The Canon EOS R50 is the new entry-level model to Canon’s EOS R crop-sensor (APS-C) cameras. It is intended for content creators who want more quality and features than you have with a smartphone. It delivers the image quality of the EOS R10 in a more compact and simpler body. You can think of it as the equivalent of the EOS M50 II among R cameras.
TESTRESULTS Canon EOS R50: | |
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The EOS R50 is designed for content creators: vloggers, TikTokers and YouTubers.
Introduction Canon EOS R50
The EOS R50 is the most affordable EOS R camera; it is still just slightly cheaper than the EOS R10. The EOS R50 is essentially designed as an RF mount equivalent of the M50: a user-friendly interchangeable lens camera that can go anywhere.
But it does get Canon’s latest sensor and autofocus system. The latter in particular will appeal to its intended target audience of content creators, as they are not used to focusing manually like a professional videographer.
Construction and control
The EOS R50 is surprisingly small, despite the large RF lens mount on the front. The grip is quite small, but enough to keep the camera steady when a compact lens such as the RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM is on it. As is common with entry-level cameras, the number of physical controls is limited. Controls rely more on the touchscreen user interface. For novice users, the R50 shows explanations of the mode or function that was enabled. Creative Assist mode, with a series of icons representing options such as brightness or color, is also present.
The EOS R50 has a full-fold touch screen and an electronic viewfinder with 2.36 million pixels. The EOS R50 uses the same LP-E17 battery as Canon’s other small cameras. According to the CIPA standard, it is good for 370 shots with the LCD or 230 with the viewfinder. Those who want to shoot with it for long periods of time can power the camera during shots thanks to USB PD (power delivery).
The R50 does not have built-in image stabilization (IBIS), something that certain APS-C cameras from Sony and Fujifilm do have. The more expensive EOS R7 also has IBIS. When filming without a tripod or gimbal, this can be a disadvantage. There is Movie Digital image stabilization (IS), which means that footage is less affected by camera shake. In the process, some of the image does get cropped.
Image quality
As mentioned, the Canon EOS R50 has the same 24 megapixel sensor as the EOS R10 II, and the image processing system is also the same. That means we can expect the same image quality. When using the electronic shutter, the EOS R50 achieves up to 15 shots per second. With the mechanical shutter, that’s still 12 per second.
Video
The EOS R50 can record 4K video at up to 30 frames per second. The 4K video is created via a downsampling of a 6K recording at the full width of the sensor and thus should be very detailed. Using the full width of the sensor also means you don’t have to deal with a crop factor that reduces the angle of view of your lenses.
The camera has a microphone jack, but lacks a jack for headphones. That’s true on more inexpensive cameras, but it’s a shame because it means you can’t control audio levels as well.
It is also possible to use the EOS R50 as a webcam with UVC/UAC (USB Video Class (USB Audio Class) via regular USB connection. This allows you to set up livestreams or video conferences without additional equipment.
Autofocus
The autofocus system of the EOS R50 will again be a huge advantage for content creators – as well as ordinary photographers. It is trained to recognize people (eyes, faces and heads), animals (especially dogs, cats, birds and horses) or vehicles (motorsport cars and motorcycles, trains and planes). There is also an “Auto” option that attempts to identify which of these subjects are in front of the camera.
In addition, the R50 also has an AF mode designed for vlogging that combines face detection mode with priority to what is closest to the camera. This is useful for vloggers who are filming themselves but then want the camera to focus on an object they are showing.
Relative to competition
The Canon EOS R50 competes against other cameras aiming at vloggers, such as the Nikon Z 30 and the Sony ZV-E10. In terms of specifications, they barely differ: a photo resolution of about 24 megapixels, which is sufficient for video in 4K resolution at 30 fps. In addition, the R50 has the advantage of an electronic viewfinder; the Sony and Nikon have only an LCD screen, which is fully foldable on all three devices.
Canon EOS R50 | |
| specifications | |
| sensor | 24,2 Mp |
| video | 4K 30p |
| ISO | 100 – 32.000 (51.200 uitbr). |
| max. seriesnelheid | 12x (mechanical), 15x (electronic) |
| storage media | 1x UHS-I SD |
| battery capacity | 230 (EVF) of 370 (LCD) recordings |
| dimensions | 116 x 86 x 69 mm |
| weight (incl. battery) | 375 g |
| retail price | $ 637,- (body) |
| importor | canon.com |
| rating | |
| image quality | – |
| focus | – |
| light measurement | – |
| white balance | – |
| screen/viewfinder | – |
| price-quality | – |
| bonus | – |
| final rating | – |
Conclusion test Canon EOS R50
What Canon still lacks are affordable RF-S lenses with a wider angle of view.
The EOS R50 is fully aimed at new users making the switch from a smartphone to a “real” camera to take better photos and (especially) video. That explains the focus on simple operation where the camera does the work – with a puffy autofocus system and fully automatic capabilities. What Canon still lacks are affordable RF-S lenses with a wider angle of view, say the equivalent of the EF-S 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 IS STM.
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