totally new to photography

[xjoannexmcx]

Hi everyone.

Im going to take up photography as a new hobby. Its something i have always wanted to do. Can anyone help with choice of cameras. Iv been advised to get the nikon d50 to start out with. Is this a good camera? Any reviews on it?

Thank you

 

[kc4sox]

It would help if you could provide the group with a budget and what you think you'll be doing with the camera. The subject matter that interests you can make a difference in what body would suit you best.

 

[xjoannexmcx]

Thanks. Its more people than scenery that interests me.

 

[JustJazzie]

Mine won't be the popular answer, but to start out I think you would do great with a mirror less camera. The sony a6000 is affordable, and looks pretty sweet! I dropped my dslr for it's predecessor the NEX7 about 2 years ago and never looked back. They are lightweight, pocketable, and give you all the controls and image quality a beginner could want and more. I'm in love with my nex7- but REALLY considering the switch to that a6000 for the faster auto focus!

Good luck with Whatever you choose!

 

[Designer]

Any reviews on it?

Nikon D50 Review: Digital Photography Review

Nikon D50

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1848401,00.asp

Knowing your proposed budget, what type of photography you're interested in, and your tolerance for dealing with mechanical things are important considerations.

 

[SCraig]

The D50 was made from June, 2005 to December, 2006. It was a good camera in its day but now is a very, very outdated model. There have been VAST changes in technology in the past 8 years and personally I'd never even consider the D50 as a viable option.

 

[KmH]

I consider the D50 a very viable DSLR option for a neophyte photographer.
Particularly if the neophyte has a limited budget.
I consider the D50 viable enough that I bought a used D50 from KEH.com last January for $140 so i could see for myself what a D50 could do and how it handled.

The D50 has Nikon's auto focus motor/screw-drive system, and a top LCD like today's higher level Nikons.
6.2 MP is more than enough resolution for electronically sharing photos online or on a computer display. Wall size prints can be made from the 3008 x 2000 pixel images the D50 makes.

Yes, today's DSLRs perform better in a number of ways but the D50 is still very capable and being out of production is inexpensive.

 

[goodguy]

Wouldnt even look at the D50 unless it was given to me for free and I didnt have any money to get a modern camera.
If you are very low on money I would get a Nikon D3100, if you had just a bit more I would recommending the Nikon D3200 which is a great starters camera.

 

[Derrel]

The D50 is "old", for sure, but it always had a snappy, jazzy, straight out of color rendering, which was very DIFFERENT from the Nikon d-slrs of its era and before. The Nikon D40 dropped the in-body focus motor; the D40x upped the megapixel count a bit; the D60 also lacks the in-body focus motor. So, there are the D50, D40, D40x, and D60 models all available pretty affordably. Buuuuut, if it were a new camera for myself, I would scrape up a bit more money and buy a D3200, which is newer and has a better sensor by far than any of the older cameras. The D40,D40x,and D60 all have the "new Nikon" jazzy, straight-ouit-of-camera color look. The D70 and D70s are two 6-megapixel cameras that have a little bit bigger, and to my eye, a little bit better viewfinder images than the D50, or the D3000-series cameras have. The used D50 and the used D70 and D70s are the most-affordable way to get an in-body focusing motor. The D70 and D70s are two of the VERY BEST NIKONS ever made for full-sunlight fill-flash, at very high shutter speeds, due to the dual, hybrid electronic shutter/mechanical shutter system those used.

Prices on used camera can vary hugely, depending on location, and market, and just what the seller needs to sell for. Occasionally, some fabulous deals pop up. I've seen used Nikon d-slr + 18-55 deals as low as $125 within the last six months at walk-in retail here in the western USA. Not sure what prices are like in your part of the world.

 

[table1349]

Read this first: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...etting-good-advice-equipment.html#post3178942

Follow the advice and you will be a better informed consumer and will be able to ask better informed questions. Camera gear is a lot like underwear. Some like boxers, some like briefs and some like thongs. Some choose Fruit of the Loom, some choose Jockey, some choose Calvin Klein, while others prefer Hanes.


FYI. If you prefer commando then get some paint and brushes cause you ain't gonna be taking pictures.