Nikon D50 review

Digital SLR's are quickly becoming the fastest moving segment of the digital camera market, this means more new digital SLR's, more competition and lower prices. The Nikon D50 is introduced as a more affordable and easier to use version of the D70 which was released just under fifteen months ago. Anyone who has seen or handled the D70 will immediately see a strong resemblance in the D50, it's only when you start to examine the camera in a little more detail that you notice the differences (we've detailed them below). Clearly the D50 is designed to compete with other affordable digital SLR's such as the Canon EOS 350D (Digital Rebel XT), Pentax *ist DS and Olympus E-300.
Differences between D50 and D70/D70s

Although quite similar in use and appearance there are some noteworthy differences between the D50 and D70, we have detailed all of the feature / specification differences in the table below. To summarize the most important; the D50 has improved auto focus especially in the area of motion tracking, it has a new auto AF mode (which automatically switches between single and continuous AF depending on the subject), it has a lower resolution metering sensor but that sensor is a newer generation than the one used in the D70 (and D70s) - spot metering circle is also larger, the maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 sec, continuous shooting is 2.5 fps, it has a better viewfinder eyecup, the LCD monitor has increased to 2.0" in size, the D50 takes SD cards (not CF), it's slightly smaller and lighter than the D70 and several features have been removed or simplified to make the camera easier to use.

6MP, same as D70 and D70s. 3,008 x 2,000, also 2,256 x 1,496 and 1,504 x 1,000 pixel settings. Oddly the medium setting is just a few pixels different from the medium setting of the D70 and D70s. Everything else is identical.

AF Sensors: Five, just like D70, D70s, D1X, F5 etc. Same CAM-900 module and -1 EV rating as D70 and D70s.

AF modes: Same as D70 and D70s and adds a new AF-A mode. The AF-A mode automatically selects between AF-S (normal AF) and AF-C (continuous AF). You still have to use the menus to select between AF-S, AF-A and AF-C; the front switch only selects between AF and MF.

Metering: 420 segment color 3D matrix, center-weighted and spot. Rated down to LV 0, same as D70 and D70s. So long as you have at least five segments you're fine, so I wouldn't worry about "only" 420 segments compared to the 1,005 of the more expensive cameras.

Exposure Modes: P, S, A, M and scene modes. Same as D70 and D70s with the one exception of replacing the night landscape mode with a child mode. It does have the night portrait and all the other scene modes of the D70 and D70s. I've never used any of the scene modes anyway.

Pentamirror finder. Same as D70s. D70 had either this or a glass prism depending on where you read it. It looks the same as my D70.

Shutter: Mechanical and electronic like the D70 and D70s. B, 30 - 1/4,000. The manual says 1/2 and 1/3 stops, I forget if the D70 can go in half stops or just thirds. No big deal. Time exposures to 30 minutes with ML-L3 wireless remote.

Frame Rate: 2.5 FPS. Just a little slower than the D70's 3 FPS. It has a buffer, however its depth is unspecified. With the right card it is specified to run for 137 frames continuously till it overflows. The illustration in the manual shows "12," which is the same as the D70 and D70s in the default normal, large JPG setting. I don't know if it's the same or not.

Flash Sync: 1/500, same as D70 and D70s and better than just about every other DSLR regardless of price. It's better than anything from Canon, better than the $5,000 D2X, better than the $3,500 D2H and better than the newest $1,700 D200.

Flash: Built-in, i-TTL, GN 15/49 (m/ft @ ISO 200; 11/36 @ ISO 100), same as D70s. Same numerous and excellent sync modes as D70 and D70s. (Note to Nikon: typo has "TTL" spelt as "TLL" on page 99 of manual, last paragraph.) No ability to use built-in flash as commander for remote control of other flashes.

CCD Sensor: Standard DX size (23.7 x 15.6 mm) and 1.5x mag factor.

ISO: 200 - 1,600, same as D70 and D70s. Adjusts in full stops, not thirds, which I prefer.

White Balance: same fixed settings and white card preset setting as D70 and D70s but lacks direct fine-tuning. The lack of direct WB fine-tuning won't be noticed by 99% of the people who buy these. You can have this through WB bracketing, in which case the camera records three different JPGs as processed from each actual shot. Clever!

Color modes: Three; same as D70 and D70s.

Saturation control: Three settings, same as D70 and D70s.

Histogram: Still the same useless one-channel display (not RGB), just like the D70, D100, D70s, D1x, etc. Nikon's manual even cautions that it's useless and won't agree with what you see in Photoshop (page 53).

Image Rotation: Automatic just like D70 and D70s.

Custom functions: 20 compared to the 25 of the D70s and D70.

File Formats: same as D70: JPEG FINE, NORMAL and BASIC; RAW and RAW + JPEG. Files sizes in the D50 manual are identical to the file sizes I get from my D70.

Memory: SD cards, the little ones, not CF as every other Nikon DSLR has used. Instead of jamming in from the back they slide in from the side. Nikon prints a list of recommended cards, which includes Sandisk, Toshiba and Panasonic. Lexar is prominently absent. Nikon extensively tests every function of the D50 with each of the cards they suggest and guarantees the camera's performance with them. Nikon does not recommend using any other cards and doesn't guarantee anything if you use them. This is great; most camera makers just leave you out on your own here.

LCD (color picture): 2.0;" bigger than D70's 1.8" and identical to the one on the D70s: 130,000 dots.

LCD: (numeric display on top of camera): identical to the one on the D70 and D70s, except no illumination. I work in the dark and use this illumination now and then, so I'd miss this. Most people probably wouldn't.

Battery: EN-EL3, 1,400 mAh, same as D70 and D100. (D70s gets a compatible EN-EL3a of 1,500 mAh) The D50 is rated for 2,000 shots no flash and 400 shots with full power flash every other shot, exactly the same as the D70. Cannot use the MS-D70 holder for three CR2 disposable batteries as the D70 and D70s can.

Size: 5.2 x 4.0 x 3.0" (133 x 102 x 76 mm)

Weight: 19 oz. (540 g) stripped without battery, monitor cover, lens, body cap, strap or memory card.