I know absolutely nothing about photography but photography has always interested me and I want to learn. I have a digital Point and Shot camera which I'm not thrilled with. Is a D50 too much/not enough camera for someone who wants to learn? Any tips or recommendations? Thank you.
Its a great camera for the newcomer.... and has enough features and performance to keep the more advanced enthusiast happy, as well. Consider Thom Hogan's eBook for educational purposes - its a well spent $30, in my opinion. And be ready to get caught up in the world of DSLR, its simply amazing. Good luck to you.
First off, Welcome to the forum. I don't see any reason you couldn't learn on a D50. Depending on your ability to learn quickly, the D40 may not have enough features for you so you may out grow it too quickly. For the small price difference, you could also look at the D80, which as a beginner, you could really grow into. They just announced a D40x which is 10mp... Not sure I get that move, didnt the D40 JUST come out a few months ago? I have two coworkers that own a D50 and a D40. Both seem to like them very much. The woman that owns the D50 just moved to digital from film, so she was experienced with photography, but she is finding the D50 fits her needs quite well. The only other thing I can add is do your research. I researched my first digital SLR, the D100, for about 9 months and owned it for 4 years. I just sold it to upgrade to the D200, which took me 6 months to decide between it and the D2X! If you have a local store that has the newer selections in stock, go check them out and see if the store will let you shoot with them a bit and see which works best for you! Good luck! I hope you have deep pockets, because this gets addictive and expensive quickly!
I've been doing a lot of research this week. The only reason I'd want to get the D50 now is that it sounds like it would meet my needs and new ones are hard to find. The D40 is what I thought I'd get because it really sounds like it would be easier to learn with but the lens limitations concerns me.
I had little experience when I bought the D50 over a year ago, and haven't regretted the purchase in the least. It has provided plenty of room to grow, and I can't imagine growing out of it for many years. D40 doesn't excite me, still would chose the D50 over the D80, because I envision the next step to be something like a D200. My complaints about the D50 are two things I fretted over at the initial purchase, the lack of lit top screen, and no flash commander control. If you decided to get the D50, anything beyond ultra II memory is a waste of money, and even std (and cheap) 40x cards are only slightly slower then the D50 can write.
I bought my daughter a D50 and an N80; perfect for beginners, novices, occasional users, advanced users, and everyone in between. It's a great compromise camera that has a nice set of features with good high ISO performance. It seems to generate a lot of interest as a second body too.
I think it's a great choice. The other option is the D40 at the entry level. I would go with the D50 because of Auto focus with non internal motor lenses. Nothing wrong with manual focus I use it for macro all the time but why put that limit on you till you get a handle on what your comfortable with. If you don't have any existing lenses I would also look at other brands, will not plug the options here, but look at all options. When in the same situation I went with the D70 and have been a happy Nikon camper since. With what's available now make your choice, get your camera and start shooting. Rich
I started with the D50 about 8 months ago. A great way to learn DSLR photography. The biggest danger is getting drawn into the world of DSLR lust and lens lust.... my D200 arrives tomorrow...:biggrin: Go for it and enjoy!
Nikon D50 I have a D50,keep it in the car with me all the time its my favorite camera! I use it with the kit lens and the new 55-200 VR lens with great results! Enjoy Jeff
