Not 100% on the d80 but I know the d90 has an internal motor, so the manual focus might not be an issue. a 50mm might be too tight for what your looking for, especially if your used to your 10-24mm. If you're will to spend a little extra money I think the 35mm 1.8 would be a better bet. Not sure what flash unit your shooting with but play around with bouncing your light off the ceiling, or look into a lightsphere or something similar that way you can turn up your flash and not worry about your subject being washed out and super contrasty.