Do you already have Nikon equipment? Would this be an upgrade. If it is then you can ask if the D80 will make better images or is there a more effective use of $900.
If you are just starting out with SLR cameras then you should ask if Nikon is the right company to go with. Do they make the lenses and other things you'd want to buy later. Think ahead 5 to 10 years. I'm biased. I have a Nikon system but there are good reasons to like Canon. Whichever way you go base the decision on the total system of bodies, lens and lighting that you might want. Look at the used markets too. then pick a brand.
The the D80 the right body? All the Nikon bodies are good but each
for a different buyer. For the person who is planning on building a larger SLR system with quality lenses, yes the D80 is good. But if you plan on just getting one "kit" lens or maybe one kit lens plus a low-end f/5.6 zoom lens then I'd suggest the D40x. In order to get the best bang per buck in an SLR system I think you need to spend a bit more then half the budget on lenses. So plan it out.
It's like buying a stereo system. "everyone" recommends spending maybe 60% of the budget on speakers. this has not changed in 30 years. Same here. A $900 body with a $100 lens will give worse results than a $500 body with a $500 lens. So when you look at the Nikon (or Canon) line of bodies pick the one with a price that will use roughly 1/2 of your budget. That said I would NOT recommend you spend your whole equipment budget at once. Space it out.
Wow, thank you the fullest reply I've ever had.
I'll try to touch all questions you've asked me. So, ChrisA, before I used Olympus brand and I liked it so much, I made photos - very high quality. But it crashed - to be exactly it's the round thing which "peeled off".. (oh, I don't know how to name it correctly - for circling it to choose a regime you need.)
So I've decided to buy new one. My photo teacher have advised me Nikon as brand, so I've stated to choose something suitable for me. I've read a description about Nikon D80 and I've liked it.
Olympus worked 2 hours and that's it... I had to charge it 2-3 times a day! So it was terrible. I'm VERY happy that some of you noticed the long battery life of D80. What is the approximate duration of it?
ChrisA, thank you for a wise advise. I agree, that "A $900 body with a $100 lens will give worse results than a $500 body with a $500 lens.".
compuwar, I can't say I'm very experienced, I'm just studying...
Hm, because of ChrisA and compuwar I'му become closer to D40 with an expensive lens. Is the life of battery long too, like D80? How about autofocus here, Eauboy?
Thank you again. You are helping so much with making a right choice!
Flower..
