REVIEW: Canon EOS R50 V - Plug & play for the vlogger who wants to livestream

It's no secret that moving images are becoming increasingly important: in recent years, social media platforms focused on video have grown at an avalanche-like pace, and today all photographers can also be videographers and quickly publish their material.

Canon's new PowerShot R50 V is their latest addition to the EOS R family - a system camera with an RF-S mount and a 24.2-megapixel APS-C sensor, fundamentally created with video in mind before still images. The camera prioritizes video recording features, which is evident in both controls and settings.

In some ways, the PowerShot R50 V shares some features with the new PowerShot V1, but in the latter, Canon has prioritized a compact solution in a smaller format for those who don't need the ability to change lenses and want to work with the advantages of a sensor larger than 1.4 inches. But for those who want to expand their possibilities and work more advanced, the R50 V offers a whole bunch of features that are valuable for the filmmaker.

Sleek design

Buttons and layout focus on helping you quickly adjust video settings. Looking at the camera from above, you can see that the mode dial essentially only has one photo mode - the rest of the options are dedicated to video. There are three custom settings that you can adjust to quickly access different settings, while a scene mode allows you to adjust various settings for the image - all to let you be creative.

The A+ mode gives you a helping hand and quickly identifies the situation, light, and scene, and adjusts the camera accordingly, with symbols showing what the camera has chosen - for example, face, sunlight, or a combination of both. Smart, and it works really well with automation. This way, you can quickly get started if you don't have time to work manually.

The camera also has a dedicated Live button, something I will return to - it has somewhat of a key function for the entire camera. Next to this button is the Color button - a button that allows you to switch between different image styles suitable for presets like portrait, landscape, and monochrome, to change the tonality of the image.

Another setting is Color filter, where you have the opportunity to choose more creative image settings such as Story Teal & Orange, Retro Green, Tasty Warm, and so on. You could say that these settings pull much more on the nuances to create an effect, while the Color button more gently fine-tunes the tonality to match the scene's color settings. This also applies to still images, but unfortunately, you cannot simultaneously choose raw format to use these, so you have to settle for JPEG. Preferably, you would get a raw format image and a processed JPEG image.

But using the presets for more creative adjustment can be a good way to get a pretty decent feel in the image right away, if you don't feel like post-processing your video. In a special Custom mode, you can also choose different color space profiles, or LUTs, to suit, for example, how the video will be used, such as HLG with hybrid Log Gamma, or Canon Log 3 for further grading in post-processing, or similar.

All these parts show that Canon has thought both small and large, and by that I mean that you who are a complete beginner can use the built-in suggestions to achieve a nice feel in the scene, while you who are - or become - more advanced can use profiles to post-process your video for more advanced and precise color adjustment.

Otherwise, you completely recognize Canon's design with buttons and controls, which are generally really good. A thumb grip helps with handling and simplifies one-handed operation, while the front grip feels just the right size, or small, for a camera like this. In photography mode, the Live button becomes an AF-ON button, which is of course good to have - but it is small and a bit tricky placed by the screen, so it is noticeable that it serves best as a Live button. What I do miss, however, is a dial for the index finger at the front for still photography, but for those who record video, that button is not missed, which is good to keep in mind.

Another smart solution is the REC button located in the lower right corner of the camera, from the front view, where you can quickly start recording. This can be done with, for example, the left hand, but it also works well with the left hand if you hold the camera a bit awkwardly. Maybe it's not intended that way, but with the screen angled forward when I'm filming myself, the edge and the screen's recess provide an unusually good grip for holding the entire camera - and I can extend my arm and still start recording with my thumb. The same goes for the right hand. Coincidence or not, it's really good anyway, for example when I test with a lightweight lens like the new Canon RF-S 14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ, which fits really well with the Canon EOS R50 V.

Quick to go live

It's clear that Canon has focused on both creativity and video - both the design, controls, buttons, and the camera's general layout give some hints that it's “video first.” Among other things, the R50 V has a dedicated quick button in a valuable spot so that you as a filmmaker can quickly access the settings for livestreaming.

