Plenty of test pictures, but no real in-depth goodies. Until now! DCRP has come up with what we wanted, a real in-depth review of the new Nikon D300 with pictures, test shots, and a good exam of the new stuff.

The main new features of the D300 are:

• New 12.3 effective Megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor
• EXPEED image processing “concept”
• Continuous shooting as fast as 8 frames/second (with the optional battery grip)
• 51-point autofocus with 3D subject tracking
• Huge 3-inch LCD display with 307,000 pixels (920,000 dots) with live view support
• Dust reduction system
• Picture Control settings let you have sets of color control settings (think Picture Styles on Canon SLRs)
• Active D-Lighting lets you brighten shadows while taking photos (instead of after)
• Rugged magnesium alloy body is sealed against dust and moisture
• HDMI video output

And it’s got a scorching review beating it’s competitors in pretty much every area. The only apparent weaknesses seem so be a flimsy CF card door and a slight over-expose (might be fixed in firmware but I doubt it as it lends itself to better high ISO performance when overexposing slightly).

The images appear slightly soft straight from the camera too, but that’s normal for Nikon as they try to retain maximum detail. It looks wonderful after some careful USM (Unsharp Mask) or Smart Sharpen.

All things considered, Nikon has done a really impressive job with the D300. They made a lot of promises, and the D300 has delivered on them. It keeps up perfectly with its closest competition, the EOS-40D, and surpasses it in several areas. Whether you’re upgrading from an older Nikon SLR, or want something “nice” for your first foray into digital SLRs, then the Nikon D300 is a camera that I can highly recommend.

Read the full review here:

DCRP Review: Nikon D300

This follows very shortly after the Nikon D300 was Announced.

It really looks like an incredible camera!

You can read the full Preview here:

Nikon D300 Hands-on Preview

I can’t wait for the Nikon D3 Preview or Review to come out!

Looks and body wise it’s almost identical to the D200, it just has a larger screen, 2 more megapixels and some new features. Amazingly it goes up to 8fps with the battery grip attached!

The easy-to-use DX-format D300 offers outstanding image quality, multi-functional technologies and fast response. With class-leading 12.3 megapixel resolution, speedy 6 fps frame advance, self-cleaning sensor unit and high definition 3” VGA LCD display, combined with Nikon’s legendary durability, the D300 is a breakthrough solution for photographers searching for an advanced compact SLR.

“Packed with the latest technologies and Nikon’s renowned ergonomics, the D300 sets a new standard for professionals on a budget,” said Robert Cristina, Brand Manager, Nikon Professional Products, Europe. “The D300 is a true ‘go-anywhere’ camera, delivering fast response, high performance and ease of use that will appeal to anyone serious about their photography.”

I’m really looking forwards to getting my hands on one of these! I’m hoping to see some new DX lenses too, perhaps a cheaper 17-55mm f/2.8 with VR!

It’s surely going to another award winner like the D200 – touted as the best digital camera ever made. Let’s hope the D300 exceeds the expectations.

It seems it’s much as expected, fantastic Dynamic Range, but slow, slow AF and slow shooting speed. Definitely not for sports or wildlife shooters.

A good camera for skin tones though, excellent white balance (with the new firmware) and very good rendition of highlight details.

No bunching up on the histogram like normal digital camera, apparently it has wide ‘shoulders’ and gives more leeway like film.

It also has pretty interesting film simulation modes.

If you shoot in the studio, or you do a lot of portraits and wedding, and don’t like post-processing much, this could be the camera for you.

Although many might say the Canon 5D might be a better choice.

You can find some sample pictures here and here.

Fuji S5 Pro vs D200 Dynamic Range Test.

Fuji Finepix S5 Pro Experience Report

Overall we find the Fuji S5 a very exciting camera. The highlight extension paired with excellent noise characteristics raise the bar for image quality and shows that not only Megapixels matter.

Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro CNET Editor’s Review

The bottom line: While a wide dynamic range lets it serve up tons of highlight detail and impressive overall image quality, the S5 Pro isn’t for high-speed sports photography, and it could use more resolution.

Popular Photography – Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro

But this is not really a sports shooter’s camera. The S5 will no doubt please its intended audience — wedding and portrait shooters. The bigger question is whether it will appeal to the broader market of serious amateur photographers. Actually, we think it will. A lot.

