For provided by Nikon D300s camera (body) huge thanks to Alexey Yarysh.
On August 23, 2007, Nikon introduced the professional (as the company marketed it) crop-sensor camera Nikon D300 . At the time, the camera was a dream come true for many photographers.
For its excellent performance and reliability, the camera was even called the 'little D3' and other flattering epithets. The Nikon D300 was the first crop-sensor Nikon camera to use 14-bit RAW files , a large 3-inch display, automatic CA correction , and a new focusing system – the Multi-CAM 3500DX . Two years later, on June 30, 2009, an updated model – the Nikon D300S – was introduced. The D300 and D300S are very similar, so to avoid repeating the Nikon D300 review , I'll simply describe their differences:
Nikon D300S increased burst speed without using a battery pack. D300S can shoot at speed 7 fps, D300 could only shoot at 6 fps. Nikon D300s can accelerate and shoot at the fastest possible speed 8 fpsbut only when using JPEG format or 12-bit color depth in RAW format and only using the optional battery pack MB-D10 or network adapter EH-5a / EH-5. To make the camera shoot at a speed of 8 fps, one MB-D10 not enough. You need to use a special holder MS-D10 with 8 AA cells (batteries or rechargeable batteries). The MS-D10 holder is supplied with MB-D10. Also, 8 fps can be achieved using a more capacious battery. EN-EL4 (from cameras Nikon D2h, D2hs, D2x, D2xs) Or EN-EL4a (from cameras Nikon D3s, D3, D3x), but this requires the optional BL-3 cover (which is not included with the MB-D10). In addition, if you buy a battery EN-EL4 or EN-EL4a, you will have to additionally buy and charge Nikon MH-21 / Nikon MH-22 for it. If in MB-D10 use a regular standard battery EN-EL3e, then the burst speed will not change. Battery pack MB-D10 equally suitable for D300, D300S and D700... Personally, I don't like the fact that for these cameras you have to 'dance with a tambourine' to achieve the coveted 8 fps.
The ' Virtual Horizon ' feature has been added to Live View. This feature was available on the Nikon D3 , but was not replicated in the Nikon D300.
Added the ability to use Active D-Lighting in 'Auto' and 'Extra High' modes.
The Active D-Lightining bracketing function has been added (the function performs bracketing by changing the ADL intensity ).

D-Lighting bracketing function
Video recording has been added . The D300S only records at maximum quality, up to HD 1280x720 at 24 fps, with a maximum clip length of just 5 minutes. 640x424 and 320x216 modes are also available at the same frame rate, increasing the recording time to 20 minutes. Unlike its predecessors, the Nikon D90 and D5000, the D300S now features video recording using contrast-detect focus. The D300S is the first Nikon digital zoom camera to feature automatic focus during video recording (select Live View 'Tripod' mode and press the AF-ON button while recording). Video recording is considered one of the key differences between the D300 and D300S. The D300S also features an audio input for using a stereo microphone and a speaker for outputting audio while watching videos. The menu also features a simple video editing feature.
The D300S has removed the memory card compartment lock found on the D300. The memory card compartment door now opens just like on the D700 . Some buttons have been updated. The D300s now has a new 'LV' button for quickly accessing Live View mode; on the D300, this mode was selected on the control tower. A convenient 'Info' button , similar to the one on the D700 , has been added, along with a new interactive display (which can display data on a black or white background depending on the lighting). Most importantly, the center joystick button has been made separate. On the D300, the center joystick button was sometimes awkward to press. On the D300, the center joystick button is just as easy to use as on the D700 and D90.
The new camera now features a silent shooting mode, 'Q' ('Quiet'), which is selected using the dial on the control turret. The 'LV' mode, however, has been removed and is now activated by the 'LV' button near the joystick.
The D300S now supports two different memory cards simultaneously: SD (SDHC) and CF. The D300 only supported one CF card. Naturally, various recording options have been added.
- It is possible to record pictures first on one card, and when it is filled - on another.
