Nikon D300

Manufacturer: Nikon
Type: camera (DSLR)
Sensor: DX (APS-C), 12.3 megapixels
Resolution: 12.3MP (4,288 x 2,848)
Year introduced: 2007 (announced August 23, shipping November)
Successor: Nikon D300s (2009); no true pro-DX successor (the expected “D400” never materialized)
Key feature: Pro-level DX body widely considered the most significant advance in underwater digital photography since the Nikon D100

Overview

The Nikon D300, announced alongside the full-frame Nikon D3 on August 23, 2007, was widely regarded as one of the most important cameras for underwater photography of its era. Eric Cheng described the announcement as introducing “two new digital SLR cameras and a slurry of new lenses,” noting the D300 offered “nearly all of the same features” as the flagship D3 and would “surely be a worthy successor to the venerable D200” (^[1]). The D300 featured 14-bit A/D conversion, live view with autofocus, and a faster frame rate than previous DX bodies.

Berkley White of Backscatter, after field-testing it on sailfish at Isla Mujeres, Mexico, called it “the most significant advance in underwater digital photography since the Nikon D100,” adding that “it produces images on par and arguably better than results I’ve ever achieved with 35mm film. When considered at ISO 400, the results are clearly better than scanned slide film” (^[2]).

As the successor to the Nikon D200, the D300 brought the image quality of the professional Nikon D2X into a compact, relatively affordable body. Colin Gans, in his Sealux housing review, summarized the camera’s key underwater advantages as “Nikon D2X plus-some in a compact D200 style body,” listing practical improvements including excellent monitor resolution enabling effective underwater decision-making, the ability to view camera settings in the monitor window rather than just the top LCD, improved image quality, significantly longer battery life, slightly increased dynamic range with 14-bit RAW, less noise at higher ISOs, and a self-cleaning sensor (^[3]).

The D300 became the de facto standard DX camera for serious underwater photographers. Its longevity was remarkable — when the Nikon D7100 was reviewed by Alex Mustard in late 2013, he noted that “the Nikon D300 was introduced over six years ago and people still tell me that they are waiting for its direct replacement” (^[4]). By 2016, when the Nikon D500 finally arrived, Adam Hanlon wrote that “many underwater photographers have held on to their D300 bodies and housings” through all those years (^[5]). Don Silcock observed that Nikon “never released a D400 follow-up to the highly successful D300” and theorized Nikon had “a carefully calibrated strategy to get as many photographers to embrace its full-frame FX cameras before it replaced the D300” (^[6]).

Camera Performance Underwater

Autofocus

Martin Edge, reviewing the Subal ND30 housing during a 10-day workshop at Kasai Village Resort in Cebu, Philippines, reported a substantial improvement in autofocus over the D200. Using the Nikon 105mm VR macro lens — which he had found difficult to lock onto macro subjects because “the focus is so damn quick from minimum to maximum” — he found the D300’s autofocus successfully locked on even in poor ambient light at 30 meters without a focus torch. “After 700 frames with my Nikon 105mm macro VR - I can see substantial improvement in the focusing abilities of the D300,” he concluded (^[7]).

Alex Mustard, in his D700 review, noted the D300 had “better auto-focus frame coverage” and a “100% viewfinder” compared to the full-frame D700, citing these as key reasons DX remained competitive (^[8]).

High ISO and Noise

Berkley White warned of “the importance to shoot accurate exposures to avoid the noise enhancing effects of brightening a dark image in post processing” at higher ISOs (^[9]). Martin Edge confirmed that at ISO 400 he saw no evidence of digital noise, and at ISO 800, noise was only slightly visible in underexposed areas when magnified. He emphasized that correct exposure at ISO 1600 diminished the noise effect (^[10]).

Highlight Handling

Martin Edge tested sunburst handling extensively, shooting with a 10.5mm fisheye in 1-6 meters of water over four consecutive mornings. He found highlights substantially improved over previous Nikon DSLRs: “I have no doubt that the ability of the D300 to handle the nature of highlights so often associated with uwp is a substantial improvement over Nikon DSLR cameras which have gone before.” He and dive buddy Shannon Conway compared the D300 against a Nikon D2X and “both agreed the D300 was superior for highlights” as well as in how it rendered saturation and color, particularly blue mid-water tones (^[11]).

