Canon EOS R50 Review (reasonable amount of quality features)

Canon EOS R50 Review
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Here is a Canon EOS R50 review. The EOS R50 is one of the entry-level EOS R bodies and features an APS-C imaging sensor.

Canon EOS R50 at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC X Image Processor
  • UHD 4K 30p Video Recording
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with 651 Zones
  • 2.36m-Dot Electronic Viewfinder
  • 3.0″ 1.62m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen
  • 15 fps Electronic Shutter
  • Movie for Close-Up Demos Mode
  • Vertical Movie Mode
  • Multi-Function Shoe, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth

Dustin Abbott posted his comprehensive EOS R50 review. From hos conclusion:

[given the price] the Canon EOS R50 will almost certainly sell well for Canon because it offers a reasonable amount of quality features for the very low price point. The only cheaper APS-C mirrorless camera is the Canon R100, and that camera comes without the articulating LCD screen and has an older focus system.

You’ll want to either have relatively small hands or else a strong desire for a compact camera, but, if that’s the case, you’ll enjoy having a decent viewfinder and an excellent touchscreen in such a compact camera. The autofocus system is very robust for this class of camera, which definitely ups the fun factor.

The biggest reason to hesitate on purchasing the Canon EOS R50 is the utter lack of native lenses available for it. Canon needs to demonstrate that they are going to support the RF-S mount in a way far better than their failure to support the EF-M mount. The current state of the EOS R system is that I really like and enjoying using many of the cameras, but I’m frustrated by the policies regarding lenses.

Read the complete review at dustinabbott.net

Mr. Abbott’s reviews are among the most professional and exhaustive you’ll find. I strongly recommend you check it out in its entirety. The review comes with sample images, ISO tests, and basically with anything you might want to know about the EOS R50.

If, on the other hand, you prefer watching a video, below is the video-review of the Canon EOS R50.

Canon EOS R50:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Here It Is: NIK Collection 7 Has Been Released (faster, smoother, better)

Nik Collection 7
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One of my favourite photo editing tools got a significant update.

DxO released NIK Collection 7, click here for more information and to download a trial version.

Price and availability: Nik Collection 7 upgrade is £79 €89 $89, Nik Collection 7 full version is £145 €159 $159

Here is the press release:

Nik Collection 7 by DxO, with a New Faster and Smoother Workflow

Paris (France): DxO Labs, the company that is standing at the forefront of photo editing technology, presents the latest edition of Nik Collection, the photo editing suite of seven premium applications which, extend the capabilities of programs such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity Photo, and DxO PhotoLab.

“Nik Collection exists to accelerate visual creativity in any photography workflow. With version 7, not only have we maximised performance, but we’ve introduced new selection tools that deliver a remarkable level of control,” Boris Oliviero, Product Director.

New Options for Nik Color Efex

  • Nik Color Efex now features an extended HSL filter for extending colour range selections. complete with a new Vibrancy slider.
  • Dynamic Filters enables you to stack and reorder filters and even create local adjustments.
  • Access Nik Viveza plugins as filters from within Nik Color Efex introducing a fluid and simplified workflow.

U Point Local Adjustments now have Powerful New Adjustment Tools

Nik Collection’s signature U Point technology gets three new tools to give users outstanding precision when making selections for local adjustments.

  • The new Polygonal Tool allows photographers to quickly select irregular shapes.
  • Control Points can now be modified into any elliptical form.
  • Luminosity Masks can be used for accurate and faster selections by targeting levels of brightness.

Work Faster with Speed Upgrades

  • Images now launch up to 30% faster, enabling a more efficient workflow.
  • New Switch To, feature enables you to seamlessly move between plugins.
  • Quick Export lets you output images without leaving the plugin or app, allowing you to make fast comparisons of image versions.
  • New look and functionality for the library with a Quick Search tool and the ability to organise users presets and filters for faster access.

Other Changes

Nik Perspective has been removed from Nik Collection 7. With parallel installation, owners of Nik Collection 6.3 will still be able to continue to use Nik Perspective.

Excire Foto 2024 Update Released

Excire Photo 2024
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Excire Photo 2024, an AI-powered photo management software got an important update. You can try out Excire Photo 2024 for free.

Press release:

Excire Foto 2024 Update Adds Timesaving Features and Improved Search Functionality
PRC’s Revolutionary Photo-Organizing Software Receives Major Enhancements in Free April 2024 Update

Lübeck, Germany – April 23rd, 2024 – PRC, the AI company behind the award-winning Excire software, has today unveiled a major update to its flagship program, Excire Foto 2024.
Known for its futuristic image-management tools – including a prompt-search AI that allows users to instantly retrieve images by inputting text descriptions and an X-tetics AI that intelligently rates each image based on its aesthetic qualities – Excire Foto 2024 has propelled photographers into a new era of image organization. Now, thanks to enhancements included in the April 2024 update, Excire makes it easier than ever to find, cull, and catalog images so photographers can spend less time behind the computer and more time on their craft.

