Full Featured
Light Weight
Ease of Use
Price

Somewhat cheap feel

Overall, an excellent Value. Straight forward controlls that are both comprehensive and intuitive. Just about all of the features any amateur could desire. I would highly recommend F80.

Similar Products Used:

Cannon EOS 3

ease of use; a thoughtful selection of very useful features; light weight and compact in size; price.

incompatable with manual lenses

This is without any doubt one of the best values in Nikon line-up. It has all the frequently used features that would satisfy even the professionals, and these features are packaged in a light and compact camera that is very well priced (Nikon is offering a $50 rebate). Furthermore, N80 has some features that even the more professional ones lack. For example, it uses the regular mechanical cable release and it is compatible with the VR (vibration reduction) technology in Nikon’s new lenses. N90, by contrast, does not have these features. My biggest complains, and I wish Nikon is listening, is the inability of N80 to use manual lens because the metering on N80 won’t work with these lenses. It is hard to understand from a user’s point of view what a big deal it is to at least allow for center/spot metering with these lenses. If you switch to N80, you would have to give up some of these truly spectacular lenses that you already own or are available at lower prices in the used market. I returned the camera after a 2-week trial, but I am willing to pay extra to buy a revised version, hopefully sometimes soon in the future.

Similar Products Used:

None

Light weight
Good Feel
Feature packed
MB16 Grip is a must have accessory

Cannot use manual lenses
Weak built in flash
Auto focus setup is a little confusing

Good camera for advanced amateur use. Not for the beginner. Excellent feel when combined with the MB-16 grip. inability to use my exsisting manual lenses was a little disapointing. Motor Drive is a little slow for sports photography but I make due. The N90 is better for this use. Great metering system, make up for the confusing AF setup. I have primarily used manual focus cameras my whole life and use of an AF camera took some getting used to however, using the N60, N70 and this camera has made me a convert. Strongly recommend this unit for the intermediate user. Beginners beware. Controls and setup are a little intimidating

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F2
Nikon F3
Nikon FM-2
Nikon FE-2
Nikon N70
Nikon N60

4 meter modes
quick & smooth autofocus
optional battery pack (I bought a MB-16 and it is fabulous and gives added wieght)
manual rangfinder (digital)
supports AF-S lenses
very compatible with all SB speedlites
no crappy picture meter
very clear LCD panel
not plastic but polycarbonate and rugged
shutter has cable release
Cheap, cheap, cheap

no AIS connection for manual lenses
little light
No PC terminal
DL123 battery
slow 2.5fps

Excellent camera although it lacks a few professional features. It better externally than a N90s but the N90s has better performances than he N80. A great camera for transioning from amature to prfessional. Did I mention Cheap.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Minolta StSi

4 meter modes
quick & smooth autofocus
optional battery pack (I bought a MB-16 and it is fabulous and gives added wieght)
manual rangfinder (digital)
supports AF-S lenses
very compatible with all SB speedlites
no crappy picture meter
very clear LCD panel
not plastic but polycarbonate and rugged
shutter has cable release
Cheap, cheap, cheap

no AIS connection for manual lenses
little light
No PC terminal
DL123 battery
slow 2.5fps

Excellent camera although it lacks a few professional features. It better externally than a N90s but the N90s has better performances than he N80. A great camera for transioning from amature to prfessional. Did I mention Cheap.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Minolta StSi

Flexibility.
Sharp,sharp,sharp
Amazing camera for this price.
fits my hand PERFECTLY!

Slow to focus at times.

Thanks to the various reviews in here I purchased the 28-105 lens with this camera. I just finished shooting "candid" photos for a friend's wedding. 2 rolls of supra 800, 2 rolls of supra 400. How about 148 for 148 perfect shots (seems like the supra always has 37 shots per roll). Except for my lack of professional expertise in setting up some of the shots, I could not ask for more.

Sometimes I don't take a photo for a month and always have some trouble judging and remembering which way to set the ev and how much. At the wedding for backlit subjects, I set it on spot, centered the subject, invoked autofocus, pressed and held the ae-af lock button on the back, then did what I wanted. Incredibly perfect focus and exposure every time. Very rewarding.

I do notice a significant pause under some circumstances before the focus locks in and the picture is taken. I'm going to try some sports action photos indoors to see how it works. One of the reviewers used some work-arounds and I suspect I will also have to.

Interestingly enough, zoomed to 105 across the room (with built-in flash on) the subjects were still perfectly exposed and in focus every time. I am not accustomed to this with my old camera. However, it may have something to do with the film since I just switched to supra.

All of the outdoor photos taken were also incredibly sharp. Awesome color. Perfect exposures.

In conclusion, this camera combo is wonderful (awesome?) even for the casual photographer if you are willing to put in the time to study the manual and practice some before setting out to take some important photos.

