Nikon D50 SLR Digital Camera w/ 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G Lens

Great Entry Level Camera

Posted Jul 24, 2006 - Aside from the minor gripes, this is a great camera. It is quick to startup, quick to respond, and with a few extra lenses is a very versatile camera. I've been using it now for 1 year and I'm quite happy with the images I get out of it. I can see that this is an idea SLR option for families and enthusiast shooters. The wealth of manual controls make this an ideal option for those on a budget as well. I would also recomend simply buying the body and a slightly better lense if you're not just going to shoot snapshots. Low light focusing is generally very fast and accurate. The battery life is good, although I'd recommend having a spare handy to get you through the day as there's no AAs to back you up with this camera. The mounted flash is also fairly harsh, even at it's lowest setting. However, the camera is VERY easy to use, and a recommended investment.

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Nice entry level DSLR - 3rd SLR, 4th Digital Cam, First DSLR (of the 3 I own), and I love it!

Posted Mar 19, 2006 - I am sure that this camera will surprise you in a nice way – many times. Although it is aimed at an aspiring amateur, it produces award winning images. I hope that my review will give you some insights on which you can draw your own conclusions. I hope to be as objective as it can be but then again – everything is a subject to author’s bias. Having tons of Nikon equipment, logically I was locked into Nikon’s products. Being able to use most of it was the key selling points here. I needed a DSLR as I was really tired of the lack of control over your point-and-shoot photos but at the same time I really love the results of traditional film cameras. After some time with it I can state that the images are sharp and phenomenally accurate in color transcription. I can’t say enough good things about it – you ought to test drive it for yourself. The auto focus seems to be accurate and quite apt in sports photography! I am quite pleased with some of the “quick setting” operations controlled though the command dial – quite useful for changing situations (not to be confused with the multiprogram dial -- that's another story). Now with some of the good points out of the way, I made my own list of things that I see as potential drawbacks (or in need of improvement). First and foremost, lack of Depth of Field Preview makes this model sometimes difficult to work with and quite useless for serious macro photography. Non-the-less I have managed to take some amazing close-ups). If you know that you can’t live without the DOF preview, then don’t buy this camera. Personally, I am getting used to not having it – I can always go to my film SLR if I want to go that route. The camera is not as big and bulky as the D70 (or D100), but still not as small as I would like it to be. Going from the N80/75 to this one I felt the difference in size (and grip). The built-in flash seems to be little overpowering however, you can change the output values to suit your needs. In regards to the menus – In my opinion they are ok, although I could see some improvements in their layout. I think the one item that I have hard time getting over is the ability to switch between metering modes (matrix/center/spot) – currently the only way to do is to hunt through the menus instead of implementing it as one of “quick dial” functions or a dial similar to the ones on D100 or D70 & D200. As a final note – I purchased this camera with the outfit lens (18-55) and I don’t regret it. The outfit/set is a bargain. I strongly suggest considering the extra cash, at least to the 18-55 lens to cover the digital wide angle needs (keeping in mind that the camera has a 1.5 multiplier for 35mm lenses). However, one note about the DX ED lenses – I like the image quality as they produce little darker, more contrasty images compared to other Nikkor lenses. Overall, in my opinion I do not regret buying this camera – I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of pictures. I hope that the reliability will match the brand’s name. If you are on a market for a DSLR – test drive this camera, shop around, compare by all means and do the bottom line tests. All things considered this camera was a real bargain for under 800. *** Dec 22nd*** 3 months after first review and 5000+ pictures later, I believe that I might be outgrowing this product. Few more items are worth mentioning that came up since the last review. PROS: The digital sensor is amazing. With correct exposure (manual most of the time) the pictures are breathtaking in quality. The instant power-on and no shutter lag are fabulous. I can never see myself using anything else if a spirit of the moment matters. CONS: The Nikon marketing strategy of locking metering for NON-CPU lenses is simply pathetic. It leaves you running with a light meter in your hand or relying on your expertise. Can you say 1950's all over again? The small plus here is that you will get to learn A LOT about exposure.... The lack of DOF is painful. I ran into many situations where I would want to check the DOF. In order to bracket your exposure you have to hunt through the menu -- there isn't a quick switch for it. Painful. None-the-less, I still love this camera but I see myself upgrading when the funds become available. *** Feb 19th*** Hats off to the metering system - it seems to be very hard to fool! *** MAR 19th*** Spontaneously got a D200, but this one will always stay in my bag too! Got to play with Rebel XT too! :) Noticing significant price drop from the originally released price I believe that this is THE camera if you are willing to venture into DSLR photography without breaking the budget. I paid 780+ for an outfit with 18-55 lens and I felt like it was worth every penny of it. If you have extra few bucks or don't want to have to lug multiple lenses, consider getting the body only and the 18-200 lens instead of the 2 lens outfit when the price levels off.

