Customer Reviews:
 Beautiful Camera - could use a few interface improvements January 5, 2007
13 out of 20 found this review helpful
I used this with the 18-200mm VR lens and found the combo heavy. So I sent it back and got the D40 which I prefer (because it is lighter). After trying various menu interfaces, I prefer the type used by Panasonic - a four way circular button which give you direct access to Exposure Compensation, flash exposure compensation, ISO, WB, etc. But this is a matter of personal preference, and so some people might prefer the Nikon approach.
Some of settings could be better designed. For instance the ISO settings are placed in Custom settings and in other menus. You need to make changes to both to get the settings you want. It would make more sense if they were in the same place. I also found that some of the custom selections were things that should be available in the shooting menu.
Other than these minor quibbles, this is a great camera.
 Best SLR on the Market January 3, 2007
8 out of 13 found this review helpful
I have been amazed at how easy to use the D80 is, while also creating unbelievably clear and crisp shots. It is easy enough for the novice photographer, yet advanced enough for the pros.
Not Too Old to Learn (Update) January 1, 2007
66 out of 66 found this review helpful
I resisted "going digital" until now, but my wife got me a D80 for Christmas. I've worked in photography but for many years it has been a hobby (which I prefer), and I've owned Nikon F2, F3HP, Bronica 6x6, and various 4x5 view cameras. One thing I've always struggled with in using the highly convenient 35mm SLR format is enlargement capability with such small format images. Once you've used 4x5 it's hard to settle for the graininess and low resolution of most 35mm films (Kodachrome excepted). But the 10 megapixel D80 may finally solve this for me.
The D80 + 18-135mm ED lens is an amazing package, and I salute Nikon for offering the new digital SLR this way. The capabilities of the D80 with this lens are impressive--and far beyond my rudimentary digital knowledge at this point. But learning how it all works is going to be a whole heck of a lot of fun.
Most of my reluctance over "going digital" evaporated the first time I plugged the D80's USB cord into my computer and watched the images I'd just taken load automatically into Adobe Photoshop Elements. Literally a few moments later I watched a beautiful slide show of my images--with music to boot--play across the computer screen with incredible clarity and resolution. Wistful memories of Kodachrome? Well yes, but I think I'll get over them with this camera.
One worry I had as an eyeglass wearer was whether the D80's viewfinder and eyepiece would allow me to see the entire image plus the exposure info while shooting---other digital SLRs I've tried were problematic in this. But I find the view through the D80 eyepiece is nearly as good as my F3 High Eyepoint body. This is significant and telling to me, since the D80 is decidedly an amateur camera while the F3 was Nikon's flagship pro SLR in its day.
Criticisms: not many at this point. The camera feels too light to me, but I'm used to the F3/MD3 motor drive combo, which most photographers today would think a punishment to carry and use. I'm inclined to say that the array of options in programming, exposure adjustment, autofocus, etc. is dizzying to me, and I'm not sure how much of it is really necessary. But, again, I think it will be fun playing with all the obscure settings.
An amazing machine, highly recommended--even for old guys like me.
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Update: After using the D80 for a month I just purchased the MB-D80 battery pack for it, and my reaction to using this combination is that the basic camera doesn't feel complete to me without the vertical grip and the extension of the standard grip that the battery pack provides. Granted the MB-D80 adds quite a bit of bulk to the camera, but being used to motor driven F3s and F2s it still feels quite trim and light to me. It also makes the D80 more like my F3/MD3 in that I can use AA batteries in an emergency. Great accessory for a very nice camera.
Delivers Superb Images If You dont Mind Babysitting the Exposure Compensation All the Time December 29, 2006
38 out of 40 found this review helpful
I've owned a Nikon D80 for over two months and made 1200+ shots with the D80 so far. My experience with the image performance of the D80 reveals that: Pros of this camera (most important in my opinions):
1. Nearly instant start up.
2. 10.2 MP sensor offering better possibilities when it comes to cropping
3. Prism viewfinder with grids
4. Excellent usability
5. Most default settings are very reliable
6. Bright LCD monitor on the back
7. It is small and light enough so that the middle finger of my right hand don't hurt after 200 shots in an afternoon without a tripod. Highly recommended to anyone has small hands like mine.
and on and on...
Cons:
1. Metering. The D80 has a very strong tendency of over exposing and its over exposing behaviour is not consistent. I was constantly turning the exposure compensation up and down between 0 EV and -2 (!!!) EV when doing landscape or street shots. On D80 it is very easy to adjust the compensation but still you need at least 10 seconds to press the +/- button, test shoot, looking at the monitor, if not right, execute the action loop again....it has been very frustrating to me sometimes. During a time-critical shooting like a sudden event on the street, the need of twiddling the exposure compensation all the time might make you miss the most interesting moment. And since the memory capacity is always limited no matter how high it is, doing bracketing or shooting raw all the time is not really practical. I really really really wish Nikon could fix this problem in the next version of the firmware for D80.
2. The diffraction is easily visible when the aperture is smaller than f/13. However for "tact sharp" landscape shoots, f/22+ is usually desirable.
These are the only two things which have been bothered me. I would like to give it a 4.5 star, rounded to 5.
When I am on the run, I use the automatic/default setting a lot. The most impressive automatic setting on the D80 is "night scene (landscape)" mode. The over exposure in daytime might be a failure of D80, but it turned out such a nice feature at night. All my night shots using the automatic night mode look brilliant and vivid. D80 not only outperforms other DSLRs on the automatic night scene (landscape) mode, but also beats my manual settings most of the time when shooting city lights.
New to a DSLR and thoroughly impressed. December 26, 2006
17 out of 23 found this review helpful
I bought the D80 a week ago and have been experimenting with all the features the camera has to offer. I went to my local store and tried Rebel XTi, A100, and D80 and hands down the D80 was the best. From the menu layout to the feel of the camera in my hands it just seemed like a solid piece of equipment. It was a little more expensive then the competition but If I am going to spend a lot of money on a camera lenses etc.. It should be what I wanted and the D80 by far hands down took the best pictures and was the most pleasing to use. Although I am not a pro photographer by any means I am technically savy and I would highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants consistently great results with relative ease of use.
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