opinions on nikon D80?

[ernie]

hey,

after finding some good places to buy cameras online (thanks big mike), i decided to go with adorama and more in particular, this camera: http://www.adorama.com/INKD80K2.html

i just wanted to know if there are people here who own one of these cameras and what they think of it?

also, since i am out of the us i won't be getting any warranty on my purchase i think. should i worry about the lens getting busted in a few years, or does nikon stuff have a good reputation in that area?

and oh yeah, a memory card isn't included in the above mentioned deal right?

thanks alot
- ernie

 

[ShopSusie]

I have the same kit but I got it at b&h. I love my d-80 but I wish I would have gotten the 2.8 zoom instead.

 

[kundalini]

I'm having so much fun with my D80 I could just... (fill in the blank). I absolutely love it. If I were to upgrade in a couple of years, I will still hang on to the D80.

B&H has it for the same price here and I can vouch for their (domestic) delivery. They have a couple of other lens options as well, Adorama probably does as well.

You can probably buy an extended warranty from Nikon or either get an insurance policy that covers property damage for the camera and lens. I am in the search for insurance myself.

Oh, BTW, in case you haven't heard it yet, get good glass. You might be money ahead (might sound funny) to get the body and spend more money to get a better lens rather than a kit lens. Just a thought.

Good Luck

 

[sabbath999]

I have a pair of them. I love em.

 

[chrisb2794]

No complaints yet.

 

[Madfos]

I have one, and it's hella good mate! Ain't regret a thing on it! Unless u got the buck to go for D200

 

[ernie]

I love my d-80 but I wish I would have gotten the 2.8 zoom instead.

Why?

Oh, BTW, in case you haven't heard it yet, get good glass. You might be money ahead (might sound funny) to get the body and spend more money to get a better lens rather than a kit lens. Just a thought.

Do you mean the lens mentioned in the adorama offer isn't that good? And if not, wich other ones do you suggest?

Thanks for the reactions so far! Anybody else?

 

[souljourney]

Love my D80. Love, love, love it. I second the opinion that you should pony up for something other than a kit lens. I purchased the kit with the 17-135 (?I think?) lens and while it's not a bad lens, per se, it's just not as fast as I'd like. I also have a 50mm/1.8 and a 60mm/2.8micro and definitely use those lenses much, much more because of their low-light capabilities. Good luck, I'm sure you'll be happy with the camera! :mrgreen:

 

[ShopSusie]

If I had the money my camera bag would have..
My d-80, the Nikon 80-200 2.8, Nikon 50mm 1.4, 28mm 1.8 & the 85mm 1.4 primes.

I currently have the d-80, the 50mm 1.8 and the kit 17-135 which I don't use much.

 

[sabbath999]

Fast glass is good. At the moment, the only fast glass that I have is the inexpensive 50mm 1.8 and a 105 Macro VR 2.8, but that will change.

My wife shoots the 18-200 VR which is not fast, but the VR on it REALLY works to 4 stops so that helps. It is a great "walking around" lens.

I have one of the kit lenses (18-55) that I got on a D40, and it is not as bad as people let on... really, it is pretty good at f/8 - f/11... especially for the money.

 

[souljourney]

...a 105 Macro VR 2.8...

Ahhhhh, yummy. 105 macro is my favorite. I have a manual 105 macro/2.8 for my FM2N and it's my all time FAVORITE lens. :mrgreen:

 

[ernie]

Thanks for all the replies but I'm kinda confused here ... I'm new to all this professional equipment (only had a P&S up till now). Can someone please explain the difference between above mentioned lenses?
What's the difference between a 50 mm and 60 mm lens? And what exactly does the number behind that mean, those 1.8 or 2.8 numbers (are those f-stops?)
Feel kinda stupid here , thanks for the help so far guys

 

[Jeff Canes]

The f-stop is the size of aperture that the light pass thought. The lower the number the larger the aperture becomes. Larger apertures let more light reach the film. But that can also affect image sharpness and quality. As the length of a lens increases if becomes more difficult and expensive to maintain sharpness and quality. Also F-stop sizes are not fixed they are based a ratio of the length lens. I will not try to explain that without a textbook.

50 mm and 60 mm etc is the length of lens. Without a textbook I believe it’s the distance from the film to where the light crosses at the aperture or prism of the lens or something similar to that. The lower this is number the wider the view becomes of the lens.

Think of a rectangle with an “X” in it. The X is the light rays. The short sides the rectangle are the film and front glass of the lens

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[ernie]

Hm, guess I explained that wrong. I know what f-stops are, just wanted to know if the 1.8 or 2.8 are actual f-stops or some other kind of number. As far as the mm numbers go, I have no clue.
But let me rephrase my question: what difference is there between the lenses when actually shooting a picture? Does one have a better macro function/faster shutter time/better colors/... than the other? Which lens is best suitable for what result?

Hope that helps ...

Thanks
- ernie

 

[kundalini]

This is a very complex subject. Your best bet is to decide what type of photography suits your style. Once that has been figured out, the field lens choices will have narrowed. Then through researching at your library, book shops, magazines and internet searches, you'll have a better understanding what lenses will be on your short list.