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Nikon D300s reviews
You can find here the most interesting reviews / ratings from the well-known expert sites about the Nikon D300s Camera. Here are the reviewers:
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- 16 November 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 09 November 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 22 October 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 19 October 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 09 October 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 08 October 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 05 October 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 29 September 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 27 September 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 03 September 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
DPReview 's conclusion / rating - 16 November 2009 |
“ The D300S is not the standout product that its predecessor was and unless you find your clients are clamoring for video footage, we can't see much need for existing owners to upgrade. But that shouldn't take away from an absolutely excellent product - a gently polished and refined update of a product that we considered a benchmark when it was released. The EOS 7D may prevent anyone with a foot in the Canon camp from contemplating defection but unless you desperately need that camera's higher resolution, it's hard to overlook the appeal of the Nikon... ”
Complete review here
Photocrati 's conclusion / rating - 09 November 2009 |
“ Buy it, if you’re looking for a solid performer in a system DSLR at a reasonable price. Buy it if you constantly find yourself wishing you had another card in the camera.
Don’t buy it simply for the movie feature (I couldn’t justify buying any DSLR for this reason alone).
But if you already own a D300, buy the D300S if you need a second body—otherwise, skip it because you’re not really getting that much of a performance or feature boost to make it worth the upgrade. You’d probably do better investing in a D700, if you have the lenses to support it... ”
Complete review here
PhotographyBay 's conclusion / rating - 22 October 2009 |
“ The Nikon D300s is a great camera overall. And, really, it’s hard to find a bad DSLR today. Most DSLRs are really good cameras and many of them are great cameras. Some, like the D300s, are better than others. The D300s occupies the space of a prosumer DSLR very well. It matches up nearly perfect to its intended market.
Many professional photographers are making a living with the D300s, which helps justify the current $1800 price tag, and the D300s is serving them very well. Amateur enthusiasts have an option with the D300s as a professional tool that is within reach of many budgets.
The D300s is not without its flaws though. A couple of downers, which may vary in gravity depending on your needs, are the lower frame rate with 14-bit RAW image capture and the elevated noise at higher ISOs.
There’s no doubt that the D300s is worth recommending with these minor caveats. Whether it bests the Canon 7D is a question that remains to be answered. Stay tuned as I should have a 7D on hand soon to pit head-to-head with the D300s... ”
PhotographyBay's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
TrustedReviews 's conclusion / rating - 19 October 2009 |
“ While the second card slot and slightly improved performance are welcome upgrades to an already brilliant camera, the new video recording mode and live monitor view are a bit disappointing compared to other premium models. The D300s is still utterly superb and one of the best DSLRs on the market, but don't trade in your D300 just yet... ”
TrustedReviews's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
Ken Rockwell 's conclusion / rating - 09 October 2009 |
“ If I shot DX, this is Nikon's best camera ever, along with the much lighter and less expensive D90.
The reason to get a D300s over a D90 is tougher build, and a zillion AF sensors that make selecting AF zones a thing of the past.
If I shot sports, the D3 is a huge step up to professional-level autofocus. I'd skip the D300s.
I wouldn't sell a D300 to get a D300s, but if considering one or the other, I would not buy an old D300. The addition of the dedicated INFO button is a huge practical advantage of the D300s over the D300.
Personally, I prefer full-frame, and would just step right up to the full-frame D700 (only $2,450 as of October 2009) instead of the D300s ($1,800 new as of October 2009).
The reason to go FX is that the viewfinders are huge by comparison. DX camera finders are like peepholes, while FX finders are like life itself.
I wouldn't buy a D300s. If need a camera more serious than the D90, I'd go directly to the D700 instead of the D300s for not much more money, and if I couldn't swing a D700, I'd get the D90 instead and save my money. For sports and action, again the D3 is the step you want to make, not the D300s.
The D300s' technical image quality is indistinguishable from any of the D5000 through the D3 in good light, and at high ISOs, indistinguishable from any of the D5000 through the D90.
The reason to choose one camera over another today is size, weight, features and price, not pixels... ”
Ken Rockwell's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
PhotoReview 's conclusion / rating - 08 October 2009 |
“ Buy this camera if:
- You want a solidly-built DSLR camera with a weather-resistant body and a professional-standard controls and functions.
- You want a Live View system plus the ability to shoot HD video clips - and are prepared to accept the limitations in the Movie mode.
- You have a selection of DX-Nikkor lenses.
Don't buy this camera if:
- You're simply upgrading from the D300 - unless the new features are essential.
- You require fast autofocusing and focus tracking in Live View mode.
- You want body-integrated image stabilisation.
- You plan to make extensive use of the video recording facilities. (The relatively poor audio quality of this camera will soon disappoint unless you invest in an external microphone.)... ”
PhotoReview's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
PhotographyBLOG 's conclusion / rating - 05 October 2009 |
“ If you've read the entire review, you will hardly have any doubts that the Nikon D300s is an excellent camera. Build quality is superb, handling and ergonomics are first-rate, and the abundance of dedicated external controls leads to quick and straightforward operation in the field. The optical viewfinder is up there with the best ones in this class. The 51 autofocus points cover most of the frame, and allow you to focus on whatever subject you deem important, without having to recompose or compromise the framing. 3D focus tracking works as advertised, making the Nikon D300s one of the finest choices for action and sports photography. Image quality is about as good as it gets for a DX-sized sensor, in terms of detail, dynamic range and noise handling alike. Options like capturing multiple exposures in a single photo or being able to control wirelessly slaved system flashes extend the creative possibilities of the camera.
