Are YOU looking for a great Digital SLR camera?

This is YOUR chance to own the best NIKON Digital SLR cameras at very affordable prices!

Nikon rebates are now available!

Click on each of the models from the list below. Navigate to the “view available kits” link to view possible options.

Be sure to "add to cart" to see the final price after the instant rebate. 

Models with kits include:

Nikon D3x

Nikon D3s

Nikon D90

Nikon D700

Nikon D300s

Nikon D5000

Don't let this chance to earn YOUR favorite Digital SLR!  ORDER NOW from B&H Photo!

P.S.  Again, be sure to "add to cart" to see the final price after the instant rebate.

 ---
Buy the Nikon D3s at B&H Photo
Buy the Nikon D3s at Amazon

If you're still looking for a Christmas gift for your loved ones but you're pressed for time, check out the Free Overnight Shipping on All Nikon Cameras by B&H Photo. Click on the banner below to visit the Canon section of their site:





---
Buy the Nikon D300s from B&H Photo
Buy the Nikon D300s from Amazon

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

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

---
Buy the Nikon D300s from B&H Photo
Buy the Nikon D300s from Amazon

Using the D300s was one of the first experiences I had shooting video, but what struck me is how easy it was to learn. Within one day, I was able to pick up the basics of shooting. It was liberating and exciting to explore the possibilities of story telling with more than just still images and audio. Now I feel as if there is a whole world of opportunities to explore.

1) Be patient. Wait for things to happen in front of the frame. I liked the ambiguity and suspense of discovering what might happen in front of the lens instead of always panning and searching for things. Of course panning is useful, but I think it needs to be used minimally.

2) Shoot for a minimum of 5 seconds on the beginning and end of each shot. You need that for editing. It may feel as if you are shooting for longer than you really are so get in the habit of shooting a little longer to make it easier in the editing room.

3) Shoot lots of sequences.

4) Make the tripod your best friend. Use a good one with a fluid head.

5) Same like still photography. Wait for beautiful light. Light is everything. Avoid those high contrast scenes.

6) Shoot and shoot and shoot. It’s the only way to discover and create beautiful work.

As far as the D300s goes, this is a sweet little camera, especially for the price. I am shooting a lot more video now and loving it.
Meeting the locals

Meeting the locals

I had help on this project from Dai Sugano who is an absolute genius and helped me with the editing. His work is very inspiring and he has a unique way of seeing the world. His work is an excellent example of a still photographer moving into video and breaking the mold with originality and creativity. David Barreda and Ashima Narain helped me in the field. Without all these people I would never have been able to make this. It’s really all about collaboration.

Go to www.amivitale.com for more photos
Sample D300s still images here

-source with video and behind the scenes photo

***
I'm sure people who previously doubted the Nikon D300s capabilities will turn around after watching this video.

---
Buy the Nikon D300s from B&H Photo
Buy the Nikon D300s from Amazon

We like:
Super-tough build; great high-ISO picture quality; excellent HD movie mode; 7 or 8 frames per second continuous shooting

We don't like:
Steep price; DX sensor format; occasionally overexposed pictures

CNET UK judgement:
Camera prices have been rising, but £1,350 still seems pretty rich for a 12-megapixel dSLR, even one with an HD movie mode. And don't forget that's the body-only price. The Nikon D300S remains a smart buy for professionals with numerous DX lenses or who need a fast, flexible second body for their system, but it's no bargain

Full review:
The 12-megapixel D300S could be seen as a 'maintenance release' for Nikon's pro-specified D300. The main addition is a high-definition movie mode, although other enhancements have also been made. The continuous shooting speed, for example, has risen to 7 or 8 frames per second with the optional battery pack. The D300S is no bargain, though, at around £1,350 for the body alone.

---
Buy the Nikon D300s from B&H Photo
Buy the Nikon D300s from Amazon -continue reading here

***
DSLRs will always be expensive. The Nikon D300s is also no a consumer level camera so we can't expect it to be cheap. Still, you get good functions from the Nikon D300s for its price.

When Nikon launched their pro-bodied, DX-format D300 in 2007 it marked something of a revolution for Nikon. At last, Nikon cemented their top-level cameras into two categories: FX (cameras packed with 35mm full-frame image sensors) and DX (cameras using APS-C sized image sensors with a 1.5X crop factor). But as far as the rest of the world was concerned, the real revolution came a year later with Nikon's introduction of the D90 -- the first DLSR capable of recording HD video. It's no wonder that Nikon was so eager to take the new high resolution sensor and video mode from their mid-grade D90 and put it into a higher-priced DSLR ... the new Nikon D300S.

