Canon EOS
5D Mark II
 vs
Nikon
D300S

Updated (March, 2012): Compare the Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Nikon D300S

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 D300S

71
Runner-up

Nikon D300S
"Although the fine detail of ergonomics can come down to personal preference and hand shape/size, the basics are universal"
dpreview.com | talking about the D300S's feel
"Sophisticated AF system with effective subject tracking"
dpreview.com | talking about the D300S's auto-focus

Reasons to buy the Nikon D300S

Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
7 fps
Focus points
 Many focus points
51
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Storage slots
 More storage slots
2
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 787 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark II has excellent image quality 1.2 f-stops higher ISO than the D300S
Overall image quality Better image quality 79.0 vs 70.0
Help
 More than 10% better image quality
Color depth Better color depth 23.7 bits vs 22.5 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1.2 more bits of color
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
Movie format Higher resolution movies 1080p @ 30fps vs 720p @ 24fps
Help
 Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video at a higher frame rate
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 225 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 Lighter 850 g vs 938 g
Help
 Around 10% lighter
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Learn more about
the Canon 5D Mark II

Advantages of the Nikon D300S
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 7 fps vs 3.9 fps
Help
 Around 80% faster continuous shooting
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.2 EV vs 11.9 EV
Help
 0.3 f-stops more dynamic range
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
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
Startup delay Slightly less startup delay 300 ms vs 400 ms
Help
 Around 30% less delay when turning on
Battery life Slightly longer battery life 950 shots vs 850 shots
Help
 More than 10% more shots per battery charge
Size Slightly smaller 147x114x74 mm vs 152x114x75 mm
Help
 Almost the same
Thickness Slightly thinner 2.9" vs 3"
Help
 Almost the same
Lowest price Slightly cheaper $1,690.00 vs $2,130.11
Help
 The best price we've seen is $440 cheaper (more than 20% less)
Nikon D300S Learn more about
the Nikon D300S
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent pro DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Canon EOS 5D Mark II
83 vs 71
Explain scores
Nikon D300S Nikon D300S
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
Supports 24p 24p support Help
For that film look
Thickness Thin Help
5D Mark II:3"
D300S:2.9"
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second
Weight Heavy Help
5D Mark II:850 g
D300S:938 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
D300S:3,200 ISO

Compared to recent pro DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Size Fairly small Help
5D Mark II:152x114x75 mm
D300S:147x114x74 mm
Supports RAW Supports RAW Help
Better editing
Lowest price Inexpensive Help
5D Mark II:$2,130.11
D300S:$1,690.00
Light sensitivity (boost) Poor boost ISO Help
5D Mark II:25,600 ISO
D300S:6,400 ISO
Battery life Few shots per battery charge Help
5D Mark II:850 shots
D300S:950 shots
Shutter lag Significant shutter lag Help
5D Mark II:206 ms
D300S:225 ms
Cross type focus points Few cross-type focus points Help
5D Mark II:1
D300S:15
Continuous shooting Slow continuous shooting Help
5D Mark II:3.9 fps
D300S:7 fps
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
Shutter lag Has slightly less shutter lag
Color depth Has slightly less color depth
Compare the EOS 7D vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D300S
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 D300S
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$2,649 body only
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the D700 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the D700 vs the D300S
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 D300S
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
Thickness Is thicker
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the D800 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the D800 vs the D300S
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$897 body only

$1,047 with 55-200mm lens
Weight Is slightly lighter
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D90 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Compare the D90 vs the D300S
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $597 body only

$600 - $697 with 18-55mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
HDR Has in-camera HDR
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 D300S

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 D300S Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D300

Nikon D300

Pro DSLR

$1,000 body only
Lowest price Slightly cheaper
Movie format Does not take movies
Color depth Worse color depth
Compare the D300 vs the D300S

appearance

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Nikon D300S
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Nikon D300S
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Nikon D300S

discussion

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