You may have read my previous blog about my next camera. Well it turns out I didn't buy either of the two cameras I raved about. Not because I changed my mind, the two cameras I recommended are still probably two of the best cameras on the market, but because neither of them are shipping yet. My tax refund arrived and I didn't want to wait because I knew I would spend the money, so I decided to make a decision immediately.

The Nikon D50 had been shortlisted a while ago, together with the Canon Rebel XT and the Nikon D70s. I have read countless reviews, tons of postings on dpreview and browsed endless pictures on pbase. All three are great cameras but here are my reasons for choosing the D50.

The D50 has less features than both the Rebel XT and the D70s but it is also cheaper than the two of them. I had always preferred its pictures, being more vivid and requiring less post-processing out of the camera than the other two, a major advantage to someone with little time for post-processing.

Its kit lens was also rated better than the Canon, in fact Canon lenses in general were a big drawback to choosing a Canon. They have some fantastic premium lenses but at premium prices. Their regular everyday lenses don't rate very well when compared to Nikon at similar prices. The reason that I hesitated to buy the Rebel XT was because I couldn't make up my mind about lenses.

The D70 was bigger and heavier than the competitors and the kit lens was more expensive and therefore a bigger investment which wasn't necessarily a good thing seeing as I knew I'd need other lenses (telephoto zoom and low-light prime). I had a hard time giving up the D70s features, especially the remote flash commander, but I know that I can always add the remote flash commander unit to the D50, albeit for the difference in price between cameras ($310 CDN).

At the end of the day it's the pictures that count and not the features. That clinched the deal because I just like the D50 pictures better.