- You can duplicate material onto two cards at once, which is sometimes an indispensable function for saving images in the event of failure of one of the cards.
- It is possible to write RAW and JPEG files to different cards separately.
- You can specify a card on which video files will be recorded.
Only one of the specified working methods is selected.
A function has been added for detecting faces in captured footage, with the ability to instantly enlarge a given part of the image.
Image quality improved slightly, but not as dramatically as when switching from the Nikon D3 to the Nikon D3s . A synthetic comparison can be found here.
You can find information that the cameras use different sensors: the IMX021 in the D300 and the IMX038 in the D300s (as well as the D90 and D5000). However, this information varies from source to source. Based on the information in the camera manuals, it can be concluded that the Nikon D300s has the same sensor as the Nikon D300 and differs from the sensors used in the Nikon D90 and Nikon D5000 (easily determined by the total pixel/subpixel count ). However, most sources agree that the D300s uses the IMX038.
The image in Live View mode on the Nikon D300 was noticeably slow ( the Nikon D700 also has a similar issue ). On the D300s, Live View displays the image normally.
Nikon D300S uses HDMI Type 'C', D300 uses Type 'A'.
The menu is a little different, in addition, Nikon D300s can edit the shot material, including RAW files.
It's surprising that the D300S hasn't been cured of the D300's serious weakness . Both cameras become incredibly slow when shooting at 14-bit color depth, with a maximum continuous shooting speed of a measly 2.5 fps. For example, the Nikon D3 from the same era easily handled 14-bit RAW at 9 fps. And the D700 , which was released between the D300 and D300S, handled the same task without any problems at 8 fps. Incidentally, the slowdown caused by processing 14-bit RAW files has also been passed on to the Nikon D7100 (it can't reach 7 fps, but instead runs at 6 fps) and the Nikon D5300 (it can't reach 5 fps, but instead runs at 4 fps).
Here's a link to the archive with the originals —1.07 GB, 44 photos in .NEF ( RAW ) format. Shot with a Nikon ED AF Nikkor 80-200mm 1:2.8D (MKII).
My experience
For me, the only important new features in the D300S are the ability to use two memory cards, a slight improvement in image quality, and a more functional central joystick button. It may seem odd, but the D300S is much more convenient to use because of just one button. On the D300 and D200, I was constantly annoyed by that silly button that requires you to press the entire joystick into the camera body, only to end up not being able to press it (instead, you end up pressing one of the joystick's directions).
The Nikon D300S is still the best cropped-sensor reportage camera. No offense, but the Nikon D7100 and D7200 are a class below, can't reach 8 fps, have a meager buffer, and don't have the robust body or professional controls of the Nikon D300S.
Attention, quote ! This text once arrived in my email. The original spelling and punctuation have been preserved.
“Good afternoon, Arkady. I am the owner of the BEST Nikon camera. And you still haven’t reviewed this camera. In general, I think you only needed to review this one and THAT’S IT. The rest of Nikon cameras aren’t even worthy of public attention. There is only ONE best camera, and that’s the Nikon D300s, the best camera for true alpha males! 7 fps, the best white balance , 2 CF+SD slots, super ergonomics, 720p video recording, a truly working ISO3200, 51 autofocus points spread from edge to edge of the frame (and not crowded in the center like the D700 , D600 , D610 , D7000 ), 100% viewfinder coverage (versus 97% on the Nikon D700), and by the way, it’s VERY different from the D300, for the better; they’re two completely different cameras. It’s even better.” The full-frame Nikon D700, by the way, has HORRIBLE white balance . Oops, I worded it wrong. The Nikon D700 has Yellow Balance, not White Balance. So, finally review the BEST Nikon camera. I wish you creative success. And have a nice day."
The D300S has been officially discontinued.
'B. at.-shnuyu'. Nikon D300S sells one and a half to two times more expensive than Nikon D300. Personally, I think that when choosing between the D300 and D300S, a photographer should think 10 times whether he should pay extra for video shooting and a few more small improvements.
