LCD Size:
3 inches
Resolution:
12.3 MP
No
Video Recording
Ease of use
0
Show what experts say (4 reviews)
"If all you’re used to holding is a compact digital camera, there will definitely be some adjustment to using the Nikon D300. If you’re a seasoned photographer...then the learning curve won’t be as steep. The controls are clearly labeled and there is a 'help' button labeled with a '?' that demystifies any mode or feature on the camera."
"Customisation is a big aspect of the D300 with ten settings for AF, six for metering and exposure, four for timers and AE lock, 11 for shooting and display, seven for bracketing and flash, and ten for controls. That’s 48 in all, allowing you to tweak every aspect of the camera..."
"Enough manual settings to fill a 421-page user manual."
"The D2X/Xs and D200 are still the great cameras they always were, but the D300 is just better. Maybe that's why Nikon ad copy makes no mention of anything other than 'professional' when talking about the D300."
Picture Quality
10
Show what experts say (5 reviews)
"As for photo quality, the D300 delivers great results, with a visibly superior noise profile to the D200 as well as to the Sony DSLR-A700 (which uses the same sensor). At their best, photos are sharp, with excellent exposures, accurate colors, and broad tonal ranges."
"In terms of image quality, the D300 produces very natural-looking results using its default JPEG settings which have few if any electronic artefacts to speak of."
"Overall, photo quality was near perfect."
"I found the overall picture quality to be extremely high, with reliably perfect exposure and focusing, and of course the lens performed brilliantly."
"The image quality is overall extremely good."
Low light
10
Show what experts say (5 reviews)
"Nikon traditionally delivers excellent low-light focus performance in its dSLRs, and the D300 is no exception. Even shooting a black cat sitting in the shadows of a dimly lit apartment proved no problem."
"I was also pleased with the camera's performance in low-light situations, even at high ISO settings."
"We test the low light performance of cameras in two ways, measuring their performance with long exposures and at different light levels. In both tests, we found that the D300 did an excellent job of capturing images without producing ugly, grainy images; they were consistently low in noise, but with strong color."
"Improved auto-focus module (Multi-CAM3500DX) delivers fast and accurate AF lock even in low light."
"The D300 did well in this test; as the light level fell, the amount of noise in images grew, but not as much as many other cameras that we’ve seen."
Video Quality
0
Build Quality
10
Show what experts say (4 reviews)
"In terms of weather-proofing, Nikon has provided dust and moisture-resistant seals on the various controls, flaps and doors (although unlike Canon’s 40D, there’s no seal for the hotshoe)…"
"The body is environmentally sealed against moisture and dust, and it is classified as water resistant. It is certainly a camera you can take out in the field without worrying if it will come back in one piece."
"The dust- and weatherproof body weighs a hair over 2 pounds, and feels as solid as a little tank."
"These features are packed into tough body with excellent ergonomics, making it an ideal camera not just for high-end enthusiasts, but also as a backup body for professional photographers."
Battery Life
8
Show what experts say (5 reviews)
"The Nikon D300 is powered by the same EN-EL3e 1500mAh Lithium Ion battery pack as its predecessor. Nikon quotes 1000 shots under CIPA conditions without Live View – we found with a mix of normal and Live View shooting, you were looking at closer to half that figure..."
"I shot somewhere in the region of 250 photos while testing the camera, and the battery charge meter was still reading four out of five bars when I'd finished."
"In its standard configuration the D300 uses the same EN-El3e battery as the D200 – and some D200 owners reported marginal battery life with that power source…"
"The camera manages its battery with intelligence, displaying the battery's state of charge, number of images captured (Pic meter) and charge life from within the setup menu. We did not fully deplete the EN-EL3e during our testing, despite taking over 900 images at one point between charges."
"We shot several hundred images over a couple of weeks and didn’t needed to recharge once – which, we think you’ll agree, isn’t bad at all."
Travel Capabilities show formula
We combine our Build Quality Score and Battery Life Score to find a camera great for travel.
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Awesome
Size show formula
We just use a camera's volume (height x width x depth) to determine its size.
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