Nikon D50
EDITOR RATING: OUTSTANDING0 COMMENTSAUGUST 15, 2005
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MSRP
$899.95
PROS
Excellent picture quality and performance. User-friendly features. Great price.
CONS
1.5X magnification factor.
BOTTOM LINE
For photographers yearning to get their hands on an entry-level D-SLR, the D50 is the best choice. It’s simply a delightful camera to shoot with.
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BYTERRY SULLIVAN
When it comes to the digital SLR market, Nikon has always focused on high-end, professional models like the D2X. While the company has not ignored consumer D-SLRs, its primary mission has always been serving pro shooters. That is why we were pleasantly surprised by the introduction of the D50 and what seems to be more of a commitment to the consumer. The D50 has a great price and includes helpful, user-friendly features. These, combined with excellent quality and performance, made it easy to single out this camera as our new Editors’ Choice for D-SLRs.
Nikon faced two challenges in introducing this D-SLR. The first was distinguishing it from the competition, especially Canon’s 6MP Rebel and the very popular 8MP Rebel XT. The second was differentiating the D50 from its own lineup of D-SLRs, specifically the recently released, consumer-level, 6MP Nikon D70s. We wondered if Nikon could bring to market a D-SLR that was significantly less expensive than the D70s without compromising on quality. To our surprise, the company has produced a little beauty of a camera that does just that, and beats one of our existing D-SLR Editors’ Choices—the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT.
The Nikon D50 is a light ( 1 lb. 3 oz.) and compact D-SLR with an 18- to 55-mm zoom range, which translates to a 27- to 82.5-mm zoom ( 35-mm equivalent) due to Nikon’s 1.5X magnification factor. The camera has a maximum f-stop range of f/3.5 to f/5.6 across the zoom range. Like the D70s, it has a 6.1MP sensor and a built-in flash. You can shoot in a variety of modes, including auto, scene ( Nikon calls these vari-modes) , aperture- and shutter-priority, and manual. It has a wonderfully clear 2-inch LCD, which is smaller than most consumer camera LCDs but larger than the Rebel XT’s ( 1.8 inches) . In addition to the size of the LCD, the D50 shares other similarities with the D70s, including a hot shoe for adding a Nikon Speedlight or other flash unit, the ability to shoot in RAW format, and a five-point autofocus system.
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