[Review] Canon EOS 50D – Still Kicking

The EOS 50D (click here), released back in 2008, and still a great camera. Carl at photographic central reviewed the 50D. He got the point so well that I just have to quote him.

Comparing the 50D to today’s DSLR’s on specifications and you might find it has a lot more in common with them than you think a DSLR announced in August of 2008 should. This is one loaded DSLR with lots of resolution and features that, on paper at least, stands up quite well with today’s newest DSLRS on the market- even against Canon’s own EOS 7D […].

Agree. You should also know that the 50D was the last true iteration of the x0D series. The next model, the [shoplink 335]EOS 60D[/shoplink], didn’t really push the line-up forwards: Canon decided to split the x0D series, crippling down the 60D and introducing the [shoplink 337]EOS 7D[/shoplink] (btw, the 7D is still on sale on B&H – click here). This was a little bit disappointing for some people (myself included). The 60D didn’t get a magnesium alloy, nor does it have some of the “semi-pro” features of the 50D (and 40D). Carl summarizes very well what it is about with the 50D:

A quick rundown of the Canon 50D for those who have never read about it before: This is a semi professional DSLR with a 15.1mp APS-C sensor that includes weather sealing, live view w/two kinds of autofocus, a very robust magnesium outer frame and internal stainless steel chassis, an ISO range of 100-12,800, a 920K anti-reflective LCD screen w/top plate LCD screen as well, auto focus fine tuning for up to 20 lenses, a custom control menu system, 9 point high speed AF system w/all 9 points double cross f/5.6 high sensitivity except the center which is double cross and sensitive to f/2.8, high frequency dust reduction system, a large pentaprism viewfinder with .95X magnification and 96% accuracy, and a lens vignetting correction option available in the menu.

Made using an EOS 50D – Great shot Carl! (image courtesy of Photographic Central)

The review is detailed and comprehensive, I really suggest you have a look. Let me cite from the conclusion (which has much more to say than I am quoting here):

Speaking plainly I just enjoy using the 50D on a daily basis for a wide variety of subjects in many different conditions. It’s a camera that doesn’t really have any real weaknesses in any particular category and is just a fun camera to shoot with and rely on. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we want from a DSLR?

[…]

The Canon 50D is one such steal on the market right now that sacrifices very little of newer modern features found in DSLRS, but at almost 1/3rd the cost used than a similar camera would cost you new. Therefore the Canon EOS 50D is indeed one of the best bang for the buck deals you can get on a DSLR (as of today’s date) and I highly recommend it to any shooter, especially those who are on a tighter budget as long as you don’t need video. And I assume that if you are reading a Canon 50D review, you probably aren’t in that camp anyways.

Canon EOS 50D price check: [shopcountry 1286].

Click here to see the Canon EOS 50D price on eBay.

Technical specifications:

[shariff]
Click here to open the rest of the article

Two Rebel T4i/EOS 650D Product Advisories

Right, two product advisories for the [shoplink 5623]Rebel T4i/650D[/shoplink]. First advisory concerns a phenomenon where the front rubber grips of some EOS REBEL T4i units produced in certain lots during the sixteen-day period between May 31st through June 15th, 2012 may turn white after a short period of time.

You can use the serial number to check whether your camera is affected by this phenomenon. If the sixth digit of the serial number is “1” please follow the procedure below. If the sixth digit of the serial number is “2” or higher, your camera is not affected.

Procedure:
1) Click on the link below to enter your serial number. 
2) Enter the 12-digit serial number (reference the image below) from your camera then click the Submit button
3) One of the following messages will appear.
            ·  “Your camera is NOT affected”   →  No further action is required 
            ·  “Your camera is affected”   →  Please see the Support section below

Click here to enter your serial number

Next, the second advisory: your Rebel T4i might be a little confused sometimes, believing it is a Kiss X6i. :-)

Thank you for using Canon products.We have identified a phenomenon in which the camera model name embedded in the EXIF data of captured images incorrectly shows “EOS Kiss X6i”, which is the model name for the EOS Rebel T4i in the Japanese market. Even if this occurs, however, the image taken is still captured correctly.Phenomenon
When using applications, such as Digital Photo Professional (DPP) or Image Browser EX (IBX) to view images captured with your EOS Rebel T4i camera, the camera model name in the EXIF information of the images shows the model name for the same camera in the Japanese market: the EOS Kiss X6i.

