Nikon has received many awards for their awesome D200 and D2X high-end digital SLR cameras, but today, Nikon raised the bar with the new D300 and D3.

First, there’s the D3. Nikon advertises it as having the fastest SLR startup time (not usually a problem with an SLR) and shortest shutter lag (awesome!). It sports a 12.1MP full-frame CMOS sensor, a 51 point autofocus system, a 200-6400 ISO range (!!), and a beautiful 3 inch 920,000 pixel LCD screen! What’s really amazing is that it can take 11 frames per second…. 14 more, and this thing will be able to capture video. Price? $5000 for just the body… eek.

Next up is the D300. I consider this the camera for the high-level prosumer or an entry-level professional. It’s also been fully loaded with a 12.1 MP cropped CMOS sensor, a 3″ viewfinder, 200-3200 ISO range, 51 autofocus points, and 6 frames per second burst. Another cool feature is a ‘live view’ mode, where you can preview the picture on the display before taking the picture (I know regular digital cameras have had this feature for an eternity, but this just wasn’t technically possible to do on an SLR…). Price is $1799 for just the body.. much better price, but still “eek”.

If you’ve been looking to upgrade to an SLR, make sure you research your cameras very thoroughly. SLR specifications are full of acronyms, so spend some time to learn what they all mean and why each item is beneficial. For most of us, a D40x or D80 will be plenty, but if you want to take tons of low-light action shots, the D300 might be better for you. Of course, this is assuming you want a Nikon body. Canon makes great bodies too, but I don’t know much about them.

UPDATE: Nikon also introduced a bunch of new lenses today.