Nikon D300 Review

[deadshot]

MY criteria is good ISO performance as I often take pics in low light where flash is banned.

My question that rjseeney hasn't answered, probablybecause he feels he answered it in his previous reply but I did not know whether his recommendation came from first hand experience or not.

[JimC]

deadshot wrote:

MY criteria is good ISO performance as I often take pics in low light where flash is banned.

What kind of photos in low light (be specific about the subjects and conditions)?

For moving subjects, you may need brighter lenses than are being discussed to get a higher percentage of photos without blur from subject movement in low light.

Most of the time, I use a bright prime for existing light photos indoors when moving subjects are involved with my cameras (although you can sometimes get away with an f/2.8 zoom in brighter lighting if your subjects are not moving much). I'd give more info on the conditions you want to shoot in.

Both the D90 and D300 use a Sony 12MP CMOS sensor. The D300 has the better feature set and AF system between them. Nikon does a pretty decent job with their Noise Reduction algorithms in their newer models. But, you still don't want to use ISO speeds any higher than you need to (and a brighter lens will help prevent that need).

[deadshot]

Hello Jim,

You are absolutelyright of course.Unfortunately I have reached an age where I dont want to have to carry a lot of lenses hence my 18-200vr venture into digital.

When I had film SLRs in the past I needed a donkey to help me.

I realise an all purpose lens is a compromise but so is not carrying a bag of lenses.

It is a much better lens than I anticipated, so I was concerned at the earlier post stating that a similar lens did not like the extra pixels, hence my post.

I recently went to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and took lots of pics of paintings by artists like Monet Picasso Micheal Angelo etc, and inside various Cathedrals, all low light conditions.I was very pleased with the results.Some of these places are almost dark.

[rjseeney]

deadshot wrote:

MY criteria is good ISO performance as I often take pics in low light where flash is banned.

My question that rjseeney hasn't answered, probablybecause he feels he answered it in his previous reply but I did not know whether his recommendation came from first hand experience or not.

I own a D300, D80 and all the lenses I have commented on.

[ocelle]

I trying to upgrade from a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 into the real thing. Money hurts but it is not the problem right now. My problem is that I am a very small female (5'4") and madly in love with the Nikon D300. The feature I like the most is the 51 focus points. Is it really a huge baby? Does it weight a ton?

Question:

1. Is it really that big and heavy?

2. Is there another camera that could match the quality of the D300 without breaking my back?

3. I was thinking of the Nikon 18-200 for my Nikon D300. If you will suggest a different camera, would you also suggest a comparable lens.

I take landscape, architecture and interiors pictures. I also take pictures of pets and people's postraits.

Thanks for your answer!

[feetjai]

ocelle wrote:

I trying to upgrade from a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 into the real thing. Money hurts but it is not the problem right now. My problem is that I am a very small female (5'4") and madly in love with the Nikon D300. The feature I like the most is the 51 focus points. Is it really a huge baby? Does it weight a ton?

Question:

1. Is it really that big and heavy?

2. Is there another camera that could match the quality of the D300 without breaking my back?

3. I was thinking of the Nikon 18-200 for my Nikon D300. If you will suggest a different camera, would you also suggest a comparable lens.

I take landscape, architecture and interiors pictures. I also take pictures of pets and people's postraits.

Thanks for your answer!

16-200 is 560 gram / D300 is 800+ gram / battery = 100 gram?

Total = 1460 (1500) gram = 1.5 KG that should be ok... not?

[JimC]

deadshot wrote:

I recently went to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and took lots of pics of paintings by artists like Monet Picasso Micheal Angelo etc, and inside various Cathedrals, all low light conditions.I was very pleased with the results.Some of these places are almost dark.

Paintings don't move much. People do. Hence my concern when I saw you mentioning low light without a flash and higher ISO speeds (just making sure you realized that motion blur could enter the equation unless you were using a brighter lens with a non-stationary subject). ;-)

[deadshot]

feetjai wrote:

ocelle wrote:

I trying to upgrade from a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 into the real thing. Money hurts but it is not the problem right now. My problem is that I am a very small female (5'4") and madly in love with the Nikon D300. The feature I like the most is the 51 focus points. Is it really a huge baby? Does it weight a ton?

Question:

1. Is it really that big and heavy?

2. Is there another camera that could match the quality of the D300 without breaking my back?

3. I was thinking of the Nikon 18-200 for my Nikon D300. If you will suggest a different camera, would you also suggest a comparable lens.

I take landscape, architecture and interiors pictures. I also take pictures of pets and people's postraits.

Thanks for your answer!

16-200 is 560 gram / D300 is 800+ gram / battery = 100 gram?

Total = 1460 (1500) gram = 1.5 KG that should be ok... not?
The trouble is you also have to add in Flash? Camera bag, spare batteries /spare memory, lens cleaning stuff, I carry a Gorlla pod as well plus a blower. Some of this can be left out I knowbut most of us do cart this and more about.I have a D40x at the moment and the 18-200vrplus a SB400 flash and the lightest camera bag that I could find to take these items .Without my gorilla pod these items weigh 4lb 12ozs=2150 grms.My advice as I have done this myself, is to get your existing bag and put into it tins of fruit or similar that weighs the sameas the items you are thinking of buying and walk about with it for a couple of hours. You will soon find out if you can manage it all day.

JimC and RJSeeney thanks for your replies.

[dcelectronics]

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[vIZnquest]

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