A solid camera in every sense of the word, yet at the same time relatively compact, the D80 marries a wide array of features to a user-friendly layout. If you want crisp, vivid digital images without spending a king’s ransom, and don’t mind a camera that won’t slip into your pocket, Nikon’s flagship budget D-SLR is worth serious consideration.

An excellent feature set combined with good quality and usability make the Nikon D80 a great mid-range purchase.

Positives: Superb image qualit, Instantly On, Excellent 3D Colour Matrix metering, Fast Autofocus, Unlimited Continuous mode at 3 frames per second in JPEG, Excellent viewfinder, Solidly built. Negatives: Some noise above 400 ISO, Complexity of some Custom options, No PC terminal for third party flash, No RAW tools available with PictureProject, the supplied software.

This is a heck of a camera, and one that should be at the top of your list if you’re buying your first D-SLR. If you have a D50 or D70 then I’d strongly consider upgrading. And, unless you need a faster burst rate and even more custom functions, then you can save hundreds by skipping the D200 and getting the D80 instead.

I was very impressed with the D80. It can be a powerful photographic tool with its Manual, Aperture priority, and Shutter priority modes, however, even the least experienced photographer can pick it up and capture beautiful photos using the Auto, Program or one of the Digital Vari-Program scene modes.

With the D80, Nikon offers a complete DSLR lineup where there’s something for almost every segment and price category, with this excellent newcomer taking a favorable spot between the low and midrange DSLR categories of the D70s and the D200. The D80 is definitely the best Nikon camera yet for its entry-level class and is strongly recommended for beginners migrating to the DSLR scene.

The 10-megapixel Nikon D80 is a success in a conservative way. Nikon didn’t add the dust reduction system or stabilization that many competitors are introducing this year. Still, it has most of what the D200 has for hundreds of dollars less, and adds features to woo snapshooters. It’s a solid DSLR that’s easy to use and a strong performer. It should appeal to casual shooters who aren’t price-sensitive, and some professionals who are.

The Nikon D80 is now part of a crowded market place and there is even plenty of crossover between this model and Nikon’s own 10 megapixel D200 model. Things might get even more confusing with rumour of an imminent D50 replacement due to be released before Christmas but, if one thing is very clear, consumers willing to invest their money in this model will discover that the D80 upholds Nikon’s excellent reputation in the DSLR market.

If you want more zoom from a kit lens and are willing to pay just a bit more for a D-SLR, the Nikon D80 is the camera for you.

So we’ve established that the D80 is a great ‘photographers camera’, but how good are the images? The answer is, really very good, Nikon appear to have shaken off the soft-image demons of the past and are also using a slightly stronger (more consumer friendly) default sharpening level than the D200.

The D80 provides the features and controls that I really need to consistently produce sharp photographs with accurate exposures, even under the most demanding shooting conditions.

Picture quality is essentially the same on all three of the 10MP DSLRs out now, so it boils down to features versus cost. If you’re after a step-up from an entry-level model, then its build quality and nifty features is definitely worth the extra. But if you want built-in anti-shake or the best value, you’ll be better off with the Sony A100 or Canon 400D.

Although Nikon D80 is supposed to be an entry level SLR you’re actually getting a camera that is better than, or equal to, some more expensive SLRs. It’s got some of the same features as the Nikon D200, like the same quality settings, 11 autofocus zones with an auto-select mode and some features that the D200 doesn’t have like the seven scene modes and a customizable menu. If you are new to SLRs then this is an ideal first camera.