D40 vs. D50

[Tumeg101]

I have a few questions about the Nikon D40 and the Nikon D50...
what exactly is the difference?? Does one have a better picture quality then the other? Is the D50 worth the extra $70+? I heard the the D50 has a focusing motor, or something like that... built it, and the D40 does not? is this true? What exactly does the motor do? is it enough to spend the extra $70 for the D50?

 

[pdxflint]

I have a D50, and haven't used a D40, other than to handle one in a store... but one difference is the size - the D50 is a bit larger in the hand, and grip. Also, the D50 has the original screw-drive focusing motor built-in which is used to auto focus older Nikkor AF lenses that don't have built-in AF motors. This means that with the D40, in order to use many older lenses (and some current ones which haven't been updated yet) you are pretty much limited to manual focus. If you think you'll be sticking to newer lenses when you upgrade, it might not make much difference which body you choose.

Image quality should be virtually identical, especially in RAW. I've heard some murmurings that the D50 is starting to be sought after in some quarters, so it may be a better "investment."

You can't really go wrong with either one.