I bought mine originally at the same time. Very few cameras live up to the level of ergonomics that the D300 possesses. In all honesty, one of the best Nikon cameras ever, the F6 feels similar in some ways. I hope you continue to enjoy yours for many years to come!
My D300 and D700 stories are the same.Had both.Sold both.A few years later,bought both again. So many of these older cameras are still very useable.Good light withstanding. Videos like yours are key in keeping these cameras in the hands of shooters of any experience level. The 300 provides a great bang for today’s buck.
You won't believe, but I just picked this camera up today. With a with a shutter count of 68. Not 68k, no. sixty eight shots total. Brand new condition. I paid $180 w/a 16gb CF card. I am beyond the moon happy. What a compliment to my D3s.Great video 😬
@fournuer a year after this comment, but 0 problems. I shoot with it a lot still. It has about 5k shots on it now. I did notice the battery not lasting as long but it's the original battery and that's to be expected. I have a new aftermarket battery for backup. Files are nice and easy to edit, they don't take up much space and my computer can handle them. Unlike my D850 files, which pretty much put my computer in cardiac arrest 😂 still a great camera, especially with the 70-200 VR1 the OG version. I love it!
I absolutely love my d300s still to this day. I have a few lenses ranging from 18-50/f2.8 to 60-600/f4.5-6.3 and other equipment depending on what I need at the time, and it works great. I've used the flash in commander mode with my SB-700 numorous times at family gatherings. I've often pondered scrapping my old gear to go mirrorless, but pricing usually comes in the way, and as long as my trusty old lass still works, I don't feel i have a need to. I never thought I'd stick with it as long as I have. I love the formfactor, feel, the curves and weight of the d300/s, even with the md-10, and the ease of use, with quick access to everything you need really - right at your fingertips.
I still use my D300 purchased new around 2008. I use all my early ‘80s lenses with it (one reason why I got it in the first place!) and also bought an AF-S NIKKOR 18-200 DX. Covers all my needs. A true workhorse!
It's an excellent camera, I can understand why you still use it. If you have a lot of legacy glass you may want to investigate a used D700, similar compatibility plus a nice full frame sensor. That being said, the D300 is probably already doing everything you want it to :)
Bought a 300 a few days ago, only 6k clicks on it, its absolutely immaculate, so immaculate that I’m scared to take it outside in case it gets slightly dirty lol
Good evening Christopher. I purchased The Nikon D300s a while ago. Having, been a Film Man for almost 5o yrs I have only limited knowledge of Digital Photography. However, i must admit that I'm enjoying the Digital Experience quite a lot. One of the most gratifying facts is that ,my Prized Nikkor Nikon Manual Lenses fit the Above mentioned Camera! I'm trying my hands on the Nikon 18 mm_200 mm Autofocus Lens at present but, i look forward to using My prime lenses on the D 300 s .Looking forward to Your Review of the Nikon D300s Camera. Many thanks and Kind regards Colyn. Subscribed.
Thanks for subscribing and your comment :) I'm glad you see to be enjoying the D300S, it's a great camera! It's in a bit of a review backlog but I hope to be covering it soon :)
definitely making a purchase for one of these to use for skateboarding photography. All things point towards this camera and for the price you really can't say no to it :) Very excited will be my first DLSR
@@HamerReviews Ye it seems like the go to with the 1/250 sync speed/rate. I know I'm getting an 8mm fisheye that's a given but not really sure what other lens to go for. I'd imagine a 16-85 would make sense so is something I'll look into. Tbh it relies solely whats on ebay at the time.
@@HamerReviews hell he super fisheye is the best just snagged a massive 72mm opteka fisheye for my canon xm2 for filming 😍 and thanks for the tips will keep this all in mind hopefully have it all setup soon :)
It's honestly a great piece of kit, enjoy it, it's super well built and holds up incredibly well, even today's! I shot A LOT of parties and also weddings when I got it - it paid for itself many times over!
Have three of them. More specific two D300 and one D300s. Was very happy back then with those camera's. I have moved on to FX such ad D850, D810, D4, D700 but I will fire the D300 up again today. Build quality is still great. Feels like it can take a bumb ( rather not of course).
