PopPhoto - Nikon D300 "Camera of the Year 2007"

[Geoff_M]

Popular Photography has posted on their web site that they've named the D300 as the editor's choice for "Camera of the Year 2007". Not too shabby!

COY Story Link (http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4857/the-camera-of-the-year-2007.html)

They've also posted their full review of the camera: Test and Review (http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4911/camera-test-nikon-d300.html)

[Furgus]

In your face Canon :)

Man I wish I could get one now.......but I will be happy with my Sb-800 and 24-120 Nikor after Christmas...(build better glass, then new camera :) )

[Pea-n-Me]

Very nice! :goodvibes

I see that the camera I'm going to buy also made the Editor's Choice list as a Best Buy, which is cool too! http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4359/editors-choice-2007-advanced-dslrs.html

[fitzperry]

I saw the finalists listed in the December issue and would've bet my D70 that the D300 would be the winner. :laughing: I wish I could get one now too. Dh has scheduled Lasik surgery for the first of the year. I think it's only fair that I should order this. I'm sure our kids are scholarship worthy; their college funds don't need any contributions right now. :rotfl2:

[KrazyPete]

:dance3:

[handicap18]

I would so love to get this camera. But a new computer is needed and I'm planning on $1700 or so for that. DW doesn't go back to work until next Sept and she's been out since Nov of '04. So it looks like no new camera for me till '09 at the earliest.

I'm happy with my D50, but I will need to upgrade for some new features. I found a few that I really could have used in Disney 2 weeks ago, not to mention the faster FPS for sports down the road....

ok I need to stop now before I get myself into a frenzy over something I can't get! DOH!!!

[AndrewWG]

Is the D300 a full frame sensor? I could find out, but I don't think my computer goes to Nikon pages very well... ok, I'm being lazy! :)

[fitzperry]

ok I need to stop now before I get myself into a frenzy over something I can't get! DOH!!!

Yup. I was reading the Pop Photography reviews, drooling over the ISO 3200 images and starting to have myself a little pity party. Then I remembered that I spent the morning sorting the gifts my younger daughter's pre-school has collected for the families in a homeless shelter that the school supports. Not being in a position to drop almost $2000 on my hobby is hardly something to complain about.

[Gdad]

The camera has really impressed me so far. I have a long way to go learning to use it though.

[Geoff_M]

Is the D300 a full frame sensor? I could find out, but I don't think my computer goes to Nikon pages very well... ok, I'm being lazy! :)The D300 is a APS "DX" sized sensor camera. The only FF camera Nikon has, that they've told anyone about, is the D3.

[AndrewWG]

The D300 is a APS "DX" sized sensor camera. The only FF camera Nikon has, that they've told anyone about, is the D3.

Oh, ok. I had heard there was a FF sensor Nikon, I just thought that this might be it. Well, I gotta say that although I'm a Canon shooter, this D300 looks like a nice, nice camera! Fortunately, I don't have to sit here and drool over it. At least there is one thing on this board that I don't feel the need to buy! :)

[fitzperry]

:idea: Am I foolish to hope that Nikon will replace the D80 in the near future with something more reasonably priced containing this new sensor? Or is this as cheap as it's gonna get?

[Geoff_M]

It's quite logical, and would follow past trends, that there would be a "trickle-down" of the new sensor and processing technology to their prosumer models. Noted Nikon expert and author Thom Hogan has posted his Nikon predictions for 2008. Historically, Thom usually bats over .500. Here's his list for 2008:# D3x: announced as early as spring, certainly before the 2008 Olympics (August).

* D3 body, new Sony FX sensor
* Certainly over 20mp if the Sony sensor is used (there were other sensors tested at a lower megapixel level, most notably 18mp, but I'm guessing that we won't see them).
* Probably max 5fps.

# D80x: announced early 2008, ship shortly after.

* The 12-bit Sony version (IMX021) of the 12mp sensor used in the D300
* 15-segment AF

# D40/D40x replacements: announced mid-2008, ship immediately

* This is the tough one to predict, but I'm guessing 10mp
* Change in AF system, but to what?

# What, no smaller FX body?

* Not in 2008; 2009 at the earliest. First off, Nikon won't be able to make D3/D3x sensors fast enough, so adding another FX sensor to the mix is likely not in the cards for 2008.
* Question for next year: 12mp or 18mp? Given the D3's success, I'm now saying 12mp. I'd be happy with that (see right column).

# Nikkors:

* 18-135mm DX VR. It's the orphan in the DX lineup now. It's time must be soon.
* 80-400mm f/4-5.6 VR AF-S. Nikon really needs a lower priced 400mm VR AF-S option, and this is the way they'll address it. Finally.
* 70-200mm AF-S VR N redesign in time for the Olympics. Some of you might not think it needs it, but a quick nudge to the newer VR and N coating specs aren't difficult.
* Prime updates. 28mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.4, 200mm Micro-Nikkor.

