The EOS R50 is very light and compact. It may be hard to tell exactly how small in photos since we all have different hand sizes, but it’s 116 x 86 x 69mm (4.6 x 3.4 x 2.7″) and weighs about 375g (13.2 oz) with the battery and a card inside. That’s surprisingly small for an interchangeable lens camera.
Both DPReview’s Richard Butler and Chris Niccolls commented on the small hand grip and found they had to adopt an off-center, 45 degree hand grip angle, rather than trying to grasp it straight-on. It’s not the end of the world, just different, and both Richard and Chris say it became a non-issue in short time.
Across the top, there’s a lone command dial, mode selection dial, dedicated ISO button, video record button, on/off switch, hot shoe, pop-up flash and, of course, a shutter button. The command dial gives users some control to make adjustments in P, A, S or M modes, but it’s rather under-utilized in the more automated modes. This is because the camera has a very touchscreen-focused user interface.
The fully articulating rear touch screen is the main intended way to interact with the camera, allowing many direct adjustments such as tap to focus, and featuring screens explaining the mode you’ve just selected – all in the service of a beginner-friendly UX design.
Part of this is the Creative Assist mode, which displays a series of icons representing options such as brightness or color. It’s pretty simple to use but, while the command dial can be used to adjust the settings, it’s only active while you’re in the adjust settings screens. While you’re actually shooting, the command dial does nothing, which feels like a waste, since your finger is likely to be resting on it.
