Nikon D80

General
Not small, not new, but with focus motor. Is it a good choice?

Pros/Cons
+ Cheap (but the D70/D50 is even cheaper)
+ good set of features (for its age and intended audience)
+ focus motor (like the D70/D50)

- old. The D90 is so much better (more expensive, though, obviously)
- buttons not very ergonomical
- 10MP sensor isn't bad, but nothing fantastic either

Old before its time, but did (and in a way still does) the job

Intended Users
Great for:

• back-up/second camera, particularly if you have many screw-type lenses
• cheap yet many features
• Quite good autofocus (for its age and intended audience)

Not for:

• true professional work - yes, you can take just as good photos, but it's longer and more frustrating
• older manual focus lenses don't meter and guessing the exposure can be frustrating
• people who look for the cheapest possible option

Final Verdict
A good but not great camera.The problem is that its design is older than its price, so to speak. To put it this way, it sells for about double the money compared to a D50 or D70, but it's certainly not twice as good. If you look for the cheapest possible camera that can deliver good image quality and work with your AF (screw-type) lenses, you would be perhaps better served by a D50 or D70. If you can afford to pay more, the D90 is a significant improvement compared to the D80

Looking for a D80? Check here.