D50 in the hizouse!

[JoePhoto]

Ok - it's not really in the hizouse... but I did get to spend some quality time with a D50 and overall I've come to several conclusions about the camera:

1) Finally - A true point & shoot DSLR!
Many have tried, but Nikon really did it with the D50. The JPG's are a little more processed than what DSLR users are used to getting from their cameras. They are sharpened and saturated a bit more that it's sibling Nikon D70/s and cousin Canon & Pentax offerings. The Matrix Metering II (used in the D2x & D2hs,) really seems to help give this camera the ability to make great exposures without thinking about much of anything. The iTTL is not wireless, but the flash (even the pop-up) is very good. Surprizingly the AWB is not a cold as the D100 and D70 tended to be.

2) Fat Boy Light
The D50 is a little fatter, or wider from back to front, than the D70/s. Making it ideal for folks with larger hands when compared to the likes of the Rebel XT. It lacks the aluminum inner structure that adorn the D100 and D70/s making it significantly lighter. The weight of the camera is almost nothing in DSLR terms making it comfortable for people with small hands to operate and actually women seem to prefer this over the D70/s because of the weight (my informal test suggests this.... I asked 1/2 a dozen to tell me what they thought.) So I suppose my conclusion of the body design is that it's size & weight are well balanced for many types of users.

Because of it's intended audience, the D50's body is very simplified with it's outer-button placment. It is more menu driven than the D70/s and lacks more advanced features that many have become accustomed to (such as quick format with the two external buttons.) Along the same vein as the quick format feature, Nikon instead put a reset feature where the user can hold in two external buttons (marked with a green dot) that will reset any settings that may have been changed from default (ie- exposure compensation, flash mode, WB, etc.)

3) L-See-D
The D50 has a damn big LCD, though it is sadly the first Nikon to not include an LCD cover to protect from scratches. The large 2" LCD is very bright, sharp, & shows good color and gradients. In a very welcome change from the D70/s, when viewing a vertically rotated image, when one zooms in to a displayed image, the zoomed area uses the entire LCD, not the smaller area of the rotated image... D70/s users will know what I'm talking about. (Honestly, the could update the firmware to take care of this.)

4) Overall
It's a DSLR for the entry level user. Most advanced ameatures and professionals will find it a little too menu-driven and dumbed down compared to the D70/s or similar cameras. The body by comparrison feels a little cheap (like the original Digital Rebel) and the kit 18-55 ED lens doesn't hold a flame to the 18-70 ED that arrives with the D70/s. While the body is clearly aimed at soccer mom, or family snapshooters, the image quality of the D50 is excellent and could easily satisfy the most discerning of photographers.

Would I buy one?
For myself: NO! - I'm waaaay to spoiled with D2's!
For my wife: NO - she just got a D70s! Only I get to carry more than 1 camera! If she wasn't helping me with weddings, then: SURE!
For my mother & father: SURE! - They are snapshooters!

[Dirk]

Hi, i own a D50 and a D70 as well, the say that the D50 is only for snapshooters is not the way i look at it.(it almost made me feel like some one atanding on your toes) The D50 is perhaps the best Digital camera Nikon ever build , i love it very much and offcourse the D70 is better but not in noise levels (D50 is much better there) , the nikon D50 is a very good camera and still offers a great deal of value for a large group of customers who won't need to buy only expensive lenses but also can work with cheaper lenses because the camera has a on board af motor inside.

compaired to the D70 with 's firmware, the D 50 doesn't need a firmware upgrade it os already good the way it is and in fact i don't miss the front commander of the D70 on the D50! It is a bit more complicated but heck that is also the same as with a canon eos 350d ! And Tests have allready shown that a cheaper Nikon D50 outperformes the eos 350 d by miles ..

it is a very easy ro use camera and a great one to own.. and believe me it makes great photo's and the resolution is big enough. There is not one affordable monitor that can display a image of A D50 on 100% without scrolling, the sensor is good, metering is good, the whole camera is good.

but it is just the way i see it.. i don't have the money to buy professional gear , but what the heck i don't need too

the 199,00 euro i paid for it is it worth more than enough