Our testing method is such that we don’t feel the need to get into minutiae
unless there’s a problem that might get in the way of your making great
images with this or any camera, and concentrate on what makes it unique. For
the D80 it’s the extension of post-processing back into the camera space
(even with raw) and its ability to make black and white conversions and other
changes onto copies of images already on the memory card. We also wanted to
see how it behaved with non-AF Nikkor lenses, as we feel this could be the model
that seals the digital deal for those still shooting an older Nikon SLR film
camera.
D-Lighting |
|
 |
 |
|
One of the most interesting Image Retouch menu items is called D-Lighting,
which is a one-touch shadow opener. To test it I shot this field
of wildflowers against a brighter sky, taking a reading from the
sky so the field would go dark and I’d hold highlights. Ordinarily
I’d use a Screen mode Levels adjustment layer on this and
paint back the sky and adjust the opacity of the field as needed.
The first image is straight from the camera (NEF) without any adjustment.
I then did a post-process in camera using Enhanced D-Lighting (there’s
also a Normal mode option) and got a much better rendition on the
yellow flowers. To compare I then opened the original in Photoshop
and used the Shadow/Highlight tool at close to 50/0 (shadow/highlight)
with some tweaking to kick up the flowers even more. The Nikon Enhanced
D-Lighting did a very good job without the over-correction that
can often plague too much shadow area revelation. |
|
Memory Card Format
Before we begin we do have to mention that this camera takes only Secure Digital
(SD) cards. For those moving over from other digital SLR cameras or moving up
from earlier Nikon digital SLRs this can be a disappointment, particularly if
there’s lots of investment in those cards. Card readers are not that expensive,
so no big deal there. This could, however, prevent this camera from consideration
as a second back-up camera by pros. The SD card will appeal to those stepping
up from a digicam to a nicely-featured digital SLR, so what Nikon may lose out
on with pros they will certainly pick up with the step-up crowd.
But this camera looks to the future, and SD cards are the future of digital
storage. In fact, if you talk with the various card associations, SD far outsells
CompactFlash (CF), and many predict that CF cards may well fade away as time
goes on. We don’t think the drop-off will be as precipitous as the ill-fated
and miniscule SmartMedia cards, a media which sunk more cameras than anything
than the cameras that held them did right or wrong.
Lens Mount Compatibility
Nikon has always prided itself on having legacy lens mounts, that is, the ability
to mount older lenses on newer cameras, AF or non-AF, digital or film SLR. This
is the case with the D80, and this could be one major attraction for Nikon film
SLR owners to check out digital. To test this we worked with a fairly ancient
lens, the manual focus Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/4, a bit of a bruiser in weight
and length compared to today’s IF lenses, but a workhorse just the same.
The lens worked just fine, if you can accept totally manual exposure and no
aperture number showing up in the finder. In short, carry around a light meter
or easier yet make a test exposure and then adjust accordingly after image review.
Of course there’s no information in the finder and the EXIF data is fairly
blank, and the metering is only center-weighted. The contacts in newer lenses
that communicate all that stuff are absent. But overall we found no reason why
we couldn’t use our full complement of older manual focus Nikkors on the
D80.
Black And White, In Camera |
|
 |
|
One of the most fascinating aspects of the D80 is the degree of
post-processing steps you can perform right in the camera. Accessed
from the new Image Retouch menu, here’s how the in camera
processor converts from color to black and white. The original is
in NEF (Nikon raw) format, which remains intact, while the copy
is, alas, only in JPEG Fine. But it’s a fine conversion nonetheless.
|
|
In Camera Processing
The post-processing on raw images in camera was a fascinating experience. We
tried out D-Lighting, Filter Effects, and Monochrome. D-Lighting is really a
shadow “opener” and has two stages from which you can choose, “Normal”
and “Enhanced.” It worked nicely with images where there was some
of the usual sky/ground contrast and the only way to avoid burnt-out highlights
was to bias exposure for the highlights, which naturally darkened the ground
or shadow areas. In fact, we would recommend it for those who don’t want
to engage in post-processing in a computer and want to get highlights under
control on contrasty days, perhaps with a touch of minus contrast in Image Optimization
as well.
Filter Effects was perhaps the most interesting of the lot, as you could either
go simply with a warmer or cooler effect, or delve into some fairly rigorous,
if one-dimensional color balance changes. When you go into Color Balance a screen
comes up with a color space on an X/Y grid, and you can use the camera’s
toggle button to move the little square all around the grid. There’s no
nuancing the colors à la Photoshop’s Color Balance adjustment layer,
and all the treatments are “global,” but it’s a great quick-fix
technique. The same goes for Monochrome, which simply changes the image to black
and white.
Perhaps the best part of these in camera fixes is that you do not overwrite
the original image, but make a copy that is immediately written onto your memory
card. Note that the copies are JPEG Fine, with a 1:4 compression ratio, and
not raw (NEF) versions of the original. Perhaps future versions will write these
as TIFF files or some NEF variant, which would be preferred, but this is a good
start and sure gives you something to play with on the plane or car ride home.
Indeed, you can even do Image Overlays with this feature.
Landscape |
|
|
This photo and many of the other outdoor photos shown here were
made in the Valle Vidal in northern New Mexico, an area lusted after
by the oil and gas interests but one that many in that region are
fighting to keep untrammeled. Called the “little Yellowstone”
of New Mexico, it is a glorious area of nature and wildlife. The
D80 was great to travel with in this area, as it can be used as
easily in nature as on the city streets. This trout fisherman’s
heaven was photographed at ISO 160 with an exposure of f/13 at 1/320
sec. |
|
All in all the D80 is an excellent traveling companion. It has a solid feel
and strong body build, yet is not a drag on your shoulder or pack. Just about
everything you need for field work is accessible right from the body, with the
menu offering other layers of goodies. At 10+ megapixels it certainly delivers
enough resolution for large-scale prints, and the color rendition and sharpness
out of the box is excellent. The camera is built to appeal to both the step-up
and advanced amateur, what with its Digital Vari-Program modes along with as
many overrides and rendition options as even the most demanding photographer
could require. And the enhanced battery life is certainly a boon for those taking
this camera on a hike or a long weekend’s shoot.
For more information, contact Nikon Inc., 1300 Walt Whitman Rd., Melville, NY
11747; (800) 526-4566, (631) 547-4200; www.nikonusa.com.
|
