Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

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Since 2006 I have owned a D200 for serious shooting situations and I got a D40 in early 07 for everyday shots (an awesome camera - I give it SIX stars! - a whole separate review is needed!), and after hearing about the D300 release in late 2007 I debated over whether to get one. I was really happy with my D200, which I took on some overseas trips and it performed perfectly. After demo-ing a D300 in stores and reading some online reviews, I decided to take the plunge. It was a big investment but now I have no regrets - if not for the entire package, then for one thing: COLOR! Or one more thing: what Nikon calls Active D-Lighting (translation: a significant change in the processors realistic rendition of contrast, highlights, shadows, etc. - the entire package of "TONE"). Also - can an LCD rear-screen get any better than this?? In Jim Cramer-parlance I have to say that this model is definitely "best of breed". Pluses and minuses: (note: edited every once in a while since Ive used it for almost 6 months now and thousands of captures - last edit was done on 4/9/08) PLUSES: - Incredibly vivid, pleasingly, really surprisingly saturated color reminiscent of Velvia (high-saturation Fuji film used in slides, etc.) is now made possible by selecting the "Vivid" option in the "Picture Control" menu and cranking up the "Saturation" option - there are three levels beyond the default "0" - which sets it just about at the highest possible saturation that could be set in the D200. Even boring photos of things around the home, outside, etc. seem interesting and... well, exciting and vivid... with it set at +2 or +3 (although the +3 setting is a bit extreme for people photos, and renders their skin color a bit more intense than appears naturally). At the +3 setting even blase photos of ordinary things approach purposely-understated "art" in a MoMA-like way. For people I am finding Vivid+1 or Vivid+2 a bit more natural indoors with natural light, as the Vivid+3 saturates just a bit more than I prefer. Just like Velvia, these settings also do not warm the cool colors - one of the minuses of other cameras vivid settings - this is whats best (your cool blues, greys, greens, etc. stay cool, while the reds, yellows, oranges, bright blues/greens/etc. - watch out!) (Edited note: after about 3,000 shots I saw that indoors it might be best to do a manual white balance preset off a white wall or carpet or something and then shoot in vivid mode, since in the automatic WB mode the reds tend to get boosted quite a bit under typical indoor light and some of my subjects looked like they had a very dark suntan, or even a sunburn, in the middle of December! Careful with this... also tried standard - i.e. not vivid - color settings with +1 or +2 saturation, and these were very realistic, although the backgrounds can be dull if youre intent on vivid colors all-around. Maybe best to use those on portraits only. Try them all out and see what works best.) - On-board so-called "Active D-Lighting" renders shadows and highlights in an very realistic manner, with no raising up of delicate shadow tones to mid-levels (as my outstanding, near-perfect-in-its-class Nikon D40 tends to do) - this really must be seen to be believed. Coupled with the color quality (and deep saturation noted above), the detail in the highlights is excellent. The D40/D200 have this feature in post-capture (i.e. you adjust the captured image yourself) but this seemed rather crude; here it is said that the Nikon actually computes the needed adjustment and does it specifically for the scene youve captured. No more blown or off-color highlights in those rare occasions when overexposure seeps into a shot in a very contrasty frame. - The new LCD screen is 3" in size and has a whopping 920,000 pixels (versus 230,000 for the D200, D80, D40, etc.) of resolution - which means image review to check focus, color, etc. is impossibly accurate and well beyond the already very high quality of Nikons 2.5 inch screens and way, way beyond that of the Canons with the greenish-greyish-tinted LCDs even on expensive models like the much-venerated full-frame 5D. Doesnt even come with a LCD protector cover like the D200 did because its made with tempered glass and is super resistant to scratching, damage, etc. No more looking through plastic - however transparent - when reviewing shots or setting colors, lighting, etc. (Kind of always bothered me, that.) - 100% coverage viewfinder - excellent, and not cluttered up, making composition cleaner; nothing engraved in the viewfinder to get in the way (although you can optionally set the horizon-level grid to be on all the time, which I do, since it leaves an open space in the middle anyway, and those off-balance shots are a pain to fix). - 51-points of autofocus available - at first I didnt really care much as I tend to do the old-school method of using one point for focus, then recomposing - but I started using the 51-point AF mode (the full-rectange setting that uses all sensors) and found that I dont need to do this as the D300 always seems to pick the object I wanted to focus on - making things much, much easier - although for really unusual shots