grip size, shape, comfort
large viewer
easy to navigate controls
excellent flash, for everything except the most demanding of work
an excellent amateur pro camera

unnecessary scene modes on the mode dial(at least for anyone used to a manual camera)

tends to meter a little dark, but can be compensated for (not really a weakness more just something to take note of when you start shooting)

From the time that I took this camera out of the box I knew I had gotten the right camera. I instantly felt a home with the controls and was able to find what I needed with out any trouble. Coming from a 1970's film SLR this was quite the upgrade, yet I was able to mount a lens and start shooting right away, the auto, and program functions have excellent metering.

The grip is solid and fits larger hands than the canon rebel XT or XTi. one complaint is that if you slide your hand backwards over the side of the grip, the card compartment tends to open, but it is something that you can get used to after a while.

One thing that I wish for is a quick, temporary way of switching to manual focus from auto, the switches on the body and lens are hard to find from behind the camera, and to unlock the lens the switch on it must be in the manual mode, but without doing that the switch on the body just turns off the focusing motor, leaving no way to focus.

If you are using either flash, or VR or both I would recommend a second battery as either of those features use quite a bit of power.

Overall this camera shoots excellent, sharp, well colored images

Fast
Feels good in hands
2.5" screen
Bright view finder

Lots to learn when coming from Digital Point & Shoot Cameras. I've been forgetting to switch the white balance between indoor(incandescent) and outdoor a lot lately.
Pricey lenses.

Great camera that has me excited about photography. I bought camera with two Nikon lenses (18-70 and 70-300) and purchased a Nikon 50mm F 1.8 for indoor shooting. This is my first digital SLR after six years with three Olympus and one Canon Digital Advanced Point and Shoot cameras. I haven't enjoyed shooting photos since I was a kid following my dad around with his old Canon F1 (I got to use the A1).

It feels good in my hands. I was shopping the 30D, D200 (too expensive for a first DSLR) and the D80 and chose the D80 figuring that I'll eventually move into a D200 and be able to use my old Nikon lenses and keep the D80 as a back-up.

I giggle like a kid when I run through my photos. I can zoom into photos and pick out details that would not be visible with my other cameras.

Customer Service

Haven't had to use.

Similar Products Used:

Canon F1, Canon A1, Nikon EM, Olympus 4040, Olympus 5050, Olympus 5060 Wide Zoom, Canon S400, Bronica ETRS

User flexibility, control.
Light weight.It's amazing.
Full auto mode delivers surprising results.
TTL flash is fantastic in outdoors lowlight.
Capture NX.
Nikkor quality lense avail.

Matrix metering(Fixed with firmware update)
Images can be somewhat soft with lower grade glass.

Only the best lenses will perform flawlessly.
Capture NX must be purchased seperately.
Nikkor quality lense price

This is an excellent entry level DSLR. Features are great, the menus are simple, precise. Lightweight, fits your hand like a glove.
10.2 mega pixels provide unlimited photo editing opportunities.

Customer Service

1-800-NIKON USA

Excellent service. Tech support info very helpful.

100/100 feedback.

Similar Products Used:

This is my first DSLR.

Canon AE-1 (Film)
Canon S1iS. (compact p/s)

Build quality.
Spot metering.
Ability to use AA's (with battery grip)
Better kit lens
Fast
Well laid out controls
Better ergonomics

Higher noise at high ASA's than the Canon's (still better than more expensive D200 though)
More expensive than Canon if comparing to Rebel XTi (really I think the D80 compares more directly to the Canon 30D actually)

Price paid was for body and two lenses (saleman sample from Cameta Camera - but the thing looked imaculate/brand new and was refurbished by Nikon before it was sold) I was comparing to the Canon XTi. After I held the cameras in my hand I went with the Nikon hands down (pardon the pun). The Canon didn't feel good ergonomically in my hands. A lot of people have commented on it. Check it out in person before you buy. The "kit" lens which for me was the 18-55mm was better in the Nikon than the Canon, so it helped seal the deal.

