In my opinion, the effusive accolades given to this camera were well earned. I was skeptical until I used it. After all, there are lots of good cameras to choose from: Fujifilm, Olympus, Pentax and Sony, not just the leading duo Nikon and Canon. In fact, this review includes good alternatives to the D300 for prospective shoppers of mid and high-end DSLR cameras. I will begin with Nikon's D300 since it was the best choice for me. You are more important than the tool. But if you want to make the best photographs you can and enjoy doing it then the tool can make a difference in assisting you. Some tools are also easier to use and some are built to last longer - camera bodies are no exception - you see the difference in the price tag. The Nikon D300 does not just do more, it does more that you choose it to do in customizable features. It is no longer almost exclusively a question of optical glass configurations determining everything we see that matters when the D300 camera body assists them by doing things as fundamental as "correct" chromatic aberrations and inherent distortions of individual lenses. This camera, which borrowed so much from the flagship Nikon D3 has really pushed the envelope.
There are very good alternatives right now. For those wanting exemplary image quality with much of what the D300 offers but for significantly less money: Canon offers the popular and Nikon now has attractive pricing for its popular D200, the fine camera that the D300 updated in late 2007 . It has also earned many loyal followers and has a very solid build.
But once in a long while something extraordinary is designed that stands out from a very distinguished and competitive field. I am not regularly gonzo over gear. I will simply address the current field with options for your consideration while your money is still in your pocket. Thinking about the history of photography does not involve ranking accomplishment by merely which tools, the means that were used. But we do each need to make our personal choice. Any of the cameras mentioned here should make you very happy. Only you will know which one in particular matches your needs and desires.
The performance and potential of the D300 camera make it stand out to me. I have less work to do in image editing and the quality of the capture is the best I have seen. There are lots of places to read in detail about all its features including those shared with Nikon's outstanding premium camera, the D3. The D300 is not cheap but is durable and Nikon has been generous for what it offers and for what you can deliver with it. That is its most compelling case, its quality, performance and value. I realize praising engineering is not exciting reading - despite that being Nikon's historical strength - but it is their breakthroughs that I value most in the D300. That includes an entire series of triumphs in interrelated areas including color, tonal nuance, metering for better exposures and more extensive creative controls where you actually get to apply your intelligence and talents. Automated everything is also available but if you are exclusively shooting like that particularly in JPEGs there are many other good cameras to consider buying that will do that well for far less money beginning under $500 including a zoom lens like . In fact all well known brands offer much better cameras than you might expect for their price at the so called entry level but that is another topic. You may be upgrading from one to the D300. That is not a subtle leap beginning empirically and then simply holding each in your hands. It is just not fair or necessary to compare things so wide apart.
The D300's precision is amazing. It is going to spoil me regarding expectations in small camera photography. Want a closer look? Composing or fine tuning sharpening while looking at stunning color in "Live View" modes (yes, there are two) on the camera back's brilliant 3" scratch resistant monitor is not bad either. The ultimate measure is the quality of results as well as the creative options and degree of control. They could directly assist you with what you want to say, show, express. All cameras do that but I recommend this extraordinary camera because for some it might assist you in doing it better than with an alternative. That is a testable premise but with subjective criteria. Consider renting one if that is a reasonable option. Seeing really is believing in this case. Otherwise there are lots of other cameras to convince you that one will be right for you.
Test your options. For example, Canon offers an excellent body in the same price range, that can be a few hundred dollars more, it usually is not a large difference. The offers full frame capture if we use 35mm film as "normal" coverage. By that I mean, in theory, it can use the same lenses you used in 35mm film photography. Just check to ensure your lenses do not have any vignetting problems, light fall off, in their new application. Canon has made many excellent lenses with conventional 35mm film coverage, super wide angle lenses that you might own that you enjoyed and do not want to duplicate with an expensive wide angle lens for digital capture. But be aware there are differences in coverage and they are not always obvious. The 5D's super chip is terrific but it does not have as robust a body or as modern electronics as the newer D300. There always seem to be trade-offs. Please refer to the many positive Amazon reviews in the link to see why the 5D has also won many followers since 2005. Using your older film based lenses with your digital camera is advantageous regardless of the chip as long as you have coverage and quality.
If you are already a Nikon user, note that the Nikon D300's chip like in the vast majority of cameras has a narrower coverage than the 5D and D3. Thankfully all Nikon lenses are backwards compatible with few caveats. Note that professional lenses tend to be larger, heavier and are more expensive but for good reasons like larger coverage, performance, speed and build such as the outstanding . For most situations carrying gear, I like the trade off in the lighter weight DX lenses the D300 uses like the surprising performer for the cost . They suit the format's size and portability advantages that make them appealing where larger formats would be logistically problematic. However, if the full coverage sensor is critical you would need full coverage lenses and move up to the highly praised which is three times the cost of a D300 (street price, with Nikon USA warranty). Moreover, you can spend even more on the equally excellent top of the line or the first rate Fuijifilm camera, or the impressive, smallest mid-format camera, the Mamiya 645AFD III that is $10,000 (list). It has a Phase One digital back.
Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
3.9 | 301 ratings
Price: 1099.95
Last update: 08-11-2024
About this item
Self-cleaning sensor unit magnesium alloy construction with rubber gaskets and seals
EXPEED Image Processing System and similar Scene Recognition System to that found in the D3
3.0-inch LiveView LCD display , new 51-point AF system
12.3-megapixel captures enough detail for poster-size photo-quality prints
In burst mode, shoots up to 100 shots at full 12.3-megapixel resolution
12.3-megapixel captures enough detail for poster-size photo-quality prints
3.0-inch LiveView LCD display; new 51-point AF system
In burst mode, shoots up to 100 shots at full 12.3-megapixel resolution
EXPEED Image Processing System and similar Scene Recognition System to that found in the D3
Self-cleaning sensor unit; magnesium alloy construction with rubber gaskets and seals
EXPEED Image Processing System and similar Scene Recognition System to that found in the D3
3.0-inch LiveView LCD display , new 51-point AF system
12.3-megapixel captures enough detail for poster-size photo-quality prints
In burst mode, shoots up to 100 shots at full 12.3-megapixel resolution
12.3-megapixel captures enough detail for poster-size photo-quality prints
3.0-inch LiveView LCD display; new 51-point AF system
In burst mode, shoots up to 100 shots at full 12.3-megapixel resolution
EXPEED Image Processing System and similar Scene Recognition System to that found in the D3
Self-cleaning sensor unit; magnesium alloy construction with rubber gaskets and seals
Product information
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Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
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Top reviews from the United States
John McPhee
Nikon D300 Deserves Its Accolades: A Genuine Classic
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2008Amazon Customer
The D300 is Professional quality camera at reasonable price.
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2008Traveller
Having major problems with mine
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2009