Menus

The D3X's menu design and structure is virtually identical to the D3's (with the latest firmware). It's an evolution of a newer cleaner design first seen on the D200. Because of the larger and higher resolution LCD Nikon has chosen to use a slightly smaller font size which allows each menu page to show eight options (the same as the D2X). Navigation remains the same, the multi-way controller and Enter button. You can also configure the command dials to provide menu navigation.

Shooting / CSM menu banks

When working in the Shooting or CSM menus you are in actual fact changing the settings of a 'menu bank'. There are four banks for each of the Shooting and Custom function menus; A to D, each bank can be given a more meaningful label and the currently selected bank letter is indicated on the top control panel for quick reference. This is very useful for quickly switching between a type of shot or situation.

Help pages

The D3X has the same help feature we first saw on the D2X, a setting with available help is indicated by a circular question mark icon (?) at the bottom left of the screen. Press and hold the protect button to display a context sensitive help page.

Playback menu

Option Values / Actions Notes
Delete  • Selected
 • All
- Thumbnail selection
Playback folder  • NCD3X
 • All
 • Current
 
Hide image  • Select / set
 • Deselect all?
- Thumbnail selection
Display mode  • Basic photo info
Focus point
 • Detailed photo info
Highlights
RGB Histogram
Data
Allows you to toggle different items of information shown in either basic or detailed photo display modes.
Copy image(s)  • Select image(s)
100NCD3X
Deselect all
Select all images
Select protected images
 • Select destination folder
Select folder by number
Select folder from list
 • Copy image(s)?
Yes
No
 
Image review  • Off
 • On
 
After delete  • Show next
 • Show previous
 • Continue as before
 
Rotate tall  • On
 • Off
When enabled portrait shots appear vertically orientated.
Slide show  • Start
 • Frame interval
2 sec
3 sec
5 sec
10 sec
 • Audio playback
On
Frame interval
Length of voice memo
Off
 
Print set (DPOF)  • Select / set
 • Deselect all?
- Thumbnail selection

Shooting menu

A green superscript one (¹) indicates the default setting.

Option Values / Actions Notes / Sub options
Shooting menu bank  • A ¹
 • B
 • C
 • D
 • Rename
Text entry

Four banks of settings can be memorized and quickly switched, each bank can be labeled (see above).

Reset shooting menu  • Yes
 • No
 
Active folder  • New folder number
 • Select folder
- Create new folder.
File naming  • File naming
Text entry
Change name prefix (default DSC).
Slot 2  • Overflow ¹
 • Backup
 • RAW Slot 1 - JPEG Slot 2
 
Image quality  • NEF (RAW) + JPEG Fine
 • NEF (RAW) + JPEG Normal
 • NEF (RAW) + JPEG Basic
 • NEF (RAW)
 • TIFF (RGB)
 • JPEG Fine
 • JPEG Normal ¹
 • JPEG Basic
Select image quality.
Image size  • Large ¹
 • Medium
 • Small
- 4256 x 2832 / 12.1 M
- 3184 x 2120 / 6.8 M
- 2128 x 1416 / 3.0 M
Image area  • Auto DX crop
On ¹
Off
 • Choose image area
FX format (36x24) ¹
DX format (24x16)
5:4 (30x24)
 
JPEG compression  • Size priority ¹
 • Optimal quality
 
NEF (RAW) recording  • Type
Lossless compressed ¹
Compressed
Uncompressed
 • NEF (RAW) bit depth
12-bit ¹
14-bit
Set the type of compression used in the NEF file as well as the bit-depth recorded. Note that 14-bit NEF files are about 1.3 times larger than 12-bit NEF.
White balance  • Auto ¹
 • Incandescent
 • Fluorescent
 • Direct Sunlight
 • Flash
 • Cloudy
 • Shade
 • Choose color temp.
 • Preset manual
- A-B, G-M grid to fine tune WB
- "
- "
- "
- "
- "
- "
- 2500 K - 10000 K
- Select / program preset WB
Set Picture Control  • Standard
Quick adjust (-2 to +2)
Sharpening (A, 0 to 9)
Contrast (A, -3 to +3)
Brightness (-1 to +1)
Saturation (A, -3 to +3)
Hue (-3 to +3)
 • Neutral
Quick adjust (-2 to +2)
Sharpening (A, 0 to 9)
Contrast (A, -3 to +3)
Brightness (-1 to +1)
Saturation (A, -3 to +3)
Hue (-3 to +3)
 • Vivid
Quick adjust (-2 to +2)
Sharpening (A, 0 to 9)
Contrast (A, -3 to +3)
Brightness (-1 to +1)
Saturation (A, -3 to +3)
Hue (-3 to +3)
 • Monochrome
Sharpening (A, 0 to 9)
Contrast (A, -3 to +3)
Brightness (-1 to +1)
Filter (Off, Y, O, R, G)
Toning (10 options)
 • [custom]
- Default (3, 0, 0, 0, 0)






- Default (2, 0, 0, 0, 0)






- Default (4, 0, 0, 0, 0)






- Default (3, 0, 0, 0, 0)
Manage Picture Control  • Save/edit
 • Rename
 • Delete
 • Load/save

- Create custom Picture Control sets


- Load / save from card

Color Space  • sRGB ¹
 • Adobe RGB
 
Active D-Lighting  • Extra high
 • High
 • Normal
 • Low
 • Off ¹
 
Vignette Control *  • High
 • Normal¹
 • Low
 • Off
New feature applies in-camera masking to reduce corner shading (also tags NEF files for CaptureNX's new vignette correction controls)
Long exp. NR  • On
 • Off ¹
Enables dark frame subtraction NR for exposures of 1/2 sec or longer.
High ISO NR  • High
 • Normal ¹
 • Low
 • Off
 
ISO sensitivity settings  • ISO
LO 1
LO 0.7
LO 0.3

100 ¹
125
160
200
250
320
400
500
640
800
1000
1250
1600
HI 0.3
HI 0.7
HI 1
HI 2
 • ISO sensitivity auto control
On / Off ¹
Maximum sensitivity
200
400¹
800
1600
HI 1
HI 2
Minimum shutter speed *
1/4000 - 1 sec

Available sensitivities depend on ISO step custom setting (CSM b2).

Full range: LO 1 = ISO 100 to HI 2 = ISO 25600.

Live view  • Live view mode
Hand-held
Tripod
 • Release mode
Single frame
Continuous low-speed
Continuous high-speed

- Phase detect AF
- Contrast detect AF
Multiple exposure  • Done
 • Number of shots
2 - 10
 • Auto gain
On
Off
Create a new image from between two and ten exposures.
Interval timer shooting  • Start
Now
Start time
 • Interval
[hh:mm:ss]
 • Select Intvl*Shots
[000] x [0] = 0001
 • Start
Off
On
Time lapse / interval shooting.