Nikon D3 User manual

DIGITAL CAMERA

User's Manual

Where to Find It

Find what you’re looking for from:

Digitutor

Digitutor, a series of “watch and learn” manuals in movie form, is available

from the following website:

http://www.nikondigitutor.com/index_eng.html

iThe Q&A Index ➜pp. iv–ix

Know what you want to do but don’t know the function name?

Find it

from the “question and answer” index.

iThe Table of Contents ➜pp. x–xvii

Find items by function or menu name.

iThe Quick Start Guide ➜pp. 23–24

A brief guide for those who want to get started taking pictures right away.

iThe Index ➜pp. 438–444

Search by key word.

iError Messages ➜pp. 409–416

If a warning is displayed in the viewfinder or monitor, find the solution

here.

iTroubleshooting ➜pp. 402–408

Camera behaving unexpectedly?

Find the solution here.

AFor Your Safety

Before using the camera for the first time, read the safety

instructions in “For Your Safety” (pg. xviii).

Package Contents

Be sure all items listed here were included with your camera.

Memory cards are sold separately.

❏D3 digital camera (pg. 3)

❏BF-1A body cap (pp. 4, 387)

❏BS-2 accessory shoe cover (pg. 3)

❏EN-EL4a rechargeable Li-ion battery with terminal cover (pp. 32,

34)

❏MH-22 quick charger with power cable and two contact

protectors (pp. 32, 433)

❏UC-E4 USB cable (pp. 256, 264)

❏USB cable clip (pg. 259)

❏EG-D2 audio/video cable (pg. 274)

❏AN-D3 strap (pg. 5)

❏Warranty

❏User’s Manual (this guide)

❏Quick Guide

❏Software Installation Guide

❏Software Suite CD-ROM

❏Registration card (U. S. A. only)

Symbols and Conventions

To make it easier to find the information you need, the following

symbols and conventions are used:

Menu items, options, and messages displayed in the camera monitor

are shown in brackets ([ ]).

ATrademark Information

Macintosh, Mac OS, and QuickTime are registered trademarks of Apple

Inc. Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are either registered

trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States

and/or other countries.

CompactFlash is a trademark of SanDisk

Corporation.

Microdrive is a trademark of Hitachi Global Storage

Technologies in the United States and other countries.

HDMI, the HDMI

logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or

registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC. All other trade names

mentioned in this manual or the other documentation provided with your

Nikon product are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective

holders.

DThis icon marks cautions; information that should be read before

use to prevent damage to the camera.

AThis icon marks notes; information that should be read before

using the camera.

iii

Introduction

Tutorial

Image Recording Options

Focus

Release Mode

ISO Sensitivity

Exposure

White Balance

Image Enhancement

Flash Photography

Other Shooting Options

More About Playback

Voice Memos

Connections

Menu Guide

Technical Notes

Q&A Index

Find what you’re looking for using this “question and answer”

index.

❚❚ New Features

❚❚ Camera Setup

Question Key phrase See page

How do I take pictures in 35mm format? Image area 60

How do I take high-quality NEF (RAW)

photos? 14-bit NEF (RAW) 68

How do I record photographs using two

memory cards? Slot 2 71

Can I use the monitor as a viewfinder? Live view 90

Can I control how photos are processed? Picture Controls 166

How do I preserve details in shadows and

highlights? Active D-Lighting 185

How do I focus on erratically moving

subjects? 3D-tracking 307

Can I adjust focus separately for different

lenses? AF fine tune 358

Question Key phrase See page

How do I focus the viewfinder? Viewfinder focus 47

How do I keep the monitor from turning

off? Monitor off delay 318

How do I keep the shutter speed and

aperture displays from turning off? Auto meter off 50, 317

❚❚ Menus and Displays

How do I set the clock?

World time 40, 347

How do I set the clock for daylight

savings time?

How do I change time zones when I

travel?

