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Nikon D80

Digital Camera Review

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Components

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Modes
December 13, 2006 By Patrick Singleton
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Nikon D80
Page 4

Shooting Menu



Optimize Image


Set for Normal, Vivid, More Vivid, Softer, Portrait, Black and White or Custom rendering


Image Quality


Set for RAW or 3 levels of JPEG compression. Shooting RAW and JPEG simultaneously is also possible


Image Size


Choose pixel dimensions of JPEG captures


White Balance


Set white balance


ISO Sensitivity


Set ISO


Long Exp. NR


Activate noise reduction on exposures over 8 seconds


High ISO NR


Set noise reduction for ISOs above 400 to High, Low or Off



Model Design / Appearance (8.0)
Nikon has a consistent style for its DSLRs. They are angular, black, and have subtle curves. The D80 has the signature red triangle on the grip, just under the shutter. Red accents go back to Nikon’s film cameras when the F3 came out with a narrow red stripe up the front. Nikon’s continuity of style lends its lower-priced models, such as the D80, with a bit of the panache of the high-end stuff. Put the extra battery pack on the D80, and it looks kind of professional. Canon, the only other DSLR brand that currently makes pro-level DSLRs, makes stylistic distinctions between its expensive stuff and its cheap stuff – the Rebel XTi really doesn’t look much like the 5D or the 1D series.
 
Size / Portability (7.5)
The Nikon D80 is 5.2 x 4.1 x 3.0 inches and weighs 21 ounces without a battery or lens. That’s the same size as the D70, but smaller than the D200. The D200 is 8 ounces heavier than the D70 or D80. The weight won’t make any difference in portability – the cameras will fit in the same camera bags, and so on. The D80 is lighter, but is also less durable. It isn’t as well sealed against the environment, and its mechanical elements are less robust.

Handling Ability (9.0)
The Nikon D80’s light weight will be an advantage for users who shoot for long stretches at a time or get tired of holding large cameras. Its grip is comfortable, with an indent for the user’s fingertips, and a rubbery surface to prevent slips. The D80 is small enough that it will feel like a bit of an afterthought mounted to the back of Nikon’s large-aperture zooms, such as the 70-200mm f/2.8 or even the 18-55mm f/2.8. Most of the weight will be in the lens, or at least the inertia will be there, and users will have to support such combinations by holding the lens with their left hands. Small-handed users will probably prefer holding the D80 over the D200, D2X or D2Hs.




Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (8.5)
The controls on a camera are very often the limiting factor for getting a shot – if they’re confusing or slow to use, photographers may end up trying to set the exposure or ISO when they should be pressing the shutter. Or just as bad, they may press the shutter with the camera settings so out of whack that the camera records an unprintable image of a great moment.
 
The Nikon D80’s controls are less convenient and quick than the Nikon D200’s, but it has some basic, and very important similarities - ones that give it an advantage in the sub-$1000 market. First, it has two control dials. For manual exposure, that means the user can directly set both shutter speed and aperture, without having to hold down another button, or do any other gymnastics. Setting white balance, one dial scrolls through presets while the other fine-tunes the color. Second, it has a precise, dish-shaped 4-way controller, with a large locking switch. Third, its power switch is around the shutter release, and is easy to operate with one’s hands in shooting position. Fourth, its delete function is quick and simple – press it once, and the camera asks if you really mean to delete a file, press it again, and the file is gone. It’s just as sure as systems where the user presses the trash button to delete, and then the OK button to confirm, but it’s faster. Fifth, both cameras have a customizable Function button that’s easy to use and quick to access.
 
The D80 is solidly inferior to the D200 in some aspects of the interface. The D200’s access to ISO, Quality and White Balance is a cluster of buttons on top of the burst mode dial on the top left of the camera. They’re large and easy to reach, and they don’t double as anything else. The D80’s buttons for the same functions are on the back, and they have other secondary functions in playback mode, so the user must be sure the camera is in shooting mode to adjust those parameters. The D200’s meter pattern and auto focus pattern controls are levers that point to icons for each setting. On the D80, the user has to press a button and watch the status display to set the same features. The D200 has a big latch for its media door. The D80’s bracket button is oddly isolated on the lens mount. The only thing it’s close to is the flash popup button – and it sure would be inconvenient to activate one when the other was needed.
 
Menu (8.0)
The D80’s menus are clear and attractive. The text is easy to read, and the icon-based, tabbed interface is easy to navigate. The order of some of the entries seems odd: frequently adjusted features such as ISO and white balance appear below rarely changed settings like Optimize Image. One explanation for that is that ISO and white balance are accessible without using the menus at all. The user can press buttons, and adjust them on the control display atop the camera.
 
 
 
Setup
 
CSM/Setup Menu
Choose simple, full or custom menus
Format memory card
Format SD card
World Time
Set time, date and time zone
LCD Brightness
Control LCD brightness
Video Mode
For analog video output of camera display
Language
Set menu and alert language
USB
Set to connect to computer or printer
Image Comment
Add up to 36 characters to comment field as shots are taken
Folders
Create, rename, choose or delete folders on storage media
File No. Sequence
Control how files are numbered
Mirror Lockup
Set to lock up mirror to expose sensor and low-pass filter for cleaning
Dust Off Ref Photo
Shoot an image to use with Capture NX software to automatically remove dust from images. Capture NX is not included with the D80
Battery Info
Shows current charge, number of exposures made since the battery was charged, and age of battery, relative to its life span
Firmware Version
Shows version of revisable firmware


Custom
 
Reset
Return to factory defaults
Beep
Set so D80 will make annoying sounds
AF Area Mode
Set how auto focus areas are selected
Center AF Area
Set to normal or wide size
AF-assist
Set to control auto focus assist light
No Memory Card?
Control D80’s behavior when no SD card is inserted
Image Review
Set display of images after they’re shot
ISO Auto
Allows D80 to increase ISO automatically in low light
Grid Display
Show grid lines in viewfinder
Viewfinder Warning
Set to show alerts in viewfinder when optimization is set to B/W, when no SD card is inserted or when battery is low
EV Step
Set to either 1/3 or ½ EV
Exposure Comp.
Set to allow exposure compensation control in automatic modes, without having to press the exposure compensation button
Center-weighted
Set size of weighted area to 6, 8 or 10mm in center-weighted metering mode
Auto BKT Set
Set to bracket ambient exposure, flash exposure, both or white balance
Auto BKT Order
Set the order of bracketed frames
FUNC button
Set the function of the button
Illumination
Set to keep control LCD lit constantly
AE-L/AF-L
Set AE-L/AF-L button to lock focus, exposure, flash exposure or other function
AE Lock
Set to lock exposure when shutter release is pressed halfway
Focus Area
Set to wrap or not in manual focus point selection, so that if the rightmost point is active, and the user presses the right side of the 4-way controller, the active point will be the leftmost point
AF Area Illumination
Set how the D80 indicates the active auto focus point
Built-in Flash
Set for TTL exposure, manual output, or repeating flash, which allows setting the number of flashes, their rate and their power
Flash Warning
When on, this will show a warning when flash is needed
Flash Shutter Speed
Set the slowest shutter speed available when the camera is in A or P mode, the flash is on, and sync is set to normal, not slow sync. Choices run from 1/60 to 1 second
Auto FP
Set to allow D80 to switch external flash to high shutter speed mode when shutter speed goes over 1/200. Doesn’t work with the pop-up flash
Modeling Flash
Set to have a modeling light from flashes when they are on, and the depth-of-field preview is pressed
Monitor-off
Set how long the LCD stays lit when there’s no activity with the camera.
Auto-meter Off
Set how long the meter stays active when there’s no activity with the camera
Self-timer
Set delay to 2, 5, 10 or 20 seconds
Remote on Duration
Set how long the D80 will wait for a remote control signal before cancelling the shot
Exp. Delay Mode
Set to have the D80 delay 0.4 seconds between flipping up its mirror and taking the shot. Reduces vibration in critical settings
MB-D80 Batteries
Specify what type of AA batteries are in the optional battery pack
 
A separate menu comes up in Playback mode.
 
Playback
 
Delete
Delete all or selected photos
Playback Folder
Select folder from which to play back images
Rotate Tall
Show verticals upright on LCD
Slide Show
Play back images with or without effects and music
Hide Image
Prevent images from being viewed
Print Set
Choose images to print
 
Retouch
 
D-lighting
Brighten dark or backlit subjects
Red-eye Correction
Get rid of red eye effect from flash
Trim
Make a new image from part of an existing one
Monochrome
Create a black and white, sepia, or blue-toned copy of an existing image
Filter Effects
Create copies that show changes in tint
Small Picture
Make small copies
Image Overlay
Combine two RAW images

Ease of Use (7.75)
The Nikon D80 is straightforward – its controls and menu items are clearly labeled. There’s a useful help function in its menu system, which brings up text explanations that provide insight to experienced photographers and basic concepts to beginners. It includes complete manual controls and automatic options. In comparison to the D200, it includes many more features for the casual user, and is less convenient for the manual shooter. The program modes will appeal to the former, while the latter will be slowed down a bit by the physical controls for auto focus, white balance and ISO.
 

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Nikon D80
Digital Camera Review
4 Comments
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Previous: Page 3

Components

Previous: Page 5

Modes