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The Nikon D300, Pop Photo's 2007 Camera of the Year, features a 12.3-megapixel self-cleaning DX-format CMOS sensor and high-resolution (920,000-dot, or 307,000 pixel) 3-inch LCD with a 170-degree viewing angle. The camera takes F-mount lenses, and provides selectable 14-bit RAW image capture. The D300's optical viewfinder provides a nearly 100 percent view of the image frame and 0.94x magnification. The camera's CompactFlash slot supports the UDMA standard for fast write speeds. The D300 body also incorporates an HDMI port for outputting images to a high-definition screen.
The D300's exposure controls include a native 200-3200 ISO range that can be expanded with a Lo-1 ISO 100 setting or a Hi-1 ISO 6400. In the lab, the D300 scored Excellent in the image quality category from ISO 200-3200, making it the first DSLR to earn that rating for the entire ISO 200-3200 range. Color accuracy scored Excellent for ISO 200-1600, resolution scored Excellent up to ISO 6400, and noise levels were Extremely Low at ISO 200 and only Moderate at ISO 6400. The camera also provides a new implementation of Nikon's D-Lighting technology, making it available in shooting mode instead of simply as an image-correction tool. Active D-Lighting applies localized tonal changes to open up dark shadows while retaining highlight detail, and can be used at low, medium, and high settings.
The D300 supports Nikon's iTTL external flash system and includes a built-in flash. Nikon claims the D300's shutter lag clocks in at 45 milliseconds and its startup time at 0.13 second, thanks to the camera's EXPEED image processor. Its drive mode speed is rated at 6 frames per second for a series of 100 JPEGs or 8 fps with Nikon's Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 attached. The D300's 51-point autofocus system uses a new MultiCAM 3500 DX sensor, offering selectable 9-, 21-, and 51-point group dynamic autofocus. Its 15 cross-type sensors remain active with all Nikkor lenses. The camera employs face-detection technology and Nikon's new Scene Recognition System to distinguish between subjects and backgrounds and detect movement, improving both autofocus performance and automatic exposure and white balance settings. The D300 (body only), which also includes Nikon Capture NX RAW conversion software, is available with a MSRP of $1799.95.
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| Slowest Shutter Speed |
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30 |
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| Fastest Shutter Speed |
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8000 |
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| Built-In Flash |
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Yes |
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| Continuous Shooting |
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6 images/sec |
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| Flash Sync Speed |
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1/250 |
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| AF Points |
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51 |
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| Metering Zones |
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35 |
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| Lens Mount |
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Nikon AF, Nikon AF (digital only) |
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| Screen Size |
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3 in |
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| Screen Resolution |
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307,000 |
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| Screen Type |
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LCD and Optical |
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| Maximum ISO |
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3200 |
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| Max Continuous JPG |
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100 |
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| Max Continuous RAW |
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19 |
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| Battery |
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Nikon Battery EN-EL3e |
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| Battery Life |
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Approx. 1000 shots |
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| Width |
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5.8 in |
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| Height |
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4.5 in |
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| Depth |
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2.9 in |
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| Weight |
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29.12 oz |
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| Release Date |
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November 2007 |
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More Nikon D300 Articles
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March 2008
The war is over -- the digital-vs.-film war, that is. And the last battle was won when the the light was dimmed. |
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February 2008
Joe McNally opens up his vast image vaults -- and how-to notebooks -- in a new educational photo book. |
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January 2008
We test drive two new manual-focus primes from Zeiss, both razor sharp and impressively solid. |
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December 2007
Nikon's newest digital SLR is chosen as the camera that best refined or redefined photography in 2007. |
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December 2007
From the outside, the D300 looks a lot like the D200. But what's on the inside pushed the D300 to new performance records in the Pop Photo Lab. |
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September 2008
This is a heck of a kit for under five hundred bucks. |
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August 2008
The Canon EOS Rebel XSi, Nikon D60, Olympus E-520, Pentax K200D, and Sony Alpha 350 are Midlevel Marvels. |
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July 2008
A crusading photographer takes on the dirtiest subject of his career: oil. |
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May 2008
The only excess is of good stuff. |
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May 2008
America's top-selling DSLR: Canon's EOS Digital Rebel XTi. Second: Nikon D40. More...
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User Reviews
Here's how our visitors have reviewed this camera.
RATINGS |
AVERAGE RATINGS |
Overall quality |
9.68
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Ease of use |
9.42
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Fit and finish |
9.68
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Click-to-click speed |
9.68
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Display quality |
9.74
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Flash quality |
9.05
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Image quality |
9.63
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Overall value |
9.53
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RATING SCALE: 1 = WORST 10 = BEST |
Read other reviews
Submit your own review
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