Upgrading the Firmware for the D300
 

—Macintosh—
  Thank you for choosing a Nikon product. This guide describes how to upgrade the camera firmware for the D300.
If you are not confident that you can perform the update successfully, the update can be performed by a Nikon service representative.


The D300 has two sets of firmware, A and B. This upgrade affects only the A firmware.


Important
The camera may be damaged if power is interrupted or camera controls are operated during the update. Do not turn the camera off, remove or disconnect the power source, or operate camera controls during the update. If the update is not completed successfully and the camera becomes inoperable, take the camera to a Nikon-authorized service representative for inspection.


Get ready
  To upgrade the camera firmware, you will need:
• The camera
• A UC-E4 USB cable or a memory card reader
• One of the following power sources:
  —An EH-5/EH-5a AC adapter
  —A fully-charged EN-EL3e rechargeable Li-ion battery
• A Nikon-approved memory card that has been formatted in the camera.
• The camera User's Manual


Check the current camera firmware version
 
1 Turn the camera on.
 
2 Press the MENU button and select Firmware version in the setup menu.
 
3 Two firmware versions (A and B) will be displayed. Confirm that the A version is 1.01 or earlier.
 
4 Press OK and turn the camera off.


Download and extract the new firmware
  Click the d300v102en.sit.hqx link on the download site and download the file. Once download is complete, the file “d300v102en.sit“ will be created automatically. This file will then be automatically extracted to create the folder “D300Update.” If extraction is successful, the folder “D300Update” will contain the following files:
A3000102.bin Camera A firmware
 
 
Mac OS X Version 10.4
Automatic extraction requires archive expansion software compatible with Stuffit Expander, available from Allume Systems, Inc. If the firmware update is not automatically extracted, install Stuffit Expander or other compatible archive expansion software and extract the update.


Copy the firmware to the memory card
  The firmware can be copied to the camera memory card either by connecting the computer directly to the camera using the USB cable, or by removing the memory card from the camera and inserting it in a card reader.
 
Direct USB Connection
 
Note: Use the EH-5/EH-5a AC adapter or a fully-charged EN-EL3e rechargeable Li-ion battery.
 
1 Turn the camera off and insert a formatted memory card.
For information on formatting memory cards, see the camera User's Manual.
 
2 After turning the camera on, press the MENU button, select the setup menu, and set the USB option to Mass Storage.
 
3 Turn the camera off and connect the USB cable as shown below.
UC-E4 USB cable
 
4 Turn the camera on.
• If Nikon Transfer is installed, it will start automatically; to exit, select Quit Nikon Transfer from the Nikon Transfer menu.
 
5 Copy the firmware to the memory card.
5-1. Copy the firmware to the “NIKON D300” volume corresponding to the camera.
When the camera is connected and turned on, the volume “NIKON D300” will appear on the desktop. Copy “A3000102.bin” from the “D300Update” folder to this removable disk.
 
5-2. When copying is complete, confirm that the “NIKON D300” volume contains the “A3000102.bin”.
 
6 Disconnect the camera from the computer.
For more information, see the camera User's Manual.
 
Important
Be sure to copy the firmware to the root directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.
 
Card Reader
 
1 Connect the card reader to the computer and insert a formatted memory card.
• If Nikon Transfer is installed, it will start automatically; to exit, select Quit Nikon Transfer from the Nikon Transfer menu.
 
2 A camera volume will appear on the desktop. Copy the “firmware” folder from the “Update” folder to this untitled volume as described in Step 5 of “Direct USB Connection.”
 
3 Drag the camera volume into the Trash and remove the memory card from the card reader.
 
Important
Be sure to copy the firmware to the root directory of the memory card. The camera will not recognize the new firmware if it is placed in a folder under the root directory.


Update the camera firmware
  During the update, do not:
• Remove the memory card
• Turn the camera off
• Operate any of the camera controls
• Attach or remove lenses
• Unplug or disconnect the AC adapter
• Remove the battery
• Subject the camera to powerful electromagnetic noise
Any of the above actions could cause the camera to become inoperable.
 
1 Insert the memory card containing the firmware into the camera.
 
2 Turn the camera on.
 
3 Press the MENU button and select Firmware version in the setup menu.
 
4 The current firmware version will be displayed. Highlight Update and press the multi selector to the right.
 
5 A firmware update dialog will be displayed. Highlight Yes and press OK to begin the update.
 
6 The update may take anywhere from two to five minutes. Do not perform any operations while the messages shown at right are displayed.
 
  The message shown at right will be displayed when the update is complete.
 
7 Confirm that the update was completed successfully.
 
7-1. Turn the camera off and remove the memory card.
 
7-2. Check the camera firmware version as described in Step2, “Check the current camera firmware version.”
 
7-3. If the A firmware version is 1.02, the update was successful.
 
8 Format the memory card.
 
9 If you changed the USB setting from MTP/PTP to Mass Storage to update the camera firmware, return to the USB menu and select MTP/PTP.
 
This completes the firmware update.