Customer Service

not needed (yet)

Similar Products Used:

Pentax Super Program (20 years, great camera)

High Quality
Sturdy (with BP)
Build in flash
Manual cable release
Easy usage
Metallic lens & tripod mounts
Depth of Field Preview
Nikon accessories

AF might pump in low light
Action flash shoots due to slow flashsync (not an issue to me!)
More expensive than other brands consumer models (with equal features)

This camera feels like pro and acts like pro. Its after all very easy to use and has almost every feature you can hope for. I had basically four choices when I was buying an SLR camera half a year ago. Those were Nikon F65,Nikon F80, Canon EOS300 and Minolta Dynax 505. N65 was dropped because there was no manual cable release. Canon in my hand feeled like a plastic toy (expensive one). In the final round I had to choose betweed Minolta and F80. Nikon feeled better in my hand. Minolta had high speed flash but didn't had depth of field preview. Also I thought Nikon could be easily available when extending. As I use only AF lenses lack of non-AF support is not an issue to me. I have taken a lot of shoots from our cats and only two or three images failed (because of my invalid settings). I was buying camera to be usable as a beginner level camera as well as a more serious amateur level camera and F80 seems to be all that. Finally I suggest you buy the camera that feels best for you but give a try for F80 even it might be a little more expensive than others.

Customer Service

Worldwide

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS300
Minolta Dynax 505

every feature you can think of
priced right
so small

feels tight, but not HQ
toylike-sitting next to a Rebel-i don't see any quality diff

I like that everything is on the outside, not hidden like the N70 or even the N80. The numerous buttons and switches don't click and flip like high quality switches. This may be because they are quite quiet (<-talk about bad english). The feel of the camera is very small and is not unlike the current Rebel cameras and Pentax. Very tiny and compact. Nikon has the best contored one, though. Everything is matte on the camera, no shiny parts. It somewhat reminds me of the Sigma SA9 body that just came out. For a level above Rebel, it is great, but still does not fully satisfy me because I like the old, tough manual lenses. I have to admit, it is much like the F100 for the amateur and even includes a flash. It is baby sized like a toy- I swear, all these new electronics are all toys compared with the TOOLS like the older F3. The N80 sure does make the other Nikons I have used look super ancient: N70, N90s, N8008, N2000. It is small and cute like the Nikon EM.

Similar Products Used:

None

metering, quality build, quiet, flexible autofocus, value for $

small for large hands

I've owned this camera 8 months now, and have run about 100 rolls through it. I'm an enthusiastic amateur, and appreciate and use all the features this camera has. I do a fair amount of street-shooting, and with the fast focussing Nikkor 18-35, and the quiet operation, it is a great tool for this. Days after I purchased it I took a shot that recently won "Print of the Year" at the Boston Camera Club. I like the digital too, but this camera outperforms it by a big margin in almost all ways. The metering is so good, I'm afraid of getting lazy.

After this much use, it still feels absolutely solid - switches, controls, buttons, seals. I'm confident the plastic components are going to last as long as the metal in my N2002, which is still clicking 15 years later.

I purchased the extra battery pack - strongly recommended for those with large hands - really makes the camera feel right, even for single handed shooting, or shooting from the strap (in a street shot). Could be too much camera for a casual shooter who's not going to push the limits, but there's nothing in it's operation that prevents it from being used that way. It's one of those few camera purchases that I've had no regrets about long after purchase. I've held off writing this review until I had real experience with the camera. After a 100 rolls of film, I can say this is an absolute winner. For the money you may do as well, but I doubt you'll do better.

Customer Service

Excellent - have miscellaneous repairs and adjustments on other Nikon lenses and body with prompt and quality results. This is by far the toughest, best-built Nikon I've owned, including the N2002.

Similar Products Used:

Pronea 6i, CP950, N2002, other older slrs

Advanced user interface
lightweight
quiet

sensory overload for most people
people expect 'pro' out of everything

This is a great camera, but I don't recommend it for the casual amateur photographer because the N65 will do it all fine. All the older AF bodies are too cumbersome to learn half heartedly. The price is great for the features it has, maybe having more features than most users will ever use. Definitely exhilarating, Nikon. Because I am fairly knowledgeable and chose this model over others, I will be able to use most of this camera. For the casual/intermediate photographer, they should just get a good classic body or a Nikon N65. The N80 seems to be reserved for the enthusiast (not the general photog), as it satisfies those who want an F100 (for various reasons- all good- including wanting more snazzy gear), but don't have the cash. This is the best amateur AF slr body Nikon has ever made. I can't think of another- the N8008 comes close, but the N80 has it all. I admit, I would love to be able to meter manual lenses on it, but this body is so advanced, it is best to use it with AF lenses. I can't recall if I ever seen an F100 with a manual lens on it. The build is respectable- light and stiff. The body panels fit very closely, but I was able to flex one of them apart. The surface treatment is good- it seems to hide scratches well and seems to prevent staining and condensation spreading- very high tech. I suspect that it resists stickers and dirt well. What is somewhat strange is that the DOF button is electronic- why not have an all manual switch? All the switches are very quiet in operation and the flash cover does not rattle. This is a stealth camera by all means. Shutter click is very muted- there is more noise when the film advances. The film winding sound is a bit weak, but is muffled in normal ambient street noise. With the custom functions, users can no longer complain about one function or another- you can just turn it off or modify it. (Good implementation) All in all, this is a great advancement for Nikon. I need to use it more to make more of a detailed review. Right now, it is like one of those products- Wow, how could this be any better!

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None