Quick Start Guide

Take the Camera Out of the Box

First Steps

Shooting and Playback

12

Installing the Supplied Software Applications

16

Transferring Pictures to a Computer

21

En

Thank you for your purchase of Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera.
This guide introduces the procedures necessary in using this camera for the first
time.
For more detailed information, please refer to the supplied Users Manual.
Technical support information is available online at the following sites:
For users in the USA: http://www.nikonusa.com/
For users in Europe and Africa: http://www.europe-nikon.com/support/
For users in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East: http://www.nikon-asia.com/

Important Notice about Accessories

Nikon COOLPIX digital camera is designed to the highest standards and
includes complex electronic circuitry. Only Nikon accessories, such as chargers,
batteries, Charging AC adapters and AC adapters are certified by Nikon
specifically for your Nikon COOLPIX digital camera and are engineered and
tested to operate within the requirements of the electronic circuitry of our
cameras.
2

Take the Camera Out of the Box

Remove the camera and accessories from the box and confirm that you have all the
items listed below.

COOLPIX P100
Digital Camera

Camera Strap

Rechargeable Li-ion
Battery EN-EL5
(with terminal cover)

Charging AC Adapter
EH-68P/EH-68P (AR)*

Lens Cap
LC-CP21
(with cord)

USB Cable
UC-E6

Audio Video Cable

EG-CP14

Software Suite
installer CD

Quick Start Guide (this guide)

Users Manual

Warranty

* Plug adapter supplied only in countries or regions where required and its shape varies with
country or region of purchase. The shape of the Charging AC Adapter EH-68P (AR) supplied
in Argentina differs from that supplied in other countries (A8).
NOTE: A Secure Digital (SD) card, hereafter referred to as a memory card, is not provided.
See page 180 of the Users Manual for a list of approved memory cards.

A: This icon indicates that more information is available elsewhere in this guide.

Take the Camera Out of the Box

Parts of the Camera

1 23

5 67 8

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

m (Flash pop-up) button

x (monitor) button
Diopter adjustment control
Zoom control
Shutter-release button
Mode dial
Power switch/Power-on lamp
s (display) button
Command dial

10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

Monitor
Electronic viewfinder
c (playback) button
d button
Multi selector
Battery-chamber/memory card slot cover
l (delete) button
k (apply selection) button

Changing the Monitor Angle

The monitor can be lowered down to 82 or raised upward to 90. This is convenient
when taking pictures with the camera held at high or low positions.
Put the monitor back in the original position when using in normal situations.

Take the Camera Out of the Box

First Steps
Step 1

Attach the Camera Strap and Lens Cap

Attach the lens cap to the strap, and then attach the strap to the
camera (at two places).

First Steps

Step 2

Insert the Battery and the Memory Card*

* Data will be recorded onto the cameras internal memory

(approximately 43 MB) even if there is no memory card. If recording
data to the cameras internal memory, you do not have to insert a
memory card in step 2.3.

2.1

Open the battery-chamber/

memory card slot cover.
Slide the cover latch toward
Y (1) and open the
battery-chamber/memory
card slot cover (2).

Memory card slot

PUSH TO EJECT

Battery chamber

2.2

Insert the battery.

Insert the Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL5 (supplied)
into the battery chamber.
Use the battery to push the orange battery latch in the
direction indicated by the arrow (1) and fully insert the
battery (2).
When the battery is fully inserted, the battery latch will
lock it in place.

Inserting the Battery Correctly

Inserting the battery upside down or backwards
could damage the camera. Be sure to confirm that the
battery is in the correct orientation.

First Steps

PUSH TO EJECT

PUSH TO EJECT

2.3

Insert the memory card.

Make sure that the orientation of the memory card is
correct, and slide it in until it clicks into place.

PUSH TO EJECT

Inserting the Memory Card Correctly

Inserting the memory card upside down or
backwards could damage the camera or the
memory card. Be sure to confirm that the memory card
is in the correct orientation.
PUSH TO EJECT

2.4

Close the battery-chamber/memory card slot cover.

