Movie
Frame size (pixels) 1,280 x 720/24 fps, 640 x 424/24 fps, 320 x 216/24 fps
File format AVI
Compression format Motion-JPEG
Autofocus Contrast-detect AF on a desired point within a frame is possible (Tripod mode)
Audio Sound can be recorded via built-in or optional external microphone; sensitivity can be adjusted
Maximum length 5 min (1,280 x 720 pixels), 20 min (640 x 424, 320 x 216 pixels)
Usually it's pointless to comment such a rumor but one can dream (again):
I fell in love with the colors of the Nikon D90 movie mode but sold the camera because the compression and stair stepping was too bad for me. Now there's a rumor at nikonrumors.com about a successor of the really good D300. Basically its the same camera but with the addition of a movie mode that looks like that of the D90.
Here's my dream:
The D300(s) is a pro camera and I would assume Nikon has to deliver a video quality that tops that of the Canon 5D Mark II. Video on a professional camera better should be way better than on the consumer D90.
What if the rumored 5 minute recording limit is no longer only because of overheating the sensor but because of the 4 GB limit a single file can have on a FAT formated card? This would give a bitrate of roughly 4000 MB / 5 min = 800 MB / min or 800 / 60s = 13 MB/s. This is more than "my" data rate of 12 MB/s. It's the result of storing a 1280 x 720 movie in Photo JPEG format at more than 90% quality and a data rate of 104 Mbits/s!
Add to this a fast processor that can interpolate the sensor output to 720p without aliasing or stairsteps and you should have unbelievable good video quality.
You should also get 4:4:4 color compression at that JPEG quality, i.e. no color compression at all, all red, green and blue pixels are used. The D90 already has 4:2:2 which is much better than the 4:2:0 of AVCHD or h.264 stuff.
The DX sensor size is just ideal, the full frame sensor of the Canon is too large for me (larger than a movie camera frame).
I like that Nikon sticks with 24 fps, M-JPEG and 720p.
I love the Nikon colors.
I had no problem with the D90 "jello effect" (just put the camera on a tripod or move slow and controlled).
I already own a Nikon DSLR and lenses.
I would buy such a D300s despite the lack of an articulating screen, even if it still had no manual control in video mode (not nice). I want a stills camera that shoots video frames that look like high quality stills.
I would write a new blog about the D300s if my dreams come true.
