Will a Nikon D300s be released before a Nikon D400? Nikon has released "s" models before, both in the Pro line (D2xs etc), as well as the advanced consumer line (D70s) - but so far not in the prosumer DXXX line. If these rumors are real, this may mean the D400 is still a little way away.
Below are a list of rumors regarding the Nikon D300s, newest first. Please rate how credible you believe these to be, and feel free to add your own comments/thoughts. If you have any more information, please email us at rumors@dentonimages.com or click Rumors Wanted. We'll continue to add new rumors to this page as we come across them.
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A user on a Czech forum (here via NikonRumors.com) has posted what he claims may be from a 37 page Nikon document outlining Nikons product release roadmap for 2009-2010.
Here is what it says about the Nikon D300s:
Released August 4th
Nikon D300s - differences from the D300:
Continuous high-speed mode: 7 fps, without batterygripu, 8.5 fps with
batterygripem, 14-bit mode included
1 Release mode addition: Self-timer + MUP
2200-pixel RGB sensor
LCD monitor: 920 to-dot, 2.9-inch,
Enhanced contrast detect AF
Enhanced phase detect AF: new 2,200-pixel RGB sensor cooperates
with 3D Tracking, Auto-Area AF-C is dynamic area,
flashing auxiliary section plus focusing direction "display in
the viewfinder with the" user-control "change of direction
The new processor speeds up AF and significantly increases the
quality
Movie mode as compared to the D90 and D5000,
Movie - mode: 1920 * 1080 at 24 fps Quicktime MOV, H.264 codec
D300
3.1-fold compared with the cache memory D300
795 g
Extra High Lightning D-mode
AF Fine Tuning enhanced: -30 to 30 for the near focus distance,
infinity, the shortest and longest focal length
CF + SD slot
Our Take:
8.5 f.p.s. with 14 bit images would be a huge surprise, as would a 3x bigger buffer. The rest is pretty much expected on the 4th.
The full translation (translated using Google Translate) of the original post can be found in our forums - see the source link below.
Update:The same poster posted this further down the thread when someone asked him to produce the document, basically saying he found out it was a 'little joke' after spending 3 hours translating it (via Google Translate):
The answer came to me by mail:
I idiot when I disclose
It's little joke allegedly staff with responsibilities for their beloved colleagues and supervisors with shipper from the center
So it's supposedly fancy, but had to give mad work was concerned about his colleagues were extremely happy and very creative. And from me therefore I did laugh and I to 3 hours to translate.
Blurry pics of a Nikon D300s have appeared on the digitalphotographer.com.ph forum (brought to our attention by NikonRumors). The pictures show what appears to be a Nikon D300s held by the president/CEO (Mr. Anderson Tan) of a local Nikon distributor at the Nikon Club 1st Yr Anniversary Party (in the Philippines)
If demo copies are in distributors hands, it's very possibly this is a violation of his NDA with Nikon.
Via NR, Best Buy has posted a reply to their twitter feed stating that the Nikon D300 is deleted and "from what I can gather, it is going to be replaced in Sept. by the d300s".
It's unclear whether the person posting this is looking at an internal Best Buy system saying a replacement will be available September, or whether the "from what I can gather" means he read it on a rumor site somewhere...
NR has pictures posted of what claims to be a Nikon D300s.
The pictures look real, basically identical to the D300 except having a "D300s" logo and microphone.
The only indication this may be fake, is that the D300s is supposed to have video and support SD cards: on other video enabled Nikon's there is a button in the center of the 4-way selector to turn on video (but the OK button bottom left could very well be used for this function), and the camera has only a CF light (no SD light).
Other than that, the photos look identical to the existing D300 with no obvious signs of being fake.
NR is showing some images pulled from NikonUSA.com, which indicate that the D300s may have a zoom feature with histogram (very useful if you are exposing for a certain part of the picture).
For a few hours, shots of the LCD of the rumored Nikon D300s appeared on NikonUSA.com, and NR has some displayed on their site (see source link below).
The shots of the LCD screen clearly show "Nikon D300S", and also a logo indicating it's using SD memory cards.
On a side note, 64Gb SD cards should be out within the next year, and in time they could get as big as 2 Terabytes: this would be welcome news, no more traveling with bulky portable hard drives for backups, just throw a couple of extra (much more reliable than traditonal magnetic hard drive) SD cards in your kit for all your backups...
According to the google translation of a page on kamerabild.se, Nikon have set press conferences for July 30 and August 4, suggesting that 2 DSLR's will be announced a week apart (seems strange, the D3 and D300 were announced together). They are suggesting the cameras will be the D300s, and possibly a D60 replacement (the rumored D4000?)
There is an argument to be made that the Nikon D400 should come out along with the Nikon D4 (as the D300 with the D3, and the D200 followed the D2 and D100 followed the D1). Combine this with the lack of noise about new sensors from Sony and various other indicators: If true, and the pro-line maintains its 4-year release cycle, that may push the Nikon D400 out until 2011, with a Nikon D300s due out some time later this year.
The idea of a Nikon D300s with video suddenly makes an awful lot of sense: Click the source link below for more.
NR has posted, based on an anonymous tip, full specs for a Nikon D300s. This is basically a Nikon D300 with:
720p HD movie mode Movie: Frame size (pixels) 1,280 x 720/24 fps, 640 x 424/24 fps, 320 x 216/24 fps, File format AVI, Compression format Motion-JPEG. Autofocus Contrast-detect AF on a desired point within a frame is possible (Tripod mode). Audio: Sound can be recorded via built-in or optional external microphone; sensitivity can be adjusted. Maximum length: 5 min (1,280 x 720 pixels), 20 min (640 x 424, 320 x 216 pixels)
Built-in mic and stereo audio input
Dual SD and CF slots
Quiet Shutter Release
Approx. 7 fps (CH) with EN-EL3e Battery
Two new D-Lighting modes: auto & extra high
NR for some reason gives it 85% likelyhood (based on an anonymous tip????), and indicates a possible June release further down in the comments.
Not entirely sure what to make of this. Nikon is clearly behind Canon on the video front, this release would add autofocus to Nikons video capabilities, but Nikon really needs a 1080p solution (Canon has one for under $1k) if they want to get serious about video.
If the Nikon D400 is coming out this year, this release doesn't make sense. If they want to wait on the Nikon D400 (due to economic conditions, or maybe because releasing a D400 today wouldn't be a big enough step forward), then this does make sense.
