Just Re-bought a D300

downunder

Senior Member
I used to own a D300 and sold it some time back to release funds for new cameras and lenses. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the D300, it was just that it didn’t get much use at that time in my life and I needed the funds. It was a case of get rid of the D700 I also owned or the D300. I kept the D700. When I did use the D300, it never disappointed me. I am sure newer cameras have better IQ but the D300’s IQ was fine for my uses.

These days, I have narrowed down my photography needs to landscape and tourist style photography and family photography (eg weddings, christenings, birthdays, picnics, sport etc in low light and bright daylight). Generally, my important family event photography is covered by my Nikon D700, especially when low light is encountered. It is also my ‘go to’ camera for low light landscape photography (eg. in rainforests). My tourist photography is well catered for by a Sony RX100 III, my landscape photography in good light by the three Sigma Merrill series cameras (nothing else comes close to these for landscape photography in their price range), and my lightweight just fun casual photography by my Nikon 1 V1 and V3 (if only they had better IQ but a new V3 with kit 10-30mm lens and EVF only cost me about the equivalent of $330 US here in Australia – too good a deal to pass up).

I did however find I had one gap in my camera equipment that has come about in recent years. I now have six grandchildren. The eldest is eight years old and into playing soccer and I know other grandchildren will soon be doing likewise. It might not be soccer but it will be some type of organised outdoor activity.

I found I didn’t have a lens that would work on any of my cameras that was suitable for outdoor, generally bright light kid’s sport activities. I had tried a left over Nikon 55-300mm from my DSLR days on a Nikon 1 camera (with FT-1) but found it was too slow focusing and the IQ not good enough for my taste. I also found my needs did not require a lens that could reach out to 810mm’s (what happens with the 300mm on a N1 series camera and I am not a birder). I was toying with the idea of buying an expensive CX 70-300 lens for my Nikon 1 series cameras. I even tried out an old AF 300mm f4 lens I still owned on my Nikon 1 using manual focus (af cameras can only be focused manually on Nikon 1’s). Optically this lens is brilliant. I used it on my N1 cameras for taking a few test bird photos and it gave outstanding results. However, I found manually focusing a camera on moving subjects (eg sport) beyond my talents. As mentioned previously, I also found that I didn’t need a 810mm lens for kid’s sport. What I needed was a lens more than 300mm, less than 810mm on a camera with good IQ and able to take photos of moving subjects. It didn’t need to be lightweight because I drive to kid’s sporting events. The CX 70-300 lens would more than fit those requirements except for one thing. It is quite expensive, very expensive in fact.

I then by accident came across a barely used D300 with extras like a Nikon MD- D10 Battery. I then remembered that this camera could be used for sport – not as fast focusing as the N1 series but not bad. With the af 300mm f4 lens it would give me a 450mm lens (when the limited range focus adjustment on this lens is used it can focus fast) with quite good IQ. It dawned on me that this was just what I wanted. Its controls were familiar to me and similar to my D700. I could use all my D700 lenses on it. The D300 was built tough and is proven to last a long time. It used the same battery etc as the D700. And best of all, it did not require the expense I would have had if I had gone the CX 70-300 lens direction. Its cost was the equivalent of $215 US, substantially a lot less than the CX lens. So I re-bought a D300. It hasn’t arrived in the mail yet so I haven’t had a chance to try it out. If all else fails however, I will resell it and save for the CX lens, but don’t think that will happen.
 

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
I look forward to seeing what you do with the new D300. You are right in that it is a good camera, as well as a tough one. Hopefully, it meets all of your shooting needs.

WM
 
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