Customer Reviews:
Great Camera but think before you buy.......2007-07-21
I'm fairly new to Photography but have recently upgraded from a Canon S3 IS to the Nikon D80 and am I glad I did so? You bet. The D80 can produce very high quality images, it's sturdy and well built and the controls are very sensibly placed. The rear LCD is of very good quality and a good size and the menu system is easy to use and offers a huge number of options to enable you to set the camera up just how you like it. So if you are an enthusiast then this camera should be on you short list but if you just want to take good pictures without becoming too serious then look at the D40 or D40+.
Hindsight is a great thing and there are a couple of points that I would have taken into account had I known better.
My limited experience of Canon cameras indicates that their images are generally sharper straight out of a camera than that of the D80. Also the saturation of colours straight out of a Canon is more intense than out of the D80. So if in general you want to lessen the editing burden so that you can bang out some great snaps then a Canon may make more sense.
One of the D80s advantages is its low noise levels at high sensitivities so if you are going to take a lot of photos in low light conditions or use the lower price and hence slow telephoto lenses than it may have the edge over competitors.
Any vibration reduction resides within the Nikon lenses and not within the D80 body, whereas for Canon cameras it sits within the camera body. This means that if you intend to buy third party lenses (I have a Sigma 50 -500) then you may get some vibration reduction for free from a Canon but not from a Nikon but please check this before you buy. This smacks of Nikon locking people into buying their lenses.
I am becoming aware that post processing is a great leveller when it comes to quality of images, especially if you shoot in RAW format. Therefore I would now tend to concentrate more on purchase cost, usability, reliability and cost of accessories than 'out of the camera' image quality as I don't think there is much in it. So before you buy the camera body look at the price of the accessories and lenses that you will buy with it, and in the future. Also try to handle the cameras on your short list to see which "feels" right for you.
Finally if you are still unsure if a full Digital SLR is for you then in my opinion my Canon S3 IS digital camera takes as good, if not better Jpeg images straight from the camera (even after playing with the D80's jpeg image quality) and its a third of the price of a standard D80 set up!. Therefore if you're not going to devote a lot of time to editing your images it may be worth considering a super zoom or digital prosumer model. And don't forget you can spend the money you have saved to purchase lens converters to give you more telephoto, macro and wide angle capabilities and all for less than the price of a basic D80 lens and camera bundle.
So in conclusion the D80 is a great camera, however if you require a range of lenses such as wide angle, macro and especially telephoto and you haven't robbed a bank recently then you will probably be looking at third party lenses and it may be that a Canon camera makes more sense. If you already have Nikon lenses then stick with a D80. Otherwise if you think that you may upgrade from the D80 level to a semi pro camera then it is likely that you may want to have the flexibility to choose from a range of manufacturers lenses and hence it could mean again that a Canon with its on board vibration reduction makes sense.
Whatever choice you make if you end up with the D80 you won't be disappointed.
One last piece of advice, some of the online companies are importing kit that does not have a manufacturer's warranty so make sure that if this is the case that you get a warranty from the supplier. Happy snapping.
So good it seems pointless to review it........2007-05-01
It does seem pointless I feel to review this camera, as if you have got this far you've already read oodles of reviews in all the magazines and they will have said how fantastic this camera is. BUT if you are thinking about buying it online, now, without going into a shop as I did, then this really is the one for you. Ignore all the fantastic features, ignore the sensor robbed from its bigger expensive brother, ignore the 11 point focusing system, (or better the movable 11 point single focus) ignore the enormous crisp LCD, the bright well laid out top mounted display, the gorgeous crisp bright viewfinder, ignore all those well placed buttons. The simple fact is, if you are toying with this or the Canon equivalents (as most will be) then buy this for the glorious build quality, the weight and the way you wonder if the Nikon designers have the same sized hands as you (and anyone you pass this camera to) as its simply the best in build quality and ergonomics, the smaller Canons (350 & 400) just feel like plastic toys, and unless you have very small hands you'll find your last finger flailing around with no-where to go, whereas the bigger ones (20 & 30) are built like a brick outhouse, but sadly look and feel like a brick outhouse.
