Approved CF cards for D300 ? - DPChallenge Forums

06/06/2017 10:35:21 AM · #1

So as I'm shopping for an extra CF card (32 or 64) for our upcoming trip to Italy, I read that some cards "don't work" in the D300.
I currently have a 32GB Transcend card that seems to work fine.
There are "approved cards" but they are a bit smaller than what I am looking for.
Anyone have experience with cards not working? Does it have to do with the format?
I just don't want to get a card that doesn't work as expected obviously.

06/06/2017 01:57:29 PM · #2

D300 is an old beast, made back when the "smaller than what I am looking for" cards were the shite. If the 32GB card is working then I'd just stick with it. At 12.3MP's it's gonna take a LOT of pics to fill that sucker up.

06/06/2017 03:08:11 PM · #3

Ugh. Released in 2009 and I got it about 2 months before the 300s came out LOL �
It still feels new to me. But you're making me think I should get something new(er)! SMH

06/06/2017 03:13:02 PM · #4

On that note, are ppl remotely controlling their DSL camera via smartphone now? I haven't looked at cameras in a WHILE!
I may need to rename this thread! =))

06/06/2017 03:26:21 PM · #5

Comparing the D500 to the D300, they are actually pretty similar in many ways (minus the bluetooth and video capability!) �
So I need to temper my newfound desire for an upgrade! �

06/06/2017 03:27:01 PM · #6

and the ISO range is pretty impressive too �

06/07/2017 07:34:28 AM · #7

(interrupting the conversation...) I'll see if I can coherently respond to the stream of consciousness here. :)

Yes, the D300 is "old tech" in a lot of ways, but it's still a fine camera for a lot of things so by itself it doesn't scream, "UPGRADE ME!!!", provided that you're inside the parameters where the advances in tech don't matter - like staying under ISO800, 6fps, and not needing extra pixels so you can do severe cropping while retaining resolution. The "similarities", however, gloss over the advances within each.

I just deleted a long, boring biographical explanation of why the progression of tech has made the D500 similarities anything but, then decided it was a little self-indulgent and instead will merely give you opinion without justification. But first the things that are by no means similar.

1. Focus system. Unbelievably fast and accurate, with 151 points that span the entire width of the viewfinder, not just most of the center. If you shoot anything that moves you will shoot it with more keepers with this body.

2. FPS + Buffer. I used a D7000 and D7100 before the D500 and each had a buffer that filled in about a second at 6 fps. The D500 shoots at between 10 & 11fps and will give me 200 consecutive raw images without barfing (it's an internal max) and immediately let me start 200 more. For sports and wildlife (the latter of which is 70-80% of what I shoot) it's a freaking godsend.

3. Ergonomics. This may not seem like a big thing, but with the D750 Nikon rotated the battery 90 degrees making the grip slightly narrower and deeper, which makes it incredibly easy and comfortable to hold, and they gave the D500 the same essential ergonomics.

4. Resolution. This was a weird one because Nikon went from the 28MP's of the D7100/7200 down to 20MP's, which seems to be the minimal number of pixels they can use and still remove the anti-aliasing filter and not introduce moire everywhere. It's sharp as a tack with better ISO performance than the more dense sensors of the D7100/D7200 (the latter is very close and in some areas a bit better). It's sweet spot that has managed to make me not miss having a slightly larger image to crop into.

The rest? I never thought I'd want let alone use a tilt screen until I had one on the D750, but if you want to get lower or higher without getting dirty or finding a ladder it makes it so much easier. Touch screen is nice as it can be used to choose focus point and shoot immediately, but I did find that oils from my nose were enough to prevent image previews from timing out and had batteries go dead because of it, so I only turn it on when I need it for LiveView shooting and then turn it back off (they may have fixed it in a firmware update, but if so they haven't mentioned it explicitly). I do not use the wifi/bluetooth functionality to connect to my smartphone. "Smart Bridge" is simply OK (works better with Android than iOS), but I'd rather just use the wireless triggers I've been using, and since I shoot raw wireless image transfer isn't something I'm looking for. The newfangled XQD cards are extremely fast but you need an adapter to transfer them to your computer (one XQD port, one SC port, kiss your CF cards goodbye - you can get away with just using the SD card but it's not as fast).

OK, so I've told you all this about the D500, but now I'm going to hang a left on you. I've looked at your portfolio and I've looked at your lenses, and I need to ask why you think the D500 is where you want to go and not, say, the D750? You don't seem to shoot much that requires reach or long bursts - your shots scream "Full frame, not cropped sensor". And with the exception of your Sigma 10-20mm all the lenses you have listed will be fine on a full frame camera.

