One of the most remarkable consequences of the past decade is the almost lemming-like parade of consumers jumping on the digital camera bandwagon. Family snap-shooters, casual shutterbugs, and serious amateur photographers worldwide abandoned millions of perfectly good 35mm film cameras to collect dust on bedroom closet shelves to buy digicams. For almost a decade Point & Shoot style digital cameras have dominated the popular (and lucrative) photography marketplace, but "the times they are a changin'" (again). Digital SLRs are now the fastest moving segment of the digital camera market and P&S digicams are losing market share.

Canon got the drop on all of its rivals in the dSLR wars with the introduction of the first sub one thousand dollar dSLR, the Digital Rebel almost two years ago. Since the Digital Rebel's debut millions of Nikonistas have been waiting for the introduction of Nikon's first sub one thousand dollar dSLR. The long wait is finally over, Nikon unveiled the D50 in July.

In typical Nikon fashion the D50 doesn't directly compete with Canon's entry level dSLRs (which are targeted at photography enthusiasts), rather the D50 seeks to carve out a new niche for itself as an easy to use but super capable alternative to the dozens of prosumer P&S digicams aimed at family snap-shooters and casual photographers. Nikon's marketing and design folks hope P&S digicam users will be sufficiently impressed by the iconic status of Nikkor optics, the company’s legendary reputation for toughness and durability, and Nikon’s almost mythic standing as a builder of logically designed and imminently useable imaging tools to purchase a D50 rather than a prosumer P&S digicam (or the Digital Rebel/Digital Rebel XT). Nikon designed the "chunky" little D50 to appeal specifically to the legions of kids and family shooters while remaining competitive with other affordable digital SLR's like the Canon EOS 350D (Digital Rebel XT), Pentax *ist DS, and Olympus E-300.

Nikon’s D70 (Popular Photography's 2004 "Camera of the Year") did very well with serious amateur shooters and committed photography enthusiasts. Nikon hopes to build on that success by offering a new product that has most of the features and capabilities of the D70/D70s, but with simpler operation and a lower price.

How does the D50 differ from the D70/D70s?

At first glance the D50 looks very much like the D70/D70s, but Nikon’s newest dSLR is noticeably smaller and a bit lighter than it's siblings. Despite the reduction in size the design folks at Nikon managed to stuff most of the features and capabilities of the D70/D70s into the D50. Some functions that had dedicated controls on the D70/D70s (metering mode, exposure and white balance bracketing) have been moved to the menu, but the menus have been re-designed and are now simpler and easier to read than the menu system of the D70/D70s. Finally, the D50 (like many of the P&S digicams it was designed supplant) uses smaller SD (Secure Digital) cards, rather than the traditional CF (Compact Flash) memory media used by its larger siblings.
What’s missing? Nikon eliminated the depth of field preview button, dropped the very useful White Balance fine-tuning capability, and dumped the on-demand gridline viewfinder display of the D70/D70s. What's especially telling is the dedicated self-timer button (so family photographers can get in the picture) on the D50’s top deck; something the rest of Nikon’s dSLRs eschew. No doubt Nikon's design folks felt that the D50's target audience would find a self-timer button much more useful than the ability to fine tune white balance.

Some important notes for fist time dSLR Buyers

The D50's CCD sensor is smaller than a frame of 35mm film, which means the focal length of 35mm format lenses used on the D50 is effectively multiplied by 1.5X. The good news is that telephoto lenses magically grow longer (a 200 mm telephoto becomes a 320 mm telephoto). The bad news is that the same thing happens to wide-angle lenses (a 28 mm wide-angle lens very un-magically becomes a 43 mm normal lens).

The LCD screen on the D50's rear deck can't be used as a viewfinder (like it is with Point & Shoot digital cameras) because the mirror used to reflect the image resolved by the lens up to the optical viewfinder, blocks the light path preventing the transmission of a live image feed. LCD screens on digital SLRs are used for menu navigation and for image review (post exposure).

Digital SLRs do not provide video/movie modes, so if the video feature is an important selling point take a look at one of Nikon's upscale P&S models (like the CP8400, CP8700, or CP8800).

