Nikon D50 Digital SLR Camera Kit Black includes AF-S Zoom Nikon 18-55mm Lens [6MP]

I went round plenty of places (John Lewis, Jessops etc) to get different viewpoints on the packages available (especially Nikon D50 v Canon 350D), and everyone seemed in agreement that the Nikon represented best value for money. The only negative mentioned was that it takes SD rather than Compact Flash, but I haven't found this an issue at all. I've bought 2 1GB cards at which will store over 600 photos in JPEG fine mode (the most memory-intensive format other than RAW).

The battery life is excellent, have taken c.200 photos so far (about half with flash) and still showing full charge. Controls are well laid out and easy to use, and adapt very well to the skill of the photographer: from 'point and shoot', through pre-set modes, to setting ISO/shutter speed etc for the more advanced users. The photos I have taken in 'auto' mode have been great, and the camera allows you to grow with it as you learn more about using an SLR and need more of the available settings.

Transferring and editing them is fine - the software provided does the job but more advanced users would probably want something a bit better (Photoshop etc).

All in all, I did plenty of research and couldn't find anything that I thought would represent a better DSLR package. I haven't been disappointed.


My old 35mm SLR is going into retirement   April 26, 2006
Nathan Turnbull (Sandhurst, Uk)
89 out of 89 found this review helpful

I've being using a compact digital camera for a few years and I love the convenience and instant availability of digital photographs. Although the compact camera took good photographs it lacked the abilities of the traditional 35mm SLR I've been using for over twenty years. After trying to justify buying a digital SLR for sometime the prices finally came down to an acceptable level and I opted to buy the Nikon D50, with the 18-55mm lens, mainly due to the reviews.

I have to say the D50 is a great camera; I've already taken hundreds of photographs. The controls are easy to use and the battery life is excellent. My old 35mm SLR cameras are going into retirement. The D50 is a quality well built well-designed camera and the 18-55mm lens is excellent I've also bought the Nikon 28-200mm AF ED G lens and again the quality is excellent.

This camera is good for the beginner and even those like myself that have been using 35mm SLR cameras for years. Don't be put off with the fact the camera is made of plastic and not metal like the traditional 35mm SLR cameras, the build quality is very good and it's easy to hold and well balanced.

Overall I've yet to find fault with the D50. I strongly recommend it.



Needs time to unlock it's potential - but lost of potential!   October 24, 2006
P. Haynes (UK)
44 out of 44 found this review helpful

When I got my D50 I was initially very impressed as in auto mode it is every bit as easy to use as wife's canon ixus point-and-shoot. In manual mode, however I became a bit disheartened as, unlike my pentax film SLR, there's no aperture ring on the supplied kit lens and the controls are much more complicated to the unfamiliar user (me!). In addition the manual's a bit small and it's not easy to keep a page open while trying out a setting to see how it effects a shot. I also wasn't sure about the plastic lens body as I'm more used to metal bodies on my older film SLR.

So I suppose I should explain why I've given it 5 stars...

Well in the months following my purchase I've mostly got to grips with the key controls that make the difference between a simple point-and-shoot snap, and a photo that shows the right depth of field, exposure, contrast, etc.

Shooting in manual mode gets easier with practice and the lack of an aperture ring on the kit lens is no longer an issue for me (the plastic lens, dispite being the whipping boy on many discussion forums, is a really impressive piece of kit: very sharp, fast focussing, and very light-weight - something that many people forget until they take a heavy lens on a long hike).

So to summarise, after nearly 12 months of owning a D50 I have no regrets, but I would offer the following tips:

1. If you're not keen on photography and just want a good camera to take sharp photos on the D50 will probably be wasted on you.

2. If your SLR skills are rusty (or are based on older, manual focus, SLRs) don't expect to find the first few weeks/months easy!

3. Don't believe what everyone tells says about the 18-55 kit lens. Most people who slate it's performance on internet forums are the sort of people who spend hours mulling over photos of test-cards to see which lens is the sharpest or distorts the least at a fixed distance and aperture (all very well if you only intend to photograph test cards).

4. Condiser buying a book along with the camera if you've not used an SLR for a while as the manual is very technical rather than practical (a few weeks after getting the D50 I bought "Understanding Exposure" which I found invaluable in understanding how to get the most out of "manual" mode).