Huge range of functions!
I love the true spot meter, easy to use layout, on/off switch (as opposed to the cannon command dial swith) and its wieght balance.
The AF selection point works fine and I use it most of the time(dont know why people are complaining).
I leave viewscreen grid lines on constantly - great feature for lining up and general composition and positioning.

No leader out after rewind (but a film picker fixed that)
feels like it should be taller. Admittedly I liked its small size was a selling point. There is a battery pack add on which would also fix this minor quirk.
AF assist lamp only works when central focus point is selected, this annoys me greatly.

It was a tough decision between this and the Canon EOS30 (its only real rival). The F80's layout is MUCH better, combined with the grid lines, amazingly accurate auto exposure, true spot metering, small size, etc...

All this combined makes it great for a beginner (who can ignore the fancy stuff until they feel ready) and the enthusiest who knows exactly what they want from a shot.
If you want a GREAT SLR at a decent price buy a Nikon F80 you wont be dissapointed.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Previous SLR:
Pentax Program A

Friends camera's used:
Canon OES50
Nikon F90x

Location of controls is excellent (everything I need is always under just the right finger)
Light weight though it's quite heavy with the optional MB-16 battery holder
Customization options are excellent
Old fashioned remote shutter threading is refreshing (and useful)
Built in flash is great for fill flash
Window on back to view film type
Illuminated LCD display (great for sunrise and sunset shooting)
Grid viewfinder screen
Programmable self-timer
Incredibly easy to learn - two days in I was handling the camera like I was born with it!

No mirror lock up
No exposure metering with manual focus lenses (strange as Nikon has always touted it's lens compatibility)
The camera feels solid but I'm not sure if it could survive being dropped on a hard surface.
Not made in Japan (mine was made in Thailand)

This camera is loaded with high tech features yet after the initial setup and customization (which will no doubt confuse beginners) the camera is a dream to operate. The autofocus/exposure lock is right under your right thumb, the depth of field button (which is electronic - not mechanical) sits right where your right forefinger can easily get to it make this camera an ideal marriage of technology and user friendliness. The first slides (Fuji Provia 100 film - Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 D lens) were real knockouts! Color saturation was stunning. The N-80 metering system performs extremely well with little need for compensations/bracketing. When I bought this camera I was a bit dubious and kept thinking that I should have splurged and bought the F100 instead but I'm sold on the N-80. Don't know if I'll ever bother upgrading to an F5 (or F6).

Customer Service

Can't comment as I've never had to use it.

Similar Products Used:

Bought my first Nikon F 35mm at the Danang PX in 1969 (for 85 bucks)
Nikon FM-2 (I love my old FM-2s but they are only backups now)

*Many features
*feel v solid even w/ this much plastic
*compact, small size, light weight
*spot metering
*built-in flash
*affordable price
*q intuisive, simple operation

*uneasy to switch some tiny knobs on the body such as metering mode , AF area and film advance mode selectors
*no Mirror lock up
*no film leader out
*incompatability w/ MF Nikkors

Excellent midline camera w/ almost all necessary functions at an affordable price. With regard to its functions including all modes of metering, AF and exposure I find wholely satisfied. All of these perform smoothly and accurately w/o bringing me any problems. And once again, I would like to appreciate its built quality. I find it s built solidly more than what I had expected, even better than EOS 30 which I own and s made of metal in certain parts at outside.
Another advantage of this camera is its being small size and light weight, greatly increasing mobility during travels and hikings.
Nevertheless it still has space for improvement. Eg, the small selectors which r difficult and inconvenient to switch. Perhaps it s because Nikon's engineers cant think of other way so as to make the size so small.
Anyway, F80 is an excellent camera. I really love it.

