Cameras
Nikon D300
12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor; 6fps continuous shooting; extendable ISO range of 200 to 3200; and EXPEED image processing engine. Superb performance for pros on a budget.
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Nikon D300 Review
Nikon D300 Review
A review from What Digital Camera.
The D300 defines a new class of compact professional SLR, incorporating groundbreaking technologies and performance of the D3 into a compact DX format body. The 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor features a self-cleaning dust removal unit and delivers resolution suitable for commercial and stock photography. The EXPEED image processing engine supports a class-leading 6fps at up to 3200 ISO, and delivers superb tonal gradation. Its advanced Scene Recognition System produces superior exposures and is complimented by Nikon’s next-generation 51-point AF system, which offers broad coverage and high sensitivity in low light. Selectable Picture Controls streamline in-camera image processing, saving time in post-production, and the high definition 3-inch LCD screen supports two Live View modes plus a HDMI video output. Responsive, rugged and light, the D300 offers new levels of performance for pros on a budget.
- 12.3 megapixel DX format CMOS image sensor . Built-in self-cleaning sensor unit minimizes the effect of dust.
- 6fps continuous shooting (8fps with optional MB-D10 battery pack with lithium-ion battery EN-EL4a or 8 AA batteries).
- ISO 200-3200 : extendable up to ISO 6400 (equivalent) and down to ISO 100 (equivalent).
- EXPEED image processing engine with 14-bit A/D conversion and 16-bit image processing for superb tonal gradation.
- Advanced Scene Recognition System combines the camera’s metering and AF sensors for precise exposures and sharply-defined images.
- Multi-CAM3500DX 51-point AF system . Individually selectable or configurable in 9-point, 21-point and 51-point coverage settings.
- Quick response with approx 0.13 second power-up and 45 millisecond shutter release time lag.
- Picture Controls streamline in-camera image processing by enabling customization of image parameters before capture, and offer complete control over sharpening, contrast, brightness, hue and saturation in various color modes.
- 920,000 dot 3-inch VGA LCD monitor with wide, 170- degree viewing angle.
- Live View with Autofocus lets you compose images using the LCD monitor. Two modes are supported: Handheld or Tripod.
- Active D-Lighting enables superior high-contrast images by automatically applying tone compensation at the moment of capture.
- Durable, magnesium alloy body : water and dust resistant.
- Improved battery performance : sequential power supply between camera’s EN-EL3 rechargeable lithium-ion battery and the (optional) Multi-Power Battery Pack. HDMI video output interface enables connection to high-definition video systems.
- Intuitive ergonomics with optimized button placement for fast and comfortable handling.
- Lightweight Magnesium alloy body ..
| Type of Camera | Single-lens reflex digital camera |
| Effective Pixels | 12.3 million |
| Image Sensor | CMOS sensor, 23.6 x 15.8 mm; total pixels: 13.1 million; Nikon DX format |
| Image Size (pixels) | 4,288 x 2,848 [L], 3,216 x 2,136 [M], 2,144 x 1,424 [S] |
| Dust-reduction System | Clean image sensor, image dust-off data acquisition (Capture NX required) |
| Sensitivity | ISO 200 to 3200 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV with additional settings of approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 EV (ISO 100 equivalent) under ISO 200 and approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 EV (ISO 6400 equivalent) over ISO 3200 |
| File System | Compliant with DCF 2.0, DPOF and Exif 2.21 |
| Storage System | NEF 12-bit or 14-bit (uncompressed, lossless compressed or compressed RAW) TIFF (RGB) JPEG: JPEG baseline-compliant |
| Storage Media | CompactFlash (CF) Card (Type I and II, UDMA compliant), Microdrive |
| Release Modes | ) Single frame [S] mode 2) Continuous low speed [CL] mode: 1 to 7 frames per second (*1) 3) Continuous high-speed [CH] mode: 8 frames per second (*1), 6 frames per second (*2) 4) Liveview [LV] mode 5) Self-timer mode 6) Mirror-up [Mup] mode *1. When using AC Adaptor EH-5a/EH-5 or Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 with batteries other than Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e *2. When using Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e (When shooting in Continuous-servo AF (C), Shutter-Priority Auto [S] or Manual [M] exposure modes, at a shutter speed of 1/250 s or faster with other settings at default) |
| White Balance | Auto (TTL white balance with 1,005-pixel RGB sensor), seven manual modes with fine-tuning, color temperature setting, white balance bracketing possible (2 to 9 frames in increments 1~3) |
| Liveview | Hand-held shooting mode, Tripod shooting mode |
| LCD Monitor | 3-in., approx. 920,000-dot (VGA), 170-degree wide viewing angle, 100% frame coverage, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment |
| Playback Function | 1) Full frame 2) Thumbnail (4 or 9 segments) 3) Zoom 4) Slideshow 5) RGB histogram indication 6) Shooting data 7) Highlight point display 8) Auto image rotation |
