Hi I'm Gordon from camera labs and in This video I'm going to show you the Best camera that I found for under $99 Or pound yep at a time when it feels Like most new cameras start at several Grand I wanted to prove that you can bag An excellent model in just double Figures I've picked the Nikon d80 a Classic DSLR from 2006 which may now be 17 years old but still delivers greatl Looking photos with its 10 mapix CCD Sensor not to mention supporting Excellent controls and ergonomics is Perfect for students beginners or anyone Who appreciates vintage digital cameras Now we didn't realize it at the time but The d8 would become the last Model in Its series to employ a CCD sensor a Technology valued by so many enthusiasts Today sure you can't record video on the D80 or use its screen for live view both Came later with the D90 but you are Getting a mature sense of Technology at The top of its game versus one of the Earliest seos models that still had Issues to IR out I've been tracking the Prices on used d8s for some time but I've become a bit wary of buying Untested dslrs blind from auction sites While most of the Vintage digital Compacts I've bought for my retro Dynabites Channel have sprung back into Life given a new battery I've now bought Several old dslrs which have arrived
With fungus mold or damaged viewfinder Optics so to reliably reli my 2006 DS La Fantasy I turned to mpb the sponsor of This video where all their used cameras Are not only tested with an honest Evaluation and shut account but also Come with a 6-month warranty and in the Case of the Nikon d80 there was no Premium to pay for this peace of mind With several used models in stock at the Time I made this video in working order From just 50 to 80 depending on Condition I'm quoting pounds because I'm In the UK but mpb also operates across The US and Europe I decided to treat Myself to one at the upper end of this Scale described as being in like new Condition and cost in £80 with a shutter Count of just over 22,000 images which I Confirmed later in the meta tags bargain It also came with an original battery And charger both in working condition With the camera menus reporting the Battery as being close to New now that's In some contrast to most cameras that I Buy from auction sites where the battery Is either completely dead or missing Altogether forcing me to buy a new one For around 20 just to Simply discover if The camera will even power up I also Ordered a pair of usess lenses to go With it a dx18 to 55 VR kit zoom and a Dx35 1.8 Prime costing £73 and £84 lb Respectively they all arrived well
Packed and in excellent condition as Described and after charging the battery I was good to go now to get up to speed On the d8 I rewatched my original review Of it from back in 2006 while I'd been reviewing cameras in Print since the '90s this was one of my First videos for YouTube and films in Glorious Square shaped standard Definition video with terrible audio so Let's take a mercifully quick look at What I said back then previously on Camera Labs here it is the d80 it's a 10 Megapixel digital SLR that's designed to Be affordable but a step up from the Budget models that are out there it Feels really comfortable and the grip is Very secure it's a little bit more Expensive than it 10 megapixel Rivals There's also no anti- Shaker standard in The d8 and with the 18-135 when you got It fully zoomed in you've got to be Really careful about camera Shake ah the Good old days of camera reviews on YouTube where a complete absence of Competition meant that my poorly Produced videos regularly scored half a Million views but I digress so back in 2006 the DAT may have delivered similar Quality to Rivals like the Canon 400d or Rebel xti but represented a step up in Build handling and features plus while Canon adopted cosos technology for its Consumer dsls from day one Nikon had
Stuck with CCD at least on until this Point and even today the d8 remains a Classy and very usable camera with its Twin control dials and upper information Screen and a generously sized viewfinder With LCD grid lines that can be switched On and off in the menus I rely on grids And guides for aligning shots and I love This feature on Nikon's better dslrs Especially in the absence of composing With the screen on the d80 Beyond these Features I also personally felt that the DAT was the best in its peer group for Ergonomics like Canon Nikon cemented its Design style very early on and the DAT Looks and feels as fresh and familiar Today as it did 17 years ago it's a Camera you can pick up and get to grips With almost immediately and everything Is exactly where it should be I'm also More than happy to trade video and live View for a CCD sensor today not just for The image quality but because it makes The DAT refreshingly simple even today's Latest hybrid cameras struggle to Present controls and menus that work Really well for both photo and Video in Contrast the DAT only takes photos and Was the last Model in its series to do That the menus are split into five Sections for playback shooting custom Settings setup and retouch from shooting You can choose three levels of jpeg Compression with or without a raw file
Or raw by itself and those raw files are Still supported by the latest versions Of adobe camera raw and Lightroom best Quality 10 megap images measure 3872 by 2592 pixels letting you make 13 by8 in Prints at 300 DPI or crop for social Posts and begging the question whether You really need High resolutions inside The custom menu you'll find the option To enable the viewfinder grid guides as Well as an option to set auto ISO Separating auto ISO from the main Sensitivity menu is about the only thing That feels a little bit odd compared to Today's cameras but I generally leave it Enabled for my day-to-day shooting so I Was happy to set it and move on Vintage Digital cameras often didn't catch you Out in terms of odd batteries obsolete Memory cards and proprietary ports but The d8 was Forward Thinking enough back Then to remain practical years later my Order from mpb came with a working Battery in good condition but if you Need it replacements for the en el3e are Still available as are many USB cables To directly transfer images to your Computer sadly the d8 does like USB Charging but that's normal for dslrs of This age as for memory the d8 employed Standard SD cards and supported SDHC Which means a maximum size of 32 GB I Confirm this in practice with the d8 Rejecting my 64 gig and larger cards but
