A very good choice for a serious amateur

The D-80 is the current evolution of the Nikon Digital line that makes taking photographs a joy. This camera has more capability to help you get the image you want and the cost is reasonable compared to a Canon. I considered the Canon 30D and this camera for months before deciding on the Nikon. The Canon is a great camera, but when you finally get down to it the Nikon out performs the Canon is several ways. First it has 25% more pixels. Then I just like the way the color resolves in the Nikon. The Canon seems to be consistently cool to me. Of course you can shoot in RAW and correct and the Nikon shoots in NEF and allows the same capability. But less needs to be done to "fix" the Nikon image The NEF plug-in is provided for Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. I replaced the Nikon image management software with Lightroom from Abobe. But, that is just a matter of taste. Both the automation and the flexibility of the D-80 are amazing. When integrated with the SB-600 flash it can handle almost impossible lighting problems, this is due to the 11-point metering. Finally, the main reason I chose the D-80 is the absolutely amazing 18 - 200mm VR lens. This 11.1:1 zoom is like a video camera and the image quality is fantastic. My previous camera was a Canon, but the Nikon D-80 has won me over.