LCD and Live View

The 3-inch LCD was praised by both housing reviewers. Martin Edge called it “bright, clear and easy to view even in shallow water,” emphasizing that “the time to review and correct an error or to pursue a new idea on a subject is underwater at the time of shooting” (^[12]). The Info button allowed photographers to see all shooting settings on the LCD without looking through the viewfinder — a significant advantage for adjusting aperture and shutter speed while swimming toward a subject.

However, Live View mode proved less useful underwater. Martin Edge reported that despite “numerous opportunities” during his 10-day workshop, “all my attempts to use it in some meaningful way failed,” suggesting it might only benefit housings with poor viewfinders (^[13]).

Battery Life

Battery life was a major improvement over the D200. Martin Edge averaged 700 frames with 60mm and 105mm macro lenses, and 800 frames with the 10.5mm fisheye and Tokina 10-17mm. He found no performance degradation even at 10% power remaining, and the battery continued functioning until reaching 1% (^[14]).

Housing Availability

The D300 was housed by virtually every major manufacturer, reflecting its dominance in the underwater photography market. Alex Mustard noted during his 2008 Red Sea Photo Workshop that “there were lots of D300s on board (that camera is so hot right now!) in Subal, Sea & Sea, Sealux, Aquatica, Ikelite and Hugyfot housings” (^[15]).

Sea & Sea MDX-D300

Sea & Sea was the first manufacturer to announce a D300 housing, within days of the camera’s announcement in August 2007 (^[16]). A prototype was shown at DEMA 2007, where Eric Cheng noted it was “the only booth with a D300 housing prototype on display.” The housing provided access to the shooting mode wheel for Live View, featured slanted rear buttons for left-hand access, and included a switchable lever near the shutter release for AF-ON/AF-lock (^[17]). The MDX-D300 shipped in December 2007, with Sea & Sea publishing a comprehensive 2008 DSLR housing catalog that included the MDX-D300 with MSRP pricing (^[18]). Berkley White used this housing for his landmark sailfish field test (^[19]). The VF45 viewfinder, announced in 2010, was compatible with the MDX-D300 (^[20]).

Note: Some users reported durability concerns with the MDX-D300. One forum commenter noted the housing’s coating “lasted less than a year” and another reported a flood caused by a focus knob on an extension port unscrewing, resulting in the loss of a D300 body and 105mm lens (^[21], comments).

Subal ND30

Subal planned their D300 housing from DEMA 2007 onward (^[22]). Martin Edge received one of the first pre-production units in late March 2008 and wrote a comprehensive review. He found the ND30 “very similar to the ND20” for the D200 in size, weight, and feel, but with notable improvements: a huge 3-inch LCD window, improved on/off switch design (circular, with better tactile feel), and raised mode/exposure compensation controls that were easier to locate without looking (^[23]).

Edge discovered a defect in pre-production housings where five rocker pins inside the housing were 1.5-2mm too long, preventing the multi-selector from pivoting properly. Subal offered a solution within hours — filing 2mm off each pin — and confirmed the issue did not affect production housings (^[24]).

The Subal GS viewfinder was praised as outstanding: “If we cannot see clearly and accurately what we are trying to shoot then what is the point?” Edge’s complete rig (ND30 with D300, 60mm macro, port, two Inon Z220s, leads, and arms) weighed 7 kilos (^[25]). New Subal housings including the ND30 could be ordered with either 3rd or 4th Generation port mounts (^[26], comments).

Sealux CD300

Reviewed by Colin Gans after a week of diving at Niue Island, the Sealux CD300 was rated to 90 meters depth and featured mineral glass (not polycarbonate) for the LCD window, a 150-degree rotating GV150 viewfinder, and comprehensive control access including Live View, C/S/M focus mode, Func button, multi-selector center, flash mode, and AF Lock. Gans called it “the best that Sealux has to offer” with the viewfinder “as good as the GD Viewfinder in coverage and clarity with the added advantage of being angled and able to rotate.” The housing used conically tapered flat ports for improved macro strobe positioning and offered three strobe port options: Nikonos flexible pin, Nikonos fixed pin, and S6 (^[27]).

Aquatica AD300

Aquatica announced their D300 housing in April 2008 as a cast aluminum design with ergonomic controls, dual Nikonos connectors, 100-meter depth rating, and a 1/4”-20 mounting hole for focus lights. Right-hand controls included main dial, quick dial, shutter release, and AF-lock, all accessible without removing the hand from the grip (^[28]). By DEMA 2008, the AD300 was on display alongside Aquatica’s newer milled aluminum housings for the D700 and D3, with Eric Cheng noting Aquatica had moved from casting to milling for lighter, prettier housings (^[29]). The AD300 retailed for approximately $2,800 (^[30]). Keri Wilk used the AD300 and later noted advances Aquatica made since it when reviewing the AD7000 (^[31]).