with a subject in focus and others way out of focus, I move to the manual mode; the AF system is excellent in speed and accurate tracking of the object of focus as well (i.e. a running child, etc.) The 51 points make this very easy to do. Fiddling around in the store I saw on the big $5k D3 the points are better looking (little red spots) and less intrusive when composing than these large-ish black rectangles on the D300, but I can live with that (although it reminds me "hey, you dont have a D3!..."). - There were issues about firmware and exposure on the D40, D80, where they tended to expose too brightly, and we had to set it manually to -0.3 or -0.7 to get back to normal exposure. Not on the D300. Perfect all-around. Still, adjusting WB and exposure can make or break the shot. Especially nice is the cloudy or shadow setting for indoor shots in bright sunlight; everything looks pleasingly warm, even if just a tinge more than natural. Give it a try if you like warm colors. Interesting shots can be had using tungsten outside in the snow - a blue-grey monochromatic world. (If you have snow, that is.) Manual WB setting is easy off of a wall, or carpet, or napkin, etc. as usual with the Nikons in this range, and makes quite a bit of difference in odd-lighting situations (i.e. very dim room, etc.) where the automatic presets, although excellent, dont work well (especially that tungsten - in normal home incandescent lighting in the evening everything is medium-blued-out - who uses this? Or am I using it incorrectly? I set WB in that situation off the wall or rug.) - other than the full-frame sensor (no small difference, that is) and high FPS, there appears, from what I am reading, to be no major differences (unless youre a sports or news shooter) from the highly-lauded D3, which costs 3x what the D300 costs; the D3s awesome high ISO performance can be mimicked by turning off the high ISO noise reduction set "on" in the default mode in the D300 (see below) Of course, the D3 has many other features that make it best for pro sports shooters, etc. who need that size and power, and of course, full-frame has no comparison - but I have a bag full of DX lenses (and some non-DX primes) and not ready to put out $10k+ for a D3 plus a 14-24, the new 24-70 and the 70-200, etc. that Id want. The differences in picture quality due to the full-frame sensor (and other features I wouldnt need as I dont shoot sports or news) are outweighed by the cost involved and the marginal nature of the difference overall. Image quality is essentially the same - except for the pluses of the full-frame, especially noticeable in really big prints. Also the usual full-frame focal length versus DX issue remains alive here - yes, that "35mm on a DX is equivalent to a..." continues, and probably will as long as DX lenses remain in our bags. Edit: I have tried the D3 for a shooting session and it does focus incredibly fast, much faster than the D300 in some cases. The speed of the focusing and the shutter itself are unbelievable; that camera is the Ferrari or Lamborghini of Nikons. The D300 may be the Porsche - hey, not a bad compromise - its unlikely that the average pro-sumer will need the power of the D3 (or of a Ferrari - ever try to do 140mph on the NJ Turnpike?). These were my big main pluses which justified the transition from the D200, but there are a few more which dont really appeal to me but will for some: - Live View (you can see the image on the LCD screen) - perhaps this might appeal to a tripod-user setting up a photo, but I doubt Ill ever use it. Smacks of "point-and-shoot", I think, but could be handy in some cases where it is hard to position the eye at the viewfinder (behind the sofa?...) (Edited note: should not have panned this - gave the camera to my 21 year old niece, who tried to take a Christmas portrait of my family and I together - and got half of us in the bottom of the frame, and an empty top half of the frame! - for those who basically grew up using live view digital cameras, this feature is very useful - just set it and let them shoot - I think the weight of the D300 and the fact that she had to use a (gasp!) viewfinder (as opposed to the RAZR internal cellphone camera) threw her off. Some creative cropping may save the shot, anyway.) - Ultrasonic Sensor Cleaner - like the Canons and Pentaxes, Sonys, etc., Nikon finally offers a sensor cleaner (which is user-operated, not constantly running at each power-up if you set it that way). Might be useful after hard shooting in dusty or otherwise camera-unfriendly environments, but I never had the need for it on any camera I ever had up to now. Just one more thing to possibly go wrong someday? - HDMI output (if youre lucky enough to have one of those big-screen HDTVs and want to show your photos to all on the screen; I dont and wont) - 12MP versus 10MP (for the D200) - great marketing material but MP beyond 6-8MP or so has only marginal effect on the quality of the image and doesnt really matter ultimately since all it does it highlight the limitations of the lenses or the technique of the shooter; I suppose it is nice to have that much more information recorded ultimately if you choose (via the size/compression settings) but I shoot with "large normal" JPG and dont want 