Borrowed a friends' D300 to test drive. At first impression I like it quite a lot. The 12+ mega-pixel sensor gives clean detailed images, it balances well in the hand especially with 50mm and 85mm primes thought a  bit wobbly with larger and heavier lenses like the 17-55DX and the 300EDIF is quite difficult to handhold on the D300 where as I can comfortably handhold the 300 on the D2Hs. Focusing is fast, though I did not quite like the viewfinder nor the default focusing indicators - I found the viewfinder bit small and cramped, and not easy to get my eye 'into it' after having gotten used to the rubber eyecup and bright viewfinders of the F3HP, F5 and D2Hs. The LCD is nice though! large and bright. But I could not figure how to get the display to give me the same info as I get on the D2HS [warning blinkies and RGB histograms]... it probably has the options right there somewhere and I'd need to dig it out from the owners manual. Ah, one major major gripe: lack of a vertical grip with vertical AF and shutter-release buttons. Guess one could spend the additional $350 or so and fit one optionally.... I felt like my right elbow was a bird-perch when shooting vertically..... these Images were taken with the D300, a Nikkor 85 f/1.8 and an low off-camera SB800. Sunlight was coming in from slightly behind and over Mannat's left shoulder. I overpowered the SB800 a stop or two but the shots were off-the-cuff sort of and I did not spend much time setting-up. Mannat had demanded a massive sitting-fee of 10 Taka a shot as it is! So I had to be quick and fast. LOL! So, will I sell the trusty D2Hs and get a spanking-new D300? Maybe, maybe not. The D3 still is number-one on my wish-list.

The almost-setting sun was behind this flower [can anyone ID it?] and made a kind of 'halo' of the spiky stamens. The background was too bright, I was shooting into the sun light, so if I exposed correctly for the background I lost all detail in the flower. Using a pair of warmed-up [TLA1 gel filters] SB800s off-camera added light into the flower nicely and I was able to darken the distracting background with a fast shutter speed. This image was taken while waiting for the 2 elusive Sunbirds to turn up.... they did but they disappeared as fast as they could when they spotted me looking at them through a big lens.

Free breakfast lunch and dinner for these 100's of Bluebottles on the flowers of a Areca catechu.

Wonder if the flies get a buzz? If the flowers have the same alkaloid as in the beetlenut I guess they would.