Nexus

Wetpixel member Sam (shchae) brought his Nexus D200 housing to a local Nikon office in September 2007 and posted photos showing the D300 fitting inside the existing D200 housing, as reported by James Wiseman (^[32]).

Ikelite

Ikelite announced plans for a D300 housing at DEMA 2007, hoping to ship by December 2007 (^[33]). The polycarbonate housing offered iTTL capability, which was praised for its usefulness in low-light underwater photography (^[34]).

Seatool / Fisheye

At DEMA 2007, Seatool (distributed in the US by Fisheye and Reef Photo & Video) showed plans for D300 and D3 housings, scheduled for December delivery (^[35]). By DEMA 2008, the Seatool D300 housing was on display, featuring an innovative ergonomic design without a right handle — photographers could reach all relevant controls with the right hand around the side of the housing itself. It came standard with optical bulkheads, supported wired options (Nik5, S6, or Olympus-compatible), and accepted INON 45-degree and 180-degree viewfinders. An 8-inch glass dome was available with adapters for Sea & Sea, Subal (v3 and v4), Aquatica, and Nexus ports (^[36]).

Patima

Patima announced plans for a D300 housing at DEMA 2007, targeting a January 2008 release (^[37]).

Seacam

Seacam produced a D300 housing as part of their Silver line. SCM metering controls were discussed as an option on D300/D300s housings (^[38], comments).

Hugyfot

Hugyfot also produced a D300 housing, confirmed by Alex Mustard’s observation that D300s in Hugyfot housings were present at his 2008 Red Sea workshop (^[39]).

D300 vs. D700 Debate

The July 2008 announcement of the full-frame Nikon D700 immediately prompted speculation about whether it would fit into D300 housings (^[40]). Alex Mustard, in his D700 review, acknowledged the D700 was a “classic pocket-battleship DSLR” sharing the D3’s 12MP FX sensor, but argued “the biggest challenge to the D700’s potential for undersea dominance is its little brother, the D300, armed with its own 12MP sensor.” He cited the D300’s lower price, better AF frame coverage, 100% viewfinder, and “more suitable range of lenses for underwater use” as key advantages (^[41]).

The D300s Update

On July 30, 2009, Nikon announced the D300s, adding 720/24p video, dual card slots (1 CF, 1 SD), a quiet shutter release, and an updated processor and AF, while retaining the 12.3MP sensor and 3-inch LCD. Drew Wong noted that “the most important factor for underwater shooters and manufacturers is that the back layout has changed. It will not fit in a D300 seamlessly” (^[42]).

Housing manufacturers responded with dedicated D300s models:

• Sea & Sea MDX-D300s — Shipped February 2010, with improvements including two fiber optic ports for using the camera’s built-in strobe for iTTL without a converter. The housing was slightly larger than the D300 version to accommodate the extended built-in strobe (^[43]).
• Aquatica AD300s — Announced October 2009 at $2,799 (dual Nikonos) or $2,849 (with optical fiber), introducing optical fiber strobe connectors to the Aquatica line for the first time. Featured easy access to video controls while retaining still-imaging ergonomics (^[44]).
• Seacam D300s — Displayed at DEMA 2009 (^[45]).

Legacy and the Missing D400

The D300/D300s became the longest-serving pro DX platform in Nikon’s history. The expected “D400” successor never arrived. Alex Mustard observed in 2013 that “Nikon seem to have done away with a fully pro-spec DX camera and given us the D7000 and now the D7100” (^[46]). He noted that professional underwater photographers like Burt Jones, Keri Wilk, and Matt Weiss all shot Nikon D7000 cameras, suggesting D300 owners who considered the D7000/D7100 “not good enough” were being unwise (^[47]).

Adam Hanlon wrote in 2016 that “the removal of a new DX line caused a ripple of effects: Many underwater photographers have held on to their D300 bodies and housings. Others have moved on to the prosumer D7000 series. Yet others have moved over to Nikon FX models or perhaps to mirrorless cameras” (^[48]). The D300 user’s upgrade path became “the DX D7100 or FX D800” (^[49]).

By 2020, with Nikon discontinuing APS-C DSLRs entirely, forum discussion noted the broader impact on the underwater photography ecosystem that the D300 had once anchored (^[50]).