10MB+ file sizes when Im making 5x7 or 8X10 prints at most (or way, way more MB for RAW files) - I am reminded by a post/commentor that the higher MP will be beneficial when cropping a photo considerably for printing - good point - if youre taking 25% of that shot and cropping it, printing it out to 8x10, those 12MP will keep your image nice and sharp even at such extreme crops (provided, of course, youre using the big filesize settings and have lots of storage space in the form of CF cards, hard disk space, etc.) I dont do a lot of cropping and prefer to create in-camera since I have practically no time to fiddle with Photoshop and the rest. - the new grip (sold separately, of course) that goes with it doesnt stick far up into the camera, so you can use the cameras battery as well as those in the grip as well, and decide which to drain first, etc. With the grip you get more FPS for action photography but I dont do much of that, and for me the grip makes the whole package too big to fit in my current Lowepro bag (trivial but hey, its one more thing). - if youve had any Nikon DSLR before, especially a D200, you will feel immediately at home, with no ramp-up period; you dont even need to open the sealed manual, since the new features are so easily located and adjusted that all you do is adjust your settings and start shooting; what wont feel immediately familiar is the super-bold color youll notice on the intricately detailed 3" LCD. Of course, ergonomics are nearly perfect; this camera is like a brick wrapped watertight in rough-textured rubber, perfect to grip and hold for long periods of time. - Capture NX software is included - get this - free! - in a selected number of initial sales of the D300. Its panned by some but, if you dont have another software package, its not a bad thing to get a reasonably pro-quality image software package for free. The easy-to-use three-point pinpoint adjustment tool is excellent. Edit update - there is a Mac Leopard (OS 10.5) version now available - yeah! - so all computing formats are supported. MINUSES - Quite a bit more expensive than the D200 - naturally, since its a new model, but is it worth it? - for me it was for the top two reasons; for others, the D200 (or the D80, or the D40) will be way more camera than is enough - also still appears to be hard to get at the right price initially; some supply issues reminiscent of the D200 were being seen but appear to have levelled off; now its hard, I hear, to get the D3. - When I initially got it I thought that for some reason the highest ISO settings (i.e. 6,400) seemed to lead to somewhat hazier shots, likely due to high ISO noise reduction that is set ON to Normal in the factory default - but who shoots up to ISO 6,400 anyway, unless youre shooting hand-held at faster shutter speeds in very dark environments? I had my D200 set for maximum 1,600 in Auto ISO and that was always more than enough. You can always turn the high ISO noise reduction completely off (or set it to low for just a touch of clean-up) and get back to the D200s, and close to the D3s, level of quality. I did this and had no more issues that initially concerned me, but a side-by-side comparison of a very magnified crop might yield otherwise. The ISO settings are also odd in that there is no stated ISO 100 but the camera does have ISO options which Nikon calls various degrees of "LO", confusingly; just need to learn the terminology and adapt. High ISO noise is also really only visible, however, if you make 3-foot-wide prints, mural-size images or crop and magnify on your computer screen to unrealistic levels and look really, really closely. You wont even notice on a 5X7 or 8X10, or bigger, print in normal circumstances. The fact that there is Auto ISO at all (versus not having it in the Canons) makes shooting a breeze; no fiddling around with ISO settings when youre trying to capture an image. (Edited note: lots of high ISO shots without NR on have been excellent throughout the holidays, including plenty of dark, candlelit tables, Christmas trees with onboard lights only on, outdoor shots of decor, etc. Not sure how noisy these would look blown up to big poster or mural-sized prints but for 8X10 or less, I am sure these are perfectly fine.) - Wish the flip-up flash would have a rotating bulb enclosure which you could point upward and get a bounce-flash for indoor people photographs; fairly sure no other DLSRs have this but it would eliminate me having to (buy first and) carry around a Speedlight for indoor shots (i.e. Christmas present-opening by the tree in low light, etc.) lest I get the white-ghost effect of direct flash from the onboard unit. I rarely use the onboard flash except for fill-flash outdoors, so it is somewhat less useful than I would like. Then again, Nikon needs to sell Speedlights, so... the SB-600 is a perfect match. The SB-400 is also a nice one if youre not doing shots with far-off subjects, and it fits nicely on the D40 as well. - I dont know if its my imagination but it feels like the two spinning dials (on the front and back, for setting aperture, shutter speed, etc.) are a bit more recessed into the camera body than those on the D200; when I spin them I get memories of cheap 1970s electronics when I would push a button, and it