Canon 5D MIII vs Nikon D300
55 Imaging
67 Features
74 Overall
69


55 Imaging
51 Features
59 Overall
54
Canon 5D MIII vs Nikon D300 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 22MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3.2" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600 (Increase to 102400)
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Canon EF Mount
- 950g - 152 x 116 x 76mm
- Released May 2012
- Replaced the Canon 5D MII
- Replacement is Canon 5D MIV
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 200 - 3200 (Boost to 6400)
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- No Video
- Nikon F Mount
- 925g - 147 x 114 x 74mm
- Launched March 2008
- Succeeded the Nikon D200
- Renewed by Nikon D300S

Canon 5D MIII vs Nikon D300 Overview
Let's look much closer at the Canon 5D MIII and Nikon D300, both Advanced DSLR cameras by companies Canon and Nikon. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the 5D MIII (22MP) and D300 (12MP) and the 5D MIII (Full frame) and D300 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

The 5D MIII was unveiled 4 years later than the D300 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).
Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the 5D MIII scores versus the D300 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Canon 5D MIII vs Nikon D300 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D300. The full galleries are provided at Canon 5D MIII Gallery and Nikon D300 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon 5D MIII over the Nikon D300
5D MIII | D300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | May 2012 | ![]() | March 2008 | More recent by 52 months |
Screen sizing | 3.2" | ![]() | 3" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Screen resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 922k | Crisper screen (+118k dot) |
Reasons to pick Nikon D300 over the Canon 5D MIII
D300 | 5D MIII |
---|
Common features in the Canon 5D MIII and Nikon D300
5D MIII | D300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Lack of Touch friendly screen |
Canon 5D MIII vs Nikon D300 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Canon 5D MIII has got exterior dimensions of 152mm x 116mm x 76mm (6.0" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 950 grams (2.09 lbs) while the Nikon D300 has dimensions of 147mm x 114mm x 74mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 2.9") and a weight of 925 grams (2.04 lbs).
Compare the Canon 5D MIII and Nikon D300 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the 5D MIII compared to the D300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 5D MIII and D300 is 55 and 55 respectively.

Canon 5D MIII vs Nikon D300 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it can be tough to envision the gap in sensor measurements merely by viewing a spec sheet. The visual underneath will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the 5D MIII and D300.
As you can see, both cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The 5D MIII using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Canon 5D MIII will result in extra detail having an extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The newer 5D MIII will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Canon 5D MIII vs Nikon D300 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon 5D MIII vs Nikon D300 Specifications
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Nikon D300 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Canon | Nikon |
Model type | Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Nikon D300 |
Type | Advanced DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
Released | 2012-05-22 | 2008-03-12 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Digic 5+ | Expeed |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 36 x 24mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 864.0mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 22MP | 12MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 |
Full resolution | 5760 x 3840 | 4288 x 2848 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
Max boosted ISO | 102400 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW photos | ||
Min boosted ISO | 50 | 100 |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Total focus points | 61 | 51 |
Cross type focus points | 41 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Canon EF | Nikon F |
Amount of lenses | 250 | 309 |
Crop factor | 1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3.2 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 1,040 thousand dot | 922 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Screen tech | Clear View II TFT LCD | Super Density TFT color LCD with wide-viewing angle |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.71x | 0.63x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 6.0fps | 6.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 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 |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/200 secs | 1/250 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976 fps fps), 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 30 fps) | - |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video file format | H.264 | - |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Optional | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | Optional | Optional |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 950g (2.09 lb) | 925g (2.04 lb) |
Dimensions | 152 x 116 x 76mm (6.0" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 147 x 114 x 74mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 2.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 81 | 67 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 24.0 | 22.1 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.7 | 12.0 |
DXO Low light rating | 2293 | 679 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 950 shots | 1000 shots |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LP-E6 | EN-EL3e |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 to 20 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | Compact Flash Type I (UDMA compatible), SD/SDHC/SDXC | Compact Flash (Type I or II) |
Storage slots | Two | 1 |
Cost at launch | $2,780 | $1,100 |