Nikon D80

[chris bangs]

Nikon has officially announced the D80. It sports many of the D200 features at half the price. It looks like a good choice for UW work where most of the missing D200 features do not really apply.

CB

[FRED DION]

S&S has already announced that they will have a housing for the D80 at DEMA.

[Jonathan Bird]

Knowing Nikon, since they announced it this month, you might even have a chance at getting one by New Years! :D

I am curious what features is lacks from the D200. Given the fact that I JUST bought a pair of D200s!!

Jonathan

[Jonathan Bird]

Ken Rockwell has already taken a good hard look at the D80, and he says two thumbs up. (I'm a big fan of Ken's gear reviews). In a nutshell, it has the same guts, viewfinder and large LCD screen as the D200 in a plastic body with slightly dumbed-down controls. It also only shoots 3 fps in motor drive mode. So, perfect for underwater. Plastic body? Who cares, it's in a housing anyway.

Here's more info:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d80.htm

They are anticipating October delivery dates, but I stick by my prediction of New Years!

Jonathan

[chris bangs]

I agree on the plastic body, lighter is better, even more so no that the airlines are reducing luggage limits.

I agree with Jonathan, but I may be able to snag one in Japan a little sooner. I am still considering waiting for the next generation. Diditag is getting expensive! Film was so easy! you could use the same camera for years!

CB

[Jonathan Bird]

It depends on how much you shoot. In a single dive trip, I typically shoot 20-30 rolls of film. Definitely 30 on an assignment for a dive mag, easily 20 on a "fun" trip. I was paying about $9 a roll to process at a decent lab, plus about $6 a roll for Velvia/Provia/etc. mail order. So it's about $15 a roll to shoot slides. That's about $450 per trip on film. So it only takes 2-3 trips to completely pay for a digital camera, which I will do in six months. Of course, the thing that burns you is that every time Nikon comes out with a new DSLR, they move the buttons a little so you need a new housing. So you have to figure that you need a new housing too. But if you stay in the same brand of housing, you can keep all the ports, lenses, strobes, cords, etc. With the cost of a D80 at $1000, it's a no brainer! Film starts to make no sense. And on top of that, I do not need to ration film. Shoot to my heart's content and delete the stuff that sucks!

Most people have a laptop anyway. If not, add that to the cost!

For me, the downside of digital is the part you never hear about: workflow. Now you are spending time on your trips downloading the pictures, sorting and organizing, so it doesn't get ahead of you. It ruins the relaxing part of the trip when the shooting is done for the day. Then again, you have instant feedback on what is working and what isn't. That can be a lifesaver when your paycheck depends on having the shots.

Jonathan

[tarczy]

It depends on how much you shoot. In a single dive trip, I typically shoot 20-30 rolls of film. Definitely 30 on an assignment for a dive mag, easily 20 on a "fun" trip. I was paying about $9 a roll to process at a decent lab, plus about $6 a roll for Velvia/Provia/etc. mail order. So it's about $15 a roll to shoot slides. That's about $450 per trip on film. So it only takes 2-3 trips to completely pay for a digital camera, which I will do in six months. Of course, the thing that burns you is that every time Nikon comes out with a new DSLR, they move the buttons a little so you need a new housing. So you have to figure that you need a new housing too. But if you stay in the same brand of housing, you can keep all the ports, lenses, strobes, cords, etc. With the cost of a D80 at $1000, it's a no brainer! Film starts to make no sense. And on top of that, I do not need to ration film. Shoot to my heart's content and delete the stuff that sucks!

Most people have a laptop anyway. If not, add that to the cost!

For me, the downside of digital is the part you never hear about: workflow. Now you are spending time on your trips downloading the pictures, sorting and organizing, so it doesn't get ahead of you. It ruins the relaxing part of the trip when the shooting is done for the day. Then again, you have instant feedback on what is working and what isn't. That can be a lifesaver when your paycheck depends on having the shots.

Jonathan


THAT's an interesting angle! Leave it to a former engineer to come up with a cost-benefit analysis for going digital vs. film. :D

As far as the downside goes . . . for us "enthusiasts" (those who don't make a living from u/w photography), it's relaxing to sit back after a a few dives, download the CF card and get instant feedback on your photography skills. I always get bored during surface intervals and find photo review to be a worthwhile distraction.

JMHO :)

[Jonathan Bird]

for us "enthusiasts" (those who don't make a living from u/w photography), it's relaxing to sit back after a a few dives, download the CF card and get instant feedback on your photography skills. I always get bored during surface intervals and find photo review to be a worthwhile distraction.


I hear ya, but in the good old days, after the dive we would all sit around gabbing and drinking some beers or hot chocolate or something, swapping lies. Now everyone has their heads buried in the computer and the place is dead quiet! Kinda boring!

Jonathan

[chris bangs]

I agree with the savings on shooting digital. I just had to whine about something ;-)

I take a different approach on working trips. I do little more than just make triple back-ups of the days shoot and just preview some images to check for issues such as sensor dust, dirty lenses/ports, and exposure. I then label the folders by date and time and relax.

On the Wyland gigs I have to do all this twice, both for myself and Wyland. R&R is only possible on the last evening.

there is of course the nasty issue of battery charging! now that everyone on the boat usually has a digi cam, there can be a back-up at the charging station.