would wind up moving itself inside the radio (or whatever) and getting stuck in there - I sampled other demos on the store floor and they felt the same as mine - maybe this is to prevent accidental movement when shooting? Its as if they are not at exact 90 degree angles to the camera body. Nice feel on the fingers, but I get memories of those "stuck buttons" when I use them sometimes. - it probably would be nice to be able to stuff a CF card and an SD card in the camera for memory options; I prefer CF cards for their durability, but dislike having to invest in two types of cards - CF and SD - for the D300 and the D40, respectively. Dont know who could possibly shoot so much to fill a full 8GB card (maybe if you shoot RAW+JPG, etc. for sports) but a two-card capacity would also be nice just to know its there. - Its still not full-frame - I know, its not supposed to be, and most DSLRs arent, but I might have paid another $500 (maybe $750?) if theyd made it full-frame. However, that means another $5Gs+ on 2 or 3 aforementioned full-frame wide-zooms (and effectively making obsolete my big 12-24mm wide, awesomely versatile 18-200mm, and sharp 70-300mm DX VRs) so probably better for the wallet that its not. - No PC button: The new D3 pro version only available to select press members (the D3P, theyre calling it) has a "PC" button for "Picture Control" - that is, you can quickly switch between your own custom settings you set up in the menu for different picture parameters - say, for landscapes, a high-saturation setting (i.e. "Vivid" with saturation cranked up), and for people, a medium-color setting ("Normal" with moderate saturation), etc. - but on the D300 (and the normal D3, for that matter) you have to fiddle around with the menu. A button to be able to switch between picture settings would be a godsend for this camera; otherwise you might miss a shot switching from, say, a high-saturation, white-balance adjusted setting for a beach landscape, then trying to quickly capture your kids on that same beach - which would give them instant sunburns (on the image!) due to the oversaturation and WB adjustment - unless you go pressing buttons to get into the menus (with the sandy fingers) and fiddle around, making the change. I believe Canons have a button dedicated to this, which makes me wonder why Nikon isnt thinking ahead and, in typical Japanese fashion, copying the best ideas and features from its competitors. Other than these few minor (for me) minuses, this cameras new color capabilities, wildly improved highlight-renditioning and other features more than justified my investment in it. Im getting great captures from it. Naturally a lot of that is subjective - best to try it out yourself and judge before taking the plunge. One look at the images, the LCD, and the other features, and this one might be the one that makes all the Canon owners squirm in their chairs and wonder what to do with all those expensive "white lenses" now that they will want this Nikon! (Not that I myself wouldnt mind having a 5D and a few of those white-bodied Canon L-series teles, of course!...) Disclaimer: for quick shots around the house of my kids, etc., I still grab my D40 - soon to have a new 18-55mm VR lens shortly shipping from Nikon! - and capture away - its got to be the best camera in its class, and the images rival the D300 under normal conditions. Its when things get a little complex (low light, action, the saturated colors, high ISO situations, etc.) that the D300 excels. Especially the saturated colors! Never seen anything like this in a DSLR and Ive had em all (Nikons) or tried em all (Canon, Pentax, Sony, Olympus...).

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...beware of the dreaded Dead Battery Syndrome (DBS) as experienced and discussed by many affected users. Please check discussion forums at the review site you see here on Amazon, as well as [...] and put pressure on Nikon to remedy the issue soon. Nikon is an immensely reliable brand and the D300 is a true gem. No argument; and the poor rating is given just to draw attention. There is a huge population of satisfied owners and they may never experience a problem during the first 5000 clicks. Professionals who have been shooting away since November have a different take. If you need to depend on every shot at any moment, "not right now" is not what youd expect from your gun. I mean tool...you know. My own purchase is contingent on a timely resolution. Otherwise, massive D3 here I come. Whats a few grand amongst friends? Edit (06/11/08): As it turned out, the $5000 Nikon D3 is also having the same DBS problem, only at a lower rate. The issue is serious and what we can hope for is a firmware update as opposed to sending the camera in for repair. Edit (07/01/08): Nikon just released a firmware update which is supposed to fix the DBS issue. The whole point is moot now but it seems impossible to change the rating. Side note: The new FX format D700 is announced. Edit (07/19/08): The firmware results are not all in yet. Read dpreview and see for yourself. There are people who still have the DBS problem after the update. And about the two comments, I updated my review before you posted your nonsense. So, read again: IT IS A HUGE ISSUE AND, YES IT IS WIDESPREAD.

