Nikon D80 Review: Digital Photography Review

Menus

	The D80's menus follow a similar layout to previous Nikon digital SLR's but now have the same updated, sophisticated appearance we first saw on the D200. Navigation remains the same, the four-way controller and OK button. Another new feature is the 'shadow' left behind when you move from the current setting to a new one, it's a useful reminder.

Help pages

The D80 gets the same in-camera help facility we first saw on the D2X and then the D200. In menus the question mark icon (?) indicates that help is available for the currently selected item, just press the help button beside the LCD monitor to see a context sensitive help page. In addition the D80 also provides a help page in shooting mode for Auto and Vari-program exposure modes (as shown below).

Shooting Menu

The shooting menu defines most of the important / high-level parameters for the camera, these include image processing, image size, quality and noise reduction as well as white balance and ISO sensitivity. It's worth noting that image size/quality, white balance and ISO sensitivity can be set using the shortcut buttons beside the LCD monitor, without entering the menu.


Option	Values / Actions	Notes / Sub options
Optimize image	• Normal • Softer • Vivid • More vivid • Portrait • Custom Done Image sharpening Auto Normal (0) Low (-2) Medium low (-1) Medium high (+1) High (+2) None Tone compensation Auto Normal (0) Less contrast (-2) Medium low (-1) Medium high (+1) More contrast (+2) Custom Color mode Ia (sRGB) II (Adobe RGB) IIIa (sRGB) Saturation Auto Normal (0) Moderate (-) Enhanced (+) Hue adjustment -9° to +9° • Black and white Standard Custom Done Image sharpening Tone compensation Filter effects Off Yellow Orange Red Green	Select image parameters from one of the six presets or define your own custom set [clip]
Image quality	• NEF (RAW) • JPEG fine • JPEG normal • JPEG basic • NEF (RAW) + JPEG fine • NEF (RAW) + JPEG normal • NEF (RAW) + JPEG basic	Select image quality. [clip]
Image size	• Large • Medium • Small	- 3872 x 2592 / 10.0M [clip] - 2896 x 1944 / 5.6M - 1936 x 1296 / 2.5M
White balance	• Auto • Incandescent • Fluorescent • Direct sunlight • Flash • Cloudy • Shade • Choose color temp. • White bal. preset	- Menu to fine tune WB (-3 to +3) - " - " - " - " - " - " - 2500 K - 9900 K - Select / program preset WB
ISO	• Auto • 100 • 125 • 160 • 200 • 250 • 320 • 400 • 500 • 640 • 800 • 1000 • 1250 • 1600 • HI 0.3 (~ISO 2000) • HI 0.7 (~ISO 2500) • HI 1.0 (~ISO 3200)	- Auto / Vari-program modes only (Auto ISO is available in P, A, S and M modes but only through CSM 07)
Long exposure NR	• Off • On	Enables dark frame subtraction NR for exposures of 1/2 sec or longer.
High ISO NR	• Normal • Low • High • Off	- NR at ISO 400 or above [clip] - " - " - NR at HI ISO's only (minimal)
Multiple exposure	• Done • Number of shots 2 - 3 • Auto gain On Off	Create a new image from between two and ten exposures.