This Nikon D300 Digital SLR Review takes a look at the new Nikon D300 specs, features, packages, body, timer, price, lenses, and more. Find out how the Nikon D300 DSLR compares to other digital cameras and see if this professional camera is right for you.

The Nikon D300 is the much anticipated (and long awaited) successor to the Nikon D200 digital SLR. There are three ways to purchase the D300: body only ($1799), with an 18 - 135 mm lens ($2099), or with an 18-200 mm VR lens ($2539). Each of these kits comes with the 12.3 effective megapixel camera body, EN-EL3e lithium-ion rechargeable batter, battery charger, LCD monitor cover, body cap, eyepiece cap, shoulder strap, USB cable, video cable, software suite CD-ROM, hard copy camera manual. If you purchase the body only, keep in mind that the camera is compatible with nearly any F-mount Nikkor lens. So once you have the Nikon D300 out of the box and the lens attached, how does the camera perform?

First thing to consider is battery life. The D300 uses the same EN-EL3e lithium-ion battery as several other Nikon D-SLRs including the D200. In tests the D300 was able to get 1000 shots per battery charge with 50% flash use and live view off. Pretty impressive! Using the same testing methodology, the D200 was only able to get 340 shots per battery charge. The D300 is obviously a huge improvement in regards to battery life. Even the second place Canon EOS-40D was only able to take 800 shots per battery charge. One thing to note about the battery that comes with the D300, however, is that they are on the expensive side. A backup or replacement will set you back over $30. There is the option to buy the optional battery grip and use eight AA batteries though. A battery grip will run you around $235.

The look and feel in hand is very heavy duty. The Nikon D300 is quite a large digital SLR and it's built to be durable. Evidence of its more expensive price, the camera is made almost entirely of magnesium alloy and the only part that looks cheap is the plastic door over the memory card slot. The D300 is also weather-sealed which will protect the ports, buttons, and dials from dust and moisture (though you shouldn't take this camera out to shoot in the rain unprotected). The camera has a great right hand grip and you'll definitely need to use your left hand to stabilize as it is fairly heavy. The most important controls are nicely placed and within easy reach of your fingers.

At first glance, the D300 seems really loaded with buttons and dials. Truth is, it is. It takes a bit of time for most to acquaint themselves with all of the buttons and their many functions. The release mode dial on the top of the camera has the following shooting options: single frame (one shot at a time), continuous low speed, continuous high speed, live view, self-timer, and mirror up (prevents shake from mirror movement). The high speed continuous shooting mode tops out at either six or eight frames per second. Low speed is customizable from one to seven frames per second.

Another oft used button, the mode button, offers the standard selection of options, including program mode (camera sets aperture and shutter speed - there is a Flexible Program option that allows you to use the command dial to move through the various aperture/shutter speed combinations), shutter priority mode (you choose shutter speed, camera chooses aperture), aperture priority mode (you choose aperture, camera picks shutter speed), and manual mode (you choose both aperture and shutter speed). The D300 has no scene modes.

The main menu system on the D300 is rather elaborate though fairly easy to navigate while you're viewing it on the super three-inch LCD display. The menus are divided into six sections: Playback, Shooting, Custom, Setup, Retouch and My Menu. The Custom menu, for example, includes options for setting up timers, flash preferences, metering and exposure, and more.

The Nikon D300 performs very well, as it should, when it comes to image quality. Images taken with macro settings come out crisp with no sign of noise. Colors are true, though just a hair on the saturated side. The camera does a great job of capturing detail and of not blowing out highlights as well. Shots come out very clean with little noise up through ISO 400. Noise starts to creep in at ISO 800 (barely) with visible noise at ISO 6400. The D300 does come with noise reduction software that will help to mitigate some of the effects of shooting at a higher ISOs.

Overall, the Nikon D300 is a fantastic camera. This D-SLR really goes above and beyond when it comes to design, features, and image quality. On top of that, the D300 is super fast which makes shooting with it a pleasure. This is definitely a camera for photography enthusiasts - those who are looking to take a step up from a point and shoot may find this camera to be more of a leap than a step. That's not to say that beginners couldn't get a lot out of this camera, there just may be a more steep learning curve.

Recommended: Yes.

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