Is the D80 worth $280 more than the XTi?

[DT4K]

I've been doing a lot of research in the last week and I've narrowed my choices down to these two cameras.
XTi body only for $598
XTi w/18-55 kit lens for $684
D80 body only for $867
D80 w/18-55 kit lens for $979
D80 w/18-135 kit lens for $1129

I've played around with both of them and definitely prefer the feel of the D80. But I didn't find the XTi to be uncomfortable either. If they were the same price, I'd definitely go with the D80, but it's a pretty big difference in price and they both seem to have the same image quality with the Nikon having a few advantages.
So the question is whether the D80 has enough advantages to be worth spending $867 instead of $598?

Thanks.

 

[virtuamike]

Compare the viewfinders. Pretty big difference.

 

[Kelvrick]

If I had the money, then yes, its worth it. In the end, what kind of glass can you get for 250? Pretty much nohting aside from the

That'll cover your accessories though.

EDIT: Thought you might be interested in this.

D80 for 710

 

[dug777]

I'd say absolutely, but then I hated the ergonomics and viewfinder on the 400D

I love my D80 to bits

Dpreview may help you decide:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/page29.asp

 

[DT4K]

Thanks.
The only thing I'm hesitant about is that the reviews seem to give the XTi a slight advantage in image quality, especially at high ISO.
Like I said, I did definitely like the ergonomics of the D80 better, but I wouldn't say I hated the way the XTi felt.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: DT4K
Thanks.
The only thing I'm hesitant about is that the reviews seem to give the XTi a slight advantage in image quality, especially at high ISO.
Like I said, I did definitely like the ergonomics of the D80 better, but I wouldn't say I hated the way the XTi felt.

hold it left handed and it's fine.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

XTi feels a lot better once you get a battery grip on there, but i would concur that the viewfinders better on the Nikon. they're not really in the same class to be honest, the XTi's rival is the D40x.

if you can afford it though.... D80, I mean the Kit lens on the XTi is pretty lame, but the one you'll get with the Nikon will be much better.

its almost six and 2 three's..... to make the XTi better to hold you need the batt grip, and then you'll need to buy a new lens to get better optical quality.

if your going for the XTi i would say get the body only, i used the kit lens on mine for a bit, but since i bought some other lenses...its never seen the light of day much unless i want to use the wide end.

 

[DT4K]

After spending some more time playing with both, I went with the D80.
I ended up spending a lot more money than I initially planned, but in the end, I decided I'd rather spend the extra and get the one I really wanted. I love the way the D80 feels and I love the big bright viewfinder. I got it with the 18-135 kit lens because overall, people seem to be really happy with that lens.

I took it out to my daughters' (two of them) soccer games over the weekend and took about a hundred shots. I fvcking love this camera. I was just astounded by how fast the thing shoots, how fast it focuses, and how easy it is to zoom in and out. I didn't mess with manual settings yet, but just put it on sports mode and got lots of great action shots.

I also ordered a 50 f/1.8 and the 70-300 VR. They should arrive this week.

 

[teatime0315]

Nice great choice. Those additional lenses should be super.

 

[secretanchitman]

yes! good choice!

thats what my dad was deciding between 2 months ago...

 

[JulesMaximus]

How about the Canon 30D?