I couldn’t resist the temptation to purchase the D300 as a upgrade for my D200. However, I told myself that I would return the D300 if I felt it wasn’t a huge improvement over the D200. I was able to make that determination within minutes of opening the box. As soon as the D300 arrived I opened the box and inserted a freshly charged battery, a high speed CF card, and screwed on my Sigma 10-20 mm lens. Since this is a relatively slow lens (F4 to F5.6) I cranked up the ISO to 1600 and started shooting indoors. My impressions within 5 minutes of using the D300:
1. Low light auto focusing and overall capability is a significant improvement over the D200. With ISO at 1600 and using no flash, my Sigma 10-20 mm lens focused very quickly. My D200 would often hunt in low light, resulting in blurry shots. The contrast between light and dark areas is stunning!
2. Tremendous improvement over the D200 in overall noise. ISO 1600 is usable. I viewed images on my 20″ Imac at full screen and noise was very minimal. My D200 maxes out at a noisy 800. I can now take usable flash free pics indoors and not have to worry about using flash
3. 3″ LCD- Finally, an LCD lens that actually big enough and clear enough to display pics.
4. Viewfinder- A definite improvement over the D200. I love having a 100% viewfinder
5. Colors- Even without messing with any of the custom controls, colors are more vivid. The D200 is a bit washed out in comparison.
6. Build quality- I had no complaints w/ my D200 and it is nice to see that Nikon did not skimp with the D300.
Conclusion: The D300 is a remarkable improvement over the D200. Is it worth the price? For $1,799, I don’t think the D300 has any competition. Is it worth upgrading from to the D300 from the D200? To me, the blazing quick auto focus and outstanding low light capability alone are worth the price. The LCD screen and 100% viewfinder are icing on the cake. This is very likely the best DX format SLR available today.
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