It's all nice and well, but if you are now thinking, “wait, this could all be said about the D300 too”, you are actually quite right. So what does the D300s bring to the table that wasn't available in its predecessor? In our opinion, the most important improvement is the addition of a second memory card slot, which lets you instantly back up your images or helps organise them by allowing you to record NEFs on one card and JPEGs on the other. Another nice addition is the Virtual Horizon, which helps you keep the camera level. The new Quiet mode will surely be appreciated by photojournalists, while the addition of a dedicated Live View button is a sensible choice, even if we found it a little too recessed for our tastes. Finally, the video recording function is something few DSLRs can afford to miss these days, though it's still a bit rough around the edges.
To us it seems that the majority of D300 owners aren't likely to switch to the D300s unless they've been specifically waiting for one or more of the improvements it offers, but everyone else in the market for a capable and high-quality DSLR should seriously consider this camera, which easily earns our 'Highly Recommended' rating... ”
PhotographyBLOG's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
DigitalCameraReview 's conclusion / rating - 29 September 2009 |
“ When Nikon released the D300, working photographers quickly found their new favorite workhorse. The D300S takes the rugged popularity of the D300 and adds some of the bells and whistles from the D90 to give photographers a modest, but much appreciated, upgrade. Current D300 owners might not find the new D300S particularly tempting unless they've been lusting after the ability to shoot video, but I get the feeling that wasn't Nikon's intent. After spending several weeks with the D300S I can't shake the feeling that the D300S was really meant to give current D90 owners a reason to upgrade.
Sure, there are plenty of photojournalists who will appreciate the SDHC card slot on the D300S because it means they can use the built-in card reader on their laptops when they're out in the field. Likewise, I'm sure more than a few working pros are eager to shoot HD video with their DSLR. However, consumers (not pros) are the ones who have really embraced DSLRs with video capabilities. The overwhelming success of the D90 meant that Nikon needed to give D90 owners an obvious choice for their next camera purchase, and the D300S is that camera. Entry-level DSLRs make up about 80 percent of Nikon's DSLR sales, and Nikon would love to see some of those consumers spend some extra cash on higher-end bodies.
Regardless of whether you're a seasoned professional who needs a rugged DX-format camera or merely a shutterbug looking for the next level of photographic equipment, the D300S is a very attractive camera. The D300S combines high-speed performance, exceptional image processing, rugged build quality, and great video capabilities in a very familiar package. Add to that Nikon's extraordinary collection of lenses, fantastic speedlights like the SB-900, and a huge variety of accessories and the Nikon D300S becomes the obvious centerpiece to a top-quality photographic kit... ”
DigitalCameraReview's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
CameraLabs 's conclusion / rating - 27 September 2009 |
“ With the D300s, Nikon’s taken the already highly capable D300 and further enhanced it with a number of features – some expected, others less so. The inclusion of a movie mode was a predictable, although welcome upgrade, and the microphone input a very useful addition. The Virtual Horizon and Quiet mode are minor but handy gadgets, and we’re also pleased to find Live View now relocated from the Release dial to its own button, allowing you to easily select drive modes whether composing with the screen or viewfinder.
By far the most useful new additions are the dual memory card slots, allowing you to backup images or organise RAW and JPEGs on separate media. These are arguably the D300s’ key highlight (and indeed key differentiator with rivals), equipping it with facilities not normally seen outside of much more expensive professional DSLRs. It’s slightly disappointing the 1fps boost in continuous shooting wasn’t measured in our tests, but the camera’s still very fast.
So once again a very strong camera has become even better, but unlike its predecessor, the D300s now has a direct rival from Canon. The EOS 7D is targeting exactly the same high-end cropped-frame market as the D300s and shares a great deal in common with Nikon’s latest. Crucially it also sports a number of key benefits including 50% more pixels and Full HD movie recording with adjustable frame rates.
Indeed by recycling the still and video capabilities of the year-old D90, the D300s comes across as standing still in some important regards when its arch rival ploughs forward. To be fair, Nikon makes no attempt to hide the fact the D300s is simply an enhanced version of an earlier model and not an entirely new camera - it is after all called the D300s, not the D400. But the important point is it's now up against a brand new rival at much the same price point.
Certainly if you’re influenced by Megapixel count and need 1080p video or different frame rates, then the Canon already looks like the better bet, but of course these figures don’t tell the whole story. We’re yet to test a final production sample of the 7D so can’t pass final judgment, but we do know what the D300s offers right now, and it remains a highly compelling camera.
One thing is for certain: Nikon no longer has the top-end cropped-frame DSLR market to itself. But regardless of how the 7D measures-up, the D300s will remain a superb photographic tool which is a joy to use, and ideal for the high-end enthusiast or pro wanting a backup body. It easily comes Highly Recommended, but unless you’re 100% committed to the Nikon system, be sure to compare very closely with the EOS 7D... ”
CameraLabs's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
Pocket-lint 's conclusion / rating - 03 September 2009 |
“ And so the D300s marks a neat upgrade to the D300, but the £1499.99 price tag might mean you think twice about upgrading. Because, if you already own the D300, then unless you desperately need the HD video capability, the slightly improved frame rate or the stereo audio capability, then the D300 would probably be perfectly adequate. If you’re buying into the Nikon DX system for the first time, or are trading up anyway, then on balance, the extra couple of hundred quid (the D300 popularity means it still retails for around £1300, though you’ll find it for less by shopping around) might make sense.
The Nikon D300s updates the excellent D300 as Nikon’s flagship DX format DSLR. While superficially very similar to the D300, there are major additions “borrowed” from other models such as the virtual horizon system introduced on the D3 and HD movie capture from Nikon’s D90.
Another stunning new Nikon DX format DSLR that combines the performance and handling panache of its predecessor with HD video and other neat toys that may just make it worth your reaching for your cheque book... ”
Pocket-lint's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
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