Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Nikon Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       end
  

Archive 2013 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?

  
 
JamesPhoto
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


It’s been more than four years since the release of the D300 and I know that a lot of users are impatiently waiting for the release of the ‘Mythical D400’. But what if that doesn’t happen?

When the D7000 was released more than two years ago it was not well received by the D300 community. (Well bashed in the blogs and forums actually, but well received by the rest of Nikon users). Was it both the D90 and D300 upgrade, well that depends on who you talk to?

Now that the D7100 is out, it seems that the harsh rhetoric, has been toned down towards this camera by the D300 users. Is this because you are tired of waiting for the ‘Mythical D400’ or because it has features that appeal to you?

So I ask again: What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?

1. Keep what you have and wait another year or two and see if a D400 comes out. Nothing wrong with this, after all the D300 is a damn fine camera.
2. Upgrade to the D600 – Seems that this is what Nikon wants you to do.
3. Take a serious look at the D7100, it has a lot to offer for a DX camera
4. Take a look at the D800, or perhaps other Nikon or Canon cameras.



Mar 24, 2013 at 09:27 PM
Gregg Heckler
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


Nikon doesn't want you to upgrade to a D600. They want you to upgrade to what fits your budget or shooting style. And they have plenty of choices right now.

If you have the money however and not a lot of DX lenses I would upgrade to Full Frame. You'll never go back. I have a D300S (very nice by the way) with 145,000 clicks on it and a D700 and the D300s never gets used anymore. If you need more pixels start with a D600.

It's not just about sensor size, when you move up to full frame it also means build quality, extra features, speed, etc. So decide what you think you need to take your favorite pictures first and go from there.



Edited on Mar 24, 2013 at 09:54 PM · View previous versions



Mar 24, 2013 at 09:38 PM
Elan II
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


It's difficult to answer without knowing what you shoot and your most used lenses, but since I'm in the exact same boat, I can give you my perspective.

I use mostly wide and tele lenses with my D300, which land themselves well to the DX format. I plan to just keep this body until I run it to the ground and probably replace it with a used one then. I also have lenses that land themselves better to FX, like the 28/3.5 PC, so I might add a D700 down the road to use with those. I think the D300/D700 are well matched from layout to file size. That's critical for me because with nothing to adjust, remember or learn, I can ignore the cameras and focus on shooting.

I don't like the smaller bodies and I'm not dropping $3k on a D800, so at this point I have nowhere else to go except this combo.






Mar 24, 2013 at 09:52 PM
M635_Guy
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


If there is no D400, I'll probably eventually add a D700 to my bag. I don't want a D7100 or D600 because I prefer the handling of the D300s and the D700 would be almost identical.

I guess I'd eventually consider a D800, but the price is just too high. Plus three of my six lenses are DX. It would be easy enough to get a 50 1.8G to replace my 35 f/1.8G, but the 18-200 travel lens and the Tokina 11-16 wide would be pricey to replace, and would probably be heavier, too.

For now, I'm happy with my whole kit. The lack of a D400 has made me realize I'm not all that worried about the next camera - I've been focused on getting a solid kit of glass and trying to upgrade the most important thing: the photographer.




Mar 24, 2013 at 10:03 PM
JamesPhoto
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


Well said m635_guy!
The photographer is the most important part of the puzzle!



Mar 24, 2013 at 10:29 PM
Kerry Pierce
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


I'm going to wait and see if they offer a d400. The d7100 seems nice, but I'd rather have the features and body of the d300. Meanwhile, my d300 still works fine for the tasks I need it to do.

Kerry




Mar 24, 2013 at 10:37 PM
MarcG19
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


Non D300 owner - with D70, D90, D7000, D600 and D2x experience- chiming in. (I currently use the D2x and D7000, and sent back the D600 - didn't think that was better enough over the D7000+my DX lenses or my oly EM-5+oly primes to warrant the body+new lenses price)

First, I'm fairly certain a D300s replacement will come within at most a few months of the 7DMkII's alleged August appearance. That camera is rumored to be an iirc 18mp APS-C 1D, and I'd be farily certain the Nkon would have a D800 or D4 build, large buffer, high fps.

Second, I don't see either the D7100 or D600 as an optimal upgrade (or the D4, for that matter). IMO, of the availalbe options long reach action shooters would be best served by a gripped D7100, as long as they shoot jpg. (but I'd choose the D600 for weddings or events, hands down). But still it's not optimal.

