Canon EOS R50

The Canon EOS R50 is a compact mirrorless camera released in 2023. It measures 116 x 86 x 69 mm and weighs 375 g, so it suits travel, family days out and anyone learning photography with one body.

Handling leans toward everyday ease: a flip-out touchscreen, built-in flash and an electronic viewfinder cover most casual situations, and wireless connection is built in. Owning it is straightforward, with one battery and one card keeping the kit light, though both deserve a little planning on longer days.

Images come from a 24 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor paired with the Digic X processor. That resolution leaves room for tight crops and large prints, and the RF mount gives access to Canon's mirrorless lens range.

The autofocus system covers 651 areas, giving you options for placing the subject in the frame. Burst shooting at up to 12 frames per second gives you a sequence to choose from when timing matters.

There is no stabilisation in the body, so steady handheld results depend on the lens, your shutter speed or a tripod. The ISO range runs from 100 to 32000, while shutter speeds of 1/4000 second help freeze quick movement in bright light.

Framing goes through a 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder, which shows the scene as the sensor sees it. That live preview helps you judge exposure before taking the shot.

The camera records 4K video, giving you room to crop and reframe when delivering at a lower resolution. That is useful when one clip needs to work in different edits or when you want a tighter view of a subject.

The fastest recording speed reaches 120 frames per second, a rate suited to slow-motion sequences of movement. Decide the effect you want before shooting, since the clip's final speed depends on your project settings.

A timelapse function is built in, so you can build moving sequences from slowly changing scenes without external control gear.

Files record as MP4 in H.264 or H.265. H.264 drops into most editing software without fuss, while H.265 stores footage more efficiently but asks more of your computer during playback and editing.

The 3-inch touchscreen has 1.62 million dots for checking composition and reviewing photographs. It flips out, which helps you keep the frame visible when shooting from above or below eye level.

Lighting is flexible for a small body. A flash is built in for quick fill, and the camera also accepts an external flash when you want more power or the ability to bounce light.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in for wireless connection to nearby devices, so no add-on is needed to use them. Two gaps shape field use: there is no weather sealing, so rain and dust need managing, and no GPS for automatic location data.

A single SD slot takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards. With no second card slot, there is no separate card inside the camera to hold a backup copy. Choose enough capacity for the outing and make transferring photographs part of your routine.

The LP-E17 battery is rated at 370 shots per charge. Treat that as a guideline rather than a promise, since heavy screen use and video change the count. A second battery is a sensible companion for a full day.

USB charging lets you top the battery up between shoots. That adds a useful option for travel days when you can pause to charge before heading out again.