Being a professional photographer, I own several professional spec cameras. My most recent DSLR purchase, the Nikon D300, instantly became my favourite, thanks to its versatility and top quality results. I use this remarkable camera very nearly every day, whether it be for business or pleasure. At work, it performs particularly well for portraits, interiors, and almost anything else you'd care to mention. It really is a camera that can be used in almost any situation and delivers outstanding results.

The Nikon D300 has replaced the Nikon D200 as the entry level model in the Nikon Pro DSLR range, and is a fully professional spec camera. So let's quickly run through the most important features:

• It has a 12.3 megapixel resolution delivered through a Nikon CMOS sensor. This resolution exceeds the requirements of nearly all professional editorial and stock library requirements

• A 6 frame per second shooting rate, this can be expanded up to 8 fps with the addition the optional battery pack (MB D10)

• A 51 point autofocus system, that operates in either single point, dynamic area (using 9, 21 or the full 51 points), 3D Tracking and Automatic Area modes.

• Center weighted, 3D Matrix or spot metering. Auto focus and auto exposure lock.

• Stores images on Compact Flash cards in Raw 12 or 14 bit (NEF, Nikon Electronic Format), Tiffs or Jpeg Formats.

• High quality, high resolution 3 inch LCD with Live view function.

• Image output from the camera via high speed USB, AV (PAL and NTSB) and HDMI.

• Nikon F lens mount means that you can attach almost any Nikon lens to the camera.

Nikon D300 :: The Pros

Image Quality

Firstly, and most importantly, the image quality is superb. So long as you have a decent lens on the front, your images will be superbly detailed with a great tonal range. Where this camera really delivers though is with regard to image noise (the dots that look like grain on digital images, to those who may not know what I'm talking about) There is so little noise on images produced by the D300, that even when the ISO is at 1600, noise is negligible; and what noise there is actually looks like grain rather than big blocks.

LCD Screen

The other most impressive feature to my mind is the LCD screen on the back. It has a really high resolution and is really clear, giving you a much better impression of sharpness and detail in your capture than any other LCD I've seen up to this point. It also has an extremely useful live view feature and you can also have all the shooting information displayed on the LCD which can also be a really useful feature at times.

Auto Focus & Auto Exposure

Other good points worth mentioning, the Auto focus and auto exposure systems are, as you would expect from a pro spec camera fast and accurate. Images are processed very quickly, there is usually very little lag when in continuous shooting mode. In fact everything about the operation of the camera is quick. It starts up extremely quickly, in a fraction of a second. The menu system is intuitive and easy to understand and use. If you're used to using Nikon cameras already you could pick it straight up and start using it without even needing to look at the manual. 

Build Quality

The camera feels really well made and sturdy. It's made from robust magnesium alloy and the areas you grip are covered in a comfortable rubber; ergonomically, the camera just feels right. All the compartment doors feel well made and well sealed, nothing feels at all flimsy.

Excellent Accessories System

Also of course the D300 as part of the extensive Nikon range has available a wide range of excellent accessories.

• It's really quite hard to find fault with the D300; Nikon have done a really good job here and made a high quality camera. This quality comes at a price, however and the camera is far from cheap.

• As you're getting something capable of taking really high quality pictures, you're going to want a really good quality lens to make the most of the camera's capabilities. (Having said that, the D300 is no more expensive than the comparable model from Canon.)

• The camera has so many features, that, whilst being intuitive, the menu system can get bogged down by features that you'll probably never use.

• A similar thing could be said about the 51 point AF system; having so many AF points is great in low light conditions, but in detailed scenes it can have the effect of shifting the focus point all over the place, and can slow shooting down. As with all AF systems sometimes it can be more expedient just to switch to manual.

• My only real gripe with the D300 is the lack of a timed mirror up mode, which would really help on those long exposures. (The same result can be achieved by way of the self-timer, or using Live View in tripod mode, but this is a rather convoluted solution.)

• Lastly, the Nikon D300 could be cumbersome for those not accustomed to using a larger type of SLR. For example, when combined with a 17-55mm f2.8 lens, the camera weighs nearly 1.5 Kg.