I love my F80 (aka N80 in the US). The only thing I wish it has was mirror
lockup. Other than that, it's pretty much perfect for me. Snazzy features.
Autofocus and metering options are great. Optional grid lines in the view finder
are cool.

Value for money-wise is the Tamron 28-75 F2.8 XR Di. Most people who own one
will tell you that they are tack sharp. My first one wasn't, but replaced under
warranty. Dirt cheap lens, very sharp, fast lens.

As far as telephoto zooms go, the Tamron 75-300 rates better than most in it's
price range, and is also very cheap. I bought a recent UK Photography magazine
that reviewed them all. The Canon was slightly better, but way more expensive.
Nikon and Sigma versions were so-so.

Here is a good reference:
http://photozone.de/bindex2.html

D.R.