Canon's new EOS 50D bridges the gap between the novice and the seasoned pro with a perfect combination of high-speed and quality. It features an APS-C sized 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor for tremendous images, new DIGIC 4 Image Processor for fine detail and superior color reproduction, and improved ISO capabilities up to 12800 for uncompromised shooting even in the dimmest situations. It features a refined 3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots) monitor, supercharged Live View Function with Face Detection Live mode, plus a number of new automatic Image Correction settings and HDMI output for viewing images on an HDTV. Pick up the EOS 50D and you'll experience true digital inspiration!
Average Customer Rating:
4.7 out of 5
Rating Snapshot
(204 reviews)
5 stars
172
4 stars
14
3 stars
6
2 stars
5
1 star
7
181 of 204 (89%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for EOS 50D
Review 41 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: Weston Location:
Weston. Ma
Used this product for:
Less than 1 month
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
Best DSLR available
Date: July 11, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life Cons: steep learning curve for new users
This camera has endless possibilities. After falling in love with a 70's era FTb SLR I never thought I would find a camera that can take the same quality photos and be as easy to use as the manual cameras. With this camera I can accomplish that and more yet not be limited by the standard problems a digital point and shoot has.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 42 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
45
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: PRPCTECH Location:
Lake In The Hills, IL
Used this product for:
1 to 3 months
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
Excellent Camera for an amateur and a pro.
Date: July 9, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, af micro adjustment Cons: noisy, Short battery life
This is my first DSLR camera and I love it. Until May this year I used mostly Canon SLR cameras and some digital P&S. When I decided to go to digital I was not sure what to get, either a digital Rebel or one from XXD line? Since I have rather large hands I started focusing the XXD line so I looked through many (I say many) reviews for the 40D and 50D. When I finally decided I went with the 50D for many reasons. I know that it may sound childish, but the extra 5MP makes a big difference no matter how you look at it. Especially when you need to bring detail or edit your pictures and you still have plenty of room to play and keep the image quality high. The second feature was its relatively fast AF (my kids are fast too, but I still manage to take great pics). There are lots and lots of other features that others already mentioned, but I think that the feature that tipped the scale in favor of the 50D was the Autofocus Micro Adjustment. This last feature is a real life saver and I cannot live without it. I was able to calibrate my four lenses and achieved perfect autofocus sharpness thus allowing for even faster AF. Some of the things I dislike in the 50D are 1st the slid background color of the histogram in Live View mode (I hope one day this will be transparent by firmware upgrade), the second it fairly loud shutter release and third is the battery killer LV mode I also noticed (like the reviewer before me) that by flashing the 50d to the latest firmware changes the image processing algorithms thus making improvement on image quality of your photos. I would highly recommend this Camera to anyone from an amateur to a pro.
37 of 37 people found this review helpful.
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Review 43 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: gdancer101 Location:
Boston, Massachusetts
Used this product for:
Less than 1 month
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
Great Upgrade!
Date: June 29, 2009
Pros: excellent image quality, Bright LCD Cons: Short battery life
This body is a stupendous upgrade from my previous Rebel XSi. It performs incredibly at high ISO speeds. I never use a flash (built-in or attached via hot shoe) and I still get light in extremely low-lit situations/environments. If upgrading, there is certainly a learning curve to this body. The 50d's ability to shoot at such high fps is great, especially combined with it's low noise. Great camera.
31 of 31 people found this review helpful.
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Review 44 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: Jocularity Location:
Knightstown, IN
Used this product for:
6 to 12 months
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
What Competition
Date: June 27, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Nice features/settings, Solid Operation, good battery life Cons: Heavy/Bulky
I've been shooting since childhood. 1st Canon I have ever owned - 3rd digital. Gives me what I require, and my family loves using it. I'm in a wheelchair, so the only con is getting low or high angles which can be a pain, but my wife understands my directions, and with the provided software, I am able to correct any mistakes. This is a very forgiving camera - youth take very nice pictures with it, and the quality passes inspection from the 2 pro photographers I know. Buy now!!!
