Canon EOS R50

Canon's entry-level APS-C model packs cutting-edge technology into a small, simple and lightweight body. Andy Westlake finds out whether it's the ultimate entry-level camera

- Andy Westlake

The Canon EOS R50 is an entry-level mirrorless model with a 24MP APS-C sensor. It's aimed at those buying their first standalone camera having previously used a smartphone for photos and video. In many respects, it can be seen as a simplified version of the Canon EOS R10, sharing the same sensor and processor, and offering a broadly similar specification. However, it's even smaller and lighter, and has a very much simpler and more beginner-friendly design.

If the EOS R50 looks vaguely familiar, that's because it's essentially a re-worked version of the EOS M50 Mark II, but with an RF mount, rather than EF-M. If you needed any confirmation that Canon's older EOS M-series APS-C mirrorless system has reached the end of its life, this is it. The R50 is also effectively a successor to the EOS 250D ultra-compact DSLR, with Canon's future now firmly set on the RF mount alone.

Available in a choice of black or white finishes, the EOS R50 costs £789.99 body-only, £899.99 with the RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM zoom, or £1,049 in a dual-lens kit adding the RF-S 55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM telezoom. This makes it rather more expensive at launch than either the EOS 250D or EOS M50 Mark II, which each cost around £699 with their respective kit zooms. In terms of the competition, it's up against the likes of the Fujifilm X-T30 II, Nikon Z 50, and Sony Alpha 6400, all of which are similarly featured, if somewhat older designs. So how does the EOS R50 stack up?