Nikon Coolpix L310: manual and user guide

Nikon’s bridge camera running on AA batteries, with 14 MP and a 21× zoom. Its official PDF manual, then the essentials for using it.

The PDF opens directly, hosted by Nikon. Source: its official support page.

Getting started

Batteries Hold the camera upside down to open the battery and card compartment cover. Insert four AA batteries following the poles shown on the compartment label, then slide the cover shut. It takes LR6 alkaline, FR6 lithium or Nikon EN-MH2 Ni-MH rechargeable batteries, not EN-MH1.
Battery type In the Setup menu, set Battery type to Alkaline, COOLPIX (Ni-MH) or Lithium to match what you’ve fitted: the charge indicator will then be accurate. Don’t mix new and used batteries, or different brands or types. EN-MH2 rechargeables charge four at a time in the MH-73 charger.
Card With the camera off, slide an SD, SDHC or SDXC card into the same compartment until it clicks. With no card, it records to its internal memory of about 102 MB. A card from another camera is formatted in this one, never on the computer.
Switching on for the first time Remove the lens cap, then press the power switch. The first time you switch it on, choose the language (English is offered), your time zone and daylight saving time, then the date format, the date and the time.
Your first photo Press the shooting-mode button, choose Easy auto mode and confirm with OK: it recognises the scene by itself. Press halfway, the focus area turns green, then press all the way. In a dark place or against the light, first raise the flash with its control.

The 21× optical zoom goes from 25 to 525 mm in 35 mm equivalent. The digital zoom magnifies a further 4× at most, with a slight loss of quality.
720p HD (1280 × 720) or VGA video, at about 30 frames per second, with sound. A clip stops at 29 minutes or 4 GB. Lower the flash before filming: when raised, it muffles the sound.
Sport continuous mode shoots up to 20 frames at about 15.3 frames per second, at 3 MP max, with a sensitivity of ISO 400 or higher.
Smart portrait mode takes the picture by itself when the subject smiles.
In macro mode, it focuses from 1 cm, at an intermediate zoom position.

When lowered, it never fires. Raise it with its control, and fold it down with light pressure until it clicks.
Its range is about 0.5 to 6 m at wide angle and 1.5 to 3 m at telephoto.
In auto mode, you choose between auto, red-eye reduction, off, fill flash and slow sync. It stays off for video and in Sport continuous.

If you switch it on with the lens cap on, a message asks you to switch off, remove the cap and switch on again.
With no action, the screen goes into standby after 30 s (adjustable up to 30 min in Auto off), then the camera switches off 3 minutes later. During standby, the shutter button wakes the screen.
In severe cold, batteries weaken: set out with new batteries or fully charged rechargeables, and keep a spare set warm.
Don’t open the cover while the number of exposures is blinking: it is saving. Take the batteries out if you’re storing it for a long time, as flat batteries may leak.
On a tripod, set Vibration reduction to Off.

Sensor: 1/2.3-inch CCD, 14.1 effective MP
Lens: 21× Nikkor zoom, 4.5-94.5 mm (25-525 mm in 35 mm equivalent), f/3.1-5.8
Stabilisation: sensor-shift and electronic vibration reduction for stills, electronic VR for video
Focusing: contrast-detect autofocus, from 50 cm at wide angle and 1.5 m at telephoto, from 1 cm in macro
Sensitivity: ISO 80 to 6400, ISO 80 to 800 in auto
Screen: 7.5 cm (3-inch), about 230,000 dots
Video: 720p HD (1280 × 720) or VGA (640 × 480), about 30 frames per second, mono sound
Power: 4 AA batteries (LR6 alkaline or FR6 lithium) or 4 EN-MH2 Ni-MH rechargeables, about 420 shots on alkalines, 1,130 on lithium, 690 on EN-MH2 (CIPA standard)
Card: SD, SDHC, SDXC, internal memory of about 102 MB
Dimensions and weight: about 109.9 × 76.5 × 78.4 mm, 435 g without batteries or card