Conclusion
The Nikon D300s is one of the best Nikon DX cameras ever released. Many years later, in early 2016, the Nikon D300s received a full-fledged successor – the Nikon D500.
An Accurate List of All Nikon DX Nikkor Lenses for DSLR Cameras
Fixes
- Nikon DX AF Fisheye Nikkor 10.5 mm 1: 2.8G ED GOLD [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35 mm 1:1.8G SWM Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DXAF-S Microphone Nikkor 40 mm 1:2.8G SWM Micro 1:1 [AMAZON]
- Nikon DXAF-S Microphone Nikkor 85 mm 1: 3.5G ED VR SWM IF Micro 1:1 [AMAZON]
Wide angle
- Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 10-20mm 1: 4.5-5.6G VR [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 10-24mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED SWM IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 12-24mm 1:4G ED SWM IF Aspherical GOLD [AMAZON]
Universal
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 16-80mm 1:2.8-4E N ED VR SWM IF Aspherical GOLD [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 16-85mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED SWM VR IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 17-55mm 1:2.8G ED SWM IF Aspherical GOLD [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G ED SWM Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6GII ED SWM Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G SWM VR aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII VR II [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED SWM IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-105mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED SWM VR IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-135mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED SWM IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-140mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED SWM VR IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED SWM VR IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII ED SWM VR IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-300mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED SWM VR IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-300mm 1: 3.5-6.3GED SWM VR IF Aspherical [AMAZON]
Televisions
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED SWM [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6GII ED VR II [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm 1: 4.5-5.6G ED VR SWM HRI [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm 1: 4.5-6.3G ed [AMAZON]
- Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm 1: 4.5-6.3G ed VR [AMAZON]
Exact list of all Nikon F DX cameras:
- D1, D1h, D1x, D2h, D2x, D2hs, D2xs
- D100, D200, D300, D300s, D500
- D70, D70s D80, D90
- D7000, D7100, D7200, D7500
- D50, D40, D40x, D60
- D3000, D3100, D3200, D3300, D3400, D3500
- D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D5600
- + Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro, S2 Pro, S3 Pro/S3 Pro UVIR, S5 Pro/IS Pro
- Basic information on the Nikon system (lenses, cameras, compatibility, a lot of information).
- Nikon camera selection (models, recommendations, discussion)
- All Nikon digital cameras with interchangeable lenses. Their types and dates of announcements. Camera designations s, h, x, e, a.
- Methods and modules for metering Nikon cameras.
- Processors of Nikon cameras. Performance.
- Focusing systems for Nikon cameras.
- Sensors of Nikon cameras (who produces, which models are used)
- Which external flash to choose for Nikon cameras?
- Other articles on Nikon / Nikkor cameras and lenses.
This material was prepared by Arkady Shapoval . The greatest support for the site is if you use links on this site, such as Amazon , when purchasing anything . It costs you nothing, but for this site, and therefore for my family, it's the main source of support.











Hello, I wanted to buy a camera, the oldest class that I used to finally try to roll into commerce, and in the battle d300s vs d7000 vs d7100 there are so many opinions that I want to give up everything and buy 7d
someone writes that 7000, in which the shutter of 80k dies, is a frequent occurrence, plus aa filter, soap soap, 7100 for the same price or with a mileage of 100-200, and then you wonder if it's worth it
d300s - little men in their ads already quote statements from here that 7000 and 7100 are for noobs, and the only thing that is beyond doubt is terrible reliability, and, again, they write that autofocus is many times steeper
but 12MP and a ceiling of 800 iso (1600, as these people write, norms, if you get tired), while the Nubian 7k can handle something at 3200
and what decision to make in this heap of information?
He himself wrote about 7D.
no, I'm not so desperate yet, the choice is only from three nikons
Between 300s and 7100 there is a maximum stop difference.
That is, where d300 folds to 800, 7100 will not survive even 1600.