We'll explore the video performance of the D300S later in the review, but rest assured, if you liked the video quality from the D90 then you'll feel the same way about the D300S.

BUILD AND DESIGN
The D300S features the same 12.9 megapixel (12.3 million effective pixels) APS-C sensor and Nikon's latest generation EXPEED processor found in the D90. But there aren't many more similarities between Nikon's newest king of the DX format and the older, cheaper D90. The D300S is packed with the same 51-point AF system with color and distance tracking as well as optional viewfinder gridlines from the original D300. In fact, there is little that changed between the popular D300 and the D300S other than the ability to record video, a faster 7 fps continuous shooting speed (8 fps with MB-D10 battery grip), and the inclusion of an SDHC card slot in addition to the CompactFlash card slot.

The D300S marks Nikon's third DSLR camera to be equipped with a 12 megapixel image sensor capable of HD video recording. The mid-tier D90 and the entry-level D5000 offer amateur and enthusiast photographers a still camera that can capture video, but the D300S is Nikon's first pro-level body that doubles as a video camera.
The D300S shares the same 200 to 3200 nominal ISO range (with ISO 100 and 6400 options available), and the ability to use "Active D-Lighting" (Nikon's proprietary feature that boosts shadow details and helps prevent overexposed highlights so you don't have to spend as much time editing your photos after you take them).

The improved EXPEED image processor (inherited from the D90) allows you to capture video at 1280x720 pixel resolution and 24 frames per second (theatrical film speed). The built-in microphone works as well as the built-in microphones on the D90 and D5000, but the D300S includes a mini-jack stereo input that lets you attach an external microphone for better audio recording. There's also a menu option that allows you to control the volume levels for the video recording.

Of course, the EXPEED processing also improves speed for still shooters as well. The continuous shooting speed received a nice boost to 7 frames per second when using the standard EN-EL3e battery compared to 6 fps with the original D300. If you want even more speed, you can connect the optional MB-D10 battery grip ($299 MSRP) for a full 8 fps. When you consider that Canon's 50D is limited to 6.3 fps, the D300S makes a compelling solution for sports photographers.

As previously mentioned, the D300S adds a second memory card slot for SD/SDHC memory media along with the standard CF slot seen in the D300. The SDHC card slot allows photojournalists to quickly transfer images using the built-in SDHC card reader in most laptops. Another convenient benefit to the SDHC slot is that you can use an Eye-Fi card to wirelessly upload images to a computer or the internet whenever you're within range of a Wi-Fi network.

Ergonomics and Controls
The design of the D300S looks virtually identical to the D300, and it requires a keen eye to spot the external differences to these cameras. The D300S will be largely familiar to current D300 and D200 shooters, and Nikon D90 shooters will quickly feel at home with the camera as well.

Nikon D300s

While not physically different from the D300 in any major way, the new D300S features the same rugged magnesium alloy construction and rubber gaskets for extreme weather proofing seen on the D300 and is a step up from the plastic construction of the D90.

Nikon D300S

The D300S has contours and thick rubber grip material with just the right amount of "tacky" texture in all the right places. The deep handgrip provides a firm hold while at the same time maintaining acceptable clearance from the lens barrel, the thumb/palm rest at the rear of the body is nice and large for cradling the thumb and gives you a place to keep your thumb near the controls. The index finger falls naturally onto the shutter button.

Nikon D300S

The button layout is extremely similar to what was used on the D300, so anyone familiar with that camera should have a relatively easy time learning the control interface on the D300S. Live view (using the monitor to compose/capture still images or movies) can be accessed quickly via the live view button.

