Leica S Typ 006 vs Nikon D300

The Leica S (Typ 006) and the Nikon D300 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2012 and August 2007. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on a medium format (S Typ 006) and an APS-C (D300) sensor. The Leica has a resolution of 37.5 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 12.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Leica S Typ 006		Nikon D300
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Leica S mount lenses		Nikon F mount lenses
37.5 MP – Medium Format sensor		12.2 MP – APS-C sensor
no Video		no Video
ISO 100-1,600		ISO 200-3,200 (100 - 6,400)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 922k dots		3.0" LCD – 922k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
1.5 shutter flaps per second		6 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
160 x 120 x 80 mm, 1260 g		147 x 114 x 74 mm, 925 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica S (Typ 006) and the Nikon D300? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Leica S Typ 006 and the Nikon D300 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D300 is notably smaller (13 percent) than the Leica S Typ 006. Moreover, the D300 is markedly lighter (27 percent) than the S Typ 006. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the S Typ 006 gets .. shots out of its Leica BP-PRO1 battery, while the D300 can take 1000 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL3e power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica S Typ 006	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1260 g	..	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 21 949	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D300	147 mm	114 mm	74 mm	925 g	1000	Y	Aug 2007	US$ 1 799	ebay.com
3.		Canon 1D X Mark II	158 mm	168 mm	83 mm	1530 g	1210	Y	Feb 2016	US$ 5 999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 70D	139 mm	104 mm	79 mm	755 g	920	Y	Jul 2013	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
5.		Leica M Typ 240	139 mm	80 mm	42 mm	680 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 6 949	ebay.com
6.		Leica S2	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1410 g	..	Y	Sep 2008	US$ 22 999	ebay.com
7.		Leica S3	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1260 g	..	Y	Sep 2018	US$ 18 999	ebay.com
8.		Leica S-E Typ 006	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1260 g	..	Y	Sep 2014	US$ 16 599	ebay.com
9.		Leica S Typ 007	160 mm	120 mm	80 mm	1260 g	..	Y	Sep 2014	US$ 24 499	ebay.com
10.		Leica SL	147 mm	104 mm	39 mm	847 g	400	Y	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D2Xs	158 mm	150 mm	86 mm	1252 g	3800	Y	Jun 2006	US$ 4 699	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D4	160 mm	157 mm	91 mm	1340 g	2600	Y	Jan 2012	US$ 5 999	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D200	147 mm	113 mm	74 mm	920 g	400	Y	Nov 2005	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D300S	147 mm	115 mm	81 mm	938 g	950	Y	Jul 2009	US$ 1 799	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D700	147 mm	123 mm	77 mm	1074 g	1000	Y	Jul 2008	US$ 2 999	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D7000	132 mm	105 mm	77 mm	780 g	1050	Y	Sep 2010	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
17.		Pentax 645D	156 mm	117 mm	119 mm	1480 g	800	Y	Mar 2010	US$ 9 995	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The D300 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 92 percent) than the S Typ 006, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Leica S Typ 006 features a medium format sensor and the Nikon D300 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the D300 is 72 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 0.8 and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 37.5MP, the S Typ 006 offers a higher resolution than the D300 (12.2MP), but the S Typ 006 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 6.00μm versus 5.53μm for the D300) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the S Typ 006 is a much more recent model (by 5 years) than the D300, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the S Typ 006 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Leica S Typ 006 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the S Typ 006 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 37.5 x 25 inches or 95.3 x 63.5 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 25 x 16.7 inches or 63.5 x 42.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon D300 are 21.4 x 14.2 inches or 54.5 x 36.2 cm for good quality, 17.2 x 11.4 inches or 43.6 x 28.9 cm for very good quality, and 14.3 x 9.5 inches or 36.3 x 24.1 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Leica S (Typ 006) has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D300 are ISO 200 to ISO 3200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-6400.