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Review 45 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: MNDoc Location:
Minneapolis, MN
Used this product for:
3 to 6 months
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
Superb Travel Camera
Date: June 27, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Nice features/settings, Solid Operation, easy to use
I purchased this camera to replace a Digital Rebel before a trip to the Big Island. I took pictures in a variety of light conditions from rainy days in a rain forest, bright sunshine at the beach and lava flows at night. I wasn't disappointed with how most of the pictures came out There definitely is a learning curve with this camera. The strength of this camera is creative control. If you want to use the built in light meter with manual or programmed settings, then this is the camera for you. The versatility is outstanding. It is particularly good for bracketing. If you want a point and shoot camera, then buy a simpler camera. I read some of the cons: yes this camera is relatively heavy, but only compared to a pocket camera. The controls aren't complicated if you understand the theory. There is at least one 3rd party manual that gives good suggestions on how to use the features. It adds info to the Canon manual. The battery lasts long enough, but buy an extra battery anyway. Download your images with a card reader, not directly from the camera to save battery life. The RAW images require an update for Photoshop. If you are worried about noise, use a mono/tripod and a lower ISO. For a second camera I have a Canon Powershot SD990 to slip in my pocket. Overall a perfect travel combination.
37 of 37 people found this review helpful.
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Review 46 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: mohamed
It is a wonderful
Date: June 26, 2009
Every day increases my passion for Canon 50 d , I also loved the Arabic language , Thanks canon
2 of 25 people found this review helpful.
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Review 47 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
45
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
45
Nickname: George W Location:
Atascadero, CA
Used this product for:
3 to 6 months
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
Great Upgrade from 20D
Date: June 19, 2009
Pros: excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life Cons: mode dial hard to read in dim light
I bought this body as an upgrade from my older 20D. Its exceeded my expectations in every way except for one. The mode control dial on the 50D (Black letters on a silver background) is harder to read in dim light than the mode control dial on my older 20D (white letters on a black background). But other then that I love it. The pictures are clearer and sharper than before even with my old lenses. The color and exposures are also much better resulting in much less work to produce the final images.
21 of 21 people found this review helpful.
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Review 48 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Nickname: Skee Location:
Illinois
Used this product for:
1 to 3 months
Expertise Level:
Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement:
Yes
Great Camera
Date: June 18, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use, good battery life
I had never used a digital SLR before I purchased this camera. It is very easy to use. I thought I would be taking pictures on auto for a long time because I knew nothing about any of the settings or what they did. After a little study I can use it manually with great success. I'm completely satisfied with the 50D. Although it is much heavier and bigger than my old point and shoot the grip is very comfortable and no problem for me even though I have arthritis in my hands.
14 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Review 49 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: Tim Location:
Miami, FL
Used this product for:
1 to 3 months
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
Great Camera
Date: June 15, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use, good battery life Cons: nothing
Great camera, I bought this camera for my birthday :) Great quality, it came with 28-135 canon lens. Sharp, juicy pictures. For those entry level customers I recomend to take pictures in RAW format not JPG, so you can easily fix hue, contrast, sharpness, brightness etc with "Digital Photo Professional"software which is included.
19 of 22 people found this review helpful.
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Review 50 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
15
Features
35
Performance
15
Price/Value
15
Quality
15
Satisfaction
15
Nickname: AC Location:
Austin, TX
Used this product for:
Less than 1 month
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
No
Worst Purchase Ever
Date: June 14, 2009
Pros: Bright LCD, easy to use, good battery life Cons: Poor image quality, Missing features/settings, noisy
This would be the 4th DSLR i bought in 3 years. I received my camera 3 weeks ago. After about 25 shots the LCD screen starting flipping out. I called customer service and they said to call the company/seller about exchanging it. Ok that was reasonable. So i called them and i had them return my money. I bought a second 50D from local electronic store and it worked fine. The problem is that this is the noisiest camera i have ever owned. Previous camera Canon Digital Rebel XT, Canon 40D and a competitor. I compared images from the 4 cameras at same iso, exposure, focal lengths and aperture. I found that by ISO 400 i had lost so much detail that i tried different settings and adjusting noise reduction being applied. The images were not much better after adjustments. I will be returning this camera tomorrow.
25 of 96 people found this review helpful.
