Canon EOS C50 review: The FX3 killer is here

It’s finally here, the Canon EOS C50 – Canon’s long-awaited response to the enormously popular Sony FX3. It isn’t a fair fight, however, as the latest Cinema EOS body annihilates the four-year-old Sony with a spec sheet that will have videographers and creators heading to MPB and KEH to look up the trade-in value on their kit.

The Canon EOS C50 packs a new 32MP full-frame sensor with dual base ISO, capable of 7K 60p internal RAW and open gate capture, Dual Pixel Autofocus II, 40fps bursts for stills, a modular design with removable handle, twin XLRs, full-size HDMI, 4-channel audio, Canon Log 2 and 3 with 15 stops of dynamic range, Frame.IO support, active cooling system… and a price tag lower than the FX3’s.

However, Canon has muddied the waters by introducing not only the Canon EOS R6 Mark III but also the Canon EOS R6 V – both of which share the same sensor, core specs and internal architecture with the Canon EOS C50.

There are key differences (namely the presence or absence of EVFs, IBIS, active cooling, weather sealing, mechanical shutter and anamorphic support) so you can pick your poison whether you're a photographer who shoots a bit of video, a content creator who shoots both, or a cinematographer who occasionally needs stills. Check out my Canon EOS R6 II vs R6 III vs R6 V vs C50 comparison.

Still, the C50 is a direct competitor to the Sony FX3. And for professional videographers, high-end solo creators, wedding shooters and production companies looking for a small, lightweight setup with adaptable shooting and efficient workflow, there’s a new sheriff in town.

Canon EOS C50: Specifications

Canon EOS C50: Price

The Canon EOS C50 carries a retail price of $3,899 / £3,359.99 / AU$5,899 including the modular handle.

For context, the four-year-old Sony FX3 (its direct competitor) sells for $4,098 / £3,799 / AU$6,499.

The next model up in the Cinema EOS range, the Canon EOS C80, costs $5,849 / £4,499 / AU$7,999.

Within the extended R6 family, all of which share the same core specs, the R6 V is priced at $2,499 / £2,399 / AU$3,599 while the R6 Mark III, at $2,799 / £2,799 / AU$4,199.

Canon EOS C50: Build & handling

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The Canon EOS C50 is intended to act as a bridge between Cinema EOS cameras and the PowerShot V and EOS RV product lines.

And this is certainly reflected in the design of the body, which in many ways feels like a cross-pollination of the EOS C70 and the EOS R50 V (the cameras it sits in-between in the video range). Which, of course, gives it a form factor very similar to the Sony FX3 at which it’s taking aim.

It’s the smallest and lightest Cinema EOS body, coming in 10g lighter than the Canon EOS 5C, and it’s also lighter than the FX3 – though it’s noticeably chunkier than Sony’s body. It’s still compact for a cinema camera, though this does leave the three-inch articulating touchscreen feeling a little bit cramped.

You’ll probably want to spend most of your time with the screen flipped out, as it covers one of the active cooling ports. Having spent ages torture testing the R6 Mark III's fan-free record times, the C50 is an absolute joy to shoot with; I've got over an hour of open gate RAW LT and about three quarters of an hour in RAW ST. So record times aren't a problem… but the resulting files might be, as I'll come onto in the next section.

As with most cameras in this class, there is no electronic viewfinder – and while Canon doesn’t rule it out, there are no plans to produce an external one. It’s the kind of thing that a third-party manufacturer might come out with, but then again – given the lukewarm reception to the Sony FX2’s EVF, you probably shouldn’t hold your breath.

The small size of the Canon EOS C50 is accounted for by its modularity. Included with the camera is the top handle / grip, which accommodates a pair of full-size XLRs (with input controls), an additional Multi-Function Shoe and a handful of extra controls – including a fourth Rec button.

As is the case with Cinema EOS bodies, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to controls. There are fourteen numbered on-body buttons, with six on the top plate, six on the back of the camera and two on the front. Most of these are preassigned to functions like waveforms and peaking, but the body is highly customizable so that your fingers can always find what they’re looking for.