Digital SLRs do not include a starter memory card in the box (like most P&S digitcams) so D50 purchasers should factor the cost of a fairly large SD card into their price calculations/comparisons.

NUTS & BOLTS

Viewfinder

The D50 features what appears to be the same through-the-lens (TTL) pentamirror optical viewfinder as the D70/D70s. The D50’s optical viewfinder is bright (noticeably brighter than the viewfinder of the EOS350D) and color correct. Visible Inside the viewfinder are 5 AF focusing points and a comprehensive (exposure info and camera settings) status/function readout. The D50's optical viewfinder shows provides a diopter correction for eyeglasses wearers.

LCD Screen

The D50's full info 2.0” LCD screen is bright and color accurate (brightness levels can be adjusted via the menu) and shows almost 100% of the image frame. The D50 also provides a Top Deck LCD status/function display (which isn’t backlit as it is on the D70s), a histogram option (for checking over/under exposure and tonal range post-exposure) and a nifty Highlights display (overexposed areas blink) which is very helpful is showing highlights that will be blown out in the saved image file.

Optics

Most F/AF mount lenses can be used with the D50, but Nikon recommends using "D" or "G" lenses for maximum compatibility. Older (manual focus) AI & AIS Nikkors can be mounted, but caution should be used. Nikon provides two point of purchase options for D50 purchasers. Shooters who already own Nikon F/AF lenses can choose the D50 Set (body only) and save one hundred and fifty bucks. Nikon also offers a Kit package for first time dSLR buyers with a D50 body and an AF-S DX Nikkor f/3.5-f5.6/18-55mm G ED Zoom.

AF-S DX Nikkor f/3.5-f5.6/18-55mm G ED Zoom

The AF-S DX Nikkor f/3.5-f4.5/18-70mm G IF-ED zoom kit lens included in the D70/D70s kit is a near pro quality optic, but it is also fairly expensive (about three hundred bucks). In order to keep the D50's kit cost under $900.00 Nikon included a different kit lens. The AF-S DX Nikkor f/3.5-f5.6/18-55mm G ED zoom is not as good an optic as the D70/D70s kit lens, but it is actually a pretty decent lens that mates nicely with the D50. Build quality is very good, but the metal used in the construction of the AF-S DX Nikkor f/3.5-f4.5/18-70mm G IF-ED has been replaced with polycarbonate on the AF-S DX Nikkor f/3.5-f5.6/18-55mm G ED zoom.

Resolution is excellent, but colors are a bit oversaturated (another indication this camera was designed to appeal to shooters who prefer punched-up color) and contrast is a bit bolder than that of the D70s. There is some very minor vignetting (darkened corners) at the maximum aperture (at the wide angle end of the zoom range), but this disappears by f4.5. There is some minor barrel distortion at the wide-angle end of the zoom range and some very minor pincushioning at telephoto. Images are sharp in the corners at wide angle, but corners are slightly soft at the telephoto end of the zoom range. There is some visible light fall-off, but chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is very well controlled. Optimum aperture appears to be f8.0.

Auto Focus

The D50 uses the same 5 AF point system as the D70s. Users can manually select the specific AF point they want to base focus on (which is handy for composing images with off-center subjects) or allow the camera to automatically select the AF point (closest subject priority). AF is consistently fast and accurate even in dull lighting. The D70s allows users to trip the shutter, even if the subject is not in focus. The D50 (like most P&S digicams) will not allow the shutter to fire unless the subject is in focus – another feature designed to appeal to family snap-shooters and casual photographers.

Manual Focus

Manual focus is simple, just grip the focus ring (with AF-S lenses the manual-focusing ring can be used at anytime --even while auto focusing is engaged) and adjust focus manually just like photographers did in those primitive days before auto-focus.

