I love my D300 too, Tom! I place it right in between my 1DmkII and 40D in terms of IQ and AF
speed and accuracy....and it works SO much better than them with the 200 f2 VR
Another vote for the D300! I have that and a D3 -and love them both. I have to admit, the D3 is my first choice, but with wildlife, I find myself using the D300 a LOT more often - that extra reach helps.
That said, for macros and landscapes I love the D3. Those files are just great - better than any other camera I've used. (including Canon's best).
I think that the two are a perfect pair. When you need extra reach, portability, lighter weight, built-in flash, the D300 is the way to go. When you need better quality - esp at higher ISOs, faster speed all around, nice big viewfinder, plus all the pro features, the D3 is my fav. Horses for courses as they say.
Steve
Edited on May 16, 2008 at 08:33 AM
May 16, 2008 at 08:33 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Tom Conte wrote:
A D3 isn't a D300, it's ... different,pro different.
There is no rival for high ISO performance, though, than the D3. But I wouldn't walk around Disneyworld with one!
Ah elitism at its finest. The D300 is also a pro quality camera with a different set of features. Pro does not have to mean the ultimate in ruggedness or FX.
The real question is: does it suit your needs? Many pros are say "NO" to the D3 and "Yes" to the D300. Why? The D300 suits thier needs. Both are great and YES, they are different, but throwing the whole "Pro" vs. "Not Pro" when comparing these two camers is ... well, for lack of a better word ... childish.
May 16, 2008 at 08:46 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
trenchmonkey wrote:
I love my D300 too, Tom! I place it right in between my 1DmkII and 40D in terms of IQ and AF
speed and accuracy....and it works SO much better than them with the 200 f2 VR
Just curious, in so many of your posts you seem to go out of your way to talk about either the 40 or the 1DmkII, especially the latter. Any particular reason?
Andre Labonte wrote:
Ah elitism at its finest. The D300 is also a pro quality camera with a different set of features. Pro does not have to mean the ultimate in ruggedness or FX.
The real question is: does it suit your needs? Many pros are say "NO" to the D3 and "Yes" to the D300. Why? The D300 suits thier needs. Both are great and YES, they are different, but throwing the whole "Pro" vs. "Not Pro" when comparing these two camers is ... well, for lack of a better word ... childish.
Seems like you want the "pro" designation for the D300. Guess you have a little of the "elitism" in you.
Andre Labonte wrote:
Just curious, in so many of your posts you seem to go out of your way to talk about either the 40 or the 1DmkII, especially the latter. Any particular reason?
Andre, I still shoot with both disciplines and love the 1.3 crop of the 1DmkII. I get PM's from both
camps daily asking "compare this to that" as I post pics depending on what I'm using that day.
Not trying to stir any us vs. them responses but rather my feelings on the gear for those on the fence
to try new things. Having shot with just about everything, I'm often consulted when someone's
getting ready to leap on a new piece of glass and provide feedback having actually shot with/posted
images to various forums. Reviews are fine but folks want 1st hand real world experience.
I'll make a conscious effort to keep the C word off this Forum in the future, if y'all find it upsetting.
FWIW a used mint 1DmkII is going for around the same price as a new D300. Considering
the MkII is a Pro body...that's quite a compliment to the D300, being mentioned in the same breath... don't you think
Edited on May 16, 2008 at 09:39 AM
May 16, 2008 at 09:29 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
trenchmonkey wrote:
Andre, I still shoot with both disciplines and love the 1.3 crop of the 1DmkII. I get PM's from both
camps daily asking "compare this to that" as I post pics depending on what I'm using that day.
Not trying to stir any us vs. them responses but rather my feelings on the gear for those on the fence
to try new things. Having shot with just about everything, I'm often consulted when someone's
getting ready to leap on a new piece of glass and provide feedback having actually shot with/posted
images to various forums. Reviews are fine but folks want 1st hand real world experience.
