Is the Nikon D300s still a relevant camera?

I'm interested in possibly buying a Nikon D300s and have been for some while now. I know the D7000 is cheaper and arguably better depending on who you talk to, but I personally don't like the D7000 as it feels a little to amateurish for me (personal opinion) in size and settings. I prefer cameras with purely manual settings such as the D300s, and bulkier camera bodies.

I have heard so many rumors of a D400 to be released to replace the D300s but nothing has materialized so far and I'm running out of patience

I want to know what you guys think about the D300s. Can it still compete? If you have one or have used one what do you think?

All DSLR cameras come with full manual controls. If you don't like the feel of it, however, that is a different matter

the D300s is definitely still a relevant camera in today's market, and would still be a very good camera by next generation's standards. Remember, the majority of the picture quality comes from you, the photographer, and lenses that you choose.

Any Canon or Nikon dslr camera is relevant… Any one from 6mp to 18. Just because features change doesn't mean the camera is bad - come on. If you know anything at all about cameras certainly you know that it's all about the photographer anyway not about the camera.

Some of the best digital photos every taken were done at 6mp, 8mp and so on because of the person operating the camera.

What your asking is like asking, are film slr cameras from 10-years ago still good? Of course.

Most people can't afford to chase improvements to hardware by virtue of More's Law. If the D300s looks good to you, then that is the one you should get.

What is amateurish to you? Size is almost the same and it's much better built than the majority of cameras out there.

Purely manual settings? Nobody forces you to use them, my 7D has those modes too yet that doesn't make me unprofessional. All DSLRs have the M mode.

To be honest, D7000 is right now the best camera from Nikon for price/performance in the pro level. The D800 is rumored to be released in a month, which means the D400 may come soon.

But I don't know why Nikon d300s still wouldnt be a relevant camera. It's just as good as when it came out. Though the D7000 is something I would go with, and the difference in size isn't that big.

Here's a DSLR Buying Guide - http://www.the-dslr-photographer.com/2009/11/which-dslr-to-buy/