D80 news

News on the D80 briefly appeared on the Nikon Malaysia website (don't look,

it's gone now), but I've put some of the info on my web page at

<a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/nikon_D80.html"><u>http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/nikon_D80.html</u></a>

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There's also a copy of the official press release and full spec sheet.

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I've uploaded full details to the photo.net development server, but I'm no longer in

charge of publishing data to the live site so I can't promise when you'll see

it.

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<ul>

<li>Name: Nikon D80</li>

<li>Sensor: 10.2MP CCD APS-C format (1.5x "multiplier")</li>

<li>Sensor Readout: 2 channel (D200 is 4 channel)

<li>Flash Sync: X and FP</li>

<li>Maximum continuous shooting rate: 3fps</li>

<li>LCD: 2.5" diagonal</li>

<li>Viewfinder magnification: 0.94x</li>

<li>AF: 11 point</li>

<li>Memory card type: SD</li>

 

</ul>

 

<p>There were also two new lenses announced:

 

<ul>

<li>AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED</li>

<li>AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED <br>

</li>

</ul>

Correct me if I'm wrong...It looks like the d80 is a d200 w/o the body sealing, no ai/s

metering and 3fps instead of 5fps plus SD instead of CF cards right?

And there's that 2 channel/4 channel sensor readout thing...

Will it have a larger, better optical viewfinder?

There goes the Rebel XT.

Thanks for that Bob.

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Is it just me, or are others also having problems accessing nikonimaging.com?

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What happened to the details on the Nikon Malaysia site?<br>

<a href="http://www.nikon.com.my/pagearticle.php?pageid=91">http://www.nikon.com.my/pagearticle.php?pageid=91</a>

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Given that it's the 9th August in Japan and most other parts of the world, late afternoon on the 9th here, I'm wondering where the official announcement and specifications are... or do we have to wait until the 10th?

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On thing I was wondering about is the X-sync. The fact that it wasn't mentioned on the Malaysia site makes me wonder if they don't talk about it, because the X-sync speed is less than the 1/500 of the D70 and maybe less than the 1/250 of the D200 (Sony A-100 is 1/160). Interesting to see the FP High-Speed Sync mode... is this to compensate for a slow X-sync perhaps?

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Otherwise, not too many surprises.

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I'd prefer something that would meter with AIS lenses, but then I'd prefer Nikon to put all the D200 features in the D80 and sell it for the D50 price. :-)

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Looks like it might sell (assuming you can get one...) for about $300 more than the Rebel XT, so it's not really a direct competitor.

 

Canon have new stuff out on the 24th, but it's more likley to be a 22MP full frame IDs Mk III than a replacement for the XT with a 10 MP sensor.

 

Quite frankly the difference in image quality between 8/10 or even 12MP cameras is getting smaller. If you actually use the camera rather than read the spec sheet, I doubt it matter much if you're shooting Nikon, Canon, Pentax or Sony (Konica-Minolta), especially if you don't go over 11x14 prints (which 95% of users don't).

 

Don't tell anyone though. It's a secret the cameras makers want us to keep to ourselves.

I assume Nikon Malaysia pulled the annoucement becaus they put it up too early in error. I'm sure Nikon have some fixed time for the annoucement which is in their NDA agreement which many sites are under (Not photo.net though. They don't talk to us). Maybe mid morning in the US, which makes it mid afternoon in Europe and evening in Japan.

 

They don't release info at midnight on the 9th in Japan.

SD Card instead of CF?

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Thats the worst thing i want to have!

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Aravind

Regarding the SD memory... when I first started using computers, the first one I saw that had floppy disks, was a CP/M machine with an 8 inch floppy disk drive. Later on, I started using a pc with 5 1/2 inch floppy disks and began to store data on them.

 

When I purchased my first pc, I had the option of 5 1/2 inch floppies or those new fangled 3 1/2-inch floppies... I took the 5 1/2 inch drive option to remain compatible with my existing media.

 

In hindsite, I should have gone for the 3 1/2-inch floppies... I soon needed to add a 3 1/2-inch drive to my pc and I really didn't have that much money invested in 5 1/2 inch floppies anyway.

 

My existing DSLR uses CF, but I suspect the people that get the D80 will look back and be glad they got a camera with SD memory.

The main issue with Compact Flash card is that those connection pins are somewhat vulnerable. It is still quite rare that pins are bent, but when that happens, your camera is immediately disabled and you pretty much need to take it apart to replace the socket. Just the labor cost to repair is quite expensive. SD does not use contact pins.

 

I can see that the future shifts to SD as you can get 2G and 4G SD cards now. That is why I probablhy won't buy any more memory cards until the future is clear.

 

In the mean time, I wish Nikon would put both CF and SD slots in its high-end DSLRs so that one can save two copies of every image, on two separate memory cards. That will eliminate the concern of any memory card failure, which is also infrequent to begin with.

I've added some new info to my website (see link in original post).

 

I'd agree that SD cards seem to be the wave of the future. They're now cheap, fast and available in high capacity. It's possible that CF cards may still be slighly faster and capable of being built in higher capacity versions, but the difference is probably pretty small.

