 The Camera of My Dreams (But know what you're buying) |
| Review Date: December 7, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Daniel Neve, Salt Lake City, UT, USA |
Hello everybody, My name is Daniel and I am about as serious as you can be and still be considered "amateur". I have been taking photos on SLR's since I was 10 years ancient on an ancient film Minolta and I bought my first DSLR (a Nikon D50) and since then I have owned everything from a base line Canon XSi all the way up to the the best camera I have ever handled... the D300s. I have operated the D3, D3s, D3x and the top of the line professional $10k Canons, and this is still my favorite ALL AROUND camera. So here is the break down to why I like this camera and I will give you a list of pros and cons. I like this camera for many reasons... [...]... not many people can justify spending another $4,000 (2-3 times the money) when they are looking to spend around $1,500- $2,000 for a excellent DSLR. So here is the benefits that I see to D300s over the other fantastic Nikon models.
1. if you are into sports the D300s has a higher continuous frame rate than other models including the ever so well loved full frame D700. With it's DX sensor it has a crop factor of 1.5 which means more bang for you buck when using a telephoto zoom lens. If you buy the MB-D10 battery pack it will shoot at even higher speeds of 8fps when using continuous shooting and also allows for up to nearly 5,000 pictures to be taken on one charge (when upgraded battery is bought). With 51 auto-focus and 3-D tracking you are nearly guaranteed to have your subject in focus every time you take a picture. The D300s also features Active D Lighting which makes to so your pictures end up properly exposed so you don't end up with areas of under and over exposure which tend to be common in sports and in dark landscape photography
2. Freedom: although all Nikon DSLR's allow you to manually adjust your settings they are hard to change until you get to the semi-pro D300 model. If you know f-stops, DOF, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus points, light metering and other technical jargon and really want to experiment with all of these then a D300s is the camera for you. with shooting modes including: single, cont. low speed, high speed, timer, silent, and mirror up mode this camera gives you all the freedom you could ever question for.
3. Learning: this camera will make you learn the right in's and out's of photography. With the very accurate light meter it's not very hard to get the exposure right. No matter what your ISO and f stop is at.
4. User interface. With the dedicated live view and info button new to the D300s over the original D300 it cuts menu times down significantly but it no longer has the memory card hatch release switch. The D300s includes fantastic features such as custom menus, simple to know menus with the classic (?) button which will clarify every camera function in simple to know terms. On the glide changes include ISO, WB, Quality, shooting modes, a user adjusted fn button, AF/AE lock, light metering, and af adjustments. So the only limitations are your imagination. Selecting your focal point is as simple as looking in the viewfinder and pushing the directional button and watching the selector go around until you have exactly the right spot selected. With two selectors (one for shutter speed and one for f stop) it allows you to never have to take your eye out out of the viewfinder.
The bottom line (why you would choose this over any other Nikon DSLR):
why you'd choose this over the D90: 51point AF w/ 3D tracking, more fps, control of image adjustments, not much more money for a lot more freedom and creativity, contrast auto-focusing during movies, ability to utilize dual card slots (CF and SD), 14bit RAW, Active D Lighting.
Over the D700: full 12MP when using DX lenses rather than 5MP, more fps, $600-$1,000 less, movie mode, smaller pixels for more refinement at low ISO, 100% viewfinder coverage
Over the D3 and D3x: A ton of money, shooting speed, optimization of DX and FX lenses and movie mode, and built in flash, 100% viewfinder coverage which allows for better framing.
This is a fantastic camera But NOTE THE FOLLOWING!!!!!
The D700, D3,x,s have FX photo sensors which allow for a much larger and brighter view finder, it also allows for a wider view (no crop factor instead of 1.5x like the DX) which means if you want more area in your pictures for such things as landscapes then the D700 or the D3 lineup maybe a better option because a 50mm lens in a DX camera looks the same as a 75mm lens on an FX camera.
The D700 and D3 lineup (minus the D3x) utilize the large FX sensor and still only have a 12MP capacity which means that the pixels are larger which allows for better depth of color, better definition in shadows, and better high ISO clarity. The D300 can go to extended ISO of 6400 but the image quality is poor at best when the D3 can shoot ISO 6400 all day long and look fantastic. The D700 also does better at high ISOs than the D300 does because it has the same sensor as the D3 but the D3 still does better than the D700 at extreme ISOs. But also consider the fact that the smaller the image sensor the larger the depth of field so the D700 and the D3 are better for macro or portrait photography and the D300 will give you a larger DOF equivalent to about one f-stop.
