Wide range of useful features integrated into a single complete package Functions are easily accessible through ergonomic controls Well priced

No significant weaknesses in its category - just some small buts... I regularly change film mid spool and my only continual disappointment is that the film leader cannot be left out on rewind. It seems such a simple feature to integrate. I would like the convenience of electronic remote triggering (although the cheaper cable release is mostly sufficient)

Clearly, with well over 300 reviews at the time of writing, this body appeals to many people. There is no other camera on this site that comes close to the popularity of the F80 and justifiably so. It has many useful features that are practical and do not fall into the gimmick category. I have had this body for a year and continually enjoy using it. The general ergonomics are excellent and suit me perfectly. I personally find integration of DOF preview, gridlines, variable timer and built in flash meet my needs time and again. Size and weight are a big issue for me. Living in the Middle East, I do not like to feel intrusive when out with my camera and candid photography often benefits with the neat small package the F80 offers. The metering modes are fail safe and I have complete faith in this aspect of the camera. I have never been let down, so long as I have used good photographic judgement. With regard to build quality, I have taken my camera into the desert with 45oC heat at 85% humidity, trekked through a very wet jungle in Thailand and cycled up mountain paths in South Africa with it. I look after my equipment but it has received a fair share of bumps and bruises, yet still the polycarbonate resists scratches, absorbs shock and houses the sensitive internals more than sufficiently. It is certainly not poor, compared with anything. There is no doubt that if you have an emotional attachment to Nikon, wish to buy into its versatile range (as I did) and the F80 is on your review list, it is very unlikely to disappoint. It is certainly not a compromise – forget the pro/am label and your ego look to meet your needs.

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My lens package: Nikkor 28 - 105mm Nikkor 105mm Micro Nikkor 24mm

Well built.

None

What a great Camera. For a mid range price, you can not beat the quality. Some of the features of this camera I have not used, but the ones I have work great and were a great idea to put on a camera, such as the grid and the center focus. I have nothing put pleasure with this camera. A very wise buy.

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Have not used.

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Canon

Matrix, spot and center-weighted metering, all very accurate Outstanding automatically balanced fill-flash capabilities Onboard, separate TTL-flash-compensation Very good flash results even with SB 22/23 Very accurate AF Good viewfinder Compact, built-in flash Good build-quality compared to Canon Silent shutter and winder Automatic exposure bracketing (do you use it?) Dial-in grid lines (same question) A lot of not-to-remember custom functions (ditto)

AF slow and hunting in dim light, additional light-beam necessary Only 1 cross-shaped AF-sensor 1/125 s X-sync No meetering with MF-lenses F-stop not (pre-) selectable by aperture ring In M-exposure mode multisegmented TTL-Flash only with SB 25-28 or SB 50/80 DX (use slow-sync with other flashes indoors) Poor build-quality compared to older models like F90X Expensive batteries

This is a great amateur camera giving you both: full control over light and focus and flexibility for snapshots at a reasonable price. The metering/exposure system is very accurate. Fill-flash capabilities are outstanding despite the slow X-sync. Ideal for travelling due to its compact body with built-in flash. AF is very accurate but not fast and deadly slow in dim light if you don´t want to use the central sensor together with the camera´s or flash´s helping light beam. The other 4 AF-sensors are of simple design and too close together. This was one reason for me to upgrade to a second-hand F90X (=N90s). The F80 feels like a toy, the F90X like a tool. This is an emotional statement and you have to check it by yourself. AF of the F90X is incredible fast and accurate and has a wide cross-sensor which I prefer over 5 tiny sensors and the need to select one of it. I would strongly recommend to have a look at a used F90X as an alternative to the F80 at nearly the same price. The F80 has some extra features which few people use. The F90X has all the essentials, a fast and still one of the best AF-systems and is much more solid.

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Not needed

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F100, F90X, F601

Lightweight, on-demand grid lines,

Grip/Battery pack does not have alternate shutter

Having used a Nikon F601 for almost 3 years the F80 provided me with technology and efficiency that was far above what I had been used to. I found that the F80 gave me value for money when it came to features that were integrated from other Nikon Bodies, the Grid lines proved to be very useful in shooting architecture and landscape although became a hindrance when shooting people. Autofocus is fast and accurate and the metering system is great. If you are thinking of spending $800+ on an F100 consider getting 2 F80 bodies instead.

- Gridline on viewfinder - popup flash - continuos auto focus - light and compact - sleek looking - solid feel

- high in cost (to me it is, but that is how supply and deman work)

I have been shooting with the F80D (with Date Function) for over a year now. This camera has many useful functions. In particular, I like the gridline in the Viewfinder function, selectable focus points, continuos auto focus tracking, and popup flash. The popup flash is not super powerful but for snapshots, it is sufficient and very convenient. Ergonomics on this camera is excellent. Butons, dials and knobs are easily accesible and easy to understand. Once you read the manual and figure out each function, you won't forget it. Max shutter speed is 1/4000 and I have never gone past 1/2000 to be realistic. This camera only does 2.5 frames per second as compared to other higher models but, I am not a professional and don't shoot sports where I need to capture every scene in a sporting event. In fact, at 2.5 fps, you can go through a roll of 36 shots in about 15 secs. I think this is fast enough. I am a serious hobby photographer and the F80D has served me well. There are many more strengths and functions but I only indicated what is important to me. Others indicate that this camera has lots of plastic. Again, I take care of all my gear and do not need the ruggedness of a full body camera like the pros. I am a srious hobby photographer and this camera suits me fine. good luck!

Most of the F100's capabilities for about 1/3 the money and half the weight. Takes exceptional pictures with flash, AF, AE, or manual.

