Nikon D50
Encyclopedia
The D50 is a 6.1 megapixel entry-level digital single-lens reflex camera
, sold from June 2005 till November 2006 by Nikon
. It was Nikon's first DSLR aimed at the consumer market, and sold for $899 USD. It uses the Nikon F mount. The D50 was succeeded by the Nikon D40
in November 2006.
image sensor
with 6.1 million effective pixel
s. It also has a 2.0" (50 mm) polysilicon TFT LCD
with 130,000 pixels. The camera uses a through-the-lens
full-aperture exposure metering system. It can simultaneously record NEF
and JPEG
data to a Secure Digital
storage device. Like its newer, higher-end sibling (the D80
), the D50 uses Secure Digital instead of CompactFlash
cards found on previous Nikon digital SLRs. The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which is claimed to be able to take up to 2,000 shots on a single charge. The camera is compatible with PictBridge
printers and can shoot 2.5 frames per second in continuous mode. The camera's dimensions are 133 mm in width, 102 mm in height, and 76 mm in depth.
The D50 is the only entry-level Nikon DSLR to have the autofocus motor ('screw drive') built into the camera body where the camera is backwards-compatible with mechanical autofocus lenses (Nikkor
AF series) dating back to 1989. This feature has been eliminated on later entry-level models and is currently only available on mid-range and advanced models. This makes the D50 the lightest Nikon DSLR to have the autofocus motor.
This camera has many settings that can only be accessed by selecting a detailed menu view. One such feature is the ability to shoot HDRI photographs. The camera refers to this setting as BKT (Bracketed Set).
lens. Another variant of the D50 kit containing both the 18–55 mm and a 55–200 mm F4-5.6 G AF-S DX
lens was available. Competitors of the D50 included the Canon EOS 350D
, the Pentax *ist DS, the Konica Minolta Dynax 5D, and the Olympus E-300
.
The website Digital Photography Review
rated the D50 highly and noted its improved noise performance over the D70s it was largely derived from, although it had fewer hobbyist features (making the D50 the first de-specified entry-level DSLR camera thus lowering the MSRP) and a lower price than the D70s. In depth testing by the Images Resources website and the October 2005 "Hoshi Nabi" (Star Navigator) Magazine, indicated that the D50 achieved its low noise through exceptionally good performance at the sensor level. Testing by Roger Clark confirmed that the D50 had higher gain and lower noise than the D70. Tests of the D50 at all ISO levels indicated that it did offer low noise without loss of contrast or detail.
Digital single-lens reflex camera
Most digital single-lens reflex cameras are digital cameras that use a mechanical mirror system and pentaprism to direct light from the lens to an optical viewfinder on the back of the camera....
, sold from June 2005 till November 2006 by Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
. It was Nikon's first DSLR aimed at the consumer market, and sold for $899 USD. It uses the Nikon F mount. The D50 was succeeded by the Nikon D40
Nikon D40
The D40 is a now-discontinued Nikon F-mount entry-level digital SLR, announced November 16, 2006. Compared to its predecessor, the D50, the D40 had several features removed, a few added, and a lower price: US$499.95 ESP as of November 2009 with the 18–55 mm G-II kit lens, positioning it as an...
in November 2006.
Features
It has a 23.7 mm by 15.6 mm DX formatNikon DX format
The Nikon DX format is an alternative name used by Nikon corporation for APS-C image sensor format being approximately 24×16 mm. Its dimensions are about 2/3 those of the 35mm film format . The format was created by Nikon for its digital SLR cameras, many of which are equipped with DX-sized...
image sensor
Image sensor
An image sensor is a device that converts an optical image into an electronic signal. It is used mostly in digital cameras and other imaging devices...
with 6.1 million effective pixel
Pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
s. It also has a 2.0" (50 mm) polysilicon TFT LCD
TFT LCD
Thin film transistor liquid crystal display is a variant of liquid crystal display which uses thin-film transistor technology to improve image quality . TFT LCD is one type of Active matrix LCD, though all LCD-screens are based on TFT active matrix addressing...
with 130,000 pixels. The camera uses a through-the-lens
Through-the-lens metering
Through-the-lens metering is a photographic term describing a feature of cameras capable of measuring light levels in a scene through their taking lenses, as opposed to a separate metering window...
full-aperture exposure metering system. It can simultaneously record NEF
RAW image format
A camera raw image file contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of either a digital camera, image scanner, or motion picture film scanner. Raw files are so named because they are not yet processed and therefore are not ready to be printed or edited with a bitmap graphics editor...
and JPEG
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
data to a Secure Digital
Secure Digital card
Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
storage device. Like its newer, higher-end sibling (the D80
Nikon D80
The Nikon D80 is a digital single-lens reflex camera model announced by Nikon on August 9th, 2006. The camera shipped the first week of September to US retailers. Considered by many to be an amalgam of design elements of the entry-level D50 and high-end D200 cameras, it occupied the same price...