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D50 *****

Posted May 22, 2006 - The Sony CCD sensor that is found in the camera is superb. The kit lens does a good job but I would definitely add other lenses to cover the full range to match this amazing body. The camera is light and fits great in the hand. It is rugged, has a nice grip, and great professional look. For anyone who has not made the move to DSLR--no is the time because I paid a lot more for this camera a year ago but in retrospect, it was worth every penny. Nikon has a gem here.

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Excellent Camera

Posted Aug 4, 2005 - This is my first SLR coming from a coolpix 4500. I have small children so the shutter lag became more of an issue as he gets faster on his feet. I enjoy photography as a hobby so this was the perfect camera to get into learning the nuances of photography. The pictures right out of this camera are great. The JPEGs require little to no post processing except maybe some extra sharpness. The auto white balance does a pretty good job. The kit lens for me is OK. I will probably want something with a little more range in the future. If you can swing it price wise, I would look into getting the 18-70mm D70(S) kit lens with the body of the D50 as it is generallly better regarded and it will give a little more range. However, me being a newbie, I am very satified with the quality of D50 kit lens at present. You can't go wrong with it as a good starter lens. Overall, you will be VERY pleased if you are someone making a jump into the DSLR market. The D50 and kit lens feels great in your hands- just the right size and weight. It has alot of options/ features to allow you flexibility in picture taking, and its ease of use is an advantage in learning photography. Yet, for someone coming from point and shoot, the auto modes actually do a great job. My wife can pick up the camera and take great photos with it on auto mode. For me it has just the right amount of options right now as I am learning. I don't miss anything so far. For someone who has been using an SLR for many years, you may want to make sure this camera has all of the options you need.

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Nikon D50 Offers Superb Functionality in Affordable Package

Posted Aug 26, 2005 - This camera has turned out to perform precisely as I was hoping it would. The build quality is excellent (one of the reasons I strayed from the Rebel XT I was initially contemplating). The camera is exceptionally responsive, takes beautiful images and has one of the least noisy pictures when using higher ISO settings (check Digital Photography Review's review). The camera has an excellent feel to it - both its weight and the quality of materials. The Canon Rebel XT just felt too light and plasticy to me when I tested it out. The D50 just feels right - easy grip and enough presence to provide excellent feedback as you manipulate the camera. The included kit lens is adequate - and enough of a bargain over purchasing just the body as long as you don't already have other Nikon lenses. It certainly is a light lens with very basic features/performance - but the the end result is what counts and pictures with the kit lens still look very sharp and excellent. In time I hope to upgrade to a better lens, but for the time being this lens performs admirably. The D50 has rekindled my enjoyment of photography. I'd stopped using my old film SLR after getting my previous point and shoot digital camera since the cost of film development was too much and I'd been spoiled by instant review of the images. But I was missing using an SLR and had begun to take fewer and fewer images. My biggest annoyance with my digital camera was the standard shutter lag of most digicams. I'd see the picture I want to take and by the time the camera actually captured it (even after I'd focused) the moment was gone. With the D50 - that problem is a thing of the past. It starts in the blink of an eye and captures images almost instantaneously. The USB 2.0 connection (high speed, not just the USB 1.1 - "full speed" of some USB 2.0 products) is excellent. No need for an external card reader - I just have my usb cable connected to my computer, sit down and plug it to the camera. It's instantly recognized (no drivers need to be installed on WinXP) and with a couple minutes the full camera is offloaded - all 512MB of images. Easy-peasy. If you're a first time digital SLR consumer, this is a superb option. The controls are VERY intuitive and easy to use. The most frequently used functions (ISO, quality, flash, exposure, etc) are available with a simple press of a button and flick of the dial. You don't need to use the LCD screen and navigate menus to change these - saving both time and battery. Its obviously a little more limited than the D70(s) that has 2 dials for even more seamless control - but for the level of functionality I was looking for - this strikes the perfect chord. In conclusion, this is a fabulous camera that does just about everything required of it with ease. I'm looking forward to many years with my Nikon D50.

