Bought D300s, Should I have waited??

[Temba]

Just as the heading says. I have been holding out for the next latest & greatest D400??? as many of you have . I have been using my trusty D200 for 2 years & other than disliking the poor high ISO performance & occasional missed focus location it has been great. Wife has D300 so I know as much as I can about its virtues. I have been impatiently waiting for the D400?? & hoping as others are that it will show up soon with high ISO performance near to the D700.
With all that is going on in Japan & the massive re-building ahead for them I have rationalized that it may be another year or more before the next latest & greatest is available.
So... I found a new in the box D300s at a local retailer for $1199.00. I know how good the D300s is, but I have held off for so long, promising myself that I would someday be rewarded for my patience ??

So, did I drop the ball by not waiting? Or am I right to keep my new toy?

By the way, the D7000 was not a consideration, body size & build quality just don't work for me, but the high ISO does.

 

[donski]

It's only natural to get what you need and can use NOW rather than wait for the latest and greatest and miss all those opportunities.
You can always trade the D300s when the DXXX update arrives.

 

[frdjohns]

Somebody in one of these forums made the wise comment that you can not take today's picture with tomorrow's camera.

Have fun with your new toy - it's a great camera.

Fred

 

[scharn]

buying a camera now also makes you more patient when the DXXX comes (?) to see if you really need it and you might wait untill the first high prize comes down a bit

 

[Someguy]

James, enjoy it! There is enough the D300s has to offer that you will enjoy today and tomorrow and god knows how long for the D400 to arrive (certainly at that price).

 

[AtlPikMan]

I agree with the above statements, enjoy your new camera.

 

[Bunsen Honeydew]

That sounds like a great price - I paid a lot more than that. It's a great camera & I'm sure you'll be glad you acted on it. Enjoy...

 

[STBear]

Enjoy it now. There will always be newer better stuff coming soon and unless you have deep pockets you can't keep up.

 

[docmarioce]

That's a great price for a D300s. I would've done the same. Enjoy your new toy for many years to come.

 

[Hawk]

I wouldn't regret it for one minute. You now have one of the best cameras made. You might even find that is suits you to well past the introduction of that next Dxxx. Mean time, instead of waiting and anticipating you can be out there shooting great pictures. I opted for a D300S over a year ago and paid more than the price you got it for. I like it a lot and am still learning how to get the most out of it. I seriously doubt I will be buying that Dxxx when it comes out. There's still a lot to the D300S for me to learn and master.

Besides....you already did it. Why second guess yourself now? Enjoy your new camera. :smile:

 

[WillyS]

Congrats on your new camera. I guess the waiting game is not paying of right now due to the situation in Japan.

 

[seres]

.......can not take today's picture with tomorrow's camera.......

So true! Buy it now, use it now, and you'll never regret it.

 

[camerapapi]

In full agreement with others. The D300S is an excellent tool and it should cover your needs very nicely.
As has been said, you can take pictures now with your new camera. Waiting for the new model could still take some months, especially with the natural disaster that has taken place in Japan. You do not want to miss all those pictures!
Congratulations.

William Rodriguez
Miami, Florida.

 

[ritewinger]

I'm with the rest. One question, what is it that you believe the "D400" will do that the D300s won't? I still have my D300, along with D700, and it will continue to be more camera than I know to use. That won't change with the new offering.
Try to wear the shutter out! :wink:

 

[SUN RA KAT]

I'll ditto what those before have said and will add a few comments - the D300 would be a noticable step up from the D200 and the D300s is a small step up from the D300. Video would be useful if you spot a UFO and want to do a short video of it before you take super good still photos of it - at least that's my take on what I'd be using the video for. (I don't see many UFOs so I find the video to be more of a gimmick.) The quality of the still photos and the options in processing in camera the JPEGs to get photos that don't need post processing coupled with being able to record Raw NEFs on the other memory card for when you want the absolutely best by doing post processing is what this camera is for.

The price you were quoted is a real good one. The D400 when it comes out will almost certainly be close to $2,000 if not more. The money you save can go towards going on a nice vacation so you can use the D300S on that vacation.

 

[Temba]

I'm with the rest. One question, what is it that you believe the "D400" will do that the D300s won't? I still have my D300, along with D700, and it will continue to be more camera than I know to use. That won't change with the new offering.
Try to wear the shutter out! :wink:

Hi, I appreciate all of the responses.
I really want to stay with a crop sensor due to the added reach but its the better high ISO that I really want in the D400 or what ever its going to be called.
Even the D7000 surpasses the D300s but I want a pro-summer body size & build quality.
James

 

[sprdv1]

Definitely use it and Enjoy!!

 

[Randy]

I'm with the rest. One question, what is it that you believe the "D400" will do that the D300s won't? I still have my D300, along with D700, and it will continue to be more camera than I know to use. That won't change with the new offering.
Try to wear the shutter out! :wink:

nikon's dx line has alot more room for improvement than it's fx line

the d300 starts to show signs of NR S/W at iso 800
by 1000 feather detail starts smearing

 

[Randy]

Just as the heading says. I have been holding out for the next latest & greatest D400??? as many of you have . I have been using my trusty D200 for 2 years & other than disliking the poor high ISO performance & occasional missed focus location it has been great. Wife has D300 so I know as much as I can about its virtues. I have been impatiently waiting for the D400?? & hoping as others are that it will show up soon with high ISO performance near to the D700.
With all that is going on in Japan & the massive re-building ahead for them I have rationalized that it may be another year or more before the next latest & greatest is available.
So... I found a new in the box D300s at a local retailer for $1199.00. I know how good the D300s is, but I have held off for so long, promising myself that I would someday be rewarded for my patience ??

So, did I drop the ball by not waiting? Or am I right to keep my new toy?

By the way, the D7000 was not a consideration, body size & build quality just don't work for me, but the high ISO does.

that's a great price for sure

 

[ritewinger]

That's easy. Higher DR and cleaner ISOs. Looking at the D7000, the potential of the D400 is pretty high.[/QUOTE]

I am taking shots with my D300 today, you can't prove anything about D400. No matter what the new camera does, it won't change what the camera of today can do. Potential doesn't take pictures......:wink: