Step up to D80?

[mivecdohc]

These few months i have been noticing that the prices of the second hand D80 bodies have been dropping. It seem as though i just have to top up about 200 dollars more just upgrade to a D80

Hmm.. but is it true that my D40X has the exact same 10.2 megapixels ccd sensor as the D80? Wouldnt that make the noise control, tone control, saturation pretty much the same?
I think i have a liking for larger bodies. I am also bent towards the additional functionalities and compatibilities. Would there be any noticeable differences in their image qualities?

PS: so its true, bodies do go obsolete in no time

[jnet6]

if you can try and hold it for D700.

[NineEleven]

Originally Posted by jnet6 if you can try and hold it for D700.

How I wished! that'll be several moons by the time it reaches the value of a D80 @ current value.

[jnet6]

Originally Posted by NineEleven How I wished! that'll be several moons by the time it reaches the value of a D80 @ current value.

but in the end it still reach right?

[NeTHaCk]

and by that time a newer version would have been released/on the way hahahaha...

for me, i'd say that a d40x to a d80 is another big jump. as long as you are using a D40/40x/60/50/, moving on to a d70/80 is a big step. moving on to a d90 is an even biggerstep, but moving on to Pro bodies is a much much much bigger step.

why do i say that ?

1) noise control
2) more advanced settings
3) XX series moving to d90 is a totally new genre. the d90 has a different sensor altogether.. all the bodies below d90 are about 2.5/3fps but d90 is 4.5
4) better manual control for d70/80/90 and more lens range to play with that will AF( d50 included)


isit worth the jump? Its entirely up to you. ask yourself :

do you need it ? OR do you want it?

[nixontkl]

wait for it and step up to a D90 maybe, the cmos sensor with give you a much better high iso noise performance

and yes D80 have a good grip and feel, much better than D40 and D60, unless u have very small hands. But D80 is discon and as u had mention your D40X and the D80 uses the same CCD sensor, so dont waste $$ on just better grip and functions. save abit more for the newer body.

[mivecdohc]

Originally Posted by NeTHaCk and by that time a newer version would have been released/on the way hahahaha... for me, i'd say that a d40x to a d80 is another big jump. as long as you are using a D40/40x/60/50/, moving on to a d70/80 is a big step. moving on to a d90 is an even biggerstep, but moving on to Pro bodies is a much much much bigger step. why do i say that ? 1) noise control 2) more advanced settings 3) XX series moving to d90 is a totally new genre. the d90 has a different sensor altogether.. all the bodies below d90 are about 2.5/3fps but d90 is 4.5 4) better manual control for d70/80/90 and more lens range to play with that will AF( d50 included) isit worth the jump? Its entirely up to you. ask yourself : do you need it ? OR do you want it?

yup, its been almost a year now since I got my first D40x and point 4 has been one big draw back along with many others which i am finding myself limited by my D40x. I've held a D80 before and i loved the grip and controls. So now i am pretty concerned about how much actual difference would there be in terms of the D80's processing of images. Noise control and contrast in particular.

But guys, don't get me wrong, i truly respect my small little d40x. Still, I believe this desire to upgrade is more of a want

No ones defending their D80?

[NeTHaCk]

Originally Posted by mivecdohc No ones defending their D80?

most prolly upgraded to d90 or d300/700/d3

the d80 and d90 are of the same size but maybe around 40-50g heavier .

i do respect the small entry dslrs as i have played around with it, it's good but the 3point and AF does limit me. its just me as i have been playing with 5 point AF and AF motor body ever since the Fuji S1pro haha..... but im not complaining as my old Minolta SLR has only 1 AF point ahahahahaha....

jokes aside, the manual control really makes the difference for me.. I've stopped using P/S or Auto mode. once in a blue blue moon i'll use A mode.. even so for metering maybe..

[aspenx]

My take is: don't waste your money on a D80 now.

[ZerocoolAstra]

Originally Posted by mivecdohc yup, its been almost a year now since I got my first D40x and point 4 has been one big draw back along with many others which i am finding myself limited by my D40x. I've held a D80 before and i loved the grip and controls. So now i am pretty concerned about how much actual difference would there be in terms of the D80's processing of images. Noise control and contrast in particular. But guys, don't get me wrong, i truly respect my small little d40x. Still, I believe this desire to upgrade is more of a want No ones defending their D80?

hehehe I'm a D80 user and would dearly want to defend my purchase choice. BUT i have to admit that the D90 is a far better performer if you want better processing power and less noisy High-ISO pictures.
Advantages of the D80 over the D40x:
1) Larger and heavier body. In my opinion, a nicer grip.
2) Built-in AF motor. You know all about this.
3) Ability to become wireless commander for Nikon's AWL.
4) Top LCD and 2 (TWO) command dials makes setting up the cam on-the-fly much easier.
5) Can mount battery grip.
6) DOF preview button (not sure if this is impt to you)

[GoheadGostern]

Originally Posted by aspenx My take is: don't waste your money on a D80 now.

i second this. either hold on to ur D40x or upgrade to a D90

[pooQy]

Originally Posted by GoheadGostern i second this. either hold on to ur D40x or upgrade to a D90

Originally Posted by aspenx My take is: don't waste your money on a D80 now.

