Nikon D80 > Reviews > Nikon D80 - Superb Prosumer DSLR

Author's product rating:   

Picture Quality	Excellent
Range & Quality of Features	Diverse
Ease of Use	Easy
Overall Look & Design	Excellent
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Image quality and build quality
Disadvantages:	Lots of noise at high ISO

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Background

The Nikon D80 is Nikon's attempt to get back into the Prosumer market after the D70 & D70s were getting a bit long in the tooth. What they have cleverly done is take all the decent features from their D200 (which has recently been replaced by the D300) and mix it together with elements of the D50 to create an affordable camera for hobbyists who wish to take photography to the next level.

What's in the box

The list below is from a 'Body Only' package as I was upgrading from a D50 to D80 and already have lenses which come on offer with the D80 kits.

- D80 Body
- EN-EL3e Battery
- Mains Charger for the above battery type
- Head Strap
- USB Cable
- Nikon PictureProject 1.7 CD-ROM
- Nikon CaptureFX Trial CD-ROM
- Various reading materials such as Manual, Warranty and Registration cards

Overview

As mentioned at the beginning of this review the D80 is heavily based around the D200 and inherits features such as the 10.2 Megapixel sensor (the device which captures the image), 11 Autofocus zones, 2.5" LCD review screen, the EN-EL3e battery system and the ISO range of 100 - 1600 (upto 3200 with ISO boost)
Where the D80 differs from the D200 is on the following;
- A plastic outer shell (instead of the D200's metal one)
- 3 FPS continuous shooting capability (instead of 5 FPS)
- A SD/SDHC memory card slot (instead of the CF slot found on the D200)
- The D50s metering sensor

Usability

The D80 is heavy enough to feel solid in the hand however it is not too heavy that you start to get fatigue in your arm and hand muscles after pro-longed use. The buttons are laid out in a logical fashion (for existing Nikon users!) and once you've got used to their positions it becomes second nature.

The main program mode wheel has programs which you would find on both point and shoot and professional DSLR cameras which reinforce Nikons message that this is the camera to go for if you need to bridge the gap between consumer and professional.

Below are the list of modes which are available on the D80;
- Auto (all the cameras functions are automated based on sensor readings)
- Portrait (special mode for portrait shots, usually enhancing skin tone colours)
- Landscapes (special mode for Landscapes)
- Macro (for close up photography)
- Sport (for capturing fast moving subjects)
- Night Landscapes (as landscape mode but in the dark!)
- Night Portrait (as portrait but in the dark!)
- Manual (You dictate the full setup of the camera)
- Aperture Priority (You dictate the f-stop the camera decides on the optimum shutter speed)
- Shutter Priority (You dictate the shutter speed camera decides on the optimum f-stop)
- Programmable Mode (as Auto mode but with the ability to customise the shooting options)

While testing this camera I mainly used the last 4 modes however the Automatic mode still produces fantastic results in situations where my girlfriend wants to use the camera however she doesn't understand the shutter speeds etc.

On the whole the D80 produces excellent image quality in all the above modes and the only areas I can really fault it on is the high noise which appears at roughly ISO 800 and above, even with the built in noise reduction setting it is hard not to notice the noise in shadows and low-light shots. Another area which I have issues with is the slow autofocus time, this might be due down to my lenses but in some low light situations I found the D80 slower at obtaining an autofocus lock than my D50 and had to revert to manual focus in some cases.

Durability

You probably noticed that earlier on I mentioned the D80 has a plastic outer shell, this probably sounds like it's got a cheap or flimsy feel, however you couldn't be more wrong - Even though the body is quite obviously plastic on touch it feels reassuringly rugged and more than capable of surviving accidental knocks and bangs. To confirm the build quality is SUPERB for a 'plastic' camera.

The D80 uses the EN-EL3e battery system and Nikon states that on a full charge you can potentially take up to 2,700 shots however in everyday use this is more realistically 600-700 shots. A full battery charge from flat usually takes just over 2 hours. It's important to note that the EN-EL3e battery is not interchangeable with earlier batteries used in the D50, D70 and D100 series as this new type of battery relays information to the camera such as remaining charge, and overall battery life left.

Conclusion

The D80 really has revitalised Nikon's position in the Prosumer market and I would highly recommend this camera as a 1st or 2nd DSLR to a serious enthusiast, some people have gone as far as saying it could be used as professional equipment however I don't think this is viable due to the amount of noise in high ISO shots and also the ability to fire off 3 FPS.
Expect to pay roughly £499 for this camera (January 2008)