Canon presents the EOS 50D

This morning Canon presented it new reflex, the EOS 50D. It has been called upon to replace the very appreciated EOS 40D which appeared last summer but was more limited in resolution.

Consequently, while the 40D was a deep overhaul of its predecessor, the 50D is a simple update.  The camera is almost identical except for three small details:

•    The sensor is new: the 450D being a 12 megapixel, the 50D had to add a little and is now a 15 MP.   However, the sensor remains in APS format and actually features the smallest photosites ever found on a reflex sensor (4.5 Mpx/cm²).  We therefore truly hope that the new DIGIC 4 processor will be effective in noise control.  The “normal” range is announced at 100 to 3200 ISO with an extension to 12,800 ISO.  The validity of the simultaneous increase in sensitivity and definition still has to be verified...

•    A new shooting mode makes its way onto the dial.  In Canon’s words: “a new Creative Auto Mode automatically sets the focus and exposure while simultaneously enabling to minutely adjust the more creative settings such as background sharpness.”

•    The screen’s autofocus system is equipped with face detection.

The rest of the camera did not require any particular review and besides a few questionable ergonomic modifications (i.e. depth of field detector and a white balance button), the EOS 50D looks quite promising.

Otherwise, the EOS 50D is announced for a price of 1,499 Euros which puts it into a delicate position compared to the Sony Alpha 700 (roughly 1,000 Euros), Nikon D300 (1,400 Euros) or even the Pentax K20D (not as fast but is more weather resistant and costs 870 Euros), and especially the EOS 40D that has been reduced to 840 Euros.

Update 3:40 pm:

We were invited to a press conference this morning for new Canon products!  We were therefore able to hold the EOS 50D in hand learn a bit more about its innovations.

Creative Auto Mode

The Creative Auto Mode (CA on the selection dial) is in fact in the domain of expert use but conceived for the advancing amateur photographer:  rather than indicating the digital aperture value selected there is a small help menu on the back screen.  A cursor is displayed between two logos showing a blurred background and the other with a sharp background.  A second such cursor enables adjusting exposure.

This is an interesting evolution for more simplified use of a reflex that enables those who have no notion of “depth of field” for example to easily discover this central element of photography.   It’s an excellent idea but is only tarnished by a strange ergonomic choice:  it’s impossible to modify parameters without “clicking” each time on the joystick which may quickly frustrate the beginner who creates multiple photos to the discover the influence of these settings.

The other looming question is why is this mode, which is clearly destined for newcomers to the reflex world, is found on an “expert” camera rather than the recent EOS 1000D?  The latter is also intended for those new to reflexes.

Various remarks

Another innovation is the Fn button to which you may attribute a shortcut of your choosing.  Some will be deceived to see that only some settings are possible while others will be delighted that Canon avoided uselessly complicating things and only offers the most common options.

In terms of face detection, when aiming with the screen, it proved to be efficient and rather fast even if we weren’t entirely convinced by the camera we tried out.

The last item is quite significant:  contrary to what we thought, the EOS 50D is not supposed to replace the EOS 40D.  In fact, it will stay in the catalogue and represent an “expert entry level” solution.

Finally, an “open secret” has been officially confirmed: Canon will announce a third reflex “sometime before the end of the year”.  This most likely concerns a replacement for the EOS 5D which will therefore be positioned between the 50D and 1D Mk III in order to rival the Nikon D700.