Nikon D50 DSLR Camera Review:

An early 6MP (mega-pixel) entrant in the prosumer digital SLR (single lens reflex) category, the Nikon D50 is a finely crafted piece of electronic machinery. It is intended to be a first DSLR for most customers, but that does not mean it is an underperformer. Powered by a Nikon DX format CCD image sensor, it is able to produce images that are crisped and more detailed than most 8MP competing cameras. As part of the Nikon family, the D50 offers compatibility with Nikon's large family of high-performance AF Nikkor lenses, as well as DX Nikkor lenses. The D50 comes with 7 optimized digital Vari-Programs (programmed modes) for: Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Child, Close Up, Sports, or Night Portrait. Of course, these are always challenging photo situations, and most cameras offer automated assistance in getting the settings right to make your pictures look the best. All in all, the Vari-Programs work as intended - in child mode, the fast shutter speed left us with only 1 blurred shot in a test. There are larger pictures below. View all Nikon DSLRs here.

The D50 feautures a 2" LCD screen on the back and a 5 area auto focus system, which manages to work fairly well even in low-light. We found spot-on auto-focus accuracy on 95% of our test shots, though you may have to occasionally selectively focus and then recompose your shot with the focus locked on. The auto-focus system is even faster than that found in the more expensive Canon Digital Rebel. And there is no noticeable shutter lag. Battery life needs to be seen to be believed. The EN-EL3 (10.4WH) rechargeable lithium-ion battery has enough capacity to shoot approximately 2,000 images - that will likely get you through even your busiest day! (of course, use of flash and LCD will diminish battery faster). Replacement/additional batteries run $40 each, and charging time is 2 hours. UPDATE - The D50 has a newer version available - the D60. The D60 features 10.2 megapixels with the DX format Nikon picture quality. It includes the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Vibration Reduction lens. The 2.5 inch LCD screen is plenty large enough to preview the photos and the camera has horizontal and vertical orientation which is automatically detected. You get continuous shooting at 3 frames per second (fps) and an Active Dust Reduction System with Airflow Control. The bad. The price is rather high compared to the D50. At over $1000 the D60 is going to cost you a lot. On the flip side, owners are very happy with their purchase and over 80% of those that bought it rate the camera a 4 star or 5 star out of 5. Browse all top rated digital SLR cameras here.

In continuous shooting mode, you can fire off 2.5 frames per second, up to 137 frames, allowing you to catch just the shot you need during high speed action or fast moving subjects. Storage is handled using Secure Digital (SD) memory cards (you can get a 1GB SD card for under $100), although none is included (would like to see these cameras coming with at least 256MB of flash memory built in, so you could shoot even without a memory card or when card is full - anyone listening?).

Best Digital SLR Camera? Nikon D50 Review Continues..

Of course the ultimate measure of any camera is the pictures it produces. The D50 doesn't disappoint. With 1600 lines of resolution, even photos shot at high ISO settings are noise free and sharp. Colors are rich and realistic. In comparison reviews, the D50 holds up against its higher priced brother, the Nikon D70. It is a bit smaller than the D70 but has a solid feel to it. Current price for body only is now below $650 - that's a very good price. Even though there are always new and improved versions of digital cameras being released, at this price you will not be disappointed in the very professional equipment and results you get. The links on this page contain further reference materials and information.

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