Nikon D80

The new Nikon D80's combination of high-end features and its 18-135mm DX kit lens make a killer photographic tool for the amateur and intermediate photographer who can't afford or justify the extra cost of the Nikon D200.

While it is very similar to its predecessor, the Nikon D70s, and sports the higher 10.2 megapixel resolution of the D200, the Nikon D80 is replete with new features and 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.

Feel. Nikon's original camera for this prosumer category, the D70, was my personal benchmark for superb balance in an SLR. It had just the right weight 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 pentaprism in substitution for the D70's pentamirror 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 changed somewhat, the grip of the D80 is enough like the D70 that I still like it. The change in weight distribution 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.

Speaking of grips, consumers will be able to purchase a Nikon-branded battery grip for the D80, which was unavailable for the D70. The MD-80 vertical grip/battery pack 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.

Views and Displays. The 2.5 inch display from the Nikon D200 comes to the D80, but perhaps the best news is that the D200's bigger optical viewfinder has also been brought along, with a 0.94x magnification, a welcome relief to the eyes. As a result, you'll squint less when composing images and adjusting menu settings, and be able to show off your pictures more dramatically than before. The greater magnification to the optical viewfinder really does make a big difference, and the large LCD is beautiful.

One complaint I've had about other Nikons that I must repeat, however, is about the large "screen protector" that comes standard with all Nikon digital SLRs. I shot with it in place, since I think most users will; but I found that the extra glare introduced from the two additional optical surfaces made me misjudge the resulting images, and I was inclined to make adjustments that I didn't need. I've never scratched an LCD display on an SLR, so I will always remove these covers. But those who wear their SLRs around their necks should leave the screen cover in place to avoid scratching the LCD surface with their shirt buttons. The good news is that screen covers are optional on Nikon digital SLRs, but there's no place to mount them on the competition.

The Nikon D80's Status LCD display on the top deck is largely the same, not as big as the monstrous display on the D200, but it's a little wider left to right and a little narrower top to bottom. The illumination button for the Status LCD has been moved from just right of the LCD to the power switch surrounding the shutter button.

Memory shift. Looks like the days of Compact Flash are numbered, at least in consumer cameras. The D80 uses both SD and the new SDHC (High Capacity) cards. The SD standard only allowed up to 2GB capacity, but the new SDHC standard will allow up to 32GB. (That should be plenty for the next year or so--maybe.) That makes the D80 a great upgrade for D50 owners, which also uses SD, but not so great for D70 and D200 owners who want a second camera and want to use their existing cards. More peripherals are compatible with SD these days, though, so I suppose the move was inevitable. Perhaps the best news about SD is that it uses only 10 contacts, which are less prone to damage than the CompactFlash's array of 50 straight pins, which can bend in certain circumstances. Unlike other Nikon memory door arrangements, the D80 is no-nonsense: just slide the door toward the back and it swings open toward the front. Press down on the card and it pops up for easier removal.

Sensor. Not only did the camera get smaller while the LCD and viewfinder got bigger, the pixel count went from 6.1 megapixels on the D70s to 10.2 megapixels on the D80. This is the same basic number of pixels as are in the D200, but the sensor isn't identical. They're both CCD, but the difference, as far as we know at this date, has mostly to do with readout speed. The D200 has a four-channel data readout, while the Nikon D80 has only a two-channel readout. This means data can't be read off the sensor as quickly, hence the difference in maximum frame rate: the D80 is limited to three frames per second and the D200 can capture up to five. Put another way, the D80 sensor's speed is matched to the shutter's ability, and delivers more pixels at a lower price than its bigger brethren, the D200 and D2X.

Kit lens. The D70's 18-70mm kit lens was unusually excellent for a kit lens when it debuted. But the D80's kit lens adds unprecedented versatility to the excellence equation, with a focal length of 18-135mm, equivalent to a 27-202.5mm lens on a 35mm camera. It used to take two lenses to cover this range, but now a single, relatively small lens covers the entire range of 7.5x. I think 10x gives most users just what they want in terms of capturing all that their mind's eye can conceive without a lens, but 7.5x is pretty close. Sure, it would be better optically to have the excellent 18-200mm VR lens, but that weighs more and costs several hundred dollars more than this new kit lens. Build quality of the 18-135 is very tight, and it's only a little longer than the 18-70mm.

This non-cheap kit lens has a long list of fine features, including ED glass, a silent wave motor (SWM), digital-specific design (DX), a rounded seven-blade diaphragm for smoother bokeh, manual adjustment after AF in AF-S

mode, and it focuses as close as 17.7 inches (45cm) regardless of zoom position. Add a non-rotating front element and an included lens hood, and you have quite a lot for the effective $300 price when purchased with the camera.

Shooting. Our experience with th

e D80 prototype model left us quite impressed, and additional time with a production sample did nothing to change our minds. The camera was nimble. Controls were well placed and familiar, and the menu usually presented what I needed on the first screen. The camera's trimmer figure made it easier in the hand than the bulkier D70, and its soft shutter sound drew less attention, so I felt a little more stealthy than I do with some digital SLRs. The 18-135mm zoom is relatively short when retracted, but zooms to its full 135mm with just a quarter turn, offering excellent speed for candid photography.

Nikon D80 High Points

• 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 modes.
• 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 to a maximum of 3200.
• 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 slaves, using the Nikon Creative Lighting System.
• 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 NX.
• 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 Multi-Function battery pack/vertical grip.
• Optional remote control accessory.

Nikon D80 Components: In the Box

Included in the box with the D80 are the following

items:

• Nikon D80 body with body cap, eyepiece cap, eyecup, and LCD monitor cover.
• AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IF ED lens (in "kit" versions)
• Neck strap.
• USB cable.
• Video cable.
• Battery and quick charger.
• Nikon Picture Project CD-ROM.
• User guide.
• Registration kit.