Nikon D300S

The Nikon D300S is physically and functionally very close to the D300 introduced back in 2007. The company essentially took the 720p video recording capability from the $900 D90 (the first SLR to offer movie mode) and grafted it into the heftier, pro-level D300 body. There are a few other enhancements, including a fast 7 frame per second burst rate and a dual-memory-slot configuration that welcomes a CompactFlash and an SD/SDHC card simultaneously. Overall, though, the D3000S feels a bit dated, especially when compared to Canon’s 7D, which sells for the same $1700 price (body only) but delivers 18-megapixel resolution, 1080p video, and superior lab results in most of our testing categories. Even the tried-and-true Nikon user interface is feeling less than fresh (particularly for those of us who’ve shot with the vintage 2005 D200), with a limited quick menu system and cumbersome button-and-dial controls for settings adjustments. Nikon loyalists, and those with a significant investment in Nikon lenses, will find the rugged build quality, fine photographic control and extensive customization options they expect from the company’s top-of-the-heap DX-format model. Four years is a long time, though — in fact, even one year is a long time at this point, and the D90 video recording capabilities have been surpassed in that time frame by other, more capable cameras. What’s missing here is innovation, excitement, a reason to get excited about what Nikon has wrought. The D300S is a routine replacement instead of an eye-opening achievement.

Performance

The D300S delivers a true 7 fps burst rate, very good color accuracy, and low image noise when shooting in bright light, though noise is more pronounced than other models when shooting long exposures. Image sharpness is good, and chromatic aberration is very well controlled. Dynamic range is fine at low ISOs, though it drops off substantially when shooting at ISO 800 and above.

Video

If you are looking to replace your dedicated camcorder with a video-capable DSLR the Nikon D300s is definitely not the product for you. It’s video performance isn’t up to snuff, the camera doesn’t capture a Full HD image (it’s max resolution is 1280 × 720), and its manual controls in video mode are limited and finicky. On top of all this is the fact that the D300S is a fairly heavy camera, and it doesn’t have any special handling features to give aid to the videographer. Basically, there was nothing about the video features or performance of the D300S that struck us as unique, interesting, or worthy of praise.

Hardware

With a weather-sealed magnesium alloy frame, the D300S is built to withstand rough handling. The viewfinder is a pleasure to use, with 100% coverage and readouts positioned so they’re easy to read even for those of us who wear glasses, and the 3-inch 921,000-dot LCD is crisp and colorful. The addition of a dual memory card system, with one slot for CompactFlash and the other for SD/SDHC, is a nice step-up from the D300, allowing automatic backups or separate storage for RAW and JPEG files.

Controls

The fast and flexible 51-point autofocus system isn’t new, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less impressive. Unfortunately, the Live View autofocus is still so slow, in either tripod or handheld mode, that shooting moving subjects is strictly a hit-and-miss proposition. The D300S lacks amateur-friendly features such as full auto mode and scene modes, but it does offer extensive shooting characteristic adjustment options via the Picture Control system, with plenty of opportunity to name and store your customized versions.

Sample Photos

In the following sample images, clicking on the larger image will download the full resolution original. Each photo is accompanied by four actual-size crops.

City Sample
				Focal length: 16mm Aperture: f/11 Shutter: 1/250 ISO: 200 Shot in aperture priority mode, with center-weighted metering and automatic white balance. This late afternoon shot was taken in New York City, facing north on Park Avenue, toward Grand Central Station. The D300S held onto detail in the shadowed left side well, and there’s no visible chromatic aberration even at the extremes of the wide angle.

Texture Sample
				Focal length: 28mm Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/320 ISO: 400 This church in Somerville, MA was shot in program mode, with 3D Matrix II metering, using the neutral Picture Control. The subtle color differences in the stonework are reproduced nicely, and the edges are crisp from top to bottom and side to side.

Noise Reduction Sample
	Focal length: 70mm Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter: 1/6 ISO: 3200 We mounted the D300S on a tripod, turned the studio lights down very low and shot these stamps in each of the high ISO noise reduction levels to assess detail level. The camera did quite well with the lettering and fine line work on the bell with noise reduction off, and the effect of low noise reduction is noticeable but acceptable. Beyond this level, the blurriness becomes substantial.
	Noise Reduction Off
	Noise Reduction Low
	Noise Reduction Standard
	Noise Reduction High

Color Sample
				Focal length: 70mm Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter: 1/13 ISO: 200 These items with their familiar logos were shot under mixed incandescent and fluorescent lighting, with a custom white balance reading, with the neutral picture control. Color reproduction here is very good, capturing the different shades of green in the Starbucks and Heineken logos, reproducing the McDonalds colors accurately and sharply. Only the Raisinets box shows a noticeably shift in hue.

Feline Sample
				Focal length: 72mm Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter: 1/60 ISO: 200 This shot of our furry friend Lucas was taken in program mode, using center-weighted metering, bouncing a Nikon SB 600 flash off the ceiling. We like the exposure balance, and the fine detail in the cat’s eyes.

Night Shot Sample
				Focal length: 34mm Aperture: f4.5 Shutter: 1/30 ISO: 800 At ISO 800 we were able to handhold this late night shot of the historic Somerville movie theater, We left the camera in program exposure mode, using matrix metering, and experimented with exposure compensation; the balance here was achieved with -1.3EV. In a difficult shooting situation, there’s impressive detail and little intrusive noise.

Nikon D300S Specs
Type	Professional SLR
Focal Length Minimum	16.0 mm
Focal Length Maximum	85.0 mm
Still Pixel Count (effective)	12.3 megapixels
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Type - New	CMOS
Aspect Ratios	3:2
Frame Rate(s)	24p
Original Price	1699.95 $
Height	114.0 mm
Width	147.0 mm
Depth	74.0 mm
Weight	840.0 g
Model Colors	black
Display Type	LCD
Display Size	3.0 in.
Display Resolution	921,000 pixels
Viewfinder Type	optical
Viewfinder Magnification	0.94 x
Viewfinder Coverage	100.0 % coverage
Diopter Adjustment - New	-2.0 to +1.0m^-1
Media New	CF, SD, SDHC
Connectivity Options	USB, A/V, miniHDMI, microphone, hot accessory shoe
Battery Type	removable lithium-ion
Battery Model Number	EN-EL3e
Mirror Technology (Interchangeable Lens)	DSLR
Waterproof	No
Manual Controls	manual focus, aperture priority mode, shutter priority mode, custom white balance, ISO control
ISO Options	200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, Extended ISO
Minimum ISO	200
Maximum ISO	3200