D3 / D300 Launch Pics

[gstark]

Thanks for posting these Leigh, will take a look when I have time.

Getting a bit heated in here... but all I can say is if Rob Galbraith can make this comment - "there's no doubt that the D3 produces a less noisy, higher quality file at ISO 3200 and beyond. This is an incredible achievement on Nikon's part." - then I'm impressed.

Rob's comments are interesting.

He's changed what he originally said, but yes, he's impressed. But like us, he hasn't yet had a chance to perform any real side by side testing of the D3 with any equivalent Canon. Until that is done, we can only look at the images as stand-alone events, and make our assessments accordingly.

And in that realm, the D3 images do look to me - as they seem to for Rob - to be not simply impressive, but perhaps represent a whole new ballgame in the DSLR marketplace.

 BTW Gary... hehe... you know you want to...

That's the problem.

[gooseberry]

Rob's comments are interesting.

He's changed what he originally said, but yes, he's impressed. But like us, he hasn't yet had a chance to perform any real side by side testing of the D3 with any equivalent Canon. Until that is done, we can only look at the images as stand-alone events, and make our assessments accordingly.

And in that realm, the D3 images do look to me - as they seem to for Rob - to be not simply impressive, but perhaps represent a whole new ballgame in the DSLR marketplace.

Yeah, I did notice he changed his original comments - the updated comments give more praise to the D3 then he initially let on.

That's the problem.

Haha.. go on... life's too short

[johnd]

Haha.. go on... life's too short

Oh all right. Gary, please put me down for a D3 when they're available next year.

Cheers
John

[gstark]

John,

Haha.. go on... life's too short

Oh all right. Gary, please put me down for a D3 when they're available next year.

Poon suggests early December for the D3.

Gooseberry ... I know.

[glamy]

I would like to see 2mn exposures at ISO 100 pix . I reckon the d3 looks very good at 1600 which would be a good enough reason to upgrade from the D2x.

[chrisk]

for those interested. photozone already have a quick test report on the 24-70mm. the res figures at f2.8 are outstanding.

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses ... /index.htm

[rah]

Thanks for sharing the photos.



I sold my D80 and looking to get the d300.
The sample pictures you have up are so bad I almost reckon my tiny PS cam would have done better. Your "soft" comments feel like an overwhelming understatement!

Was the setup so bad that an equivalent canon or 40d OR evem D200 would have looked just as bad? I hope so. Could the lens you used have been so bad? would have been great if you could have used a d200 with their lens at the same time.

I preordered so worried..
Hopefully the ECS photos tomorrow are much better!

[Nnnnsic]

The setup would've sucked on any camera. Even a film camera.

[rah]

hmm, In that case I don't see much point in posting these images up. They don't add anything to the d300 discussion specifically , only that that crap setups mean crap photos.

In addition at the risk of sounding impertinent , I am a regular browser but not a regualr poster/contributer.

Some of the behavior on this thread is a a little intimidatory.
Firstly I am not a canon DSLR user or intend to be in the foreseeable future. I have nikon dslr gear only.
I don't get how in the very first post you can make such a baiting comment directly comparing Nikon to Canon and backing the call only with anecdotal personal experience and then absolutely forbidding (threateningly) any discussion about that comment.

Why could you not have just called the photos soft , probably due to noise reduction algorithms and left it at that?
Any restrictions then in discussing competitors would be justified. Otherwise its just baiting from a position of power.
Bad form

[gstark]

hmm, In that case I don't see much point in posting these images up. They don't add anything to the d300 discussion specifically , only that that crap setups mean crap photos.

With all due respect, it seems to me that you may have missed a major part of the purpose of this thread. There were two cameras released at last week's Nikon presentation, and images from two cameras have been shown in this thread.

The images from the D3 show many aspects of good low-noise/high-ISO performance, precisely because of the lousy setup. Might I point you to the thread from Thursday of last week (I think) where one such image (from this set) was posted?

[rah]

I am sorry. yes you are right. I was not referring to the d3 photos (did not download them, as I didn't want to waste the ops bandwidth and the cam is out of my budget. I was only referring to the d300 photos alone , I accept it would be handy for the d3 users to show low light performance in contrast to the d300. Not exactly apples to apples but better than nothing. The comparison however depresses any potential D300 purchasers (ie ME!)
I will check out the other d300 images.

Thanks

[gstark]

I will check out the other d300 images.

My expectation is that we will have more D300 images available - from members here - before the middle of the week, and possibly as early as by the end of the weekend.

Cheers.

