Fine + RAW
Lastly, the D3100 is still a great DSLR one year after its introduction, but the SONY Nex-7 and A65 at 24mp are game changers at 2x the resolution..
My advice is to just get out and used the D3100 as much as possible.don’t baby it, take it on travel and everywhere you go because it has reach its middle age right about now.
I know folks will be upset with my middle age comments.
I have brought Nikon D3100 to replace my old Nikon F80 analog camera. I love flower photography. I took wonderful flower pictures from my old Nikon FM 10 pure manual camera and also with Nikon F80. But i am not enjoying flower photography with D3100! I am using Macro setting. Please let me know what is the best focus point setting for D3100?? Or always better to use manual setting for flowers??
I don’t usually bother with Macro mode, I just use Auto or Manual. Yes, Manual focus should work ok, just adjust the camera position until the image is sharp. Use a tripod or monopod if you can.
You’ll get better results with a zoom lens, I have the 55-300, and it gives excellent ‘bokeh’ – thats tech speak for blurring the background!
Also, keep focusing setting in Single Point – AF, and the Metering to Centre-Weighted, or Spot.
Dear Both,
Thank you very much for your inputs. I will try.
i suggest learning M mode. once you do try to keep your aperture around f8 or close to, as this usually is the sweet spot of most lenses. though a lower aperture will give you a nicer bokeh, the image in general will be softer looking. UNLESS…you buy a dedicated macro lens. any nikon lens with “micro” in it’s product name is a macro lens. they’re incredibly sharp and designed for close up macro work like flowers/bugs. the new nikon 40mm 2.8 micro rates well and retails under $300. if you have the cash get the amazing nikon 105mm 2.8g micro, you wont regret it. your center focus point is your cross hatch type, the most sensitve, so use that if you can. and use a tri-pod. just keep experimenting with your shots, you’ll get it. i had trouble with close up flower shots as well when i first started out, but now i can get them really sharp. oh, dont forget to shoot in raw format and do some post production, it can make a blah image extraordinary.
I have 3 questions. I desperately need answers to all 3.
I am a teacher and I, and sometimes students, take pictures for a school yearbook and web photo gallery. We used to do this with a Canon PowerShot A480. We would never zoom and used all auto settings except we always turned the flash off. Then I would crop to save the subject. The quality held very well when cropping. However good indoor sports pictures were extremely rare. Mainly to get better indoor sports pictures I just bought the Nikon D3100 that came with AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens. I also bought a Nikkor AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED lens. I am doing as much reading and research as I can and plan on taking a photography class but need as much advice as I can get for now. With the Nikon D3100 we have used the auto and sports mode, auto focus, and zoomed as needed.
1. I have taken pictures with my Nikon D3100 in jpg and Raw modes. Regardless of which one I use, when I crop I lose a lot of quality compared to cropping with my Canon. I can take a picture of a small sign across the gym with the Canon (no zoom) and when I crop I can read the sign plainly. When I do this with the Nikon D3100, regardless of whether I don’t zoom at all or zoom fully, when I crop the sign is blurry. This same loss of quality happens on all pictures when I crop. What settings do I need to have to keep the quality when cropping?
2. Which setting is best for taking the best quality pictures, Raw, jpg, Raw + jpg?
3. Most importantly, which settings are the best for taking pictures of indoor basketball/volleyball pictures?
If it helps, many of the pictures we’ve taken are at http://www.ivschools.org/msPhotos.aspx. Also, if I purchase another lens, what would be the best one for the indoor sports?
Thanks
The lenses you have should be fine, assuming theres no faults with them or camera.
I can’t tell from your posted images what settings you’ve used, but they are certainly not up to Nikon standard.
I have my settings on Fine image quality, Large image size, Auto WB, ISO 100, AF-A (mostly), single-point AF, Spot metering, and a mix of Auto, Manual and Aperture priority. Single-shot – usually.
I also have Picture Control set on Vivid.
If you use Manual focus, remember to switch back to Auto.
I dont usually have many problems with results, and don’t usually bother with RAW, although lots of ppl use it.
I would take some time out and experiment with some different settings, take some pics of your sign, note which settings you’ve used and check the results.
Try Sports mode when poor results won’t matter so much, see what it come up with.
Theres a chapter on Sports photography in the free book:
http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
Hi Guys, just got a Nikon D3100 and Im a newby to DSLR, right now Im just trying to familiarise myself with the camera and I have noticed in video mode its not auto-focusing, any help with this would be appreciated, not sure if its a fault or Im doing something wrong or got something set wrong
sorted, needed to change setting to AF-F
Hey, i was just wondering,what would be th best settings for taking pictures of the stars?
1.) Narrow aperture, preferably above 11.
2.) A low shutter speed, preferably above 5-10 seconds.
3.) Low ISO, not above 400 on a D3100 (since shutter speed i s low, a higher ISO will introduce noise)
4.) Very dark surroundings, high rooftops without any streetlights or other surrounding artificial lights visible, so that the only light entering the camera lens is from the stars.
5.) Preferably on a moonless night, so that the lights from the stars are accentuated, and the moon light does not interfere.
Oh, and a very stable support, like a tripod, or a table, etc. Do not try holding the camera in your hands, any shutter speed beyond 1/5 s will get you hazy photographs, especially when you are shooting in the night.
I’ve had my camera for almost a year and have been shooting in the “no flash” mode because that is the mode that has been giving me the best results. I want to move away from this and have heard that shooting in the aperature mode is best if you are not ready for manual mode (which I definitely am not). When using A mode, the color is turning out way too bright/yellowish/almost fluorescent. Does anyone know what setting I need to change or what I need to know to be able to shoot successfully in aperature mode? I’m just wanting to take pictures of my children. thanks!
It could be that you have something set in Picture Control which is making your results come out wrong.
Try resetting your menus.
…and set White Balance to Auto
I’m using my 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G AF-S VR Nikkor lens at random with Nikon D60 and D3100. I would love to add distance and have in mind doing so either with a TC 14 or TC 17 extender lens.
