After shooting Canon for the better part of the past 30 years, I have had the itch to use a D300. Two primary reasons: micro adjust AF and the LCD. The LCD is a big deal for me as my eyes just aren't good enough anymore to know if I'm getting what I want when I check my 40D. Really bugs me a lot.
I live in the boonies and it's been hard to find a D300 to try out. I finally got to a real city and held one. The owner slapped a 24-70 on and let me try a few shots. His big thing was having me see 3200iso on the LCD. I just wanted to try the LCD at any iso!
Folks, I love it. I'm selling out my Canon stuff and moving. I know I can't get all the glass I have in Canon in Nikon, but so what. I think a D300, 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200 will fill the bill for some time. I will dearly miss my 100-400, especially now during migratory bird season, but I'll live.
Just wanted to say hey as I guess I'll be hanging out on this side of the fence soon.
I've had my D300 for several months now, and I absolutely love it.
I'm not knowledgable with Canon, so I can't help but wonder if they make a camera with a comparable LCD so you don't have to jump ship and sell your glass.
I know you'll never recoup your loss on lenses, so I could never consider dumping my Nikon for Canon.
Anyway, good luck with your choice, I enjoy shooting my Nikon, and am about to leave to shoot my son's hockey game.
We use both brands in our business (both great) and while I have shot the D300 and consider it an excellent camera why in the world would you not just give a 50D a try. I find it to be an excellent camera and you can save all your canon glass and it has the micro adjust and LCD. Will never put down Nikon but why oh why would you do this in light of the new annoucements. Just my two cents worth.
With that lens line I'd go with a D700 instead. No reason to pay the money for the glass if you will only use a portion of it. If you really want the D300 (which I just sold mine for the D700) I recommend the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8, Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 and Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 to cover the same range (+/-) at a cheaper price. What Canon equipment do you Currently own? Do the math, perhaps you can afford the D700 after all.
davenfl has a point... try the 50D and see if you like it. Read this, this and this in case you are considering the 50D.
New annoucements? What new announcements? The 40D I just bought perhaps 5 months ago has gone down in value like AIG stock. My 30D held value for 18 months. And the 50D seems to have more than it's share of issues.
On top of that, I recently browsed the firmware changes (1.10) to the D300 and same for 50D and 40D. While Nikon actually added functionality along with fixes, Canon stuck to their path of just making the camera work. I'm just losing some of the respect I've had for Canon. Nikon, on the other hand, seems to be on the upswing.
Don't get me wrong, I've owned a 350D, 30D, 40D and more Canon film bodies than I care to remember. I have a decent selection of Canon glass and I think that, dollar-for-dollar, Canon offers better lenses. I just don't want to spend another $1300 on the 50D to have some of the same issues I keep hearing about. True 'nuff, only the unhappy speak up on forums, or a bigger share of unhappy than happy do, but the issues dogging the 40D at it's onset was the reason I waited so long to get mine.
Maybe I'll sleep on it one more night. Thanks very much for your feedback - really!
I've Jumped ship from Canon, I'm sick of unreliable cameras, And watered down "Upgrades" Canon keeps offering, And after the headaches I've had with my 50D, I've decided enough is enough!
Now all I have to do is decided if I want to get the D300 or the D700 (Still can't make up my mind!).
R. Francois wrote:
i went to my local zoo today to realize (again) that i'm a real DX guy now. I simply need the crop factor, i can't justify a 600mm lens...
So i love my D300 it's great and gives me what i need...
A wise man once said "if you want it bad enough, you will find a way to justify it"
FatBoyAl wrote:
New annoucements? What new announcements? The 40D I just bought perhaps 5 months ago has gone down in value like AIG stock. My 30D held value for 18 months. And the 50D seems to have more than it's share of issues.
On top of that, I recently browsed the firmware changes (1.10) to the D300 and same for 50D and 40D. While Nikon actually added functionality along with fixes, Canon stuck to their path of just making the camera work. I'm just losing some of the respect I've had for Canon. Nikon, on the other hand, seems to be on the upswing.
Don't get me wrong, I've owned a 350D, 30D, 40D and more Canon film bodies than I care to remember. I have a decent selection of Canon glass and I think that, dollar-for-dollar, Canon offers better lenses. I just don't want to spend another $1300 on the 50D to have some of the same issues I keep hearing about. True 'nuff, only the unhappy speak up on forums, or a bigger share of unhappy than happy do, but the issues dogging the 40D at it's onset was the reason I waited so long to get mine.
Maybe I'll sleep on it one more night. Thanks very much for your feedback - really!...Show more →
I have mega dollars invested in equipment and I use it to make money so it has to be decent. Both brands are fine and that is a fact. Memories seem to be quite short, the D300 had a major problem with cameras going dead which they fixed. Canon had a similar but less vexing problem with error 99 which has now been fixed in short order. If you emotionally want to buy a Nikon don't hesitate, buy it, but please don't try and sell all of us on the reason being that Canon is going in the tank and Nikon is going for the moon. As a professional photographer I must remind you that for a very long time Nikon's digital efforts were flawed while Canon shined. In one case you are talking about spending $1200 or less for a 50D body. On the other hand you are talking a bunch, considerably more to replace all of your equipment. The fact that your 40D is worth less than you paid 5 months ago is no surprise, it was well known that a replacement was coming. Buy what you want and take some photo's, have fun.
