Nikon D300S Review
The D300S is the successor to the D300 which was released in 2007. The release of the D90 was the first time that Nikon ventured into video territory with its DSLR range. The D300S is a major upgrade on the D90 with the high resolution video and sensor taken from the D90 and improved upon in a more expensive version.
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Overview
Those who fear that the D300S is just a more expensive version of the D90 should rest assured that there are few similarities. Both have 12.9 megapixels and the Nikon EXPEED processor but that’s about it. It is the D300 that has the most similarities with the same 51 point auto focus, optional viewfinder and distance tracking as the Nikon D300S. What the D300S has that its earlier version does not is an extra SDHC card slot and a superior continuous shooting speed of 7fps.
The D300S has an ISO range of 200 to 3200 though there are 100 and 6400 options available too. The EXPEED processor enables you to record videos at 24fps with a pixel resolution of 1280×720. It is possible to increase the continuous shooting speed to 8fps by purchasing an MB-D10 battery grip which retails at almost $300.
Design
It is hard to tell the difference between the D300S and the D300 as they are virtually identical in appearance. The D300S is made from a magnesium alloy for extra durability which is a step up from the plastic that made up the D90. The handgrip is deep and allows the thumb to hover over the controls. By pressing the live view button which is located near the thumb, you will be able to record images or videos.
Menu And Display
The D300S has the usual four primary shooting modes: Aperture and Shutter Priority, Manual and Program. It also has a special D-Movie mode which allows you to capture High Definition video at 24fps and with 720 pixels.
The D300S makes a welcome change from the Nikon DSLR range at the lower end of the market which did not accept certain Nikon lenses. The D300S is compatible with almost every Nikon “F” mount lens which saves you from having to buy new lenses if you have already paid big money for old ones.
The D300S has a 3 inch screen with 920,000 dot monitor which is no different to the D300 or the D90. 100% frame coverage is available on the monitor as one might expect and it can be adjusted to the standard seven levels of brightness. Yet this camera’s monitor manages to offer a greater level of detail than previous Nikon DSLR’s which needs to be seen in order to gain a greater appreciation.
The viewfinder has an impressive 0.94x magnification when the camera is used in conjunction with a 50mm lens. It also offers 100% coverage which is not the case with most DSLR cameras.
Performance
The whole purpose of the D300S is to offer significant improvements on the D300 and bring photographers closer to professional level performance. It is hard to say if it succeeds because it only barely exceeds the D300 in terms of how it performs. Its shutter lag is 0.02 seconds and it can shoot 14 frames before it slows down which is not fantastic by any stretch of the imagination.
The 51 point AF enables photographers to capture clear images of just about any event. Nikon state that 9 points are needed for things that move predictably, 21 points for things that move unpredictability and 51 points for extremely fast moving objects that behave erratically.
Quality Of Images And Video
The D300S has the same ability as either the D3000 or D90 when it comes to capturing movies at 24fps. Yet it still has the same video restrictions as other Nikon products. One would hope that the company would improve matters but they have yet to do so. You can currently only shoot 5 minutes of video at one time with a maximum file size of 2GB. Most irritating of all however is the fact that you are unable to use auto focus. This means that if the subject of your recording moves during the video, it will look out of focus.
The D300S has the same sensor as the D300 and D90 which means you get the same high quality performance as from the dynamic duo. There is an RGB 3D Color Matrix Metering II system which when combined with the Scene Recognition System, produces almost perfect exposure. The Retouch menu is also extensive and enables you to fiddle with filter effects, color balance and trim among other things.
Overall
It is fair to say that the D300S could best be described as a combination of the best bits from the D90 and D300. At around $2,000, it is likely that the D300S is more likely to be purchased by those looking for an upgrade on the D90 rather than the D300. This is because the D300S is basically the D300 with video capability which should not appeal to current D300 owners.
