Just wondering if any of you wonderful photographers have any opinions on the Nikon D80.. good/bad/ugly????

I think i've pretty much made up my mind...

The d80 is a good camera...but so is the 40d...and so is the K20 and so on and so forth...

It don't think it really matters what camera you get - just go play around with a bunch, if you feel emotionally attached to a certain one ... then get it.

(i'd just advise staying away from the d40/d60 b/c of the lack of a focus motor delio).

i change my mind like every 2 days, so... :) Good luck with your purchase.

Oh, oh ... I think Noah is off his meds again. :o|

:oD

I am sure that the site's pundits will weigh in and offer some advice Jacqueline.

Annnnd ... that in 2 days, give or take ;o) ... Noah will supply you with some more guidance and thoughts.


dpreview.com ... is a good starting point as a resource as well.

I dont take any meds. =P ...well, unless my parents sneak them into my food. >_>

I still hold my advice that there'll all 'pretty much' the same in this dslr general price range. Sorry to disappoint. You'll notice people aren't really going around saying "my camera stinks" (actually, there are some people who say that, but not very many).

I'm happy with my D200. And, my D50 was great. The D80 is pretty much a cross between the two. So, if thats the case, I would recommend the D80.

But I've used a few rebels before, and they're good too (just different).

Its not like you're going to create much better photos with one brand or another. Again, its mainly personal preference (I like digital Nikons personally).

I'd recommend at least getting a 50mm 1.8 (for both blurry backgrounds, and low light stuff; also you can reverse mount it to take macro shots). Other than that, the kit lens will do fine for just messing around and what not. Again, it depends on how much quality you want, how much money you have, and what you like to shoot.

Any comments on my comments? Agree? Disagree?

Thanks Noah & Les for your help

Jacqueline: I'm working now with a D80 and I'm very happy with it. Excellent images, nice viewfinder, fabulous AF...
But many other DSLRs are good too. The real difference can be found with the lenses.
Agree with noahnott about a 50 mm f/1,8. I need one...

I think (as does Noah I see)at any given price-point there's not much between the brands. I went to a real shop (before ordering on-line) and fell in love with the D80. It just "felt" right. Go to a shop and have a play around. I'm sure one will suit you better than the rest.

The reason I was asking is because I know someone who can get me one at a REALLY good price.. and for the price I thought I'd check to see if it was a good camera or waste of money ;) but from what you have all told me it sounds like a good idea =)

I own a D80 and I believe it an excellent camera. It offers more than its Canon equal by allot in my opion. Some features being a rule of thirds grid display option for the view finder, Canon makes you have to buy an attachment for the viewfinder. Another being an Image Comment written into the file of every picture you take. Plus with Nikon you can get the VR lenses. You may have to pay allot but its worth the money in my eyes.

I also like the grid in the viewfinder of the D80 but calling it an aid to the Rule of Thirds is a bit of a stretch.

Hey, all I know is I'm happy with my d80... for right now, today...

I'm another satisfied D80 owner, although I wouldn't mind upgrading to the D300 if the lottery would just pay off. In my opinion, it's not quite at the level of the Canon 40D as far as low noise is concerned, but it's darn good. Most of my work with the camera is paired with a Tokina 100mm macro lens and a Nikon SB-400 Speedlight. The camera is fairly lightweight, especially compared to the bricklike 40D - which also doesn't fit my hand very well either. I had originally intended to buy the Pentax K10D, but didn't like it's grip or balance either. Nikon really seems to have the lead in ergonomics and if you don't like how a camera feels in your hand, you probably won't use it much. Bottom line, the D80 is a very good, solid camera that you can really have fun with. You won't have any regrets.

So I've been wanting to buy a D80 for a while now, but there aren't too many camera shops around here, so that led me to the internet. I've looked on various websites and I was wondering if eBay is a safe place to buy one. I've seen some relatively good deals on some auctions with a few lenses and such but I'm a bit hesitant to go through with it...
Anyone have any input on my situation?

Just buy from bhphotovideo.com; you cant go wrong. Just note that they arent open on jewish holidays - and there are more than I thought there were when I went to go buy a few things before.

I've bought from canogacamera.com a few times recently too - they're pretty good too. They too have a high rating on resellerratings.com.

Newegg.com is a great place too, they don't alwaqys have all the teeny-weensi accessorories but they do have the cameras, bodies etc. Also, their shipping is second to none!

I wouldn't be put off the D40 because of the lack of focus motor. It's a superb, lightweight DSLR. I have one with the kit 18-55, Sigma 10-20 and Nikon 55-200 VR - all of which autofocus. Last week I picked up superb used Nikon 105mm micro which is manual only, but I only manually focus macros anyway.

If you're on any kind of budget, unsure about whether DSLR is right for you or want a lightweight Nikon then the D40 is hard to beat.