10.26
Canon 50D
Canon upgrades its line every 18 months, but they broke with tradition by introducing the EOS 50D just 12 months from the introduction of the 40D. The move has helped Canon catch up with the Nikon D300, which made quite a splash in the market. With the same rugged, conservative body as the 40D, the Canon EOS 50D’s only distinguishing mark is the silver bezel on its mode dial. There are a few minor changes to how the buttons and controls are used, but for the most part the Canon 50D’s body is unchanged.
Internally is where you’ll find the Canon 50D’s major changes. First is the new 15.1-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, a significant upgrade from the 40D’s 10-megapixel sensor. Major changes to the design of the microlens array as well as to the sensor itself have actually reduced sensor noise despite the increase in resolution. The change has allowed Canon to offer a wider range of ISO settings than the company has ever offered, ranging from ISO 100 to 3,200, plus two higher settings: H1 is equivalent to ISO 6,400 and H2 takes the camera to 12,800.
Canon’s new DIGIC 4 processor is a part of the equation, moving the extra data at a faster pace than its predecessor (40D), and keeping the camera to a high 6.3 frames per second while maintaining that 14-bit data for RAW images (this is a slight speed drop from the 40D’s 6.5 fps).
The Canon 50D also has a new look to its menu, and a Quick Control system works off the previously neglected Multi-controller, making quick changes to commonly used functions easier to execute. Other software enhancements include a new vignetting correction, Automatic Lighting Optimizer with three levels, adjustable noise reduction, a Creative Auto mode, a lens micro adjustment function, and face detection autofocus in Live View mode.
Finally, the Canon EOS 50D has a much improved LCD screen that offers 920,000-dot resolution, making for a 640×480 screen, finally putting the 50D on par with some of its major competitors.
Here are the pros:
- Excellent 15.1 megapixel sensor with very low noise and superb detail
- ISO 100 to 1,600 usable at 13×19 inches
- Dust removal technology reduces sensor cleaning chores
- High-resolution 3.0-inch LCD makes checking focus and composing in Live View an excellent experience
- Status display includes more detail
- Quick menu integrated into rear Status display for fast changes without delving into menu
- Two Camera User Settings on mode dial
- Print/Share button enables quick and easy printing and image transfer
- Live View button frees up Set button for other purposes
- Fast image transfer eliminates the need for a card reader
- Excellent grip for most hand sizes
- New Creative Auto mode
- Live View mode is great when shooting from odd angles
- Live View works from computer via cable or WiFi (with WiFi grip)
- Interchangeable focusing screens
- Picture Styles makes choosing and customizing color modes fast and easy
- Compatible with over 50 lenses and accessories
- Uses CF cards like most other Canon digital SLRs
- Selectable auto-rotation feature rotates on the camera or only in the computer
- Large buffer depth allows for many followup shots
- Excellent detail from the sensor
- Highlight detail is well preserved at default settings
- Highlight Tone Priority makes it even better
- Adjustable Auto Lighting Optimization
- Images are sharp, but not oversharpened, and noise suppression is kept well under control
- Noise suppression is also adjustable
- Color is very accurate, with only red being a little off, which consumers generally like
- Auto white balance handles most situations very well
- High ISO images are impressive, all the way up to ISO 3,200
- Print quality is excellent, making sharp 13×19-inch prints
- RAW images can easily produce 20×30-inch images
- Great shot-to-shot, shutter lag, and cycle time numbers
- RAW files are very clean
- Under-3-second flash recycle time
- Sealed flash hot shoe
- AF microadjustment
- Vignetting correction
- HDMI Output
- AF assist only works when flash is up, though flash can be forced off
- Auto-rotation doesn’t play well with all computer programs
- Soft images with the 28-135mm kit lens; demands very good optics
- Kit lens doesn’t really reach wide angle
- Indoor white balance is a little yellow
- Battery capacity is reduced from the larger screen and dust off system
- Autofocus sometimes just seeks and seeks
- AI Servo autofocus mode is not reliable
- Some horizontal banding at ISO 6,400 and worse at 12,800, making those settings quite a bit less useful
Canon’s EOS 50D sticks with the conservative pattern that the company has established for their semi-pro digital SLR in terms of physical design, but now it also includes most of Canon’s cutting-edge digital SLR technology. Where this line usually leads is in image quality for a reasonable price, and Canon has also worked to improve that aspect, which is really core to why loyal customers keep coming back.
While the highest ISO settings didn’t meet our hopes and expectations to rise and compete favorably with the Nikon D300 and Nikon D700, it’s not really a surprise. The higher resolution at the APS-C size was unlikely to compete with the Nikon D700′s full-frame sensor. And that the D300 at 12.3 megapixels outperforms the 15.1-megapixel Canon 50D at ISO 6,400 also makes sense: the pixels are smaller on the Canon, so they collect less light. Canon’s extended ISOs always include some compromise. There’s nothing wrong with hoping, but the expectations did bring disappointment when both 6,400 and 12,800 produced noticeable banding.
The story, though, is in the Canon 50D’s standard ISO range. Images from ISO 100 to 3,200 are quite usable at a wide range of sizes. I was happy with printed ISO 800 shots up to 13×19, and shots even at 3,200 produce good quality 8×10-inch prints. That’s what Canon intermediate fans rely on: JPEG and RAW images that they can believe in, time after time.
Camera operation has improved with the Canon 50D as well, with easier navigation, and a choice of how you want to interface with the camera, via the top Status display or the rear one. I miss the infrared detectors that dim the rear LCD at night on the Rebel XSi, as it’s easy to lose your night vision by raising the 50D to your eye with the Info display on. You can turn it off, but then you lose the utility of the rear LCD.
The latest Live View mode enhancements are also present in the Canon 50D, including some important features that are missing in other models. Actual focus indication after focusing in Live View Quick mode (phase detect) should never have been omitted from the other models, including the Rebel XSi, but at least it’s finally here for the 50D. Contrast detect Autofocus is also enhanced with face detection, a feature that can track up to 35 faces. It’s a more complete Live View package, and it’s all adjustable under one Live View function settings menu item.
The Canon 50D’s new Creative Auto mode introduces a new way to interface with the camera that new users might appreciate. Most enthusiast photographers won’t need the new mode, but its basic philosophy is more like a point-and-shoot digital camera, with simple onscreen access to a few basic functions. It went mostly unused for my shooting, except when I wanted to have the flash up for AF-assist, but didn’t want it to fire. That’s actually easier to do in CA mode, while in Creative modes (PASM), you have to navigate to the Flash Control menu and disable Flash firing.
Improvements to features like Automatic Lighting Optimizer and Noise Reduction are welcome, and innovative capture methods brought over from the Canon 40D, like silent shutter mode, 14-bit A/D conversion, and the ability to capture 6.3 frames per second keep the Canon 50D a cutting-edge photographic tool.
Excellent low-light performance, impressive printed output, very fast shutter lag times, solid build, superb customization, and excellent image quality all add up to make the Canon EOS 50D a great choice for all types of photographers.
The Canon EOS 50D digital SLR retails for $1,399 body-only. A kit version including a 28 – 135mm zoom lens is also available, priced at $1,599, as well as a kit containing the new 18-200mm zoom lens, retailing for $2,099.99. The Canon 50D will accept virtually all EOS 40D accessories, including the battery grip, remote control, optional focusing screens, and battery.
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