Popular Photography has put the Nikon D300 through the ringer and is very pleased with the results.
A major factor in the D300’s stellar image quality is the new Sony-made 12.3MP (effective) CMOS sensor that captures RAW data with up to 14 bits of color per red, green, and blue channels. Most other DSLRs in this class only provide 12 bits per channel. This gives the D300 an advantage in reproducing fine color gradations, shadow details, and wider dynamic range. But it also increases the file size of images recorded in the 14-bit mode (selectable over normal 12-bit RAW). (Read more)
Popular Photography also named the Nikon D300 its “Camera of the Year,” beating out competitors like the Olympus E-3, Canon’s 40D and Sony’s A700.
You can follow all of the Nikon D300 news and reviews on this page. (Thanks for the tip Jeff.)