Canon EOS
5D Mark II
 vs
Nikon
D300

Updated (March, 2012): Compare the Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Nikon D300

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

83
"the EOS 5D Mark II has an awful lot to recommend it to the serious photographer."
dpreview.com | talking about the 5D Mark II's overall-performance
"the 5D Mark II is certainly one of the best value for money propositions on the market for image quality - especially in RAW, where you really can see the benefit of all 21 million pixels."
dpreview.com | talking about the 5D Mark II's image-quality

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Low light performance
 Low noise at high ISO
1,815 ISO
Color depth
 Great color depth
23.7 bits
Viewfinder size
 Large viewfinder
0.71x
True resolution
 High true resolution
21 MP
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Sensor size
 Large sensor
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Nikon D300

68
Runner-up

Nikon D300
"Very good resolution and detail without looking over-processed"
dpreview.com | talking about the D300's image-quality
"You really have to pick up the D300 to appreciate how nicely it fits into your hand, the ergonomics are great and the soft rubber used on the grip ensures holding the camera steady is an easy task."
dpreview.com | talking about the D300's feel

Reasons to buy the Nikon D300

Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Focus points
 Many focus points
51
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Fastest shutter speed
 Fast shutter speed
1/8000 of a second

differences

Advantages of the Canon 5D Mark II
Low light performance Significantly lower noise at high ISO 1,815 ISO vs 679 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark II has excellent image quality 1.4 f-stops higher ISO than the D300
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality 79.0 vs 67.0
Help
 Around 20% better image quality
Color depth Better color depth 23.7 bits vs 22.1 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1.6 more bits of color
Movie format Shoots movies 1080p @ 30fps vs None
Help
 Shoots Full HD (1080p) video as well as still pictures
Sensor size Much larger sensor Full frame 36.0x24.0mm vs APS-C 23.6x15.8mm
Help
 Around 2.5x larger sensor
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution 21 MP vs 12.2 MP
Help
 Capture more than 70% more detail in your photos
Viewfinder size Larger viewfinder 0.71x vs 0.62x
Help
 More than 30% larger viewfinder
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 6,400 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark II's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better
Shutter lag Slightly less shutter lag 206 ms vs 227 ms
Help
 Around 10% less delay when taking photos
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark II's boost ISO is 2 f-stops better
Weight Slightly lighter 850 g vs 925 g
Help
 Around 10% lighter
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Learn more about
the Canon 5D Mark II

Advantages of the Nikon D300
Focus points Many more focus points 51 vs 9
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Lens availability More lenses available 169 lenses vs 125 lenses
Help
 Around 40% more lenses available
Cross type focus points More cross-type focus points 15 vs 1
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 6 fps vs 3.9 fps
Help
 More than 50% faster continuous shooting
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12 EV vs 11.9 EV
Help
 0.1 f-stops more dynamic range
Viewfinder coverage Better viewfinder coverage 100% vs 98%
Help
 Almost the same
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
Battery life Slightly longer battery life 1000 shots vs 850 shots
Help
 Around 20% more shots per battery charge
Startup delay Slightly less startup delay 300 ms vs 400 ms
Help
 Around 30% less delay when turning on
Lowest price Cheaper $1,000.00 vs $2,130.11
Help
 The best price we've seen is $1,130 cheaper (2.1x less)
Size Slightly smaller 147x114x74 mm vs 152x114x75 mm
Help
 Almost the same
Thickness Slightly thinner 2.9" vs 3"
Help
 Almost the same
Nikon D300 Learn more about
the Nikon D300
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent pro DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Canon EOS 5D Mark II
83 vs 68
Explain scores
Nikon D300 Nikon D300
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

advice

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similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Viewfinder Both have pentaprism viewfinders Help
Pentaprism
Thickness Thin Help
5D Mark II:3"
D300:2.9"
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second
Storage slots Fewer storage slots Help
1
Weight Heavy Help
5D Mark II:850 g
D300:925 g
Autofocus No video autofocus Help
Manual focus only
HDR Neither has in-camera HDR Help
You could do HDR manually
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
3D Neither camera can take 3D photos Help
No 3d support
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
5D Mark II:6,400 ISO
D300:3,200 ISO

Compared to recent pro DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Size Fairly small Help
5D Mark II:152x114x75 mm
D300:147x114x74 mm
Supports RAW Supports RAW Help
Better editing
Lowest price Inexpensive Help
5D Mark II:$2,130.11
D300:$1,000.00
Light sensitivity (boost) Poor boost ISO Help
5D Mark II:25,600 ISO
D300:6,400 ISO
Battery life Few shots per battery charge Help
5D Mark II:850 shots
D300:1000 shots
Continuous shooting Slow continuous shooting Help
5D Mark II:3.9 fps
D300:6 fps
Shutter lag Significant shutter lag Help
5D Mark II:206 ms
D300:227 ms
Cross type focus points Few cross-type focus points Help
5D Mark II:1
D300:15
Screen size Very small screens Help
3.0"

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,549 - $1,821 body only

$1,620 - $1,849 with 18-135mm lens
Continuous shooting Shoots faster continuously
Shutter lag Has slightly less shutter lag
Compare the EOS 7D vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D300
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,000 body only

$1,100 with 55-200mm lens
Dynamic range Has slightly wider dynamic range
Movie continuous focus Can focus continuously while recording movies
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D7000 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the D7000 vs the D300
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$2,649 body only
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D700 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the D700 vs the D300
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$848 - $1,304 body only

$1,177 - $1,342 with 18-135mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Thickness Is thicker
Viewfinder coverage Slightly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the EOS 60D vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the EOS 60D vs the D300
Nikon D800

Nikon D800

Pro DSLR

$2,999 - $3,000 body only
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D800 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the D800 vs the D300
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $597 body only

$600 - $697 with 18-55mm lens
Dynamic range Has slightly wider dynamic range
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the D5100 vs the D300
Canon EOS Rebel T2i

Canon Rebel T2i

Entry-level DSLR

$544 - $949 body only

$649 - $867 with 18-55mm lens
Size Is slightly smaller
Thickness Is thinner
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Viewfinder coverage Slightly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the Rebel T2i vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the Rebel T2i vs the D300

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Pro DSLR

$3,499 - $3,500 body only

$4,299 - $4,300 with 24-105mm lens
Cross type focus points Many more cross-type focus points
Focus points Many more focus points
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Lowest price More expensive
Compare the EOS 5D Mark III vs the EOS 5D Mark II

Nikon D300 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $547 with 18-55mm lens
Movie format Shoots movies
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Screen resolution Much lower resolution screen
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Compare the D3100 vs the D300

appearance

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Nikon D300
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Nikon D300
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Nikon D300

discussion

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