Review Canon EOS 50D

Among digital SLRs, the 15.1-megapixel 50D has one of the highest megapixel counts currently offered (the 40D has 10.1 megapixels). The sensor size remains the same, which means you must effectively multiply the focal length of the bundled lens by 1.6 to calculate your 35mm-equivalent focal length. The extra reach is helpful in some situations, but as a result you may need a wider-angle lens for landscapes or for shooting in tight environments.

The EOS 50D received an image-quality score of Superior in the PC World Test Center's digital camera tests. Our test images showed good color saturation and accuracy, under both flash and natural light.

In spite of its higher megapixel count, in our ISO tests the 50D performed almost exactly the same as the 40D did. For both cameras, all our jurors deemed the ISO 3200 results unacceptable and found ISO 1600 adequate. The 50D can handle ISO 100 to 12800, another big change from the 40D (which tops out at ISO 3200). That means you can shoot with it in low-light situations, but you should expect the images to gain color noise.

The two models are notably similar in their design. The 50D's body is largely identical to the 40D's, with a few small tweaks (for example, Live View mode now has a handy dedicated button). Though the metering and autofocus systems are the same as those of the 40D, the 50D is Canon's first SLR with face-detection mode (in both viewfinder and Live View shooting), and it features auto-focus fine-tuning to match your lens. The 50D has the same dust-reduction system as the 40D, too. One much-needed improvement: The 3-inch VGA LCD screen has a 920,000-dots-per-inch resolution--a big boost over the 230,000-pixel LCD of the 40D. The higher resolution makes previewing your images easier.

The 50D also carries a rating of 6.3 frames per second. Although that's nearly even with the 40D's rate of 6.5 frames per second, sometimes the difference affected. The 50D, at least, has a burst mode of up to 90 JPEGs using UDMA CompactFlash cards (by comparison, the 40D is rated for 75 consecutive JPEGs). Fast burst mode is helpful for making sure you don't miss action.

Like the EOS 40D, the EOS 50D has a nine-point cross-type autofocus sensor, and the autofocus accurate. 

The 50D fits well within Canon's lineup. The menus have received a minor face-lift to look slightly more graphical; but they remain in keeping with the controls on other Canon models, which makes the system easy to use for someone graduating from a lower end model, or using this model as a backup to a professional-level camera such as the EOS 5D or even the 1D Mark III. Pros will appreciate items such as the ability to add a transmitter to control and transmit images from the 50D wirelessly. 

Ultimately, the Canon EOS 50D is very much like its 40D sibling. Its strengths overshadow its minor drawbacks (unless you're eager to use the Live View mode). Its greatest assets are its wide-ranging controls and its ability to output great image quality. Together, those positives make this versatile model a great step-up choice from the Digital Rebel series, or a solid option for advanced users.

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