How do I adjust monitor brightness for

menus or playback? LCD brightness 345

How do I restore default settings? Two-button reset 206

How do I restore shooting menu

defaults? Reset shooting menu 293

How do I restore Custom Setting

defaults? Reset custom settings 303

How do I change the self-timer delay? Self-timer delay 318

Can I reverse the electronic analog

exposure display? Reverse indicators 343

Can I display the menus in a different

language? Language 347

Can I save menu settings for use on a

different D3 camera? Save/load settings 355

Question Key phrase See page

How do I get more information on a

menu? Help 31

How do I use the menus? Using the menus 26

What do these indicators mean? Viewfinder, control

panels, shooting

information display

8, 10,

12, 14

What information is in the shooting

information display?

What does this warning mean? Error messages and

displays 409

How much charge does the battery have

left? Battery level 48

How do I get more information about the

battery? Battery info 353

Question Key phrase See page

❚❚ Taking Photographs

How do I keep the file number from

being reset when I insert a new memory

card? File number sequence 321

How do I reset file numbering to zero?

How do I clean the camera or lens? Cleaning the camera 390

Question Key phrase See page

How many more shots can I take with this

card?

Number of exposures

remaining 49

How do I take bigger photographs?

Image quality and size 65, 69

How can I get more photos on the

memory card?

Can I control how the camera focuses? Autofocus 73

How do I take a lot of photographs

quickly? Release mode 86

Can I change the frame advance rate? Shooting speed 88, 320

Can I shoot a self-portrait? Self-timer mode 103

Can I take pictures under low light

without the flash? ISO sensitivity 108

Can the ISO sensitivity I choose be

adjusted to ensure optimal exposure?

ISO sensitivity auto

control 110

How do I freeze or blur moving objects? Exposure mode f

(shutter-priority auto) 120

How do I blur background details or keep

both foreground and background in

focus?

Exposure mode g

(aperture-priority auto) 122

Question Key phrase See page

vii

❚❚ Viewing Photographs

Can I set both shutter speed and aperture

manually?

Exposure mode h

(manual) 124

Can I make photos brighter or darker? Exposure compensation 132

How do I make a time exposure? Long time-exposures 126

Can I vary exposure or flash level

automatically over a series of photos?

Exposure and flash

bracketing 135, 327

Can I create multiple copies of a photo

using different white balance settings?

White balance

bracketing 139, 327

How do I adjust white balance? White balance 144

How do I change settings for the optional

flash unit? Flash mode 197

How can I record multiple shots as a

single photograph? Multiple exposure 208

Can I record voice memo when taking a

photograph? Voice memo 248

Can I pick the standard exposure level? Fine tune optimal

exposure 315

How can I reduce blur? Exposure delay mode 324

Question Key phrase See page

Can I view my photographs on the

camera? Camera playback 228

Can I view more information about

photos? Photo info 231

Why do parts of my photos blink? Photo info, highlights 232, 282

Question Key phrase See page

viii

❚❚ Retouching Photographs

How do I get rid of an unwanted photo? Deleting individual

photos 245

Can I delete several photos at once? Delete 281

Can I zoom in on pictures to make sure

they’re in focus? Playback zoom 243

Can I protect photos from accidental

deletion? Protect 244

Can I hide selected photos? Hide image 281

How do I tell if parts of my photos may be

overexposed?

Display mode:

highlights 282

How do I tell where the camera focused? Display mode: focus

point 282

Can I view photos as they are taken? Image review 287

Can I record a voice memo on photos? Voice memo 251

Is there an automatic playback (“slide

show”) option? Slide show 288

Question Key phrase See page

How do I bring out details in shadows? D-Lighting 363

Can I get rid of red eye? Red-eye correction 364

Can I crop photographs on the camera? Trim 365

Can I create a monochrome copy of a

photograph? Monochrome 366

Can I create a copy with different colors? Filter effects 367

Can I use camera to create JPEG copies of

NEF (RAW) photographs? Color balance 367

Can I overlay two photos to make a single

image? Image overlay 368

Question Key phrase See page

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