Nikon D80

Manufacturer: Nikon Inc. Part number: 25412

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$719.00 - $878.00 at 11 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
4.0 stars Excellent
Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 78 reviews

Aug 2006

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Accessories; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: Nikon scores big with the D80, its new 10-megapixel, sub-$1,000 dSLR.

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CNET editors' review

Nikon D80

price range: $719.00 - $878.00

Nikon scores big with the D80, its new 10-megapixel, sub-$1,000 dSLR.

The good: Excellent color rendition and noise levels; large feature set; highly customizable; lightning-fast performance.

The bad: Full raw editor costs extra; flash sync of 1/200 second.

The bottom line: Nikon scores big with the D80, its new 10-megapixel, sub-$1,000 dSLR.

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The last time Nikon updated its sub-$1,000 mid-range dSLR, a handful of minor, but certainly welcome, updates gave us the D70s. Now, Nikon has given the camera a serious overhaul, including a new 10.2-megapixel CCD imaging sensor, an 11-area AF system (up from 5), the obligatory larger LCD screen (2.5 inches, up from 2 inches), and a pile of in-camera editing and custom functions. With this newest revision, Nikon has put the camera more in line with its expected audience, which spans lower-end enthusiasts, all the way down to SLR newbies who crave more power than they can get with the company's entry-level dSLR, the D50.

The only downside to this slight shift in focus, is a slower top shutter speed--the D80 tops out at 1/4,000 second instead of 1/8,000 second--and a slower flash-sync speed of 1/200 second instead of the 1/500 second that the D70s offers, which was significantly faster than its competitors' in the first place. This may irk sports shooters, who may appreciate the extremely fast shutter of the D70s, or other action shooters, who like to freeze movement with a fast burst of flash, but the majority of photographers won't notice the difference. But, given that more advanced enthusiasts now have the Nikon D200 to quench their needs--a D200 equivalent didn't exist when the first D70 came out--the advances in almost all other areas of this camera should outweigh these couple of changes.

The camera body is technically slightly smaller in all dimensions compared to those of the D70s, but current owners will find the design very similar. Most of the buttons are the same and in the same places, and there are dedicated buttons for many commonly used functions. For example, a cluster of buttons next to the shutter let you change metering mode, exposure compensation, drive mode, and AF mode. Meanwhile, the buttons to the left of the 2.5-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD screen let you change white balance, ISO, and image size and quality settings without diving into menus. About the only function without its own dedicated control is AF zone selection, though the camera's programmable function button can be programmed to cover that if you so choose. The default for this button is to display the current ISO setting.

Three dials adorn the camera body. The mode dial lets you choose between program, aperture- or shutter-priority, full manual, full auto, or any of six preset exposure scene modes. The other two dials, located on the front and back of the grip, let you change aperture and shutter speed. Together, they make full manual shooting quick and easy.

Nikon's menu system is straightforward and, for the most part, intuitive. An option in the setup menu lets you hide some of the menu items by either selecting Nikon's preshortened Simple menu, which displays only what Nikon thinks are the most commonly changed menu items, or My Menu, which lets you choose which items the camera displays in each of the playback, shooting, custom setting, and retouch menus. Never heard of the retouch menu? That's because it's new.

The retouch menu lets you edit your photos in camera. Choices include resize, crop, red-eye reduction, filter effects, or monochrome. The coolest is probably the overlay option. It works only with raw images, but it lets you superimpose one image on top of another and even lets you choose the opacity, so the pictures can blend more smoothly. It won't replace Photoshop, but for simple overlays, it's pretty fun. Plus, since all the retouch menu functions save a new version of your image, you can always go back to the original later, and, in the case of overlays, you can lay more photos on top of already mashed-together images.

Other fun options include creating your own tone curves using the included Camera Control Pro software, as well as adjustable hue control, and a black-and-white mode with options for virtual yellow, orange, red, or green filters. A multiple exposure mode lets you shoot as many as three frames, which are then combined into one image by the camera. Of course, like most dSLRs, the D80 includes selectable white balance, as well as the usual metering and autofocus options. The image-processing and AF system are the same ones that come in the D200, while the 3D Color Matrix Metering II included here is the same as the one in the D50.

