Nikon D300S Review

Main Features

12MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 3200( expands to 100-6400)

3" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

7 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video

938g. 147 x 114 x 74 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Nikon D300

Replaced by Nikon D500

CHECK PRICE

Select a Camera to Compare

Add a Camera for comparison

Nikon D300S Overview

First introduced in November 2009 , Nikon D300S is a 12.0MP Advanced DSLR camera with a APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor. Nikon replaced the older Nikon D300 with this model and later D300S was replaced with Nikon D500. Follow the links to compare these cameras in detail:
Compare Nikon D300S vs Nikon D300
Compare Nikon D300S vs Nikon D500

Alternatively, try our multi-camera comparison to see all three cameras on one page:

Compare Nikon D300S vs D300 vs D500

Nikon D300S Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Lens Mount and Lenses
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Video
Other Features
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Nikon D300S has an Overall Score of 60/100 and ranked #106 out of 206 in DSLR cameras (Top 10 DSLR), and ranked #300 out of 1212 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

Nikon D300S Type Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras

Nikon D300S Compared to other DSLR Cameras

Now let's get in to more details of our Nikon D300S review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Face Detection Focusing

51 Focus Points

920k dots LCD Resolution

1/8000s High Shutter Speed

7.0fps Shooting w/ Mechanical Shutter

Long Battery Life (950 shots)

External Microphone Port

Environmental Sealing

Timelapse Recording

2 Storage Slots

Top LCD Display

Flash Sync Port

AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)

High Shutter Life Expectancy - 150000 cycles

Magnesium alloy body elements

Report a correction

Buy Nikon D300S from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Image Stabilization

No Articulating Screen

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

Low Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Max Sensitivity only ISO 3.200

Heavy Body: 938g

Poor Low Light Performance

Report a correction

Nikon D300S Lens Mount and Lenses

Nikon D300S has a Nikon F lens mount and currently there are 309 native lenses available for this mount. Besides providing one of the largest selection of lenses, Nikon F mount also has backward compatibility which means that you can use F mount lenses even dating from 1960s. It is also well supported by the lenses form third-party manufacturers.

Nikon D300S doesn't have a sensor based image stabilization system but 106 of these lenses already comes with Optical Image Stabilization. There are also 78 lenses with weather sealing for D300S that you can couple with its weather sealed body.

Here are some of the most popular Nikon D300S Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Nikon F Mount Lenses for Nikon D300S

Model	Focal Length on D300S	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm F3.5-6.3G ED VR	27-450mm	APS-C / DX	550gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G	105-450mm	35mm FF	425gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.4G	75mm	35mm FF	290gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF Nikkor 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR	120-600mm	35mm FF	1340gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD	225-900mm	35mm FF	1951gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8G	75mm	35mm FF	185gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR	105-450mm	35mm FF	745gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f1.8G	52.5mm	APS-C / DX	210gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

Check our Nikon D300S Lenses page or use our Smart Lens Finder tool for more detailed lens search.

Nikon D300S Sensor and Photography Features

Nikon D300S has a 12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4288 x 2848 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. D300S has a native ISO range of 200 - 3200 which can be boosted to 100-6400 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Nikon D300S is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Canon M6 MII with its 33.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Nikon D300S vs Canon M6 MII or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

Nikon D300S DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Nikon D300S sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 70 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Nikon D300S here.

Let's look at how the size of the Nikon D300S's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Nikon D300S Physical Specs

Nikon D300S weighs 938 g (2.07 lb / 33.09 oz) and has external dimensions of 147 x 114 x 74 mm (5.79 x 4.49 x 2.91″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 774g, Nikon D300S is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 74mm, it has an average thickness.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Nikon D300S

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Nikon D300S

Min

Average

Max

Here is the front and top view image of Nikon D300S with the dimensions:

Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Nikon D300S with its main competitors:

Nikon D300S Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs D300S	Thickness	vs D300S
Nikon D300 Compare	925g	13g lighter	74mm	equal thickness
Nikon D500 Compare	860g	78g lighter	81mm	7mm thicker
Nikon D7000 Compare	780g	158g lighter	77mm	3mm thicker
Nikon D90 Compare	703g	235g lighter	77mm	3mm thicker
Nikon D7100 Compare	765g	173g lighter	76mm	2mm thicker
Nikon D600 Compare	850g	88g lighter	82mm	8mm thicker
Nikon D700 Compare	1074g	136g heavier	77mm	3mm thicker
Nikon D7200 Compare	765g	173g lighter	76mm	2mm thicker

Weather Sealing

Nikon D300S has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera, providing resistance against the water and dust getting in to the camera. If you like outdoors photography and want to be able to use your camera in extreme conditions, Nikon D300S will serve you well. If you attach one of these Nikon D300S weather Sealed lenses to your camera, you will have a great all weather kit.

Nikon D300S LCD and Viewfinder

Nikon D300S has a Fixed Type 3" LCD screen with a resolution of 920k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

D300S has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. The viewfinder has a coverage of 100% and a magnification ratio of 0.63x. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later.

Nikon D300S Connectivity, Storage and Battery

You can connect D300S to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.

