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Another pleasant surprise awaits you when you lift the camera to your eye: the view is bright, crisply contrasty and looks neutral. This level of image would have done a professional camera proud a few years ago and is superb performance for any camera now. Bear in mind that the lens tested is a relatively slow f/3.5 maximum aperture at the wide end, yet even at the f/5.6 long setting, the viewfinder is a pleasure to use. In this mode you select the shutter speed and the camera will calculate the correct aperture for the exposure (based on the reading of the current metering mode). Shutter speed is displayed on the viewfinder status bar and on the top LCD, turn the command dial to select different shutter speeds. Available shutter speeds (1/3 EV steps):
Nikon D50 Overview - Digital Photography Review Nikon D50 Overview - Digital Photography Review
Eric is sixteen years old and has been using Nikon SLRs (N8008s and N90s) since he was eight years old (he started very early!). He made a 100% shift to digital a little more than a year ago when the Nikon D70 arrived on the market. Since then, he has shot thousands of images with that camera in a wide variety of situations. More recently, he’s working as a photographic intern at our local newspaper and shooting events with that camera. Because of his knowledge of the Nikon D70, plus the fact that he’s a very fine photographer, I asked him to help with this review. The images you see in this review, with the exception of the shot of the equipment, were all made by Eric with the Nikon D50. Other aspects of handling also deserve high praise. For example, the LCD screen is not only large and clear, it's highly responsive and able to display new images even as the most recent one is being written to memory. The menu items are large and clearly legible, but zooming into the review picture needs careful sequencing between two buttons. Autofocus performance with the 18-55mm zoom is entirely satisfactory: neither the fastest nor the slowest in this class, but working well into low light levels. Clean performance Press this button to toggle through each self-timer / remote mode, you can also hold the button and turn the command dial with the same effect: High shutter speeds freeze motion for dynamic sports shots in which main subject stands out clearly. Wildlife Photography Landscape Photography Micro, Macro & Close-Up Photography Sports Photography Motor Sports Photography Photojournalism Photography Street Photography Stage, Clubs, Concerts & Nightlife Photography Architecture & Industrial Photography Weddings & Social Events Photography Glamour & Portrait, Commercial & Studio Photography Travel Photography Aviation Photography Infrared and Ultraviolet Photography Panorama Photography Underwater & Aquatic Photography Time-Lapse Photography Astrophotography Digital Artistry Abstract Photography Family & PetsIn this mode you select the aperture and the shutter speed from any combination of the above (plus BULB for shutter speed, apertures limited by the lens used). Command dial alone selects shutter speed, hold the exposure compensation button and turn the dial to select aperture. The meter on the viewfinder status bar immediately reflect the exposure level compared to the calculated ideal exposure, if it's outside of +/- 2EV the indicator bar will add an arrow '<' or '>' on the end of the meter. Hold this button and turn the command dial to select exposure compensation (all modes except M), hold this button and turn the command dial to select aperture (mode M).
Nikon D50 Review - Compact, but Solid and Capable DSLR - Nikonians Nikon D50 Review - Compact, but Solid and Capable DSLR -
On the top of the camera to the left of the viewfinder is the mode dial, it's almost identical to that found on the D70 with the exception of the removal of night landscape and the addition of child scene modes. Exposure Mode Dial Icon On the other side of the body, you find the mode dial: meatily designed, with over-large but clearly readable settings. These range from the usual exposure modes of Manual, Aperture and Shutter Priorities and Program, to full default Auto, and six useful special modes for Night-time Portrait, Close-up, Sports and other common situations. These modes determine not only exposure mode but other features too, such as colour rendering. The Child mode, for instance, attempts to bump up bright colours while leaving skin tones as they are. This particular class of camera, the entry level DSLR, is an important one for many reasons. First, manufacturers see photographers purchasing cameras in this range as their future. Photographers rarely jump from a point and shoot to a Nikon D2X or an Nikon F6. They usually start with something less expensive, determine if they really enjoy the level of control a SLR or DSLR provides, gradually add accessories, and then sometimes migrate to the higher-end bodies. Switching from one system to another midway through the process happens, but not without pain and financial loss. Second, cultivating a large size group of new photographers helps subsidize R&D expenses for some of the higher end cameras and lenses. It’s important that manufacturers also provide inspirational cameras at the top end for new photographers to dream about. The Nikon D2X and Nikon D2HS certainly fill that role well, and the Nikon D50 is one of the ways Nikon will be able to continue to fund development of the next generation bodies. Given all that, it’s not surprising there is a strong focus on this segment of the market.
Manual, Single shot AF, Continuous AF, Automatic AF Selection (AF operation subject to lens compatibility)
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