Like the D70 and the D70s, the D80 includes Commander Mode, which lets you control compatible Nikon Speedlights without the need for a separate wireless trigger, such as Canon's ST-E2 Speedlight Transmitter, which must be purchased separately to allow you the same level of control from Canon cameras and flashes. Unlike the D70s, which could only control one group of Speedlights on one channel, the D80 can control as many as three groups on any of the four channels Nikon offers.

In the "keeping up with the Joneses" department, Nikon has included SD-HC support, so you'll be able to use SD cards with capacities larger than 2GB. Also, Nikon will offer an optional vertical grip for the D80 called the MB-D80 which will hold up to one or two EN-EL3e rechargeable lithium-ion batteries or as many as six AA batteries. That means you won't be stuck buying a third-party grip as were so many D70 and D70s users. Without the grip, the D80 runs on one EN-EL3e battery.

Meanwhile, in the "not keeping up with the Joneses" department, Nikon continues to charge extra for its Capture NX software. PictureProject software is included for free, and will do rudimentary raw conversion, but if you want full raw control you'll have to shell out the extra cash for Capture NX. To their credit, Capture NX does include more image-editing functionality than that of the free software included with other manufacturers' dSLRs, but most buyers expect full raw conversion to be included with the camera.

Because of some nasty problems with third-party batteries in recent years, the camera will accept only Nikon's official EN-EL3e batteries. However, the company's new batteries let you see more detailed info. If you look under battery info in the setup menu, you can see remaining battery life as a percentage, as well as how many pictures have been shot since the last charge, and a loose gauge of how many times the battery has been recharged. It would've been nice to see average minutes or pictures remaining, as Sony's InfoLithium batteries provide, but we're not complaining about this extra info from Nikon, and the charge meter is a well-conceived idea.

Performance was among the fastest we've seen so far. In our lab, the D80 took 0.1 second to power up and capture its first image. Subsequent shots took 0.3 second without flash and 1 second with the flash turned on. Raw shots were just as fast, with a shot-to-shot time of 0.3 second. In our lab's high-contrast test, the shutter lag measured 0.45 second, slowing to 0.9 second in the low-contrast test. Continuous shooting yielded nine fine-quality 10.2-megapixel JPEGs in 2.7 seconds, for an average of 3.33fps and turned in about the same performance on basic-quality 2.5-megapixel JPEGs, capturing 99 images in 33.3 seconds for an average of 2.97fps.

The built-in flash has a Guide number of 13 at ISO 100, up from the D70s's Guide number of 11 at ISO 100. The extra power was noticeable in our lab test shots. Plus, the D80 did an excellent job of balancing the camera's fill flash with our scene's incidental lighting. In the field, we also noticed that fill flash from the D80 was consistently even.

Image quality from the Nikon D80 is quite impressive. Colors were accurate and neutral and the camera's meter did an excellent job of reading the scene and providing an accurate exposure. At times, mostly in extreme cases when the scene was dominated by darkness, the Matrix metering tended to preserve detail in the shadows at the expense of highlights, though typically, this is what one would've intended in that situation. Plus, switching to selectable zone metering or using the camera's massive plus or minus 5EV exposure compensation should help in those situations.

The 18mm-to-135mm, f/3.5-to-f/5.6 kit lens, which pushes the suggested price well above $1,000, performed well. We saw almost no colored fringing and were impressed with the lens's sharpness given its affordable price. Despite its plastic lens-mount, it feels more solid than many of the kit lenses on the market. Our only complaint was a slight amount of vignetting noticeable at the wide end of the zoom range.

Images from the D80 showed very little noise in our tests. At ISO 100, ISO 200, and ISO 400 noise was practically nonexistent, with only an extremely fine grain beginning to become apparent at ISO 400. Even at ISO 800, noise was a little more noticeable but still no more than a fine grain. At ISO 1,600, noise became noticeable but lacked the many off-color speckles that characterize many cameras' noise profile, and was similar to what we've come to expect at ISO 800 on some other dSLRs. At ISO 3,200--Nikon calls it H1.0--noise was obvious, resembling a coating of fine, snowy grain. A fair amount of detail was obscured by the grain but plenty still remained, and prints as large as letter size--and possibly even larger--should be acceptable, though far from perfect.

