Nikon D300s

Nikon D300S Preview

Nikon updates one of the most well-received digital SLRs on the market with the Nikon D300s, a digital SLR with the same 12.3-megapixel sensor, a slightly faster frame rate, and HD Video capture capability, among other improvements

In August 2007, Nikon launched its D300, which offered 12.3-megapixel resolution from a DX format image sensor roughly equal in size to a frame of APS-C film. Sensitivity could be extended as high as ISO 6,400 equivalent, and the Nikon D300 featured a weather-sealed body, 100% viewfinder coverage, a sizeable high-res LCD display with live-view capability, plus six frames-per-second burst shooting. The D300's feature set was robust enough not only to cater for the enthusiastic amateur photographer, but also to prove attractive to pros looking for an extra camera body without breaking the bank.

Two years down the road, Nikon refreshes the D300 design to create the Nikon D300s, incorporating almost the entire feature set of the previous camera plus several must-have features for 2009.

Design. Weighing about 1.85 pounds (840g), the Nikon D300s is only a half an ounce (15g) heavier than the D300. Dimensions and overall appearance are essentially the same, with only a few differences, noted below.

A familiar face, save for the smaller D300s logo in the upper right corner of this shot. The major addition is the monaural microphone right below the logo, marked by three holes.

There are no noticeable differences on the top deck of the Nikon D300s. The only noticeable change isn't visible in this shot, and that's the lack of a Live view (Lv) setting on the Drive mode dial.

Most of the changes are visible here, though not overly obvious. First is the Live view (Lv) button that has appeared just right of the LCD and upper left of the AF point selector switch. An Info button has also been added, just below that. The clumsy Rear multi-controller disk has been graced with a center button, first seen on the Nikon D3. Finally, the card door has been simplified, omitting the cumbersome switch in favor of a sliding design. Those who use both Canon and Nikon cameras on a daily basis will be pleased with this change. And finally, the nine-holes for the speaker peek out from the lower right corner, a good location that still allows you to hear while holding the camera.

The thumbgrip pad is a little smaller, and there are other minor tweaks here and there to angles and surfaces, but those are the major changes, just enough to get the job done for the real changes in the Nikon D300s.

Movie mode. It seems like camera manufacturers are grafting HD movie mode into all but the most basic digital SLRs. Indeed, the Nikon D300s seems to have been created for this very feature, given the D300's continued relevance.

Operation is similar to that of the Nikon D90, but with a couple of key differences. Movies are captured as Motion JPEG compressed AVI files, with a frame rate of 24 frames per second. At the full movie-mode resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels, the Nikon D300s can capture clips as long as five minutes. At a reduced resolution of either 640 x 424 or 320 x 216 pixels, the clip length is limited to a maximum of twenty minutes.

Unlike the Nikon D90 which was restricted solely to an internal monaural microphone, the D300s offers the ability to connect an external microphone, courtesy of a 3.5mm stereo input jack located under the rubber flap on the camera's left side (as seen from the rear). Contrast-detect autofocusing is also now possible during movie recording, although it should be noted that this will probably require the use of an external microphone, since lens motor noise during focusing is likely to be picked up by the camera's internal microphone.

Another difference from the D90 is that the Nikon D300s offers limited in-camera movie editing capabilities. It is possible to set both start and end points on an existing movie clip, and then discard everything beyond these points. The result can be saved as a separate video file to either the CF or SD card as desired, while the full-length original video is left unchanged. It is even possible to apply Nikon's Picture Controls to videos recorded with the Nikon D300s, allowing for the tone and color to be modified, for example.

Dual card capability. Another bit of big news is the Nikon D300s' dual memory card slots, with one slot accepting Type-I CompactFlash cards, and the other compatible with Secure Digital media, including the higher-capacity SDHC cards. Interestingly, the latter slot is compatible with Eye-Fi's WiFi capable SD cards, giving the D300s the ability to transfer images across 802.11b/g networks. To offer dual card slots without increasing the size of the camera, the Nikon D300s has dropped support for Type-II CompactFlash cards and Microdrives. With Type-I CF cards offering huge capacities at very affordable prices nowadays, this slight compromise is unquestionably a sensible one.

