- 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 D600
- Pentax K-5
- Nikon D5100
- Nikon D90
- 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 80% by by DPReview (Nov, 2010)Default JPEGs are clean of artifacts and with natural colors and tonality.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Nikon D80 compared to the D7000
MP10
APS-C
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)However the weight is well balanced and the camera feels reassuringly solid and steady.
16.1 MP
APS-C
Rated 80% by by DPReview (Nov, 2010)The camera produces great image quality in most shooting situations, and it shines in low light, providing (just about) useable images right up to its ISO ceiling of 25,600 (equivalent).
megapixels
| 0 MP | 16.1 MP   | 20 MP |
Nikon 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.
D7000 by R.-Wandrei--social_bunny (Nov, 2010)RAW format uses full 16.2 megapixels so files are huge (would be nice to see an option that allows you to choose how many megapixels you want to use when shooting RAW).
sensor size
Nikon 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).
D7000 by DPReview (Nov, 2010)With its APS-C sensor the Nikon D7000 cannot quite produce the very shallow depth-of-field footage that the Nikon D3s or other full-format DSLRs offer but it still gives you much more control in this respect than most consumer video or digital compact cameras.
viewfinder size
Nikon D80 by Chad (Sep, 2006)Rather than utilizing a cheaper pentamirror like some of the competition, Nikon elects to use a genuine pentaprism which allows the finder to be nice and bright.
D7000 by J.-Carrow (May, 2012)Even 6400 can give nice shots, and the HI-2 (equivalent of 25,600) can give very usable shots if you don't mind heavily post processing them and only using them reduced to web sizes.-The metering is noticeably better, so I have to adjust the exposure less, and have fewer blown highlights.-The viewfinder is larger, so its easier to see what you're doing.-The auto white balance has a much wider range of correction, and is more accurate.
body size
132 x 103 x 77 mm
132 x 105 x 77 mm
Nikon 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).
D7000 by B.-Fuller (Oct, 2010)Smaller weight and size is becoming much more important to me and this camera is a very good trade off of features for size and weight.
Performance Real world tests of Nikon D80 vs D7000
DxOMark image quality
Nikon D80 by David-Grimm (Nov, 2006)The focus, metering, exposure, flash, color balance... Everything is perfect so far.
D7000 by Emil--EmilImage quality (wealth of details, sharpness, color rendition), performance, design, ergonomics, usability, fill-n flash - it's a pleasure to shoot with this camera.
DxOMark low light performance
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 238 ms | 300 ms |
Nikon D80 by Just-trying-to-contribute (Nov, 2009)I bought an SLR to take very nice pictures without the shutter delay of a point and shoot.
D7000 by TrustedReviews (Nov, 2011)So from the off we were expecting response times from the camera that were almost instantaneous.
continuous shooting
Nikon D80 by P.-LaClaire--Soccer-Mom (Mar, 2007)The rapid burst mode is perfect for my high action soccer and softball shots.
D7000 by Mark-Fitzpatrick--Math-Teacher (May, 2012)Even when set to highest file size and optimal quality, I click off rapid fire shots of say a receiver as he is catching the ball.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the D7000
| Lighter | 668 g | vs | 780 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around 15% lighter | |||
Advantages compared to the D80
| Much larger screen | 3" | vs | 2.5" |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% larger screen | |||
| Much better overall image quality | 80.0 | vs | 61.0 |
| More than 30% better image quality | |||
| Much higher resolution screen | 920 k dots | vs | 230 k dots |
| 4x higher resolution screen | |||
| Marginally more recently announced | Sep, 2010 | vs | Aug, 2006 |
| Announced date over 4 years later | |||
| Shoots video | HD video | vs | None |
| Most cameras shoot video | |||
| Much higher light sensitivity | 25,600 ISO | vs | 3,200 ISO |
| 8x higher light sensitivity; Avoid blur in low light situations | |||
| Many more phase-detection focus points | 39 | vs | 0 |
| 39 more phase detection focus points; Faster autofocus in reasonably lit settings | |||
| Much less noise at high ISO | 1,167 ISO | vs | 524 ISO |
| Around 2.2x higher low light performance | |||
| Much larger dynamic range | 13.9 ev | vs | 11.2 ev |
| Around 25% larger dynamic range | |||
| Is weather sealed | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Keep shooting in rain or snow | |||
| Significantly faster rapid fire | 6 fps | vs | 3 fps |
| 2x faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
| Much larger viewfinder coverage | 100% | vs | 95% |
| More than 5% larger coverage | |||
| Significantly higher resolution | 16.1 MP | vs | 10 MP |
| More than 60% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Significantly more color depth | 23.5 bits | vs | 22.1 bits |
| More than 5% more color depth | |||
| Supports live view | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Preview photos before you take them | |||
| 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 | Nikon D7000 | ||
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 | Rated by 364 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by David-Grimm (Nov, 2006) Rated 100% by by J.C.--researcher (Nov, 2006) Rated 100% by by captain-video (Feb, 2007) | Rated by 575 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by C.-Michael--C.S.-Michael (Mar, 2011) Rated 80% by by mdifanis (Oct, 2011) Rated 100% by by Stephen (Apr, 2012) | |
sensor
Nikon D80 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)Naturally the D80 can shoot in RAW mode, as well as three different JPEG quality settings, and RAW+JPEG with all three JPEG modes.
