Canon EOS 40D Versus Nikon D300
The Canon EOS 40D combines Canon's tremendous know-how in both the digital and photographic worlds, creating a camera that not only does everything one would expect of a traditional digital SLR, but one that incorporates staggering leaps forward in technological innovation. Nikon D300 features a new Active D-Lighting mode that, when enabled, provides remarkable real-time highlight and shadow correction with optimized image contrast. Both of them are excellent cameras. So which one should you buy?
The Canon is a good bit lighter and more modestly sealed against dust and water. The Nikon is heftier and more weatherproof, making it the better choice in hostile conditions. In addition, both cameras have self-cleaning sensor systems that automatically remove dust at startup/shutdown. Both viewfinders are generous for cropped-sensor cameras, but the Nikon's is slightly larger, brighter and clearer. And it covers 100% of the frame, versus the 40D's 95%.
The LCD screen on the D300 is nothing less than amazing. The D300's record-setting 920,000 dots are twice as sharp as the 40D's 230,000 dots, enabling us to see much finer details. Live View shooting, is available in both cameras, which let us compose live, sensor-generated images on the LCD screen instead of sighting through the optical finder. Each allowed us to focus in Live View by hitting the AF-On button, which momentarily swung the mirror down, engaged the optical AF sensors, then flipped it up again. But the Nikon (not the Canon) flipped its mirror down every time we shot, disabling Live View until we reengaged it manually (by half-pressing the shutter release). That's the major reason we preferred the Canon for Live View; it also has a real-time histogram, exposure simulation, optional grid overlay and two quieter shooting modes.
The 40D can rip off up to 6.5 frames per second for up to 75 images. The D300 is close at 6 frames/sec but for 100 frames. With the optional battery grip the D300 can do up to 8 frames/sec. Decent advantage goes to Nikon especially when you consider the focusing mechanisms. 40D has 9 cross-point sensors. The D300 has 51 total sensors and 15 that are cross-point. Knowing the Nikon is processing information from 51 sensors and saving more photos at higher megapixles, it's clear the Nikon is a quicker thinker, and that translates into a higher percentage of shots in focus. Here is a tangible advantage, one that directly relates to what you plan use the camera for.
Both cameras' sensors are APS-C format, roughly half the size of a 35mm frame. The EOS 40D's own CMOS chip is 10.1MP, with a 1.6x cropping factor; the D300's, 12.3MP, and 1.5x. The 2MP difference in resolution is negligible, output from the two cameras being virtually indistinguishable to us when we compared RAW files in Adobe Lightroom. But with JPEGs shot at ISO 800 and up (to 3200 in the EOS 40D, 6400 in the D300) we could see the Nikon was applying more in-camera noise reduction (Normal setting) than the Canon.
As for lenses, Canon has a larger selection and more versatile overall system. Nikon has an edge in image quality at the wide-angle end, especially with the new 14-24 f2.8. Canon has a better selection overall but especially at the long end. If you watch professional sports you will notice all the lenses on Football & Baseball fields are the big white Canons. The Nikon D3 should start changing that scenario though.
Although D300 costs 50 percent more than the EOS 40D, in fact, each system has slight advantages over the other. Overall the end result photo quality is going to be very close, so close that the user experience and personal preferences may become the deciding factors.
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