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Nikon D50 - A great and affordable DSLR!

Posted Jan 4, 2006 - Finally I upgraded to DSLR. I have been using Nikon N80 for years. I love Nikon's body design, build quality and I own several Nikon lenses, that's why I chose Nikon DSLR. I chose D50 over D70(s) based (mainly) on price, size, and the fact that D50 uses SD card. D50 feels just like Nikon's film cameras. It turns on instantly. I can notice a little shutter lag, but that is acceptable. Playback functions are very well design, especially the zoom in mode. The status panel does not show ISO, I once forgot to change ISO back to 200 after testing ISO 1600, then the following day I took a bunch of pictures using ISO 1600. The good news is that even with ISO 1600 the pictures are still very clean. I just wish D50 used the same kit lens as D70(s). But the 18-55mm kit lens is not too shabby to use occasionally, especially when my Tamron 28-70mm 2.8 lens does not cover 28mm anymore on D50. Overall, D50 is a great DSLR. It takes some time to get used to a DSLR if you are switching from film SLR like me.

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Great Camera

Posted Oct 10, 2005 - I have been wanting to buy a digital SLR for years. My wife has had a Canon S45, which was great for its time and still takes great photo's. All my friends have Nikon and Lecia Analog SLR's, I am the first of the group to go digital. When I showed them the camera they were all really impressed with how well it is put together and also noted how well it took photos. I almost settled on the Canon Rebel XT, which from what I have read and heard is a great camera. However there is one key feature that the Rebel lacks and that is external flash sync (maybe they will fix that in the next model). As far as the lense goes, I really like the 18-55mm lense it came with. I mostly take photo's of people so having a wide angle capable lense is quite nice. If you plan on using your camera for shooting sports I would recommend getting the 55-200mm lens as well. The interface with the computer is also nice. The camera just mounts as a USB 2.0 mass storage device, which is wonderful!!! I use windows XP and just download the pictures with the "autoplay" feature. This works great and thus I didn't even install the Nikon software, maybe I will try it sometime. I also have a 1gig SD card, it holds 555 photos, which has been enough for each day that I shoot. If you are like me and take a lot of photos when you have your camera around I would definetly look into getting a couple of SD cards so you do not have lose any of your photos. As far as the camera's operation, so far so good, if I have any problems with the camera at all I will definetly post another reivew. Also just to note, I bought my camera from OneCall.com and they did a wonderful job, it cost me 720 shipped, I ordered it on saturday and had it on Wednesday! It was packed very well, even double boxed.

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Nikon D50 w/18-55 kit lens

Posted Mar 25, 2006 - Price is right, great quality (once you get over the plastic body and lens), tons of features, nice feel, and easy to use. I love it. Nikon is making more and more digital lens, and so easy to expand this camera system. I see now why Nikon is getting out of the film camera business. The range of creative possibilites with Digital SLR is enourmous!

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cool camera

Posted Apr 4, 2006 - am not an intense user of that camera, but pictures always come out clear and crisp, the zoom is really easy to handle and it makes me feel like I am better at taking pictures than I actually am. Would recommend for all novice photographers who want good quality memories!

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D50 SLR Digital Camera w/ 18-55mm F/3.5-4.5G Lens (6.1MP, 3008x2000, SD Slot)

Posted Sep 15, 2005 - The camera is great for people who don't want to have to read directions constantly to take good pictures. The camera response time is very fast when taking pictures. There isn't a wait time between shots. The camera is light and very easy to handle. The lens provided with the kit is a quality lens, they didn't throw in a cheap lens. The LCD is easy to read and work with. The labels for the menu items are very easy to figure out. Overall I would highly recommend this camera.

