Another Nikon thread...

[jonswan]

Sorry, I know this has been done before, but does anyone know when the D80 will be updated?

Also, I'm unsure as to which to get:

D80 with 18-135mm.

D40x with 18-55 + 55-200mm kit.

The D80 will cost me $1300, the D40x about $1000. Money isn't that important though I don't feel I have enough to go for the D80 and 18-200mm. I'm not a complete amateur + I need the camera for mountain landscapes, city buildings, portraits etc.

Right now I'm leaning towards the D80 as it feels more solid and balanced with a larger lens. Perhaps the quality is better too..?

Thanks,
Jon

 

[ChrisA]

Sorry, I know this has been done before, but does anyone know when the D80 will be updated?

When is the Mac Pro going to be replaced?

Nikon is just like Apple, they never talk about unreleased products or give out future plans but
there are many on-line Nikon Rumor sites and
Photoshopped mockups that claim to be "leaked photos"

If you are serious about building a system you will go for the D80. The D40 lacks an in-body focus motor so it has a limited set of Nikon lenses that it can use. It can't use some of the best lenses

The 18-135 is a great general purpose lens and is long enogth you may never need a longer lens. The 18 is plenty wide too. For a second lens everyone will recommend the 50mm f/1.4 but I'd wait a while to buy a second lens. After some time you will know what shots you are missing. Buy the lens that would have gotten those. You may find you need a fast wide angle lens or who knows what. Geting the 2nd lens to soon is a bit of a mistake. Beginners always think they want some ultra long telephoto and then find they don't use it. the 50mm is most usfull for people shots.

 

[0007776]

I would say to get the D80, go ahead and buy it now it is a good camera. The main advantage of it over the D40 is the internal focus motor allows you to use most any Nikon lens going a long time back. if you decide that that is not important to you make sure that you have gone into a store and held a D40 before buying it since it is so tiny, you may not like it.

 

[jonswan]

Thanks a lot for the replies. I also feel that the D80's 18-135mm will be more than enough for a while at least before maybe trying the 50mm f/1.4 at some stage.

 

[Mr.Noisy]

Thanks a lot for the replies. I also feel that the D80's 18-135mm will be more than enough for a while at least before maybe trying the 50mm f/1.4 at some stage.

D80 + 18-135mm is a great package, look at the 50mm f1.8, great prime lens and very cheap brand new (lot cheaper than the 50mm f1.4)

 

[bam bam]

I got the D80 in Dec 2006 w/the 18-135 lens.

In June 2007 i bought the 18-200 VR lens - absolutely love it. I'll probably sell the 18-135 lens soon.

My next lens will either be the 50mm prime or a wide angle (12-24 range).

Not sure when the D80 will be updated, but it is a fantastic camera right now.

 

[dagored]

As a famous photographer once said:

"The camera doesn't make a bit of difference. All of them can record what you are seeing. But, you have to SEE." Ernst Haas, 1985

 

[jonswan]

Great, thanks for the replies. Sounds like I'm making a smart move with the D80 / 18-135 combination. I'd also want to move up to the 18-200 lens sooner or later.
Shame that just as I'm about to buy the camera the forecast is for 4 days of rain in Tokyo...

 

[eastcoastmac]

d80

get the d80 kit

Make sure you buy from an authorized nikon dealer, there are lots of shops (on the internet especially) that sell "grey market" nikon equip and won't tell you. If you didn't buy from an authorized dealer, you won't have a valid warranty.

 

[RevToTheRedline]

I purchased my D80 the 2nd week it came out, (yes it was near impossible to find anywhere) along with the 18-135mm lens.

I don't use it much now as it's been a year since I've had it and I've gotten other lenses since then. But you really can't beat it for the price.

I'd so go for it.

 

[jonswan]

Well, am glad to say I did go for it. Now the proud owner of a D80 with the 18-135... bought from a large camera shop in Tokyo with 13% free points meant 4GB of memory, bag and lens filter came free.... now all I'm waiting for is for the rain to stop...
Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

 

[RevToTheRedline]

I got it from Ritz Camera (locally) for $1399 when it first came out.

But prices have dropped a ton in a year.


I would recommend getting it from here, B&H is probably the most trustable site out there for this kinda stuff, they know their products, and have amazing support. I deal with them a lot. Just remember Nikon does not offer warranty from unauthorized dealers, so I'd rather just spend the extra $20 or whatever it is and buy it from an authorized dealer like B&H.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/449066-REG/Nikon_9405_D80_SLR_Digital_Camera.html

 

[raptor96]

I got it from Ritz Camera (locally) for $1399 when it first came out.

