Nikon D80

The last time Nikon had an upgrade for the lower-end range of its dSLR lineup, this saw the release of the D70s. Fast forward to the D80 which should be seen as a new product category that bridges the gap between the entry-level D70s and the midrange D200. With a 10.2-megapixel CCD sensor, larger LCD, improved AF system and a whole bunch of in-camera editing features and unique functions, the D80 should appeal to a broad range of photographers, from first-time dSLR users to enthusiasts. Find out how this Nikon scored in our review.Design
Although the D80 is smaller overall compared with the D70s, the shooter exudes the "just right" feel with a delicate balance between weight and size--solid, yet without the feel of a brick. The body weighs slightly lighter at 585g, but the heavier AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm F3.5-5.6G IF-ED kit lens dismisses any weight advantage the D80 has over the D70s.

Nikonians will find the button layout similar to the D70s/D70 with numerous dedicated buttons for commonly used settings. The straightforward and intuitive interface also makes it easy for first-timers to navigate the controls and to understand the camera. You can manually set most of the functions with the rear jog dial and their respective buttons. Oddly enough, the drive mode and autofocusing settings require the user to tap only the individual keys in order to cycle through the options.

There are three dials on the D80. The mode dial allows the user to select full auto, program, shutter- or aperture-priority and manual settings. There are also six preset scene modes for various shooting environments. Two jog dials are located at the front and rear, respectively, on the handgrip where your first finger and thumb rest when holding the shooter. In full manual mode, these dials allow you to adjust both aperture and shutter speed settings concurrently without having to lift your hand off the camera.

Nikon has also moved the memory card compartment from the back of the camera to the side on the handgrip, presumably to make space for the larger 2.5-inch LCD. Over on the left of the monitor, just around the corner behind the vertical row of buttons, are the USB, DC-in, AV-out and remote connections protected by rubber doors.

Unlike the Canon EOS 400D or the Sony Alpha 100, the D80 comes with a second top LCD screen that displays the camera's current settings. This is especially useful in discreet lighting conditions when the light from the main 2.5-inch LCD could be distracting. When the unit is off, the monitor shows the remaining number of shots left. The Power switch when flicked in the clockwise direction lights up the screen just enough to see the settings and the spring-loaded mechanism returns it to the On position.

Features
If 10 megapixels or thereabouts are all you need in a dSLR, then you'll be glad to know that most of the major camera manufacturers have something to offer, from Canon's EOS 400D to Pentax's K10D to Sony's Alpha 100 and, of course, Nikon's D80. That said, we find the D80 to be in a niche product category between the entry-level and the midrange dSLRs. This shooter is aimed at first-timer dSLR users and lower-end enthusiasts who want to have more advanced features but who don't want to pay the price of a midrange unit such as the Nikon D200 or the Canon EOS 30D.

The D80 uses a 10.2-megapixel DX Format CCD sensor and an image-processing engine similar to the higher-end D200. Like the D200 and D70s, the D80 employs the Nikon F lens mount compatible with the company's AF, AF-S and dedicated DX Nikkor lenses.

Technicalities aside, what really appeals on the D80 are, in fact, user-oriented features and the intuitiveness of the camera's menu system. You can choose to display a simple, full or customized menu to display only the options which you access frequently. So if there's a particular setting which you seldom use, you can opt to bury that setting behind the menu. What we're really fond of is the Delete button. By pressing twice on this, it functions as a shortcut to delete a frame--saving us the hassle of having to hit another button to confirm the deletion.

Nikon has included the Retouch option in the D80 which comes in handy when you don't have access to an image-editing program to process your picture. The options comprise D-Lighting, red-eye correction, monochrome settings and filter effects. You can also crop your shots or trim them down to email-friendly sizes. What's most interesting is the Image Overlay option which superimposes a pair of selected RAW files, with allowance to adjust for opacity, to create a composite image within the camera as a RAW or JPEG file. So instead of having two hands, like most people, your subject can appear to have four instead.

That's not all. The D80 is also capable of creating a single image with either two or three consecutive exposures--similar to the multiple exposure techniques traditionally associated with film photography. If three frames are not enough, go for the higher-end D200 which sports the same feature, but offers up to 10 individual shots.

As with almost every incremental upgrade or new introduction, the LCD screen on cameras never fails to get bigger. This is a good thing, unless you're talking about a larger monitor with a lower resolution. Nikon claims the 230K-pixel, 2.5-inch display on the D80 has a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees. We're not going to dispute that. The D80 ships with a clear plastic protector for you to clip on the screen. Initially we were worried the plastic might affect the screen brightness or clarity but our worries were clearly (pun unintended) unfounded.