davenfl wrote:
I have mega dollars invested in equipment and I use it to make money so it has to be decent. Both brands are fine and that is a fact. Memories seem to be quite short, the D300 had a major problem with cameras going dead which they fixed. Canon had a similar but less vexing problem with error 99 which has now been fixed in short order. If you emotionally want to buy a Nikon don't hesitate, buy it, but please don't try and sell all of us on the reason being that Canon is going in the tank and Nikon is going for the moon. As a professional photographer I must remind you that for a very long time Nikon's digital efforts were flawed while Canon shined. In one case you are talking about spending $1200 or less for a 50D body. On the other hand you are talking a bunch, considerably more to replace all of your equipment. The fact that your 40D is worth less than you paid 5 months ago is no surprise, it was well known that a replacement was coming. Buy what you want and take some photo's, have fun. ...Show more →
From another recent Nikon convert, I dont feel like your defense of Canon here holds water. Canon has had a damn err99 issue with every camera they come out with practically! They want to water down every little update to try and bilk their loyal users out of the maximum amount of their hard-earned cash. You defend the rapid depreciation of the 40D by saying that everyone knew that the 50D was coming! If anything that is exactly the reason why Canon's business practices suck! Next thing you know, they'll come out with a new lens mount so you'll all have to go get new lenses, what is everyone using those nice FL and FD mount lenses for? paperweights? trot line anchors? wheel chocks?
Canon is the Home Depot of photography in my eyes, just a greedy corporation. I've had a few of their cameras, and a lot of their lenses. and they just don't look out for the user like Nikon does.
Uh, I wasn't trying to sell anyone on anything. I don't have to justify why I do what I do to anyone. My reason is good enough for me - if it isn't for you, tough. I re-read both of my posts and I don't see where I was trying to convince you of anything. I'm very happy that you make your living this way and that you have your own thoughts and beliefs. Thanks, though, for pointing out the obvious to me. I mean, gee, I wouldn't have known that otherwise.
The less than enthusiastic response certainly has me re-thinking my decision. I don't necessarily want to learn a new system or give up what I have for an unknown. Lke I said at the end of my other post - I'm going to be sleeping on this one again.
FatBoyAl wrote:
Uh, I wasn't trying to sell anyone on anything. I don't have to justify why I do what I do to anyone. My reason is good enough for me - if it isn't for you, tough. I re-read both of my posts and I don't see where I was trying to convince you of anything. I'm very happy that you make your living this way and that you have your own thoughts and beliefs. Thanks, though, for pointing out the obvious to me. I mean, gee, I wouldn't have known that otherwise.
The less than enthusiastic response certainly has me re-thinking my decision. I don't necessarily want to learn a new system or give up what I have for an unknown. Lke I said at the end of my other post - I'm going to be sleeping on this one again....Show more →
The D300 is an AMAZING CAMERA! you wont be sorry.. amazing. Did I mention amazing?
Aaron Macomber wrote:
From another recent Nikon convert, I dont feel like your defense of Canon here holds water. Canon has had a damn err99 issue with every camera they come out with practically! They want to water down every little update to try and bilk their loyal users out of the maximum amount of their hard-earned cash. You defend the rapid depreciation of the 40D by saying that everyone knew that the 50D was coming! If anything that is exactly the reason why Canon's business practices suck! Next thing you know, they'll come out with a new lens mount so you'll all have to go get new lenses, what is everyone using those nice FL and FD mount lenses for? paperweights? trot line anchors? wheel chocks?
Canon is the Home Depot of photography in my eyes, just a greedy corporation. I've had a few of their cameras, and a lot of their lenses. and they just don't look out for the user like Nikon does.
Please I am not trying to reduce this to a pi----ing contest, I am trying to have a friendly conversation. These are profit making corporations and they only watch out only for themselves. Anyone that has D2X and D2XS sitting on the shelf like I do hopefully bought them to get some value or enjoyment out of them even though they are now worth 1/4 to 1/5 of their purchase price. Same for the wonderful D200. You don't buy these things as an investment and if you believe Nikon or Canon is looking out for your best interest, best of luck.
As to the original poster if you don't want people to comment don't post. Best of luck to you.
I like my D300 and I now have two of them. I would not sell glass that I was happy with just to get these D300's though. Camera bodies come and go.
Canon will be back, Nikon will seem to go down again.
They both want our money. They want us confused and messed up, so the game continues.
As far as facts go, I had nothing but Canon digital since the advent of the D30 on through the 1D (5 bodies in all) with a ton of L lenses and multiple 580 flashes. It worked great for me then. I never complained. However as my skill set improved over the years, my desires for the tools to enable me to USE them more effectively wore on in years and I discovered the D200. While it was in NO way perfect it had aspects, as a photographic tool that to me surpassed the ergonomics of the Canon layout. I did however feel the CMOS allowed for less noise. I made the jump over to a D300 when I tried one in December of 07 and never looked back. I've been in the Nikon camp solidly since. Now with a D700 I have no compelling interest in Canon offerings whatsoever. Frankly one undeniable truth that runs throughout their line is the never ending frustration of trying to find a "right on" L lens. I've been through no less than 5 copies of their venerable 24-70 f2.8L and gave up. The 24-70 f2.8 Nikkor I have run rings around any of their offerings like it. NO CA issues, sharp from one end to the other. I think their bodies are quite capable, although not in the focus speed and accuracy of the current crop of Nikon bodies. I also prefer the color balance and WB on the Nikon as ell. Ergonomically I've long felt that Nikon had that nailed. The D300 would be a very good choice. Just make sure not to compromise on the glass.
Congrats mate, I am glad another one converted over to the bright side
Check some of my photos if you want. they are all taken with the D300 and I love it dearly.
www.flickr.com/photos/kaj0
The D300 is my 3rd Nikon body and I must say it is my most enjoyable. I just love this camera and it does so many things well that I see myself having this camera for quite awhile.
