Fight Club - Advanced DSLRs

Bring out the big guns. With HD video and ultra-tough-wearing bodies, these two throw the big weight around. Is Pentax's highest-specced DSLR enough to topple the new Nikon?

Nikon D300s		Pentax K-7

£1260 body only street price www.nikon.co.uk		£1030 with 18-55mm f3.5/5.6 WR lens street price www.pentax.co.uk
First impressions:
The D300s is a few training sessions ahead of its D300 counterpart. Whilst they look and feel nigh on identical, some usability improvements have been made with additional one-touch buttons. Like the K-7 there's a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body.	DRAW	DRAW	The K-7 comes out swinging the punches. It has the familiar feel of a well-grounded Pentax, and is compatible with those senior 35mm Pentax lenses of old too. The magnesium alloy body adds some muscle, protecting against adverse weather.
In the ring:
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee - the 51-point AF system is super fast and will strike at the right points each time. Add AF-C and its 7fps capture for some mighty power too.	WIN!!	LOSE!	A good all-rounder. It'll stay firmly on its feet in all manner of situations and covers all bases, though the exposure and AF system could do with an injection of juice.
Shot at the title:
It's all about the end product. And the D300s, with its Raw, Tiff or Jpeg (plys Raw & Jpeg option) produces stunning images across the whole ISO range.	WIN!!	LOSE!	Push into those higher sensitivities and the K-7 seems a little more tired than the rope-steady D300s, though image quality on the whole is very good.
Bookies favourite?
The D300s with a lens is going to cost you a few hundred more than the K-7, but it's no gamble. For that extra push of cash you will get that touch extra for your money.	DRAW	DRAW	At around £1030 including a weather sealed lens this is great value for money, especially when considering the huge back catalogue of Nikon-compatible lenses.
Special move:
Dual card slots take both CompactFlash and SD, though with no sensor-based stabilisation the D300s lacks any extra-unusual features.	LOSE!	WIN!!	As well as sensor-shift image stabilisation, the sensor can be moved a couple of degrees to compensate for horizons. Very clever.
Sensor:
12.3MP CMOS	LOSE!	WIN!!	14.6MP CMOS
ISO range:
100-6400	DRAW	DRAW	100-6400
LCD:
3in 920K-dot TFT	DRAW	DRAW	3in 920K-dot TFT
Viewfinder field of view:
100%	DRAW	DRAW	100%
Continuous shooting:
7fps	WIN!!	LOSE!	5.2fps
AF-system:
Multi-CAM3500DX 51-point AF system	WIN!!	LOSE!	SAFOX VIII+ 11-point AF system
Stabilisation:
No, lens-based	LOSE!	WIN!!	Yes, sensor-shift
HD Video:
720p 24fps - for that cinematic feel - captured as Motion-JPEG (AVI) movie with external stereo sound via 3.5mm jack.	DRAW	DRAW	720p 30fps Motion-JPEG (AVI) movie with external stereo sound via 3.5mm jack. Also a 3:2 1536x1024 capture.
Conclusion:
WIN!! Nikon D300s		LOSE! Pentax K-7