Flash

The D50's multi-mode (Auto, fill, front-curtain synch, redeye reduction, slow synch, slow synch w/redeye reduction, rear-curtain synch, slow rear-curtain synch) "pop-up" flash seems to be identical to the unit found on the D70s. The D50's on-board speedlight provides a pretty good selection of lighting options and a top flash synch speed of 1/500th of a second. Fill-flash exposure accuracy benefits from Nikon’s proprietary i-TTL technology (I-TTL combines color and reflectivity data and subject distance information from the pop-up Speedlight’s monitor pre-flash with color data from the camera's CCD sensor to control flash output). Maximum range (with a lens featuring an f2.8 maximum aperture mounted) is about 18 feet. The Flash popup release doubles as the D50’s Flash Compensation control (flash output can be adjusted from -3 to 1 EV in 1/3 EV increments).

The D50 also features an external flash hot shoe for mounting Nikon Speedlights (3rd party flash units can be used, but not with full compatibility). Best choice flash units (to fully utilize Nikon's Creative Lighting System and i-TTL capabilities) are the Nikon SB600 and SB800.

Image Storage/File Formats/Connectivity

The Nikon D50 (unlike every other dSLR in the Nikon line-up) saves images to SD memory cards.
Images are saved in JPEG and RAW (NEF) formats and there is a RAW JPEG mode that saves a RAW file plus a JPEG file.
USB 2.0, A/V out, and DC in

Power/Battery Life

The D50 draws its juice from the same EN-EL3 Li-Ion battery that powers the D70. Nikon claims the EN-EL3 is good for about 2000 exposures (under optimum conditions), but in real world photography optimum conditions rarely prevail. Realistically, power duration is based on a variety of random environmental factors and the personal shooting style and camera use habits of each individual photographer. The bottom line – For the D50's target audience battery life should not be a concern. The D70s uses the the EN-EL3a, a slightly more powerful version of the EN-EL3 -- if the EN-EL3a is used in the D50 (rather than the EN-EL3) it will punch up power reserves by about 25 per cent -- so those who feel the need to buy a back-up battery should opt for the EN-EL3a. The included charger requires about two hours to fully charge either battery.

EXPOSURE

The D50 offers users a comprehensive range of exposure options including: AUTO, Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual exposure, and seven Digital Vari-Programs (scene modes). The D50's Scene Modes don’t just average exposure values and select a "best combo" f/stop and shutter speed – they automatically tweak second tier exposure parameters (white balance, sharpening, tone, and contrast) to obtain the best possible exposure for the specific scene type selected. That kind of usability engineering creates an imaging tool that becomes an extension of the individual behind the lens.

The D50's Vari-Program mode highlights Nikon's view of the dissimilar agendas of D50 and D70s buyers. The D70s has a night-scene mode, but Nikon's product development folks substituted a child scene mode (with more saturated colors and higher contrast) on the D50. While many D70s buyers are likely to be interested in shooting low light images, most D50 buyers will be more concerned with capturing pictures of their children.

The D50 also provides a full manual mode (users set all exposure parameters) for more advanced shooters.

Metering

The D50 features a somewhat simpler version of the excellent 3D color Matrix metering system of the D70s. The D50's Color Matrix metering system scans exposure data (brightness, color, contrast, and camera to subject distance) from more than 400 separate areas of the image frame and then compares that information to an onboard database of stored photo scenes before electronically selecting the best exposure for the scene in front of the camera. 3D color Matrix metering is available only with D or G designation Nikon AF lenses. The D50 also provides Center-Weighted Averaging and Spot metering modes.
The D50 also provides Center Weighted, and Spot metering modes. The center-weighted metering mode measures the light falling on the total image area, but places the most importance on a large circular area at the middle of the image frame. Spot metering bases exposure on a very small circular area at the exact center of image frame.

White Balance

The D50's White Balance options include: TTL (through the lens) Auto, and dedicated settings for incandescent, fluorescent, sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, and preset (manual).

Sensitivity

Settings for Auto, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, and 1600 ISO (equivalent).

In-Camera Image Adjustment

In camera image adjustment options are very important because they allow savvy shooters to immediately counter environmental/lighting problems and to more precisely reflect their personal creative vision by tweaking exposure compensation, flash compensation, exposure bracketing, AF bracketing, color saturation, contrast, sharpening, and white balance controls. Users can accomplish many of these functions via image management software - post exposure, but in-camera image adjustments are always more convenient than having to manipulate images after the fact. Digital SLRs should never unreasonably limit user input into the creative process since operational flexibility is one of the reasons consumer choose them over usability challenged P&S digicams. The Nikon D50 isn’t on par with the D70s (or the 20D) in this arena, but it does provide a reasonably comprehensive selection of in-camera image adjustment options.

