D300S vs. D700

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Tclose

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I am going to college next year for commercial photography and I can't decide between a D300S or a D700. Obviously the D700 is a bit better cause of its full frame and low noise capability, but I just don't know if its worth the extra money. Any suggestions from people with D300S's or D700's? Thanks.
 

Tclose

Senior Member
yes i have have a Nikon 105mm, f/2.8 Vr Micro lens that I use for majority of my work and a couple other "ok" DX lenses but will most likely sell those if i get a full frame.
 

Eduard

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Does the school you are planning to attend publish equipment requirements? Just like your laptop, some universities have discounts available for their students. I think I'd explore that.

The other big question is what is your budget?
 

Joseph Bautsch

New member
I for one, IMHO, don't think you gain that much with a FX over the DX for twice the price. Jump - If all your D300 lenses are DX then going to a D700 you will have to buy a new set of lenses. With a DX camera you can use both the FX and DX lenses. That's a big advantage.
 

Tclose

Senior Member
There only requirements are that I have a DSLR...I dont believe that a full frame camera is required in fact they have cameras a check our room of D700s and D300s's that I can rent for 24 hours at a time. I just feel like it would be nice to have my own camera. Also my budget is flexible I can purchase either really, i just am not sure if its worth an extra $1000 for full frame.
 
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Jump

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I should just stay with the D300 then..........I love the idea of having a full frame sensor though.....
What hhappens when using a DX lense on an FX camera.? Will they fit?
 
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Joseph Bautsch

New member
Jump - The Nikon DX lens will fit on a FX body and you can take pictures with it. However, the FX body focus plane at the sensor is 1.5 times larger than the projected focus plane of the DX lens. So what happens is that you wind up with serious vignetting around the corners of any photos taken by the FX body using a DX lens.
 

Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
You can put a dx lens on a d700 how ever if you use the dx crop mode you turn the d700 into a 5 mp camera. I borrowed a d700 camera from a friend and was quite shocked to see a round image without the dx crop mode being on. Some zoom lenses work at certain zoom settings but that is not a reliable way to take photos for me.
 

Shaun

New member
I have been using a D300 for school for the last year and I get amazing shots. I dont think you can go wrong with one.

S-
 

fotojack

Senior Member
Ask yourself this question: Am I buying a D700 for bragging rights, just to say I own a D700, or am I buying it for the pictures it can take? Personally, I would get the D300S, since you already have a ready supply of lenses for it. Save the money for newer or better lenses. Seems like a no brainer to me, but hey.....that's just me. :)
 

slowtrigger

New member
Since the camera is for school a D300/s is a more reasonable choice. It is cheaper, the build quality is comparable, and they have pretty much the same functionality. A D700 really is superior for high ISO, but a good flash like the SB-600 is a great equalizer.
 

SouthWest Dreams

Senior Member
I doubt you can go wrong with the d300. The full frame has some great advantages for landscape and the viewfinder is a joy but there is little you can't do the same with a d300. Just need a wider lens.
 

FoxfireGallery

New member
Ask yourself this question: Am I buying a D700 for bragging rights, just to say I own a D700, or am I buying it for the pictures it can take? Personally, I would get the D300S, since you already have a ready supply of lenses for it. Save the money for newer or better lenses. Seems like a no brainer to me, but hey.....that's just me. :)

Fotojack, i have never disagreed more than the comment you have given here, which obviously comes from someone who has absolutely no idea.

The d300/300s is a very good camera, no question and will cover most events. It is a DX camera as others have pointed out against he FX format of the D700.

First the image in the viewfinder is larger and therefore very usefull if you are shooting a lot of Macro or low light photography.

High ISO setting will deliver noticable noise at around 1600 on the D300/D300s whilst you can double the setting on the D700 and still get some fine resolution shots. That is very noticable.

These are for me the most noticable and in my opinion important difference between the D300 and D700.

If you are comfortable in selling the DX lenses and replacing them with FX lenses, I would do so and opt for the D700. There will be a time when all cameras will be FX format and the DX format will be phased out. Maybe a good idea to start selling those old DX lenses now, while people are still willing to buy them. Remember Nikon produces very high quality lenses and they do not change the lenses as much as the bodies ( some as much as 10 years).

I would go for the D700 everytime, although the D300 is a good camera too.

PS: I own both:)
 

fotojack

Senior Member
FoxFireGallery, I have no idea about what? The 2 cameras in question? I don't own either, but I have pro friends who do, and I listen to what they tell me about them. They each tell me, given a choice of one or the other, that the D300s is the better VALUE, since they both essentially do the same thing. Now......since the poster said he was going to school, I opted for the less expensive camera and suggested he put the saved money towards better lenses.
I also know people who buy the most expensive cameras because they CAN, not because they know any better. For some people it's a status thing. Digital cameras are all the rage now, and some can afford to get the "best". Doesn't mean they will know how to use the "best". :)
As for all cameras changing over to the FX format, I will disagree with you there. That would be like General Motors just making Cadillacs and stop making Malibus. Not gonna happen any time soon. There will always be a market for prosumer DX format cameras. There are more amateurs out there than pros, therefor a much bigger market segment to sell to. These are my thought on the matter. :)
 

goz63

Senior Member
With the addition of the D3100 and several new DX lenses, I would say that DX format cameras and lenses are not going away any time soon. While a D700 may be great for those who can afford to budget $2k+ for the body alone, a great deal of us can't justify that much money. I would also say that the camera does not make the picture but the photographer. I have seen some outstanding pictures taken with DX cameras and lenses. Some by pros and some by amateurs. There is a market for both and as long as there is, Nikon will accommodate it. They are after all a company that needs to make money.
 
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