Expert Camera Reviews

The Nikon D80 digital SLR is the successor of the D70s. It is positioned between the entry-level D50 and semi-professional high budget D200, directly targeting photographic enthusiasts or those who simply want an extra boost but within their budget. The D80 has a combination of many features from both the D50 and D200. The Nikon D80 has the same 10.20 Megapixel resolutions, 2.5 inch LCD screen with user interface as that of the D200. The Nikon D80 spots an 18 -135mm DX kit lens; this makes it a killer photographic tool for amateur and intermediate photographer.

Some very good features of the Nikon D80 are:

• The 0.94x viewfinder is unusually large for a DSLR and very bright due to the pentaprism optics used
• User can control high-ISO noise reduction
• LCD is large, bright and very clear
• Powerful in-camera color-filter capability
• Excellent range of custom settings
• Very good and attractive menu system with help screens

Drawbacks of the camera are:

• Maximum shutter speed is a low 1/4000 compared to 1/8000 of the D70’s
• Auto white balance mode provides poor handling of household incandescent lighting
• Contrast adjustment has limited range
• Kit lens is quite sharp but has more chromatic aberration on the images

Specifications:
Megapixels – 10.20
Weight (oz.) – 20.5
Optical Zoom – 3x
LCD Size – 3 inch
Flash Range (ft) – Built-in
Image stabilizer - No
Battery type – Lithium Ion
Special features - Image storage on SD and SDHC memory cards, USB 2.0 High speed support, User selectable White balance with 9 modes and manual fine tuning, bright viewfinder, NTSC video cable for playback on TV

Summary:
The Nikon D80 is solidly built and Nikon’s combination of build quality, image quality, extensive configurability, rich post-capture processing features, and excellent kit lens makes the D80 a genuine bargain camera. This is a camera that’s quite friendly for complete novices and also for the serious amateur with a range of creative control and sophisticated operating features.

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The Canon EOS 30D has a perfect price and features that include excellent image quality to become a favorite Digital SLR camera for a lot of photographers. The EOS 30D shares many common features with its predecessor the 20D which include the same 8.2 MegaPixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC II Image processor, 5 frames per second fast continuous shooting mode, high precision 9 point Auto Focus system and a viewfinder. The 30D gives excellent photos especially at high ISO sensitivity settings.

Some very good features of the Canon 30D are:

• Interchangeable lenses can be used
• Red-eye reduction feature by built-in illuminator
• Supports 24 bit JPEG and 36 bit RAW data file formats
• Electronic self timer
• Operates in shooting priority mode to view pictures
• Ability to adjust ISO in 1/3 stop increments

A few Drawbacks of this SLR camera are:

• No memory card included with the 30D
• LCD not as bright or sharp as compared to other models

Specifications:
Megapixels – 8.2
Weight (oz.) – 24.7
LCD Size – 2.5 inch
Flash Range (ft) – 43 to 102 ft
Battery type – Lithium-Ion
Special features – Spot metering options, Improved shutter with a 100,000 life cycle, Print/Share button, USB 2.0 high speed support, Supports JPEG and RAW recording format.

Summary:
If you are willing to spend a good amount for a compact Digital SLR which should have a fast frame rate and high grade build quality and a lot of additional features and performance like improved camera operation, large buffer, full manual controls, then the Canon EOS 30D is a good choice for you.

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