The Canon Powershot SX50 HS had the most powerful optical zoom of any compact camera when it was released in 2012. Reviews of professionals indicate that the device has not lost its popularity and boasts a number of characteristics that make it relevant today. More details about this camera will be discussed in this article.
General Description
With its appearance, the model is a bit like a SLR camera. Various elements of the case are clearly distinguished by assembly lines and textured materials. The build quality is at a high level. To create the case, the developers used mainly metal and plastic of increased strength. Each individual element is well built and secured with bolts. During operation of the device, the moving parts do not hang out and operate very smoothly.
As well as manysimilar devices, the device has a rather large body. Its weight together with the battery is about 600 grams. Compared to the previous modification (SX40), the novelty received a flash that protrudes more than the design. The color scheme is dominated by black, which is why the model is often referred to as the "Canon Powershot SX50 HS Black". To the right of the lens, the developers have installed a lamp to illuminate the auto focus, while to the left is a protruding knob. There are also two buttons on the front to enable tracking auto focus and switch the lens to wide-angle mode from any position.
A so-called shoe is provided in the upper part, which expands the capabilities of the device related to connecting external flashes. To the left of it is a key to turn on the built-in flash, behind it is an on / off button and a dial for changing operating modes, and to the right is a shutter with a wheel for zoom control.
On the back of the Canon Powershot SX50 HS, apart from the screen, you can see a few more elements. The leftmost button is customizable. In other words, the user can independently program for it any function that they wish. On the right, Japanese engineers installed a playback start key and a navigation joystick that can work in four directions. Below are two identical buttons at once, they serve to turn on the on-screen menu and display settings with the viewfinder.
On the right side of the case, under a special plug, hiddenAV and HDMI ports, as well as a remote control connector. On the left end, the developers placed a speaker, and on the bottom - a socket for installing the device on a stand. It should be noted that in the case of using a tripod, access to a removable memory card is blocked. In this regard, to replace it, you must first unscrew the camera.
Display and viewfinder
On the back is a 2.8-inch liquid crystal display equipped with a swivel mechanism. Its resolution is 461 thousand pixels. Such parameters can be called quite decent, because they provide a clear image when previewing frames. By clicking on a special button, the user can choose one of two options for displaying them (they differ in the number of images). On the other hand, many users of the Canon Powershot SX50 HS note that a better screen could have been installed in such a high-end device.
In addition to the main display, the device has a fairly high-quality electronic viewfinder. Even for most experts, it remains incomprehensible that the developers have not installed a separate button for directly switching between them. In this regard, given the presence of the function of rotating the main screen, many owners of the camera usually do not use it. As for the viewfinder menu, it should be called clear and simple compared to similar models from competing companies.
Ergonomics
Device dimensionsdo not allow you to hide it in your pocket or small women's handbag. Along with this, the heavy body becomes an advantage when creating sharp shots at maximum zoom. In general, we can say that the Canon Powershot SX50 HS digital camera boasts good ergonomics. The successful design of the servos responsible for changing the focal length in the lens makes its movement very quiet. This nuance becomes especially relevant when shooting video, because the sound in the video is not drowned out by extraneous noise.
Due to the presence of a special protrusion on the handle, the index finger is placed very comfortably. The display has bipolar angles, and therefore shooting in non-standard situations is greatly simplified. Compared to the previous modification, the developers have expanded the user interface of the Canon Powershot SX50 HS. Reviews of the owners of the model in most cases characterize it as quite smooth and comfortable to work with. As for the main controls of the device, most of them are located exactly in the places where users would like to see them.
Key Features
The DIGIC-5 processor is at the heart of the Canon Powershot SX50 HS. The characteristics of this device allow you to create burst images at up to 13 frames per second. Compared to its previous modification (DIGIC-4), the processor copes with noise 75% more efficiently. In other words, under the condition of a long focus, you can turn off the flash and raise it slightlyISO value. In this case, the photos will also be of high quality, and there will be no noise on them. At the same time, the optical stabilization system independently determines the optimal mode of operation. Be that as it may, the user, if desired, can manually select one of the seven work options suitable for him.
Matrix
The Canon Powershot SX50 HS is equipped with a 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with backlight technology. This gives certain advantages when taking pictures in conditions of not the best lighting. In particular, it opens up a sensitivity range for the user, the ISO value of which is in the range from 100 to 6400. The optics provide the ability to zoom in on the objects being shot by 50x. Moreover, the software of the device provides the possibility of a fourfold digital zoom.
