The Nikon D80 has been introduced today. Incorporating Nikon’s latest digital and photographic technologies, this high-performance successor to the D70/D70s features automated operation and advanced features, designed to satisfy photographers with the passion to create beautiful photographs and preserve special moments. The D80 will be available beginning September for $999 for body only and $1299 for body including the new 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S IF-ED DX Nikkor lens.

Here are some good first-looks at the new Nikon-

Press Release

10.2 Megapixel D80 Offers Outstanding Performance, Ease Of Use, Versatile Personal Control and Exciting In-Camera Editing Tools

All New 7.5x 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S IF-ED DX Nikkor Lens Included with the D80 Outfit Creates a Compelling Option for Photo Enthusiasts

Building on the extraordinary success of the D70 and D70s, Nikon today introduced the new D80(TM) digital SLR camera — an impressively featured, high performance camera that incorporates Nikon’s latest digital and photographic technologies, and offers advanced features as well as automated operation to satisfy any photographer with the passion to create beautiful photographs and preserve special moments. With a new 10.2 effective megapixel DX Format CCD image sensor and an exclusive high-resolution color processing engine inherited from Nikon’s latest professional digital SLR cameras, the D80 can render images with incredible resolution, sharp detail and vibrant color that is unmatched in this class of cameras. And it can snap these images fast - at speeds of up to 3 frames per second, for up to 100 consecutive shots (in JPEG Normal mode), ensuring that the camera’s always ready for the next fleeting moment.

The D80 works with the efficiency and grace of a fine-tuned instrument, powering up in only 0.18 seconds and capturing a picture with an imperceptible shutter lag time of just 80 milliseconds (0.08 seconds). A new 11-area auto- focus system detects focus with superb precision and can even track a moving subject across the frame, shifting focus instantly and automatically to any of the 11 auto-focus points that detect the subject The D80’s large, bright 0.94x viewfinder affords a remarkable view not found in many digital SLRs, making critical composition easier and more pleasing. The camera’s rechargeable battery can last up to 2700 shots on a single charge, while also providing a real-time Fuel Gauge of the percentage of charge remaining in the battery at all times. And like all Nikon digital SLR cameras, the D80 feels solid and substantial while being both compact and comfortable. But more experienced photo enthusiasts will admire the D80 most for its bevy of creative controls and features that make photography with the camera so much more enjoyable and rewarding. Its new Optimize image menu, for instance, offers complete control over the look and feel of your pictures, allowing you to boost saturation and create pictures with vivid color, or snap black-and- white pictures with a choice of four filtration effects, or even create your own custom look that expresses personal style and creativity. Other creative tools include an all-new image Retouch menu for in-camera image editing, built-in i-TTL flash control with the ability to control up to two remote groups of Speedlights, as well as over 32 Custom settings to customize several attributes of the camera’s performance.