Nikon F80 / N80
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| Pro | - Versatility (95% of the whole positive side)
- all useful commands and dials at hands - long lasting of CR123 batteries - grid lines on demand | ||
| Contra | - screw-driven lenses af quite slow | ||
| Thoughts | A whole set of interesting features at an accessible price. I have the F80s which can also add the data back and the exposure data printed between frames. Despite its plasticky feeling, I think it's a very versatile camera, with also a small flash to use now and then when you don't want to go out with too much gear. Definitely a "must" for who wants to travel light without any camera too showy and pro-like. | ||
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| Pro | -low price (got my F80 with the 2 "super kit"-lenses 28-80 and 70-300 for ~150$ in good condition)
-quite light-weight -great features (the CSMs) -gridlines in viewfinder -AF and metering reliable -great handling with the MB-16 attached -mechanical remote control (better than IR-remote) | ||
| Contra | -plastic feeling
-AF points should be wider to the edge -quite slow AF with "screw-driver"AF telephoto lenses (70-300G at the long end) -uses CR123 batteries... WHY? So the MB-16 is nearly a must-have -no AF-On button (well, the AF-L/AE-L can be reprogrammed to perform this) | ||
| Thoughts | I bought my F80 used - so the price was really great. The 50 rolls of film I shot were mostly well exposed and focussed.
I love my F80; it works great and is a good backup for the D70. With the MB16 the handling is even a little better than the D70, because the F80 is ~1cm (1/2") higher. For the price a great cam! I´d buy it again. | ||
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| Pro | Heaps of pro features for your money. It will take you forever to figure out everything that the F80 can do. Just as well, it has a thick manual. | ||
| Contra | Slow AF
No mirror lockup Flash sync only 1/125 Low light focusing can be a pain sometimes. | ||
| Thoughts | Wondeful camera. I'd prefer a F100, but cannot justify the extra expense when the F80 does pretty much everything I need. | ||
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| Pro | Overal control
Flexibility Ease of Use Speed of Use --everything you could ever want BUT (see Contra) | ||
| Contra | a slow AF, not as fast as competitors | ||
| Thoughts | I've had the F80 for a few years now and have taken it as a secondary body all over the world with me shooting about, 400 films or more with it, 400 is a minimum.
I have been able to do everything with this camera other than the more delicate things in low light concerning fast focus. In lower light the AF loses all ability and struggles. This is it's only downside. It's an odd thing how the AF hunts on this new model but on my F90X it instantaneously finds the target without any fuss at all. So it makes you wonder what Nikon were attempting (and Canon as I've noticed in the 3 and 30/33 models) with this when all the photographer need do is attempt another focus if the first attempt is out of focus. If your general photography is Landscapes, Portraits, or any field of photography where you can stand back and set your camera - get the F80 as you won't be disappointed in how much the pack in a few moves of your finger. If you're in situations where timing is of the essence and you need to point-focus-shoot very quickly, try the F90x, Canon EOS 30/33 (but that hunts, at times of low light) and if you have the money f100. A digital body with fast focussing is more so expensive as I've noticed. | ||
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| Pro | very good ergonomics
light-weight rel low price spot metering separate dials for aperture and shutter speed mechanical cable release build quality quite good works with G-type lenses (VR) | ||
| Contra | CR123 batteries expensive
Batteries are drained during long-term exposures | ||
| Thoughts | I now own this camera for 3 years, and am very satisfied. The only drawback are the lithium batteries, which are rel. expensive and which do not last very long. I'd have preferred 4xAA. Sometimes I forget to turn off the camera and have it running overnight in the camera bag, and a set of batteries is gone. Also, it is not suited for night-time long exposures since it consumes a lot of battery when keeping the shutter open - a set is drained in a couple of hours. The MB16 battery compartment is not an option with a tripod since this one really *is* wobbly.
When I bought my F80, I first was worried about build quality since I read many complains about this - but have these people actually used it? My F80 once fell off the tripod with a 200mm lens attached, from 1.5m directly onto solid rock - and to my surprise nothing happened! I have dragged it through rainforest, and recently through the sahara (there's lots of sand and wind there ;-), without ever experiencing any problems. If it finally breaks, I can still buy another one or two and have still spend less than for a F100. And re the comments that it is not suited to attach heavy lenses: I regularly use it with a 300 f/4, and since you hold the camera by the lens and attach the lens to the tripod (not the other way round), this is not a problem anyway. | ||
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| Pro | fantastic | ||
| Contra | shame film cameras will go out for digital soon | ||
| Thoughts | fab spare to my f100, light easy to handle and top quality build | ||
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| Pro | Good range of features, very ergonomic design, MB16 makes it even better. DOF preview, on demand gridlines and other custom functions. Shutter quiet. | ||
| Contra | Shutter refuses to operate sometimes when AF is locked on a dark subject (anyone else noticed this?) Control dial instead of aperture ring on lens. | ||
| Thoughts | This is the second F80 I have owned. The first example used to lock up, refuse to meter, had uneven frame spacing and rewound midroll unexpectely. After a three month Holiday with Nikon U.K. it came back with the same faults. The replacement is much better, but in my opinion not as capable as my 13 year old F601 which I would trust to get the picture every time. I enjoy using the Camera, but it seems Nikons mid-range Cameras have taken a turn for the worst in terms of build quality and reliability. If it wasn't for the great lenses that I've had for years, I would probably switch to another brand. | ||
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| Pro | - Metering
- Lightness, which you learn to appreciate when you do jungletreks and mountainclimbing. - Reliability, when spare batteries are always in the bag. | ||
| Contra | - The Flash sync at 1/125 s | ||
| Thoughts | I have been shooting a lot in and around South Indian temples and festivals. I have been shooting while laying in the sand with people cheerfully throwing water and paintpowder over me and my f80. I have been pooring sweat over my camera constantly at those conditions. I can tell you now; the f80 may not be professionally sealed, but it is properly closed. I paid 250 euro for it and would never go as near to those chaotic situations if I had bought an F5 new. | ||
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| Pro | The F-80 has a built in Flash that the wonderful F-100 lacks, and it's a very useful aid to have.The camera has 18 personal function settings,and they're all good ones to have avaiable. J.Colwel was mistaken when he said the F-80 only has 2 focus options; it has 3. Also he erred when he said "no double exposure-Nonsence it has UInlimited double/triple etc. exposures. he shutter is slow Only if you compare it to cameras cosrting 3 X the money-it's perfectly fast for 99% of your shooting experiences.Also,the F-80 accepts a multitude of Nikor Lenses. The exception being Nikor Manuals-your exposure meter won't work when using a manual lens(The Only bada point)it's Not True there is no mid roll rewind;But You can rewind the film whenever you want.The leader however does not stay out.=To bad. I'd rate this camera 81/2 out of 10. | ||
| Contra | Film Leader doesn't stay out on a mid roll rewind
No Mirror lockup,not a great concern for most photographers Continuo | ||
| Thoughts | I checked out all 35 mil cameras in 2000. I compared all their features,including price, and what you got for your money. It took me 3 months to narrow my search down to one camera--The F-80. I never looked back, I've added a couple of lenses ,and the MB-16 Battery pack,plus the Flash SB-5o,which makes the package comlete. I have never had any problems or ever regreted my decision. In fact- I plan to buy a 2nd body for backup. I'd like the F-100, BUT IT HAS NO BUILT IN FLASH.I use mine almost strictly for outdoor fill flash, or as an "On Camera Flash to set off my Main unit, (A Metz Handle mount type unit, which I use on a stand/Umbrella for portrait work) + If you want to travel light; The built In Flash will save your life. | ||
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| Pro | - Ergonomy is perfect
- Viewfinder extremly complete and very bright - All functions a pro needs with amateur perf. - buit-in flash already efficient and raises very high - Mirror grid on request (perfect for picture composition) - 18 customizable functions (everything you would need is planned) | ||
| Contra | - Light body : robustness?
