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 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!
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
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.
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!
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
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!
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 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!
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!!!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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!
@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.....
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!!!!
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
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.
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 :)
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!
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! 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...
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 sincerely for the clear and informative video. The camera has so many useful features over a standard digital, that I needed to see - rather than read - how to use them. By the way, your use of the English language is excellent and it is difficult to see why the detractors of it are so up-tight about normal regional variations. I will certainly come back to these two videos as I progress.
Thank you so much for the easy to follow video. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with my new purchase. I am feeling much more comfortable about it now. You have a new subscriber :)
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.
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.
@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!
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!
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?
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.
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.
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
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!
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
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!
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
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.
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.
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!
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
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!
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
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!
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 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!!!
Just bought myself a D3100 and am finding your videos really useful. Thank you.
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.
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!
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.
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 :-)
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!
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
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!
Thanks so much for the videos! Been feeling a bit overwhelms with my dslr and feeling better now. Now for practice, practice, practice!
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.....
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!!!!
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
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!
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.
Couldn't figure out aperture modifications on manual mode until I saw this. Thanks!
Best Explanation of Manual mode I've heard. Learned a lot here. Thank 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 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 :)
Well done. I understood better by watching and then capturing different setups of the same image. Thank you.
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!
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! 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 you! I was losing my mind figuring out how to change the Aperture on manual mode. great video.
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.
this guy is the best easy to follow instructions. thanks.
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 .
im 16, getting this camera for christmas, you re really great help, thanks 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!
Excelent info on the scary manual mode:) now im ready to use my camera to its potential. cheers and keep up the good work.
Good video man, learned a lot from it. You explain complicated features in ways novices can understand.
This video was so helpful and you explain it so well in part 1 and part 2 , thank you so much.
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 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.
Nice vid man,i look forward to getting out and about with my camera tomorrow to try these things out.
thanks tom.. very informative video. i work for retail business . it helped me to get onto dslrz .. thnx a lot once again
Thank you sincerely for the clear and informative video. The camera has so many useful features over a standard digital, that I needed to see - rather than read - how to use them. By the way, your use of the English language is excellent and it is difficult to see why the detractors of it are so up-tight about normal regional variations.
I will certainly come back to these two videos as I progress.
Thanks for the videos! I just got this camera, my first DSLR and it helps a lot!!!
Thank you so much for the easy to follow video. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with my new purchase. I am feeling much more comfortable about it now. You have a new subscriber :)
Thanks :-)
Thank you soo much for taking time to explain this! You're so helpful to a dumb noob like me.
Excellent and very clear. My camera is making sense to me now. Thank you Tom
Omg, I have learned so much from your vids with the Nikon D3100! Thanks!
Great video just got this camera my first DSLR and this was a huge help
Glad I could help :-)
Very helpful. I understand my d3100 much better now. Thank you.
you make simple some small points that others assume you know, very clear, the best
Thank you, you are a great instructor! Now on to Part 3.
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.
Yeah, we'll done. Explained very simply. Good video, keep them coming!
Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation.. It gave me a good insight to use the other modes..
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! I inherited this camera so I appreciate the tour!
Found these videos very useful, thank you Tom!
@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!
Good video for novice photographers. Thank you for the video.
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 so much. your tutorials are fabulous, has helped me a bunch
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!
exact video i was looking for, so easy, thanks
Glad they helped!
They really do sir ❤️
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?
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.
Great video you really taught me A LOT!
Great videos; you really have the gift of teaching, thank you
thank you so much, its really help me to know more about the Nikon D3100 ☺
wonderful tutorials, easy to understand thanks so much.
Thank you, the videos are very helpful!
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?
This has been a great help, coz like most, i never read the manuals,well unless i have a problem lol.. :-)
Very informative. Thanks from Sweden!
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.
Thanks for this video, very informative. Keep up the great work.
Oh my god . Thanks to you , now I know the functions of the M , A , S and P. Thank you very much :*
Thanks for posting - this is really clear and helpful! Thanks!
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?
Could you tell me the time on the video where you are having problems and I'll try write a description of what's happening.
very well explained thanks! I look forward to getting out and getting some shots now!
Very detailed and easy to understand.
thanks a lot..which one do you prefer for my nikon gear...nikkor 55-200 or 70 -300...
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.