Surrounding the primary Rec button (which sits atop the grip, in the same position you’d usually find a camera’s shutter button) is a power zoom rocker switch for smooth operation of compatible PZ lenses.

Speaking of lenses, the Canon EOS C50 features a full-frame RF mount that accommodates both RF and RF-S (APS-C / Super 35) lenses. Unlike some other Cinema EOS bodies, the C50 isn’t available with a PL mount – but Canon introduced an RF-PL adapter with the EOS C400, and obviously there are multiple RF-EF adapters available, so mounting the majority of standard cinema lenses isn’t a problem.

Canon EOS C50: Performance

For a lot of people, the Canon EOS C50 is going to be the ultimate cinema camera. For example, I know of two local production houses that immediately replaced their fleet of R5Cs with C50s.

While the R5C is still a current product, it seems pretty clear that the C50 is destined to replace it. Both are hybrid, high-resolution, video-first cameras aimed at mid-tier videographers and professionals. But while the 45MP / 8K R5C still offers superior resolution, everything else is in the 32MP / 7K C50’s favor.

Obviously the most exciting feature for most people considering this camera is the open gate video. This records footage using the entirety of the 3:2 sensor, giving you the flexibility in post to output it in whatever format you or your clients require – whether that’s 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for social media, 1:1 for adverts and so on.

Up until now this has been the calling card of Panasonic cameras (and Fujifilm, if you don't mind APS-C) – and has been reason enough for some people to jump to the Lumix system. Now that Canon has adopted the technology, it’s going to be a major drawing card for the C50. However, a word of warning if you're not used to shooting open gate: it is not for the faint-hearted, especially at 7K.

Having the entire sensor area to play with in post is fantastic; we used the C50 to film some podcasts, where it could effectively replace a three-camera setup. However, you will literally end up with hundreds of gigabytes of files. Like shooting in RAW, this is only something you should use if you genuinely need it and you have the workflow, processing and storage infrastructure to manage it.

(It's also worth noting, as this is sometimes lost in the messaging, that the C50 is a 7K 60p camera that shoots open gate – but open gate is only 7K 30p, which means you can't use native slow-motion effects in this mode.)

A feature I'm a bit in love with is simultaneous shooting mode, which captures 4K horizontal video to the CFexpress card while recording 2K vertical video to the SD. You can't shoot in RAW, and it's not an open gate mode (working instead from a 17:9 crop) but it's an absolutely brilliant idea for those who want to capture vertical video to quickly throw up on socials without having to go through a second output pass.

In addition to full-frame open gate, the sensor supports standard full-frame shooting along with Super 35 and Super 16. As usual, this makes the C50 a compelling option for existing Cinema EOS users as the footage cuts seamlessly with Super 35 cameras like the C70.

Speaking of the sensor, it’s a completely new one – and Canon's first full-frame 32MP design. While it’s not a stacked design, its readout speed is fast enough to eschew a mechanical shutter entirely. This is evidenced both by the video framerates, which go up to full-width 4K 120p and 2K 180p in HFR mode, as well as the 40fps burst shooting for stills.

Stills will be widely overlooked on this camera, even though this is still a hybrid camera that like the R5C offers dual menu systems – flick the power switch left to Photo, the C50 boots up with the standard EOS interface; flick it right to Video and it powers up with Cinema EOS layout and menus.

Photos can be rattled off at a blistering 40fps (matching the burst speed of the flagship EOS R1), with the camera also supporting Pre-Continous Shooting (where shots are buffered when you half-press the shutter, so you never miss the decisive moment), supported by Dual Pixel AF II and EOS iTR AF X (Canon’s Intelligent Tracking and Recognition deep learning technology).

This isn't quite as robust as the pure Dual Pixel AF II found in the R6 V and R6 Mark III, which both have stickier tracking and full subject detection algorithms. This stands to reason, as cinema cameras often employ pullers and follow focus rigs, so the AF doesn't need to be as sturdy. Which isn't to say that the autofocus isn't good; it is, and is arguably the best it's ever been on a Cinema EOS body. But it's better on the R6 models.

Of course, the C50 offers plenty of pro options that aren't found in its non-cinema R6 siblings. A big one is anamorphic desqueeze support, which enables you to use anamorphic lenses for full cinematic effect.

