Packed with features Great value Bright viewfinder Easy to learn and customize to your liking

Heavy (although this is hopefully also a sign of its durability) Slow flash sync speed (1/125)

After reading reviews on this site, I decided to upgrade to the N80, and so far I've been really happy with it. First, I upgraded from a Rebel G, which I've had for about 3 years. Before that, I used a manual Minolta X-700 (sadly, now broken). While the Rebel G was fine at first, it became more annoying to use as time went on. I actually used the Rebel G's dummy program to shoot snapshots of my kids often - a feature lacking on the more serious N80. But the real problem with the Rebel G (and similar cameras - the 2000, the N65, etc.) is that it doesn't get you very far past shooting snapshots. Most often I take pictures of people, primarily my young kids, and often indoors. Of course any AF camera will hunt for proper focus in low light situations, and the N80 has the dreaded AF assist light just like the Canon. (Although you can turn it off with one of the custom functions on the N80!) The N80 is reasonably good at low light AF, but this is a situation which often requires MF. The biggest problem with the Rebel G and similar plastic prism cameras is the dim viewfinder, which resulted in many out of focus shots for me. The N80 has solved this problem with a much brighter viewfinder, allowing me to focus even in dim light. What's more, the N80 has an electronic rangefinder which has an indicator light in the viewfinder showing when you have the subject in focus. Although it's not perfect at finding focus, it is nice to confirmation when you're manually focusing in low light (especially when you need new glasses like me). I haven't yet explored all the fancy AF settings, but I find that I rarely use anything more than the central focusing point anyway. The metering has been accurate so far as well. As soon as I get myself a faster lens (I bought this with a Sigma 28-135 3.8-5.6 - see review in Lenses) I'll be able to shoot more without a flash indoors. The N80 is a much more serious camera than what I am used to, and it is significantly bulkier than my little Rebel G. Although this is an advantage in many ways, so far I have simply found it more cumbersome to tote around. Still, if its added weight means added durability, I hope to still be using it in 20 years. I only wish it had a faster flash sync speed for outdoor fill flash shooting.

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

Canon Rebel G Minolta X700

-Spot metering -Matrix metering is GOOD -DoF preview button is well-placed (everything is!) -LCD panel can light up -lightweight -good in low-light situations -affordable

-not sealed too well -EV compensation is in 1/2 instead of 1/3 -dial for metering mode is too hard to turn -noisy -viewfinder is a bit dark

I LOVE this camera! What's so great about it is all it's features and ergonomics. It's incredibly easy to hold and light.

Customer Service

haven't needed it yet

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F2 Canon EOS 7

I loved the features that it offered in a beginner camera. Lightweight and very versatile. Controls are very easy to use and get used to.

Plastic lens ring - I'm afraid I'll damage it with frequent lens changes.

I love this camera and can't rave enough about it. I purchased mine about two years ago because I wanted to experiment with photography and my point & shoot did not provide the necessary features. Not having used an SLR before or being that familiar with aperture, shutter priority, etc, I wanted a camera that would think for me but also let me play with the controls as I learned. This camera efinately does that! We're now attached on the hip and it goes everywhere with me. For the first couple of months I used it exclusively in program mode and it handled a variety of situations very well. The only exposure "errors" were at the extreme ranges, i.e. low light or very bright sunlight & shade contrast. The on-camera flash works pretty well for my uses, which are basically travel photography (landscapes, architecture) and some portraits & special events (family weddings, etc). I bought the "package" that the store offered, with a NIkon 28-80mm lens. Wish that I had known more at the time... I probably would have bought a Sigma 28-300 zoom. I ended up getting a 70-300 that I love, but I switch lenses fairly often and it's a pain. For a beginner just learning about photography and SLRs, I would really recommend this. I looked at Cannon also, and opted for the Nikon system b/c of the versatility of this and other models. Controls are easy to use, the program mode can do it all for you if you choose, and there's a variety of lenses.

Customer Service

Haven't needed it.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Point & Shoot Canon Powershot S10 Various Point & Shoots

Lightweight Price Excellent Feel

The only real weakness is not being able to metre MF lenses. MB-16 is too expensive for what it is.