Working just fine with 32 gig and Smaller cards this 32 GB card could Capture over 1600 best quality images in Ro plus jpeg mode so with the battery Charged an SD card inserted and the dx35 1.8 mounted I hit the streets of Brighton to see how it performed today As I talk about the experience and Quality I'll show you a selection of Jpeg straight out of camera using the Default settings as I mentioned earlier The d8 is a very well-designed camera Which feels comfortable in your hands And is easy to control with its twin Dials it's also useful to view exposure Details on the upper screen the rear Monitor or through the viewfinder in the Absence of live view composition is with The optical viewfinder alone but Mercifully it delivers a large and Bright View with the benefit of on Demand LCD grid lines allowing accurate Framing and Alignment unlike some older Dslrs I never felt the viewfinder was Lacking likewise for the 11. AF system Which delivers a step up in coverage and Accuracy over the basic ninepoint Systems of Rivals the speed varies with The lens in question and while the dx35 1.8 isn't the fastest in the system it Did feel quick enough for day-to-day use Plus if you prefer too action quicker Lenses are available and If vintage Lenses are you thing the d8 will also Al
Drive older nickel models speaking of Action the d8s top burst speed of 3 Frames per second is nothing to write Home about today but remember it comes From an era where even the semipro D200 Only shot at 5 frames per second Similarly the top extended sensitivity Of 3200 ISO is pretty modest by today's Standards but on the plus side the Images at 800 and 1600 ISO are still Fairly clean and while we're talking About Nikon's higher end Semi-Pro series That's where you'll need to go if if you Want weatherproofing back then only Pentax and Olympus were including Weather ceiling on their more consumer Focused models so if you want a tougher Model from nickon from a similar period Look out for a D200 or a D300 as for the Photo quality I was prepared for the d8s Exposure and white balance to sh's age But was pleasantly surprised to find Virtually no issues or situations where I needed to overrule its automatic Suggestions back in 2006 Nikon's Matrix Metering was already better than Rivals And it shows today with the camera Easily evaluating most conditions Likewise for white balance with every Image I'm showing you here taking in Auto white balance and showing no issues Unlike some models of the same era and While today's entry-level cameras boast 24 megapixels I never felt my 10
Megapixel images from the d8 were Blacking in detail in fact in terms of Color and style I'm very fond of its Output some of which is undoubtedly down To the characteristics of its CCD sensor These are images that I would be very Happy to use today the d8 also has in Camera retouching and even a slideshow Capability with music so before wrapping Up let's return briefly to my 2006 Review made in Queenstown New Zealand Another thing that's quite interesting About the DAT is it slideshow mode you Can actually have background music Playing with your slideshows now there's No loud speaker built into the DAT so This will only be heard if you plug it Into your TV but we've got an example of It for you [Music] Here it's Testament to how much Nikon Got right with the d8 back in 2006 that It remains a compelling position almost Two decades later sure the absence of Video live view and Wi-Fi along with a Modest top sensitivity and leisurely Burst speeds all reveal its age but Crucially none of this matters if you Just want a quality photographic Experience at a bargain price indeed Without the distraction and complexity Of a modern camera the d80 gives you a Decent apsc sensor interchangeable Lenses good controls and a quality view
Finder for less than $100 or pound on The used Market This is the model that I'd recommend to Students beginners or those on a tight Budget who want to learn about Photography or to try something Different from their phone it's also an Attractive option for lovers of older Technology the last in its line to Support a CCD sensor a technology highly Valued by Enthusiast today for its tonal And color production in fact many dslrs Of the same period with CCD sensors Now Command higher prices on the used market So I consider grabbing a DAT while They're still available in double Figures so for the price of a new Instax Mini camera you can bag one of the best Eslrs of its day which still delivers Excellent image quality with great Handling yes it's still more expensive Than a used Canon 400d or Rebel xti but With the difference now with being only A few quid why not treat yourself to the Superior model I got mine from mpb where Again you'll find an honest appraisal of The condition avoiding any nasty Surprises when you want to buy or sell Use camera gear do check them out at MPP Com or using the link in the description And if you're into older cameras be sure To check out my retro Channel dyab btes Where I tell the story behind classic Models at the birth of digital
Photography thanks for watching and let Me know in the comments what camera You'd pick for less than $100 or pound See you next time bye-bye