Actually, both cameras are good, I would take the one that has the best preservation.
I once sold D7100 and bought D300s and never regretted it.
I didn’t sell it with the intention of buying a three hundred, but in connection with financial difficulties. Then it got better, again I didn't want to take 7100.
I ended up shooting in 300s and having fun.
And what did you like about this brick with an ancient matrix?
the three hundred has excellent AF in any conditions. plus coverage of almost the entire frame with AF points, which I don't remember with any other camera, and of an armored structure.
In terms of coverage with AF points, the d300 and d7100 are absolutely identical, but in the 7100 there is an improved AF module, but there is enough "armored vehicle" even in the 7100, it still does not hammer nails.
Hello! Does your camera have a live view face-to-face mode?
no, there is no such regime here. The face is detected only on the images already taken
Good afternoon. Tell me what to change d300s for? Mostly studio shooting and street people, faces.
Any camera allows you to capture people in the studio and outdoors, including the D300s.
You need to dance from those characteristics that do not suit the d300s. There are a lot of options, and, as already said, they are all suitable for the studio and the street.
Not satisfied with the focus if a lot of people blurred around the edges of the face.
Also, you can't see where the focus hits, it was more convenient with dots. You can see from the video finder where the focus is focused.
I like the picture.
If the faces are sharp in the center and blurred along the edge, this is not a question for the camera, but for the lens. You need to either buy with good sharpness all over the floor, or close the aperture more tightly. It is not clear what you mean about the points, the d300s have them, one with point focusing and a bunch of ones with multi-zone focusing (or as it is correctly called). In general, the autofocus of this camera is excellent. If you need newfangled face detection and eye focus, then you need to look at modern mirrorless cameras.
Nikon 50mm f / 1.8G lens.
Hello.
Please tell me which direction to move to get faster and more accurate autofocus in sports shooting:
Shooting with d300s + Nikkor 80-200mm 1: 2.8D (MKIII)
Change the camera to D780 or invest in a 70-200 (MKVI, VRII) or 70-200 (MKVII, E)
Z9.
I am an amateur, it will probably still be too much. And change the whole optics ...
VRII, E just right
Thanks. I think it will be possible to get a used VRII. As far as I understood from your review, it is very reliable, without motor diseases and other things. Does it make sense to do additional checks, besides the standard ones (to the front, back focus, dust) when buying from hand?
I would also check focusing at different distances and different focal lengths. Somehow I came across an 18-105, which on a FR up to 25mm could focus only up to 3m, and then did not turn the motor a little. At focal lengths larger than 25mm, I focused at all distances. Of course, the 80-200 has a completely different design, and, perhaps, this cannot be, in principle, but it is better to beat it.
.
Well, on a curved focal plane does not hurt, you never know.
Check everything you can
Arkady, please tell me, is there any difference in color (in RAW) between the D300 and D300s? I read more than once that the color on the D300 is supposedly a little nicer and warmer than on the D300s (IMX021 vs. IMX038).
In the DPReview reviews, the D300 had a slightly larger dynamic range than the D300s - by about half a stop: 9,2 vs. eB for D8,6). It is clear that the measurement methods are different. But the opposite divergence of results is surprising.
In general, what's with the color? There are D300s, I'm thinking of taking the D300 to play around, for comparison.
there is a difference, but it is small. I don't see the point in playing. The sensor is primarily modified for video shooting
To play around, take better d200, its color is really different.
