# Who has nikon d3100?



## Musicforever (Dec 10, 2011)

I have a nikon d3100, does anyone one know any interesting tricks on it? Thanks! Post.


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## borisnikon (Dec 11, 2011)

What do you mean by interesting tricks??


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## fatnhappy (Dec 11, 2011)

I have a d3100 and I'd like to know "tricks" to it as well lol


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## COLTSFANATIC1 (Dec 11, 2011)

_ I have a D3100 and im in the prosess of teaching it to fetch great photos, it can also sit up and stand on 3 legs as well._


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## KmH (Dec 11, 2011)

OMG!

You can move the focus function from the shutter release button the the AE-L/AF-L button on the back of the camera.

You can use the built-in flash, white balance setting, and shutter speed to make really cool, professional type outside on location photos of your friends and family.

You can zoom the lens as you trip the shutter to make a really cool effect.

Check out all the cool tricks listed in the D3100 user's manual, starting on page 151.

Image overlay
D-lighting
Filter Effects
Fisheye
Color outline 
and more.........................................................................................


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## badbronco (Dec 11, 2011)

KmH said:


> OMG!
> 
> You can use the built-in flash, white balance setting, and shutter speed to make really cool, professional type outside on location photos of your friends and family.



I have a D3100 - I'm interested in this one.  Do you have any setting suggestions or setting's that have worked for you in the past?  Just wondering...

I love my D3100 - and will love it more as I learn to use it more and more each day


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## MTVision (Dec 11, 2011)

badbronco said:
			
		

> I have a D3100 - I'm interested in this one.  Do you have any setting suggestions or setting's that have worked for you in the past?  Just wondering...
> 
> I love my D3100 - and will love it more as I learn to use it more and more each day



Your settings are determined by your scene. Everything KmH wrote can be found in your manual.


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## borisnikon (Dec 12, 2011)

Just put the cd manual/guide in your computer and read it, it is quite long but you will learn some nice 'tricks'.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Dec 12, 2011)

Welcome to the forum


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## KmH (Dec 12, 2011)

badbronco said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > OMG!
> ...


Well you have to gain a good understanding of how your D3100 works.

When you use flash (strobed light) you can control the ambient light exposure separately with the shutter speed, from the strobed light exposure which you control with the lens aperture.

So put your subject in harsh direct sunlight with a nice brightly lit but distant background.
Put a diffusion panel over your subject to create shade on your subject.
Set the camera white balance to tungsten.
Gel the flash unit with a full CTO gel.
Set the shutter speed to 1/200 and the lens aperture to f/8. Go into the D3100 menus and adjust the pop-up flash power to 1/2. 
Snap and chimp a shot. 
If the subject is to bright, turn the flash unit power down to 1/4. If the subject is to dark, open the lens aperture a full stop to f/5.6.
Snap and chimp another shot.
Rinse and repeat until you have the lighting ratio you desire.

Putting the CTO gel on the flash unit changes it's color tempeature to that of a tungsten light source. Changing the white balance to Tungsten makes the flashed light look white and not the orangish color tungsten light really is. But the backgound that is sunlit will have a nice cool (temperture wise) blue color cast.

When you understand how the camera and light work, you gain a wide range of artistic avenues (tricks) you can persue.


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## badbronco (Dec 20, 2011)

Yah, I'd pull out the manual if I knew where I put it.  I'll look for it online. Thx


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## KmH (Dec 20, 2011)

Nikon Product Manuals available for download

By the way. The D3100 doesn't come with a hard copy user's manual, just a hard copy Quick Guide.

The User's Manual is on one of the discs (or disc) that comes with the camera.


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## badbronco (Dec 20, 2011)

yah, I got it, thx


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## cepwin (Dec 23, 2011)

I recently got the D3100 myself.   I'd say just try different things....ambient light vs the flash, different settings, etc.  Remember aperture impacts depth of field...lower number means more light but also more shallow DoF.  W/Shutter speed faster stops motion better but gets in less light.  Finally ISO...higher the number more light sensitive but more grainy...hope that helps!.  Also,remember you have to set the switch on the lens itself to change between auto and manual focus.


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## carolinajack (Dec 24, 2011)

KmH said:


> Nikon Product Manuals available for download
> 
> By the way. The D3100 doesn't come with a hard copy user's manual, just a hard copy Quick Guide.
> 
> The User's Manual is on one of the discs (or disc) that comes with the camera.



My D3100 came with both a hard copy and the disk. Maybe they recently started packaging them together? I got it last week.


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## wvsmphoto (Dec 24, 2011)

I have a D3100 and I love it though it is my first DSLR the down side is that it has a "cheaper" sensor therefore high ISO shots are not recommended if they can be avoided they result in a lot of noise. Having said that READ YOUR MANUAL learn the functions of the camera. As far as tricks there are really no camera specific tricks there are lots of pretty sweet things you can do with just about any camera that allows you to manually adjust your settings

Sent from my iPhone using PhotoForum


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## wvsmphoto (Dec 24, 2011)

I have had my 3100 since may and have both the disk and the manual the disk is at my desk the manual is in my camera bag

Sent from my iPhone using PhotoForum


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## JMorris271 (Dec 25, 2011)

I had to order a hard copy of the manual for $16 online. PDF download was $10.


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## MTVision (Dec 25, 2011)

JMorris271 said:
			
		

> I had to order a hard copy of the manual for $16 online. PDF download was $10.



You can download it for free on Nikon website. You can print it for free from Nikon with a serial number.


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## jkzo (Dec 25, 2011)

JMorris271 said:


> I had to order a hard copy of the manual for $16 online. PDF download was $10.



give me personal message with your mail ID i will send the file which i have down loaded


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## Holydeath (Dec 26, 2011)

I have a D3100, one useful tip - don't ever drop your camera!

I once dropped my bag with my camera in it whilst trying to rush to go on a train and it broke internally. I went to one of those camera repair shops in London for a price estimate and the lady told me it will cost half the price of the camera.


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## ClearBlueDaze (Dec 29, 2011)

carolinajack said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > Nikon Product Manuals available for download
> ...




I jut got mine for Christmas. The one it came with printed is nothing  compared to what is on the DVD. Print the one on the DVD or online and  keep it in a binder you can make notes in or refer to as needed. That's  what I'm doing.


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## JMorris271 (Jan 2, 2012)

I downloaded the file but found the loose pages too much to deal with as well as the fact that I needed to have one in my sack. 
I purchases my manural at   http://manualsink.com/nikon/nikon-coolpix-5700-camera-manuals.htmlpaid about $14 for the 10X5 book for my D3100


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## flatflip (Jan 2, 2012)

It's a trick just to own such an expensive (factor in; 35mm f/1.8 lens, gas, groceries, insurance, taxes and Christmas for the kids and grandkids) entry level camera. I love it though. My coolest trick is downloading the manual from Nikon in PDF on my iPad (via iBooks).


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## nodoor (Jan 2, 2012)

I got one, but I'd like to change to D7000.


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