Nikon D50, worth it, or go higher?

OK...my trusted little Nikon Coolpix 5700 has finally bit the dust
and joined the ranks of Ansel Adams, Helmut Newton, and Jimi Hendrix
in that great big digital darkroom in the sky. moment of silence

After over a year of dreaming, teasing myself, and talking about it
endlessly, I am now ready to jump on that dSLR bandwagon. I already
own a low-end Nikon film SLR, and a few consumer lenses. I'm not
heavily invested into the Nikon system, but I tend to think of
myself as a Nikon guy (but I can be persuaded otherwise).

long-winded drivel finished

Do I buy the D50? Body only, or kit? I already have a 50mm prime and
a 28-105 consumer zoom. I know...this won't give me much on the wide
end. Should I go with a slightly more expensive model...either
Nikon or another brand?

I'm 90% ready to place my order, but I'm looking for some last
minute comments :-)

--

Bill

In article ,
Woodchuck Bill wrote:

[ ... ]

After over a year of dreaming, teasing myself, and talking about it
endlessly, I am now ready to jump on that dSLR bandwagon. I already
own a low-end Nikon film SLR, and a few consumer lenses. I'm not
heavily invested into the Nikon system, but I tend to think of
myself as a Nikon guy (but I can be persuaded otherwise).

Are these lenses autofocus ones? (Was your camera body an
autofocus one?)

[ ... ]

Do I buy the D50? Body only, or kit? I already have a 50mm prime and
a 28-105 consumer zoom. I know...this won't give me much on the wide
end.

I got my D70 a bit over a year ago, with a nice Nikkor 28-105mm
f3.5-4.5D already in hand so I bought body only. I recently went back
and bought the "kit" lens for the D70 (18-70mm f3.5-4.5) after reading
some very high opinions of it, and deciding that I really *did* need the
extra width after taking the 1.5 crop factor into account. The D70 (and
D70s) kit lens will give you about the same coverage with the 1.5 crop
factor as your 28-105 gives on film. So if you are accustomed to the
28-105, and actually *use* the wide angle end of its range, you really
will want the wider kit lens.

Note that the D50 comes with two kit lenses, which cover a
lesser range each.

Should I go with a slightly more expensive model...either
Nikon or another brand?

When I decided to buy a digital Nikon (the only choice for me,
with all the Nikkor glass which I already had), I spent some time
reading the reviews of the D100 and the D70, and I decided that the D70
did more of what I wanted, even though it cost less. (I did not at the
time realize that the D100 was nearing the end of its product life, but
just decided based on the features of the two.)

The D50 is supposed to have most of the features of the D70, but
there are a couple which I could not do without -- including a simple
thing like a button to illuminate the controls display on top of the
camera for setting in low light conditions.

Another factor is the lack of the second command dial (under the
shutter button on the front of the camera), which makes some of the
manual controls more awkward, if you are using them.

The D50 appears to have a smaller (and darker) viewfinder than
the D70 (based on a recent look through one in the camera store as I was
placing my order for the kit lens). If you are going to be using it in
plenty of light, this probably does not matter, but if you like to take
photos in low light, it certainly will. (Now granted, it could be that
the camera had no battery (or an under-charged battery) installed, and
was just not controlling the lens' aperture properly -- but I think that
in the absence of power, the lens should go to maximum aperture.

The D50 is also *physically* smaller than the D70 and D70s. You
should probably go to your camera store and handle both, to see which
one feels most comfortable to you. I have read here reports of people
comparing the D70 to the Cannon Digital Rebel, and being that close to
buying the Cannon, until they handled both, and found the D70 to be a
more natural fit in their hands. (This is contrasted with another
poster here, who came from a Point-and-Shoot background, who found the
same Digital Rebel to feel too large and heavy, and who therefore would
have been even more unhappy with the D70, or any of Nikon's or Cannon's
higher end cameras. :-)

I think that I, personally, would still go for the D70 (actually
the D70s now) if I were to have to re-make my purchase at this time. (I
would *really* like to have the D2x, but I can't afford that one. :-)
The D70 is within my price range.

Note that there are adaptors to allow you to use your Nikon
glass on a Cannon (in manual mode only, with stop-down metering), but
there are not adaptors to allow you to use Cannon glass on a Nikon body.
If you want the automation of the camera to be used to best effect, you
will want the manufacturer's own glass on the camera -- or at least
others which are designed to work with that camera.

Also, I have heard here that some of the third-party makers of
glass for Nikons have problems with the older lenses needing their
firmware upgraded to work with the newer cameras, because the makers
tried to reverse-engineer the interface, instead of paying the license
fee and getting the full information. This may or may not apply to
whatever third-party 28-105mm lens you happen to have.

