Canon R50 V evaluate: An inexpensive vlogging digicam that lags behind its rivals
Canon has launched 20 cameras since launching the RF mount in 2018, however it had one gaping gap in a key market: vlogging. Now, the corporate has patched that with the launch of the $700 R50 V that’s geared toward creators on a funds and designed to tackle Sony’s ZV-E10 II.
The R50 V has the identical 24-megapixel APS-C sensor because the R50, however provides vlogging-friendly options like 4K 60p video, C-Log3 for further dynamic vary, a livestreaming button and a facet tripod socket for vertical video. It’s cheaper than the $1,100 ZV-E10 II and even prices a bit lower than the older ZV-E10. After some prolonged testing, nevertheless, I discovered that it was lacking some key options in comparison with its Sony rivals, notably those who make vlogging simpler for newbies.
Canon/Engadget
Canon’s EOS R50 V is a stable funds vlogging digicam due to the superb video high quality, however it’s lacking necessary options in comparison with its rivals.
- Good picture and video high quality
- Quick and correct autofocus
- Cooling fan permits prolonged capturing
- Decently quick picture capturing
- Rolling shutter distortion
- No in-body stabilization
- Lacks rival’s vlogging pleasant options
- Mediocre battery life
Design and dealing with
Like different vlogging cameras, the R50 V is stripped down each when it comes to dimension and controls. It has a polycarbonate physique relatively than steel, which reduces toughness and weatherproofing however helps maintain it gentle at simply 323 grams. The grip can also be smaller than the R50’s, so it’s not superb to make use of with massive lenses.
One key characteristic lacking from the R50 is an digital viewfinder. That’s additionally the case with the ZV-E10 II, however the lack of 1 could make it difficult to shoot in shiny daylight. On high of that, the rear show is low-res and isn’t notably shiny. Nonetheless, it totally articulates and flips round for vloggers.
The R50 V is designed to be managed through the touchscreen, so it has fewer handbook controls than different Canon mirrorless fashions. It does have high, rear and again dials to set main features like iris and shutter velocity. Nonetheless, you should use your thumb to manage each of these which makes operation a bit awkward.
The entrance rocker is designed to manage zoom on supported Canon lenses like the brand new 14-30mm f/4-6.4 IS STM PZ, which was launched similtaneously this digicam. It additionally has livestream and shade buttons devoted to creators, plus there’s a mode dial with six totally different video settings.
The menu system is often Canon with color-coded pages for every class (video settings, autofocus and extra). Nonetheless, key settings may also be adjusted from the Fast (Q) menu utilizing the touchscreen when vlogging. Capabilities in that menu can after all be reprogrammed to your preferences.
The R50 V has each microphone and headphone inputs together with microHDMI and USB-C ports. It makes use of Canon’s smaller EP-17 battery that delivers an hour of video capturing or 300 pictures to a cost, each far lower than the ZV-E10 II (113 minutes and 600 pictures). It has only a single SD card slot, however luckily it’s the quicker UHS-II sort. Lastly, there’s a really useful characteristic for content material creators: a tripod socket on the facet to make it simpler for solo vloggers to shoot vertical video.
Video
Video and vlogging is the R50 V’s main power in comparison with R50. It will probably shoot each supersampled 4K 30 fps and 4K 60 fps video, with C-Log3 and 10-bit high quality. Nonetheless, the 4K 60 fps setting requires a fats 1.56x crop, which reduces high quality in addition to bokeh. Sony’s ZV-E10 II, in contrast, solely requires a 1.1x crop for 4K 60 fps video.
The Z50 V additionally lacks in-body stabilization. Meaning the R50 V depends strictly on optical lens shake discount or digital stabilization. To be truthful, that’s to be anticipated on this worth vary and the ZV-E10 II can also be lacking in-body stabilization. The digital system does a great job eradicating jolts from handheld video and may even clean out strolling in the event you attempt to transfer fluidly, however it might probably make footage look gentle if actions are extreme. The “Enhanced” digital mode, which applies a small crop, is designed to make handheld pictures look “locked off” such as you’re utilizing a tripod.
