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Review The Nikon D300s is the successor to the original D300 that appeared in the UK almost two years ago. Sharing the same 51-point autofocus and 12.3Mp sensor, it’s the cheaper DX format alternative to the top of the range Nikon D3 DSLR, and sits neatly next to the full frame D700.


Nikon's D300s: still for stills, but with video if you need it

The differences from the original D300 are quite subtle from the outside. The Live View Control and Info Buttons have moved, and the Multi control pad on the back has been tinkered with. The previous version was flatter and encouraged more 'OK' confirmations than with the D300s panel, which sticks out more and needs fewer actions for the various prompts.

Unsurprisingly, HD video is the headline grabber with this model, which is recorded as a Motion JPEG AVI file with a resolution of 1280 x 720p at 24fps. The recording time is five minutes at the maximum resolution or 20 minutes at 640 x 424. It might not seem much but is a perfect amount of time for the short events that occur in front of us, while giving the nod to filmmakers with the frame rate choice.

One feature you might find useful – especially if the best man's speech didn't start exactly on time – is the trim editing in-camera of the video shot. You can cut the beginning and end off, though with a five minutes maximum recording time – it's seat of your pants time! We used a Sans Disk Ultra II SDHC card, which was very happy to record burst stills and video, despite not being cutting edge.

If not recording in Auto mode, you should meter and set your aperture/shutter manually for the scene before pressing Live View mode, so the camera will not be tempted to add any video gain and, hence, noise. In short, if it what you’re seeing on the LCD panel would make a good photograph, then you can be reassured that it's going to make very pleasing moving images too.
Nikon D300s

HD video recording, but a five minutes maximum for each shot

In crowded areas the built-in microphone – under the model number in the top right corner – did well, picking out the subject from the background. Like most in this new class of video capable devices, the audio is a bolt on and not a selling point, and it is worth reiterating this is not a camcorder. So expectations should not be as high, especially as it records at 11kHz rather than the professional rate of 48kHz.

-continue to the full review here: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/12/04/review_camera_nikon_d300s_dslr/

***
The reviewer rated the Nikon D300s with a score of 80% which is not bad. However, I still think it's a great dslr with HD video capabilities.

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Here's the gist of the review posted by dpreview.com:

Conclusion - Pros

* Highly competitive image quality at all ISO settings
* Excellent high ISO performance with low noise and good levels of detail
* Highly configurable Auto ISO function (can set maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed)
* 7 frames per second continuous shooting speed (8 with battery grip)
* Makes good use of its dual media card slots
* Sophisticated AF system with effective subject tracking
* Excellent build quality with magnesium body and environmental sealing
* Good ergonomics, well shaped and comfortable hand grip
* Well-placed and configurable buttons
* Menu is well organized and quick to use despite its size and the camera's complexity
* Large and bright viewfinder with 100% coverage
* (Relatively) quick contrast detect AF in live view
* Good quality 720p video output
* Easy switch between stills mode, movie mode and live view
* Contrast detection available in movie mode
* External microphone socket
* Useful Active D-Lighting feature protects highlights as well as boosting shadows
* Reliable flash exposures
* Comprehensive wireless flash control
* Wide range of accessories (WiFi, Battery Grip, GPS)
* Good battery life
* Sophisticated interval timer feature
* Comprehensive software bundle
* Built-in AF assist lamp

Conclusion - Cons

* Unreliable white balance under artificial lighting
* Slight tendency to overexpose in contrasty conditions
* Rolling shutter effect when shooting video
* Occasional 'grain' in blue skies, even at base ISO
* Contrast detection AF is slow (as it is on all DSLRs)
* Internal microphone readily records lens noise
* No liveview histogram

Overall conclusion

The D300S isn't nearly as significant a step forward for Nikon as the D300 was but that in part is a testament to how good the D300 was. When we reviewed it, Phil stressed how difficult he'd found it to find things to criticize so it's not surprising that Nikon has found it hard to know what to improve. But there are improvements and ones that will be welcomed by certain sections of the photographic community. The ability to shoot movies, although seemingly gimmicky, does appear to be a benefit both in terms of creative options and commercial potential, so shouldn't be dismissed. The addition of a second card slot and the useful ways in which it can be used also considerably increase the flexibility of the camera.
Image Quality

