When
using the Digi-Vari Program modes, the Nikon D50 automatically
optimizes white balance, sharpening, tone (contrast),
color, saturation and hue depending on the specific mode
chosen. For example, select Portrait for beautiful skin
tones and soft background focus that highlights your subject.
To
activate, the user simply turns the Mode dial to select
the appropriate Digi-Vari Program from the seven listed
below.
-
Auto:
The camera automatically adjusts settings to match
the shooting conditions.
-
Portrait:
For beautiful skin tones and soft background focus
that highlight the subject.
-
Landscape:
Creates sharp images with depth and highlighted plant
and sky colors.
-
Close-up:
Bring out the reds and greens of flowers while adding
soft focus to the background.
-
Sports:
Uses a fast shutter speed to freeze action cleanly.
-
Child:
Clothing and background details are vividly rendered
while skin tones remain natural
-
Night
portrait: Uses the built-in Speedlight to capture
beautiful portraits with sunsets or night scenes as
a backdrop.
Combined
with the user friendly auto program modes, the Nikon D50 offers
photographers full manual override control with the flexibility
of selecting from Program shift (P), Manual (M), Shutter Priority
(S) and Aperture Priority (A) exposure modes. Shutter speeds
ranging from 30 to 1/4,000 sec. and Bulb (time) exposure can
be set.
420-Segment
Color Matrix Metering II
Nikon's new 3D Color Matrix Metering
II ensures accurate exposure control in most types of lighting
situations by automatically comparing input from the camera's
420-pixel sensor to a large onboard database of over 30,000
actual
photographic scenes.
Newly
developed exposure evaluation methods detect highlights and
shadows in the frame, and compensate for them to help minimize
under- or over-exposure by comparing the lighting pattern
of the frame with the onboard database of scenes, thus enhancing
performance for more accurate and consistent exposures.
(The
Nikon D70 and D70s feature a broader 1005-segment RGB metering
sensor)
Metering
Modes
The Nikon D50 offers four types of exposure metering options,
including; 3D 420-segment Color Matrix (full
area), Centre Weighted*
, Spot
or Spot AF** area metering .
*
Through the custom settings menu, the user can set the weight
of 75% towards a 6, 8, 10, or 12-mm circle (8mm set to default)
in the center of the frame, or weighting based on an average
of the entire frame.
** Meters 3.5mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on active
focus area
White
Balance (WB) Control
For ease
of use the Nikon D50 offers an Auto WB setting were the camera
determines the best WB setting. The D50 produces natural coloration
by measuring the entire frame of the shot and matching white
balance to the light source.
Auto white
balance handles most lighting situations, but the advanced
options include a choice of six specific manual settings,
white balance bracketing for added creative control, as well
as a preset option for using a gray or white object as a calibrating
reference under mixed lighting conditions.
WB
options shown in the D50 setup menu
Other
exposure control options include: exposure compensation
(+/-5 EV), flash exposure compensation (–3
to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 EV)
and auto exposure bracketing.
(Three
frames ±2 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 steps).
The Nikon
D50's ISO sensitivity can be set between ISO 200 to 1600 or
controlled automatically across the same range of settings.
ISO
options shown in the D50 setup menu
The
Nikon D50 also features a new "ISO Control" feature:
Digital Vari-Program modes now automatically select the appropriate
ISO setting for each shot (In contrast to the D70/D70s, where
you manually select the ISO setting) Manual selection (in
1 stop increments) made via Custom Menu setting if preferred.
2.5fps continuous shooting
The Nikon D50 offers continuous shooting at 2.5 frames per
second for bursts of up to 137* pictures, making action photography
a reality. Pictures taken are instantly processed and recorded
to the photographer's compact SD (Secure Digital) memory card.
A new USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface supports faster transfer
of images when connected to a compatible computer
*
When using JPEG NORMAL - Large settings, and a
Sandisk Ultra II SD 256 MB Card
Recording
options
JPEG and
RAW (NEF) Combination Filing System: The system enables simultaneous
recording of RAW (NEF) and JPEG data for the same shot to
optimize and accelerate workflow operations.
Images
that are needed immediately can be downloaded in JPEG format,
while high-quality images needed for printing can be converted
from NEF at a later time.
 |
Nikon
D50 Image Quality Settings
Image
quality settings on the Nikon D50 include: RAW (NEF),
Fine (JPEG Fine), Norm (JPEG Normal), Basic
(JPEG Basic), RAW + B (NEF + JPEG Basic)
Image
resolution size settings on the camera include; L (3008
x 2000), M (2256 x 1496), S
(1504 x 1000)
Image
Resolution Settings
Small
Pic Mode
The Nikon D50 offers a "Small Pic" image size mode, similar
to that found on Nikon's consumer Coolpix digital cameras.
In this mode, the D50 automatically stores a resized copy
of the original image, which can then be easily used for
email or web based applications. Image size selections include:
640 x 480, 320 x 240, or 160 x 120 pixels.
NEF Format and Nikon Capture 4.3
Software
Nikon's original NEF (Nikon Electronic Format)
can be considered as a digital negative. Each NEF file stores
the RAW image data captured by the D50's image sensor, a
thumbnail image, and an "Instruction Set" that
contains the camera's original settings. Changes made never
affect or degrade the quality of the archived RAW data.
The original 12-bit data is processed by Nikon Capture 4.3
software (optional) and displayed using a full 16 bits per
channel, so tonal and other color corrections can be made
with smoother fidelity.
You can
save any changes as a new Instruction Set, as a 48-bit TIFF
file, or as a JPEG file when easy sharing via the Internet
is the priority. Another advantage is that NEF files are designed
to ensure forward compatibility, so they can take advantage
of any new features added to future versions of Nikon Capture
software.
Check
for the latest deals on the Nikon D50 DSLR at Shopping.com
Image
enhancement options
Easy to set image enhancement options optimize sharpening,
contrast, tone, color, saturation and hue while using Auto
Multi Program [P], Shutter-Priority Auto [S], Aperture-Priority
Auto [A], or Manual [M] exposure modes to best match the
scene or intended use for the picture. Choices include;
Normal, Vivid, Sharp, Soft, Direct Print, Portrait, Landscape
or Custom optimization.