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Until recently I had a D80 and I also wrote a review about it. So I think it would be useful for you, D80 owners and D300 prospect buyers, to have some clues about what this D300 is about from a former D80 user. I will update my review as Ill be getting into more and more of this camera. First noticeable difference is the size. The D300 is bigger and heavier than the D80, but the size it is not a problem for mid-sized hands like mine are. About weight: I bought a neoprene strap some time ago for my D80. I use it also on the D300. The strap which is included with the camera is a bit too rough for my skin and the weight of camera can be a real pain if you carry it on too long. Any neoprene strap will do, just choose one which is a bit more elastic and has a smooth internal layer (touch it, it is important to do that BEFORE you buy it). You wont notice any important difference in the feeling of the grip size, although it is a bit bulkier, because the body has been reshaped in the back of the camera so it is easy to hold it even with one hand. On the back, there is a handy AF-ON button which is completely in the reach of your thumb and the AE-L/ AF-L button is not far from it either. The body has a rubbery feel which is different than the D80 (more plastic) and lays comfortable in your hands giving you the sensation of a good grip. Controls: One thing that annoys most photographers is to have to lower the camera from their eyes very often when they change some settings. You will not have a mode dial, like in D80, just a button and only 4 modes that will be displayed in the viewfinder; this is a pro camera, the amateur-like modes (portrait, night etc) are gone. It will be very nice for you to know that you dont 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. They are on the top, like on D200, which I think it is very convenient because they are arranged in a triangle shape and you can get to your needed button without removing the camera from your eye, because you will remember quite quickly the location of each button: front the quality, left the white balance, right the ISO. Moreover, ISO setting is displayed in the viewfinder and youll be quite amazed to find how useful this little feature is ! On the D80 I had to use and push the custom function button to see this or to look on top, on the LCD display. On top right are only two buttons: to the left is the mode, to the right is the exposure compensation (use this with caution with matrix metering). Voila, with four buttons you control the most important settings for taking pictures, and, best of all, you know their location without having to look at them. What needs special attention is the release mode dial, is the one you have to look at when changing modes. The rest of lever controls have only three positions so its very easy to know which one position is which. The build quality is outstanding, it looks and feels like a tank. Remember that, with camera, you are getting an environmental sealing which is not the case for the D80/40/40x. Combine that with a sealed lens like the 17-55DX f/2.8 and youll gone have a very nice combo even in bad weather. Is that important ? Yes, it is. Otherwise you have to take care all the time and protect your camera from water drops, dust and snowflakes. The sound of the shutter is softer (more silent) than on the D80, probably because of some other materials were used for building the mirror holder and the shutter. ISO, noise: The noise at high ISO is outstanding. When I purchased the D80 I found myself very often wanting to shoot in lowlight conditions and I got a Nikon SB800 for that . However, using flash to some extent annoys people and high ISO was mandatory in such situations. Now you can use ISO 3200 with 100% confidence and getting low noise, well-detailed photos with good saturated colors will be a rule. ISO 1600 is almost noise free, you can see it at pixel peeping but for prints it is non-existent. More important than low noise is detail preservation at high ISO. The 2 more megapixels also help. What helps most on the field is the Auto ISO feature, something that I have never used on the D80. I took shots using a minimum shutter speed of 1/50 s and ISO as high as 2000. That gives you a very wide range of exposure options without being afraid of noise and lost details. One advice, though: be sure to set high ISO noise reduction to low or none (in the menus). You can always remove any noise with a software but never can recover lost details. For noise removal I strongly recommend Nik Software Dfine 2.0 plugin for Adobe Photoshop or Imagenomics Noiseware. In my opinion, the ISO 3200 is a blessing. That means you can take photos in rooms lit with 60W light bulbs without having to cry for blotchy images. If on the D80 ISO 3200 was good (in my opinion) for 6x4 prints and black and white larger images, with D300 you can go far beyond that. Image quality wise, ISO 