Canon announced the EOS R50 APSC crop sensor model in February 2023.
The R50 is a close match in dimensions and main
specifications to the M50 model introduced in 2018. With the demise of the EF-M
mount system it is clear that the R50 is intended to be a successor to the M50
which was quite popular with buyers on a
budget and vloggers wishing to travel light.
Notwithstanding a superficial similarity, we soon discover
that the R50 improves on the M50 in many ways providing an improved user
experience, slightly better image quality and slightly better performance.
It also has the advantage of bearing the Canon RF mount,
making it compatible with an extensive range of RF and EF lenses for both full
frame and crop sensor.
Lenses designed for
the RF mount with a flange-back distance of 20 mm could never be adapted
to the EF-M mount with its closely
similar 18mm flange-back. So the EF-M mount became an evolutionary dead-end, no
longer supported by Canon.
It appears that the Powershot G1X.3 model is no longer in
the catalogue, which leaves Canon without a compact model with an EVF. I have
no idea whether Canon will introduce some kind of retro, classic style compact
to compete with the Fujifilm X100.6 but Canon Rumors has posted no indication
of such a model.
All of which leads me to the view that for the present, we
can regard the R50 as a successor to both the M50 and the G1X.3.
I think that the buyer wanting a mirrorless interchangeable
lens camera (MILC) to capture sports and
action with telephoto lenses would be better served by the R10. This model is
30% more expensive than the R50 but offers better ergonomics and performance
and is only a few millimeters larger all round.
EOS R50 Small enough to fit in an adult hand yet large enough to provude a decent user experience |
I think the R50 works well for three use cases.
1. A basic entry level MILC for a first time camera user
moving up from a smartphone.
The R50 offers many helpful features to ease a novice user
into the world of camera photography. These include a range of modes such as
Scene intelligent auto, Hybrid auto, Special scene, Creative filters and Movie.
Each of these comes with a little on-screen explanation with pictures. These
are enabled in the Setup Menu with Mode
guide and Feature guide.
In the green [A+] Mode the camera functions as a
point-and-shoot device with the camera making exposure and focus decisions just
like a smartphone. The user has only to turn the zoom ring on the lens and
press the shutter button. Thanks to Canon’s excellent dual pixel auto focus
with automatic subject detection and excellent exposure control the camera
routinely makes very good pictures when used this way.
By the way I rate the R50 as better for this use than the
R100 which has a fixed, not touch sensitive screen.
2. An on-the-go video and vlogging camera.
The R50 has quite advanced video capability with good
picture quality, autofocus and run time.
3. A compact camera for a more experienced enthusiast
photographer for use when travelling light. This user will want to take control
of primary and secondary exposure and focus parameters, use Raw capture and
post process with image editing software.
This review concerns use of the R50 as a compact camera,
with the RF-S 18-45mm kit lens mounted.
This lens gets little respect from lens test afficionados
and user forum contributors who often prefer to wax lyrical about the latest
super mega f2 zoom which few consumers actually buy or use. In fact my tests show the RF-S 18-45mm
f4.5-6.3 IS STM has excellent sharpness and contrast in the frame center at all
focal lengths and apertures up to about f11 when diffraction effects can become
evident and a mild degree of softness at the periphery which cleans up by about
f8. As is the case with several of Canon’s RF-S lenses the 18-45mm gives a more
convincing account of itself in the real world than on a test chart. The
18-45mm is also decently resistant to flares which is nice because I use it
without a protect filter or hood.
R50, M50 and G1X.3 side by side. |
The main limitations of this lens are:
* The focal length range which covers a full frame
equivalent of 29-72mm which is a bit lacking at the wide end and
* The f4.5-6.3 aperture range which is equivalent to
f7.2-10.1 on a full frame sensor. This is quite limiting especially if a wide
aperture is desired for low light or to render a background smoothly.
We can work within those limitations however. In the case of
indoor/low light work the camera is decently usable in practice as we are
usually operating at the wide end of the zoom which gives us an aperture
of f4.5. With judicious control of
shutter speed we can generally keep ISO to manageable levels.
So much for the kit zoom lens.
One of the advantages of using an interchangeable lens camera (ILC) as a compact is the ability to fit small prime lenses. In the RF mount system these could include
* RF16 mm f2.8, full frame equivalent focal length 25.6mm,
no stabiliser.
* RF 28mm f2.8, full frame equivalent focal length 45mm, no
stabiliser.