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Nikon D50

Posted Aug 14, 2005 - This is the second DSLR camera I've purchased. I researched several different types of DSLR prior to picking the Nikon D50 and I very happy with the purchase. As I stated about the weakness of this camera is no lit display on the camera body, this is a very minor distracter and if you looking to purchase this camera do not let it dissuaded you from making this purchase. After all I am using the same LED light to get equipment out of my gear bag too. The size, weight and feel of the camera with the lens are excellent. The interchangeable lens makes this a great camera for someone wanting a full feature digital SLR camera. The ability for continuous shooting until the memory card is expended is another plus. All in all I highly recommend this camera to anyone who is ready to make the step to Digital Single Lens Reflex camera stage.

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Really Nice Camera !!!!!!!

Posted Mar 17, 2006 - If you are looking for a camera that takes great pictures, is easy to learn, doesn't feel like a toy, something you can be proud to own, this camera has everything you will need to take great photos. It has a nice feel to it, solid, it has quick autofocus, nice built in flash, and easy to learn menu's. One thing though is the pictures are on the soft side, a D-SLR trait. I sharpen mine after the pictures are taken. I will either use Photoshop Elements or Nikon's own Picture Project in which I will sharpen and use their D-lighting to get the picture looking just the way I want them too. I do not shoot in Raw but the jpeg's look great. If you want a camera that takes great pictures, is great with low light focusing, has nice flash capabilities and won't break the bank to buy it, you can't go wrong with this wonderful camera. I have been using 35mm and digital for over 30 years so believe me when I tell you this camera is capable of taking beautiful pictures. If you own lenses from Pentax or Canon ect. than I'm sure you will be happy with their cameras as they make nice cameras as well, but if you don't and are looking for your first slr, you will be delighted with the D50.

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Excellent DSLR for entry level

Posted Oct 4, 2005 - I bought D50 kit from circuitcity.com for ~$740 after tax and used it for couple of days. As a owner of Nikon FE2 and Sony S70, I have to say Nikon D50 is a very good DSLR for not only beginners but also pro-sumers. You can use D50 as a point-and-shot camera. Or you can manually set up your exposure for shooting. The camera starts up in less than 1 sec (People said 0.2 sec). The auto-focus (depends on if you have AF lens) is fast (instant to me compared to the slow AF of Sony S70) and accurate, which is very good for me to take pictures for my little 2 year old girl. There is a mode for “kid” picture taking and the camera can sense the kid’s movement and switch focus from one focus point to another. This is awesome if you often need to take pictures for running kids. Don’t even mention there is no delay in memory card writing between shots! One thing I found interesting was there was no live preview through the LCD monitor. After checking around, I found out this is by design and almost all DSLRs do not have such feature.

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Excelent Camera

Posted Feb 13, 2006 - Great Camera for entry level camera, very low level of noise. Price very low, for a camera better than any compact camera. 6mp enough for any impression, professional quality to 11 x14 inches. Acceptable to 13 x 19.

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Very satisfied

Posted Oct 14, 2005 - This is my first DSLR, and I've done a few months of research on it and the result becomes to choose one between Rebel XT and D50. Rebel XT does have more bells and whistles but D50 is around $150 cheaper at the time, also the D50 has a sightly better lens than XT. So I decided to go with D50. I got the package a few days and I definitely love it! The handling is much better than XT which I tried on local stores. And it's much lighter than D70 which I borrowed from a friend for a few weeks, it's a important factor for me since I do a lot of hikings. The controls are almost the same as D70, so I didn't even have to read a single line of the manual before I started to take pictures. I took a fews shot inside and outside, both are great. I haven't done any detail comparsion between it and D70 pictures, but it does looks very sharp, and clean. The only problem I encountered is the kit lens is not fast enough, the result of it is that sometimes it's hard to focus at low light situation, and forced me to use flash even I increase ISO to 800. I'll go take more pictures the coming weekend, hopefully I can give more feedback on it. But so far so good, I'm loving it! After all, it's just the price of a high-end fix lens digital camera. I'll definitely recommend it to any people who're looking forward to have their first DSLR.

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