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Originally Posted by sameerrao
I think a used D50 would be the perfect starter DSLR. You can put it in Auto mode and it will still take decent pics. Later on if you want to experiment, you can play with all the aperture/shutter speed settings.
For $600 you should get
- A used D50
- Nikon 18-70mm lens (great lens of travel shots, close-up work)
- 2 GB SD card
- camera bag
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Actually that is exactly what I did for my girlfriend. I picked up a brand new D50 from Wolf Cameras/Ritz for $375 (free shipping and no tax to California) or so because it was on sale. And now she "stole" my 18-70mm lens.
Which was the camera you saw me using the other day Nova. I actually like using the D50 over my old D70. I just I found myself not really using the extra features of the D70/D70s as much as I thought I would.
Although I don't think you could get the D50 anymore since technically it has been replaced by the D40x. Wolf Camera is great because you get 10 bucks off if you do Google check out, plus another 5% Cash back if you log through FatWallet's website. And if I recall they ship out of SoCal, like Rancho Cucamonga or City of Industry, or something like that.
A caution about used cameras, I noticed most of the times, they aren't much cheaper than buying new. Many times, you are just saving tax and a memory card. With Nikon Warranties, if I recalled, they are not transferrable (you should check on that just to be sure). That means that the warranty only applies to the first owner. Also grab a program like EXIF reader to see how many Shutter Acutations has taken place. That is sort of like the odometer for the camera, precautions to take.
Yeah, the Rebel XT and XTi are great cameras as well. In terms of function, they are more capable than both the D40x and D50, and to some extent the D70 as well. Although the D80 definitely has a leg up on performance and feature set over the XT and newer XTi, it also cost a few hundred more.
Bottomline, if you were to get the D40x, I would rather recommend you pick up the Rebel XT (350D). But I personally like the D50 the best, and if I had the money, I would get the D80.
Again as RC mentioned before, I would not get too caught up in the specs right now, the limiting factor would be the human behind the camera more than the camera itself.
