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Nikon Announces D80 Digital
SLR
The latest in digital
advances delivers outstanding performance,
ease of operation, versatile control and
exciting in-camera effects
Mississauga, ON, August 9, 2006
- Nikon Canada Inc. today introduced the
Nikon D80 Digital SLR. Incorporating Nikon's
latest digital and photographic technologies,
this new high-performance digital SLR camera
- including an interchangeable-lens with
automated operation and advanced features
-- is designed to satisfy photographers'
passion for creating beautiful photographs
and preserving special moments.
The Nikon D80 Digital SLR features a new
10.2 effective megapixel DX Format CCD image
sensor, bringing a new level of high resolution
and sharp detail to the class while providing
the freedom to crop creatively and print
impressive enlargements. Nikon's DX Format
sensor and Nikon F bayonet lens mount design
assure unprecedented compatibility across
the comprehensive assortment of AF Nikkor
lenses and DX Nikkor lenses designed exclusively
for Nikon digital SLR cameras.
One of the key advances developed for the
D80 is Nikon's own high-resolution image
processing engine. Advantages inherited
from Nikon's latest professional digital
SLR cameras include colour independent analogue
pre-conditioning and high-precision 12-bit
digital image processing algorithms, which
combine to produce natural-looking images
that benefit from faithful colour and tone
reproduction. A new-dedicated high-performance
processing chip greatly accelerates performance
on all levels, while also achieving lower
power consumption, providing more pictures
per battery charge.
Nikon's exclusive 3D Colour Matrix Metering
II ensures accurate automatic exposure control
for ideal exposures, even in the most challenging
lighting conditions. Evaluating, rather
than merely measuring or averaging the true
content of each scene, input from the system's
frame-wide 420-pixel sensor is automatically
referenced against an onboard database of
over 30,000 scenes from actual photography
to calculate final exposure value. Variable
centre-weighted metering and spot metering
centred on the active focus area are also
available, as are exposure compensation
and auto exposure bracketing. Sophisticated
exposure automation combined with options
for complete user control help make the
D80 an ideal high-performance digital SLR
for passionate photography enthusiasts.
Advanced Auto White Balance (AWB) produces
natural colouration by measuring the entire
frame of each scene and matching white balance
to the light source. For those seeking greater
personal control, the flexible options include
a choice of six specific manual settings,
(Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct Sunlight,
Flash, Cloudy and Shade), as well as a preset
option for using a gray or white object
as a reference.
Ensuring consistently fast and precise
focus lock under varying shooting conditions
is the D80's refined 11-area AF system.
This new 11-area AF system adopts a refined
version of Nikon's advanced Multi-CAM 1000
AF Sensor Module, adding effective new focusing
options that will instill greater confidence
in obtaining the desired shot. For example,
while the system is able to use each of
its 11 focus areas individually, the centre
sensor can also be switched to wide-frame
operation for broader coverage. New Auto-area
AF mode measures all 11 focus areas, and
automatically determines which of them are
on the primary subject, and activates only
those areas.
Ready to shoot whenever that priceless
expression or special moment presents itself,
the D80 takes only 0.18 seconds to power
up. And, the shutter's minimal release lag
time of approximately 80 milliseconds delivers
instant response while shooting, as does
the fast and precise focus of the refined
11-area AF system with AF-assist illuminator.
Images are processed instantly and recorded
quickly to the inserted SD memory card .
Preview images are also displayed near instantly.
Action photography is a reality with continuous
shooting at a rapid 3 frames per second
in bursts of up to 100 JPEG (FINE M-size
or smaller) images.
Packing high performance and high resolution
into a slimmer, more compact body, the D80
also remains true to Nikon's commitment
to intuitive operation. The size, layout
and operation of all buttons and controls
are designed for maximum convenience and
ease of use.
The D80 features a large and bright viewfinder
with large 0.94x magnification to ensure
the clearest view possible for precise composition.
Included is a built-in diopter adjustment
control knob that also makes it easier to
fine-tune the view to match eyesight. The
viewfinder's integrated grid display can
also be turned on to assist with composition.
A large 2.5-inch 230,000-dot high-resolution
LCD provides an ultra-wide 170-degree viewing
angle from all directions, while a new,
dedicated Zoom button makes it easy to preview
images and assess sharpness at up to 25
times magnification. A new RGB histogram
display aids in evaluating exposures with
greater precision. Other playback options
include single frame, 4 or 9-image thumbnail
display, an improved histogram display and
highlight point display.
