Compare Nikon D300s, D7000, D3100

Nikon has Released 2 new Cameras the Nikon D7000 and D3100. I thought it would nice to compare these 2 cameras along with the Nikon D300s. The D3100 is a 14.3 MP at a great low price, The D7000 16.2 MP touted as the new replacement for the D90 and the D300s as the pros chose as the top end camera of Nikon’s DX (APS-C) sensor format.

Nikon DSLR Compared all DX format
Nikon Camera Type	Nikon D300s	Nikon D7000	Nikon D3100
Rank	#1	#2	#3
Nikon D300s Body only Nikon D7000 Body only Nikon D3100 W/18-55mm NIKKOR VR Lens
Resolution	12.3 MP	16.2 MP	14.2 MP
HD Video	up to 720p	up to 1080p	up to 1080p
External stereo microphone jack	Yes	Yes	No
Number of Memory Slots / Card Types	1 / SD,SDHC & 1 / CF	2 / SD,SDHC,SDXC	1 / SD,SDHC,SDXC
ISO range	100 – 6400	100 – 12800	100 – 12800
Live View	Yes	Yes	Yes
View Finder Coverage	100%	100%	95%
Frames per Second (FPS)	7 FPS	6 FPS	3 FPS
Self Timer	2,5,10,20 Sec.	2,10 Sec.	2 ,10 Sec.
Flash sync speed max	1/250 Sec.	1/250 Sec.	1/200 Sec.
Max Shutter speed	1/8000	1/8000	1/4000
Optional remote control connector	Yes	Yes + wireless	Yes
Maximum Autofocus Points	51	39	11
Exposure Bracketing	2 to 9	2 and 3	No
Timelapse Exposure	Yes	Yes	No
Active D Lighting	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery Type	EN-EL3e	EN-EL-15	EN-EL-14
Battery Life ( Number Shot per charge)	aprox. 950	aprox. 1050	aprox. 550
Wether Sealed	Yes	Yes	No
Image Sensor Cleaning System	Yes	Yes	Yes
Price (ESP) Bode only except the D3100	$1699.95	$1199.95	$699.95 W/Lens
B&H PhotoVideo	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

Nikon D300s

 The Nikon D300s is truly a professional camera and the top of the line DX sensor camera. The D300s is almost the same layout as the Full Frame FX sensor Nikon D700. It is a 12.3 mega pixel digital camera with a fast continuous shooting up to 7 frames per second. Pictures are taken in JPEG, Tiff, AVI and 12 or 14-bit NEF (RAW) format. The camera has a low noise ISO sensitivity range from 200 to 3200 and expanded ISO 100 and up to 6400. It has 51 autofocus points, programmed, manual, aperture priority, and shutter priority exposure mode settings. It has manual and auto focus modes. There’s a 3 inch LCD monitor with 921000 dot resolution with one button live view, a Rugged magnesium-alloy construction, image editing, and an automatic image sensor cleaner are also included. The new feature on this camera over the Nikon D300 is that it shoots 720p (24 fps) HD movies. It also has a built in monaural microphone as well as external stereo mini-pin jack, along with a built-in pop up flash. The Nikon D300s has 1 SD card slot that supports SecureDigital (SD) and SDHC SecureDigital High Capacity, It also has 1 CompactFlash Type I &II (CF) card slot. The memory cards are not included. I recommend 8GB to 16GB class 6, high speed for SD cards and 400x or higher for CF cards. The camera comes with video cable and USB cables, as well as an EN-EL3e Lithium-ion rechargeable battery, battery charger, strap, eyepiece shield, rubber eyecup, hot-shoe cover, body cap, and LCD cover, also included are CD-ROMs with Nikon software suite and a manual. This is a rugged professional camera and did I say FAST 7 fps. If you’re into HDR then this camera is for you with exposure bracketing from 2 to 9 exposures. WOW! The Nikon D300s is a bit expensive but is a work horse. I own this camera and even with the features of the new Nikon D7000 I would still own the Nikon D300s

