Manual override on N80?

[arond a.]

Hello-

 

I'm considering buying an N80 / F80 but am entirely unfamiliar w/ auto

anything. I'd like to know if it's possible to prevent the AF assist

light from ever coming on or the flash from popping up. To me this is

akin to a siren going off every time I take a photo in low light.

Thanks for taking the time w/ such a novice question.

[john_h.1]

"I'd like to know if it's possible to prevent the AF assist light from ever coming on or the flash from popping up."

 

Yes.

[anupam]

Yes. The camera lets you control everything. Read the manual carefully and learn what situations benefit from which automatic features - that way you will have more options when the need arises.

[mawz]

There's a custom function which will turn off the AF Assist light. Put the Camera in P mode instead of Auto or the Picture modes and the flash won't pop up autoannoyingly.

[anupam]

Adam, the N80 doesn't have picture modes.

[david_h._hartman]

<em>am entirely unfamiliar w/ auto anything.

--Arond A.<br>

</em><br>

Since you are unfamiliar with auto exposure, auto focus and such

I strongly recommend another camera. Yes you can disable the AF

assist light on the N80 but the camera really needs it as the AF

performance is poor in low light. You can control everything

manually but the viewfinder is not well suited to manual focus.

In order to add features like the better Nikons low quality

components have to be place in the optical path of the viewfinder.

The optics in the back of the N80s viewfinder are not multi-coated

leading to flare in the viewfinder. I have a friend who repairs

cameras. He is not complimentary of the N80.<br>

<br>

If you are going to buy an auto focus, auto exposure camera I

recommend that you spend the extra needed for a clean used Nikon

F100 or N90s. If you really want to use the AF then Id go

for the F100. The F100 supports the newest G, VR type Nikkor

lenses as well as the manual focus AIS, AI and AI(ed) lenses. Buy

a camera that delivers on the promise of these automated features.<br>

<br>

The N80 handles very much like the F100 but the performance of

everything is lower and the build quality is poor. Broken latches

on the back are fairly common as are broken latches on the pop up

flash. When the flash is up you can see the cheap plastic hood

that hold the flash down.<br>

<br>

Many auto functions of the N80 are paired so when you select one

you get the others leading to confusion as to what the automation

is doing. With the F100 you control what you want and automate

what you want without this confusion.<br>

<br>

If you shoot infrequently, want a very light camera, are careful

with your camera and have moderately low expectations the N80

might be the camera for you. If you use a camera often and have

high expectations of the camera and yourself I recommend the F100.

If a clean used F100, now very economical since so many are

selling to buy D70s, is too expensive you might look at the N90s.<br>

<br>

Regards,<br>

<br>

Dave Hartman.

[fourfa]

"Many auto functions of the N80 are paired so when you select one you get the others leading to confusion as to what the automation is doing. With the F100 you control what you want and automate what you want without this confusion."

 

agreed on everything in your post (N80 was my first AF SLR), except the snippet above. The N80 is pretty dang simple - no dummy modes, and single function switches all around. the only confusing bit is the dynamic focus modes, which is really easy since none of them really work on moving subjects anyway, so why ever change it from single focus on the center spot? Maybe you're thinking of the N75 which has lots of dummy modes that are tied to changes in the metering and focus modes. In this aspect at least, I find the F100 the same as the N80, except the F100 has a few *more* wrinkles in dynamic focusing that I still haven't mastered.

 

anyway as an owner of both F100 and N80, I concur to get an F100 used ($400-500 locally) or an N90. BTW, off topic, with my D70 I hate the white focus lamp but love the red focus grid on the flash (can't seperate those two functions), so I just taped over the white lamp.