Nikon D80 ...a new standard!

As a professional photographer, I tend to use a lot of cameras. The Nikon D80 is a superb creation and a big step up from the D70(which is a great camera in itself).

The D80 body is actually lighter than the D70! That is wonderful if you are carrying it around all day. It's a very solid camera that compares with models costing far more.

Higher cost models boast the rugged durability of their body shell material. Well guess what? If you drop any sensitive SLR digital camera hard enough to dent the D80...it will need to be checked out at a camera service center. No pro would just stuff it back in the bag and go to the next assignment...hoping nothing was damaged internally.

The D80 is the next generation to the Nikon D70. The D70 will still remain in my camera bag and will be used regularly on assignments. The D80 will be the choice when I know a considerable enlargement is the objective. The Nikon D80's 10.2 megapixel sensor is truly unbelievable. Detail that is stunning.

The D80 also has a new optional remote firing device which is great for studio work(since there is no shutter cable release on either the D80 or the earlier D70, which lacked the remote feature). The designers really listened to the requests of the consumer on this item!

The memory card choice has changed from the D70 which used CF cards. I had assumed the D80 would also use the same type cards...NOT. The D80 uses SD cards, so that meant getting a new batch of digital media. The good news is that a 1-2GB card will cost under $100, with a few bargains on PNY SD cards as low as $40 for a 2GB card! That means you'll be able to shoot over 200 top quality images with a 10.2 MB camera on a single card. Phenomenal.

The rechargeable battery is also slightly different, so the spare D70 batteries will not be compatible. This sort of bothered me since the basic design is almost identical. It smacked of opportunistic marketing. But, what are you going to do? They have the best product on the market as far as I'm concerned.

The features fill a 150 page instruction manual, which hints at the capability of this camera.

Most any Nikon AF lens will work great with this camera. Older lenses will not be able to use all the features that are packed into the powerful camera body. Buy a new lens designed for the digital age; it's worth it. One of the sharpest AF lenses on the market is also one of the least expensive.... The Nikon basic 50mm.

The preview image screen is improved! It's a 2 1/2 inch screen. Compared to the D70 screen, it looks like one of those big livingroom widescreens. Thanks, Nikon. Checking "eyes" on portraits just got a LOT easier.

The lithium rechargeable battery can last hundreds of shots when also firing the camera's onboard flash. If using a separate flash, it can power the camera for literally thousands of shots.