D50 discontinued???

I was looking to buy my mom a D50 as a thank you for a favor she did me and I was checking the OneCall website and saw that they didn't have the D50 listed, at all. So I emailed them and this was their reply...

"Thank you for contacting us. Unfortunately, the Nikon D50 has been discontinued and is no longer available. If there is anything else that we may help you with, please feel free to contact us anytime. Thank you and have a nice day!"

Is this true?

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http://www.pbase.com/sjberg/some_favorites

I haven't hear anything about this but I did read an article in the International Herald Tribune this week stating that Nikon was having trouble keeping up with demand all over and that their sales are up about 35% from last year. They can't make the fast enough, sadly. Since this means there will likely be little impetus for improving on the current design flaws.

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Peter Waldvogel

Weird, I just called OneCall and the confirmed that Nikon won't send them anymore D50's after trying to cover their list of backorders, and they're a big Nikon dealer. They said Nikon said they won't be shipping anymore.

The strange thing is that they're available and in stock pretty much everyplace else.

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http://www.pbase.com/sjberg/some_favorites

17th Street Photo has the D50 kit (body with 18-55mm kit lens) IN STOCK, as well as the D50 body only. The more elaborate set with body, 18-55 lens, and 55-200 lens (plus some other stuff) is listed as on backorder. So you should be able to get the standard D50kit w/18-55 lens, or the D50 body from them. They are a very good company. I've dealt with them many times and have always received good prices, fast service (
JimCo

I walked into a Wolfcamera (ritz) and they had a pretty little stack of them.. i think something is up with that particular site.
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• Joe Provenzano

http://www.joeapro.com/

Buydig.com doesn't list it as available anymore. Most Best Buy's in my area are out. Ritz camera doesn't have any available on-line. Circuit City has a few at certain locations.

I would say the D50/D70s replacements are near, probably September anouncement most likely.

Nor does B&H or Adorama have any and haven't for over 2 months now. I know, because I wanted one. I can't imagine it's just that Nikon can't keep up with demand. Remember, Nikon stopped it's film line almost completely so you would have thought that would have increased their production capabilities. My guess is that they are no longer making any more D50 or D70S so that stores deplete their inventories and demand builds up for the replacements, or maybe they would just rather produce D200's where they have a lot more profit.

Wow your right B&H only has the kits available and apparently doesn't have any D70s's left...
is something up?
I hope so....
LESS NOISE please!
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Peter Waldvogel

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=381587&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Though many of there kits are back ordered.

Morris
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http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~morris/POD

A look at this link might be more revealing, or not.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&b=2&a=706_6215&mnp=0.0&mxp=0.0&shs=&ci=6222&ac=&Submit.x=5&Submit.y=14

If they are back ordered, than I suppose that means they are still coming right?... but many are listed as out of stock. Anyhow, it probably means nothing.
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Peter Waldvogel

When I called OneCall they said Nikon would "try" and fill their backorders and then that's it. I emailed Nikon for clarification but imagine it will take at least a day to hear anything from them.

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http://www.pbase.com/sjberg/some_favorites

Amazon still has some. That is where I ended up getting mine. I got a defective one from B&H. They took it back, but at the time I wanted body only and they only had the kits by then. I ordered from Onecall and had a few-hour credit card snafu (used old card not realizing we had new cards). When I got that straightened out, they said they no longer had any....except this one that had a little water damage to the box and they would give me a discount. I said no thanks. I was intending to order from 17th Street Photo, but I remembered I had an Amazon gift card so used that on it, and of course there was free shipping.

Also, Vann's says it is getting them soon and will take preorders.

They could well be rolling out a new camera in the months ahead or they could just be backlogged. If you look at their lenses, it's the same thing. Many are back-ordered. That comes I guess partly from having three popular DSLR models. I would say it soon will be time for new models, but I am happy with what I have.

I have bought two cameras from 17th Street Photo. I consider them as reliable as B&H, only shipping is sometimes a little higher.

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Darlene
Dee Seventy, Dee Fifty, Eighty Eight Hundred
http://www.pbase.com/imacatmom

The D50, D70s and D200 are all made in the same factory and we all know about the world wide D200 shortage which is Nikon's most profitable camera. I would say most of the factory capacity has gone towards the D200.

News link.....

http://www.infodigitalcamera.com/blog/221/nikon-exceeds-forecast/

Here's what I asked...

"Hello,

I just inquired about a D50 from one of your big dealers (onecall.com) and was told that they're being discontinued. I noticed the D50 wasn't listed on the OneCall website, sent an email asking why and was told they've been discontinued so I called them and was told that you guys (Nikon) told them you wouldn't be shipping anymore after covering their backorders.

