Nikon D300S 12.3 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black (Body only)

I had a short list of Nikon DSLR’s as i had a D60 already and wanted to upgrade. The short list was the D90 - D300 - D300s or D7000. Up grading from a Nikon D60 could have been a step too far, but now i had all the extras i wanted i had to adjust to using them. Even after reading through all the reviews, opinions and talking to shop employees i still wasn't quite prepared for the learning curve. At first this camera has so many options and menus that it could seem daunting. However, everything is so well laid out and for a purpose. As soon as you pick the camera up you know it is quality. I now use this as my everyday camera body and am slowly getting used to it. But purchasing it has revealed some shortcomings with my existing lenses, so right now I am not using it its full potential, but it still produces outstanding images.
The range of manual control is brilliant - wide ISO range, full WB control, excellent RAW options, colour space management.
Plus I'm just getting into the video capabilities although this seems a bit gimmicky at the moment.



Why buy this rather than a D90? The AF 51 sensors or so focus points is absolutely fantastic and adds so much more versatility to taking the perfect shots fill more of the frame, you can get 1/8000th of a second shutter speed (you try shooting at f1.8 in bright sunshine without it!). The auto-white balance (if you use it) seems more accurate, the matrix-metering seems better.
Why buy this rather than a D300? The introduction of SD card slot and the video capability being the only difference i think.


There are a couple of bad things though, firstly it is bigger and much heavier than a D90 about same as D300. So, i would suggest a good strap ,got one of the sling type with quick release would recommend one of these, better than the supplied item, and that little camera bag you used to get away with no longer really fits... ...the weight and size are the only reasons I give it 4 instead of 5 stars. If I could it would get 4.8 stars.



Should i have gone for the newer D7000 only time will tell on that one. I didn't write this review for quite some time as i really wanted to get a feel for it and do a honest review. Would certainly recommend it to anyone i meet.

The D300S features the same 12.9 megapixel (12.3 million effective pixels) APS-C sensor and Nikon's latest generation EXPEED processor found in the D90. But there aren't many more similarities between Nikon's newest king of the DX format and the older, cheaper D90. The D300S is packed with the same 51-point AF system with color and distance tracking as well as optional viewfinder gridlines from the original D300. In fact, there is little that changed between the popular D300 and the D300S other than the ability to record video, a faster 7 fps continuous shooting speed (8 fps with MB-D10 battery grip), and the inclusion of an SDHC card slot in addition to the CompactFlash card slot.

From the moment you pick up a D300s you can't fail to notice the quality. It feels like a real camera - that’s not to say its heavy, though at around 1Kg with lens and battery it’s no lightweight. The buttons are all laid out so that they all to the hand naturally and the viewfinder is remarkably clear and bright. The LCD screen is equally impressive and comes with a detachable screen protector - good idea, you don't want to be scratching it (Canon please note).

The camera is obviously aimed at the semi-professional/enthusiastic amateur, there are no patronising "scene modes", not even a “Full Auto”, just [P]rogram, [A]perture Priority, [S]Shutter Priority and of course [M]anual.

As you would expect image quality and handling are excellent. The 12Mp sensor may not have as many pixels as the 15Mp Canon 50D or even Sony a350/a380 but a result of this is unparalleled noise control. I took some photos at ISO 1000 and was pleasantly surprised and how little noise there was.

If you’re looking for a serious camera then look no futher.

PLUS POINTS
Shear Quality
Lots of Accessories etc available (all D300 bits fit)

NOT-SO-PLUS POINTS/GRIPES
I don’t really see the need for camera aimed at the semi-professional/enthusiastic amateur to have video.
It’s not cheap!
If you have a D300 already there’s not enough to make it worth upgrading
A tilting LCD (line on the D5000 would have been nice
What do you have to pay extra for the Capture NX software, if canon can give their software to users, why not Nikon?

I have beena Canon girl since I picked up my first EOS100 15 years ago. I then progressed to the digital SLR and while I thought I was producing good images, borrowing a Nikon D300, showed me not only that I could produce better photographs, but that there was an easier way.
I purchased this D300s three weeks ago and love it.
Its built for Manual operation, for a real photographer, and does what it should.
Highly recommend nikon and the D300s

I have update to D300s from D90. For my type of photography (airshows, rally's, wild life) D90 AF wasn't that good. For long time i couldn't decide between D7000 and D300s, but after research on the forums i have made decision to go for D300s. I need top class AF and there is lot of bad opinions about AF in D7000. D300s is the best camera i can imagine for wildlife, airshows, and sport photography, AF is ultra quick and effective, image quality is brilliant, auto WB very good and build quality top class. You know you had pro level camera in your hand, there is no cheap plastic feel or look like in Canon 7D... Additional battery grip looking much better than one in 7D as well. Build quality is really strong point of this camera. I had a sigma 50-500 OS lens for air show and wild life, and with D300s this is a perfect set! People are saying 7D + 100-400L is perfect air show kit, but try Sigma 50-500OS with D300s, this is slightly worst wide open, but stopped down to f8 is same quality (who shoot air show below f8 anyway?)
With Sigma 85/1.4 lens and nikkor 50/1.4 portraits are great from D300s. With my D90 i had a slight problem with front or back focusing on my portrait prime s, but in D300s i was able to do micro calibration (+3 units for sigma and -2 for nikkor) and lenses are great!
In my opinion image quality is better than from D90. I know - this is the same sensor, but image processing is different, as images are much sharper. Yes, they are slightly more noisy on higher iso, but much sharper. This is off course my subjective opinion.
All in all - it was worth upgrading from D90, and i don't regret that i didn't choose D7000. D300s is a perfect camera, and if You know what you are doing You don't need anything more... well, maybe full frame camera :-)