What Nikon next ?

vince31

vince31

Messages
4,872
Name
Vince
Edit My Images
Yes
Just a quick question?

I started with a Nikon D3000 and was thinking of now progressing.

What would you Nikon folk say is the natural progression in the Nikon world?

Not sure on my budget yet but just thought I would gather your thought?:thumbs:
 
What do you want to get out from a new camera that the d3000 doesn't do? All models have different strengths. Lenses usually are better investment if you don't have many.
 
Last edited:
Our thoughts really depend on your budget and what areas of photography you are interested in.

however as said before

Buy the one that feels most comfortable, with the most intuitive control and menu layout and fits your budget.
 
Nikon D4 ticks all the boxes ;)

Seriously though, you really need to state what is the driving force for you wanting to change as there are a myriad of 'natural' upgrades depending on what you want to achieve.

Are you after more external controls, better iso, higher resolution, better auto focus, video etc, water resistance etc?
 
Then a D300s or a D7000 will do you nicely. Keeps the crop factor as your current lenses are DX.
A D700 with FF lenses might be an option but it depends on budget.
 
A used D300 is looking bargainous right now. It's AF system is about as good as it gets on a crop body and a lot of birdie people use it for that reason. It is also stuffed full of useful controls, weather proofed to a degree and built to survive the odd tumble. ISO performance is decent but the best current crop sensors are about a stop better. You can use ISO 3200 but you have to be careful with your exposure. That does put it at least two stops better than the D3000 though so a decent step up.

A D7000 would be another option and has a better sensor and a decent AF system. It's a smaller body so comes with those compromises or advantages depending on how you view that.
 
Last edited:
Problem with a d300 is yes it's got a better AF but they're older and iso performance is not much better than there current camera.

Hold tight for an announcement in the next 2 weeks.
 
Last edited:
I'd go with much of whats said above, the D300/s is a lovely camera to use but the sensor on the D7000 is a good stop better. The AF system on the D300 and its buffer size are better than the D7000. I have the D7000 (and a D700) and I'm not sure I'd pick it now over a D300 if i made the choice again 18 months down the line. I much prefer the bomb proof construction and also the ergonomics of the 300/700. I love my D700 which blinds both DX bodies in iso performance but it really clips your wings with lens focal length, I'd stick with a DX body, you wouldn't go far wrong with either the D300/7000
 
rjbell said:
Problem with a d300 is yes it's got a better AF but they're older and iso performance is not much better than there current camera.

Hold tight for an announcement in the next 2 weeks.
Click to expand...

The ISO performance is far better than the D3000. I've had both.
 
D300 is a bargain second hand. Great feel, weather sealed, lots of controls on body, good AF and ISO is not too shabby. Think they go for £500 or less, which is criminal!!
 
vince31 said:
D300 or D300S ?
Click to expand...

It's best to look up the exact differences but for me it would be extremely hard to justify the cost of an D300S over a D300 unless buying new where there is no choice to make.

Quick summary of the important stuff,

D300S has slightly faster FPS
Video (utterly terrible, don't buy this for video!)
Quiet shutter mode (could be useful for birding)
Dual memory card slots
And erm I'm sure there is something else but memory fading.

You can pick a good d300 for as little £400 these days where as a used D300S seems to still fetch £600+
 
The D300 is a very good used buy at the moment and is the one I would go for unless you want video. You will also be able to sell a D300 in say 12 months time without a huge loss. The D300s is still current and so used values will fall rapidly when the replacement is announced.
 
I have a D300s and I mainly use if for bird photography - if I'd realised the video was so bad [worse than the video quality on my phone!] I'd have gone for a D300... that said I have taken over 60k shots with the D300s and I really like the function buttons for ISO etc - it is a massive improvement over my D90 where most things seemed menu driven rather than having dedicated switches. As has been said the quiet shutter release is handy for busy hides - although its single shot so you might miss some opportunities using that setting. I'm ready for an upgrade but to be honest at the moment I can't justify a change based on what I get from the D300s.
 
Sorry to jump in on the thread, but i am in the same kind of dilemma.

I currently have a D200 (which is borrowed), which i assume i will have to give back at some point (may see if mate at work has upgrade i can take), but when the day arrives then i will need to buy a body.

I have had the use of a D300s for a weekend and what impressed me was the fps over the D200. The fact the buttons are almost the same helps and found it easy to navigate.

Yes i know the D7000 has a higher ISO rating and an extra 4mp (not that it bothers me about that), but how many extra stops does the D7000 have over the D300/300s?

I am edging towards the D300/300s, as like some say, they feel like a proper camera and more robust and bomb proof. But does the ISO outweigh that?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top