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How-to's Camera Reviews

Upgrading Firmware in Your Nikon D7100

Darrell Young (DigitalDarrell)


Keywords: nikon, d7100, firmware, upgrade, update, manuals, photo, glossary

Show pages (4 Pages)

(Reference: User’s manual: page 272)

Nikon has released a firmware upgrade for the Nikon D7100 camera. Let’s see how to upgrade your Nikon D7100 camera.

 

Computer Operating System Requirements

Here are the computer operating system and card reader requirements. Your computer must be running one of the following operating systems and have a compatible SD memory card reader:

Windows Computers

  • Microsoft Windows 8
  • Microsoft Windows 8 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Ultimate
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Business
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition (SE)
  • Card reader or computer equipped with built in Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot

Macintosh Computers

  • Mac OS 10.1.5 - 10.8.4
  • USB interface (built-in only)
  • Card reader or computer equipped with built in Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot

Once you have the validated that you have a compatible operating system you must download the firmware update. Here’s how.

 

 

You can download the firmware update file named F-D7100-V101W.exe for Windows computers and F-D7100-V101M.dmg for Mac computers, from the following, website.

First, you will need to download the update file, save it to a folder on your computer’s hard drive, and open the file (double-click it). It is a self-extracting compressed file (like a zip file), which when run will create a folder on your computer called: D7100Update

Inside the folder you will find a file named: D7100_0101.bin. This file must be copied to the root of a freshly formatted camera SD memory card. What I mean by root, is that the file should be copied directly into the memory card without being inside of any folders, such as DCIM. You will need to copy this file to the root of the memory card by using a card reader, such as is normally used to transfer images to your computer.

Following are the steps to upgrade your camera from firmware version C 1.00, L 1.008 to firmware version C 1.01, L 1.008.


 

Remove all memory cards from your computer and install a freshly charged battery. Insert the memory card that has the D7100_0101.bin file on it into the camera. Again, this bin file must be in the root of the memory card. The camera will look for this file when you insert the card and will recognize that you are about to do a memory update by adding an “Update” line item to one of the Setup menus. Let’s consider the menus and how to use them.

20131014_103325_figure_1.1_med.jpg

Figure 1.1: Firmware settings before and update

The Setup Menu > Firmware version settings will look like the screens in figure 1.1, before you have updated the firmware or inserted the card containing the D7100_0101.bin file. Notice in image 2 that Done is highlighted, and there are no other menu choices. That will change once the memory card containing the bin file is inserted. Then the screen will look like the one seen in figure 1.2, image 2.

20131014_103325_figure_1.2_med.jpg

Figure 1.2: Firmware settings after memory card with bin file is inserted

Use the following steps to update the firmware to version C 1.00 (figure 1.2):

  1. Press the Menu button and scroll down to the Setup Menu as seen in figure 1.2.
  2. Select Firmware version and scroll to the right (figure 1.2, image 1).
  3. Notice that an Update line item has been added to the menu because the camera detected that the D7100_0101.bin file is present in the card’s root directory. If you do not see Update line items, you have placed the bin file inside a folder, instead of the root directory, or failed to copy it to the card.

Now, let’s consider how to do the update, using the screens found in figure 1.3, which starts where the second image of figure 1.2 leaves off.


 

20131014_103325_figure_1.3_med.jpg

Figure 1.3: Updating the firmware
  1. Continuing from figure 1.2, image 2, press the OK button with Update highlighted (figure 1.3, image 1). If you have a partially discharged battery, the camera will prevent you from doing the upgrade by popping up a screen that says: Low battery. Cannot update firmware. If you do not see this screen, continue with step 2.
  2. You will new see the Update screen with a big red exclamation point and upgrade information (figure 1.3, image 2). You have the choice of selecting Yes to continue, or No to cancel. Highlight Yes and press the OK button to continue.
  3. The camera will immediately display the Updating… screen and start doing the update (figure 1.3, image 3). An update progress indicator will begin adding yellow rectangles to the progress bar. When it is nearing the end of the firmware update, the bars will turn green. My camera’s firmware update is about 75 percent completed. Under no circumstance turn your camera off, touch any of its controls, or do anything to disturb the camera until this process is complete. Otherwise, if the firmware update does not complete properly the camera may not operate at all until it is sent to Nikon for repair. While updating firmware since 2002 in my Nikon DSLRs, I have never had a failure. However, I was patient and did not even breathe on the camera until screen 4 showed up.
  4. When the update is complete the camera will inform you: Update completed. Turn camera off. (figure 1.3, image 4). When you see this screen, do as it says and turn the camera off. The card access light will blink for a moment and then the upgrade is done.

20131014_103325_figure_1.4_med.jpg

Figure 1.4: A successful firmware update

If your camera turns back on normally, you were successful. Go back to the Setup Menu and examine the firmware version numbers to make sure they reflect the new values (figure 1.4). If you are doing the firmware update available as of September 2013 (vs. C 1.01) you will see C 1.01 as shown in figure 1.4, image 2.

You have successfully updated the firmware for your camera. Keep checking back on Nikon’s site for information on new firmware updates as they appear. Better yet, check in at the D7100 forum on www.nikonians.org for a continuous flow of excellent supporting information for your camera.
 

Keep on capturing time…

Darrell Young (DigitalDarrell)


Editors note:

20131014_103325_nikonians_press_d7100.jpg

This a supplement to the NikoniansPress/RockyNook book Mastering the Nikon D7100, by Darrell Young, intended for book owners and Silver, Gold and Platinum Nikonians members.

