I have had my D3100 for two now and honestly this tutorial is fantastic. It helped me to really understand how it works and not to feel too guilty about using Auto sometimes. I'll probably watch it a few times later and certainly recommend it to photographer friends. Thank you for taking the trouble to putting this on UA-cam!
Recently bought a D3100 and have been learning for about 3 months now. This is the best video I have found on simple instruction to Manual mode, along with Shutter, Aperture, and Program. There is a reason many beginners find Manual mode intimidating, and thats because many instructional videos over-complicate it. Great video!
I have been shooting in auto mode for a few years and I have just accepted what I got from the camera. This makes me excited to figure out what this new knowledge will do for me
I have had this camera for 4 or 5 years and been afraid to use it. I hate manuals! Thanks so much for helping me get out there and use it. Very understandable and helpful!
These videos are so helpful thank you! I'm ashamed to say that I've had my D31000 for years now and could never get the hang of it. I tried lots of UA-cam videos but found they all explained things so slowly and technically that I'd just switch off. It's nice to see one that understands what I want as a beginner and can explain it in the right language :)
my uncle passed away few years ago and he left this camera. his wife doesn't know / don't want to use it and give it to my family. no one want to learn really how to use it. so it sit on the shelf collecting dust. now i'm trying to learn this camera (never use dslr before) and thank you for making this tutorial.
I've had my d3100 for a good few years and have only ever used it on auto. Despite using analogue cameras regularly, I thought it seemed very complicated to use my DSLR in manual mode. Thanks so much for this tutorial, its so much easier than I anticipated. The video is v clear and helpful and cuts out unnecessary jargon.
Before i saw this video, I used to always use Auto mode on my D3100, but after you tutorial, I am more than confident to use Manual mode now! I never would have known what that scale was for if I never saw this video and now you taught me how to use the scale for Manual mode! Superb tutorial, precise and to the point! Thank you! :D
Must be a rubbish professor then! I get so many comments from people saying their teachers are no good, its not a good thing that the education system around the world is so bad!
Having just played around with my camera for 5 minutes I'd like to add to my last comment - Really helpful, you have really helped me understand something that had caused dome head scratching. Many thanks, please keep posting!
This was great! I've had my camera for 2 years now, but there were no available camera courses near me. I started with a Pentax K1000, I love manual photography! So that you for helping me to learn the world of digital shooting, using manual!
Thank you so much... Another great Video ! - Your step by step demonstrations for people unfamiliar with the complexities of the NIKON D3100 are very helpful... The modern DSLRs are so complex!
I bought this camera 2 days ago and believe me M mode was so confusing for me. The guide book is bigger than most of my college books. I found this video very useful and surely there will be some good snaps in camera today!!!
Thanks very much I along time ago in the days of film i used to have a Olympus om10 i got some really good pics, I have just bought this cam, and to be honest got lost with it watching your vids are so much easier to take in than many on you tube, Thanks fella
This was so helpful! I felt so stuck because I couldn’t figure out how to switch some of these controls & now I feel like I can actually go and try them out!
Tom, you saved my life! coursework due in tomorrow and was unsure why my camera was not changing the AP... found your video and it now works perfectly, thankyou.
Thanks very much for explaining this - I was confused by P mode which I now know not to bother with and it would have taken me ages to fathom how to use M mode. You made it very easy to understand.
I want a dslr so bad I getting this for Christmas I've been using a point and shoots for 2 years and I have a pentax sf10 slr film camera and I can't wait to upgrade thanks for the tutorials
Very good, easy to understand. You're about the 4th teacher I've watched, and you made it easy to understand. Everyone else was way above me ed, as a beginner. Thanks muchly.
@Photoix Thank you very much sir. I've applied your techniques just today at the mall and I was able to pretty much get creative photos with my wife. If its not too much with you, I would be asking questions from time to time here.... thanks again.....
If this is true that would be awesome. I saw a reviewer making a whole video about him telling that he bought the camera and then afterward there was no manual exposure. I`m getting the camera next week. Gonn be my first dslr. You videos are very helpful btw!
Awesome videos, thanks.....Purchased a D3100 yesterday and had no idea what I'm getting myself into....Your videos have been an outstanding tool to help get me started...I definitely look forward to using the A, S, & M functions and know what they're referring to thanks to you!!!!