Any guidance in this regard will be highly appreciated.
The TC 14E gets 3 reasonably good reviews on Amazon UK, but I researched these things for quite a time before deciding they’re not worth the layout.
Potential problems are compatibility, questionable results and expense.
I bought a 300mm zoom lens for the D3100 and am happy with that and just got a Samsung WB690 point-and-shoot-type camera which has an 18X zoom lens and these meet all my needs. I also have a Sony 1.7 teleconverter which I bought for a previous camera – it fits on the front of the D3100 lens – and thats quite good, though quality tends drops off at the longer reaches.
I would say do some good research to satisfy yourself before buying.
Thank you Paul!
Any other comments??
hi, can a zoom lens be used in macro mode?
Yes, I have the Nikkon 55-300 lens and its excellent for macro work.
The longer the zoom, the better the macro. You will observe that the macro shots and macro focus will be better at the zoom end of your lens than at the wide end.
For instance if you have an 18-55 mm lens, macro shots will be better near the 55 mm end than near the 18 mm end.
you can but a dedicated macro lens is the better option.
I have the lens and the camera on M mode, but the settings on the camera say that the “Viewfinder” cannot be used with these settings. What is wrong?
Please and thank you.
That’s got me beat – I can’t duplicate that error or message and its not listed in the manual.
do you have live view on? if so turn that off and you should be able to use the viewfinder
happy to find this forum. just purchased a d3100 yesterday and im happy with it. next thursday its my grandpas 83rd birthday and i want to use it. the problem is im a 100% newbie when it comes to dslr :shy:. any advice to get the most out of my dslr? thanks guys!
If you’re new to photography, I would recommend to use the Auto function to begin. After when it is not important picture, just make test yourself. Keep in mind theres is only twos setting, speed and aperture and the have to match together. Faster speed more opening, slow speed, less aperture. The auto fonction will set everything for you. Just have a look at the setting you camera will use and it will give you an idee.
for the party just keep the camera in Auto mode to be safe. BUT, take some time to learn M mode, the creative control it gives you is amazing. do some reading on the Exposure Triangle, google it. same with Photography Composition. when you have free time take those tips/techniques and put the camera in M mode and just shoot, and shoot alot. the more shooting you do, the more you’ll learn.
Hi, I need to know, what is the correct D3100 setting for firing a manual flash and where do I find such a setting in the menu?
As in, I want my YN-560 flash to fire without the on-board flash popping up.
I can set the YN-560′s zoom/power manually.
Also, are there any adjustments to be made to ISO/aperture/shutter speed when using a flash? – eg. in a darkish room I may choose 800-1600 ISO WITHOUT flash, however when the flash fires there is so much more light – how do I set up my camera for the use of the flash?
Sorry for basic questions; I am a beginner and rank amateur with a hunger for learning about photography.
Thanks in advance for any responses.
oh boy you’re learning manual flash! i’m still struggling with it myself, been doing it for a few months. first things first, sounds like you dont have wireless triggers for your flash. the camera itself cannot fire the flash if it’s not mounted on the camera. get something like these to be able to remotely fire your flash.
http://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-NPT-04-Wireless-Receiver-Products/dp/B002W3IXZW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318445490&sr=8-1
ok with those you’re now able to fire the flash remotely. well now you gotta get your exposure down! i shoot in M mode, it’s easier. plus there is no auto mode with a manual flash like you have. you jsut have to bear through all the coming learning pains. i suggest this to start (assuming you now have the wireless triggers and the flash is firing when you press the shutter release): set your flash at about 1/4 power, set your iso at about 800, set your shutter to 1/200, and your aperture to f8. take a shot, see how the exposure looks. here are some basics for flash photography: APERTURE controls the light of a flash, as well as the flash power itself on the flash. your shutter has no effect on the flash at all. that’s why i suggest shooting at 1/200. at 1/200 you will eliminate all non-sun generated ambient light. the light that shows up in your shot should be just from the flash. if you want to use ambient light in your shots as well as flash light, slow down your shutter, say 1/60. but to start try 1/200 and learn that. ok so you take your first test shot and it’s too dark. you can open up your aperture to add light, and/or increase the power on the flash itself if it’s not at full already. just play with your aperture and flash power and you’ll get it all down with practice. google search “flash photography basics” for more details. hope this helps get you started! oh if you do have to order some wireless triggers like i showed you above but want to experiment with the flash, just mount it on the camera and play with it. try playing with your aperture and flahs power and see how those adjustments affect your exposure. then try slowing down your shutter from 1/200 to say 1/60 or 1/30 and see how mixing ambient and flash light work out. have fun!
oh to stop the pop up flash from coming up put the camera in M mode and turn the flash off. to turn the flash off while in M mode just hold hte flash button on the left of the camera and rotate the adjustment wheel while looking at the lcd screen. you’ll see the flash icons change. keep rotating until you get to the flash off icon.
Hi, I need to know, what is the correct setting for firing a manual flash on the d3100 and where do I find such a setting in the menu?
The flash button is to the left of the flash on the body. depending on what setting your on u can change what the flash is, eathier auto, red eye, no flash, a few others but not every setting alows all of them. on the display screen press the i, the last button on the left bottom. Then on the display screen use the buttons around the OK button to navigate through the screen, get to the flash icon and click ok and u can change there what flash you are using.
hope this helps :)
I transferred video *.MOV from Nikon D3100 to my lap top. I run the video with quick time and i am not getting any voice. But in camera when i run video it has voice.
I can’t seem to figure out how to have a shutter speed of 1/250 with an appature of 5.6. I can only get it to go to 200. Can someone please help me.
It is to dark and don’t forget if it is a 200mm or 300, you get less light coming in. Suggestion, when taking picture it is always better to be under exposure than over exposure.
Set the Mode Dial to M (Manual), then manually set the aperture to 5.6, and the shutter speed to 200. You may even choose to set the ISO manually.
