The compact Canon EOS R50 is perfect for beginners who want a camera that can shoot video, and take pictures easily. It's basically the update to the older EOS M50 Mark II, and moves the camera over to the R series with the RF mounts. You still get the neat compact size, and great autofocus performance.
Quick specs
I took the EOS R50 with me on a recent trip to Nagoya, Japan, as a second camera. Thanks to its light weight and performance, it was a no-brainer to keep shooting with it. I set it mostly at A+ auto mode, and let the camera handle the settings. And it does a great job — I just need to focus on getting the framing right. Note that this camera doesn't come with image stabilisation, so you may need high shutter speeds. Low-light shots may also feel tricky to handle. The good news is that there's a built-in flash, and Canon's multi-function hotshoe.
For video, you can use the electronic image stabilisation, but this will crop your videos. My tests do show that it doesn't really help much — I still get a lot of shake when walking, as compared to say the iPhone 14 Pro Max‘s Action Mode. You will need a gimbal if you want to do proper videos. While Canon markets the R50 as a vlogger camera, the RF-S18-45mm kit lens is not wide enough for selfie videos. This is particularly noticeable when you turn on the electronic stabilisation, which crops it quite a bit. Canon probably needs a wider lens for selfie vlogging to be honest. You can shoot 4K at 30fps, and AF tracking is pretty good, too.
I do think the R50 is really good for still shots, and with the RF-S55-210mm, you get a very nice zoom that also works for macro shots. The camera really performs with this lens, though the default kit lens isn't too shabby either. You can get nice bokeh for close-up shots (but you'll have to be really close). The touchscreen LCD can swivel, and flip out, making it useful for creative shoots. I do recommend turning off the Touch Shutter. I kept making accidental touches, and taking pictures and videos of the floor. The battery is good enough to last for a full day of images and videos, and is rated for 440 shots.
At S$1,139, the Canon EOS R50 is affordably priced for students and beginners. It takes pretty good pictures, and video AF performance is great, too. I do wish the electronic stabilisation is better, but you can probably get a gimbal. Get it from Shopee or Lazada.
Note: Review unit provided by Canon.
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