Nikon Coolpix 3100 User Manual

EnDIGITAL CAMERAThe Guide to Digital Photographywith theEn

viiiTable of ContentsThe Shooting Menu ... 56Using the Shootin

90Type E3100 digital cameraEffective pixels 3.2 millionCCD12.7˝ high-density CCD; total pixels: 3.34 million Image size (pixels) • 2,048 × 1,536 (204

91Technical NotesAperture Electronically-controlled preset apertureRange Two steps (f/2.8 and f/5.6 [W]) Sensitivity Approximately equivalent to ISO 5

92IndexSymbols (auto) mode, 6, 16–21 (delete) button, 3, 22, 23, 74 lamp, see Lamp, red ( ) (landscape assist) mode, 28, 31 (manual) mode, 6, 17, 56,

93Movies, 51–55, 90editing, 54–55recording, 51–52viewing, 53Movie menu, the, 52MOVIE TRIM MENU, 54Multi selector, 3, 7Museum, 28, 36, 89NNight landsca

Printed in Japan SB3E10000601(11)6MAA4711-A

1Before You BeginIntroductionThank you for your purchase of a Nikon COOLPIX 3100 digital camera. This manual has been written to help you enjoy takin

2Parts of the Camera Self-timer lamp ( 26) Built-in Speedlight ( 24) Viewfi nder ( 18) Lens ( 18) Power switch ( 12) Memory card slot cover( 10)Eyel

3Before You Begin Zoom ( / ) buttons( 18)USB ( 46)/ Video-out ( 44) connector Multi selector( / / ) ( 7) ( play/transfer) button ( 22, 4

4ShootingThe Monitor1971312141617191813569101148152 1 Zoom indicator1...18 2 Focus indicator...20 3 Recor

5Before You Begin Playback 1 Current folder ...23 2 File number and type ...23 3 Battery level indicator1...

6The Mode DialUsing the mode dial, you can select from eight shooting modes and setup mode. Choose a shooting mode according to shooting conditions.

7Before You BeginNavigating the MenusThe multi selector is used to navigate through the camera menus.Move cursor upCancel and return to previous menu

8 Inserting BatteriesYour camera uses:• Nikon EN-MH1 rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries (× 2), or• non-rechargeable CRV3 lithium

9First Steps• Batteries with a fl at negative terminal. Do not use such batteries even if the insulation adequately covers the area around the negativ

Trademark InformationApple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Mac OS, Power Macintosh, PowerBook, and Quick Time are registered trademarks of Apple Computer,

10 Inserting Memory CardsYour Nikon digital camera stores pictures on CompactFlash™ memory cards.1 Confi rm that the camera is offThe power-on lamp

11First Steps Formatting Memory CardsThe memory card supplied with your camera is formatted at shipment. Other memory cards must be formatted before

12Checking the Battery Level1 Turn the camera onRotate the power switch until it stops, then gently release the switch. The power-on lamp will li

13First Steps Tur ning the Camera OffTo turn the camera off when the power-on lamp is lit, rotate the power-on switch. Do not remove the batteries or

14 Basic SetupBefore using your camera for the fi rst time, choose a language for camera menus and messages and set the camera clock to the correct

15First Steps7DATEYMDDisplay DATE menu.8DATEYMDEdit Year.9DATEYMDSelect Month. Repeat steps 8–9 to edit remaining items.10DATEYMDSETHighlight Y M D.

162 Turn the camera onThe power-on lamp will light and the monitor will display a welcome screen ( 78). The camera is ready to shoot when the mo

17Basic Photography Number of Exposures RemainingIf the number of exposures remaining is zero, the message “OUT OF MEMORY” will be displayed in the m

181 Ready the cameraHold the camera steadily in both hands. Photographs can be framed in the monitor A or the viewfi nder B. Don’t Block the ShotTo

19Basic Photography Digital ZoomIn digital zoom, data from the camera’s image sensor are processed digitally, enlarging the center portion of the pict

iFor Your SafetyTo prevent damage to your Nikon product or injury to yourself or to oth-ers, read the following safety precautions in their entirety b

201 FocusPress the shutter-release button halfway to set focus and exposure. In mode, the camera will automatically focus on the sub-ject at the

21Basic Photography During RecordingWhile pictures are being recorded to the memory card, a ( recording) or ( wait) icon will be displayed in the

22 Step 4 — View the Results1 Press the button2 View pictures in the monitorYour most recent picture will be displayed in the monitor. To view a

23Basic Photography Deleting Your Last ShotAt any time during shooting, you can press the button to delete the last picture taken. The confi rma-ti

24When Lighting Is Poor: Using the FlashThe following fl ash modes are available: Mode How it works When to use itAUTOAutoFlash fi res when light-ing i

25More on Photography Sensitivity ( ISO Equivalency)“Sensitivity” is a measure of how quickly the camera responds to light. Your Nikon digital camer

26319Exit menu. Self-timer icon is dis-played in monitor.Focus and exposure lock when the shutter-re-lease button is pressed. The self-timer lamp o

27Easy Close-ups: Macro Close-up ModeMacro close-up mode is used for taking close-up shots of small objects at very short distances (minimum 4 cm/1.