 

Having 9 sliding contacts instead of a bazillion tiny pins and sockets does make a lot more sense from an engineering point of view.

 

The CF advantage of the microdrive really seems to be past now. Flash memory isn't any more expensive than a similar capacity microdrive.

 

Note that you can build a CF/SD adapter that allows SD cards to be used in cameras that use CF cards (with the memory door closed!). I haven't seen one recently, but they certainly used to exist. The ones that allow an SD card to be read in a CF card reader are easier to find, but the SD card sticks out too far to use them in a camera.

On the USA site now

 

http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=2&productNr=25412

I just took a quick look at DPReview's preview. Here are some key points:

<OL>

<LI>

No metering with non-CPU AI/AI-S lenses.

<LI>

Viewfinder is the same as that on the D200, which is a plus.

<LI>

Same Multi-CAM 1000 AF module as the D200, 11 AF points.

<LI>

Max 3 frames/sec, RAW buffer is only 6 frames

<LI>

Flash sync is 1/200 second

<LI>

Optional vertical grip available. The grip can hold two EN-EL3s batteries or AA batteries.

<LI>

In the US, $999 body only

</OL>

<P>

From my personal point of view, the slow frame rate and small RAW buffer pretty much rule it out for me. But at least on paper, the D80 seems to be a an excellent higher-end consumer-grade DSLR. Nikon will likely sell a ton of them this coming holiday season.

Do you really need 5fps. I have it on my 20D and rarely use it. I also don't often shoot long RAW bursts and 3fps for 100 frames is pretty good.

 

Looks pretty good. If it was a Canon, I might even buy one...

"In the mean time, I wish Nikon would put both CF and SD slots in its high-end DSLRs so that one can save two copies of every image, on two separate memory cards. That will eliminate the concern of any memory card failure, which is also infrequent to begin with."

 

That's a damn fine idea, Shun. Maybe one day Nikon will follow through.

Image quality (esp noise) will be the deciding factor, but as a D70 owner who hasn't bought a

D200 because it was more camera than I needed, this looks like an excellent next step.

The shift to SD memory is a good move. It is suprising how many people have managed to cram a CF card in backwards. 3 fps is plenty fast enough. Noise and dynamic range are the key factors I am intrested in.

Dpreview have just posted a hands-on preview

 

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/articles/nikond80">www.dpreview.com/articles/nikond80</a>

Shun wrote: "In the mean time, I wish Nikon would put both CF and SD slots in its high-end DSLRs so that one can save two copies of every image, on two separate memory cards. That will eliminate the concern of any memory card failure, which is also infrequent to begin with."

 

I agree also. But the omission of FireWire is also a sore point - not that sore though as many people prefer card readers anyway. One thing I like about Canon SLRs is that some have FW.

 

Re pixel counts: I think that 4 or even 6 is enough for most folks - it's dynamic range and blown highlights that are the real, solid issues. All sensors should be like that in the Fuji S3.

"In the mean time, I wish Nikon would put both CF and SD slots in its high-end DSLRs so that one can save two copies of every image, on two separate memory cards. That will eliminate the concern of any memory card failure, which is also infrequent to begin with."

 

Shun, is memory card failure really something to be worried about? I have no experience with DSLRs, only a digital compact, but I have never had any problem with my Sony Memory Sticks. I'd like to hear from you or anyone else if you ever encountered a problem with accessing your images on a card, as I'm in the market for a DSLR but haven't made up my mind yet. With the high prices of 2GB and 4GB cards, surely this would double the expenses on cards.

 

Just a thought: Nikon never provided space in their film SLRs to load two films at the same time, just in case one of your films didn't get caught by your take-up spool or got processed in the wrong chemistry, and believe me, both things happened to me on an assignment, so I had to go out and re-do the shots.

 

Jan

"SD Card instead of CF? Thats the worst thing i want to have! "

 

How about this one:

 

The D80 will have the same 420 pixel RGB sensor as the Nikon D50 instead of the better 1005 pixel RGB sensor of the Nikon D70s.

 

I guess Nikon is writing is new chapter of "Camera Crippling 101".

Regarding the Matrix metering sensors, I have always thought the famous 1005 RGB sensor was better than the one in the D50 (about 400 sensors). But now they have put this sensor in the new camera, I wonder the Matrix metering II makes any difference with the previous metering. Didn't the D200 have the 1005 RGB sensor with Matrix metering II? However, as Mr. Smith pointed out, it seems more of an economical decision. The new camera seems nice, but owning a D70s the only feature I would appreciate would be the better viewfinder, since 6MP is enough for me.

Ioritz.

Not impressed. No need to move up from my D50 (or down if the high iso performance is not any better than I currently get). The bigger viewfinder and lcd light, dof, added megapixels and 11pt af are all luxury items that I don't need.

 

Sony shows way more technological innovation in a camera that costs less. Canon has better per pixel sharpness and higher dynamic range. Nikon offers more of the same.

<em>The D80 will have the same 420 pixel RGB sensor as the Nikon D50 instead of the

better 1005 pixel RGB sensor of the Nikon D70s.</em>

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MkII > MkI