The too many Nikon D80's collection of high-end meat also its 18-135mm DX tools lens produce a killer photographic anything being the amateur further intermediate photographer who can't cater or justify the extra cost of the Nikon D200. While right is exceedingly comparable to its predecessor, the Nikon D70s, further sports the extra 10.2 megapixel settlement of the D200, the Nikon D80 is imperforate with farther temper also advances in overall quality that make it a great upgrade for D50 and D70 owners, plus a compelling "other choice" for those who've been looking at (or waiting for) a Nikon D200. Finally, because its controls are so similar to the D2X and D200, pro photographers may want to pick up a D80 as a second or third body to take along instead of their heavier pro cameras.

Just right While the lens that comes with the D80 is a accessible longer than the D70's, the overall box has common comfortless well, well-suited a clump of camera racket a trivial package. Feel. Nikon's clever camera being this prosumer category, the D70, was my singular benchmark due to shapely balance fix an SLR. It had right the pertinent attention distribution, even after attaching a lens. Most of the weight rested in the grip, and the camera didn't tend to twist away as do some other digital SLRs. That has been maintained, with the exception that the camera feels more dense in the middle, with less of a hollow feel to the body. Instead, it's a tighter, more solid package. I suspect this is due to how Nikon trimmed its outer dimensions as well as the addition of an actual pent prism in substitution for the D70's pent mirror arrangement. Certainly the LCD also weighs a little more, but overall the camera has lost weight, coming in at 20.6 ounces (585 grams sans battery and card; based on pre-release information) versus the D70's 21.1 ounces (600 grams).

Though it's diverse somewhat, the clout of the D80 is enough be pleased the D70 that I standstill dote on it. The stir power weightiness progression as well as the mild trimming of the bulk matches the grip change; it's more subtle than the change made by Canon as they went from the Digital Rebel to the Digital Rebel XT, which left the otherwise excellent XT with an anemic grip. Diopter dial now in a profound preferred post thanks to clear adjustment. Speaking of grips, consumers bequeath appear as capable to occupation a Nikon-branded suite clutch thanks to the D80, which was useless owing to the D70. The MD-80 vertical grip/battery conduct will be compatible with two EN EL-3e batteries (no EN EL-3), or six AA batteries. Price for the MD-80 is expected to be around $166.

Silhouette When I boon truism Nikon's teaser ads because the D80, which went buildup 20 days before the disclosure date, I notion the figure looked a sort groove on a airless competitor: the Canon 30D. From the fall of the shoulders to the height of the pent prism mound, they're remarkably similar. After looking at the two cameras side-by-side from the back, the location of the diopter adjustment wheel helps complete the impression. It's a far better location for the diopter adjustment, by the way, appearing here on every mid-range Canon digital SLR since the original D30, as well as the Digital Rebels. On the D100 and D70 models, the diopter control was a vertical slider nestled behind the viewfinder's rubber eyepiece, requiring removal of the eyepiece to adjust the slider. Whether this is imitation of a good design or just the most natural place for diopter control, Nikon D200 owners will feel right at home. I think it's safe to say that the silhouette similarity is just a coincidence, however noticeable to my eye (after all, saying one SLR looks like another is like complaining that all sedans look alike).

Nikon D80 Features

• 10.2-megapixel CCD delivering a maximum image resolution of 3,872 x 2,592 pixels.
• SLR design with true, TTL optical viewfinder.
• Large, bright viewfinder, thanks to pentaprism design and 0.94x magnification factor
• 2.5-inch TFT color LCD monitor.
• Interchangeable lens design, accommodates a wide range of "F" mount Nikkor lenses.
• Manual and automatic focus modes, with adjustable 11-point AF area selection.
• Program, Flexible Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual exposure.
• Shutter speeds from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds, with a Bulb setting for longer exposures.
• X-Sync speed of 1/200 second
• Depth of Field Preview mode.
• TTL exposure metering with three modes.
• Adjustable sensitivity from 100 to 1,600 ISO equivalents, plus three boost settings.
• User-selectable white balance with nine modes and manual fine-tuning.
• Three Color modes (actually, two in sRGB, three in Adobe RGB color space).
• Hue, Contrast, and Sharpness adjustments.
• Built-in, pop-up flash with five sync modes and exposure compensation adjustment.
• External flash hot shoe.
• Onboard flash works as a Commander, to control itself and up to two groups of remote.
• Continuous Shooting, Auto Exposure Bracketing, and Self-Timer modes.
• JPEG and RAW (NEF) file formats, as well as NEF+JPEG options.
• Image storage on SD and SDHC memory cards.
• USB cable for connection to a computer or PictBridge-compatible printer.
• Included CD-ROM loaded with Nikon Picture Project software and 30-day trial of Capture.
• NTSC video cable for playback on a television set (PAL for European models).
• Power from lithium-ion battery pack, optional AC adapter, or optional Nikon.
• Optional remote control accessory.