So after months of waiting, I finally got a Nikon D300s with the updated 18-200mm VR lens.
I was originally planning on getting a Nikon D90 which would have been a fine upgrade from my existing D60. But Lily intervened and pointed out that getting a D90 now and possibly repeating this in a year in a half might not really be a good idea. A new D300s would almost certainly keep me entertained for a couple of years.
The conversation went like this:
Me: I’d like to replace my D60 with a D90.
Lily: No. Get the next model up, that makes more sense.
Me: Oh, okay. But only because you are twisting my arm and forcing me.
That conversation was in May. I waited for the D300s because I knew that the D300 was at the end of its for sale life and I like to get the latest and greatest versions. The D300 is an amazing camera but the controls are updated on the D300s and for fun Nikon added video. The video is more of a novelty for me, I just like how fast my new camera focuses and handles low light.
Right after I got it I updated my Adobe raw converter to version 5.5 and downloaded the latest PTLens version. My Photoshop Elements work flow is to fix the white balance, adjust for lens distortion, and crop. Not complicated but having the updated software helps.
Today I took over 200 photos of a 5 year old’s birthday party. Compared to the D60, the D300s felt heavier but not unwieldy. The autofocus is fast and accurate. Low light bounces the ISO up to >1600 but that works out on this camera.
I’m playing around with it like crazy and I’m hoping that I get a chance to take some memorable pictures soon.