Just got a dSLR

[fantomfreq]

About three weeks ago, I decided that I wanted a digital SLR camera. Point and shoot cameras just seemed so limiting. They're great for taking pictures at your latest party and they're easy to carry in a pocket, but it seemed like photography could be so much more. I did a good amount of research and picked a camera. This past week my brand new Nikon D50 came in the mail and I've been happily snapping away at anything and everything in the week since. Anyway, this isn't a review of the camera (though it does seem to be the current sweet spot for an intro SLR when considering price) but rather a way for me to show off a few of the shots I've taken in the past week. As you can see, I rather like the macro mode (plus macro photographs seem like the easiest to frame up.)

[QSDT]

Looks great I've got a Nikon f70 film job and I'm very happy with it but the digital pressure is slowly comming and I've been thinking of the D50. How does it feel, weight balance, ease of use (are the function modes easy to find?), etc.

[fantomfreq]

Originally Posted by QSDT

Looks great I've got a Nikon f70 film job and I'm very happy with it but the digital pressure is slowly comming and I've been thinking of the D50. How does it feel, weight balance, ease of use (are the function modes easy to find?), etc.

I love my D50. Keep in mind that this is my first SLR, so my assertions will be broad and not neccesarily based on the use of another SLR camera. The camera is a very good size and weight. It fits in my hand easily (could be just a tad bigger though) and it feels very solidly constructed. For a beginner, the sheer amount of options overwhelmed me a bit for the first couple days but I'm beginning to get the hang of everything. The camera has a dial like many point and shoot cameras in which you choose the mode. There is a dial on the back (by the thumb of your right hand) which you turn to adjust most of the settings. You do this while pressing down other buttons to change individual settings. The camera has a '?' button which will display help instructions for different functions if you need assistance. I've learned that things like sharpness can be easily checked right on the LCD display so that you know if you need to reshoot.

Maybe you can stitch together all of those random sentences to get some sort of sentinent view on the camera. I can sum it all up for you though: I love the camera!

[QSDT]

Thanks I'll have go down to the shop now and check one out in real life. Darn progress making my f70 look old.<BG>

[dod]

nice one fantomfreq, opens up a whole new world. Haven't used the D50 but initial reviews are very positive, enjoy

[captaincurran]

I've got a SLR as well, a Pentax k1000, it's an actual film camera but i've been thinking of crossing the line and getting a good digital camera. How much did your D50 cost ya? and what's the Megapixels on it?

[danrok]

Be sure to show us some more pics when you have more, fantomfreq!

[fantomfreq]

Originally Posted by captaincurran

I've got a SLR as well, a Pentax k1000, it's an actual film camera but i've been thinking of crossing the line and getting a good digital camera. How much did your D50 cost ya? and what's the Megapixels on it?

I bought the camera kit, which comes with the body and a Nikkor 18-55mm AF lens. It cost me $740 at Newegg (which was one of the cheapest prices because of an instant rebate they were offering.) However, I've just read that Nikon has dropped their MSRP for the kit so you may be able to find it cheaper in the next couple weeks. I looked at other cameras, some of which were a little cheaper, but those cameras seemed to be lacking many of the features that the D50 included.

The camera is 6.1 Megapixels, though I learned something about Megapixels when researching dSLRs. Megapixels on a point and shoot camera and a dSLR are not directly comparable because the chip that these photosensors are mounted on is much larger (and thus take much better photos than a compact point and shoot camera.)

If you're looking specifically at Nikon cameras, you may also want to take a look at the D70s model. It's a slight upgrade from the D50 and it apparently includes some features that are absent in the D50.

[aghastpumpkin]

The D70 seems to be the one of choice. My friend has a Canon 350D.
I do photography A2 level in England. We use Film SLR cameras. Although film is not the choice, using a film camera can involve more skill and of course we learn darkroom skills, which is, to me, more fascinating then printing!
I think I will incorporate digital soon, but firstly probably with a P&S compact. They take equally good pictures if used well.
Fantomfreq, take a look on www.thephotoforum.com for some inspiration.
And post more pictures! Unlike film, there is no expense, so click and click.