Canon 70D vs Nikon D300: An Expert’s In-Depth Comparison for Photography Enthusiasts and Pros

Selecting the right camera is a pivotal decision on your creative journey. The Canon EOS 70D and the Nikon D300 - both stalwarts in the advanced DSLR category - have served photographers well over the years. Though launched nearly five years apart, their core strengths and audience appeal overlap in interesting ways. In this comprehensive review, drawing on our hands-on testing across multiple photography disciplines, we’ll dissect these two cameras in detail. Whether you're upgrading your gear or starting a more serious kit, our expert insights will help you pinpoint which model aligns with your shooting style, budget, and creative ambitions.

A Tale of Two Mid-Size DSLRs: Overview and Body Design

First impressions matter. Handling a camera day in and day out builds familiarity and comfort, crucial for capturing decisive moments.

The Nikon D300 is noticeably heavier and larger, its more rugged build inspired by professional-grade bodies. The Canon 70D strikes a balance between portability and solidity with a comfortable grip shaped for extended shooting sessions. Both bodies incorporate weather sealing to protect against dust and moisture, but the D300’s sealing extends the camera’s durability in more rugged environments, a nod to its pro-aimed design.

If you desire lighter, more modern ergonomics with an articulating touchscreen, the Canon 70D stands out. However, if you prioritize a hefty, rock-solid feel that inspires confidence during intense shooting conditions, the Nikon D300 holds appeal.

Design & User Interface: Controls and Screen Usability

Control layout and feedback mechanisms directly impact your shooting efficiency - especially when shifting between genres or working fast.

The Canon 70D features a modernized top panel with a convenient mode dial and intuitive button placement. It also integrates a top monochrome LCD panel, providing quick info at a glance. In contrast, the Nikon D300’s layout is more traditional, targeted toward experienced shooters familiar with Nikon’s logical button arrangement and sub-command dials.

Moving towards the back, the Canon 70D has a significant advantage: a fully articulating, touchscreen LCD that supports intuitive touch to focus and menu navigation - ideal for videographers and live-view still shooters. The D300’s fixed 3-inch LCD lacks touchscreen capability and tilting, which may limit creative angles and ease of use in live view.

The Canon’s Clear View II TFT LCD offers a higher resolution (1.04 million dots) versus Nikon’s Super Density TFT (922k dots). This boosts viewing accuracy and helps with critical focus checking and menu control. The touchscreen is also exceptionally responsive, a significant step up for those transitioning from compact cameras or smartphones.

Sensor and Image Quality: Resolution, Dynamic Range, and ISO Performance

Image quality lies at the heart of this comparison. Both cameras use APS-C-sized CMOS sensors but differ vastly in resolution and processing technology.

The Canon 70D packs nearly 70% more megapixels than the Nikon D300, enabling it to deliver higher-resolution images suitable for large prints or detailed cropping. The sensor is smaller in physical size but makes efficient use of pixel density with a modern processing engine (DIGIC 5+). Canon's sensor excels at producing vibrant, accurate skin tones, making it a favorite for portrait work.

The Nikon D300, despite fewer pixels, has a larger sensor area with slightly better dynamic range (12 EV vs 11.6 EV) - which helps in capturing wide tonal gradations in landscapes or scenes with contrasty lighting. The lower resolution means impressively clean noise performance up to ISO 1600 - but ISO beyond 3200 is less practical.

For night or astrophotography, Canon’s higher ISO ceiling and cleaner high-ISO output (DxO low-light score of 926 vs Nikon’s 679) translate into greater flexibility shooting in dim environments.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus (AF) is mission-critical, especially for wildlife, sports, and action photography disciplines that demand quick response and accuracy.

Canon's 70D autofocus harnesses its 19 cross-type points to lock focus swiftly and accurately, particularly excelling in face and eye detection. The sensor-based phase-detect points work well in difficult lighting and fast-paced sports scenarios, aided by Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, which facilitates smooth autofocus during live view and video recording.

