I’m considering getting the Nikon d300. I was wondering what users could tell me of their experience.
I still have to write up a standard answer, as more and more people are asking…
I have had mine since December 2007. I got the D200 in January 2006, so I used that for almost two years before getting the D300. As great as the D200 is, the D300 is a phenomenal improvement. The D300 is now $500 more than the D200 and I would say that it is worth every penny of that.
You can read reviews everywhere by now, but the major difference is obviously the switch to the CMOS sensor and the new Expeed processor. Both are great moves for Nikon. The camera has excellent image quality, exceptional low-light performance, and very fast auto-focus. It has many features that make it easier to use faster than the D200. Live view is not something that you will use the same way it is used in a point and shoot camera, but when it is appropriate, it is a major enhancement. I appreciate the ability to show the top LCD info on the reaer LCD. It’s much larger and easier to see. If the camera is on a tripod, this feature along with live view really make your life easier. There is an in-camera dynamic range booster called "Active D-Lighting" that helps with unevenly lit subjects and scenes. It’s not the same as shooting HDR, but it is a step in that direction. I could go on for an hour about all the features, but it has a 400 page user manual! That tells you something.
See the review in PopPhoto where the by-line says, "…pushed the D300 to new performance records in the Pop Photo Lab." http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4911/camera-test-nikon-d300.html
See Michael McNamara’s editorial on digital surpassing film in the March 2008 issue of Popular Photography and see how highly he praises the Nikon D3 and D300. If people keep saying this kind of stuff about the camera, it’s going to start selling at a $200-500 premium…
See the dpreview.com review where the D300 where they conclude, "There’s simply no better semi-professional digital SLR on the market."
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond300/
See Ken Rockwell’s review where he says, "The Nikon D300 is the world’s best amateur camera."
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d300.htm
I must say that I have not read a bad review on the D300 yet. Practically the only complaint I’ve read is that it is so hard to find something to complain about!
See a few of my samples and while you are here, click on the link to "All public photos tagged D300."
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/tags/d300/
It’s great.
I’ve upgraded from the Nikon D50(which is now my backup camera).
The auto focus is substantially better(predictive focus ROCKS!).
Having more controls on the camera body is a blessing(no more searching through menus as much).
Higher ISO is great for low light/availabler light photography.
High res display is actually useful now for checking critical focus and review of images.
The viewfinder and top LCD are more meaningful and have more infor.
LIVEVIEW! I’ve used it a few time and am glad I have it.
I will say that it is not your "point and shoot" DSLR. yes it has a "P" mode but you really need to spend time with it to figure out the best settings for your shooting needs.
Based on your expereince level, if you are a beginner, then something in the D40/D40x/D60/D80 may be better for you.
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