At first glance, it may seem that twelve megapixels for a modern camera will not be enough. Be that as it may, experts say that the size of each individual dot has slightly increased due to the low resolution. Thus, in comparison with the previous modification of the camera, the level of noise in the frame has decreased in the pictures.
The largest picture size is 4000 x 3000 pixels. In other words, photos taken with the Canon Powershot SX50 HS can be printed at 34 x 25 centimeters without any loss of quality.
Operating modes
At the top of the camera is a wheel to select modes of operation. There are twelve positions in total. In particular, almost everything that is necessary not only for an ordinary user, but also for a professional is provided here: from the standard options for choosing shutter speed or aperture priority, ending with an automatic mode that boasts an extended dynamic range and the ability to shoot video.
Management
As with all other models from this manufacturer, the Canon Powershot SX50 HS controls are right-handed. In this regard, it is not surprising that all the main elements are in the appropriate place. On the rear panel, Japanese engineers placed the keys for direct video recording, timer, ISO selection, focus mode change, as well as a standard joystick with a wheel consisting of five positions. It is also used for menu navigation. In all other respects, the device is very typical of the Canon brand.
Working speed
Thanks to the use of a good processor, the time required to turn on the camera does not exceed the two-second mark. Given the fact that massive optics are installed here, this figure can be called decent. It takes a maximum of four seconds to change the focal length from the smallest to the largest value. This figure deteriorates noticeably when recording movies (up to 10 seconds).
Image quality and formats
The device is capable ofcreate images in-j.webp
Thanks to the automatic white balance function, the color mode in the foreground and background is determined very correctly. Model algorithms provide the ability to balance with an external light source and with a flash. As for noise, they are not felt when the ISO is up to 1600. Sharpness begins to drop significantly if its value reaches 3200. If the ISO is 6400, the images will look blurry. At the same time, digital noise is not typical for such photographs.
A high level of detail in difficult areas is provided by the dynamic range correction function. To be fair, it should be noted that this feature is only available when shooting in-j.webp
In macro mode, even at the minimum distance of the lens from the subject, the photos are sharp. Whatever it was,certain changes can be made by the optical system itself. At the minimum focal length, frames are characterized by a slight barrel-shaped distortion, and at the maximum, slight concave distortion.
Flash
The Canon Powershot SX50 HS Black is equipped with a standard flash that pops up. In this regard, before using it, you must remove your hand from the top panel. One of the three scenarios for its operation is selected by pressing a special button. As for the operating range, it is in the range from 0.5 to 5.5 meters.
As evidenced by the reviews of many owners of the model, indoors it works quite well. The resulting images are uncharacteristic of both exposure errors and red-eye. With the active night photography mode, the shutter speed can be set to an interval of up to 15 seconds. As practice shows, this is quite enough in most situations. Under conditions of poor lighting or long focus, the image stabilization system helps a lot.
Video shooting
The Canon Powershot SX50 HS is capable of shooting HD 1080p movies at 24 frames per second. Due to the resolution, the user has the opportunity to increase it to 30 frames per second. The recording is accompanied by stereo sound. The device allows you to scale directly during video creation. If necessary, the user can record videos in Full HD. Like many other similarmodern devices, the model boasts a range of artistic filters.
Autonomy
Good battery life is considered one of the positive characteristics that the Canon Powershot SX50 HS can boast of. User feedback indicates that the 920 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery used here can take an average of 315 photos on a full charge.
Overall impression
Summarizing, it should be noted that the model is positioned by the manufacturer as a flagship device in the zoom segment. Its main disadvantage is considered to be a rather high cost, which in domestic equipment stores is about 510 US dollars. However, this minus is typical for most Canon models.
The quality of the resulting still images can be classified as above average. The main reason for choosing this camera is the ability to zoom in on subjects up to 50x. On the other hand, for the same reason, many potential buyers refuse the idea of acquiring a Canon Powershot SX50 HS camera. Expert feedback suggests that without proper practice, dealing with it is not so easy. Plus, this feature leads to a significant increase in the cost of the model, while situations in which such a zoom could be useful do not happen every day. Therefore, before purchasing this model, professionals recommend testing it first in the store, and onlythen make the final decision.
