The gap between beginner and professional cameras used to be a financial chasm. Aspiring creators faced a stark choice: spend around ₹50,000-60,000 on a camera with no pro features, or splurge lakhs for features like 4K at 60 FPS and Log shooting. Thankfully, that era is over. With cameras like the Canon EOS R50 V, which happens to be the subject of this review, bridges that gap by delivering professional tools without the professional price tag.
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It includes key features like Canon Log 3, which is ideal for high-quality footage, while omitting extras unnecessary for creators on platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
Having said that, I have been using the camera as my primary for over two weeks now to shoot a wide range of content, right from portraits to product videos, product photos, reels for my personal Instagram, and whatnot. So far, I have been thoroughly impressed by what the camera has to offer, all in a very tiny form factor that will not intimidate anyone if you take it out on a shoot. Here are my observations, what could have been better, and what I absolutely adore about this (small) camera by Canon. I have also been using the camera with the supplied RF-S14-30mm f/4-6.3 IS STM PZ kit lens, so I will have opinions on that as well. Read on.
The Canon EOS R50 V offers a video-first experience, and I truly believe it
When I first unboxed the EOS R50 V, I was surprised to see that you have the ability to mount the camera vertically without attaching any cage to it whatsoever. This is made possible using the1/4-20" tripod mount on the side of the camera. For context, my Sigma FP, which happens to be a dedicated cinema-grade camera, has this feature. So, to see something like this on a camera that costs around ₹70,000 (body) is certainly refreshing and speaks volumes about the creator-first experience that Canon is trying to offer here.
As for the video itself, the footage coming out of the R50 V’s tiny body is excellent. The camera captures 4K 30 FPS video, which is oversampled from 6K, and can also capture 4K 60 FPS video, but it does come with a 1.56x crop, unfortunately. However, I think it can be lived with, especially if you are a beginner creator or someone who does not mind shooting tight shots. The best part happens to be that the 4K is actually 10-bit video.
{{/usCountry}}As for the video itself, the footage coming out of the R50 V’s tiny body is excellent. The camera captures 4K 30 FPS video, which is oversampled from 6K, and can also capture 4K 60 FPS video, but it does come with a 1.56x crop, unfortunately. However, I think it can be lived with, especially if you are a beginner creator or someone who does not mind shooting tight shots. The best part happens to be that the 4K is actually 10-bit video.
{{/usCountry}}On top of this, the ultimate flexibility comes thanks to Canon Log 3, which can create magical looks if you know what you are working with. You can simply import your Canon Log 3 footage into a program like DaVinci Resolve 18 or 19, which is what I did. The real test of its video capabilities, embedded below, shows how manoeuvrable the footage is.
Check out this short video to understand how flexible the 10-bit video footage is:
Yes, I did screw up with exposing Canon Log correctly, which is why some highlights were clipped. But apart from that, if you expose it correctly, it can result in spectacular quality video, which would be further amplified if you pair a really sharp lens with it.
Does the camera heat up?
Canon claims that the camera can record up to two hours of continuous 4K video, thanks to the magnesium alloy internal body which can dissipate heat. As per my testing, I did test the camera out in bright sunlight, in the scorching Jaipur sun in 42 degree Celsius heat, and not once did I experience the camera getting hot. Yes, I did shoot in bursts, like a 5 second clip here and a 20 second clip there. It reminded me of my Sigma FP, which barely gets hot, despite how much you push it.
This shows the heat dissipation is quite good, and the camera will not overheat on you when you need it the most. At least, that is what I experienced shooting in bursts. I did try shooting continuous video and tested it for up to around 40 minutes, in studio conditions under an AC environment, and the camera did not skip a beat. It kept recording, so it does go on to show that it is reliable.
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What about autofocus?
My first camera was a Canon EOS 70D, which was also an APS-C camera like the R50 V. The autofocus back then was incredible. I grew up watching Casey Neistat's videos and saw how flexible the autofocus was and what Casey could do with it. I think the R50 V belongs to that breed of cameras.
The autofocus is reliable with its Dual Pixel CMOS AF II. It tracks eyes and barely misses. I have shot multiple unboxing videos using this camera, and not once did the camera have to hunt for focus. I tried the same with human subjects as well, with the same result: it latches on to focus super quickly, and the focus transitions are rather smooth. It is not jerky, and that is what gives it a cinematic look and feel.
In photos as well, I noticed the camera is super quick to latch onto focus when you half-press the shutter. That gives me confidence that anyone looking forward to buying the Canon R50 V for content creation, especially if they are a one-man show, can simply flip the screen 180 degrees, see themselves, and then be worry-free about whether they are going to be in focus. It is that quick. So, no more worries about keeping yourself in focus or manually adjusting it. Of course, manual focus is where it is at if you are shooting movies, but for a one-man show, when you are filming yourself, manually adjusting the focus can be a chore, and this is where the R50 V makes it super easy.
