The D50 was my first SLR and the first camera where I really learned what I was doing with cameras. It's reliable and simple to use, and unlike the very newest Nikon cameras (D40, D60, etc.) It will focus with the older screw drive autofocus lenses. It will not meter with manual focus lenses, and that for me was a bit of a letdown since even the lowliest Canon can do that.
It's max ISO is 1600 and even today the noise level is really good, the image looking more like film grain. At ISO 200 it's noiseless and great. The burst speed is about 3 frames for RAW and about 2 1/2 frames a second non-stop for JPEG. In general if you're an amateur, snapshot traveler, or need a second SLR as a backup this is a good choice.
The battery is a slightly older style than the newer Nikons, and as far as I know isn't used in any of the new ones, so it will eventually go out of production. The card slot is SD only (2GB or less) which was all they had at the time, and the older SD cards have been phased out for SDHC. There were a few aftermarket battery grips made, but to be honest aside from making a larger handhold they weren't good for much.
The picture quality is overall very good with two exceptions. I've noticed in scenes with mixed lighting, such as fluorescent and daylight, that the camera will get confused and expose the fluorescent as light blue. I've also seen in bright cloudy skies the highlights get all blown out. In winter scenes this makes an extra cold effect, but in normal weather it doesn't look right.
This camera is also infrared sensitive, and can take pictures with just a filter slapped on. I've since converted mine to a permanent infrared and bought a second as a "full-spectrum" with only a clear glass filter.
Overall this has been a very reliable camera for me, and in a pinch it could still do most of what I need. Get more detail about Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor Lens.
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