A long - awaited successor to the Nikon D70s ( ) , the Nikon D80 improves on its predecessor with a 10.2 - megapixel sensor , with child LCD , good performance , and many other fine feature . At $ 1,300 for a D80 parcel with an 18 - 135 mm genus Lens , the D80 is in an anomalous lieu . It ’s similar to Canon ’s EOS 30D ( ) in build timber , simplicity of use , and current terms , but it also offer the higher resolution of Canon ’s Digital Rebel XTi ( ) and the Sony DSLR - Alpha 100 K ( ) .
substance abuser of the D70s will be impressed by the D80 ’s new designing . It ’s importantly modest than the D70s , yet still very comfortable to concord , thanks to its textured ending , orotund grip , and sturdy metallic element body . Experienced Nikon shooter will find right at abode with the D80 ’s front and rear - mount control dials and interface layout .
A top - mounted status LCD exhibit all of the television camera configurations that you ’ll demand for everyday shooting , and the camera includes a good mixed bag of external restraint – drive and autofocus modes , exposure compensation focus and exposure whorl , auto bracketing , flash compensation , and more . A larger 2.5 - inch LCD cover is a overnice rise from the D70s , but the switch from CompactFlash to Secure Digital card for the tv camera ’s storage might frustrate current Nikon owners . If you have a large investment in CompactFlash cards , you ’ll have to bug out grease one’s palms unexampled medium .
Improved performance
The photographic camera ’s performance improvements are apparent as before long as you power up the D80 . Boot and wake from slumber are instantaneous , autofocus is quicker , burst shot is rapid , and file direction undertaking are speed up . Once you start shoot , you ’ll find that the camera ’s autofocus system is speedier and more accurate thanks to the plus of seven more focal point point , yield the D80 a total of 11 direction points .
Nikon has done an splendid job of admit feature that serious photographers will want – Raw data formatting , motorcar bracketing , decent burst swiftness ( three frames per secondment for Raw or JPEG ) , foresighted pic noise reduction , mirror ignition lock - up , spot metering , ISO travel rapidly from 100 to 3200 , and more . Many of the feature that you ’ll notice on the higher - end D200 are present on the D80 as well , though the D80 typically offer scaled - down versions . For model , the bracketing mode only provide two or three guess wall bracket , as oppose to the D200 ’s five barb bracket . As with premature Nikon SLRs , stamp battery life of the D80 is excellent , allowing you to get several 24-hour interval of moderate to heavy shooting out of a full tutelage . Users will also be imprint by the effigy quality : The D80 produces excellent images with very good noise reply across its ISO kitchen stove .
Useful features
For photographer who need to minimise the amount of sentence they spend using an image editor , the D80 includes a new Retouch menu , which provide a number of prototype editing alternative that can be applied mechanically to your effigy . D - Lighting performs an adaptive brightening that is very similar to the Shadow / Highlight dick in Photoshop CS2 . Other retouching options admit built - in red - eye chastisement , cropping , monochrome spiritual rebirth , and warming and chill filters . For users who desire their images correct correctly out of the camera , these are welcome features .
performance
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specifications
The image - timbre evaluation of the camera is base upon a panel of judge ’ opinions in five categories : picture , colour , sharpness , distortion , and overall . Battery life story testers follow a exact script , including shots with and without flash , until the electric battery dies.—Tested in junction with the PC World Test Center
Macworld’s buying advice
Though it ’s priced mellow than Canon ’s Digital Rebel XTi and Sony ’s Alpha 100 , the Nikon D80 return a set of redundant bang for the buck . In fact , substance abuser who are considering the Canon EOS 30D will want to take a confining look at this camera . Nikon and Canon camera layout are very different , and you may find that you choose one to the other . If you like Nikon ’s approach , the D80 drive home an splendid balance of features , figure of speech quality , and toll .
[ Ben Long is the writer ofComplete Digital Photography , third Edition(Charles River Books , 2004 ) . ]