Features (cont...)
Unlike the D70s, the D80 adopts the Pentaprism viewfinder similar to the D200 with 0.94x magnification and 95-percent frame coverage. During our test, we found the viewfinder to be bright and usable even in dim lighting conditions. In addition, if the lens you're using has a maximum aperture of F5.6 or faster, the focus indication in the viewfinder can be used to confirm whether the subject in the focus area is in focus.

Other thoughtful features include the built-in slideshow function complete with fancy transitions and background music (when connect to a television via the AV cable) and the battery life meter. For most users, the five-bar battery status indicator should be sufficient. But dig into the menus and you'll find additional information about the Lithium-ion cell: Current battery level as a percentage of a full charge; picture meter which shows the number of frames taken since the battery was last charged and; a gauge to show if the cell has reached the end of a life cycle and needs to be replaced.

Based on Nikon's test procedures, the Lithium-ion cell is capable of shooting up to 2,700 images per charge. We didn't replicate the said test, but suffice to say we could manage at least 400 shots without the need to replace the battery. If more juice is required for intensive shooting, you can purchase the optional battery grip.

Nikon has added SDHC media support for the D80 which means you'll be able to use those high-capacity cards you bought recently. One point we would like to highlight is that 4GB SDHC cards are still more costly than their CompactFlash counterparts for the same capacity. As a rough guide, you can shoot about 81 RAW images (or 133 JPEG Fine at 10 megapixels) on a 1GB SD card.

Though Nikon has increased the number of focus points from five on the D70s to 11 on the current D80, the company also down-shifted the top shutter speed to 1/4,000 second compared with 1/8,000 second on the D70s. The flash-sync speed has also been reduced from 1/500 second to 1/200 second on the D80. If shutter speed is critical in your area of photography, then you probably should look at the D200 instead.

Performance
We like the features the D80 offers and it's a good thing the performance of the camera matches our expectations as well. We could snap pictures as fast as our finger allowed us the moment we flicked on the camera. Like the Canon EOS 30D, the D80 never really turns off but goes into a dormant mode so startup was instantaneous.

Nikon claims the D80 is capable of shooting continuously at three frames-per-second in JPEG Fine M-size (or smaller) up to 100 frames and six RAW (NEF) shots. Our test results came up slightly short, but it was very close to what was claimed. Funny thing was the camera stopped shooting after 100 frames, but after we released and pressed the shutter again, it went on to record another 100 images at the same frame rate. We ran our tests on the Imation 1GB SD card.

Image Quality
There's really nothing much to complain with the pictures taken on the D80 using the 18-135mm F3.5-to-F5.6 kit lens. We felt the images were somewhat "conservative" and on the safe side. You can use the pictures right off the D80 but we'd have preferred it to be a little "punchier" or more saturated. That said, you can either opt for the in-camera sharpening function or rely on post-processing software if you're shooting in JPEG.

Our pictures were clean up to ISO 800 with noise becoming noticeable at ISO 1,600 and beyond. At the maximum sensitivity setting of ISO 3,200, which Nikon calls Hi1.0, noise was obvious but you should still be able to push the limit of printing in A4 size.

The kit lens that's bundled with the D80 is a great carry-around, general-purpose lens. The 7.5x optical zoom range proved to be very useful in real-world scenarios. Other than the slight barrel distortion at the wide end, we found no other major issues with the glass. White balance was accurate under most lighting conditions though it did falter under tungsten light, like many other cameras as well. Switching to the Tungsten mode on the camera solved the problem.

Nikon ships the D80 kit with the Picture Project 1.7 which gives you very basic image editing--adjusting brightness, sharpness, D-Lighting, color booster, black-and-white/sepia photo effect and straightening--and conversion of RAW (NEF) files to JPEG. For more advanced controls, you'll have to purchase the Capture NX program retailing for S$220.

Conclusion
As with all digital cameras that use interchangeable lenses, the decision to purchase a dSLR comprises not just the camera body, but a whole family of accessories including lenses, battery grips, external flash units, etc.

Overall, we were impressed with the D80, from the build quality to the user interface, to performance and image quality. The D80 is very customizable to suit each individual's preferences as the user "grows" with the camera. And to give it that oomph, the Image Overlay and multiple exposure features allow the photographer to explore alternative shooting experiences. Even nitty-gritty handling issues like the double press of the Delete button was enough to make the whole user experience more enjoyable.

This Nikon hits the sweet spot between the entry-level and the midrange dSLR market and should appeal to photographers who demand more features in their purchase. Price-wise*, the D80 faces competition from the Canon EOS 400D and the Sony Alpha 100, but for every penny it costs, this Nikon holds an edge over its competitors in terms of intuitiveness and being an all-round shooter.

*While the D80 has a higher RRP than the EOS 400D/Alpha 100, it should be noted that the price of the bundled kit lens costs approximately S$300 more than those bundled with the Canon and Sony models.