D90 or D300s?

[jeps]

Can anyone tell me if there's a significant enough difference between these two cameras to warrant the extra money? I've read lots of reviews for both and the D90 gets great write-ups and its features are often compared to the D300s. There's obviously a big difference in cost and didn't want to fork out hundreds of extra pounds if I don't really need to. I'm primarily a portrait photographer and do a few events too. I currently use a D70 which is obviously a bit old now and desperately need to upgrade.

I'm also thinking of getting the 70-200 2.8 Nikon lens which is pricey in itself, and thought I'd be better off investing in a better lens and getting a cheaper (but still good) camera.

Any thoughts?

 

[itsdavedotnet]

You can still get D300 bodies new in a few places, or they're a bargain second hand atm...depends if you need the video really

The differences in build quality and professional features make the jump from d90 to d300 makes it well worth it imo

 

[Dman]

I recently went through the same dilemma and opted for the D90. From what I could see they have pretty much identical IQ, and if the D300 is better then it's marginal and didn't warrant the extra, so I went for the D90 and a grip.

Fantastic camera, I upgraded from a D60 and am blown away by the difference, especially at higher ISO levels.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

The main advantages of the 300s over the 90 are things like the better weathproofing, the magnesium body and the easier to use controls/more options. Only you really know if these things would be of a benefit to you. On a personal level I went from a D80 to the D300 and I wouldn't go back to a consumer body now....

 

[p1tse]

i'm really happy with my d90

never played with a d300, but i'm sure it's a great camera.

 

[Philx1979]

also ken rockwell done a comparison between a d90 and d300 picture quality and i really couldn`t see anything different between the pics, i easily choose the d90 over a d300 however i was slightly tempted by the d300s, but in the end i thought save the money and go d90, best choice i ever made, stunning camera

 

[fracster]

I own a 300 and I recently used a 90. I go out in all weathers and am confident that the 300 is pretty much waterproof,I wasn`t confident in the 90 being the same,though I stand to be corrected of course.

Also,because I am used to the 200/300, I found the controls awkward on the 90 probably through lack of experience with that camera in fairness. But ,most of all, boy did I miss the 8 FPS of my 300.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

I go out in all weathers and am confident that the 300 is pretty much waterproof,I wasn`t confident in the 90 being the same,

I near enough killed my D80 going out in the rain with it, the D300 has been out in much worse without even a hint of a problem

 

[brookers]

The main advantages of the 300s over the 90 are things like the better weathproofing, the magnesium body and the easier to use controls/more options. Only you really know if these things would be of a benefit to you. On a personal level I went from a D80 to the D300 and I wouldn't go back to a consumer body now....

i agree with the above as i went from the d80 to d300. i'd like to add that the d300 has a far superior auto focus system, if i'm correct.
also the build of a d90 is similar to the d80 which feels like a toy when compared to a d300

 

[jeps]

This is all really helpful thanks so much. I'm about to start doing more location portrait shoots (I currently have a studio set up - I mainly do kids and family) so maybe the 300 is the way to go if it's good in all weathers. Will have to look at finances again. Thanks again, glad I found this site!

 

[towershot]

I near enough killed my D80 going out in the rain with it, the D300 has been out in much worse without even a hint of a problem

What lens was on it Graham.....The D 300 I mean.

 

[p1tse]

are there any features/performance the d90 does better than the d300?

 

[Blue Eagle]

Auto-focus.....thats the big one, there are stacks of minor improvements, but the AF system is brilliant (same or similar to the D3 i think)

::edit:: erm....sorry, i didnt really read that closely enough, the D90 has video (720p) which the D300 doesnt have, thats probably the biggest one.

 

[martsharm]

are there any features/performance the d90 does better than the d300?

Compared with the D300:

The D90 has the OK button in the logical place in the middle of the directional controller, and the controller itself is bigger and more tactile.

Dedicated button for advance mode, or activating the IR remote (itself not compatible with the D300), which I use all the time for tripod work.

