I got a Nikon D300 to replace my D50, am I guaranteed better nightclub pictures?

I got a Nikon D300 to replace my D50, am I guaranteed better nightclub pictures?

There are NO guarantees when it comes to better photos using any newer camera

You need to have the skills using the camera to assure better photos in low light

Here is what a D300 can do in low light at 3200 ISO.

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Good even light is most important.

My experience shooting in nightclubs is that the light is very poor by design. Start with a fast lens (50 mm f/1.8 or 24-70 mm f/2.8. Only using an electronic flash with the auto-focus assist lamp engaged will assure good exposures with little noise.

Here is how the sensors in those two cameras compare

http://www.dxomark.com/...nd2)/Nikon

In low light the D300 will certainly perform better, but if you want the best results in low light, you really need either a D3 or better a D3s

http://www.dxomark.com/...nd3)/Nikon

If you charge enough for your services, you will soon be able to afford a better camera body and fast lens

No. Quality of photos is all up to you. A $45, 000 Hasselblad won't give you good photos if you don't know how to use it.
Nightclub photos probably need a very fast lens, like a 50mm 1.4 / 1.8…

Look at it this way. You cook at home, and you tend to burn everything you cook. You buy new, better pans. Is that going to prevent you from burning your food? It might help a bit, you get better heat distribution, but at the end of the day, it is the same person cooking.

So if the only issue with your nightclub photos was the camera's performance in low light, then an upgrade might help. If you were not taking good photos before, though, you are not going to take good photos with the new camera.

I'll cut out the B. S. And say that, so long as you know what you are doing, the D300 can give you amazingly better night club photos than the D50. The D50 simply isn't up to the job. The D300 is much better in low light. When I first got my D300, the low light capabilities simply blew me away. Five years down the road, there are better cameras, as you would expect.

This is not exactly night club lighting, but here's a test I did for a friend who shoots a lot of concerts. He went right out and bought a D300 after seeing this series.