Nikon D50

[Furgus]

get the 50mm f/1.8, best $100 I have spent on the camera, and learn to move your feet

Do all lenses are not great, becasue you lose a lot of quatlity on either side, and have a good mid range. If you want a do it all, get a point and shoot with a 10x zoom. I ahve three lenses right now, and I hope to have many more. It only takes a few seconds to change a lens, and most of the time I can sare that. Good luck with any lens you get, cause you will onl want more

 

[christinadei]

It's not that I mind changing lenses, it's just too heavy and bulky to carry it all around. And it's not that I mind getting close to take pictures, it's just not always possible. I'd love to be able to just carry my camera without all the extras. Should I consider an 18-125 as an everyday lens and just keep the 55-200? Will I lose much quality over the 18-55? What price range do those run in? What is the difference b/t Nikon vs. Tamron vs. Sigma? Where do you guys suggest buying lenses? The local camera shops seem to be expensive. Thanks!

 

[tinksdad]

I can recommend the 18-200mm VR very much. For one lens, it's quite versatile for one walk around lens. I've got several different lenses in the camera bag and they all have they place for different shots. Never shot with the 18-125mm, so I can't compare it. One thing to remember that you get what you pay for in lenses.

Here's a review for the 18-200mm VR byThom that is fairly comprehensive!

 

[Furgus]

I have heard good things about the 18-200 VR also, just out of my price range right now. But hopefully someday......

I have bought from B&H Photo, and from buydig.com. Seem to have good prices on both of those sites.

 

[handicap18]

Your budget is going to be the biggest factor. The 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 ED-IF AF-S VR DX is an excellent lens, definately worth the extra $300 or so more over the Tamron or Sigma version. However, at a $749 retail price it is heavy on the wallet.

With the recent release of the new Nikon D80, Nikon also came out with 2 new lenses. One of which is an 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 ED-IF AF-S DX. Like the 18-55mm lens you had, this new lens is getting mixed reviews on the Nikonians board. However, the majority of people that post on that board are more picky and lean more towards the higher end lenses. The 18-55mm is a very good lens. The 18-135 is very similar (a lot of people are saying its actually closer, optically, to the Nikkor 18-70mm that was the D70s kit lens), except it has a much longer reach. I don't think right now you can get the 18-135 lens without getting the D80, that will be be changing shortly. My understanding is that it will be available for lens only purchase in the next 3 weeks. You can get one on ebay from those people who bought the D80 as a Kit, but don't want the lens.

Right now you can get a Sigma 18-125mm. It has gotten very good review's on this board from a number of different people. It will be less than Nikon's 18-135, however, Nikon has been well known for their lenses and more often than not the Nikon lens will be better than a 3rd party lens.

Also, as someone else pointed out, you should also consider getting yourself a 50mm f/1.8 lens. You'd be suprised at how often you would use it. With the f/1.8 you can take a lot more pictures in low light conditions without a flash and get outstanding results. Its also great for a portrait lens. I use this lens when I take "formal" pictures of my kids. It is also a very shart lens. Excellent details. And it is VERY inexpensive (compared to other lenses) at around $110. I used this lens on all the indoor rides at Disney that don't allow flash photography. Bump the ISO to 1600 and set the dial to A (aperture priority), choose 1.8 and you'll get some very usable shutter speeds (I got mostly between 1/30 and 1/200).

 

[christinadei]

Thanks for all of the advice. The Nikon 18-200 VR is getting great reviews all over the place. It is more than I was hoping to spend, but I think that I'll deal with my 55-200 for now and buy the 18-200 with my Christmas bonus this year. Maybe it will be a little more available and possibly a little lower in price by then. Any other opinins are welcome.

 

[handicap18]

It is definately a good choice for a lens, however it is very hard to come by. I've seen posts on a Nikon board of people waiting months for their's to arrive. It is a VERY popular lens. Amazon, Ritz Camera, Circuit City, B&H Photo and others all have it on backorder right now. My advise is that if you see it, buy it. Best Buy gets in it from time to time. RItz has a good online price of $749 with free shipping (once they get it in stock).

 

[boBQuincy]

Nikon's 18-200 gets mixed reviews, here's one that is not so good:
http://photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/nikkor_18200_3556vr/index.htm

Nikon's 18-70 might make a good pair with your 55-200, and optically the two should be well ahead of the 18-200.

It's not that I don't like the idea of a "one size fits all" lens, I just haven't seen a really good one yet. Also, when a lens has that much extension it is not likely to stay in alignment and stay tight over time.
Until I see a good "all in one" lens I suppose I will have to carry at least two (24-105 & 70-200) to cover most of the range I want.

And, of course, the 50 for low light.

 

[fitzperry]

Nikon's 18-200 gets mixed reviews, here's one that is not so good:
http://photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/nikkor_18200_3556vr/index.htm

Nikon's 18-70 might make a good pair with your 55-200, and optically the two should be well ahead of the 18-200.

It's not that I don't like the idea of a "one size fits all" lens, I just haven't seen a really good one yet. Also, when a lens has that much extension it is not likely to stay in alignment and stay tight over time.
Until I see a good "all in one" lens I suppose I will have to carry at least two (24-105 & 70-200) to cover most of the range I want.

And, of course, the 50 for low light.

