Yes- I think the D300 would have done just as good. These were taken at a reasonable ISO so no issue there. The D300 may have actually done better because I would have been able to be closer with the same lens with the crop factor. Overall I think both are great cameras- which system is best probably depends on what you like to shoot.
Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions on either.
Yes I have had the D-Lighting set on Auto since I initially set up the camera.
Keep in mind however the raw files have an underexposed background- I adjusted the levels on these to wipe it out rather than recover it. If you would like to see how the camera handles a wide dynamic range like that I can try to rework one with that in mind or send you a file if you like.