Nikon D50
Affordable digital SLR no longer means 'cheap'

Nikon recently released the D50, a more affordable version of their mid range model the D70 which was released a little more than one year ago. Visually the two cameras bear a lot of resemblances, the D50 only being slightly smaller and missing one control dial. Feature wise, the camera is missing a few things offered in its bigger brother but at a significantly cheaper price point this is some-thing one should expect. What is surprising, however, is the fact that the D50 actually performs better in a few areas (such as USB 2.0 support and improved metering modes) then the D70 due to technological advancements in the industry.

Much like the D70, the D50 feels very comfortable in your hand with good proportions and a nice deep hand grip that becomes quite welcome when attaching large lenses to the camera. The control layout is typical Nikon fare so if this is something you are used to, then you should have no problem getting up and running with the camera right out of the box. Those who are new to Nikon cameras shouldn't have too many problems either provided they have some basic skill with photographic terminology. Nikon has always been a trend setter in this arena, and the D50 is no acceptation.

One complaint that I do have with the D50 is the lack of control dial located on the front of the camera. Having become used to using high end digital SLR's for quite some time it is a little irritating to not have the added control and speed that two dials typically provide. Crippling the camera in such a way seems to be the trend these days with budget priced SLR's, and I really look forward to the day when a manufacturer beats out the competition by retaining this feature.

Still, despite being a camera that is on the budget end of the digital SLR market, it is nice to see Nikon providing a camera that is both feature rich and solidly built. For first-time buyers this is a perfect choice and the money you save should allow you the ability to purchase some nice glass to put on what is an overall attractive camera body. Images produced on full manual mode are nice, bright, crisp, and contrasty, which should make those who are still learning the ropes of the photographic craft quite happy.