Nikon marked headlines last year with its models D300, D3 and D700, but now its time for Canon to strike back with the EOS 50D. Amongst other refinements, the 50D features the highest resolution ever for an APS-C format DSLR (15.1 million pixels), a newly designed 3in LCD screen with a 920,000 dot resolution that matches the best from Nikon and Sony, and a greatly improved Live View system, which features Face Detection.
In use, the most obvious difference between the EOS 50D and the EOS 40D is the improved LCD screen.
The extra resolution and the addition of three anti-reflective coatings make a huge difference to clarity and visibility in both bright and poor light. Arguably, the EOS 50D is the first Canon DSLR that really shows sharp images as properly sharp on the LCD, which makes checking critical focus in playback much easier than it was in the past.
Still on the subject of the screen, the menu system of the EOS 50D not only looks better now than it did in the 40D, it is also better organized, and a new ‘Quick Control Screen‘, activated by pressing the AF selection joystick in, offers immediate access to the camera’s key settings.
The AF and metering systems of the EOS 40D and 50D are effectively the same, and the 9-point AF system is very reliable in most situations, although noticeably less positive in very low light than the 45-point system offered in the EOS 1D/s Mark III.
There isn’t much difference between 40D and 50D, but with a price-tag of $1509 body only, Canon 50D is both a serious investment for advanced amateurs and affordable backup for professionals.
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