Slowish motor drive. If one needs absolute weather resistance/pro durability, this camera doesn't have it.

A great Nikon body offering 90-95% of the F100's utility at <40% of the F100 price; admittedly it's not nearly as resistant to abuse as the F100 and F5. For the serious amateur who takes good care of their equipment, as good as an F100 in most cases. Spot metering, gridlines in VF, easy on batteries, lightweight. To miss a shot, one must intentionally abuse the excellent built-in metering and AF.

Customer Service

Never used.

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Many Nikon and non-Nikon 35mm SLRs

ergonomically great

quality-truly horrible metering system consistently underexposes no matter how careful I am, although that could be the lense (also Nikon)

Maybe I just had the bad luck of getting two lemons, but even so that itself sais something about the product. The first one wouldn't load film so had to be returned. The second one just went dead in my hands for no apparent reason and remains dead. Take my advice, forget about this camera and go with the Canon Elan 7. Nikon quality really does seem to be going downhill.

Customer Service

I'll know in a couple of weeks

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Pentax MZ-30 (probably different name in U.S. Canon Elan 7

Too many

Too few

This is a semi-pro model. Want better AF? Then go for the one model above it - the F90. Yes, it may hunt at times, but if you're like me and you manually focus more than 90% of the time, it's fine. Yesterday was one of the rare times I used AF when I ran around trying to take a 1:1 shot of a bee landing on a daisy with continuous AF and I got it right in one go, thanks to the F80's AF. In low light situations, it does hunt a lot with that little focussing light to aid the AF system. Ergonomics? PERFECTLY fine by me. Unless you are blessed with humungous gargantuan hands, you DON'T need the battery grip which is nonetehless useful with the AA batteries. That adds a bit of weight when travelling but still helluva lot lighter than the F90. And have the below posters even tried the F65 or new F55? Those are tiny and are more justified for complaining that they're unergonomical. And they lack the spot metering and 3D matrix system available with the F80. Yes, you can't use the older Nikkor lenses because of the coupling system which some may find incredulous. For me, it's like new gadgetry and technology just as with computers. You have to move along and reinvest to stay abreast of the times unless you want to bear obsolescence as a collector of older Nikon equipment. As far as I am concerned, I think this camera is great for the beginner to grow along with , to learn the technical side (spot, EV settings, etc) of photography which the F65/F55 won't quite allow, perfect for travelling and handy even for the pro as a backup camera. I'd choose this over Canon's 300, 3000, Minolta's 404 or 505 or even Pentax's MZ-7, all of which are more of less in the same range in terms of price and features and which I have had the opportunity to try out. Look, even Nikon's new D100 and Fuji's S2 Pro 6 megapcxel digicams are using the F80's body. 'Nuff said.

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Not bad

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Lots

"Grid on demand" custom fuction greatly assists composition of images. True spot metering. Good matrix metering. Easy, fast manual selection of active AF sensor (and you'll need it).

AF hunts in nearly all lighting conditions. In low light, might as well manually select one of the sensors and save yourself frustration. Iffy build quality, not made in Japan. Needs the optional battery grip to achieve proper ergonomics. No mirror lockup. Can't meter some lenses. Can't use my beloved Nikkor micro manual focus lens without a hand meter. Multifunction knob is awkward to set.

It seems my view of this camera is contrary to prevailing public opinion. I personally find it one of the least likable bodies Nikon has yet to offer. To explain: There are some things to like in this package. I think the "gridlines on demand" custom function is ingenious and wonderful. It is incredibly easy to manually select one of the AF sensors (unfortunately, the poor job the AF does on its own makes this an important point). I'm almost always shooting in this manner (but not because I want to!). With the over-priced and nearly featureless battery grip attached, the ergonomics are good. Without the grip, I find the N80 off-balance and uncomfortable. If you're going to get the N80, order the optional grip along with it. The exposure metering has proven reasonably accurate, though not superior to my Canon bodies. With the N80 you do get a true spot meter, which Canon's Elan II and Rebel 2000 lack. Yet the true spot is poorly implemented -- there is no corresponding visible circle in the viewfinder. One is left to guess at precisely where the spot is. The build quality is iffy, and I note mine is not made in Japan. Overall, the body does not present me with a feeling of confidence in terms of durability or workmanship. I have found the AF performance to be quite inferior to Canon equivalents. Low light performance is poor, and that "headlight" AF assist is horrible. Yes, you can turn it off, and as a result your AF will perform even more poorly. The Canon Elan II's infrared AF assist is far superior. Another AF complaint is that the sensors are too tightly grouped in the central area of the viewfinder. They need to be more widely dispersed. The subject is not always in the center! I blew some shots when using flash, as I was not aware that flash AE exposes uses the central focusing sensor only. I was shooting a birthday party and was using the usualy composition rule of thirds to frame my shot. I had the child in the right third of the frame, facing into the image. I manually set the appropriate sensor on him to focus, and all seemed to go well. Not having read the manual completely, and being accustomed to Canon's ability to flash AE off the active focus sensor (even in the lowly Rebel), I trusted the N80's circuitry for the exposure. Mistake. It flash metered off the central sensor, which was in a darkish area, and the birthday boy was way ove

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Never needed.

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Nikon 8008s Canon Elan II Canon Rebel 2000

Cheap and loaded with all the features of the pro-level cameras without the expense of overkill. Exposures are dead accurate.

None.

Bought two of these instead of one F-100 and used the difference to purchase top quality lens. It's the lens that control the quality of sharpness and colours. That said, the F-80 is an excellent camera that comes shipped with a crappy lens, the 28-80mm. If you can afford it get the 28-105mm instead. If you want better get the afs 28-70mm which is the top gun of all standard zooms.

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Not requied yet

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Canon Eos500???