That's the combo I have for my D70. I'd like to trade the 55-200 for the new 70-300 VR, but it's not in the budget at the moment. I really like the 18-70--decent range, and I get some very nice images out of it. I just bought the 50mm/1.8 a couple of days ago and am looking forward to having some time to play with it, but my schedule and my kids aren't cooperating.

ETA: If I were in the OP's shoes, I'd probably look for the 18-70 or 18-135. The 18-135 seems to be selling for $300-350 on eBay. Although the 18-200 range would be nice, I'm not sure it's worth the added cash or the wait.

 

[HLAuburn]

I found this deal online.
http://www.expresscameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=373030&up=372973&start=1
Too good to be true? It's the (new)body, lens, 512MB memory, and a few other things for $529. Seems like a good deal. Am I missing something?

Also, I have been going back and forth between an SLR and a point/shoot. I'm very much a novice, so I'm worried the SLRs are going to be too much camera for me. Is the D50 a good starter camera? Is it going to be too big for everyday type use or for toting around DW?

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[ukcatfan]

Looks like a scam. http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Express_Cameras

Kevin

 

[ukcatfan]

Also, I have been going back and forth between an SLR and a point/shoot. I'm very much a novice, so I'm worried the SLRs are going to be too much camera for me. Is the D50 a good starter camera? Is it going to be too big for everyday type use or for toting around DW?

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

For use to give accurate advice, please give us the reasons that you are thinking of going DSLR.

It sounds like you want to keep costs down. If so, the Pentax K110D is one of the best deals going for DSLRs. You get quite a bit of bang for the buck. For a little more, you can get the K100D which adds IS. That is the one I have and I am very happy with it. I chose it over the N D50 and the C Rebel XT.

For Nikon, also look at the D40 if you are wanting small. It has some limiting factors, but I have heard that it is pretty small and light.

For Canon, the Rebel XT (not XTi) is going for a decent price now as it is pretty much out of production at this point.

Kevin

P.S. I have had a couple of very good experiences with Buydig/Beach Camera. They are sister companies.

 

[YEKCIM]

From all I have read, the online dealer to which you refer is a scam artist. The price is real, but the usual modus operandi is that it is the camera body only...no battery, charger, manual, etc. You pay thru the nose for those and if you decline the "extras", I have heard that the camera is suddenly out of stock. That might not be quite the scenario you are describing, since it is a "kit", but I'd be wary just the same.

I just received my new D50 yesterday, from Beach. I paid $439 (no tax or ship charge) for the body (and included other components, like battery, charger, manual, etc) and received the package exactly one week after placing the order, via FedEx Ground. No upsell phone calls, scams, or anything like that. I also ordered lenses from three other online sources, sigma4less.com, robertsonline.com, and amazon.com and had excellent service from each one. Stay with reputable dealers, such as the ones mentioned above, as well as others (www.resellerratings.com) and you won't be sorry.

~YEKCIM

 

[ukcatfan]

I have also heard that places like this will not send you the kit lens (if you do actually receive a shipment at all). They will put in a low quality generic lens that you could get off ebay for $5 instead. Also, a 512MB card only costs about $7-9 these days, so that does not make it worth it.

Kevin

 

[handicap18]

You can get deals very similar from more reputable sellers.

The D50 is a great camera for those who are new to SLR and those who are previous amerture film SLR users looking to upgrade. The buttons are laid out well and its an easy to use camera. It takes outstanding pictures right out of the camera with little to no post processing needed. Its a great camera to grow with.

 

[HLAuburn]

I have also heard that places like this will not send you the kit lens (if you do actually receive a shipment at all). They will put in a low quality generic lens that you could get off ebay for $5 instead. Also, a 512MB card only costs about $7-9 these days, so that does not make it worth it.

Kevin

Thanks for the info! I think I will avoid that company at all costs!

BTW, where do you get 512 for $9?

 

[barrie]

That company may not be good but I have been noticing the D50 prices coming down since the D40 and D80 were released.

I have a D50. Before I got it I had only used point and shoots. I love the D50. It's a great transition camera because it has lots of auto settings as well as manual - so you can still take great pix while you are learning.

I was worried about moving to a dslr too but now I'll never go back. You can always hold on to your P&S for awhile in case there are times when you don't want to carry the big one. I kind of wished I had carried one on my recent trip to Vegas. I took my D50 but mostly left it in the room. However, when I went to WDW in December I carried the D50 with me everywhere.

 

[ukcatfan]

Thanks for the info! I think I will avoid that company at all costs!

BTW, where do you get 512 for $9?

There are a number of reputable places out there, but I prefer http://www.newegg.com. It looks like the best deal on that right now is $9 plus $5 for shipping, but I have seen it lower. You just have to keep checking back. If they are not running a free shipping deal, it is best to wait until you want multiple items from them b/c the incremental shipping charge per item is less than shipping an item alone. The last memory card I got from them was a 1GB SD for $17 w/$10 rebate. The portion of shipping for the card was around $2. In the end, I got a 1GB for less than $10.

Kevin

 

[Anewman]

BuyDig currently has the D50(refurb) for $379, a great deal since they charge no tax or shipping fees.

 

[YEKCIM]

Thanks for the info! I think I will avoid that company at all costs!

BTW, where do you get 512 for $9?

If you don't mind messing with rebates, you can get a Kingston 2 Gig SD card for ten bucks (after rebate) from buy.com, but you better hurry; I think 1/13 is the last day of the offer.

~YEKCIM