Canon EOS
7D
 vs
Nikon
D300S

Canon EOS 7D

71
"The Canon EOS 7D is a camera that can convince in all areas, and at its current pricing is going to be a very serious competitor for Nikon's flagship APS-C DSLR, the D300S."
dpreview.com | talking about the 7D's overall-performance
"Excellent build quality with magnesium body and environmental sealing"
dpreview.com | talking about the 7D's build-quality

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS 7D

Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
8 fps
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
131 ms shutter lag
Cross type focus points
 Many cross-type focus points
19
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Fastest shutter speed
 Fast shutter speed
1/8000 of a second
Nikon D300S

71
"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
Startup delay
 Almost no delay when powering up
300 ms startup delay
Lens availability
 Slightly more lenses available
169 lenses
Focus points
 Many focus points
51
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Storage slots
 More storage slots
2

differences

Advantages of the Canon 7D
Movie format Higher resolution movies 1080p @ 30fps vs 720p @ 24fps
Help
 Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video at a higher frame rate
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution 17.9 MP vs 12.2 MP
Help
 Capture around 50% more detail in your photos
Shutter lag Less shutter lag 131 ms vs 225 ms
Help
 More than 40% less delay when taking photos
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 8 fps vs 7 fps
Help
 More than 10% faster continuous shooting
Cross type focus points More cross-type focus points 19 vs 15
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 6,400 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
Help
 The 7D's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better
Weight Slightly lighter 860 g vs 938 g
Help
 Around 10% lighter
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 12,800 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
 The 7D's boost ISO is 1 f-stop better
Canon EOS 7D Learn more about
the Canon 7D

Advantages of the Nikon D300S
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.2 EV vs 11.7 EV
Help
 0.5 f-stops more dynamic range
Focus points Significantly more focus points 51 vs 19
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Color depth Better color depth 22.5 bits vs 22 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.5 more bits of color
Overall image quality Better image quality 70.0 vs 66.0
Help
 Around 10% better image quality
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Sensor size Slightly larger sensor APS-C 23.6x15.8mm vs APS-C 22.3x14.9mm
Help
 More than 10% larger sensor
Battery life Slightly longer battery life 950 shots vs 800 shots
Help
 Around 20% more shots per battery charge
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available 169 lenses vs 162 lenses
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 7D Canon EOS 7D
71 vs 71
Explain scores
Nikon D300S Nikon D300S
Green arrow Too close to call! Snapsort considers these cameras too competitive to make a clear recommendation.

advice

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1
votes
by John-Dettinger last month
Nikon D300S vs Nikon D7000

I began photography around 11 months ago. I currently have the entry level Nikon D3100. It has d...

2 people recommend the Nikon D7000:

" I've got the d7000 and im really happy with it. 39 focuspoints are more than enough! The low lig..."

" I don't have experience with either camera... but the stats show that the D7000 is better in eve..."
0
votes
by Katie-Renee-Roloson last week
Nikon D300S vs Nikon D7000

I am looking to upgrade to start a wedding photography business ...

2 people recommend the Nikon D7000:

" surely the D7000 is more up to date and seems to be at least as relyable as the d300s (both shut..."

"I shoot weddings with the D7000 and love it.. use the money saved and put it toward a great lens. ..."
0
votes
by Marcos-Panayiotou last month
Nikon D300S vs Nikon D7000

I would like a camera that shoots sharp both during day and night(both raw and bright light) A c...

One person recommends the Nikon D7000:

" noise reduction at high iso. more true resolution .bigger sensor than other semipro camera"
0
votes
by Sherry-McCollum last month
Nikon D300S vs Nikon D700

I'm an advanced amateur and the most important features in the camera are ease of use and very sha...

One person recommends the Nikon D300S:

"Go for the D300s and spend some extra money on lenses. To get great wildlife shots you'll need a l..."
0
votes
by Saeddo-Fodi last week
Nikon D2Xs vs Nikon D300S

dear sir /madam i want to buy a second body with my nikon d80 but i want it to be better i wa...

