Like the Nikon D200, I was an early adopter of it’s successor, the new Nikon D300.  Having plenty of field experience with the D200, I think it’s accurate to say that the D300 is an upgrade over the already impressive D200 in every major way.

The new 51-point autofocus is more intelligent, accurate, and versatile.  It can track moving objects better than the D200, though a good lens also helps here too.  Another improvement worth mentioning is the high ISO noise performance - this has been greatly improved, actually.  Images up to ISO 1600 are almost perfectly clean, and ISO 3200 is perfectly usable.  The Canon shooters are scratching their heads and posting all sorts of ridiculous feel-good threads on message boards.  I stay out of that, since most of today “photographers” are gadgeteers more than anything.

:: Nikon D300 with Nikon 70-200 AF-S 2.8 VR lens mounted ::

Back on topic, the D300 is one of the best pro SLR cameras I’ve ever used.  It’s not too large, it’s as fast (or faster) than a D2xs, and even the optional battery grip is built as well as the camera.  This is the best APS-C sized camera money can buy, in my opinion.   I’ll get around to updating my gallery with more photos from the D300 soon.