Hello there, I bought D3100 couple of months back, i captured so many photos. the thing is that: pictures captured are saving as NEF file (size 8mb), so i need to convert it in the computer to jpeg (which comes to size 1.5 – 2Mb). So is there any option to save pictures in jpeg format while taking photos.??? or it is the only option we have got???
if yes please mail to my mail id or reply to this in this blog.
Thank You…
Did you glance at the manual?
“Image Quality and Size” on page 64.
and its the very first choice on the selection screen.
With the top knob on ‘guide’ move the highlighted screen over to ‘set up’. Push ‘OK’.With ‘Image Quality’ highlighted (the first on the list) push the up/down/left/right button to the right. Highlight Whichever JPEG format you want be it fine, normal or basic. Push ‘OK’ and hey presto, all future photos will be in JPEG format.
my monitor has just changed and now loads of little squares appear on monitor , how can i change this back
Sounds like a fault
try pressing info button next to on/off
press the + button (which is the 4th button,left of the display) it will zoom your pictures,because you have probably pressed the zoom out button(the one before this + button)
I am trying to take close up pics of flowers and want to blur the background. When I read the book it says use the aperture priority setting and select a setting like f/2 or f/2.8. I cannot get the number below 5 . What is the trick to getting the f-stop lower to blur the background? Thanks
You can’t get any smaller aperture than 5.6 with the kit lens, unless you use the wider-ange end of the lens – that is, zoomed out (what little bit of zoom it has!), and then you lose the ability to zoom in on an object. You would have to get a more powerful zoom lens, then you can zoom in on objects and the background will appear blurred without you trying!
Nikon, Tamron and Sigma are good makes.
every lens has a maximum and minimum aperture rating. for the kit lens the maximum aperture (meaning most open, for shallowest depth of field) is variable based on the focal length you’re at. at 18mm the maximum aperture is 3.5, increasing to 5.6 at 55mm. that lens cant go below those numbers, sorry to say. if you’re trying to blur the background you’re going to have a hard time with the kit lens. i suggest getting a good prime lens, you’ll be able to do amazing depth of field shots with it. the new nikon 50mm 1.8g af-s is an amazing lens, as is the nikon 35mm 1.8g af-s. both of those lenses have maximum apertures of 1.8, so the depth of field is very shallow. depth of field is affected by a few variables (assuming you’re shooting at maximum aperture of your lens): the focal length of the lens, the distance of the lens to the subject, the distance of the subject to the background. so if you’re only using the kit lens try this, shoot at 55mm, longer focal lengths give you a more shallow depth of field. get as close as you can to the subject. and try to shoot at an angle that maximizes the distance from the subject to the background. doing that will give you the most blurring possible with that lens, but it wnot be alot, be warned.
I recently purchased a D3100 with a Tamron 18-270mm lens. I have been using it in full auto mode, setting ISO, shutter speed and aperture until 3 days ago when I could no longer change any settings in manual. It is stuck on f13, 1/25! Does anyone know what I have done wrong? Still taking ok photos in full auto mode. Thanks!
Woops, I mean full manual mode!
Sounds like it has a fault
Thanks Paul, that is what I thought too.
Just bought the d3100, for the sole purpose of taking interior shots – mostly at dusk/early evening to get the most from interior artificial lighting features. I’m used to using a compact and just sticking it on landscape mode (so no flash). What settings would best suit this type of thing on the d3100. Many thanks in advance :-)
learn M mode, it gives you total control of the camera. google search exposure triangle to get info on iso, shutter, and aperture and how to set them. once you have a basic understanding of that go into M mode with your camera, up your iso to about 800, try to shoot with a moderate aperture (maybe f7.1), and a slow shutter with a tripod. that will allow you to get really nice images wihtout a flash.
While researching Ari’s query, I came across this on Flickr:
A list of all lenses that will Autofocus and Meter with the D3100
(if you have Firefox, you can highlight the link, right-click, and select Open…)
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikond3100/discuss/72157627009242329/
I need help analyzing some pictures I took. I remember seeing somewhere a D3100 help site where people discuss faulty pics they took and upload them to get advice from the pros on what went wrong and which settings the have to use or change… I can’t find that site… anyone knows of the site I am talking about?
It could be Flickr. Go there and search for D3100 – theres at least 2 D3100 groups on there and they have lots of discussion and info about the camera – and lots of links to look at.
I’m just bought my 1st DSLR and is Nikon D3100,just wanna looking another same user from the same country with me here at jakarta,Indonesia. anyone out there interested??
I’m living in Europe and I realized that I forgot a plug adapter for my d3100 battery charger in the states. Until I can get one here, does anyone know if it’s possible to charge the battery of my camera by plugging it into my laptop via USB cable? I really want to take pictures! Thanks.
No, the charger plugs in to the mains, doesn’t it.
You might get an adaptor tomorrow – eg Maplins (open Sundays) & Argos (if they open) sell them, else order one from Amazon.
Why is it that when Im going to take a picture it looks like my lense is too dark, even if its bright outside?
Need help please
Have you removed the lens cap? Switched the camera on? Got settings such that no light can enter? – eg small aperture, fast shutter speed – try Auto mode.
Yes, tried it all and nothing.
Took it to a camera repair shop and it looks like it’s either the mirror is locked or jammed or the motor itself.
Lucky me, still under warranty so I will have it fixed asap.
Feel naked w/o my camera though…..
Thanks a lot Paul!
Hi. Great forum. Just got my nikon d3100 as an early bday gift and I’m in love. I’m a 100% beginner. I just have a great love of taking pics and a huge desire to learn. I’ve been reading alot on the subject and trying to learn the terminology.
Anyway for bow my biggest issue is that my home pc has a problem w the cd input and in not able to download the cd/roms that came with the camera. So I guess my question would be is there a way around this ? Thanks in advance.
You can get a copy of the manual off the Nikon website (search “d3100 manual”).
If youre in the US, you can register and get a printable copy, otherwise its non-printable.
Same if youre in the UK, non-printable only.