Close the battery-chamber/memory card slot cover (1), and
slide the cover latch to the Z position (2).

Removing the Battery and Memory Card

Turn the camera off and confirm that the power-on lamp and the monitor
are off before opening the battery-chamber/memory card slot cover.
Removing the Battery
To remove the battery, open the battery-chamber/memory card
slot cover and slide the orange battery latch in the direction
shown (1). Pull the battery out straight (2).
Note that the battery may become hot during use; observe
due caution when removing the battery.
Removing the Memory Card
To eject the memory card, open the battery-chamber/memory
card slot cover and press the card in (1) gently to partially
eject the card. Pull the memory card out straight (2).

PUSH TO EJECT

PUSH TO EJECT

Pages 16, 17, 24, 25 of the Users Manual

First Steps

Step 3

Charge the Battery

Use the supplied Charging AC Adapter EH-68P and USB Cable UC-E6 to charge the
battery inserted into the camera.

3.1

Prepare the Charging AC Adapter EH-68P.

If a plug adapter* is included, attach the plug adapter to
the plug on the Charging AC Adapter. Push the plug
adapter firmly until it is securely held in place. Once the
two are connected, attempting to forcibly remove the
plug adapter could damage the product.
* The shape of the plug adapter varies according to the
country or region in which the camera was purchased.
For Customers in Argentina
If the camera was purchased in Argentina, a plug adapter is not
supplied. Proceed to step 3.2.
EH-68P (AR)

3. 2

Be sure that the power-on lamp and the monitor are off.
Be sure to insert the battery into the camera and turn off the camera.

3.3

Use the supplied USB cable

to connect the Charging AC
Adapter to the camera.

USB cable

When connecting the cable,

be sure that the camera
connector is properly
oriented. Do not use force when connecting the cable to the camera. When
disconnecting the cable, do not pull the connector at an angle.

3. 4

Plug the Charging AC Adapter into an

electrical outlet.
The cameras power-on lamp slowly blinks
orange to indicate that the battery is
charging. Charging is complete when the
power-on lamp turns off.
About three hours and 30 minutes are
required to charge a fully exhausted battery.

3.5

Disconnect the Charging AC Adapter from the electrical outlet and then
disconnect the USB cable.
Pages 18-20 of the Users Manual
First Steps

Step 4

Turn On the Camera

Remove the lens cap and press the power switch to turn on the camera.

The power-on lamp (green) will light for a moment and the monitor will turn on.
If Lens error. (If the lens cap is attached, turn the camera off, remove the
lens cap, and turn the camera on.) is displayed, check that the lens cap has
been removed and turn the camera on again.

C Auto Power Off (Standby Mode)

If no operations are performed, the monitor turns off automatically, the camera enters standby
mode and the power-on lamp blinks. If no operations are performed for another three
minutes, the camera will turn off automatically.
During shooting or playback, if no operations are performed for about a minute (default
setting), the camera enters standby mode.
If the monitor is off in standby mode (when the power-on lamp blinks), perform the
following operations to turn on the monitor.
- Press the power switch, the shutter-release button or the c button.
- Rotate the mode dial.
First Steps

Step 5

Choose a Language and Set the Camera Clock

A language-selection dialog is displayed the first time the camera is turned on.
Follow the steps below to choose a language and set the time and date.
The Multi Selector
Use the multi selector to choose and apply settings. Operate
the multi selector by pressing it up, down, left, right, and by
pressing the k button.
Move the highlight up.

Advance to the next screen

(move the highlight to the right).

Return to the previous screen

(move the highlight to the left).

Apply selection.
Move the highlight down.

5.1

5.2

Date
Set time and date?

Yes
No

Choose the desired language and press

the k button.

Choose Yes and press the k button.

The time zone selection screen is
displayed.

Multi selector operations used are indicated

with U.

5.3
London
Casablanca

Back

Select your home time zone (city

name) and press the k button.
The Date screen is displayed.