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Lens availability Many lenses available Help
7D:162 lenses
D300S:169 lenses
Viewfinder Both have pentaprism viewfinders Help
Pentaprism
Supports 24p 24p support Help
For that film look
Viewfinder coverage Above average viewfinder coverage Help
100%
Thickness Thin Help
2.9"
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second
Weight Heavy Help
7D:860 g
D300S:938 g
Light sensitivity (boost) Poor boost ISO Help
7D:12,800 ISO
D300S:6,400 ISO
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
7D:6,400 ISO
D300S:3,200 ISO

Compared to recent pro DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Size Fairly small Help
7D:148x111x74 mm
D300S:147x114x74 mm
Supports RAW Supports RAW Help
Better editing
Lowest price Inexpensive Help
7D:$1,549.00
D300S:$1,690.00
Built-in flash Each has a built-in flash Help
External flash not needed
Sensor size Very small sensors Help
7D:APS-C 22.3x14.9mm
D300S:APS-C 23.6x15.8mm
Battery life Few shots per battery charge Help
7D:800 shots
D300S:950 shots
Viewfinder size Below average viewfinder size Help
0.62x
Color depth Poor color depth Help
7D:22 bits
D300S:22.5 bits
Screen size Very small screens Help
3.0"
Overall image quality Low image quality Help
7D:66.0
D300S:70.0
Low light performance Above average noise at high ISO Help
7D:854 ISO
D300S:787 ISO

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,000 body only

$1,100 with 55-200mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Color depth Has slightly more color depth
Thickness Is thicker
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the D7000 vs the EOS 7D
Compare the D7000 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 Significantly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the EOS 60D vs the EOS 7D
Compare the EOS 60D vs the D300S
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,130 body only

$2,875 - $2,999 with 24-105mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Built-in flash Doesn't have a built-in flash
Viewfinder coverage Slightly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the EOS 7D
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the D300S
Canon Rebel T3i

Canon Rebel T3i

Entry-level DSLR

$619 - $700 body only

$745 - $1,000 with 18-55mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Weight Is slightly lighter
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the EOS 7D
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the D300S
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $597 body only

$600 - $697 with 18-55mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Color depth Has slightly more color depth
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the EOS 7D
Compare the D5100 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 7D
Compare the D90 vs the D300S
Sony SLT-A77

Sony SLT A77

Pro DSLR

$1,398 body only

$1,998 with 16-50mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Color depth Has slightly more color depth
Thickness Is thicker
Viewfinder Has a lower quality type of viewfinder
Compare the SLT A77 vs the EOS 7D
Compare the SLT A77 vs the D300S

Canon EOS 7D 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
Low light performance Significantly lower noise at high ISO
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality
Lens availability Fewer lenses available
Continuous shooting Shoots slower
Compare the EOS 5D Mark III vs the EOS 7D

Nikon D300S Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

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

appearance

Canon EOS 7D Nikon D300S
Canon EOS 7D Nikon D300S
Canon EOS 7D Nikon D300S

discussion

Showing 7 comments

Alwynjsmit (9:17 AM, May 14, 2012)
Both the 7d and D300s have weather sealed bodies
 
Avatar for BayAreaHydro BayAreaHydro (2:29 PM, February 02, 2012)
There is no question that the video on Canon 1080 surpasses that of Nikon's 720.Dollar for dollar there is no comparison, Canon wins hands down.
 
Ishaanctg (8:09 PM, January 17, 2012)
@Hojayho Bro,whats the cheapest lense that u use for d300s and how is its result, and how is the image quality of d300s compared to d7000 in a similar lense
 
Fearless (6:55 PM, November 19, 2011)
I belive that 7D has weather sealed body also
 
Engr Omerfarooq (1:01 PM, October 28, 2011)
both 7d and d300s are excellent. but i go for more towards ergonomics at pro level because image quality will always be great by big companies like nikon and canon. i like handling of nikon more then canon. just personal preference.
 
Maj_mike28 (2:46 PM, June 07, 2011)
I would agree on this statement... My Fav is D7000 of all bodies I have and had. Currently I own a D300s, D7000, and D5000. The image quality for D7000 is really good. Thumbs up for D7000 and most of the time when I cover an event D7000 is really handy supported back by my D300s and for real emergency D5000. The quality of the D5000 is not as far from D300s but you can only obtain a good quality on D5000 once you do it manually and not in Aperture Priority mode or etc.
 
Hojayho (10:59 PM, May 21, 2011)
I just sold my 7d which I had for 1 year and four months, and got a nikon d300s.

The hand feel of the 7d is heavier and more solid, but the image quality of the 300s is better, sharper, more dynamic range and more detail. I still have a 5d and 1d mark iin, and a d7000, d1x and 3100, and all 3 fuji s2, s3 & s5. The s3 is the best in portraits, but sport shots would have to be the 7d.
The image qualiy of the d300s is as good as the 5d and 1d mark iin.

I am happy to have switched the 7d to d300s, cos the 7d's pictures seem dull.
My favorite is the d7000, for the price and full hd video with constantly focusing while filming.