Nigel Atherton from What Digital Camera reviews the Nikon D300 Digital SLR, which is replaces the Nikon D200.  One of the changes between these two cameras is an increase in the LCD screen - from 2.5″ to 3″.  It also has increased resolution to 12.3 megapixels and uses a CMOS which will let you shoot more frames per second and use less power as well.

In addition to the increase in size of the LCD screen, they have also increased the screen resolution to allow you to see what you are photographing easily in daylight and also so you can zoom in to check your photos for sharpness and other details.  The Nikon D300 also has live view to let you see what you are shooting in real time.

The D300 has a nice and solid body made from a magnesium alloy and is “built like a tank”.  It is also one of the better digital SLRs in the area of minimizing image noise.  Overall, this is a great camera to consider if you are a professional, aspiring professional…or simply want to take great digital photos.  They give it a 93% rating and a gold award.

Nikon D300 in depth reviews and sample photos

DPReview Nikon D300 review
Ken Rockwell Nikon D300 review
Imaging Resource Nikon D300 review

Nikon D300 sample photos at Pbase
Nikon D300 sample photos at Flickr

Gordon Laing of CameraLabs.com reviews the Nikon D40X digital SLR.  The D40X is basically the same camera as the Nikon D40 except for a big difference in resolution: The D40 has 6 megapixels and the D40X has 10.2 megapixels resolution.

The sensor in the Nikon D40X is the same as in the D80 and gives this camera a wider ISO range and faster continuous shooting (3 fps instead of 2.5 fps).  The D40X is compact and well built with an excellent grip and is good at metering and giving you the correct exposure for the scene you are photographing.

Gordon gives you an in-depth tour of what it is like to use the D40 with plenty of footage from the 2.5″ LCD screen - including the help and menu system.  There are a few flaws in the D40X such as the 3 point auto focus system, which is fine for some applications, but for taking photos of subjects that are moving all over the place you will be better off with a 9 point auto focus system as found on the Canon 400D Rebel XTi.

Ultimately if you really like the Nikon D40 but just want more resolution, the Nikon D40X will be the camera for you.

Nikon D40X in depth reviews and sample photos:

CameraLabs Nikon D40X Review
DPReview Nikon D40X Review
DCRP Nikon D40X Review

Nikon D40X sample photos on PBase
Nikon D40X sample photos on Flickr

Gordon Laing of CameraLabs.com gives you a 7 minute video tour and review of the Nikon D80 Digital SLR. The Nikon D80 is a 10 megapixel digital SLR that is designed to be affordable but an upgrade from some of the budget model digital SLRs on the market. The extra money you spend on the Nikon D80 will give you a more solid and sturdy feel as well as an 18-70mm lens as opposed to an 18-55mm lens found on less expensive models. The Nikon D80 does come in several different kits and the one he shows you here has an 18-135mm lens.

The Nikon D80 has a top lcd screen to display exposure information such as aperture, shutter speed, white balance and more.  This top lcd screen makes it easy to read when you are outside with bright sunlight.  The camera also has a 2.5″ color display and an excellent menu system including an image retouch menu to edit your photos directly on the camera.

The Nikon D80 currently sells for around $942 for just the camera body.  Full reviews and sample photos from this camera can be found below:

CameraLabs Nikon D80 Review
DPReview Nikon D80 Review
PhotoReview Nikon D80 Review

Nikon D80 Sample Photos from Pbase
Nikon D80 Sample Photos from DPReview