Thank You, Nikon!!!!!

Okay, let me begin by saying that this is not a camera review. I have had a camera in my hands almost every day for the past 37 plus years, and guess I ain't a bad shooter, but am not gear head enough to do a review. I do know what I like. I like the Nikon D3. A lot.



First impression was the way it fit my hand. It feels good, like a camera. I have used Nikons for most of my career. The Nikon F, F2(both with motors), the F5 and D2Hs have all had that fit. Everything is where it should be, and easy to reach. Balanced and solid, and you can shoot them real slow with a good wide angle. I like that because I love available light. And speaking of available light, this puppy does a really clean 6400 ISO. These night shots were done under the street lights in downtown Fort Valley at 6400.
Not real noisy, and they are sharp.

The photo of nurse Sheryl Rice was done at 800 ISO under mixed lighting, lot of sunlight through a window and hospital fluorescent overhead. Shot using Auto white balance. The color came from the camera real clean, not the usual ever present Nikon yellow, and the new color management system seems to not build up contrast like a lot of earlier DSLR's.



The autofocus is fantastic. Really quick and works well in low light, and does things
that are quite incredible. To steal a line form my hero Woody Marshall "This is a $5000
camera, and I only used about $10.00 worth."

Plus it is full frame, but I raved enough about that the other day.

Like I said, I am no gear head. I have not wanted to rush out and buy very new Nikon model that came along. I have wanted them for their usability. Hard to believe how far we have come since the old AP 2000e or even the Kodak DCS620's I used for several years.
The D3 is a really great tool for the photojournalist. Newspapers that are not using it will be at a disadvantage coving the news. It is that much better than what we have now.

The D300 is a good little camera. The color is quite clean, and it does higher ISO's well. The Dogwood blooms I shot at 1000 ISO. The camera without the optional vertical grip is unbalanced, and is is awkward shooting vertical, you have to reach over the camera for the shutter release. I am sure I would be more fond of this camera had I not been shooting the D3 at the same time.



I must say a big "THANK YOU" to Nikon. You have done this old shooter proud.