# Coolpix:

* The P1 Pro (alternate name: Coolpix DX1 Pro): DX sensor, small zoom lens (2x-3x), 6-10mp. A longer range prediction: it will do well if it stays "pocketable" in size.
* The P2 Pro (alternate name: Coolpix DX2 Pro): DX sensor, large zoom lens (3x-5x), 10-12mp. And the opposite prediction: a D40x with an 18-135mm VR lens will seem like a far better bargain, so this model will get a lot of press, but not much buying support.
* The rest of the lineup will once again not be much worth talking about, and yes, we'll see 14mp Coolpix models (with small sensors, not APS) in 2008, just as we'll see them from others.

Link (http://www.bythom.com/2008predictions.htm)

[MarkBarbieri]

I'm extremely impressed with the D300 and think that it deserves awards. With that said, I value the Pop Photo Camera of the Year award less than I would the opinion of any decent shooter on this board. It should be the Pop Photo Advertiser of the Year Award.

First, why not the D3? The D300 is great, but the D3 is incredible. The D300 is pretty evolutionary while the D3 is revolutionary. The D300 is exciting the Nikon faithful. The D3 is getting Canon people to switch brands.

The simple reason is that the D3 is a small market camera and the D300 is a mass market camera. Giving the award to the D3 won't sell many more D3's. Giving it to the D300 will sell a lot more D300s. Making their advertisers happy is what Pop Photo (and most magazines) are in business for.

I don't think it's any coincidence that the award went to Nikon in '04, Canon in '05, Sony in '06, and now Nikon again in '07. I'll boldly predict that Canon will win in '08...it's their turn. That is, unless they decide that Olympus, Panasonic or Pentax is either spending enough or will be spending enough for one of their cameras to earn it.

Look at their finalists - Canon 40D, Fujifilm S5, Panasonic L10, Pentax K10D, Sigma SD14, Sony A700, Nikon 300D, Olympus E-3. They covered all their advertisers. They didn't nominate two cameras from any of one of them, despite several possible double choices.

Once again, I'm not dissing Nikon. I think that the D300 is an awesome camera and worthy of being considered the best in its class. That's a debatable proposition, but certainly a reasonable opinion. I'm just dissing these annual Pop Photo awards. That's my cynical view.

[MarkBarbieri]

I apologize if I'm being cranky this morning. Things are going well at work, so I'm in a really cranky mood. :mad:

[AndrewWG]

I apologize if I'm being cranky this morning. Things are going well at work, so I'm in a really cranky mood. :mad:

Geez Mark, I'd hate to see it when things aren't going well at your work! :lmao: Just kidding. I don't see your post here as being cranky. I think you make a good point about PopPhoto. I would imagine that there is some truth behind what you said. Unfortunately, Canon did not "WOW" the world this year with the 40D or the S5IS (non DSLR of course). Although I thought maybe Pentax made some real improvements. Who knows if it is truly advertiser driven, but I suspect that to some extent, it is. It's not like PopPhoto is a non-profit consumer concerned entity.

[jann1033]

Geez Mark, I'd hate to see it when things aren't going well at your work! :lmao: Just kidding. I don't see your post here as being cranky. I think you make a good point about PopPhoto. I would imagine that there is some truth behind what you said. Unfortunately, Canon did not "WOW" the world this year with the 40D or the S5IS (non DSLR of course). Although I thought maybe Pentax made some real improvements. Who knows if it is truly advertiser driven, but I suspect that to some extent, it is. It's not like PopPhoto is a non-profit consumer concerned entity.

actually they gave the 40d a really good review but guessing that was pre 300( or mark is totally right, crabby or not)....i actually thought i , a canon user, might have to post this since i somehow missed the thread yesterday;)

[fitzperry]

The simple reason is that the D3 is a small market camera and the D300 is a mass market camera. Giving the award to the D3 won't sell many more D3's. Giving it to the D300 will sell a lot more D300s. Making their advertisers happy is what Pop Photo (and most magazines) are in business for.

I don't think it's any coincidence that the award went to Nikon in '04, Canon in '05, Sony in '06, and now Nikon again in '07. I'll boldly predict that Canon will win in '08...it's their turn. That is, unless they decide that Olympus, Panasonic or Pentax is either spending enough or will be spending enough for one of their cameras to earn it.

You do make a good point. I've seen a lot of those Pentax camera geek ads--maybe '08 will be their year.

