hi everyone. noob with a dilemma.

W

weekender

New member
Hi all, looking for some advice. I always wanted a dslr could never really justify spending the money on one just for a hobby. So a few months ago
A friend of mine gave me his nikon d300 with a 18-200mm lens.
I have been using here and there and i feel i just don't fully understand how to properly use it or take advantage of its features.
My pictures come out blurry,dark, etc...
My girlfriend has a canon t3i and her pictures come out better than mine 9/10 times with very minimal effort.

I respect the profession/art of photography, but i'm looking for something simple
So i decided that a camera similar to hers would suit my needs.
I'm looking for something that can take "good" pictures with minimal user knowledge or input. I have decided to sell it while it still has some value and get the nikon d5200. Any thoughts on this?
How much could a used d300 go for? It has 3,xxx actuations

Thanks in advance!
 
nikonpup

nikonpup

Senior Member
it's like new, put it in auto, take pictures, read the manual and enjoy. U can not get any simpler than "auto" it's a point and shoot with a very nice lens.

2. Give your girlfriend your camera and u take hers.
 
G

gqtuazon

Gear Head
Hi Weekender and welcome to the forum.

Your D300 is still a very good camera particularly for sports and/or wildlife use. There are many things that affects an image if you don't know how aperture, shutter speed, ISO and auto focus settings. I know if I use that camera, I can capture great images with it.

To help improve your experience, always read your owners manual to learn how to adjust the controls and settings.

http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D300_en.pdf

For a slightly easier tutorial, try the link below.

Nikon Imaging | Global Site | Digitutor


For indoors, you will need a flash to improve the lighting especially with that lens since it goes up to f5.6 once you zoom in. Indoors, try M mode, 1/60, Auto ISO on, minimum sensitivity ISO 100 and Max sensitivity to ISO 1600. AF settings in Auto (51 points).

Let us know how that works for you.
 
F

fotojack

Senior Member
What??? A buddy GIVES you a D300, and you want to sell it??? Tell you what.....send it to me, and I'll send you a D40. Much easier to use, and I promise you it will take great pictures for you, as long as you keep it in Auto Mode!
 
S

Sambr

Senior Member
weekender said:
Hi all, looking for some advice. I always wanted a dslr could never really justify spending the money on one just for a hobby. So a few months ago
A friend of mine gave me his nikon d300 with a 18-200mm lens.
I have been using here and there and i feel i just don't fully understand how to properly use it or take advantage of its features.
My pictures come out blurry,dark, etc...
My girlfriend has a canon t3i and her pictures come out better than mine 9/10 times with very minimal effort.

I respect the profession/art of photography, but i'm looking for something simple
So i decided that a camera similar to hers would suit my needs.
I'm looking for something that can take "good" pictures with minimal user knowledge or input. I have decided to sell it while it still has some value and get the nikon d5200. Any thoughts on this?
How much could a used d300 go for? It has 3,xxx actuations

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I just sold mine for $700.00 body only it had 28,000 actuation's and in mint condition.
 
G

gqtuazon

Gear Head
fotojack said:
What??? A buddy GIVES you a D300, and you want to sell it??? Tell you what.....send it to me, and I'll send you a D40. Much easier to use, and I promise you it will take great pictures for you, as long as you keep it in Auto Mode!
Click to expand...

D300 is Jack's dream camera. :D
 
W

weekender

New member
Thanks for the replies. I mean no disrespect to the camera at all, i was just thinking it might be to advanced for my hands. I tried only using program mode, but still only about 20% of my photos actually come out better than using a simple point & shoot.
Do you have any standard recommendations for settings that i can use?

And whats so good about this model compared to a d5100 or the new d5200?

I appreciate the time for reading.
 
Scott Murray

Scott Murray

Senior Member
weekender said:
Hi all, looking for some advice. I always wanted a dslr could never really justify spending the money on one just for a hobby. So a few months ago
A friend of mine gave me his nikon d300 with a 18-200mm lens.
I have been using here and there and i feel i just don't fully understand how to properly use it or take advantage of its features.
My pictures come out blurry,dark, etc...
My girlfriend has a canon t3i and her pictures come out better than mine 9/10 times with very minimal effort.

