Nikon
D300S
 vs
Pentax
K-7

Nikon D300S

77
"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
Lens availability
 Slightly more lenses available
169 lenses
Focus points
 Many focus points
51
Cross type focus points
 Many cross-type focus points
15
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Pentax K-7

77

Reasons to buy the Pentax K-7

Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
93 ms shutter lag
Size
 Really small
Prosumer size 131x97x73 mm
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%

differences

Advantages of the Nikon D300S
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.2 EV vs 10.6 EV
Help
 1.6 f-stops more dynamic range
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality 70.0 vs 61.0
Help
 More than 10% better image quality
Focus points Many more focus points 51 vs 11
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Supports 24p Supports 24p Yes vs No
Help
 Get that real film feel
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 787 ISO vs 536 ISO
Help
 The D300S has a slight edge (0.6 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Lens availability Significantly more lenses available 169 lenses vs 90 lenses
Help
 Around 90% more lenses available
Startup delay Less startup delay 300 ms vs 600 ms
Help
 2x less delay when turning on
Cross type focus points More cross-type focus points 15 vs 9
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 7 fps vs 5.2 fps
Help
 More than 30% faster continuous shooting
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder 0.62x vs 0.60x
Help
 Around 10% larger viewfinder
Battery life Slightly longer battery life 950 shots vs 740 shots
Help
 Around 30% more shots per battery charge
Nikon D300S Learn more about
the Nikon D300S

Advantages of the Pentax K-7
Image stabilization Image stabilization Sensor shift vs None
Help
 Helps eliminate blur caused by small camera movements
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
Shutter lag Significantly less shutter lag 93 ms vs 225 ms
Help
 2.4x less delay when taking photos
True resolution Higher true resolution 14.5 MP vs 12.2 MP
Help
 Capture around 20% more detail in your photos
Size Smaller 131x97x73 mm vs 147x114x74 mm
Help
 Around 30% smaller
Color depth Better color depth 22.6 bits vs 22.5 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.1 more bits of color
Weight Lighter 750 g vs 938 g
Help
 More than 20% lighter
Lowest price Slightly cheaper $1,299.62 vs $1,699.99
Help
 The best price we've seen is $400 cheaper (more than 20% less)
Thickness Slightly thinner 2.9" vs 2.9"
Help
 Almost the same
Pentax K-7 Learn more about
the Pentax K-7
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent DSLRs, and ignoring price

Nikon D300S Nikon D300S
77 vs 77
Explain scores
Pentax K-7 Pentax K-7
Green arrow Too close to call! Snapsort considers these cameras too competitive to make a clear recommendation. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a pro DSLR with a entry-level DSLR.

performance Which camera has better performance? Cast your vote!

NikonD300S
 Nikon D300S vs Pentax K-7
PentaxK-7
Uses Travel score Travel
On holiday or vacation
1
3
Vote Vote
Sports score Sports
Fast action, sometimes indoors
2
2
Vote Vote
Features Color accuracy Color accuracy
White balance in varied lighting
2
2
Vote Vote
Autofocus peformance Still image focusing
Speed and accuracy
2
2
Vote Vote
Autofocus performance Video focusing
Speed and accuracy
3
1
Vote Vote
Manual controls Manual settings
How quickly and easily you can change settings
2
2
Vote Vote
Build quality Build quality
Is it sturdy, well made, plastic or metal
2
3
Vote Vote
Green arrow Join in the discussion below!

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Screen resolution High resolution screens Help
D300S:920k dots
K-7:921k dots
Viewfinder Both have pentaprism viewfinders Help
Pentaprism
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
Light sensitivity (boost) Poor boost ISO Help
6,400 ISO
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
3,200 ISO
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
3D Neither camera can take 3D photos Help
No 3d support

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,097 body only

$1,227 with 55-200mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Thickness Is thicker
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the D7000 vs the D300S
Compare the D7000 vs the K-7
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
Size Is slightly larger
Color depth Has slightly less color depth
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D300S
Compare the EOS 7D vs the K-7
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$869 - $897 body only

$1,099 - $1,200 with 18-105mm lens
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D90 vs the D300S
Compare the D90 vs the K-7
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$2,750 body only
Low light performance Is much less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D700 vs the D300S
Compare the D700 vs the K-7
Pentax K-5

Pentax K-5

Entry-level DSLR

$1,008 - $1,500 body only

$1,293 - $1,650 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Startup delay Has slightly more startup delay
Compare the K-5 vs the D300S
Compare the K-5 vs the K-7
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$650 - $749 body only

$600 - $750 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the D300S
Compare the D5100 vs the K-7
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
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the EOS 60D vs the D300S
Compare the EOS 60D vs the K-7

Nikon D300S Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D300

Nikon D300

Pro DSLR

$1,673 - $1,816 body only

$2,639 with 16-85mm lens
Movie format Does not take movies
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Compare the D300 vs the D300S

Pentax K-7 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Pentax K-r

Pentax K-r

Entry-level DSLR

$649 body only

$540 - $579 with 18-55mm lens
Dynamic range More dynamic range
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Viewfinder coverage Significantly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the K-r vs the K-7
Pentax K-x

Pentax K-x

Entry-level DSLR

$603 - $641 with 18-55mm lens
Dynamic range More dynamic range
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality
Screen size Much smaller screen
Screen resolution Much lower resolution screen
Compare the K-x vs the K-7
Pentax K20D

Pentax K20D

Entry-level DSLR
Overall image quality Better image quality
Dynamic range More dynamic range
Screen size Much smaller screen
Screen resolution Much lower resolution screen
Compare the K20D vs the K-7

appearance

Nikon D300S Pentax K-7
Nikon D300S Pentax K-7
Nikon D300S Pentax K-7

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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