| Delete Function | Card format, All photographs delete, Selected photographs delete |
| Video Output | NTSC or PAL; simultaneous playback from both the video output and on the LCD monitor available |
| HDMI Output | Supports HDMI version 1.3a; Type A connector is provided as HDMI output terminal; simultaneous playback from both the HDMI output terminal and on the LCD monitor not available |
| Interface | Hi-Speed USB |
| Text Input | Up to 36 characters of alphanumeric text input available with LCD monitor and multi-selector; stored in Exif header |
| Lens Mount | Nikon F Mount with AF coupling and AF contacts |
| Compatible Lenses | ) DX AF Nikkor: All functions possible 2) D-/G-type AF Nikkor (excluding IX Nikkor lenses): All functions possible (excluding PC Micro-Nikkor) 3) AF Nikkor other than D-/G-type (excluding lenses for F3AF): All functions except 3D-Color Matrix Metering II possible 4) AI-P Nikkor: All functions except Autofocus, 3D-Color Matrix Metering II possible 5) Non-CPU AI Nikkor: Can be used in exposure modes A and M; electronic range finder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster; Color Matrix Metering and aperture value display supported if user provides lens data |
| Picture Angle | Equivalent in 35mm [135] format is approx. 1.5 times lens focal length |
| Viewfinder | SLR-type with fixed eye-level pentaprism; built-in diopter adjustment (-2.0 to +1.0 m-1) |
| Eyepoint | 19.5 mm (-1.0 m-1) |
| Focusing Screen | Type-B BriteView Clear Matte screen Mark II with superimposed focus brackets and On-Demand grid lines |
| Viewfinder Frame Coverage | Approx. 100% (vertical and horizontal) |
| Viewfinder Magnification | Approx. 0.94x with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1 |
| Autofocus | TTL phase detection, 51 focus points (15 cross-type sensors) by Nikon Multi-CAM 3500DX autofocus module; Detection -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100 at 20°C/68°F); AF fine adjustment possible Focal plane contrast [in Liveview (Tripod) mode] |
| Lens Servo | Single-servo AF (S); continuous-servo AF (C); manual (M); predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status in continuous-servo AF |
| Focus Point | Single AF point can be selected from 51 or 11 focus points Liveview (Tripod mode): Contrast AF on a desired point within entire frame |
| AF Area Mode | 1) Single point AF 2) Dynamic Area AF [9 points, 21 points, 51 points, 51 points (3D-tracking)] 3) Automatic-area AF |
| Focus Lock | Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button |
| Exposure Metering System | TTL full-aperture exposure metering using 1005-pixel RGB sensor 1) 3D Color Matrix Metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses); color matrix metering (non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data; metering performed) 2) Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 6, 8, 10, or 13 mm dia. circle in center of frame or weighting based on average of entire frame (8 mm circle when non-CPU lens is used) 3) Spot: Meters approx. 3 mm dia. circle (about 2.0% of frame) centered on selected focus point (on center focus point when non-CPU lens is used) |
| Exposure Metering Range | 1) 0 to 20 EV (3D Color Matrix or center-weighted metering) 2) 2 to 20 EV (spot metering) (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20ºC) |
| Exposure Meter Coupling | Combined CPU and AI |
| Exposure Modes | 1) Programmed Auto [P] with flexible program 2) Shutter-Priority Auto [S] 3) Aperture Priority Auto [A] 4) Manual [M] |
| Exposure Compensation | ±5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV |
| Auto Exposure Lock | Detected exposure value locked by pressing AE-L/AF-L button |
| Auto Exposure Bracketing | Exposure and/or flash bracketing (2 to 9 exposures in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV) |
| Picture Control System | Four setting options: Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome; each option can be adjusted |
| Shutter | Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal plane shutter, 1/8,000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, Bulb |
| Sync Contact | X=1/250 s; flash synchronization at up to 1/320 s (FP) adjustable with Built-in Speedlight or optional Speedlight (will reduce GN) |
| Flash Control | 1) TTL: TTL flash control by 1,005-pixel RGB sensor Built-in Speedlight, SB-800, SB-600 or SB-400: i-TTL balanced fill-flash and standard i-TTL flash 2) AA (Auto Aperture-type) flash: Available with SB-800 used with CPU lens 3) Non-TTL Auto: Available with Speedlights such as SB-800, 28, 27, and 22S 4) Range-priority manual flash; available with SB-800 |
| Flash Sync Mode | 1) Front-curtain Sync (normal) 2) Red-eye Reduction 3) Red-eye Reduction with Slow Sync 4) Slow Sync 5) Rear-curtain Sync |
| Built-in Speedlight | Manual pop-up with button release |
| Guide number | (ISO 200, m): approx. 17 (manual 18) (ISO 100 equivalent, m): approx. 12 (manual 13) |
| Flash Compensation | -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV |
| Accessory Shoe | ISO 518 Standard hot-shoe contact with safety lock provided |
| Sync Terminal | ISO 519 standard terminal |
