This month has been a fairly quiet time for new professional equipment being announced. The pick of this month's announcements is the new Nikon D300s.
The Nikon D300s is an upgrade to the Nikon D300. This type of camera sits in the prosumer category and is often used by semi professionals and also as a back up SLR body as well.
High Definition Movie Mode
Compared to its predecessor the biggest change is the introduced of a High Definition movie mode. This mode has proved to be extremely popular since its introduction to the top end Nikon Digital SLRs. I can see how it could come in useful to say music photographers or wedding photographers who would like to record a quick movie clip now and again to augment their stills photos. The D300s can record sound in mono, but if you are serious about shooting short movies, especially if music is involved then I can see the upgrade to a stereo microphone proving popular. Footage can be recorded at 1280 x 720p. The recording speed is 24 frames per second.
I think the inclusion of the occasional movie clip mixed in with more standard offerings is likely to become more widely used over the next 18 months. Investigating the avenues that this opens up could well help you to increase bookings and boost your bottom line.
7 Frames Per Second
Another improvement is the D300s is capable of shooting at 7 frames per second. This is a step up from the 6 frames per second offered by the D300. The camera is compatible with the MB-D10 battery pack. When the battery pack is attached the camera is able to add an extra frame per second, increasing speed to 8 frames per second. This gives the camera extra flexibility and opens up further areas and opportunities.
Memory Card Storage
For storage, you can choose between SD and CompactFlash memory cards. One advantage of the camera being able to accept dual media is that you can opt to record still photos on one type of card and any movie footage on another. This can help with organisation and reduce the number of times you need to switch cards.
Flash Power
A further improvement comes with the built in flash unit. With the D300s Nikon has increased its capacity so that it is able to cover a 16mm wide angle lens. With DX format lenses designed specifically for non full frame SLR bodies the flash can cover a 10mm lens.
Key Features
Other key features include a 12 megapixel sensor. There is also a 51 point Autofocus system to give you close control when it comes to focusing. Dust reduction has been built in to protect the sensor from problems caused by specs of dust.
Price and Availability
The D300s is hitting the shops about now. Current prices are around £1399.
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