Let me THIRD this..
D90 FTW~

[mutant]

I have a D60, but still bought aD80 as it is more useful for me, coz me using manual mode; adjust aperture & shutter via separate dials & like the ISO control which can adjust in smaller increments. The bracketing & extra LCD display is also useful. All these save precious time when I am covering events/ weddings.

[ZerocoolAstra]

the thing is... all that is 'great' about the D80 is also present in the D90, except that the D90 costs more. That's the ONLY negative point when comparing both these cameras. So... the choice is clear?

[blive]

and here I am, still using my D50 after 4 yrs....but that's just me.

If u wait some more, a newer model will come out and the D80 price should drop further. If it's just a want, then it's really up to you. If I am you, I will just go for the later model that fits your requirements and go out and shoot...

[NineEleven]

I just checked & a dealer still has two new old stocks of D80 with 18-135 @ S$1280. I'm quite tempted to buy it again as I can use it with my D lenses & the commander mode. A D90 is S$1.6K? but I can't remember what lens it's packaged with.

I'm not too bothered about the AF points as my last SLR were F401/801! Frame rate is not important to me as I rarely cover sports etc.

Anyway, I was quite pleased with the D80 & did 20K+ shots with it. The noise starts @ 800 but if you have a fast lens & don't do much night/dark shoots, it worked very well for me & quite easy to dial in.

Whatever it is. Work within your budget & your style/extras. Good luck.

The D700 is so complex for me that if you do wrong settings, you'll end up with worse pics.

[cichlid]

Somehow, I prefer the colours produced by the D90 over the D80. Maybe it's the Exspeed (wrong spelling?) processor?

[mivecdohc]

Thanks for all the input guys!

Seem like there are so many new d90 users, it really is a good camera, got to use one of my friend's. ISO performance superb.

My take is, still invest on lens. Was recently playing around with a D70, Correct me if i am wrong, I think it is almost a replica to a d80 body. I actually preferred the versatility of 2 dials, the top screen and the larger body. Just the kind of body i would want though i disliked the colour tone in general and the tiny LCD screen I still prefer the colours of jpeg straight out of my D40x. Therefore, the d80 would probably be the best of both worlds for me?

Probably gonna just save up for a D80, dont see the point of having video function of a camera anyway. Not in any rush though, something left to ponder in the meantime..

[ZerocoolAstra]

Originally Posted by NineEleven I just checked & a dealer still has two new old stocks of D80 with 18-135 @ S$1280. I'm quite tempted to buy it again as I can use it with my D lenses & the commander mode. A D90 is S$1.6K? but I can't remember what lens it's packaged with. I'm not too bothered about the AF points as my last SLR were F401/801! Frame rate is not important to me as I rarely cover sports etc. Anyway, I was quite pleased with the D80 & did 20K+ shots with it. The noise starts @ 800 but if you have a fast lens & don't do much night/dark shoots, it worked very well for me & quite easy to dial in. Whatever it is. Work within your budget & your style/extras. Good luck. The D700 is so complex for me that if you do wrong settings, you'll end up with worse pics.

I'm surprised that the D700 would be more difficult to obtain good pictures with, compared with the D80. hmmmmm, kinda hard to believe. Must rent one to try it out.
Am tempted to go FX in near-future, but the size of the D700 is holding me back at the moment. Have to really think hard about going "all-out" with my photography hobby.

Anyway D90 kit and D80 kit (both brand new) is about... $400 price difference? So that's like comparing performance of D90kit vs D80kit + SB600...
hmmmm, tough call.

[ZerocoolAstra]

Originally Posted by mivecdohc Thanks for all the input guys! Seem like there are so many new d90 users, it really is a good camera, got to use one of my friend's. ISO performance superb. My take is, still invest on lens. Was recently playing around with a D70, Correct me if i am wrong, I think it is almost a replica to a d80 body. I actually preferred the versatility of 2 dials, the top screen and the larger body. Just the kind of body i would want though i disliked the colour tone in general and the tiny LCD screen I still prefer the colours of jpeg straight out of my D40x. Therefore, the d80 would probably be the best of both worlds for me? Probably gonna just save up for a D80, dont see the point of having video function of a camera anyway. Not in any rush though, something left to ponder in the meantime..

For me, I still have limited need for High-ISO capability and video mode.
I normally shoot outdoor landscapes in bright sunshine. If I take night shots, it's with tripod and low-ISO. If it's indoors, usually it's with my SB600. So far still have not been disappointed with D80 performance (for my needs) in any way. That, coupled with the pain to my wallet of upgrading from d80 to d90 is keeping me away...