The Nikon D300’s 51-point autofocus system holds its own, with a high density of points covering much of the frame. Though its AF tracking is not as smart or continuous as Canon’s, the increased focus points allow fine control when manually selecting focus areas - great for wildlife photography with long tele lenses.

For portrait and street photography requiring precise eye or face detection, the Canon 70D offers an edge. Meanwhile, Nikon’s wider AF coverage and robust viewfinder experience appeal to Nikon fans preferring manual override and precise focus control.

Burst Shooting and Buffer: Capturing Fast Action

Burst speed and buffer depth determine your success in capturing fast sequences during dynamic sports or wildlife moments.

The Canon 70D’s faster 7fps burst rate combined with a deep JPEG buffer makes it ideal for long sequences such as sports or birds in flight. RAW shooting performance is also solid, accommodating many shots before slowdown.

The Nikon D300, though slightly slower at 6fps, still performs well, particularly with fast Compact Flash cards. Its burst mode suffices for casual sport photography, but pros shooting long actions may find the 70D more flexible.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

Your camera’s lens mount largely dictates creative possibilities, as lenses craft your unique visual style.

• Canon 70D uses Canon EF/EF-S mount, compatible with over 326 lenses including Canon’s extensive lineup as well as third-party options from Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina.
• Nikon D300 utilizes the Nikon F mount with a deep heritage of compatible AF-S, AF-D, and AI converted lenses, totaling over 309 lens options.

Canon’s EF-S lenses are optimized for APS-C, often lighter and more affordable, whereas Nikon’s F-mount lenses offer exceptional professional telephoto and wide-angle choices built over decades.

If video plays a large role in your work, Canon’s USM and STM lenses provide smooth, quiet focusing. Nikon lenses, older in design, often lack STM equivalents but shine optically.

Video Capabilities: Resolution, Autofocus, and Audio

With video creation booming, having robust movie features is critical.

The Canon 70D substantially outperforms the Nikon D300 for video. It records Full HD at multiple frame rates, includes smooth, reliable autofocus during filming, and offers a microphone input for clean sound capture. The fully articulating touchscreen further enhances creative video angles.

The Nikon D300, launched in 2008, lacks any video recording ability. For multimedia creators or storytellers needing hybrid photo+video tools, the Canon 70D is the clear choice here.

Battery Life and Storage Media

Long shooting days require cameras that keep up, without frequent battery swaps or card changes.

Both the Canon 70D and Nikon D300 have excellent battery endurance, shooting just under or over 1000 images per full charge under typical conditions.

Canon’s switch to SD cards offers cost and compatibility advantages, as SD cards are generally more affordable and easier to find globally than Compact Flash cards - the storage choice on the Nikon D300. However, CF cards tend to have higher write speeds, useful if you shoot high-burst JPEG sequences.

Genre-by-Genre Performance: Practical Insights for Your Preferred Photography Style

Every photographer values different strengths. Here’s how these cameras stack up across popular photography genres:

Portraiture

• Canon 70D: Skin tone rendering is warm and flattering. Dual Pixel AF provides fast, reliable eye detection. Bokeh quality benefits from higher sensor resolution and native EF-S lens optics.
• Nikon D300: Skin tones are accurate but less vibrant. AF accuracy depends on manual point selection without face detection.

Landscape

• Nikon D300: Dynamic range wins slightly (12 EV); larger sensor area captures more scene information. Rugged body and CF card make it attractive outdoors.
• Canon 70D: Higher resolution helps landscape detail and crop flexibility, though dynamic range is close.

Wildlife

• Nikon D300: Superior AF point count and robust build give it an edge, especially with telephotos. Burst rate good but slower.
• Canon 70D: Autofocus tracking and face detection helpful for animals, but fewer AF points may limit rapid subject reacquisition.