Hello everyone!) Here I read the comments, the article, a double feeling. And it often happens that there are ambivalent feelings from the articles of Arkady. Of course, no offense to him, but I would like more certainty on his part. For example, he says more than once in the reviews of different cameras that they should not chase the speed of shooting, but in this article he says that 8 fps is not enough for a pro camera. And if you remember that many pro cameras in the early 200s had a shooting speed of no more than 5 fps in a ravine, then it’s not at all clear what the author had in mind. Also B 4 has, if I'm not mistaken, a shooting speed of 10-11 frames per second, a buffer of 60 frames in equal. Then, following this logic, the D300s or D 500 is not a camera pro. Or a pro, they say it's about only the D1-6 series. And the rest are advanced amateur. The same question about the governing bodies. Yes, their convenience is one of the moments of the pros of the camera, but not the key one. For example, some amateur mirrorless cameras have external controls that are more advanced than Nikon D 300. And what, now they are only for pros? No) In general, Nikon very much abuses the marketing system almost at the level of Canon and cuts or does not develop a universal model, although at a price, those. the filling could already make such a model or models, promoting those progress and increasing its turnover around the world at times. But the situation is the opposite. But at the same time, I think that you should not so sharply border the pros and non-pros of the camera. For example, a lot still depends on the hands of the photographer: many people still shoot commercial photo sessions on Nikon 500 series and not different cats, even weddings are shot on Nikon 700 series. I’ll keep silent about how Canons are abused in commerce)) Of course, there are sometimes very annoying limitations in amateur DSLRs, and we need to talk about how they differ. For example, the 5100 is an advanced amateur and the same kinds of cameras, why advanced, because there are not many more flexible control settings, but they are there, there is a bracketing system, an electronic rangefinder, there is autofocus in the video, advanced video settings in the latest models, etc. And at the same time, the 3000 and 5000 series do not particularly differ fundamentally in terms of functionality, while the 500th series is more convenient to shoot in the studio and video, but are positioned differently, that the 1st model “pointed and shot”, and in the 2nd “pointed, shot, processed, thought , twisted the settings and took it off”) It seems that the d3000 will soon leave and merge with the 500, but marketing will not allow it.
And in essence, another thing: a photographer cannot be considered a pro if the camera in his hands is ideally sophisticated and super technical, and vice versa. But, depending on how and under what conditions the camera is used and for what. So the main thing is that the hands, first of all, be straight and the skills, the worldview of the photographer.
It was funny that here people write at the beginning that, they say, I don’t know, they got confused, switch to d300 s or Nikon 7100 or immediately to 7D.)) None of these cameras will solve your requests if you set yourself the bar to jump above your head or want to buy a camera for show-off.
By the way, speaking of comments, a crop camera is not a pro camera. Nonsense, the same as saying that Pentaxes have few full-frame cameras and that they are the “wrong” functional pros, and if Pentax does not have reportage cameras, then they cannot be considered pro cameras. Also nonsense launched by Pentax competitors. Or vice versa, a stereotype, they say, why do all these system cameras and SLRs when there are APS-C Olympus?)))
The fifth point is torn and always torn when trolling Nikon 700 series lovers, when their devices are compared with 300s or d 500, then even seemingly intelligent photographers turned into a kind of Kenonists with cameras of the 60s series with foam at the mouth proving that their cameras are the best. By the way, at the same time, I saw studio shots of excellent quality from the Canon 200 D, and my “old man” Nikon d 700 recently showed his time and a decent video from the Canon 7000 d, and the excellent work of the buffer in dynamic shooting of animals, without much freezing of the buffer in equal to 12 bits. As a result, the professionalism of advanced cameras, and especially amateur ones, depends on the professional tasks that it must perform. Therefore, also, if, for example, you use the heaped reportage camera itself for underwater shooting, for everyday non-commercial shooting, shooting while traveling, then it will seem cumbersome and even oversaturated with settings that can distract from simple shooting. Moreover, in such cameras, some functions for simple shooting are removed.
It is also amusing in many articles and comments in general that prof. there are no “Rotating rings for selecting shooting modes”, set shooting modes, but there are only answering buttons
for all shooting settings. Then, based on this logic, the same D 300 is amateur, since it has preset shooting modes, even full auto mode, moreover, it’s all there even on the D500, I’m already silent about higher-class Canons. By the way, I haven’t seen a single mirror, and even more so a mirrorless one, because in principle there was some kind of lack of set unchanged shooting modes, and the vast majority of even professional cameras used to have a shooting mode selection ring.
