Compact Casing, Comprehensive Features
Reviewed on 02 Sept 2006

In the footsteps of the D70 & D70s, Nikon has once again come up with a fantastic digital SLR for the enthusiasts and semi-professionals. The D80 is a leap away from the D70 though; basing itself more on the specifications of the D200. More compact and lighter than the D70, it hides within what is virtually a D200. In fact, its only clear link with the D70 is its plastic exterior.

The D70's 6-mega pixel sensor seems measly beside the D80's 10.2-mega pixel DX format CCD, which takes high resolution and sharp detail to a new level. It has a 1.5X crop factor so photographers can enjoy creative cropping and print stunning enlargements up to A3 size. It also possesses advanced auto focus and auto exposure performance that is the same as the D200 and D2Xs - designed to give photographers plenty of freedom to produce beautiful pictures.

Nikon has been kind to its new DSLR, blessing it with three levels of noise reduction to repress noise when shooting at high ISO settings. Like the recent D2Xs, the D80 features three ISO boost settings for a top sensitivity of ISO 1,600. To add to its seemingly never-ending highlights, the D80 also includes six scene modes as well as some in-camera editing, such as D-Lighting, red-eye correction, monochrome, filter effects and image overlay.

According to Nikon, the D80 offers high-speed 3 fps continuous shooting for as many as 100 Fine Quality M-size or smaller JPEGs or 6 NEF (RAW) consecutive shots. This instantly responsive camera further incorporates a high-performance image processing engine to enable faithful reproduction of vivid, natural colours with rich tonal graduations. Nikon has really gone all out to make photographers feel inspired and comfortable by combining advanced digital technology with ease-of-use.

The Nikon D80 is available now! Click here to view purchasing information and further specifications.