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Question about buying a d50 cheaply



 
 
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  #21  
Old May 3rd 06, 06:56 PM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

(East Bay) Phil wrote:
I'd avoid the E-500 due to the noise issues. Also, there is no
upgrade path with Olympus, nor is there a good selection of lenses.
With Nikon, you have huge availability of lenses, both new, used, and
third-party.


In the course of investigating the Nikon, upgrade path has been
something I've begun to explore. I've read posts about the d70(s) vs
d50. I'm not experienced enough with the high-end to properly assess
feature differences. That said, if I'm looking at the d50 w/ 18-70 vs
the d70 w/ 18-70 at a similar price should I be looking to the d70?


No. By the time you go to the D70s, you're almost at the cost of a Canon
Rebel XT, which is better than the D70s in many ways. The D50 is perfect
for what you're looking for.

I'm going to take a spin over the local camera shop today to get a feel
for both of these models.


It's very bad manners to try out cameras at a local shop, then buy online.
  #22  
Old May 3rd 06, 08:07 PM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

From Nikon, I am only considering the d50 and d70.

Thanks for pointing this out.
Phil
  #23  
Old May 3rd 06, 08:15 PM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

On Wed, 03 May 2006 10:56:08 -0700
SMS wrote:

(East Bay) Phil wrote:
I'd avoid the E-500 due to the noise issues. Also, there is no
upgrade path with Olympus, nor is there a good selection of lenses.
With Nikon, you have huge availability of lenses, both new, used,
and third-party.


In the course of investigating the Nikon, upgrade path has been
something I've begun to explore. I've read posts about the d70(s)
vs d50. I'm not experienced enough with the high-end to properly
assess feature differences. That said, if I'm looking at the d50
w/ 18-70 vs the d70 w/ 18-70 at a similar price should I be looking
to the d70?


No. By the time you go to the D70s, you're almost at the cost of a
Canon Rebel XT, which is better than the D70s in many ways. The D50
is perfect for what you're looking for.


Hrmm. I found a refurb d70 + 18-70 for $699 at one of the recommended
online stores. That's what sparked my query. This is contrasted with
$399 for a d50 body + $2-300 for an 18-70 lens.

I'm going to take a spin over the local camera shop today to get a
feel for both of these models.


It's very bad manners to try out cameras at a local shop, then buy
online.


Point taken. As a rule, if a local shop sells or can sell within a
reasonable margin of the 'best deal' I will support the local
merchant. Rest assured that they do get business from me.
  #24  
Old May 3rd 06, 10:47 PM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

From Nikon, I am only considering the d50 and d70.

If interested in a D70, not D70s, e-mail me off-line supplying an
address which can handle a 5 x 1.3 = 6.7 MB attachment.


Actually, d70s as well. Oops.
  #25  
Old May 4th 06, 05:12 AM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

According to (East Bay) Phil :
Slightly off-topic. Can someone with a nikon email me a raw image. I
use linux and would like to know if my system and photo gallery will
properly recognize their format.


Not without a de-munged e-mail address. :-) I *think* that I
know what is obvious to do, but nothing more.

My e-mail address as it appears in the headers is valid. If you
don't want to post a de-munged e-mail, send me an e-mail with valid
address and I can return an image.

I don't know photo gallery, so I don't know what it will do. I
use several other unix-based image manipulation programs, with "the
GIMP" being the most powerful.

For processing almost *anybody's* RAW, you can download and
compile dcraw (for free) -- and it can be used stand-alone, or it can
even be integrated into "the GIMP" as a plugin. And, of course, "the
GIMP" is free for the download with source if you so wish, so it should
fit into your linux operation as well as it does into my various other
flavors of unix.

FWIW, I have the Nikon D70, but it uses the same sensor and the
same RAW format as the D50.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
  #26  
Old May 4th 06, 09:25 AM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

On Wed, 03 May 2006 10:30:22 -0700, Phil wrote:

Slightly off-topic. Can someone with a nikon email me a raw image. I
use linux and would like to know if my system and photo gallery will
properly recognize their format.

Thanks!
Phil

Phil,
Just a couple of questions - 1. Have you got the 'Gimp installed?
2. If you have then make sure that you also have 'ufraw' or 'dcraw' or
rawphoto installed.

--
Neil
Delete 'l' to reply
  #27  
Old May 4th 06, 11:15 AM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

(East Bay) Phil wrote:
get the Olympus Evolt-500 kit.

I agree. Check out the E-500 before you make your purchase. I have
done my homework and this is the one I am getting.


I'll look into this. The only concern I've read of so far was that
there are some noise issues.