- Not compatible with the new functions of SB-800 | ||
| Thoughts | This is a perfect companion for someone who wants to live its photographic passion. Quite everything is doable and you won't see its limits.
You can use all important functions looking into the viewfinder. Every information is repeated into it. it's clear and convenient at use. | ||
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| Pro | *)Geringe Abmessungen und leichtgewichtig.
*)Eingebauter Blitz. *)Geringer Batterieverbrauch. *)Schönes Design. *)Logische Anordnung der Bedienelemente und exzellente Ergonomie. *)Beleuchteter großer LCD (kein Mäusekino), der alle wichtigen Infos zeigt. *)Super Preis/Leistungsverhältnis. *)Leiser Auslösemechanismus. *)Mit Batterieteil MB-16 liegt sie noch besser in der Hand. *)Mit MB-16 ist Verwendung von AAA Batt. möglich. | ||
| Contra | *)Das Gehäuse sollte eine ebensolche griffige Ummantelung wie die
F100 und F5 aufweisen! | ||
| Thoughts | Eine perfekt ausgestattete, schöne und technisch überzeugende Kamera
für den (nicht nur) Reisefotographen, der auf geringes Gewicht und Kompaktheit seiner Ausrüstung angewiesen ist. Der oft bemängelte hohe Plastikanteil ist von Vorteil wenn Gewicht gespart werden soll. Außerdem ist der verwendete Kunststoff durchaus von hoher Qualität und garantiert bei normalem Fotoeinsatz eine lange Lebensdauer der Kamera. Also eigentlich kein wirklicher Nachteil. So begleitet mich die F80 seit etwa 2 Jahren auf zahlreichen Reisen rund um den Globus und hat sich bisher bestens bewährt! | ||
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| Pro | - Excellent handling
- Excellent metering, flash and ambient - Ability to focus reliably in very dim light without assist AF beam. Not too many mid-class cameras can brag with similar AF performance - Very soft mirror-shutter operation - Backlit top display - Built-in flash is actually useful (unlike some other cameras) - On-demand grid in a viewfinder - Socket for mechanical cable release! - Ability to assign dedicated controls to AF and AE - Light and compact In other words - this is "shooter-priority" camera. Try it and see for yourself. | ||
| Contra | - Slowish AF with large screwdriver lenses
- AF mode switch could be more comfortable - AE pattern collar could be bigger - Viewfinder occasionaly shows "ghosts" in contra-light - Can't meter with non-CPU non-AF lenses. Personally, I don't think this an issue anymore but for the sake of fairness I include it in the CONTRA section. | ||
| Thoughts | It took me a long while before I decided to write this up as my view on this camera was continuously changing over the years. My initial impression wasn’t exceedingly cheerful mainly because some of first batches of the F80 were suffering from weird problems. But, it was long time ago (3-4 years?), since then Nikon did a lot to make the F80 what it is supposed to be – a superb camera for photographers who don’t shoot 100 rolls a week. Lighter built quality is also accompanied with slower AF with screwdriver lenses. Other than that F80 is just as capable as F100. Take a look at the list of PROs and see why F80 has become my favorite among dozen of other cameras I’ve owned. | ||
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| Pro | Good handling, specially with MB-16 grip
Not to heavy Professional options Advanced customized options Little F100 Good build-in flash, with 3d Matrix flash system Good metering Five point autofocus On-demand grid lines display. Cable release socket And more... | ||
| Contra | A little slow autofocus
No metering with Nikon manualfocus/ai lenses | ||
| Thoughts | In short: a perfect camera for the professional amateur for not to much money! Good handling, light and in combination with Nikon lenses perfect pics! | ||
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| Pro | Considerably better than the N70. This camera is a perfect match for advanced amatuer shooting. This isn't a studio camera, and it isn't a camera to dangle from you neck while climbing the face of K2. This IS the camera which will give the amature many of the same tools as the pro level cameras. There are more than a few pros who have glanced over the specs of the N80 jealously...This is a great camera. It is clever, and crafty in tough situations. It also opens the doors to an amazing plethora of avaialble Nikon lenses. | ||
| Contra | These are my observations. I am not comparing this to an F5, or and F100:
There are so many small gizmo levers that you really need to be intimate with the body, before you try to use it in the dark. The light up LCD is a plus, but if your trying to switch focus or metering settings, it can be a little tricky. I really shouldn't complain about the pop-up flash, because it has saved me more than once, however, it really dosen't have the kind of muscle to use it full time. Works great as a fill flash though. | ||
| Thoughts | I love this camera. I have other, more expensive, cameras and they are starting to collect dust. I can grabmy N80 and I am ready to go into almost any reasonable shooting situation. Cheers to Nikon! | ||
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| Pro | Good design, some functions, plenty of very good lenses | ||
| Contra | -Very slow autofocus - I have tried this camera with some Nikon lenses,the autofocus speed was so poor I could not believe , unlike new Dynax/Maxxum 5 or Pentax MZ-6/ZX-L | ||
| Thoughts | I would not recommend this camera for people who want to get maximum for their money -the price is too high and functions not very good | ||
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| Pro | Like this camera as a light companion to my F5. Leave the F5 more and more. Nobody can distinguish my picture whether taken with my N80 or F5. Can you ? | ||
| Contra | For this price ? None !
Even if Nikon manufacture this camera in Kenya or Bostwana, I will still buy it. | ||
| Thoughts | For the price, it's a gem | ||
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| Pro | More intuitive control buttons | ||
| Contra | No option to manually change aperture on lens - must do it on sub command dial. | ||
| Thoughts | I upgraded to this from an F-601. Initially didn't like the lighter weight, but now think it is a good balance between being too light and too weighty. Has all the features I liked from the F-601 plus a few more, some which are not useful to me personally. Was also irritated initially by not having the option of changing the aperture through the lens when using in manual or aperture-priority mode. I still miss this as I think it is ergonomically better being able to change it with the left hand, but realistically am not doing it all that often, so the use of the sub-command dial is OK.