6400 on the D300 is almost on par with ISO 1600 on the D80, and, more important, using a noise reduction software you can get very good looking images out of ISO 6400 pictures. Metering: no more complaints for "matrix overexposure" fans, although I always felt that this "overexposure" is more related to poor usage of this metering mode on the D80. On D300, the matrix is spot on, and youll like it as much as I do, on sunny, cloudy, evening and artificial light, including the TTL mode on flash. Focus: this will hit you. Actually nobody could understand (neither did I) what a pro-level focusing system means until youll be using one. No more hit and miss, no more problems on portrait compositions, no more problems of focusing with AF points other than the central one. The settings menu will give you a plethora of possible focus combinations, and memory banks to save your settings for quick selection. When youll get your D300, do this test: on continuous servo high speed, track a car. You could make a movie with those sharp images. Colors: I have a habbit, I always shoot in Adobe RGB mode. It is the best way to do when you are after the most color information from one scene. Moreover, even if you have aRGB jpegs, you can always assign a different lower-gamut profile in Adobe Photoshop CS3 or other image editing software. The colors ARE different than the D80s: closer to the warm side of the spectrum, gone is the sometime-magenta cast that you once noticed on your D80 especially under bright sun. The colors ARE PERFECT. So perfect that you can distinguish between subtle tonalities on flowers, skin tones and complexions, to a much better extent than with the D80. The shadows wont have any bluish creep anymore, dark is dark, black is black, maroon is maroon etc. Even at high ISO, the noise is more luminance than bluish. Again, you have a entire army of in-camera settings for colors, brilliance, contrast, hue ... you can customize your preferences for image rendition, you can save more than neutral-vivid-black and white modes personal settings for color and luminance settings. There is only one single exception to this perfection which you have to consider: when using dynamic D-lighting mode, colors tend to get more saturated as high as you get with your D-lightings settings. On RAWs (NEFs) this is easily corrected in your raw processing software, but on jpegs and tiffs, quite difficult. RAW mode: Please, please use Nikon Capture NX Software for Windows and Mac or ACR from Adobe Photoshop CS3 . The results with Lightroom are horrendous in terms of noise reduction. I dont know why, it should have the same RAW engine as Photoshop CS3. UPDATE: These problems seem to come from preproduction firmware NEFs. I found no more problems opening NEFs in Lightroom with a production firmware camera. Please remember that the first 300.000 D300 sold also have a license for Capture NX included in the box (I also got it) so you wont have to spend on licenss. I like the way this software renders colors and noise even if it does not have the most impressive interface one ever built. One more advantage with Capture NX 1.3: you have a new "Picture Control" menu under "Camera Settings" which you can use to add custom picture settings to the D300 (and name them as you want "less vivid", "more neutral" etc) and a custom-curve editor that you can use to add more control to your custom picture preset. Moreover, the 1.3 version of NX picture control options come with some D2x-image-like presets that are great for rendering skin tones in portraits. Memory Card: if you shoot in 14-bit mode (recommended if you shoot RAW or TIFF and have to shoot high dynamic scenes), please remember that the RAW files, uncompressed, are somewhere around 25 MB each. Get a fast card. I bought a SanDisk 4 GB Extreme IV CompactFlash Card , that supports 40MB/s transfer. It runs smoothly, the camera buffer will not clog. Take care: 25 MB NEF file will stress your computer out and squeeze all resources from it. You need at least 2 GB of RAM (I have 4), and a fast processor. I have a Core2Duo 6300 plus win XP 64 bit edition to avoid RAM limitation. Update May 7, 2008: I bought also a 8GB 300x UDMA Lexar CF card to have another CF card for my camera and it seems to me that the write and read speed on the Lexar is inferior to the Sandisk Ultra IV. So my advice is to stick with Sandisk. I wont go into details, but I just want you to know that I have this camera for less than 24 hours, I already shot >100 photos (Update May 7, 2008: >3,000 photos; no hotspots, dead pixels, nada), and I love all of them. It is a perfect upgrade for my needs. Promise to come back with further news. Update (22 Jan 2008 - after two months of use): No problems whatsoever. The camera works like a charm. Im delighted. Update (7 May 2008): No problems encountered. 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. Is nice to have the added possibility of using metering with an AIS-like lens.