I emailed Nikon UK and they kindly sent me a nice printed manual in the post.
The other item on the disk is Nikon’s Viewnx software – search for “nikon viewnx” and you should easily find the link to download it.
Thank u very much paul
Hi
In Photoshop Cs3, D 3100 Raw files are not supported. It’S Saying tat ” It’s not right kind of document” Plz help me…
and Is there any possibilty to take HDR image
You can use the Nikon software on the disk supplied with the camera.
HDR – theres no bracketing with the D3100, but you can always take images using different settings to achieve the same effect.
about recompose ….. need advice
Theres info about recomposing a picture on pages 60 and 61 of the camera’s manual, plus other stuff on the net if you search for it.
Thanks paul
Hi
Can I use Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G which is Fx format on my Nikon d3100 camera?
Please suggest. I am planning to buy it this weekend.
Yes, But will be like using a DX equivalent of the same lens
How do I upload my pictures to my computer? I have the cord and its connect to my computer but my computer does not recognize that I have connected the camera. Am I doing something wrong or missing a step. I have a Nikon D3100 help!!
Thanks,
Maria
It could be a faulty lead – quite a commen problem – or maybe bad connections at the PC or camera end.
Why not just take out the memory card and connect it to your computer with a card reader?
can anyone suggest me which CPL is fitted for nikkon D3100 with sigma lense 18-200mm for landscape photography …..
I guess you mean Circular Polarising Lens?
No idea – does it have one fitted? anyone else know?
I want a background blurred picture. Can you specify the settings for that?
Try a large aperture
Hi
I have just bought Nikon Dslr D3100 with standard lens kit of 18-55 mm. I am planning to buy a telephoto or wide zoom lens. But not sure, which one to buy, whether to buy 55 – 300 mm or 70 – 200, Nikon or Sigma.
Kindly suggest me some good zoom lens for wildlife, bird, portrait, landscape photograghy.
Thanks & Regards
Chetan
I have the Nikkor 55-300, excellent for birding.
Thank You Paul
Hi, just bought the D3100 with a Nikkor 18-200mm lens. I want to buy a clear filter for the lens to protect it but I am wondering, should I just get a clear one or one with UV filtering? What’s the difference?
Looking forward to your answers,
Matt
Might as well fit a UV, although some say they have an adverse effect on images, I’ve never noticed this.
And as u say, good for protecting the lens.
hay ppl..just bought new d3100 cam..n i was wondering if any one could give some advice on what flash to use. i need a cheap but a good flash. and a tripod too..
thank u
I would also like to hear recommendations of tripods… Should be light in weight and folds to a decent small size to carry… head must move smoothly…
Hi, My memory card access light keeps flashing when the camera is turned off, I have reset all settings, tried a different card, formatted the cards. I have done everything that i have read but nothing has solved this problem. Any ideas?
Sounds like you did everything I would think of doing…
All I can suggest is you try formatting a card in the camera – or did you already try that?
Or opening the battery door to disconnect the battery (I assume the light goes out then, it must, surely) and close and try again…
Otherwise its a call to your dealer/supplier.
Yeah, yep and yes. The light goes of when there is no power. So i remove the battery when i have finished with the camera because i don’t want to lose my charge! I have formatted it in the laptop and the camera several times. The wife is going to take it back to Jessop’s tomorrow and ask them.
I was just wondering what are some lenses that you recommend for beginners? I have the kit lens and I know a lot of people say buy something better but I wanted something simple. Any particular lenses that anyone suggests? Wide angles? Macro? Etc.
Depends on how serious or deep you want to get with photography.
I have the 55-300 Nikkor lens, its excellent for what I want.
Also, the Raynox close-up lens.
Heres a little tuition from the book, about Auto ISO Sensitivy setting:
(Quick way – click on my name)
http://coolthegeek.freewebspace.com/page1.html
Don’t worry if its too techy for you – its not compulsory!
I want to know about night photography by D3100 with sigma 18-200mm lens …when I try to take night photography …. I adjust the camera in M mode ….shutter speed 4000 for long exposure but I can’t adjust the shutter speed by ‘bulb’ … is there any prob ? how i take night photography which is my dream also …. please suggest me ….
This is from the book:
To select the Bulb setting, simply place your camera in Manual mode and then rotate the Command dial to the left until the shutter speed displays Bulb on the rear LCD screen.
When you’re using the Bulb setting, the shutter will only stay open for the duration that you are holding down the shutter button. You should also be using a sturdy tripod or shooting surface to eliminate any self-induced vibration while using the Bulb setting.
I want to point out that using your finger on the shutter button for a bulb exposure will definitely increase the chances of getting some camera shake in your images.
To get the most benefit from the Bulb setting, I suggest using a wireless remote switch. You’ll also want to turn on the Noise Reduction.
If you download the book, you can read this stuff for yourself, and its on page 78 of the main manual.
shutter speed of 4000 is not a long exposure, you need to be going the other way, that is also why you are not finding the bulb setting
Thank u Paul for ur valuable comments … but there is some problem … LCD screen is not showing the ‘BULB’ …. by moving the command dial it is just stop on 4000 shutter speed …
Thank u Derp…..but can u tell me what is the other way to adjust the shutter speed by BULB………
Instead of turning the command dial to the right, go left instead so as the numbers get lower, eventully you will get to 1 then it will start counting up to 30 and after that is bulb, the 4000 you have had it on is 1/4000th of a second exposure, thats fast and the sort of thing you would use for capturing fast moving objects.
Thank u Derp …. but bad luck … by moving command dial left …. at last it shows just 30 … i don’t know how is it possible ? Is there any scope to adjust the shutter speed by bulb ? how i take night photographs ?
Try using a smaller aperture (higher f/number)
thanks a lot derp for ur co-operation. I’ll try.
I have just purchased a nikkon d3100 with sigma 18-200mm lens… I am new in slr world …. I just want to ask a question …..when in M mode i am selecting the shutter speed by rotating the command dial and i want to select the aperture … I can’t change the aperture … i push the +- button to change the aperture …. the aperture button is not working … but why i don’t know …can anyone advice me what to do for ……
Hi babli…
Your’e on the right track, except that you have to hold the +/- button down while you turn the Command dial.