The controls are much more intuitive - I don't have to go back to the manual for infrequently used functions, except for custom settings! | ||
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| Pro | 1.Has many features common to F100( even better ).
2.The price. 3.Quite shutter. 4.Cable release socket. 5.On-demand grid lines display. 6.Lighter. 7.Etc,etc,etc... | ||
| Contra | 1.Not robust body.
2.No mirror lock up. 3.No second release for MB16 vertical grip. | ||
| Thoughts | This is the best choice camera to have...for that PRICE. Then you can save your money for another LENSES. | ||
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| Pro | - a little f100
- spot metering - little noise shutter | ||
| Contra | - build quality
- synchro flash doesn't over 1/125s - Af in low light - made in thailand | ||
| Thoughts | a very good Little Nikon body. | ||
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| Pro | How can the previous reviewer review a camera that he has not used? What kind of review is that? By the way this camera is made in Thailand. Some of the newer ones were made in Japan but then they switched to Thailand. That is about the time they fixed alot of the problems that the N80 had the first year or so. This is a good camera that has alot to offer for the money. The plastic feel leaves after you use it a few months. I has been a good replacment for the N70. The MB16 battery pack really makes a difference in handling and battery life. The light on the LCD panel has been great. The grid lines on the screen are something you usually have to pay extra. It has great metering and does not seem to have any really bad design flaws. | ||
| Contra | Shutter lag is a little more than I like, but I can't say that I have had any problems catching the shot because of the shutter lag. It does feel like an empty shell because of the light weight. I know that alot of people like that but I like a heavier camera. It makes the camera easier to hold steady. | ||
| Thoughts | Use the N80 and enjoy what it has to offer. It has alot of features that would cost alot more if it were another camera. It makes a great second body if you have a more expensive, better quality camera like an F5 or an F100. | ||
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| Pro | Does everything the F100 does except the manual lens stuff | ||
| Contra | Battery type | ||
| Thoughts | Only recently converted to Nikon so I don't have any manual lenses anyway. According to Thom Hogan's review & book, the actual circuitry and sensors for AE are the same as the F100, only the exposure compensation (1/3 vs 1/2 stop) is different so how do these people get this "problem" with exposure? The build quality argument is stupid - if you want pro build quality, pay the pro price and stop whining! Does the slight shutter lag have anything to do with single/continuous servo AF mode? In single it re-checks the focus before firing the shutter which it doesn't need to do in continuous mode. I think it is a very good camera and I enjoy using it, but I neeed to buy an off-camera flash for anything more than christmas pictures. | ||
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| Pro | good price, excellent light metering, good AF system, very handy custom functions. (sharpness / depth check??) scherptedieptecontrole in dutch. | ||
| Contra | battery exchange with my older F50 | ||
| Thoughts | Great camera! | ||
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| Pro | Excellent camera, nicely balanced, a nice range of features without going over the top. Very easy to handle, everything falls to hand (and mine aren't that big).I've been using the excellent F601 for a few years and was looking to upgrade and this fits the bill just right. I can't understand the moaning complainers , did they actually investigate the camera before buying it? I agree with mike and dan below. I'm sure the complaints are from people who don't understand the camera. I spend most of my time shooting fast moving objects (railways) and have never had any problems with the AF, the controls and it takes whatever I and the weather throw at it. The metering system is a dream and yes one or two situations can fool the system but then again they can do it to any camera. So do what any good photographer does and actually think about the situation. With time and practice you will know how the camera reacts and what you should do. I would suggest that instead of complaining these people actually get out and use it in anger - and why buy an AF camera if you want to use manual lenses? | ||
| Contra | Will nikon please standardise on the batteries they use. I have an f601, f50 and now the f80 and they all use different batteries! It's a pain carrying spares. | ||
| Thoughts | A cracking camera and a real pleasure to use | ||
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| Pro | Durability, size and weight (I like large cameras, contrary to many marketing managers these days), price, range of accesoiries, control layout, user preferences settings, Nikon support, battery life | ||
| Contra | position of the AE-L button (which is badly placed for someone using his right eye), somewhat slow AF with longer lenses. | ||
| Thoughts | Camera does have a remote release bracket, only thing lacking is a remote flashcable socket. Been using the camera for over a year, about 200 rolls of film, and it hasn't let me down. A somewhat stronger AF motor would help people shooting wildlife or sports action (requiring 300mm+ lenses), otherwise excellent. Batteries drain quickly using Bulb or the flash, but that's a problem with all modern cameras and certainly not limited to this model. | ||
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| Pro | Small size, form-factor. | ||
| Contra | Slight shutter lag, incomplete viewfinder coverage (just a pet peeve of mine). | ||
| Thoughts | This is a really nice "AdAm" (Advanced Amateur--the term Kodak Marketing Dept. uses) camera. I personally prefer cameras that are light and not too expensive...I worry about them less, and when I photograph I don't want to be thinking about the camera. I prefer the N80 to the F100, which I've also used. I've never used the F5, as it's way too big and heavy for me and its features are overkill (again, just for me). To me the shape and feel of the N80 is wonderful, and I love the almost complete lack of shutter/mirror vibration (this is really a good feature of this camera) and the soft noise it makes--not super-quiet, I guess, but not at all annoying. Dan Rulli's comments about cameras are among the best I've ever read. He's so right. It's just remarkable to me that people would complain about the feature set of a camera they've bought--expecially with Nikon, which makes cameras at every level. If you want better dust sealing and the ability to use manual-focus lenses, well, Nikon makes a camera for you--the F100. If you don't like the N80 for those reasons, you have no one but yourself to blame, because you bought the wrong camera. What, you can't read the feature list before making your purchase? Not everyone will like the N80 best--some will want the F5 and many will consider the F100 to be a perfect compromise between the two. With any of those people, I have absolutely no quarrel! But accepting the N80 on its own terms it's a very user-friendly, shoulder-friendly, capable, competent, well-thought-out and well-implemented camera. It's clearly the best lower-level Nikon since the N8008. Especially if you're considering the competing Canon, be aware that you really shouldn't make a decision based on "paper research" and lists of features...you absolutely need to hold and operate the two cameras side-by-side. The N80 feels so much more "right" in my hands that the contest isn't even close. You may feel the opposite, and again I wouldn't argue. But you need to find out for yourself, whichever way you decide. | ||
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| Pro | Price, features, weight, accessories available, custom features. | ||