28 Assist and Scene ModesYour Nikon digital camera offers a choice of ten “scene” and four “assist” modes. In these modes, camera settings are autom

29The four assist modes offer a selection of framing assist options that allow you to compose pictures with the help of framing guides displayed in th

iiFor Your Safety• Do not expose batteries to fl ame or to excessive heat.• Do not immerse in or expose to water.• Do not transport or store with metal

30Framing Assist Portrait Assist (portrait assist) mode helps you frame por-traits in which the main subject stands out clearly while background det

31Framing AssistMore on Photography Landscape Assist (landscape assist) mode helps you frame vivid landscape shots that enhance outlines, colors, and

32Framing Assist Sports Assist (sports assist) mode is used for dynamic action shots that capture moving objects. The assist menu lets you freeze th

33Framing AssistMore on Photography Night Portrait Assist (night portrait assist) mode is used for taking portrait shots at night, when it provides a

34 Scene Mode (scene) mode offers a menu of ten “scenes,” each corresponding to a common situ-ation, such as a backlit subject, sunset, or interi

35 Preserves the colors seen in the weak natural light before sunrise or after sunset.Pictures taken at slow shutter speeds are processed to improve

36Scene Mode Night landscapeA slow shutter speed is used to produce stunning night landscapes. Focus is fi xed at infi nity.Pictures taken at slow shu

37Scene Mode Provides clear pictures of text or drawings on a white board or in printed matter such as a business card.• Flash and macro close-up turn

38To Press DescriptionHighlightpicturesPress multi selector up, down, left, or right to highlight pictures. Change number of picturesdisplayed (W)/ (T

39More on PlaybackTaking a Closer Look: Playback ZoomUse the button to zoom in on still images dis-played in full-screen playback. While the pictu

iiiTo ensure continued enjoyment of your Nikon product, observe the follow-ing precautions when storing or using the device:Cautions Keep dryThe dev

40The Picture Enhance MenuUsing the options in the picture enhance menu, you can create reduced or cropped copies of the picture displayed in the mon

41More on PlaybackSelecting Pic. enhance menu from the picture enhance menu displays the following retouch options:Option DescriptionHalo fi lterCreat

42To create a small copy of a picture, select Small pic from the picture enhance menu or press the shutter-release button while a still image is displ

43More on PlaybackWhen Photo trim is selected from the picture enhance menu, the current picture will be displayed full screen. Cropping PicturesTo

44 Viewing Pictures on TVUsing the EG-CP11 video cable included with your camera, you can connect the camera to a television or video-cassette re

45More on PlaybackViewing Pictures on a ComputerUsing the UC-E6 USB cable and Nikon View software provided with your camera, you can view your photo

46Viewing Pictures on a ComputerConnecting the USB CableTurn the computer on and wait for it to start up. After confi rming that the camera is off, c

47Viewing Pictures on a ComputerMore on PlaybackDisconnecting the CameraIf PTP is selected in the USB menu, you can turn the camera off and discon-nec

48 Printing PicturesPictures taken with your Nikon digital camera can be printed and enjoyed in the same way as pictures taken with a fi lm camera. Us

49More on Playback7PRINT SELECTIONDoneSetUse zoom buttons to specify number of prints (up to 9). To deselect picture, press W button when number of

ivNotices• No part of the manuals included with this product may be reproduced, trans-mitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated

50Printing Pictures Print SetIf you display the PRINT SET menu after creating a print order, the Date and Info op-tions will be reset. “Date”If Date i

51Movies Recording MoviesTo record silent movies up to forty seconds in length:1 Rotate the mode dial to 2 Turn the camera onThe exposure count di

52Recording MoviesThe type of movie recorded can be selected from the following options:Option DescriptionSmall movie (320)(default option)Movies are

53Movies Viewing MoviesDuring playback, movies are indicated by a icon. When displayed full screen in the monitor, movies can be played back using

54To cut the beginning or end from a movie, press the menu button after displaying the movie full frame or highlighting it in thumbnail playback (to

55Movies7Delete all frames before current frame. If movie is paused, press multi selector down to resume playback.8Display last frame you want to kee

56Using the Shooting MenuThe shooting menu contains the following options:Option Description Image quality/size Choose image size and quality. 58–5