Fuji FinePix S5 Pro Digital Camera Body Only

The Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro’s image quality makes it a viable choice for pros and other quality-conscious photographers. Dynamic range, noise and color are all excellent. The S5′s mechanicals – a Nikon D200 body, with Nikon autofocus, metering and flash – are also big assets. The drawbacks of the S2 and S3 bodies are gone.

The S5 Pro features the same SuperCCD SR design sensor although now called ‘SR Pro’, it features 6.17 million ‘S photodiodes’ (normal DR) and 6.17 million ‘R photodiodes’ (highlight DR) for a total photodiode count of 12.34 million. Other headline improvements are the new body (which is obviously based on the Nikon D200) and all that includes; better AF, i-TTL flash, metering, Lithium-Ion battery. Other improvements include better DR control, up to ISO 3200 sensitivity and LAN / WiFi accessories.

This is the beast everyone is looking for, solid body, high ISO, amazing lack of noise and a wider dynamic range than other cameras.

A lot of people are still using the Fuji S3Pro as a portrait camera due to the beautiful colours it gives and the fact they can use Nikon lenses.

I’m really glad manufacturers are stopping the megapixel race and concentrating on quality.

Nobody ever really needs more than 10-12 megapixels.

And the difference between 8-10mp and 10-12mp is negligible.

It’s strange there’s no reviews out for this camera yet, it’s set to be around RM8500 in Malaysia.

We covered when the D80 was announced in August last year.

It’s a great camera, enough megapixels for anyone, good features, nice external controls, great image quality and the room to grow with support for plenty of pro quality lenses.

One thing I do recommend though, if you buy this camera don’t take the kit lens (the 18-135mm) as it’s not a great lens. Get the D80 body with the 18-70mm (Around RM650 second hand) lens from the D70s kit or get another lens completely like the 18-200mm VR (if you have the budget of around RM2500) or a third party lens like the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 (RM1550) or the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 (RM1800).

The D40 is ok for real beginners, but people with some good photography experience might find it limiting, also the lack of support for good but cheap lenses like the 50mm f/1.8D is not there.

The reviews are generally excellent, so here’ a summary for you:

Nikon D80 Review (DPReview)

The number of cons, and the fact that there are no serious ones, is a testament to the thought and work that has gone into the D80′s design. It’s one of those cameras which just feels ‘right and sorted’ from the moment you pick it up. Things just get better the more you use the camera, you will begin to discover the usefulness of major features like the customizable automatic ISO and the subtle touches like being able to tap the DELETE button twice to delete an image (sounds insignificant, but in use things like this make the D80 far more usable than other cameras).

Nikon D80 (Nikonians)

After following the speculation in our Nikon D80 Users Group forum at Nikonians I’d say Nikon has delivered on many fronts. It’s clear this new D80 DSLR can not be slotted simply as a straight replacement for either the Nikon D50 or the Nikon D70, but that’s not to say it isn’t. It’s shaping up to be a lot like a Nikon D50 in terms of size, but these comparisons can no longer be simply made.

Nikon D80 review (Photography Review)

Like the D100-200 upgrade before it, this upgrade from the D70 to D80 is a worthwhile step up, both in ability and performance. The jump in pixel count and autofocus ability alone warrants the change, but there are literally dozens of other tweaks as you delve further into the menus. The price also seems to be pitched about right, although market forces will soon see it settle into a slightly lower slot, which is all good news. Highly recommended.

DCRP Review: Nikon D80

The Nikon D80 is a fairly inexpensive digital SLR that packs spectacular performance and excellent (though somewhat soft) image quality into a well-built, solid camera. . For under $1000 you get quite a lot of camera, and it will certainly make people think twice about spending hundreds more on a D200. The D80 was a joy to use, and I’m certainly going to miss it when it goes back to Nikon. In other words, the D80 easily earns my recommendation.

Nikon D80 (Ken Rockwell)

When the D80 came out in mid-2006 I bought one immediately because it gave the same resolution as my D200 in a more portable package. My D80 is as small and light as my D70 with the same sensor as my D200. Whoo hoo!

Nikon D80 review (Camera Labs)

The Nikon D80 is without a doubt a very classy camera. It feels great, handles well, performs superbly and has one of the best viewfinders around. At times when rivals struggled with various lighting conditions, the D80’s metering remained unfazed and quite simply delivered great-looking images every time.

Once again I say if you have the budget, go for it, you won’t regret it.