Pictures and Cameras - Stealth Gloat

[Raymond Overman]

I've been wanting a new camera for some time now and was able to get a great deal on a Nikon D50 digital SLR. I was rearranging some photos and noticed the difference between my old point and shoot Kodak digital and the new Nikon under the same lighting conditions.

Both of these shots were taken with the general "Auto" feature on the camera. It's amazing the difference in color that you see with the new camera. Of course the price of the camera is considerably different too but I won't need to upgrade for a very long time.

The package included 6 vouchers for how to use it so hopefully my pictures will get even better.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Wow, what a difference. Good tools do make a difference, dont they? Thanks for sharing, Max

[Mark Cothren]

Very nice, Raymond! Congrats on the new camera! I'm in research mode on a new camera, so I'll the one you got to my list.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wow what a difference. My Kodak easy share just doesn't take pictures like I think it should. Boy that is quite the difference. Congrats on the camera Raymond.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congrats Raymond! I'm hoping to get my own digital SLR in the future.

[Frank Fusco]

As a former professional photographer, I have taken millions of pictures with Kodak film and believed the company was the end-all to a photogs needs. But when digital came along they fell way-way behind. My first digi-cam was a Kodak. Like you I found results dissapointing and their software, to put it kindly, is a monster. Sad to see a giant topple.

[Jim Becker]

Excellent choice! The D50, in some respects, is even better than my D70...they keep on making improvements and adding them in! Enjoy!

[Gary DeWitt]

I have the canon rebel xt, since Jan 06, find it takes very good pics up to 8 mp.
Digital SLR is the way to go nowadays. I took classes in college using film, and swore I'd never switch when digital came out, now I wouldn't consider film. Why wait to see your images?
I had a Kodak point and shoot digital for the last 3 years, it took only mediocre (sp?) pics I was dissapointed with. Goes to show the old saw is still absolutely true, good glass makes a good camera possible. You can't get a great pic shooting through a small lens, no matter how good you or the rest of your camera is.

[Vaughn McMillan]

He shoots! He scores! Way to go Raymond.

I got my D50 a few weeks ago, and love it. For my purposes, I didn't feel the 6MP size would be a limitation, and so far it sure hasn't. If you don't have one already, I highy recommend a good tripod. With the control you now have, there will be times when you'll want to shoot longer exposures. (I was shooting pen shots tonight with mine at f16 for 1/2 second to get longer depth of field.)

After using a decent, but outdated HP 4mp camera for the past five or six years, the D50 was a great step up. I'm betting you're gonna be real happy with it.

To anyone on the fence about an entry-level DSLR, I recommend taking a long look at the D50. Spec-wise, it's hard to beat, and for me at least, it's easy to use. I was also very surprised to see how long the batteries last between charging, too.

(Jim, the photographer who did our wedding used a D70. It's also a great camera for sure.)

[Frank Fusco]

I have the canon rebel xt, since Jan 06, find it takes very good pics up to 8 mp.
Digital SLR is the way to go nowadays. I took classes in college using film, and swore I'd never switch when digital came out, now I wouldn't consider film. Why wait to see your images?
I had a Kodak point and shoot digital for the last 3 years, it took only mediocre (sp?) pics I was dissapointed with. Goes to show the old saw is still absolutely true, good glass makes a good camera possible. You can't get a great pic shooting through a small lens, no matter how good you or the rest of your camera is.

Gary, I had to chuckle with your comment that you "swore I'd never switch" (from film). Looking at your picture, I know, I go back a lot further than you. I started taking pictures professionally in 1953 with a 4x5 Speed Graphic. I mightily resisted the idea of digital and still regret that film is fast fading from the photography scene. But, I have a nice mid-range digi cam (Sony DSC-H2) and use it almost daily. Love it. My film Nikons still get a little (very little) use. Things, they are achanging, no doubt. But, for most folks, a high-end digi SLR is not a good choice. They are expensive and there are still problems keeping the screen clean with lens changes. Except for the (very) serious amateur or professional, a mid-range with good optics (mine are Zeiss) and zoom is the preferred choice. IMHO

[Raymond Overman]

(Jim, the photographer who did our wedding used a D70. It's also a great camera for sure.)

Vaughn,

I've been reading a little on the Internet and some people actually prefer the D50 over the D70.

I'm very pleased with mine so far. I'm glad you brought up that you have one too. Now I know who to ask when I have trouble. I may be in over my head with the features and I've got to read up on the maintenance but it sure does take some nice pictures out of the box. I'm going to have to find some time to take those classes I have available.

One of the reasons I chose the D50 is because my dad had a 35mm Nikon that I used a lot and we were both very pleased with it. The Nikon digis also allow you to use the old lenses where some of the Canons don't.

[Jim Becker]

Ray, you can use most (but not all...) older Nikon AF lenses with your D50. Do note that the effective power of the lens will be different due to the CCD being smaller than a 35mm film camera's focusing point. No big deal...you just need to be aware of it. I've tried both of my two older Nikon lenses and they work fine. I'll be honest, I like the newer ones that were designed for the digital format better, however.

[Vaughn McMillan]

...I'm glad you brought up that you have one too. Now I know who to ask when I have trouble. I may be in over my head with the features and I've got to read up on the maintenance but it sure does take some nice pictures out of the box. I'm going to have to find some time to take those classes I have available. I'm still learning the controls on the camera...I keep the manual handy, and have been able to find the various settings I've needed so far. I had quite a bit of manual SLR experience years ago, so I have a pretty good handle on the whole f-stop/shutter speed/ISO relationship. If those things are a bit sketchy for you, then the classes you mentioned would probably be time well spent, and help you get the best results you can from the new camera.

The beauty of doing it digitally is you can burn lots of "film" trying different settings, and see the results instantly. So far, I've primarily used my D50 in full auto mode for basic snapshots, but gone to full manual (non-flash) mode for still shots of projects and such. I'll be glad to help with any questions you might have, but I'm guessing some of the other folks here with more DSLR experience will be able to edumacate both of us.

[Claude Arragon]

How interesting!!!
But which of the two pics reflects the real color of what you turned? They are so different!
You are sure going to enjoy your new camera a lot.