Light weight. Fast auto focus. Comfortable feel and grip. Easy to use controls.

I would like a lighted LCD panel. The manual could be better.

This camera is light and compact. It is well suited to begginers as well as people with more experience. Auto focus is fast and accurate. The Auto program modes are nice, but if you have more experience you will want to use one of the creative modes for most of your pictures. When searching for a new camera, I looked at the Pentax ZX-7, The Canon Rebel 2000 and the Minolta Maxxum 5. I felt this camera gave me the features and the feel I was looking for. My pictures have come back looikng outstanding. I am very happy with this camera.

Customer Service

Not needed as yet.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Rebel 2000 Minolta Maxxum 5 Pentax ZX-7

Lightweight and small Easy to handle and user-friendly Well built for its class Has the most important features and then some Delivers good results: accurate exposures, good Af speed and accuracy.

Feels a bit "plasticky" (but less than others in its category). Lacks: Spot metering, Variable self timer, Manual film speed setting.

An excellent amateur camera. Looks good, feels and handles well, the metal lens mount is a good plus, and the AF and AE systems are surprisingly efficient. It lacks a few features which I''''d like to have but most amateurs don''''t need them that much. Bottom line: it delivers finely exposed, finely focused images, and that''''s what a camera is all about, isn''''t it?

Customer Service

None used yet

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 500n (rebel G) Nikon N90s

Remarkably full-featured for the price

Metering (needs spot metering and exposure lock) Needs mirror lockup

I''m pretty happy with my N65. I''m definitely glad that I put the $100 I saved over the more expensive bodies into my lens (Tamron 24-135), which I''m very happy with. I don''t mind the simplified user interface. The only features that I really wish I had are mirror lockup and spot metering. The metering is probably the biggest pain. Center-weighted is only available in Manual Mode so I spend most of my time in that mode. I can see myself upgrading in 5-10 years, but for now, this is good enough for me!

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

Old Pentax SLR

nice pitures, what else we need.

sensitive shutter release button

I am very much satisfied with the pictures, I initially bought a Penatx ZX-7. After I bought the kit I learnt that the lens, which is also made by pentax is not fully compatible with the body, which I found ridiculous, I shot about three rolls of film in varying light conditions, all of them were under exposed, I finally returned it and then bought the Nikon N65 QD. I shot my first roll of film in similar lighting conditions and dropped the film at walgreens for printing, I was a bit nervous as how the photographs would come out, ''ocz I didn''t want to go through the hassle of returning. but I was amazed when I saw the pictures, all of them came out good. then I started experimenting with the camera and shot few more rolls, they were all good. one thing that I found is the shutter release button is a bit sensitive, once you get used to it, its ok.

Customer Service

didn''t need it yet

Similar Products Used:

Pentax ZX-7 QD

-price - metal lens mount compared to the plastic mount of the Rebel - compatible with Nikon lenses(big plus) -good 3D matrix metering

-Slow and noisy AF -hunting in low light -no vertical shutter release available -annoying AF assist illuminator

I''ve used the N65 now for almost one year. My experience shows me that this camera is a very good camera for beginners who want to step up to SLR photography. Equiped with most of the necessary features an SLR camera needs (e.g. a DOF preview, long exposure, 3D matrix meter( which works great) etc)it is a fairly good choise for casual photographers. Most of the time, you will get the picture you want with this camera. However there are a few things which prevent the N65 of earning the 4 or 5 stars. The AF is compared to the Rebel 2000 ( even with non USM) a bit slow and noisy. What really hurts is that one keeps on encountering hunting in low light conditions though the very bright AF assist illuminator. Another thing is the lack of a vertical shutter release. Can anyone explain to me why Nikon isn''t able to produce this part neither for the F80 nor for the F65, whereas Canon offers it for both, the Elan II and the Rebel? And then there is the too bright AF assist illuminator, which tends to irritate People... Considering these major flaws, the N65 doesn''t deserve any 5 or 4 Stars. Never the less the N65 is still a good camera if together with one of the great nikon lenses. To mention the flaws is just supposed to help new buyers to know, what the disadvantages of this camera body are. As I stated above, most of the time, you will get the picture right. It just would have been nice to have a faster AF and this vertical shutter release.

Customer Service

Not needed until now

Similar Products Used:

Canon Rebel 2000

Light Wieght (Even with Zoom), Exellent Metering and Focus in Good Light. ISO Adj +2 to -2 F/ Stops, Very Well placed controls and Very easy to read and figure out readout panel. Nicely Balanced too. Great exposures in 99% of pictures.

