Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-135mm AF-S DX f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF Nikkor Zoom Lens
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List Price: $2,285.00
Our Price:
$2,029.95
You Save: $255.05
Features
• 12.3-megapixel captures enough detail for poster-size photo-quality prints
• Kit includes 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G AF-S DX ED-IF Nikkor zoom lens
• 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
• Self-cleaning sensor unit; magnesium alloy construction with rubber gaskets and seals |
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Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-135mm AF-S DX f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF Nikkor Zoom Lens Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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Excellent workhorse
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I am an amateur with experience (meaning I don't pay my bills through photography). I previously owned a D70 and an EOS for 35mm film.
Thing is, I wanted to upgrade the digital system I had with the D300 and, in summary, the camera is SO BEAUTIFUL, SO RELIABLE, INCREDIBLE PICTURES, etc etc... it's a dead-on choice for a digital SLR!!
This camera has many pluses:
-Many pro's says 12Mpx for an APS sensor (= sensor with a conversion factor, smaller than a 35mm film's frame size) is too much for such a small sensor, since the image's will be quality-restricted because the pixels are too small... My response is that after shooting for a couple years with a 6 Mpx D70, the quality difference IS GREAT... There IS a leap in resolving power with the 12Mpx sensor in the D300.. It blew my mind away. More on this at the end of the review.
- The D300 picture controls, specially saturation, reaches a level of in-camera adjustments unheard of in previous Nikon DSLR's. Saturation levels will reach levels comparable with Fuji's Velvia film, and that's a lot! This gives you the advantage of reduced post-production, since you are capable of tweaking pictures in-camera that will suit your taste (It did for me)
- Active D-lighting. DSLR's tend to have problems with highlly contrasted subjects (Subjects with ample dynamic range), and this is one of the many reasons why many pro's still use film (because it will deal better with high contrast). The ADL function in the D300 does allows me to capture contrasty subjects under difficult light conditions, reducing highlight blowout in the picture, while preserving shadow detail.. It really works. It allows me to use digital for shot's that would have required film or in-camera filtration!
- Splendid ISO range!! Now I can take pictures in very low light conditions that would have been impossible with my D70 because of the high noise inherent to a high ISO. The D300 does manage high ISO noise like no other camera I've used in the past! ISO 1600 images are very very clean (ISO3220 is clean, HI-1 mode (ISO 6400) is too noisy for me)! This is great news! This also means I don't have to lug a tripod for low light shots (unless I were doing landscape work; In such case, I do use a gitzo tripod for every shot I take, which takes me to the following point):
- Mirror up mode! I didn't have this feature in my D70, and I love to be able to raise the mirror when doing tripod shots (Landscape) in order to gain maximun sharpness by minimizing vibrations.. Also included are Live view mode (It allows you to see the subject in the camera LCD while composing the picture, instead of using the viewfinder. I use this feature when the camera position won't allow me to see through the finder, and it really helps).
- The D300 autofocus is very reliable (3D autofocus mode is realy helpful when tracking moving subjects). Very high frame per second count ( Up to 8 FPS with the accessory grip).
- Weather sealed. I live in a tropical part of the world, where things can get pretty damp and wet, and the D300 is all about getting pictures, and I don't have to worry about the weather!!
- 14 bit RAW is the way to go if you are interested in the highest image quality and rich tonal gradations. My D300 gives me that option! with my D70, i had to work with an inferior 12 bit Raw file... I usually shoot RAW (14 bit) + JPG (You NEED a a 4 Gigs CF card as a minimum, since the files tend to be big..)
- Last, the camera allows me to save the combination of settings i need tuned for specific purposes. I have a menu bank tuned for portraits, another menu bank for landscape, another for low-light conditions and another one for highlly saturated images! This is just wonderfull!! For example, let's say I am doing tripod work and I need to change the camera setting for portrait work, and I need to do it FAST, instead of browsing all the settings I need to change, I just select a menu bank tuned for portraits, so I don't loose my time changing setting by setting!
On the minus side:
- Nikon didn't implement a release timer when using mirror up mode, which seems foolish to me, since a timed release AND mirror up, when used on a tripod, are the way to go in order to reduce vibrations... this forced me to buy a release cable, and this leads me to the next point:
- The cable release for this camera is of the 10 pin family, and it is expensive, compared to the 15$ IR release I used on my D70...
- As much as I've become in love with Active D-lighting, there are times when i need to turn it off. This happens when I shoot for silhouttes (heavy backlighting) since I WANT a deep, textureless black ( silhouttes are meant to look like that) and the ADL function will try to preserve shadow detail, creating a murky grey instead of a deep black.
To sum it up, this camera is great!! My jaw still falls wide open whith amazement with the images coming out from the D300...
One final point: I HAD an EOS 35mm film camera, because I no longer feel that 35 mm film gives me superior quality when compared to my beloved D300!!! This camera is THAT GOOD!
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Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-135mm AF-S DX f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF Nikkor Zoom Lens digital cameras, camcorders for sale