Nikon D300
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| Nikon D300 20/03/2010 Firstly, apologies I didn't buy mine from Amazon BUT the reviews helped me a great deal in making the decision to buy (at the height of the recession!) It's a bit of a learning curve which started the day after I bought it and used it for shooting at a major sport event. Results were more than acceptable that day but one year on I am still suprised at the quality of both camera and the results. My main interest is shooting sports so I wanted a fast and versatile weatherproof camera and the D300 fits the bill perfectly. I use it with a 70-300mm VR, 18-55mm and 55-200mm non VR versions (from my D40- another great camera) and a 50mm F1.8. The 50mm lens and D300 produced some amazingly good results in studio session shooting a model lit by a single spot against a black background without a flash. I really didn't think I'd get anything usable at all. Highly recommended! I'm after another body now, just hope my bank manager doesn't read this! By Wobblywheeler | ||||||
| Worth Every Penny - Excellent Camera 27/10/2009 Bought this from Calumet after some years away from SLR photography, however a four month old son re-invigorated me and I took the plunge. I went for the D300 on the basis that in the past I had been what you might describe as an 'advanced amateur' hence I liked the creative control options of the D300, together with the non-fussy lack of scene modes (yuk) and the simplicity of the major camera controls. I also bought it in preference to the just launched D300s as I felt an extra £300 for a video mode which I would never use was just a waste of money, although I did like the dual card slot on the 300s. Its all about the value proposition at the end of the day, and the D300 fell in price at exactly the right time with the launch of the 300s, so if you are on a look out for a pro spec camera with granite build quality this is for you. I've had the D300 for a couple of months now, and have taken probably 4,000 photographs with it. The major point to notice is that a good number of these could be described as 'keepers'. The colours are fabulous (I configured 'my menu' to have 'picture controls' as my number 1 item) using NC (neutral) for people and SD (standard) or VI (vivid) for buildings, scenery or events. I've not yet needed to alter the individual balances in each control, other than to add some sharpening into NC. Aside from that, the D300 processes beautiful images. I've not yet shot in RAW, and I don't intend to, as for my purposes the Large Fine JPGS are wonderful, time after time after time. The in-camera crop function (the scissors symbol) show just how good the sensor is, as I've printed 10x8's happily from cropped images with breathtaking results and little or no noise even up to ISO 3200. As to focussing and general operation, I tend to ignore the 51 point AF and use the 13 point AF mode instead, which is great for portraits as the focus point is easily controllable by the rear multi-selector dial. I'm getting consistently sharp AF in all lighting conditions, better than any previous SLR I've used by a long way. Thereafter I leave the exposure mode on A for Aperture Priority auto, set the aperture and shoot away. Great fun and truly excellent results. As to lenses, I've gone for the 35mm f1.8 DX (great and really sharp at f5.6 which is I think the sweetspot for this lens), the 50mm f1.4 AFS (in reality a 75mm portrait lens, and also bought to future proof if I ever go full frame) and as a walk around zoom the 16-85, which is just so much better optically than the 18-200 which I've used before and would not recommend at all. I spent a great afternoon snapping away at the Red Arrows with the D300 and 16-85, camera set to S and advance mode to C high, and blasted off 200 very decent shots of the air display. Remember the in-camera scissors above? Cropped a number of JPGS taken at the 85mm end of the lens, and have some fantastic enlarged prints of the Arrows at their brilliant best. The D300 made it easy and fun. Finally, build quality. It really is granite, sealed and tough and good in the hand (I have large hands). Yes its heavy, but the quid pro quo is that rain is not a particular problem and the results make the effort of carrying the D300 very worthwhile indeed. Very Highly Recommended, grab one while you can before the 300s completely supercedes it. By Happy Snapper Cambridge, UK | ||||||
| Steep learning curve for photographer's camera 22/10/2009 The D300 is almost at the top of the Nikon DSLR model range. It's considered by many to be the best performing of the so-called "prosumer" DSLRs - those cameras which share many of the features of the Nikon professional models, but at a price which keen consumers can afford. Picking up the D300 and you immediately will notice its hefty and rugged construction. It is a heavy camera. The body shell is made from magnesium alloy, meaning it's extremely strong and durable. Fixtures on the camera reflect the solidity of the body. Buttons and switches are high quality, stiff and positive - giving you confidence they're not going to wear out. The D300 also has a weather sealed body, meaning it is much more rain and dust proof than models below it in the range. The control layout is also good - Nikon's reputation for ergonomics is well deserved. Buttons fall logically under fingers and most important "on the fly" controls can be changed without taking the camera away from your eye The screen itself is a revelation. This is