THIS IS NOT A VIDEO CAMERA video is pretty excellent and the utilization of lenses is a fantastic feature but if you want excellent video spend the money on a video camera. Even a Flip HD does better. The camera produces excellent video but it doesn't do well during panning if you plot on putting the camera on a tripod and filming then by all means its fine and with the option for an external mic to give you stereo sound is nice.
When it comes to portability, price, features, weight, usability, image adjustments ect. I personally believe it doesn't get any better I hope this review helped and I hope you get one too and really delight in it as much as I have. This camera is the best of all worlds. I say save the money from an FX camera and buy a really nice lens or two or three for that matter. Anyway here is the camera of my dreams and hopefully the camera in your bag shortly I promise you'll like it, I know I do.
UPDATE: For all you HDR photographers look no further than the D300s you can easily make HDR photos by selecting "multiple exposures" and then setting up multi-step exposures for + or - EV per exposure and after the exposures are done voila you have a gorgeous HDR photo. Keep in mind but: you will need a cable release (I recommend the MC-36) for the multiple exposures. OR take a few pictures at different exposures and overlay the photos in the in camera retouch menu and there you have it perfect HDR photos every time! Goodbye Photoshop (for HDR anyway)
The D300s and flash compatibility: I have noticed nearly no one has talked about the fantastic flash compatibility with the D300s over many cameras. I figured it needed to be covered so here it goes: The D300s is a DREAM to work with when paired with any Nikon Speedlight Dynamic Lighting System. My favorite and most frequently used flash is the SB-600 Speedlight which can be wirelessly operated for NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE with the D300s, you just have to know what settings to change. Unlike the D3 which has to either have a hot shoe flash controller unit or an SB-800 ($900) the D300s can operate a nearly unlimited number of flashes wirelessly without any accessories. So if you are like so many other Nikon users and own an SB-600 just push and hold the "Zoom" and the "-" button at the same time until you get to custom menu and cycle through until you can adjust the squiggly Z shaped line and turn it to on and it defaults to channel 3 then either push and hold the "zoom" and "-" button to get out of the menu or just push the power button. Then go to the "Custom Setting Menu" (the pencil) on your D300s and change "e3" "flash cntrl for built-in flash" to the Commander mode and set to channel 3, and pop up your built in flash and there you go...ABSOLUTELY FREE WIRELESS FLASH with perfect exposure compensation every time using a $250 flash unit. Hope it helps someone I know it helped me so have fun and remember to change it back to TTL flash when you're done.
UPDATE #2: I have had a lot of question on why you would get this over a D300 and here you go the main reasons for buying the D300s over the D300 is the designated info button, and live view button, movie mode, designated okay button instead of one crappy directional selector, silent mode AND dual memory card slots. It's also 7 months newer so you won't have an out dated camera as soon. It also has slightly different menus and new software for shooting modes including landscape, and portrait modes. |
Thoughts on Upgrade from D70 to D300s
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| Review Date: October 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Sammy, San Francisco, CA |
I recently got a D300s for shooting pictures of my 3-year ancient. Previously, I used a Nikon D70, a 6-megapixel DSLR. I honestly reckon that the D70 is a fine camera and takes gorgeous pictures if you use excellent lenses with it, but I got the D300s because it is much quicker at focussing (51 focus sensors vs. 5 focus sensors), and can snap pictures at 7 frames per second (versus 3 frames per second for the D70). So now I feel I'm getting fantastic pictures of my quick-moving daughter that I probably would have missed with my older camera. As for the quality of the pictures themselves, I don't notice any significant improvement from the D70, which already produced brilliant pictures as long as things were moving slowly enough for it to lock focus.
The bottom line is this: If you're often dealing with quick-moving subjects, then the very quick focus and the machine-gun like 7 frames per second capability of the D300s will maximize your chances of getting excellent shots. The reason to get this camera is for its SPEED. That's what you're paying extra for when you buy this camera over a lower-priced Nikon SLR. If, on the other hand, you don't need the high speed (e.g., landscape and scenery pictures), then get a D40 or D90 and use the money you save on a excellent lens. |
Fantastic new semi-pro flagship from Nikon
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| Review Date: October 3, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Nicolaas Traut, Qatar |
I really plotted to buy the D300 as replacement for the D200 that used to be the backup for my D3, when Nikon announced the D300s. I placed the unit on pre-order with Amazon and received it shortly after the official launch date.
First impressions out-of-the-box was that the unit is as solidly built as the D200 with a excellent grip and feel. Controls are well placed and within simple reach for manual shooters. I've now used mine for nearly one month, primarily with the Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, and some telephoto shooting with the 80-400mm Nikkor zoom. Focusing is quick and sharp, and picture quality is very excellent, with outside shots at ISO200 nearly comparable to the D3. Shutter actuation sounds very smooth and silent compared to the D3 and I used the D300s extensively inside some cathedrals without feeling embarrassed.