Thank u Paul …
i am about to learn. i have no coment
Montana Moose will help you…if he ever shows up..
hi,
i just got a Nikon d3100 few days back.Can someone tell me the best settings for taking portraits and landscapes?
thx
Manju
Read this book:
“Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots” http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
It’ll answer most of your questions.
Have fun!
hi, just came across this and, great!!!…I’m new but have captured some great stuff of late, however my friend is playing in a band tomorrow (tuesday 27th) and has asked me to take pics!!
a lot of faith in me, so to capture movement, ie drumming and dancing, should i set aperture or shutter speed if so what setting would be best?
muchos grasias in advance (it’s a latin band) ;)
If you want to ‘freeze’ the movement, without blurring, you’ll need a fairly fast shutter speed – try around 1/200 second and adjust your aperture accordingly. As I suggested to Emma, its always a good idea to have a dummy run, so practice on some movement where poor results won’t matter much – even someone waving their arms around would be OK, just to get the feel of the camera.
Hi,
The book recommended here many times “Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots” http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html – has two bonus chapters, “Pimp my ride” & “D3100 Video: Beyond the Basics”. Can anyone give me a link to download these two extra chapters? I searched the net and couldn’t find them.
Thanks!
According to the book, you have to register your copy of the book at peachpit.com, and this entitles you to get the bonus chapters. Unfortunately, as we didn’t pay for the book, we aren’t eligible to register it.
Anyone has a copy I can “borrow”? :)
I am a newbie to SLR pohotography, and have just bought a Nikon D3100. It is my mum’s 50th, in a couple of weeks and she is having an indoor party which I would like to take pictures and then create an album for her. I was wondering what settings I should use, or as I am a beginner, should I stick with the auto feature. It will be an evening party, so there will be low ligting. Thanks for you help
Emma
Well, you have enough time to be a little bit adventurous with your photography!
I would start by setting up the lighting to match how it will be on the night, and practice taking shots, noting the successful results. You could start by using Auto, and use the camera’s settings on of the ‘pro’ settings. You can usually get an idea of a result by the image in the viewfinder, adjust the aperture up (smaller aperture number) or a slower speed or a higher ISO setting until you find a good level of results.
I’ve used Portrait mode in the past and found it produces good results, so that might be handy for some closer shots of Mum.
Paul, many thanks for your help. Will have a practice this weekend!
Another quick question; What image size do you suggest if I get 5 x 7 pictures printed?
If I select Large as the image size, will I lose quality if I get 5 x 7 pictures printed?
Thanks again.
Emma
Large should be OK, I have my camera set to Large, Fine quality, and under Picture Control (on the Shooting menu), I have it set to Vivid, so all my pictures come out with the colours a bit brighter. But that’s just a matter of taste.
Friends,
I have a peculiar problem. I bought my Nikon d3100 from China and did registration online with the help of a Chinese friend. I had to do it to make sure that the product is not a fake one (u know Chinese markets). Henceforth my problem started. I am getting all the Nikon newsletters in chinese language that I can not read. I want to get the newsletter in English. Can anyone help me?
This page looks OK for the newsletter.
I would suggest that, at the bottom of the page, check “No, register later”, as you’ve already registered your camera.
Oops:
https://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/utils/create_account/semail/
can be possible to video the event while camera is connected to the laptop? and seen in live in laptop?
Not possible, unless anyone knows any software that allows you to do this.
Hi I came across your site by accident (and happy i did), great site. I have had my d3100 about 2 months now and love it i was looking for the Raynox? macro thing that clips on the camera?, anyway i found the links on your site and sa that amazon sell them so i tried to buy one this morning only to find out amazon cannot ship it to my address (UK), so is there a supplier in Britain where i could get hold of it? cheers in advance
Paul
I found it straight away on Amazon UK:
“Raynox DCR-250 Macro Attachment”
well thats strange i will have another go, i found it ok though just wouldnt ship to my address for some reason
Aha i sorted it ty i think when i clicked on the amazon link it took me to its American site not UK so happy days
Hello!
How can I adjust the aperture in Manual Mode? I have already tried what was written on the User’s Manual (aperture button + command dial), I observed that only the shutter speed changes not the f-number. Am I missing something?
You turn the Command dial on its own to change the shutter speed.
To change the aperture, you keep the Exposure comp/Aperture button pressed down while you turn the Command dial – you could think of it as similar to pressing the Shift key on a keyboard to get a different result.
Can you shoot continuous pictures in manual mode?
Yes
I was having a hard time shooting continuous in a not so well lit club last night. I noticed with good lighting it shoots continuous great. Is there anyway around this ?
The quick way to get the camera to shoot is to increase the ISO setting until the shutter release triggers. The D3100 lets you set it quite high, although you might find the picture quality drops off. Otherwise, just play around with aperture/shutter speed.
hello…
lots of good info on this forum..thanks to all for keeping it going. I have the d3100 and love it. However, as far as shooting in manual mode, I am a bit confused on how to get the correct exposure. I know how to set it and use the dials to change settings but where can i see if my exposure is correct? My previous camera from yrs ago was non digital and it seemed much easier to shoot in M mode.
thanks!
DT
You can see the current settings on the LCD screen or at the bottom part of the viewfinder.
You’ll also see an exposure indicator scale, with markings from – to +, which is a graphical display of the exposure you’ll get if you take a picture at that particular moment. Adjust aperture/shutter speed and you’ll see the scale pointer travelling up or down, and as you might guess, the aim is to get the pointer as near to the middle areas as you can.
A lot of photographers (including Jeff Revell, author of the book I am always plugging on here – free download) use Aperture Priority mode a lot because the aperture dictates the camera’s depth of field.
Anyway, the best way to see if you got your exposure right is to just look at the result! I often like to see the image’s histogram to get an idea of balanced contrast and lighting.