Community Discussion

• Forum members were still selling Aquatica D300 housing packages years after the camera’s discontinuation, reflecting its enduring popularity (^[51], ^[52]).
• The D300 was regularly mentioned in upgrade advice threads, with users debating whether to hold onto their D300 setups or move to full frame, mirrorless, or the eventual D500 (^[53], ^[54]).
• In a 2011 thread about the Housing Sentry vacuum system, a user noted that at $699, the device cost “almost half of what another (used) camera and lens would cost” for their D300 and 105mm setup, illustrating the camera’s affordability as a workhorse (^[55]).

Timeline

• 2007-08-23: Nikon announces D300 alongside full-frame D3, new 14-24mm and 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses (^[56])
• 2007-08-29: Sea & Sea announces MDX-D300, MDX-D3, and Canon 40D housings; D300 prototype scheduled for DEMA (^[57])
• 2007-09-04: Wetpixel member Sam (shchae) tests D300 fit in Nexus D200 housing, reported by James Wiseman (^[58])
• 2007-10-02: Sea & Sea announces working prototype MDX-D300 will premiere at DEMA (^[59])
• 2007-10-22: Alex Mustard publishes preliminary test shots from D3 and D300, covering high ISO, live view, corner sharpness, and vignetting (^[60])
• 2007-11-01: DEMA 2007 — Sea & Sea shows D300 housing prototype (only booth with one); Subal plans D300 housing; Ikelite targets December; Seatool/Fisheye plans December delivery; Patima targets January 2008 (^[61], ^[62], ^[63], ^[64], ^[65])
• 2007-12: Sea & Sea MDX-D300 ships (^[66])
• 2008-01-18: Berkley White publishes landmark field test calling D300 “the most significant advance since the D100” (^[67])
• 2008-02-12: Sea & Sea publishes 2008 DSLR housing catalog including MDX-D300 pricing (^[68])
• 2008-03: Erik Henchoz announces underwater photography workshop in Marsa Alam featuring D300 and Sea & Sea MDX-D300 (^[69])
• 2008-04-01: Aquatica announces D300 housing with 100m depth rating (^[70])
• 2008-04-11: Martin Edge publishes comprehensive Subal ND30 review after Cebu workshop; finds D300 autofocus and highlight handling substantially improved over D200 (^[71])
• 2008-05-02: Colin Gans publishes Sealux CD300 review after diving at Niue Island; praises mineral glass optics and 90m depth rating (^[72])
• 2008-07-01: Nikon announces D700; underwater photographers speculate whether it fits D300 housings (^[73])
• 2008-10: DEMA 2008 — Seatool D300 housing displayed with innovative handleless right-hand ergonomics; Aquatica shows cast D300 alongside newer milled housings (^[74], ^[75])
• 2008-11: Alex Mustard describes D300 as “so hot right now” during Red Sea workshop with D300s in six different housing brands (^[76])
• 2009-07-30: Nikon announces D300s with video; rear button layout change means it won’t fit D300 housings (^[77])
• 2009-10-30: Aquatica announces AD300s housing with optical fiber connectors ($2,799-$2,849) (^[78])
• 2009-11-12: Seacam D300s housing displayed at DEMA 2009 (^[79])
• 2010-02-27: Sea & Sea MDX-D300s ships with fiber optic ports for iTTL (^[80])
• 2010-08-31: Sea & Sea VF45 viewfinder released, compatible with MDX-D300 (^[81])
• 2013-12: Alex Mustard notes D300 owners still waiting for a “D400” after six years (^[82])
• 2016-10: Nikon D500 finally arrives; Hanlon notes many photographers had held onto D300 systems for years (^[83])

Reviews & Discussion

• ^[84] — Landmark field test calling the D300 the most significant advance since the D100. Emphasized correct exposure to manage noise at higher ISOs.
• ^[85] — Martin Edge’s comprehensive review covering camera performance and housing ergonomics from a 10-day workshop in Cebu. Found D300 autofocus “substantially improved” over D200 and highlight handling superior to all previous Nikon DSLRs.
• ^[86] — Colin Gans’s detailed review from Niue Island; praised mineral glass optics, 150-degree rotating viewfinder, and comprehensive controls.
• ^[87] — Early test shots and commentary on high ISO performance, live view, corner sharpness, and vignetting.
• ^[88] — Alex Mustard’s comparative review; describes D300 as the “biggest challenge” to D700 dominance, noting D300 advantages in AF coverage, viewfinder, lenses, and price.

References