The Best New Camera To Buy: The Nikon D300...wait, what?

Since mainstream photographic culture made the switch from the complicated and expensive world of film to the cheap and (arguably*) easy world of digital, the number of people interested in buying a camera and trying their hand at being an amateur photographer has skyrocketed. Now although taking digital photographs is (arguably) easy, understanding the differences between the variety of cameras and camera systems is not.

As I am a photographer by trade, I’m asked for advice about cameras constantly. Friends, family, and social network acquaintances, regularly ask me what kind of camera they should buy. My advice is almost always not to buy a brand new camera. Buying a used camera tends to save a fair bit of money and, since used cameras have been out for a while, there are a ton of consumer and professional reviews to tell you tell you all about the camera in detail.

For those of you out there that are in the market for your first Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera, I am going to recommend the Nikon D300. This tried and true piece of machinery has everything a brand new photographer could want, none of the crazy extras that, while seductive, can ruin your foray into the photographic arts, and can now be purchased at a very reasonable price.

At around $1,000.00 used, the D300 has a 12.3 mpx sensor. This is more than enough for any entry level shooters, or even most serious amateurs. While a 36 mpx D800 may sound exciting, an amateur using this camera would be like putting a 16 year old in a Ferrari. They are more likely to hurt themselves than anything else. Unless you intend to have your photos printed on a billboard, 12.3 is more than enough.

The D300 also has the best ISO capabilities for new photographers. It takes excellent photos up to ISO 800, very good photos up to 1000-1600, and fairly ok ones up to 3200. This is the highest that you will want to go when you are first starting out. While some of the new Canon and Nikon pro level cameras can go up to ISO 250,000 almost taking pictures in the dark, this is not something that you are going to want at your disposal when you first start out.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people making when they start to use their cameras seriously is not learning about how lighting is supposed to work. If you want to be able to take aesthetically pleasing photographs, you have to be able to work in a variety of lighting situations and learn how to make all of them work for you. If you are in a dark room and want to take a photograph, the worst thing you can do is simply crank up the ISO. Chances are, you are just going to get a crappy picture with flat light. No light equals bad light.

Lighting options are why speedlights (aka flashes) were invented. Long before you start using super high ISOs, you want to learn how to use speedlights. What’s the best possible camera for a beginner learning to use speedlights? That’s right, the Nikon D300. Nikon speedlight technology is unrivaled by any other company*. The Nikon system allows the photographer to control off camera speedlights right from the back of the camera. I personally have controlled as many as 12 speedlights simultaneously from distances up to 25 ft. Awesome. It is like having an entire photography studio that fits in a backpack. If you want to get into creative photography, this is an excellent place to invest your time and money.

The reason that the D300 is the best camera for new photographers in regards to speedlight technology is the cost. Consumer level cameras don’t have the built-in technology to operate speedlights. You have to go to the pro levels to get those features. Which means spending at least $3K if you want to buy a new one. This doesn’t leave much money to buy the speedlights with. However, since there is no generational disconnect between speedlights and cameras, the D300 will work with the oldest and the newest speedlights. This means that you can buy old used speedlights, new snazzy speedlights, or a combination of both. And if you decided in a year that you want to buy a new camera, all of the speedlights that you bought will still work with the newer camera.

The same is true for Nikon lenses. One of the best features about Nikon cameras are that when the company switched to digital, they kept the same lens mount system. This means that any autofocus lens made since 1982 will work on the D300. One of the best lenses that I own, an 85mm 1.8 that retailed for a thousand bucks in the late 80’s, I picked up at a fleamarket for $15 from some guy who had no idea what it was. And when I buy my new camera, it will work just fine on that one too.

There are a few limitations with the D300 however. It does not shoot video. I usually tell people that this doesn’t matter. If you are just looking to shoot home videos of your kids, a DSLR is over kill. Buy a $50 flip cam and spend the money you save on an excellent still camera. Besides, if you are just starting out in photography, chances are you are nowhere near ready to take on video. Having the option to shoot video is likely to be a major distraction that will hinder your learning. But if you really want video in your DSLR, spend a couple of hundred extra and buy the D300S. It is the same camera, except it shoots video. They might be a bit harder to find secondhand however, as fewer people have sold their D300S specifically because it shoots video.

Other specs on the D300 include a cropped sensor. If you know the difference between a cropped and full frame sensor, all I can say is to look deep inside of yourself and ask if this really matters. If you don’t know the difference then don’t worry about it. You don’t need a full frame sensor.

The D300 also only has one memory card slot and it is for a compact flash card (CF). Most newer pro level cameras have either dual CF slots or a CF and SD slot. I don’t think this matters much, especially at the amateur level. Outside of studio work and advanced sports/wildlife photography, I have never seen any sizable value to having multiple card slots.

So the D300 has all of the pro level features, none of the crazy new features that will hold you back from learning what you are doing with the camera, and costs about as much as a brand new soccer mom camera. Combine that with the fact mine saw 6 years of hard service in the field, never needed servicing, is still in a condition to sell at top dollar, and I am left with no ethical choice other than to recommend this camera wholeheartedly to any and all beginner photographers.


*What I mean: Taking a “good” photograph is difficult no matter what kind of camera you use. However, in the film days, there was a large knowledge base needed even to take a crappy photograph (e.g. film asa/iso, film color temperature, etc). With new digital cameras, almost all of those aspects of the photography can be automated. So, if you don’t care or know whether a photograph is any good, then all you have to be able to do is press the shutter release.

*If anyone ever tries to tell you that Canon’s speedlight system is just as good, immediately begin ignoring everything that person says. This is not a matter of personal belief. 100% of the pro photographers that I know that use Canon openly admit that Nikon is far superior. Anyone who says different, does not have any idea what they are talking about.