Nikon D80 Body only 10.2 Megapixel

This is a great digital SLR. I have had older film SLR's (including Canon) in the past and a 9 MP digital point and shoot. I decided to upgrade and chose the Nikon D-80 over the comparable Canon. I did not have digital lenses to worry about compatibility, nor a major investment in digital media. I was free to choose whichever appealed most and the Nikon did it for me. What a great choice I made,too. These cameras came on sale in my area just as I was preparing to go on a fishing trip to Alaska. I came home with some amazing shots, thanks to som e very cooperative wildlife and of course the Nikon D-80. The camera came as a kit with an 18-70mm lens and I added a 55-200mm lens. Current kits in this area come with an 18-135mm lens. There are lots of lens options. For those out there planning to buy their first DSLR you need to be careful about what lenses you buy. There are several suppliers of lenses that fit these Nikons and the quality varies on a lens by lens basis. For example, I went in to buy a 10-20mm lens for wide angle shots and checked out Sigma brand lenses, in order to save money. Several had bad focus on one side. Wait until you really get a feel for the camera before rushing off to add lenses. Buy Nikon if you can afford it. Others are fine but you need to know what you are getting into.

A polarizing filter was very useful when I was in Alaska since there were many shots taken on or near water. You can get different effects with the filter that cannot be achieved by post processing. However, the D-80 has significant in-camera processing capabillity which is very useful for amateurs like me. For example, the D-lighting feature helps to correct dark shots. The camera has extensive menus so, in order to make the most of it, one needs to be patient and try to learn about the camera features and how to make adjustments.

I have added two additional flash units, SB-800 and SB-600. The on-camera flash unit can be configured to act as a master for the remote units. The resulting pictures are a huge improvement over point and shoot digitals, just as though the shots were taken in a studio. Your family portraits will become Wowsers. The camera has automatic settings for portraits, landscapes, night shots, sports etc. so YOU REALLY DO NOT NEED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL TO GET GREAT RESULTS FROM THE CAMERA.

I have added the MB-D80 battery base which does a couple of things. It adds a compartment for a second battery and it provides a vertical grip for portrait oriented shots. It looks professional but it adds alot of weight, so think twice before buying that optional part.

I have two remote controls. One is wired, which works fine. I also have the wireless remote control which is neat and inexpensive but it has problems. It is very small and I already lost the first one I bought. It operates using infrared technology which is based on line of sight. Therefore the wireless unit must be in front of the camera to get reliable operation. This is fine if you are shooting pictures of yourself but useless if your intention is to stand behind the camera and use the remote so you don't shake the camera. They are cheap enough options so don't hesitate to buy both.

Because I am learning,I am shooting in RAW plus large JPEG. This takes quite a bit of memory per picture. I find that a 1GB SD card is a bit too small when I am taking lots of shots so buy one or more 2GB SD cards. Note that the SD cards come in different recording speeds.