But prices have dropped a ton in a year.


I would recommend getting it from here, B&H is probably the most trustable site out there for this kinda stuff, they know their products, and have amazing support. I deal with them a lot. Just remember Nikon does not offer warranty from unauthorized dealers, so I'd rather just spend the extra $20 or whatever it is and buy it from an authorized dealer like B&H.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/449066-REG/Nikon_9405_D80_SLR_Digital_Camera.html

While B&H is great, I'd add the recommendation of Beach Camera. They have the D80 135mm kit for $1149 and they're a reputable (authorized) dealer. In addition, this is where I bought my D50 - got a great deal, super efficient and I got my camera in like 3 days when I only got regular shipping. So yeah. Beach Camera = awesome.

 

[tttexxan]

Here is just my 2 cents-----

I tried out the D80 compared to the D200 I currently own...As you can tell I got the D200 instead....The D80 is a great camera but the metering is somewhat off....It tends to blow the hightlights....My friend has sent his back to nikon already due to dead pixels (which is a known problem and ununiform light on the view finder. Again known problem)

You might really consider a D50 or a D70 or even D70s...These have much better metering systems.

The D200 should be coming down in price soon since the release of the D300 is coming in about 1 month...Im going to be selling my D200 to upgrade to D300 in about 1 month....It might pay for you to wait to pick up D200...

I would not do the D40 since all lenses cannot fit....

Many will say the metering on the D80 is no problem but check out the forums at Dpreview also....As stated I tried the D80 and both had metering issues

 

[RevToTheRedline]

Here is just my 2 cents-----

I tried out the D80 compared to the D200 I currently own...As you can tell I got the D200 instead....The D80 is a great camera but the metering is somewhat off....It tends to blow the hightlights....My friend has sent his back to nikon already due to dead pixels (which is a known problem and ununiform light on the view finder. Again known problem)

You might really consider a D50 or a D70 or even D70s...These have much better metering systems.

The D200 should be coming down in price soon since the release of the D300 is coming in about 1 month...Im going to be selling my D200 to upgrade to D300 in about 1 month....It might pay for you to wait to pick up D200...

I would not do the D40 since all lenses cannot fit....

Many will say the metering on the D80 is no problem but check out the forums at Dpreview also....As stated I tried the D80 and both had metering issues

I must have got the only one in the first batch, or only one in production that doesn't have any of the problems you stated, while I have some HOT pixels, they only show up in extreme conditions (ISO 1600, 30+ second exposure) and it's not a screen full of them either.

Best viewfinder ever in any SLR I've used, (except an old Canon E1 film from the 70's that sucker was BRIGHT) Most of the metering issues were fixed with the latest firmware, I don't have nearly any problems anymore.

I am a pretty regular visiter over at DP Review, and I know of the problems but I don't think it's anything to prevent anyone from buying the camera for.

And going a little further, I'd definitely recommend the D300 now over the D200, even though it's a little more money.

 

[Marneus]

Good choice with the D80. When I was switching from film, I tussled between the D80 and D200 and basically concluded that the D200 was too much camera for my needs.

As far as lens combinations, the 18-135mm kit lens is a very handy zoom lens, but having a nice fast prime is a good thing as well. You can take sharp pictures in low light, and it encourages you to be a bit more creative with your composition. I have the 50mm f/1.4, which I got for my Nikon F80.

Just remember that a 50mm lens becomes a 75mm lens on the D80, and I found that extra 15mm and reduced field of view was a bit restrictive, but you learn to work around it, and at such a length actually makes a great portrait lens.

 

[Abstract]

Here is just my 2 cents-----

I tried out the D80 compared to the D200 I currently own...As you can tell I got the D200 instead....The D80 is a great camera but the metering is somewhat off....It tends to blow the hightlights....

I must have got the only one in the first batch, or only one in production that doesn't have any of the problems you stated....

I will add that the blown highlight "issue" is actually known. However, it's not an "issue" at all. From what I've read, the D80's metering is very unique (which may not be true), and is the 1st (and maybe last?) Nikon to ever use it. If you wanted to photograph a scene with a bright sky and a grassy field using a D80, the metering system will properly meter the bottom half of the scene and mostly ignore the top half. Why? Because this will properly expose the grassy field. Of course, sometimes you'll get a blown-out sky, but many people have learned to use their D80 effectively.