| Contra | It does feel like a toy when you compare it to other Nikon bodies. The N80 feels like a $200 camera. When I compare it to my f100, it feels like a $100 camera. It almost is, but they could have made it a little sturdier feeling. I think that plastic is just fine. We have come a long way with plastic. " This ain't your fathers plastic". It is the loose feel to the camera back and the knobs that worry me. I also worry when a product has a rebate. Why does it have a rebate? Slow sales, lack of quality, or are they coming out with an N80s or a N85 soon. | ||
| Thoughts | Alot of the negative things that I read about this camera seem to come from people that don't really enjoy photography. They seem to be mostly guys that are into all type of gadgets. Cameras being just one of those gadgets. They complain about their nose being in the way of the controls, and the body being too small, and the buttons being too small, and the lack of something like mirror lock up. Well,that is photography. You have to deal with a camera that is not perfect. That is what makes obtaining that great photo such a great feeling. You did it without a perfect camera. If you want a camera with the features that this camera lacks, buy the camera that has these features! It seems to me that we all buy the camera we can afford and even when we can afford the best, we still have alot of complaining to do. This is a great camera. I have not had any problems. I went and tried the camera as best as possible before I bought it and there have been no surprises. I knew it did not have mirror lock up and that it felt a little cheaper than the other cameras I own. Of course this camera is not the best in the rain or in the dirt. Even if it was, my lenses are not so you will not catch me putting the N80 to any "weather proof test". I have an N70 that when I bought it everyone told me not to bother with it and that it would never serve me well. That camera has gone all over the world with me and has taken a beating without ever quiting. I hope that this N80 serves me as well as that N70 did. | ||
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| Pro | near pro camera for a consumer price. | ||
| Contra | battery consumption, no mirror lock-up, 2.5 fps | ||
| Thoughts | This is not a perfect camera, no camera is perfect. However, some of the complaints are not founded. The autofocus works just fine with both Nikon and Sigma lenses (except for cross-hatching, same as the F100). The exposure is also fine if you learn how to use it (it is the smae as the F100). I have not had any problem with overexposure in bright sunlight. I am not really worried about rain-proofing (my 80-200af-s cost three time as much as the camera, and I am not about to use it in the rain). I don't really think that a 175 ms shutter delay is going ot affect my photography. I knew that it wouldn't use MF lenses before I bought it, so, that didn't matter. Mirror lock-up would be nice but, the shutter is very smooth. It is hard to imagine how the controls or LCD panel could be any easier to understand. If the AF assit light is causing you to miss shots turn it off (last page of manual). 1/125 has nothing to do with not being able to catch hummingbirds in flighs - I have done it (it is the flash speed, not the shutter speeed that it important). I also have an N70. It is a nice camera but, I have gotten shots with the N80 that I would have missed while playing with the Sunction and Set buttons and the LCD on the N70 (the N80 focusing system is also better, sync speed is faster, DOF preview, etc). If you just like Canons better buy them. They also make some very good cameras. They also receive a number of complains on board just like this one. | ||
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| Pro | Fantastic camera! My first SLR camera. I love the focus zones, On-demand Gridlines, Backlit for LCD display (great for night photography!!), High Speedlight (less possibility of lens shadow in macro shooting), 1/4000 Shutter Speed, Light weight, bla bla bla! | ||
| Contra | No remote control option. | ||
| Thoughts | I love this camera. Would recommend it to anyone who wants to step into SLR photography! Although the stores tell me that the F80 is a semi-professional camera, I think it's a great camera for amateurs alike! | ||
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| Pro | price build quality (for it's class) cable release flash fuctions metering weight custom fuctions build in flash quiet | ||
| Contra | doesn't meter with old lenses | ||
| Thoughts | best value for money and excellent camera Alfredo, AF lamp can be de-activated with a custom function , read teh manual!!! | ||
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| Pro | Slow syncflash and other flash features.Good ergonomic, lightweight.Meteringsystems and AF-system. | ||
| Contra | Too much plastic for the lenses and body. Not very dust-resistant. | ||
| Thoughts | I like the F-80 much ,once I mastered it,but I'd like more metal and more dust-resistant. | ||
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| Pro | Five focus zones Backlit for LCD display On-demand Gridlines Speedlight 1/4000 Shutter Speed Spot-metering | ||
| Contra | No weather resistant 1/125 flash sync AF Assist. light is somewhat annoying and will make you miss some candid photos | ||
| Thoughts | This is my first SLR camara and I really love it! The spot metering system is helping me to take the best pictures ever. Also the matrix system is good too. An overall good camera, I am very pleased with it. | ||
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| Pro | The Price and Features, esp the usability of the normal manual cable release | ||
| Contra | None till date | ||
| Thoughts | I borrowed this from a friend few months back and exposed few rolls, now I couldn't resist buying one for myself. | ||
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| Pro | Sensible layout of controls, easy to carry and use: OK AF with fast-focussing lenses, metering seems fine, quiet and vibration-free shutter; normal cable release can be used; good self-timer | ||
| Contra | Confusing AF modes - not intuitively obvious what is happening; can't focus track even a moderately fast subject (F90 is better); meter fooled by unusual conditions eg snow though rarely; build is not really up to mounting heavy lenses | ||
| Thoughts | The F80 is a curious camera which is designed like an amateur camera yet has some professional features. It has nothing like the solidity of the F90 yet there is nothing obviously wrong with it. In use it is easy and enjoyable to use whilst lacking the traditional Nikon values of weight, machoness and clunky / chunky controls. It is extraordinarily well specified for its price and the electronics are sophisticated. Lack of metering with manual lenses is not a major problem as the camera handles better with light, plasticky AF lenses. (Doesn't balance well with a big telephoto or fast zoom.) | ||
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| Pro | price, many features, light weight, which is good for me because i take many photos in the course of a day.TRY CARRYING AN FA OR F3 WITH THE MOTOR DRIVE ATTACHED AND YOU WILL LOVE THE LIGHT WEIGHT OF THIS CAMERA. ALSO IF IT BREAKS IT IS CHEAPER TO REPLACE THE N80 THAN THE F100 | ||
| Contra | none | ||
| Thoughts | for the people who say that it doesn't focus well in certain situations such as long distance shots, you need to learn to us the different metering functions. 10segment metering cant always be used for all situations.that was the problem that i had. the lense would just go in and out without focusing. try changing to center weight or spot and i promise that will solve your problem. besides if one metering mode could be used than there would be no need for all the others. SEE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING NEW TODAY. FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING ALL THE COMPLAINING ASK YOURSELF ,"DO I REALLY KNOW HOW TO EVEN USE ALL THE FEATURES OF THIS CAMERA" IF YOU HAVE HAD THIS CAMERA LESS THAN 6MTHS THEN YOU PROBABLY DONT. I TAKE PICTURES EVERYDAY AND IT TOOK ME LONGER THAN THAT.. GET TO KNOW THIS CAMERA AND YOU WILL LOVE IT | ||
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| Pro | Value for the money - regarding features. Spot metering. On demand gridlines. Good ergonomic with MB-16. | ||
