The Nikon D50 is designed to be a reasonably-priced digital SLR for photographers who want the speed and control of an SLR, but also want the option of an automatic mode that offers point & snap simplicity. The amateur dSLR market is hot, and Nikon addressed it well with the D50. With the introduction of the D50, Nikon has reduced the cost of entry into its line of digital SLR’s (dSLR.) Smaller, lighter and less responsive than the D70s we reviewed earlier this year, the D50 is Nikon’s entry level dSLR, positioned to compete with Canon’s Digital Rebel XT for consumers upgrading from consumer digicams and consumer film SLR’s.

Steve’s Digicams today posted their review of the D50. Here’s a quote from Steve-

“While the D50 is an attractive upgrade from consumer digicams, it also competes with high end prosumer models like the Nikon Coolpix 8800. If it’s digicam features you crave, a family-friendly prosumer like the 8800 may be your answer; you’ll not find a dSLR with its smooth VGA-sized 30fps movies, built-in macro capability, Best Shot Selector, or flexible vari-angle LCD viewfinder. On the other hand, if you need the versatility of interchangeable lenses, snapping performance, optical TTL viewfinder and superior image quality (especially at higher ISOs), then you’ll want a dSLR like the D50.

The D50 is a worthy competitor in the dSLR market. It is more responsive and flexible than the Canon Digital Rebel, but its performance lags the Nikon D70 and Canon’s Digital Rebel XT, and it falls 2-megapixels short of the XT’s 8-megapixel resolution. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so please have a look at our sample images, including a side-by-side snapout of the D50 vs Digital Rebel XT under identical conditions. “

Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor Lens

Click here to read Steve’s complete Nikon D50 review.