10

First Steps

If daylight saving time is in effect, press the

multi selector up to turn on the daylight
saving time option.
When the daylight saving time option is
enabled, W is displayed at the top of the
monitor.
To turn off the daylight saving time option,
press the multi selector down.

5.4

5.5

Date

Date

01

01

2010

15

05

2010

00

00

15
Edit

Edit the date. Press the multi selector up or

down to edit the highlighted item.
Press right to move the highlight in
the following order.
D (day) M (month) Y (year)
hour minute D M Y (the order
in which the day, month, and year
are displayed).
Press the multi selector left to return
the cursor to the previous item.

10
Edit

Choose the order in which the D M Y

are displayed, make sure that the lens
cap is removed, and then press the k
button.
The settings are applied and the
monitor display changes to shooting
mode.
The lens will extend at this time.

The next procedure explains basic shooting operations using A (auto) mode.

C Changing the Language, Date and Time

Select Language or Date from the z tab (setup menu) to change the settings.
Press the d button and choose the z tab to display the setup menu.
Choose Language to change the language.
Choose Date to change the date and time. Choose Time zone from the Date option in
the setup menu to change the time zone and daylight saving time settings.
Pages 152, 155, 167 of the Users Manual

C Imprinting the Date on Pictures

After setting the date and time, set the Date imprint setting in the setup menu. Once Date
imprint is set, the shooting date and time can be imprinted on the pictures.
Page 159 of the Users Manual

First Steps

11

Shooting and Playback

Step 1

Align the A (auto) mode icon with the mark next

to the mode dial

Auto mode

Step 2

Check Indicators in the Monitor

Battery level indicator

Display
NO INDICATOR

B
N
1/250

Shutter
speed

F5.6

17

Battery
exhausted.

Description
Battery fully charged.
Battery low. Prepare to replace or charge
the battery.
Cannot shoot. Recharge or replace with a
fully charged battery.

Aperture
Number of exposures remaining*

* When data is recorded to the internal memory, C is displayed.

Pages 26-27 of the Users Manual

Frame the Picture

Step 3
Position the main subject near the center of the
screen.
Page 28 of the Users Manual

1/250

12

Shooting and Playback

F5.6

17

C Zoom Control
Rotate towards g to zoom in and enlarge the subject, or rotate
towards f to zoom out, increasing the area visible in the frame.

Zoom out

Zoom in

Page 29 of the Users Manual

C Built-in Flash
To use the flash, press the m (flash pop-up) button to raise the built-in flash.
When the built-in flash is lowered, the flash mode will be fixed to W (off ).
When not using the built-in flash, retract it by gently pushing it down until it clicks.

Page 34 of the Users Manual

C x (monitor) Button and s (display) Button

Press the x button to switch between the
monitor and electronic viewfinder. Switch
between the displays to suit the situation.
Press the s button to change the
information displayed on the monitor or
electronic viewfinder.
1/250

When the diopter for the electronic viewfinder is out of focus,

rotate the diopter adjustment control to the position in
which the indicators are clearly visible. Take care not to
scratch your eye with your fingertips or nails when adjusting
the diopter.

F5.6

17

Diopter adjustment control

Pages 14-15 of the Users Manual

Shooting and Playback

13

Step 4

4.1

Focus and Shoot

Press the shutter-release button halfway, stopping

when you feel resistance.

The camera focuses on the subject

in the center focus area. Focus will
be locked and the focus area
display glows green.
When the camera is unable to
focus, the focus area display blinks
red. Change the composition and
press the shutter-release button
halfway again.
1/250

F5.6

Focus area
Flash indicator
The status of the flash can be checked by pressing the
shutter-release button halfway.

4.2

On

Flash will fire when picture is taken.

Blinks

Flash charging.

Off

Flash off or not required.

Smoothly press the shutter-release button the rest of the way

down to take the picture.
Do not use force when pressing the shutter-release button, as this
may cause camera shake, resulting in blurred pictures.

Pages 30-31 of the Users Manual

14

Shooting and Playback

Step 5

View Pictures

Press the c button.

