Howard_Creech's Full Review: Nikon N80 QD Body Only 35mm Film Camera
OVERVIEW
The venerable Nikon Corporation has been re-thinking their corporate philosophy for several years now. For decades Nikon was known for the durability, quality construction, and reverse engineering of their products. Lenses manufactured in the Nikon "F" mount will fit not only the first Nikon SLR (introduced in 1959), but every Nikon SLR introduced since. Every other major camera manufacturer in the world has changed mounts (to take advantage of advances in technology) at least once in the intervening forty years, but not Nikon. Nikon's corporate philosophy has always been that if you purchased a Nikon SLR, you would not be left holding a bag of lenses that could not be used with the firms newest cameras and technology. This philosophy, while great for consumers, left Nikon in the enviable position of always playing catch up with their competitors.
When autofocus SLR cameras became a mass market product in the late 80's, Nikon had to adapt a thirty year old lens mount from purely mechanical operation to electrical/mechanical operation. This allowed Minolta and Canon to get a two year jump on Nikon. Nikon has never been considered an innovator, but since the introduction of the F5, the Digital D1, and the F100 that is changing. Nikon's newest SLR camera, the N80 is the latest chapter in the story of Nikon as innovator, and consumers still have the venerable "F" mount and the option to purchase and use virtually any of the hundreds of lens models manufactured by or for Nikon over the last forty years.
MARKETING/TARGET AUDIENCE
The new N80 is aimed directly at the "serious photographer/advanced amateur/techie" market. It was designed to be absolutely intuitive in operation (it is possible to use the camera without FIRST reading the instruction manual) and to make taking exceptional photographs under a wide variety of conditions as simple as pushing a button. Nikon listened to all the grumbling from N70 owners and restored the two missing functions that amateur photographers have been complaining loudly about..a threaded cable release socket and a depth of field preview. You can't really ask a great deal more from a major corporation than that they listen to what consumers want and give it to them.
IN THE FIELD/OPERATION & HANDLING
The N80 body is constructed of a new polycarbonate/metal hybrid material. The autofocus system is very similar to the one used in the F5 and F100, with five sensors, which also serve as four mm spot metering points. The camera also provides auto focus "lock on", a lighted top deck panel, 10 segment 3-D matrix metering, built in variable eyepiece diopter (for those who wear glasses), auto focus aid beam, a totally new "on demand" composition aid screen with grid lines (one of the N80's 18 "custom functions"), and closest subject priority dynamic auto focus. The camera has a 2.5 FPS film advance rate (a bit slower than the N70), and a lift up (as opposed to "pop up") flash that covers 28 mm, has a guide number of 30 (ISO 100), and provides metered fill flash capabilities similar to those in the N70. The N80 doesn't have a mirror lock up feature, flash bracketing, or a PC flash terminal, but these are features found on VERY few cameras these days.
Operation of the camera is logical and easy, with simple well marked controls (unlike the N70), the seals against dirt and moisture are very good, and overall construction, fit and finish, and appearance are well above the industry standards. The focus screen and top deck LCD provide all information needed (and then some) for making exceptional images. Shutter speeds range from a full 30 seconds to a top speed of 1/4000th of a second. Focus area and mode selectors on the camera back are similar to those used in the F5 and F100. Sensor points on the focus screen increase in brightness (from black to bright red) as light falls off, making them more visible.
A FINAL WORD
If you were thinking about buying an F70 wait awhile, because the N80 will probably bring about the discontinuation of the N70 and possibly the N90S as well. Nikon's newest product line-up (N80, F100. F5, and D1) signal a new direction in Nikon's quest to be the premiere choice among 35 MM and digital shooters. The older models (N70 and N90s) are more closely related to the F4S and N8008S (dated technology) than they are to the newest generation of products. If you are in the market for a bargain, wait a few months and cut rate prices should prevail for both the N70 and the N90S until current "on hand" stocks are exhausted.
Technical Specifications
Metering: 3D (10 segment) Matrix, Centerwieghted (75/25), and 1% Spot
Shutter Speeds: 30 seconds to 1/4000th of a second
Flash System: 5 segment (TTL) 3D "Multi-Sensor" plus built in TTL Speedlight
Film Advance: 2.5 FPS
Exposure Modes: Program AE (Shiftable), Aperture & Shutter Priority AE, and Metered Manual
Power: 2 CR123A or DL123A (Lithium) cells
If you would like to read more about 35mm cameras, please see my reviews:
The N80 is a sophisticated SLR camera body that's designed for excellent performance with flexibility to meet virtually all of your photographic needs...More at Amazon Marketplace
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