Nikon D300S

Menus and Modes
Unlike Nikon's consumer-oriented cameras that are loaded with a variety of user-friendly scene modes, there are only four primary shooting modes on the pro-level D300S:

* Program: Camera sets shutter speed and aperture for optimal exposure (photographer controls all other settings)
* Aperture Priority: User selects aperture, camera determines shutter speed
* Shutter Priority: User selects shutter speed, camera determines aperture
* Manual: User selects shutter speed and aperture

In addition to the four primary shooting modes the D300S also offers:

* D-Movie: HD video capture is available at up to 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) and 24 fps in Motion JPEG format

Unlike the entry-level Nikon DSLRs, the D300S will meter with virtually any Nikkor "F" mount lens - a major benefit for photographers who own old glass. The 3D color matrix II metering is restricted to Nikon's type G, D or AF-S and AF-I lenses; matrix metering works with other Nikon AF lenses as well as AI-P, AI, AI-S, AI-modified or E series lenses; center weighted and spot metering are available with every lens except the 120mm Medical Nikkor and the few lenses designed for the Nikon F3AF camera body. During the review period I tested the D300S with the Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX ED VR, Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF VR, Nikon 85mm f/1.8D, and the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lenses.

Display/Viewfinder
The D300S features a 3.0 inch, 920,000 dot monitor identical to the one used on the D300 and D90. The monitor offers 100 percent frame coverage and is adjustable via the internal menu for seven levels of brightness. This high resolution screen really has to be seen to be appreciated, it offers much greater detail than most DSLR monitors because the tiny gaps between dots are too small to be seen with the human eye. The extra detail comes in handy when using Live view and when zooming into still images in playback mode to confirm focus.

The viewfinder offers 100% frame coverage and a magnification of 0.94x with a 50mm lens. The built-in diopter provides multiple levels of adjustment between -2 and +1m. In short, this is the same fantastic viewfinder seen in the D300.

-continue reading here with Nikon D300s sample images and Nikon D300s sample videos

***
I agree with the conclusion that it's the consumers, not pros, who are embracing DSLRs with video capabilities. The Nikon D300s is one of these cameras.

---
Buy the Nikon D300s from B&H Photo
Buy the Nikon D300s from Amazon

Short version: If you are familiar with the Nikon D300, then you can just expect more of the same. The D300s doesn’t do anything ground breaking, but what it does is add some nice features to an already excellent DSLR — most importantly, HD video and SD card support.

The D300s is the latest version of Nikon’s award-winning D300, which was released in August of 2007. The D300s features a 12.3 megapixel, DX-format sensor, and supports an ISO range of 200 to 3200. Nikon also gave the D300s their 51 point auto-focus system, which makes it exceptionally easy to get a crisp image while shooting. The D300s also has the same 3 inch LCD display as the D300 on the back of the body, which is great for reviewing your shots or when you are using the “Live View” mode. At $1800, it’s firmly in the “prosumer” price range.

There are a few major differences from the D300, which I own. The biggest change is the inclusion of video. The D300s allows you to capture video at 24fps, at either 720p (for a 5-minute continuous shot), 640×424 (for 20 minutes), or 320×216 (also 20 minutes). The D300s also has a “quiet shutter” mode, which is perfect for wildlife photography, and they added the ability to use an SD card as well as a CF card, the previous standard. It is possible to use both cards at once, and there are a couple of ways to do that. You can specify that you want video on one, and pictures on the other, use one as overflow for the other, or manually shuffle them between the two cards as you see fit. I actually prefer to use the backup mode, which writes the picture to both cards at the same time.
comparison
Ergonomics: Not much has changed, really: the D300s uses the same magnesium alloy body as the D300, with the same textured rubber that most cameras use. The controls are a bit more intuitive, and the memory card cover release has been replaced with some more function buttons.

Picture Quality: Outstanding. Nikon used a faster processor in the D300s, and it shows. The autofocus (one of the things that didn’t work *quite* right on D300) is fast and intelligent, the picture controls are intuitive, and the end results are outstanding. Nikon’s inclusion of custom picture control settings makes it easy to get everything exactly how you want it, consistently. I use a couple of custom settings that allow me to duplicate the look of some of the most famous types of film, like Fuji Velvia and Agfa Optima.

Video: The 720p looks very impressive. I’ve always been somewhat skeptical of those cameras that try to do two things, because they rarely do them well. Camcorders rarely shoot good still pictures, and still cameras just don’t do video that well. The bad news is, that’s still the case here. Yes, the picture quality is great because the D300s uses great lenses, and a huge (comparatively) sensor. However, the auto-focus is pretty sketchy, and you can REALLY hear the focus motors when you are recording. Also, if you’re not using a tripod, you’re going to have a video that looks like it was filmed by Matt after his energy drink post.

