Nikon D300 vs Nikon D3500

Lets look much closer at the Nikon D300 and Nikon D3500, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and both of them are sold by Nikon. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the D300 (12MP) and D3500 (24MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor measurements (APS-C).

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The D300 was introduced 11 years prior to the D3500 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Nikon D300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Nikon D3500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise overview of how the D300 grades versus the D3500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon D300 and Nikon D3500. The whole galleries are viewable at Nikon D300 Gallery and Nikon D3500 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Nikon D300 features exterior dimensions of 147mm x 114mm x 74mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 2.9") with a weight of 925 grams (2.04 lbs) and the Nikon D3500 has specifications of 124mm x 97mm x 70mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 365 grams (0.80 lbs).

Contrast the Nikon D300 and Nikon D3500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the D300 compared to the D3500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the D300 and D3500 is 55 and 72 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing just by checking technical specs. The graphic underneath might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the D300 and D3500.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different resolution. You should expect to see the Nikon D3500 to resolve more detail using its extra 12MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The older D300 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.