BTW, I like you new tag line. I just want the D300 too. :santa:

[fitzperry]

It's quite logical, and would follow past trends, that there would be a "trickle-down" of the new sensor and processing technology to their prosumer models. Noted Nikon expert and author Thom Hogan has posted his Nikon predictions for 2008. Historically, Thom usually bats over .500. Here's his list for 2008:

A D80x with the new sensor around tax time sounds lovely. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Geoff_M]

First, why not the D3? The D300 is great, but the D3 is incredible.I've read that it was due to the fact that the D3 was released too late to be considered a "2007" camera for the purposes of their selection. It appears that their "year" is defined as Dec-Nov. The D3 will be in the running for the 2008 award and would appears to be a front-runner at this point. However, realize that "xxxxxx of the Year" selections usually involve criteria beyond what's the "biggest and baddest" thing on the market in terms of specs and performance. Compare the Toyota Camry and the top end Ferrari sports cars.... How many Motor Trend "Car of the Year" awards has Ferrari won? Which car would you rather race at Laguna Seca?

All things being equal, I'd prefer a D3 over my D300 in a heartbeat. But consider this... Several photo-commentators on the day of the D3/D300 announcement said, correctly I think, that the D300 was a "scene stealer" that day. With the D300 Nikon effectively took the D2x, put a better sensor in it, put the same processor as the D3 inside it, ditto for the newer AF technology from its bigger brother, added a bunch of features (including a killer LCD), jacked up the fps rate... and knocked around $3K off of the price. That turned a lot of heads.

You are correct that the word of a friend is worth a lot more than some magazine from NYC, but it's not "nothing" either. I don't consider PopPhoto to be the "last word" in reviewing equipment, but they seem to be joining the chorus in regard to this body.

As for the old notion that PopPhoto's standard MO is that their attitude towards a camera maker is proportional to the amount of ad space they buy in their magazine... that accusation has been around since before my Dad was in the photo industry in the 70's. However, empirical evidence doesn't bare that out. Nikon has taken their lumps over the last 4 or 5 years in the trade press, but I still see lots of Nikon "double truck" ads in the photo rags. Also, I'd guess that the point-n-shoot lines of the big photo players is still their largest single money maker, so if making Nikon/Canon/Sony more money was what drives them, they'd be picking mass market products for the top awards. My local dealer had a waiting list for the D300 over 300 people long before the release, it doesn't appear that Nikon really needs trophies PopPhoto to drive demand for this model. They're going to be in "we're making them as fast as we can" model for a while, I think.

I hope your day at work goes better... believe me, I've had plenty of "not so fun" ones myself.

[MarkBarbieri]

I've read that it was due to the fact that the D3 was released too late to be considered a "2007" camera for the purposes of their selection. It appears that their "year" is defined as Dec-Nov. The D3 will be in the running for the 2008 award and would appears to be a front-runner at this point. However, realize that "xxxxxx of the Year" selections usually involve criteria beyond what's the "biggest and baddest" thing on the market in terms of specs and performance. Compare the Toyota Camry and the top end Ferrari sports cars.... How many Motor Trend "Car of the Year" awards has Ferrari won? Which car would you rather race at Laguna Seca?

If find it extremely unlikely that the D3 will get it. They never pick top end cameras. To the extent that they are picking the best camera, it is the best camera in the price range their readership is likely to buy. That has more practical value for the readers and it has more practical value for their advertisers. It does diminish, however, the sense that the "Camera of the Year" is the best camera or most revolutionary camera.

It's not like the D3 is the ferrari of cameras....it's still standard production camera. It's not some exotic medium format back. It's just not typically marketed or sold to the demographics of Pop Photo.

You are correct that the word of a friend is worth a lot more than some magazine from NYC, but it's not "nothing" either. I don't consider PopPhoto to be the "last word" in reviewing equipment, but they seem to be joining the chorus in regard to this body.

I'm not trying to take anything away from the D300. It's very deserving of the award. My complaint is with the award itself. They have consistently rotated the award through the manufacturers that also happen to be their major advertisers. Maybe that's just a natural side effect because their advertisers also happen to be the ones selling the best cameras, but I personally think that they let their advertising policy heavily effect their editorial content. It's no coincidence that no manufacturer had two cameras in their list of finalists and pretty much everyone that sells cameras and advertises with them made it to the finals.


As for the old notion that PopPhoto's standard MO is that their attitude towards a camera maker is proportional to the amount of ad space they buy in their magazine... that accusation has been around since before my Dad was in the photo industry in the 70's. However, empirical evidence doesn't bare that out. Nikon has taken their lumps over the last 4 or 5 years in the trade press, but I still see lots of Nikon "double truck" ads in the photo rags. Also, I'd guess that the point-n-shoot lines of the big photo players is still their largest single money maker, so if making Nikon/Canon/Sony more money was what drives them, they'd be picking mass market products for the top awards. My local dealer had a waiting list for the D300 over 300 people long before the release, it doesn't appear that Nikon really needs trophies PopPhoto to drive demand for this model. They're going to be in "we're making them as fast as we can" model for a while, I think.

