Leigth weight and small (I carry it in a bag designed for APS SLRs), easy to use, metal mount, well thought out features, quite silent shutter and motor.

AF/MF switch seems a bit fragile; it is sometimes hard to know when the shutter release button is pushed half way down (I have taken several pictures when intending only to auto-foucus); not sure about overall build quality; will perhaps miss the grid lines in the viewfinder and the spot metering of the F80

This seems like a very well thought out camera. It doesn't have a load of features, but it has exactly those that are usually listed as critical for a photographer to grow. This makes the camera easy to use, but at the same time not as limiting as the F60/N60. You can start out as a beginner using it as a point and shoot, and then explore photographic techniques by using overrides and manual modes. I chose this over the F80 because I could then affort decent optics. The size and weight was also a plus for me, because it makes the camera a less cumbersome travel companion.

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F60

Inexpensive price tag, Lightweight, Nikon F-Mount, 5 autofocus points, Programed Modes, 2.5 fps, Same Autofocus sensor as N80, DOF, Multiple Exposure, and a Build in Speedlite

Too small, not AA batteries, possible build issues (but see below), 2.5 fps only in sports mode

I own an n70 and an f100 and tested the n65 at my local camera shop. The first thing i noticed was the size. After getting the f100 along with the mb-15, all cameras but those with grips feel small, but this thing was puny. While people comment on the build (along with build questions on the n80) i'd say that it's fairly well built. I'm not saying i'd like to drop it, but in an overall feel, it feels solid enough. The plastic should hold up over time well, assuming it is not dropped (and you can't drop most cameras and expect them to survive).
The next thing i noticed was that the flash had popped up automaticaly and hit my hat. The flash itself is fairly weak, but should work fine for anything within 25 feet.
There were plenty of programed modes for beginners and amatures, and while i don't condone using them, they can be useful learning tools.
The bottom line is that this camera is vastly superior to the n60, and i'd argure featurewise to the n70, though i'd take the n70 any day. This camera will hopefully destory the rebel 2000, and unfortuntely take away from the n80 sales.

Customer Service

none needed.

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n60, n70, and n80 on the nikon side, and the rebel stuff on the canon side.

Feature rich for a beginner camera.
affordable price.
depth of field preview.
auto bracketing.
five auto sensors.
2.5 fps.
lightweight?
metal lens mount

seems to built very cheap.

good for beginner or those looking for a good camera that's affordable.
much better than n60 in terms of features but honestly feels cheap.

Customer Service

never had to use it.

Similar Products Used:

nikon n60
pentax zx-7

Feel, Ease of Use, Quality Feel, Features, Fast AF

None yet

I have taken about 4 rolls of film with this camera and have been very impressed. The autofocus is not easily confused and I've only had one bad exposure picture (it was my fault). I've been very impressed with the integrated flash and the ease of use. In shopping comparison, I tried the Rebel 2000 and Pentax ZX-30. They did not have the quality feel of the Nikon...in my opinion. I also tried the N60 and I easily confused the autofocus just playing around in the store. All in all, it's a great camera so far. It's great for a beginner or casual shooter.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

Canon Rebel 2000, Pentax ZX-30, Nikon N80

smaller and lighter than the n60, comfortable to hold. The depth of field preview is a great improvement on my opinion and it has a five sensor 3d autofocus. These features are seldom found in beginner camera and alllow to play with great results. And it's not too expensive being a serious photographic tool.

The lens! Much better quality
if you can buy teh Nikon
28-105mm f/3.5-4.5dd af.
The pop up flash is weaker than on the n60

All it all I rate this camera 5 stars.
The camera is perfect for a begginer, as I am, starting out in the
world of SLR photography.
It's good, solid and all features are easy to learn and apply.

Customer Service

not tryed yet

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nikon n60

Controls well laid out and buttons not too small.
Good line of Features for beginner to intermediate.
Simple to use

Slow Autofocus in low light indoors.
Lacks exposure lock button.