), the D50 uses Secure Digital instead of CompactFlash
CompactFlash
CompactFlash is a mass storage device format used in portable electronic devices. Most CompactFlash devices contain flash memory in a standardized enclosure. The format was first specified and produced by SanDisk in 1994...
cards found on previous Nikon digital SLRs. The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which is claimed to be able to take up to 2,000 shots on a single charge. The camera is compatible with PictBridge
PictBridge
PictBridge is an industry standard introduced in 2003 from the Camera & Imaging Products Association for direct printing. It allows images to be printed directly from digital cameras to a printer, without having to connect the camera to a computer. Its formal name is . CIPA DC-001-2003 Rev...
printers and can shoot 2.5 frames per second in continuous mode. The camera's dimensions are 133 mm in width, 102 mm in height, and 76 mm in depth.
The D50 is the only entry-level Nikon DSLR to have the autofocus motor ('screw drive') built into the camera body where the camera is backwards-compatible with mechanical autofocus lenses (Nikkor
Nikkor
Nikkor is the brand of lenses produced by Nikon Corporation, including camera lenses for the Nikon F-mount.thumb|right|Nikko parent company brand, from which the Nikkor brand evolved....
AF series) dating back to 1989. This feature has been eliminated on later entry-level models and is currently only available on mid-range and advanced models. This makes the D50 the lightest Nikon DSLR to have the autofocus motor.
This camera has many settings that can only be accessed by selecting a detailed menu view. One such feature is the ability to shoot HDRI photographs. The camera refers to this setting as BKT (Bracketed Set).
Market
The D50 was announced on April 20, 2005 and went on sale in June 2005. When introduced, the camera carried a suggested retail price of US$799 for the body only or $899 with a new 18-55 mm F3.5-5.6 G AF-S DXNikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor
The 18-55mm 3.5-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor lens is a midrange zoom lens manufactured by Nikon for use on Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras. Often included as a kit lens on entry-level DSLRs, it also can be purchased separately from the camera body. Nikon first introduced the lens in 2005 and has...
lens. Another variant of the D50 kit containing both the 18–55 mm and a 55–200 mm F4-5.6 G AF-S DX
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor
The 55-200mm AF-S lens is a medium telephoto zoom lens manufactured by Nikon for use on Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras. It comes in two variants:* 55-200mm 4-5.6G ED AF-S DX, released in 2005...
lens was available. Competitors of the D50 included the Canon EOS 350D
Canon EOS 350D
The Canon EOS 350D is an 8.0-megapixel entry-level digital single-lens reflex camera manufactured by Canon. The model was initially announced in February 2005. It uses Compact Flash storage and a Lithium ion battery...
, the Pentax *ist DS, the Konica Minolta Dynax 5D, and the Olympus E-300
Olympus E-300
The Olympus E-300 is an 8 megapixel digital SLR manufactured by Olympus of Japan and based on the Four Thirds System. Announced at Photokina 2004, it became available at the end of 2004...
.
Digital Photography Review
Digital Photography Review is a website about digital cameras and digital photography. The website has comprehensive reviews of digital cameras, lenses and accessories, buying guides, user reviews, and very active forums for the individual cameras as well as general photography forums...
rated the D50 highly and noted its improved noise performance over the D70s it was largely derived from, although it had fewer hobbyist features (making the D50 the first de-specified entry-level DSLR camera thus lowering the MSRP) and a lower price than the D70s. In depth testing by the Images Resources website and the October 2005 "Hoshi Nabi" (Star Navigator) Magazine, indicated that the D50 achieved its low noise through exceptionally good performance at the sensor level. Testing by Roger Clark confirmed that the D50 had higher gain and lower noise than the D70. Tests of the D50 at all ISO levels indicated that it did offer low noise without loss of contrast or detail.
External links
- Nikon D50 Product Page at Nikon Global Digital Archives on Camera Products
- Nikon D50 Product Page at Nikon UK