Canon EOS R50 V Mirrorless Camera

I’ve been a Canon SLR loyalist for 20+ years. I do lots of climbing expeditions and j wanted something small that would take great pics AND videos. Is it small and light? Yes, but almost to a fault. I wear a m’s XL glove and my hands oversize this camera. On to the important stufff… it’s the hardest camera to use that I’ve ever owned. You need a masters degree to operate it. I’ve given up trying to figure out custom filters and focus settings. The photo quality is “ok”. I have a 20yr old T2i that takes equally good photos. The video is great, but I expected still shots to be stellar with current tech and mirrorless. Nope. Last, I knew this going in but having to build an assortment of R lenses sucks when I already have a lot of EF lenses. Yes, there are adapters, but…. Bottom line, great camera with a kit lens for the person with small hands and has a masters degree in device operations. And there are way better P&S options for the money.

I ADORE this camera. But I use it for travel/family. If I was a social media butterfly, I'd be pulling my hair out. Pros: - Gorgeous, high dynamic range HDR PQ photos straight out of the camera, compared to dinosaurs stuck with blocky JPEG. - 4K30 in HLG, HDR PQ, or even Cannon Log 3 with custom LUTs, applied in real time! All in HEVC. That's unreal. - Neat "auto" functions like night mode and panorama. - All sorts of intricate autofocus modes, display simulation, false color, zebra mode, remappable buttons, you name it. It can even remember individual people to prioritize autofocus. - Works great with old EF-S lenses. - Viewfinder? Flash? Waste of space and money; I do not miss them. I mount my iPhone via USB as a rangefinder, second display and video light when I need it. - Works as a webcam, plug-and-play with USB. No fuss, no camera software needed. - Tiny, weighs nothing. Fits in a coat pocket with a pancake lens, or tiny bag with a substantial one. - Good menus/internal UI. Great touchscreen. - When paired with a good lens (like the 24-50 on a budget, or an F1.4 prime), image quality is incredible. It's like a camera from the future, on a budget! Cons: - No IBIS. This can be rough, but expected for the price. - No open gate video. Maybe we can get it in a firmware update? - Dial control ring is near impossible to use, and customization for other rings is limited. - Feels fragible, but that's solved with a silicone case. - No "lite" low bitrate video recording mode for instant sharing. But the biggest issue: software. At least on my iPhone 16. - It has 5GHz wifi, yet connecting and moving pictures is unusably slow. Even USB2 is waaay faster. - Supports no cloud service other than image.canon, which I had a horrible experience with. - No airplay, no other sharing or transfer of any kind. - iPhone app can auto transfer JPEGs, but not HEIFs? And not movies? What? That's literally all I shoot. - Connecting with the iPhone app is unreliable, even via USB. - Many features, like lens correction for older lenses, are obscure/out of the way. If you're technical enough to know what HLG/PQ are, if you have and HDR-capable smartphone, and want an modern camera to go, on a budget? You cannot beat the R50V, not even close. For travel/family photo+video, it beats the snot out of a smartphone camera. ...But for "casual" vlogging? Or social media posting? The software is too shackled for that.

I purchased this when first released because of Canon's promotional material hyping it as excellent for livestreaming. I had been wanting a smaller camera to supplement my main camera and to livestream music performances with, so this seemed perfect for both use cases. I was incredibly disappointed in it. There was nothing easy or straightforward about using this for livestreams, the connectivity was unreliable even using Canon's paid software, and the chronic shortage of compatible lenses for the last year has added to that frustration. I finally got rid of the camera and will be looking at other small options to fill this spot in my equipment lineup.

So, after three weeks and six shoots,this camera fills in where my C300 can’t. Now a longer battery life would be good. And a cheaper power adapter. But it’s a workhorse in a small format. If you’re looking to downsize, quality and a camera that does everything you need for creating content or even hiding somewhere. It’s a good investment. As always. It’s a Canon and with that you get great service and support.