It's easy to lose track of the actual and expected Nikon lineup with all the rumors and contemplation that goes on. Just a reminder about where we are:
- D3100. Nikon's entry DSLR until late 2011 or more probably early 2012.
- D5000. No longer in production, some still in the sales channel. A strong candidate for replacement in the first half of the year.
- D7000. Still in short supply and should remain Nikon's top consumer DSLR until at least summer of 2012.
- D300s. No longer in production, many still in the sales channel. A strong candidate for replacement between now and September.
- D700. Approaching three years old. A strong candidate for replacement in the first half of the year.
- D3s. Will be replaced by the D4 in August.
- D3x. Probably obsoleted by the D4 in August, but not certain.
If you look at that list, you see that Nikon is likely to be quite busy this year. There are at least four DSLR bodies that need attention, and soon. On top of that, we all expect Nikon to announce their "special" camera soon.
I'm still a little concerned about the D3s sensor going away. There's nothing that really matches it anywhere in sight, and, despite the D7000's decent mix of pixels and noise, I'd hate to lose the D3s low light ability just for some more pixels. So here's an idea: take the D3s sensor, put it into a small mirrorless body, plus refresh the f/1.8 and f/2.8 primes. Voila: instant winner. A body a little bigger than a P7000 plus new 24, 28, 35, 50, and 85 primes would be a night and street photographer's delight. If only Nikon could get contrast AF down ;~).