Canon EOS 50D: The EOS 40D Gets Upgraded With Canon’s New EOS 50D

Due to the falling prices for the entry-level dSLR camera, makers are now eyeing the $1,000-$1,500 market. Canon, not wanting to be left behind, introduces the successor for its EOS 40D: the new Canon 50D.

Consumers have 3 different options when getting a 50D: a body-only version, a package that comes with an EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens and lastly, a 50D which includes f/3.5-5.6, 28-135mm IS USM lens. The 50D is a bit heftier than the 40D, weighing in at 1.9 pounds. The body is still solidly built and the grip is still comfortable to hold. At the back of the 50D is a 3-inch LCD that is quite easy to view, as long as you stay out of direct sunlight.

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Controlling the 50D

Taking its cue from competitors, Canon added several new features to change the camera’s settings. At the back is a Quick Control dial and a joystick that cycles through the different functions and changes them accordingly. Three buttons can be found above the status LCD. These buttons are quite easy to use, though Canon didn’t take the effort to make them feel different from each other. Unlike the 40D, the 50D only comes with 2 custom setting slots in the silver mode dial. This is to make room for Canon’s new Creative Auto.

Specifications

The 50D houses a 15-megapixel sensor – 5 megapixels more than the 40D. It also comes with a Digic 4 chip that offered new capabilities such as the face detection even in Live View mode. And for those who are really sensitive about dust getting in their machines, the 50D comes with an improved dust protection system which added fluorine in the low-pass filter. Just like the 40D, the 50D comes with 3 nine-point autofocus modes, four metering modes, a few scene programs and a bevy of white-balance functions as well.

Speed

From off to ready to shoot, the 50D just needed 0.2 seconds. Taking shots in low-light situations has improved as well, with a shutter lag of only 0.9 seconds. Shot to shot speed is at 0.3 seconds and with Flash recycle, it becomes 0.6 seconds. It also comes with a High-speed burst mode that can produce 6 frames per second. It supports the faster

Performance

The quality of images produced by the 50D matches that of the 40D. The exposures produced by all the metering schemes were excellently balanced. While the 50D maxes out at ISO 12,800, you might want to think twice before using the setting. Noise becomes quite evident at ISO 6,400.