I pretty much no nothing about cameras but I'm wondering if I should get a Canon Powershot G9 or a Nikon D50?

Answer 1

I agree with Photoace... www.dpreview.com is an excellent place to compare cameras. I did the same thing before buying my D50 two years ago (I've since taken 11,000 photos with it).
A few months ago, I upgraded to a D80 and the great thing is that lenses are interchangeable, saving me $$$s (my wife liked that) On the down side, lense mounts are not the same between Nikon & Canon,(or other brands), so whatever brand you choose, you'll need to stay within the family of bodies that use your lenses. But with Nikon, there's not a lot to worry about... they have a wide selection of bodies (cameras sold without lenses). I do strongly suggest that you buy with the intention of someday upgrading... it's almost a certainty!
One final word on where to buy... My D50 came from a local camera store (now closed) and the price was only $35 more than the reputable internet price. My D80 was a 'demo' with a warranty and was an on-line purchase from a Nikon dealer that has a 'brick and mortar' store front. Avoid the 'gray market' (cameras manufactured for non-USA destinations and thus do not have a warranty) and the internet scammers advertising D50s for $199 (they will be out of stock unless you buy >extremely< high priced accessories.) Spending a little more money will save you a lot of headaches in the long run. Remember... if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Finally, if you decide to go the e-bay route, very carefully check the seller's feedback score. If they have a lot of sales, it will be hard to go through all the comments, so use www.toolhaus.org to view only the negative and neutral f/b. (Neutral f/b counts... some sellers will pay as much as $25 for a customer to withdraw negative f/b so their rating stays high).
Good luck! Take lots of photos and ask lots of questions!
...Charlie

Answer 2

The D50 is a great camera, but discontinued. You can get the replacement D40 or find a refurbished D50 at Adorama or by searching your local Craigslist.

I have a D50 and love how it works with all my autofocus Nikon lenses. It's a compact DSLR that can really grow as your skills and interests grow.

The Canon Powershot G9 is a very nice compact digital camera, but it's limited. When you open the box, that's all you have and all you'll ever have.

A DSLR like the D50 is just the beginning of a system, one suited to the type(s) of photography that excite you.

Here are some shots I took with my D50 and a Nikon 75-300mm lens. I was using ISO 1600, cropped and reduced the images before uploading.
http://www.spmsportspage.com/images/college/football/2007/California-45-Tennessee-31-09-01-2007/DSC_0065_GHYoung.html

Answer 3

go canon i will take the canon one they rock!