Thinking of purchasing a NIKON D80 but have some questions/concerns.?

Question

Up until recently i was sure i would be getting the D60 though i did think about getting the D80.

now though, i am leaning more towards the D80.

because although this would be my first dslr i would still like to be able to grow with the camera i purchase.

-i know the D80 is older and thus has some older technology compared to that of the D60, but will this make a big difference at all?

-Also, i've heard the price will go down once the D90 officially comes out, is there any idea how drastically it will go down?

-Furthermore, will the lack of dust-removal abilities in the d80 be a huge deal?

The higher cost of the D80 is not really that big of an issue and i don't mind learning what i don't know yet about the camera, i also like the 11-area focus of the D80.

Answer 1

The differences between the D80 and D60 are not that massive, and in the end it mostly comes down to personal preference, though if you live and work in a really dusty area you should definitely get a D60.  Also, you should get a D60 if you do a lot of night photo work, because the eye sensor is really a life saver at night.

Answer 2

If you like the D80 better get it. I usually recommend the D60 for many of the reasons you have here but the D80 is still a solid well designed camera that will give you years of service.

As to how much the D80 will go down no one but Nikon knows

Dust removel becomes more important the more you have to change lenses. If you are chaning lenses often dust removel is more important. Dust can be an issue with all cameras and so even with a dust removal system the camera should be cleaned periodically by a professional

I don't think the D80 is SDHC compatible so that would effect the memory cards you can use

The D60 has Dynamic-area AF with closest subject priority the D80 does not have closest subject priority

The D80 has auto bracketing the D60 does not

The D80 has Auto FP High- Speed Flash Sync and the flash can be used as a commander in the creative lighting system the D60 cannot

There are other differences so match it to what you want to do. I think for most new photographers that the D60 will do all they need and lest them buy more accessories they may want. That is for most not all new photographers. And the bottom line is you are the one that has to be happy with it, Both will take great pictures

A full side by side comparison is here (scroll down to the charts and read down them )

http://www.nikonusa.com/Assets/Common-As...