Just got the Nikon D3100. When pushing the button halfway down to take the picture, it focuses but then I get a blurry picture with a red square instead of green. What is the problem here? I am getting this alot when trying to take pictures.
Have you set the lens to ‘Manual’?
Try setting it to Auto focus.
I guess your’e using Live View, you will probably get better results using normal view.
Hi, I just bought a Nikon D3100 w/ Nikkor 18-55 VR kit three days ago. This is my first SLR ever. I read tutorials but since I don’t have an SLR I’ve never been able to apply what I’ve learned but I am aiming to learn using the Manual Modes so I went directly to that setting after buying my camera.
I have a few questions.
1) Are there really instances when an SLR won’t shoot when you want it to in both manual, AP, SP or auto mode? Can you identify some that you noticed doesn’t work in this particular Nikon model?
2) Why does my SLR give a really dark shots on a fluorescent lighted room in a no-flash manual mode? What must I change in the setting to fix this?
I have tried taking pictures using the manual mode but there are instances when it won’t take a shot (I notice this when I tried taking a shot of the wall or inside the curtain when it’s dark) or give me a really dark shot when the flash is turned off. I’ve always been using P&S cameras, and with that, when I shoot in Program mode I always get a good well-lit shots in a fluorescent lit room even w/o the flash.
3)What camera sounds are good sounds and bad kind of sounds?
I also have worries with the sounds my camera make when I try to take a shot and the camera tries to focus (at half-press)then makes this clanking sound after which it stops and won’t continue to shoot (at full-press). Is it something I need to worry about? or should I worry more about the fact that when it happens, I tend to have this irresistible urge to press and press until I give up coz it really won’t shoot or he (my nikon) gives up and give me a weak shot.
4) As a total beginner, what should I watch out for in my camera that will tell me if it’s defective or has a bit of a problem or not? I’m asking this because some people out there could have been like me, going into the store and buying the camera w/o any idea on what to do with it or to test it out.
Ok, I’ll have a go at 1 & 2, and think about the rest for later!
Yes, there are ocassions when there isn’t enough light or the camera can’t focus and it refuses to work.
You can increase the aperture to let more light in, or use a slower shutter speed, or increase the ISO setting.
Sounds like you already do what I do with a new camera, that is just take pictures and play around with the settings to find out what it will and won’t do.
thank you for the really quick response, I appreciate it very much ^_^ and the fact that you’re not saying anything wrong w/ what I’ve described above makes me breathe easier.
I’ve also downloaded the n3100 ebook that you’ve been featuring here and I am loving it very much. I’m taking it chapter by chapter though every other day so I could make sure I understand it fully.
To add up to the dummies questions above (esp.no. 3), when I slightly shake the camera the contents(whatever it is you call) shakes along with it, kinda like the it’s not screwed up/in properly, should it do that?
Much appreciation to this thread and you Sir Paul!
YW.
Glad you like the book.
Part 3 – the camera shouldn’t make a clanking noise, I wonder what that is. Nor should it rattle when you shake it. Can you detach the lens and find out if its the lens or the camera body?
Anyway, I would contact the seller, ask their advice, just to cover yourself in case its a fault with the camera.
I detached the lens and I realized that it’s the lens that shakes/rattle. The body also doesn’t rattle in itself… I guess I got paranoid?
I just realized that the camera had the rattle accidentally when I jumped (you kinda feel it) then I turned the camera upside down and shook it to see if I was imagining it. When you said that it shouldn’t have a rattle I tried shaking it again, this time w/ the right side up, but it doesn’t rattle., only when it’s upside down w/ the lens attached.
Uhmm, and yeah, I’m trying to explain the reason (realized just noe)for that kinda dumb thread >_<
But I would still be asking the seller about this over the phone. I just hope they know coz people in our country has the habit of simply saying I don't know and leave you to your own device w/o any solutions even when they represent your product.
thank you so much again! You have been a thousand help. Seriously.
Is it possible to connect the Nikon D3100 live view with laptop while recoding videos.
I purchased a d3100 and am having trouble with blurry pics. I”m shooting with white lightening strobe at 1/125s ISO200 F8 34mm
with the lens that comes with the camera. why is this happening?
I’m not familiar with white lightening strobe, but I assume you’re focussing on the subject first – maybe you have ‘Manual’ set on the lens and you didn’t realise?
Do they make remotes for the d3100 and if so what is the best thing to get?
See “Emily” post, just down the page.
I purchased a nikon d3100 from U.S.A.The battery recharger supplied
by the company and its A.C. adapter’s input is not known to me.As it is
purchased by my relatives in U.S.A. I want to know whether the A.C. input of the adapter will work in India or not? What is the general battery recharger A.C. input in U.S.A.? As here in our country it should be between 110-240 V.
Hi Sonali,
You need a new adaptor for India. Voltages in India are diff than USA.
I am thinking about buying the Nikon D3100 , starting out as a photographer with mostly newborn, maternity, children and family potraits. (mostly outside intill i get my studio) would this be a good camera to consider? and what photo editing software would be best? thanks :)
It’s an entry level DSLR… but it will take great pictures with the right settings and especially with an excellent lens (they tend to be a bit pricey). I love mine.
Trying to figure out if it’s possible to take multiple shots in self-timer mode. It doesn’t seem to be, as they are different stops on the wheel, but I know other cameras do this so it’s a bit annoying.
Also, is it true that there’s still no wireless remote that works with the D3100 (which would help solve the above problem)?
Theres the MC-DC2.
I use the Pixel Wireless Remote Control, RW-221RX
Thanks Paul!
And the one you use works with the D3100… somewhere I read seemed to suggest that wireless remotes don’t work at all with this camera as it lacks an infrared sensor. Or is this one that you plug in and then has a wireless component? I see it doesn’t list D3100 among the cameras…
Your’e right, the camera doesn’t have infrared, these remotes work with wireless signals.