Nikon D7000

The new Nikon D7000 will be the replacement for the D90. The Nikon D7000 is a 16.2 mega pixel digital camera with continuous shooting up to 6 frames per second up to 100 shots. Pictures are taken in JPEG and 12 or 14-bit NEF (RAW) format. The camera has a low noise ISO sensitivity range from 200 to 6400 and expanded ISO up to 25600. It has 19 automatic exposure scene modes – programmed, manual, aperture priority, shutter priority and automatic exposure mode settings. It also has manual and auto focus modes to ensure the full control of the photograph regardless of distance or lighting. There is a 3 inch LCD monitor with 92100 dot resolution, one button live view, image editing, and an automatic image sensor cleaner. The hot new feature on this camera is that it shoots 1080p (24 fps), 720p (24 & 30 fps) HD movies. Another nice feature is a built in monaural microphone as well as external stereo mini-pin jack and a built-in pop up flash. The Nikon D7000 has 2 SD card slots that support SDHC SecureDigital High Capacity, SecureDigital (SD), and the new SDXC which supports memory cards up to 2TB. Note that the memory cards are not included with the camera purchase. I recommend 4GB to 16GB class 6, high speed cards. The camera comes with A/V and USB cables, as well as an EN-EL15 Lithium-ion rechargeable battery, battery charger, strap, eyepiece shield, rubber eyecup, hot-shoe cover, body cap, LCD cover, CD-ROMs with Nikon software suite and a manual. All of this hardware makes the camera sound like serious business, and it is. The Nikon D90 stands at the point where digital cameras start to get expensive. Its users would pay a higher price still for such crisp, clear photographs and easy-to-use extra features. This is one camera that’s worth the cost.

Nikon D3100

The new Nikon D3100 one of Nikon’s new cameras for the amateur photographer and I think this will be a great camera for photographers on a budget who still want to be creative with there photography. The Nikon D3100 is a 14.2 mega pixel digital camera with continuous shooting up to 3 frames per second. Pictures are taken in JPEG and NEF (RAW) format. This camera has a low noise ISO sensitivity range from ISO100 to 3200 and expanded ISO up to ISO25600. It has 6 automatic exposure scene modes, programmed automatic, manual, aperture priority, shutter priority exposure mode settings. The D3100 has both manual and auto focus modes to ensure the full control of the photograph regardless of distance or lighting. There’s a 3 inch LCD monitor 230000 dot TFT LCD, one button live view for stills and video, image editing, and an automatic image sensor cleaner. The hot new feature on this camera is that it shoots 1080p (24 fps), 720p (24, 25& 30 fps) HD movies motion MOV H.264/MPEG-4 formats, Also included is a built in monaural microphone and a pop up flash. The Nikon D3100 has 1 SD card slot that supports SDHC SecureDigital High Capacity, SecureDigital (SD), and the new SDXC which supports memory cards up to 2TB. Note that the memory cards are not included in the camera purchase. I recommend 8GB to 16GB class 6, high speed cards. The camera comes with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR, front & rear lens caps, as well as an EN-EL14 lithium-ion rechargeable battery, battery charger, strap, eyepiece shield, rubber eyecup, hot-shoe cover, body cap, CD-ROMs with Nikon software suite and a manual. All of this hardware makes the camera sound like serious business, and it is. The Nikon D3100 stands out as feature rich camera for the price. This could make a great backup camera as well. Just remember the price of this camera includes AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens.

The Lenses

The Nikon D3100, D7000 & D300s uses the full line of Nikon DX lenses along with many other Nikon and aftermarket lenses. I recommend you buy the best lenses you can afford. The lens is one the most important factors when it comes to image quality. Lenses have a life cycle of 10 years or more. Cameras have a shorter life cycle of between 3 to 5 years because of the fast moving technology. Because the lens life is so much longer than the camera, I recommend you put more emphasis on the lens quality than the camera. One more thing, these cameras are very hi-tech and you should have the latest hi-tech lenses. The DX (APS-C) format sensor used on these cameras, and most other D-SLR cameras, is smaller than the 35mm film or full frame FX sensor used on the Nikon D700, D3s and D3X. Therefore, quality ED (Extra Low Distortion) glass and VR (image stabilization) is very important to get the best images from D-SLR cameras with DX (APS-C) format sensor. There is one great advantage of the DX format. You can multiply the focal length by 1.5x making a 200mm lens equivalent to a 300mm lens in full frame 35mm or FX format.

Conclusion

I picked these three Nikon cameras because they all will be good cameras for the creative photographer from beginner to pro with a wide range in pricing. Picking the right camera depends on what features are important to you. All 3 of these cameras will take great photographs. If HD video is the most important to you the Nikon D3100 or D7000 may be best for you because of 1080p resolution. But, if you’re into HDR (high dynamic range) photography then the D300s may be best pick. The D300s has exposure bracketing from 2 to 9 exposures. So, do your homework. Pick the features that you need the most and then choose the camera that best suits your needs. Just remember, the most expensive camera may not be the best for you. One more thing – if you don’t own other Nikon lenses. When you are buying a DSLR camera you’re buying camera system with lenses and accessories that might still be good and usable if in the future you upgrade your camera. So chose your camera system wisely. The two top camera systems are Nikon and Canon.