In my search for anentry level camera I feel I hit the jackpot. The $50 rebate made the camera seem like an even better deal. The light weight allows it to be carried in a backpack while hiking without even being noticed. I handle the N90s and F100, but these were far to bulky, heavy, and expensive. The N80 has all the features that a beginner could want in a well built, lightweight package. Some complained of the plastic feel, but in my experience this camera is pretty rugged. If you are looking to get into photography I would definitely recommend this camera.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

N65 Olympus OM-10

Solid build, comprehensive specification, reliable metering, generally excellent autofocusing (though not perfect, it can hunt a bit in low light, especially with the outer sensors), logical handling, vast system back-up. The on-demand grid lines are a great little touch.

Feel I'm picking at nits here but: flash sync is only 1/125 which can be limiting, lack of mirror lock up, can't meter for manual lenses. But bear in mind these are, to me at least, the ONLY limitations. I'd also like real weatherproof sealing and casing and a faster motordrive but you can't expect that at this price.

Fantastic camera, in my mind it's everything a non-professional camera should be.

Customer Service

Great; I got mine second hand and it came with no instructions, I contacted Nikon UK to try and get a list of the custom functions (the controls themselves are really easy to work out) and the guy the

Excellent metering. Fairly quick focusing. Very easy to learn and use basic commands. The on-command grid lines will be a tremendous help when composing landscapes.

Some focus hunting ... but certainly not a true weakness. Flash synch of only 125 is the only true weakness of this camera, but it is dwarfed by the N80's strengths.

For the $, this is a tremendous machine for photography. Matched with a 28-105, I've taken photos with superior sharpness and color. Can you do better? Sure, but the law of diminishing returns rapidly kicks in. This camera gets you 95% of the F-100 at half the price. Is it worth another $600 to get that remaining 5%? Sure, for some people. For most, this camera is the solution to their photographic needs.

Light, easy to use, lotsa stuff to play with, good metering, the led lights up when I need it(one good thing over my beloved Elan II), seemingly tougher than it looks,

slow fps, ME and timer on same controls, stupid white AF beam,

This is the 5th SLR I have owned and only one comes close to feeling just right in my hands. That was my 2nd, a Canon EOS Elan II. I will state this up front, I`m not a technically minded photographer. I do a wide variety of personal photography, but I don`t really go by any classification. What I was looking for when I bought the N80 was a camera that would work with me quickly and `naturally`(read: just feels right) as the Elan II...but with better metering. So far I haven`t been disappointed one bit. There are some features that I miss from the Elan II. Btw, when I moved from the II I bought a Elan 7e...which I almost immediately regretted for a variety of reasons. But then I had to sell it, and later bought a used Nikon 8008 which served very nicely for a while but I was worried about the `used` part. So I looked and looked and ended up with the N80 and a 50mm Nikkor AF. I quickly snapped up a 28-200 Tamron(good lens, may it rest in peace...dropped in a train in Tokyo-the N80 however wasn`t damaged at all despite the back popped open...at least it was only one shot that got ruined). Now a few more new lenses later I still love the way the N80 fits in my hands(and my hands are not small) and the controls are easily accessable. It was an easy switch from the Elan 7 to the Nikon but if it had been my Elan II...well, tough call. Some of the things I really miss... 1. Canon puts the ME and timer on seperate dials/buttons etc...i used to do some nice shots with my Elan that I just can`t do with the N80. But that is maybe more of an art thing. 2. I miss the infra-red AF assist that Canon so smartly put on the Elan II only to get rid of it with the 7(and my N80 uses a similar white light...I really really don`t like it). 3. The controls on the BP...I can`t believe Nikon didn`t put even a shutter button on the BP. Maybe not a real big deal but it feels a bit awkward shooting vertical with your arm wrapped around your head. Don`t want to know what it looks like.

Customer Service

Even though I did a really stupid thing and dropped it(from chest level...I`m 5`11) it not only survived it`s still in top working condition. don`t try this at home tho`...

Similar Products Used:

EOS Rebel X, EOS Elan II, EOS Elan 7, Nikon 8008,

Wonderful camerea, I got a Nikkor 28-70 mm and am amazed at the colors in the pictures. Controls, with exception of focusing pad on the back are easy to use and intuitive. After 5 minutes of playing with, I could access the majority of the functions, everything else was explained in the manuel that accompanied the camerea.

Annoying codes for programming some of the default features to turn off.

