23 September 2008
Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera
Posted by Jaco under: Canon; Digital Cameras; Digital SLRs; Reviews .
Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera
Due to intense competition from Nikon and Sony, Canon chose to release the Canon Digital EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera only 1 year after the release of the Canon Digital EOS 40D DSLR, instead of the usual 18 month period.
Although Canon denies that the EOS 50D is an upgrade from the 40D, at first glance there are many similarities between the two. However, beneath the bonnet there are a fair amount of differences, which for a certain niche of photographers, will make a big difference and worth while the upgrade from the EOS 40D.
In order to reduce noise and expand sensitivity (ISO up to 12800), the brilliant new 15.1-megapixel CMOS APS-C size image sensor introduces gapless microlenses over each pixel. In simple terms, this squeezes the best possible resolution out of the APS-C sensor.
Click Here To Buy The Canon Digital EOS 50D from Amazon.com and Get Free Shipping
The EOS 50D is also equipped with the latest Canon DIGIC 4 image processor which is a significant improvement over the older DIGIC 3, featured in the EOS 40D. This DIGIC 4 processor improves autofocus and image processing speed and enables new, rich features such as lower noise at high ISO’s and Live View mode.
Also included in the package, is Canon’s Auto Lighting Optimizer. This is a important new feature that analyzes the brightness of subjects and automatically adjusts dark parts of the image so that they appear brighter, whilst at the same time takes care not to blow out the highlights. This feature works great in scenes with very high dynamic range, such as photographing a subject in front of a window.
Click Here To Compare Prices for the EOS 50D from Different Suppliers
The new 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen features 920,000 dot/VGA resolution, which is four times better than the EOS 40D camera’s screen, and helps significantly to spot camera shake or subject movement in your images, right there on the spot instead of later on your PC. This high quality screen also improves the Live View feature with Face Detection, which works surprisingly well and will ensure that focus is applied to the area of interest. This is especially useful in portrait situations where the camera is rotated between landscape and portrait view and the point of focus changes constantly. The Live View can be zoomed in up to ten times normal size - a very handy feature that prevents those out of focus disappointments one sometimes get in post shoot production. To enhance the clarity in bright light conditions, the LCD screen has been covered with 3 layers of anti glare coating. The LCD screen on top of the camera displays useful information about the current settings, just as with other models in the range.
Canon EOS 50D Sample Photo
Auto ISO on the Canon EOS 50D 15.1 MP Digital SLR Camera has also been improved over that of the EOS 40D, ensuring the best possible quality picture, whilst limiting the effect of camera shake. Unfortunately the Auto ISO still doesn’t include the ability to take lens Image Stabilization into account.
In addition tot he above, the EOS 50D Camera also features and HDMI output, supports ADMA cards for faster image writing and Auto Focus Microadjustment, originally featured in the Canon EOS-1D Mark III.
Click Here To See More Reviews Of The EOS 50D
The most significant differences between the 40D and the 50D are can thus be summarized as follows:
- The 50D features facial recognition for up to 35 faces.
- The auto ISO goes to up 1600 on the 50D, versus 800 for the 40D. In manual mode, the 50D goes up to 12800 versus 3200 on the 40D.
- The 50D takes photos in a new sRAW format, which saves 50% space on the original RAW format.
- The 50D offers Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction which makes ensures that the lighting at the edges of your photo matches that in the middle. However, this is easily accomplished with post processing software as well.
- The 50D’s sensor supports 15.1 Megapixels versus the 10.1 Megapixels of the 40D.
- The 50D has more ‘pro’ type controls that gives you access to the most frequently changed settings.
Canon EOS 50D 15.1 MP Digital SLR Camera
For a detailed comparison of 50D and 40D features, click here.
The Canon Digital EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera is a significant upgrade from a 20D, 30D, 350D, 400D, 450D (Rebel range) and is definitely worth the expense. However, except for a niche group of photographers, the Canon EOS 50D the may not be worth the upgrade if you already own the Canon Digital EOS 40D DSLR.
Click Here To Buy The Canon Digital EOS 50D from Amazon.com and Get Free Shipping