The D80 also adds built-in Standard or
Advanced Pictmotion slideshow options, which
includes style selections that control transitions
and background music. Shows can be enjoyed
on the 2.5-inch LCD, or complete with audio
on a television when connected via the supplied
AV cable.
A new menu interface featuring refinements
to the carefully chosen colour scheme and
increased font size makes navigation easier
on the eye, easier to understand and easier
to use. Menus can be customized to display
only selected items using the new "My
Menu" set.
Exclusive in-camera image editing features
under the new Retouch menu help ensure consistently
satisfying results and greater creative
freedom without the use of a computer. D-Lighting
automatically brings out detail to enhance
results and add creative flair while optimizing
overall exposure balance. Red-eye correction
automatically detects and compensates for
the annoying red-eye effect sometimes caused
by flash. Trim can be used to produce smaller
files for easy sharing or greater efficiency.
Image Overlay merges a pair of selected
RAW (NEF) files taken with the D80 to create
a new composite image. Other options include
Monochrome settings (Black-and-white, Sepia,
Cyanotype) and Filter Effects (Skylight,
Warm Filter, Colour Balance).
Multiple Exposure is a new shooting option
that creates a single image within the camera
from up to three consecutive exposures,
producing an automatic effect that resembles
multiple exposure techniques used with film.
Creative photography is as simple as rotating
the mode dial with the D80's selection of
seven automated Digital Vari-Programs. Choose
from Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close Up,
Sports, Night Landscape, or Night Portrait
and the selected program automatically optimizes
white balance, sharpening, tone (contrast),
colour, saturation and hue settings to best
match the shot. The D80 also offers personal
control over image optimization settings,
with user-selectable menu settings for the
Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait,
Custom and Black-and-White options.
The powerful built-in flash employs Nikon's
highly robust i-TTL flash control for greater
precision in flash exposure evaluation that
achieves better automatic flash balance.
i-TTL flash control also helps realize built-in
features such as Repeating Flash function
for creating stroboscopic effects and the
Modeling Flash, which allows photographers
to visually assess overall lighting and
shadow conditions prior to shooting. Full
support for the Advanced Wireless Lighting
System lets the built-in flash function
as a two-group remote commander that provides
direct control over wireless SB-800 or SB-600
Speedlights.
The inherent advantages of the D80 combine
with the empowering and creatively inspiring
components of Nikon's Total Digital Imaging
System to deliver a new level of operating
ease, expanded creative possibilities, and
pure enjoyment. This begins with the lineup
of interchangeable high-quality AF and DX
Nikkor lenses, which extends to maximize
the potential of Nikon's Creative Lighting
System, offering benefits such as i-TTL
flash control, Advanced Wireless Lighting.
It also offers the highly reliable FV Lock
and Auto FP High-Speed Sync, enabling high-precision
flash photography with SB-800, SB-600 and
SB-R200 Speedlights.
Convenient and practical Total Imaging
System add-ons include the new MB-D80 Multi-Power
Battery Pack. Featuring an ergonomic design
that blends added stability with extended
shooting potential for more comfortable
shooting in vertical format. The Wireless
ML-L3 (IR) Remote Control and MC-DC1 Remote
Cord options provide necessary camera stability
when using long exposures, such as for landscape
and macro photography.
Nikon's PictureProject software, provided
with every purchase of a Nikon D80, enables
easy image importing, editing, organization
and sharing. Design templates make it easy
to produce prints, tailor images to e-mail,
or lay out several images on a page to produce
creative album layouts.
Capture NX (available for purchase separately)
is Nikon's highly versatile and elegantly
simple new photo editing solution designed
for those who desire more creative control
over post-processing and to help photographers
tap the full potential of NEF (RAW) images.
Featuring an innovative user interface that
provides easier access to powerful and visually
intuitive enhancement tools, Capture NX's
powerful photo image processing and editing
tools can also be applied to JPEG and TIFF
files to satisfy a broader range of photofinishing
needs and applications.
In addition to the advantages of Nikon's
total imaging system, the Nikon D80 beautifully
combines the best of latest advances in
digital technology with ease of operation
and quick and efficient camera handling.
