What's the difference between the Nikon D40 and D50?

Question

The D50 is about $100 more but I don't really see the advantages.

Answer 1

The obvious difference is that the D40 no longer has a status LCD on top of the camera. All of the same information is available, however, on the larger rear LCD. I don't know what impact this has on battery life.

The less obvious difference is that the D40 only has 3 autofocus zones and, therefore, only 3 spot meter zones. The D50 has 5 zones. The D50 also lets you define the size of your center-weighted metering zone and the D40 does not.

The D40 will not autofocus with anything other than the newer AF-S and AF-I lenses, while the D50 will autofocus many older AF lenses, including G and D lenses as well as most other CPU lenses. If you do not own any lenses, this will not present a problem, but if you want to expand your lens collection (and who doesn't want to eventually?), you will have to bear this in mind before you make your purchase. There are MANY older lenses that are excellent and still available new.

One thing I like in the D40 is adopted from the more expensive cameras in the Nikon line. You can set a maximum ISO in the auto-ISO mode and you can set a minimum shutter speed in the auto-ISO mode. Frankly, I have the same features on my D200 and I don't use them, but I can see how they might come in handy if I was in a rapid-fire shooting session (haha) where I couldn't pay attention to these values for every frame.

I do use the programable FUNC button on the D200 and I see that the D40 has this feature also.

The D40 has a lot of in-camera retouching, but I would never use this as I do all of my own work on the computer. If you are going to use a store kiosk to do your prints, maybe you would like this feature.

The bottom line is, my wife has the D50. I use it and like it. If we waited and bought the D40 for her, I am sure I would like that also. The biggest thing I would miss is the 5-zone auto-focus/spot-metering capability.

If you read the review that Chris B sent you (also available from the page I list below), you will see a comparison of the D40 and D50 right on the first page of the review. They used a green highlight for the "winner" of each category.

Answer 2

There isn't anything wrong with the link except that you have to copy and paste it into the address bar yourself but it works fine when you do. I think that you could use a little study of the rule of thirds, mostly for implementation in your landscapes. It's rarely a good idea to put the horizon right in the middle of the frame. The one shot you have where that works is the hallway that I assume is in a high school. Because of the symmetrical quality, it does work. But you have the right idea about getting close to your subjects. Ordinary subjects tend to be boring when shot from a distance but become interesting when shot from very close. The D40 and D50 are both discontinued models. There may still be a few of the D40 models out there but the D3000 replaced it. The D5000 is a step up, comparable to the D60 I suppose. Don't forget about the other brands. There is Canon, Pentax, Panasonic, Olympus, Sony, Fuji and Sigma off the top of my head. Any DSLR is a good camera. Some brands just have different offerings and you need to do the research to discover what sets them apart and you need to try them out in the store to see which one you like.

Answer 3

D50 has 5 focus points while the D40 has 3. A huge disadvantage with the D40 is that not all Nikor lenses will work with it. You have to spend $1000+ on most lenses for the D40. The D50 has a status LCD while the D40 did what Canon did with their XTi, they combined the Review LCD with status LCD. I find that conveniate if your on the go. The D40 is plastic body and is smaller than the XTi. The D50 has more advance controls on it that the D40 does not but of course you may never use those controls but they are niffty to have if you ever need them.

Answer 4

The D50 is an older D-SLR, but is probably better if you have older Nikon lenses. With the D40, you need to have a AF-S lens if you want it to auto-focus. The D40 is better for beginners (mainly because the D50 was not really aimed towards amateurs), and it is smaller and lighter. See the link below for more info and a comparison chart.

My opinion is that the D50 is better, because of the lens compatibility, and the top status LCD screen.

Answer 5

i suggest going for the Nikon D50 instead of the Nikon D40...though its a lil more expensive...

The nikon D40 is aim at beginners...
While the D50 is more in the middle...

however if u look at the spec's u realise that the D40
hav its limitations is...u can only AF with AF-S or AF-I lenses
which is a bad thing..unlike the D50 which hav none of these limitations....

Get the D50, because it worth every buck of ur money...
Its a good camera, and u wont need to worry on the limitations tat u would get on the D40.

why nt head down to ur nearest camera store and test both cameras out and see which one suits ur need the most...

Answer 6

Look closely.

Is the flange plastic or metal. That can be a factor.

Answer 7

why dont you go to their website and compare the 2. duh. wtf?