This is what it boils down to, on spec for £ they all run a photo-finish, on build and handling this ones has got them all well and truly licked.
I have a D80 and I say NEVER EVER doubt a Nikon !!.......2007-02-15
Nikon's advantage is that it has a long history of specializing in cameras and camera equipment therefore producing only the best in optics (Nikkor) and cameras (SLR,DSLR types). As you probably know, this mesmerising DSLR functions almost exactly like the Nikon D200, but at a lower price and it is much more attractive to those of us who don't have extremely deep pockets. The buttons and switches on the D80 are the only buttons you will ever need, and the camera feels very solid and comfortable when held. It is more comfortable to hold than any Canon (believe me I know). I particularly like how it has a certain weight, that in my opinion can help stabilize a shot and make one feel as if he/she is holding a serious piece of professional equipment (which the D80 is, in every way). The image quality is flawless, as per usual from Nikon. The 18-135 mm lens is a delicious bit of kit to start off with, offering very crisp and fresh looking photos. It gives the user a choice of wide angle and telephoto zooms (18mm being the wide, 135mm being the long or telephoto). One can opt for a macro lens or specialist wide angle lens later on once you have had at least 6 months experience with the kit lens. I recommend you play around with the A,P and S and M dials as much as possible and avoid shooting in Auto(shooting programs). There are so many configurations available with the in-camera processor, more than any other camera in this price range (32 I think). The viewfinder also tells you if you have locked focus and whether or not your exposure is perfect, with 11 focusing points (again more than any camera in this price range). What more do I have to say ? Order it now! I'd also recommend you purchase a circular polarizer, a UV filter (protection against the sun's harmful rays) and a good quality microfibre cloth to clean the lens (don't forget a bag for this awesome camera, preferably a Lowepro or Tamrac). Trust me, once you get out there and take your first couple of shots, you will fall in love with the D80.
A great DSLR...but do you need it ?.......2006-12-16
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There are pages and pages of profesional reviews on this camera , so I wont give my opinion other than to say that this is virtualy as good as a DSLR gets at the moment...if you need/want one then the D80 is great
My reason for buying this camera is for wedding photography, where I absoloutly need the fast focus and shot to shot time, and it really is great, before buying, you may wish to read the review at www.kenrockwell.com.... Ken identifies...correctly in my view, a tendancy for this camera to overexpose in an unpredictable manner when using matrix metering mode...this is something that I have learned to live with, but it is important to know...many D80 users would go as far as to say that the Matrix Metering system on the D80 is defective and best avoided...it is certainly different to other Nikon DSLR cameras...I use spot or centre weighted metering most of the time, the Matrix system is just too quirky for my taste...the metering issue is not a dealbreaker for me, as the camera is just so so good in other departments, particularly the low light performance and the results when used with the SB600/800 flash...really superb, the camera will even burst at 2.5fps with flash !!!....there are no exposure issues with flash or low light photography , even when using matrix metering
Now this is the cruncher, I carry a camera at all times...not this one though, its too big, too expensive to break/loose, and I cant stand changing lenses for casual photography...my favorite carry round camera is a Kodak P880 (8MP ,a quarter of the price with a 24mm to 150mm fixed lens and half the bulk), and hard as it may seem to believe, the Kodak can match the image quality of this camera in most situations, and has other advantages (live preview, movie mode etc)
So for special occasions, photojournalism, fast action burst (the D80 is almost instant on and very rapid in all departments), then this camera is fantastic...but its a serious camera, for serious uses...for day to day carry round stuff, I still prefer my fixed lens Kodak
Do I recommend this camera...sure without hesitation if its what you need
Product Description
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Product Description
ANOTHER GREAT 4 IN 1 KIT FROM FREESHIPMENT WHO WILL NOT CHARGE POSTAGE FEES AND IF YOU BUY ANOTHER FREESHIPMENT PRODUCT YOU GET 15% OFF AT THE AMAZON CHECKOUT!!!
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