Some Firmware Thoughts from Thom
Please note that he considers his thought to be speculative...
"Nikon’s firmware updates haven’t always matched expectations. I suspect that it has to do with what the resources are that are maintaining the code bases. The D3 benefits from all the work on the D700, as these are very highly shared code bases, and the upcoming high resolution model is probably also on that same code base. Thus, I’m sure there are very active coders in that file. The D300 has a slightly different processor/architecture (as you’ve discovered in the autofocus performance), and I’m guessing that no one is working on anything there that isn’t either easy or necessary at the moment, as there’s not follow on body to the D300 at the moment. The D80 replacement is yet another processor/architecture, and I’d guess that’s where Nikon has positioned those D300 coders.
Only time will tell whether the D300 gets any true follow up. I long ago said that I believed that DX sensors could get to 16mp with continued improvement before we hit the land of too-little-return-for-too-much-investment. I suspect we will get one more splash in high-end DX, but I doubt it’s being worked on with any urgency at the moment.
The real issue is when a design is active versus when it goes into maintenance. This determines how many resources are available to tidy things up. It seems clear to me that the D700/D3/High Rez platform is still very active. The D300 platform appears to be in maintenance. "
