Like MAGIC.

For Christmas this year, I received a Nikon D50, digital SLR, yadda yadda. While I was aware of the benefits of these cameras, I had never actively sought ought ownership of one. I suppose I was content with my Canon Powershot- compact, user-friendly and possessed of an acceptable number of features- and I think it allowed me to achieve passable results, as well.

But the one thing that always bothered me about the point-and-shoot digital camera is that it was too smart. It would always try to compensate for poor lighting, contrasting colors, etc., often in ways that were not intended by my shots.

The D50, on the other hand, gives me incredible control over my photographs (that is, after I spent a few hours disabling all of the automatic functions). Check the two pictures below. Notice anything different? There is no way, even after a thousand shots, that I could have achieved the focal plane distinction with my old camera. Unbelievable. Like freakin' magic.