Nikon D50 user reviews (with 18-55mm lens)

Pros Uses Sony CCD, Fast Shutter speed, 2inch LCD, vivid colour & brilliance

Cons none whatsoever --Nikon specializes in one thing only!

Summary Nikon has always catered to the enthusiast market. Now it is affordable and Digital. I love my new camera because it captures the image fast--no hesitation whatsoever. I can use all of my old but super Nikkor lenses. Rapid shooting for 150+ shots at a time. Battery life is excellent. SD memory is a new upgrade from the D70 and D100 which are also great cameras. The controls are professional looking and easy to navigate. The manual over ride allows for excellent creativity. Simply beautiful but don't take my word for it, just google a D-50 review.

Pros Basically a D70 with a lower msrp

Cons Price is still high for mainstream audience.

Summary First of all I am not going to get into Canon VS Nikon debate. Both systems have its strong points. As far as Megapixels difference between 6mb and 8mb image is roughly 600 pixels vertical and horizontal out of 2.5k. I do think its a deal breaker eitherway. Image quality is far more important than pixel count. More pixels generally mean more bleedover and slower processing unless processing and filtering is greatly improved also.


From all reviews that I have red is D50 is basically a D70 with a few buttons removed and interface simplified for a beginner. I think its great. What I am having a problem with is that D50 is too close in price to D70. $100 difference is not enough. I think Nikon should be selling this camera for much less then its asking price to capture the audience. I am not sure why change to SD cards unless size was a major concideration. CF are cheaper and have greater capacity.

Pros Lower noise than all cameras in it's class (DPReview backs this up!) Flash system second to none, and this includes Canon! Kit lens very good. Great build quality, again Best in Class.

Cons Would like second control wheel (like D70 & D70s) for manual use.

Summary For the money you can't go wrong. I've had mine for about six weeks and am having the time of my life. I also purchased the SB600 flash unit and am waiting for the 55-200mm DX lens to arrive. Much better build quality than the Canon and feels much better in your hand. Battery life is awesome! Another reason to pick this over the 350xt Drebel. Why did Canon switch to the smaller battery?
This is my fifth Digital camera and my first Nikon. I have had an HP, Kodak, and two Canon's. Nikon has a real winner here!

Pros Image Quality; Low Noise Levels (go ahead, use ISO 1600); Intuitive, Well-Designed Controls; Bright LCD; Full Manual Control AND Helpful Presets; Build Quality and Feel

Cons No Depth of Field Preview; Unlit Upper LCD

Summary I purchased mine in February, 2006 and I love it. I have owned five other digital cameras, including a Canon 20D (more on that later), and this is first camera that makes me want to use it.

Full manual control for creativity? Check! Settings for cheaters? Check!

I've gotten stunning sunrises over Lake Michigan by fiddling with the manual settings and creating just the right effects. I've also spun the dial to sports/action and gotten every movement of my daughter's leg as she made her first soccer goal; a priceless picture I might not have gotten if I was busy pushing buttons, rotating wheels and reading menus.

Last fall I bought a Canon 20D because I felt I had graduated into the world of "real photographers" and needed the "right" equipment. Boy, was I wrong! My skills and understanding did not match the abilities of the 20D; it was the right tool for the wrong guy. I sold it because I lost pictures to fiddling with a camera I didn't understand; I became consumed by the equipment I was using, rather than the photograph I was trying to make.

If you choose the D50, be sure to get the 18-55 kit lens. It's sharp, admitedly not razor sharp, and yes it has a plastic mount, but it is very good and makes a great "walk-around" lens. I have this lens, a Sigma 50mm f/2.8 Macro (wow is it sharp) and a Nikon 70-210mm zoom (again really sharp). These were purchased based on recommendations by Ken Rockwell (www.kenrockwell.com), who runs a site dedicated to Nikon photography.

I was a megapixel snob before buying this camera, the more, the better. Now, I see the error of my ways. Noise, image quality and white balance are far more important. More often than not, it is the photographer, not the camera who is responsible for making a great photograph or, conversely, taking a crappy shot.

This maybe the perfect camera for someone still using the photographic equivalent of training wheels, or for someone looking for a simple, no nonsense D-SLR for more responsive photography. Buy it, you'll love it.