Hi Lilandra,
I didn't see this thread till now, but I will put in my 2 cents as well in case you haven't purchased a tripod yet. If you talk to any pro photographer, they will tell you that the most important part of your camera gear is your tripod. The cheap ones just don't cut it and Ross is correct in insisting that you get a good one. Having said that, since you are not a pro photographer, you could likely be very happy with a Manfrotto tripod rather than a Gitzo or the other really expensive models. If I had unlimited $$ to spend I would definitely go with a Gitzo but Manfrotto does make some excellent ones as well and I think the price is not quite so steep. Another thing that I consider a MUST is a ball head of some sort. I had an old but good tripod with the multiple handles to adjust in every direction and all it did was discourage me NOT to use the tripod. By the time you twist and turn everything and get the camera set just so, the subject has moved (unless its an orchid!). A ball head is a dream, making it so easy to frame your subject in mere seconds. I have a Nikon D80 as well and I bought a little remote shutter release. I'm quite sure I didn't spend much $$ to get it and I use it a lot when shooting still subjects. That way you don't have to set the timer to avoid camera vibration-just step back and press the remote! Someone asked if your camera has image stabilization and Ross said it is part of the lens-he is correct. However, VR (vibration reduction as Nikon calls it) should be turned off when using a tripod anyways. so it won't help if a flimsy tripod is shuddering in the breeze, although I guess in that case you should leave it on! However the purpose of a tripod is to stabilize the camera so it just shouldn't vibrate ever. I hope this helps.
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