AaronFoto said:
In addition to the focusing and metering capabilities, having the ability to change the metering weighting and auto focus area/type without going into menus is a huge plus. The D300 body and focus system are the reasons I chose it over the less expensive D90

You can change the metering and AF on the D90 without going into menus. The buttons are just placed differently.

As others have said, your experience level will depend on which is best for you. If you've been shooting for about a year, do you feel that you've mastered the D80? If not, keep the D80 a little longer. If you have then you're ready for the next level and the D90 is not the next level; it's the newer body in the same level. I own both a D90 and a D300. The AF system as mentioned before is far superior in the D300. I'm not guessing at this, I used both side by side and changed lenses between them. The metering in the D300 is a bit more accurate as well.

Now for the type of work you're doing, I know lots of people who use a D90. In fact, when I shoot landscapes or portraits, I rarely use my D300, that's my wildlife camera and for wildlife I rarely use my D90.

I started with a D90 and now have a D300S. As several reponders have pointed out, it depends a lot on experience. The D90 is a fantastic balance between a 'learner' and an 'experienced user' machine. It offers a bit of both from fully automatic to fully manual. It helped me understand all of the functionality. I can say that for still pictures I havn't noticed any differnce between the two. The reasons I changed up were mainly as as follows: 7 frames per second, 51 point focusing, fully programmable set up. These advantages have improved my success rate for wildlife and other motion photography. I'm not sure, but I also feel that the low ISO performance is better on the D300s. But beware, there is no 'auto' button or 'scene modes' on the D300s - so you do need to understand the workings of a DSLR a lot more to get good pictures out of it. But if you are prepared to spend the effort the D300s will give you almost unlimited possibilities. It is, after all, Nikon's DX flagship. So if money is critical, or you lack experience , go for the D90. If you have the cash and you are already an experienced photographer, go for the D300s.

Hope that helps!

i just into photography for about a year now. i used to have a d80 with 18-135. i sold it and planning to get a better body and new lens as well. i shoot alot of landscape and tried some wedding shots. i'm interested into portraiture. what combo is best to get? i already have a 50mm 1.4 and 10-24mm.

In addition to the focusing and metering capabilities, having the ability to change the metering weighting and auto focus area/type without going into menus is a huge plus. The D300 body and focus system are the reasons I chose it over the less expensive D90

There are other reasons to go for the D300s, like better metering. I moved from a D90 to a D300, and the metering is a lot more accurate. The auto focus system is far superior if you shoot a lot of action, such as sports or wildlife.

as hearty wrote, it all depends on experience - I wouldn't go personally for d300s, unless You really need the AF tuning, second card slot and better compatibility with the oldest lenses. For the price of d300s You can easily get d90 + a nice lens (set of lenses) .

Also depends on your experience... If you are less experienced the D90 will help you take better pictures than the D300S. What other camera gear do you have and what is your photography background?

Hello goombu and welcome to the forum. It depends on what kind of photography you do? If you want a good camera at a great price then the D90 is hard to beat. However it will soon be replaced, sometime this year, by a newer model.

The D300S is a very rugged and capable camera. It has come down in price significantly and might be the better deal if you need that kind of durability. A D300S replacement isn't expected until the beginning of 2011.

i'm planning to buy a new camera body. is d300s a good camera instead of a d90?