Nikon D300 Preview

Today is a very good day for Nikon fans. If you've held on to your Nikon gear while others defected to other brands, your day has come. Though Nikon has long since re-established its prominence in the digital SLR market, today's announcements of the D3 and D300 take the battle to a new level. If the D80, D40, and D40x were a shot across the bow of their largest competitor, the D3 and D300 are a broadside, point-blank.

Both the D3 and D300 are pro-grade cameras, and share many of the same revolutionary features. While the D3 breaks new ground for Nikon with a full-frame sensor (called FX) at 12.1 megapixels, the D300 nearly matches that resolution at the old DX-size recording a 12.3 megapixel image with a 1.5x crop factor. They share so many features, we've come to think of the D300 as the build-it-yourself Nikon D3. You can almost achieve the D3's performance by adding accessories to the D300; all but the larger frame size.

Nikon's D300 displaces the D200 at the top of the prosumer DX lineup, but it does not replace it. The D200 will live on. But D200 owners in particular will be especially drawn to the D300's new features. The camera's increased resolution, 14-bit A/D conversion, and a frame rate of six frames-per-second will pique their interest. The new Scene Recognition System that merges data from the AF system with data from the 1,005-point metering system for greater accuracy and better tracking will draw them closer; the new 51-point AF system that fairly dominates the DX-sized frame and includes 15 cross-type sensors will make them chuckle with joy; and the 920,000 pixel, 3-inch LCD will make them check their bank balance for available funds.

They won't know whether they care for Live View, in-camera Lateral Chromatic Aberration Correction, a self-cleaning sensor, or optic-by-optic autofocus fine-tuning until they have the camera in their hands; but the ability to upgrade to eight-frames-per-second with the purchase of a battery grip will set their resolve.

The only disappointment is the Nikon D300's November 2007 shipping date. That's a long time to wait for something that so whets the appetite. With an expected retail price of $1,800, D200 owners will be on familiar ground, investing a little more money for a lot more camera. Here's hoping that the legacy of the D200's supply shortages -- which we're told persist to this day -- won't be a problem with the D300.