Canon EOS 50D November 11th, 2008 | by David Elrich
Full Review
Features and Design The EOS 50D is all black with a nice, textured surface. The grip is beefy and the camera is large enough so there’s room to plant your right thumb firmly on the back to help steady the camera. It measures 5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 (WHD, in inches) and, thanks to a magnesium alloy frame, weighs 29.2oz with just the battery, and 50.2oz with the new 18-200mm IS lens Canon supplied for the test. Mind you, that’s 3-plus pounds, friends – a true photographic commitment for taking snapshots, let alone the $1,600 this kit will set you back with an 18-135 IS lens. Canon D-SLRs have a 1.6x digital crop factor, so multiply that number to get the true 35mm equivalent focal length (28.8-216mm for the kit lens). Camera Front Camera Top The top has an LCD readout with a row of controls above of it. This display is another feature—like a faster frame rate—that separates inexpensive D-SLRs from more enthusiast-oriented models, since it lets you quickly check your settings. Controls here include access to metering modes, white balance, burst mode and ISO. (The native sensitivity range is 100-3200, but you can hit 12,800 ISO using custom HI settings, a major leap over the 40D.) A handy button illuminates the LCD. On the grip are the shutter button and a jog wheel for menu adjustments. Moving to the left, you’ll find the hot shoe atop the auto pop-up flash, a diopter control and a mode dial. You’ll also find the typical settings—full auto, five scene modes and flash off. The more adventurous side of the dial has aperture/shutter priority, full manual, program AE, auto depth-of-field and Creative Auto. With this one, you can set a variety of parameters via the use of very helpful on-screen descriptions. C1 and C2 let you set a much wider range of favorite settings, and it’s where you’ll access the 6400 and 12,800 ISO options. Camera Rear The camera’s rear has a wide expanse of real estate, so the 3-inch 921K pixel screen barely makes a dent. It would be nice if Canon supplied a plastic cover to keep scratches and fingerprints at bay like the Nikon D90, though. Below the LCD are basic control settings such as playback, delete, info, Picture Styles and Function. (Styles adjust the overall feel of the image: Standard, monochrome, neutral for shooting RAW files, and so on…) Near the on/off switch is a large control dial with center set button. Other rear controls include an 8-way joystick, AF-On, AE/FE Lock, AF Point Selector, Menu and Live View. Left Side Camera Bottom On the bottom is a metal tripod mount, battery compartment and the extension system terminal for connecting accessories such as an additional battery pack/grip. What’s In the Box
Our findings in a nutshell: The Canon EOS 50D is an impressive piece of kit. It weighs a ton—even without a lens—and has that cool, sophisticated vibe that just says “I am a serious camera.” Twist on the new $699 18-200mm Image Stabilized lens, and you have what looks and feels like a potent performer. And, as hands-on testing reveals, it certainly is, since the unit captures full-resolution 15.1MP images at a blazing 6.3 frames per second (fps) when using high-speed UDMA-compliant CompactFlash cards.
This faster frame rate really separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls in the D-SLR field. To put things in perspective: Your typical entry-level models such as the Nikon D60 or Canon EOS XS manage about 3 fps. Want to capture an in-focus leaping athlete? You’re going to need to step your game up and pay the price for a beefier mechanism, such as this model.
The front is dominated by the lens mount, and it accepts all Canon EF and EF-S lenses. There’s not much else other than an AF Assist lamp, a lens release button and two more inputs nearby to pop open the flash and for depth-of-field preview. At the base of the grip is a DC coupler cord hole for a tidy fit if you buy an accessory to run the camera off an outlet. There’s also a Canon logo and EOS 50D nomenclature, but it’s all low-key, with nothing screaming 15.1 megapixels.
The left side has compartments for USB, video and mini HDMI out, a PC jack and another for an optional remote control. The right has the CompactFlash slot and, since it’s UDMA compliant, it can quickly save images to a UDMA card (up to 45 Mbps). This type of card lets you save 90 large/fine JPEGs at a clip compared to 60 with a typical card. RAW shooting specs remain the same at 16 shots before the camera stops to take a breather.
If you just buy the body, you’ll get that; an eyecup; strap; USB/video cables; battery with charger; several how-to booklets; a nice pocket-sized 228-page manual; a smaller pocket guide; and two CD-ROMs. One has the software instruction manual, while the other is the EOS Digital Solution disk (ver. 19.0) with PC and Mac software for handling files. Naturally, if you opt for 28-135mm IS kit lens, that will be in the box as well. Canon and Nikon include image stabilized lenses with their D-SLR kits in order to compete against other camera makers who use a sensor shift stabilization system that stabilizes any lens attached to it. (Sony, Olympus and Pentax just to name a few…)
Once the battery is charged, a 4GB SanDisk Ducati CF card inserted, and the 18-200mm IS lens attached, it’s time to start taking some photographs.
Image Courtesy of Canon
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