The camera model name that appears on the Camera Settings / Remote Shooting screens of EOS Utility (EU) also shows “EOS Kiss X6i”.

Affected Products
EOS REBEL T4i Digital SLR Camera
*Some units whose second digit of the serial number is “3” are affected.
For example:　”x3xxxxxxxxxx” ([x] represents any optional number.)

Support
Customers who would like to have the correct model name listed in the EXIF information of their camera are asked to contact Canon using the information below.

This information is for residents of the United States and Puerto Rico only.  If you do not reside in the USA or Puerto Rico, please contact the Canon Customer Support Center in your region.

Please register your EOS Rebel T4i. By registering, we will be able to notify you via email when service updates are available.

Thank you,
Customer Support Operations
Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Contact Information for Inquiries:

Canon Customer Support Center

Phone:

1-800-OK-CANON1-800-652-2666

TTD:

1-866-251-3752

E-mail:

[email protected]

For additional support options: http://www.usa.canon.com/support
[via CR, IR]

[Video] Moiré Comparison: Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Nikon D800 vs Sony NEX-7

And the winner is: [shoplink 2431]EOS 5D Mark III[/shoplink] :-). Mike Kobal made a quick comparison between the EOS 5d Mark III, the [shoplink 4853]Nikon D800[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 5712]Sony Nex-7[/shoplink]. While I recommend you have a look at Mike’s post, I would like to quote from the article:

The clear winner for me is the Canon 5D mark III. Despite the overall softness right out of the camera (fixable in post to a certain degree), there are no aliasing and moire problems, records at a very descent variable bit-rate of 91megabits/sec in All-I mode and if that’s not enough, the 5D3 is also king after dark.

Let me also quote something concerning the D800:

When shooting stills, moiré and anti aliasing concerns across discussion forums are overblown topics. Of course it can occur and could be problematic. Especially when shooting fabrics, roof tiles, metal grids […]

Nevertheless, EOS 5D Mark III is champion, next is the D800, and then comes the Nex-7. But: we are talking about moiré artefacts here, only about that. :-)

[Rumor] Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II Delayed Once More

Bad news: the eagerly awaited EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II has been delayed once more, at least that’s the rumor of the moment as reported by CR:

Canon has delayed the release of the EF 24-70 f/2.8L II again. This time until mid September 2012. The reason for the delay is said to be for “final adjustments in production”.

Hmm, more than two months at least! However, you can still drop a pre-order at the following shops ($2,299): Adorama (click here) and B&H (click here). If you live somewhere in Asia (I would if I only could, :-) ), DigitalRev could be the right choice for you, they have the lens available for pre-order too (click here, price depends by your location).

[Deal] EOS 7D For $1,395 At Amazon (Second Concrete Price Drop Today)

Hey, what’s going on? After B&H having the EOS 7D at $1,349.00 (that’s $200 off, expires today), Amazon also discounted Canon’s APS-C flagship. It’s sold for $1,394.99 (click here) by Amazon itself. Two substantial discounts by two different shops, all the same day! Cool, especially if you consider the upcoming huge firmware update expected for August. Ready to get your very own 7D? :-)

[In-Stock] Ef 24mm f/2.8 IS USM And EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM Ready To Ship (Limited Quantity)

Both the EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM ($850, click here) and the EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM ($800, click here) are in stock at B&H. They just arrived and there is only a limited quantity available (for the time being).

EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM core specifications:

  • Image Stabilization Prevents Shaky Pix
  • Fast, Silent Autofocus Operation
  • 7 Diaphragm Blades for Beautiful Bokeh
  • Minimum Focusing Distance of 7.87″
  • Lens Coatings Minimize Ghosting & Flare
  • Manual Focusing Available At All Times

EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM core specifications:

  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • Fast Autofocusing
  • Manual Focus Available Full-Time
  • Improved Peripheral Image Quality.
  • 7 Diaphragm Blades for Beautiful Bokeh
  • Silent, Smooth Operation Ideal for Video
  • Minimum Focusing Distance: 9″