Thank you for posting such informative videos specific to the Nikon D3100, Tom ... I have saved to watch and review again and again. Greatly appreciate all you efforts, awesome videos!
great video i have learnt a lot so much that , today i went out with my d3100 only using M and A. S and P can wait till situation warrants it. but i am more happier now with the d3100 now i understand a lot more about setting up photos. such an easy to follow video, look forward to more of the same. well done
Thank you for this video, I've learnt more from this then in my diploma course so far. It's definitely taken all the scariness away from my next project. Thank you :)
A nice simple aproach Tom Thanks for that...I would like to say though for others that in Manual mode when you see the question mark flashing down in the bottom left of the screen Don't panic as it just means one of your settings ie. aperture or shutter speed are not set correctly so just play around with them untill the question mark stops flashing.
Excellent tutorials thank you. I've had my D3100 for 4 years using on Auto mode and just returned from holiday yesterday and my wife's Nikon S8000 (point and shoot) took nicer cleaner images then my DSLR and I felt ashamed, I been thinking so a new camera but this is my own short comings so trying to fix up. I am using a Tamron XR Di II 18mm-200mm so will go back to the Stock 18mm-55mm Nikon lens to experiment.
Excellent video , thank you very much . Watched loads of tutorials and havent learned much but your explanations might just have done the trick , makes a bit more sense now .
thanks for this video..I want to start use my camera in manual mode, but I didn't know how can I change the aperture in this mode! Now I got it, Thanks a lot for that :-)!
Thank you very much for your very clear instructions on D3100 camera, especially about the macro mode I`ve been nearlly pulling out my hair (not really) to try and get a good shot but as you stated very clearly you need a macro lens to obtain the effect, as at the moment I own a coolpix S6300 and it has a lot of features but its limited for creative photograpy that I would like to acheive.
THANK YOU! this is my first DSLR and I have no idea what any of the settings mean...but now I know how the manual mode works finally! I had been using Auto...
@Photoix no i just flick that knob that switches from viewfinder to live mode... maybe its the firmware or something! also what shutter speed when using a manual mode is ideal for sports? (since 1/4000 is just to fast) .. .thanks for the tips, very helpful!
Hey, thanks for the awesome videos! I have a D3100 and I was wondering when I change different settings does it effect the other settings? For example if I'm changing the settings in manual and go back to shoot in auto are the changes I made in manual effecting my auto or others settings?
This goes for all cameras. I do have a nikon d3100 and its easy to be changing the aperture and not notice the shutter speed and then get crapy photos.
That's the exposure meter, it tells you how far under or overexposed the camera thinks the photo will be with the current settings. When there are no lines either side of the 0 the camera thinks the scene is correctly exposed. However the camera can be easily fooled by light or dark areas and this is where experience comes in and you tell the camera by adjusting the exposure to either under or over exposed, denoted by lines on the bar in either + or - exposure. I may do a dedicated video on it.
HI Thanks for the videos, I learned a lot from your videos about this camera. I had a question Is there any way to see the aperture,shutter speed and ISO settings of a picture you already taken in Nikon D3100 camera. Thanks
Well, I am probably being a bit aggressive and my hopes may be to high with my goal here. The lens I have is the 18-55MM that came with the camera. I will try to decipher what you just said. DUH! :)
You'll need a reasonably fast shutter speed to freeze a horse, so you could use Shutter priority mode and set the shutter speed yourself. Somewhere around 1/400 or higher, preferably more like 1/1000. Depending on the light you may need to raise the ISO to get this. The aperture wants to be wide enough to let the light in, but not so wide you only have a tiny DOF, you may find you have no choice to go around f/5.6 depending on your lens. Focus mode AF-C and continous drive should get some shots.
You need to keep in eye on your shutter speed. Usually anything slower than 1/60 of a second requires a tripod or some type of stabilizing device to still get clear photos.
@Photoix Hello again sir. I have another question, How can I put borders in my pictures and my name under the said pictures? Thanks again for your help..
