4.2
Canon's new EOS 50D is the incremental upgrade from their 40D which debuted last year. Renowned for being solid, dependable cameras with a wide variety of controls and access to a considerable back catalog of lenses, we put the Canon through a considerable variety of tests. On average, it scored well but not amazingly. Full details follow.
The 50D is currently available for $1399 (body only).
The 15-megapixel EOS 50D is Canon's newest mid-range SLR. Available for $1399 for the body alone, or packaged with a variety of kit lenses, it's the successor to 2007's 40D. After putting the 50D through a rigorous body of tests (undertaken using the 28-135mm lens, part of a $1600 kit set), we came out with an impression of it being a solid, dependable camera, but without any amazing new features. The improved Live View functionality is a pleasant addition, as is the new, 920,000 pixel LCD screen, and the bump up to 15 megapixels. However, the 50D didn't blow us away in any of our tests, instead maintaining a universally average result. The 50D showed itself to be a solid, incremental upgrade in the mid-level Canon cameras.