Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens by Nikon
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Digital camera reviews of Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
Digital camera Review: The best you can get for the money
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a fantastic camera. I upgraded from a D80, which I was happy with, but this camera is in a completely different class. Handling is excellent, build quality superb and colours are fantastic. The Active D-Lighting is a great feature, and the high ISO performance is unbelievable.Digital camera Review: Unbeliveable clarity and sharp and crisp
Summary: 5 Stars
The first, the very first image from the Nikon D300 with it's 18-200mm lens (all around lens for me) showed me I had made the right choice.
Snapped an image of neighbor across street standing beneath his American
flag. On the computer screen I could see the stitches in his pants and some loose threads hanging from the flag's edge.
There are many features and options on the camera I personally will not need (it is loaded) but I believe it will fit each amature and professional requirements alike whatever they are.
Digital camera Review: Very disappointed
Summary: 1 Stars
I ordered my Nikon D300 Nov. 18, 2008. I have wanted a Nikon for many years and after I got into digital I wanted a dslr. I decided the Nikon D300 would be the best I could buy. It worked great for about 2 months. Now it has developed the dead power problem. The AF stops working after a few shots. When it is cold it is worse. At first it thought -20 was cold now it thinks 40 above is to cold. Doesn't matter which lens is on it and a freshly charged very warm batters makes no difference at all. The problem is getting worse fast. Now I am finding lists of people who are having the same problem. I am going to do some calling tomorrow and find out where to send it back. I always believed Nikon was one of the best cameras. I guess I was wrong. I would recommend that you consider some other camera rather then the Nikon D300.Digital camera Review: WOW!
Summary: 5 Stars
OK, after reading all the online reviews and professional reviews and stewing over it for a few weeks I jumped on this one with the "kit" 18-200 VR lens. I am not a pro, although I have considered doing some pro work, but I take my photography seriously. My subject is mostly family/grandkids and local scenery. I am constantly experimenting with settings and never used the standard icon selections on the mode dial on my D50, so this camera seemed a natural upgrade to me.
First, I am absolutely enthralled. This is an absolutely fabulous equipment combination. There seem to be few settings, options, or configurations that I could have dreamed of that would have made me happier. Things I love:
The 18-200 VR lens; I have taken pics at 1/30 of a second at full 200mm zoom that I wouldn't have thought possible. It really does prevent most motion blur. Besides the actual camera this was the best part of my purchase. I rarely miss a shot for need of changing lenses, my former lenses being an 18-55 and a 55-200. With the flexibility of the camera itself and my second lens being a faster 30mm f1.4 this is pure photography fun for me. I know that some pros have dissed this lens as being less than pro, with distortion at certain extremes and some blur in the midrange 135mm. For the photography I do this is not important. When I do notice some distortion it's not important and I have not seen any blur, though I may not be looking close enough.
Auto-ISO: Still playing with this feature but the cool thing is that you can set it the minimum shutter speed you want and it will step up the ISO to keep that speed when needed. 1/30 seems a good speed with the VR lens, though there is sometimes subject motion blur (not camera motion blur), but this is also fun to play with. It can always be bumped up to 1/60 or more.
External controls: Most of the commonly-changed options are at your fingertips which means you don't need to visit the menus as often. I have a friend with a D40x and most of the options are in menus and my D50 has some on external buttons. The D300 seems to have a good balance. You very clearly could not have put all the menu items on external buttons on this camera!
Speaking of menus; I have a great fondness for the help feature available on this and on my D50. Not sure of other maker's cameras but if you don't know or don't remember a feature the help button will nudge you.
The customizable individual lens focus adjustment feature is the cat's meow. My aforementioned Sigma 30mm lens has never focused properly and I was able to quickly adjust this in-camera. Henceforth, all my pictures taken with the Sigma lens will at least be properly focused!
OK, one of my favorite features; the intervalometer. Ooooo, Ahhhh. It can be used by itself or with multi-exposure. By itself you can set it up to take pictures at whatever interval you like. This can be great fun. I set it up on a tripod at our reunion to take a picture every minute while we were playing cards, even catching my brother with Easter eggs over his eyes. This almost makes up for the lack of an infrared remote capability, though I guess they could not have included everything and to be fair, it is available with external added equipment. Multi-exposure is also pretty cool. More stuff to play with.
Some observations; if you have an event coming up get the camera early and play with it. I was still figuring out the settings when I went to a family reunion and took 1500 pictures. Many of those were multi-shots of the same subject so I dumped the extras and ended up with around 500 good pictures. I took some group pictures and some were blurry because I misunderstood a feature or two.
I take a lot of profile pictures and the only way to properly focus on these is to spot focus on the nose or eye. I would have liked a feature that recognizes a profile and focuses properly without changing settings. I guess that is asking a lot! Maybe in the next generation.
The weight of the device is off-putting for some, though not for me. I have big hands and the camera fills them nicely and the "balance," the way it feels in one's hands when it is turned different directions, feels just right to me, similar to the way a well-balanced 18v cordless drill feels. Though heavy, the weight is evenly distributed and it can be turned and manipulated without strain, at least not for me.
The battery life for me has been less than the 1000 pictures others have been getting. More like 500 or a little more. I'm not sure if this is because of the VR lens because I have not used my Sigma much yet. 500 is still a lot and I am not unhappy with this.
The only other "issue" if you can call it that is the front aperture dial; My finger sticks to the rubber around it which makes it more difficult to turn it. Just a nit-pic (pun intended) and something I will get used to.
Overall, I can truthfully say I love it. It doesn't get much better than this!
JCF
Digital camera Review: excellence
Summary: 5 Stars
I did SO much research before buying this camera, originally thinking I'd get the Canon Rebel XSI... This lens is amazing, it's so powerful and versatile that when I compared it to buying the Canon body and 2 Canon lenses that would cover a similar zoom range, the Canon option stopped making any financial sense.
I'm extremely happy with the photos I've taken with this guy, from massive gigapixel panoramas to HDRI to action shots at the dog park. It makes photography as simple as you need it to be or as precise as you want.
I know the D700 is coming out soon -- unless you are a serious pro and working in a lot of low-light, don't bother paying more for this. Full-frame sensor isn't worth the premium.