| |
 |
|
| Click photo for more images of the Nikon D300. |
Nikon has announced a new midrange digital SLR. The 12.3-megapixel D300 uses a self-cleaning DX-format CMOS sensor, takes F-mount lenses, and provides selectable 14-bit RAW image capture.
The D300's weather-sealed magnesium alloy body sports a new high-resolution 920,000-dot (* see Editor's Note below), 3-inch LCD that serves as a viewfinder in one of two modes, Tripod and Handheld. The screen has a 170-degree viewing angle to facilitate shooting from high and low angles or off to the side. The D300's optical viewfinder provides a nearly 100 percent view of the image frame and 0.94x magnification. The camera's CompactFlash slot supports the UDMA standard for fast write speeds. The D300 body also incorporates an HDMI port for outputting images to a high-definition screen
The D300's exposure controls include a native 200-3200 ISO range that can be expanded with a Lo-1 ISO 100 setting or a Hi-1 ISO 6400. The camera also provides a new implementation of Nikon's D-Lighting technology, making it available in shooting mode instead of simply as an image-correction tool. Active D-Lighting applies localized tonal changes to open up dark shadows while retaining highlight detail, and can be used at low, medium, and high settings. The D300 supports Nikon's iTTL external flash system and includes a built-in flash.
Nikon claims the D300's shutter lag clocks in at 45 milliseconds and its startup time at 0.13 second. Its drive mode speed is rated at 6 frames per second for a series of 100 JPEGs or 8 fps with Nikon's Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 attached.
The D300's 51-point autofocus system uses a new MultiCAM 3500 DX sensor, offering selectable 9-, 21-, and 51-point group dynamic autofocus. Its 15 cross-type sensors remain active with all Nikkor lenses. The camera employs face-detection technology and Nikon's new Scene Recognition System to distinguish between subjects and backgrounds and detect movement, improving both autofocus performance and automatic exposure and white balance settings.
Other notable features in the D300 include an autofocus fine-tuning control that can be applied to 20 Nikon lenses and a Picture Control System that allows photographers to fine-tune image parameters and save a group of adjustments as a setting that can be applied to photos in any Nikon camera that supports the feature. The D300 is compatible with Nikon's WT-4A transmitter and Camera Control Pro 2 software for wireless or wired-remote camera control from a computer.
The D300 will be available in November 2007 for a $1799.95 retail price.
Nikon also announced a new 12-megapixel full-frame flagship DSLR, the Nikon D3.
* Editor's Note: About those dots and pixels.
There has been some confusion about the LCD resolution on Nikon's new D3 and D300 DSLRs. Nikon states that the LCDs feature "an ultra-high definition, 920,000-dot VGA LCD screen." The important distinction that needs to be made is that Nikon's new LCDs for these cameras feature a different type of filter array than traditionally used in digital still cameras (DSC). Nikon's Steve Heiner offers the following clarification:
The terms "pixels" and "dots" seem to be interchangeably used throughout the industry depending on the source or manufacturer.
Difference between our new LCD and current LCD is the pixel number and filter array used.
New LCD for D3/D300 has 640x480x3 (RGB Stripe array filter) = 921,600 dots. Rounded to 920,000 dots.
Our current LCD (D2Xs) has 960x240 (Delta array filter) = 230,400 pixels. (Not 320x240x3)
Stripe filter array LCD is more expensive but suits display geometrical data better (character, CG, line).
Almost all DSC use Delta array LCD because of lower cost.
|
