I LOVE MY NIFTY 50!

Thanks for the input guys.

 

We Sony guys have a nifty fifty too - ours is the old Minolta 50mm F1.7 which at the time I bought mine could be picked up used for $50-60 in excellent condition. Since Sony has sold more Alphas lately, they've actually gone up in price due to demand and are now floating around $120-140. I love mine though, and do alot of handheld night shooting with it.

For dark rides, it definitely makes them possible - but high ISO is still very necessary. I maxed out at ISO3200 for Pirates:







At least I managed to get usable, printable shots from this ride...finally! My ISO3200 isn't nearly as clean as the D300...but I'm at least happy it's on there as an option - better a little noisy than none at all!

 

I wish I could go higher that 1600, so you have an advantage there. Maybe I can come up with some extra money after the holiday and get a D50 body. We shall see.