Love your vids helped me out alot what do you recommened for lenses to have I have the one it came with and ordered a 55-300 but i would like to get a good one for portraits without breaking the bank what would you suggest
I have just bought this camera and was struggling a bit, the video,s make it so much easier, have you done a video on the Nikon editing programme? that seems so much more complicated than my Sony programme? and is it supposed to be set in RAW?
Yeah thats what I thought. I got a decent photo with him sitting eating but once he takes flight..not so good. I'll just have to wait till I think Im ready for a better lens. Thanks for the help. :)
so sir what do you think is the best lens for this camera? like shooting portrait, landscape, sports, macro shoot.... etc... without having to use so many lens. thnks and god bless.
am 14 and i have a nikon d3100 and i have just made some long exposure shots but they are not great , soon i want to do light trails on a motorway and it would be really great if you made a video to show how to do light trails on a nikon d3100. :)
What lenses would you recommend for a contrasty room like an old church or place with shafts of direct light? (I have a 18-55mm but I wouldn't mind adding another to my collection)
Your Nikon D3100 videos are great. Learned a lot, and am no longer fearful of purchasing one. Question: Can Manual settings be saved, for quick recall later? Plan to use it for astrophotography. Many thanks!
This video was incredibly helpful! I recently upgraded my camera to a D3100 and have been trying not to cripple myself by staying on Auto. This has helped so much!! My only problem is that my camera won't go lower than a f/4.2. Do I need to adjust some settings elsewhere on the camera or is this just what I'm stuck with? Also, can you do a tutorial on manual focusing (different focal points within the viewfinder?) if you haven't done one already? Thank you once again!! You're awesome!
Thank you for this very informative video! Do you have any recommendations for photo editing software for beginners? I was told Adode Photoshop Elements is a good place to start. Thoughts?
Yes elements is quite good, however I much prefer Adobe Lightroom, but it depends what sort of editing you want to do. Lightroom only does enhancements rather than cloning or any layer based editing. I suggest getting the free 30 day trial of each and seeing which suits you best.
I have had my D3100 for two now and honestly this tutorial is fantastic. It helped me to really understand how it works and not to feel too guilty about using Auto sometimes. I'll probably watch it a few times later and certainly recommend it to photographer friends. Thank you for taking the trouble to putting this on UA-cam!
had this camera for two years now.....FINALLY i can see its full potential! lol thank you!! i can now take pictures that are semi decent :D
Recently bought a D3100 and have been learning for about 3 months now. This is the best video I have found on simple instruction to Manual mode, along with Shutter, Aperture, and Program. There is a reason many beginners find Manual mode intimidating, and thats because many instructional videos over-complicate it. Great video!
Thanks!
Wowsers, this is the first video I've come across that explains the M A S P and what they do, and I can actually understand it! Thank you, thank you!
This was excellent and just what I needed. I always wondered what the circle on the left was for. Thank you Tom
Great video, thanks! I've had my D3100 for about 4 years now and have known how to use it! Can't wait to use the info you just provided.
I have been shooting in auto mode for a few years and I have just accepted what I got from the camera. This makes me excited to figure out what this new knowledge will do for me
I have had this camera for 4 or 5 years and been afraid to use it. I hate manuals! Thanks so much for helping me get out there and use it. Very understandable and helpful!
These videos are so helpful thank you! I'm ashamed to say that I've had my D31000 for years now and could never get the hang of it. I tried lots of UA-cam videos but found they all explained things so slowly and technically that I'd just switch off. It's nice to see one that understands what I want as a beginner and can explain it in the right language :)
my uncle passed away few years ago and he left this camera. his wife doesn't know / don't want to use it and give it to my family. no one want to learn really how to use it. so it sit on the shelf collecting dust. now i'm trying to learn this camera (never use dslr before) and thank you for making this tutorial.
I've had my d3100 for a good few years and have only ever used it on auto. Despite using analogue cameras regularly, I thought it seemed very complicated to use my DSLR in manual mode. Thanks so much for this tutorial, its so much easier than I anticipated. The video is v clear and helpful and cuts out unnecessary jargon.
Before i saw this video, I used to always use Auto mode on my D3100, but after you tutorial, I am more than confident to use Manual mode now! I never would have known what that scale was for if I never saw this video and now you taught me how to use the scale for Manual mode! Superb tutorial, precise and to the point! Thank you! :D
LOVE THIS! I'm taking a photography class and my professor doesn't really explain anything. SO this REALLY helped THANKS!!
