Review - Nikon D80 and the 18-200mm VR Lens

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Here is the much awaited review of my Nikon D80 DSLR.

Introduction

The Nikon D80 is considered to be an upgrade from a beginners or entry level DSLR. A DSLR is a Digital Single Reflex Camera. Its positioned between the previous D70 and slightly more affordable than the higher D200. The body is quite similar to the earlier D50 with the same metering system. It has a resolution of 10.2 megapixels. Its though priced slightly higher than its rivals in the segment. The Nikon D80 comes with various lens combinations but I chose to buy a lens separately. Thus I purchased the body-only kit. The kit carries the D80 body, an AV cable, the USB cable, the lens mount cover, the charger and the battery and a shoulder strap.

For the lens I bought the AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED. With the Nikon DSLRs there is no anti-shake or vibration-reduction system built into the camera body. This functionality has been featured in some higher end lenses. AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED comes with vibration reduction and at 18mm suits as a wide-angle lens. At 200mm (which is the equivalent of 300mm on a 35mm film camera) this works as a 11.1x zoom. Thus this is one lens which would suit the purpose in almost all but the rarest of conditions. This camera coupled with the lens is one of the dream combinations available today. It does burn a big hole into your pocket but I intend to use it to learn serious photography and to click images for my blogs and sites.

Design

The body felt very sturdy with an excellent grip. While the absence of a lense attachment made it feel lighted, it felt a tad heavy with the 18-200mm lens. The weight did make a power statement. The weight essentially highlighted the perfect grip the absence of which would be a serious let-off.

Here's a view of the Nikon D80 with the 18-200mm lense from the front. Below it shows the difference in the size when the lense is extended from its minimum of 18mm to its maximum of 200mm.

Nikons have their buttons scattered all over the body which I believe is quite the right thing. This helps differentiate between various buttons (and functions) when you are engaged looking into the viewfinder and framing the picture. The body also features a black and white LCD control panel at the top which comes quite handy under bright and sunny conditions when the rear LCD is almost invisible. It packs a lot of information like the image quality (RAW, JPEG/fine etc…), shutter speed, aperture, battery remaining, shooting mode(s), flash indicator. A lot of vital statistics can also be viewed in the viewfinder also. Perhaps one of the biggest assets of the D80 is its large viewfinder with a grid that can be toggled. Its large, clear and usable. It is a pentaprism design with 95% coverage and .94x magnification. Amongst others, the camera can be connected to a TV set and can output the slideshow as video. Comes with a perk - it will (optionally) also play music through the TV set during the slideshow.

Features and Specifications

The body that I received had firmware version 1.01. The current one available on the Nikon support site is 1.10 which basically improves noise performance and patches the compatibility for Windows Vista amongst others.

Main Features
of the camera

• 10.2 effective megapixel Nikon DX Format CCD image sensor
• High-speed continuous shooting: 3 frames per second (fps) in bursts of up to 100 consecutive JPEG (FINE M-size or smaller) or 6 RAW (NEF) images
• Advanced high-precision, high-performance imaging processing engine with color-independent pre-conditioning
• 3D-Color Matrix Metering II with 420-pixel RGB sensor delivers consistent and dependable automatic exposure for ideal results in most lighting conditions
• Refined 11-area AF system with new Auto-area AF mode and center sensor that can be switched to wide-frame operation for broader coverage
• ISO AUTO mode automatically adjusts sensitivity between ISO 100 to 1600, maximizing available light to help achieve optimal exposure
• Seven automated Digital Vari-Programs (Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Landscape and Night Portrait) optimize white balance, sharpening, tone, color, saturation and hue to match the scene.
• User-selectable choice of Normal, Softer, Vivid, More vivid, Portrait, Custom and Black-and-white image optimization options
• Near-instant response with 0.18 sec. power-up and approx. 80-millisecond shutter release time lag promotes fast handling
• Top shutter speed of 1/4,000 second and flash sync speeds up to 1/200 second
• Fast image transfer via USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface and SD memory card
• Creative in-camera effects and editing functions consolidated under the new Retouch menu, including D-Lighting, Red-eye correction, Trim, Image Overlay, Monochrome settings (Black-and-white, Sepia, Cyanotype) and Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Color balance)
• Multiple Exposure shooting option automatically produces an effect that resembles multiple exposure techniques used with film
• Large 2.5-inch LCD monitor with ultra-wide 170-degree viewing angle for clear image preview and easy access to settings and information, including RGB Histograms
• Selectable Slideshow function (Standard or Pictmotion)
• SD memory card storage, SDHC compatible
• Lightweight, compact body
• High-energy EN-EL3e rechargeable lithium-ion battery delivers the power to shoot up to 2,700 pictures on a single charge and provides detailed battery status information. (Battery life figure determined by in-house test parameters)
• Built-in Flash with i-TTL flash control and full support for Nikon's Creative Lighting System
• The D80 supports more than 43 AF NIKKOR lenses in addition to the growing family of DX NIKKOR lenses
• Includes Nikon's PictureProject software for easy control over image adjustment and management
• Support for Nikon's new Capture NX software, which provides easier access to powerful and visually intuitive enhancement tools that help tap the full potential of NEF images

Specifications

Main Features of the Lens

• Offers the broad 18-200mm focal range (11.1x zoom) for use in a variety of situations (equivalent to a 27-300mm lens in 35mm format)
• Enhanced Vibration Reduction (VRII) offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 4 stops faster
• Two ED glass and three aspherical lens elements
• Incorporates a compact SWM (Silent Wave Motor) for quiet focusing
• Enables focusing from as close as 50cm (20 in.) from the subject through its entire focal range
• M/A mode for rapid switching between autofocus and manual focus operation
• Seven-blade rounded diaphragm opening

Specifications

While this camera does not contain a build-in anti-dust system, there are few in this segment which do. The menus and the rear LCD screen is large and brightly lit. The shutter synch speed is limited to 1/200th of a second (down from 1/500 in earlier models) and is a stastical turn-off only. We'll come back to this in the results section.

Results

Earlier I mentioned the low shutter synch speed of 1/200 to be a statistical turn-off. I say this because the D80's 3D Color Matrix Metering II seems to be built to face any challenging light conditions. It just seems to get it right all the time. Here are a few pictures I took with the D80.

Music system at ISO 200. Click to download RAW

Moon at ISO 3200.Click to download RAW.

For the VR effects you can take a look at the Nikon site.

Conclusion

Considering that technology in the segment is advancing fast the rivals are catching up with Nikon. Nikon 80 doesn't come with the RAW editor. Also the vibration reduction functionality and its price duplicates with every lens you buy. The choice is something I'd leave to you. I already chose the Nikon D80 with the 18-200mm lens. I bought it for its build quality, design, features and image quality. Its got a lots of settings to offer, has image quality like none other and a built that I can rely on forever. As a bonus here's a link to the lens drop test. As a wise consumer your choice should not rely on a specific area of offering from the product. Nikon D80 offers you everything from the feature set to the handling and stuff. I don't see the competition anywhere close.

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Tagged as: 200mm Lens 6g Absence Camera Body D70 Film Camera Functionality Lens Combinations Metering System Nikkor Nikon D80 Nikon D80 Dslr Nikons Reflex Camera Rivals Segment Suits Usb Cable Vibration Reduction Wide Angle Lens Zoom