Why to buy a Nikon D50
The D50 is an easy to use, high quality camera which is not far behind the Nikon D70/D70s in its capabilities and offers several advantages over more expensive cameras.
The D50 is characterized by a low to moderate learning curve, sharp, punchy images, and is very lightweight and portable versus many DSLR’s.
The D50 supports all varieties of Nikon Autofocus lenses.
The D50 has quick buttons for setting ISO, White Balance, and Image Quality. These can also be set within camera menus.
The D50 has the trick AF-A mode, which automatically determines whether to engage AF-S or AF-C focus on a shot-to-shot basis.
The D50 has an amazing flash sync speed of 1/500 sec.
Up the line… the D70 has…
Quick button for metering mode change
On demand gridlines
White balance fine tuning
Slightly faster fps (3 versus 2.5)
DOF Preview
Sub-command dial
Light for top LCD
Flash commander mode
1,005 segment metering (versus D50’s 420)
D50 advantages versus D70
High ISO performance
Lighter weight
Image “Pop” (but will blow more highlights than D70)
AF-A mode
Same features on D50 and D70/D70s
Metering Mode choices
Bracketing options for exposure and white balance
Pixel count (6.1mp)
Ability to load custom curves
Compressed RAW
Same battery and similar battery life
Compatible with ML-L3 wireless remote
The D50 is best suited for
Amateurs as a primary / only DSLR.
First-time DSLR users with a collection of zoom and prime lenses
Backup for a pro using a D2x or D200
Studio or wedding pros on a budget
The D50 is not as well suited for
High frames-per-second sports photography
Use with the Nikon Creative Lighting System – the D50 will not natively work as a remote flash commander
Harsh weather environments