Either card slot in the Nikon D300s can be set as the primary at the user's option, and data can be copied between cards in-camera. Once configured, the secondary card slot can serve as an overflow when the primary card's capacity is reached, or images can be simultaneously recorded to both cards to provide an immediate backup. Alternatively, the Nikon D300s can be set to record NEF Raw image files to one card, and JPEG compressed images to the other. It is also possible to configure the Nikon D300s to record still images to one card, and movie clips to the other. Finally, movie clips can be set to automatically record to whichever card has the most remaining space, helping ensure you don't run out of room at a crucial moment.

Frame rate. When shooting with the Nikon D300s' internal EN-EL3e battery, the still image burst-mode shooting rate has increased slightly to seven frames per second, up from six frames-per-second in the D300. If Nikon's MB-D10 multi power battery grip is fitted with an EN-EL4a battery and attached to the D300s, the burst mode rate improves further to eight frames-per-second -- a top speed that is unchanged from that of the D300. When shooting in 14-bit RAW mode, the top capture speed is 2.5 frames per second.

Several other hardware changes have been made to the Nikon D300s, although the bulk of the interface will be immediately familiar to those who've used the previous D300 model.

New HDMI port. The high definition HDMI video output connector has been changed from the larger Type-A jack to a smaller Type-C jack.

Flash. The wide-angle coverage of the built-in popup flash strobe has improved to 16mm, although the guide number of the flash is unchanged.

Autofocus. The Nikon D300s retains the same 51-point Multi-CAM 3500DX phase detection autofocus sensor module found in the original D300, but Nikon is describing both autofocus speed and accuracy as having been improved in the D300s. The D300s also gains a new Quiet Shutter release mode, which separates firing of the shutter from advance of the shutter mechanism to reduce the noise level generated during shutter release.

Active D-Lighting. Nikon's Active D-Lighting technology has also been updated for the D300s, with two new settings available on top of the previous Off, Low, Normal and High positions. Active D-Lighting can now be set to Extra High, or to Auto which will allow the camera to choose which level it feels is appropriate to the scene being photographed. Active D-Lighting can now also be bracketed with anywhere from two to five frames.

Processing and playback. It is now possible to process .NEF Raw image files in-camera. The rear-panel LCD's function menu has also been improved, and the Nikon D300s now offers the 72-image thumbnail display option in Playback mode, which was previously seen in the Nikon D90. The Nikon D300s' Playback mode also offers the ability to automatically zoom in on human faces in playback mode, allowing subjects to be quickly checked for accurate focus and exposure. IPTC info can now be recorded in EXIF metadata, and the Nikon D300s offers a virtual horizon indicator function as well.

One final change relates to the product bundle and addition of a video mode -- the Nikon D300s now comes with an EG-D2 audio/video cable, rather than EG-D100 video cable that was included with the D300.

Analysis. Perhaps the most interesting omission from the Nikon D300s is any increase in resolution. With the incredible high ISO performance of the D300 still unchallenged, it's obvious why Nikon decided to stay out of the megapixel race for now. Save for the Nikon D300s' HD movie mode, there are few compelling reasons to upgrade, at least from the D300. The Nikon D300s seems to be more of an update that brings the enthusiast flagship up to the standards of more recent Nikon models, including the D90 and D5000, as well as taking on the Canon 50D and Pentax K7 with their HD movie modes. Much has changed in the two years since the D300's launch, and though the its lustre had hardly faded, Nikon has successfully fended off any lingering doubts among those looking at a very capable field of HD-capable digital SLR cameras with the Nikon D300s. Watch for more on the Nikon D300s when we get a shootable sample.