Anyone with hands on D7000 and D300s experience + opinion yet?

[karenf]

<p>I really want to press the button on my order for a new DSLR asap. My fingers hovering over the <em>Enter </em>key but I still find myself going back and forth between the D300s, for build, ergonomics and AF (for dog shots) and the D7000, for possible(?) better dynamic range and high ISO. There must be some PN's that have used both by now. I've read everything from <em>it blows the D300s and almost the D700 away</em> to <em>it's in no way a replacement for the D300s</em>. If I ask nicely and say please, please, please, would someone....anyone please put me out of my misery and give me a idea of the real comparison between the two cameras. The D7000 haven't arrived here yet, so I haven't had a chance to hold one. I am wondering if I would likely be disappointed in build quality coming from D200? Thanks everyone.</p>

 

[bikealps]

<p>:-) we're all dying to know!</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>The D7000 is not quite widely available yet. In the US, only a limtied number of D7000 kits with the 18-105mm lens are out, but not everybody wants a plastic-mount consumer lens to go along with the D7000. At least I am still waiting for body only.</p>

<p>In any case, unless you are in a hurry, it is not time to buy a D300S. Most of its technology comes from the D300, which is 3 years old. Clearly even the D7000 supersedes the D300S in many areas. If the D7000 does not meet your needs, you might as well wait a few more months for the D300S' successor.</p>

[marypar4]

<p>I had my hands on one yesterday. It was on reserve for a customer so did not get to shoot with it..but it is small..maybe smaller then my d90..so if you like a chunky feel it will disappoint. I am waiting for the D300s update.</p>

[karenf]

<p>Thanks Mary, how the camera feels and handles is pretty important.<br /> Shun, I agree the technology is getting old but if the D300s is the better choice between the two, then it still might be the one to get. We aren't sure when the new D400 is coming out. It might be a while off yet and a while after that before the price is right. If I stick with my D200, it might be a year away from getting a new D400. At the moment, I can get grey market D300s for same as D7000. Wouldn't the difference between the D200 and the D300s/D7000 make it worth taking the plunge now?<br /> Allan, I'm doin my best to find out.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>It's a tough one. Not sure what sort of dog stuff you're thinking of doing, but field worthiness and AF agility are very, very important for a lot of that sort of work. <br /><br />Even if you can get slightly better high ISO performance with the D7000, that won't help much if the AF system doesn't let you track well in poor light. That's what I'm interested in hearing about. The D300/S is really well suited to moving dogs. But I was using one just three days ago, a half hour after sunrise, to try to handle a pair of black Labs on the move (against a relatively dark background). Very, very difficult. If the D7000's AF system is even slightly less lush than the D300's, then it's worth the wait for Son Of D300. </p>

[john_hinkey]

<p>I posted this over at FredMiranda -</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I just had an opportunity to handle the D7K display model at the local pro shop. They only had the kits and they sold out of them the first day.<br /> <br /> I have a D300 and to me the camera is noticeably smaller, which may take some getting used to, but that's actually why I'm interested in it - getting a smaller/lighter camera that can do pretty much everything my D300 can (at least the way I use it anyways).<br /> <br /> With the kit lens I found the AF very quick in the low light of the store. The viewfinder was the same as the D300s I handled right next to it (I didn't have my D300 on me at the time).<br /> <br /> I snapped a few pics and it seemed very responsive - no accidental shutter actuations due to the "mush" shutter button. One of the things I was really interested in was how quickly I could review an image and navigate around the image under magnified view. My D80 was terribly slow at this, my D300 is great, and the D7K seemed even faster than my D300 which is great news.<br /> The mode dial did seem to turn way too easily for my liking.<br /> The grip was definitely different than the D300 which seemed more rounded and ergonomic (I have average hand size) than the more "sharpish" corner on the grip of the D7K. Coming from the D300 the D7K felt more cramped as far as hand holding, but that's just natural I suppose. It definitely felt lighter. <br /> One slight benefit of the D7K is that my nose seems to have a bit more room on the left side of the camera compared to the D300 where it seems I'm always accidentally pushing one of the buttons when I put my eye up to the OVF. The D7K was a bit more comfortable as I felt I didn't need to twist my head as much.<br /> <br /> Overall I think it will be a winner for me, especially when I get a D700 in a little while. The 16MP and video were not a requirement, but they will be nice as well as the double SD slots (really dislike CF cards). The lower weight and smaller size will mean that my DSLR will go to a few more places that previously I'd been taking my LX-3.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Hope this gives you some info you were looking for.</p>