[radar]

I was at the ECS promo this afternoon. I managed to meet big_pix and Onyx as a bonus

I just uploaded the pics to my computer that I'll post in the morning. Both the D3 and D300 are pretty awesome cameras. The 600mm f4 VR is not bad either I was using it with the D300.

They also had the 14-24 and 24-70 new lenses, very nice.

More tomorrow.

cheers,

André

[DVEous]

... Obsolete ...

[big pix]

....... it was good to meet Andre and Onyx at the Nikon launch, and Andre, you can post the pix of me I am not shy

Well I did weaken and ordered a D300 at ECS yesterday......my thoughs on both the cameras, well, very impressive. The D3 is the one to have but will take a bit of understand for all of the features and setups, not one you buy and go out and shoot a job without reading the manual, this one is also on my shopping list

The D300 is also quite impressive, lots of features, easy to use and did feel nice in the hand, if you have a D200, you will feel at home. The battery grip was a bonus and to me made the camera feel more balanced, but I do like a heavy camera.

I also played with the 600mm lens, what a good birding lens, but you will need a porter to carry said lens when out shooting, quite a beast, but fantastic. I did not have a play with the other new lens as they are not on my shopping list but I did play with the 300 f4, and I think I will add this to my kit soon, as it is much lighter than my 120-300 2.8 for when I travel

You would be very pleased with either camera but the D3 is the one to have. My images of the traffic and buildings will have to wait till I am home, sometime Monday

....... the boys at ECS said they still have a few spots left for today, so be quick. The beers are up near the coffee machine

[padey]

hmm, In that case I don't see much point in posting these images up. They don't add anything to the d300 discussion specifically , only that that crap setups mean crap photos.

I think you'll find most people buying these cameras will not be in a studio and thus a 'bad setup' is better then no setup at all.

I've never had a wedding in a studio, never been to a brides house that has studio lighting, a family christmas party that had the best lighting and so on....

These are representative of what you get from these cameras, and just because the high iso images have disappointed, doesn't mean if you blame 'the setup' it will go away. Especially the D300. It is what it is, and I must say it's finally good to see some images that stretch the camera. High ISO, wide aperture.

The first person to get a D3 in sydney is welcome to give me a call if they want to test it against the 1DIII.

andrew PS i've done a wedding where the place was lit with green and blue gells. Should I just delete them because of the bad setup?

[gstark]

PS i've done a wedding where the place was lit with green and blue gells. Should I just delete them because of the bad setup?

Of course you bloody well should. The B&G won't miss the photos.

[moggy]

PS i've done a wedding where the place was lit with green and blue gells. Should I just delete them because of the bad setup?

No..delete them for showing bad taste!

[gstark]

Bob

PS i've done a wedding where the place was lit with green and blue gells. Should I just delete them because of the bad setup?

No..delete them for showing bad taste!

They're having a wedding. "bad taste" is compulsory and assumed.

[chrisk]

d-d photo just listed the d300 @ $2699. thats surprising to me. obviosuly looking to cash in on the high demand. so ECS is the best priced local retailer i know of. props to them.

[Cre8tivepixels]

Just got back.....took heaps of pics....the D3 is just 'WOW'

D300 was even better than i had hoped for......had they had stock i would have brought one there and then as a back up cam......awesome stuff!!

UPDATE

Ok here we go 'All saved at JPEG 8 for Bandwidth consideration....ALL STRAIGHT OUT OF CAMERA....NO SHARPENING...Excuse my CRAP photography

1600iso 85mm1.4 D300


1600iso 85mm1.4 D300a


Here is an example of pushing the D300 to the MAX - convert to Black and White and you have an ok image
H.3 85mm 1.4 D300


D3 35mm 2000iso


D3 200iso 85mm 2.5f


A few more links
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2288/2058713936_93ae8b8272_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2415/2058714008_f73953bbba_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2377/2057928549_0c274a8b18_o.jpg

[Onyx]

No comments so far on the giant 2 foot print up on display at ECS - the one of the cowboys taken with the D3 at some ridiculously astronomical ISO. Printed that large, it showed absolutely no trace of high ISO-ness.

[Nnnnsic]

See. Non-crap lighting setups. Someone needs to tell Nikon's PR side how to set up a shooting area.

[marcotrov]

Thanks Dan. What do the ISO 1600 images look at 100%?
I believe I'm getting excited too The D300 sure looks good!
cheers
marco

[Cre8tivepixels]

No comments so far on the giant 2 foot print up on display at ECS - the one of the cowboys taken with the D3 at some ridiculously astronomical ISO. Printed that large, it showed absolutely no trace of high ISO-ness.

Yeah that was amazing hey

Dan

[chrisk]

have you placed an order Dan ?

[Cre8tivepixels]

have you placed an order Dan ?

