Comparison between the Nikon D80, Canon EOS 400D and Sony Alpha 100
Comparison between Competitors
a. Weight
The Canon’s 400D the lightest too at 510g for the body alone compared to 545g for the Sony Alpha 100 and 585g for the Nikon D80. Hence if the user intends to travel light, it would be better for him to carry the Canon 400D. Ladies in particular would appreciate the Canon 400D due to its much smaller size and weight as compared to the other two counter parts.
b. Shoot in dark lighting(flash, ISO)
All the three cameras have a build in flash which have the following functions, red eye correction, rear curtain flash sync (the ability to activate the flash after exposure) and flash exposure compensation. However, Sony Alpha 100 and Nikon D80 have the ability to support wireless flash control. Nikon takes this feature ahead by allowing the pop up flash to act as the main commanding flash which will activate other external flash units in the vicinity.
All three models offer sensitivity from 100 to 1600 ISO, but the Nikon D80 offers an additional H1.0 mode which delivers 3200 ISO. Like any 3200 ISO mode, it’s pretty noisy, but many will appreciate at least having the option. The D80 additionally offers ISO in third-stop increments and the choice of normal, low, high or no noise reduction on sensitivities at or above 800 ISO.
The Canon 400D has a lower noise handling as compared to the Nikon D80. This means that the picture seems less grainy at high ISO. On the other hand, the D80 has a much better noise processing system. It would attempt to smudge out the noise to make the image appear clearer.
In addition, Sony Alpha 100 has an internal Image stabilising system that shifts the sensor during hand shake. This allows the user to shoot at an extremely low shutter speed without a tripod. For Nikon and Canon, this system is built into the lens rather than into the camera. Hence, for the Sony Alpha 100 it could stabilise any lens that is mounted on the camera while for Nikon and Canon, it would be dependent on the lens that it uses.
As a general rule of thumb, for proper hand holding without having any shaky images, it is optimal to shoot at a shutter speed of 1/ focal length. Hence the user would have to shoot at 1/200 if he is at a 200mm focal length if he is shooting without a tripod. With Image stabilisation, the user could now shoot at 1/30 without any handshake in his image.
c. Able to use for a long time without charging
The three cameras are powered by rechargeable Lithium Ion battery packs, rated at 720, 1150 and 1500mAh for the Canon, Sony and Nikon respectively. Under test conditions, the Nikon D80 and the Canon 400D managed to fire off 500 and 300 shots respectively before the battery went flat. For the Sony Alpha 100, it managed about 300 shots per charge. The high battery consumption for the Sony Alpha 100 is partly due to the internal Image stabilisation which is non existent in the other two cameras.
d. Able to shoot quickly(Frame per second)
All three cameras are rated to shoot at a burst mode of 3 frames per second. For the Nikon D80 and Canon 400D, they would pause and buffer after 12 and 27 frames respectively. The Sony Alpha 100 is able to manage 3 frame per second non stop without buffering till the memory card runs out of space. Switching to RAW mode, the 400D captured 11 images in 4.2 seconds before slowing. The D80 managed six in two seconds, while the A100 captured nine in three seconds before stalling.
e. Ergonomics
While it can be seen in part a that the Canon 400D is the lightest of the three, it is also arguably the most uncomfortable of the whole lot. For users with large hands, the distance between the lens and the grip for the Canon 400D is very tight hence, fatigue and strain sets in after using the camera for too long. In addition, the grip area is much smaller as compared to the D80 and Sony Alpha 100. So the user might end up with his little finger sticking out in the air while holding the camera, which is a pretty awkward position.
In addition, the Nikon D80 has two control dials as compared to the Canon 400D and the Sony Alpha 100. This allows quick independent adjustment of the shutter and aperture in manual mode as compared to its other two counterparts. Hence, the user could use the camera based on pure instinct and muscle memory without leaving his eye from the viewfinder.
f. Vibrant real colours(Dynamic range, Colour resolution)
The Sony Alpha 100 has a function called Dynamic range Optimiser that brings up reduces the shadows and highlights during a very dramatic lighting condition to preserve details. The Nikon D80 has such a function within the in camera editor but for the Alpha 100, it’s much more convenient as it processes as you shoot.
For both the Sony and Nikon cameras they experience over blown highlights. Meaning that certain parts of the picture becomes over exposed. The Canon 400D is more resilient to over blown highlights compared to the other two. In addition, the Nikon D80 appears to have a slightly richer tone compared to the Canon 400D. This is probably due to the difference in nature of the sensors, Sony and Nikon using CCD based sensors which has very rich tones but poor exposure control while the Canon is using CMOS based sensors which have a slightly subdued tone, but very resilient against overexposure.
g. Able to print large size(Megapixel)
The Nikon and Sony cameras are rated to a 10.2 megapixel sensor while the Canon 400D is rated to 10.1 megapixels. However the 0.1 megapixel difference does not really make much of a difference and all 3 cameras are able to create A3 sized images.
h. Quiet operation
All three cameras do not have any damping systems for their shutters and mirrors. Hence the distinctive slapping sound can be heard from all 3 cameras.
i. Ruggedness/Weatherproof
The three cameras are made of high quality plastics however they are not rated to be shock proofed as they are more for serious amateurs. However they are not weather proof, with no weather sealing or rubber gasket. Further references could be made from the other more professional range of the Nikon and Canon family such as the D300 and 50D which uses magnesium alloy bodies with weather sealing at all openings.
j. Bright LCD screen
All three cameras use a 2.5 inch LCD screen presenting 230,000 pixels; hence all three cameras would preview the pictures in pretty much the same way at the same resolution. However, the Sony Alpha 100 and the Canon 400D uses this screen to present the camera settings while the Nikon D80 uses a secondary LCD screen to display the information. There are pros and cons to this, with the user being able to see his settings by just pulling his head back a little for the Sony and Canon cameras. But on the other hand, it would be difficult to see the LCD screen under broad day light at harsh lighting conditions. For Nikon, which uses a more traditional LCD secondary display, it can be seen under all lighting conditions.
k. Can shoot video
None of the cameras have the ability to take videos. They are purely for photography.
l. Can edit within camera(In-build editing software)
The Canon 400D, Nikon D80 and Sony A100 apply their in-camera colour, sharpness and tonal adjustments using a series of presets called Picture Styles, Image Optimisation and Digital Effects. Each offers a wide variety of adjustments and custom options.
m. Easy handling(Built in tutorials)
As these cameras are built with serious amateurs in mind, the cameras do not have a built in tutorial. So the user would be required to look through the manual. A better comparison would be the Nikon D40 or D60 which has a step by step explanation of the various functions within the camera. For those who do not like to adjust the aperture and shutter speed, all three cameras have various preset scene modes which allows the user to shoot certain scenery with just a twist of a dial.
As mentioned earlier, the D80 has a dual command dial which allows the user to adjust both his aperture and shutter speeds simultaneously without his eyes leaving the view finder. Hence it’s a little easier to use the D80 in this aspect.