| Contra | Lousy build quality. AF-light. Feels like a plastic toy made in China - which actually is true... | ||
| Thoughts | I baught a FM3A as a complementary camera for my outdoor sessions. F-80 is very useful for indoor pictures at birthdays and christmas time though... | ||
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| Pro | PRICE! | ||
| Contra | None | ||
| Thoughts | I don´t know why you "Pros" say this camera should have this an this feature. Then why you bought it? As toy for your kiddies? Well stick to your F5 and old MF-slrs. I bought the F80 because it has lot of features for an affordable price. I rather go and by higher quality lenses than a body like the F5. The pics I took with my F80 and a good lens are neither better than worse compared to pics you took with an F5 and the same lens. For an amateur like the most of us the F80 has all you need. And for handling matters: I bought the handgrip AH-4 which gives you best handling ever... | ||
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| Pro | Fits well for right-handed users, solid. Metering system gives you choices and works well in each setting. Film transport very smooth. I normally get 26 or 37 frames per roll. I really like the the customizing functions, allowing me to really to alter many functions. | ||
| Contra | Low light Auto Focus does not work well. I do like being forced into manual mode. AF sensors are having problems with distant objects. Objects beyond a few hundred feet can not be brought into focus. The flash X-sync is too low, unable to capture inflight hummingbirds. | ||
| Thoughts | I have used this camera body for a year and half and I've put hundreds of rolls of film through the camera.Auto focus motor keeps going back and forth without stopping at the correct sharpness. | ||
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| Pro | I like it. | ||
| Contra | The price is wellcome. The function is quite enough. | ||
| Thoughts | no shutter on the battery pack. not high enough of f.p.s. no mirror lock function | ||
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| Pro | great features easy handling best fit for my hands price | ||
| Contra | not all weather camera(I always be careful while using my N80 in diz. and in sand stroms) no MF lenses | ||
| Thoughts | great camera and a perfect combination with nikkor 28-105 f3.5-4.5.....I'll recommend this camera for all serious amateures | ||
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| Pro | Easy layout Sturdy build 5 autofocus points DOF Multiple exposures | ||
| Contra | The reasons I didnt upgrade my F70 were: 1. No metering with manual lenses 2. Slower fps 3. Weaker flash 4. QR with 3 presets | ||
| Thoughts | Overall a good camera for an advanced amateur like mysself. Good results (I borrowed one for a few days and got a few well exposed rolls). However I recommend the F70 for all new buyers as it is cheaper and all others should wait for the F85 (just wishing) that meters with manual lenses (I have 3 manual lenses and a macro system). | ||
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| Pro | Nice camera | ||
| Contra | NONE | ||
| Thoughts | Which power of the flash do you own that required 1/250 :)))))))) | ||
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| Pro | All around great camera. Perfect quality, nice metering system, very convenient, accept almost any additional Nikon equipment, precise autofocus. | ||
| Contra | NONE | ||
| Thoughts | 've saw the reviews with remarks of "lack of high speed synchronization" or "must have 1/250 flash sync", He-he -he! Who wrote those reviews? People who never shoot nothing more that party photos? How many times you lost desirable shoot due to of lack "1/250" or "synchronization" on 1/4000?! Let's say that 1/4000 sycr. May be cool but, in my opinion ABSOLUTELY unusable. But it has small and nice speedlihgt, it is really usable and allows do not take anywhere bulky light gun. The camera has perfect metering system, and please, remember, it is photographer's camera, so you have to think then you take picture. AF is very precise and work perfectly in very low light situations. But , AF , it is also thing that you have know to use, read the manual, everybody who claims about "slow". The typical technique with auto focus is slightly press couple of times on objects that has contrast differences. The metering system is fantastic, you can choose from point, center and matrix. Again , matrix means it is not "idiot"'s mode , you have to understand what you do. I took pictures with Fuji film and 28-105 Nikon lens: I have almost 20 years of experience , but never, never got before so brilliant results. All colors are natural, the light is smooth and real, all subjects are sharp and realistic (on Fuji paper, developed i WolfCamera). Yes , the body is not metal, but it has the metal core, and strong. I'm not a chemistry specialist and cannot say, the plastics are expensive or cheap, but the build quality is PERFECT. It is light enough to be convenient and massive enough to be stable. If you going to work a lot with it , I mean, weeding or ceremony photos, take the MB-16 battery pack, with it the camera looks pretty COOL! And ever more convenient! WOW! | ||
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| Pro | Price for the features you get.Light weight and feels okay. Everything is laid out well. | ||
| Contra | Flash sync is too slow. No PC cord port for studio lights. Should use AA batteries instead of 123 lith type | ||
| Thoughts | I own the F-100 and bought this as a back-up. Wish I bought another F-100 instead. The only real nice thing about the N-80 is I take it with me on vacation and let my 6 six year use it. I don't worry so much about losing this camera. | ||
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| Pro | COMPACT BODY.USEFUL , LOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND CONTROLS. | ||
| Contra | EXPOSURE INCREMENTS BY HALF F STOPS...SHOULD BE ONE BY THIRD F STOPS. | ||
| Thoughts | BEWARE OF OVER EXPOSURE IN SULIGHT PICTURES. I USUALLY...UNDEREXPOSING THE SEEN TO GET PROPER EXPOSURE...WITH THIS EQUIPMENT.NIKON SHOULD SEE THIS FATAL PROBLEM. | ||
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| Pro | compack, quiet, easy to use, useful 5 af sensors and spot metering | ||
| Contra | X-sync X-sync X-sync | ||
| Thoughts | i've used it and liked it much. i'd recommend n80/f80 to anyone interested in photography but don't want to spend a lot of money. the 28-105 zoom makes a perfect couple with the body for general photos. | ||
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| Pro | Light, easy to use, quiet shutter, "feels" good in the hand but even better with the battery pack. | ||
| Contra | Battery exhausted after 36 rolls of film, costs of batteries. | ||
| Thoughts | I've shot just over 1000 photos on this piece of equipment, and I'm quite pleased with the result. Even the night shots of lights and fireworks turned out well. As with most equipment nowadays, there is a fair deal of polycarbonate in its construction, but that explains the lightness which makes handling easy. I haven't experienced any exposure problems, or quality problems. Perhaps the batch in Australia was ok. For those with big hands, the battery pack is a definite item to have, as the grip is much more comfortable. In summary, this camera is a good buy, recommended! | ||
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| Pro | 1. Enough functions for "daily" use 2. Cheap 3. Comfort grip 4. User friendy interface | ||
| Contra | 2.5 fps slow AF (compare to canon) no remote control | ||
| Thoughts | i use tamron 24-135, sigma 100-300 f4, no special fault detected. | ||
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| Pro | 1. light esp with 28-105 f3.5-4.5 or 70-300 f4.5-5.6 ED lenses 2. full system incl 2 lenses mentioned above cost less than US $1000 after rebates - a similar Canon Elan 7e system would be about $250 more. 3. decent optics with small 62mm lenses hence filters are also added in expensively | ||
| Contra | 1. cannot meter with manual lenses 2. Not as rugged as I would like 3. confusing menus (a bigger LCD like Minolta's would make it simpler) | ||
