What to buy?

[hjscm]

Okay here is my dilema. i know this might sound funny but i am just a causal user but like the best thing always. i am thinking of the nikon d3. i have some nice nikon lenses and a d-70 now. is the d300 worth looking at? i have no problem spending the extra money. also where is a good place to buy. i have bought from b&h before nd liked them. how about 1 way photo. looks like a good deal. P.S. i love taking pictures. wish i could make this more of a hobby and i might do that

thanks for the help

[Frog]

big difference between d3 and d300 so you have to decide what you want but I do think moving up from the d70 is worthwhild

DO NOT BUY FROM 1 WAY

Read our dealer feedback forum and also at http://www.resellerratings.com/store/1_Way_Photo

[hjscm]

thank you for the reply. i will look at B&H. i shoot a lot of my nephew sports middle school. like fast speeds. again thanks for the help

[berrywise]

What lenses do you own? I'd invest in top of the line glass before going and getting a D3. If you already have nice glass then heck no reason why one shouldn't get the best if they have the money to do so.

+1 for B&H (buy it through a link here on PR).

[deckcadet]

A listing of lenses would be great, but I think that either way the D3 is probably overkill. I'd suggest the D300 with MB-D10 battery pack. You might want to invest in a spare EN-EL3E for the MS-D10EN battery tray, an EN-EL4A battery, BL-3 Battery Chamber Cover, and MH-21 charger so you can use 8 frames per second and the much longer battery life of the EN-EL4A in the grip.

I currently own the D300 and grip and love it, and I'm writing a review right now. I'll have the D3 shortly, too, but I think that FX format is not ideal for a lot of people especially for youth sports.

[hjscm]

I have a nikon 70-200 afs vr f2.8 and nikon afs 28-70 f2.8 and a couple of off brand ones not as good. hardly use them. looking for a new piece of glass too.

[deckcadet]

Definitely stick with the D300, with FX you'd not have nearly the reach you would want.

You might want to swap the 28-70 for the 17-55 f/2.8 DX?

[hjscm]

so i guess i should go with the d300. is this nikons second best camera? good part is it is probably easier to get. so no advantage to the d3? or should i say disadvantage going with d300. i am editing photos with both an intel mac with adobe cs3 suite and pc adobe cs3 suite

thanks again for the help

[deckcadet]

There isn't really such thing as second best now. They're aimed at different market segments. The D300 is now at the forefront of Nikon's DX format line, and the addition of the new autofocus system, LCD, and high quality battery grip to the D300 shows that Nikon isn't going to actively cripple it.

It's their best DX body all around, I'd say.

I'd love to have my D3 right now, but I'm set up with situations and lenses that serve different needs than yours. My shooting style has room for both cameras, but for you I'd say the D300 is a perfect fit.

The D3 in your situation would probably bring more cons than pros. It has a bigger viewfinder, yes, slightly different ergonomic design, a full frame sensor, and better high ISO noise performance, but the D300's DX crop factor at a full 12mp is a benefit for you, as is the better coverage of the AF system across the frame on the D300.

The D300 is already my favorite DSLR of all time. The D3 will probably beat it in my book, but as far as DX bodies go, this is it. This is the camera to have. I got it the first day they started coming in in the USA (last Wednesday) and I've already had a chance to shoot soccer and football with it.

In fact, you mentioned you shoot middle school sports? That same day I got it, I shot my old middle school's annual thanksgiving "turkey bowl" football game. I left my 300mm VR in the car, so I shot with the 70-200 VR only. Here's a sample of what I got...straight out of the camera.



Click here for the full size picture

The new autofocus system is fantastic, and the coverage across the frame is absolutely essential. For middle school sports if I were shooting it regularly, a 70-200 is the minimum I'd use with a DX body. With a D3, you'd be advised to upgrade immediately to a 300mm f/2.8 or 200-400mm VR, either of which can run up to and beyond $5000 on their own, just to try and get back what you used to have. With the D300, you save money on the camera, get some good features, and don't need to upgrade your lenses right now. You can even add a teleconverter and get even closer.

[hjscm]

thats what i was looking for. reasoning why someone would choose the d3 over the d300 or vice versa. thanks you for the post. i just figured cause it was their top of the line it would be better.guess i was wrong. pus there are some d300 in stock next to me.

thanks

[William Kazak]

What is worth looking at are the pics you are getting with your D70. Is something the matter with them? As a casual shooter, you should be doing just fine with that camera for most situations.
The D300 might be the camera to look at when it comes time to replace/sell your D70. I hope you have a serious flash like the SB 800 to use as necessary with the D70.