Must be a rubbish professor then! I get so many comments from people saying their teachers are no good, its not a good thing that the education system around the world is so bad!
Having just played around with my camera for 5 minutes I'd like to add to my last comment - Really helpful, you have really helped me understand something that had caused dome head scratching. Many thanks, please keep posting!
I have been searching on how to slow my shutter speed in taking pics of water and light and this video did it all. Thank you. Subscribed.
Very helpful. I've had one for a few months now and I havent really tried it because I was so overwhelmed. Thank you
Got this as my first dslr for christmas and didnt have a clue how to use it, only used auto up until now -_- this helped me loads! thank you so much!
This was great! I've had my camera for 2 years now, but there were no available camera courses near me. I started with a Pentax K1000, I love manual photography! So that you for helping me to learn the world of digital shooting, using manual!
Thank you so much... Another great Video ! - Your step by step demonstrations for people unfamiliar with the complexities of the NIKON D3100 are very helpful... The modern DSLRs are so complex!
Just bought myself a D3100 and am finding your videos really useful. Thank you.
I bought this camera 2 days ago and believe me M mode was so confusing for me. The guide book is bigger than most of my college books. I found this video very useful and surely there will be some good snaps in camera today!!!
Thanks very much I along time ago in the days of film i used to have a Olympus om10 i got some really good pics, I have just bought this cam, and to be honest got lost with it watching your vids are so much easier to take in than many on you tube, Thanks fella
This was so helpful! I felt so stuck because I couldn’t figure out how to switch some of these controls & now I feel like I can actually go and try them out!
Tom, you saved my life! coursework due in tomorrow and was unsure why my camera was not changing the AP... found your video and it now works perfectly, thankyou.
Thanks so much for the videos! Been feeling a bit overwhelms with my dslr and feeling better now. Now for practice, practice, practice!
Thanks very much for explaining this - I was confused by P mode which I now know not to bother with and it would have taken me ages to fathom how to use M mode. You made it very easy to understand.
You have given me so much confidence. My first camera, was a bit intimidated at first. You explain very well. Thank you very much
I want a dslr so bad I getting this for Christmas I've been using a point and shoots for 2 years and I have a pentax sf10 slr film camera and I can't wait to upgrade thanks for the tutorials
Very good, easy to understand. You're about the 4th teacher I've watched, and you made it easy to understand. Everyone else was way above me ed, as a beginner. Thanks muchly.
Sometimes its good to be a simpleton like me :-)
Recently got a D3100 and found your tutorials really helpful so hoping to get out of auto mode and experiment a bit more. Thanks
@Photoix Thank you very much sir. I've applied your techniques just today at the mall and I was able to pretty much get creative photos with my wife. If its not too much with you, I would be asking questions from time to time here.... thanks again.....
If this is true that would be awesome. I saw a reviewer making a whole video about him telling that he bought the camera and then afterward there was no manual exposure. I`m getting the camera next week. Gonn be my first dslr. You videos are very helpful btw!
Awesome videos, thanks.....Purchased a D3100 yesterday and had no idea what I'm getting myself into....Your videos have been an outstanding tool to help get me started...I definitely look forward to using the A, S, & M functions and know what they're referring to thanks to you!!!!
Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for! I'm looking forward to going out and playing with my camera.
Thank you for posting such informative videos specific to the Nikon D3100, Tom ... I have saved to watch and review again and again. Greatly appreciate all you efforts, awesome videos!
My pleasure, thanks for the kind words!
great video i have learnt a lot so much that , today i went out with my d3100 only using M and A. S and P can wait till situation warrants it.
but i am more happier now with the d3100 now i understand a lot more about setting up photos.
such an easy to follow video, look forward to more of the same. well done
Couldn't figure out aperture modifications on manual mode until I saw this. Thanks!
Thank you for this video, I've learnt more from this then in my diploma course so far. It's definitely taken all the scariness away from my next project. Thank you :)
A nice simple aproach Tom Thanks for that...I would like to say though for others that in Manual mode when you see the question mark flashing down in the bottom left of the screen Don't panic as it just means one of your settings ie. aperture or shutter speed are not set correctly so just play around with them untill the question mark stops flashing.