With a 12 megapixel sensor, it would be easy to think of the D300S as being a touch out-of-date. However, that would be to miss the point, as the difference between 18 megapixels and 12 (20% in each direction), is only of value in certain specific circumstance, especially when you're talking about 12 very well captured and processed megapixels. And that's what you get with the D300S - dependable, quality images which it's very hard to find fault with. The JPEGs may be a little softer than we'd choose but they respond well to the sharpening being pushed up a notch, so it's just a matter of tuning them to suit your purposes. Processing from raw brings even better results.
Handling

Handling is one of the places that the D300S really shines - both its ergonomics and build quality are first class. Although it's easy to initially be intimidated by the sheer number of external controls, you soon become familiar with them and find yourself glad of them. Then, thanks to the high level of customization, you can add other features you want direct access to onto the user-definable function buttons on the front of the camera. Furthermore, if you're unfamiliar with the Nikon way of working (dials and indicators all have positive on the left and negative on the right), the behavior of both can be switched so that it more close resembles the cameras you're used to.

Although the button changes over the D300 are subtle, they make a surprising difference, not least in terms of making access to video really straightforward. There isn't universal agreement here about the positioning of the buttons on the camera's left shoulder (White Balance, ISO and Image Quality), but that's about the only point of contention, despite us all being familiar with different brands.
The final word

The D300S is not the standout product that its predecessor was and unless you find your clients are clamoring for video footage, we can't see much need for existing owners to upgrade. But that shouldn't take away from an absolutely excellent product - a gently polished and refined update of a product that we considered a benchmark when it was released. The EOS 7D may prevent anyone with a foot in the Canon camp from contemplating defection but unless you desperately need that camera's higher resolution, it's hard to overlook the appeal of the Nikon.


I suggest you check out the full review found here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond300s/

Those who have clients wanting video footage might want to go for the new Nikon D300s.
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Nikon updates its semi-pro D300S DSLR with video and some welcome tweaks.
EXTERNALLY SIMILAR: The D300S looks practically identical to the D300, except for the model number printed on the front.

With HD video recording suddenly becoming the feature to have in DSLRs, Nikon has been busy updating their DSLR line with new models featuring 720p video recording.

While the first Nikon DSLRs to gain HD video recording were the consumer models like the D90 and the D5000, the company has just started updating its semi-pro and professional models with video recording, starting with the D300S and now the D3S.

Similar but different

Since the D300S has many similar features carried over from the D300, we won’t repeat them in this review. If you want an extensive rundown of the features, check out our D300 review.

Externally, the D300S really does look practically identical to the D300 — even the image sensor has the same 12.21-megapixel count as its predecessor and the 51-point autofocus system is also carried over.

There are differences in the sensor, of course, but we’ll deal with that a little later.

The only thing we’ll say here is that 12-megapixels is definitely more than enough for all but advertising photographers or people who need to make larger than A3 enlargements.
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT: On the back, the D300S has a few slight differences, most notably a direction pad with a separate middle button like on the D3.

However, physical and the basic feature set are where the similarities end between the D300 and the D300S.

In addition to all this, Nikon has tweaked a number of features and added some new features into the D300S to make an already good camera even better.

The most obvious new feature, of course, is the addition of 720p video recording.

Even here, Nikon has tweaked the way video recording works in the D300S compared with the D90 — most notably, you can now autofocus during video recording, although, like all cameras that do so the sound of the autofocus motor can be heard when focusing.

This brings me to the next new feature — the D300S has a port that accepts a standard external stereo microphone which means you not only get stereo audio recording, but since the microphone is external, it won’t record the autofocus motor sounds when recording video.

As far as video recording goes, the D300S does a pretty good job recording 720p videos, offering a much better level of detail than, say, the Olympus E-P1’s 720p video.

Of course, we’d like to see Nikon start introducing 1080p video recording into their cameras, if only because the company’s nearest competitor is already starting to integrate that into most of their cameras.

As it is, 720p video recording is fine — while we would use video on a DSLR occasionally, if we really wanted to shoot more professional videos, a camcorder is preferable.

