Nikon D3100 Guide – Setting your camera Tutorial

Jared Polin January 14, 2011 16

Anytime you bring home your very first Digital SLR Camera you are both excited and scared. You are excited at the proposition of what you will create, yet scared at learning all the features and actually taking pictures. For those of you who ended up with the brand new Nikon D3100 this is my second Tutorial video geared towards helping you understand the menu and get it set up.

You will notice that in auto or guide mode that you are limited to what menu items you can select. That is because it pretty much is making all of the decisions for you. By following this guide you will get a better understanding for how you could set different items in the menu and hopefully stay out of the auto modes.

It is very important that you learn as much as you can about your menu system and what each setting effects. Being that this most likely is your first DSLR or foray into digital photography the more you learn now the easier time you will have in the future. The Nikon menu systems tend to be very similar even from the D3100 to the D3s.

Remember that the users manual is built right into the camera, anytime you see a ? blinking on the screen you can click the ? button to read about that setting.

For more Nikon D3100 Videos Please CLICK HERE

Keep shooting and remember to always shoot RAW.

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TAGS » d3100, Guide, Nikon, SSP, Super Secret Project

POSTED IN » Beginner Photography, Nikon Related

About the author: Jared Polin View all posts by Jared Polin

Jared's work has graced the pages of some of the most prestigious music publications, and his personal blog and online archive have become destinations for budding photographers and music fans around the world. Polin has also photographed professional and recreational sports teams, as well as politicians and international dignitaries.

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16 Comments »

Mark Stothard January 14, 2011 at 10:13 am -

Great easy to follow video guide to the D3100!!!
Benedek Varga January 14, 2011 at 10:22 am -

I loved it! Amazing! I would really like to see more videos like this. It would be great if you could make a video like this about a Canon 7D! I would really apprichiate it…
GTF100 January 14, 2011 at 11:24 am -

Nice video Jared! The menu system can be confusing and it seems like the menu system looks alot like the other Nikon cameras. I never knew that if you were shooting raw then the review image on the back of the camera was a jpeg representation of the shoot! Also that pic controls affect the look of the video. Does that means if you shoot video on Nikon dslr you are shooting jpeg? lol! I finally bought a dslr last year a d300s because the controls reminded me so much of my F100 with dedicated buttons and wheels. I have always been afraid of all the menu choices in a dslr so thank you for this Jared.
Warren January 14, 2011 at 3:05 pm -

Hi Jared

Great review (as always), think you can do the D3000? My menu is driving around the bend even though I have had it for a Month.
Darren Pitt Clare January 14, 2011 at 3:31 pm -

Jared,

Great video

How come you don’t use range finder?
Shauna January 14, 2011 at 8:01 pm -

In your video of Nikon D3100 when you are in SET PICTURE CONTROL you are in standard…when I am in there I don’t have the choice of changing contrast or brightness. What is wrong? I am totally lost!
Todd January 14, 2011 at 8:48 pm -

Sweet Jared, just what I was looking for. I am interested in how you set your ISO sensitivity screen though. I have the d7000 so the menu is mostly the same…..thanks
hilmyars January 14, 2011 at 11:03 pm -

thx man..your video really helps
chris January 15, 2011 at 5:13 am -

Great video jared!!!!
love the menu guide can you do one on the D300s
Adrian January 15, 2011 at 6:30 am -

Great tutorial Jared. How about doing the same for the D7000?
Daniel January 15, 2011 at 8:05 am -

Hi Jared,
I’m a little bit confused. On the one Hand you said that the Cam should not edit the Pictures (NOISE REDUCTION) and on the other Hand you change the Picture Control Setup?
Because the ? is telling me that the Picture Control Setup is changing the Picture not only the Picture Display as you said. Did I understand something wrong???

Daniel
diablomx January 15, 2011 at 7:01 pm -

Thanks Jared great video, I want more! More about this camera I have seen every one of your videos, but I want to learn more!

You are the number 1 Man!

Gracias.
Vivienne January 16, 2011 at 4:08 pm -

Thanks Jared. You’ve really helped, as always! Took me a while to figure out what you were doing when you were scrolling through on-screen data info in playback but worked it out eventually!
Mikael January 19, 2011 at 7:26 am -

Hey Jared, I have one of these Nikon D3100, I live in RUSSIA, Its VERY VERY COLD here, its -25C, I was scared to use the D3100 outside, but its OK, its Working )))
Félix January 21, 2011 at 8:28 pm -

Cooool video Jared! I have the same camera and I would like to know, what is this lens that is mounted on yours? I wondered if I could use non- DX lenses on it… I know the D3100 doesn’t have an AF system integrated but what AF-S lens would you suggest to buy?
Candice February 2, 2011 at 7:10 pm -

Thanks for this, Jared! I just got my D3100 and am so glad that you’re giving it so much attention.

Having used Canons at work, I was wondering if the Nikon D3100 can be set so that when shooting on AF in Manual Mode, you can use all 11 focus point at once, instead of flicking between them? Just wondering if it’s possible…

I love your videos, by the way. Thanks and keep up the great work!