Whats the difference between Nikon D40 SLR and D80 SLR?

Question

Im starting to hop in to photography, I travel a lot and likes taking picture. Wide views, Models type etc. im tired of my compact sony cybershot.

The price of D40 is $700 and the D80 is around $1000
I know their both 10+ Mega pixels.

Is there really a lot of diffenrence>? Can I use the D40 SLR with any kind of lense available for Nikon?
I need some good advice here, I dont really wanna order in the actual shop due to their so overprice.

Answer 1

You are actually talking about the D40X.

If the money is not an issue, get the D80.

The D80 has 11 autofocus zones and they can be grouped for dynamic focus while controlling the general area of interest. The D40 only has the three on the horizontal. Nikon claims that this would not make any difference to most users, but I have found the top and bottom zones quite helpful and would not like to do without them.

The D80 has an LCD on top of the camera for status, which the D40 does not, but the D40 uses the 2.5" rear LCD for camera status between shots. This is certainly easier to read, but I don't know how it is to live with day-to-day, as I have never done this. It probably makes sense.

There is no depth-of-field preview on the D40, but there is on the D80.

There is no exposure bracketing and no white balance bracketing on the D40, but there is on the D80.

The D40 will not autofocus with some older Nikon lenses and the D80 will. If you do not have some lenses from a Nikon film camera already, though, this would not be a problem for you.

I hate to see people slam the camera because it can't autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a "slight problem" with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for "AF-S" lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 23 lenses, including 7 "VR" (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with "VR". There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) "out of print" lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: "If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed." (See http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/nikonafs.txt for a list of AF-S lenses or see http://www.nikonians.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=16715&forum=DCForumID201 for even more...)

The D80 is larger and may feel better in your hands.

Enough?

Answer 2

D40 Vs D80

Answer 3

Here's a couple good resoucres if you want more information. Ken Rockwll is a little opinionated but generally has good advice...just understand where he is coming from and apply the appropriate number of salt grains to his advice.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/d200-d80-d70-d50-d40-5d-xti.htm

Thom Hogan is also good but gets a little technical at times.
http://www.bythom.com/d40review.htm

The Nikonians forums are also good to see what owners are saying about the cameras.

http://www.nikonians.org/

The lens(es) you get are as or more important than the body in most cases so focus on them too. Unless you have a lot of old nikon lenses lying around disregard the discounting of the D40 and "x" because you have to use DX series lenses.
There are plenty of great choices available in DX lenses so you won't miss not being able to use older lenses.

Go to a camera shop--one that serves professionals--and try both of them--there is no substitute for hands on experience before you buy. You may also find they are very competitive with the Internet resellers. I bought my D80 cheaper in the store than it was selling for online.

All this being said--I'd go with the D40 and buy a better lens. 6.1mp is plenty to get sharp pics and you will be better off spending the money you save on a lens with vr or a longer range zoom. The 18-200 is a great all around lens, but costs as more than the D-40...it is worth every penny. The 18-80 is also good. Many places sell a kit of the D40, 18-55 and 70-200 for around $1000.

Answer 4

Wow - I was just going to say I bought a D80 and found it well worth the extra $300. I can't say enough nice things about the camera, although the amount of control you have over your photos is daunting to a beginner like me. The good news is it takes unbelievable pictures in "Auto" mode while you learn your way around the controls.

Answer 5

In addition to Dr. Sam;s info, the D80 also includes wireless flash control. Once you get into running an external flash, that will be very handy.

Answer 6

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