Dedicated Live View button, which I use all the time to set white balance.

Front FUNC button can call My Menu, which I use all the time for selecting Auto Iso.

It's lighter.

It's smaller.

It's cheaper.

It has better detail in high ISO JPGs due to less noise reduction.

It can record video.

---

The D300S may have addressed some or all of these differences.

Personally, I couldn't justify the extra cash for no improvement in image quality and a reduction in certain features in exchange for increased size and weight. However for those who need slightly more AF performance (sports?), they know who they are. If you have to ask, you probably don't need it.

As far as weather-sealing... this attribute is difficult to quantify; I don't know how you can positively confirm your camera has good weather sealing apart from leaving it outside in a heavy storm. Certainly I've never heard of a D90 which had problems due to weather. I'd like to see some objective data on this. The panel joins on the D90 are as tight as you like; again I'd like to see some info on exactly what improvements the D300 makes to give its legendary Weather Sealing.

If the D300 is made of magnesium rather than plastic, this could account for the higher price in itself. You could make a camera from gold if you wanted: it would be very expensive. It wouldn't make better pictures though.

 

[chivers67]

Dual card slots on the D300s and a much more rugged feel won me over to it over the D90. End of the day you're getting a great piece of glass may as well fit it on the best body you can get

 

[dinorock]

Compared with the D300:

The D90 has the OK button in the logical place in the middle of the directional controller, and the controller itself is bigger and more tactile.

Dedicated button for advance mode, or activating the IR remote (itself not compatible with the D300), which I use all the time for tripod work.

Dedicated Live View button, which I use all the time to set white balance.

Front FUNC button can call My Menu, which I use all the time for selecting Auto Iso.

It's lighter.

It's smaller.

It's cheaper.

It has better detail in high ISO JPGs due to less noise reduction.

It can record video.

---

The D300S may have addressed some or all of these differences.

Personally, I couldn't justify the extra cash for no improvement in image quality and a reduction in certain features in exchange for increased size and weight. However for those who need slightly more AF performance (sports?), they know who they are. If you have to ask, you probably don't need it.

As far as weather-sealing... this attribute is difficult to quantify; I don't know how you can positively confirm your camera has good weather sealing apart from leaving it outside in a heavy storm. Certainly I've never heard of a D90 which had problems due to weather. I'd like to see some objective data on this. The panel joins on the D90 are as tight as you like; again I'd like to see some info on exactly what improvements the D300 makes to give its legendary Weather Sealing.

If the D300 is made of magnesium rather than plastic, this could account for the higher price in itself. You could make a camera from gold if you wanted: it would be very expensive. It wouldn't make better pictures though.

just so everybody knows the D300 also uses the center of the of the d ring selector as an OK button i know i just checked :shrug:

also you can set the jpeg to lossless so i don,t know what your talking about

and the weather proofing is better shall i go on

 

[brookers]

Compared with the D300:





Dedicated Live View button, which I use all the time to set white balance.
how is this better performance when the D300 has its own dedicated WB button

Front FUNC button can call My Menu, which I use all the time for selecting Auto Iso.
same as above, dedicated ISO button

It's lighter.
its made of plastic, drop it and you might need a new one

It's smaller.
thats ok if you've got small hands

It's cheaper.
and it feels it !

It has better detail in high ISO JPGs due to less noise reduction.


It can record video.
yes it can, but if your serious about this you'd be better off buying a camcorder

---

The D300S may have addressed some or all of these differences.

Personally, I couldn't justify the extra cash for no improvement in image quality and a reduction in certain features in exchange for increased size and weight. However for those who need slightly more AF performance (sports?), they know who they are. If you have to ask, you probably don't need it.
no improvement in IQ ? the auto focus will give you a better keep rate, unless your subjects are still

As far as weather-sealing... this attribute is difficult to quantify; I don't know how you can positively confirm your camera has good weather sealing apart from leaving it outside in a heavy storm. Certainly I've never heard of a D90 which had problems due to weather. I'd like to see some objective data on this. The panel joins on the D90 are as tight as you like; again I'd like to see some info on exactly what improvements the D300 makes to give its legendary Weather Sealing.
see above post.