In a way, this is better because now the meter is actually telling you that something is exposed well. Using a typical matrix metering system in this situation won't give you any real information, or a good photo; it won't expose the sky well, and it won't expose the ground well, either. It does neither effectively. The reason you prefer it is because you're used to it and have learned how to deal with it. However, it's arguable because such a photo would be easier to fix in iPhoto, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop, etc. With the D80's metering system, you'll know that one important element of the photo is exposed properly, while the other half isn't. You can then use Exposure Compensation to adjust the exposure relative to the grass and get the photo you want that way.

 

[seany916]

If you can wait, just wait for the next D90 or whatever to come out. The D80 is due for a makeover soon. IF you can afford to wait.

Photography is expensive. Get used to it. That said, you don't need high end equipment for great pics. Use whatever kit lens it comes with (stick with one lens) and work on your technique. Read, research, and try. What works for some pros DO NOT work for me. Other things are like... "Oh, Wow! That totally works!!!". Figure out what works for YOU. Try everyone else's techniques/tricks/tips/suggestions. It'll go a lot further than spending a brick on cash on high end equipment.

 

[eddx]

I use the D80 with the 18-135mm lens daily, it is a fantastic camera and after having played with my friends D40x I definitely prefer my set up.

Also, having one long lens is MUCH better than two lens. Most of the time you want to take a telephoto photograph and then a second later a wide angle photo (often of the same subject). This is easy with my 18-135 but having to swap out the lens means you often miss "the shot".

Forget the D40x and get the D80. If you can get the funds to get the 18-200mm VR lens instead of the 18-135 it will be well worth the extra money, not so much for the extra 65mm focal length but mainly for the VR functionality. Certainly consider that lens.

Go for the D80, you can thank me later

 

[eddx]

If you can wait, just wait for the next D90 or whatever to come out. The D80 is due for a makeover soon. IF you can afford to wait.

The Nikon D80 is likely to be replaced by the D90 in 4th quarter 2008 according to Nikon's previous record with this range. It will probably be 12mp, FX format and 3 inch screen - but 4th quarter 2008 is NOT soon.

Like I said, D80 all the way.

 

[jonswan]

I've had the D80 now for a few weeks and find it a delight to use. It also feels good in the hand, takes great shots and doesn't weigh 2 tonnes like the D200/300.... It's interesting that Ken Rockwell doesn't use his D80 much, instead preferring either the D40 for get up and go quick stuff, and the D200 for more serious stuff. For me, the D80 feels right - and that's what sold it for me.

'Go for the D80, you can thank me later' - well I would thank you but I bought it 2 weeks before your recommendation, eddx.

 

[RevToTheRedline]

The Nikon D80 is likely to be replaced by the D90 in 4th quarter 2008 according to Nikon's previous record with this range. It will probably be 12mp, FX format and 3 inch screen - but 4th quarter 2008 is NOT soon.

Like I said, D80 all the way.

This is why I'm avoiding buying any DX format lenses, as they will become completely useless when affordable Nikon FF cameras come out and I need to upgrade my body.

I think it's a total scam to even produce DX lenses, as they offer no advantage just to make the consumer buy more lenses once the sensor format becomes obsolete , in some cases make for worse vignetting rather than standard full frame lenses. But right now my Nikkor 35mm F/2D is the only non DX lens I have other than the 18-135mm.

 

[compuwar]

This is why I'm avoiding buying any DX format lenses, as they will become completely useless when affordable Nikon FF cameras come out and I need to upgrade my body.

1. Nikon seems perfecly willing to do DX crop factors on FX sensor bodies.
2. Nikon is unlikely to stop making DX sensor bodies anytime soon.

I think it's a total scam to even produce DX lenses, as they offer no advantage just to make the consumer buy more lenses once the sensor format becomes obsolete , in some cases make for worse vignetting rather than standard full frame lenses. But right now my Nikkor 35mm F/2D is the only non DX lens I have other than the 18-135mm.

DX is very unlikely to become obsolete. They offer size/weight/cost advantages. The whole FX issue is purely marketing and based on Canon's experience very few FX bodies will be sold in comparison to DX bodies. DX is here to stay, FX will likely wane again in 5 or so years. The economics and fact that yields per-wafer are unlikely to get much better over time pretty-much guarantee that DX will eventually "win" out over FX as the sensor is the most expensive discrete component in a DSLR.