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 settings option wipes almost every setting back to its factory default.
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, Reset All Settings, which resets all the shooting and setup settings on a D3500.
It covers what “Reset setup options” and “Reset shooting menu” do, and goes a bit further. Nikon lists only two exceptions: Language and Time zone and date keep their current values. It also clears your copyright information and image comments. Reset setup options leaves the storage folder and your Bluetooth paired devices alone, but Reset all settings doesn’t list them as exceptions. There’s no undo, so if you’ve customized a lot, make a note of your settings first.
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 settingsReset setup options
This is a more targeted approach that resets the Setup Menu but leaves everything under the Shooting Menu untouched. It doesn’t quite reset everything in the Setup Menu, though. Time zone and date, Language, Storage folder, and your Bluetooth-paired devices all stay as they are.
You can find this function under:
Setup Menu (wrench icon) > Reset setup optionsThese 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 Shooting Menu but leaves everything under the Setup Menu untouched.
It also reaches a bit beyond the Shooting Menu itself. It puts any Picture Control adjustments back to their defaults, and it resets some shooting settings you normally change outside the menus. These include the release mode, the focus point (back to center), flexible program, and the flash mode.
You can find this option under:
Shooting Menu (camera icon) > Rest shooting menuThese 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. If you’re selling the camera with the card, format it as a separate step. (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.)
If you’re handing the camera on to someone else, use Reset all settings rather than Reset setup options. Reset setup options deliberately keeps your Bluetooth-paired devices and leaves your copyright information in place. Reset all settings clears your copyright information and image comments, and Nikon lists only Language and Time zone and date as exceptions. Those two stay as you set them, so the new owner may want to change them.
My Nikon D3500 camera keeps saying memory card locked and to change to “write”. The memory card is not locked and it works in our other Nikon camera. We have even tried a new memory card. We also rest the camera – any other suggestions?
I’ve had this happen to me on a different camera. And it sounds like you’ve tried the obvious troubleshooting steps already.
Something worth trying is to format the memory card using a computer. Then put it back in the camera and have the camera format it.
But it’s weird that it’s giving you the same error with a different memory card. Is the other card the same brand/type? If so, it might be worth seeing if a different brand works.
If that doesn’t work, it suggests it’s an issue with the camera. None of the D3500 firmware updates say anything about changes that are relevant to this, so it doesn’t sound like a firmware issue. So the next step is probably to reach out to Nikon support directly and see if there’s a local repair shop that could take a look at it.