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Press Release - Thursday, 30 July 2009
Nikon UK announces the D300S, a camera to broaden the
possibilities for today’s creative image makers. The D300S brings HD movie
capability, a faster frame advance rate of 7fps and dual CF and SD memory
card slots to offer new opportunities to explore creative imaging.
Built upon the widely acclaimed D300, the D300S
incorporates the same DX-format 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, professional
51-point autofocus system and commended EXPEED image processing in a
discrete compact body.
Robert Cristina, Manager, Professional Products for
Nikon Europe, comments: “The D300S is designed for today’s generation of
creative image makers who will benefit from a combination of brilliant
stills and the creative potential of video capture. The DX format has the
advantage of lens magnification, compact size and affordability making the
D300S a really exciting package for anyone looking to take their photography
to another level”.
Key Features
- 12.3 megapixel DX format CMOS image sensor.
Self-cleaning sensor unit minimizes the effect of dust.
- 7fps continuous shooting (8fps when shooting with
the optional MB-D300 battery pack).
- D-Movie records beautiful, high-definition (HD)
movie clips in stereo sound* with start/stop Edit function.
- Dual card slots: CF and SD card slots for
enhanced workflow flexibility.
- ISO 200-3200: extendable up to ISO 6400
(equivalent) and down to ISO 100 (equivalent).
- EXPEED image processing engine with 14-bit A/D
conversion and 16-bit image processing for superb tonal gradation.
- Multi-CAM3500DX 51-point AF system. Individually
selectable or configurable in 9-point, 21-point and 51-point coverage
settings.
- Quick response with approx 0.13 second power-up
and 45 millisecond shutter release time lag.
- Quiet shooting mode: perfect for discrete
photography, the sound of the camera’s mechanisms are noticeably
reduced.
- Picture Controls streamline in-camera image
processing by enabling customization of image parameters before capture,
and offer complete control over sharpening, contrast, brightness, hue
and saturation in various color modes.
- 920,000 dot 3-inch VGA LCD monitor with wide,
170- degree viewing angle.
- Active D-Lighting enables superior high-contrast
images by automatically applying tone compensation at the moment of
capture.
- Durable, magnesium alloy body: water and dust
resistant.
- Durable shutter unit tested to 150 000 cycles.
- HDMI video output interface enables connection to
high-definition video systems.
- Intuitive ergonomics with optimized button
placement for fast and comfortable handling.
- *Compatible stereo microphone required.
Capture and Edit HD Movies in stereo
The D300S comprehensively extends DSLR HD movie
capture by adding external stereo sound input, autofocus capability and
premieres in-camera movie editing. External stereo microphone support adds
more realistic sound when shooting movie clips, and a new dedicated LV
button makes switching between stills and movies easier than ever. In-camera
movie clips can be edited by simply selecting the start and stop points
during playback. Also, the new Type C HDMI interface enables editing to be
carried out on an HD display if desired.
Dual slot storage media
For the first time in this class, the D300S offers the
choice of dual storage media standards; CF (Compact Flash™) and SD (Secure
Digital™) with options to manage how the camera records data to them. For
example, one can elect to store stills to one format and movie clips to
another.
Faster shooting, outstanding quality
The D300S captures images up to a blistering 7 frames
per second without requiring any additional battery pack. The optional
MB-D10 pack makes 8fps possible as well as improved vertical shooting
ergonomics.
The camera inherits the groundbreaking imaging
technologies from the D300 such as Scene Recognition System with 1005 pixel
RGB colour metering, and class-leading autofocus performance from the
51-Point Multi-CAM3500 autofocus system, which together deliver accurate
autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance control. The EXPEED image
processing system delivers Nikon’s acclaimed image quality criteria of rich
accurate colours, smooth skin gradations, exceptional detail with the
minimum of noise, with all of the flexibility of Nikon’s exclusive Picture
Control system to manage the ‘look and feel’ of your work.
Intuitive ergonomics
Significant improvements have been made to Nikon’s
renowned ergonomics with the adoption of the same multi-selector to that
used on the D3 series and D700 with the centre button ideally located for
triggering movie start and stop. The D300S also features a Quiet release
mode for discrete photography by allowing the user to manage the mirror
return manually. The dedicated Info button simplifies displays and short
cuts to commonly used settings, and the built-in pop-up flash diffuser
covers 16mm wide-angle field of view.
Practical performance
The 3 inch 920K dot high definition TFT monitor offers
excellent image playback and movie composition support. One can also display
the Virtual Horizon level during movie shooting if desired. A variety of
in-camera processing tools now includes an image resize function to process
RAW files to one of four pre-set dimensions to enable to do more in camera,
and less on the PC.
More than just an ‘S’
The D300S comprehensive feature set is designed for
anyone who is serious about the future of their photography. It proposes
much more than the simple ‘S’ suffix might suggest to cement a unique
position in Nikon’s comprehensive DSLR range with a practical blend of
creative options, professional technologies, compact size and affordability.





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