Nikon D300 Battery grip

[alertlonestar]

Im so happy with my D40 since i'm new to DSLRs and its good that i started off on DSLRs Basics what are not very basic!!

[robb1138]

FINALLY bought the Nikon D300 after using the D40X since December...I also bought the battery grip and just LOVE the camera...

[TensaZ]

I'm quite new to DSLR and I own a D300.

The camera is awesome, but I have a small problem... the auto focus is sort of slow... I'm using the Nikon 18-200mm VR.

is it the camera, the lens, or me...

any expert here who can help me out :(

[FotoLord42]

My focus is quite fast, though actual focus acquisition is a hair slower than the Canon 40D or Nikon D200. The D300 makes up for that by being more accurate, but it does take practice and effort with the settings to get the D300 dialed in for best results. I suggest studying the big manual closely and working with the settings. Keep in mind that turning on more focus points may make it accurate, but can also slow it down. Good luck.

[dryan2]

I use that set up, and its bloody fast. LV is much slower though, espically tripod mode.

[v0lv0]

do you get the 8 fps with the EN-EL3e battery?? i've got a brochure home and in it, it says; get 8fps with the EN-EL4a battery and with AA battery but don't mention the EN-EL3e bttery... any way i¨ve got one D300 and the MB-D10 coming home newxt week, i really want it to come now :D great video.

[FotoLord42]

NO, you get 8 FPS with EL4 or AA's only. I prefer the AA solution. I get over 1000 shots with the rechargeable Sanyo Eneloops. Then the camera switches to the EL3 and drops to 6 FPS if you keep going. Amazing speed and battery life.

[v0lv0]

Okey, thank you very mush, then am i going to buy some AA's to my grip.

[FotoLord42]

Remember that 8 FPS must be chosen in the menu.

[jamesbondxxx]

Will a generic battery work on d300?

[FotoLord42]

Probably, but why risk the whole investment just to save a few dollars?

[canticle81]

I must admit, I want the D3 but I am not doing the level of photography that would merit my having it and I am not rich! Yes boys and girls, I work hard for my moolah. I am going to invest in a D300. I reside in the States and it retails for about 1700USD but I am going to get it from Nikon directly through a connection I have for 1375USD. It's going to be the Body only, but I do not care. I'll get good lens for it later. I had a D50, D70 then I bought a Canon 30D. I'm going back to Nikon

[FotoLord42]

The flood of people selling of their Canon gear and buying Nikon is impressive. I'm also a Canon owner who went to Nikon. Once you refine your skills it's easy to understand why Nikon is such a well-loved system. Nikon builds cameras for photographers. Canon builds them for a "market."

[ydrjtt]

fuck nikon

[FotoLord42]

Hey. good comment and exactly the sort of thing that makes people wonder what's wrong with Canon owners. Nikon DSLR sales are 12% higher than Canons for good reason.

[cpd1193]

I am also a prior canon user and they have been the best for a while, but now nikon is making two far superior cameras (D3 and D300) for far less than the 1ds and 5d respectively. The main reason you shouldn't "fuck Nikon" is the new and I emphasize new cmos sensors residing on only those two models as well as the new d60 has a far better image quality when concerning image noise from the ISO setting. To despise nikon is just naive. Besides all nikon lenses fit all nikon cameras.

[FotoLord42]

This is true. I had both Nikon and Canon, but Nikon is now the leader with just two new cameras. The D300 is the "it" camera. IT's more expensive but has so many great features that it's hard to buy the Canon 40D unless you are unable to afford the D300. People who build their lives around bashing one brand or another seem angry that Nikon made such a great camera, but Canon will come back with better stuff as well. The consumer enjoys the results in the DSLR race of course.

[Kalafok]

I am still thinking about my next camera, I am looking for a very decent workhorse, a camera that is strong, tough and good enough to help me earn money with it. So strength is a really important factor, but also versatility. For example, a 5D is very limited because of its slow continuous speed (3 versus 6-8). Also, I don't see a clear advantage of full frame, it just limits my choice on optics. Between the D300 and the 5D the Nikon is a clear winner, but what about the 40D?

[FotoLord42]

The D300 is probably the best DX camera available, but if money is a concern the 40D is nearly as good. They are both excellent and if you don't need a all-out pro camera like the D300, a 40D is a lot of fun.

[Kalafok]

Well, actually, I'm trying to earn money with photography. So a really reliable and strong camera is a must. In my spare time I'm just a hobby photographer making some nice stuff now and then. But I need the same camera for my freelance work too. And I do not want Sony. I have an Alpha 100 now, six months old, and it fell apart. I just got it back from repairs. It was gone for almost a month :( So that rules out any Sony stuff. Sony makes general electronics, not optical instruments. Like Nikon!

[maraboe2003]

not to shabby indeed

[orgildinho]

canon's white balance is much better than nikon :) i'll advice all of you nikon d300 but ofcourse which lens do you have(but nikkor lens adopts all nikon slr & dslr cameras).compare them you can believe me !