If it's true that it's being discontinued then I'd appreciate knowing before making a purchase (I'm already a happy owner of a D70s and D200. The D50 would be a gift for someone) and if they're not being discontinued then you might want to make sure that one of your bigger dealers stops telling people that they are.

Thanks!!

Best,
Stephen"

Here's their reply...

"HI

Thanks for the question. The D50 has not been discontinued. It is on backorder now due to high demand but is still a current, valid product. I'm not sure why the dealer would tell you otherwise. Thanks.

-David

Thanks for using Nikon products!
Nikon Inc. (USA) Support / Service
http://support.nikontech.com "

It's very strange since I've found OneCall to be highly reputable. I sent them Nikon's reply to see why they would tell someone a product is discontinued when it isn't.

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http://www.pbase.com/sjberg/some_favorites

Stephen-

First mistake is to indicate the possibility that a purchase of a D50 may be contingent on his response... Its true that Nikon is flush w/orders that they don't have the production capacity to keep up with.

Having said that, the time is right for possible new model announcements. Pany's FZ30 is going through similar circumstances where B&H indicates that it has been discontinued. No word from Pany on replacement; probably not wanting to steal any marketing thunder from the L1 dSLR intro.

Could be the D50 will continue on at a reduced entry level price to make way for a new Nikon D30 or that Nikon is playing the same close-to-the-vest game... Likewise, Pentax is positioning the *ist w/low price and rebates... hmmm.. who knows what evil lurks...
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Telecorder (Dave)
FZee5/FZee30+RD-S+OlyTC1.7X
Dee50+Kitties

is just around the proverbial corner in late September. If Nikon wants to announce new cameras (D50 and 70s replacements) and actually ship them shortly thereafter, they had better be in production now. Announce in late August / early September, show off at Photokina in late September / early October and ship late October for the holidays.

http://www.koelnmesse.de/wEnglisch/photokina/

If that is the case, it could cause a shortage in current models. More likely that than Nikon is only making D200s I think, but hey, what do I know anyway?

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Just my nickels worth.
Happy Snappin'!



Ron
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http://www.pbase.com/recalcitrantron
FCAS Member No. 68
pbase supporter
D Seventy

Ritz/Wolf in Houston are shuffling D50 bodies that have already been opened/handled/used and orders for other bodies show no sign of being filled.
The same is happening at other stores.
Kits are a different story, but they're thinning out as well.
I expect a D80 and maybe a D50s to be announced pretty soon.

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JC Mason

http://www.ephotocraft.com has refurbished kits and bodies for sale at a pretty decent price, and I believe they are in stock... as for new kits and bodies, I believe they are out of stock, but they do tend to fill up every 2-3 weeks. I was in the market for a D50 kit and watched their site everyday about a month ago for about 3 weeks. Then suddenly one night they were in stock! I decided to place my order the next morning (when the store would actually be open) and gave them a call before I placed my order to confirm they were actually in stock. The rep. was nice and told me there was only one left.. so I quickly placed my order after I hung up.

I believe Thom Hogan's prediction is absolutely right about the D70s and D50 replacement to be announced at Photokina, and released in time for Xmas (actually, Thom talked about announcement in August, I'd rather think "leaks" in August, and official talk at Photokina).

I know it's only a prediction but it seems so obviously right to me I'm surprised you guys are still wondering about it.

I just got myself a hardly used (3 month old) D50 body off ebay Germany (my third, sold the first one for profit and the second for a D200, which I wasn't happy with) and intend to keep it until Nikon get their act together and release a model with as good IQ, cynamic range and high ISO performance as the D50 (which I haven't found all together in one of their other bodies yet).

If they give us more MP for the sake of it, meaning cramming noisy pixels into their sensor, no thanks.

I consider the D50 to be a total and true success in many areas, and even though I like the D70s shell better, I traded it back for the D50 with regards for sheer IQ. And thinking back on its release, I wouldn't even look at it ! Stupid me, I know better now...

Claire

Claire Dupuis said:

I believe Thom Hogan's prediction is absolutely right about the
D70s and D50 replacement to be announced at Photokina, and released
in time for Xmas (actually, Thom talked about announcement in
August, I'd rather think "leaks" in August, and official talk at
Photokina).

Click to expand...

Claire,

Where did Thom predict this? Can you give us a link? The D50 is barely a year old and selling like hotcakes. It seems a little soon for a replacement unless we're talking about an enhancement like a D50s maybe. But I have been wrong before...

Leroy