Customer Service

no need

Similar Products Used:

EOS 30

Superimposed grid, spot meter, center weight and 10 segment 3D matrix, 5 focus points, deep of field preview, cable release socket, multiple exposures

Flash sync is only 1/125s even with SB-28,

Here's a trick for people complaining about exposure compensation can only be done in 1/2 step.
The N80/F80 only have exposure compensation in 1/2 steps. If you want to do it in 1/3 steps than use the ISO setting. For example, to overexpose 1/3 with 400 ISO film, set the ISO to 320. similarly, to underexpose 1/3 EV with 400 ISO film, set the ISO value to 500.
I absolutely love this camera.

Similar Products Used:

N60/F60, F100

Feature rich
Simple to use (potentially confusing to beginers at first)
Nice light meter options and accuracy
Great control layout

None for people starting out in the nikon line. For prior Nikon users, the light meter not working with some older lens could be a costly failing of the N80, there's no good reason that at least center wgt'd metering isn't avaliable.

I've been out of photography for about 15 years, and am now getting back into it. An ex-wife kinda tapped the creativity out of me. If you still thinking about this camera, you must be carefull reading this tread. There are posts from brand name bashers, and angry people that purchased without researching, and even from ones that never read the owners guide. The N80 does have mid-roll rewind, see page 36. I'm not gonna downgrade the camera due to nikon's use of plastic, this is not the plastic that is used in childs toys. You might be surprised if you do a little research in spare time, about where modern plastics are being used, and just how tough they are. After you've researched the features of the models that have the features you need, go to the store and hold each one. The one that feels the best in your hands, and inspires confidance when you hold it to you eye is the one you should be buying. In the end, then lens you place on your camera body is more vital to good pictures. The knowledge you have in composing and exposing is what leads to great photographs, not the camera body. To borrow a quote "Camera's and gun's have one thing in common, they both tend to shoot better than their owner".

For a body under $500, the N80 is a remarkable value, there's not much missing in this body. In the time I've had it, I've had no problems with it, auto-focus has always been sharp, view finder is sharp and bright (if you set the diaopter correct). The command dials are a godsend, I favor aperture priority and not having to joggle three rings is nice. The felixable program feature is nice also, allowing you to use full automatic, and then easily switch to other aperture and shutter speed combinations that provide the proper exposure. I'm giving the body a 4 star over-all only because of the weakness mentioned above. But if your just entering the Nikon line, then consider it a 5 star rating. Simple put it is a true joy to use, and very accurate.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Minolta X700
Minolta XD11
Canon AE
Nikon FG

-nice placement for all controls + dials
-2 command dials
-nice pad for focus selector
-DOF preview
-built in flash, and more...

-a bit weak built in flash
-personally, I prefer the LCD of N70, more informative
-sometimes focusing hunts a bit

I bought the N80 as soon as it came out, to replace my N70. I like all the added feature over the N70, like DOF preview, multi-exposure, selectable focus point, and better control placements. However, the built in flash is a bit weaker, that's why I get the SB 28. Also , the LCD on N70 offers more information.
But overall, this is an excellent and well thought camera.

Customer Service

never used

Similar Products Used:

Nikon N70
Nikkor 24-120mm
Nikkor 18-35mm f3.5-4.5
Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 ED
SB 28 speedlight
Sigma 28-105mm f2.8-4

Has loads of features for the price...everything you need! They should be mentioned by now.

Absolutely none for the price! The weaknesses mentioned in other reviews aren`t well thought through. I don`t know why people bother mentioning it as the features they wan`t aren`t to expect from a kamera in this class!

I don`t know why people complaint about this kamera? It works perfectly, and the features you don`t get, you mostly get with a F100. Gosh! everyone complaints about the missing mirror lock up. Not even the F100 has this feature, which shows more about you guy`s know how in photography as about the "weaknesses" of the N80. Nowadays people want EVERYTHING for ofcourse no money. It doesn`t work like that. For the one of you complainting the kamera being made in Thailand: be glad! If it were build in Japan you would have had to pay much more for it...and we don`t want that, do we? By the way: it`s ISO-certificated, so why the complaints? (And the list goes on and on!)
Bottom line: you don`t get a better kamera in this price-range. If you don`t need the few more features the F100 has to offer (and mostly you don`t!)and you aren`t a journalist shooting under extremly hard conditions: go get this little beauty, she will make you happy. It`s not a coincidence that this kamera is the most reviewed on this site: it has this special something...