I do lots of manual shooting, but also took many shots in P-mode with exceptional results and perfect exposure. Color rendition is fantastic and noise is minimal, even at ISO800 on some of the indoor shots. This camera is a fantastic option for any semi-pro or professional photographer and I give it a 5-star rating with confidence.
One con is the fact that there is no menu option for having a PC see the D300s as a drive letter, so you need to use a Windows utility or the Nikon software to transfer files to the PC, unless you use an external card reader of course. I have logged a call with Nikon regarding this and will update this post when I hear from them. Another feature that are being criticized by some reviewers is the video capability. Of course this is a still camera and the video option is a nice-to-have. The couple of videos that I have taken looks quite excellent to me, but I am not a videographer, and if I were, I would have bought a video camera without expecting it to take fantastic photographs. |
Quite an upgrade from the D90!
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| Review Date: October 13, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Roberto Pedraza, Queretaro, Mexico |
| As a former D90 owner (and I dont have complains of it) this is clearly a huge step ahead. I spend most of my shooting in the outdoors and clearly the D300s is a camera designed for a much more rough use, although it shares functions and characteristics with the D90, but I dont regret at all the upgrade. Its a very quick and accurate machine in all its functions, wonderful image quality and small learning curve, I can see a difference in the image quality. The video is a nice addition. Completely recommended. |
Fantastic Camera with splendid attributes and picture quality
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| Review Date: September 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Cesar Moreno, New york |
| After being an olympus SLR user for 3 years (honestly without any complains) I chose to switch to Nikon for various reasons, but particularly for the high ISO capabilities. These camera has met and surpassed all my expectations, and continues to amaze me with every set of pictures I upload. The camera is extremely well built, it is responsive, and the quality of the pictures is fantastic. The video is a fantastic attribute but it needs some tweaking if you want to improve your footage. I would recommend using a tripod and avoid quick moving objects because of the 'rolling shutter' problem that all video SLR cameras still have. Putting this aside, it is obvious that the purpose of this camera is for photography and I have no complains regarding this. I would recommend this camera to any semi-professional or enthusiast photographer that wants an upgrade. |
Nikon D300s 12MP
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| Review Date: December 19, 2009 |
| Reviewer: R. Frew, United States |
After much research I went from a Nikon D70s to the D300s. I was very pleased with the D70s but I needed a larger pixel count for the large prints I prefer to make (13x19"+). I agree with many pro's that have advised that you don't need more than 8MP if you are producing 8x10's or even 11x14 full frame in most cases. If you go beyond that print size or crop severely for 11x14's, then a larger pixel count is where you need to be.
The D300s has been a perfect camera for me. I certainly place it in the prosumer category. It should not be your first camera. If you shoot mostly Auto or like to point and shoot, the D300s is not for you even if you have the money. It is very full-featured/complex camera and to get excellent pictures and your money's worth you need to be willing to invest the time to learn its many modes and capabilities. It is capable of shooting fantastic pictures in very low light or in quick moving scenes with its wide ISO range, very low noise and advanced focus system. The ergonomics feel just right to me unlike many Canons I have tried. It has excellent balance and a very solid feel (metal frame). I shoot often with a Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR that is heavy and a excellent grip and balance is vital for me.
I have found the color and resolution to be superb. I easily get professional (saleable) 13 x19" prints working through Lightroom 2.5 and Photoshop CS4 to a Canon Pro 9000 MkII printer. The D300s' many focus, white balance and color modes are a fantastic help in a rapidly changing shoot. I have programmed several custom settings for both studio and outdoor work. Its fantastic to be able to shift multiple camera settings with one button push. The "Info" button alone should keep you from buying the D300 vs D300s.
The dual memory card setup is also fantastic. I switch between using the second card as a backup for vital shoots to using it in overflow mode when I'm out for a long shoot. I shoot RAW most of the time and the safety of the overflow mode keeps me in the shooting flow so I don't have to stop, lose the mood and change memory cards. I often add a power grip when I'm using multi-Speedlight set-ups with a remote commander. The Nikon Remote Commander can draw down the main battery over the course of a long studio shoot. Otherwise the battery will easily do a full day and hundreds of shots. The Info button instantly shows you battery condition as a % in both the main and power grip. Nice upgrade so you don't have to look at a small battery icon and guess.
I am very pleased with the D300s and highly recommend it if you are looking for a solid, pro-level camera. It has performed flawlessly for me. Amazon (B&H Photo) remains perfect for me with fantastic price and on time delivery. |
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December 4th, 2009 | 
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