Nikon D80 | by DPReview (Sep, 2006)As you can see the D80's chroma-biased noise reduction keeps the visibility of the more digital-looking chroma noise to a minimum, as low at ISO 1600 as the EOS 400D at ISO 800.
Nikon D80 | by DPReview (Sep, 2006)Indeed despite several passes up and down the crops (and examining the rest of the image) I was unable to identify anything in the D80 image which wasn't resolved just as well as the eight megapixel 350D (there really is no useful difference between 8 and 10 megapixels).
lens
Nikon D80 | Rated 100% by by Edgar-González--Edgar-González (Sep, 2007)Finally, you'll need something to store your camera, lenses, charger, batteries, and all your photography goodies right?? Well, you also get a Nikon SLR case which is perfectly designed to store all of the above!!! Baterry charger and everything!!! It still has room for a couple more of lenses and I also keep the D80 manuals in the bag on the front of the case.
Nikon D80 | Rated 100% by by Robert-L.-Schuppin (Dec, 2007)In addition to the Nikon D80 body I choose the Nikon 18-200mm vr lens, Nikon SB800 flash (A must) and a 60mm micro lens.
Nikon D80 | by DPReview (Sep, 2006)Below on the left you can see the D80's lens mount with the mirror down, on the right with mirror up and shutter open (exposing the sensor).
iso
Nikon D80 | Rated 100% by by Jane-C.-Mounteer (Aug, 2008)While the d60 does have a higher ISO index, up to 3200, I find the Nikon D80's ISO 1600 to be pretty good unless the light around me requires it.
Nikon D80 | Rated 100% by by Ryan-G.-Jesena--Lush.i.ous (May, 2007)I like the low noise on higher ISO of the 20D and the 30D, but the difference isn't that much more significant between them and the D80.
Nikon D80 | by DPReview (Sep, 2006)The ISO 3200 option (HI 1.0) is unique to the D80 (compared to its peers) and while there's a very clear loss of detail it can still be useful in very low light situations where the choice would be this or not getting the shot at all.
screen
Nikon D80 | by DPReview (Sep, 2006)Color balance was very good if clearly 'consumer biased' (more saturated, richer colors), the D80 coping well with highly saturated color in bright light (such as sun lit red flowers).
Nikon D80 | Rated 100% by by W.-Theodore-Steudel--Steppenwolf (Oct, 2007)The D80 has all the important characteristics of its bigger brother,especially the bright viewfinder, and with the the 18-200 VR lens it is the perfect travel companion.
Nikon D80 | Rated 100% by by Doggonefool--doggonefool (Sep, 2008)The in camera editing feature of the D80 is a nice touch and has been useful occasionally.
photography
Nikon D80 | Rated 100% by by Chad (Sep, 2006)I've shot nature and architectural-type photos with the D80 and the Tamron 70-300mm and was very pleasantly surprised at the results.
Nikon D80 | Rated 80% by by R.-P.-Poletti--Just-a-guy (Jun, 2007)The D80 has a high enough resolution to make good sized prints.
Nikon D80 | Rated 100% by by Roger-J.-BuffingtonShooters of wildlife, for example, will appreciate the additional resolution of the D80, as it is often necessary to photograph wildlife at a distance and then crop the image to cause the subject to dominate the frame.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D600 Largest sensor |
 | 2 | Pentax K-5 Image stabilization |
 | 3 | Nikon D5100 3-way tie: Has a flip out screen |
 | 4 | Nikon D90 3-way tie: Fastest to start up |
 | 5 | Nikon D3200 Lightest |
 | 6 | Nikon D5200 Newest |
 | 7 | Nikon D300S Many cross-type focus points |
 | 8 | Canon EOS 600D Highest resolution screen |