I respect the profession/art of photography, but i'm looking for something simple
So i decided that a camera similar to hers would suit my needs.
I'm looking for something that can take "good" pictures with minimal user knowledge or input. I have decided to sell it while it still has some value and get the nikon d5200. Any thoughts on this?
How much could a used d300 go for? It has 3,xxx actuations

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Ok Blurry / Dark / etc is bad exposure / wrong setting / etc. Now if you could be more detailed with your explanation and maybe provide photos with EXIF Data we could help you better.

But honestly we are getting a lot of single posters here asking simple questions? Why? Can they not google it? I dont know! All I know is that we require more data as like a Doctor requires tests and results from those tests to give a diagnosis.
 
W

weekender

New member
muzza22au said:
Ok Blurry / Dark / etc is bad exposure / wrong setting / etc. Now if you could be more detailed with your explanation and maybe provide photos with EXIF Data we could help you better.

But honestly we are getting a lot of single posters here asking simple questions? Why? Can they not google it? I dont know! All I know is that we require more data as like a Doctor requires tests and results from those tests to give a diagnosis.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I will look through some photos and post the data. However, i would still like to know why this may be better to use than d5100/5200.
Since this is just a hobby for me having the wheel with
Different shooting modes seems like a good idea.
I dont think I would be able to remember what kind of settings i need to input for a specific type of shot with this d300.
 
Last edited:
D

Denebeau

New member
It is my understanding that the 5100/5200 are more advanced even than the 300. Granted, I am not familiar with the 300, I have a D50. But, then I also shoot in manual mode or a priority setting when I'm shooting. (btw the 5100 is my dream camera....oh I drool!)
If it's a hobby why not go get Nikon's version of a point and shoot?
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
nikonpup said:
it's like new, put it in auto, take pictures, read the manual and enjoy. U can not get any simpler than "auto" it's a point and shoot with a very nice lens.

2. Give your girlfriend your camera and u take hers.
Click to expand...


Not sure, but I don't think there is an "auto" mode on the D300 Ron.
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
weekender said:
Fair enough. I will look through some photos and post the data. However, i would still like to know why this may be better to use than d5100/5200.
Since this is just a hobby for me having the wheel with
Different shooting modes seems like a good idea.
I dont think I would be able to remember what kind of settings i need to input for a specific type of shot with this d300.
Click to expand...

It's not necessary better to use, but has more advanced setting possibilities.

Driving a formula one car might not be as comfortable than a Camry.
 
G

gqtuazon

Gear Head
Try this for indoor use: M mode, 1/50, f3.5 (widest FL @ 18mm), Auto ISO up to ISO 1600 (min ISO sensitivity to ISO 100 - max 1,600) and see how your image looks with just regular lighting. Try a pop up flash if needed. You need to manually push the release button to activate the pop-up flash since it doesn't automatically goes on in Program mode like a point and shoot.

On your AF menu, use focus priority and your lens should be set to "A" not M. This is your homework! ;)
 
W

weekender

New member
gqtuazon said:
Try this for indoor use: M mode, 1/50, f3.5 (widest FL @ 18mm), Auto ISO up to ISO 1600 (min ISO sensitivity to ISO 100 - max 1,600) and see how your image looks with just regular lighting. Try a pop up flash if needed. You need to manually push the release button to activate the pop-up flash since it doesn't automatically goes on in Program mode like a point and shoot.

On your AF menu, use focus priority and your lens should be set to "A" not M. This is your homework! ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the settings. I will give them a try as soon as possible!
 
T

tonyr_d3000

New member
When I got a d3000 one of my first purchases was the Digital Field Guide to D3000. They make one for the D300 as well. Written in a way that is easy to understand and opens up a whole new world with the camera. Also, if you know specific things you want to do with the D300 or just gee whiz questions, YouTube is your friend.
 
N

NikonGajo

New member
Hi Weekender,
Those are the exact 2 bodies I own, the 5100 and the D300. Let me assure you that most people that enjoy photography would pick the D300 as it is basically a Professional Camera but with a Cropped sensor (DX). Having said that, it's technology is 5, 6 years old and the D5100 is a much newer as far as technology is concerned (better image quality, greater color dept, better EV...etc) but.....The D300 still has settings/options that are superior to many new DX cameras on the market, so plenty capable for a wide range of photographers......
My advice is try to learn the basics (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) and you will soon find that the D300 possibilities are endless for a newbie. A good way to start for a newbie with 2 cameras available is............take a picture in Auto with the other camera(record the setting the camera picked) and try setting your D300 to the same values....and use them as a base to try to improve your shots....it helped me in the beginning....hope that helps. Happy shooting!!!
 
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