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I own a Canon EOS 5D, 40D and 30D so this is my first Nikon DSLR. Being primarily a Canon photographer I always wondered what shooting with Nikon would be like. Let me just say, this Nikon is an absolute gem and pleasure to shoot with. The technology packed into this product is definitely a jump in quality making it worthy of being called a "next generation" DSLR. I could tell you about all the fancy specs, its abilities, and why people think its better than Canon, but the other reviews pretty much say it all. Otherwise, this camera does deliver what it promises. I feel that both Canon and Nikon DSLRs are fantastic for people wanting to learn and/or continue their photography. Sure, right now Id say Nikon absolutely has the lead in technology, but historically these two companies have been going back and forth all along so eventually Canon will take the crown back. My advice for anyone seriously considering buying this camera or any DSLR (since itll put a nice size whole in your pocket) is go to the store and test out the camera that is right for you. See what best fits in your hand, build quality, weight, etc... because I guarantee 8/10 people buying these cameras wont notice any difference in image quality. Both Canons and Nikons are fully capable cameras so its really the photographer who makes ANY difference. (Last bit of advice would be to buy your gear online cause stores tend to mark up their stuff to a nice inflated price. Also, when buying these DSLRs, the glass you have (i.e LENSES) make more difference than the camera youre using (especially after >8.0MP). Good luck and just have fun with your camera! You capture the most memorable shots in the moment. ^_^

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As I write, these bodies are going used for under $300—sometimes under $200—everywhere around the web, including here on Amazon. They are rugged and hold up, even if the exterior is beaten to a pulp. And at this price, paired with an excellent Sigma 18-50mm or 17-50mm f/2.8 lens, you have a pro-quality body and lens that will run circles around the output of any 35mm film system ever produced, at well under $500. It is a good time to enjoy photography, as the barriers to entry are very, very low to get very, very high image quality. Some tips: - There are custom curves around the web that can be downloaded to the camera to simulate films - Up to ISO 1600 is very usable for most conditions - Pair with Lightroom or similar for post-production and noise reduction - Youll get hundreds and hundreds of shots on a single battery charge - I find that I get very good results with shutter priority, which isnt the case on my other systems - For low-light / high-ISO situations, I find that a gray card and captured white balance is essential - Default output is rather clearly optimized for print (or retina) and looks great that way Im at over 100k shutter actuations on my main body and going strong, regularly shooting events. Ive sold off all my other gear because its just so damned cost-effective to be shooting with these Nikon bodies right now that its hard to justify owning and using anything else at multiples of the price. Seriously, for most pro or semi-pro uses, you can pick up one of these bodies plus a spare, an HSM Sigma f/2.8 lens, and a couple of primes and be off and running for less than $1,500, if that. Amazing time to be into photography.

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What a wonderful camera! If your looking for a great SLR and youre unable to purchase the D700 series, this is a phenomenal alternative! There are a few issues to be aware of: - The review screen shows slightly fuzzy shots. Youll have to review them on your PC to see the real deal. Even in Bridge they may look fuzzier than the actual image - The sensor can be a bit jumpy. Make sure you know how to use the AF-L function once you get the the perfect composition - Stay away from the Adobe RGB settings, youll get some weird color blending, especially when using a prime lens. - Its heavy! Even heavier than the D200. If youre a a larger guy or gal like me, thats perfect, but for people with smaller builds or smaller hands it might be a bit unwieldy. - Be sure to update the firmware! Other than that, you will enjoy this camera. Great shooting and AF speeds! Reliable, sturdy and just plain fun to use. And with the 51-points of auto focus, it lets you set up some great shots!

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I bought this camera back in 2007, and it was a decent step up from my previous camera (a D70s). Unfortunately, after a while, the mirror would stick while taking a photo. I could wrestle with it a bit to get it to come back down, but I couldnt rely on it for photojournalism since it would exhibit this behavior pretty often. I took it to a local shop that allegedly fixed it, but it actually still does the same thing. I replaced this camera with a D300s, which had better color handling, and has stood the test of time much better than the 300.

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I am not a professional photographer or a techie, but I do appreciate good photography and good quality photographic equipment. I wasnt that thrilled with my Nikon D80 and I was very pleased with my Nikon D200 which I was able to buy new for $720.00 (What a deal!.) BUT the desire for this Nikon D300 kept nagging at me as I read more and more reviews. The best review ever is from The Imaging Resource (google it). So, I sold my Nikon D80, Nikon D200, and 3 prime lenses to pay for this new camera. I also purchased David Buschs Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide, which is very helpful. You will read all about this camera in many other reviews. I just want to say that color is accurate, Build quality is awesome, User friendly. Very little nose at high ISO. I think my favorite aspect is the four separate shooting menus. They are very user friendly (even for me), independent of each other, and you can always reset it to default if you think you are getting lost. I felt very safe navigating through all the menus. I use it with the Nikon 16-85mm VR lens (approx $600). Yes, you can take good photos with it right out of the box. Of course, you have more control