Low light focusing could be better,Since my lens is fat, it blocks some of the AF assist light used for focusing. I have to switch to the FAR RIGHT focusing spot to help it along. No External Flash Cord outlet (N80 has one), But A shoe adapter will solve this, If I get Studio lights latter.

I have been involed in Photography since I was 14 Years old (I am now 48). I have used Old Rangfinders (Vogilander, Lieca M5, Contax 3a) And SLR''s,(Nikon FM,FA,Canon Ftb, F1, FE, EOS 620, Minalta 5000 AF, and Olympus OM2, OM 4) Not in this order though. . When I went looking for a New AF Slr, The Nikon N65 or N80 were the only 2 I consitered. I checked out simularly Priced Canons UH!, Minolta-TOO MANY MODELS, To Close in function!, Forget Pentax, or Olympus. Nikon Won out. . I choose the N65, Because of Price. I like the N80, But $150.00 more for a few more features and a Better Quality Body/Parts was not in my wallet this time around. I also Bought the New Sigma 28-200 F3.8 Af-IF, Asperical SuperZomm (Very Nice Lens Indeed) . For Around $600.00, It is a Winning Combo.

Customer Service

NOT YET !!

Similar Products Used:

EOS 620, Mimolta 5000 are the only other AF''s I had, the EOS 620 is very Similar

1.Metering system 2.Well placed controls. 3.Nice grip. 4.All the features.

No remote release thread.

My first ever AF SLR. Easy to use and controls are well laid out, except the DOF preview button (hardly use that anyway). Exposures are very accurate. Overall very good value for money.

Similar Products Used:

Zenit 12 XP Pentax ME Vivitar 3800N Nikon FM10

ease of use, build quality(at this price), d.o.f preview,light weight,not too gimicky nikon lenses

no manual iso control

I have owned many nikon cameras and I bought the n65 as a back up to my nikon n80 and my nikon fa.I carried this with me on a recent trip to arizona with my 18mm-35mm nikon zoom lens and a nikon 70-300 ed lens and the combination was light and the results were great. the exposures were spot on,and with my nikon sb50dx flash the combination was easy to cary. I will still use my n80 as my main camera but if I need to cary something light that I can trust I will use my n65.I recomend this camera for any one wanting to step up from a point and shoot or if you want to learn photography, if are already a nikon user and need a second body this is a great deal.

Customer Service

not needed never had a problem with nikon, sales person at circuit city was great

Similar Products Used:

nikon n80,n70,fa,fe

Inexpensive, but impressive Nikon quality, despite being constructed of plastic.

I see no one complaining of something that should have been obvious to me before I purchased the camera. With the built-in flash, a zoom lens (more or less, depending upon lens length) will create a shadow of the lens in the picture field. In other words, the lens barrel interferes with the flash coverage. This, I find, is a royal pain in the rear. A separate, (higher mounted flash, or detached flash), would clear-up this problem. Think about this idiosyncrasy if you intend using a zoom lens and the built-in pop-up flash.

Though I have been involved in photography for over 60-years, and am used to much more expensive cameras and lenses, the N65 is acceptable within its design/price constraints. I purchased a Nikon Zoom 24mm>120mm lens and a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens to use with this camera. I think the Nikon Zoom lens is a clunker, and I should have never purchased it. I don''t mean that just mine is a clunker. Probably all of those of the 24>120mm genre are. I have never been a proponent of zoom lenses. I should have trusted in my past experience and could have saved my $500.00 I spent on the 24mm>120mm Nikon Zoom lens and put it instead toward a couple of nice sharp Nikon fixed-focal length lenses, like a wide-angle of around 20mm focal and a moderate (around 100mm) telephoto.

Customer Service

Have not needed any service.

Similar Products Used:

Various Nikon SLRs, including the F1 series. Bronica 6X6 centimeter SLR, with Nikon lenses. Canons of various models.

- great price - DOF preview - standard lens combined with the low priced 70-300mm G lens gives you a great beginners setup

- you may end up wanting one fast lens - accessories such as battery pack and remote control are expensive

I''ve just gotten into photography and this is my first SLR camera. I did a lot of research trying to find the right camera for my needs and finally settled on the N65. So far it has turned out to be a great choice -- I have shot color negative, B&W, and slide film with it and have been very happy with the flexibility it has given me. I rarely use the Auto mode, but when I do it gives good, reliable pictures. Most of my shots are done in either Aperature Priority or Manual mode so I can play around with the features and learn.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

None