57The Shooting MenuIn (movie) mode, pressing the MENU button displays the movie menu ( 52). The shooting menu is not available.To make a selection

58Pictures taken with a digital camera are recorded as image fi les. The size of the fi les, and with it the number of images that can be recorded on t

59The Shooting MenuThe following table shows the approximate number of pictures that can be stored on 16- and 32-megabyte memory cards at different i

vNotices / For Your SafetyNotice for customers in CanadaCAUTIONThis class B digital apparatus meets all re-quirements of the Canadian Interference Cau

60White balance is used to preserve natural colors under different types of lighting. In (auto), scene, and assist modes, white balance is set auto

61The Shooting Menu Preset White BalancePreset white balance is used when shooting under mixed lighting or to compensate for light sources with a stro

62 Exp. +/–The Exp. +/– (exposure compensation) menu is used to alter exposure from the value sug-gested by the camera, making pictures brighter or

63The Shooting MenuOption DescriptionOff Time and date do not appear on pictures.DateDate is imprinted at bottom right corner of all pictures taken wh

64Use the options in this menu to capture a fl eet-ing expression on a portrait subject, photograph a subject that is moving unpredictably, or capture

65The Shooting MenuWhen the “Best Shot Selector” (BSS) is on, the camera takes pictures as long as the shutter-release button is held down, to a maxim

66 Image Sharpening ( Only)The camera automatically processes pictures to emphasize the borders between light and dark areas of the picture, making

67The Shooting Menu CF Card FormatThe memory card provided with your camera is formatted at shipment. If you purchase ad-ditional memory cards for a

68Using the Playback MenuThe playback menu contains the following options:Option Description Print setSelect pictures for printing on a DPOF-compati

692SLIDE SHOWSLIDE SHOWPausePauseStartLoopStarting screen displayed.This option is used to play pictures back in an au-tomated “slide show” with about

viNoticesBefore Taking Important PicturesBefore taking pictures on important occasions (such as at weddings or before taking the camera with you on a

70Slide Show Viewing Chosen Images in the Order Selected6Repeat steps 3–5 to select addi-tional pictures. Pictures will be played back in order selec

71Slide ShowThe Playback MenuThe following operations can be performed during the show:To Press DescriptionPause slide showMenu shown at right will be

72The delete menu contains the following options:Option DescriptionErase selected imagesDelete selected pic-tures.Erase all images Delete all pictures

73The Playback Menu Deleting All PicturesTo delete all unprotected pictures on the memory card: Before DeletionOnce deleted, pictures can not be recov

74This option is used to protect pictures from ac-cidental deletion. Protected fi les can not be deleted by pressing the button or using the option

75Option DescriptionAll on(default option)All pictures on memory card are marked for transfer. Pictures taken while this option is in effect will be

76Auto Transfer2AUTO TRANSFERDoneSetPictures on memory card displayed as thumbnail images.6DoneComplete operation.5Repeat steps 3 and 4 to select addi

77The Setup MenuUsing the Setup MenuThe setup menu contains the following options:Option Description Welcome screenChoose the welcome screen displaye

78 Small Pictures and Cropped CopiesResized copies created with the small picture and cropping options can only be se-lected for the welcome screen if

79Press the multi selector up or down to increase or decrease the brightness of the monitor by moving the arrow to the left of the display up or down.

viiTable of ContentsFor Your Safety ... iCautions ...

80Select this option to restore the settings listed below to their original state.Option DescriptionNo Exit menu, leaving settings unchanged.Reset Res

81Technical NotesWhen mounted on the SK-9 fl ash bracket as shown below, the com-pact Nikon SB-30 Speedlight can be used for wireless sync fl ash pho-to

82Cleaning LensOne key to cleaning the lens is to not touch it with your fi ngers. Remove dust or lint with a blower (typically a small device with a

83Technical NotesStorageTurn the camera off when not in use and check that the power-on lamp is off before putting the camera away. To prevent mold o

84 The following table lists the error messages and other warnings that appear in the monitor and how to deal with them.Display Problem Solution(Flash

85Technical NotesDisplay Problem SolutionOUT OF MEMORYCamera in shooting mode: Insuffi cient memory to re-cord pictures at current set-tings.• Choose l

86Display Problem SolutionNO IMAGES AREMARKED FORTRANSFERNo pictures selected for transfer when button pressed to transfer pictures to computer.Dis

87Technical NotesIf your camera fails to function as expected, check the list of common prob-lems below before consulting your retailer or Nikon repre

88TroubleshootingProblem Possible causeNo picture is taken when shutter-release button is pressed• Camera is in playback mode.• Batteries are exhauste

89TroubleshootingTechnical NotesProblem Possible cause Flash does not fi re• Flash is off. Note that fl ash turns off automatically when:◆ The mode dia