Well done. I understood better by watching and then capturing different setups of the same image. Thank you.
Best Explanation of Manual mode I've heard. Learned a lot here. Thank you.
Excellent tutorials thank you. I've had my D3100 for 4 years using on Auto mode and just returned from holiday yesterday and my wife's Nikon S8000 (point and shoot) took nicer cleaner images then my DSLR and I felt ashamed, I been thinking so a new camera but this is my own short comings so trying to fix up. I am using a Tamron XR Di II 18mm-200mm so will go back to the Stock 18mm-55mm Nikon lens to experiment.
Excellent video , thank you very much . Watched loads of tutorials and havent learned much but your explanations might just have done the trick , makes a bit more sense now .
Thank you for posting this video.
I just got the Nikon D3100 and I'm just lazy to read the manual so I go to youtube all the time. Really helps!
this guy is the best easy to follow instructions. thanks.
im 16, getting this camera for christmas, you re really great help, thanks a lot :)
thanks for this video..I want to start use my camera in manual mode, but I didn't know how can I change the aperture in this mode! Now I got it, Thanks a lot for that :-)!
Nice vid man,i look forward to getting out and about with my camera tomorrow to try these things out.
Thank you very much for your very clear instructions on D3100 camera, especially about the macro mode I`ve been nearlly pulling out my hair (not really) to try and get a good shot but as you stated very clearly you need a macro lens to obtain the effect, as at the moment I own a coolpix S6300 and it has a lot of features but its limited for creative photograpy that I would like to acheive.
THANK YOU! this is my first DSLR and I have no idea what any of the settings mean...but now I know how the manual mode works finally! I had been using Auto...
Thank god for a simple effective tutorial bout basic functions ....well done well explain...just subscribed!
This was really useful. Thank you so much for making this.
Thanks for the videos! I just got this camera, my first DSLR and it helps a lot!!!
Totally awesome video! So useful and easy to follow. Will have fun with my D3100 when I get it! Thank you!
Glad you liked! Don't hesitate to ask any questions when you get your camera!
Thank you! I was losing my mind figuring out how to change the Aperture on manual mode. great video.
Very helpful. I understand my d3100 much better now. Thank you.
Excelent info on the scary manual mode:) now im ready to use my camera to its potential. cheers and keep up the good work.
@Photoix no i just flick that knob that switches from viewfinder to live mode... maybe its the firmware or something! also what shutter speed when using a manual mode is ideal for sports? (since 1/4000 is just to fast) .. .thanks for the tips, very helpful!
Thank you soo much for taking time to explain this! You're so helpful to a dumb noob like me.
Hey, thanks for the awesome videos! I have a D3100 and I was wondering when I change different settings does it effect the other settings? For example if I'm changing the settings in manual and go back to shoot in auto are the changes I made in manual effecting my auto or others settings?
Excellent and very clear. My camera is making sense to me now. Thank you Tom
Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation.. It gave me a good insight to use the other modes..
This video was so helpful and you explain it so well in part 1 and part 2 , thank you so much.
This goes for all cameras. I do have a nikon d3100 and its easy to be changing the aperture and not notice the shutter speed and then get crapy photos.
That's the exposure meter, it tells you how far under or overexposed the camera thinks the photo will be with the current settings. When there are no lines either side of the 0 the camera thinks the scene is correctly exposed. However the camera can be easily fooled by light or dark areas and this is where experience comes in and you tell the camera by adjusting the exposure to either under or over exposed, denoted by lines on the bar in either + or - exposure. I may do a dedicated video on it.
Great video just got this camera my first DSLR and this was a huge help
Glad I could help :-)
thanks tom.. very informative video. i work for retail business . it helped me to get onto dslrz .. thnx a lot once again
Glad they helped!
They really do sir ❤️
Thank you! I inherited this camera so I appreciate the tour!
Hi thanks I learnt more in 2 videos you have was frustrating. I would like to see other videos on iso ect how can I find them?
@Photoix Thank you for the response sir. Would you recommend other brands? like Tamron and Sigma, which have lower prices i think.