Customer Service

Canon service sucks! But this isn`t important here. Didn`t need a Nikon customer service yet :-)

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 300, Canon AF24-85mm/3.5-4.5, Canon AF100mm/2.8 macro, AFSoligor 28-200/3.5-5.6 (don`t ever buy that!)
Now using Nikon lenses only: AF 50mm/1.4 D, AF 24mm/2.8 D
(and soon: AF80-200mm/2.8 D ED)

-3 ways to meter
-the price increase over the N65 is justified
-every function is layed out in a fashion as to be easily changed/manipulated
-has so far been an exellent camera to learn with

none for price paid

I work in a camera shop. The camera I decided to spend my commision money on was the N80, I dont have years of experience in taking photographs. What I do have is a vast base of knoledge concerning the features of, practical use of, limitations of, consumer grade camera equipment. I call the N80 anF100-20, other then more range with flash sync speed, frames per second, more durability and a few other things (trying to keep this short, but of course failing) the N80 compares well with the F100 after factoring in the price difference. As far as other brands of camera compare, minolta doesnt much, I only sell them because the commision is high (paid by minolta), and normaly only if I have already sold all my nikons, cannon makes a good performing camera considering how many corners they cut in production cost(not only is there plastic in places I dont like plastic, its not even the type of plastic that I can honestly look at a customer and say "This type of plastic is simular in chemical composition to what helicopter blades are made from", pentax makes a darn good camera, but has limited supportibility and (has been my experience threw my particular company) stiffer prices for pentax made acceries. I like my camera, I believe its quality of build and the quality of its performance to be above par in its price class, when I look at a photograph I took and think "Man I have no natural talent for taking pictures, but man is that exposure accurate", I like the idea that its me that needs work, not my camera!!!

btw i matched my system up with a tokina 28-70 2.8 (killer peice of glass)
nikkor 18-35, and my flower shooting champion sigma 70-300 macro cheapest peice of glass in my bag but the most used and a sb-28, more becuase those 77mm front elements get in the way of the built in flash then because I need the extra power

Customer Service

as a customer i have not had need for help from a camera company

Similar Products Used:

ellan 7
various minoltas

Exelent camera which would make you feel like a pro.Easy to use.

The only weak feature is that you can't use custom function if you didn't write them in your "notebook".

The reason why NIKON F 80 can't be considered as " professional camera " :
1.It's not made out of hard metal but polymer (NOT CHEEP PLASTIC)
2.Has no 100% viewfinder
3.Has no miror lock
I strongly recomend F 80 to everybody who don't make living of photography and want to have the same quality of photograps as others pro's with F100 or F5.

Customer Service

During 6 month didn't need any.Hope in the future would be the same!

Similar Products Used:

None AF.
Olimpus OM 4
Nikon F2A

The controls, metering is perfect and very accurate. Perhaps I can say this because i jump from a NIKON F601 to F80.
All the controls are pretty laid out, you will know where to find it even with your eyes closed. Focusing is pretty fast, very light as compared to my F601.
I dont mind if its plastic, i still believe the quality and engineering that NIKON has.

Camera is small and grip is not that good but i think this is no weakness. Since NIKON have a remedy for this MB-16.

This is a good buy and I am very satisfied with it. Last night I got my MB-16 and wholla..It did look like a baby f100 after all and really enjoyed the handling. I love this camera. For intermediate users that need some advanced features from the F100 but doesnt have the money, go for this camera you won't regret it. I would really recommend the MB-16 grip. That thing really works to improve the grip.

Customer Service

I havent used it yet.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F601