I'm going to wait until September or so to see what the D300s repacement is. If it's not there, I might get the D7100. If it's there, I'll have to balance its features with the D7100. (I'll probably upgrade the D7000 just for the AF system)



Mar 24, 2013 at 10:44 PM
hijazist
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


I was in the same boat and jumped at the D600 coming from a D300. I was at first underwhelmed by the smaller and more compact design of the D600 (compared to the D300), however, I found out that I now use the camera more often and take more pictures due to its lightwieght and compactness, the camera is not as much intimidating for others and of course the IQ and ISO is night & day difference compared to the D300 and much better than the D700 which I had for two months.

I guess it all depends on your style of shooting, if you are going to abuse the camera in rough settings then maybe you need a "pro" body like the D700 or D3 but I have never heard of any D7000 that suddenly gave up on its user due to its "plasticky" construction as some accuse it of having, so let alone the D600 which is still better. If you have big hands that makes it really uncomfortable for you to handle the D600 then the MB-D14 is always available.

Still, the D800 is a better camera but comes at a cost, as for value for money, nothing even comes close to the D600 IMO.



Mar 24, 2013 at 10:59 PM
ucphotog
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


I got tired of waiting, and I had always wanted to go FX eventually, so I went with the D800, which should arrive tomorrow.

That said, I think there will be a D400 for a very "non-scientific" reason: There is a hole in the Nikon price list otherwise. I really don't see NIkon leaving an $900 gap between the D7100 and the D600. Especially when there seem to be two Canon cameras with list prices in that range. It just strikes me as too big a numerical hole.

You can also come up with technical reasons, but this is a marketing issue and marketing controls the prices, not engineering.

So, I have no idea what the camera will be, but they have held the $1600 spot open for something by not removing the D300s. It seems almost certain that they will sell some camera for a price of $1600 plus/minus $100.



Mar 24, 2013 at 11:09 PM
Gregg Heckler
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


"Well said m635_guy!
The photographer is the most important part of the puzzle!"

Sure the photographer plays a big part of the image making process, but your question was about what the upgrade to the D300 is. If the above is the most important part then your D300 should suffice.





Mar 24, 2013 at 11:29 PM
Andre Labonte
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


Kerry Pierce wrote:
I'm going to wait and see if they offer a d400. The d7100 seems nice, but I'd rather have the features and body of the d300. Meanwhile, my d300 still works fine for the tasks I need it to do.

Kerry




+1



Mar 24, 2013 at 11:36 PM
LMT1972
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


Seems Nikon are doing their best to push D300 upgraders elsewhere (eg. D800, D600, D7100) and the price gap between the D7100 & D600 is probably the only reason at the moment suggesting a D400 is on the way.

If I didn't shoot a lot of sports I'd probably go the D7100 assuming its AF capabilities are at least as good as the D300.

Cheers
Leigh



Mar 24, 2013 at 11:44 PM
fishfilm
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


I went D800. Managing the file sizes means a few other upgrades (USB 3.0 card in the computer and RAM upgrade) but other than that I'm good. I can crop for the macro work and have the WA covered. Sold all my DX lenses. Might buy a 28-300 for travel.


Mar 24, 2013 at 11:44 PM
Two23
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


JamesPhoto wrote:
So I ask again: What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?

1. Keep what you have and wait another year or two and see if a D400 comes out. Nothing wrong with this, after all the D300 is a damn fine camera.
2. Upgrade to the D600 – Seems that this is what Nikon wants you to do.
3. Take a serious look at the D7100, it has a lot to offer for a DX camera
4. Take a look at the D800, or perhaps other Nikon or Canon cameras.




I too was/maybe still waiting for D400. My responses for your questions:

1. No. I need more resolution.

2. D600 is not an upgrade, it's a sideways move with a lot of compromises. For wildlife, it's a downgrade.

3. I've had a D7100 for a week now. I love it, it's a great camera. Fast AF, shoots clean at ISO 2000, syncs at 1/250s, probably Nikon's best wildlife camera right now.

4. If you often shoot weddings or do a lot of night work using ambient light, a refurb D800 is an option. Definitely not a real replacement for D300 though. Don't forget to add the cost of lenses in your calculation.


I bought the D7100. It has great weather sealing, good value for the money, very sharp images, same AF system as the D4. It's only weakness is a low buffer. If a D400 does appear, I can simply buy one and sell the d7100. Easy enough, right? In the meantime the d7100 is doing what I need at a price I will pay. Of your listed options above, the one I'm least likely to do is #2. It has all of the drawbacks of the d7000 but with a high price tag.


