- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Nikon D7000
- Canon EOS 6D
- Nikon D5100
- Pentax K-30
- Nikon D3200
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)Although in terms of size and weight the D80 is closer to the D50, in terms of specification, performance and overall feel it is closer to the D200, something that will be welcomed by enthusiasts.
Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Oct, 2010)Soft Focus dramatizes an image and smooths over any shiny reflections, Grainy Black and White creates that timeless look, Toy Camera adds vignetting and color shift, and Miniature Effect makes a scene appear like a small-scale model, simulating the look from a tilt-shift lens.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Nikon D80 compared to the Canon EOS 60D
MP10
APS-C
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)However the weight is well balanced and the camera feels reassuringly solid and steady.
17.9 MP
APS-C
Rated 79% by by DPReview (Nov, 2010)If you're someone who will benefit from the swivel screen it's an even easier decision.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 17.9 MP   | 20 MP |
D80 by DPReview (Sep, 2006)We have also included a comparison to the Nikon D70s (6 megapixel) and Canon EOS 350D (8 megapixel) as a comparison of the increase of resolution with these new ten megapixel cameras.
EOS 60D by Tooncesmom18 megapixel (The 18 megapixel 60D is an amazing camera; I'm still discovering the differences), some of which are listed below.
sensor size
D80 by Hiram-Grant--just-call-me-Sam (Sep, 2006)Nikon only offers one size digital sensor, where as Canon must offer two series (for 3 different chip sizes).
EOS 60D by DPReview (Nov, 2010)With an APS-C sensor the 60D can't produce the very shallow depth-of-field footage that the 5D Mark II offers but still gives much more control in this respect than most movie cameras on the market.
viewfinder size
D80 by DPReview (Sep, 2006)Pentamirror solution they selected a quality Pentaprism setup which is, we are told, similar to that in the D200.
EOS 60D by DPReview (Nov, 2010)It gains the same wider exposure scale as the viewfinder, as well as a 6-level battery indicator plus manual focus and IR remote release icons, but loses file size / quality and white balance indicators (although oddly there's a vestigial white balance fine adjust reminder).
body size
132 x 103 x 77 mm
145 x 106 x 79 mm
D80 by Kate-Stokes (Jun, 2007)Cons: price (still near impossible to find one of these for a steal), weight (it feels solid and well constructed, but you pay for that with the weight).
EOS 60D by Robert-L.-Taylor--SaltyBob (Dec, 2010)The light weight is also a plus for some one that wants a light but strong body for field work or for dragging into the back country where weight counts.
Performance Real world tests of Nikon D80 vs Canon EOS 60D
DxOMark image quality
D80 by David-Grimm (Nov, 2006)The focus, metering, exposure, flash, color balance... Everything is perfect so far.
EOS 60D by Jordon (Jul, 2012)With being used to a point and shoot this is like night and day and I'm sure there is many things I can do better or different but for a picture lover this is a awesome camera and would recommend the camera and purchasing it from Sunset Electronics.
DxOMark low light performance
EOS 60D by 4America--4america (Mar, 2011)Sure some lenses focus faster or are better in low light but most of us can just hold down the shutter and use a flash.
continuous shooting
D80 by P.-LaClaire--Soccer-Mom (Mar, 2007)The rapid burst mode is perfect for my high action soccer and softball shots.
EOS 60D by powerop (Jul, 2011)The faster continuous burst rate of 5.3 vs 3.7 fps is noticeable, but the main difference is that the buffer size for the 60D is much bigger than the T2i to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Canon EOS 60D
| Bigger viewfinder | 0.62x | vs | 0.59x |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around 10% bigger viewfinder size | |||
| More highly reviewed by consumers | 86.76% | vs | 85.41% |
| Almost the same | |||
| Smaller | 132 x 103 x 77 mm | vs | 145 x 106 x 79 mm |
| More than 10% smaller | |||
| Lighter | 668 g | vs | 755 g |
| More than 10% lighter | |||
Advantages compared to the Nikon D80
| Much higher resolution screen | 1,040 k dots | vs | 230 k dots |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 4.5x higher resolution screen | |||
| Much larger screen | 3" | vs | 2.5" |
| 20% larger screen | |||
| Marginally more recently announced | Aug, 2010 | vs | Aug, 2006 |
| Announced date over 4 years later | |||
| Shoots video | HD video | vs | None |
| Most cameras shoot video | |||
| Is weather sealed | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Keep shooting in rain or snow | |||
| Has a flip out screen | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Great for recording movies | |||
| Significantly higher resolution | 17.9 MP | vs | 10 MP |
| Around 80% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Better overall image quality | 66.0 | vs | 61.0 |
| Around 10% better image quality | |||
| Faster rapid fire | 5.3 fps | vs | 3 fps |
| Around 80% faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
| Supports live view | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Preview photos before you take them | |||
| More phase-detection focus points | 9 | vs | 0 |
| 9 more phase detection focus points; Faster autofocus in reasonably lit settings | |||
| Larger viewfinder coverage | 96% | vs | 95% |
| Almost the same | |||
| Less noise at high ISO | 813 ISO | vs | 524 ISO |
| Around 60% higher low light performance | |||
| Slightly better dynamic range | 11.5 ev | vs | 11.2 ev |
| Almost the same | |||
| Much faster max shutter speed | 1/8000 s | vs | 1/4000 s |
| 2x faster max shutter speed; capture fast action | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Nikon D80 | Canon EOS 60D | ||
 |  
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  Rated by 364 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by L.-Busch (Oct, 2007) Rated 100% by by Lowell-E.-Hepner (Jan, 2008) | Rated by 611 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Larry-L (Oct, 2010) Rated 80% by by Frank-Miles (Aug, 2011) | |
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D7000 2-way tie: Fastest rapid fire mode |
 | 2 | Canon EOS 6D Largest sensor |
 | 3 | Nikon D5100 5-way tie: Has a flip out screen |
 | 4 | Pentax K-30 Image stabilization |
 | 5 | Nikon D3200 High resolution |
 | 6 | Nikon D5200 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 7 | Canon EOS 650D Has a touch screen |
 | 8 | Canon Rebel T3i 4-way tie: Highest resolution screen |