The D50's Exposure Compensation option allows users to adjust exposure (which gradually lightens or darkens the image) /- 5EV in 1/3 EV increments to compensate for difficult lighting. Exposure Compensation can’t be used with the D50's Digital Vari-Program (Scene) modes.

The Auto Exposure Bracketing utility permits users to capture three images of the same subject (in rapid sequence) and vary exposure slightly ( /- 2EV in 1/2 or 1/3 EV increments) between those three images.

The D50's Flash Bracketing option allows users to bracket flash output by /- 2EV in 1/3EV or 1/2EV increments.

The Nikon D50 also provides users with the ability to select Color Space and adjust Color Saturation, Contrast, Sharpness, and Hue.

CONTROLS, DESIGN, & ERGONOMICS

The nifty looking little D50 is available in either Pro black or stylish silver. Controls are logically placed, easily accessed, and generally larger and more clearly marked than those of the D70. The built-in handgrip provides a secure grip and very nice balance (for right handed shooters). Build quality (polycarbonate over a light-weight metal alloy frame) is quite good for an entry level dSLR. This camera is clearly aimed at photographers looking to make the jump to a digital SLR, but without giving up the convenience, consumer features, and ease of use of a P&S digicam.

Technical Specifications

Camera Type: dSLR (digital Single Lens Reflex)
Resolution: 6.1 Megapixels (3008x2000)
Viewfinder: fixed (optical) TTL Pentamirror
LCD: 2.0” LCD screen
Exposure: Auto, Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, full Manual, and 7 digital Vari Programs (scene modes)
Auto Focus: 5 AF point phase detection
Manual Focus: yes
Lensmount: Nikon F/AF mount
Lens: AF-S DX Nikkor f/3.5-f5.6/18-55mm G ED Zoom
Metering: 3D color Matrix, center-weighted, and adjustable Spot
Flash: built-in multi mode and dedicated hot shoe for Nikon Speedlights
Sensitivity: TTL Auto and settings for 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, and 1600 ISO (equivalent)
White Balance: TTL Auto and user selected pre-sets for incandescent, fluorescent, sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, custom, and preset).
Memory Media: SD
Power: One En-EL3 (or EN-EL3a) battery

Price: (msrp) body only -- $749.00 ---- Kit (D50 body and AF-S DX Nikkor f/3.5-f5.6/18-55mm G ED Zoom) $899.00

Included

AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED zoom, EN-EL3 Li-Ion battery and charger, neck strap, USB and Video cables, software CD-ROMs, and a printed user’s manual

Optional

The D50 is the baby of the Nikon dSLR family, but it is a Nikon dSLR, so there are untold numbers of Nikkor and 3rd party lenses, scads of accessories, and several Nikon Speedlights (plus dozens of third party flash units) available.

In the Field/Handling & Operation

My Friend (who sells new and used digital & film cameras and photographic equipment) had some difficulty shaking lose a D50 for us to test, (in typical fashion demand for the D50 initially outstripped Nikon’s production capacity) but we finally obtained a sample for us to play with. Both of us had been impatiently waiting for an opportunity to check out Nikon’s “baby” dSLR. We started with a somewhat primitive, but consistently dependable color test. We use a homemade macro stage and a selection of brightly colored (red, green, yellow, blue, and purple) plastic children’s beach toys arrayed against a white background to check not only color accuracy, but also the precision of the white balance system. The D50’s default color is hue accurate, but highly saturated (“hot” reds and bright “cool” blues) -- noticeably different from the fairly neutral color produced by the D70s. The D50’s Auto White Balance is consistently and dependably accurate, making it unnecessary most of the time (even in challenging lighting) to resort to the WB pre-sets – an obvious nod to the D50’s target audience (family photographers and casual shooters) who like “auto” settings.

