A temporary conclusion

Again, and I don't tire of repeating this, these are preproduction cameras. Still, I saw enough to come to this conclusion: If you're a working pro who uses Nikon, get in the line. The D3 is almost blasphemously good. If you're using a D200 and want to upgrade to the D300, well, you might want to wait for the production camera, see how it does, and then decide. While the D300 is a marked improvement, it might not be worth the money you'll lose by selling the D200 and buying the D300. On the other hand, if you're using the D200 to earn money, go for the D300.

With the D3, Nikon also made terrific improvement with the AF system. Nikon's metering has been astonishingly good ever since Nikon F5, so no need to waste words on that. The Expeed processor (I really wish they made a Blackadder special: »Blackadder insults the marketing department at enormous length.«) does its job well, reducing noise without sacrificing too much detail. The Scene Recognition System enables JPEGs to look great straight out of the camera. Dynamic D-lighting performs quite well, making it possible to capture a high-contrast scene exactly as you want it. In my testing, JPEGs straight out of the camera looked very good, making any later post-processing almost redundant. At the same time, it's possible to record RAW files to the second card slot, so just in case you blow it, you have a bit of a safety net.

The 9 frames per seconds? Works exactly as advertised. I tested it with the SanDisk Extreme IV and it performed really well. The same goes for ATP Pro Max II with 300x speed. Using these two cards, it's possible to just hold down the shutter and shoot at maximum speed until the card is full in JPEG mode. Other cards couldn't cope with such speeds – the SanDisk Extreme III, for instance, got up to 60 shots before choking the buffer. I'll test the cards in a separate article.

The Nikon D300 is a bit of a mixed bag, though. I'll wait for the final firmware tweaks before passing any judgement on it. If you're a hobbyist, it might not be worth upgrading. If you're a pro, it's likely to be a good investment. Also, if you’re thinking about switching from D40x or D80 to a higher end camera, this might be just the ticket.

A bit of the old crystal ball

So, what do we know by now? Nikon D3 is a reporter's camera with everything a reporter needs, in other words, speed and low noise. It does lack the utmost in fine detail compared to Canon 1Ds Mark III. This can mean only one thing – there will be something like the D3X introduced soon. It might be Photokina 2008, or even PMA 2008.

Let's speculate further. Nikon is breathing down Canon's neck. There's one missing link – the hypothetical Nikon D30. An FX sensor camera with a D300 body. Nikon seems to be committed to full frame, and the D300 isn't really a pro's backup camera. Neither the D200 nor the D300 are – to me, at least – as good as Nikon F90(x) or Nikon F100 which were used as backup bodies by photographers using Nikon F4 or F5. Well, maybe they are today, but this won't last. This hypothetical Nikon D30 will be introduced within a year, I'm sure. Nikon is back - they used to be the biggest pro camera manufacturer and they're doing their best to regain this title. It's not all up to them, of course – we'll have to see Canon's response. On the other hand, if Canon decide that they're not interested in being the top pro manufacturer, they simply won't do it. High end cameras cost a lot to develop and sell in very small quantities – worldwide sales are about 2000 cameras per month, so if Canon decide that this is not a sufficiently profitable market, they won't keep pouring in resources and money.
There's a lot that film virgins don't know about camera industry - DSLRs still don't have features introduced as far back as 1995, or even the positively antediluvian, nay, Palaeolithic, features from 1965. Both manufacturers still have a huge backlog of features just waiting to be introduced at the right time to gain maximum competitive advantage, so don’t think camera development is all about sensors now.

I tested both new lenses, the 12-24 and the 24-70. They're great, but not all that useful on a DX body, as their filed of view becomes less than ideal.

So, this is about it. I expect to receive production samples of both cameras within a month. When I do, you'll get all the image samples (along with assorted musings on image quality) you can handle and then some. Also, Nikon introduced two new lenses – 24-70/2.8 and 14-24/2.8. I tested them both, so expect a review shortly.

• Canon EOS 1D MkIII - First impressions
  The camera performed well for real photojournalistic work. Even without being completely familiar with the new features of the Mk III, the settings are easy to use if you know the previous 1D series cameras. But it takes real work to know whether the camera is trustworthy or not. In my opinion, it'll take at least half a year to discover all possible shortcomings. This is why I don't want to give a final opinion for this camera at the start of its career.
  
• Nikon D300 and Nikon D3 Hands-on Preview
  My impressions for today? Nikon is back in the saddle, and the saddle is on a very good horse. But they haven't won the race yet.
  
• Olympus Evolt E-510 Review / DIWA Awards
  A review of the Olympus E-510, with comparison shots of Nikon D40x, Canon 400D and Canon 1D Mk III.
  
• Sony Alpha 700 first impressions
  The Sony Alpha 700 will certainly get a warm reception from the existing Sony and Konica Minolta users, but as to those who have yet to get into the wonderfully expensive world of DSLRs, well, that remains to be seen. Let's wait till the cameras hit the shelves – with the final firmware.
  
• Nikon Sendai plant visit
  A tour of the Nikon Sendai plant. The birth of a Nikon D3, in other words.
  
• Canon 40D Review
  A quick review of the Canon 40D.
  
• Nikon D3 and memory card speeds
  Ever wondered how fast a card has to be to keep up with the Nikon D3? Read on and find out.
  
• Olympus E-3 - first impressions
  Matjaž gets soaking wet in rainy Istanbul. He risked life, limb and a very angry missus just to see if the Olympus E-3 could take it. It could.
  
• A few shots with a production Nikon D300
  Want to see how a production Nikon D300 works on models? Well, only one way to find out. (I don't really have to tell you to click the link, do I?)
  
• Nikon Solutions Expo / London - Cologne - Vienna
  Wanna see what Nikon Solutions Expo in London, Germany, Vienna looked like? Have a peek.
  
• Shutter time accuracy - Nikon D300
  Following our visit to the Nikon plant in Sendai, we were curious about how good exactly were those Nikon shutters. After all, Nikon claim to employ the strictest quality control measures seen since the Inquisition, and we wanted to make sure they were telling the truth.
  
• Nikon D300 - mnenje uporabnika
  Vsak, ki se ukvarja s fotografiranjem profesionalno ali amatersko, pride v situacijo, ko si želi zabeležiti vse svoje spomine, pomembne, zanimive ali nenavadne dogodke, tako družinske kot turistične. Tistemu, ki ljubi fotografiranje in želi doseči višji nivo na tem področju, finančne zmožnosti pa mu to dopuščajo, bo Nikon D300 zagotovo eden izmed tistih, ki bo v največji meri zadovoljil njegova pričakovanja.
  
• The last Canon EOS
  In 2004, Mr. Iwasaki Takaya told me to expect an EOS 3D. This would mean a new, high quality body, with 1Ds Mk II sensor, a high resolution screen and perhaps even video recording. Oh yes, it’s completely unthinkable, video in a still camera.