Good video man, learned a lot from it. You explain complicated features in ways novices can understand.
thanks a lot..which one do you prefer for my nikon gear...nikkor 55-200 or 70 -300...
you make simple some small points that others assume you know, very clear, the best
HI Thanks for the videos, I learned a lot from your videos about this camera. I had a question Is there any way to see the aperture,shutter speed and ISO settings of a picture you already taken in Nikon D3100 camera. Thanks
exact video i was looking for, so easy, thanks
Well, I am probably being a bit aggressive and my hopes may be to high with my goal here. The lens I have is the 18-55MM that came with the camera. I will try to decipher what you just said. DUH! :)
Omg, I have learned so much from your vids with the Nikon D3100! Thanks!
Thank you, you are a great instructor! Now on to Part 3.
Yeah, we'll done. Explained very simply. Good video, keep them coming!
You'll need a reasonably fast shutter speed to freeze a horse, so you could use Shutter priority mode and set the shutter speed yourself. Somewhere around 1/400 or higher, preferably more like 1/1000. Depending on the light you may need to raise the ISO to get this. The aperture wants to be wide enough to let the light in, but not so wide you only have a tiny DOF, you may find you have no choice to go around f/5.6 depending on your lens. Focus mode AF-C and continous drive should get some shots.
You need to keep in eye on your shutter speed. Usually anything slower than 1/60 of a second requires a tripod or some type of stabilizing device to still get clear photos.
@Photoix Hello again sir. I have another question, How can I put borders in my pictures and my name under the said pictures? Thanks again for your help..
Right ok thanks! Another question, should i use the 18-55mm or the 55-200mm lense for Indoor portraits, and which should i use for outside sports?
This has been a great help, coz like most, i never read the manuals,well unless i have a problem lol.. :-)
Love your vids helped me out alot what do you recommened for lenses to have I have the one it came with and ordered a 55-300 but i would like to get a good one for portraits without breaking the bank what would you suggest
Found these videos very useful, thank you Tom!
Good video for novice photographers. Thank you for the video.
I have just bought this camera and was struggling a bit, the video,s make it so much easier, have you done a video on the Nikon editing programme? that seems so much more complicated than my Sony programme? and is it supposed to be set in RAW?
Yeah thats what I thought. I got a decent photo with him sitting eating but once he takes flight..not so good. I'll just have to wait till I think Im ready for a better lens. Thanks for the help. :)
so sir what do you think is the best lens for this camera? like shooting portrait, landscape, sports, macro shoot.... etc... without having to use so many lens. thnks and god bless.
am 14 and i have a nikon d3100 and i have just made some long exposure shots but they are not great , soon i want to do light trails on a motorway and it would be really great if you made a video to show how to do light trails on a nikon d3100. :)
What lenses would you recommend for a contrasty room like an old church or place with shafts of direct light? (I have a 18-55mm but I wouldn't mind adding another to my collection)
Your Nikon D3100 videos are great. Learned a lot, and am no longer fearful of purchasing one.
Question: Can Manual settings be saved, for quick recall later? Plan to use it for astrophotography. Many thanks!
Thank you, the videos are very helpful!
This video was incredibly helpful! I recently upgraded my camera to a D3100 and have been trying not to cripple myself by staying on Auto. This has helped so much!!
My only problem is that my camera won't go lower than a f/4.2. Do I need to adjust some settings elsewhere on the camera or is this just what I'm stuck with?
Also, can you do a tutorial on manual focusing (different focal points within the viewfinder?) if you haven't done one already?
Thank you once again!! You're awesome!
Thank you for this very informative video! Do you have any recommendations for photo editing software for beginners? I was told Adode Photoshop Elements is a good place to start. Thoughts?
Yes elements is quite good, however I much prefer Adobe Lightroom, but it depends what sort of editing you want to do. Lightroom only does enhancements rather than cloning or any layer based editing. I suggest getting the free 30 day trial of each and seeing which suits you best.
Very detailed and easy to understand.
hi what settings you recommend to take good photo of furniture inside please ?
Great Video. I have the same camera but in the A S modes it does not ajust it for me, how can I fix this?
Doesn’t adjust what?
@@TomPhotoix like in A mode when you change the aperture it is supposed to adjust the the shutter speed and vice versa for the S mode.