OMG ive done it.. upgraded!

wobblebottom

Established Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
Messages
827
Reaction score
132
Points
231
Age
54
Refurb D50 and kit lense 18-55

£254.delivered.. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh most my budget could support at this moment in time..can get more lenses as i learn

Am i right in thinking that the D50 supports more lenses than d40/x?

Must be nuts..

oh well .. let the learning curve begin!
 
Welcome to the D50 owners club.

That was a great price for the camera, and although it is older technology, it will still take photos comparable with the best out there in the right hands IMO.

Also as you rightly point out, you can use the VFM lenses like the Nikon 50mm f1.8 and Sigma 70-300mm APO on it with auto focussing unlike the D40/x.

Mike
 
Congrats! :thumbsup: D50 is a great camera. In fact it was killed off for being too good :rolleyes: There was so little difference betweeen the D50 and the more expensive D70s that Nikons lineup didn't make much sense.

Yes it suppports AF and metering on all the screw drive lenses (just be careful buying REALLY obscure/old Nikon lenses like the AI and AIS as only the D200 upwards support them).

You can use any Nikon mount stuff from Tamron, Sigma and Tokina, and the Nikon Primes like the 35f2, 50 1.4/50 1.8, 85 1.4,/85 1.8 etc
 
Oh no, now I am confused......I'd been set on a D40 (for my birthday next week, can't wait!!!), but having read this thread and a few reviews of the D50 this camera has crept onto the radar.

Can get a new one from cameraworld (don't know how good they are??) with kit lens for £299 - that's cheaper than the D40 is currently available for, and as previously stated doesn't limit the future upgrade of lenses. As a rule of thumb I don't tend to have too much disposable income to spend £hundreds on lenses and stuff, so the option to buy 3rd party lenses that are fully compatible could potentially be a big draw...

My only reservations are that it's quite old technology wise now, but wondered if anyone had any thoughts on differences between the D50 and the D40, and which option a budding photographer should take??

Any comments greatly received :thumbsup:
 
Just my opinion as a novice when it comes to SLR's. The D40 & D40x are new & as such it won't be long before there are a lot of len's out there for them. To me it seems a lot of people now want to jump ship from a basic camera to a SLR but most don't want the bigger versions. So the Canon EOS 350/400D & Nikon D40/40x will be the way most will go. This in turn will create a demand for more & better lenses for these cameras. I would personaly go with one of the 4 above cameras than go for older technology. IMHO.
 
The D40 represents a fairly bold move by Nikon to squarely target the novice user, and a segment rather unkindly referred to in the US as 'soccer moms'. Having said that, some pros are using it as a light and cheap backup body!

A lot of the advances of the D40 are in user friendliness, and aiding the user to get good results straight from camera. This means better jpg processing and lower noise at high ISO (probably also due to the newer processing engine). Dropping the screw drive has saved money and weight, and clearly Nikon market research has shown that the vast majority of the target market never strays from the Nikon consumer AFS lenses.

If you post process, and in particular if you shoot RAW, I doubt if you'll see much (any?) difference between the D40 and D50 results.

Having been initially skeptical about the D40 due to the lens issues, I've come to the conclusion that most mainstream users aren't gong to be particularly hampered by it. Prime addicts, low light shooters wanting a 2.8 zoom, and macro fans should avoid the D40, but for anyone else, I don't think there's a problem.

So, in short, D40 wins on image quality, but D50 users can make up the difference in PP. D50 wins on lens support but most D40 users won't ever notice.

If you are looking with interest at budget Sigma, Tokina and Tamron lenses, then I would say that a D50 is a very good choice.

The key lenses that the D40 is missing are

cheap 17-55 2.8 zooms
35mm prime
50mm prime
85mm prime
cheap macro lenses

I really do not see the entry level user segment supporting the development of AFS versions of these lenses by Nikon. The best hope is more HSM goodies from Sigma. Tokina have just launched the 18-50mm 2.8 in Japan, but yet again it's a screw drive lens :(
 
Just my opinion as a novice when it comes to SLR's. The D40 & D40x are new & as such it won't be long before there are a lot of len's out there for them. To me it seems a lot of people now want to jump ship from a basic camera to a SLR but most don't want the bigger versions. So the Canon EOS 350/400D & Nikon D40/40x will be the way most will go. This in turn will create a demand for more & better lenses for these cameras. I would personaly go with one of the 4 above cameras than go for older technology. IMHO.

With regards the D40(x), I think this is a bit naive to be honest. The mass-market/Joe Public going for these newer/smaller/cheaper cameras aren't likely to generate a big enough demand for lenses to encourage the manufacturers to make them. The lenses compatible with the D40 are (as I understand it) the more expensive mid-high end models with AF motors built in to them, unlikely to appeal to the bulk of the D40 market.

The D40 represents a fairly bold move by Nikon to squarely target the novice user, and a segment rather unkindly referred to in the US as 'soccer moms'. Having said that, some pros are using it as a light and cheap backup body!

If you are looking with interest at budget Sigma, Tokina and Tamron lenses, then I would say that a D50 is a very good choice.

I really do not see the entry level user segment supporting the development of AFS versions of these lenses by Nikon. The best hope is more HSM goodies from Sigma. Tokina have just launched the 18-50mm 2.8 in Japan, but yet again it's a screw drive lens :(

I reckon the reason it's popular with the pros is because they are prepared to get the expensive lenses that are D40 compatible (or most likely already have them).

I still am missing the point of the D40(x) simply because of the lens issue. Does that in-camera motor really cost so much to include?:confused:

Wobblebottom, I think you've made a very good and thrifty choice :smashin: . Having seen the shots you managed with your F30, I cannot wait to see what you're going to do with the freedom of expression the D50 should bring. If anyone can make a strong argument for older/entry level dSLRs, then it's you. Your flickr is a prime example of the importance of the person over the equipment.

I personally need all the help I can get/afford.:rolleyes:
 
Thanks Denno.. those are really kind words of encouragement and praise.. Im quite flattered.. And honoured that some people find my quaility of photography is getting better..

Ive not been "into " photography for vey long and its quite refreshing that ive found an interest that I have actaully been "sort of good at" and enjoyed so much, the getting out and about taking shots, learning how to PP, taking the C&C on the chin good or bad.. and of course the learning advice from here has gone an awful long way to helping me learn and appreciate it all the more..

Its just the COST! ...............:devil:


I really cant wait for the D50 to come.. Im all Excited.. now wheres that delivery man..
 
Welcome abroad the DSLR train.


Looking forward seeing you work when you get use to it.


Cheers Holo:smashin: :smashin:
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom