• APS-C 372.9mm2
  • 12.3 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 3200
  • 35mm 861.6mm2
  • 42.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

Buy From

Differences

Nikon D300S advantages over Sony A99 II

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Less expensive
    $1630 vs $3198
    Save money for lenses or accessories
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 5.50 vs 4.51 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Fast startup
    ~0.30 vs 1.2 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 950 vs 490 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Has anti-aliasing filter
    Filter vs No Filter
    Reduces unsightly moiré in photos

Sony A99 II advantages over Nikon D300S

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Tilt-swivel vs none
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs APS-C
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Shoot 4K video
    4K (UHD) vs 720p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Yes vs No
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Better color depth
    25.4 vs 22.5 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    2,317 vs 787 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.4 vs 12.2 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Newer
    7 years vs 15 years old
    Newer cameras often support more advanced features
  • More dots on screen
    1229k vs 922k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • Less shutter lag
    0.11 vs 0.23 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.78x vs 0.63x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • More pixels
    42.4 vs 12.3 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Shoots 60p video
    Yes vs No
    A faster framerate can give you more editing options
  • More AF points
    79 vs 51
    More AF points improve autofocus
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Lacks anti-aliasing filter
    No Filter vs Filter
    Enjoy sharper photos
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    10.5 fps vs 7.1 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    61 vs 26 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    11.1 fps vs 7.1 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
  • Bigger RAW buffer
    25 vs 17 shots
    Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Higher extended ISO
    102400 vs 6400 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Top deck display
    Both provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • External Mic Jack
    Both provide
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Dual card slots
    Both provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Rugged construction; 51-point AF system capable of sophisticated AF tracking; Large, bright optical viewfinder; 7 fps JPEG or 12-bit RAW burst mode; HD Video capture.

  • 14-bit RAW mode slows continuous shooting from 7 fps to 2.7 fps; Somewhat slow AF for a camera at this level, especially in 51-point auto-area mode; Video capture tops out at 720p24.

  • Superb image quality at low, moderate ISOs; Improved high ISO performance; Fast continuous shooting speeds; Very impressive hybrid autofocus; High-quality 4K UHD video; Rugged camera body.

  • Multi-selector joystick can be awkward to use; No EVF live view at fastest burst rate; Buffer clearing is slow with no UHS-II support; 4K UHD video isn't as full-featured as E-mount counterparts.

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D90

Nikon D300S
Nikon D90
  • $1663
  • APS-C
  • External Mic Jack
  • More cross-type AF points
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Higher effective ISO
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
Sony A99 II
Nikon D90
  • $3198
  • 35mm
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Focus peaking
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Canon 50D

Nikon D300S
Canon 50D
  • $1663
  • APS-C
  • Higher effective ISO
  • Longer stills battery life
  • $1000
  • APS-C
  • Less shutter lag
  • More pixels
Sony A99 II
Canon 50D
  • $3198
  • 35mm
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Focus peaking
  • $1000
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony DSLR-A550

Nikon D300S
Sony DSLR-A550
  • $1663
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup
  • $859
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Tiltable Screen
Sony A99 II
Sony DSLR-A550
  • $3198
  • 35mm
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Focus peaking
  • $859
  • APS-C
  • Fast startup
  • Longer stills battery life

Compared to Canon 5D Mark IV

Nikon D300S
Canon 5D Mark IV
  • $1663
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup
  • $2499
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Shoot 4K video
Sony A99 II
Canon 5D Mark IV
  • $3198
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $2499
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Nikon D850

Nikon D300S
Nikon D850
  • $1663
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
  • $2664
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A99 II
Nikon D850
  • $3198
  • 35mm
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $2664
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
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