Kent in SD



Mar 25, 2013 at 12:13 AM
Two23
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


LMT1972 wrote:
If I didn't shoot a lot of sports I'd probably go the D7100 assuming its AF capabilities are at least as good as the D300.




AF system of the d7100 is the same as the D4. It's very fast, even with a TC. It's practically instant. I'm a night shooter and have discovered this camera can even focus outdoors in the dark. My D300 could never do that! Nikon doesn't have a camera with better AF than the D7100 right now.


Kent in SD



Mar 25, 2013 at 12:17 AM
Dustin Gent
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


JamesPhoto wrote:
It’s been more than four years since the release of the D300 and I know that a lot of users are impatiently waiting for the release of the ‘Mythical D400’. But what if that doesn’t happen?

When the D7000 was released more than two years ago it was not well received by the D300 community. (Well bashed in the blogs and forums actually, but well received by the rest of Nikon users). Was it both the D90 and D300 upgrade, well that depends on who you talk to?

Now that the D7100 is out, it seems that the harsh rhetoric, has been
...Show more

Seriously, just get what you can afford. All of these cameras listed have something called a shutter, and thus can all take amazing pictures. All of the options you listed are "better" than the D300. I mean what can you do with the D300 that the others cannot do?



Mar 25, 2013 at 01:27 AM
mrgetalife
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


JamesPhoto wrote:
So I ask again: What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?
1. Keep what you have and wait another year or two and see if a D400 comes out. Nothing wrong with this, after all the D300 is a damn fine camera.
2. Upgrade to the D600 � Seems that this is what Nikon wants you to do.
3. Take a serious look at the D7100, it has a lot to offer for a DX camera
4. Take a look at the D800, or perhaps other Nikon or Canon cameras.


Being in the same boat.

1) I'm waiting for the D400. But I bought a D600 when they had the kit sale.
2) D600's not an upgrade per say. Its an entry level Full Frame. Completely different. Its advantages are the advantages what full frame cameras have over crop. If the D7100 was out at the time I would of gotten that.
3) Its relatively cheap. Same AF system. Different ergonomics. But the "new" nikon ergonomics took away most of the switches from even the D4.
4) D800 only if you really planned to drop crop. If you have no reason to stay on crop. Then by all means jump ship.

So bottom line. I'm not holding my breath. Worst case scenario. The buy sell board sees a camera for sale.



Mar 25, 2013 at 02:19 AM
Chris Dees
Online
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


I'll wait for the D400, until then my D800E will have to do. The buffer and the fps of the D7100 is too low for me (as is the fps of the D800E in DX mode). The D7100 looks promising and I'm sure a D400 is in the pipeline.
The D400 will be mainly used for wildlife and some sports.



Mar 25, 2013 at 03:49 AM
M635_Guy
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


Gregg Heckler wrote:
Sure the photographer plays a big part of the image making process, but your question was about what the upgrade to the D300 is. If the above is the most important part then your D300 should suffice.


I'm not sure if you're intending to be snarky, but the net of it is this - Nikon hasn't put a camera out yet that checks all the boxes for the core D300/D300s shooters. I think there are a large number of photographers who aren't getting 100% out of their camera. For those of us who are going to wait, the focus is getting the most out of the camera in-hand in the meantime (or it is in my case).



Mar 25, 2013 at 05:36 AM
binary visions
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · What is the upgrade path for the D300 user?


I bought a D300 not too long after the camera's release and have been extremely happy with it ever since.

I have wanted to upgrade primarily for dual card slots and video, and to bump the noise ceiling up a bit. Other than that, the D300 was really meeting all of my needs.

The D7100 is an upgrade in every way. The autofocus is another world, the noise has been toned down considerably, the feature set is excellent. It's not a D300 body, which is too bad, but I'm a practical guy - I acknowledge that I miss the D300 body, yet it's hard to argue with the fact that this camera is a better tool for producing photos.

If they ever release a D400, I'd consider an upgrade. I don't think the advice ever changes, though:

- If you need to upgrade, buy the thing that fits your current needs the best, and is available right now. You can always always wait for the next best thing. Unless you have specific information on that next best thing, it's rarely the better choice. If your current needs are similar to the D300, that's the D7100. If your current needs suit full frame better, then it's the D600/800. But FX isn't "better" - it's different, with a different set of challenges.

- If you don't need to upgrade, don't.



Mar 25, 2013 at 06:05 AM
1
       2       end




FM Forums | Nikon Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       end
    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.