new nikon d50 purchase questions

[WsW-WYATT-EARP]

I got approval from the finanace dept. (wife) to make the move to my first SLR... I have been reading alot of stuff around here about the d50 and the d70. You guys are great for info!

My dilema begins with is the D50 the right camera for me. I have read the differences between the cannon 350 and the D70. The cannon seems like I wouldn't be happy with it (cheap feel, buddy of mine has one and is not happy with it *2x shop in 15 months) and the D70 requires more post processing which I have not honed my skillz on yet. I am upgrading from a nikon coolpix 5700. Everything i read this is a great first slr camera. I am not looking to do professional pictures. Just normal usage (family gatherings / xmas/ kids sports / school functions/ then playing with it to get the "perfect shot" :thumbsup: ) is there a better camera out there or have I picked the right camera for my needs?

My dilema continues with what to buy to start with.....
this package from ritz ... pretty basic ..
http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/SL...igital-cameras

or another package from cameta 1 nikon lens and after seeing the other thread about tamron lenses 1 lens from them ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D50-Digita...QQcmdZViewItem

this is a big purchase and a bit intimidating with all the different types of lens and cameras out there... I am happy with my nikon 5700 and would like to stay with nikon.. I guess I am looking for some reassurance that the camera is a good camera and can serve me for my needs for years to come (unless of course i decide to upgrade) and if either package is better than the other or if there are better packages out there that i have not seen or anyone knows of.

Or should I wait til after the D80 is released for a possible price drop ? Or is this camera being discontinued due to it being backordered everywhere and I should get it while I can?

any comments , suggestions , remarks are greatly appreciated ...

THANKS
BEN

[markiemark425]

Dont buy it from Ritz unless you get there extended warrenty (the no questions asked one, where they replace it no matter what) My lens gears got damaged due to a defect in the camera lens and they wanted a $170 deposit to just send my lens out under warrenty. which i would have been giving back when my lens came back..they said it would take about 2 months. On top of the $170 they wanted $20 for shipping...

I called Nikon and they told me to send it to them direct and I would only have to pay $10 for shipping to them and they would pay the shipping back. No deposits nothing.

Shove it up your ass Ritz.

[photofun]

Dont buy it from Ritz unless you get there extended warrenty (the no questions asked one, where they replace it no matter what) My lens gears got damaged due to a defect in the camera lens and they wanted a $170 deposit to just send my lens out under warrenty. which i would have been giving back when my lens came back..they said it would take about 2 months. On top of the $170 they wanted $20 for shipping...

I called Nikon and they told me to send it to them direct and I would only have to pay $10 for shipping to them and they would pay the shipping back. No deposits nothing.

Shove it up your ass Ritz.

I bought my D50 from Ritz...great price($550 and $50 rebate), quick service. Nikon Warranty means you must send it back to them anyway.

I have bought memory and Tamrac bag as well. No problems.:thumbsup:

[Dylan8i]

i was planning on buying my new dslr from ritz, although i was looking at their online site to avoid sales tax. i would like to hear other peoples stories or why i should avoid them.

[mjs1973]

I have always found Ritz to be a little over priced, but I have heard of people getting some really good deals from them. If you're not in a big hurry, I would wait till the D80 hits the shelves to see if it will affect the price of the D50, or maybe even put the D70 in your price range. As far as having to do more post processing with the D70 vs the D50, I don't understand why that would be the case. I know nothing about Nikon, but I would think that you could set the D70 to do the same processing in camera than the D50, but it's just a guess...

[Dylan8i]

i was leaning more towards the d200 or d80. although the post editing scares me alittle, i should probbably learn to do it (and buy ps first)
but i think i'd benifit from some of the extra features of the d200 everynow and then, plus the weather sealing is a big plus as i try to protect my gear, but not if i see a good picture i go for it be it rain, sand( big one this summer) etc. its just if i can actually save up that much or not.

[deckcadet]

I have always found Ritz to be a little over priced, but I have heard of people getting some really good deals from them. If you're not in a big hurry, I would wait till the D80 hits the shelves to see if it will affect the price of the D50, or maybe even put the D70 in your price range. As far as having to do more post processing with the D70 vs the D50, I don't understand why that would be the case. I know nothing about Nikon, but I would think that you could set the D70 to do the same processing in camera than the D50, but it's just a guess...

You can set it to an amount close, depending on your custom settings...but the D50 exposes a bit brighter (less highlight preservation tendencies), and has much cleaner high ISO than the d70 models.

[WsW-WYATT-EARP]

I appreciate the responses here ... I ended up going to a local photoshop and started the beginning of a great relationship with them. I was there for almost an hour last night asking tons of questions. Held the D50 , D70 , rebel 350d ( i think it was). As stated in a thread I read here somewhere the Rebel was small and felt cheap in my hands. I then went home and did some more research, talked more with the wife, talked to a buddy of mine that has the cannon, and read the brochures that they gave me on the models I looked at.

After a restless night of sleep I was up early again this morning doing more reading and whatnot. The store opened at 9am this morning and I was there about 9:30. Ended up spending about 2 more hours in there asking questions, about 30 min of it was camera related the other hour and a half was lens related.

I ended up walking out with my brand new Nikon D50, a Sigma 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 lens, and a Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 w/ macro. I haven't taken many pics YET today. Had to wait for battery to charge then had to run some errands and take a ride on the bike. The few I have taken are just so much better than my coolpix 5700.

So this is what it feels like to be HAPPY!

I just want to say thanks to everyone here whose reviews, comments, and threads that I read about the D50 vs all other cameras and the lens options that goes with it.

Ben

[Kasey48]

Wyattt...I jumped in too late to offer advice, but will say that I won an E-Bay bid for my new D-50 from Cameta, whom you mentioned...couldn't be happier! Great experience, at least for me... I'm sure you'll love the camera! I just can't stop clickin' away...Its so much fun not to have to stop and think...hey, wait....how much is this gonna cost me to get these developed...

[deckcadet]

Congratulations Ben! Glad you like it and I hope you enjoy it for a long time to come.

You never forget your first DSLR.

[WsW-WYATT-EARP]

thanks for the congrats ... i love it so far and will only get better !! I have delt with cameta before with accessories for my previous camera and they are great. but I think overall it will be nice to have a good relationship with an in town camera shop ... was nice to actually hold the camera with the different lenses, take pictures, ask questions as they arose, and have them at my access. They have a great reputation in kenosha and I am sure they will serve me well with my future needs..

thanks again and watch out for my images .... friday we leave for mount rushmore area ... I will be taking a ton of pics out there !!! that is the other reason I was on fire to get this camera in my hands !!!

Ben