I'm 90% ready to place my order, but I'm looking for some last
minute comments :-)

Well -- you have my thoughts as a happy owner of a D70.

You might as well wait to see what others say. But remember to
try all the candidates before committing. (It is for things like this
that you support a local camera store instead of going to mail-order
places, which *can't* let you try out cameras in the store. :-)

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 ---

Woodchuck Bill wrote:

Do I buy the D50? Body only, or kit? I already have a 50mm prime and
a 28-105 consumer zoom. I know...this won't give me much on the wide
end. Should I go with a slightly more expensive model...either
Nikon or another brand?

The D50 is entry level. Ask yourself if the idea of using an "entry
level" SLR is something you find comfortable, or objectionable. If the
latter, go with the D70. If the former, try a D50 in the store just to
make sure it doesn't feel too small in your hands. The D70 is pretty
small as SLRs go, but it's not "small".

Get the 18-70 kit lens, not the shorter/cheaper one. While I have no
idea how the new/shorter/cheaper one is, the 18-70 is a very nice lens
and it'll get you the wide angle that you won't have with your existing
lenses. Don't skimp on lenses; you will have them a lot longer than
you'll have the camera body.

If your existing lenses are not autofocus, you probably won't want to
use them on either a D70 or a D50 because the light meter won't function.
If they are autofocus, they will be fine. The 50mm in particular is a
great lens, and I find it much more useful on digital (with the 1.5x
crop) than on full-frame film. Adding the 18-70 to what you've got
will give you all the glass you need to get started.

--
Jeremy |

Woodchuck Bill wrote:
OK...my trusted little Nikon Coolpix 5700 has finally bit the dust
and joined the ranks of Ansel Adams, Helmut Newton, and Jimi Hendrix
in that great big digital darkroom in the sky. moment of silence

After over a year of dreaming, teasing myself, and talking about it
endlessly, I am now ready to jump on that dSLR bandwagon. I already
own a low-end Nikon film SLR, and a few consumer lenses. I'm not
heavily invested into the Nikon system, but I tend to think of
myself as a Nikon guy (but I can be persuaded otherwise).

long-winded drivel finished

Do I buy the D50? Body only, or kit? I already have a 50mm prime and
a 28-105 consumer zoom. I know...this won't give me much on the wide
end. Should I go with a slightly more expensive model...either
Nikon or another brand?

I'm 90% ready to place my order, but I'm looking for some last
minute comments :-)

Should you want to stay point-and-shoot (and save on subsequent lens
purchases), you can get a 5700-like camera, lighter, more zoom, image
stabilisation, in the Panasonic FZ5. Of course, the DSLR will give you a
higher ultimate quality, but you could get a lot of fun from the FZ5 for
less than the outlay of a D50.

Cheers,
David

"Woodchuck Bill" wrote in message
. ..
OK...my trusted little Nikon Coolpix 5700 has finally bit the dust
and joined the ranks of Ansel Adams, Helmut Newton, and Jimi Hendrix
in that great big digital darkroom in the sky. moment of silence

After over a year of dreaming, teasing myself, and talking about it
endlessly, I am now ready to jump on that dSLR bandwagon. I already
own a low-end Nikon film SLR, and a few consumer lenses. I'm not
heavily invested into the Nikon system, but I tend to think of
myself as a Nikon guy (but I can be persuaded otherwise).

long-winded drivel finished

Do I buy the D50? Body only, or kit? I already have a 50mm prime and
a 28-105 consumer zoom. I know...this won't give me much on the wide
end. Should I go with a slightly more expensive model...either
Nikon or another brand?

I'm 90% ready to place my order, but I'm looking for some last
minute comments :-)


Just to add to what has already been mentioned...

The D50 uses SD Card and not Compact Flash. So you can re-use your CF cards
on a D70/s.
I have a D70 and very happy with it.

"Woodchuck Bill" wrote in message
. ..
OK...my trusted little Nikon Coolpix 5700 has finally bit the dust
and joined the ranks of Ansel Adams, Helmut Newton, and Jimi Hendrix
in that great big digital darkroom in the sky. moment of silence

After over a year of dreaming, teasing myself, and talking about it
endlessly, I am now ready to jump on that dSLR bandwagon. I already
own a low-end Nikon film SLR, and a few consumer lenses. I'm not
heavily invested into the Nikon system, but I tend to think of
myself as a Nikon guy (but I can be persuaded otherwise).

long-winded drivel finished

Do I buy the D50? Body only, or kit? I already have a 50mm prime and
a 28-105 consumer zoom. I know...this won't give me much on the wide
end. Should I go with a slightly more expensive model...either
Nikon or another brand?

