Camera Labs

Greetings from Istanbul, Turkey!

I am an absolute beginner, so please bear with me if you find my questions silly or irrelevant. I just got my first DSLR a few days ago (D3100). I am thinking of buying an extra battery and was wondering if my local camera salesman would know which battery it is if I asked for a spare D3100 or are the Nikon batteries mostly compatible? Secondly, when I carry a fully charged battery in my pack, will it run out after a while without me using it? I am thinking of going on a hike and won't be able to charge batteries and would like to know whether they remain fully charged when not used for a while. I am asking because the my fully charged battery of my laptop runs out if I don't use it for a month or something.

Thank you!

Hi there and welcome to the forums!

I think you can expect to ask for a D3100 battery at your local camerashop and you would get one, but in case they don't know which is the battery, ask for the Nikon EN-EL14 battery, this is the Nikon battery for the D3100.
By the way, not all Nikon batteries are compatible with all the Nikon DSLRs.
Also, a fully charged battery should not discharge while not in use, because it won't be a really long time, as long as it is not in the camera, you can expect it to be fully charged when it's ready to use.
I hope I helped

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Gear: Canon SX20 IS, Canon Rebel T3i, Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Wishlist: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
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Thank you. It's good to hear the battery won't run out if not used for a long time.

Since I have the kit lens for the D3100, what is the best way to protect it? Should I put on the hood every time I'm done taking pictures or should I get a UV filter for protection?

Well personally I like to keep the hood on at all times (yes, my camera might be a superzoom but it has a hood nonetheless). Also, probably it's not the best idea to buy a UV filter since they tend to degrade image quality sometimes, but if you use your lens in non-optimal conditions, I think it would be best to buy a UV filter.

_________________
Gear: Canon SX20 IS, Canon Rebel T3i, Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Wishlist: Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
Visit me and leave me a comment in My Flickr