<p>John</p>

[karenf]

<p>Matt, I do pet photography. Which of course means lots of squirming, running, jumping and unpredictability (that's the pets, not me). I am interested in the better DR of the D7000 that I heard about which would have to be great bonus for the inevitable black/white dog situations.<br /> John, sounds like you give it thumbs up. Lighter could be better for maneuverability. cheers.</p>

[mjferron]

<p>I could have my hands on a D7000 tomorrow if I want. I pray for restraint.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>i just got a new D300s. i've no doubt the d7k is an exciting camera for a lot of folks, but it was the right call for me.</p>

<p>i prefer the ergonomics of the d300 over the d90, and the d300s is essentially a refreshed d300, while the d7k is a d90 in a mag-alloy body with some extra tweaks. bottom line for me was the better AF module in the d300s, plus i could not wait another month for a body-only option.</p>

<p>i think early reports of the 7dk being a d300s killer might be slightly exaggerated. for one thing, the 7dk doesnt have nikon's top-of-the-line AF which the d300 did, though it does have a new module replacing the one from the d2 series. it's possible the d4/d400/d800 series will introduce a new AF module built to handle a higher-MP sensor. in the meantime, the d300s isnt exactly chopped liver.</p>

<p> </p>

[bgelfand]

<p>It is now 28 October. In one month it will be "Black Friday", when all the Holiday Season sales start. The D7000 may not go on sale, but I will bet the D300s will. So, sit on your hands for a month or so; that will keep your finger away from the enter key. And by that time you will have a much better idea how the D7000 performs.</p>

[carl_becker2]

<p>I image that AF properties would be very high on your list. To me that would indicate a D300 or D300s as the best option. I would be interested in the lighter weight, still heavy at 28 ounces though and smaller size to hike with over my D700. IMHO any of these have great IQ so I would not give that a higher priority.</p>

[bikealps]

 

<p ><a name="00XZKu"></a><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=862488">Michael Ferron</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Subscriber" src="../v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub7.gif" alt="" /><img title="Frequent poster" src="../v3graphics/member-status-icons/1roll.gif" alt="" /></a>, Oct 27, 2010; 11:28 p.m.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>"I could have my hands on a D7000 tomorrow if I want. I pray for restraint."</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Dude, you crack me up!<br>

So, did you get it? :-)</p>

 

 

[ShunCheung]

<p>It looks like Nikon has finally started shipping the D7000 bodies only to stores, although initially supply is still tight: <a href="http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1034&thread=36752307">http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1034&thread=36752307</a></p>

[mjferron]

<p>Dude, you crack me up!<br />So, did you get it? :-)</p>

<p>It's sitting at my local dealer. Body only. I just don't want to spend the x-tra $$ right now. And that's killing me. :) I've been waiting for used D300's to go below $1000 and now that they have Nikon throws this wrench into the gears. :)</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>michael, given a choice between d300 and d7000, i would choose the d7k unless you need superior AF for sports or action, or simply prefer bigger bodies.</p>

<p>the d300s is a bit of a different story since it remains nikon's top of the line DX body (for now). the dual memory cards are a nice feature which take some of the thunder away from the d7k, but the more inexpensive price combined with newer tech is going to push a lot of folks toward the d7k. if the price of a d300s falls to say, $1200, that becomes a tougher call.</p>

<p>and, if (when?) the d700 price starts to freefall below $2k, it will get even more confusing.</p>

<p>if you dont need another body right now, it may be advisable to wait.</p>

<p>for those suffering from terminal NAS, you can always buy [more] lenses while the dust settles.</p>

<p> </p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Thom Hogan has some early comments on the high-ISO results from the D7000 on his home page, with the October 29, 2010 date: <a href="http://www.bythom.com/">http://www.bythom.com/</a></p>