over exposure, depth of field etc as you learn more about the camera. This is my advice. If you have the money, $1700 approx, buy this camera body! It is the finest camera body you can buy without going to full frame, which is immensely more expensive. Go ahead and buy Nikon kit zoom lens and upgrade to a more expensive lens down the road if you want to. In the digital world, it is the camera body that is crucial for accurate color rendition etc. As far as the lens goes, Nikon doesnt make a crappy lens. I find the VR (vibration reduction) lens very helpful because I dont like to use tripods. It is a bit on the heavy side compared to D80 because it is solid Magnesium Alloy body. If you want light weight, buy a compact. In the Nikon D300 manual, Nikon clearly states to never touch the sensor at all in any way. If you cant get the sensor dust off by blowing or by the built in dust vibration system, than make sure that a very qualified Nikon authorized person does it. (this goes for all digital SLR cameras). My previous film cameras were Minolta SRT 102, Leica Rangefinder M2, Contax with Zeiss lens, so I have owned some of the best. This new Nikon D300 DX digital camera does not disappoint me. I am going to get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Jean

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I am a long time Canon user, Going back about 30 years. Have been disappointed lately in their offering, not to mention poor quality control and bad design decisions. People have been asking Canon for a weather sealed pro-sumer body w/ a pro-level AF system for many years and Canon has refused to make it, fearing it would cut into their 1 series sales. Even their 5D and 5D Mark II bodies, which they classify as professional, have a dummied down 9 point AF system and virtually no weather sealing. Numerous complains of it "creaking" when you grip it due to poor door design and being more easily damaged by moisture than other bodies. Recent complaints about mirrors falling out, filthy sensors on brand new cameras etc really make me wonder what is wrong w/ Canon and their quality control. When they added the stupid direct print button on the body (starting w/ the 30D) instead of making the body more robust and weather sealed and having a better AF system, I knew they were going down the wrong path. The one advantage Canon had over Nikon, until the introduction of the D3 and D300, was in high ISO image noise. Canon had the advantage until now and everyone agreed that Canon made better sensors and had a wider assortment of lenses but Nikon made much better bodies w/ pro features in the prosumer line. With Nikons recent offerings, that no longer is true. Many of my friends have changed over to Nikon from Canon and every one was happy they did. I went to a local store and tried the D300 and was blown away. Wow, this is the Canon 3D/7D weve been asking for. Amazing camera and I realized then it was time to sell my Canon equipment and "go to the dark side". I did that and have no regrets. I purchased my D300 from Amazon and it arrived quickly and was flawless. And get this, I did a sensor dust test (Shoot grey/blue sky at F32 or as small as you can get, bring up the image in your editor and run auto levels on it) on my new D300. Not a speck of dust on the sensor. Perfectly clean. My Canon bodies always came w/ dirty sensors and one time it came back after servicing even dirtier than when it went in. The D300 was spotless. A real sign of good quality ... but then you know that the minute you pick up the body. I did a lot of research and picked up their highly rated 16-85 VR and 70-300 VR lenses and find them to be nearly as sharp as the Canon L lenses I used to own at about half the cost. Well done Nikon. I also have a D200 which is very close in features to the D300 (and quite a bit less money if you can find one on sale), but all in all, the D300 is my favorite camera and one that I will use for many years. Very highly recommended.

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Im a neophyte photographer that has been shooting DLSR for a year now. To be fair, Im more of a technocrat than an artist; that is, I know the bells and whistles of this camera, and the D40 and D80 that I own. Its truly easier to be a technocrat than an artist. I would strongly against recommending this camera as the first DSLR for anyone. The exception being experienced film shooters. My reason being the power of this camera can only be appreciated by those that need the features that comes with this puppy. If youre a pro, you can stop reading now. If youre considering upgrading to this from another DSLR or is a point and shoot person with interest for photography, read on... Where to I begin? POW! 6 fps, way better metering than my D80, solid and stable in the hands, ADR with smooth contrast, Nikon finger ergonomics on the grip and buttons, 900K pixel 3" LCD (with impact resistence), 1000+ shots on a single charge (EN-EL3e), shoot at ISO1600+ (with optional high ISO noise reduction) and the magic EXPEED processor that renders gorgeous images. Its much easier to get better pictures with D300. Ive since added the MB-D10 battery grip to up the shooting to 8fps, and yes the Nikon grip is solid and connects perfectly to the D300 body. It shoots THAT much faster, but thats another story (and another review). For $1700 street price, forget everything else if you know you need something like this and go for it. Downside? Weight. Moving to this body from a backup or lower end DSLR, youll need to deal with the extra weight and probably want to invest in a better strap. Add on a battery grip and a pro level lens, and were talking about lugging a backpack or good size camera bag around. It aint all that sexy when youre hiking multiple miles with easily 4-5lbs with basic body and lens combo. On the note of downside with weight, if you dont give a damn about weight and got the money, want to shoot in low light/high ISO, and shoot a lot of sports, go for the D3 and be done with it already. The D300 is spectacular. Its truly a solid and gorgeous product with great ergonomics for photographers, cutting-edge/pack leading features, great picture rendering, and Nikons reliability in construction. Go out and buy one!

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