HA! Please, thanks for the compliments, but I do NOT know a lot about cameras!
This D300 is not easy. Well, it is and it isn't. The only "auto" setting on it (that I've been able to find) is the white balance settings. And you can customize that, too. Believe me, I have a book on the D300 explaining what different settings can do. There are a TON of buttons on this thing that I have NO IDEA what they do.
I will be figuring this camera out for a LONG time. You have to literally put ALL the settings in yourself, just about.