Canon EOS
5D
 vs
Nikon
D300S

Nikon D300S

95
Winner

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
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
7 fps
Startup delay
 Almost no delay when powering up
300 ms startup delay
Focus points
 Many focus points
51
Cross type focus points
 Many cross-type focus points
15
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Canon EOS 5D

81
Runner-up

Canon EOS 5D

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS 5D

Viewfinder size
 Large viewfinder
0.71x
Sensor size
 Large sensor
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Fastest shutter speed
 Fast shutter speed
1/8000 of a second

differences

Advantages of the Canon 5D
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 1,368 ISO vs 787 ISO
Help
 The 5D has a slight edge (0.8 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Sensor size Much larger sensor Full frame 36.0x24.0mm vs APS-C 23.6x15.8mm
Help
 Around 2.5x larger sensor
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder 0.71x vs 0.62x
Help
 More than 30% larger viewfinder
Color depth Better color depth 22.9 bits vs 22.5 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.4 more bits of color
Overall image quality Slightly better image quality 71.0 vs 70.0
Help
 Almost the same
True resolution Slightly higher true resolution 12.7 MP vs 12.2 MP
Help
 Almost the same
Weight Slightly lighter 895 g vs 938 g
Help
 Almost the same
Canon EOS 5D Learn more about
the Canon 5D

Advantages of the Nikon D300S
Screen size Much larger screen 3.0" vs 2.5"
Help
 More than 20% larger screen
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.2 EV vs 11.1 EV
Help
 1.1 f-stops more dynamic range
Screen resolution Much higher resolution screen 920k dots vs 230k dots
Help
 4x higher resolution screen
Live view Has live view Yes vs No
Help
 Preview your photos on the camera's screen before taking them
Movie format Shoots movies 720p @ 24fps vs None
Help
 Shoots HD (720p) video as well as still pictures
Weather sealed Weather sealed Yes vs No
Help
 Sealed to shoot in the rain
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 7 fps vs 3 fps
Help
 Around 2.5x faster continuous shooting
Lens availability More lenses available 169 lenses vs 125 lenses
Help
 Around 40% more lenses available
Viewfinder coverage Significantly better viewfinder coverage 100% vs 96%
Help
 Almost the same
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Built-in flash Built-in flash Yes vs No
Help
 A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 3,200 ISO vs 1,600 ISO
Help
 The D300S's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better
Lowest price Cheaper $1,699.99 vs $3,279.25
Help
 The best price we've seen is $1,579 cheaper (around 50% less)
Size Slightly smaller 147x114x74 mm vs 152x113x75 mm
Help
 Almost the same
Thickness Slightly thinner 2.9" vs 3"
Help
 Almost the same
Nikon D300S Learn more about
the Nikon D300S
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent pro DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS 5D Canon EOS 5D
81 vs 95
Explain scores
Nikon D300S Nikon D300S
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Nikon D300S.

performance Which camera has better performance? Cast your vote!

CanonEOS 5D
 Canon EOS 5D vs Nikon D300S
NikonD300S
Uses Travel score Travel
On holiday or vacation
1
0
Vote Vote
Sports score Sports
Fast action, sometimes indoors
1
0
Vote Vote
Features Color accuracy Color accuracy
White balance in varied lighting
1
0
Vote Vote
Autofocus peformance Still image focusing
Speed and accuracy
1
0
Vote Vote
Manual controls Manual settings
How quickly and easily you can change settings
1
0
Vote Vote
Build quality Build quality
Is it sturdy, well made, plastic or metal
1
0
Vote Vote
Green arrow Join in the discussion below!

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Viewfinder Both have pentaprism viewfinders Help
Pentaprism
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second
Weight Heavy Help
5D:895 g
D300S:938 g
Light sensitivity (boost) Poor boost ISO Help
5D:3,200 ISO
D300S:6,400 ISO
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
5D:1,600 ISO
D300S:3,200 ISO
Autofocus No video autofocus Help
Manual focus only
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
True resolution Capture low resolution images Help
5D:12.7 MP
D300S:12.2 MP

Compared to recent pro DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Size Fairly small Help
5D:152x113x75 mm
D300S:147x114x74 mm
Thickness Thin Help
5D:3"
D300S:2.9"
Movie format One shoots movies Help
5D:None
D300S:720p @ 24fps

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,097 body only

$1,227 with 55-200mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Focus points Has slightly fewer focus points
Cross type focus points Has slightly fewer cross-type focus points
Compare the D7000 vs the EOS 5D
Compare the D7000 vs the D300S
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,329 - $1,821 body only

$1,498 - $1,800 with 28-135mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Focus points Has significantly fewer focus points
Color depth Has slightly less color depth
Compare the EOS 7D vs the EOS 5D
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D300S
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$869 - $897 body only

$1,099 - $1,200 with 18-105mm lens
Weight Is slightly lighter
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
External mic jack Lacks and external mic jack
Compare the D90 vs the EOS 5D
Compare the D90 vs the D300S
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$2,750 body only
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the D700 vs the EOS 5D
Compare the D700 vs the D300S
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,400 body only

$2,799 - $2,839 with 24-105mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Focus points Has much fewer focus points
Cross type focus points Has significantly fewer cross-type focus points
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the EOS 5D
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the D300S
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$899 - $1,304 body only

$1,138 - $1,342 with 18-135mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Thickness Is thicker
Focus points Has much fewer focus points
Compare the EOS 60D vs the EOS 5D
Compare the EOS 60D vs the D300S
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$650 - $749 body only

$600 - $750 with 18-55mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the EOS 5D
Compare the D5100 vs the D300S

Canon EOS 5D Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Canon EOS 5D.

Nikon D300S Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Nikon D300S.

appearance

Canon EOS 5D Nikon D300S
Canon EOS 5D Nikon D300S
Canon EOS 5D Nikon D300S

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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Showing 1 comments

Engr Omerfaoroq (8:10 PM, November 26, 2011)
i use both of these, canon 5d and nikon d300s. i always find canon much sharper although it has lesser focus point but d300s gets better overall colors but on paper 5d have more color depth. i am unable to understand why.