Capturing stills

The addition of video isn’t where the major tweaks have been made to the D300S, however — still image capture is where the camera features most of its major enhancements.

We’ll start with the minor, easier to explain tweaks first, the D300S now comes with 7fps (frames per second) continuous shooting speed, slightly up from the 6fps of the D300. No big change here.

One less obvious but welcome change is that this switch to the faster shutter mechanism also results in a much smoother, less clunky shutter. The shutter trips without much vibration at all and viewfinder blackout is also extremely short now.

Unfortunately, in my tests, I discovered that switching to 14-bit NEF RAW recording still slows down the continuous shooting speed though, to about 1.5fps.

This is fine for shooters who don’t use continuous shooting, but might be a problem for sports and action photographers.

One welcome addition is the excellent Virtual Horizon display that was in the D3 has now made into the D300S and you can overlay the Virtual Horizon over an image by pressing the Info button a few times in Live View mode.

Autofocus is practically unchanged — you still get Tripod mode which allows you to autofocus while in Live View mode using contrast detect, while Handheld mode autofocus will have the camera flip the mirror up and use the dedicated phase-detect sensors in the mirror box to focus, blacking out the Live View image for a second or two.

The only major change in autofocus is the ability to do so during video recording.
QUIET MODE: Nestled amongst the usual drive modes is the Q setting, which is meant to lower the decibel level of the shutter and mirror mechanism for use in quiet environments.

Oh yes, if you turn the drive mode dial, you’ll find a Q shooting mode nestled amongst the usual single shot and continuous shooting modes.

This is a relatively new addition to Nikon digital cameras, but anyone who’s owned a Nikon F4S for example, will probably be familiar with this mode, which stands for Quiet mode.

As the name suggests, the Quiet shooting mode attempts to lower the decibel level of the D300S’ shutter and mirror mechanism so that you can use the camera less obtrusively in quiet environments.

In our tests, Quiet shooting mode does indeed reduce the sharpness of the sound of the mirror returning to its down position, although the sound is still pretty noticeable to people sitting next to you.

However, you can delay the mirror return by holding down the shutter release button — while the shutter will trip and take a photo, the mirror won’t flip down till you let the shutter release button go, which I suppose makes sense in a concert where you can delay the louder sound of the mirror and wait for a period when the concert is louder to release the mirror.

Battery life is pretty good on the D300S and it lasted me several days of casual shooting and at least two days of heavy shooting with some video recording before the battery ran down. No complaints there.

Image quality

As far as metering and shooting goes, the D300S seems to perform similarly to the D300 and we’d say there’s no real difference there — if you’re familiar with Nikon’s metering choices, the D300S is not going to surprise you.

In terms of picture quality, Nikon seems to have tweaked the sensor design or noise reduction a bit on the D300S, and it seems to offer slightly better noise performance than the D300.

From our tests, the D300S is practically noiseless at ISO 200 and only some noise is visible at ISO 400.

However, NR kicks in a bit harder at normal settings above ISO 400 and noise actually goes down a bit at ISO 800 and ISO 1600, although at the expense of a bit of detail.

Overall, though we were pretty satisfied with the noise performance of the D300S and would not hesitate to use it all the way up to ISO 1600.

Sharpness was excellent at lower ISO settings and still looked good even at ISO 1600 with the NR taking away most of the chroma noise (colour noise) without smoothing out the detail too much.

Noise was still well-controlled at ISO 3200 but sharpness falls quite significantly at this point and we’d use this setting only when there are no other option.

The D300S has a Hi-1 setting which is equivalent to ISO 6400 but it’s distinctly soft and there’s already a significant colour shift.

If you want to gauge high ISO noise for yourself, you can download our 100% crop comparison shots from
bit.ly/12uSUp.

Conclusion

True to Nikon’s naming conventions, the D300S isn’t a major change from the D300 but the company hasn’t simply slapped on video recording on the D300 and called it a D300S either.

Although Nikon didn’t change what wasn’t broken, the number of small enhancements and additions to the feature set make it a much better and more robust camera overall.

