Nikon D80

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Design Features (1) Features (2)		Performance And Image Quality Conclusion

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.