Whether you’re troubleshooting an issue, selling or trading in your D3500, or just want to start again with a clean slate of settings, resetting a Nikon D3500 back to factory settings can be a useful step.
The Nikon D3500 has a few different types of reset. The Reset all options setting wipes all settings back to their factory defaults. There are also more targeted methods that focus only on one of two categories: setup options and shooting options.
Here’s a rundown of the options for resetting a D3500 and what the options do. I’ve also included tables with the defaults for individual settings in case you just want to reset specific settings.
Reset Nikon D3500 Back to Factory Settings
There is a nuclear option, which resets all the shooting and setup settings on a D3500.
It is functionally the same as using the “Reset setup options” and the “Reset shooting menu” simultaneously.
This function is located at the very end of the Setup menu options. Scroll down to the bottom–it’s the second-to-last setting, right above the firmware version menu option.
Setup Menu (wrench icon) > Reset all settings
Reset Setup Options
This is a more targeted approach that resets everything under the Setup Menu but leaves everything under the Shooting Menu untouched.
You can find this function under:
Setup Menu (wrench icon) > Reset setup options
These are the settings it affects. I’ve included the default options here in case you just want to change individual settings back to factory defaults.
| Menu Option | Default Setting |
|---|---|
| Date stamp | OFF |
| Time zone and date | UTC-1 / Date Format ( |
| Language | English (regional variations) |
| Monitor brightness | 0 |
| Info display format | Graphic |
| Auto info display | ON |
| Auto off timers | NORM |
| Self-timer | 10s / 1 |
| Image comment | OFF |
| Copyright information | OFF |
| Beep | L |
| Flicker reduction | AUTO |
| Buttons | Fn (ISO) / AEL-AFL (AE/AF lock) / Shutter release AEL (OFF) / AF activation (ON) |
| Rangefinder | OFF |
| Manual focus ring in AF mode | ON |
| File number sequence | OFF |
| Storage folder | 100 |
| File naming | DSC |
| HDMI | Output resolution (AUTO) / Device control (ON) |
| Airplane mode | OFF |
| Send to smart device (auto) | OFF |
| Bluetooth | OFF |
| Slot empty release lock | LOCK |
Reset Shooting Menu
This resets everything under the Setup Menu but leaves everything under the shooting menu untouched.
You can find this option under:
Shooting Menu (camera icon) > Rest shooting menu
These are the settings it affects. I’ve included the default options here in case you just want to change individual settings back to factory defaults.
| Menu Option | Default Setting |
|---|---|
| Image quality | NORM |
| Image size | L |
| ISO sensitivity settings | (100) / Auto ISO (ON) / Max sensitivity (25600) / Minimum shutter speed (AUTO) |
| White balance | AUTO |
| Set Picture Control | SD |
| Color space | sRGB |
| Active D-Lighting | ON |
| Noise reduction | ON |
| Vignette control | NORMAL |
| Auto distortion control | OFF |
| Focus mode | Viewfinder (AF-A) / Live view-movie (AF-S) |
| AF-area mode | Viewfinder (Auto-area AF) / Live view-movie (Wide-area AF) |
| Built-in AF-assist illuminator | ON |
| Metering | Matrix metering |
| Flash cntrl for built-in flash | TTL |
| Optical VR | ON |
| Movie settings | Frame size-frame rate (1080p60) / Movie quality (NORM) / Microphone (A) / Wind noise reduction (OFF) / Manual movie settings (OFF) |
Things Worth Knowing
- None of these reset options will roll back firmware to factory settings. If you’ve updated the firmware, the newer firmware will remain in place.
- They also do not format the memory card or delete photos or videos. (Of course, if you want to be extra-safe, there’s no harm in downloading your photos and videos first or removing the SD card during the reset.)
