Hey guys, a small delimma here. I have a D5100 and am thinking of trading it for a D300. I also have a D7000 that I will not part ways with any time soon.
I like the video and the flip out screen of the D5100 for bloging, but the D7000 gets the same video, just no flippy outty screen.
The loss of mp is no biggy at all to me.
I am basically worried about the aged tech. How will the D300 compare to the D5100 image quality wise? How different would the ISO performance be? How will the old sensor perform compared to the new one? You know, stuff like that.
If there are other factors you think I am not thinking about, please point them out.
Choosing the D300 would be because you need the robustness of the camera, the faster and more accurate AF, to use lenses without motors, and like CF cards.
The D5100 has a great sensor and its better than the D300's IMO. However, it is a meh body IMO. Lacks all sorts of functionality that I am accustomed to.
Ah, good question. I do mostly landscabe/ portraiture. But in spring and summer, I go to a lot of concerts in small venues. I am also going to start HS football when it is back in season.
David, I wish I could have gotten another D7K, it really is a beauty of a camera, but I could not afford it at the time, and this is a trade that has only recently been presented.
Kent, Thanks for the tip, but I already have the D5100.
Looks like the concensus is to keep it. It really is a fun little camera. Just wish I had a bigger bodied camera.
i've owned the d300, and now own a d5100 (along with a d700). the d5100 sensor is indeed better. d300 oddly enough had grainy blue skies at base iso. other than that, the d300 was excellent at the lower iso's. however, im lovin the base iso of 100 of the d5100, and its IQ at base iso for landscapes is exactly why i got it. i simply got tired of lugging around the d700 and quality fx glass (ie: large, heavy and expensive) when going on family trips and vacations. my kit of the d5100 + 10-24 + 40g + 55-300 is small, light and covers everything i could possibly need on trips. i dont need fast primes on vacation since i dont want to isolate people, but rather envelop them within the backgrounds of wherever we are traveling.
however, i am in a different situation than you since i already have the larger, more robust d700 body. i aint gonna lie, the d300's ergonomics are excellent, and spank the d5100 in every possible way. its still amazes me how accurate the af system is on the d300/d700. the d5100 af is alright, but its like going from a sports car to an economy car. i've borrowed the d90 and d7000, and while they have more controls than the d5100, i feel that the dxxx line of bodies still clearly outshines them in customizability and ergonomics. i guess what im saying is that if you have the time to setup your shot, and dont need blazing fast af, the d5100 should more than suffice, especially with that great sensor.
Thank you static. The ergonomics is what is so attractive about the D300 for me. Wish they had a D300/700 body with the D7000 sensor, and the D5100 articulating screen. And a mic jack of course.
