D300

It's big and heavy - the body is just over 2 pounds with the battery - and it's also a complex camera that offers 12.3-megapixel imaging and crosses the line between professional and consumer DSLR.


One of the first features to catch my eye was the 3-inch color LCD, with a Live View mode to help with macro photography.  Many of the buttons are programmable, and the ability to tweak the camera became essential when I started learning the menu system.


The images this camera produced surprised me, especially the lack of graininess at high ISOs.  The D300 is fast: It can capture an impressive 6 frames per second in burst mode, and 8 fps with the addition of an external battery pack that I will purchase in a couple months.


All in all, I look forward to years of fun shooting with this new model.