Suddenly the 10 Megapixels market seems very crowded. The Nikon D80 competes among them with a large viewfinder, strong ergonomics, great build quality and a high-level of customization. Image quality is rather good with slightly over saturated colors for increased consumer appeal, accurate metering and accurate focusing. Noise levels and sharpness is where things get complicated, more on this further down.

In terms of high-level features, the Nikon D80 finds itself a bit shorthanded: it does not have stabilization, like the Sony Alpha A100 and Pentax K10D; it does not have dust-reduction features, like most of its competitors; and it is not weather-sealed like to Pentax K10D. In terms of subtle features, like image parameters and control customization, it has plenty. Important ones are control over auto-ISO behavior, control over noise reduction, customizable metering and a large number of image parameters.

As for noise and softness, the Nikon D80 trades the former for the latter. This is a universal compromise to make in high-density image sensors. As such, the D80 produces images softer than any other DSLR. On the other hand, apparent noise is less than that of the Sony Alpha A100, which uses the same sensor and was criticized by its un-DSLR-like noise levels. In practical terms, the D80's images will appear better for small to medium size prints (8"x12") but large prints will be noticeably less sharp.

Considering that the D80 is more expensive than all other 10 Megapixels DSLR cameras, save for the higher-end Nikon D200, people without Nikon lenses may be driven elsewhere. For a highly ergonomic camera with a large viewfinder, the Pentax K10D is a more complete package. For better image quality, the Canon Rebel XTi is suggested. The Sony Alpha A100 may have a smaller viewfinder but it has built-in stabilization which is a great cost-saving feature. Finally, anyone considering the D80 at its current price should look at the slightly more expensive Canon 30D. Even though the 30D has 8 Megapixels, the D80 does not capture more detail. Plus, the Canon 30D shoots at 5 FPS.