New to Digital SLR's

[Molly_3_1]

I just received my Nikon D80 today! I know it's not top of the line but it's exactly what I need. The lenses that I bought are Sigma's. I know there's alot of dispute with the type of lenses, Nikkor vs. Sigma vs. Tamron. Right now I am trying to familiarize myself with my new baby, trying to figure out what's what and such. One thing I am concerned about is that I live way up north and I would like to know how to take my camera outdoors and safely take pics without ruining my gear. I know I need alot of help with my camera seeing is I am new to digital slr's, please be patient with me.

[MB1]

Actually, taking your camera out of the house shouldn't be that much of a problem but bringing it back in is when you might want to put it inside a ziplock bag to let it warm up and avoid condensation problems.

You also might want to keep an extra battery nice and warm in an inner pocket if you spend much time shooting in the cold. Deep cold really degrades the performance of batteries although you can often get a lot more use out of a cold battery by warming it in that inside pocket.

[another view]

The D80 is a great camera, and should be able to handle almost anything. Great advice about how to handle cold weather. If you get a spare battery, stick with a real Nikon battery even though they're about $50. Try it first to see if you really need it, because the D80 is supposed to have very good battery life. They can lose their charge quickly in the cold, but it may last long enough for your needs.