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Nikon D300s - Keeping Up with the Times

By Adrian Chan - 19 Dec 2009

Image Quality

The Imaging Quality

So, how are the photos? To be perfectly honest, there's very little to add on that hasn't already been said in our previous review of the D300 (on our sister HWM publication). It's the same sensor (and megapixel count), with the only real addition being video capability on the D300s. As such, the photos from the D300s look just as great as the D300, which it managed well overall.

While the D300s isn't exactly the best performer when it comes to high ISO shots (the honour, for this category of cameras, belongs to Canon's EOS 7D), the camera does produce decent shots up to ISO3200. Slap on a fast prime lens, like the 85mm f/1.4, and the D300s will probably cover your low light shots very well.

The provided kit lens is, well, just that. While the range (18-135mm) suggests that this package might entice the first-time DSLR buyers, seasoned users will no doubt be better off just getting the body only.

The contrast and the colours that the D300s produces are good enough to satisfy the unseasoned advanced amateur - there's always post-production to help boost the colours further.

The 18-135mm kit lens was certainly decent in most respects. At least it's sharp enough to not bother us much.

This shot was a bit of a challenge, considering the space limitation and the D300s' 1.5x crop factor. For the uninitiated, that means your actual focal length is the setting on the lens times 1.5, which in this case was 27mm (18mm at the widest x 1.5 for the crop factor). Small issue indeed, since this can be rectified with the purchase of a wider lens.

The D300s does produce some very decent colours, as seen in this shot. Please note that this was taken with just the overhead ambient light. The Auto White Balance (or AWB) has been spot on for most situations.

ISO6400 is certainly especially kind on low light photos, seeing that noise is kept to a minimal in this shot.

A quick comparison with the ISO3200 shot shows some slight difference in the noise level - the noise is well controlled, and consumers need not worry about the D300s's low light performance.

More Sample Shots

Taken using the kit 18.135mm lens at ISO1250, 1/50s @ f/5.3, 75mm

Taken using the kit 18-135 lens at ISO2000, 1/25s @ f/4.2, 48mm

Taken using the kit 18-135mm lens at ISO100, 1/320s @ f/8, 27mm

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