Battery

Nikon D300S is powered by battery which provides a shooting life of 950 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of DSLR type cameras is 943 shots, its battery life is about average in its class but it would still be wise to invest in some spare batteries for long photo trips.

Battery Life Comparison in Advanced DSLR Cameras

Nikon D300S

Min

Average

Max

Nikon D780 with its 2260shots is the model with longest battery life among Advanced DSLR cameras. Check the comparison of Nikon D300S vs Nikon D780 or take a look at Longest Battery Life DSLR cameras list.

Nikon D300S Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Nikon D300 Compare	None	1000shots	No	No	No
Nikon D500 Compare	3840 x 2160	1240shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nikon D7000 Compare	1920 x 1080	1050shots	No	No	No
Nikon D90 Compare	1280 x 720	850shots	No	No	No
Nikon D7100 Compare	1920 x 1080	950shots	No	No	No
Nikon D600 Compare	1920 x 1080	900shots	No	No	No
Nikon D700 Compare	None	1000shots	No	No	No
Nikon D7200 Compare	1920 x 1080	1110shots	Yes	No	Yes

Nikon D300S Video Features

With Nikon D300S, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1280 x 720 at 24 fps and save in and Motion JPEG formats. 1280 x 720 is a low video resolution by todays standards. If video quality is important for you, we recommend you to look at cameras with Full HD, even better 4K / Ultra-HD resolution .

D300S has a built-in Stereo microphone and a None speaker. Nikon D300S also has a port for an external microphone so you can record high quality sound with the help of an external microphone.

Nikon D300S Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Nikon D300S can shoot continuously at max speed of 7 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/8000 sec.

Flash

D300S has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

Focusing

Nikon D300S features both Contrast Detection and Phase Detection autofocus (AF) systems which ensures speed and accuracy of focusing in most situations. The AF system has 51 points to choose from.

Nikon D300S also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

User Manual
You can download Nikon D300S's User Manual here

What type of Photography is Nikon D300S Good for?

In this section, we review and score Nikon D300S in 5 different photography areas.

Nikon D300S for Portrait Photography

Nikon D300S has a score of 56 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling

Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization

Read the details of how we scored Nikon D300S for Portrait Photography

Nikon D300S for Street Photography

Nikon D300S has a score of 57 for Street Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Street is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Street Photography list.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
Large Body

Read the details of how we scored Nikon D300S for Street Photography

Nikon D300S for Sports Photography

Nikon D300S has a score of 79 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
51 Focus Points

Good Battery Life: 950 shots
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization

Read the details of how we scored Nikon D300S for Sports Photography

Nikon D300S for Daily Photography

Nikon D300S has a score of 57 for Daily Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Daily is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Environmental Sealings
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body

938g
Body Thickness 74mm

Read the details of how we scored Nikon D300S for Daily Photography

Nikon D300S for Landscape Photography

Nikon D300S has a score of 39 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theD300S.

Live-view
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor

Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Nikon D300S for Landscape Photography

Nikon D300S Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Nikon D300S compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of D300S and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.

Read a more detailed analysis of Nikon D300S alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Nikon D300S

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Nikon D300S amongst Camera Decision readers.

Nikon D300

Compare

Nikon D500

Compare

Nikon D7000

Compare

Nikon D90

Compare

Nikon D7100

Compare

Nikon D600

Compare

Nikon D700

Compare

Nikon D7200

Compare

Nikon D300S Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Nikon D300S with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Nikon D300S's price range.

Sony A7R III

Compare

Sony A9

Compare

Sony A7 III

Compare

Nikon Z6

Compare

Panasonic S1

Compare

Sony A7R II

Compare

Nikon Z5

Compare

Canon R6

Compare

Frequently Asked Questions about Nikon D300S

Does the Nikon D300S have Image Stabilization?
Does the Nikon D300S have RAW support?
Does the Nikon D300S have Weather Sealing?
Does the Nikon D300S have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Nikon D300S?
What is the Sensor Size of Nikon D300S?
is the Nikon D300S a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Nikon D300S have Touch Screen?
Does the Nikon D300S have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Nikon D300S?

Nikon D300S Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Nikon
Model	Nikon D300S
Announced	2009-11-16
Body Type	Mid-size SLR
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F
Number of Lenses	309
Focal Length Multiplier	1.5x
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Technology	Super Density TFT color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Screen Size	3"
Screen Resolution	920k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.63
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	30s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/8000s
Continuous Shooting	7.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync	1/250s
Flash Modes	Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	70
DxO Color Depth	22.5
DxO Dynamic Range	12.2
DxO Low Light ISO	787
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CMOS
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Dimensions	23.6 x 15.8 mm
Sensor Area	372.88mm²
Sensor Resolution	12 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4288 x 2848
Max Native ISO	3,200
Max Boosted ISO	6400
Min Native ISO	200
Min Boosted ISO	100
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	51
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	1280 x 720 (24 fps), 640 x 480 (24 fps), 320 x 240 (24 fps)
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720
Video Formats	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	938g
Physical Dimensions	147 x 114 x 74mm
Battery Life	950 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	EN-EL3e
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Optional
Storage Type	Compact Flash Type I/SD/SDHC
Storage Slots	2