I was torn between investing this much in a 35 mm camerea, or buying an equally impressive digital point and shoot. After a little research, I went to the store to get some hands on experience. I walked in, looked at the store model, and couldn''t put it down. I went from a fully manuel Canon AE-1 to this. I felt as if I was bestowed with leanardo''s brush. Its autofocus truly is a god send. It is considered entry level professional, but is so easy to use, I can lend it to family members. I highly recommend buying this.

Customer Service

What can you say for highschoolers who hate thier jobs?

small!!!... easy to take around and fling around 3d matrix metering - if you''re not familiar with this concept, look it up... GOOD STUFF lots of nice features and functions...

small!!!... and cheap feeling - up next to my F$ and D1 it just looks rediculously pewny! doesn''t feel like a pro camera (but then again maybe that''s because it''s not supposed to be a pro camera)... slow flash sinc speed! (biggest downfall if you ask me) no accesory cord input on the body... custom features kinda hard to tinker with... film rewind and advance make me nervous since you really don''t know what the camera is doing... old Sigma EX HSM lenses don''t work on the N80...

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE i think someone else said this earlier but i''ll say it again - DON"T BUY THE CAMERA WITH THE LENS PACKAGE!!!... the lenses that they offer are usually cheap and most probably won''t do much for you... get a good cheap Nikkor 50mm 1.8 or a Sigma EX or somthing instead... Until recently I have only had experience with the metal NIkon bodies... so when people said that certain bodies feel cheap and plasticy I really could not relate... But now that I have a N80, I know exactly what they mean... the N80 is definately small and light and just doesn''t feel or look much like a "pro" camera... until of course you read the manual and start to learn what it can do... I originally bought this camera to be a replacement for my old FG which was my tetiary back-up to my F4s which was back-up to my D1... a wedding that i have comming up requires all film work so I was going to have my f4s in hand and the N80 strapped onto my back... but after further study, the N80 could offer better flash exposure and easier manipulation of functions as compared to the F4 so i decided to strap the F4 as my back-up instead... for extremely bright outdoor shots i will probably use the F4 with it''s relatively primitive fill flash functions only because it will offer a faster sinc speed (N80 sinc is only at 1/125... quite a problem since i like to use shallow depth of field''s alot)... aside from that I don''t see any other reason why I or anybody else couldn''t use the N80 as there all around main rig... (just as long as you stick a big old flash bracket and large 2.8 lens on there just so people will take you seriously!!!)

Customer Service

Sent in my D1 for oscilator upgrade... it''s been 2 weeks now and they say it may take another 2 weeks till i get it back... but oh well... can''t win ''em all...

Similar Products Used:

NIkon F4s Nikon FG Nikon D1

Amazing price/performance. Built-in flash useful for travelling light. Great auto-focus system for candids. Very good construction for non-metal camera.

Doesn''t meter through non CPU lenses. Doesn''t leave out leader on rewind. No mirror lockup, even during self-timer. Focus assist light is too distracting.

After getting fed up with missing some candid shots with my Nikon FE, I decided to get an auto-focus body with built-in flash. Staying within the Nikon family, the N80 was the best deal overall. It has a great auto-focus system to handle those candids I needed and had all the manual functions I wanted for normal operation. The built-in flash, though not powerful, is great to have if you don''t want to carry a full flash around. But, everything isn''t perfect with this camera. For those of you upgrading from another Nikon camera, be warned that the N80 doesn''t support non-CPU lenses. Luckily I only had to replace one lens (the 50/1.4 AI-S with a 50/1.8 AF for under $100) so I bought it anyway. Still, I was very disappointed that Nikon even built a camera that can''t work with all their lenses. Wasn''t that the point of their system in the first place? Now I''m left with a camera without access to some great older, but pefectly functional and cheaper lenses. Other than that relatively major issue, the camera is very good. The minor issues I have are that it can''t leave the film leader out on rewind. This is something I used extensively with my FE to switch film types mid-roll. Now I carry the N80 along with the FE which is always loaded with a different film type. The other minor issues are that it has no mirror lockup which my FE does at least with self-timer. This is not too bad though because the shake is very low. Lastly, the auto-focus assist light is very bright and distracting to subjects, but turning it off doesn''t hurt me too much since my extremely low-light shots are manually focused anyway.

Customer Service

Haven''t had to use it.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax K1000, Nikon FE