My D500 lives with a 300mm f4 on it and if that's not on there it's a 70-200mm or 150-600mm. For everything else I shoot with the D750. It's incredibly sharp, allows me to shoot up to ISO 6400 without worrying about it (I only let the D500 go to ISO 1600 because after that noise becomes distracting - but for perspective 1600 on the D500 is like 400 on my D7000). No wireless or bluetooth, but you can get a wireless adapter. No, it doesn't have the metal body of the pro series stuff, but neither does the D500. And it's about 2/3 the price. The only reason I have the D500 listed as my #1 is because most of what I have up here is shot with it. But if I'm not shooting critters I'm walking around with the D750.

All this is to say that if you cannot temper the desire to upgrade you can do a lot worse than upgrading to a D750. Would be happy to go into more agonizing details. :)

06/07/2017 09:32:52 AM · #8

It's nice to talk to someone that makes sense at last! LOL
I greatly appreciate this information and also the evaluation of my shooting style (something I really hadn't thought much about with the exception of when I purchased my recent lens!)
I'll take a look at the D750. My wife wants to pepper the walls of our newish house with images from Italy � so I might be able to sorta justify the camera purchase. Albeit, if I could get some sort of 12-months same-as-cash deal it might soften the blow =)

And I'd love to hear more details if you want to share. But don't feel obligated. As for thinking about what i shoot, I rarely track moving objects -but that might be because I never go good results or I failed to use the best method LOL

Looks like I have some work to do (at work), but I'm anxious now to look at the D750! =))
Damn you should work for Nikon!

Originally posted by JakeKurdsjuk:

(interrupting the conversation...) I'll see if I can coherently respond to the stream of consciousness here. :)

06/07/2017 09:35:12 AM · #9

Also even as a member of SC, I seem to be unable to edit the title of this post. It certainly has taken itself on a tangent =)

06/07/2017 10:48:06 AM · #10

it just occurred to me that my new Tamron 17-50 wouldn't work on the D750

06/07/2017 11:02:50 AM · #11

Originally posted by tate:

Damn you should work for Nikon!

Perhaps. Part of the story that I deleted spoke of the time in late 2015 when my brother, a 20+ year veteran, award-winning photojournalist who'd been laid off by the Star Ledger, took a gig as a Canon Pro rep which meant they were literally giving him "one of everything", so he offered me his old Canon gear on permanent loan (including two 1D's and a 7D, 300mm f2.8 and a wet dream's worth of other glass) until I figured out what I wanted and bought my own. I was very much on the fence because for the 4 months leading up to the offer I hadn't thought once about even upgrading my Nikon stuff let alone replacing it. He dropped off everything and spent a couple hours showing me what's what, and for the next two weeks I was in existential crisis, being basically lazy and not wanting to learn a new system nor be bothered to sell my old stuff. Then Nikon announced the D500, a week after which I returned everything, thanking him but telling him I was sticking with Nikon. He understood but explained he was now going to catch crap from his boss who he'd told, "Look, if I can't get my brother to change then I'm not worth my salt in this job!!" (thankfully he's still there and doing quite well). Honestly, though, after having both of them in my house at the same time I'll tell you that unless you're a pro and counting on support in the field (for which Canon is tough to beat) there's little difference between the two and it's likely a losing proposition to switch thinking you're truly "upgrading".

Alas I don't know of anywhere that does a 12-month same as cash deal, but Nikon's running a hell of a deal on the camera now - $1496 for the body and battery grip (which is $500 less than the original price plus a $400 grip), or $1996 for the same with a 24-120mm f4 (which is the lens that lives on that body for me). The latter would likely be perfect for most of Italy, with maybe the 70-300mm along just in case.

A replacement for it is supposedly coming out soon, so when that's announced you may get a price drop, but I expect the $1496 w/ grip price will just become the new price. And honestly, I don't care what the replacement might have because there's nothing on this camera that I feel is "missing". It'll likely be the first body I shoot until it drops, and if the deals on it get even better after the replacement is announced I may get a new one and convert this one to IR.

What more can I tell you? What I love about this camera is that for walking around I simply put it in Aperture priority, set the ISO to AUTO with a max of 6400 and then just shoot. I never worry about noise. It's made me even lazier and a little careless as a photographer (not a good thing). Poke around the internet and if you have any specific questions ask or PM me.

06/07/2017 11:49:01 AM · #12

DAMAZON!
Still, I think the walkaround 17-50mm is important and might keep me from upgrading body.

06/07/2017 01:41:45 PM · #13

Originally posted by tate:

DAMAZON!
Still, I think the walkaround 17-50mm is important and might keep me from upgrading body.

You could use it with the camera in DX mode (this happens automatically). It will auto-crop the image to the center 44%, which actually gives you the same 12.3MP's you have now with the D300, so you're not losing a lot, but you're not gaining a whole lot either.