If the D300 is made of magnesium rather than plastic, this could account for the higher price in itself. You could make a camera from gold if you wanted: it would be very expensive. It wouldn't make better pictures though.

personally i think the D300 is worth the extra for the auto focus alone.
another thing is unless your a novice you will not need the idiot modes of the d90 ( landscape, portraite, close up etc ) even when i started with my D80 i never used them.
just my humble opinion !

 

[martsharm]

Disclaimer: hopefully this is some use for prospective purchasers. I've already bought my camera, as I suspect have the other guys... Otherwise it's just some geeks trying to justify their own purchases. Which we all seem quite happy with. Let's rejoice!

also you can set the jpeg to lossless so i don,t know what your talking about

and the weather proofing is better shall i go on

I apologise if I didn't explain myself clearly enough. The D90 has measurably better signal-to-noise ratios (and dynamic range. And tonal range. And colour sensitivity). From the examples I've seen the D300 uses noise reduction to keep the noise the same as the D90, but giving a reduction in detail levels. JPG lossless is a completely different issue (to do with compression in the JPG not SNR).

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/Image-Quality-Database/Compare-cameras/(appareil1)/294|0/(appareil2)/295|0/(onglet)/0/(brand)/Nikon/(brand2)/Nikon#933

As far as weather proofing - again, I thought I explained I had never seen any data as to how this is achieved on an engineering level, nor any comparative tests between the D90 and D300. These would be important data to any prospective purchaser. Could you enlighten me where I could find this information?

Dedicated Live View button, which I use all the time to set white balance.
how is this better performance when the D300 has its own dedicated WB button

Apologies for not explaining myself clearly enough. I hit the Lv button to bring up live view (I gather you have to change shooting mode to achieve Lv on the D300). I then set a custom white balance according to the LCD picture. The Lv button sits under my right thumb, I imagine this is more convenient than not having the dedicated button. I use Lv a lot for this purpose.

When shooting, the D90 has a dedicated WB button.

Front FUNC button can call My Menu, which I use all the time for selecting Auto Iso.
same as above, dedicated ISO button

I thought I stated this quite clearly - the front button can be used to select Auto Iso on/off, which I use all the time. Can the D300 do this?

When shooting, the D90 has a dedicated ISO button.

It's lighter.
its made of plastic, drop it and you might need a new one

Have you every dropped your D300? I've not seen any meaningful drop test data for either.

It's smaller.
thats ok if you've got small hands

That's just silly.

It's cheaper.
and it feels it !

Each to their own. The feel of a camera has nothing to do with the pictures you make.

It has better detail in high ISO JPGs due to less noise reduction.

When you've finished thinking, do you have any comments on this?

It can record video.
yes it can, but if your serious about this you'd be better off buying a camcorder

Not if you want to use an f/1.8 lens, or maybe a 10mm ultra-wide in your videos.

personally i think the D300 is worth the extra for the auto focus alone.

Good - as I said, the guys that need the extra AF points know who they are. Do you use it for sports? Happy shooting.

 

[foggy4ever]

This is getting boring.

If you have a D90 and you are happy

If you have a D300/D300s and you are happy

If you are looking to purchase one of the above it comes down to budget regardless of what ever statistics you want to throw around.

D90 is a consumber body

D300 is a pro body............. it is that simple.

Yes I have a D300, upgraded from a D60.

 

[TriggerHappy]

This is getting boring.

If you have a D90 and you are happy

If you have a D300/D300s and you are happy

If you are looking to purchase one of the above it comes down to budget regardless of what ever statistics you want to throw around.

D90 is a consumber body

D300 is a pro body............. it is that simple.

