@MichaelClark I'd like to rollback your change to photo.stackexchange.com/q/76091/11924. The question is specifically about a Nikon D3100, not DSLRs in general.

The reason is I'm drafting a One-Question-To-Rule-Them-All for powering Camera X via AC mains, kinda in the vein of What do all those cryptic number and letter codes in a lens name mean?

@scottbb The question and answers are all more generally applicable than to that specific model. Making the question more general does not affect the specific application to the D3100 in any respect whatsoever. We don't need a separate question for every specific model about how to do the same thing: power it from wall current using an adapter that fits into the battery bay of the camera.

@MichaelClark agreed. So I was attempting to create the generic CW question, and then go through and have all the camera-specific questions point to the CW one.

I mean, mark as dupes

@scottbb We don't really need another question when the existing question has been modified to its current state. It's already the general question, with a specific example in the body of the question.

Look at it this way. Even if you do create a CW, there are still going to be people who come on here and ask the same question regarding a specific model. There will still be users here who answer the question specifically rather than pointing to the more general CW. Just as they do with lens cryptology questions. It's not going to reduce the number of duplicates. It's only going to increase it by one.

I think we might be much better off editing the body of the existing question to be more inclusive before narrowing down to the D3100.

hrmm. Disagreed. Doesn't seem like the general question. can I connect my d750 to the mains? is basically the same question, but for D750. It was closed as dupe, pointing to Is there really no way to power a DSLR by USB?, which has many more answers, but is not really organized like the lens crypto question.

I agree that it won't reduce the future number of questions, but since the individual ones already exist, why not just point them to the equivalent of the lens crypto?

So I was drafting a Nikon answer to my hypothetical CW question. It would look something like: (hoping I can paste multilines here, bear with me)

The existing answer to the D3100 question is succinct and moves from general to specific. I think it should be where the other questions are pointed. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a way to change the question to which a dupe is pointed without getting it reopened first. If you create a CW you still wouldn't be able to repoint already closed questions to the new CW.

Ah, okay. Good point about reopening questions. Did not know that

Okay, I'm fine with pointing to that question. But it needs to be more generic than DSLRs. Just my list of 6 or so Nikon AC adapters includes Nikon 1 and Coolpix cams. I'm sure you don't mind me opening it up beyond DSLR? =)

Maybe mods can repoint closed questions or at least add a new question to the list of dupes. I don't know.

I think battery sized adapter that fits in the battery well should probably be as wide as you go on a single question. There are already other questions about compacts with plugs for compatible power adapters, but most of those charge the battery inside the camera, rather than removing the necessity of a functioning battery.

Well, I haven't gone beyond a Nikon adapter answer. Best I can do is show you: gist.github.com/scottbb/614169bdebe8409ecd3a490a309a52c1

So Nikon's AC-DC adapter(s) (2 of them), by themselves, can directly power a short list of cameras (D90, D300, etc). But then, the adapter, in conjunction with about 6 battery-replacement adapters, powers the rest (which is where the Coolpix and Nikon 1 cameras come in)

I have no idea how this will play out for Canon, and the rest.