Nikon D80

[handicap18]

There should be an option in the menu called image rotation. Make sure it is ON (choice might actually be Automatic) not off. This will rotate it in the LCD screen. It wont however rotate it once you download to the computer.

 

[Miller1412]

Thanks for your replies. I've gotten it narrowed down to a problem with the sensor. When I rotate the camera to the right, the picture comes up on the display in perfect alignment. Rotated back to a horizontal position, the photo still comes up on the display in vertical format (so now the photo is being displayed sideways). If the camera is rotated to the right vertically, the photo sometimes comes up sideways on the display, sometimes not. A couple of times the photo was even displayed upside down.

So now...I'm taking the camera back to the store tomorrow to get another. I'm a little nervous now about buying an expensive piece of equipment and having this as a recurring problem.

Has anyone else with a D80 had this problem, or is it a fluke? I'm hoping it's not a standard Nikon problem, but I'm worried now.

 

[Steve's Girl]

Have a D80 - don't have this problem. Hopefully just a fluke. Try another one. When it works properly, it really is a great camera!

 

[Miller1412]

Have a D80 - don't have this problem. Hopefully just a fluke. Try another one. When it works properly, it really is a great camera!

That's a relief to hear. I took it back today and a new one should be here Wednesday. Other than the sensor, it seemed great. I can't wait to dive in and get to know it. Thanks!!

 

[GoofyGolferGirl]

We don't have a local camera shop, so I want to buy a Nikon D80 off the internet. Is this smart?? What sites do you suggest?? Has anyone ever purchased from thecamerapros.com?

 

[Furgus]

B&H, Buydig.com, Ritz.

Those are some good sites to look at. Not sure about the one you listed.

 

[barrie]

Believe it or not, I've been buying my camera gear from Amazon lately. They are reputable and their prices are comparable to other sites. I just trust them.

 

[tinksdad]

B&H is very good and reliable. I've gotten MANY things there.


I actually found my D200 at the local Best Buy. You might try that.... or another electronic store.

 

[YEKCIM]

Add Beach to the mix, as well. They and buydig are the same, or sister companies, but sometimes one is less than the other. Like another poster, I have occasionally found Amazon to be a good source. I just ordered a Nikon 18-135mm zoom, to go with my new D50, from Amazon, and saved some significant money.

~YEKCIM

 

[Steve's Girl]

B&H is very good and reliable. I've gotten MANY things there.


I actually found my D200 at the local Best Buy. You might try that.... or another electronic store.

I bought my D80 from Best Buy also. I spoke to the manager, and they reduced the price some for me. They also had the best warranty. I think it was something like 4yrs. for $149 and it covered most any type of damage - even dropping it on concrete, in the toilet, etc. At the time I was looking, the reduced price Best Buy gave me was equal to anything I could find online from a reputable seller. Plus, they had 18mo. 0% financing!

 

[Jockaroo]

This is my first post on the Photo board, but I've been looking at many of the great shots posted for the past few weeks.

We recently purchased a Nikon D80 (with 18-135mm lens) and are still in the playing-with-the-camera-to-learn-it stage. My question is this:

I am shooting in both JPG and NEF (Raw) format. When I open the JPG files in Photoshop CS2, my histogram shows nothing in the upper 20% or so of my images (no highlights) and the photos are dull, dark and flat. I can open the same file in the Raw converter (from Photoshop) and open a copy as a JPG in PS CS2 and the histogram shows details in the highlight area and the image has much more depth, brightness and highlights.

Any ideas what I am doing wrong. My whitebalance is set to auto. I'm still learning the camera, so I'm sure I have a setting wrong. This problem is showing up in shots outside in sunlight, shade and inside with and without the flash. I've tried tests with the auto point and shoot functions, but most are taken with the Aperture priority setting. Thanks!

 

[Steve's Girl]

Without digging out my manual, my first few questions are:
1. What is the quality of the jpeg - basic, normal, fine?
2. What are your settings for Sharpening, Tone, Color Mode and Satuation (located in the Shooting Menu under Optimize Image)? These settings make a huge difference in the appearance of jpegs.

Edited to add: I assume you are referring to a D80? If not, just disregard everything I wrote!

 

[fitzperry]

I agree with Steve's Girl to check the settings. Also, the D70's only option for RAW + JPG is a basic JPG. I'm not sure if the D80 is the same or not, but if it is, I think that may explain some of the difference.

 

[tinksdad]

The camera settings sounds like the culprit to me as well. When shooting JPG the camera will apply what ever settings it has to the picture and then compresses it to save. RAW adds nothing and is lossless.

The D80 has the following image settings that you can change:

• Preset modes: Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait, B&W
• Sharpening: Auto, 6 levels
• Tone: Auto, 5 levels, Custom curve
• Color mode: Ia (sRGB), II (Adobe RGB), IIIa (sRGB)
• Saturation: Auto, 3 levels
• Hue: -9° to +9°

 

[mabas9395]

I think that you can think of a jpg right out of the camera as a RAW file that has been converted by the camera settings you choose. And of course the RAW file opened by Photoshop is converted by Photoshop.

What you are going to find is that two different RAW converters are going to give you different resulting jpgs. If they are both set for the most "neutral" setting, then they are most likely to be similar. But as mentioned above, if you boost any of the camera settings (saturation, contrast, etc) then those jpgs could be very different. Even your cameras "auto" white balance could yield different results than Photoshops "auto" wb when it converts to jpg.

 

[Steve's Girl]

I agree with Steve's Girl to check the settings. Also, the D70's only option for RAW + JPG is a basic JPG. I'm not sure if the D80 is the same or not, but if it is, I think that may explain some of the difference.

D80 does allow you to choose your jpeg quality when you are shooting RAW+jpeg. (I always use RAW+jpeg fine. If I got my exposure right, I use the jpeg. If I goofed something I have the RAW to fall back on.)

 

[Jockaroo]

Thanks for your replies. And I have fixed the title of the thread--the camera is the Nikon D80. I still have my old N2000 model on the brain I guess!

To answer the questions asked:

I am shooting raw with fine jpeg.
Using the following settings:
--Sharpening: auto
--Tone: auto
--Color Mode: I a(sRGB) -- should I change this to II (Adobe RGB) since I'm using Photoshop?
--Saturation: Auto
--Hue adjustment: 0 degrees

Many of the auto settings have an option for "normal". Would this be a better option?

I have the Magic Lantern Guides book and DVD for the camera. I've watched the DVD and need to watch again. I also have found the section of the book that explains the settings you have mentioned and will be reading up on these as well. The camera has so many settings and I'm getting a little confused. Based on my settings, do you have any additional advice? Thanks.

And Steve's Girl, thanks for pointing me in the correct direction to find these settings--I really am just learning the camera. It is a huge step up from my digital point and shoot Olympus.

 

[fitzperry]

D80 does allow you to choose your jpeg quality when you are shooting RAW+jpeg. (I always use RAW+jpeg fine. If I got my exposure right, I use the jpeg. If I goofed something I have the RAW to fall back on.)

I wish the D70 offered that option. I'd like to do that sometimes too, and the basic jpeg is pretty useless to me.

 

[Anewman]

--Color Mode: I a(sRGB) -- should I change this to II (Adobe RGB) since I'm using Photoshop?

That depends what the color space setting you have in Photoshop.

 

[Steve's Girl]

I am shooting raw with fine jpeg.
Using the following settings:
--Sharpening: auto
--Tone: auto
--Color Mode: I a(sRGB) -- should I change this to II (Adobe RGB) since I'm using Photoshop?
--Saturation: Auto
--Hue adjustment: 0 degrees

Many of the auto settings have an option for "normal". Would this be a better option?

Personally, I don't use a lot of the auto settings because your results may be unpredictable. Here are the settings I use:
-- sharpening: medium low (I prefer to do this pp where I have more control over the levels. Too much sharpening in the camera can degrade the quality of the image)
-- tone: normal
-- color mode: Ia most of the time. IIIa is good for landscapes, etc. But I think that sometimes the colors can get a bit too vivid and almost "cartoony" with IIIa. I've never used 2 - over my head!
-- saturation: normal
-- hue adjustment: 0

This is kind of like the blind leading the blind here. Try some of these settings and maybe post some examples.