I'll make a conscious effort to keep the C word off this Forum in the future, if y'all find it upsetting.
FWIW a used mint 1DmkII is going for around the same price as a new D300. Considering
the MkII is a Pro body...that's quite a compliment to the D300 don't you think...Show more →
Cool! I think it's good that you comment on you knowledge and experience of both systems. If you are getting asked about it, it's only logical that you speak to it and keep doing so. I was mearly trying to understand your perspective (no pun intended) as details are so easily lost on an internet forum. It's refreshing to see an object voice!
Yes, comparing the D300 to the MkII is a compliment to the D300.
May 16, 2008 at 09:41 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
James R wrote:
Seems like you want the "pro" designation for the D300. Guess you have a little of the "elitism" in you.
You can choose to see it that way, but that was not my intent. "Technically" Pro = makes money, but, on a practical level, "Pro" = performance and quality. I DO in fact think that the D300 meets the bar for pro quality and performance and saying it is not of such quality and performance is missleading.
I'm an amateur and care little about status. I like taking pictures and simply want good equipment that meets my needs. I suspect most people are the same. But every so often, weather it was intentional or not, I see the "PRO" moniker being thrown out as a way of saying "I'm better than you!!" Who cares? Take pictures and enjoy your gear if you are so blessed.
Finally, do we really want to go down the road of poisoing this thread? It's a good thread and I regret bringing it up.
Tim Ashton wrote:
Hey Avi, You suffering from too thin a skin
What is wrong with someone being so happy with his camera he asks for nothing more?
Tim
We should always be asking for more. IMO digital camera technology is 5 years BEHIND where it should be, largely in party to consumers being such sheep and accepting that more MP = better. Of course I also think that it's because of Nikon's pathetic responses to the 10/20/30D series.
As much as I like the D300, it's rather rough around the edges. Especially with regards to the menu design.
Why aren't the menus ordered by how often an item is likely to be used? Why can't some functions (Like Auto ISO shutter speed selection) be assigned to MyMenu?
Why can't I set bracketing from the menu? Why can't I reassign the body AF-On button to other functions, ditto the exposure compensation button (which is useless if you have exp comp assigned to a wheel in modes other than manual). Why the heck doesn't the grip have an AE-Lock (yes, some people use both that and the AF-On)
D300's a great body, but the firmware UI ain't there yet. Best body in the sub-$2k range even with its faults though.
D300 is a starling camera that I cannot give enough praise for it. It has exceeded my exceptions greatly and has gotten me shots never even dreamed of before. A D300 FX would be a great brother to this camera and would enable me to shoot wider landscapes.
I always wonder what is next that will make the D3 series second. Is it higher MP or ISO 256,00? I can't think of much to top these but I am sure something will happen.
Andre Labonte wrote:
You can choose to see it that way, but that was not my intent. "Technically" Pro = makes money, but, on a practical level, "Pro" = performance and quality. I DO in fact think that the D300 meets the bar for pro quality and performance and saying it is not of such quality and performance is missleading.
I'm an amateur and care little about status. I like taking pictures and simply want good equipment that meets my needs. I suspect most people are the same. But every so often, weather it was intentional or not, I see the "PRO" moniker being thrown out as a way of saying "I'm better than you!!" Who cares? Take pictures and enjoy your gear if you are so blessed.
Finally, do we really want to go down the road of poisoing this thread? It's a good thread and I regret bringing it up....Show more →
Poison? I was having a little fun. Personally, this thread does nothing for me. BTW, pro and prosumer are manufacturers' label. The D300 replaces the D200, which was a prosumer camera used by many pro photographers. A pro camera does make a pro photographer. Andre, I know many amateur photographers who can outshoot some pros.
Ever see Annie Levowitz shoot with a point and shoot, I did in a documentary of her, she used to use Mamiya 67's as well, true artists can use anything
in. Doh. I meant in jest... 