Yes I have a D300, upgraded from a D60.

Handle both. Buy the one that feels right, matches your needs and suits the depth of your pocket. Simple.

 

[Boldonian]

The D90 is a great camera no mistake, but once you've sampled the D300 body the D90 will seem like a cheap plastic watch in comparison. Another benefit that hasn't been mentioned is the classic M42 mount Carl Zeiss Jena lenses will meter on a D300, along with a whole raft of classic M42 lenses that can be picked up for a next to nothing on ebay.

 

[jeps]

I didn't realise this question would have such passionate responses! I'm going to test them both out. I really don't mind if the D90 feels or looks cheap, it's about the performance for me.

I only set up my business 12 months ago (I'm also a full time mum so it's more of a part time business at the moment until my son goes to school) so I'm slowly building up my equipment. Perhaps for the next year or so the D90 will serve me well and if and when the business takes off I can look to upgrade if I feel the D90 isn't performing well. I really appreciate all these comments though, very helpful! From what I've read, I think the 70-200 2.8 lens I'm getting is going to blow me away (it should do for the price!) so think I'll invest most my money in that first.

Jx

 

[yannick_reveur]

if you have enough money for the d300s go for it.
It is one of the best Nikon body, good access to features on the body, good built quality.

 

[Dman]

To be fair, if I had the money then I would have bought a D300, the fact is I was originally on a budget of £550 for a second hand D90 but decided to get a new one for the warranty so went £100 over this. However, the D90 will do a job if you're not a full time tog, may even do a job if you are a full time tog :shrug:

I do a bit of part time work, the D60 didn't really cut the mustard for that but the D90 certainly does. It would definitely be a cracking body for anyone with a keen amateur interest in photography.

 

[jeniveeev]

i upgraded from a D70 to D300 a few months back and its like night and day. sometimes i pick up the D70 when i go walking and its very basic in comparison to the 300. You wouldnt regret buying one, perhaps a 2nd hand body with your new lens would be the perfect match. Thats an outstanding lens your buying.

 

[dab66]

I didn't realise this question would have such passionate responses! I'm going to test them both out. I really don't mind if the D90 feels or looks cheap, it's about the performance for me.

I only set up my business 12 months ago (I'm also a full time mum so it's more of a part time business at the moment until my son goes to school) so I'm slowly building up my equipment. Perhaps for the next year or so the D90 will serve me well and if and when the business takes off I can look to upgrade if I feel the D90 isn't performing well. I really appreciate all these comments though, very helpful! From what I've read, I think the 70-200 2.8 lens I'm getting is going to blow me away (it should do for the price!) so think I'll invest most my money in that first.

Jx

The D90 certainly doesn't feel nor look cheap. It's a great camera and has a good quality feel to it. Put a battery grip on it and it 'feels' even better. Build quality seems good enough, unless you're thinking about kicking the thing down the street. Yes, I have a D90, and I love it. I did consider, very briefly, the D300 but couldn't justify the extra cost. I spent the difference on other goodies.

If I was into sports/wildlife and needed the extra focus points and the higher fps then I might have gone for the D300. The weathersealing isn't a big issue to me really, I'm not convinced my lenses are weatherproof so I'm going to cover up anyway in bad weather. Having said that I've used my D90 uncovered in atrocious weather recently and it seems, touch wood, to have survived unscathed.

I think going down the D90 route and spending the extra cash on better lenses is a good option. And upgrading is always easier than downgrading. The D90 v D300 will always cause debate, because in performance terms there's not that much in it.

 

[dinorock]

Disclaimer:As far as weather proofing - again, I thought I explained I had never seen any data as to how this is achieved on an engineering level, nor any comparative tests between the D90 and D300. These would be important data to any prospective purchaser. Could you enlighten me where I could find this information?

i think its called rubber seals and its on every single button on the camera .do your home work my friend.

also as said above it depends how deep your pockets are and if you can justify the extra, although a second hand d300 would,nt be much more now.