Got mine from Amazon, heres its description:
“Pixel Pro Digital Camera 100M Wireless Shutter Remote Control Release for Nikon D90, D5000, D3100 and D7000″
You could read the reviews on there, and I think there are other makes available if you want to search.
Hi there…
I just got a D3100 for about a couple of months.
I notice that when i switch to AUTO in the upper wheel, the LCD display is showing another mode.
I´m missing something or there is a fault in the cammera?
Sorry about my little english…
Thanks in advance…
cmf.
Don’t understand, what is the other mode you are talking about?
Hi, I would like someone to recommend me which setting to use (iso, shutter speed, etc) when shooting night stationery shots. Thanks !
Chapter 8 in this book:
http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
just bought the nikon d3100 a few hours ago. forgot to ask the supplier but how can i view the image i want to shoot on the lcd screen. it always shows the camera settings i guess. thanks. newbie here
There is a small lever on the right hand side of the screen that lifts then mirror so that you can see your subject on the LCD screen.
Does anyone know of a list of Sigma/Tamron lenses that are compatible with the Nikon AF-S auto focus?
Any reccomendations on software to use for editing photos taken on my D3100? TIA
You might get all sorts of different answers to this…
Depends on whether you want to use free or paid s/ware and how much you want to spend.
I use the free Irfanview for simple jobs like viewing images, cropping and basic colour correction, and the bought Photoimpact for anything more involved.
How do i turn off the day, month, and time from showing up in photographs?
Go to menu, settings..
Menu > Setup Menu > (page/screen 4) “Date Imprint”
hi, i have a d3100 and it is displaying an error, ‘press shutter release button again’, any suggestions?
“Dan” had the same problem on May 16th, see his post on this page.
Can someone recommend the appropriate settings for shooting a video using Nikon D3100?
I just put the camera on Auto to let the camera make its own settings as if about to take a still picture, then switch to Movie mode. The camera will use those settings for the movie.
Theres a section on movies in the free book:
http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
need help.. how can i detach the plug adapter from the MH-24 battery charger?.. thank you in advance..
The charger I have is all-in-one, so if yours is the same standard one as supplied, then you can’t separate the parts, and why would you want to do that?
once you fix the adapter to the charger, it cant be removed. it shouldve been seperable- easier to store in a camera bag -can utilize space better, had it been 2 sperate parts..
the adapter was a separate piece from the charger, I thought that the adapter behave the same way as the other adapter does, but I was wrong.. and now I regretted attaching those pieces.. can it really be undone?
you can only break it apart- could damage your charger..
Hold the charger with it’s text horizontally.At the side you’ll find a little hole where the plug meets the charger.Insert a small screwdriver in there and push it in and pry towards you,the plug will loosen halfway.
At the top is another hole,insert the screwdriver,push and pry downwards.I have done this several times and never broken it but
I don’t know if European chargers are different in that matter to American or Asian ones…
Don’t hold me responsible if you do happen to break it ;-)
As to the reason why one wants to do this,is because the two seperate parts fit better in your camerabag when travelling…
OK, I can see now the holes that Bob is talking about, and I have the UK version (3-pin plug) and the holes would probably serve the same perpose, but am not about to try it – I’d rather have the “L” shape than risk breaking it, theyr’e far too expensive to replace – about £60 here!
“purpose”
There is one small hole in the plug adaptor. Just put a sharp pin and once u hear click just pull the adaptor on top.
i bought my d3100 only 1 week ago.My first dslr. i found that the lowest f-stop number allowed by the kit lens 3.5 is only available at wide-angle – 18mm. as u zoom in the f number increases by itself. why is that. ? why cant i use the lowest f-number at, say 50mm-in manual mode/ or exposure priority mode..?
sorry, i mean aperture priority mode..
Because the more you zoom, the more light the camera needs to produce a good image.
Thats why professional photographers use those very large lenses – its to allow as much light as possible to enter the camera.
I was having the same problem. It’s my very first SLR so I have zero knowledge, but I immediately plunged into manual mode. I thought my camera was defective (I still think so)… just had it for 3 days now, but I’m having problems with the manual modes. Most of the time, i think “is it just me or is the SLR broken”… I hope you guys can help me out, as i have a lot of questions I’m trying to find answer to…
I have just purchased a D3100 and someone said to take RAW pictures instead of JPEG can you explain why..Thank you
Taking RAW or JPG is just a matter of personal preference. You could try it if you want.
Theres lots of info about this topic to help you decide, heres a good one:
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/RAW-file-format.htm
RAW would take up more space in ur card. Its uncompressed. where as JPEG is a compressed format.With RAW the quality of image remains same, no matter how many time you edit and save it.
With JPEG each time you edit and save , the quality degrades a little.
Fine JPEG is a less compressed format than just JPEG. for most people, Fine JPEG is as a good as RAW..
A RAW file would take up approx.14Mb , a Fine JPEG less than 7mb at 14Meg.Pix
I have been reviewing my pictures using the playback button located on the top left corner of the d3100. I can not figure out how to return to the shooting mode. Information screen comes up however camera will not shoot. Help greatly appreciated!
Pressing the playback button again, or half-pressing the shutter release, should put you back into shooting mode. You say the camera will not shoot – I assume you mean only after you have used the playback button and it works at other times?
Try taking a picture; view it using the playback button; then half-press the shutter release (this is the method given in the manual), and you should be able to take another picture.
If not, I can only think there might be a fault with the camera, unless theres a menu selection I haven’t spotted.
OR,,just turn the camera off and then back on.You should be in shooting mode.
I bought a new Nikon D3100, during first hour of operation I don’t know what happens suddenly all the buttons become dead/lock. Camera is taking photos but buttons are not working (info, menu, etc)
Any idea?
Talha
Did you charge the battery?
Yes, fully charged.
Well it doesn’t sound good, does it – if nothing works then contact the supplier and they will exchange it.
I got my D3100 about 2 weeks ago and understand some of what I need to know to take photographs.
