Upgrade path from a Nikon D50 to ?

[dotibwai]

I currently have a D50 which is my first DSLR. Feel that I'm probably at the stage where I would like to upgrade the body so that I can keep using my lenses. As funds are limited i wondered what the merits of upgrading to the D80(as they can be bought at reasonable prices second hand) are over staying with my current camera ? Also has any ody been down this path and have any experiences/views to share

Regards

[shoturtle]

see if there is any used d90 is good condition.

[Mark1616]

What are you looking to gain by upgrading to ensure the new body has the features..... or another way, what does the D50 not do? It's OK if you just fancy a new camera, I have too many for my own good

[tizeye]

I went from a D40 to a D90 and haven't looked back.

[Hawgwild]

Sounds like you have lenses which require an in-body focus motor. That would limit you to a D80,90,200 or 300, off the top of my head. As far as advantages, more mp for enlargements/cropping. I had the D50 for two and a half years from April 2006, and went to a Sony for in body stabilization. The extra 4 mp have really come in handy for cropping. Like Shoturtle says see what a good lightly used D90 will run. Alternatively, use the D50 until it dies, then upgrade, if it still does everything you want it to.

[vIZnquest]

I have been down this path but instead I started with the D200 (2). Due to the noise levels for low light shots even with 2.8 and 1.8 glass I wanted to get something better. The D80 is pretty much a D200 with less features thus I did not consider it. I went with a D40 and the 1/500th sync speed was the main reason for my buying it. I got a D5000 due to its articulating screen. Then the D90 which I find to be the best featured camera for the price.
I don't crop much due to my two rules. Set the camera right. Frame it correctly, not loosely. Takes time and patience and learning your camera inside and out. I am not a raw shooter as there is a feature called Picture Control that you can tweak to your liking based on situation and personal preferences.

[dotibwai]

Does that mean then that the D50 will be no good for low light photography as to all intents and purposes it is a lower spec camera than the D80/D200. From what you are saying my best bet would be to save a bit more and see if I can find a second hand D90. Apparently this has better low light and noise handling capabilities than either of the other cameras mentioned in this post.

Thanks

[shoturtle]

yup, if you want to shoot low light without a flash. A d90 would be a much better option.

[rjseeney]

My first DSLR was a d50 and I quickly upgraded to the D80 after about a year. The extra control, speed and ability to control off camera Nikon flashes were the primary reason for my upgrade. There was a slight bump in IQ as well. In reality though of all my Nikon cameras the D80 was my least favorite. I am currently using a D300 and D5k and if you don't have lens limitations (that is you have AF-S lenses), the D5k is much better than the D80. Also as was mentioned, the D90 is really a great value too if you want the extra capability.

[big_potato]

If you want to keep the mobility or D50 (compact & light weight),

But just want to upgrade the mega-pixel, and movie-capture capability

go for D3100 / D5000


If you can afford (both in price & weight) for more functionalities and operational efficiency

go for D7000


I dont mean to be offensive to their owners

But D90 seems to be a little bit outdated.


May seem to be ridiculous to you guys

But my upgrade path is D50 / D5000 / D7000

While I am still keeping all of them