* RF 50mm f1.8, full frame equivalent focal length 80mm, no
stabiliser.
Stabilised solutions include the RF24mm f1.8 (FF equ 38.4mm)
and RF 35mm (FF equ 56mm). These lenses work just fine on the R50 but are a bit
large for the compact genre.
The R50 camera body is a good example of thoughtful
ergonomic and functional design. Although the RF mount is much larger than the
old EF-M mount the R50 is no larger or heavier than the M50.
The R50 uses the same sensor and processor as the R10 so it
delivers the same image quality.
Auto focus is very fast and accurate in almost any situation
even very low light levels and with subjects which might in the past have
flummoxed the AF system.
Autofocus subject detection has a new Auto setting which I
find works reliably to identify what subject type is before the camera and to
focus on it. I suspect this capability will become standard on future EOS
models, making it un-necessary to select the subject type in most situations.
The R50 offers a slower maximum frame rate and a smaller
buffer than the R10 and also supports only UHS-1 SD cards, but for use as a
compact these limitations are of little significance.
Overall the R50 is a pleasant camera to use. It is comfortable
to hold, has a good user interface and delivers very good image quality and
performance when used as a compact.
The main differences between the R50 and larger, more
expensive models in the catalogue is in the domain of ergonomics and the user
experience.
The handle is a different shape, designed to incorporate a
traditional Canon style front dial behind the shutter button. This brings
top/front dial operation into line with
other models in the RF mount catalogue.
A comparison between the R10 and R50 handles is interesting
from an ergonomic perspective. They are both 60mm high to the front of the
overhang. The R10 handle protrudes 28mm forward from the front of the body,
which is 11mm more than the R50. This apparently small difference has a big
effect on the position of the fingers when holding the device.
I have average size adult male hands. With the R10 I use a
“four and a half” finger grip when using the camera. This means the little
finger of my right hand wraps partly around the handle and partly under the
front of the body.
With the R50 my hand is most comfortable in a quite
different orientation to the camera, rotated to the left with both the fourth
and fifth fingers wrapping beneath the front of the camera body and only the
third finger fully engaged with the handle..
The handle on the R50 is half way between the full
projecting type of a DSLR/Enthusiast MILC with the shutter button well forward
and a classic compact with the shutter button back on top of the camera body.
It is decently comfortable and secure with a small, light lens mounted but I
would not select this camera for use with one of the large RF mount lenses.
The EVF is decently well specified. The eyepiece optics and large
eyecup provide a comfortable viewing experience with little ingress of stray
light. In my experience this type of EVF located over the optical axis is much
more user friendly than the typical compact camera setup with a very small
eyepiece and eyecup located top left on the back of the body.
The monitor screen is fully articulated and touch sensitive,
providing a very nice user interface. Moving the AF Area position while looking
through the viewfinder is best accomplished by dragging the right thumb on the
right side of the screen.
There are fewer controls than we find on more expensive
models. This allows the camera to be smaller and less intimidating for novices
than a model further up the size/price scale. I imagine the designers
anticipate that buyers of the R50 would probably want to use it in one of the
fully automatic modes, and that works well.
However it can also provide a decent experience for a more experienced user who wants to use the
Tv, Av and M Modes. Lacking a second control dial the R50 relies on the Up
button on the cross keys to toggle the function of the control dial. In M Mode
pressing the Up button moves a little orange picture of the control dial from
shutter speed to aperture to exposure compensation. This is how the camera gets
several functions out of one dial. This requires more actions, each more
complex than a twin-dial model but it does get the job done, albeit a bit
slowly. We must pay close attention to the position of the little orange dial
pictogram though to be sure the dial is performing the desired function.
There are no Custom Modes so we cannot change groups of
settings quickly with one twist of the Mode Dial.
The R50 does have handlebar type strap lugs which I find
preferable to the protruding eyelet type seen on some other cameras. It has a
built-in flash and it can make
serviceable auto panoramas.
Summary
I think the R50 works very well as a compact camera,
providing a more user friendly holding, viewing and operating experience than
some fixed lens compacts. It will not fit into the pocket of any garment which
I might wear but is still commendably small and light, able to be carried in a
small bag.
Buyers wanting a “do everything” style of MILC capable of
managing wildlife, sport/action and long lens photography will find more
capable options further up the size/price scale in the Canon MILC catalogue.
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