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Canon PowerShot SX50 HS review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £412
inc VAT

An excellent all-rounder but image quality has its foibles

Specifications

1/2.3in 12.0-megapixel sensor, 50.0x zoom (24-1,200mm equivalent), 595g

http://www.amazon.co.uk
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After the success of the SX40 HS we had extremely high expectations of the SX50 HS’s image quality. It mostly performed well but it wasn’t quite the triumph we’d hoped for. Automatic exposures tended to be a little too bright, and we often had to dial in some exposure compensation to avoid clipped highlights. Meanwhile, misjudged automatic white balance sometimes gave skin tones a purple complexion. Canon has added raw support in this update, and processing shots in the bundled Digital Photo Professional software gave much better colours. We’d prefer to do this out of choice rather than necessity, though.

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS sample shot
Automatic exposure and white balance weren’t as reliable as we’d expect from Canon, although raw support provides a fix – click to enlarge

Focus was better than we expected given the vast zoom range, but it deteriorated in the 600-1200mm range. By 1200mm, heavy chromatic aberrations put multi-coloured halos around high-contrast details that were visible even after we’d resized to fit a computer screen.

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS sample shot
There’s nothing much wrong with focus in wide-angle shots, and details at ISO 80 are smooth and crisp – click to enlarge

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS sample shot
Chromatic aberrations take a heavy toll at the long end of the zoom – click to enlarge

As with its predecessor, noise levels at fast ISO speeds were among the lowest we’ve seen from an ultra-zoom camera. Comparing its shots with the FZ200 at identical settings, details in its ISO 100 photos were smoother and cleaner. ISO 1600 gave print-worthy results from the Canon while the Panasonic displayed a lot of noise in shadows. However, the Panasonic’s wide-aperture lens meant it caught up and often overtook the Canon for telephoto shots in moderate light.

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS sample shot
This is one of the best ultra-zoom cameras for indoor photography, thanks to the low noise from its sensor – click to enlarge

The SX40 HS was a superb camera, and the SX50 HS is even better with its faster shot-to-shot times, raw capture and colossal zoom. However, Panasonic has made even bigger strides with the FZ200. Both have their merits but, for us, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200‘s strengths are more compelling.

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Basic Specifications

Rating****
CCD effective megapixels12.0 megapixels
CCD size1/2.3in
Viewfinderelectronic (202,000 pixels)
Viewfinder magnification, coverageN/A
LCD screen size2.8in
LCD screen resolution461,000 pixels
Articulated screenYes
Live viewYes
Optical zoom50.0x
Zoom 35mm equivalent24-1,200mm
Image stabilisationoptical, lens based
Maximum image resolution4,000×3,000
File formatsJPEG, RAW; QuickTime (AVC)

Physical

Memory slotSDXC
Mermory suppliednone
Battery typeLi-ion
Battery Life (tested)315 shots
ConnectivityUSB, AV, mini HDMI, wired remote
Body materialplastic
Lens mountN/A
Focal length multiplierN/A
Kit lens model nameN/A
AccessoriesUSB cable, neck strap
Weight595g
Size90x123x112mm

Buying Information

Warrantyone year RTB
Price£412
Supplierhttp://www.amazon.co.uk
Detailswww.canon.co.uk

Camera Controls

Exposure modesprogram, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed15 to 1/2,000 seconds
Aperture rangef/3.4-8 (wide), f/6.5-8 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution)80 to 6400
Exposure compensation+/-3 EV
White balanceauto, 6 presets with fine tuning, manual
Additional image controlscontrast, saturation, sharpness, red, green, blue, skin tone
Manual focusYes
Closest macro focus0cm
Auto-focus modesmulti, flexible spot, face detect, tracking
Metering modesmulti, centre-weighted, centre, face detect
Flashauto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, red-eye reduction
Drive modessingle, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, focus bracket

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