autofocus slr cameras

I've used Nikon equipment for well over 20 years and this is my fourth Nikon body. It's also my first Nikon auto focus/auto exposure body.

Frankly, the only reason that I bought this camera is my deteriorating middle-aged eyesight. Focusing with my FM series bodies has become dfficult in all but the brightest situations.

The features that this camera offers are excellent. The auto focus works well enough although it hunts in situations where the lighting isn't optimal. Like many owners, I've turned off the annoying auto focus aid light so I really can't complain much.

By the way, the weakest auto focus performance is with the very lenses that Nikon pushes with this model....the variable aperture zooms. I have no difficulty with my primes but with my 28-105 zoom the N80 hunts for focus quite a bit.

Speaking of lenses. Don't fall into the trap of getting an N80 as a "kit" with the Nikkor 28-80 zoom (or, worse yet, some other brand). Not that the Nikkor 28-80 is all that bad, but if you're serious enough about photography to want the N80 you're probably better off putting the money towards a better piece of glass.

I won't suggest getting the "pro" Nikkor zooms. They cost a fortune and weigh a ton. However, you won't go wrong with either the 28-105 or the new 28-85 AF-S.

My favorite lenses (and the reason why I've used Nikons for all these years) are the primes. Put together a kit consisting of the 24mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8 and you'll be ready for most anything. If you need something longer, there are a load of options from primes to the really great (and expensive) Nikkor 80-200 zoom.

The exposure modes are versatile and metering is as accurate as you can get short of spending [...]on an F5. In other words, more than sufficient for all but the most demanding user.

The rinky-dink onboard flash works better than it has any right to. Very accurate as a fill flash. As with all on-camera flashes, one risks red eye. Still, for a built-in, it's a pleasant surprise.

I have to take exception with Nikon for printing a manual that's mostly gibberish. No worse than its competition I suppose but can't they explain the auto-focus options in less than a million words? I figured it all out...no thanks to the manual.

Maybe I'm old fashioned about these things, but why are today's SLR's so complicated? Who really needs all these different modes and overides and compensations and.......well you get the idea.

Although I knew this when I bought the N80, I'm very disappointed in not being able to meter with any of my Nikkor manual focus lenses. Would it really have brought the price up that much to add such a feature? Like many Nikon users, I have/had a collection of older lenses that I'd like to be able to use. I've sold quite a few and replaced them with AF models but it's like having ones pocket picked.

Many have complained about the polycarbonate bodies of todays cameras and the poor construction of the lenses. Having cut my teeth on metal cameras, I really have no complaint about the build quality of the N80. I can't imagine anyone but a pro actually wearing one out. [...]

Handling is excellent (as I've come to expect from Nikon) and battery life is pretty good as well. I'm not a big flash user
so YMMV.

The bottom line is that I'm pretty much satisfied with all aspects of this camera. I just wish that Nikon had taken its existing customer base into account and designed the camera to meter with the AI and AIS lenses. I guess that customer loyalty means very little to companies these days.

EDITED: Sorry to say I just sold this camera and the 28-105 Nikkor zoom lens. They simply don't suit my style of photography. Having to re-set several controls and check the cheat sheet each time I want to make a small adjustment is just ridiculous....at least for me.

I just bought a used Leica M6 and 50mm Summicron that are much simpler to use and give me better results under most conditions. These old eyes of mine love the bright viewfinder and I'm getting perfect focusing under much dimmer lighting than I ever could with an SLR.

Nothing against the N80 (I'm keeping my other Nikon gear) but it's just not for me.

Photography has been a hobby of mine for nearly ten years now. Having shot on a lot of Minolta and Canon I can say that Nikon equipment is sufficiently superior to its competition unless you are in need of fast auto focus (i.e. for sports) where Canon tends to rule. However, in nearly every other arena in the 35mm SLR world Nikon is at the top of the list. From build and lens quality, to controls and light meters Nikon beats out the competition. So if you are already sold on buying a Nikon (which you should be) the N80 is a great pick for the serious amateur or beginner, but probably a little bit too high on the food chain for the casual photographer.

The N80 fits nicely between the N55, N65, N75 cameras and the F100, F1 cameras. The F100 and F1 (as well as the D100 and D1) are geared for the professional photographer and provide quality and features only an experienced amateur or pro could notice. Those cameras are definitely not appropriate as first cameras unless you are serious and just have money to burn. The N55 and N65 are geared toward the casual consumer that wants more quality than a point and shoot offers, but likely doesn't really know or care much about photography. These cameras provide "easy" to use features including some that are simply annoying for the serious photographer. The N80 operates in a very similar manner to the F100, F1, D100 and D1 and it makes the transition to these cameras down the road much easier when the time is right. The N80 also provides 10 segment metering, selectable auto focus regions, composition guides (awesome!) and it opens up features of the more advanced Nikon lenses. Overall the N80's build quality feels better than its smaller counter parts as well.

Who is this camera for:

The serious amateur and student photographer, especially those wishing to move up in the Nikon line in the future.

Also, make sure you get a great lens too, I'd highly recommend the Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S Zoom as a first lens.

In the world of traditional film SLRs most amature photographers either underbuy or more likely overbuy. The N80 as Goldylocks once said is just right! The sophisticated features and performance will please all but the working professional photog. The simplicicty of design and ease of use make it a perfect SLR for those who seek an upgrade to point and shoot. The vast array of Nikon and and other lens makers offerings for this body make it enormously attractive as skills and or needs expand. Should the point come that the N80 owner sees value in moving to a semi-pro F100 or a full pro F5 the lens that have been bought will make the transition happily. All a point to be made for those who see a digital SLR in their future. The Nikon AF lenses fully apply to the well reviewed D100, D1x, and newest D1H.
As a performer the camera is a gem. The focusing and metering systems are very effective and well exceed the performance of pro cameras made just whithin the last few years. Auto focus is fast and well aided by the built in low light feature. The built in speedlight works very effectively for most indoor applications and reasonably well as an outdoor fill light.
All considered there are few offerings in the market today that will please the user as well as the N80.