Battery life: The EN-EL3e Li-on battery takes up 950 shots on a single charge, depending on how much time you spending viewing and editing your pictures in camera. I recently went on a trip to Yosemite (the sample pictures you see are from that trip) and shot the entire weekend on one charge. One. That’s pretty damn impressive, and I wasn’t even trying to stretch the battery life out.

Pros: The D300s is a great camera. This is the second version of this model, and Nikon has done a great job improving it. The quiet shutter mode is nice, the auto-focus is faster now, the dual memory slots are nice, if not particularly necessary (SD memory cards are cheaper than CF card though). Also, adding the new dedicated “Info” button was a really good idea.

Cons: Video isn’t quite there yet. Yes, the image quality is much better then what you’ll get from a camcorder, and the HD video is crisp and clear, but that auto-focus noise is just too much (plus it’s slow). I also noticed that the auto ISO and auto WB aren’t accurate all of the time. This could be my personal bias, but I typically end up adjusting those items myself.

Now, in the interest of comparison, I mentioned that I own a D300. I bought one a few months after it came out after much research and reading, and I’m a fan of the original. As such, I was very interested when I heard that Nikon was going to be releasing an update to my much loved D300. Will I be upgrading? Probably not. The video feature isn’t enough to make me switch, and I think I’ll be waiting to go to full frame for my next upgrade. If I didn’t already own D300, would I buy a D300s? Absolutely. No question about it. The Nikon D300s is still the best “prosumer” level DSLR on the market today.

To be fair, there is another possible contender for the crown that is not on the market today just arriving on the market. That would be the Canon 7D. It’s around the same price point (MSRP is actually a bit cheaper, at $1699), and if the published information is to be believed, the Canon’s video modes will be better then the D300s (though likely have the same problems). Canon has stated that their camera will capture HD video at 30, 25, and 24 FPS, and will also allow more manual control then the Nikon. As for the rest, well, the eternal Nikon vs. Canon conflict goes on. We’ll just have to wait and see who exactly rules the roost after the Canon is released. -source with Nikon D300s sample images and Nikon D300s sample video.

***
If you're really after the video functions, I think that it's worth getting the Nikon D300s over the old model.

---
Buy the Nikon D300s from B&H Photo
Buy the Nikon D300s from Amazon

The Nikon D300 is already quite a nice little DSLR to play with, and the arrival of the D300s raised a lot of questions like... Is the “s’’ worth the extra bucks? To be honest… Not really, but still the D300s is supposed to be a great camera. As far as I'm concerned… I was far from impressed by D300s.

Nikon D300s Specs
- Nikkor AF-S 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED
- 12.3-megapixel Resolution
- Nikon F-mount
- 3.0-inch LCD with 920,000 pixels, 170 degree viewing angle
- ISO range of 100 to 6400
- Compact Flash and SD/SDHC support
- 720/24p Video recording mode

First Impression
Like the D90 and the D700 we tested earlier, the D300s is an impressive camera when holding it, it's body is made of a strong magnesium alloy. If you love the feel of a Nikon, the D300s won’t disappoint.

While I don't have many complaints concerning its quality and, I'm not a big fan of the new multiselector button. It's unprecise, slow and in the long run a real pain to use. On the other hand I really love the dual memory card slot with both SD/SDHC and Compact Flash… It allows you to store video on one card and photos on another, and provides an automatic back up of each photo you shoot (both SD and CD will have the same contents). It also fills up your SD or CF when either one is full. For those who love shooting pictures in total secrecy… the D300s has a quiet mode, which as you may guess will let you shoot pictures without much noise… Handy if you shoot in a place where camera noise makes a difference.

Let’s Shoot Baby!
Compared with the D300, the D300s has some nice little improvements like its 51AF point and a Visual Horizon that was previously only available on high end models and useful for shooting perfect pictures. It also has an improved Active D-lighting setting now with an Auto Mode and a extra hi, two more than on the D300, and an improved ISO engine that offers cleaner pictures in Hi-ISO than on the D300.

I'm not sure if it was the lens Nikon sent me with the D300s, but I wasn't that impressed by the results. After spending a whole week with it I didn't feel the D90 or D700 magic at all. I didn't enjoy taking pictures with it. Don't get me wrong, pictures are decent, but I had more misses with the D300s than with the D90. Granted I''m not an award winning or a pro photographer (someone who earns money taking pictures), but the D300s didn't feel right to me…

Once you succeed in shooting a picture you're happy with, compared to the D300 not much of a difference… I couldn't see any difference, and this was a little disappointing. Apparently Nikon worked more on adding gizmos than improving photo quality. I'm sure most of you would have preferred improved photo quality more than Nikon’s useless Video Mode.

