V1.02
Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300
Page 29
your camera different imaging capabilities. Nikon has made
everything from fisheye (takes in 180 degrees) to exotic
telephoto, from macro (close up) to tilt and shift lenses (to
control perspective). No compact point-and-shoot camera has
the lens versatility that SLR cameras do. And few DSLRs have
the usable lens choices available to them that a D300 has.
What’s Different?
Let’s take this step by step. We’ll compare the D300 with the
D200, then with the D3. (If you’re unfamiliar with the D200,
read my review at
http://www.bythom.com/d200review.htm
first.)
Here are the differences you’ll find between the D300 and the
D200 it replaces:
•
The 10mp CCD in the D200 has been replaced by a new
12mp CMOS design. That means more pixels: 4288x2848
versus 3872x2592. The switch to a new CMOS design has
changed other things, as well. Noise properties of the new
sensor are lower, as are the power demands. And while
the D200 used a four-channel readout to get a 5 frames
per second (fps) frame rate, the D300 design uses a 12-
channel parallel readout to achieve 6 fps normally, and 8
fps with the increased power from the MB-D10 grip
equipped with an EN-EL4 battery, AA batteries, or AC
power.
•
The Analog-to-Digital (ADC) conversion is performed at as
high as 14 bits on the D300, compared to 12 bits on the
D200 (though this slows down frame rate). This allows for
more subtle and accurate tonal ramps. The ADC is also
performed on-sensor rather than off on the D300, giving it
a slight advantage in terms of read noise.
•
The D300 sensor has a self-cleaning feature that the D200
didn’t. Modest dust can be removed automatically and
without exposing the sensor. On the flip side, this means
that changing the D300 filtration (for example, to do
infrared photography) is not a trivial matter.
