Nikon D80 Camera Review and Buyers Guide
The Nikon D80 (1 out of 5)
If you are in the market for a new Nikon digital SLR camera (currently priced at $999.95), than you have a lot to choose from in the mid-range market. The Nikon D80 is close to the low-end price range, but this camera has many more options than others with the same price tag. More importantly the D80 takes better pictures then the competition. Combine the Nikon D80 with even mediocre glass like the Nikkor 18-105 VR lens and you will get quality, colourful images almost devoid of noise even in low light. The camera is a good weight, the buttons and controls are in easy reach, and the camera feels natural in hand. I have shot with the D80 side-by-side with the Canon Xti. The Xti had a top of the line L series lens on it and the Nikon took better shots every time. All that being said, I can’t recommend that anyone buy this product.
A Quick Look at Features (5 out of 5)
The Nikon D80 has an amazing list of features that will help you get the perfect shot. It is the first digital Nikon to use an 11 point auto-focus. It has a 2.5-inch 230,000-dot high-resolution monitor to review photos in-camera. The sensor in the D80 is so good it was also used in the more upscale Nikon D200. It has a great ISO range which is 100 to HI-1 (ISO 3200 to the non-Nikon user). I could go on and on about all the great features that the Nikon D80 has. You might love it and you might regret ever buying it. It all depends on how long the camera works as it should.
The Nikon D80 Flaw (1 out of 5)
So I keep mentioning this one big flaw in the Nikon D80, all the while talking it up. I can’t help it, I love this camera and it drives me nuts
that this flaw was never fixed! So what is it? It is all about the auto-focus. I am on my second Nikon D80 body and I am not the only one. Many users have complained that the auto-focus just stopped working on their cameras as well. Many photographers thought that the lens was the issue, but anyone who brought the camera and lens in to a dealer would get the body replaced, not the lens. I’m now shooting with my second D80 and it seems to be holding up. I would highly recommend, that if you are going to buy a Nikon D80, make sure you send in the warranty card, there is a good chance you will be using it. Do not by this camera used! Regardless of this issue, I love using Nikon products and will continue to do so. I hope that this one bad apple won’t spoil someone’s opinion on the whole line because the rest of the basket of apples is pretty tasty indeed.
