Canon broke with its usual tradition of upgrading the line every 18 months, introducing the EOS 50D just 12 months from the introduction of the 40D. The move has helped Canon catch up with the Nikon D300, which made quite a splash in the market. With the same rugged, conservative body as the 40D, the Canon EOS 50D’s only distinguishing mark is the silver bezel on its mode dial. There are a few minor changes to how the buttons and controls are used, but for the most part the Canon 50D camera body is unchanged.

The jump from the Canon 20D to 30D was similar to this transition from 40D to 50D, with most of the changes made internally. This time, though, those internal changes are more significant, helping the Canon EOS 50D body better compete against the current crop of 12 to 14-megapixel digital SLRs, including Canon’s own consumer model, the 12.1-megapixel Rebel XSi (450D). In both cases, the 50D’s resolution exceeds the norm for this level of camera, while the 40D’s 10.1-megapixel resolution didn’t really exceed any of the market leaders at the time, nor did it hold up for long against the Canon XSi’s 12.2 megapixels, introduced earlier this year.

We’ve never held that megapixels were as important as the noise handling and high-ISO performance, though, so we’re excited that the 50D’s 15.1 megapixels also includes great high-ISO performance. Other interface improvements are also welcome, including a Quick Control screen, as well as several feature enhancements, like face detection in Live View mode, and contrast-detect autofocus in Live View, all making the already great EOS 40D even better.

Improvements to the features like Automatic Lighting Optimizer and Noise Reduction are welcome, and innovative capture methods brought over from the Canon 40D, like silent shutter mode, 14-bit A/D conversion, and the ability to capture 6.3 frames per second keep the Canon 50D an excellent photographic tool.

Excellent low-light performance, impressive printed output, very fast shutter lag times, solid build, superb customization, and excellent image quality all add up to make the Canon EOS 50D a great choice for all types of photographers.  With it's great features there is no reason not to buy Canon EOS 50D digital SLR camera.