| Thoughts | Not bad overall given the price. careful handling might be required as it feel light an fragile. | ||
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| Pro | Light, Good Ergonomics, A Lot of Funcionalities, Custom options, mecanical cable. | ||
| Contra | Battery not cheap, flash speed sync. | ||
| Thoughts | My first AFand my first Nikon, run ok. Not detected any problem with over underexpoded pics. Run with original 28-80 and 3rd.part lenses. | ||
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| Pro | Great Camera, Great Price, love the grid lines, love its speed and with the MB-16 it just feels great in your hands. | ||
| Contra | Only 2 beefs with the camera, a low flash sync speed and the fact it can't meter manual lenses not a real big deal for me though | ||
| Thoughts | A great camera i have shot many olls of film with it and the flash and everything turned out great, i may find 1-2 prints out of 36 that did not come out perfect. | ||
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| Pro | |||
| Contra | |||
| Thoughts | I bought a F-80 last month and I have shot for 10 rolls approximately. For some photos under sunlight there are underexposed problem by using the Matrix meter and my 28-80 3.3-5.6 Nikor lens. I would really want to know if the F80 Matrix meter is reliable? Are there any testing results of F80 on the net? | ||
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| Pro | A lot of functionalities for a small amount of money. Ergonomically with the MB-16 grip. | ||
| Contra | Build quality. My F-80 has started to fall apart. Even though the camera has many functionalities, the prestanda is just above the bottom line. Using the MB-16 the light of the LCD-indicator don't work. | ||
| Thoughts | If you want a camera in this price range, don't buy the F-80. You get much better quality with Canon EOS30. If you still want a Nikon, save money for a F-90 or a F-100. I'm trying to change my almost new F-80 to a used F-90 instead. Not as much functionalities as the F-80, but it DOES WORK properly. | ||
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| Pro | Light, many features similar to F100, cheap | ||
| Contra | Cannot meter with most of non-AF lenses. | ||
| Thoughts | I didn't experience any major problems with exposure - I shot about 400 photos up to now with the F80 with no exposure problems at all. My lenses are all original Nikkors: AF24/2.8, AF50/1.8, AF180/2.8. Please, can people who reported exposure problems specify which lenses do they use? | ||
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| Pro | . | ||
| Contra | . | ||
| Thoughts | My brother has a F80 and experienced the same problems like A. Tesini. A lot of pictures come out overexposed (using thew Matrix metering). At the moment we are trying to find out if this is a result of using Sigma lenses for there are no metering problems with AF-Nikkor 2.8/60. This camera appears to have any features I want but because of the metering problems I ask myself if it wasn't better to buy a F100 instead. | ||
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| Pro | Well balanced, nice feel, light | ||
| Contra | I can not understand why the majority of users of F80 are so enthisiastic. Sure it's cheap relatively to other models but why only a few people noted that a large part of pictures taken in bright sunlight come out overexposed ? And what about that mismatch between manual focus setting and AF setting, especially on close ups ? | ||
| Thoughts | Although general shots are ok (the manual focus /AFerror probably absorbed on long shots by depth of field) I do not think I can trust this camera. Any comments or other similar experience welcome | ||
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| Pro | Covers nearly all the features of a Pro SLR at an affordable price. | ||
| Contra | 1. For a quality flash photography built-in speed light is not enough 2.Uncommon Battery type, to use AA battery you need extra investment (MB-16) battery pack. | ||
| Thoughts | An ideal body for a serious amateur. | ||
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| Pro | A set of well selected features in a compact and affordable package. | ||
| Contra | No metering with all manual lenses. | ||
| Thoughts | You must give up all your collection of excellent manual lenses, if you switch to N80. This is a terrible oversight, and we should keep complaining until Nikon fixes it! | ||
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| Pro | Nice AF tracking capability. Finally good ergonomics in a mid class Nikon body. AF-S and VR compatible. Relatively cheap for what it offers. | ||
| Contra | AF could be faster. Slow flash sync. without high-speed sync. Doesn't feel very sturdy when compared e.g. to the F90x. No metering with MF lenses (!!!). | ||
| Thoughts | A significant improvement over the F70 but still not perfect. | ||
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| Pro | Intuitive controls. Has most of what you need. Nikon feel. | ||
| Contra | Not compatible with older lenses (ie you lose metering). Slow flash synch | ||
| Thoughts | Beautiful camera. Good quality. Maybe not a pro camera, but excellent for price. Great with optional MB-16 grip. If you dont have a lot of manual lenses, it is worth it's price. | ||
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| Pro | Silent camera. Nice interface. Fits well / feels good with MB16. 18 custom functions. Illuminated LCD panel. Balances well with small lenses. | ||
| Contra | AF-selector button too small. Minimal X-sync of 1/125, should be 1/250. Does not balance well with Nikkor AF80-200D f/2.8 and larger lenses but superb camera for travel where size does matter. No tropicalization protection. Battery consumption too high. | ||
| Thoughts | Very good camera for the money. Outstanding. Fits like a glove. Will probably upgrade later to an F100 or F5 but I have to spend the cash at more important stuff first. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | >Just got the F80 to get me into AF. The thing that won me over compare to alternatives are: 1. light, perfectly placed controls. 2. fast and accurate AF (compare to the contax AX and N1) 3. tall built-in flash to reduce red eye problems 4. very good mechanical quality inside and out 5. illuminated control panels 6. grids in the view finder. A few minor things I think Nikon should change to make this camera perfect are: 1. Add data storage 2. make battery chamber big enough to use AA batteries 3. make it compatible with FP flash (why is it missing even if the flash can do it?) 4. add IR focus beam I think this is a very nearly perfect camera that has close to perfect balance of features. I've heard blames about some initial quality problems, but brands with reputation like Nikon's attract very demanding and critical users who are eager to air their unhappinesses. If you are choosing a camera, I would recommend this camerea as my choice. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Great spec loveley handling all except the small dial around the bottom of the mode dial but at least you need to be very deliberate with that one anyway so it's probably a good thing. Reasurringly nikon feel to it, as an f100 owner i have no qualms about the build quality. The only thing that bothers me slightly is the plastic mirror box never seen one before on a nikon have they used it before? anyway i am sure that they have tested it thoroughly. Any canonites out there with the new eos30/33 look in the back of your cameras at the plastic guide rails ugh! i used to own an eos5 but after no more than a dozen rolls you could see the wear and tear on these and do not worry about the motor speed on the f80 it is plenty fast enough just concentrate on timing i have found in the past that the f100's motor is not fast enough for fast action (i shoot motorbike road racing !) the f5's being about right but your not going to find a motor like that at this price are you? for the money the best one out there and a good upgrade to an f70. Plus the gridlines are about the most usefull photographic tool to come out for years i leave mine on all the time it's really straightened out my horizons i can tell you! p.s. have you put an afs on one WOW!!! | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | I bought the F80 three months ago, but I don't know if I'd do it again. I'm a bit disappointed. The reason is, that two thirds of the pictures taken (using the matrix system) are much too bright, even with exposure correction -0,5 EV (-1,0 EV becomes too dark). And this is independent of the light-situation. I admit, I'm not a pro, so most of the time, I'm using the matrix system for exposure. But with the Minolta Dynax 500si which I owned before, I never had any problem alike. | ||