Original Photo can be downloaded here on our Flickr Account, otherwise you can enjoy them in our photo gallery here below.

What About Video Mode?
The Nikon D300s video mode is pretty much the same as the D90, with a new autofocus. I still believe adding a video mode to a DSLR is a nice, but video isn't Nikon core business and compared with a GH-1 Lumix, the 720/24p mode on the D300s is far from impressive. Also, like the D90, the D300s has the same five minute limitation on video recording… This may be enough for most of you, but not ideal for me. An HD movie freak.

Conclusion:
The D300s takes nice pictures, but I didn't feel the same magic as with the D90 and D700. The camera feels great, but I had more misses with the D300s than I had with the D90 and D700. Maybe the lens that Nikon sent wasn't the best choice. I'm not sure but even with its new gizmos, the D300s isn't much of an improvement over the D300.

If you're happy with your D300, keep it and wait for something better. -source

***
I'm surprised that there's are not many sites recommending the Nikon D300s, but that is if you already have a camera. If you don't have a dslr, then the Nikon D300s is still a good buy.

Nikon's D300s is the very same camera we loved two years ago, but with a few new tricks to try to stay relevant in this crazy video-shootin' DSLR world we live in. Namely, 720p video.

Same Ol' Same Ol'

The D300s remains a capable, even impressive camera. I mean, it's not like it got worse: The D300 retains the same sensor, excellent 51-point autofocus system, fantastic chassis build quality and ergonomics—just about the same everything—as the D300, and it still holds up 2 years later, mostly.

Low-light performance is solid, as you can see in the giant sample gallery here that walks through ISO ranges. We're talking fairly good-looking stuff up through ISO1600, though noise starts to creep in there, finally getting oogly around ISO3200. It's no 5D Mark II or D700, but it still stands up. Color saturation remains top-notch, and it seemed to handle white balance even a bit better than 5DMkII we shot alongside it at Giz Gallery last week. Bottom line, though, you're getting the same D300 performance. (Which means D300 reviews are still worth reading.)

So What's New?

• 720p video recording
• Extra SDHC slot
• More Active-D Lighting controls
• Tweaked button layout

Oh Hey, Video

What's majorly new in the D300s is video, and even it's not a whole lot different than what you saw with the D90, which also shot 720p video (and had a similar 12.3MP sensor). But, there's stereo input, and you can autofocus during recording—it's god-awful slow, so you're better off doing it your own damn self. Not to mention movies are capped at 5 measly minutes. And if you're still in live view, you can't actually watch the stuff you've just shot, since the playback button is how you adjust the display's brightness in live view mode.

The video quality itself is good, generally, but pushing past ISO1600, it starts getting a little dicey (Brian's shirt makes my eyes and ears hurt it's so noisy in this clip): Beyond video, my favorite new addition to the D300s are the dual memory card slots, which were formerly a super pro feature. The extra slot holds an SDHC card, which you can use a number of different ways—continuing the storage over from the CF card, duping whatever goes to the CF card, or to save JPEGs from RAW+JPEG shooting. (Handy, since OS X and Aperture don't support D300s RAW files yet.)

And of course, one of the best things about Nikon cameras is that since the lens mount for their SLRs hasn't changed in about 50 years, you can use seriously vintage lenses (and save money), which is something we definitely took advantage of while shooting.

The Value Shopper's Verdict

Here's the thing about the D300s: It's a great camera, no doubt. The problem is two-fold: At $1800, it costs the exact same as the D300 did when it was released two years ago, but beyond video, delivers no major advancements. There's no new pixel-squeezing camera tech here. The other part is that the very shortly forthcoming 7D from Canon is their first direct competitor to Nikon's D_00 semi-pro cameras, and it may make the value proposition look even less fantastic with what appears to be the most advanced video features of any DSLR yet. As it stands, the D300s is a tough purchase call (you can pick up a D300 for $150 less if you don't need video), and certainly not a necessary upgrade. But we hope to head-to-head the 7D and D300s very soon to figure out the best camera you can buy for about $1800.

If only Nikon had just given us the D400 like we'd wanted.

-full article with images

***
It seems like Nikon photographers are disappointed with the Nikon D300s. Still, the previous model is already 2 years old.