How To Back Up Nikon Camera Settings

Stuff happens.

You send your camera in for repair and it comes back reset to factory defaults. You mess around in the menus, things get out of hand, and you can’t get back to the way things were. You get a second identical body and want a quick way to get your settings from one camera to another.

Well, if you’re using a mid-range or pro-level Nikon body (sorry, this doesn’t work for the D3xxx and D5xxx series), then you’re in luck. You can save and backup your camera settings and easily get things back to normal when “stuff” happens – or when you want to copy the settings to another identical body.

Check out the video for everything you need to know – from backing up to saving the data somewhere safe – it’s all covered.

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Please note that in addition to the items mentioned in the video, the user settings (U1 and U2) are also not saved with this procedure (no other way to do it either, as far as I know).

PS – If you enjoyed this post, I think you’ll REALLY like my e-books and video workshops! Thousands of pages and hours of videos filled with tips, tricks, and techniques – all my best content! Check ’em out – click here (hey, it’s free to look).

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RFMC
RFMC
2 years ago

Tried to save settings in separated BIN files within the different modes “ASM”, “U1” and “U2”. Noticed that, in Notepad++, the binary file content is slightly different from one file to another. Not sure if the camera saves the settings of the current used mode or not? I would have to reset my camera settings in order to install those different files, but I am hesitating to do that…

Bernie Kravitz
Bernie Kravitz
3 years ago

When I use the save/load option on my Nikon D810 to save settings … will it also save each of my custom A, B, C settings as well?

Peter Ibbotson
Peter Ibbotson
3 years ago

My Z6 is having a very expensive repair (new PCB and shutter) after fragments of a broken XQD card jammed in the slot. (Don’t let anyone ever tell you that these cards are infallible)., The repair will cost $800+ Ouch! Had a similar experience with a brand new D850 two years ago….. My question: before I sent Z6 away, I made a backup file of all my preferences. Since then, Nikon has upgraded the firmware to 3.12, which will be on my body when it comes back. Will my NCSET002.bin file – made under firmware 3.10 – still load properly?… Read more »

Dale Elliott
Dale Elliott
4 years ago

Great Information Steve , I have never done this but I sure am. thank you

Stuart
Stuart
4 years ago

Hi Steve. What are the best settings for a Nikon D3500. Thanks

Noel O'Keeffe
Noel O'Keeffe
4 years ago

Hi Steve, Do you have a list of personal settings that you use on your camera. I have a D810 & D610 and not sure which settings are best.

CHRISTIAN SOMMEILLIER
CHRISTIAN SOMMEILLIER
4 years ago

Thank you Steve for sharing your precious knowledge; I saved all my settings on my D500 (most of them where issued from your past recommandations); the only thing to do after that was to reset my 300mm PF AF fine tuning value.

Robert Stone
4 years ago

Just a thought … With your preferred settings in place, save them to the card as you describe. After a day’s shooting, with many possible changes to these settings, do the following: Off-loading your images, and make necessary back-ups. Then, before re-formatting the card, restore your camera settings from the card. Format the card, and immediately save the setting back to the card.

Of course , a backup copy of the settings on a computer will be valuable if you forget the steps!

Hervé
4 years ago

Done! So easy, so usefull. Many thanks for all the sharings. Have a great day.

Ralph Durham
Ralph Durham
4 years ago

Thanks, Steve- Great Video. I had been doing this for my D850 and it’s saved me a couple of times already. I’m considering purchasing a D5 or D6 in the near future and the one thing that is keeping me from buying the dual XQD model is this situation. XQD cards are already pricey and you can’t get a small/cheap card for this. I currently use a 1G SD card to keep my D850 firmware and settings with me at all times. Can you comment on this or offer a possible solution to units with dual XQD cards? Thanks

Jim Descher
Jim Descher
4 years ago

Steve…I really enjoy your videos and this was no different. Thank you from an avid amateur! I shoot with a Nikon D7500. I was wondering if you would ever consider giving some hints on which settings we should adjust and which to leave alone. There are so many possible settings but I have to think some should stay at factory levels and some might be better to be set in a way that helps most of us in most situations. Any chance of that? Thx!

Jim Descher
Jim Descher
4 years ago
Reply to  Steve Perry

Understand that. Thanks for the reply.

Michael
Michael
4 years ago

thanks Steve. Great Information

Robert D. DeCuir
Robert D. DeCuir
4 years ago

As always, great useful information well presented and on point. Does it matter if you save your camera settings to you primary or secondary card slot? I noticed that in your recent video, “HOW TO UPDATE NIKON FIRMWARE” you mentioned that the firmware upgrade should be made in the primary card slot. On my D850s, I would rather use my old inexpensive small SD cards for the camera setting backups than my more valuable XQD cards. Thanks again for the video and the wonderful Costa Rican Workshop.

Joe Hudspeth
4 years ago

Excellent. Thank you.

Mark
Mark
4 years ago

can you save the u1 u2 settings as well? would you set the camera to u1 and save settings and then put that file into a folder for u1 and go to u2 etc…..?

Mark
Mark
4 years ago
Reply to  Steve Perry

Thats too bad… Ive had to redo these settings a couple times due to my D750 camera going back to Nikon.

Vincent Van der Beken
Vincent Van der Beken
4 years ago
Reply to  Steve Perry

Hi Steve, I am unsure if the settings for U1-2-3 are saved on the D750 but that is for surer the case on the Z6/7.
@Mark: again, unsure for your D750 but the U1-2-3 settings are stored in that very same saved file along with all other settings.

Vincent Van der Beken
Vincent Van der Beken
4 years ago

Forget my earlier post, I was wrong 😉

Mark
Mark
4 years ago

This is why I thought if you were to set the camera to the U1 setting and went to save the camera settings U1 U2 MSAP individually, it might work. I haven’t tried that yet to see… to chicken I think 🙂

Joe
Joe
4 years ago

Thanks Steve! Great info.

Shutterbug Sue
Shutterbug Sue
4 years ago

Genius! Thanks a million, Steve!