I’ve owned my Nikon D300 since Spring,2008. I’ve loved every minute with it. I feel confident justifying my purchase and recommending it to others. I use my D300 with many lenses::My Camera Lenses
My Nikon D300
The Nikon D300 replaced the Nikon D200 late in 2007. Virtually the same size,weight and dimensions as the D200,the D300 is in many ways a compact D3 minus the full-frame sensor. The D300 incorporates Nikon’s new 12-mega pixel CMOS sensor and 51-point auto focus sensor::both huge steps forward in Nikon’s prosumer offering. Other highlights of the D300 are its self cleaning sensor,ability to capture 14-bit lossless RAW images,its ability to record up to 8-frames per second continuous shooting,an enormous 3-inch (922,000 pixel) LCD display,Active D-Lighting capabilities and a shutter life of over 150,000 exposures. And if that’s not enough,the Nikon D300′s full compatibility with Nikon’s wide array of lenses is surely a plus.
Here,the D300 with the flash open:
Nikon D300 with Flash
The Nikon D300 body is composed magnesium alloy and soft rubber::weighing in at just over 1.8 pounds and its dimensions equalling approximately 5.8in x 4.5in x 2.9in. Although Nikon wouldn’t go as far to call the D300 water proof,it’s surely weatherproof and well suited for the average photography excursions. The D300 is ergonomic and fits nicely in the user’s grip and its over sized buttons and controls are ideal for easy use.
The price tag is aimed at the Prosumer,$1,499::The D300 can be purchased in a kit with the Nikon 18-200mm VR lens for just over $2,100.
Here are the top,rear and side views of my D300:
Nikon D300,Top View
Nikon D300 Rear View
Nikon D300 Side View,Memory
Nikon D300,Side View
A quick release system with chain links from the hardware store::It’s a great solution for almost no money:
My Camera Strap Setup
I use my D300 mostly with a Manfrotto 190-XB tripod (with 484RC2 ballhead) and MC-30 wired shutter release:
Manfrotto 190xb with 484RC2 Ballhead
Nikon MC 30 Cable Release
Nikon D300 Camera Features Worth Noting:
- Ability to record TIFF images
- Large top LCD display
- Nikon EXPEED image processor
- Default ISO:200-3200 with 100-6400 ISO Boost
- Exposure,Flash Bracketing capabilities
- 100% coverage of frame in the viewfinder
- Serial GPS compatibility
- Flash Hot Shoe
- Compact flash memory slot
- HDMI video output
- MB-D10 vertical grip compatibility
- LCD Live View –Handheld and Tripod Mode
- Uses the EN-EL3e battery
Nikon D300 Technical Specifications:
- Sensor:23.6 x 15.8 CMOS,DX Sensor —12.3 million effective pixels
- Focus Modes:
- Single Servo AF [S]
- Continuous Servo [C]
- Manual Focus [M]
- Focus Tracking,[S] or [C]
- File Formats:
- NEF (12 or 14 bit RAW,compressed or uncompressed)
- NEF + JPEG
- TIFF
- JPEG
- NEF Compression:
- NEF 12 or 14bit RAW Compressed,Lossless
- NEF 12 or 14bit RAW Compressed
- Lens Mount: Nikon F Mount
- Focus Points: 51 or 11 focus points
- AF Auto Focus Modes:
- Single Point
- Dynamic Area (9-points,21-points,51-points and 51-points with 3D tracking)
- Automatic-area
- Shooting Modes:
- Single Frame
- Continuous Low (CL)
- Continuous High (CH)
- Live View
- Self Timer
- Mirror Up Mode
- Auto focus lighting assist: Yes
- Metering:
- 3D Color Matrix Metering II
- Center weighted
- Spot
- Exposure Lock: Yes,with AE-L and AF-L button
- Exposure Bracketing: Yes,2 to 9 frames …1/3,1/2,2/3 and 1 EV stops
- Exposure Compensation:Yes,plus/minus 5 EV …1/3,1/2,2/3 and 1 EV stops
- ISO Sensitivity:
- Default ISO 200 to 3200,1/2,1/3,1 EV stops
- Boost ISO 100-6400
- Shutter: 30 seconds to 1/8000 second …bulb mode available for longer exposures
- White Balance: 2500 to 10,000 Kelvin color temperature range
- White Balance Bracketing:Yes,2 to 9 frames
- Picture Control: Vivid,Standard,Neutral,Monochrome
- In Camera Image Adjustments:
- Sharpening
- Contrast
- Brightness
- Saturation
- Hue
- Color Space: sRGB,Adobe RGB
- LCD Monitor:
- 3.0 inch TFT LCD
- 922,000 pixels
- Brightness adjustment
- Built In Flash: Yes,manual pop up
- Flash Compensation: -3 EV to +1 EV
Playback Modes:
- Full Frame
- 4 to 9 image thumbnails
- Histogram
- Highlight clipping warning
- Shooting data information
- Focus point