The D80 feels solid. Controls are well laid out. You can quickly access most important features by simply holding a button down and turning a thumbwheel. It has spot metering (the Canon doesn't). It also has a fairly inexpensive wireless remote which I highly recommend if you're doing landscape or night shots (two things I do a lot). It also has a battery grip that isn't too expensive. This is another feature I LOVE. It does several things. One, it doubles the amount of battery power the camera can have available to it. You can put 2 of the nikon proprietary batteries in there and shoot forever. Two, it gives you an additional vertical shutter release for when you're holding the camera in a vertical position. Brilliant! Three, it comes with, get this, a AA battery tray. If you get stuck somewhere and your batteries run out, you can zip into a convenience store and grab some alkalines and keep shooting. (rechargeable AA's last MUCH longer than alkalines, btw).

Exposure seems pretty good to me. I haven't noticed highlight clipping others have mentioned.

Having said that - I almost wish I'd purchased the Pentax K10D. Same price, its weather sealed, and has vibration dampening that does work. Do yourself a favor and take a hard look at that camera too if you're looking in this price range. I went Nikon because I have friends that have Nikon stuff (that I can borrow - lol) and because DPReview.com gave the Pentax lower marks. Lots of others have since been highly touting the K10D.

Customer Service

Cameta Camera's customer service is just out of this world! They have a customer for life!

Too Many to List

Inaccurate metering ( Fixable in future software upgrades! )
No capture NX in the package

Great Camera! This is a 5 Star Product!!! The only Flaws are the unusual matrix Meter and that they don't bundle Capture NX with the package. Just go Buy one!

Customer Service

N/A

Outstanding picture quality. Superb resolution.

None

This camera is really a great bargain. It has many of the features of the D200. It is lighter and although not having the rich features of the more pro-like feel of the higher big boys cameras, It can hold its own. One thing I love is the weight and feel.

Customer Service

I ahve not used their customer service.

Similar Products Used:

D 200
Canon 30D

1. Large 2.5" LCD
2. Bright pentaprism view finder
3. Good battery life
4. Very accurate auto focusing

1. Very soft images even with maximized in-camera sharpening
2. Higher noise levels than Nikon's other cameras
3. Useless Matrix metering in high contrast lighting conditions

The new Nikon D80, which I have shot over 2,000 images with (I also own the Nikon D50 and have previously owned a D100), is a mixed bag. It seems that Nikon is doing the Tokyo Tango – 2 steps forward and 2 steps back, so let me explain.

As posted on other review forums, many people are very dissatisfied with this camera. The D80 is very different than Nikon’s other DSLRs and that includes the D100, D70s, D50 and the D200. Good results can be obtained from the D80 but more work is involved. Just as slide film was the thinking man’s media of choice for film based cameras, the D80 is a thinking man’s/woman’s camera - thus the challenge and maybe the excitement for owning and using this camera!

I just professionally photographed 24 hours of outdoor girls soccer games over a period of 3 days. The light was very bright and contrasty as is the norm in the Southwest. In order to expose correctly, center weight metering and a reduction of the contrast of a value of –1 to –2 had to be used. The D80’s matrix metering system is useless for this type of lighting, which will be the type of lighting most people will shoot in unfortunately.

Noise is also an issue. Since more pixels are distributed in the same sized sensor as a D50 for example, more noise is to be expected. However the proof of the pudding is in the print and in most cases this shadow noise will not be seen. Try not to underexpose images for maintaining the best shadow detail and lowest noise results.

What then offsets these deficiencies and what are the advantages to using and owning the D80: the big 2.5” LCD screen for image reviews; the very large and bright pentaprism viewfinder; great color saturation in diffused lighting; excellent battery life (I am getting ~1,000-1,200 images with a battery charge life of 4-5 hours) and the much improved auto focusing mechanism which makes sports photography much easier and accurate.

All in all, the D80 is a mixed bag of highlights and concerns, some of which I hope a firmware update will fix – you have to use your photographic knowledge to get good pictures with this camera. Are you up to the challenge?

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

D50, D100