Face Off: Nikon D80 and Sony A100

Handling of the Cameras

Handling of the Cameras

The button layouts of both cameras are almost identical with both placing four buttons on the left side of the 2.5-inch LCD monitor and a multi-selector on the right. While the layouts are similar, their functions differ and presented on this page is our view of the handling aspects of both cameras.

Handling of Nikon D80

The Nikon D80 employs dual command dials for altering shutter speed and aperture size, thus adjusting the exposure settings can be done easily and quickly using the thumb and the index fingers. For those who often tweak manual exposure settings, the dual dials are a godsend feature. In terms of operation, most of the frequently used buttons such as ISO settings, white balance selection and magnification settings are easily accessible on the body. To make things less complicated, the D80 only has one mode dial for selecting preset shooting modes comprising of Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset and Night view/portrait, an auto mode, and one of the usual P, A, S, M manual shooting modes. Surrounding the secondary LCD display are smaller buttons that lets you quickly adjust the bracketing, single/continuous shooting modes, self-timer and auto focus modes with your index finger.

For modifying finer parameters and other camera setup aspects, the menu system of the D80 is almost identical to the mid-range D200 camera except that it has a new function for editing photos on the fly. For more information about the D80's menu system, please refer to our in-depth review here . As for the overall camera feel, the D80 feels sturdy but weighty. Parts of the camera are padded with rubber cushioning for an extra comfortable grip though. On the whole, we are pleased with the layout and ergonomics of the D80, which shares similar traits with its successful predecessors.

Handling of Sony A100

Unlike the Nikon D80, the Sony A100 uses only one command dial for adjusting shutter speed and aperture size. The command dial by default adjusts the shutter speed, but to change the aperture size, users would have to depress and hold the "+/-" button followed by manipulating the command dial. We preferred the larger multi-selector for the A100 and what the D80 didn't have was the mid selection button for choosing middle focusing point when in selective focusing mode.

Selecting ISO, white balance, bracketing, auto-focus settings can be quite a hassle has the A100 uses a dedicated mode dial with a select button in the middle. The right mode dial has a similar function as the D80 as it selects, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset and Night view/portrait, an auto mode, and one of the usual P, A, S, M manual shooting modes. The A100 doesn't have a secondary LCD display on the top that relays the current user settings, but instead relies on the large 2.5-inch LCD monitor. We actually preferred a quick view of the settings and review of the images on the same screen instead of referring to the dedicated secondary LCD readout on the D80. An intelligently useful feature of the A100 is the quick 'Eye-start AF' that blacks out the LCD monitor display and focuses on the subject automatically the moment the viewfinder sensor detect the proximity of one's face to the camera for photo shooting. As for the camera grip, though we preferred the better handgrip design of the A100 compared to the D80, our gripe with Sony is its plastic body that makes it feel more fragile.