[FotoLord42]

I much prefer Nikon WB and certainly colors, which are far less affected using RAW. But you can read ALL of the reviews and see that Canon and Nikon WB is now very close. Handling of chroma noise is now the biggest IQ difference for Nikon along with their far better feature set.

[igoboing]

wicked mines in the post from b@h fwaaaark yeah hey why not do a tutorial on the beast that would be tops

[lewisheapy]

yeah this was actually really straightforward and helpful. cant wait to get at that 8FPS

[turbo8788]

Dear FotoLord, thanks for the wonderfully simple and comprehensive review of the bat-pack, I needed it ! greetings.

[FotoLord42]

Glad it helped!

Cheers

[photographyatitsbest]

hey what are the 2 lens there?

[FotoLord42]

50mm 1.4 on the D300. 85mm 1.4 on the table. I don't recall what's on the D80...probably the 35-70 2.8.

[FotoLord42]

50mm 1.4 on the D300, 85mm 1.4 on the table. I think the 35-70mm 2.8 is on the D80.

[jboycha]

Thanks! FotoLord, you are correct and your reasonings are correct too, infact your review help me decide to use AA's.

[FotoLord42]

I suggest you use Powerex or Sanyo Eneloop's and a good charger. They will also come in very handy for your flash. Cheers.

[zaction]

Thanks for the vid. I am considering getting a D300. Have the D200 and love it. What's your thought on the CMOS vs. CCD? Is the high ISO signal:noise much better on the D300 than the D200 for this reason?

[farabirrahman1]

thanks fotolord42, i did not know that, i am considering buying either the D300 or the olympus E3. The pics by D300 don't seem very sharp in pbase, i just want to know if that is the case with your D300. And also how has your experience been with taking pics with the D300, is it really as amazing as people are saying.

[FotoLord42]

You can't really judge sharpness on PBase. Sharpness on Nikon DSLRs is by default lower than other cameras. You can adjust it in the menu. Nikon has done this so you can have greater control. Sharpness of my D300 is on par with the Canon 5D (better actually) and about equal with the D2X.

[farabirrahman1]

actually "foto lord" to get the 8 frames per second rate you need to buy the EN EL 4E battery of the D3 with a special battery cover, which overall will cost you about 250 more dollars, so the grip by itself does not give you 8FPS. So your statement is wrong man.

[FotoLord42]

Sir, the D300 WILL hit max frame rate of 8 FPS with either the EL-4E OR 8 AA batteries, which cost about 35 bucks with charger. Guess what? You'll get over 1000 shots out of the AA's! When they run out of juice, the camera switches to the standard battery. So you don't need to buy the expensive battery/charger. Since most of us use flashes with AA rechargeables, this just means buying an extra set of AA's. Slick!

[mrvolleyball03]

I just compared it to my own. It is in fact 8fps. I'm not 100% sure on the different types of batteries, but I'm using 8 2000mAh AA batteries and it bursts at 8fps perfectly fine. I'd rather have the 4a, but for now.... I have other important things to buy such as the 70-200 2.8 and the 24-70 2.8. So the 4a battery and charger will have to wait until after that.

[shamsaldinhama]

thanks for video . Please more inform about the MB-D10 ( nikon D300 ) . Thanks .

[Jazzy78910]

great video, thanks. The 8 frames per second is dependent on the amount of light in the environment, in a low light situation, cameras can't shoot their max fps due to a slower shutter speed.

[zaction]

True Dat

[QQQQcon]

why isn't it shooting at 8 frames per second, does it shoot at 8 frames per second with normal AA batteries?

[ALAPINO]

No. Not according to my setup.

The D300 requires more mAh than what typical NiMH can provide at a required charge output curve.

I am using Sanyo 2700 mAh and Energizer 2500 mAh. 8 fps does not seem to be allowable when those battery types are selected.

About this vid.

Kudos. Good job and thank you for doing this.

- Al!

[FotoLord42]

According to my data, with 8 double AA batteries, the D300 will reach 8 FPS. It's certainly shooting faster than 6 FPS. See my new review on Youtube!

[ALAPINO]

Really? Darn, I'll have to drive up to see Nikon Tech, the next town over.

I'd love that capability, but it's not all that important since I'm using 4As now.

Looking forward to it!

- Al!

[skoundrel87]

ive used both energizer 2500mAh and duracell 2650mAh and they both allow me to hit 8fps no doubt

[ChrisAston]

I was going to say the design looks a lot better than my MBD200, is there a new joystick to select the focus point too?

[maxpixel]

Remember, the grip has a recessed area to keep the contacts protective rubber plug that you removed from the body.

[WilliWieberg]

great job, thank you!

[boeingboy787]

it does sound like 8fps....i'm looking forward to shoot next years' F1 with it!

[Jordach]

that doesn't sound like 8fps....

[FotoLord42]

You're right! I had it at 7 FPS and you have great ears!

[MonkeyFCoconut]

Good job! I want my D300 NOW! lol.