Customer Rating: 
Summary: Nikon D80 vs Canon Xsi
Comment: I am the typical point a shoot upgrader and was in the market for a DSLR for the month of may. After extensive online research, I ultimately decided for the Nikon D80 and received it 2 days ago. If you want my blessing to buy this product, you got it. If you are interested in my detailed reasoning, read on.
My Sony P&S had reached its limits in terms of image quality and creative freedom (though it has a pseudo manual mode). I long hesitated to go DSLR due to their size and weight, but if you are looking for serious image quality, there is no other option (plus they came a long way in shrinking them). The consumer DSLR market is largely driven by feature craze, so let's take a look at what's out there and how useful some features are at closer inspection. Benchmark is the Canon XSI, since it has all of the latest features and is the newest on the market:
1. Live view: Coming from P&S and wearing glasses, this is obviously a feature I liked. However, it is not practical in real use, since it can cause add'l noise on the sensor due to heat and focusing is not fast enough (Sony and Olympus got canceled off my list due to other reasons). Friends who own the XSI say they never use live view. It's also a significant battery drain. Canon's 600 shot bat life compares to 2,700 on the Nikon.
2. Dust reduction: Already had dust problems on my P&S and it's a known problem on DSLRs. However, tests show that the vibration systems are mostly ineffective, with Olympus having the best and Canon the worst. Even on Nikon's web page where they showcase the feature, they say that a blower is a very effective way to remove dust from the sensor. Tests confirm this, there is no way around it.
3. Lens selection: Web pages advise shoppers to not only look at the body, but also at lenses, which is very true. I got the impression that Canon's lens selecton for APS-C sized sensors in the consumer segment is straight out horrible. Terrible build and image quality, terrible zoom ranges. They are still stuck in 35mm film stuff.
4. Mega Pixels: It's the lens, stupid! Increasing pixel resolution beyond what the lens can resolve just clogs your memory card.
5. Build quality: Yes, the Canon is lighter, but: No pentaprism, just mirrors for the viewfinder, tons of plastic, and the lenses are even worse...
6. LCD size: it's a battery drain. To really benefit from a larger screen, you would also want more pixels to keep resolution constant. Nikon and Canon both have 230k.
Bottom line: The Nikon is a gorgeous camera engineered for photography! It gives me the image quality and creative freedom I want. After doing my homework, I figured it's not even worth waiting for it's successor D90, coming out between now and September.
The D80 delivers solid performance w/o going over board with feature craze. It received a ton of accolades for image quality, so I don't have to repeat it here. Just a serious piece of equipment that now is available at a great price. I invested the savings into the new Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens, making it the awesome combination that I was looking for.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Feels better.
Comment: SO I had about 3 camaeras in one month to test them out.They where the Nikon D80, canon XSi and the sony A300. The Nikon D80 felt the best in my hand and build quality just felt better ecspecially when spending alot of money. Ths XSI and A300 had some great features but I kept coming back to the nikon.
The XSi had a plastic feel. And the Sony felt good build wise but the flip screen I felt got in the way of my face using the viewfinder.
So hope that helps a little.
Customer Rating:
Summary: D80
Comment: The D80 is a great SLR digital for people like me who had previously used Nikon Cameras and have collected a number of Nikor autofocus lenses.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic camera!
Comment: I upgraded from a Nikon D50 to the D80. I have really enjoyed the extra features that the D80 provides. It is a great camera, a great purchase!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Image Quality
Comment: Pretty darn good camera for it's price. Image quality is very good. Have to zoom in pretty far to see any blurring or pixelization. Ease of operation is very good as well. Had qiute a bit of it figured out in a couple of days, to get me rolling, and I haven't even scratched the surface on what it may do.
Unfortunately the optional telephoto lenses from 300mm to 600mm range in price from around $1700 to almost $9500 respectively. So I'll stick to what I have.
Summary: Nikon D80 vs Canon Xsi
Comment: I am the typical point a shoot upgrader and was in the market for a DSLR for the month of may. After extensive online research, I ultimately decided for the Nikon D80 and received it 2 days ago. If you want my blessing to buy this product, you got it. If you are interested in my detailed reasoning, read on.
My Sony P&S had reached its limits in terms of image quality and creative freedom (though it has a pseudo manual mode). I long hesitated to go DSLR due to their size and weight, but if you are looking for serious image quality, there is no other option (plus they came a long way in shrinking them). The consumer DSLR market is largely driven by feature craze, so let's take a look at what's out there and how useful some features are at closer inspection. Benchmark is the Canon XSI, since it has all of the latest features and is the newest on the market:
1. Live view: Coming from P&S and wearing glasses, this is obviously a feature I liked. However, it is not practical in real use, since it can cause add'l noise on the sensor due to heat and focusing is not fast enough (Sony and Olympus got canceled off my list due to other reasons). Friends who own the XSI say they never use live view. It's also a significant battery drain. Canon's 600 shot bat life compares to 2,700 on the Nikon.
2. Dust reduction: Already had dust problems on my P&S and it's a known problem on DSLRs. However, tests show that the vibration systems are mostly ineffective, with Olympus having the best and Canon the worst. Even on Nikon's web page where they showcase the feature, they say that a blower is a very effective way to remove dust from the sensor. Tests confirm this, there is no way around it.
3. Lens selection: Web pages advise shoppers to not only look at the body, but also at lenses, which is very true. I got the impression that Canon's lens selecton for APS-C sized sensors in the consumer segment is straight out horrible. Terrible build and image quality, terrible zoom ranges. They are still stuck in 35mm film stuff.
4. Mega Pixels: It's the lens, stupid! Increasing pixel resolution beyond what the lens can resolve just clogs your memory card.
5. Build quality: Yes, the Canon is lighter, but: No pentaprism, just mirrors for the viewfinder, tons of plastic, and the lenses are even worse...
6. LCD size: it's a battery drain. To really benefit from a larger screen, you would also want more pixels to keep resolution constant. Nikon and Canon both have 230k.
Bottom line: The Nikon is a gorgeous camera engineered for photography! It gives me the image quality and creative freedom I want. After doing my homework, I figured it's not even worth waiting for it's successor D90, coming out between now and September.
The D80 delivers solid performance w/o going over board with feature craze. It received a ton of accolades for image quality, so I don't have to repeat it here. Just a serious piece of equipment that now is available at a great price. I invested the savings into the new Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens, making it the awesome combination that I was looking for.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Feels better.
Comment: SO I had about 3 camaeras in one month to test them out.They where the Nikon D80, canon XSi and the sony A300. The Nikon D80 felt the best in my hand and build quality just felt better ecspecially when spending alot of money. Ths XSI and A300 had some great features but I kept coming back to the nikon.
The XSi had a plastic feel. And the Sony felt good build wise but the flip screen I felt got in the way of my face using the viewfinder.
So hope that helps a little.
Customer Rating:
Summary: D80
Comment: The D80 is a great SLR digital for people like me who had previously used Nikon Cameras and have collected a number of Nikor autofocus lenses.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic camera!
Comment: I upgraded from a Nikon D50 to the D80. I have really enjoyed the extra features that the D80 provides. It is a great camera, a great purchase!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Image Quality
Comment: Pretty darn good camera for it's price. Image quality is very good. Have to zoom in pretty far to see any blurring or pixelization. Ease of operation is very good as well. Had qiute a bit of it figured out in a couple of days, to get me rolling, and I haven't even scratched the surface on what it may do.
Unfortunately the optional telephoto lenses from 300mm to 600mm range in price from around $1700 to almost $9500 respectively. So I'll stick to what I have.