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Hands On D3 and D300 Impressions: Beefy and Beautiful

After holding the D3 and D300 for several minutes, the Digital Rebel XTi I'm using (blasphemy at a Nikon event, I know) feels like a fucking toy—when I fired the D3 on burst mode, I felt like Arnold firing the minigun in T2 between the rapid clacking and the weight. I've never held a more solid-feeling camera, though. (The D300 isn't exactly a featherweight either, but you won't need to swallow some spinach beforehand.) And the LCD screens: gorgeous. You could watch movies on them. Jump to keep reading and see the D300 from all angles.

I did have a bit of trouble navigating the D3's controls despite the emphatically touted Italian design and had to ask for some help, but I wasn't overly familiar with its predecessor, which could be why I had some trouble. The D300 has a simpler layout, so I had an easier time. But you can look at the huge galleries and decide for yourself on the new layout.

The one down spot is that they were really adamant about me not cribbing a sample shot from either camera to upload, the reason being the cameras are stilled considered "prototypes" and not "mass production" models. Still, it's a little disappointing/disconcerting.

6:30 AM on Thu Aug 23 2007
By matt buchanan
61,624 views
14 comments

Comments

chinsen at 05:26 AM on 08/23/07
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Dude, carry any nikon slr (other than the D40 i guess) and compare it to any of the digital rebels canon has released... they'll always feel like fucking toys! the rebels have all felt like some cheap home-made modified case over top class electronics...
ghmlco at 06:10 AM on 08/23/07
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Sounds like you've never shot with a Canon 1D-series camera either.
plluke at 06:26 AM on 08/23/07
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Chinsen: It's funny because only the D40 (and arguably the D50) are meant to compete with Rebels. The 70/70s/80/anything else are all competitors to the Canon 20D/30D/forthcoming 40D and above. Does the Nikon D200 feel like a more solid Camera than a Rebel? Yes. Does it feel more like top-class electronics compared to a Canon 1Ds Mark III? Not so much. So yeah, if you compare the better/more expensive Nikons to the Rebels, of course the Rebels will lose.

You're comparing two different classes of products here. Saying a Ferrari feels more like a real super car than a Passat is inappropriate not only because they're in different leagues but because there are other VW supercars you could compare them to (Lambos!).
XtremeCamera at 06:33 AM on 08/23/07
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Nikon has always had an edge over Canon when it comes to grip and how it feels to hold it/use it. The problem with the DSLR's has always been noise, so I would be interested in seeing how the new 3-series handles noise. But, like PLLUKE says, you have to compare class by class with Nikon/Canon, but I don't think you meant to actually compare the Rebel with any of these, just remarking on how toy-ish the Rebel feels after holding a pro level DSLR.

I noticed the dual CF slots in the D3, something I haven't seen yet. I can see this being something I would definitely make use of.
endless at 07:41 AM on 08/23/07
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in the post kodak 14n world, non official preproduction shots are a no-no.

that camera was doomed from the start.
benenglish at 08:54 AM on 08/23/07
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Kodak 14n? Wow, that brings up memories - all bad. I rented one once. The thing had a ridiculous startup time which meant you had to leave it on all the time or you'd miss shots during an event. Unfortunately, it had no power-conservation of any kind built in; if you left it on all the time, it would exhaust all battery power in about an hour. The things was, in practical terms, completely useless outside of a studio where you could keep it tethered to a power source all the time.

Now, this new camera is interesting. I haven't needed a digital camera in a long time and so I get by just fine with my F5 (for serious work) and my Pronea S (a seriously under-rated, really slick little machine) for my fun stuff. I haven't kept up on specs and such-like. I did, however, know that Canon made top-shelf cameras with full-frame sensors and Nikon did not. But the nearby Giz story on the D3 says it has a full-frame sensor. I'm off to dpreview to check, but if that's accurate, my future photography prospects just got a lot more interesting.
tedbare at 09:18 AM on 08/23/07
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Finally, a full-frame Nikon. Sign me up!
namegoeshere at 09:45 AM on 08/23/07
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Kind of a weak impression. Maybe it's me, I was looking for something more in depth. Maybe next time.
bgbs at 12:57 PM on 08/23/07
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I wish they would lay out specs at least. I'll be waiting for the Nikon vs Canon reviews, those are always interesting. I have Nikon myself, and well, that is because I do studio photography, but I wish I had Canon for sports, which I dont yet own.
mrz2u at 03:30 PM on 08/23/07
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go to dpreview.com for complete specs...
elvindeath at 06:16 PM on 08/23/07
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Nikon v Canon is the new Apple v IBM. Enough already. Both lineups are impressive, awesome, and have their own pluses and minuses. And I totally agree about comparing Apples and Oranges. I've shot a Canon 1D MkIII. It's no freaking toy. It's incredible.
iomatic at 06:48 PM on 08/23/07
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Apple vs. IBM? Dude, you just dated yourself.

Anyway, yes, it's futile. Both platforms are excellent, but the earlier poster is indeed comparing the wrong class of cameras. Duh.
mikegriffin at 03:17 PM on 08/24/07
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I want one NOW!
goodalex at 06:59 PM on 08/31/07
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Nikon Full Frame! Woohoo!!! YES!!!
$5000? No way!

HDMI out sounds so sweet. I bet this thing weighs a ton.

Live LCD is nice, but I bet most pros paying for this won't use this feature cause it'll be a battery guzzler. I can take thousands of shots and recharge every other month with my nikon dslr. With my old canon elphs I'd have to charge every week.