d7000 d300s or d300

gregA · #1 (**permalink**) 29-11-2011, 05:05 PM

hi all
in the next 2weeks i am going to upgrade my camera from the d3100.
l was going to buy the d7000 but in 1 week the price has risen by about 150 pound on average.

l am now thinking about buying either a d300s second hand (which is about the same price as a 2nd hand d7000) or a d300 which is about 100-150 pound cheaper. l don't use the video features but i am looking for better low light higher iso abilities also better auto focusing. how does the d300 stack up against the other 2.

I am thinking i might be able to get a scope with the money i save either a celestron ultima ed 80 or hawke nature trek ed 80.
gregA

pressld2 · #2 (**permalink**) 29-11-2011, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregA

i am looking for better low light higher iso abilities also better auto focusing. how does the d300 stack up against the other 2.

Hi Greg,

I think the D7000 is your best bet. I don't think there's any difference in low light/high ISO performance between the D300 and the D300s. If I recall correctly, the only difference between these two is that the D300s has video. But the D7000, I'm told, has improved noise handling at higher ISOs so that would be the one to go for.

I'm hanging on for the D400 - hope I don't have to wait too much longer!

Dave P.

gregA · #3 (**permalink**) 29-11-2011, 05:23 PM

I must admit that i was hoping the d400 would have been out by now as i was also interested in that too.
Thats one of the reasons i am thinking of an older d300 to save a bit of cash and have it as back up when i get my hands on a d400.
gregA

andrewinpompey · #4 (**permalink**) 07-12-2011, 09:37 PM

I've had a D7000 for nearly a year. The one feature of it that might lead you to get a D300 instead is buffer size. You can take maybe eight photos in RAW (exact figure varies - it would be more if shooting jpeg) and then you have to wait a second or two for the images to download onto the memory card. That doesn't sound much but if you are shooting a long wildlife/action sequence it could be a big deal. Depends what you are photographing.

I'd guess that the D7000 has maybe two stops' less noise than the D300/300S i.e. ISO 3200 on the D7000 looks like ISO 800 on the D300, but that is just a guess.

D300S and the D7000 both have a quiet shutter mode, which is handy when very close to wildlife that has good hearing. I've used it within a few metres of wild deer (also with a bag hide to muffle the noise) and they haven't picked up the shutter sound.

Another option of course it to get a second hand D90 (a pretty decent camera) and spend the saved money on a better lens. Then get the D400 when it comes out in a year or two!!

Choices, choices...

DOXHOPE · #5 (**permalink**) 16-12-2011, 07:35 PM

I have a D300 and a D700, after using the D700 for a year, I am slowly going back to the D300 for bird shots..if the light is poor, then the D700 comes out, not much can beat this guy in low light situations..

The_Moaner · #6 (**permalink**) 26-12-2011, 04:57 PM

I have been hearing/reading reports that the D7000 overexposes quite a lot when you least expect it to. If that is the case I would buy a D300 or 300s instead.
Quite a few people I know use the D300 or D300s and they get exceptional images from them.
Read as much as you can about the 7000 before you buy it.

FungiJohn · #7 (**permalink**) 27-12-2011, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Moaner

I have been hearing/reading reports that the D7000 overexposes quite a lot when you least expect it to. If that is the case I would buy a D300 or 300s instead.
Quite a few people I know use the D300 or D300s and they get exceptional images from them.
Read as much as you can about the 7000 before you buy it.

I have never had any problems re 'over exposure' or other since buying the D7000 when it was first released.

I can highly recommend it!

John

andrewinpompey · #8 (**permalink**) 28-12-2011, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

I have never had any problems re 'over exposure' or other since buying the D7000 when it was first released.

I can highly recommend it!

John

Ditto. As I have often heard recommended with all Nikon DSLRs, I normally have the exposure compensation set to -0.7 to get the best results. I haven't noticed the D7000 over-exposing, except in situations where any camera's metre might be tricked.

There are some comments on over-exposure in Nikon D7000 Review by Thom Hogan (section titled "metering system").

gregA · #9 (**permalink**) 30-12-2011, 10:06 PM

thanks for the replys.
I got a d7000 in the end, got a very good price for a 3month old hardly used one. Havn't had much chance to use it yet, but hopefully i'll soon get the chance when christmas is out the way. Also has anyone heard anything about the new d800 apparantly its an fx camera with a dx setting as well. sounds interesting.
gregA

pressld2 · #10 (**permalink**) 30-12-2011, 10:15 PM

I'm waiting very impatiently for news of the D800 and D400 launches. There were rumours that it would be last August but that didn't happen.

All the Nikon FX bodies have a DX setting. At least, they will all work with DX lenses but will automatically give you a cropped image from the centre of the sensor.

Dave P.