Improvements to Excire Foto 2024 include:

  • New filters to sort and locate images more effectively (including an option to identify files that have not yet been analyzed by the program)
  • Refinements to the Find by Keyword search selectors; users can now apply OR and NOT operations for increased precision when searching
  • Extension of the text-search feature to selectable metadata so users can locate images from the file path, file description, file headline, and more
  • Additional keywording features, including the option to select, copy, and paste a subset of keywords; drag-and-drop functionality when assigning keywords to photos; and automatic copying of keywords to the clipboard when performing keyword copy-paste operations
  • Significant enhancements for a more streamlined duplicate-search workflow, including a duplicate statistics dialog with intuitive flagging functionality; the option to exclude photo sequences from the AI-powered Find Duplicates search; and the option to select the first photo of each duplicate-search-result cluster to save time when cleaning up folders

Smaller upgrades include:

  • The option to change the loading behavior for lens model metadata
  • An “Invert selection” menu option
  • Keyword tree multiselection
  • A “Manage profiles” option in the “Renaming Profiles” dialog
  • Minor bug fixes, design changes, and improvements

Importantly, the update resets the 14-day trial period. Photographers who previously tested – but did not purchase – Excire Foto 2024 can once again download a 14-day trial of the program and evaluate the software’s updated features.
For customers who already own a copy of Excire Foto 2024, the April 2024 update is complimentary. Users will be prompted to download the update package upon launching Excire Foto 2024. It is recommended that users make a catalog backup before installing the new software.

Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS Review (frustrating areas of regression, D. Abbott)

RF 24-50mm
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Here is a professional review of the Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS lens. This is one of the less expensive lenses for the EOS R system (i.e. a kit lens)

The lens at a glance:

  • Full-Frame Lens
  • STM Stepping AF Motor
  • Optical Image Stabilizer
  • Focus Control Ring
  • Two Aspherical Elements
  • Super Spectra Coating
  • 7-Blade Diaphragm
  • Compact and Lightweight Design

Dustin Abbott reviewed the Canon RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS. Here are his findings. It’s a very exhaustive and complete review, and I suggest you have a look at it (especially if you are pondering to get the RF 24-50mm). From Mr. Abbott’s conclusion:

[the RF 24-50mm] serves a specific purpose, namely to provide a small, lightweight, inexpensive lens for people to add to their Canon EOS R8 (and future cameras) so that they have a lens to actually take pictures with. I remember my first Canon DSLR purchase (the Rebel T1i) and it came with an EF-S 18-55mm IS lens. I didn’t love the lens (sold it fairly quickly), but it gave me something to use in the first couple of months so that I could use my new camera. There are places where Canon has improved things (autofocus is definitely better), but there are also some really frustrating areas of regression. Canon’s maximum aperture range on these type lenses has become decidedly worse, as Canon clearly banks on the improved ISO performance in modern cameras covering for the slower maximum apertures. They’ve also become increasingly reliant on software to cover for the hardware shortcomings, with massive amounts of optical correction needed to make the image usable.

Read the complete review at dustinabbot.net

The review is not very positive. On the other hand, this is a kit lens, and at $299 I guess you can not expect much more. Mr. Abbott’s review comes with test charts, sample photos, ISO test, there is nothing that is missed. And if you’re not into reading reviews, you can watch the video-review below.

More reviews by Dustin Abbott are listed here.

Canon RF 24-50mm IS:

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Canon Patent: 14-35mm f/2.8 For Full Frame EOS R Cameras

Canon Patent
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Here is a new Canon patent application, this time for. 14-35mm f/2.8 lens for the RF mount and full frame cameras.

Canon patent application 2024058439 (Japan, published 4/25/2024) discusses optical formulas for a 14-35mm f/2.8 lens.

From the patent literat

  • An object of the present invention is to provide a negative lead type wide-angle zoom lens that is compact, is equipped with an anti-vibration group, and has high optical performance over the entire zoom range.
  • BACKGROUND ART In recent years, zoom lenses used in imaging devices are desired to have a wide angle of view, high optical performance over the entire zoom range, and be compact. Patent Document 1 discloses a negative lead type zoom lens in which a lens group with negative refractive power is arranged on the object side as a zoom lens whose entire system is compact and can easily widen the angle of view.
  • The present invention provides a negative lead type wide-angle zoom lens that is compact, is equipped with an anti-vibration group, and has high optical performance over the entire zoom range.

Example 1

  • Focal length: 14.42-33.91
  • F value: 2.88
  • Half angle of view: 52.67-32.54
  • Image height: 18.91-21.64
  • Total length: 154.50-145.20
  • Back focus: 17.88-37.9

More Canon patents are listed here.

[via asobinet]