| Creative Lighting System | With Speedlights such as SB-800, SB-600, SB-400, SB-R200, supports Advanced Wireless Lighting, Auto FP High-Speed Sync, Flash Color Information Communication, modeling flash and FV lock |
| Self-timer | 2 to 20 seconds duration |
| Depth of Field Preview | When CPU lens is attached, lens aperture can be stopped down to value selected by user (A and M mode) or value selected by camera (P and S mode) |
| Remote Control | Via 10-pin terminal or Wireless Transmitter WT-4 (optional) |
| GPS | NMEA 0183 (Ver. 2.01 and 3.01) interface standard supported with 9-pin D-sub cable (optional) and GPS Cable MC-35 (optional) |
| Supported Languages | Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish |
| Power Source | One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e, Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 (optional) with one Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL4a, EN-EL4 or EN-EL3e or eight R6/AA-size alkaline (LR6), Ni-MH (HR6), lithium (FR6) batteries, or nickel-manganese ZR6 batteries, AC Adapter EH-5a (optional) |
| Tripod Socket | 1/4 in. (ISO 1222) |
| Custom Settings | 48 settings available |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | Approx. 147 x 114 x 74 mm |
| Weight | Approx. 825 g without battery, memory card, body cap, or monitor cover |
| Operating Environment | Temperature: 0-40°C, Humidity: under 85% (no condensation) |
The Nikon D300 will be supplied in a flight case
with the following -
Please note that this list is for guidance only. We will always advise you if for any reason the equipment is to be supplied with a different number of batteries.
Where applicable, all batteries will be fully charged before dispatch, except in the event of a turnaround where the client will be advised accordingly.
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Please note that this list is for guidance only. We will always advise you if for any reason the equipment is to be supplied with a different number of batteries.
Where applicable, all batteries will be fully charged before dispatch, except in the event of a turnaround where the client will be advised accordingly.
The following accessories are available to hire with the Nikon D300 -
| Daily Hire | £53.33 (£64.00) | Weekend Hire | £82.50 (£99.00) |
| Weekly Hire | £164.17 (£197.00) | 2 Weekly Hire | £218.33 (£262.00) |
| 3 Weekly Hire | £274.17 (£329.00) | Deposit | £225.00 |
Prices shown above as Ex VAT in black (Inc VAT in red). These prices are for hire only - courier charges will apply. All equipment will be delivered by 12pm on the day before the hire period and collected the day after the hire has finished. For more details, visit our How to Hire section.
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Photo answers rating Despite the heritage of the D100 and D200, the D300 actually belongs higher up the scale than either of these models ever did. It really does replace the D2Xs in terms of quality and feel. It’s a great camera for a solid price that is well worth getting hold of. In case you’re still not sure, if the choice is between this and a cheaper or second D2Xs, buy the D300 – you’ll get a lot more for your money. |
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Digital SLR Photography Rating - 92/100 Is this a top-end enthusiast DSLR or a 'budget' working tool for the professional? I'd have to say I think the D300 is both. It represents a major jump from the D200 and, boasting many of the features found on the flagship D3, is a real option for the professional. With the exception of newcomers to SLR photography, this is a model that can be used by all levels of user. it offers sublime handling, a wealth of features (including its superb AF and metering systems) and brilliant performance. I'd have to say that I think it's good enough to entice people using other brands to consider switching allegiance, as in this sector of the market, there is currently nothing to touch it. |
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Review 27.01.09 Every now and again, a camera comes along that redefines the market it serves. The D300 is just such a camera. It is a superb piece of kit that never fails to impress. While some may find the £1300 body only price tag hefty, I can only wonder how Nikon has managed to make such a brilliant piece of kit so affordable. |
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Review Date : 7th January 2008 - 93% Nikon has really done proud with the D300. Finally here is a camera that surpasses the capabilities of the Nikon F6 film camera, and at a price that, while not cheap, is comparable to a pro film camera and relatively affordable. That’s important, because pros and enthusiasts can now get a decent quality camera without investing several thousand pounds and know it will do – and stand up to – the job. From the D300's handling and performance to the final output, the Nikon D300 is an impressive camera and excels in recording detail, faithful colour and suppressing noise. All in all, the D300 is one of the best digital cameras ever put to review by What Digital Camera. |
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