@@HamerReviews indeed they are. I totally forgot that I even have a D200. Only 8000 clicks and it looks like new. Same build quality. These camera's as the d300, d200, d700, d3 etc had a certain build quality. Solid and sturdy.
8fps with extra battery pack 1/8000s shutter speed, upto 6400 ISO, 51 AF points and, built like a tank. These are highly desired features even today. Ok with 12MP, as the reviewer said, 12MP is more than enough for a lot of standard size photography.
@@crinosil leica... i wanted to buy a d600 but it turned out to be too expensive with the taxes (turkey has a lot of taxes) so i decided to buy this one going to buy one really soon with a 50 mm f/1.8
I still use my D300s as my main camera and now looking into retiring it for a mirrorless camera. But I feel kinda lost. I have no idea what lives up to the standard D300s had when it was released. So many options now as well. I'll gladly take any suggestion if anyone could offer it :)
I buy use D300 1 year ago for 1000 PLN = +/- 250 € with only 8k shutter The best camera with 50 mm it is fable Never change maybe few years a full frame, maybe... Sorry for my english 😁
I have had my D300 now for a year. I have just paired it with a Tokina 11-16 f/2/8 and have had some amazing shots from it. Christoper, can you tell me what model 70-200 you have? I am looking at getting on to add to my collection of glass.
I use the 70-200 2.8 VR - the first generation, it's a great piece of kit and still worth it. On a D300 I'd also consider the 80-200 2.8 AF-D or AF-S 🙂 hope that helps! If you haven't already, please do subscribe, it really helps 🙂.
I still use a D700 and D300s today. Perfect for my needs. I’m considering upgrading to a D780 but unsure wether to pass and get a used D810/ D850 instead. Would you suggest a new D780 over a used D810/ D850? I don’t use video at all.
So I have to say, the D850 is phenomenal if you have the glass or indeed computer power and storage to deal with the rather huge files. The D810 is super Canapé too. The D780 is really cool if you might want video, and is a nice transition between mirrorless and DSLR given it’s basically a Z6 in DSLR setup. Depending on what you shoot you might like a Z6 - won’t the FTZ it’s a nice setup, but if you want to stick with DSLR - I’d probably go with the D780, mostly for better low light capability, easier to use files and generally nice handling. The D850 is a fine beast though, it really depends on your shooting style. Hope that helps! Ps. The D700 and D300s are a nice power couple when it comes to DSLRs
@@HamerReviews I appreciate in advise! Yes I agree that the D700 and D300s is an awesome power couple. 24-70 2.8 on the D700 and 70-200 2.8 on the D300s. Best combo IMO.
@@HamerReviews But to be honest, as much as I love my D700/D300s, my D7500 goes out with me more often. Awesome all around camera and thinking of pairing it with the D780 due to same body style.
I just received a 64gb CF for my d300 for Christmas and after speaking with SanDisk they told me the capacity is only 8gb on this camera. I came across your video and noticed you had mentioned that this camera is compatible with CF cards 64gb and up. Have you had any luck using a bigger one than 8gb on this camera? I'm still learning how to use my d300, so I wasn't sure if maybe I missed something.
Hi can someone please tell me how I can get a clean hdmi output with my Nikon d300? Within hdmi settings there’s only options to change the resolution. There’s no option to remove info from around the screen. The D300 does not have the info button on the back of the camera either so I can’t use that to remove info around the screen. I’ve just purchased the elgato cam link but I have a bad feeling that I’ve just wanted my money in doing so as I can’t seem to get a clean hdmi output on the tv
@@HamerReviews yeh I know but I’m sure Nikon can come up with something as they have for other cameras. Or a firmware update for their utility software. I’d rather speak up then just sit back and have to spend another 1k or new equipment
@@RobertoCampoliOfficial it’s a 14 year old camera. It’s been discontinued and marked as no longer supported. Why would they update the firmware? I LOVE my D300 but honestly you’re asking for something a bit ridiculous. I get that it’s a nice camera, I say as much in this video, but your expectations are way out of line. Why do you say spending another 1K on equipment? The D300 is ridiculously cheap for what it is, why not just sell it and buy a D300S? Which was made with video in mine?