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Review 51 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: philo bob Location:
philo, ca
Used this product for:
6 to 12 months
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
50d
Date: June 12, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use, Lightweight/Portable Cons: Heavy/Bulky, Short battery life
I have gone from the 20 to the 30 and now I love the 50d. Have taken it on some major shoots i.e. New Mexico and England and it never let me down. I love the live view feature, but haven't used it much; nice to have it available. My main lens is the 24-105L and I must say this would make any body great. I had a problem with the unit getting any power and when i called Canon found out the the problem was the power grip. Cleaned the contacts and it up and running again. One of these days I will move up to the 5d Mark 11. However I have no need for the movie feature.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Review 52 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: Aardvark Location:
Waldorf, Md.
Used this product for:
1 to 3 months
Expertise Level:
Professional or Expert
Product replacement:
Yes
What Else Can I Say?
Date: June 12, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Solid Operation, af system
I am not sure what I can say that hasn't already been said about this incredible camera. I have absolutely no complaints about this camera at all. If anything someone would get very tired of listening to me rave about it. The image quality is amazing, The high ISO performance (ISO3200) exceeds my 5D (Mark I) and is on par in print sizes up to 12 x18 to photos taken with a 5D Mark II and 1DS Mark III to my eye. In other words, noise just doesn't exist. The 15MP sensor is as large as I would care to go in any camera because cramming more in there just increases noise and creates gigantic files that normal computers just won't be able to handle (or will eat up your hard drive in no time at all). The build of this thing is solid. With the grip it feels absolutely solid in your hands. I shoot with it in the rain, the snow, the sun, anytime, and have never had a single issue. The speed of the 50D is fast enough for anything that you will need to shoot, and the AF system never lets me down. I shoot nothing but RAW, and I have yet to have the camera lock up in the middle of the action because the buffer filled up, or have the camera fail to track my subject in the middle of a series of shots. If I were forced to complain about something, it would be that I am not a fan of the 18-135 kit lens, so I would save my money there and buy the body only. There are much nicer lenses in that price range that would be much better paired with a camera of this quality. Overall I say that Canon has really outdone themselves with the 50D. Thanks guys!
26 of 27 people found this review helpful.
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Review 53 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
35
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: Avionics Engineer Location:
St. Louis Metro-East
Used this product for:
1 to 3 months
Expertise Level:
Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement:
No
Prosumer for a beginner
Date: June 10, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, quiet, Solid Operation, easy to use, good battery life
I maybe should have purchased a Rebel series camera buy went ahead and spent the extra cash on a better camera and saved a upgrade later. The thing that I like about this camera is that I get awesome pictures with very little knowledge of photography with a lot of room to grow in creative modes. Every setting that you can think of is there. You will notice it is a heavy piece, very good quality camera. Great purchase.
25 of 27 people found this review helpful.
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Review 54 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
45
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: Ziffle Location:
Big "D"
Used this product for:
3 to 6 months
Expertise Level:
Professional or Expert
Product replacement:
Yes
50D - Sweet but study hands
Date: June 3, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, good battery life, micro-adjust
All, The 50D can produce very high quality shots. I shoot weddings - main lenses: 24-70mm L and 85mm.
Thoughts: The 50D is not as forgiving as a lower sized sensor - 40D thru 10D. Meaning, i find a little more attention is required because the sensor has a higher density of photocells.
Diffraction: forget about it. some sites have been mentioning this but it is blown out of proportion. I have shot at f/16 and enlarged to 18"x24" print.
Do give the camera at least a month to get use to it.
Very worthy camera - do not regret the move to purchase camera. Micro adjust/LCD screen and Digit IV all trump 40D
Once you play w/ micro adjust - you do not want a body w/ out it. Really.
These are the high lights - no negatives for me.
85 of 86 people found this review helpful.
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Review 55 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
15
Satisfaction
25
Nickname: rosie Location:
CT
Used this product for:
Less than 1 month
Expertise Level:
Professional or Expert
Product replacement:
No
sraw
Date: June 1, 2009
Cons: Missing features/settings, can't process sraw images in adobe products
why would you make a camera with a compressed raw setting that cannot be used in adobe products. It doesn't make sense to me.
44 of 131 people found this review helpful.