Given that the E-500 costs more, what sold you on it (over the nikon,
if that was in consideration)?

P


Noise "might" be an issue if you like to shoot ISO 1600 frequently. On
the up side noise can be cleaned up somewhat with programs like
Neatimage etc.

My reasons: 2 lens kit covers most of my situations, the Ultra Sonic CCD
filter reducing the dreaded dust-on-CCD issue was an attraction, the
overall feel/comfort of the camera and the very vivid 2.5" LCD display.
Olympus has a good range of lenses as well (perhaps not as extensive as
N&C) that are designed for the digital camera.

I bought the camera yesterday and I am very pleased with the purchase.

Note: I have found this NG is heavily biased towards Nikon-Canon and
often these folks can't see beyond their blinders.

Ron


--
And it really doesn't matter if
I'm wrong I'm right
Where I belong I'm right
Where I belong.

Lennon & McCartney
  #28  
Old May 4th 06, 11:51 AM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

Freedom55 wrote:

Note: I have found this NG is heavily biased towards Nikon-Canon and
often these folks can't see beyond their blinders.


That's because at least one of the groups you posted to,
rec.photo.equipment.35mm is heavily biased twoard 35mm.

Olympus had good offerings and good lenses, but no real exotic ones
until Nikon took their two year "vacation" to retool for autofocus
around 1986-1988.

At that time, Olympus tried to fill the void with some really excelent and
exotic lenses (oh, for that 24mm tilt/shift) and professional support
equivalent to Nikon's. It never really caught on and Olympus limped
along until they started making digital cameras.

Their only new SLR product was the OM-30 which was an OEM'ed piece of junk,
which was also OEM'ed as the Nikon FM-10, and two FE versions I've
forgotten the numbers of (FE-10, FE-20?) and sold as a bunch of
under $200 kits with lens by several large companies.

They did produce some interesting point and shoot cameras.

They are producing digital cameras that are well rated, but to most of
us here, that's irrelevant. Here we discuss 35mm cameras.

Because of that bias there really is nothing to discuss about Olympus
cameras except old ones.

It's also important to note that Olympus is not a camera company. Olympus
is an OPTICAL company that makes among many other things DIGITAL cameras.
They no longer make film cameras and it was never their primary business.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
Visit my 'blog at
http://geoffstechno.livejournal.com/
  #29  
Old May 4th 06, 04:53 PM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

Just a couple of questions - 1. Have you got the 'Gimp installed?

certainly.

2. If you have then make sure that you also have 'ufraw' or 'dcraw' or
rawphoto installed.


I have dcraw installed in order to increase the functionality of
gallery 2.x. That said, I wasn't and am still not certain that this
handles the decryption necessary for Nikon raw images. If it does this
automagically, I'm set. I'll take images as raw, save to DVD, and
upload to gallery for jpeg viewing.

P
  #30  
Old May 4th 06, 08:12 PM posted to rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.digital.slr-systems,rec.photo.digital
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Default Question about buying a d50 cheaply

(East Bay) Phil wrote:
Just a couple of questions - 1. Have you got the 'Gimp installed?


certainly.

2. If you have then make sure that you also have 'ufraw' or 'dcraw' or
rawphoto installed.


I have dcraw installed in order to increase the functionality of
gallery 2.x. That said, I wasn't and am still not certain that this
handles the decryption necessary for Nikon raw images.


It does.

If it does this
automagically, I'm set.


I'm not sure what "automagically" means to you. What /dcraw/
does is produce a PPM format file from a "raw" format. It works
for just about any raw format known to exist. Command line
parameters allow manipulation of anything reasonable, such as
color correction, gamma, etc.

Basically /dcraw/ is excellent for batch processing, but can also
be used to decode image files one at a time too.

I'll take images as raw, save to DVD, and
upload to gallery for jpeg viewing.


Note that /dcraw/ does *not* decode jpeg image files! To
convert from raw, or from the PPM files that /dcraw/ produces,
to jpeg requires another utility (and there are several, but
/convert/ from /Imagemagik/ is a good one for batch processing).

The other program you'll want is /ufraw/, which is normally a
GUI standalone or front end to the GIMP, but can also be invoked
as a batch process. /ufraw/ is based on /dcraw/, and is *very*
much worth your time to install.

My typical work flow for a batch of images that are all similar
is to do one image with /ufraw/ as a standalone process, and
generate a configuration file as part of the output. Then I
invoke /ufraw/ as a batch process, using that configuration
file, to do the entire list of files all in the same way.

The commands look like this:

ufraw dsc_1234.nef
mv dsc_1234.ufraw IC
ufraw-batch --conf=IC *.nef



--
Floyd L. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)
 




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