My father used this D300 when I was a baby. And today he gave it to me for studying photography. I searched the introduction video of D300, and I'm happy to find this video and the channel. Thank you so much. I love this camera. I'll use it well
I use D850 as a regular camera, but my d300 with the same grip is always in my bag. Great autofocus almost covering the whole finder, 8 fps and 12 megapixels which is still good for sports. Controls are good and has one of the best grips I've seen from nikon. Probably still one of the best aps-c cameras for its price today.
Thanks so much for your comment, they are still fantastic cameras and truly do hold up today. The D850 is a lovely camera too, I never owned one but I used one with great interest and ALMOST chose it over the Z6. Please consider subscribing to support the channel :)
Great video... Love D300 amazing camera for a very low price and feels very nice in the hands. Paired with the 35 mm 1.8 DX you have a killer kombo for many things
£150 got me a D300 and 18-105 with 18k shutter actuations. My last slr was a pentax mx in the mid 80's. It is a steep but hugely enjoyable learning curve for me and this video put me onto the 300 so thank you very much. ED: Subbed of course.
I love my D300. I bought it second hand with a low shutter count. I have a load of cameras (way too many tbh) but this camera never fails me when I need to take a shot. Somehow, this camera has a 6th sense, it knows what I want to take a photo of, point, focus, click, boom, done! So fast and always accurate. It may be a bit on the 'old' side but I feel like a pro when I use it.
I am a big fan of the D300. I have two of them and use them all the time. They do suffer a little in low light, So I have two D700's in my arsenal for the low light stuff.
I have just bought a D300 this week and now it has arrived and have have been able to use it with my ais 100-300 5.6 I have found the heavy build of the body balances well with the 900g push / pull zoom lens compared to my d90 & d7000 , at £48 + delivery & the lens £42 the complete outfit will be around for years.
The D300 is absolutely amazing camera even to this day , I’ve take some incredible shots , including fast moving jets , I can’t fault it , pictures are so sharp in detail ❤️👍
Nikon D300s digital camera body... weird issue, exposures are correct but makes cough sound when firing the shutter... shutter speeds dont sound like they are changing...
@@unbroken1010 Not at the same level of the D700’s amazing images, but you have to admit the D300, 300s can create stunning images with colors that pop, and have a specific quality to them.
I have a problem that's my d300 camera doesn't work , i charge my battery but doesn't work can u tell me the problem bcz its been along time I didn't use it then i buy a new charge after it still doesn't work my camera can u help me with that
Was given a D300 after my D5100 was stolen. Was highly skeptical of such an oldmmodel but you have convinced me that it will suit my purposes just fine!
You are one lucky friend. Hold onto your D300 as it is a bloody great digital camera. I am holding onto mine that I have had since 2009 from new, but I am moving back to the good old 35mm film camera as I am old school.
This was a useful video. I still shoot with a D700, and was looking into a D300s as a backup body. Nowadays they are cheaper than a 1.5X teleconverter, while extending my lens "reach", use the same battery and battery grip as my D700, and the control layout is the same. The D300s also offers dual card slots. I've seen them in good condition for $100 USD. I think I'm going to get one and drop it in my FX bag. You can still make great images with older tech. Cheers!
I got a D300 not to long ago, used, for a great price, and I can say that the image quality is something else. I Then went out and got another one at a great price and low shutter count. I prefer the images from the D300 over my D7000's and D600's The sensor and firmware are just awesome. As far as shooting for a bill board, just realize that a billboard is viewed from over 100 feet away. High pixel density really doesn't matter. Remember that billboards were shot with D300's and D700's back in the day. If I can swing it there might be another D300 in my stable. It really is my go to camera these days,
I’ve been up close and personal to billboard size images. These are not always that crispy clear standing right next to the picture, but the same picture looks crystal clear from a distance. Like pixel peeping on the computer.
Took the D500 against the D300 and had to look at the filename in LR to figger out which pic was D500 or D300. Ok, lighting conditions were sunny so could keep the ISO low. I think that in low light and high ISO's the D500 will shine. In terms of speed and AF the D500 is on a other level but fot still photography the D300 is still very capable.
The D500 is excellent but sells for almost 10x as much as the D300 on eBay. As such I get where you’re coming from and agree but that’s comparing a 20 year old BMW to an almost new one 🙂
[Sorry for my English in case of mistakes] Today, in 2020, I have D300 with 50mm f1.4, and 18-105mm f3.5-5.6 VR. To give a mark for this camera I'll give 5/5 stars for ergonomics, 3/5 for weight, 3/5 for shutter button in RAW mode which sometimes give strange delay and not good informable, 4/5 on good, sunny day - I mean light and colors, 3-4/5 for portraits when we have no light on face, firm 4/5 for visual experiments (when you use yr camera as artist), 3/5 in low light conditions, and 6/5 stars for huge range of menu settings which are listed in factory instruction. Conclusion: so, if somebody asking you to take a studio/nature portrait for money - go and take modern Canon/Nikon/Sony camera in rental, excepting case if you have god-mode in studio light and photo editing. If you want to make an art exhibition, street photography, event-report for digital media, or mid-quality shots of your family - you still can use it and it will be ok, but not really great. But I really want to see results taken by mastered photographers. To see my shots made with D300 - visit my facebook page facebook.com/olexandr.sheiko/
Great. photos and glad you seem to like your d300, it's a great camera and excellent to use. I don't think the image quality is quite as bad as you think, but I hope you can still enjoy it 🙂
@@HamerReviews Fantastic, it is certainly a few steps back technologically speaking compared to the D7000 but the professional body and the images it manages to return does not make me regret the change at all. The autofocus then is to scream. really happy
I'm still using a Nikon D50 It was a good camera, but what swcks about it today is it's heavy, and there is no 1920x1080 resolution that I sorely need. All the picture size are roughly 4:3, not 16x9.
HELP! I got a Nikon D300 and I’m trying to see the Live Mode on my screen but all i see is black. Is there any way to fix this? Also does this camera take videos?
Heya, so the D300 has no video mode. Stupid question, I assume you’ve made sure the lens cap is off (I’ve done that) and you’ve chosen a sensible exposure - I’d put it in manual say 1/40 at F5.6 and just see if you can see anything on the screen when you activate live video mode.
If you install the very last firmware update, you can use afp and E lenses with a few features unavailable I used the AF-P70-300f/4.5-5.6 E ED VR very successfully for motorsport
Great video on your D300. I purchased my D300 and MBD-10 new back in 2009 and I have only taken a little over 1600 shots. It still looks new as I have looked after it. I have a Nikon AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VRII that is the main lens until I can get a new Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G later this year and that will be the prime lens. I have used my D300 CLS with my SB-5000 & SB-600 and they worked very well remotely. I do like the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens you had on your D300 but it is a very expensive lens here new at over AUD$3200, and I have never seen one going secondhand. I did want one of these lenses for motorsport photography at our local track.
Thanks for sharing, I'm glad you love your D300 as much as I do. The 70-200 is a great lens, you should be able to find one, they pop up quite a bit these days.
Just upgraded to Z6ii and Z5 from D750 with some new z mount s glass, BUT, I’ll NEVER get rid of my D300. The colours out of that thing are to die for. It’s my holiday camera with one lens along with the dmc lumic lx100.
D300 / D300S are fantastic cameras, and now they are better than ever as software such as Topaz DeNoise AI and others are so excellent. Effective use of Topaz can essentially bring the ISO performance up to modern standards. I say "effective use", because you can also make your images look fake and funky if you over do some settings, but point is, the software is a great benefit to older sensor cameras, just great. I just bought a "new" D300 from a reputable dealer in the midwest USA with only 837 shots on it for 144 US dollars and got a 6 month warranty too! It looks EXACTLY like brand new and I cannot even believe my good fortune! This camera will last me many years, so I cannot be happier! Get one, use it and enjoy it. You don't have to treat it gently, but do take care of it and it will take care you for many years.
Just buy one for a first camera for my dauther, 200€ with a 35 f1.8 and a 18-200VR + a grip and 2 battery. 9 000 shots... Is it possible to have better for starting ?? I ever have mine and my D700, so it's ok to teach her thé way to us it.
I bought and continue to use my D300 because it supports all of the amazing Nikkor lenses of the past. I have a 24 mm 1.4 lens manual focus that is an absolute killer pair with this body. Will more advanced bodies exist? Sure. Those new Sony mirrorless cameras are awfully tempting. But if I'm being honest, the d300 is alll I'll ever need. That is until I pick up a cheap D3 for some full frame performance.
Thank you for a great review, i have inherited my fathers camera. it has a DX 18 to 200 lens, i was wondering if any other lens can be recommended, I am a landscape painter and wildlife so looking for a lens for closer shots from distance and a wide angle, thanks for your advice.
I love mine! Is there a way to check shutter actuations manually? For some reason, shutter count website says the information isn't provided by my camera? I shoot lots of photos, and I aways shoot automatic. Is there a good beginners vid on youtube that helps one learn about the SLR basics? I'd like to learn how to manually operate the camera. Thanks!!!
I’m debating on getting one, I own a Sony A7siii which is mainly used for filming weddings but I often take it out for the odd photo and it seems a bit of a risk even with insurance. The D300 has the same megapixel count and the lack of some features may actually be a benefit as it’ll be good to go back to the basics 👍
Thank you for all of your encouraging words. I just bought one of these (four years later) for under £100 as you say after asking a couple decorated with cameras taking pictures at the Denham Village fayre in Bucks, for advice. I decided to follow ther advice and all I'm reading as I get to grips with all the details makes me believe I have not made a mistake.
Is it the D300S you are being offered? The D300 doesn't have video, only the S version. That being said. I'm not sure I'd go with one regardless, for stills, 100%, for video? Your smartphone would be better, in all likelihood.
I don't need the video or megapixels... sold my d7000 for 300 dollars and bought a d300 with battery grip and 4 perfect batteries for 115. It works better with the 70-200/f4 for nature photography. Very happy with it in 2022. Althought, it is worth noting that there is no pixel mapping in the d300 so I noticed right away that it doesn't process out hot pixels like the D7000 and later cameras do. I don't mind but it is worth noting.
I still have the D300S which was a great camera for the time. The 18 to 70mm lens you mention was one of the best DX kit lenses of its time which i think i got with my d70s ! Shows how great and well made it must have been for such an old lens which i still use sometimes today.. Though its not perfect a problem with apc dx lenses at 18mm you get all of the distortion of the 18 wide angle which is equal to 27mm full frame. I do love the build and pro controls of the 300s, i wish the Z6 i use now had the same controls. It was a heavy beast with the grip. Great video as always 👍
Brilliant camera. I had the D300S version but I would get it again as a reliable backup. It's as good as the D70s was in its days. & yes, an amazing sidekick to the D3S I still use & D700 family. I only wish it had the round eye piece. I'm impressed with how well it kept up for its 12mp especially in macro helped the reach. my favourite add on was the Lv button "liveview & new Info button.
Indeed, the move to video is rendering a lot of these cameras a little out of their depth. Can I recommend the superb Nikon Z50 with FTZ adapter? Thanks for your comment :)
I have one and I can confirm that it's a very good camera. For me importance of camera features is as follows: 1) Ergonomics - body size(I like big cameras)/simple menus/ lots of quick access buttons 2) Fast and accurate AF 3) ISO performance 4) Mp count As you can see most of CSC cameras doesn't conform to my requirements list, and besides why invest in new system if I already have a good enough one ?
I’m a very beginner but bought my D300 when it first came out. I want a new lens for travel photography both nature/beaches and people. I’m going to Italy in September and want a good all around versatile lens. I’m not a professional but love my camera and want a good lens. Thanks!
Yeah I followed all the advice in this video, which was great. Only problem is that the D300 does _not_ accept 64gb cards. 32gb is as high as it goes, so Amazon charged me a restock fee, lol.
@@HamerReviews It'll work with the D300s, which had a firmware update...I looked it up, after the fact, of course. LOL Still, I got a 35k shutter count body (got a _11898 shot count_ on on the way) with 5 DX lenses and the battery grip, for less than I would've paid just for a modern body alone, so I _really_ appreciate your advice. It's still really confusing to use, but I've gotten some sweet shots with it with a SB700 (I bought 2) in commander mode, with a shoot through umbrella. I got the flash blocker and the whole nine. If you go to Imgur and look for my name you can see. Not bad, I don't think, for only 3 days experience with a camera I don't know how to properly work yet. LOL I took photography in high school, but that was like 30 years ago. Last real camera I used was a Pentax K-1000. Hahaha
12mp camera - what the point of higher mp camera if they produce not so great photos. WE are getting one of these cameras, i hope , just came across this camera type , says 12mp digital camera
Works with all Nikon F mount lenses, manual lenses from the '60s and '70s? No, this camera will not work with pre-ai lenses unless they have been AI converted. And it does works with E lenses.