Certainly, if you already own a D300, the changes (apart from perhaps the video recording) won’t make you run out and upgrade, but D200 owners for example, will find the D300S a major step forward as it improves on the D200 in every way.

If you’ve been holding on to a D200, hoping for a major new model with video recording, faster shooting, larger LCD, Live View, Virtual Horizonand such, then the D300S is what you’ve been waiting for.

Of course, if you’re holding out for a more affordable 35mm full-frame camera with video recording, then you’ll probably have to wait till Nikon updates the D700.

Pros: Faster shooting; Virtual Horizon feature; 720p video recording; stereo microphone port built-in; very short viewfinder blackout time; autofocus possible during video recording.

Cons: No 1080p video recording.
D300S

(Nikon Corp)
DSLR camera
Sensor: 12.21-megapixels (4,288 x 2,848pixels)
Shutter: 30sec — 1/8,000sec, plus B
ISO range: 200 — 3200 (100 - 6400 in ISO boost mode)
Exposure modes: P,S,A,M
Viewfinder: Optical, 2.7in external LCD
Battery: 1,500mAh EN-EL3e lithium-ion 1,500mAh EN-EL3e lithium-ion
Storage: SDHC, CompactFlash
Interface: USB 2.0, mini HDMI, composite video out, stereo microphone in
Other features: Live View, 720p 24fps video recording
Dimensions (w x h x d): 14.7 × 11.4 × 7.4cm
Weight: 840g
Price: RM6,698 (body only)
Review unit courtesy of Nikon (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, (03) 7809-3688.

-source

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The Nikon D300s is really a good upgrade for the Nikon D200 users. Nikon D300 users might want to wait for a newer model.
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* Product Shots: http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equipment/galleries/productshots/nikon/24699/1/0/nikon-d300s-product-shots.html
* Sample Photos: http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equipment/galleries/sample-images/nikon/14463/1/0/nikon-d300s-sample-images_pg_Inspire.html

The Nikon D300s adds video and other features to the already exceptional D300 model, but is it enough of an improvement or more of a minor upgrade? The What Digital Camera Nikon D300s review gives you the lowdown...
Product Pros: Image quality, large and clear viewfinder, feature-packed, ergonomics, superb AF system
Product Cons: Small multi-selector pad, AF can be slow bringing subjects into focus, not a significant update over the D300

The Nikon D300s remains remarkably similar to the ever-popular D300. In fact, and as its name suggests, the new model is really more an extension of the D300 as opposed to something built from the ground up. Is this a good thing, or has Nikon missed a trick? The What Digital Camera Nikon D300s review...

Nikon D300s review - Features

The Nikon D300s introduces a movie mode - the main addition over the previous D300. As with Nikon's other recent video-sporting DSLRs, this records 720p high-definition footage (1280 x 720p) as Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) at a rate of 24 frames per second, saved in AVI format - though, compared with its other models, Nikon has given the D300s user a little more functionality, most notably via a dedicated microphone port. This allows the camera to record stereo sound to accompany movie files; otherwise the camera records mono audio through a small microphone on the front of the body. Autofocus is possible during recording, and there's also a basic option to edit movies, whereby any surplus footage from the start or end of the file may be discarded.

In contrast to the D300, activating the D300s' live view function (through which video recording is accessed) is now achieved using a dedicated live view button on the rear, rather than through the release mode dial. In its place on the mode dial is a new Quiet Release option that dampens down the sound of the mirror as it flips up and down, and silences the beep when focus is confirmed. Potentially, this is useful in any environment where it is necessary for noise to be kept to a minimum, for example when shooting wildlife. And for those who do wish to make a lot of noise, Nikon has increased the maximum frame rate from the original D300's 6fps to 7fps for the D300s, which may be boosted even further to 8fps when using the optional MB-D10 battery pack.


Nikon D300s review sample imageNikon has also added a slot for SD media next to the existing CompactFlash one, and with it a number of options as to how these may be configured: using two cards, the camera may use the secondary one as an overflow; recording each file to both, effectively making one a backup; or recording JPEGs to one card and Raw files to the other. Copying files between the two is also possible, while through the movie settings you can choose to assign video files to one card, leaving the other one free for images.


