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Nikon D3100 Resources: Software, PDF Manual, & More

Nathaniel Stephan
   1052 words   5 minutes 

This resource page for the Nikon D3100 contains all the information you need to find support, PDF copies of the manuals, replacement batteries, lenses, compatible memory cards, and accessories.

The Nikon D3000 preceded the D3100, which was replaced by the Nikon D3200.

Nikon D3100 Battery

The Nikon D3100 uses a Nikon EN-EL14 lithium ion battery, which provides 7.4v and 1030 mAh of power. A Nikon MH-24 charger will be needed to charge the battery.

OEM batteries can be expensive. There are lots of cheaper third party options. Unfortunately, they often promise higher capacities than they deliver. If you want to save some money, go with RAVPower or Neewer.

SD Memory Cards

A class 6 or faster SD card should be used in the D3100. If you use a slower card, there can be problems when recording full HD video. For more information check out this page on Nikon D3100 memory card compatibility and recommendations.

You can tell the class of a memory card by looking at the label. There will be a small number inside a C. Any memory card purchased in the last few years will be class 10.

As a minimum, I would recommend at least a 32GB card.

Nikon D3100 Lenses

The Nikon D3100 uses the Nikon F-mount. Many Nikon DSLR and SLR cameras have used the F-mount. As a result, there are hundreds of lenses availablet. Here is a list of the best Nikon D3100 lenses.

Kits Lenses

The Nikon D3100 was originally sold in two different kits. The less expensive one was sold with a single kit lens, the Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR. A second lens, the AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm DX VR telephoto zoom, was sold with the other kit.

Macro Lens

The Nikon AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G is the best macro lens for the D3100. With this lens you’ll be able to take photos at up to 1x magnification.

Nikon D3100 Accessories

There are many Nikon D3100 accessories including a gps unit, shutter release, lens hoods, lighting, tripods, external microphones, and other recording devices.

Nikon D3100 External Microphone

There are a few steps that need to be taken in order to use the Nikon D3100 with an external mic.

Flashes

The current flash being produced by Nikon for the D3100 is the SB-700. It is a fully featured flash with iTTL, which will allow high speed sync. However the flash is expensive.

Wireless with Eye-Fi SD Cards

If you want the ability to have your D3000 connect to a phone or tablet, you will need an Eye-Fi memory card. Eye-Fi cards have built in wireless adapters.

Newer cameras have built in wifi, so the cards are less common. You can still find Eye-Fi cards on the used market.

PDF Manual Download

Below is a link to the official Nikon USA PDF of the D3100’s Digital Camera User’s Manual. The User’s Manuals shows you how to use features of the camera.

Editing Software

Official Nikon Software

  • ViewNX-i - For Windows and MacOS. ViewNX-i is a image downloader and viewer. Includes ViewNX-Movie Editor for movie editing and processing.
  • Capture NX-D - For Windows only. Capture NX-D is post processing software capable of editing RAW images. Also works with TIFF and JPEG images. Allows control over brightness, white balance, contract, tone curves, and more.
  • NEF Codec - The codec makes it possible to use NEF (RAW) files to be used in similar ways to JPEG and TIFF images.
  • Darktable - For Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Darktable is a free open source program that has the same features as other RAW developers, like Lightroom or Capture One.
  • Capture One - A RAW developer made by Phase One. Very powerful and popular with professional photographers.
  • Affinity - An alternative to Photoshop that does not have a monthly fee.
  • Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop - Likely the best known pair of programs for editing photos. In recent years Adobe has switched to a monthly fee payment structure. Performance also lags behind all the other options. I do not recommend either program.

Support Websites & Phone Numbers

The proper support site for your region will allow you to register your camera, get warranty information, schedule a repair, show service advisories, and answer common support questions.

Nikon D3100 Specifications

Manufacturer

Nikon

Model

D3100

Body type

Compact SLR

Max resolution

4608 x 3072

Other resolutions

3456 x 2304, 2304 x 1536

Image ratio w:h

3:2

Effective pixels

14 megapixels

Sensor photo detectors

15 megapixels

Sensor size

APS-C (23.1 x 15.4 mm)

Sensor type

CMOS

Processor

Expeed 2

ISO

Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 (12800 with boost)

Boosted ISO (maximum)

12800

White balance presets

12

Custom white balance

Yes (1)

Image stabilization

No

Uncompressed format

RAW

JPEG quality levels

Fine, Normal, Basic

Autofocus

Contrast Detect (sensor), Phase Detect, Multi-area, Selective single-point, Tracking, Single, Continuous, Face Detection, Live View

Digital zoom

No

Manual focus

Yes

Number of focus points

11

Lens mount

Nikon F

Focal length multiplier

1.5×

Articulated LCD

Fixed

Screen size

3″

Screen dots

230,000

Touch screen

No

Screen type

TFT LCD monitor

Live view

Yes

Viewfinder type

Optical (pentamirror)

Viewfinder coverage

95%

Viewfinder magnification

0.8× (0.53× 35mm equiv.)

Minimum shutter speed

30 sec

Maximum shutter speed

1/4000 sec

Aperture priority

Yes

Shutter priority

Yes

Manual exposure mode

Yes

Subject / scene modes

Yes

Built-in flash

Yes (Pop-up)

Flash range

12.00 m (at ISO 100)

External flash

Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus sync connector)

Flash modes

Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain

Continuous drive

3.0 fps

Self-timer

Yes

Metering modes

Multi, Center-weighted, Spot AF-area

Exposure compensation

±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)

WB Bracketing

No

Resolutions

1920 x 1080 (24 fps), 1280 x 720 (30, 25, 24 fps), 640 x 424 (24 fps)

Format

MPEG-4

Microphone

Mono

Speaker

None

Storage types

SD/SDHC/SDXC

Storage included

None

USB

USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)

HDMI

Yes (Mini Type C)

Wireless

Eye-Fi Connected

Remote control

Yes (Optional)

Environmentally sealed

No

Battery

Battery Pack

Battery description

Lithium-Ion EN-EL14 rechargeable battery & charger

Weight (inc. batteries)

505 g (1.11 lb / 17.81 oz)

Dimensions

124 x 96 x 75 mm (4.88 x 3.78 x 2.95″)

Orientation sensor

Yes

GPS

Optional GP-1

Updated on 2022-09-29
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