Full Production Update for Nikon D80 Review!
By
Dave Etchells
(Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 13:23 EDT)
Having now thoroughly tested a production sample of the Nikon D80, all our initial impressions have been confirmed, and we can give it our wholehearted endorsement.
By any measure, the Nikon D80 is a superb photographic tool, offering value well beyond its relatively modest price point. It delivers a huge step up in virtually every parameter relative to the earlier D70/D70S, and even the D100 owner on a budget may want to consider it over the the higher-priced D200. It's solidly built, well-balanced in the hand, highly responsive, and delivers excellent image quality.
It's not a cheap camera, selling in "kit" form for a good $200 or so above its nearest rival, the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. Even taking the $200 differential into account though, the Nikon D80's combination of build quality, image quality, extensive configurability, rich post-capture processing features, and excellent kit lens make it a genuine bargain. This is a camera that's quite approachable for complete novices, thanks to a very capable fully automated "Green" zone and handful of Scene modes, yet offers the serious amateur a range of creative control and sophisticated operating features unparalleled in its price class.
Very highly recommended, and a slam-dunk for a Dave's Picks nod as one of the better cameras on the market. Read our full update to the Nikon D80 Review for all the details, this camera is a winner!
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