The weather here in the upper south has been hot, humid, and very bright all summer, so for our first outing (a Saturday afternoon) we took the D50 to Old Louisville, an area of tree shaded streets lined with architecturally diverse late 19th and early 20th century Victorian houses. The residents of Old Louisville are an eclectic mixture and it is not at all unusual to see preppy young professionals, brothers in doo rags and baggy shorts, aging pony tailed hipsters in worn jeans, and tattooed Goths all in black (accessorized with dog chain clips and safety pins) standing in line at the Dizzy Whiz or drinking beer on adjacent stools at the Mag Bar.

The D50’s kit lens was a bit slow (f3.5) and not quite wide enough to really capture the essence of one of Louisville’s most interesting neighborhoods, but the afternoon golden light worked nicely for us and the camera did nicely shooting flower filled front yards, colorful locals, and all sorts of arcane architectural details. When the shadows started getting fairly long (as darkness approached) we called it a day.

Sunday morning was absolutely beautiful with blue skies and wispy white clouds so we headed for Cave Hill Cemetery to look for exotic blooming plants, native limestone grave markers from the 19th century, ornate mausoleums, and the rustic old groundskeepers cottage. We also shot some pictures of the ever-present families feeding the ducks, geese, and swans at the small lake near the center of Louisville’s oldest cemetery. After we ran out of things to shoot at Cave Hill we headed for West Main Street in Downtown Louisville. This nineteenth century commercial area has some of the best-preserved cast iron storefronts in the United States. The area is filled with three and four story warehouses where riverboat cargo was stored (before being on loaded/off loaded) from the thousands of steamboats that used to ply the Ohio River. Most of these old buildings have been restored, providing local photographers with dozens of colorfully painted and incredibly ornate building fronts. Main Street runs East and West, so the late afternoon light (as the sun sets) brightens up the colorful old buildings beautifully. We finished up at the Louisville Science Center, shooting obliquely lit architectural details and golden light close ups of the purple and gold cast iron work. The D50 did yeoman work, capturing sharp highly saturated images of the lighting, textures, and colors. When the light started to fade we called it a day and headed for home.

The following Saturday my friend and I (and another photographer friend) headed for Bernheim Forrest, 30 miles south of Louisville. Bernheim Forest is a combined 14,000 acre nature preserve, Biological/Ecological/Environmental research station, and a popular green space where jaded Louisvillians to get away from the hassles and stresses of the city to wander around in the woods. The weather was hot (low nineties) and very humid with Robin’s egg blue skies and puffy white clouds. We wanted to shoot the wildflowers in restored Prairie area at Bernheim. When the first Europeans arrived in North America about a third of the North American continent (the area between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountain chains and from the Gulf Coast north into central Canada) and more than one third of the Bluegrass state wwere covered by prairies, at that time the most extensive grasslands anywhere on the planet. Less than one tenth of one per cent of that original expanse remains.

There’s a 6 foot wide path through the waist high Big Blue Stem, Little Bluestem, and Indian grasses so visitors (and photographers) have easy access to the wildflowers, Prairie plants, and insects that populate this endangered ecosystem. The afternoon light was warm and golden toned with no glare or harshness so we decided to try some Eliot Porter style "intimate landscapes" (in our case "intimate Prairiescapes") with the D50 and kit lens. We shot Yarrow, flowering Milkweed, Goldenrod, Weak Stemmed Sunflowers, Giant Purple Coneflowers, Ohio Asters, Prairie Clover, and Ironweed. Butterflies were in abundance, but they were very skittish about allowing a close approach (the D50’s kit lens is not really designed for macro work) so we concentrated on finding and shooting interesting arrangements of wildflowers and Prairie plants. The heat was merciless and all three of us spent the afternoon trying to avoid being baked to a crisp in the bright shadeless Prairie area. The D50 didn'’t seem to mind the heat and did a fine job capturing colorful compositions of brightly lit wildflowers. We used the D50’s Exposure Compensation mode and the built-in flash (in fill mode) liberally. The D50 does an excellent job outdoors and the somewhat slow kit lens is in its element when the light is bright.

