About D300

D300 is a "mid range" DSLR from Nikon. Here are some of the features that makes it stand out against low range DSLRs, or at least compared to the D40X.

• The D300 has Liveview, so you can see the motive on the LCD screen before taking a photo. The function is somewhat clunky compared to compact cameras, but there are situations where it is indispensible.
• The D300 has easy access to standard configurations, like changing ISO or image size and quality.
• The D300 has bracketing, which means that the camera can take several pictures in a row with slightly different configurations. This is very useful for HDR.
• The D300 has an auto focus motor, so lenses without auto focus motor still work without manual adjustments.
• The D300 has higher ISO and much better noise control in low light situations.
• The D300 has slightly more pixels than current low end Nikon DSLRs.
• The D300 has more 51 possible focus points, so the focus point can be virtually anywhere in the picture. Low end cameras have much fewer points - sometimes just 3.
  
• The D300 has a faster motor, so it can take 6 photos per second, while a low end camera may only take half of that. The high speed is very useful for photos of moving objects like birds, acrobats and Formula 1 cars.

The cameras that currently are defined as high range are the D3 and D700. However, already the mid range D300 can easily create pictures that can be used for serious professional purposes.