Professional use really is the key, here, particularly when it comes to connectivity. In a big step up from the R5C, the Canon EOS C50 features a full-size HDMI port in addition to two full-size XLRs (on the handle) to take advantage of the four-channel audio, along with a DIN timecode (DIN) port.

The connectivity extends from physical to virtual, too. Multi-camera shooting is possible via Canon’s XC protocol, enabling remote IP control alongside other Cinema EOS and PTZ cameras, as well as the Canon Multi-Camera Control App. In addition, Frame.io and Canon’s CTP (Content Transfer Protocol) real-time delivery are also supported to streamline workflow.

While in-body image stabilization (IBIS) isn't something that Canon offers for its cinema cameras, it's one of the few areas where the FX3 has one up on the C50. For something billed as a direct competitor, and a run-and-gun camera for solo shooters in its own right, this is a notable omission – though again, the R6 V solves this problem.

Far more important, however, are the inclusion of a slew of essential filmmaking features that the Sony was missing, such as internal RAW, waveforms and the all-important shutter angle. Shy of integrated ND filters, which are a mark of higher-end cine cameras, it's hard to think of anything major that the C50 is missing.

Canon EOS C50: Sample photos

Canon EOS C50: Sample video

Here are some video snippets taken with the C50 in a variety of modes.

The first video shows a selection of environmental clips, while the second video illustrates the difference between open gate (3:2) full-sensor readout and standard 16:9 footage.

Canon EOS C50: Lab results

Historically we haven't lab tested full-on cinema cameras, as our testing procedure measures still image quality. Consequently, we don't have lab data for many of the EOS C50's main rivals. The closest cameras for which we have lab data are the Nikon ZR, and the Sony ZV-E1.

We test resolution using Imatest charts and software, and dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio with DxO Analyzer.

Resolution (line widths/picture height):

As you'd expect from having 32.5MP on tap, the EOS C50 is capable of resolving noticeably more fine detail than the 24.5MP Nikon ZR. The 12MP ZV-E1 was never designed for outright resolution, and it shows.

Dynamic range (EV):

Dynamic range is excellent at lower sensitives, roughly equalling the comparison cameras. As you push past ISO800 the C50 slightly trails the Nikon ZR, capturing around 0.5EV less dynamic range. But it's the ZV-E1 that really shines here, with its lower pixel count paying dividends when it comes to capturing extreme highlight and shadow detail.

Signal to noise ratio (decibels):

This test compares the amount of random noise generated by the camera at different ISO settings as a proportion of the actual image information (the 'signal'). Higher values are better and we expect to see the signal to ratio fall as the ISO is increased.

The C50 generates slightly more image noise than the Nikon ZR throughout our tested sensitivity range. But it's the ZV-E1 that leads the way in terms of noise levels, producing significantly cleaner high ISO stills than the C50.

Canon EOS C50: Verdict

Upon launch, there was only one question on everyone's minds: is the Canon EOS C50 better than the Sony FX3? And the answer was yes, it outclasses the FX3 in every way – including price.

Its unique combination of photo and video firepower mean the C50 is untouched in its class, making it the most compelling choice in a category that has for years been dominated by Sony and Panasonic.

Indeed, while it’s obviously a broadside for the FX3, it’s arguably going to do even more damage to Lumix, given how open gate video was such a trump card for the brand – and now it’s available in a 7K 60p Canon body with all the Cinema EOS bells and whistles.

However, as repeatedly noted, things are more complicated now that the R6 V is in town. I'll refer you once more to my Canon EOS R6 II vs R6 III vs R6 V vs C50 comparison, but as a TLDR:

The C50 is for cinematographers and videographers who don't want IBIS and don't need weather sealing, but do need things like anamorphic and timecode support. The R6 V is for solo creators, for whom stabilization and sealing are important – and who need slightly better autofocus.

For those top-tier creators and pro video shooters, though, it's hard to see the Canon EOS C50 being anything other than an essential purchase. It offers professional-grade features without the price tag of high-end cinema products. If you're looking for an open gate system and you don't want or need in-body stabilization, this is the finest option out there.