 

[wibbly]

Interesting thread, thanks.

I currently have a D70 and keep toying with the idea of upgrading and I can't help wondering if I go for a D90 I will regret not going for a D300.

I am watching replies with interest

 

[Mud]

I currently have a D70 and keep toying with the idea of upgrading and I can't help wondering if I go for a D90 I will regret not going for a D300.

A D90 is hard to regret, you can't go far wrong with either body. You're over the hump around D5000 money where you're into relatively uncompromised cameras and you can base your choice solely on desired features.

 

[towershot]

I moved form the D80 to the D300 for the auto focus,the D80 was lousy on seascapes and I am not disappointed.
The biggest gain I have found though is on dust spots on images.
I used to put my pics on the laptop and then the first job was to clone out the dust spots first.
On the D300 I now have not spotted (pun intended )
any since I bought it last December.
OK I have only had 6000 actuations but thats still a lot of time saved.

 

[martsharm]

First of all I get told off for using "statistics" in my decision making process (do people really base their buying decisions on marketing guff alone?), then I'm told to do my homework.

i think its called rubber seals and its on every single button on the camera .do your home work my friend.

Ah, I see. I haven't done my homework. Sorry sir. Since "i think its called rubber seals", and you must have done your own homework to deduce this, I wonder if you could post the link where you got this little nugget of information from.

Nowhere can I find in Nikon's specifications mention of the fabled "rubber seals", let alone on "every button on the camera". The relevant specification is "water and dust resistant", which is meaningless. I've searched the relevant webpage and PDF catalogue for "weather", "seal", and "rubber", and guess what? Nothing. (Apart from a mention of the rubber eyepiece.)

Interestingly, the temperature and humidity maximums for the D300 are the same as for every other Nikon DSLR - note the "no condensation" caveat, which doesn't really inpsire confidence in weather sealing - if it can't handle a bit of condensation, I doubt it'll do much better in a good British downpour.

Listen, I'm not bashing the D300, just trying to get to the bottom of this issue. A comprehensively weather-sealed camera would be useful to me. I just don't see the evidence from the manufacturer that the D300 is any better than the rest of the Nikon range in this regard. Please can someone post a link that would wrap this up once and for all.

 

[PsiFox]

Seem to be quite a few articles talking about the seals on body and buttons

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=nikon+d300+rubber+seals+buttons&meta=

There are numerous rubber gasket seals around body seams, controls and compartment doors. Nikon don't claim the camera to be waterproof but it's certainly more 'weather proof' than the average digital SLR. Remember that the camera is only as weather proof as its weakest link, this includes the lens mount and only a few of the more recent Nikkor lenses have rubber seals around the mount ring.

 

[martsharm]

i think its called rubber seals and its on every single button on the camera .do your home work my friend.

"Yes, the D300 has gaskets in many key positions. But it isn't fully gasketed."

http://www.bythom.com/nikond300review.htm

Review based on disassembly. That's my kind of review.

Thom hasn't bothered disassembling a D90, so we don't know how the two compare, gasket-wise.

 

[gingerjon]

I've just done a google and a lot of the press releases relating to the D300S seem to make note that it is meant to be more weather-proofed than the D300. However the in-hand reviews don't seem to note much if any physical difference between the two cameras.

I always have a freezer bag to hand for when caught out in a storm anyway. I'm just too paranoid.

 

[Dman]

I always have a freezer bag to hand for when caught out in a storm anyway. I'm just too paranoid.

I'm terrified of taking mine out if there's even so much as a hint of a dark cloud!

 

[gingerjon]

I'm terrified of taking mine out if there's even so much as a hint of a dark cloud!

I should point out that I'm talking about my D40X - despite the list under my avatar I have yet to receive my shiny new D90 from Calumet. I shall however continue with the freezer bag strategy - much the amusement of spectators on the touchlines - but more because I'm concerned for the state of the lens!