Nikon D80 or D100

[gerryr]

I've decided to sell my Nikon film bodies, N90s and FE, and get a Nikon digital SLR body so I can use my Nikon lenses. The D80 is a new 10 megapixel camera and the D100 is a now discontinued 6 megapixel. I'm not sure the D80 will give me any better pen photos than the D100. Anyone have any thoughts about that?

 

[jthompson1995]

It depends on what you're taking photos of and how many you take. I use a 5 megapixel point and shoot and the photo quality is excellent for the size photos I need. If you will need to enlarge photos a lot, go with the higher megapixels as it will give you better quality. The 6 megapixel should enlarge to 8x10 ir 11x14 just fine without any image quality loss that will be noticeable to the untrained eye.

 

[Dario]

Try this...

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=nikon_d100%2Cnikon_d80&show=all

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond100/

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/

 

[Dario]

Note that that reviews are 22 and 30 pages long []

 

[gerryr]

Dario, that's an excellent site and I used it to decide what digital camera to buy last time. The reviews for the point and shoot variety tend to be much shorter than for the SLR's. I have a friend who's a professional and he recommended the D100 over the D70, but that was before I new the D80 existed.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Gerry,
I use a Fuji Fine Pics.. but my son carries a Nikon D50, with plans to upgrade to the D80.. His photographs are spectacular. He is near professional quality photographer and swears by the Nikon line of digitals...

while typing this post, he called... re recommends the D80 with the 105 macro lense to take pictures of pens..

 

[TellicoTurning]

I forgot to mention, he can blow up to a 16 x 20 or poster size with this camera.

 

[melogic]

I have a Canon Rebel Digital XT (8mega pixel) and I love it. I took a picture of one of my pens and took it to a local printing place and they made me a couple 24" x 36" vinyl banners for craft shows and one for a book store window. The picture needed to be at least 200dpi for this size. The picture I took was 250dpi. I am getting ready to buy a 75-mm to 300-mm lense for this camera.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Just for pens? [:0] Either is overkill.
If you are a serious photog, go with the best the pockebook will allow. Higher megs do allow greater enlargement, almost like having longer lenses.

 

[gerryr]

Frank, it isn't just for pens. Before I got the first digital camera I lugged about 40 pounds of camera gear with me on every vacation. Since the digital, the stuff has been collecting dust or actually the backpack it's in has been collecting dust.

 

[74cuda]

Gerry,

I just went through what you are doing.

I upgraded from my Canon SLR's to a Nikon D80. For the price, extra megapics, ease of use (very logical), comfort in hand, I chose the D80. We just came back from trip to Maine where I first used the D80, very nice pics. I really like not having to lug around the SLR stuff or loading film.

Russ

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by gerryr
<br />Frank, it isn't just for pens. Before I got the first digital camera I lugged about 40 pounds of camera gear with me on every vacation. Since the digital, the stuff has been collecting dust or actually the backpack it's in has been collecting dust.

Lugging 40 pounds of camera gear was a normal part of my life for many decades. I still have my two Nikon FEs. Haven't used them in months. But I'm not giving up my film cameras until they peel my cold, dead eyeball from......

 

[JTaylor801]

The D100 in my opinion is a fine body. I used it semi-professionally for several years. Even though I no longer do photogrphy for money, I still kept both of my D100's. I may sell one someday.

If you can pickup a new D100 or find one in good shape used...it'll do a good job for you.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Frank,
Rumor is that a lot of the film makers are giving up production because of the digitals.. time may come when they are museum pieces anyway.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by ozmandus
<br />Frank,
Rumor is that a lot of the film makers are giving up production because of the digitals.. time may come when they are museum pieces anyway.

I started professionaly with a 4X5 Speed Graphic in 1953.
I guess, by now, I'm almost a museum piece so I'm in step with the times. []

 

[arioux]

Hi,

I have a d100 myself and just love it. The only things that will make a seriuous difference between d100 and d80 are:

ISO100 support ... not present in d100, start at ISO200
Bigger lcd
more pixels

For the rest, they are basically the same camera.

Alfred

 

[AMD]

Since I bought a first coolpix digital nikon some yeays ago, all my older film camera (F90, FE, FM2) collecting dust...
One monht ago I upgraded to a D80, and I love it. I hesitate between D80 and D200, but the
D200 is too expensive for me now... The D80 have a lot of new upgrade that make it better than his
small brother D70 (a good camera too). I also can use my other lens like my Nikkon 80-200 2.8 (give
me a 120 - 300mm 2.8 ;-)

Between D100 and D80, I think the D80 is a better choice for the larger LCD, better resolution, waranty and
all other goodies... D100 can be interesting if the price is very very good.

Alain M-D
http://www.miville-deschenes.com/amd_anglais/

 

[TellicoTurning]

Frank,
The most I know about cameras is the Kodak Brownie was easy to use....
my cameras never see the same thing I see..

It's a sad day... The Hogs ran over the Vols....

 

[bob393]

I'm more of a Canon guy.
I have F1's for years without any trouble and I'm talking about literly thousands of rolls of film.
My first digital was a Kodak, didn't like it. Than a Fuji fine pix, not a bad camera.
Than I got a Canon A620, almost a perfect camera. I use it every day and carry it all the time.
Now I have a Canon 20D SLR, also wonderfull, super layout and balance. I use that on when I'm taking real pictures, vacation, photo trips, hiking. The 20D is discontinued and replaced by the 30D. The reviews ar in and everyone seems to love it more than the 20D. I would upgrade but the value of the 20D is in the toilet, ah someday.
Anyway it's worth a look.

 

[gerryr]

When I was a professional photographer, I used nothing but Canon and loved them. When we got married, my wife had a Nikon and a couple of lenses, but I still used my Canon gear. When Canon changed mounts and obsoleted that wonderful breech lock mount, I was so angry with Canon that I sold it all and have used Nikon ever since. With a couple of exceptions, there really isn't any difference in optical quality, but I will never buy another Canon. If they changed the lens mount once, they might do it again.