Aside from these and a few other minor changes, the D300s is practically a carbon copy of the D300. The DX format CMOS sensor contains a total of 13.1MP, with an effective 12.3MP that applies a 1.5x conversion factor to the focal length of any mounted lens. The low-pass filter in front of the sensor vibrates itself to dislodge any dust that may have got inside, and may be set to activate either on start-up, shutdown, both or neither, as the user wishes.


The D300s has a sensitivity range that runs from a base of ISO 200 up to ISO 3200, with ISO 100 and 6400 extensions also available on either side of this. When shooting in the Auto ISO mode, it is possible to set a maximum sensitivity and a minimum shutter speed for the respective benefits of noise control and sharpness, while noise reduction is available for both long and high ISO exposures.


With Nikon's Expeed processing system at the helm, a number of the company's now-standard technologies are also present. The D300s has a 1005-pixel metering sensor which works with the Scene Recognition System to adjust focus, exposure and white balance prior to exposure, while the Active D-Lighting facility welcomes a new bracketing function, which takes up to five images with different degrees of the effect applied. The Picture Control System, meanwhile, comprises Standard, Vivid, Natural and Monochrome colour settings (as well as the further options of downloading and creating your own profiles).

Nikon D300s review - Design

Just as the D300s has specifications that closely mirror those of the D300, so does its design. The camera is constructed from a magnesium alloy frame, with rubberised panelling around its grip, thumb rest and sides, and various sealings around the body to prevent water and dust incursion.


The camera's pentaprism viewfinder is identical to that of the D300, with a frame coverage of approximately 100% and a 0.94x magnification factor. The user has the option of overlaying an electronic grid to facilitate level shooting, and all of the key exposure information is viewable at its base.

Nikon D300s review product image - dual card SD & CF slot
Despite the fact that comparable models are constructed from similar materials, there's something about the D300s that gives the impression it's a different beast entirely. Nikon has not skimped on any part of the camera's build quality; it could certainly give some of the more ‘professional' models available on the market, such as Canon's 5D Mark II and Sony's A900, a good run for their money.


Aside from the dedicated live view button, the rear of the D300s also welcomes an info button underneath this for toggling between display options, as well as a multi-selector pad with a central button. This is similar to the type found on both the D3 and D700 bodies, and allows the user to start and stop video recording at short notice. I found it fiddly to use though, as the pad's diameter is shorter than the width of my thumb. This can be problematic when you consider just how many options there are through the various menus and custom settings, and how accessing them quickly and easily is key. I am, however, glad to see Nikon has opted for a card door with a sliding mechanism as opposed to one with its own latch, as on the D300 - this makes it far easier to open in a hurry. The addition of dual CF and SD card slots is a nice touch too.

Verdict

The fact that the D300s is so similar to the original D300 really is testament to how highly specified the original model already was. Many of the changes Nikon has made seem more as justifications for bringing out a new model, rather than the result of any focus groups or market demand. This isn?t to say that the changes in themselves aren?t useful, but perhaps Nikon didn?t consider the few generally subtle additions to the D300s ? mainly that of a movie function ? to be enough reason to introduce a whole new DSLR. As video is the main addition (and however obvious as it may be to state it), it?s clear that the D300s is designed for those who will be using the camera for both still images and video, particularly the latter in a more professional manner when connecting an external microphone. Overall, it adds subtle enhancements to an already excellent camera. -source

***
I still think the Nikon D300s is a welcome improvement to dslr users.

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This isn't the first time Nikon has teamed up with sports photographers to showcase the D300s' new 720p video capabilities, but this footage of the world's top hang glider surfing Australia's mysterious "Morning Glory" wave-cloud phenomenon, is just as spectacular.

The D300s was mounted to the front of the hang glider and fitted with a 10.5mm fisheye lens. A custom hardwired trigger and release mechanism was used to fire both video and stills.

Of course, the $1800 D300s now has some serious semi-pro competition from the $1900 Canon 7D. And the 7D is an 18-megapixel, 1080p video beast. Click through the links above for our in-depth primers.



-source

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This is a totally extreme video using the Nikon D300s! I'd be scared to drop an expensive camera from that high!

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