Number 15 on the 'list' lol

[DVEous]

... Obsolete ...

[chrisk]

have you placed an order Dan ?

Number 15 on the 'list' lol

d3 or d300 ? (or both ??) lol

[Cre8tivepixels]

have you placed an order Dan ?

Number 15 on the 'list' lol

d3 or d300 ? (or both ??) lol

D3 .....even at 15 i wont get it before FEB (that shits me typical Nikon - heres a tip ----- BUY a bigger production plant Nikon

[MATT]

have you placed an order Dan ?

Number 15 on the 'list' lol

d3 or d300 ? (or both ??) lol

D3 .....even at 15 i wont get it before FEB (that shits me typical Nikon - heres a tip ----- BUY a bigger production plant Nikon

good thing s come to those that wait.........

MATT

[Killakoala]

I might wait until NEXT Christmas for a D300.

Leigh, thanks for sharing those images, even if they were not ideal.

[big pix]

Here are my very quick test pixs from using the D3....... shot as in camera jpgs's and posted as shot info on pixs..... this is a quick test for noise and grain, and the 300mm f4 lens....... all 3 images are the same pix with just a ramdon crop........ well I am impressed

[Nnnnsic]

D3 .....even at 15 i wont get it before FEB (that shits me typical Nikon - heres a tip ----- BUY a bigger production plant Nikon

That's not the reason why we don't get so many.

[Kyle]

Correct, Australia is but a small portion of Nikon's market, Supply-demand indicates that japan and the us will be the ones to get supply earliest.

[Cre8tivepixels]

D3 .....even at 15 i wont get it before FEB (that shits me typical Nikon - heres a tip ----- BUY a bigger production plant Nikon

That's not the reason why we don't get so many.

Ohh sorry then lol

[sirhc55]

I remember being No 1 on the list for the D1 back in 1999 - I ended up with No 3 - the SMH got the first 2

[Nnnnsic]

Correct, Australia is but a small portion of Nikon's market, Supply-demand indicates that japan and the us will be the ones to get supply earliest.

Exactly. Australia is 5-10% of the Asian market. Not the world market.

[gstark]

And it's probably why we can get reasonable access to product via Poon as well. Poon probably has more stock than most dealers in Oz might have.

Indeed, while I'm hearing stories of 4 D300s here, 2 there, and so on in the Oz market, we have four D300s ex-Poon in Oz already, and as of Friday he had already shipped more than 20.

[Cre8tivepixels]

Does Poon have D3s ?

[gstark]

Nobody has D3s.

As I have said a number of times, when he has them available for us, I will make it known here.

[radar]

A couple from the ECS launch last Friday:

D300 with the new 24-70 lens, f2.8, ISO 3200. Bernie, aka big pix, kindly volunteered.



D300 with new 600mm VR, ISO 1600, f4



Note that if you click on the image, you will get the full jpg, about 2.8Mb.

These were shot as RAW and Nikon View NX was used to do a straight convert to jpg, no adjustments.

Cheers,

André

[big pix]

.........mmmmmmm well I did ask...... note to self visit the barber......but great results from the new bodies......also this is not an invitation to add a santa hat

now with the results of the new bodies, will tripods and mono pods become a thing of the passed.......

[gstark]

also this is not an invitation to add a santa hat

Nothing wrong with the one you're wearing.

[radar]

Nothing wrong with the one you're wearing.

Thought you would like that one Gary

[big pix]

also this is not an invitation to add a santa hat

Nothing wrong with the one you're wearing.

gary.....the hat came with the car...... did you get yours.......

[gstark]

also this is not an invitation to add a santa hat

Nothing wrong with the one you're wearing.

gary.....the hat came with the car...... did you get yours.......

Yes. My hat has a prancing horse on it though?



Or it was my hat till it blew off my head on the approach to the Gladesville Bridge a few weeks back.

[big pix]

Yes. My hat has a prancing horse on it though?



Or it was my hat till it blew off my head on the approach to the Gladesville Bridge a few weeks back.
_________________

......... well what can one say........ not a good place to stop and get a hat...... hope you had a tube of sunscreen......

[marcotrov]

Well colleagues I'm pretty impressed with these images from the D300 at high ISO then again I may be easily impressed Now I know you guys have much more experience with this sort of evaluation. They look pretty clean images for high ISO.
How do you guys rate these images?
I would like someone to allow me to get even more excited than I am
cheers
marco

[Grev]

Here in Brisbane at Photo Continental we still have 20 backorders to fill and I was told we're getting three D300s a week, so if you order now you'll get them next year.

Oh yeah, I saw the D300 box from a distance at the cashiers, that's about it.