Nikon D80

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

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.

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