As a matter of interest, what CF / SD cards are you using in 2020 that work reliably with the 300S? It’s such a mine field with increasing speed and storage available now and some of the larger faster cards are not suitable. Thank you for in advance for any replies you may post.
I remember that I wanted to buy D300 many years ago, but then I never did. But recently it came to my mind again, after I noticed that the price fell down so much and it's possible to get D300 plus two lenses for not much more than 200 eur. BUT, I have Sony RX10 IV last few months and if I would buy D300, it would be just a second camera. And here is my question - comparing D300 and RX10 IV, is there really anything in D300 which would really be better than RX10 IV? I compared some sample photos (dpreview), I compared some specs (from burst frame rate, which is 24 on RX10 IV and 20 MP and zoom from 24 - 600 mm, also pretty good quality at highers ISO, to other settings which are similar as on DSLR cameras, RX10 IV has also very great and fast autofocus, probably much better viewfinder than optical viewfinder on D300 etc.), so nothing there in D300 specs really impressed me any more. So I wonder if I would buy D300, how much I would really want to use it then? I know that I could mount there all kind of lenses (like 18 mm, when I would need that wide angle). But for most of other photos and extreme situations, how much I would really want to use D300 instead of RX10 IV? So should I go and buy one D300 (any maybe two lenses) just to try and play with it for some joy? There is no direct comparison between D300 and RX10 IV anywhere, all what I can find is only old (and some newer) reviews of D300, which was amazing camera nearly 15 years ago and it still is (for the price which it has these days) and it can still make great photos (for instance landscape, etc.). Any thoughts or opinion on this comparison between D300 and RX10 IV would be very appreciated! Thank you!
Such an interesting question. I mean those two cameras are incomparable, but then again, why not? I would recommend getting one, logic being, if you don't like it, just re-sell it on ebay. What's great about the D300 in 2021? Super easy professional controls make adjusting settings easy and fast. Image quality will be better simply because the pixels are bigger. Yes, not as high resolution but the resolution you do have is 10/10.
I think that’s certainly true. Some newer cameras do have benefits, but the D300 was a pro camera in 2007 and it’s just as capable of producing award winning photos now as it was then 🙂
Hi there, €50 is a great deal! So in terms of settings for better photos, firstly, I would go to the 'shooting menu' and select picture control, I usually shoot on Vivid unless I'm shooting portraits (then I use neutral) Secondly, make sure you are exposing correctly, I found my D300 tended to underexpose so I usually used exposure compensation of -0.3 unless I was shooting manual. You can also play around with Active D-Lighting (I wouldn't shoot above Low) and equally I'd shoot RAW in 14bit colour and then edit the photos lightly in an editing program, adding the contrast and colour you want. Hope that helps!
Great pro presentation young fella! I appreciate you knowledge on the D300 and cameras in general. I purchased my D300 new and didn't use it often at all. Its in like new condition. I picked it up recently, and it is as dead as a door nail with a fully charged battery! I took it to a camera repair shop, and was told it would cost $300 just to look at it! Any ideas or suggestions sir? Thank you!!
Her only problem is the ISO above 1000, but with fast lenses, using wider appertures and trying to keep speed as low as themes allow, you have a great camera, even for 2021... Bought mine yesterday for only 147€... BTW, have you ever heard about Radio Trigers for 15€ ???
Just a couple of doubts here: - Have D300 or D300S ever received any firmware upgrade by Nikon ? - If memory serves right, originally D300 was fitted with 1.11 firmware so I wonder if is it possible to upgrade it with the 1.02 firmware of the D300S and if it's worth doing this. Thanks a lot for your help.
The cheapest I can get in my country, as far as I know, is around 175€ with about 40k shots. If I can't get it cheaper I'm going for that one. Always loved the D300/300s and for what I need, the price and the low autonomy of recent mirrorless, just doesn't make sense to me. The funny thing is that I had a picture published in photo magazine taken with the D40. For me, within reason, it was always the art not the gear. Good update video on the value of this legend. Cheers