The next day (Sunday) for our final outing with D50 we headed for the Kentucky Music Weekend at the Iroquois Amphitheatre in Louisville’s south end. It was an absolutely gorgeous day (low 90's, blue skies, lots of fluffy white clouds) a perfect afternoon to shoot at one of the country’s oldest music festivals and our regions largest. The festival consists of performances of Country blues, bluegrass, newgrass, folk, mountain music, traditional folk music, and Southern gospel music plus instrument workshops, dancing, and lots of kids’ activities (at the adjacent Iroquois Arts and Crafts Festival). We started out with strong front lighting followed by beautiful golden light in the late afternoon and early evening. We shot environmental portraits of musicians “jamming” with their friends and young musicians waiting for an opportunity to sit in with the oldtimers. In other words the place was a photographer's paradise. Subjects ranged from weathered old Eastern Kentucky mountain folk in faded bib overalls to intense kids looking to learn how to claw hammer a Banjo, tune a fiddle or hammer a Dulcimer. The KMW is like an old time Southern family reunion, except there aint no fried chicken and the music is a whole LOT better. Folks sit around listening to music, or walk around to see and be seen, or play and sing, or tell stories. Everyone is friendly and the music makes a great soundtrack for a warm summer evening under the ancient old growth trees. We stayed until the light failed completely, and then called it a day.

PERFORMANCE

Image Quality

dSLR image quality is really more dependent on the quality of the lens mounted than it is on the efficacy of the camera's processing and exposure systems. The AF-S DX Nikkor f/3.5-f5.6/18-55mm G ED Zoom is not the equal of the kit lens that ships with the D70s, but it is actually pretty good. Image quality is consistently Very good to excellent (especially at ISO 200) and edge transitions are crisp.

Detail capture in highlight areas is surprisingly good, but shadow areas don’t come out quite as well. Noise is very well controlled up to ISO 400. We didn’t shoot anything higher than ISO 400, so I can’t comment on the higher ISO sensitivities. Colors (viewed on a NEC 19" CRT monitor) are bright and slightly over saturated—but not garish. Contrast is well balanced, but without any artificial looking hardness. Images are a bit on the soft side at the default settings (just like the D70s), but shooters can either bump up in-camera sharpening or sharpen images post exposure if this is a problem.

Timing/Shutter Lag

The D50 is essentially just as fast and responsive as its bigger brother. Start up is virtually instantaneous. AF is pretty much real time with pre-focus and less than a ¼ second from scratch. Shutter lag won't interfere with the ability to capture great shots of rapidly moving (and highly unpredictable) toddlers or youth Soccer games. Shot-to-shot and write to card times seem to be just marginally slower the D70s. Excellent performance, especially for an entry level digital SLR.

A Few Concerns

I wonder why Nikon didn't drop an 8 megapixel CCD sensor into the D50. I would have loved to see the Depth of Field preview button make the move from the D70/D70s, but most of the D50's target audience won't miss it.

Conclusion

Serious shooters should spring for the D70s, but family snap-shooters, P&S digicam users making the jump to a dSLR, and casual shutterbugs will appreciate the D50's compact style, ease of use, and excellent performance. The D50 would also do nicely as an inexpensive second body for D70s owners, who could spend the price difference between the two cameras on another lens. For those trying to decide between the Digital Rebel XT and the D50, the resolution difference is negligible, so purchase decisions shouldn’t be based strictly on resolution. Overall, I'd call the match up pretty nearly a draw. The Rebel XT does some things better than the D50 and the D50 does some things better than the Rebel XT. The final decision should be based on comparisons of features, tweakability, lenses, and subjective camera feel – rather than on the tiresome and somewhat juvenile Nikonistas versus Canoneers brand loyalty rhetoric to be found just about anywhere folks discuss cameras or lenses.

For definitive advice on How to Choose a Digital Camera please see my review:
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2E46-17B174E2-39A418E3-prod1

Want to compare the Nikon D50 and D70s? Check out my D70s review
http://www.epinions.com/content_188547305092

Looking for a photo printer? Check out my review of a professional quality ink-jet printer, the Epson Stylus Photo 2200. http://www.epinions.com/content_167980076676



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 899.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts