Canon
EOS-1D Mark IV
vs
Nikon
D300S

Updated (October, 2011): Compare the Canon EOS 1D X vs Nikon D300S

Tie	Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

"Very good high ISO performance even at 25,600"

dpreview.com | talking about the EOS-1D Mark IV's iso-noise

"Highly detailed 16MP images in a wide range of condition"

dpreview.com | talking about the EOS-1D Mark IV's image-quality

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

	Full HD
	1080p @ 30fps

	High ISO
	12,800 ISO

	Weather sealed
	Shoot in extreme weather

	Rapid fire
	10 fps

	Barely any delay taking photos
	104 ms shutter lag

	Many focus points
	45

Tie	Nikon D300S

"Most high-end DSLRs feature Magnesium alloy construction but the D300 stood out as a particularly weighty and well-constructed example"

dpreview.com | talking about the D300S's build-quality

"The D300S is not the standout product that its predecessor was and unless you find your clients are clamoring for video footage... that shouldn't take away from an absolutely excellent product - a gently polished and refined update of a product that we considered a benchmark when it was released."

dpreview.com | talking about the D300S's overall-performance

Reasons to buy the Nikon D300S

	Weather sealed
	Shoot in extreme weather

	Many focus points
	51

	Great viewfinder coverage
	100%

	More storage slots
	2

	Thin
	2.9"

	Built-in flash
	External flash not needed

differences

Advantages of the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Lower noise at high ISO

1,320 ISO

787 ISO

The EOS-1D Mark IV has a slight edge (0.7 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance

Higher resolution movies

1080p @ 30fps

720p @ 24fps

Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video at a higher frame rate

Many more cross-type focus points

Grab focus in difficult situations

Better image quality

74.0

70.0

Around 10% better image quality

Significantly less shutter lag

104 ms

225 ms

2.2x less delay when taking photos

Better maximum light sensitivity

12,800 ISO

3,200 ISO

The EOS-1D Mark IV's maximum light sensitivity is 2 f-stops better

Shoots faster

10 fps

7 fps

More than 40% faster continuous shooting

Better boost ISO

102,400 ISO

6,400 ISO

The EOS-1D Mark IV's boost ISO is 4 f-stops better

Higher true resolution

16 MP

12.2 MP

Capture more than 30% more detail in your photos

Larger sensor

APS-H 27.9x18.6mm

APS-C 23.6x15.8mm

Around 40% larger sensor

Better color depth

22.8 bits

22.5 bits

Distinguishes 0.3 more bits of color

Longer battery life

1500 shots

950 shots

Around 60% more shots per battery charge

Learn more about
the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Advantages of the Nikon D300S

More lenses available

169 lenses

125 lenses

Around 40% more lenses available

Has a self cleaning sensor

Yes

Removes dust from the sensor automatically, avoiding spots in photos

Significantly smaller

147x114x74 mm

156x157x80 mm

Around 40% smaller

Larger viewfinder

0.62x

0.59x

Around 10% larger viewfinder

More dynamic range

12.2 EV

12 EV

0.2 f-stops more dynamic range

More focus points

Set focus accurately within the frame

Less startup delay

300 ms

400 ms

Around 30% less delay when turning on

Significantly cheaper

$1,699.99

$4,999.99

The best price we've seen is $3,300 cheaper (2.9x less)

Built-in flash

Yes

A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light

Significantly lighter

938 g

1,230 g

More than 20% lighter

Thinner

2.9"

3.1"

Around 10% thinner

Learn more about
the Nikon D300S

recommendations

Relative to the best recent pro DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

96	vs	95
Explain scores

Nikon D300S

Too close to call! Snapsort considers these cameras too competitive to make a clear recommendation.

performance Which camera has better performance? Cast your vote!

	CanonEOS-1D Mark IV		vs		NikonD300S


Uses	Travel On holiday or vacation	1		1
Uses	Travel On holiday or vacation	Vote		Vote

	Sports Fast action, sometimes indoors	1		1
	Sports Fast action, sometimes indoors	Vote		Vote

Features	Color accuracy White balance in varied lighting	1		1
Features	Color accuracy White balance in varied lighting	Vote		Vote

	Still image focusing Speed and accuracy	1		1
	Still image focusing Speed and accuracy	Vote		Vote

	Video focusing Speed and accuracy	1		1
	Video focusing Speed and accuracy	Vote		Vote

	Manual settings How quickly and easily you can change settings	1		1
		Vote		Vote

	Build quality Is it sturdy, well made, plastic or metal	1		1
	Build quality Is it sturdy, well made, plastic or metal	Vote		Vote

Join in the discussion below!

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths

Common Weaknesses

Many focus points

EOS-1D Mark IV:	45
D300S:	51

	Weather sealed
	Shoot in extreme weather

	High resolution screens
	920k dots

Many cross-type focus points

EOS-1D Mark IV:	39
D300S:	15

	Both have pentaprism viewfinders
	Pentaprism

	24p support
	For that film look

Minimal startup delay

EOS-1D Mark IV:	400 ms
D300S:	300 ms

	Above average viewfinder coverage
	100%

	Multiple storage slots
	2

	Fast max shutter speeds
	1/8000 of a second

Heavy

EOS-1D Mark IV:	1,230 g
D300S:	938 g

	Neither has in-camera HDR
	You could do HDR manually

	No flip-out screens
	Less flexible

	No image stabilization
	Risk of blur

	Neither camera stitches together panoramas
	You could stitch photos in post

	Neither camera can take 3D photos
	No 3d support

Compared to recent pro DSLRs

Common Strengths

Common Weaknesses

Snapsort is not aware of any interesting strengths shared by these two products.

Capture low resolution images

EOS-1D Mark IV:	16 MP
D300S:	12.2 MP

Very small sensors

EOS-1D Mark IV:	APS-H 27.9x18.6mm
D300S:	APS-C 23.6x15.8mm

Below average viewfinder size

EOS-1D Mark IV:	0.59x
D300S:	0.62x

dxomark

Image quality data for the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV provided by DxOMark
Image quality data for the Nikon D300S provided by DxOMark

competitors

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,097 body only

$1,227 with 55-200mm lens

Has slightly better image quality

Has slightly more color depth

Has significantly more shutter lag

Has slightly fewer cross-type focus points

Compare the D7000 vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Compare the D7000 vs the D300S

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,329 - $1,821 body only

$1,498 - $1,800 with 28-135mm lens

Has fewer storage slots

Has significantly fewer focus points

Compare the EOS 7D vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Compare the EOS 7D vs the D300S

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,400 body only

$2,799 - $2,839 with 24-105mm lens

Is slightly less noisy at high ISO

Has slightly better image quality

Has fewer storage slots

Slightly less viewfinder coverage

Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the D300S

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$2,750 body only

Is significantly less noisy at high ISO

Has slightly better image quality

Is slightly heavier

Has fewer storage slots

Compare the D700 vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Compare the D700 vs the D300S

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$650 - $749 body only

$600 - $750 with 18-55mm lens

Has slightly better image quality

Has slightly more color depth

Has a slower max shutter speed

Is thicker

Compare the D5100 vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Compare the D5100 vs the D300S

Nikon D3S

Pro DSLR

$5,197 body only

Is much less noisy at high ISO

Has slightly better image quality

Is significantly more expensive

Is thicker

Compare the D3S vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Compare the D3S vs the D300S

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$899 - $1,304 body only

$1,138 - $1,342 with 18-135mm lens

Has a screen which flips out

Is slightly lighter

Is thicker

Has fewer storage slots

Compare the EOS 60D vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Compare the EOS 60D vs the D300S

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Pro DSLR

$7,714 body only

Much larger viewfinder

Lower noise at high ISO

Does not take movies

Much lower resolution screen

Compare the EOS-1Ds Mark III vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Nikon D3X

Pro DSLR

$8,000 body only

Significantly better image quality

Significantly lower noise at high ISO

Many fewer cross-type focus points

Shoots significantly slower

Compare the D3X vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Nikon D4

Pro DSLR

$6,000 body only

Significantly larger screen

Significantly larger viewfinder

Many fewer cross-type focus points

Larger

Compare the D4 vs the EOS-1D Mark IV

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$869 - $897 body only

$1,099 - $1,200 with 18-105mm lens

Lower noise at high ISO

Better image quality

Lacks an external mic jack

Many fewer focus points

Compare the D90 vs the D300S

Nikon D300

Pro DSLR

$1,673 - $1,816 body only

$2,639 with 16-85mm lens

Does not take movies

Worse image quality

Compare the D300 vs the D300S

appearance

Find similar cameras

Here are some links to help you find other cameras with similar features to both of these:

discussion Which do you think is better?

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CanonEOS-1D Mark IV vs NikonD300S