Nikon D50By: Dave Etchells and Shawn BarnettNikon develops an "entry-level" SLR loaded with features for less than $750. (Body only) <<User Report :(Previous) | (Next): Design>> Page 5:Features OverviewReview First Posted: 05/20/2005, Updated: 08/10/2005 |
Features Overview
Following on the heels of the wildly popular D70, Nikon has introduced the lower-priced and physically smaller Nikon D50. Looking much like a 35mm SLR (and the D70), the Nikon D50 has a professional, though somewhat simplified appearance. Equipped with a 6.1 megapixel CCD, the D50 captures very high-resolution images with superb detail and excellent color. Replete with both auto and manual exposure modes, the Nikon D50 is ready for whatever type of shooting its owner desires, with an instant-on feature for immediate picture-taking, and several scene modes that bias the settings for the best results in a number of common shooting situations.
Capitalizing on the broad line of Nikon optics, the D50 has a standard F lens mount that accommodates most of Nikon's 35mm lenses. This is one of the key advantages of SLR cameras: Interchangeable lenses offer greater flexibility than even high-end prosumer cameras, despite the latter's attachable accessory lenses. Use of the near-historic F mount means that a huge range of lenses originally developed for film cameras can operate on the Nikon D50, although older lens models may have quite a few limitations.
The Nikon D50 offers several focusing options, including Manual, Auto-Servo AF, Single-Servo AF, and Continuous-Servo AF for moving subjects. (The Auto-Servo option is new with the D50.) A five point AF system can be used in three modes: Single Area, Dynamic Area, and Closest Subject.
The D50 features a true TTL (through the lens) optical viewfinder, complete with information display along the bottom. This shows shutter speed, exposure compensation, flash status, focus point and mode, focus lock, and flash status, among a wealth of other information.
The five focus areas are marked by round-edged rectangles that overlay the image. Whether chosen by the user or the camera, the active focus area is highlighted in red when focus lock is achieved under dim lighting, or turns black if the light in the frame is brighter.
A diopter correction slider next to the viewfinder can be adjusted from -1.6 to +0.5 to accommodate eyeglass wearers; optional corrective lenses are available that extend the range from -5 to +3.
As is the case with most digital SLRs, the Nikon D50's LCD monitor is solely for viewing captured images and displaying the menu system, not for framing shots. (I'm careful to mention this for those potential users accustomed to composing pictures in point-and-shoot rangefinder-style digital cameras, who are considering moving up to a more capable camera.) Also important to know is that digital SLR cameras capture only stills, not video or audio.
In playback mode, five information screens are available, giving a great deal of detail, plus histogram and highlight displays. The highlight display shows any blown-out highlights, flashing the overexposed areas from white to black. This is something we'd like to see on all digital cameras, including consumer models, to let you know when portions of a photo have been overexposed.
Because this is meant as a consumer SLR, Nikon has added quite a few Scene modes in addition to the usual Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual exposure modes. The Nikon D50 has a full Auto mode for point-and-shoot convenience, as well as Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Child, and Night Portrait. All are quickly selected from the Mode Dial, which turns left or right with no limiter built in. In Program mode, where most intermediate photographers will probably spend a lot of time, rotating the Command dial adjusts through the possible combinations of aperture and shutter speed while maintaining proper exposure. This allows the user to decide dynamically whether they want to emphasize depth of field or speed of capture based on the scene. It is not available in full Auto mode, or in any of the Scene modes.
Using a combined mechanical and CCD electronic shutter, the Nikon D50 is able to achieve speeds from 30 seconds to 1/4,000 second, and the "x-sync" speed for flash usage is a blazing 1/500 second. In manual mode, Bulb is also available, for indefinite exposure lengths. Bulb exposures can also be controlled via remote, an important feature for blur-free long exposures. The shutter opens two seconds after the remote is activated, and doesn't shut until the remote is activated again, or the camera battery dies.
Nikon's trademark 3D color matrix metering is available by default when using G or D type lenses. It's considered "3D" because it gathers distance information from the lens to further optimize the meter's effectiveness. Inherited from the Nikon D2H and F5 is the very high resolution of this 3D matrix metering system. Where the D70 had a 1,005-pixel metering sensor, the Nikon D50 has a 420-pixel metering sensor, separate from the main image sensor, that covers the entire frame. Matrix metering is useful for backlit subjects or when very dark or light subjects occupy a significant portion of the frame. Center Weighted metering is also available, which measures light from the entire frame, but places the greatest emphasis on a circular area in the center. Spot metering takes a reading centered on the active focus area, best when using the AE lock function, because it lets you meter off of a face or other area of primary importance and then recompose. The spot meter on the D50 bases its reading on approximately one percent of the total frame area, providing very precise exposure determination. These latter two metering options are only available in the Program, Shutter, Aperture, and Manual modes; the camera defaults to Matrix in the full Auto and Scene modes.
Sensitivity settings range from ISO 200 to 1,600. A special noise reduction mode can reduce noise in longer exposures with shutter speeds slower than about one second. When Noise Reduction is active, the time to process each image more than doubles, and "Job NR" blinks across the top of the status LCD while the processing is taking place. Just as was the case with the D70 before it, my tests showed that having NR active on the D50 also slowed continuous exposures even in bright lighting, regardless of the shutter speed being used. - This despite the fact that the NR processing is only supposed to apply to very long exposures. The amount of space in the buffer also decreases with NR on.