Nikon's 3" high definition screen, which leaving mumbo-jumbo about pixels aside, means one thing for photographers: clear and sharp previews of your photos which you can actually use to check focus. As well as providing a preview of pictures, the screen is used to display the clear D300 menu system. Users of previous Nikon DSLRs will be pleased to see familiar signposting, levelling off the learning curve for those upgrading. If you've never used a Nikon camera before, the ease at which you can pick up the menu system will be surprising. What marks out the D300 from the models lower in the range is the level of customisation available through the menu system. For those who just want to get on with taking pics, you can ignore - but for those who like to tweak and optimise their equipment, this is heaven. Like any complex system, you need to have knowledge to get the most out of the customisable aspect of the D300 and many beginners might feel overwhelmed. The final major use of that lovely screen is for the live-view (LV) feature - allowing the photographer to use the screen to compose shots, rather than just the viewfinder (although it is limited and not worth writing home about!). Performance wise, the D300 is mind blowing, especially if you're upgrading from an older camera further down the model line-up. For me, putting down my old D70 and picking up the D300 was incredible. Speed wise, the camera is blistering. Any DSLR is going to have response times which are hardly worth recording and if you're used to the slight lag that many point-and-shoots suffer, you'll love the fact that the instant you press the shutter button, it takes the picture. Battery life is a slight disappointment - but not a surprise with that huge screen. Nikon fans with experience of the D40/50/70/80 models will be used to the feeling the camera runs on air, rather than a battery - so infrequently do they need recharging. The D300 is power hungry though and you'll need to make sure your supplied charger is handy if you're a keen snapper. Frame rate marks a step up for anyone upgrading from the lower camera models. It's only when you squeeze of six frames a second that you realise how fast it is (and how quickly it eats through your memory card!). A very speedy autofocus system helps catch action. The D300 boasts 51 focus points, although these do tend to cluster in the centre of the frame, leaving some empty zones left, right, top and bottom that will require the user to "focus and recompose". The focus mode can be customised in so many ways, that for the beginner it might overwhelm them. But with the complex system comes a flexibility and performance which will suit the most advanced photographer down to someone who is just learning how to use the camera. Metering and exposure modes are also flexible - and changeable by "hard" buttons which fall under the user's thumb and fingers, rather than having to delve into menus. Combined, the exposure and metering modes add up to yet another incredibly flexible and customisable system on the D300 - but again, it takes practice and experience to get the best out of the camera. The important thing with any camera is the quality of images it takes. The Nikon D300 delivers here too. Pixel-peepers can argue for weeks about image quality of Canons verus Nikons - but it's angels on the head of pins stuff - most people don't care, or can't spot the minute differences. At this level of camera you'd expect high quality images and there is little to criticise here. The dynamic range is very good...it's unscientific, but while on my D70 the little "highlights blown" flashes were commonplace, on the D300 they are rarely seen. Detail is awesome, which you'd expect considering the 12.3 megapixel sensor. However, with extra MP comes some drawbacks. A camera resolving that much detail will expose more flaws in your technique and your cheap lenses - so bear it in mind when you first start using the camera and accept that if you're disappointed in the first few weeks, it's probably you, rather than the equipment! Which sums up the D300 really. It is a photographers' camera. It's a camera for those with a real passion for photography and those prepared to make sacrifices both financially, in terms of time spent learning and in terms of aching shoulders spent carrying. It's an expensive camera, it's a complex camera, it's a big camera, it's an unforgiving camera. For some, that exactly what they don't want or need in a camera. For others it's exactly what they're looking for. By T. Stainer UK | ||||||
| learning curve 21/07/2009 A truly fabulous piece of kit but somewhat more complicated that my D80. This is a camera that you have to marry in order to get to know it well enough to make the most of it. The manual is comprehensive in as much as the functions of the camera are concerned but it's more than a little dry. The default settings don't do the camera justice and the tone curve is too steep. Having just received David Busch's book on the D300 I now see why it's improtant to have something other than the manual to help with the learning curve. A big thanks to all the people whose reviews helped my to choose the D300 and to those who reviewed and recommended the books. By K. A. HURST-EARL Midlands UK | ||||||
| What can I say about perfection..... 07/06/2009 What can I say about perfection? If you want a camera that makes you work, then gives you the reward for it, then this is for you. Recommended for any semi-pro or serious amateur. By M. Voisey The Shire | ||||||
