Nikon D50 Body Only By jennz on Nov 10, 2007 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

We had been thinking about upgrading to a digital SLR for a while but kept putting it off due to our lack of knowledge about SLRs. Finally we decided to take the plunge...we were between the Nikon D50 and the Canon Digital Rebel. Price wise they are similar, the Nikon does not have as many megapixels but it processes pictures differently so there is no loss of clarity or quality. The deciding factor was the comfort factor...the D50 has a nice sized body, slightly larger than the Rebel and that translates to much easier to fit in my husbands hands. So now that our decision was made we bought the camera and started having some fun...the D50 is an awesome camera and well worth the price. If you are new to the SLR world have no fears....it's very easy to use as a point-and-shoot. The clarity in the pictures is simply amazing! We bought the body only and bought a different lense than the one offered with the camera, simply because we wanted a multipurpose "walk around" lense for close ups and distance. Once you figure out the camera for basic shots and get used to holding it for your pictures - this is different for SLRs, you have to support the lense - you can move on to the functions of the camera. This camera has a great blur warning, and the beauty of digital is you see it right away. The display screen is a nice size and you can see your picture clearly after the shot (this does not serve as a viewer to take the pictures). The D50 has a built in self-timer and you can adjust the seconds and it also is compatible with a remote control. Both of these functions are great for night shots. The built in flash is decent for most shots, if you plan on doing a lot of portrait type work or take a lot of night shots you'll probably want to upgrade. The manual that the camera comes with is decent, if you are new to SLRs you'll need something a little more in depth, or invest in a class. The recharge between flashes is quick. The battery pack is rechargeable and comes with a charger. The camera appears to be very durable; it's been dropped a few times with no negative effects. This is a fantastic camera and well worth the cost - you'll love it!