In Program, Shutter, Aperture, and Manual modes, exposure can be adjusted between -5 and +5 EV in increments of 1/3 EV. The camera can also be set to adjust EV in 1/2 EV increments, if you prefer. EV adjustment values show on the status LCD only when the EV adjustment button is pressed, though in the viewfinder the scale is skewed on the exposure readout any time an exposure compensation has been specified.
Auto Bracketing can help you with EV adjustments of up to plus or minus 2 EV. The camera will take one shot underexposed by the amount you set, one at the "metered exposure" (determined by the camera in Program, Shutter, and Aperture mode; by the user in Manual mode), and one overexposed. Three presses on the shutter are required to complete each bracketing sequence. The sequence can also be applied to flash exposures and white balance settings. (White Balance Bracketing can only be done in JPEG mode.) In the case of White Balance, Auto Bracketing works a little differently. Instead of requiring three presses on the shutter to complete the sequence, only one press is required to produce the desired number of frames. A little experimentation is required, as is a thorough read of the manual. The benefits of using this feature could be significant, however, when you're just not sure about the white balance settings and the shot is critical.
White balance can be left in Auto, where the camera will adjust the color temperature from 3,500 to 8,000 Kelvin using both the 420- pixel RGB exposure sensor and the CCD image sensor. The camera also offers a range of preset options, from Incandescent (3,000K) through Fluorescent (4,200K), Sunlight (5,200K), Flash (5,400K), Cloudy (6,000K), and Shade (8,000K). You can also preset a white balance by pointing the camera at a white or gray object, or it can be copied from an existing photograph. The D50 also offers Hue, Tone, and Sharpness adjustments. Tone curves can be set to Auto or set from Normal (0 adjustment) to Low Contrast (-2), Medium Low (-1), Medium High (+1), High Contrast (+2), and Custom. Custom allows the user to download a custom tone curve created in Nikon Capture 4 on a PC.
There are three color modes, two of them sRGB, and one Adobe RGB. The first sRGB (mode I) is optimized for skin tones, and is the default setting. The second setting is Adobe RGB (mode II), offering a wider gamut than sRGB, meaning that it can capture and deliver more colors to a program like Photoshop, especially in the green range. It is recommended for photos that will be modified extensively on a computer. The second sRGB (mode III) is optimized for landscape shots, and apparently more closely approximates the color space of the previous D100.
A continuous capture mode captures a maximum of ~2.5 frames per second, depending on the amount of available memory space and the image size and quality settings. The D50 is a bit of a step down from the original D70 in this area, as the original D70 could capture large/fine JPEG images at a rate of 3 frames/second for nine frames, and then could continue grabbing a frame every 2.2 seconds until its memory card filled. (And shooting in large/medium quality mode, the D70 could run at 3 frames/second continuously until the memory card was full.)
The Nikon D50's built-in pop-up flash has an ISO 200 Guide Number of 15m/49ft (ISO 100 Guide Number would be 11/36; though the D50's ISO starts at 200, so this is only stated for comparison with other cameras and flash units). When a CPU lens is on the camera, Nikon's i-TTL is invoked, allowing complex measurements via low-power "almost invisible" preflashes right before the main flash, that the camera combines with distance information from the lens' CPU. This is excellent for fill flash, because the D50 uses its 420-segment Matrix meter to balance foreground lighting against backlighting. (Nikon's matrix-metered balanced fill flash is one of their more amazing technologies. I can say from personal experience that it works so well that you can just use it, without having to think about relative brightness levels, etc. - One of those great pieces of technology that just works seamlessly and transparently.)
Flash sync modes include Front-curtain sync, Red-eye reduction, Slow sync, Slow sync with red eye reduction, Rear- and Slow rear-curtain sync. In full Auto, Portrait, and Macro modes, Auto front curtain sync, Auto with red eye, and Off are the only options. In Night Capture mode, both Auto flash modes are of necessity Slow sync. Flash Exposure Compensation allows the user to adjust brightness from -3 to +1 EV, the lower end of that range providing for very subtle fill-flash effects.
The Nikon D50 uses SD memory cards for image storage. (A departure from Nikon's prior SLRs, which all used CompactFlash cards.) In addition to three JPEG compression levels, images can also be saved as NEF-format compressed RAW images, or simultaneously as RAW + JPEG files. Resolutions are 3,008 x 2,000, 2,256 x 1,496, and 1,504 x 1,000 pixels. A USB cable comes with the camera for uploads, as well as Nikon PictureProject software and a 30-day free trial of Nikon Capture. A video cable appropriate for the market (NTSC or PAL) is also included.
One EN-EL3 Lithium Ion battery pack powers the D50, providing 7.4V at 1400mAh. Though the battery looks very much like the Canon BP-511, they're not compatible. A nice touch in the D50's design is that the battery is gently gripped by the battery compartment walls when it's partly removed. This helps keep it from landing on the floor accidentally, despite the lack of an internal retention latch.
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