SAcamera Blog - Digital Photography, Reviews, Tech-Talk, Events and Customer Gallery

The Nikon D300S has only served to impress with each feature and option available.

The D300S has a 12.3 Megapixel DX-Format CMOS image sensor. Its 3 inch VGA Screen (Video Graphics Array) is crisp, clear and bright. The Nikon D300S provides its users with a powerful 51-point auto focus system.

A mode called Auto-area was developed especially for the photographic capture of people. When set to this mode, each point on the 51 point auto focus will priorities human skin tone, automatically detecting these tones and ensuring those points as focal points.
In playback mode Face Detection System allows you to instantly zoom in on a human face using the high resolution LCD.

To match the offer of the 3 inch screen Nikon has given the user a larger View Finder. Live View (with a new Virtual Horizon feature) and an HDMI port are two of the D300S’ features.

Now a drum roll before I announce that the Nikon D300S is a hybrid! With both still and high quality video capabilities!

The Nikon D300S can capture video at an impressive 24 frames per second with an option of three resolutions; 320×216, 640×424 and a high definition 1280×720 mode. You can set the camera to Auto Focus while you are recording your video.

The video you take is saved in ‘motion jpeg AVI’ format. This might not be as space efficient as H.264 but I believe it is a lot easier to edit. There is a built in mono microphone with an input for an external / stereo microphone.
Once you have finished recording your video clip you are able to trim it on the camera.

The D300S’ high performance flash is built in and supports the original i-TLL flash control that triggers the correct flash exposure for fantastic results. There is a hot-shoe for an external flash.

The Numbers: Continuous shooting at an impressive 7 frames per second OR 8 frames per second if you make use of the MB-D10 battery grip. The D300S has an ISO Sensitivity from 200 to 3200 (or 6400 expanded).

Nikon has wisely (greatly appreciated by myself) included dual slots for Compact Flash and SD memory cards, this adds a fantastic feature, allowing you to use both slots simultaneously. You are presented with ability to duplicate the images to both cards (instant backup!) OR save the image as a JPEG to one card and a RAW file to the other card. You could also set the camera to ‘Overflow’ mode which will use up the space on one card and then automatically switch over to the second card. I found that this set up was fantastic for keeping things in order with my images before I even downloaded them to my computer.

Picture Control gives you the freedom to let your creative side free with its assistance. You can make adjustments to the picture’s contrast, brightness, hue and saturation and sharpening. You can fiddle with these settings yourself or make use of one of the four pre-set options: Standard, Neutral, Monochrome and Vivid. (You can download Landscape and Portrait from Nikon’s website if you want them)

The D300s now features a Quiet shooting mode which delays the return clicks and buzzes of the cameras hardware (the mirror flipping back) until the scene has been captured. This is great for wildlife photography and even pets; both my parrot and my cat’s ears prick up at the sound of cameras functioning and this Quiet Mode was really useful when taking pictures of them without disturbing their activities. The “Q” icon on the wheel (top left shoulder of the camera) activates this mode.

The Nikon D300S 1.005 pixel RGB sensor is put to good use by Scene Recognition. This feature automatically pushes and tweaks the accuracy of the brightness, colour and white balance of an image so that autofocus can bring out the key elements.

The Nikon D300S has a rubberised grip on the back and I found the camera to be a comfortable hold. The Magnesium alloy body is strong and sturdy and has a beautiful, classy texture. Weighing in at 840 grams without the battery this camera has solid and balanced distribution.

The Nikon D300S is awarded a 4.5 star rating for its excellent features and functions. A camera for the enthusiast!