Nikon D80 Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

In short, an excellent choice if you're an enthusiatic amatuer who can't justify the cost of a professional DSLR.I bought this camera to replace my ageing Minolta film SLR, having promised myself that I'd wait until good quality DSLRs broke the 10 mega-pixel barrier at a reasonable price before parting with my cash. Minolta stopped producing SLRs a few years ago (replaced by Sony I think, which is an unknown quantity to me), so I decided to look at other brands. I've had a Nikon Coolpix point-and-shoot digital for some years which I've been very pleased with, so I plumped for a Nikon DSLR.As an amatuer, I wanted a camera that is versatile, reasonably portable and of high quality. I also wanted something that would allow me to explore Digital SLR fully (point-and-shoot digital isn't the same of course, and the fast feedback you get with DSLR compared to film is wonderful). Given my budget and the current Nikon range, this came down to either the D80 or the D200. The D200 is very impressive, but I just couldn't justify the extra £300 or so that it costs and decided this was best spent on a better lense. Not only that, but the D80 is very close in specification to the D200. For me, the additional features of the D200 were just not worth the extra £300 given what I will use the camera for. So I went with the D80 and the excellent Nikon 18-200 VR lense and have not been disappointed. Nikon don't offer this body/lense combination as a kit, so I had to buy separately which of course ups the cost somewhat, but it's worth it I think.Most of my images stay on the PC and the exceptional ones get printed up to A3 format for display. Resolution wise, the D80 seems to handle this with ease. The camera is a dream to use, and in the short time that I've had it I've had excellent results. As others have said, the camera oozes good quality, and this applies not only to the finish/controls but also under the hood as well. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

It's about 15 years since I 'gave up' film SLRs...they were big, bulky and heavy and I didn't want to carry them around anymore. Like many, I flirted with a few compact cameras before working my way onto a few digital compacts (Sony, Canon etc).Now at a different stage of my life (the kids are grown up!) it felt like the time to get back into SLRs once again.To be honest, technology is now such that it's probably difficult to buy a bad DSLR...try some out...they all have fantastic features that put my old film camera to shame. I have however always hankered after a Nikon...cue the D80.Initially somewhat daunted by the many features available on the D80, I have spent an enjoyable time getting back into SLR cameras again with the D80 - it's more compact than my old beasts and an awful lot more capable. If you're unsure, drop into 'Auto' mode initially and the camera will do everything for you, other than compose and zoom - you'll get good results this way. Natural curiosity however will soon have you exploring the Programme, Aperture and Shutter priority modes, plus the auto-bracketing, excellent exposure compensation modes and even in-camera editing facilities. Fancy everything in Manual mode?...not a problem, go for it.When handling the D80 you will be impressed I'm sure by the feeling of quality and class - not 'plasticky' at all as some modern DSLRs tend to be. The 18-135 kit lens is very good and, again, feels solid and reliable.The D80 has some very detailed and comprehensive in-camera menus. After a couple of days, they all make sense and you'll soon be whizzing through them. The key thing with the D80 though is that you have bought into the Nikon 'system' - an unrivaled collection of lenses and accessories, all oozing quality and class. Nothing is forever of course, especially in this disposable world, but I do tend to feel that the D80 is definitely a long(er) term investment.Things to buy with the D80 at the same time...? A lens filter (67mm thread), a decent SD or SDHC card (I bought a 4Gb SDHC card) and a nice padded case/bag. After that, well, the Nikon world is your oyster!A stunning camera - I'm delighted I bought it.

I first saw the D80 in use on a P&O cruise and saw the results taken by the photographers. I had been searching for a Nikon digital SLR as I had a collection of Nikon SLR lenses. However I found the new cameras have electronics in the lenses so it was quite hard to learn the camera. I now have the proper lens for the camera and so far the results seem to be very good, I can only get better. I would recommend anyone interested in this product used the 18-135 DX lens, the scope would be enormouse.

I purchased this as an addition to an already large collection of photographic equipment. I have to comment that the seller 'Modern Angle Photo' was 100% accurate in his description of this camera body. It was indeed MINT! The only negative thing was I did not receive a manual for as stated..., just some misc paperwork!Just in case you may be tempted by the now very low price of the D80...., be warned. This was an early model DSLR & is prone to metering issues, as was the D100. In real terms this means exposure variation from shot to shot. If you can look past these, this is a great camera especially when fitted with a battery grip. Have a look at the 3rd-party models as most are just as good as the MB-D80 but a fraction of the price!