Nikon D3100 Design

Nikon D3100 Design

Roll-over the various controls and features with your mouse for a brief description.

Front View. Compared to the D3000, the Nikon D3100's grip is deeper and the front adds a microphone in the upper-right shoulder for recording monaural audio with videos. Gone from the D3100 is support for an infra-red wireless remote, in favor of a wired remote control.

Left View. Shown here with the Nikkor AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR kit lens, the Nikon D3100 adds an Accessory port for connection to an external GPS unit or a cable remote. A mini HDMI output port is also provided, with CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) support allowing playback control via a TV remote control from compatible TVs. The Function button no longer doubles as a Self-timer button, as that function has been moved to the new Drive Mode switch on the top panel.

Right View. The right side looks very similar to the D3000. SDXC memory card support has been added.

Top View. Here, we can see the new Drive Mode switch jutting out from below the mode dial. It allows the D3100 to be quickly switched between Single, Continuous, Self-Timer, and Quiet Shutter Release modes without needing to resort to the camera's menu system.

Back View. The Nikon D3100 adds a Live View switch as well as a dedicated Movie Record button above the multi-controller. Also new is a dedicated i (Info Edit) button. The diopter adjustment is now a dial instead of a slider. A speaker grill can be seen below the multi-controller.

Bottom View. Only very minor changes in body design here. The Nikon D3100 takes an EL-EL14 Lithium-ion battery pack, which is a different battery than the D3000 used. CIPA battery life is 550 shots per charge.