In terms of underlying technology, the S Typ 006 is build around a CCD sensor, while the D300 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under review, the S Typ 006 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the D300 (overall score 9 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 1.8 bits higher color depth, 0.2 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.3 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Leica S Typ 006	Medium Format	37.5	7500	5000	none	23.9	12.2	824	76
2.		Nikon D300	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	none	22.1	12.0	679	67
3.		Canon 1D X Mark II	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4K/60p	24.1	13.5	3207	88
4.		Canon 70D	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	22.5	11.6	926	68
5.		Leica M Typ 240	Full Frame	23.7	5952	3976	1080/25p	24.0	13.3	1860	84
6.		Leica S2	Medium Format	37.5	7500	5000	none	23.9	12.5	2224	82
7.		Leica S3	Medium Format	64.0	9800	6533	4K/24p	25.6	14.4	3143	98
8.		Leica S-E Typ 006	Medium Format	37.5	7500	5000	none	25.1	13.7	2763	93
9.		Leica S Typ 007	Medium Format	37.5	7500	5000	4K/24p	25.1	13.7	2763	93
10.		Leica SL	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	13.4	1821	88
11.		Nikon D2Xs	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	none	22.2	10.9	489	59
12.		Nikon D4	Full Frame	16.2	4928	3280	1080/30p	24.7	13.1	2965	89
13.		Nikon D200	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.3	11.5	583	64
14.		Nikon D300S	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.5	12.2	787	70
15.		Nikon D700	Full Frame	12.1	4256	2832	none	23.5	12.2	2303	80
16.		Nikon D7000	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/24p	23.5	13.9	1167	80
17.		Pentax 645D	Medium Format	39.5	7264	5440	none	24.6	12.6	1262	82
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The S Typ 006 and the D300 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the D300 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the S Typ 006 (98%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand, the viewfinder of the S Typ 006 has a higher magnification (0.87x vs 0.63x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Leica S Typ 006 and Nikon D300 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Leica S Typ 006	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.5/s	n	n
2.		Nikon D300	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 1D X Mark II	optical	Y	3.2 / 1620	fixed	Y	1/8000s	16.0/s	n	n
4.		Canon 70D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
5.		Leica M Typ 240	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
6.		Leica S2	optical	Y	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.5/s	n	n
7.		Leica S3	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
8.		Leica S-E Typ 006	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.5/s	n	n
9.		Leica S Typ 007	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	n	n
10.		Leica SL	4400	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
11.		Nikon D2Xs	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
12.		Nikon D4	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
13.		Nikon D200	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	n
14.		Nikon D300S	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
15.		Nikon D700	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.0/s	Y	n
16.		Nikon D7000	optical	Y	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
17.		Pentax 645D	optical	Y	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.1/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The D300 has one, while the S Typ 006 does not. While the built-in flash of the D300 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The Nikon D300 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The S Typ 006 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or SDXC cards, while the D300 uses Compact Flash cards. The S Typ 006 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the D300 only has one slot.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica S (Typ 006) and Nikon D300 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Leica S Typ 006	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Nikon D300	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 1D X Mark II	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon 70D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Leica M Typ 240	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Leica S2	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Leica S3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	-	-
8.		Leica S-E Typ 006	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Leica S Typ 007	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	-	-
10.		Leica SL	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.0	Y	-	-
11.		Nikon D2Xs	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Nikon D4	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Nikon D200	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Nikon D300S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Nikon D700	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Nikon D7000	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Pentax 645D	Y	stereo / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

Both the S Typ 006 and the D300 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D300 was replaced by the Nikon D300S, while the S Typ 006 was followed by the Leica S Typ 007. Further information on the features and operation of the S Typ 006 and D300 can be found, respectively, in the Leica S Typ 006 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D300 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Leica S Typ 006 better than the Nikon D300 or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Leica S (Typ 006):

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (37.5 vs 12.2MP) with a 75% higher linear resolution.
• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better image quality: Scores markedly higher (9 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
• Richer colors: Generates images with noticeably better colors (1.8 bits more color depth).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.87x vs 0.63x).
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale price.
• More modern: Reflects 5 years of technical progress since the D300 launch.

Arguments in favor of the Nikon D300:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 98%).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 1.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (147x114mm vs 160x120mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 335g or 27 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (92 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2007).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D300 emerges as the winner of the match-up (10 : 8 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Leica S Typ 006 and the Nikon D300 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the S Typ 006 or the D300 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica S Typ 006	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2012	US$ 21 949	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D300	..	+ +	..	+ +	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2007	US$ 1 799	ebay.com
3.		Canon 1D X Mark II	..	..	4.5/5	89/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	US$ 5 999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 70D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
5.		Leica M Typ 240	4/5	..	..	..	4/5	..	Sep 2012	US$ 6 949	ebay.com
6.		Leica S2	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2008	US$ 22 999	ebay.com
7.		Leica S3	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2018	US$ 18 999	ebay.com
8.		Leica S-E Typ 006	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2014	US$ 16 599	ebay.com
9.		Leica S Typ 007	4/5	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2014	US$ 24 499	ebay.com
10.		Leica SL	4/5	..	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D2Xs	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jun 2006	US$ 4 699	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D4	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2012	US$ 5 999	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D200	..	+ +	..	+ +	o	..	Nov 2005	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D300S	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2009	US$ 1 799	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D700	..	89/100	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2008	US$ 2 999	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D7000	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
17.		Pentax 645D	5/5	..	..	..	..	..	Mar 2010	US$ 9 995	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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