The Nikon D300s is a 12.3-megapixel DSLR that can also capture video at 720p resolution and 24 frames per second.  The D300s is a follow up to the D300 and serves as more of a refreshed version of the D300 as opposed to a totally new product.  It has most of same components and features as the D300 with a few new bells and whistles thrown in for good measure.

Since the recent announcement of the D3s, Nikon appears content in offering video capture at 720p for this generation of cameras.  All of the Nikon DSLRs that offer video only allow a maximum resolution capture of 720p at 24 fps.  Canon has stepped out of the box from its initial video limitations in the 5D Mark II by offering serious firmware updates to it (and promising more to come) and additional video options to its other new DSLRs like the Canon 7D, which offers 1080p HD video capture at 30fps, 25fps, and 24fps, as well as 720p HD video at 60fps and 50fps.  While Nikon has received much criticism on the video limitations of its recent DSLRs, it has shown no signs of stepping up the game in this generation of cameras.

That said, the Nikon D300s (and every other DSLR for that matter) is first and foremost a still image capture device.  Sure, video is relevant nowadays; however, performance for still image capture and quality is still our golden measuring stick.  With this in mind, let’s take a brief look at the key features and jump into the rest of this review. [Read more…]