Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 100
 Steal This Camera! January 27, 2010
Jason Gray (St. Louis, MO USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Or just buy it... The Nikon D300 has been the most cost effective way for a Nikon digital photographer to transition into many of the features of a professional-use camera. Since its inception in the summer of 2007, the Nikon D300 has had some of its incredible feature set, like its 12.3mp CMOS sensor, re-appropriated into other less expensive models (D90, D5000; ok, actually they've modified the sensor slightly), and it has even been replaced with a slight upgrade, in the D300s. However, this camera still remains an excellent choice for the photographer looking to either build a business or for a capable back-up model, and with the inevitable fall in its used price, due to the introduction of newer models, it looks to be an increasingly better value.
It beats the Nikon D90 and D5000 in:
1. Body build and weather sealing (ie. Magnesium Alloy vs. Hardened Plastic, Yes vs. No)
2. 14-bit NEF vs. 12-bit NEF RAW
3. Top Shutter Speed (1/8000 vs. 1/4000)
4. Compact Flash Cards vs. SDHC
5. Better AF Detection (51 points vs. 11)
6. 100% Viewfinder vs. not
7. Much larger buffer rate (99 vs 22)
8. Ability to use older manual focus lenses with metering (also D5000 requires G lenses, or else focusing is all manual)
9. Balances larger, heavier, pro lenses much better
10. More of the controls are on the surface of the camera rather than hidden in sub-menus
11. Shutter life (150, 000 clicks vs. 100,000 in D90, maybe less in D5000)
Nikon D90 and D5000 beat it in:
1. Slightly better sensor performance (a lot has been made about the subtle improvements made to the original sensor in the later bodies. However, it should be noted that most of the online tests that you read are conducted in jpeg; this defaults the D300's sensor to 12-bit, same as the best capable in the D90 and D5000, in this case, the newer sensors edge it out. Shooting the camera in 14-bit NEF improves its low-light performance especially in controlling shadow noise, which what most of the tests measure. In other words, the tests generally short-change the capability of the D300's sensor in favor of the newer models)
2. Improved Live View
3. Video Mode
4. D5000 has a positionable LCD Screen
And that's just the surface. If you've been contemplating buying one, the best time is when the used prices go down by about a third of the original MSRP (my experience anyway; you are more likely to get a camera still at the peak of its performance, without biting the bullet too much on cost).
Best-
Jason Gray
[...].
"Pro-sumer" January 11, 2010
Duncan C. Spaulding (New Hampshire)
I'll keep this review short and sweet:
Pro's:
-Amazing high-iso performance (low noise)
-TONS of the controls that you'd use are on the camera body (rather than having to dig around in menus) such as metering, exposure (obviously) flash, AF area, AF mode, bracketing, etc
-12 MP allows for enlargement/creative cropping without requiring absurdly large storage devices
Cons:
-slightly on the heavy side. it's really not that big of a deal, but don't expect to hold this thing over your head with one hand for an hour :P
Overall:
Buy it.
Fantastic device December 8, 2009
Hyperboloid (Philadelphia, PA USA)
Use it with a Nikon 17-55mm 2.8 lens and the Nikon battery grip. I finally got a real DSLR. I like it missing the entry level programs like landscape, portrait etc. and I am really crazy about finally having a real lens barrel in my hand to turn when adjusting the zoom.
I also like it being a bit heavy, so it balances fabulously in my hands and contributes to reduce camera shake.
Picture quality is very good and I still need to figure out how to shoot real excellent shots.
Love it though.
Great camera October 27, 2009
R. Wilson (Cleveland Ohio)
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have a Nikon D300. I do professional work. So I bought this one as a backup.
Tanks to god I bought this camera... October 14, 2009
Rodolfo
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Well Im from COSTA RICA, in the tropics the dream of any fotografer is to have a camera like this...it works fantastic... Wow!!!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 100
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