The Live button provides a menu where you choose classic UVC settings for USB video, or the option for HDMI streaming, Camera Connect, or Live Mobile Streaming.

The first is true plug & play, and when I connect the camera to the computer, it is immediately available in, for example, Google Meet or other streaming platforms - really fast and smooth without any problems or requirements for other settings. The second HDMI option allows you to output video signal via HDMI to, for example, a video switcher or hard disk recorder that does not support UVC, which is smart for advanced video recording.

Camera Connect option is the ability to quickly connect the camera to your mobile phone to then spread media via social media that way, or just remotely control the camera. And then Live Switcher Mobile, Canon's latest addition for multi-view video management to be able to switch between multiple cameras directly on the mobile phone, like a kind of real-time editing in a livestream.

Are you going to stream or film vertically? No problem - the EOS R50 V has that covered, allowing you to rotate the camera, handle it upright, and directly output the image in the correct format.

Nice video specifications

The touchscreen handles most things, both for settings and during filming, or selecting objects to follow. The resolution is not the highest, with 1.04 million pixels, but it does its job and works just fine. The handling is good for video, as is the handling of zooming via the zoom lever, or if the lens has that capability built-in.

The camera uses Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, and the autofocus is also really fast. When I film myself, it immediately finds my eye closest to the camera and switches to the other if I turn my head. It also feels responsive and fast; in fact, the whole camera feels quick to use.

Video is recorded in 4K, oversampled from 6K, in XF-HEVC S 10 bit, H.265 4:2:2 format at 30 frames per second, or cropped 4K mode at 60p, or full-HD at 120p. You can record for up to 2 hours. In the 4K/60p mode, the image is cropped to 64 percent of the horizontal view. That's quite a bit, so if you're filming in 4K at 60p - and also using digital image stabilization, which crops again - you need to plan accordingly. However, the digital image stabilization greatly improves video, and that function is really useful. For those who might need even more stabilization, there's also an enhanced mode that further crops and stabilizes.

Those who pan quickly with the camera or need to make fast movements will want to film in 60p, partly to keep up with the movements themselves, but also because the oversampled 6K mode that provides 4K/30p gives a certain visible jelly effect, meaning the image appears to wobble, which is a disadvantage for those filming fast-moving subjects. The quality of the video files is really fine, with excellent sharpness, especially in the oversampled 4K mode.

A good thing is the possibility available under the Assist setting in the camera. Here you can get a preview of the image with BT.709 or HDR, which simplifies things for those who choose the more advanced path for video recording and profile management. Of course, there are also helpers like false-color, zebra warning, and MF peaking. The camera also has a built-in tally light, which makes it immediately visible to the person in front of the camera if it is recording.

Canon EOS R50 V also supports both VR lenses and 4-channel audio, as well as the advanced flash shoe that allows you to use flashes smoothly and integrated into Canon's system.

The camera is, of course, also good at still images even though the focus is on video - and the images from the camera maintain high image quality and are really nice straight out of the camera, just like Canon's other cameras.

Conclusion

Many hybrid cameras with interchangeable lenses released today are truly hybrid cameras - they mediate between still images and video, and certainly fit into both categories. It's still nice to see that Canon has chosen to lean a little extra towards the video side with the EOS R50 V, as that's what makes the camera so smart in video situations and also easy to use if you're not experienced.

For those who love still photography, there is of course something to gain from the camera, as it provides excellent images - but at the expense of controls and settings options that the still photographer probably wants. The fact is that it means Canon has succeeded especially well in angling the camera towards the video user, with dedicated video controls, filled with interesting video settings and smart use for vloggers and filmmakers.

Using the camera is both easy and fun, and it's an extra plus that all the live functionality that you access with the press of a button simply works. With that said, the camera can be summarized as a vlog camera suitable for a large audience, with several of the most important features for those who want to start taking their filming seriously and with an easy start. The rating is therefore "good buy" - primarily suitable for those who are interested in live broadcasts, social media, and with the ability to change lenses for additional creativity.

Rating

Handling: 3
Speed: 4
Build Quality: 4
Versatility: 4
Features: 4

TOTAL: 3.8

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