Got my hands on a Nikon D80 for a few minutes today

Now, I don't want to start any kind of flame war or bash fest (and yes, I'm still a Canon man).

The kids at church put on a play this morning, and there were three of us on the front row snappin photos. I play in the band and already had my guitar, cables, tuner, strap, etc. to bring with me, so I decided to bring my SD300 instead of my 300D.

During the play, I kept (very quietly) complimenting this woman's D80 simply because it was so new and had such a beautiful shutter sound. I honestly didn't think she'd actually let me take a few photos with it. But, she offered, and I couldn't refuse.

I didn't get a chance to see the final result (as I wasn't able to take the photos to my computer). But, the LCD on that thing is SO NICE! Not only does it display the overall histogram, but it also splits it out into R, G, and B histograms...all on the same LCD while also displaying the photo just taken.

Now, as you all probably know by now, I'm a Canon man and probably always will be. But, I gotta admit that I was quite impressed with what little time I got to spend with the D80. I know it's the final image that matters more than anything, and I wish I could have played around with those photos on my computer afterwards. But, I was quite impressed with what I did get to see.

It looks good on paper, and the reviews I've read are all generally positive. I'm not sure they're breaking any new ground with this one, but it's a good value. The Nikon users need something to cheer about once in a while.

It's a good camera for sure...my Dad asked me to get one for him and I passed it to him when we met up in New Zealand for a vacation. Solid and tight construction, comfortable to use. Not too big or too small and seems to mate nicely with their new 18-135mm lens. Two things I noted were the tremendous battery life and the very big and bright viewfinder. It's more expensive than the 400D that my Dad was also looking at, but it's worth the extra amount paid.

That said, I advised my Dad that he could get either one and be perfectly happy with it. His 'dream' camera since he was a boy has always been a Nikon of some sort, so that probably helped him in the decision...that, and maybe the VF since he says his eyesight is failing.

They are great, my freind hasone so i get to play with it a lot. it has so many little features just to make life that little bit easier.
One i really liked was a buton on the grip that when you press it, it tels you your current ISO. Such a good idea

Handled one the other day. Watched their AF-D Nikkor 50/1.8 blow the doors off Canon's EF 50/1.4 USM. Build quality is decent, focus drive is accurate, price is cheap and optical quality wide open is VERY surprisingly good. Not impressed with our 50mm offering in the least

I don't have any beef with Nikon. Then are up to par with what Canon produces. But hey, this is a Canon site, so take opinions with a grain of disdain.

Best bang per buck in the UK at the moment. I thought about getting one a while back but just feel the lens offerings from Canon are wider so happy to stay 30D for now. D200 is lovely to use as well. I'm a fan.