Buying an SLR is a complex process, which should include not only the camera body, but also a given manufacturer's--and third parties'--complement of lenses and accessories. That's exactly why manufacturers such as Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, and KonicaMinolta have built up such a large following over the years. Now that Sony has bought KonicaMinolta's know-how and released the DSLR-A100, which is compatible with past KonicaMinolta lenses and accessories, the consumer electronics giant has gained entrée into this market in a meaningful and substantial way. The same can be said for Samsung and Panasonic and their respective licensing of Pentax's and Olympus's technology. That means that big players, such as Nikon, have to continue to refine their technology if they want to remain competitive.

With the D80, Nikon has proven that it is very much still pushing ahead strongly. With 10.2 megapixels, lightning-fast performance, high-quality images with very low noise, and a heaping pile of convenience features, Nikon's D80 will not disappoint. We're just eager to see how it stacks up to Canon's Rebel XTi, which is due to hit stores just weeks from now. But, if you already own some Nikon lenses and have been waiting for an affordable 10.2-megapixel dSLR, this one is a sure winner.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 78 reviews

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 78

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9 stars

Terrific feature set; all-around winner

by chadley25 on September 23, 2006

Pros: 10.2MP CCD, gorgeous LCD, incorporates a lot of D200 features for $700 less

Cons: Honestly haven't found any yet

Summary: Since this camera just hit the streets less than 2 weeks ago, I obviously haven't had this for a super long time, but I moved to the D80 as ...

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Summary: Since this camera just hit the streets less than 2 weeks ago, I obviously haven't had this for a super long time, but I moved to the D80 as an upgrade from the terrific D50, and the D80 takes care of every single minor nitpick I had with the D50, and then takes it even beyond that. Moreover, since I moved from the D50 and not a D70-series, I was thrilled that the D80 uses Secure Digital (SD) flash cards.

As with the D50, the D80 just feels terrific in my hand. I was concerned initially because the ergonomics of the grip have been ever so slightly modified (more like that of the D70s than the D50), and I really liked the feel of the D50. However, once I got the D80 and actually started using it and shooting with it, the concern evaporated quickly. The D80 is a complete success ergonomically.

This camera is blindingly fast. It's senseless to really even try to quantify it because the numbers (less than 0.1 second to start up) just don't convey how instantaneous shooting with this camera is. There's no discernible shutter lag, and shot-to-shot time is as fast as you need it to be. The D80 can fire up to 3 frames per second, up to 100 JPEGs deep. Amazing for a sub-$1,000 camera.

The things missing from the D50 that the D80 addresses? Backlit LCD, superimposable gridlines in the finder, depth of field preview, one-button bracketing, bright and large viewfinder, one-touch zooming on picture playback, and a snap-on clear plastic cover for the monitor.

As a bonus, some of the in-camera retouching options are fantastic. You can take a color shot, then convert it to B&W with a red filter (still preserving your original image). You can utilize red-eye reduction (in the uncommon instances when it occurs at all), and Nikon's D-lighting is the digital equivalent of dodging and burning, and I love it.

The autofocusing on the camera is staggeringly fast when coupled with the right lens. Like other Nikon dSLRs, the D80 has an independent AF-assist light (some other cameras rely on the flash unit for this). For AF lenses utilizing the screw-driven focusing mechanism, there is a noticeable increase in focusing speed over the D50. You can also employ an 11-segment dynamic AF grid and select which segment will be used for the point of focus.

A word about the pop-up flash: It's brilliant. Rarely does a camera with a built-in flash get it right so often. I took numerous flash photos in sometimes varying and difficult lighting situations, and the D80 nailed it every single time.

The LCD is the best I've seen to date on any camera. Plenty of cameras have 2.5" monitors now, but this one has 230,000 pixels and is so sharp and detailed. You can view it from any angle in a 170-degree arc. Similarly, the viewfinder is a major improvement over both the D50 and the D70 series. Rather than utilizing a cheaper pentamirror like some of the competition, Nikon elects to use a genuine pentaprism which allows the finder to be nice and bright. Additionally, the diopter control knob with detents for each setting is a welcome change from the slider on the D50.

Image quality is suberb, as one would expect from a 10.2 MP dSLR. I like sharp, vivid pictures, and the D80 delivers. I haven't had any of my photos from the D80 printed out yet; only viewed them on a 19" monitor, but they look terrific.

The D80 is highly recommended as the perfect camera for the advanced amateur or enthusiast photographer. It bridges the gap between the D50 and the D200 perfectly. Pair this camera up with a high-quality lens, and a good photographer will have a tool with which stunning images can be made.
Updated
I've had the D80 for three months now and have used it for wildlife, nature, portrait, architectural, and travel photography, and can only reinforce what I wrote earlier: This camera is very, very good. I have discovered new features and flexibility with each month, and the prints I've gotten from this camera are really just stunning. I use Costco for printing -- they have a wet-based photo printing system and use Fuji premium archival paper -- and the results are truly impressive. The largest prints I've had made are 12x18" and they are literally indistinguishable from prints I've had made from 35mm slides (I used to shoot exclusively on Fujichrome Velvia for my scenic shots). I've literally traveled to the other side of the world with the D80 and it performs admirably in almost every circumstance. One minor problem is that occasionally the meter has a hard time with scenes containing a lot of contrast, but that's not atypical of most any camera. I noted some slight chromatic aberration (purple fringing) in the "demarcation line" between foreground and background when the background was super-bright or overexposed. Still, though, I'm very pleased with the D80 and would highly recommend it.

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61 out of 63 users found this user opinion helpful.
5 stars

D80 is good but it stays on the shelf in favor of the D40....read on to find out why...

by yesmate on November 29, 2007

Pros: Picture quality, lens options, less sensitive to light than D40

Cons: Over exposes, D40 is just as good and much less $$$$

Summary: I have been involved is DSLR photography for many years and shoot part time. Here is my take on why you shouldn't buy a D80:

I would assume that

...

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Summary: I have been involved is DSLR photography for many years and shoot part time. Here is my take on why you shouldn't buy a D80:

I would assume that most people who are looking at the D80 are probably entry level shooters. I own a D80, but I recently used the bought the excellent D40 and would completely recommend the D40 over the D80.

Why would I recommend Nikons entry level DSLR over the D80?; a camera that would appear more advanced? Read on....

Firstly, the D40 uses exactly the same sensor as the D80. Same technology for almost half the price.

The D40 is much more sensitive to light because it defaults to ISO 200 unlike the D80 & D40x which default to ISO 100. This makes for sharper images. Even the overpriced D40x can't compete with the D40 because of it's sensitivity to light (the most important part of photography).

The D40 flash sync speed (ask any pro photographer how important this is) is 1/500 second whereas the D80 is 1/250 second (may not sound like much, but it makes huge difference when shooting with a flash)

Worried about 6 Megapixels versus higher? Don't be sold on the camera manufacturers claims that bigger is better when it comes to MP's. Large Megapixel sizes don't mean a thing. Megapixel size is targeted towards the average uninformed consumer and is a way for corporations to get people to upgrade to newer cameras. Unless you are shooting large poster size prints you don't need anything bigger than 6MP's. At 6 MP's you can makes great prints up to 12 x 18 inches. Personally I have never printed anything bigger than that.

The flash on the D40 is the same as the D80. If you want to create great indoor photo's, I recommend buying the SB400 speedlight for the bounce feature. Bounce flash is the holy grail of indoor flash photography because direct flash ruins photo's and washes out the colors.

The lens on the D40 (18 - 55mm) is a jewell of a lens. It is one of the best Nikon lenses I have used (I have some expensive lenses). It also weighs next to nothing so along with the camera, it makes for a very comfortable carrying experience. My D40 + lense weighs the same as my D80 body with no lens! Other DSLR's I have owned become tiresome because they are so big and heavy. The D40 is really a joy to use; hard to explain but one in your hands and you will understand. It just feels so comfortable in your hands!

The LCD on the D40 is so sharp and clear (same LCD as D80), only the D300 is better.

Some of the more technical aspects the D40 offers are full RGB histogram (through the well hidden Color Balance option), full auto ISO (it really works, you can even shoot at 3200!), 3 point Auto Focus (3 is enough, don't buy into the hype of needing more), battery life is excellent (I have gotten over 1,000 shots off one charge).

Most importantly, you can get fantastic colors using the saturation feature in the menu options. Colors are vibrant using this along with the Color III mode.

Bottom line, the D40 will take as good if not better quality photo's than the D80. I don't even use my D80 anymore since the D40 takes great photo's and is so light to carry around.

I would purchase a D40 vs a D80 (next step up is really the pro D300) any day of the week. The extra money you save can be spent on the excellent SB400 Speedlight flash and the excellent Nikor 18-200mm VR II zoom lens!

At the end of the day, remember having a more expensive camera will not make any better shots than a cheap camera (google photo's people have taken on camera phones if you don't believe it).

You can pick up the D40's now for about $479, lens included with shipping. Just make sure you visit www.resellerratings.com and research the company you are purchasing from. There are a lot of scam sites out there. I buy most of my camera equipment from buydig.com and beachcamera.com (no I don't work for them).

Hope that helps.

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50 out of 59 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

What a fabulous camera

by Raja Bhat on October 11, 2006

Pros: Big viewfinder and LCD

Cons: None really

Summary: This is one fabulous Digital SLR. I've always been a Canon fan but once I saw the lovely big viewfinder, the perfect-sized LCD, the great 18-135 lens, and its ...

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Summary: This is one fabulous Digital SLR. I've always been a Canon fan but once I saw the lovely big viewfinder, the perfect-sized LCD, the great 18-135 lens, and its perfect size, I just had to switch brands. Canon's on-board flashes have never had the same metering as the add-on external flashes, whereas with the D80, the built-in flash gave absolutely perfect exposures.
I recommend this camera very highly!
Note: I bought a Sandisk 2 GB Ultra II card, and it does take about half to one second for the picture to show on the LCD. I think this is no fault of the camera; its just that for such a huge card, the card's memory size is too large I think. With a normal JPEG and large file size, which is the ideal setting, the camera can take 500 photos on the 2 GB card. I'm glad I got that size.

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36 out of 36 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

Fantastic Camera -- Great for pros and beginners

by FrederickWHill on September 19, 2006

Pros: All of the features you want, feels very good in your hands, well made and solid

Cons: Have not found one yet

Summary: I am more than a beginner, but not close to being professional. If you cannot take good pictures with this camera, give it up. I researched and researched and looked ...

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Summary: I am more than a beginner, but not close to being professional. If you cannot take good pictures with this camera, give it up. I researched and researched and looked at Canons, Olympus, and Sony. The Canon Rebel XTI was a close second, but when you hold and shoot these two cameras --- side by side, the quality and solid feel of the Nikon is obvious. It is like the difference between a chevy and a Lexus. The LCD is big and bright. If you are looking for a digital SLR, and you look at the D80, you will buy it.

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23 out of 24 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Outstanding. This camera is almost perfect...it's that good!

by tgrick on September 19, 2006

Pros: Simple enough for point and shoot. However, you can turn the dial and get 100% creative with no limits! The HDSD is NOT a Con...why? I've bent pins using CF cards, you won't with this.

Cons: I wish it was more weatherized for rain. Nikon software is poor. Nikon should give us the free remote that's $10 or so.

Summary: Well, 1st things 1st. How does she feel holding her. GREAT! The D80 has a real solid feel to her. It's not like the D200, which I think is ...

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Summary: Well, 1st things 1st. How does she feel holding her. GREAT! The D80 has a real solid feel to her. It's not like the D200, which I think is heavy, so I prefer the lightness it offers. I hate boat anchors! The responsiveness is impressive from the second you turn it on and start playing. The camera is quick. Pictures? Great! They really look good, balanced and well saturated. Also, keep in mind that you can change these settings in the custom menu. The screen is a dream and the flash works well. I have an SB-800, and the camera can control it as a slave, no need to use an 800 as a master as the D80 does it! Ohh...flash sync. Well, if you use the right Nikon speedlight the camera/flash combo lets you sync at the full shutter range...so up to 1/4000th. Don't buy an aftermaket flash...the nikon works that much better. An SB600 is reasonable and a great flash unit. What else...I like the SD card slot. I had an issue where I bent the pins inside a camera with a CF card. No prob. here. Also, the SD slot supports the 'new' SDHD standard...basically, up to 32 gigs on a card. However, the largest I've seen is 8GB. I guess you can tell by now I really like the camera...I've used the Canon 10D and 20D. All great cameras, but I like this one more...it just moves. The camera can also edit pictures and remove 'red eye' and do other things automatically. Nice features.

What I don't like is the simple stuff...the Nikon software is poor and I have to spend $150 or so for 'better' software. I'm trying to shoot RAW but Nikon makes that difficult as the support is not yet avalable in Adobe or Bibble labs...however, that's soon to come. I wish the camera had some environmental seals...for rain. That's really it. It's a great camera that should last for years. It's a winner.

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21 out of 21 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Truly a spectacular camera

by DrZ1525 on September 5, 2006

Pros: Nikon optics - Nikon quality to match

Cons: Bigger than a point and shoot

Summary: Taking photos as part of my profession (medical) for over twenty five years I can assure this is one of the best cameras I have ever owned. Nikon optics are ...

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Summary: Taking photos as part of my profession (medical) for over twenty five years I can assure this is one of the best cameras I have ever owned. Nikon optics are without question among the worlds best and Nikon has a SLR digital camera to match at a reasonable price. The only draw back is the size when taking family photos, but on the other hand it is lightning fast--No more missed shots.

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22 out of 24 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Great Camera My second digital upgraded from D70s

by tennesseebob on September 12, 2006

Pros: Resolution, rear panel, size, weight

Cons: Slow shutter speed, only 1/4000, and slow flash sync

Summary: My first digital camera was the D70s, I bought it a year ago and have a few thousand shots on it, but I was a little dissapointed by the 6....

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Summary: My first digital camera was the D70s, I bought it a year ago and have a few thousand shots on it, but I was a little dissapointed by the 6.1 megapixel. But then comes the D80 with almost everything I loved about the D70s and at 10.2 megapixel how could I say no. I have had it for 2 days and am extatic to see that it simulates iso 100 whereas my D70s only did iso 200. It's extremely powerful and with that new func. button and all those D200 features I am in love with this thing. My D70s has just become a backup.

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12 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Incredible Camera

by MMCNET on September 22, 2006

Pros: 10mp Clarity of photos, EASE of USE, flexible, SDHC

Cons: no built in VR, dust removal

Summary: The D80 is an incredible camera with one of the easiest Digital menus in an SLR today. In addition, the built in editing function is unique and very useful. I ...

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Summary: The D80 is an incredible camera with one of the easiest Digital menus in an SLR today. In addition, the built in editing function is unique and very useful. I just recently moved from an Nikon F100 to a D80 and this is not a step down. I have taken several photos with the camera and I can't believe the clarity-near film/better. Built in help menu is a HUGE plus, no more seeking out the manual. In addition, the D80 has many customizable menus that allow such things as on demand grid lines via FUNC (custom button). Sure Canon has the same MP, but you may miss the shot thumbing through cumbersome menus. Entrants like Sony/Pentax are good, but lenses? If you add an 18-200 VR Nikkor, you don't have to worry much about dust vibration. Nikon is definately putting out good product these days.

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10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

does not miss in any department

by ptm725 on September 10, 2006

Pros: size, speed, kit lens, feel, battery life

Cons: SD card might be a negative for some, has some heft

Summary: I have been waiting for several years to buy my first dSLR,

Nikon D80

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