D300 vs. D7000

<p>I know this has been covered here before, but.... I am considering changing from my D300 to a D7000. For anyone who has made the switch, what is your impression of the difference in image quality?</p>

<p>I've found my D7000 IQ to be far superior to my D300. Don't know why but everything seems to be better, white balance, overall color, lower noise, and sharpness. My D300 now is my backup/second body. I'd highly recommend the switch, you won't be sorry.</p>

<p>I agree with Don that the image quality of the D7000 is significantly better than that of the D300 (not that the D300 is bad.) However, if you shoot sports or do any kind of photography that requires many images in a short time, keep in mind that the D7000 has a much smaller internal image buffer than the D300. Once the buffer fills, there can be long waits while it is emptying into the memory cards. To me, that is the only area in which the D7000 suffers compared to the D300.</p>

 

<p><em>" that is the only area in which the D7000 suffers compared to the D300." - </em>not the only one, please be abjective and not emotional, but this has beed discussed in length already, perhaps more than a dozen times... e.g. limitted bracketing, multiple exposaure mode, frame rate, not a full metal body in D7000 but just shell of metal shielding plates, and other...</p>

<p>Yes, Frank, there are other areas in which the D300 is a more solid camera. Perhaps I should said, "From my perspective," rather than just, "To me." In my use of the two cameras, the construction method mattered not at all, the frame rate was close enough, and the automatic bracketing is a feature I never used, etc. But that small buffer has stopped my photography dead while I waited for it to empty. It's not a matter of being objective or not, it's a matter of priorities. Best regards.</p>

<p>I know that I will give up some things with the D7000, but the image quality is more important than frame rate. At that, if I am shooting in bursts it is likely to be JPEG fine and not frequently. The bracketing issue is interesting though. The D300 only allows +- 1 increments for bracketing, meaning that if I want to do HDR shots, where I would prefer to go in +_2 increments, I need to take five shots, vs. only needing three with the D7000. Of course I lose the ability to shoot +_4, so it is a question to consider. Maybe the increased dynamic range of the D7000 would factor in here as well? I take very good care of my equipment, so body composition is not so important to me.</p>