Nikon D300

Connectivity
Software (7.5)
The Nikon D300 comes with a CD-ROM that has the Nikon Software Suite on it. That includes, oddly enough, Kodak EasyShare Software. It also has Nikon Transfer and ViewNX programs. It does not come with CaptureNX software that is required to work with RAW images or to use the image dust-off feature in the Camera menu; that will cost you an additional $120.

The Nikon Transfer software is extraordinarily basic. Most computers come with some form of a transfer program anyway, so this likely won’t be necessary. The ViewNX software is more useful. It includes organizational and viewing capabilities. It shows images as thumbnails that can be made larger or smaller. You can tag images as favorites, add comments, or rate them with 1-5 stars. There is quick access to print, e-mail, rotate, and slide show functions, as well as a link to the Nikon Transfer software.

The Nikon ViewNX software skimps on the editing functions. You can rotate images, but that’s about it. You can view histograms and pictures, but nothing can be done to change the exposure. If you buy or own a Nikon D300, you’re going to want to invest in better software than this, especially if you are looking to work with RAW images.

Jacks, ports, plugs (9.5)
The Nikon D300 has many jacks and ports placed throughout the camera body. The main access point is on the left side where there is a thick rubber door that opens to reveal four jacks. The top one is for the video-out function, which can be set to NTSC or PAL standard. The next one down is for the optional HDMI cable, which hooks up the camera to high-definition televisions to display images at up to 1080i resolution (the 1080p standard on newer HDTVs is not supported). The D300 is equipped with HDMI version 1.3a. The DC-in socket is the next down on the column and the USB jack is at the bottom of the totem pole. Just around the corner are two rubber covers that hide the flash sync terminal on the top and the 10-pin remote terminal on the bottom. On the bottom is where the optional battery grip attaches to the camera. On the top is where Nikon’s Speedlight flashes can attach to the four-pin hot shoe.

Direct Print Options (8.0)
Direct printing to PictBridge compatible printers is available from the Playback menu. You can tag images in DPOF orders and specify them to print 0-99 prints of each.

Battery (7.0)
The Nikon D300 accepts an EN-EL3e rechargeable lithium-ion battery that has a 1500 mAh rated capacity. The camera can also accept a $230 MB-D10 battery pack that doubles as a vertical grip. The pack can accept one EN-EL4a, EN-EL4 or EN-EL3e or eight AA alkaline, Ni-MH, lithium, or nickel-manganese batteries. A power adaptor can also be used.

Nikon claims a battery life of 1,000 shots for the EN-EL3e standard battery before needing a recharge. The camera stores very precise data about the battery; the monochrome LCD atop the camera shows only a five-level image of a battery, but an option in the menu shows the exact percentage of charge left in the battery. This battery is the same one included with the D200 and is backwards compatible, but older batteries can’t work in the D300. This means that you can use your D200 batteries in the D300, but not those from older Nikon cameras.

The camera comes with a MH-18a "quick charger" to juice up the included battery. When the battery is fully discharged, it takes the charger only 2.25 hours to recharge it. The charger isn’t a wall-mount type; like Nikon’s other DSLR battery chargers, there is a separate cable to plug the charger dock into an outlet.

Memory  (4.0)
The Nikon D300 accepts CompactFlash type I and II cards as well as Microdrive. This clearly separates it from entry-level models that are using more compact-oriented SD media. The D300’s memory card fits into a tightly-sealed door on the right side. The door doesn’t snap open from there, though; it must be opened using a lever on the back of the camera. This is a god thing; you aren't likely to accidentally open the door and get dust and grunge in the card bay. CompactFlash cards remain the best choice for the high-end user; they are faster and have larger capacities than their smaller SDHC memory card cousins.

Other features (7.5)
Dust Reduction – The D300 is the first digital camera to introduce Nikon’s dust reduction system, more than a year after Olympus introduced its dust reduction capabilities. This system is great for photographers who change lenses often or do it in dusty environments. Nikon’s system uses four resonance frequencies that vibrate the optical low pass filter, shaking particles from the sensor. You can opt to have the sensor shake the dust when the camera starts up and turns off, or you can do it manually from the Setup menu. There is also an "image dust-off data acquisition" feature that tracks dust specks in images and takes them out when Capture NX software is used.

Text Input – The names of files can be changed from "DSCxxxx" to whatever you desire. You can change the letters and numbers with a 36-character virtual keypad controllable with the multi-selector. You can also attach comments to image files. Both of these are useful features to have if you often take large numbers of shots and need an easy way to distinguish them.

Remote Control – The Nikon D300 can be controlled remotely using a 10-pin cable or a $729 WT-4A wireless transmitter. The latter also allows images to be sent over WiFi connections, which could be very useful if you want to quickly transfer images. With the optional $170 Camera Control 2 software, this also allows the user to fully control the camera remotely; great if you want to hide the camera somewhere  but still be able to shoot images remotely.

GPS Compatibility - The Nikon D300 has a nine-pin port for a GPS unit so it can record data within the image file information. The standard NMEA interface is supported with optional D-sub and MC-35 GPS cables.

Multiple Exposures – The Nikon D300 has an interesting multiple exposure feature hidden within its Shooting menu. It allows you to shoot two to 10 images and combine them into a single file. An auto gain feature can be turned on and off. There isn’t a live preview of what exposures were already taken, so this feature is best used on a tripod and with still or very patient subjects. Once the specified number of images is taken, the file is made and the camera resets to shoot only one image at a time.