 

 


 
(3 Votes )
Show pages (4 Pages)

Originally written on October 14, 2013

Last updated on August 24, 2016

11 comments

Darrell Young (DigitalDarrell) on December 29, 2018

Founding Member of the Nikonians writer Guild. Author of most of the NikoniansPress books. Donor Ribbon awarded for his generous support to the Fundraising Campaign 2014 Donor Ribbon awarded for his very generous support to the Fundraising Campaign 2015 Darrell offers expert advice as the author of several Nikonians Press Books. Donor Ribbon awarded for the generous contribution to the 2016 campaign

All the NikoniansPress books are available on Amazon.com, at some brick & mortar stores (e.g., Barnes & Noble), and at RockyNook.com (publishing house). They are available as high-quality printed books and as eBooks in various formats. Thank you!

Taro Chellaram (tchellaram) on December 23, 2018

Hello Darrell I am a paying member of Nikonians and own a D7100 camera. How can I obtain a copy of your book Mastering the Nikon D7100? I have invested in this along with additional 11-16mm f2.8 Tokina lens. so now I have 3 sets of lenses and have difficulties taking good pictures. I travelled to far east and feel bad when I returned that one of the events I attended, a wedding ceremony pictures I took was by far worse than the ones the pros took at the wedding. My camera looked as good as their Canons. One of the photographer took a shot with my camera after adjusting mine and it came out great. I know I have a good camera but great pictures remain to be seen.:)

User on March 11, 2014

I just purchased my D7100 and my version is C1.01 L 1.009

Darrell Young (DigitalDarrell) on October 21, 2013

Founding Member of the Nikonians writer Guild. Author of most of the NikoniansPress books. Donor Ribbon awarded for his generous support to the Fundraising Campaign 2014 Donor Ribbon awarded for his very generous support to the Fundraising Campaign 2015 Darrell offers expert advice as the author of several Nikonians Press Books. Donor Ribbon awarded for the generous contribution to the 2016 campaign

Yes, it is normal to update only one of the two (C or L). Sometimes Nikon provides separate updates for each one, and sometimes just for one of the two. Check the Nikon website several times per year to see if new updates present themselves.

User on October 21, 2013

hello, yesterday i performed the update of my D7100 firmware and it went from: C 1.00 L 1.008 to: C 1.01 L 1.008 just changed C, is it normal?

Darrell Young (DigitalDarrell) on October 20, 2013

Founding Member of the Nikonians writer Guild. Author of most of the NikoniansPress books. Donor Ribbon awarded for his generous support to the Fundraising Campaign 2014 Donor Ribbon awarded for his very generous support to the Fundraising Campaign 2015 Darrell offers expert advice as the author of several Nikonians Press Books. Donor Ribbon awarded for the generous contribution to the 2016 campaign

Nikon publishes updates that cover one or the other, or both. Just keep checking back in at the site listed in the article and watch for new firmware updates.

User on October 20, 2013

I did the update as directed and my C version is correct at 1.01 but my L still says 1.008. Any suggestions on how to get that to upgrade as well?

Darrell Young (DigitalDarrell) on October 16, 2013

Founding Member of the Nikonians writer Guild. Author of most of the NikoniansPress books. Donor Ribbon awarded for his generous support to the Fundraising Campaign 2014 Donor Ribbon awarded for his very generous support to the Fundraising Campaign 2015 Darrell offers expert advice as the author of several Nikonians Press Books. Donor Ribbon awarded for the generous contribution to the 2016 campaign

Sorry for any confusion or misunderstanding about the timing of the firmware update. Let me explain. This article is one of the downloadable resources from Mastering the Nikon D7100. It is a simple explanation of the basics of how to do a firmware upgrade. It just happens to be about an upgrade that became available in June (about the time I wrote the article). The information, with only a little variation in upgrade software filenames is applicable to any future firmware upgrade. In other words, the intention of the article was not for any particular upgrade. Instead, it is for *any* firmware upgrade, this one, or a future one. Why was this article published here, then? We usually have several downloadable resources like this one that cover information not found within the book. Mastering the Nikon D7100 is already close to 600 pages in length, so we chose to have some extra downloadable material that normally would only be available to owners of Mastering the Nikon D7100. However, since the D7100 is so wildly popular, Nikonians decided to publish this article for general D7100 owners. Therefore, keep this article as a reference for this particular firmware version, and any future firmware versions. They will all work the same, with with little variation. Thanks!

User on October 15, 2013

The latest firmware version I'm seeing from Nikon support was released last June. I've already updated mine and haven't seen anything new from Nikon to date.

Mick Klass (mklass) on October 15, 2013

As a semi-professional involved in all manner of photographic genres including portraiture, sports, commercial, and events coverage, Mick is always ready to help Nikonians by sharing his deep knowledge of photography and printing. Donor Ribbon awarded for his generous support to the Fundraising Campaign 2014 Ribbon awarded for his most generous donation in 2017 Ribbon awarded for his very generous support to the 2017 fundraising campaign Donor Ribbon awarded for the most generous contribution to the 2015 campaign Donor Ribbon awarded for the extraordinary generous contribution to the 2016 campaign Donor Ribbon awarded for the most generous contribution to the 2016 campaign

Good Grief, this update came out 4 months ago! You make it sound like it just same out now in OCtober.

Lawrence Carr (Sixmileman) on October 15, 2013

I'm confused. I performed an update of my D7100 a while ago and it is C 1.01, L 1.009. Isn't that firmware version more current than the one discussed here?

G