So the camera pro determines the photographer's ability to use it like a pro and whether this camera will continue the "hands and skills" of the photographer.
How much text. Arkady has enough certainty. You took some sentences out of context. The site is primarily for amateurs. The pros themselves know what they need and it is unlikely that Arkady will tell them something new. You should not compare, for example, the shooting speed of film and digital cameras. And if for some reason the pros are satisfied with the D3100, why not. If a pro needs high speed shooting, he will solve this issue. A good photographer, amateur or professional, will capture what he needs with any camera. For some, the criterion of a pro is whether he earns with his craft or not, for others it is a skill. I think balance is important here.
Yes, yes, right! For this I love this site, that it is for beginners and amateurs the very thing. Everything is written in simple language, with explanations and links. For example, here in the reviews I figured out the gradations of models and more accurately figured out what exposure and white balance bracketing is. And sometimes I like to hang out in the comments. 😉
There is a clear gradation here
Hello Arkady, I want to ask you. Is it true that the Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro has a better dynamic range than the Nikon D300s?
What makes you doubt?)
It's just that 14 bit equals are used here and there. What then achieves a greater dynamic range?
Different structure of matrices.
Fuji has a tricky matrix.
Look here at Arkady's article on the Fuji S5Pro, it is described in some detail.
yes, palpable
Does this only work for JPEG format or is there a difference in RAW too ???
especially for RAW
Thanks Arkady, a year ago I bought a nikon D700 almost like new, thanks in many ways to your blog. I read the article carefully, looked at examples of pictures. Now I decided to buy a good crop. And I decide what to choose Nikon D300s or Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro. I'm torn to pieces right now. Our Fujik costs a little more than a three hundred.
Looking for what. Heel for color, 300 for reporting.
Art photo, street, nature, object, portraits.
Neg the "reply" button. For Vadim: Dirty definitely.
Thank you!
My advice as an owner is to read very thoughtfully the article here on Radozhiv about this camera (about Pryatka).
I read it very thoughtfully and all the shortcomings of this camera are more or less known to me. But that wasn't what stopped me. I develop Rava C1, and it is not quite suitable for ghee. Therefore, for some time now I have also installed Lightroom. But all the flaws are pulled by only one color. Maybe it just seems to me, but I looked at a lot of examples and I have a feeling that the color is more plastic than that of Nikon's DSLRs. That is, in shades and the most subtle nuances, it is more harmonious in transitions and so on. Recently I watched a selection of photos from the UPC from a watering can. Oh, everyone sang such praises to the camera for 5 pieces of green. But she didn’t impress me, since the contrast in 80% percent was bullied, mom don’t worry, everything is too much. I still love the old ones, which were once made with high quality. Maybe, of course, I'm too biased, but for some reason the cameras of the latest generation do not inspire me very much.
Cameras of the latest generations are all from my aunt, no matter the nameplate. That's not inspiring.
And what is the lack of Aunt Sonya?
I own the d7000, I don’t like how the white balance works, I take pictures on the balcony when the sun goes down, I also don’t like how the display shows, it seems fine on the computer either cold or warm, etc. The question is, what is better to take d300 or d300s where will the white balance be better? and will it be better than the d7000
Everything will be the same. These are the basics. On the camera display, jpeg, on a computer, etc. and so on. Help processing.
Well, this is Nikon with his jokes) Take a canon and there will be no such problems)
Hi all! Please tell me, is it worth changing the D3200 to the D300s?
Read the D300s review - and think about what you personally miss in the D3200 and whether it is really necessary to take a much older camera.
there is not enough exposure meter at 3200 with manual optics and fast synchronization with flash (((
I don't know about the camera, but the model is excellent!
I am more interested in the quote from the comment provided - how does the “very strong” D300s differ from the D300?
From the whole review I understood that if you don’t really need LV, then there is almost no difference between the cameras.
Nothing special, except for the video.