Background blur and product showcase-type buttons are additionally noticeably lacking in comparison with the ZV E10 II. That’s too unhealthy, as a result of creators use these options usually to shortly deal with objects or blur the background behind a topic — with out them, you’re pressured to set these issues manually.
Rolling shutter distortion is pretty noticeable on this digicam with a scan price round 30ms, in comparison with simply 16ms for the ZV-E10 II. This implies sudden pans or jolts can lead to “jello impact” video. In the meantime, video autofocus is speedy and dependable, even when your topic strikes round. The AI-powered face and eye detection locks on firmly, and also can reliably monitor animals and autos.
Canon took a web page from Panasonic and Fujifilm with the addition of a shade button on the R50 V. It allows you to shortly choose capturing modes like commonplace BT.709, C-Log, HLG and PQ. One other setting provides filmic seems to be with modes like Portrait, High quality Element, Devoted and Monochrome. And the final “shade filter” mode permits for tinted video with shades like teal and peach, although the outcomes regarded a bit tacky to me.
With a built-in cooling fan, the R50 V is extra proof against overheating than most small cameras. When recording commonplace 4K at 30 fps, I used to be in a position to shoot for 60 straight minutes with no signal of overheating. The problem doesn’t, er, crop up at 4K 60p both since that mode makes use of a lowered portion of the sensor.
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General, video high quality is a robust level, with sharp element when utilizing the 4K 30 fps oversampled mode. Colours are wealthy and correct, and pores and skin tones pleasing with a touch of warmness that Canon is thought for. The ten-bit C-Log3 footage retains further element in shadow and spotlight areas, offering excellent dynamic vary for such a cheap digicam. Nonetheless, 4K 60p video is significantly softer, and the 1080p 120 fps extremely slo-mo setting lacks sharpness even by HD requirements. Low-light functionality is common for an APS-C digicam, with noise clearly seen beginning at ISO 3,200 or 6,400. Past that, it turns into intrusive and tougher to do away with utilizing noise discount instruments.
Images
Although pictures isn’t this digicam’s raison d’etre, the R50 V performs decently in that regard. It will probably shoot pretty shortly for a small digicam, with burst speeds of 15 fps with the digital shutter or 12 fps with mechanical shutter. Nonetheless, it might probably’t maintain these speeds for very lengthy because of the small buffer that holds simply 36 RAW pictures.
Autofocus is once more a robust level, monitoring topics with ease and holding pictures sharp. As with video, AI-powered face and eye detection is fast and dependable for individuals, animals and autos. Rolling shutter is a matter with pictures as it’s with video, however because the R50 V has a mechanical first-curtain shutter, you solely want the digital mode for pictures when silence is required. The dearth of in-body stabilization means you’ll have to have a gentle hand to take sharp pictures at low shutter speeds, otherwise you’ll wish to store for lenses with optical stabilization if that’s a difficulty.
Picture high quality is similar to the R50 because it shares the identical sensor. For regular capturing, I noticed color-accurate pictures with pores and skin tones leaning on the nice and cozy facet, as is typical with Canon’s shade science. JPEGs strike a great steadiness between sharpening and noise discount, whereas RAW recordsdata enable a good quantity of room to tweak pictures. As with video, low-light efficiency isn’t wonderful, so I wouldn’t go previous ISO 6,400 except it’s too darkish to movie in any other case.
Wrap-up
Canon’s R50 V is a fairly good first attempt for a vlogging digicam, hitting the mark in key areas like video high quality and usefulness. Nonetheless, its rival, Sony’s ZV-E10 II, beats it in almost each space, providing even higher video high quality, greater picture decision, quicker autofocus, smoother digital stabilization and neat options lacking on the R50 V — just like the product showcase.
That mentioned, Canon is concentrating on a extra budget-minded purchaser because the R50 V prices simply $700 (physique solely) in comparison with $1,100 for the ZV-E10 II. Vloggers constrained to that funds will nonetheless get a fantastic digicam that simply beats a smartphone relating to the ultimate product. If you happen to do have an additional $400 to spend, although, I’d suggest the ZV-E10 II as a substitute.