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Review 56 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
55
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: no
Best Purchase Ever
Date: May 30, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use, Lightweight/Portable, good battery life, awesome, super
Nickname: Matt Location:
San Diego, CA
Used this product for:
1 to 3 months
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
An excellent upgrade
Date: May 27, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD Cons: awkward placement for on/off
I have been using a Rebel XTi for a couple years now and decided to step it up a level. The 50D is a huge improvement, and the difference in tiers between the XXXD and XXD models is significant. There is still some noise shooting in very dim lighting at 3200 ISO, but only in very poorly lit rooms. Image quality is otherwise spectacular. Combined with just a 430EX flash, some great pictures can be taken. All flashed shots seemed to turn out much better on the 50D compared to the XTi.
The camera itself is a lot larger physically than the XTi, but fits much better in my hands. There is more weight as well, but with the easier-to-hold grip and weight ballance of some heavy lenses, I have no complaints there.
My only real complaint is the placement of the on/off switch. The XTi has it conveniently placed by the dial on the top right of the camera, making it fast to turn on or off just by holding it naturally. The 50D's power switch is in an awkward location in the bottom in the middle, and requires a second hand or some contortion to turn it on. I haven't found a comfortable way to turn it on quickly.
44 of 44 people found this review helpful.
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Review 58 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
45
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: Figment Location:
Harrisburg, PA
Used this product for:
1 to 3 months
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
I have owned many Canon's...T90, Rebel XT, and Rebel XSI. Replaced the Rebel XSI with the 50D. I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough gains to justify the cost...but I was wrong. The 50D is amazing. The autofocus is very accuracte...even in very low lighting. This was my main issue with the XSI. In addition, I have found the noise levels perfectly acceptable up to ISO 3200. At 6400, there is too much noise, although I haven't experimented yet with the maximum noise reduction feature at high ISO's...I have just used to Standard option. I have used this to shoot low light stage shows and the results are beautiful. I currently have the 18-85 and 70-300 lenses. I was amazed...but I felt as if I had bought new lenses....the camera made that much of a difference. I would highly recommend this camera.
It was a little tricky to get used to controlling the various functions by either the jog wheel on the back or the wheel on the top....I sometimes still forget which one controls which function. This is certainly not a big deal...just a learning curve.
22 of 22 people found this review helpful.
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Review 59 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
45
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: Dan E Location:
Waukesha, WI
Used this product for:
1 to 3 months
Expertise Level:
Advanced Amateur
Product replacement:
Yes
Great camera
Date: May 11, 2009
Pros: Superior build quality, excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Simple controls/menu, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, easy to use, good battery life Cons: absolutely none
I have been using the 50D with the 28-135mm lens for about a month. I had purchased this camera to upgrade from a Canon AE1 that I had been using since 1982. I am mainly involved in Sports and Wildlife photography. I wanted a digital camera that would duplicate or surpass the images that I was used to with the 35mm format. I believe that the 50D does just that and more. With the shutter / ISO settings that are available with the 50D, the shot possibilities are endless. The 50D is somewhat heavier than the AE1, but I knew that going in, so that's not really a complaint. The 50D is a very well built, solid camera. My initial plan was to upgrade to a Rebel XT. When comparing the Rebel XT with the 50D, there is no comparison. Although the Rebel XT is also an awesome camera, I am glad to have spent the extra cash for the 50D.
76 of 77 people found this review helpful.
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Review 60 for EOS 50D
Overall Rating
55
Features
55
Performance
55
Price/Value
45
Quality
55
Satisfaction
55
Nickname: gbrollins Location:
San Juan Island, WA
Used this product for:
3 to 6 months
Expertise Level:
Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement:
Yes
Great Camera
Date: May 8, 2009
Pros: excellent image quality, Bright LCD, Nice features/settings, quiet, Quick Start-up time, Solid Operation, good battery life Cons: should include eyepiece extension as standard
After years of 35mm SLR experience (still have my F-1) and a few years of escalation through the digital experience I finally bought the 50d. I couldn't be happier. It's a fine piece of equipment. Once you embrace the concepts unique to digital, i.e white balance, RAW v JPEG, etc the results are phenomenal. If you are willing to dedicate the time and effort to learning a new skill and accept the time and failures that will occur along the way then I encourage you to make the leap to this fine machine.