The camera enters playback mode, and
the picture is displayed in full-frame
playback mode.

15/05/2010 15:30
0004.JPG

Use the multi selector to view other

pictures. Press up, down, left, or right, to
view subsequent or previous pictures.
Pictures can also be chosen by rotating the
command dial.
Press the c button or the shutter-release
button to switch to shooting mode.

C Deleting Pictures
To delete the picture currently displayed in the
monitor, press the l button. When the
confirmation dialog is displayed, use the multi
selector to select Yes. Press the k button to
delete the picture.
Deleted pictures cannot be recovered.
To exit without deleting the picture, choose
No and press the k button.

Pages 32-33 of the Users Manual

Step 6

View the previous picture

View the next picture

15/05/2010 15:30
0004.JPG

Erase 1 image?

Yes
No

Turn Off the Camera

Press the power switch to turn off the

camera.
When not using the camera, lower the
built-in flash and attach the lens cap.

Shooting and Playback

15

Installing the Supplied Software Applications

Nikon Transfer, ViewNX and other software can be installed from the supplied
Software Suite CD.
Nikon Transfer can be used to copy (transfer) pictures to a computer for storage.
ViewNX can be used to view transferred pictures on the computer.

Before You Begin: System Requirements for Supplied

Software Applications
Confirm that your system meets the following requirements.
Windows

Macintosh

CPU

PowerPC G4 or G5
model, Intel Core or
1 GHz or faster Intel Celeron, Pentium 4, or Core
Intel Xeon model
series processor recommended
(software is Universal
Binary compatible)

OS

Windows 7 (Home Basic/Home Premium/

Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate editions)
Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (Home Basic/
Home Premium/Business/Enterprise/
Ultimate editions)
Mac OS X (Version
32-bit versions of Windows XP Service Pack 10.4.11, 10.5.8, 10.6)
3 (Home Edition/Professional)
(Supports all pre-installed models. When using
64-bit versions of Windows 7 or Windows Vista,
the software will run in 32-bit mode.)

RAM

Windows 7, Windows Vista: 1 GB or more

(1.5 GB or more recommended)
Windows XP: 512 MB or more (1 GB or more
recommended)
(All systems: minimum of 128 MB available
RAM is necessary)

512 MB or more (1 GB or
more recommended)
with a minimum of
128 MB free

Hard disk space 1 GB or more required when software is running

For information on the requirements for playing back high-definition and full-HD movies,
refer to the ViewNX help information (System Requirements>H.264 High-Definition (HD)
movie playback) (A23).
Refer to the Nikon website for the latest information on operating system compatibility.
The URL for your regions Nikon website is noted on page 2 of this guide.

16

Installing the Supplied Software Applications

Before Installing
Exit all other applications and turn off any virus-checking software before beginning
Nikon Transfer installation.
When Installing, Using or Uninstalling Nikon Transfer/ViewNX
Log on to an account with administrator privileges.
NOTE: The illustrations in this guide are from Windows 7.
Depending on your operating system, the dialogs displayed during
installation may differ from those shown here.

Turn on the computer and insert the Software Suite installer CD into the CDROM drive.
Windows 7/Windows Vista:
Select Run Welcome.exe in the AutoPlay dialog to start the Install Center program.
Proceed to step 3.*
Windows XP
The Install Center program will start automatically. Proceed to step 3.*
* If the Install Center Program does not start automatically, choose Computer (Windows
7, Windows Vista) or My Computer (Windows XP) from the Start menu, and doubleclick the SoftwareSuite CD icon.
Mac OS X
The Software Suite folder will open automatically. Double-click the Welcome icon.
If the folder does not open automatically, double-click on the Software Suite CD icon
on the desktop.

Enter the administrator name and password, and then click OK (Macintosh
only).

Choose the language and click Next.

If the desired language is not displayed, click Region
Selection to choose a different region and then choose
the desired language (the Region Selection button is not
available in the European release of the Software Suite).
The Software Suite installer dialog will be displayed.