I got this with the Nikkor 28-80mmAF D Lens. A good camera for someone who needs that extra edge over plain point and shoot. It gets as simple enough to operate in full auto mode as a point and shoot and gives great pictures, yet lets the photographer show his creativity by adjusting different parameters. I like the depth of field preview feature which my earlier Rebel G did not have.
It is quite stable while taking handheld pictures at 1/45. One can barely feel the mirror rising up and falling back down again something that I felt with a minolta 600.
The buttons are well placed and bigger than the Rebel G/2000. Only the switch for changing from auto focus to manual seems as if it will break anytime.
However, it hunts a lot while focussing indoors. This may be due to the low end lens that I use with it, which is great with giving sharp pictures but not as smooth focussing as compared to the Canon lenses with the DC motor.
I do miss the exposure lock button that all the other higher Nikkon models have and also the Canon Rebel G and 2000
As a result for situations of light and dark areas it needs to be put into manual mode.
The fill in flash does not behave consistently outdoors. It often overexposes the subject and the product manual does not indicate a way to compensate for flash exposure. However, it is great while shooting indoors and I have got perfect balanced exposures with built in flash in low light rooms.
Bottom line great camera for amateurs. Good combo with Nikkor 28-80mm AF lens if you don't mind the slow and noisy focussing and would rather prefer sharper pictures compared to the Rebel 2000/28-80mm II lens combo which gives faster and less noisy focussing but slightly unsharp and less contrasty pictures.

Customer Service

Not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Cannon Rebel G, Rebel 2000

full featured for entry level camera.

None

The camera works okay but even though it has almost the features of the F80 i find the F80 more convenient just because of button and dial placement. The F65 is good for point and shoot, if you are a begginer that wants to advance the F80 will be much more appreciated in the long run.

Similar Products Used:

F80, F60

Great price; 3D Matrix Metering system; depth-of-field previw; 2.5 fps; light-weight and portable; good quality built

None really; may not be enough for some pro photographers

This is an excellent beginner camera. It's very intuitive, and produces great pictures, even if you're just starting. It's a wonderful step up from point-and-shoot and is portable and convenient for amateurs and even some pros. What I love about it is that you can grow with it as you learn more about photography. Great job, Nikon!

Customer Service

Not applicable

Similar Products Used:

none

Capabilities. Control layout. 2.5 Frames per second motor. Almost the same AF as the N80. Depthof field preview. Metal lensmount. Pentaprism.

None

This camera is an excellent buy. It competes headc on with the Canon Rebel 2000, yet has a more sensitive autofocusing system (by 2 stops!) a much faster motor (2.5 FPS as compared to 1.5 FPS. A metal lensmount as compared to the plastic Rebel 2000. A pentaprism as compared to the cheaper/dimmer mirrors used by the Rebel 2000...all for only slightly more money.

Customer Service

Execellent.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Rebel 2000

Good camera for the price, lots of value in there. Lots of features, good pre-programmed DOF control (and other) modes, etc etc. Spend the money for a good lens and it's not a bad camera. Spend the money for a really good lens and it will take really good photos in most conditions. And remember that the lenses can grow with you (modern Nikon lenses fit nearly all their modern cameras.)

Left thumb wheel is too easy to bump out of position, needs lock or "bump protector." I didn't like the feel, location, and assigned functionality of many of the controls. Self-timer, while essentially a standard at 10 secs, leaves one scrambling when using it. And since no remote of any type available at this time, that is bad. Some of the controls felt cheap/gritty, which did not instill confidence. The exposure control seemed to be fooled once in a while (or perhaps it was that thumb wheel getting bumped.) AF seeks too much in less-than-ideal lighting.

This is a very good mid-level, fuller-featured 35mm camera, and if one spends the money for a good lens (and possibly flash) it's a good rig and will take good pix. My biggest complaint is not with the camera but how it's marketed by both Nikon and salespeople: I'd been away from the field for a decade or more, and to read the glossy print you'd think the N65 is a substitute pro camera in a plastic consumer-market body. NOT. But taken for what it is (a plastic-bodied consumer-market camera with a lot of really good features) it is a good value and a very good camera. But I wouldn't want to take it on outdoorsy outings, in the cold/wet/gritty/etc.

Four+ stars for value and features, three stars overall only because of the nits with the controls and how they seem to be pushing the thing out of it's niche in order to attract more buyers.

Customer Service

No need for them yet!

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Just traded up to the F100, there's no comparison (but whoa, the price difference!) Also Canon AE1 and Olympus Epic, several older manual 35s.