[Pixalo]

Just posted! Our in-depth review of Nikon's sub-$1000 ten megapixel D80 digital SLR. Announced and previewed just last month this is the second of our 'Photokina reviews' (the first being the Panasonic DMC-FZ50). The D80 takes the D70 to the next level with a smaller body which doesn't compromise on comfort or ergonomics, a wide ranging feature set and range of customization options, fast performance and above all great image quality. As you can probably tell we liked the D80, so dive in to our 30 page review for all the detail and how it shaped up to the competition.

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[Dave]

Summary of Pro's & Con's from above article :-

Conclusion - Pros

* Excellent resolution, lots of detail, not a leap from eight megapixels, but certainly from six
* Excellent build quality, tight shut lines, quality materials
* Instant power on, very responsive, very short black-out time, very fast media write
* Fast, accurate auto focus (11 area sensor, similar to the D200)
* Auto-focus assist lamp rather than requiring flash to be raised
* Vibrant color response, similar hues to other digital SLR's
* Reliable, sophisticated, if sometimes a little conservative matrix metering system
* Control over high sensitivity noise reduction
* Very large and bright viewfinder view with short black-out (quoted as 160 ms)
* Extremely useful, customizable automatic sensitivity (ISO)
* Easy to use playback / delete combination
* Very attractive and intuitive menu system
* Highly customizable, lots of camera and feature control
* Status LCD panel on top of camera (we hate to see these go)
* Unlimited continuous shooting in JPEG mode (with a reasonably fast card)
* Good SD card throughput and USB 2.0 transfer speed
* In-camera retouching features including D-Lighting and Red-eye reduction
* Built-in wireless flash commander
* Support for SD and SDHC cards
* Good battery life, battery design provides detailed information to camera
* Good large LCD monitor with wide viewing angles and removable protective cover
* Dedicated help button provides in-menu assistance
* Optional battery / portrait grip
* Programmable FUNC hard button

Conclusion - Cons

* High sensitivity (ISO) noise levels higher than Canon EOS 400D
* Noise reduction can be intrusive, although adjustable, more grain-like appearance
* Default sharpness level perhaps still a little conservative
* Disappointing automatic white balance performance in incandescent light
* No RAW adjustment with supplied PictureProject, only simple conversion
* Limited image parameter adjustment (especially for color saturation)
* Slower maximum shutter speed (1/4000 vs 1/8000 sec) compared to D70/D70s
* Price difference to the competition