Another area where the R50 V makes filming super easy is being able to press record from the front of the camera itself. Yes, there is a record button situated on the bottom right of the camera. You can simply press record from there and do not have to fiddle around with the shutter button for the most part.I have been using the button on the front, and this makes it super easy to start rolling.
How do the photos turn out?
While I am not a fan of specifications for a camera, they are needed. The R50 V has a 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor. Canon has paired it with a DIGIC X image processor, which also happens to be the same processor that the company uses in one of its flagship cameras, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, which costs four or five times what this camera does. So, the camera is certainly capable in this regard.
You can capture raw images alongside JPEGs. It has an ISO range of 100 to 32,000, expandable to 51,200 for stills. From what I could tell, the photo capability is decent. Yes, it is not the best, and not as good as the video, but it is decent, and it will get the job done if you know what you are shooting. It can capture fast movement at up to 15 FPS with the electronic shutter or 12 FPS with the electronic first-curtain shutter. If you are out shooting wildlife, there is a silent shutter feature as well, which can disable sounds and lights so that you do not disturb any birds.
As for the images themselves, they do turn out sharp. The highlight roll-off is particularly impressive for a camera of this size and something that costs this little. So, for the most part, I think you will have a fun time capturing images using this camera. It is also quite light and super portable. So, if you are looking for something to document your everyday life, I do not think you can get a better camera than this.
Perhaps slap a small 24mm pancake lens on this and use it like people use the Fujifilms of the world to document everyday life or use it as a street camera. This is where it can really excel. There was zero stress while holding the camera during my photo-taking expeditions in the old city of Jaipur, and I can confidently say this is going to be a fun experience for most photographers.
How is the kit lens?
I have the RF-S14-30mm f/4-6.3 IS STM PZ kit lens with me. It has an f-stop range of F4 to F6.3 and it, too, offers a video-first experience. It has power zoom, which means the lens does not change in size when you zoom. This can
be especially useful when you mount the camera on a gimbal because the balance of the gimbal does not change, so you can rest assured you will have a balanced gimbal despite zooming with the lens. This camera paired with a tiny gimbal can be a quick run-and-gun setup for most people, or perhaps even serve as a B-camera for someone who is already shooting on Canon cameras and using Canon Log 3.
The lens is also quite stable for the most part because it does have image stabilisation. So, if you are shooting video handheld, you should expect stable footage for the most part. But of course, because the camera does not have in-body stabilisation, you will have to have stable hands or perhaps make the camera a little heavier by attaching a cage.
The little things are really important
Canon has included a 3-inch screen with the R50 V that can articulate both front and back. This is particularly useful for content creators who will not necessarily be attaching external monitors to the camera. This screen ensures that they are in focus and framed right, which is just incredibly useful.
The screen itself seems high quality; it is ample bright, even in outdoor conditions. As for the ports, it offers a 10Gbps USB-C port, a headphone jack so you can monitor audio correctly, and a port to attach a mic, because of course, sound is as equally important as your footage. However, it does come with a Micro HDMI port, which is not to anyone’s liking, so you will have to use a converter if you want to stream footage to an external monitor or recorder.
Coming to the battery life, the battery is the LP-E17 that Canon has been using in some older cameras as well. Canon claims 390 shots, and we got somewhere around that figure. The camera has great battery life; at least that is what I have felt. I could go through an entire day of documenting my footage and clips without actually charging the battery, and that too in 4K 24 FPS Log 3. So you will be okay with the battery life. Of course, you can just buy additional batteries if you need them.
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What could have been better?
The R50 V has a bit of a rolling shutter problem, especially if you are into shooting fast objects. The moment you pan your camera quickly, you will notice that the footage can feel rather janky. You will feel like the screen is sort of liquefying, which of course reflects in the footage as well. There is a rolling shutter. You can read about what rolling shutter is, but this should not affect most people because they will keep their cameras stationary to record videos of talking heads, film objects like smartphones, or create beauty and cooking videos.
For most of that stuff, rolling shutter really is not a factor that should worry you. Sure, if you are going to be out shooting F1 cars or fast bikes, which only some of you will be, you do not have to really worry about it. Another thing that certainly could have been better is the 4K 60 FPS crop. It is around 1.56x, and it can certainly make for tight-looking shots. This could have been prevented.
Canon EOS R50 V review: Verdict
Overall, for ₹79,999, the Canon EOS R50 with the kit lens is certainly great value. I feel it offers some of the best image and video-taking ability at this price point. It has reliable autofocus that latches onto subjects super quickly. Canon has thought of practicality and has bundled features like the front-facing record button and the tripod mount on the side for vertical mounting. This eliminates the need for any cage, and the camera is portable, so the possibilities to rig it out are endless. I give it 9 out of 10 stars.
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