Canon EOS 50D Body FEATURES OVERVIEW
The Canon EOS 50D is Canon's latest advanced amateur/professional DSLR, moving into the company's lineup one step above the
current Rebel XSi as a replacement for last year's 40D. In much the same way that the 40D was an evolution of the 30D (which was
an evolution of the 20D...which evolved from the 10D), the 50D offers just enough improvements and new features to make it desirable
but isn't revolutionary enough to make the previous camera model obsolete. The 50D features a proprietary CMOS sensor with an effective 15.1 megapixels of resolution (an increase from the 40D's 10.1 megapixel
sensor), a new DIGIC IV 14-bit image processor, a new menu system, and better weather sealing where the various parts of the camera
body come together. The 40D's bright viewfinder with interchangeable screens and nine-point auto focus system return, with the
addition of live view with enhanced contrast-detect AF. The 50D also gets a new "Clear View" 3.0 inch LCD with improved
resolution and greater visibility in direct sunlight. LCD size, resolution, and sunlight readability is particularly important for the 50D since it sports a live view system, allowing the screen
to be used for shot composition. The 50D's live view implementation is a significant improvement over the first-generation live view
feature on the 40D, with the addition of a contrast-detection AF mode that allows the camera to auto focus without interrupting
the on-screen preview as on the 40D. Another interesting improvement includes a fairly advanced Picture Style menu that allows shooters to fine-tune image processing
(and includes space for several user-defined custom settings). The 50D supports Canon's current EF/EF-S lens mount but doesn't
come packaged with a "kit lens" – a testament to the fact this camera is designed for advanced photographers who already have
lenses or already know what lenses they need. As with the previous 40D, the 50D's shooting modes are quite diverse without the point-and-shoot naming conventions used
with the Canon Rebel cameras. The shooting modes include: Auto: "Point-and-shoot" mode where the camera controls everything.
Creative Auto: You have control of two sliders (depth-of-field and brightness); basically a novice-friendly aperture-priority mode.
Program: Essentially the same as Auto, but you can set the ISO, exposure compensation, use AE lock,
bracketing, and other basic functions.
Shutter Priority: You control the shutter speed and the camera controls the aperture.
Aperture Priority: You control the aperture and the camera controls the shutter speed.
Manual: Full manual control over shutter speed and aperture.
Auto Depth-of-Field (A-DEP): Camera automatically adjusts depth of field (aperture) to ensure that all the
subjects in a group shot appear in focus.
Portrait: Aperture is set to minimize depth of field for portraits
Landscape: Aperture is set to maximize depth of field for landscapes
Close-up: Aperture is set medium range for good depth of field for macro photography
Sports: Auto mode that gives priority to high shutter speed to freeze movement
Night Portrait: Combines slow shutter speed with flash to create properly exposed subjects and backgrounds
Flash Off: Auto mode with flash disabled
Camera User Settings 1 and 2 (C1 and C2): User-customizable shooting modes
Like most DSLRs, playback options are fairly basic with the 50D. The camera does incorporate an orientation sensor that
automatically rotates portrait-orientation images during playback. As with Canon's point-and-shoots, it's also easy to scroll
through images either 10 or 100 at a time using the control dial. 
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