Snap Like A Pro

Big Earth's Ollie Blackwell reviews the Nikon D300 - the camera Charley has taken
on By Any Means 2.

You can find more information and reviews of the D 300 Camera and other models on the Nikon Website just follow the link below.



Nikon Uk Website >

THE NIKON D300 REVIEWED

On a demanding overland trip such as Charley’s there are a lot of things to take into account when deciding on the best camera to take. Space and weight play an enormous role in all the expeditions we run from Big Earth. It is a problem we always encounter and no matter how hard we try there is always about 10 bags too many. While most people have a hard time keeping their normal luggage to a minimum, sleeping bags, wash kits, change of clothes etc etc we have to some how do that plus fit everything else on top. Video cameras, Tape stock, Sat phones, Bgans, laptops, tripods etc etc. Apart from this being a nightmare when you are trying to fit in a dugout canoe in Nepal it can be very costly when you reach the Excess luggage counter at the airport!

So when it comes to deciding what stills camera to take, we look for something that is an all-rounder. Something small enough it will fit in hand luggage, light enough that it can be carried at all times with out dragging you down, tough enough to take a good beating but also very importantly that it can produce files of a size and quality that is required back home to use for the billboards, book covers, newspaper articles etc.

The Nikon D300 ticks all these boxes. It has a Rugged magnesium-alloy body that keeps out the moisture and dirt but doesn’t weigh a ton, it is packed with pro features and can produce up to 18mb files but is small enough to have in your hand luggage.

The self cleaning sensor keeps your images dust free even when your in a sand storm and you can bang off up to 6 frames per second making sure you never miss that winning moment.

With the option of being able to push the ISO all the way up to the 6400 it means that the camera can be used in very low light (something that is always handy when you are camping or getting up before sunrise). A lot of camera’s images would be very grainy when shot at an ISO this high but the Nikons CMOS sensor produces exceptionally low noise images considering.

I could go on. The camera has every feature you could possibly ask for and more and is a real pro camera, but it is also great at being simple when you just want to point and shoot.

But a camera is only as good as the glass you put in front of it so it is worth thinking about what lens you want. We wanted something that covered all ranges from wide to telephoto so that it would not be necessary to keep changing lenses. In the end we decided to go for the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 DX NIKKOR. It is not the most high quality of build or glass but it is the perfect all rounder in terms of focal length.

Together they make an awesome combo!

Words by Ollie Blackwell