"This is a camera that you can program to deliver just the color (and contrast, etc) you want for every subject and scene. Like most cameras, you can choose presets that reflect the opinion of the maker as to what constitutes Vivid, Standard, etc. And like other cameras you can insert your take on things by going into the menu and creating nuances of sharpness, saturation, brightness, contrast, and even hue variations for the presets. But the D300 takes it all a bit further. In the Shooting Menu choose "Manage Picture Control," then "Save/Edit." You can then play with all the parameters as you will, which will of course be subject to testing to ensure it's where you want it to be. Then you can actually rename the setup as "Wintertime" or "Fall Foilage" or "Portraits" or whatever. You can also do this with Monochrome/Filter combinations."
"Nikon then takes this a step further, again, by allowing you to save the Picture Control setup to a memory card, making that card, in essence, a type of "film" that has a particular set of parameters. Then, when you load this card you merely select that Picture Control (by uploading it) to your or a fellow shooter's camera. You can also create custom Picture Controls using Nikon software and uploading that to a memory card, or the camera."
"There are a number of interesting new features that come with the package, such as linkage of exposure, focus control, and white balance that Nikon dubs their Scene Recognition System (SRS). This is an extension of their 3D Matrix Metering II setup, where the framed shot is analyzed by the 1005 segment sensor for light and color and then referred to a look-up table for and exposure solution. Now the analysis includes subject motion and highlights, as well as being able to "infer" light sources for white balance settings. Nikon of course keeps how this works close to the vest, but for me the proof is in the pudding, and I have to say the that Matrix meter and SRS delivers some of the most intuitive exposures I have yet to see from and evaluative-type system. In some cases it matched what I accomplished with some very careful spot metering and exposure compensation techniques."
"There are also 48 custom settings to help you set up the controls and options of the camera to your heart's content and assign various functions to however you want the camera to handle."
"There's also an "active" D-Lighting option that can be chosen to deal with highlight control, said to yield improved contrast rendition and wrestle with the bane of digital photography, too-hot highlights. You set this before making the shot, or shots, not as a Retouch menu item after exposure and review (which is still available.) This "active" D-Lighting control can be used to open up the shadow area in a contrasty scene. Now you can play with the tonal curve before exposure. There are three Active options - low, medium and high - and knowing which one to choose will be a matter of experience."
"In all, the exposure and focusing systems in this camera is quite uncanny. In the past makers have always hinted at total exposure control, and that their evaluative, matrix, or whatever system delivered the goods in all types of lighting conditions. Exposure should never be taken for granted, and there are numerous lighting conditions that can trip us all up, but I have to say that the D300 gets pretty close to figuring out many of the lighting scenarios that would have caused many more problems in the past."
"The build, heft, and ease of control access certainly make this a strong contender for the hearts and minds of serious photographers. Making great exposures with swift focusing is at the heart of any such camera. The D300 delivers the above with breathtaking ease, and much, much more in the bargain. There's no question that for the very serious Nikon fans and pros there will be a toss-up between this and the new FX (full frame) D3. There's simply no more waiting for the "other (full frame) shoe" to drop in the Nikon line-up. It might come down to price, or to how important wide and super wide coverage is to your style of work, given the D300's 1.5x focal length magnification. I can only say that the D300 is one formidable camera and unquestionably the flagship in the Nikon DX-format line-up. In fact, the D300 is, in many respects, a D3 with a smaller sensor. Given the $3000 price spread between the D3 and the D300 there may be no debate at all."
