Nikon D80
The Nikon D80 digital SLR is the successor of the D70s. It is positioned between the entry-level D50 and semi-professional high budget D200, directly targeting photographic enthusiasts or those who simply want an extra boost but within their budget. The D80 has a combination of many features from both the D50 and D200. The Nikon D80 has the same 10.20 Megapixel resolutions, 2.5 inch LCD screen with user interface as that of the D200. The Nikon D80 spots an 18 -135mm DX kit lens; this makes it a killer photographic tool for amateur and intermediate photographer.
Some very good features of the Nikon D80 are:
• The 0.94x viewfinder is unusually large for a DSLR and very bright due to the pentaprism optics used
• User can control high-ISO noise reduction
• LCD is large, bright and very clear
• Powerful in-camera color-filter capability
• Excellent range of custom settings
• Very good and attractive menu system with help screens
Drawbacks of the camera are:
• Maximum shutter speed is a low 1/4000 compared to 1/8000 of the D70’s
• Auto white balance mode provides poor handling of household incandescent lighting
• Contrast adjustment has limited range
• Kit lens is quite sharp but has more chromatic aberration on the images
Specifications:
Megapixels – 10.20
Weight (oz.) – 20.5
Optical Zoom – 3x
LCD Size – 3 inch
Flash Range (ft) – Built-in
Image stabilizer - No
Battery type – Lithium Ion
Special features - Image storage on SD and SDHC memory cards, USB 2.0 High speed support, User selectable White balance with 9 modes and manual fine tuning, bright viewfinder, NTSC video cable for playback on TV
Summary:
The Nikon D80 is solidly built and Nikon’s combination of build quality, image quality, extensive configurability, rich post-capture processing features, and excellent kit lens makes the D80 a genuine bargain camera. This is a camera that’s quite friendly for complete novices and also for the serious amateur with a range of creative control and sophisticated operating features.
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