C If Nikon Transfer or ViewNX is Already Installed

The Language Selection dialog will not be displayed if Nikon Transfer or ViewNX has
already been installed. The Software Suite installer dialog is displayed in the language
selected when Nikon Transfer or ViewNX was first installed.
Installing the Supplied Software Applications

17

Click Standard Install.

Install Nikon Transfer, ViewNX, and related software.

C Other Installation Options

Custom Install
Install selected software.
Link to Nikon
Download trial versions of other Nikon software from a Nikon website or visit Nikon
technical support websites*.
my Picturetown (Photo Storage and Sharing Service)
Connect to Nikons convenient and easy-to-use photo management site, my
Picturetown*. Not available in some areas.
Install Guide
View help information on installing and using software included on the Software Suite CD.
* An Internet connection required.

Install Panorama Maker.

Panorama Maker is software that joins a series of images to create a single panorama
image.
Windows
Choose a language in the Choose Setup Language dialog and click OK. When the
ArcSoft Panorama Maker 5 dialog is displayed, click Next. The license agreement dialog
will be displayed. Read the license agreement carefully, click Yes, and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
Mac OS X
The Panorama Maker 5 installer screen is displayed. Follow the on-screen instructions to
complete the installation. When the License agreement is displayed, read the license
agreement carefully and click Agree. Proceed to step 7.

18

Installing the Supplied Software Applications

Click Yes to install Apple QuickTime (Windows only).

QuickTime is software used to play movies.
Installation may take several minutes on some systems.

Install Nikon Transfer and ViewNX.

Windows
Click Next, and follow on-screen instructions to
complete the installation.
When the license agreement dialog is displayed, read
the contents carefully, choose I accept the terms in
the license agreement to accept its terms, and click
Next. The Read Me dialog will be displayed. Read the
contents of this document carefully and click Next.
Mac OS X
Follow on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
When the license agreement dialog is displayed, read the license agreement carefully
and click Accept. The Read Me dialog will be displayed. Read the contents of this
document carefully and click OK.
When the Auto-Launch setting dialog is displayed with installation of Nikon Transfer,
click Yes to have Nikon Transfer start automatically whenever the camera is connected.

C The Auto-Launch setting (Mac OS X)

The Auto-Launch option can also be enabled after installation of Nikon Transfer by
checking the Launch automatically when device is attached option in the transfer
options Preferences panel.

Installing the Supplied Software Applications

19

Install the suggested software, available online.

Recommended software, available over the Internet,
can be downloaded. An Internet connection is required.
The software displayed varies depending upon the
computers operating system.
When the cursor is positioned over a software name,
an explanation of the software is displayed.
Downloading software
Check the software to be installed and click Confirm. Follow the on-screen instructions
to complete the installation(s).
Not downloading software
Click Skip.

C Microsoft DirectX 9 (Windows XP only)

If DirectX 9 is not yet installed, a DirectX 9 installer dialog will be displayed.
Follow the on-screen instructions to install DirectX 9.

Click Yes (Windows) or OK (Mac OS X) to close

the Install Center window.
If prompted to restart the computer, follow the onscreen instructions.

10

Remove the Software Suite installer CD from the CD-ROM drive.

This completes installation. Proceed to Transferring Pictures to a Computer.

20

Installing the Supplied Software Applications

Transferring Pictures to a Computer

1
2

Be sure that the camera is off.

Connect the camera to the computer using the supplied USB cable.

Be sure that connectors are properly oriented. Do not attempt to insert connectors at
an angle, and do not use force when connecting or disconnecting the USB cable.
The camera turns on automatically and the power-on lamp glows or blinks. The
camera monitor will remain off.

