Viewfinder on D300 compared to D7000

[tripp_frasch]

<p>I primarily shoot film, but am considering purchasing my first dSLR. My lenses are all either AI, AIs, or AF-d (screw-type AF).</p>

<p>In order to use my existing lenses fully, I'm looking at a used D7000 or D300. I see that I can get a D300 in the $500 range or spend perhaps a little more for a D7000.</p>

<p>I have read up quite a bit on the D7000 vs. D300 issues. The D300 seems to get the nod for its speed, build quality, buffer, and maybe AF performance. The D7000 edges ahead in low light, newer technology, etc.</p>

<p>My main film body is an F5 augmented with an F4. I really appreciate the rugged, solid feel of these bodies and am not bothered my their heft. They fit my grip well. <strong>What I really love is the huge, bright, clear viewfinder display that these cameras offer.</strong> As an eyeglass wearer, I also appreciate the high eyepoint and great built-in diopter.</p>

<p>My experience with Nikon dSLRs is primarily with my wife's D3100. While it is a great camera, I find it's viewfinder almost unusable.</p>

<p>Can users here who have used both the D300 and D7000 side by side please comment on any differences between the quality of the viewfinders (clarity, size, brightness, clutter, AF point illumination, etc.) on these two cameras? Coming from an F5, I do realize that the best option for what I'm looking for would be an FX body, but it is simply beyond my budget.</p>

[hans_janssen]

<p>When the viewfinder is that important to you, look for a D700.</p>

[tripp_frasch]

Maybe while am looking, I'll find an extra $1,000 too! A D700 would be great, but unfortunately it well exceeds my

budget.

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Tripp, I've got a D300, and have used D7000's on occassions. There are no huge differences when it comes to the viewfinder, both are way better than the D3100 etc. I've used AiS lenses (invl. 35 f/1.4 at close focussing distances) on my D300 often enough, and it's certainly doable (yes, my D700 makes it easier, though). I might need to add that my eyesight is really quite good.<br>

If you are used to the size and heft of a F5, the shape and weight of the D300 might fit you better, the D7000 "feels" much smaller and lighter in my hands.</p>

[Albins images]

<p>The D200 and D300's viewfinders are fine.. for a DX camera. A quick look in a store brought up the already mentioned conclusion: <em>the D7000 is not markably different</em>. A same quick look at the D3200 (and your wife's D3100) and D5200 viewfinders: unusable for any critical work and manual focus.<br /><br />I have used manual focus on both my DX camera's ver often, and can tell you that is quite a challenge. The viewfinder <em><strong>is</strong> </em>smaller than that of a FX camera. And the DOF is wider. Hard work.</p>

[todd_angood]

<p>Hi Tripp,<br>

I have both a D300 with an MB10 battery grip and an F5. I'm like you, I like the large hefty feel of the F5 and with the grip, the D300 feels almost identical. I cant speak to the D7000 having never handled one. With that said, my D300 does everything I need it to do. I try very hard not to get caught up in the "I gotta have the newest, latest, greatest." (this is just a hobby for me, I shoot a lot of landscapes and nature). If you are shopping for a D300, you might check Igor's Camera Exchange. He has a couple of D300's on his website, one even has the MB10 grip included. The condition ratings he uses to me, are very conservative. I bought my F5 from him a couple months ago and he rated it EX++ but to me, It's mint-. It has one small insignificant mark on the bottom. Very reputable guy and will stand behind what he sells if there is a problem.<br>

Good luck in your search.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>As a few people have mentioned, both the D300/D300S and the D7000 have 100% viewfinders. I have both cameras (D300 and D7000, and I used a loaner D300S extensively to write the review for photo.net). I don't see any major differences between those viewfinders, but I am not particularly picky about that aspect.</p>

<p>In these days I prefer the D7000 for its newer technology, including better low-light results. However, if you prefer larger cameras, the D7000 is probably not the way to go as it is quite small, although not as small as the D3100. I have an F4 and an F5 also.</p>

<p>Another thing to consider is that the D300 uses one CF memory card, the D300S one CF and one SD, and the D7000 has two SD slots. If you want to share memory cards with the D3100, you want to avoid the D300 and go for the D300S or D7000.</p><div></div>

[ariel_s1]

<p>Here's a quick story of Nikon's cameras: Way back when, when the D200 was new, the lower-end cameras were the D70 and the D50. Nikon, in what I would call a stroke of engineering genius, took the D50 body, and they grafted the D200 viewfinder, autofocus system, and sensor into it. They called this camera the D80. The D90 continued this tradition of the larger viewfinder into the lower-end body, as did the D7000. So, between all of those DX cameras, you aren't going to see any major differences in the viewfinders; they're all a near-identical, if not completely identical pentaprism. The D3100 continues the D50's tradition of using the more economical and compact pentamirror, as do all of the other lower DX cameras, from the D5200 all the way back to the D40, D50, and D70.</p>

[robert_k1]

<blockquote>

<p><strong>What I really love is the huge, bright, clear viewfinder display that these cameras offer.</strong>As an eyeglass wearer, I also appreciate the high eyepoint and great built-in diopter.<br>

My experience with Nikon dSLRs is primarily with my wife's D3100. While it is a great camera, I find it's viewfinder almost unusable.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>OP did not explain *why* he found the D3100's viewfinder "almost unusable". But let me guess.</p>

<p>Like OP, I am an experienced film shooter before getting my first dslr, D200. On a film body, I manually focus using the viewfinder. But I can't get accurate manual focus with D200's viewfinder. I can only use my AF lenses and rely upon AF. D200's AF module is very complicated, with numerous settings all over the body and in the menu. Get one wrong, and you can end up with unexpected results. Many uninitiated would blame the equipments for such focus problems.</p>

<p>On a film body, I can easily separate focus from metering. This allows me to focus off center, lock the focus, recompose, meter, and release the shutter. On the D200, it takes some digging in the 200 page manual to figure out how to do this.</p>

<blockquote>

<p><br />I primarily shoot film, but am considering purchasing my first dSLR.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Be prepared for a steep learning curve.</p>

[sem_svizec]

<p>You may look into aftermarket focusing screens for MF. <br>

Viewfinder magnifiers exist too but are no good with eyeglasses due to the shortened eye relief. </p>

[Philip Freedman]

I have a similar wish for a DSLR with a large viewfinder but in addition I am looking for a fairly light camera since I have

an intermittent shoulder problem and find my strongly built D300 hard to carry round all day. I have always preferred

Nikon to Canon but am open to suggestions.

Thanks Philip