Shootouts

Face Off: Nikon D80 and Sony A100

By Daniel Lim - 9 Oct 2006

The New Nikon DSLR: D80

The New Nikon DSLR: D80

If you have been following Nikon's product timeline advances, you will know that the latest D80 has arrived earlier than expected. Just about a year ago, Nikon has revamped the entry-level D70 with the improved D70s. Then in January this year, Nikon introduced the D200 mid-range DSLR. Just months later, Nikon has decided to replace the D70s with the new D80 that supports up to 10.2-megapixel resolution just like the D200. In truth, the D80 shares a lot of similarities with the D200 such as they use the same CCD sensor (it is also the same sensor used in the Sony A100), advanced auto exposure system and an 11-area AF system. It is like a little brother to the D200 with a twist of cool features that may sway the D70s owners want to upgrade.

The key selling point of the D80 is the new high-resolution image processing engine. Besides being more energy efficient than its predecessors, the other advantage that came with the new imaging and processing package was the incorporation of color independent analog pre-conditioning with improved 12-bit digital image processing algorithms.

An important addition introduced to the D80 is the integration of the 3D-color Matrix Metering II and an 11-area AF system (using Nikon's Multi-CAM 1000 AF module) that are again similarities shared with the D200. With the new advanced auto exposure system, the camera can better evaluate brightness, color, contrast, selected focus area and camera-to-subject distance information by referring to the exposure data gathered upon half-shutter. Almost immediately, the D80 can work out the best final exposure value via either variable-sized center weight or 11 spot meter link that responds to the 11-area AF system. On the topic of speed and response, the D80 comes with an impressive power-up time of just 0.18 of a second and would be ready for photo shoots right from the moment it's activated.

Newly added to the D80 DSLR camera is a series of built-in photo editing parameters. If you have been using Nikon's compact digital cameras, you would probably be familiar with the company's renowned D-Lighting technology. Similar to Sony's D-Range Optimizer, the camera instantly applies the overall lighting exposure over areas that are darker and less defined to mildly moderate the final exposure such that the end result would be photos that are able to reveal more depth and details.

For full detailed review of the D80, please refer to our review here . Having briefed the key aspects of both cameras, we compare the specifications of both cameras next and push on with the actual test comparisons.

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