Sports

• Canon 70D: Faster burst and tracking AF make it better for action. Touchscreen control aids quick focus adjustments mid-shoot.
• Nikon D300: Solid performer but slower fps and no AF tracking.

Street Photography

• Canon 70D: Compact size and articulating touchscreen are street-friendly. Touch to focus helps in candid scenarios.
• Nikon D300: Bulkier and noisier shutter, less discreet but weather sealing is a plus in challenging urban weather.

Macro

• Both cameras rely on external macro lenses. Canon’s higher resolution and touch options aid focus accuracy and composition.

Night/Astro

• Canon’s higher ISO capacity and cleaner noise at boosted ISO levels favor night shooting.

Video

• Canon 70D provides a full video solution. Nikon D300 lacks video.

Travel

• Lighter Canon 70D with versatile connectivity better suits travel. Nikon’s bulk and CF card may slow packing.

Professional Work

• Nikon’s ruggedness and proven reliability earn points, but Canon offers better supported RAW formats and video workflow.

Real-World Image Gallery: What You Can Expect

Examining real photos helps ground technical specs in tangible results.

Canon 70D front Canon 70D screen back Nikon D300 front Nikon D300 screen back

Both cameras deliver quality images with sharp details and accurate colors. The Canon’s higher resolution makes a difference in large prints or cropped shots, while Nikon’s images exhibit superb handling of highlights and shadows.

Final Performance Scores: How They Stack Up

For summary clarity, here’s an expert-driven scoring visualization, showing overall and genre-specific results based on lab and field tests.

The Canon 70D leads in video, resolution, and autofocus technologies, scoring higher in portrait, sports, and travel categories. The Nikon D300 excels in rugged build, dynamic range for landscapes, and professional reliability.

Who Should Choose Which?

Pick the Canon 70D if you:

• Want a versatile hybrid photo-video camera with modern features
• Value a high-resolution sensor for portraits and landscapes
• Prefer a lighter body with a touchscreen and articulating LCD
• Need strong autofocus with face-detection and good tracking
• Shoot a variety of genres including video, street, and travel

Consider the Nikon D300 if you:

• Prioritize extreme durability and professional feel in your gear
• Prefer a broad AF point array with manual focus precision
• Work mostly with photos, emphasizing landscapes and wildlife
• Are invested in Nikon F-mount lenses
• Like shooting in challenging environments where reliability counts

Wrapping Up: Our Hands-On Verdict

Both the Canon 70D and Nikon D300 remain solid choices in the mid-size DSLR category, each excelling in different aspects. The 70D’s modern sensor, touchscreen interface, and video prowess make it a compelling all-rounder for contemporary hybrid shooters and enthusiasts aiming to capture vibrant portraits and dynamic events. The D300, though older, continues to impress with its rugged construction, buffer depth for burst photography, and a classic Nikon interface for those loyal to Nikon’s ecosystem.

Before committing, we highly recommend trying both models in-hand where possible. Feel their ergonomics, test autofocus responsiveness, and review sample images that resonate with your vision.

Photography is a journey of expression. The right camera supports that path comfortably - whether capturing the perfect portrait, chasing wildlife, or crafting cinematic videos. Both these DSLRs can be trusted companions depending on your priorities.

Happy shooting, and may your next camera bring your creative ideas vividly to life!

Helpful Accessories and Recommendations to Explore

• For the Canon 70D: Consider pairing with the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II for portraits, STM lenses like the 50mm f/1.8 for video smoothness, and high-capacity SDXC cards to extend shooting sessions.
• For the Nikon D300: Invest in sturdy CF cards with fast write speeds, a Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens for telephoto work, and a protective camera bag designed for heavier gear.

Feel free to check manufacturer sites and third-party reviews for the latest firmware updates and compatibility notes, enhancing your camera’s lifespan and performance.

Thank you for joining us on this detailed Canon 70D vs Nikon D300 comparison. We hope this breakdown helps you find the best camera that fits both your creative goals and shooting preferences.