- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Nikon D300
- 12.2 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
Released August, 2007
Conclusion Check out the Nikon D300
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Nikon D300
12.2 MP
APS-C
megapixels
| 0 MP | 24.2 MP    | 30 MP |
D300 by Carl-Dean-Roberts--Professional-Photographer (Jun, 2008)The D300 is fast to focus, has plenty of megapixels, advanced controls, and has a tacky-feeling grip which helps you hold the camera.
D300 by Joseph-Albanese--The-Joe-Show (Feb, 2008)A generous 12.3 megapixels give your photos amazing clarity and the sharpest details available.
sensor size
D300 by Wajid-Drabu (Dec, 2007)I received mine yesterday and I must say this camera beats the rest in the APS-C sensor range!
D300 by J.-Childs (Sep, 2009)It is the finest camera body you can buy without going to full frame, which is immensely more expensive.
viewfinder size
D300 by R.-Cole--areohbeeceeohelee (Dec, 2008)When using LiveView, the display shuts off as soon as you initiate focusing to get your shot - better get used to using that viewfinder ($180 for a Nikon right-angle viewfinder to keep from having to lay on the ground, or when there just isn't room, oh - then you need a camera bag to carry it in, along with the other things).
D300 by Kyle-Lanclos (Dec, 2007)The improved viewfinder is also nice, and I've used the live view feature to compose a handful of shots that I could not otherwise frame.
body size
147 x 114 x 74 mm
102 x 59 x 36 mm
129 x 98 x 62 mm
D300 by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)Despite its bulk and weight the D300 is a comfortable camera to hold and use, although you will very definitely need both hands.
D300 by T.-H.-Van-Vleck--thvv (Aug, 2008)The thick and well cross-referenced manual still leaves me with some questions about how things work, specifically about non-Nikon lenses and about how flash controls interact.
focus points
| 0 | 9  | 60 |
D300 by Gentoo (Aug, 2008)Lets say you're trying to get a flock of birds or something; then you might want to switch to the 11 points of focus as these are spaced wider in the frame allowing you to capture more widely scattered subjects.
D300 by David-Siegel (Aug, 2008)If you're coming from an older camera like the D70s like I did, some of the new features may take some getting used to, the biggest change was the focus points.
Performance Real world tests of Nikon D300
DxOMark image quality
D300 by Djejrejk (May, 2008)Low light shots are amazing, colors are very nice, and it is a dream to shoot with.
D300 by Daniel-Parilla (Dec, 2007)Active D-lighting is nice and the color space adds depth and saturation to the images.
DxOMark low light performance
D300 by Gino-Vita--Gino (Dec, 2007)I shot the stage set images under low light and high contrast conditions.
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 276 ms  | 300 ms |
D300 by S.-Crabtree (Aug, 2008)accurate response time is great for nature and fast moving subjects.
D300 by Amazoner--reader--thinker--doer (Apr, 2009)I just follow a few rules from books like dragging the shutter, 1/3 composition, tack sharp, etc.This is a true enabler!
continuous shooting
D300 by Martin-L.-Howard (Jan, 2008)I particularly like the burst modes although you need a fast card to keep up.
D300 by Atem-S.-Ramsundersingh (Oct, 2008)Also the continuous shooting is a real improvement and makes very beautiful action-pictures.
battery life
1,000 photos
330 photos
440 photos
D300 by Gyong (Dec, 2008)I love everything about this camera, the AF, Flash system, ergo, built quality, LCD, battery life (~1000 shots in one single charge).... once you start using it you can't let it go.
D300 by Terence-Tan--terrorman (Feb, 2008)Buy an additional battery and you are clearly set for all day shooting (The battery life is greatly improved over the d200).
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
Generic -
Gives you more flexibility when framing your shot -
93.1% -
Opaque -
51 -
300 ms -
Built in flash -
74 mm -
147 x 114 x 74 mm -
1/8000 s
cons
-
67.0 -
APS-C -
Aug, 2007 -
22.1 bits -
679 ISO -
3" -
922 k dots -
0.62x -
12.2 MP -
6,400 ISO -
12.0 ev -
No automatic HDR -
6 fps -
None -
The screen is fixed in place -
No geotagging included -
No automatic stitching
Reviews Word on the street
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 | Rated by 297 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by BCinDC (Jan, 2008)  Rated 100% by by John-McPhee Rated 100% by by Robert-J.-Lewis (Apr, 2008) |
Lens
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by Deborah-Mowry (Mar, 2009)I still need to learn it a bit better but have been really happy with the quality combined with my nice lenses.
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by Tom-Iancu--from-east (Nov, 2007)Meanwhile I purchased a Voigtlander APO Lanthar 90mm f/3.5 for Nikon which is an amazing lens - manual focusing - for its price, and a. Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens which is quite a fun to use a get photos with it.
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by Daniel-Bitar (Jul, 2009)I can use all my prime manual lenses on this camera which is a hugh plus.
Sensor
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by Brendan-Ross (Mar, 2008)The standouts are fantastic color saturation, terrific white balance control, terrific ISO performance, incredible AF functionality and on and on.
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by Davey-Morgan--Davey-Morgan-Photography (Sep, 2008)I normally shoot at 400 ISO, and I definitely feel comfortable shooting at 800 ISO and somewhat comfortable shooting some pictures at 1600 ISO.
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by Tom-Iancu--from-east (Nov, 2007)It will be very nice for you to know that you don't have to change white balance, ISO and picture quality settings by looking at the back of the camera (like on the D80) to find the buttons.
Focus
Nikon D300 | Rated 80% by by J.-Smith+ Flash commander is nice, lots of AF options are nice, lens tuning if you need it, great high-res screen on the back.
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by A.-Becker (Jan, 2008)From the 51 point auto focus to the built in editing capability it is a fantastic camera.
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by Lonnie-C.-Ferrell (Nov, 2008)From its lightening fast and nearly flawless autofocus system, to the incredible fps rate, to its overall ease of use, this camera is incredible.
Photography
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by J.-Buslon--Tennis-Lover (Apr, 2008)After taking some digital photography classes at the local reseller, I've taken this camera on nature hikes (for nice landscape shots) and fast action shots (college sporting events like tennis).
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by Florida-Girl (Apr, 2009)I shoot mainly landscape and wildlife (with some weddings thrown in for good measure) and the camera feels like a tank with the 6fps being fantastic for wildlife capture.
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by C.-MULCAHY (Jan, 2008)The FPS is also very impressive, making this an awesome camera for you sports photographers.
Image quality
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by Gerald-KhooThe color balance feature here is great because you can shift the color balance of the picture to the desire effect you like.
Nikon D300 | Rated 100% by by T.-Young--Know-it-all (Aug, 2008)Images are extremely sharp and the color rendition is incredible.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D600 Largest sensor D600 vs D300 |
 | 2 | Nikon D3200 4-way tie: Can autofocus while shooting video D3200 vs D300 |
 | 3 | Canon EOS 60D Has a flip out screen Canon EOS 60D vs Nikon D300 |
 | 4 | Nikon D3100 4-way tie: Can autofocus while shooting video D3100 vs D300 |
 | 5 | Canon Rebel T2i 4-way tie: Can autofocus while shooting video Canon Rebel T2i vs Nikon D300 |
 | 6 | Nikon D90 OK delay taking photos D90 vs D300 |
 | 7 | Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 Highest resolution screen Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 vs Nikon D300 |
 | 8 | Nikon D300S 2-way tie: Many cross-type focus points D300S vs D300 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
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