Nikon D50

Front (7.5)
The handgrip bulges forward on the left side of the Nikon D50, swathed in rubber with a subtle leather-like texture. A shallow red triangle peeks out from the rubber, as if the grip were wearing a v-neck sweater, carrying on Nikon’s SLR design legacy. Above that, on the angled plane that holds the shutter release, is an infrared receiver, which serves the (optional) wireless remote control. The autofocus assist light sits between the shutter release and the viewfinder hump. The hump pokes out a bit further than it might, because it also houses a pop-up flash. The Nikon logo is printed on the face of the viewfinder housing, looking smaller than usual on this scaled-down SLR. On the right side of the viewfinder housing, there's a button that releases the pop-up flash, and also activates the flash exposure compensation control. A bit further down, on the side of the lens mount, is the lens release button. Below that is the focus mode selector. There's a small, dark badge that says "D50" high on the far right side.

Back (7.0)
The back of the D50 looks surprisingly open and not congested – it's businesslike, without extras or gimmicks. The 2-inch, 130,000 pixel LCD sits directly below the viewfinder, which has a generous rubber eye cup. Starting to the left of the eye cup, there is a column of control buttons, starting with the shooting mode button, which selects between single shot and burst mode. Below that is the Playback button, then the Menu button, and lastly the thumbnail button, which doubles as the ISO control button. Further below is the Help button, which in Playback protects images, and in shooting mode switches white balance settings. Then there’s the Enter button, which double as the magnification button in Playback, and the quality button in shooting mode.

On the right side of the eye cup, there is a slide to set the viewfinder diopter. It's recessed enough to be protected from being bumped out of adjustment. To the right of that is the AE/AF lock button. Below that is the four-way controller, which protrudes from the back. The Trash button is the lone control below that.

To the right of the AE/AF lock button is the D50's lone jog control dial. Below the dial, the surface of the back is smooth, making for a comfortable grip. There is a status light for the memory card set flush into the back. The memory card slot door wraps around from the right side to the back, but it's flush with the body as well. The door must slide back to open. Card doors on Nikons usually latch, which is both a more secure method and more durable one.

Left Side (7.5)
The left side of the D50 has the ports for data and power supply under a rubbery cover that seals well. The ports are a USB 2.0 port, a video out port, and a DC in jack for an optional power converter. Above that, there is a wide and sturdy lug for a shoulder strap, which would be a good option for carrying the D50.

Right Side (7.0)
The right side of the camera has a shoulder strap lug and the SD card slot door. Nikon kept the surface smooth, since this is the larger part of the D50's grip.

Top (7.5)
The left side of the D50's top is dominated by the large mode dial, which sits on the camera's sloping shoulder. The hot shoe on top of the viewfinder is compatible with current Nikon dedicated flashes. The control panel LCD sits to the right of the viewfinder. Between that LCD and the shutter release are the exposure compensation and the self-timer buttons. In front of them, on the top of the grip, is the shutter release. The shutter release is surrounded by a ring that serves as the camera's power switch.

Bottom (7.5)
The bottom of the D50 features a metal tripod socket nicely centered on the lens axis and the battery compartment door, which latches securely. There's a plate with the camera's serial number and a bit of manufacturing data as well.