[tarczy]

I hear ya, but in the good old days, after the dive we would all sit around gabbing and drinking some beers or hot chocolate or something, swapping lies. Now everyone has their heads buried in the computer and the place is dead quiet! Kinda boring!

Jonathan

DEAD QUIET????!!!!

Ha!

Not on your trips!!!

No way!! :D

Burying my head in the computer while you were running off at the mouth was always so entertaining for me (it's called multi-tasking). Now that you've gone digital, I fear the trips will be kinda boring 'cuz you'll be doing the same as everyone else. Although another part of me says, "Jonathan Bird? Quiet? Boring? NO WAY!!!" :D :D :D

[Jerry Apple]

I am a Nikon guy, but for those of you who have lots of Cannon lenses note that Cannon has just announced the new Rebel 10.2 megapixil to compete with the D-80, for about $750.

[Jonathan Bird]

The more I think about the D80, the more I think about the fact that the Nikon marketing people all need to be fired.

They introduce the hottest camera they have had in years (D200) and can't make them fast enough to satisfy the demand. At a point when they are JUST starting to catch up on the orders, but still have a zillion people yearning for one, they go and announce the D80, which is basically the same camera for $700 less.

Are they stupid?

I would imagine that thousands of people cancelled their D200 orders when they heard about the D80 and decided to just wait a couple months. Maybe I'm wrong. Seems to me that they would have been smarter to leave a few features off the D80 (like make the viewfinder smaller, or the LCD screen smaller or something) to keep the D200 a step up from the D80 and therefore maintain the demand for it. I honestly can't see why anyone would buy a D200 over the D80 once it's available unless they drop the price on the D200 significantly. The only people who will want one are the people who care that it is made of magnesium instead of plastic and the sports shooters that need 5 frames/second.

And I haven't even touched on Nikon's brilliant marketing scheme of announcing a camera and then not being able to deliver it for 6 months! There is something Canon will never do.

OK, I vented. :rolleyes:

Jonathan

[Jonathan Bird]

P.S. I saw that comment Mark. :p

[chris bangs]

the D80 is actually available! some folks on another board have snagged some from B&H

[Clay Coleman]

It's a fact! B&H has them listed "in stock" for $999.95. Adorama lists them as "back ordered". If you want one, act quickly. -Clay

[chris bangs]

It's a fact! B&H has them listed "in stock" for $999.95. Adorama lists them as "back ordered". If you want one, act quickly. -Clay

I will check Japan in a couple of weeks. I get a professional discount there! I may end up getting one or two. I have to bug Blake at Aquatica! I am also considering Ikelite because of the exposure control system but that would requite a much bigger investment just buying new ports and extensions.

[Jonathan Bird]

I have to bug Blake at Aquatica! I am also considering Ikelite because of the exposure control system but that would requite a much bigger investment just buying new ports and extensions.

The cost of the Ike with ports will be less than just the Aquatica housing alone, I'll bet! I'll tell ya what, that super trick TTL/manual exposure control knob on the back of the Ikelite is so brilliant, I can't imagine not having it.

Jonathan

[Mike Veitch]

Chris...

Aquatica offers the Heinrichs TTL system now as well..

[chris bangs]

I am not all that concerned with TTL, I like having the manual EV control located on the back of the housing.

I wonder when Blake will get the D-80 housing in production. there is not mention of it on the Aquatica site

[ouigiman]

Of course, the thing that burns you is that every time Nikon comes out with a new DSLR, they move the buttons a little so you need a new housing. So you have to figure that you need a new housing too. But if you stay in the same brand of housing, you can keep all the ports, lenses, strobes, cords, etc.
Jonathan ... I hear you there. When my local camera store received their 1st shipment of D200s, I quickly took my aquatica housing for D100 into the store to see if it would fit - no such luck :( ... but with the release of the D80, I cant wait till aquatica releases that housing - and I will then upgrade - reusing most of my D100 housing (ie port, spacer, handles, etc).

BTW - has anyone heard anything from Aquatica? - when will they release the housing for the D80?

Luigi

[Warren_L]

Chris...

Aquatica offers the Heinrichs TTL system now as well..

When I got my Aquatica D200 housing from Blake in August, we talked about the Heinrichs TTL, but he didn't strike me as being too keen about it. TTL is not a big deal to me anyway.

[Ryan]

I recieved a Sea & Sea DX-D80 housing last week. Very similar to the D50, but unfortunately, no AF-L!

The TTL Converter does work w/ Inon Z-240 strobes, I haven't had time to try anything else yet.

[Jonathan Bird]

Ikelite has a housing for it now too:

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/2dslr_dttl80.html

Looks pretty much identical to the D200 housing, even has the TTL-diddle knob. If I were buying a digital camera right now, this is the rig I would buy. The D200 is a great camera, but the D80 is probably just as good underwater because the features missing from it are not needed underwater.

Jonathan

[Ryan]

The Ikelite housing is expected to ship Mid-November, and surprisingly preorders for the D80 have been almost as numerous as were the d200...

I have to disagree on the d80 v. d200. After killing 3 d70 bodies myself, I'll never underestimate the importance of weather sealing with equipment used in a humid, salt air environment that is occasionally splashed with sal****er.

[Jonathan Bird]

After killing 3 d70 bodies myself, I'll never underestimate the importance of weather sealing with equipment used in a humid, salt air environment that is occasionally splashed with sal****er.

You are supposed to put them IN the housing before you submerge them! :D