Aspiring photographers everywhere are certain
to enjoy the Nikon digital SLR experience
as much as they enjoy the superb pictures
it produces.
D80 Major Features Overview
Exceptional Imaging Quality
* New 10.2 effective megapixel Nikon DX
Format CCD image sensor with the power to
capture exceptional sharpness and faithful
colour at 3,872 x 2,592 pixels size.
* Inherits industry-leading advanced imaging
processing engine of Nikon professional
D-SLR cameras. Colour-independent pre-conditioning
prior to A/D conversion works in harmony
with high-precision digital image processing
algorithms to produce natural-looking images
that benefit from faithful colour and tone
reproduction.
* 3D Colour Matrix Metering II automatic
exposure control ensures ideal exposures
in most lighting conditions. Evaluating
brightness, colour, contrast, selected focus
area and camera-to-subject distance, the
system references the data against an expanded
onboard database created using data from
more than 30,000 actual photographic scenes
to instantly and accurately calculate the
final exposure value for the shot. Variable
centre-weighted metering and spot metering
centered on the active focus area are also
available.
* Refined 11-area AF system packs the same
number of focus areas available for the
professional D2 series into a space-efficient
system that features fast, precise operation.
Each of the 11 focus areas can be used individually,
the centre sensor can be switched to wide-frame
operation for broader coverage, and new
Auto-area AF mode measures all 11 focus
areas, automatically determining which of
them are on the primary subject, activating
only those areas.
* ISO AUTO mode automatically adjusts sensitivity
between ISO 100 to 1600 to maximize available
light and achieve optimal exposure. Sensitivity
can also be set manually between ISO 100
to 1600 in steps of 1/3 EV, plus HI-0.3,
HI-0.7 and HI-1. Three levels of High ISO
Noise Reduction are available when shooting
at high ISO settings. Long Exposure Noise
Reduction is also available when shooting
at shutter speeds of 8 seconds or slower.
Optimized and Predictable Results
* Seven automated Digital Vari-Programs
easily accessed from the Mode Dial provide
automatic operation that optimizes white
balance, sharpening, tone, colour, saturation
and hue for crisp and vivid results that
match the intended shot. Selections include
Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports,
Night Landscape and Night Portrait.
* Easily accessed image optimization options
closely tailor results to the scene at hand
or the intended use of the image. Image
sharpening, tone (contrast) compensation,
colour mode, saturation and hue adjustment
is controlled by the user-selected choice
of Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait,
Custom and Black-and-white.
Immediate Response and Fast Performance
* Near instant power-up of 0.18 seconds.
* A mere 80-millisecond shutter time lag
(approximate) promotes fast handling.
* Swift continuous shooting performance
at 3 frames per second enables the shooting
of up to 100 JPEG (FINE M-size or smaller)
or up to 6 RAW (NEF) images.
* Average frame rate with continuous-servo
AF, manual or shutter-priority auto exposure,
a shutter speed of 1/250 seconds or faster,
and remaining buffer memory.
* Shutter speeds ranging from 1/4,000 to
30 seconds or bulb setting provide full
creative control.
In-camera Image Editing and Effects
-Creative in-camera effects and editing
functions available under the new Retouch
menu
* D-Lighting automatically brings out detail
to enhance results and add creative flair,
all while optimizing overall exposure balance.
* Red-eye correction automatically detects
and compensates for the annoying red-eye
effect sometimes caused by flash.
* Trim can be used to produce smaller files
for easy sharing or greater efficiency for
specific end purposes.
* Image Overlay merges a pair of selected
RAW (NEF) files taken with the D80 to create
a new composite image that can be saved
in RAW or JPEG format.
* Monochrome settings (Black-and-white,
Sepia, Cyanotype)
* Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm Filter,
Colour Balance) Multiple Exposure creates
a single image within the camera from up
to 3 consecutive exposures to produce imaginative
and even surreal results.
Ergonomics for efficient handling and
further versatility
* The D80 features a slimmer, more compact
body with the size, layout and operation
of all buttons and controls designed for
intuitive operation.
* A large 2.5-inch LCD monitor with a 170°
viewing angle and new dedicated zoom button
assist accurate and easy assessment of sharpness
by enabling image preview at up to 25 times
magnification (for L-size images). Convenient
displays include RGB information as a single
histogram display or as separate histograms
for each colour channel.