The Video Revord has me baffled. I watched a video on Youtube showing how to select the AF-F and followed it step by step on my camera BUT AF-F was not an available selection as the video showed. (This video was for movies in live view) What in the heck do I have to do to get the other options available. Does anyone know of a GOOD Demo video for making movies with the D3100? That would be great! I’m just hoping I don’t have to take the Reset Options route to set everything back to default.
HELP PLEASE”
Jerry
Are you flicking the Live View switch first? This make AF-F available.
The instructions for video are on page 45 of the main manual.
Theres also a section in the free book – see my reply to ‘jack’ further down.
hi, is there a remote shutter release function on my d3100 and if so where do i set it? there was on my old d40x but i cant find reference to this in the manual for the d3100. thanks.
There a post about this further down the page, search for “rlutz71″
hi ,
i just got a nikon d3100 with basis lens(18-55mm) last month ,i and my frds usually go out for a trip within each month ..i usually prefer landscape photos .But those taken by me doesnt not have enough colour .I would like to know that is there any specific time for landscape photos.Also i would like to get some tips for macro photography.
Try Picture Control to make your photos more colourful – I have mine set to Vivid all the time and the results hardly ever need any adjustment.
Its on page 94 of the main D3100 manual.
Alos, theres a free book here, which I found very useful:
http://www.4shared.com/get/XmVU73A3/Nikon_D3100.html
You will probably have to wait a short while for the download to begin.)
It has a page on Macro photography. You can also buy a closeup lens such as the Raynox, see other posts about this on this page.
After a day of taking landscape pictures for my photography class, I came home & inserted my sd card into my laptop to view the pictures. I rotated several pictures on window photo viewer for better viewing and as soon as I inserted the card into the camera, the photos that were rotated were no longer viewable. The message I receive on my monitor is ” ! Cannot display this file ” how do I fix this?
When you’ve taken a set of pics, copy them to a folder on your PC, keep the originals as backups – or use some similar system of backups, then if theres a problem you have a spare set to fall back on.
Looks like your software did something to the images, making them unreadable by the camera’s firmware.
when im shooting videos with the nikon d3100 the picture looks fuzzy even when i have manual focus on im trying to figure out why is that ?
Why not try Auto focus, see if that works.
I have a Nikon D3100, Idon’t have a tripod yet. I would like to know how to take photos of people during night time and be able to capture the views and image of the subject. Do I really need to have tripod? Hope you can help..
depends what effect you want. With a tripod you can have say a 5 second exposure to capture traffic blur and with rear curtain flash set (will go off in the last microsecond of the exposure time) your modle will be frozen and sharp. However without a tripod the effect is different.
If you want short exposure times and have a good flash then perhaps no, you dont need one.
Sepends what you want to achieve.
Just got the Nikon D3100. I love the night portrait mode, but id love to be able to turn up the shutter speed on this, can i do it? the reason i love this mode is because of the auto slow flash, can i achieve both in a different mode?
look at the camera settings on a picture taken in this mode. the swap to M – Manual and dial in those settings. You can then also control your shutter speed and flash.
shall i be able to get ‘shallow depth of field’ with the 18-55 kit lens in nikon d3100?
well f3.5 @ 18mm. It is shallow enough. But if you find this is not enough get the 50mm f1.8 prime for around £100. For getting a general feel for aperture the kit zoom will give you a good glimpse.
Look out for bargains though as it has been replaced.
thanks a lot for your reply dave
i have had my nikon d3100 for a year now and im still learning but all of a sudden my command dial wont change my shutter speed or my f stop setting it just flikers when you try turning the command dial you can see it trying to change but is stuck on the same numbers
is this because of something ive done or is it broke???? please help
oh by the way i have tried recharging my battery and changing to default setting but still no luck
Hi Rhia, I am also experiencing this problem with the Nikon D3100 I purchased 3 weeks ago. Do you have a fix yet? thanks, Sue
Hello. I’ve gotten my Nikon d3100 for awhile now, and the thing is, my dad used to have all these lenses or filters and such (not really sure what they’re called!), and he doesn’t use them anymore and he passed them on to me. But what I’m really wondering is, will the stuff he gave me work for my d3100. I’ll list the stuff he gave me. And by the way, all the things I’m listing are just what it says on the object.
- Kenko MIRAGE ø558 (not sure if this would be considered a lens or not)
- Raynox INSTA-FX Creative Filter Kit for Camcorder
and there are also these two filter-like things, I’m not sure what they are called, because I cannot read the brand of it correctly. It looks like either ”kojon, kojpn, kojpon, or kopn”. I wish I could attach a picture of them, but I’m not sure how.. Anyways, I’m sorry for such a long comment! I’m just trying my best to make sure what I’m saying is as as specific as possible!
Hi Anna.
The Kenko Mirage is for special effects – rather specialised, heres a page about it:
http://www.camerafilters.com/pages/specialeffect.aspx
Think you’d need a conversion adaptor to use with the D3100, they are different size threads.
You can get adaptor rings from Amazon, not too expensive.
I bought one so I could use my filters off my older camera on the D3100.
The Raynox is another special effects lens – it has Spot Effect Red Filter, Triple Image Prism Filter & Starbust Filter.
Again, I think you would need an adaptor, but it looks like you could use them on the camera.
Your other filters might be ‘Cokin’ brand, they’re good quality – are they square with a holder? Heres their page:
http://www.cokin.co.uk/pages/main.htm
If you wanted to show images, you could post them on Flickr or any similar photo site.
The only makes I could find beginning with K are Kodak or Kenko.
NO REPLY FROM ANNA
The d3100 has no bracketing or time-lapse so in my search to accessories which solve this lack I found this rather expensive device:
http://www.promotesystems.com/products/Promote-Control.html
Has anyone tried this device?
If so what are your opinions on it?
Thanks !
Be interesting to see if anyone actually bought this.
I considered lack of bracketing when looking at a camera to buy and decided that as I wouldn’t be using that facility much, chose the D3100 over Canon, for example, because of price differences/cash back offer.
A serious bit of kit, would be nice to own, but too pricey for me!