B Powering the Camera While Transferring Pictures

Use a battery with enough charge to power the camera for the duration of the transfer,
otherwise the camera may turn off before the transfer is complete.
If Charge by computer is set to Auto (default setting) in the cameras setup menu, and if
the camera is connected via the included USB cable to a computer, the battery can be
charged automatically. The battery can be charged while transferring images. The camera's
power-on lamp blinks slowly while the battery is charging.
Pages 145 and 168 of the Users Manual

C Using a Card Reader

The pictures stored on the memory card inserted into a card reader or similar device can also
be transferred to the computer using Nikon Transfer.
If the memory card has a capacity greater than 2 GB, or is SDHC-compliant, the intended
device must support these features of the memory card.
Insert a memory card into the card reader or similar device, and refer to the steps 3 and 4 to
transfer pictures.
To transfer pictures stored in the cameras internal memory to the computer, the pictures
must first be copied to a memory card using the camera.
Page 115 of the Users Manual

Transferring Pictures to a Computer

21

Start Nikon Transfer installed on the computer.

Windows 7
When the Devices and Printers K P100 screen is displayed, click Change program
under Import pictures and videos. Select Copy pictures to a folder on my
computer in the Change program dialog and click OK.
Double-click Copy pictures to a folder on my computer on the Devices and
Printers K P100 screen.
Windows Vista
When the AutoPlay dialog is displayed, select Copy pictures to a folder on my
computer using Nikon Transfer.
Windows XP
When the action selection dialog is displayed, select Nikon Transfer Copy pictures to
a folder on my computer, and click OK.
Mac OS X
Nikon Transfer will start automatically when the camera is connected to the computer if
Yes was selected in the Auto-Launch setting dialog when Nikon Transfer was first
installed.
When the level of the battery in the camera is low, the computer may not recognize the
camera and it may not be possible to transfer pictures. If the power from the computer
starts to charge the camera battery, wait until the battery level rises.
If there are a large number of images on the memory card, it may take some time for
Nikon Transfer to start.

Confirm that the source device is displayed in the transfer options Source
panel and click Start Transfer.

P100

Source
device

P100

Start Transfer
button
At the Nikon Transfer default settings, all pictures are transferred to the computer.

22

Transferring Pictures to a Computer

At the Nikon Transfer default settings, ViewNX starts automatically when transfer is
complete and transferred pictures can be viewed.

ViewNX can also be started with the following operations.

Windows
Choose Start menu>All Programs>ViewNX>ViewNX.
Double-clicking the ViewNX shortcut icon on the desktop will also start ViewNX.
Macintosh
Open Applications and double-click Nikon Software>ViewNX>ViewNX.
Clicking the ViewNX icon on the Dock will also start ViewNX.
For more information on Nikon Transfer or ViewNX, refer to help information contained
in Nikon Transfer or ViewNX.

Disconnect the camera.

Do not turn off the camera or disconnect the camera from the computer during transfer.
When transfer is complete, turn off the camera and disconnect the USB cable.

D Viewing Nikon Transfer and ViewNX Help Information

For more information on Nikon Transfer or ViewNX, start Nikon
Transfer or ViewNX and select Nikon Transfer Help or ViewNX
Help from the Help menu.

P100

P100

Transferring Pictures to a Computer

23

Other Features of the COOLPIX P100

Shooting Mode

Page 42 of the Users Manual

Various shooting modes can be chosen by rotating the mode dial.

In A, B, C and D mode and M mode, you can manually select shooting settings such as
the shutter speed and aperture.
In x scene auto selector mode and y scene mode, you can shoot with settings
that suit the shooting scene.
In F smart portrait mode, the shutter is released automatically when a smiling face is
detected.
In s subject tracking mode, the focus area moves to track a moving subject.
In d sport continuous mode, you can shoot continuously at high speed (burst).

Movie Shooting

Page 127 of the Users Manual

Movies can be shot in high-definition quality. A part of a movie can also be shot in slow
motion or speeded up.

Picture Editing

Page 118 of the Users Manual

Various effects can be added to shoot pictures.

PictBridge

Page 146 of the Users Manual

Print pictures directly from the camera by connecting to a PictBridge-compatible printer.

Printed in Hong Kong

FX0A01(11)
2010 Nikon Corporation

6MM75511-01