* Built-in slideshow options include Advanced
Pictmotion shows with style selections that
control transitions and background music,
and can be enjoyed on the 2.5-inch LCD,
or complete with audio on a television via
the supplied AV cable.
* The carefully chosen colour scheme and
increased font size of the new colour-coded
menu display makes navigation easy on the
eye, easier to understand and easier to
use. "My Menu" lets you customize
Menus to display only the items you wish
to see.
* Bright pentaprism viewfinder with large
0.94x magnification ensures the clearest
view possible for precise composition.
* Nikon's EN-EL3e rechargeable lithium-ion
battery delivers enough power to support
the shooting of up to 2,700 images on a
single charge, can be recharged at any time
and features a handy real-time fuel gauge
system display that shows remaining charge
by percentage, number of shots since last
charge and overall battery status.
Seamless integration with Nikon's Total
Imaging System
* Unprecedented compatibility with Nikon's
lineup of AF Nikkor lenses and digital-exclusive
DX Nikkor lenses. (When used with the D80
or any DX Format SLR, all AF and DX Nikkor
lenses have a picture angle comparable to
1.5x that of 35mm [135] format).
* Compatibility with the Nikon Creative
Lighting System allows the D80 to work seamlessly
with SB-800, SB-600 and SB-R200 Speedlights
to deliver the benefits of i-TTL flash control's
advanced monitor pre-flash, accurate measurement
for bounce and versatile wireless operation.
SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights also offer
a Wide-Area AF-assist Illuminator, which
aids flash photography in dim light by projecting
a pattern of red light that covers all eleven
autofocus areas of the D80's 11-area Multi-CAM
1000 AF Sensor Module.
* The optional MB-D80 battery pack adds
extended shooting capability in an ergonomic
design that adds shooting stability. Able
to run on either one or two EN-EL3e batteries
or six AA-size batteries , the pack also
features an additional command dial and
alternative buttons for shutter release
and AE-Lock/AF-Lock that make vertical shooting
more comfortable.
* PictureProject software (complimentary
with camera) features an intuitive user
interface that provides fast and easy access
to powerful tools for organizing, editing
and sharing images. Auto Enhance and other
creative functions are readily available
via handy buttons, as are Mail, Slideshow
and CD/DVD burning functions. Pictures can
be organized using simple drag 'n' drop
operation, and can be quickly located by
name, keyword, or date. Design templates
make it easy to produce prints, tailor images
to e-mail, or lay out several images on
a page to produce creative album layouts
* Capture NX (available for purchase separately)
is Nikon's highly versatile and elegantly
simple new photo editing solution designed
to help photographers tap the full potential
of NEF (RAW) images. Featuring an innovative
user interface that provides easier access
to powerful and visually intuitive enhancement
tools, Capture NX's powerful photo image
processing and editing tools can also be
applied to JPEG and TIFF files to satisfy
a broader range of photofinishing needs
and applications.
Exclusive Canadian Warranty
Nikon Canada offers an exclusive 2-year
warranty for all COOLPIX and the D50, D70s
and D80 Digital SLR cameras purchased from
a Nikon Canada Authorized Dealer. Consumers
can feel comfort knowing their investment
in protected by Nikon Canada's 2-Year Warranty
with in-Canada service.
Pricing and Availability
The Nikon D80 Digital SLR will be available
by mid-September
2006, with an approximate MSRP
of CDN $1,249.99
(body only).
About Nikon
Nikon, At the Heart of the ImageTM, is the
world leader in digital imaging, precision
optics and photo imaging technology and
is globally recognized for setting new standards
in product design and performance for its
award-winning consumer and professional
photographic equipment. Nikon Canada distributes
consumer and professional digital SLR cameras,
Nikkor optics, Speedlights and System Accessories;
Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras;
COOLSCAN® digital film scanners; 35mm
film SLR cameras; Nikon software products
and Nikon sports and recreational optics.
At the heart of every Nikon camera is Nikon's
Exclusive Feature System, making it easy
for anyone to take amazing digital pictures.
All Nikon Canada products are sold through
a network of Nikon Canada Authorized Dealers.
For more information on Nikon Canada and
its products and services or to find a Nikon
Authorized Dealer, visit www.nikon.ca.
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