ChasT

What components should be kept from my D300 to use on the new D7200? i.e. batteries, memory cards, lens in particular.

2nd question... The D300 is in good condition, what is a reasonable "quick sell" price for body only?

ssymeono Loc: St. Louis, Missouri

You have it all wrong: if you sell the D300, you should be replacing its successor and one of the best cameras on the market: THE D500!!

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Nothing will interchange except the lenses, everything else is different. The D 500 would be a better choice as the controls are almost the same, but the battery and memory cards are still different.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Keep the lenses you like. Everything else is new.
D300, not the D300S, is worth around $300 in perfect 10 condition, or around $225 if it shows signs of wear, needs sensor cleaning, has over 70K shutter actuations, etc. You can get slightly more money if you don't mind waiting a little for a sale.

Question - why not a D500? The control layout is more like what you are used to - the D300 was a entry level Pro camera with a similar control and menu to the D700, D800 and D810. The D500 shares this. The D7200 is a pro-sumer camera with more menu driven adjustments, and less robust build quality.

ChasT

Thanks for all the input. I will give the D500 a closer look before I take the plunge.

nikonboy Loc: Apple Valley, MN and Pine Island, Florida

All of your lenses will work. If you like the D300, which I do, you'll love the D7200. I made the change about a year ago. I liked the D7200 so much I bought two. Now I am not knocking the D500 at all. It is a great camera and if it had been out when I was transitioning I might have bought it. But I guarantee you'll love the D7200 if you decide to go that route.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Mirroring others, the interface is different between the D300 and D7200. Both good cameras, but I rarely use my D7000 just because of the layout. To me, it's awkward and not intuitive. If you don't shoot any kind action with changing conditions, it may not be a big deal for you.

Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

Some first hand observations: I had a D300s and D700 which I sold to buy a D810. 2 weeks ago, whilst in Africa I dropped the D810 and broke the bayonet mount. Luckily, I was with PANGOLIN tours and the guide sold me one of their D7000 loaners. The user interface is VERY different and i did not like it at all. Most annoying is the mode wheel on the left side. Other issues are the position of dedicated controls. I would also highly recommend that anyone moving from a D300/D300s to a new body look only at the D500. When you consider IQ, ISO, burst rate, etc I think its a "no brainer". PS - I get my D810 back next week. $500 to repair. Advice: take the 10 seconds needed to put the camera down before bending over to tie your shoelace.

Bill_de Loc: US

I had a D300 and D2Xs for many years. I now have a D7200 and a D500. I use the D500 mostly for birds where the fast focus and frame rate can help me get lucky once in a while. I use the D7200 for flowers, landscapes, and things that don't require speed. I typically shoot aperture priority or manual. I don't constantly switch back and forth, so having the controls in a different spot doesn't really bother me. There are enough programmable buttons that if you go through the menus carefully you can set either camera up pretty much how you like.

On my D7200 the movie button is now an ISO button. On all my cameras I prefer focus lock to bbf, but you can have whichever you want.

The D500 is a stronger build, but I don't bang my cameras around. The D500 has a longer expected shutter life. I won't come close to the rated number on either camera. The D7200 is lighter and a great walk around camera with the 35mm 1.8.

When shopping match your own shooting needs to the camera. Forget about what I, or anybody else needs. Either camera will produce excellent images and is likely to last as long as you want to keep using it.

The D7200 has 2 SD slots while the D500 has one SD and one XQD. Either way you will not be using your CF cards.

Best of luck in your decision making.

--

JohnKlingel

The D500 is your best bet. Think about converting D300 to infrared. You're not going to get much for it.

Bear2 Loc: Southeast,, MI

Ditto, you will love the D7200.

Duane

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

The Nikon D500 is going for $2000 the last time I checked. And the D7200 is about $1100. The D500 is now the best of the DX cameras. The D7200 is 2nd best now, and still in high standings. However, if you can afford the D500, get it.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I am a little bit different to others when it comes to updating. My first reasoning is that if you have money to burn then update on a yearly basis.
If that first reasoning do not apply then I say update if your camera is not doing the job or if a new camera has the features you need for your photography.
Although I do not own a D7200 I have heard many good things about it and I do know how good the D500 is from all the reports I have seen. There is a significant difference in price between both cameras. I can tell you right now that with the proper lenses image quality is not going to be better from one camera to the other.
If the D7200 or the D500 have features that are necessary for your photography then you have the answer. Do not expect more than $300 for the D300, which is also a superb camera.

dandi Loc: near Seattle, WA

I have d5100, d7000 and d700 - all three have different layout, it does not bother me, I kind of like it. It's all about your shooting style.
I just add that d500 cost as two d7200.

Leon S Loc: Minnesota

We bundled a D300 with an 18-70 and a 70-300 for $350. Sold it to a friend. It went fast. We replaced it with a D7200 and purchased a 35mm 1.8. We kept the 18-200 vr a 11-18 and of course use our other fx lenses with it. We wanted a lighter weight camera than always using our D8xx's all the time. The D7200 seems to be a great addition to our arsenal and has proven to take very good shots for us. we added the $350 to another $400 and bought the D7200 as a referb when it was on sale. No regrets at this point. Leon