I'm 90% ready to place my order, but I'm looking for some last
minute comments :-)

--

Bill

I'd say only you can decide if it's worth it to you.

The DSLRs from the big brands, Canon, Nikon etc are pretty similar
technically and you should be more influenced by the 'look and feel' and
features you like, and the accessories eg lens you have invested in.
Overall the D50 is 'similar' to the 350D (Rebel XT), and some on here will
argue for their favourite.
Kit lenses get unjustified bad press in my view, as they can offer good
value if you need a lens. Where do you get an equivalent for £/$100 ?.
Going to higher models, D70/s or 20D, will give you better performance and
features, but you know how much you are willing to spend.

In article , Woodchuck
Bill wrote:

Do I buy the D50? Body only, or kit? I already have a 50mm prime and
a 28-105 consumer zoom. I know...this won't give me much on the wide
end. Should I go with a slightly more expensive model...either
Nikon or another brand?

I'm 90% ready to place my order, but I'm looking for some last
minute comments :-)

My two thoughts:

1. Never buy the cheapest model of ANYTHING - they're going to cut
corners to get that price as low as possible. (The corollary is to
never buy the top of the line - they're adding fluff to justify the top
price).

2. If you've never owned an item in the product category before, don't
sweat the choice too much - you don't yet know what features are
important to YOU. Just buy one and work with it a while. The NEXT one
you buy will be the keeper.

Per Woodchuck Bill:
Do I buy the D50? Body only, or kit? I already have a 50mm prime and
a 28-105 consumer zoom. I know...this won't give me much on the wide
end. Should I go with a slightly more expensive model...either
Nikon or another brand?

When I shopped my D70s a few weeks ago, it seemed like going with the body/lens
bundle was the no-brainier price wise.

I went for the 18-70 based on various recommendations that Google found.

I also sprang for the little $17.00 infra red remote and a $14.00 el-cheapo
Tiffen "filter" (quotes bc all it does is protect the lens).
--
PeteCresswell

In article ,
(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Jeremy Nixon:
Get the 18-70 kit lens, not the shorter/cheaper one. While I have no
idea how the new/shorter/cheaper one is, the 18-70 is a very nice lens
and it'll get you the wide angle that you won't

The 50mm in particular is a
great lens, and I find it much more useful on digital

Question from a newbie: given that I have an 18-70 zoom, what would a 50mm lens
do for me? Higher speeds? Significantly better rez?

As a D70 user with the 50mm f1.4, the 18-70 kit lens, and the
28-105mm lens (plus a 180mm f2.8 non AF, but which has been modified to
have a CPU chip allowing the TTL metering to work), I find the 50mm has
the following advantages:

1) In low light, the autofocus is faster.

2) In low light, you can use lower ISO settings, or higher shutter
speeds (or often both, as you have about three stops over the
best that the kit lens will do).

3) In low light, you can see to frame and focus through the
viewfinder much better.

4) The effective coverage of a 50mm on the D70 (equivalent to
a 75mm on a 35mm film camera) is nice for some portrait work.
50mm on film is too close, and leads to uncomfortable
perspective distortion at a frame-filling distance.

5) With a f1.4 maximum aperture, it is easier to throw backgrounds
and foregrounds out of focus, to keep the viewer's attention
where you want it to be.

6) The camera weighs less for walk-around shooting with this lens
fitted. Something which can become important if you are walking
a lot.

7) It is a useful bit of discipline to be able to compose and shoot
without having a zoom. It can change the way you view things.

8) When the camera is hung around my neck and one arm on a strap,
it is possible to protect the lens in the crook of my elbow, so
when walking in a crowd, or through narrow spaces, I can protect
both the lens and the camera. (I keep a collapsible rubber lens
hood on that lens.) The 28-105mm is long enough so it extends
beyond the protecting arm. The 18-70mm is closer to being
protected, except that the lens hood extends beyond the
protection zone, unless it is stored reversed. And, unlike
with the lens hood for the 28-105mm stored reversed, I can't
reach the zoom control with the hood stored reversed, so I tend
to have it stored in normal position when it is on the camera.

So -- it depends on how I feel on a given day. I will walk
around with either the 28-105mm, the 50mm, or the 18-70mm, leaving all
of the other lenses in the camera bag. Or -- sometimes, I will bring
the whole camera bag and struggle to walk. :-)

Good Luck,
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 ---

(PeteCresswell) wrote:

Question from a newbie: given that I have an 18-70 zoom, what would a
50mm lens do for me? Higher speeds? Significantly better rez?

Both of the above, in large quantity. It's also a very different shooting
experience, freeing yourself from screwing around with a zoom.

--
Jeremy |