Hi from Arizona! New to Nikon SLR and photography

I guess this forum is as good as any for the D80. I'm hoping for some technical help here as well.

I will keep my initial post short and introductory. For years I've wanted to dive into photography but never had the money to afford an SLR.
I finally got some money for my birthday, and my wife started looking at cameras. My friend wanted me to look at the D200 or at least the 90,
I had my eyes on a D40 at $200. I settled for a D80 at $350. After reading the specs, my friend thought it would be a great starter camera.
I bought a Tamron 28-80mm AF, and a Nikon AF (not s) 35-70mm (I could be a little off on the numbers). Been on a steep learning curve with learning all
the tricks and mastering the thing. I'm an IT professional, so I love challenges and also can be very patient when things go wrong as I have to
have patience every day on the job. I'm starting to learn the camera body I bought might have some limitations and now I have a ton of questions.
I'm hoping over the next few weeks and months some of you experts can help me along in becoming a seasoned photographer. I have the imagination,
now I need to know how to get the most out of my camera.

John

Welcome John! You have come to the right place. Great people and great info. I for one started with a D80 also. You will find that there is no stupid question and that we are all here for the same reason.

Hey there John. Welcome to Nikonites. The D80 is still a fine camera body - I always loved how it felt in hand - very comfortable. The only noteworthy drawback to it is it's high ISO performance - not the best in that area but neither is the D200. The D90 was a big step up in that area but then the D7000 was a step up from the D90 in that area too. On and on it goes that drives the desire for the latest and greatest. I started out with the D40 and it's still a little gem of a camera.

Feel free to ask all the questions you'd like - that's what we're here for!

Welcome, John. Ya got a good camera there to start with. Be patient with it, read the manual as you go...not all at once... and you should have no trouble. Like the others said...you came to the right place to learn about your camera and photography in general.

If you could fill out the rest of your profile...such as where you are, the gear you run...it helps us help you in answering your questions. Enjoy Nikonites.