Nikon’s D300S isn’t exactly tailor made for D300 owners, but for those waiting patiently to jump into the semi-pro DSLR game, it offers up a pretty delightful array of specs. Boasting SD and CF slots, a 720p movie mode and 12.3 megapixels of sharp shooting goodness, this here cam received overwhelmingly positive reviews late last year. Strategically positioned between the full-frame D700 and the lesser-specced D90, we’re sure the D300S found its way into quite a few hearts (and under quite a few trees) between then and now. If you’ve been firing off snaps with one of these for a few months now, we’re curious to know how you’d tweak things if the power were yours. Does the “S” really add enough to the D300 package to warrant the boost in price? How’s the image quality? Is the video mode a-okay for your purposes? Spill your heart out in comments below — we’re here to hold your hand if necessary.

How would you change Nikon’s D300S? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I had a few people ask about how I mounted the SB-800 in the ceiling for the John McIntyre photo last week. I used a Matthews Scissor-Clip, a sweet little light stand / cable clamp made just for suspended ceilings.

Hit the jump for more info and pics.
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Here it is with nothing attached — and upside down from its normal orientation. The grooved, “X-Wing” style base opens and closes to securely grab the panel-holding framework of a suspended ceiling, and drop down with a 5/8″ male stud.

It’ll hold any small light, obviously including an umbrella clamp and speedlight combo. Best yet, it wastes very little space beneath the ceiling before you get down to the strobe head. Which is usually a very good thing in a (low-ish) suspended ceiling environment.

An AlienBees light might be pushing it a little. (Please sound off in the comments either if you are doing that successfully, or had an AB drop and electrocute a subject.)

The little wire spring is a cable restraint. So if you stick a plug-in head up there, you can use a couple extra clamps to keep the cable out of the frame. Never had much use for that, as a few inches of gaff tape works just as well and takes up way less space in the bag.

But I will usually have two in the bag if I am headed to an office — they are just too cheap and small not to. My Matthews brand clamp was less than $20, or you can get generic versions for under $10.

Here is a crop from the shoot which shows it all set up. It is serving as a mount for an umbrella swivel and an SB-800. The gaff tape on the flash head gobos it from flaring into my lens.

I can’t remember what prompted this expression on John. I may be mistaken, but I think he was trying to remember the difference between “your” and “you’re.” Copy desk folks are picky about such things, you know.

From an interview with Hiroshi Takashima (General Manger of Imaging Division at Nikon) at Photofair:
Q: What can we expect from Nikon in 2010?
A: We plan to surprise the market. We will concentrate only on better quality and better line-up of cameras. So you can expect surprises.
Me thinks the surprise will be the rumored Nikon EVIL [...] Related posts:

1. Thom Hogan working on a “special surprise book”
2. Nikon press conference scheduled for February 3rd, 2010
3. Nikon stock ticker, financial info missing for the US market – what’s going on here?

Nikon will have only one press conference on February 3rd, 2010 (the actual announcement could be on February 2nd, depending on your time zone). I never got any information about a second press conference (like they did last year). It is now also too late to schedule one. This could only mean that Nikon doesn’t [...] Related posts:

1. Nikon Coolpix S3000 and Coolpix S8000 will also be announced
2. Nikon press conference scheduled for February 3rd, 2010
3. D60 replacement in “early August”