Nikon D50

Manual Control Options
While the D50 is styled as an introductory DSLR, it offers extensive manual controls. Aperture, shutter speed, focus, ISO, white balance, flash output, and image parameters are all controllable. These controls, and easy access to them, are a very important distinction between DSLRs and fixed-lens digital cameras. It's typical to see compromises in the manual controls on smaller cameras, but they are fundamental to getting quality images in difficult conditions, and to learning the craft of photography.

Focus
Auto Focus (4.0)
The Nikon D50 offers three autofocus modes. Single-servo mode focuses once when the shutter release is pressed halfway. Continuous mode focuses as long as the shutter release is pressed, and Auto mode switches between the two other modes, based on whether the subject is still or in motion.

The D50's autofocus is a bit faster than some competitors, and it is fairly sensitive in low light. Though it took some searching, the D50 focused on objects that were barely visible in the viewfinder. Since the autofocus system is based on contrast, that’s not something to count on, but it indicates a level of performance that I haven't seen in many inexpensive cameras. The camera also has an autofocus assist light, which speeds up focus considerably. In situations where it isn't appropriate to shine a light on the subject, the assist lamp can be disengaged.

Five autofocus sensors is pretty much a minimum for a DSLR, and the D50 has five. They're spread across the frame, so they're significantly more usable than the three sensors on the Pentax *ist DL or the Olympus E-300. It's worth considering whether the seven sensors on the Canon Rebel XT offer a useful advantage over the D50's five; for some users, it may be the crucial difference.

Manual Focus (7.5)
The Nikon D50 offers a manual focus mode, and the viewfinder is clear and sharp. Focus snaps in nicely – though not if the battery is removed from the camera.

The kit lens does not offer manual override of autofocus, a convenient feature that other Nikon lenses do, and that the Pentax *ist DL body offers with its line of compatible glass.

The D50 lacks a depth of field preview, a significant omission for a camera that may be used to shoot macros, landscape, and other carefully-composed images. It's possible to check the image on the LCD, but that's a good bit slower and less accurate than the preview that many cameras, including the Nikon D70 and D70s, offer.

ISO (7.5)
The D50 offers ISO ratings from 200 to 1600 in full stops. 1600 is a common high end limit; however, recently more cameras are beginning to include ISO 3200 options, as well as an ISO 100 setting. The D50's noise scores are very good, so one big use for ISO 100 – avoiding noise – isn't such a pressing need. Of course, the ISO 100 setting can also be an aid to photographers looking for more control over aperture.

The D50 has auto ISO in both automated and manual exposure modes, with an interesting control – you can set the maximum shutter speed the camera will use before bouncing to a lower ISO. Again, Nikon offers a way to influence the camera's automated decision, without flat-out controlling it. This is a more subtle control than the Pentax *ist Dal's tool, which limits the range of ISOs available in auto.

White Balance (7.5)
The D50 offers six white balance settings: Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, and Shade, as well as a custom setting that Nikon calls preset. The lone fluorescent setting will be an issue for many users – fluorescent settings are fickle and the odds of getting color calibration spot on are slim, so users will have to take custom readings. Fair enough – but don't leave home without a white card.

The D50 allows white balance bracketing in three different increments, from pretty subtle to obvious. Nikon doesn't say what the increments actually are, but they work.

While adequate, white balance is probably the weakest control setting included on the D50, compared to the competition. Pentax includes 2 additional fluorescent settings on the *ist DL, while Canon has armed the Rebel XT with a WB fine tune, alterable in 9 steps in any direction.

Exposure (9.25)
The D50 offers a full manual mode for control over aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. It also offers aperture priority, shutter priority, and program modes. An exposure compensation setting is available for each mode except the completely manual one. The compensation feature is offered in a +/- 5 EV scale, moving in 1/3 or 1/2 – stop increments; this is far beyond the typical +/- 2 EV scale included on most consumer and prosumer level cameras and will grant far more control to users when the camera is shooting in an automatic or semi-automatic setting. The program mode offers a means to skew toward wider apertures and faster shutter speeds, or smaller apertures and slower speeds.

Unfortunately, with only one control dial, many of the exposure controls require pressing a button with your right index finger while turning the dial with your right thumb.

Metering (8.0)
The D50 offers spot, averaging, and evaluative metering, relying on evaluative for its automated modes. The evaluative mode takes separate readings of several areas in the frame, and compares them to determine an even overall exposure based on common picture-taking situations. Spot metering measures a very small area at the center of the frame, and averaging measures the whole frame, with a heavy bias for the center.

Nikon's evaluative systems have typically produced good results, and the D50 performed well in testing. Spot and averaging modes are useful in manual mode.

Shutter Speed (8.0)
The D50 offers shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1/4000 of a second, in either 1/3 or 1/2-stop increments. In Auto and most scene modes, the shutter speed is limited when the flash is turned on to 1/500 – 1/60. In night portrait, the shutter speed with flash can go as long as a full second. This range is consistent with comparable models from Canon and Pentax, but does not extend to 1/8000 like the D70 and D70s.

Aperture (7.0)
The 18-55mm kit lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5 at 18mm, which shrinks to f/5.6 at 55mm. Likewise, the minimum aperture shrinks from f/22 to f/36. F/5.6 is a very small maximum aperture for indoor or available light photography. Most users would do well to consider a brighter lens instead.