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| Pro | 1) Price: About $230 less the good alternate N90 (but doesn't have flash and new CAM900), ~$700 less than F100 (don't even think of this unless you're pro) N80 can be your backup or light hauler. 2) Mechanical cable release, drawback is limited distance from camera. 3) Quiet soft shutter. 4) Good Ergonomics. | ||
| Contra | 1) 1/2 increment exposure compensation, prefer 1/3. 2) Auto rewind doesn't permit leader out, but can be set at Nikon? 3) Less than 1/250 x-sync. 4) No easy metering with manual Nikkors. 5) Lense mounting integrity? Could not see well if lense mounting all the way to film rail is all metal construction. 6) Not made or assembled in Japan. Maybe the cause of some unreliability. | ||
| Thoughts | What prompted me to look at new cameras was because my well used, banged up, trusty 20+ year old FE locked its mirror, so I'm trying to decide on what to do next - repair it, get an FE2, F3 or FM2 or go digital. After some research, I find digital is not there yet (without the expense of say, a D1) so it's out. F3 has slow synch speed and heavy, FM2 is only manual (my wife can't use it very well or I on fast changing shots), FE2 hmmm - not a bad choice, but mostly unknown used. And now there's the N80 (or N90s). I'm a electro-mechanical designer and know at least what looks OK or not. So I decided I'll investigate on this a little. After reading alot about the N80, I went to a 2 different franchise camera stores to check it out. Let me say that most of the complaints are not really sound. 1) No focusing problems with 3 cameras I played with (clerk wasn't too receptive to get them from stock). What focal length was he on for the zooms? F100 is using the same electronics, does that mean F100 would have a bad batch too? Connection problems? 2) Camera back wasn't that flimpsy. 3) 16 sec is more than enough, don't be lazy pressing it again if you need to! Adjust time at CSM. 4) Yes the knobs looks cheap but works fine. 5) Light and plasticky, but should be better absorbing shocks. Also better at thermal insulation and static electricity. 6) No easier metering with Manual Nikkors - use stop-down metering? Have not tried this (no manual lense in hand at the time). 7) Don't remember the others, less concerned. I must say, this is still a great camera for price, so I'm buying one for leisure to some serious work. Then, save later for an F100. :) | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | I've had my N80 for 5 months now and have shot about 25 rolls of film. I have had excellent results and had professional photographers comment on the quality of my work. I find it amusing how there are those of you out there that cut this camera down. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Every Nikon camera is not a pro level camera although I believe the N80 can do anything a pro needs it to do. Those of us who acutally "own" the camera and have "used" it know that it is a quality camera and for a quarter of the price of the F5. I'm not comparing the F5 and the N80. I'm just saying, for me, its a great camera and I am putting the saved money into quality lenses. I once picked up a cannon rebel 2000 and it felt tiny and like a toy compared to the N80. However, I'm sure it is capable of taking great pictures as well. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Had my N80 for 6 months. Everything was fine till last week - AF area selector was cracked. I have no idea how it happend, camera was in the bag. Anyway, I've sent the camera to service center. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Had mine for 4 months. NO PROBLEMS. No AF problems. It is quieter & has more features than the N90s, except fps and shutter speed up to 1/8000 are less. If you paid for the extra features on your N90s, you might as well get a F100. The N80 is a step below the F100. The 90 is still great, just old and outdated. Read reviews and see for yourself. Posts are not reviews. I have heard about problems matching up with inferior lenses. This is a lens problem. No problems with Nikkors. Great custom features that are so easy to use and program. Not a lot of two handed program setting, like the N90. Oh yea, it rewinds your film for you at 2 speeds. This happens when you have taken your last shot - automatic. Nothing more frustrating than taking 'good' shots with your N90s, only to see you had run out of film 3 shots ago! | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | I just bought the F80D in Singapore for shooting the Olympic Game. Now I have 2 AF lens for my F80: AF Nikkor 28-105mm f3.5-4.5D and Sigma 70-300 f4-5.6D macro. After several roles test shooting I found that the F80 can not 100% suit for the Sigma lens. The AF system can not focus on the entir focal length ( on 70-100mm). Maybe it is Nikon's tricks on the users who waht to buy cheaper independent lens in the market. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY FIRST RATE IN THIS CLASS. I HAVE TRIED WITH MORE THAN 250 ROLLS AND IT DOES NOT FAILED ME YET. ERGONOMIC AND WEIGHT ARE THE STRENGH. IF YOU ARE ASKED FOR MORE THAN THIS, GO FOR THE PRO LEVEL. THE ONLY FUSS I HAVE WAS IT WOULD BE NICE IF NIKON MAKETED THE N80S (the one with data imprint between frams). Fabulous Results and GREAT VALUE. SAVE MONEY FOR ALL THOSE GREAT LENS. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Awesome camera. Don't mind the jelous "professionals". They are just mad that they paid 6 times as much for the bigger models. Don't get me wrong, if I had the money I would have bought the F5. There's nothing the N80 hasn't done for me yet. I've tried to trick it many times. Hasn't happened yet. And oh, when I do get my F5, this camera, the N80 will be unmatched as far as a backup camera goes. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | i was very lucky to try out this camera before buying it.... i shot 5 rolls of film in different conditions. In conclusions most things were fine. Good metering + exposure control. For the money it is a very good camera. However I have been doing photography for a long time now, and must emphasise that you get what you pay for! Specifically, i was concerned with the plastic body and a few technical features such as: Flash sync should be at least 1/200, also the continuous shooting mode in the F80s is considerably slower than 2.5 fps (when exposure info mode is selected). I recommend this camera to anyone buying an AF SLR for the first time. I really like thgis camera since it is so effortless to use but i wont be trading in my F3 and F100 for it | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Wow!! I bought this camera simply after looking at the cost and spec's and reading press reviews. I now find I own one of the most controversial pieces of camera kit released in a long time. Nikon has long been regarded as ignoring the needs of amateur photographers and trading on its name as a manafacurer of professional cameras (such as the F100 and F5). This camera changes this preception and is indeed a well designed and superb piece of kit. This seems to have rattled a lot of cages and I would anyone contemplating buying a mid range camera to think about the following comments. The F80 has (in this forum included) has received an almost vindictive backlash from both Canon (expected) and also Nikon owners. This is easy to dissimilate. The 50e/ElanII has long being the top dog in the mid range arena, anyone trying both (as I did) will walk away with the F80, the Canon is showing its age. At the same time the F80 has almost to much technology and has F100 and F90 owners hiding behind the metal vs plastic argument. This is all because simply the F80 is an extremely good mid range camera, wait for the same arguement to occur when the EOS 30 is released watch as those EOS 5 and 3 owners scuttle for cover | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Have been working with the N80 for almost a month. It's enjoyable to use. Easy to work, lots of features. I consider myself to be an advanced amature. Owned or used a lot of good cameras (leica, Carl Zeis contax, Canon) but this is my first Nikon. It is no disappointment. I'm sorry Frank V. had the trouble he had, I have not experienced his difficulties. The N80 is now my only camera and it is the easiest one to use I have ever had. Its a friendly little camera ready to help you take your pictures. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Hi everybody, although knowing some very disquieting test results (which I will come back to later), I had decided to treat myself to an F80 and went to my favourite retailer on Friday last week. I had an AF-Nikkor 3.5-4.5/28-105 attached to a black body and started testing it outside the store. Within 15 seconds I realized that either the camera or the lens was defective: when focusing at distant objects manually (focus priority, central focus point activated), focus was achieved easily and confirmed by the little dot. Switching into AF and refocusing the object would get blurred i. e. the manually achieved focus would get destroyed and not restored. I focused at a nearby object, AF worked all right. Then I focused at distant objects (about 200 to 300 feet away) and AF was ALWAYS off. To find the reason for this I had another lens attached to the camera, an AF-Nikkor 1.8/85 this time. If the camera were faulty, the effect (focus off) should remain and show even stronger (due to the wider aperture). And it did. Okay. I had each of the two lenses attached to the second black F80 in the store. Same results. Checked a third one (silver this time, which doesn't matter). Now guess what: it worked, though not as accurately as my F70. All results where double checked and confirmed by the clerk (the two defective cameras were immediately sent back to Nikon Germany, who are very likely to claim they are within the tolerance limits). Today I went to another store, checked one more F80 (black) with an AF-Nikkor 1.8/50 attached. Again no focus was achievable with distant objects. I would rate the AF of the three defective cameras as unusable. So what do we learn from this? There seems to be at least one whole batch of defective F80s out there. And what do we learn from this? Nikon might not quality control F80 production. Now what do we learn from this one? There might be far more bugs than the ones we can observe at first glance: Was exposure off by 2 EV in one of the cameras I had held? Maybe in the silver one that showed no signs of a defective AF? Were the shutter times correct? Would the sensitivity of the spot meter be really in the centre of the frame? Would the flash die after the third burst? ... At least my confidence in the product is destroyed (which adds to a string of bad experiences with Nikon products including lenses). Now let's return to the test of the F80 against the aged and soon to be replaced EOS 50 E (Elan II E) in the German Fotomagazin 8/2000. They don't just compare features (as the German Colorfoto does, it's a totally different story with lenses though) but provide quantative results of laboratory tests as well as real world experiences (not included in the figures). Both cameras showed strengths and weaknesses: e. g. AF was quicker with the EOS 50, to make up for this metering was far more accurate with the F80, in fact they praised it quite a bit. Two results that really concerned me where these: (1) The power intake of the F80 is twice as high as that of the EOS 50. I checked against some recent tests of other cameras in FoMag as well. And now guess what: The F80 takes about twice as much energy as the Pentax MZ3, 20 % more than the F90X and the EOS 5 and about 60 % more than the Minolta Dynax 800si but just 5 % less than the EOS 1V. How do you like that? It is interesting to note that the power intake of the entry level F60 is the lowest in its class and more than 60 % lower than that of the F80. (2) The shutter lag WITHOUT AF of the F80 is 350 ms as compared to 175 ms with the EOS 50, 177 ms with the EOS 300, 431 ms with the Dynax 505si, 214 ms with the Pentax MZ10, about 175 ms with the F100, about 140 ms with the EOS 3, 165 ms with the Dynax 800si, 155 ms with the EOS 5, 181 ms with the Pentax MZ 3, 276 ms with the F90X and - yes, believe it or not - 265 ms with the F60. And yes, only the Dynax 505si is slower! So if you want a quicker Nikon buy an F60 or an F100. Now let's draw a little summary: (1) There seems to be at least one batch of F80s with defective AF systems out there. Quality might be a problem in other respects as well. (2) Shutter lag is bad enough to hardly allow action shots. (Please notice: AF always slows the process down. So when the need to be really quick arises, one can switch off AF, prefocus, wait for the right moment and shoot. You don't have this opportunity with the F80.) (3) The F80's power intake is that of a professional camera - without being professional in the slightest. Now decide for yourself what you think of all this. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Good camera overall. I would not rate it as fantastic, it really depends on personal perception of the camera. I'd say it's a good amateur SLR, which allow you to feel yourself as a proud member of modern photography club. Well engineered piece of equipment, in par with new Canon's and Minoltas. No more, no less. I don't think that I want one though - these pants are too small for me. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | I bought Nikon F80 as a backup for my F100. Camera has got everythink what I need (and what F 100 has). User interface is excelent and is very simillar to F 100. Its not the problem to switch between using F100 or F80. F 80 seems to be twice lighter than F 100 and the true is that f80 is very, very plastic. I had F601, F801s, F90 now F100 - all that cameras was build like a tank!. Unfortunely F80 is not. My conclusion is: F80 is the best amatour camera on the market, but If you serious - go to for F 100. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Nice feel! Feels solid. Distinct buttons. Really easy to use. The "3D matrix" with pre flash is the feature that made me buy this camera. It also has a wide diopter adjustment. The lamp to the right is disputed - I have found it can be switched off - and the AF will still vork in very dark conditions. Though its descrete in practice - no need to switch off. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
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| Thoughts | Just obtained my N80. It's an excellent camera for the price AF is good, albeit a little load if you have a concern just manual focus. I have three Nikons and have used Nikons all my career. The other cameras (other than my Zeiss Irkon just don't last, the nikons are built. I agree with the comments of the last person, the first three notes can have their opinion, however mine is of an excellent camera all for $500. I'll let my F at home and take the 80 on any trip. | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | This is a fantastic camera, especially for the price. The autofocusing, handling, metering, and controls are all EXCELLENT!! Much improved over my N90. Not sure where the first three reviewers got their information. This is a GREAT backup to the F100, or just to use without carrying around a tank. If you can find one, get one! | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | Outstanding backup to my F100. It's lighter, much quieter and has most of the features. My only neg. is it's slower to focus than the F100. Not slow, but slower than. Except for that and not being able to use manual lenses one could do without the high cost of the F100. Love the "E" screen option. Built in flash, except for red eye, works well for the distance it meant for. | ||