I have, like many people, been waiting a long time for nikon to replace the D300. My D80 is adequate for now, but i am due an upgrade, and want more performance. Yes a D300 will do but i love my technology6 and like to have the best i can afford! I have therefore been trying to find out more about the D300s with a view to purchasing one. I have however found the knowledge among the UK retailers to be severely lacking. I have visited 2 jessops stores and called their sales line and none of them could tell me if the camera has continuous AF while shooting video. The first jessops store told me the camera does not do video, the second that all DSLR video was manual focus only, and the sales hotline had no clue either. I have tried other Nikon retailers too and only Clifton Cameras could tell me that it has contrast detect AF during video shooting (and that was after they looked on the web).
I am horrified that Nikon have just released a new camera whose only significant benefit over its predecessor is video functionality, and then failed to educate its retailer network on how that functionality works. The attitude of the jessops sales staff has probably cost them a £1500 sale.
I may well buy a D300s but it is a big let down. Maybe this camera will be replaced in a hurry - there is very little hype over it (they are in stock in all the Retailers i've tried) which is strange for a Nikon product launch in this sector. Also Canon seem to be forcing Nikons hand with the release of the Eos 7D. The spec sheet for that makes the new Nikon look old. I am a Nikon devotee and have too much money in glass to change, but I like many others want a D400 sooner rather than later - this D300S seems very poor on the back of Canons announcement.
