Nikon D300s 12MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Nikon D300s 12MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Rating:
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 old on an old 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 love this camera and I will give you a list of pros and cons. I love 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 good DSLR. So here is the benefits that I see to D300s over the other great Nikon models.

1. if you are into sports the D300s has a higher continuous frame rate than other models including the ever so popular 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 purchase 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 purchased). With 51 auto-focus and 3-D tracking you are almost 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 shadowy landscape photography

2. Freedom: although all Nikon DSLR’s allow you to manually adjust your settings they are difficult to change until you get to the semi-pro D300 model. If you understand 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, quiet, and mirror up mode this camera gives you all the freedom you could ever ask for.

3. Learning: this camera will make you learn the true 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 however it no longer has the memory card hatch release switch. The D300s includes great features such as custom menus, easy to understand menus with the classic (?) button which will explain every camera function in easy to understand terms. On the fly 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 easy as looking in the viewfinder and pushing the directional button and watching the selector move 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 great camera HOWEVER NOTE THE FOLLOWING!!!!!

The D700, D3,x,s have FX photo sensors which allow for a much bigger 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 however the image quality is poor at best when the D3 can shoot ISO 6400 all day long and look great. The D700 also does better at high ISOs than the D300 does because it has the same sensor as the D3 however the D3 still does better than the D700 at extreme ISOs. However 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 good and the utilization of lenses is a great feature however if you want good video spend the money on a video camera. Even a Flip HD does better. The camera produces good video but it doesn’t do well during panning if you plan 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 enjoy 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 love it, I know I do.

UPDATE: For all you HDR photographers look no further than the D300s you can easily create 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 beautiful HDR photo. Keep in mind however: 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 almost 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, quiet 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.

Nikon D300s 12MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Rating:
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1QC8T70WR6CQE This is a tough review because this camera is so excellent as a still device and easily earns five stars. However, if you’re currently a D300 owner looking to upgrade for this camera’s new video capabilities you will be disappointed. The unfortunate ‘rolling shutter’ problem that plagues the video feature on the D90 exists on the new D300s too.

There’s a host of technical reasons for this (the CMOS sensor is to blame) but the bottom line for those looking for a great still and video camera should probably not rely on the D300S to be the ‘holy grail’ of sub $2000 “prosumer” cameras just yet. There is software out there to correct these issues, but it is a bit disappointing that Nikon didn’t address this in firmware. Watch my video to see more.

Nikon D300s 12MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Rating:
Bought this camera recently to replace the many years, but still trusty Nikon D200. Took both of them on a road trip recently and was extremely please with the Nikon D300s. The auto focus was super fast and accurate. The video feature was a nice bonus. While I wouldn’t use it often, it does come in handy when I want to illustrate to my friends and families certain scenic views I come across.

The ability to shoot many frames per second and the auto focus system being able to keep up with it was beyond my own expectation. The picture quality and low level noise was nice. I was able to do ISO-1600 perfectly where I couldn’t before using D200.

Highly recommend this camera to anyone. [...]

Nikon D300s 12MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Rating:
I recently upgraded from the D80 to the D300s. I was actually saving up for the 300 and they released the 300s. This is the top of the line DX camera from Nikon which is loaded with features. I can’t compare the 300 to the 300s and you can go on line to sites like Ken Rockwell to see a break down comparison. However, compared to my old D80 this camera was a big upgrade.

With the purchase of this camera I was quickly forced to learn more about photography and after about 3 weeks or so I can now say that I have a good understanding of the camera it’s features and settings. The D80 has pre programmed shooting settings e.g. (landscape, nightshot, portrait, Auto etc.) which automatically sets everything for you. This camera really forces you to learn about photography. ISO’s WB, shutter speed, aperature etc. If you are looking for a more user friendly camera with pre programmed setting I would go with the D90. If you want a more serious enthusiast to pro level camera than the D300s is your choice.

The D300s also has a video mode which in my opinion isn’t half bad. However, if video is not that important to you I would go with a used D300 which you can probably get a great deal on. I’ve taken some video with this camera and the mic is very sensitive. I wouldn’t try using the video for recording live shows which I did. Even at low sensitivity mic settings I had problems with the sound. The good thing is the 300s has an external mic connection. I believe the D90 does not. I haven’t experimented with this feature.

Picture quality has been great! However, i’ve always been a firm believer that aside from the camera the lens plays a major role in picture quality. If you want superb pics I suggest investing in good lenses.

I use this camera mainly for sports and action photography. The D300s provides 7fps and with the external MB battery pack 8fps. My old D80 shot at 3-4fps. I have definitely seen a huge difference in this regard. This camera is super fast! I wanted a fast camera and this is exactly what I got.

So far so good and I’m really satisfied!

Nikon D300s 12MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Rating:
I’ve been shooting with this camera since it’s US launch and have been nothing but impressed. For the price-point, fantastic layout of buttons, strong frame build, user-definable buttons and preferences – this will make a fine high-end amature/advanced student/semi-pro camera.

Burst speed is fast (even faster with a batter-grip and 2nd battery), auto-focus is quick and accurate, shutter-release is highly responsive, layout is intuitive and great for making changes to every major function on the fly, 2 programmable buttons situated at your right-hand fingertips, DUAL MEMORY CARD slots (CF and SDHC), bracketing up to 9 frames (hello HDR), Live View (for those body contortionist shots), and almost limitless menu options make me very confident and pleased with my purchase.

As for Nikon adding video capabilities to this model, and the rash of reviews complaining about its 720p quality and overall lackluster video performance… I’m pretty sure no one is hinged on purchasing this camera BECAUSE of the video features. In my time with this very capable DSLR, I’ve touched the video feature maybe twice – and both times just to show-off to a colleague.

I have only 3 minor complaints:

-Weight of the unit makes it tiresome to handle all day. The handful or weddings and other events I’ve shot with it have left me exhausted. However – you know its built like a tank, and can take a good deal of abuse and function perfectly.

-Size of the unit makes it look stupid with an SB600 flash on top – get the new (massively great) SB900 to photog in style.

-No bump up in MP? Makes sense since it isn’t a major redesign of the model, just a “value added” model.

Final thoughts –

The D300s is the D300 with video and some slightly (very slightly) improved features. If you can do without the (rarely used) video features – the D300 will net you virtually the same performance.

Because of the D300s’ launch, watch for the original D300 prices to slide and grab yourself a steal on a very capable camera with an even friendlier-to-the-paycheck price tag sans video.

Let me know if this helped!