The P&S market is less driven by photo mags largely because photo mag readers tend to buy more sophisticate cameras.

As for the influence of advertising on editorial content, I suspect that the effect varies. I talked with a cousin a couple of decades ago about the subject. He worked on the editorial side of a a magazine (I think it was Home and Garden). They had very strict rules to prevent the sales side from having influence on the editorial side. He said that he knew others in the industry that were much less rigid in their separation between sales and editorial and that he was always nervous about the pressure to move in that direction. From my observations (and nothing more), I think that Pop Photo is, and pretty much always has been, very lax on separating their editorial and advertising policy.

With that said, I want to stress again that I think the D300 is a great camera and has a very strong case for being the top camera in it's class. In fact, from the little that I know, I would rate it higher than the 40D, the K10D, or the A700. I think, however, had PP rated the D200 as Camera of the Year, the 40D would have gotten it this year. Not because it's better, but because it's close enough that they'd want to "spread the love." If the D3 wins next year, I'll take it all back. I predict that Canon will introduce a succesor to the 5D (presumably the 5D Mark II) and that either it or a Pentax or Olympus product will win.


I hope your day at work goes better... believe me, I've had plenty of "not so fun" ones myself.
It's been much better so far. The likelihood that I will have to cancel my and/or my staff's Christmas plans has diminished significantly. It's just my future hope that the next time I have to order a major system be shut down for an extended period without prior warning that it not happen during the time that we're working on performance appraisals.

[Geoff_M]

If find it extremely unlikely that the D3 will get it. They never pick top end cameras. To the extent that they are picking the best camera, it is the best camera in the price range their readership is likely to buy. That has more practical value for the readers and it has more practical value for their advertisers. It does diminish, however, the sense that the "Camera of the Year" is the best camera or most revolutionary camera.I guess it's a matter of perspective. You may view it as pandering to their readers pocketbooks, I view it as weighing "bang for the buck" as an important factor. Sure the D3 can kick the D300 around the block... at over twice the price, I would sure hope it would!

Maybe that's just a natural side effect because their advertisers also happen to be the ones selling the best cameras, but I personally think that they let their advertising policy heavily effect their editorial content. It's no coincidence that no manufacturer had two cameras in their list of finalists and pretty much everyone that sells cameras and advertises with them made it to the finals.I think you'd a agree that the number of companies that make and sell dSLRs is a fairly small club, wouldn't you? And I'm guessing that they all advertise at some level in PopPhoto... you'd be dumb not to. I don't think there's a maker for them to "punish" editorially for not advertising. As for the apparent "one entry per customer" rule, I don't see anything underhanded by first picking the "best" camera (as they define it) from a given maker as a first step in the elimination process.

With that said, I want to stress again that I think the D300 is a great camera and has a very strong case for being the top camera in it's class. In fact, from the little that I know, I would rate it higher than the 40D, the K10D, or the A700. I think, however, had PP rated the D200 as Camera of the Year, the 40D would have gotten it this year. Not because it's better, but because it's close enough that they'd want to "spread the love." If the D3 wins next year, I'll take it all back. I predict that Canon will introduce a succesor to the 5D (presumably the 5D Mark II) and that either it or a Pentax or Olympus product will win.I understand you're not slamming the D300. I feel what you're talking about is more due to the nature of the industry and there's a lot of flux in it. Each year brings a series of announcements and counter-announcements. As recently as six months ago people were wondering how much longer it would be before Nikon finally imploded... my what a difference a few months makes! There's been a pretty seismic reversal of fortunes between Nikon and Canon. Man, go look at the Canon forums over on DPArgue... they're starting to eat their young over QA problems with their top camera and there seem to be a lot of 40D owners in a funk too! For the first time in memory, you're seeing posts from people say that they're dumping their Canon gear and switching to Nikon for the D300 and D3. However, I'm sure it won't stay that way for long and it might be another maker that pulls the rabbit out of the hat. I don't think there's a lot of evidence that PopPhoto is putting their fingers on the scale with regards to their COY choice.

[Groucho]

Considering that the Pentax K10D (http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4242/editors-choice-2007-advanced-dslrs.html)is their pick for Advanced DSLR Camera of the Year, I'm not sure that they can be accused of just blindly following ad dollars - I'm sure Pentax advertising is a drop in the bucket compared to what C/N spend. :)

Similarly, the Sony A100 (http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4241/editors-choice-2007-entry-level-dslrs.html) is their entry-level DSLR of the year and a Panasonic is their lens of the year.

That being said, all I know of Pop Photo is what's on their website, so I'm no expert on their magazine, but it seems like they spread the awards around. (And the Canon Mark 3 did get the pro photo DSLR of the year, so Canon fans have some consolation.)