D300 AF is stunning!

Having come from the F100, D70s, D200 I never had the pleasure of using any SLR where I could literally just place the fast moving, incoming subject in the frame and just hold down the shutter and let the camera do the rest. With the d300 on tough subjects I can honestly get 8 out of 10 sharp images. It really underscores how little control or credit that the photograhper takes during those decisive fractions of a second. I dare not make a comparison to the legendary MkIIn, but I think I now know the luxury that those photogs have afforded all these years. As compared to the D200 it is alarming how similar the D300 looks and feels. Once you start shooting with it, well the shutter doesn't even sound the same -- a totally different camera. This is a 95% CROP at iso 400 with absolutely no NR or sharpening of any kind.

Scott

Hey Scott - Looks really good to me! Glad you're so happy with the AF. When you say 95% crop, how does that translate in terms of pixels at 100%?

The crop above represents 5% of the entire pixels.

I agree.... The D300 is shaping up to be one awesome machine.

Mine arrived this morning (D300) and my wife is allready getting jealous as the only thing I've looked at all day and played with is the camera.Pouring rain outside so I am inside and yes it look's awesome.Great shot
AVI

Very cool!! Mine should be here in another few days. Can't wait!

Have you guys also used the battery grip with it? Advantages?

I'm reading some terrible reviews of the huge inconvenience of having to remove the grip to get the rechargeable batteries out. THoughts, please?

Thanks -
Sandy r

Sandy,

I bought the grip yesterday and I guess it is not as convenient as the D200's little door for removing either battery. You basically have to remove the grip to get one of the batteries out -- the other is in the grip a la f100. However, the construction is noticeably more solid than the D200 grip -- more along the lines of the feel of the rest of the camera. Like the D200, the D300 will use one battery completely before starting on the next one. For me, the chaning of the betteries has always been an "at home" thing since i have yet to go through two whole batteries in a day.

I admit, it was a peculiar design choice, but I think the camera's other attributes will convince you to ignore it.

Scott

Another fairly impressive attribute is the detail retention and noise performance at iso400. The D200 always lost considerable detail after iso250 and if any cropping was involved, I was never comfortable over 250. The D300 @400 retains superb and undamaged by noise detail. 400 is definately a nice "leave the camera at that setting comfortably" iso. Not a compromised iso by any means. I refrain from commenting on the higher isos since all I really ever wanted was to be able to shoot the 500 f4 at 1/1600 and f5 or f5.6 for the better part of the day. iso 400 achieves this for me.

Did I mention the AF!

Scott, What lens did you have on there to get the duck shot? I, too, have noticed the noise detail at 400 on my D200, so this is interesting to read that you don't see that as much with the D300, definitely an improvement.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried the 80-400mm lens on the D300 yet? It hunts SO much with the D200 in less than perfect light conditions, so I'm hoping the D300 helps with that, too.

Nancy

Nancy,

I am certain you will be pleased with the detail improvement, it is very obvious and I guess some of it has to do with an increase in pixels, but not all of it. It is much easier to describe that aspect of improvement than it is to describe the AF improvement, since AF is so subjective. The lens I used a 500 f4 @1/1600 and f5.6 hand held. The 80-400 is not the greatest AF lens, but I am sure you will see some improvement, in acquisition and especially holding the subject.

Just to clarify, i don`t think you will notice less noise as much as you will notice less detail damage because of the noise

Thank you, Scott, I appreciate your thoughts.