Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D300
56 Imaging
64 Features
70 Overall
66


55 Imaging
50 Features
59 Overall
53
Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D300 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 21MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400 (Raise to 25600)
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Canon EF Mount
- 850g - 152 x 114 x 75mm
- Revealed February 2009
- Replaced the Canon 5D
- Replacement is Canon 5D MIII
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 200 - 3200 (Bump to 6400)
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- No Video
- Nikon F Mount
- 925g - 147 x 114 x 74mm
- Introduced March 2008
- Replaced the Nikon D200
- Replacement is Nikon D300S

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D300 Overview
In this article, we are comparing the Canon 5D MII versus Nikon D300, both Advanced DSLR cameras by companies Canon and Nikon. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the 5D MII (21MP) and D300 (12MP) and the 5D MII (Full frame) and D300 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

The 5D MII was revealed 12 months after the D300 so they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras offer the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).
Before getting straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple summary of how the 5D MII scores against the D300 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D300 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon EOS 5D Mark II & Nikon D300. The full galleries are viewable at Canon 5D MII Gallery & Nikon D300 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon 5D MII over the Nikon D300
5D MII | D300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | February 2009 | ![]() | March 2008 | More modern by 12 months |
Reasons to pick Nikon D300 over the Canon 5D MII
D300 | 5D MII | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display resolution | 922k | ![]() | 920k | Sharper display (+2k dot) |
Common features in the Canon 5D MII and Nikon D300
5D MII | D300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very exact focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent display sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither offers selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | No Touch friendly display |
Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D300 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and proportions. The Canon 5D MII offers external measurements of 152mm x 114mm x 75mm (6.0" x 4.5" x 3.0") and a weight of 850 grams (1.87 lbs) whilst the Nikon D300 has measurements of 147mm x 114mm x 74mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 2.9") and a weight of 925 grams (2.04 lbs).
Analyze the Canon 5D MII versus Nikon D300 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is the front view size comparison of the 5D MII and the D300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 5D MII and D300 is 56 and 55 respectively.

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D300 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it is difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizes only by viewing specs. The picture underneath will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the 5D MII and D300.
All in all, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The 5D MII with its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Canon 5D MII will provide you with more detail because of its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images far more aggressively. The fresher 5D MII is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D300 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D300 Specifications
Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Nikon D300 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Canon | Nikon |
Model | Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Nikon D300 |
Type | Advanced DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
Revealed | 2009-02-13 | 2008-03-12 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | Digic 4 | Expeed |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 36 x 24mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 864.0mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 21MP | 12MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 |
Highest resolution | 5616 x 3744 | 4288 x 2848 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Highest boosted ISO | 25600 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW images | ||
Min boosted ISO | 50 | 100 |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 9 | 51 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Canon EF | Nikon F |
Number of lenses | 250 | 309 |
Crop factor | 1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 3" | 3" |
Resolution of screen | 920k dot | 922k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch capability | ||
Screen technology | TFT liquid-crystal color LCD | Super Density TFT color LCD with wide-viewing angle |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder coverage | 98 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.71x | 0.63x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 30s | 30s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/8000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames per sec | 6.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash options | no built-in flash | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/200s | 1/250s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video file format | H.264 | - |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | Optional |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 850 grams (1.87 lbs) | 925 grams (2.04 lbs) |
Dimensions | 152 x 114 x 75mm (6.0" x 4.5" x 3.0") | 147 x 114 x 74mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 2.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 79 | 67 |
DXO Color Depth score | 23.7 | 22.1 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 11.9 | 12.0 |
DXO Low light score | 1815 | 679 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 850 pictures | 1000 pictures |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | LP-E6 | EN-EL3e |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 to 20 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Microdrive | Compact Flash (Type I or II) |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Price at launch | $1,190 | $1,100 |