I can thank the sale of the Konica-Minolta camera division to Sony and a gift of a Nikon F80 that marked my one and only system shift in my photographic journey. The F80 was my go-to camera for many years, and it was the one that helped build up my Nikon AF system. There’s even one lens in my kit that I got with that F80.
While my first two cameras were purchased through Garage Sales, the X-7a and the F80 were both gifts from other members of my church. It came to me from a teacher at Sheridan College. I wish I could remember their name, but I cannot. They had recently switched to a digital SLR and had acquired a range of new lenses designed around the DX sensor size. The camera arrived at the perfect time; I was already considering a move from compact digital cameras to digital SLRs. But since I only had the manual focus Minolta system, I knew I had to switch to autofocus. The Minolta Maxxum system was a possibility, offering good lenses and a series of cameras that were still fairly young at the time. But then Sony acquired the entire line, and the early Alpha cameras didn’t feel right. Canon felt the same way. That only left Nikon, and the F80 was the perfect addition. Plus, it came with some lenses, including a 24mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.8, plus 28-80mm and 70-300mm zooms. Of course, as soon as I got the F80, I started looking at other options and quickly found the Nikon F5. But that’s a story for another time.
The F80 stands out because it was my first modern camera. I got it in 2006, which means it was only six years old when I first got it —not too bad. It was also the first time I had a camera that matched my skill level at the time, not yet ready for semi-pro or pro, but I was at that advanced amateur skill point. It was also the first and only time I underwent a major system shift. And for those of you who love the idea of multiple universes, I’m sure there’s one where I went into Sony and another where I went into Canon. And you know, I’m glad I got into Nikon. While the F80 might have been a boring camera, it certainly got me into some interesting lenses. Even then, I was still eyeing the F5, but it was well out of my budget, even in 2006, when the F6 had just been released. I opted for a battery grip instead, which gave the F80 a similar size to the F5 but lacked the same controls as the integrated grip on the F5. But for me, it was more than enough.
While I did a lot with the X-7a, including shooting some of my first rolls of slide film, the F80 got me into more professional film stocks. I began to focus more on composing, moving away from the snapshot approach, thinking before shooting, and exploring beyond colour negative films. After plenty of trial and error, I finally connected with a real camera shop, Henry’s, which had a ton of films I had never seen before. The cost of those films had not yet caught up, as demand was still climbing but had not yet reached that point. I also got my first tastes of ultra-wide-angle lenses, the 24mm f/2.8D and the massive 14-24mm f/2.8G. I used the F80 on my urban exploration adventures. I even did my first photo shoot on one, and that was using the 28-80mm kit lens and Kodak Portra with excellent results. But the biggest thing is that from the F80 I got the D70S, D300, eventually the F5 and today the D750. And that 35mm f/2 lens, I still have it and still use it.
As cameras go, the F80 is a product of its time. The 2000s saw a great deal of easy-to-use 35mm SLRs. These cameras are boring; there’s nothing special about them. They do their job well. And you don’t have to pore over the manual to get results; you have all the standard modes, nothing more than that. Two command dials make working in manual exposure mode easy. But the metering and autofocus are both fast and accurate. There’s a decent weight to the camera, without it being too bulky, and the layout works. The camera requires a pair of CR123 batteries, but adding the grip allows you to power it with AA batteries, making it even more usable. It has a rubberised coating that may become tacky with age, and the plastic film door latch is prone to snapping. But over the course of my time using the F80, none of these problems popped up.
Although it’s been in the toolkit for a short time, the F80 is a foundational camera that served as the stepping stone I needed to dig deeper into Nikon. I would eventually replace it with an F4 and then an F5. The D70S would arrive soon, along with more lenses. While I don’t regret parting with the F80, I do regret parting with that 24mm f/2.8D to fund accessories to expand my lenses and D300 kit. Oddly enough, I would dip back into Minolta manual focus and eventually get a Minolta Maxxum system and even a Canon EF. So in the end, everyone came to the table.