Canon R50 Video Settings: Switch Fast Between Photo and Video

The Canon EOS R50 records uncropped 4K 30p video that is oversampled from 6K, and it shoots stills at up to 15 fps with the electronic shutter. To move between photo and video quickly, decide on a setup for each mode ahead of time, write both down, and arrange the screen and focus aids so nothing surprises you when you switch.

What the R50 offers for video

Digital Camera World describes the R50's 4K as 6K-oversampled and says it offers great quality footage. The 4K 30p mode uses the full width of the sensor, with no crop. Fstoppers lists 10-bit 4:2:2 HDR PQ recording, webcam use and support for vertical video.

The Digital Picture found that R50 movies show a relatively low rolling shutter effect, and it called the 4K output outstanding. Fstoppers also described the rolling shutter effect while panning as well controlled. The fully articulating screen lets you see yourself while filming.

There are limits. Fstoppers wrote that the video settings feel too limited for the serious filmer, and called the R50 a photography camera first and a video camera second. Digital Camera World notes that the autofocus is pared down: it has face and eye detection, but it lacks Canon's automatic eye priority, which switches to a subject's closest eye during video recording.

Video feature	What the reviews report
4K recording	4K 30p, uncropped, oversampled from 6K
HDR	10-bit 4:2:2 HDR PQ
Rolling shutter	Relatively low, well controlled while panning
Autofocus	Dual Pixel AF with face and eye detection, no automatic eye priority in video
Screen	Fully articulating touchscreen
Extras	Webcam use, vertical video, focus breathing compensation
In-body stabilization	None

What the R50 offers for stills

The R50 produces 24.2MP images from an APS-C sensor, the same sensor used in the Canon EOS R10. The Digital Picture reports that this sensor has low noise levels and high dynamic range. Digital Camera World still advises against pushing the ISO to extremes.

With the full electronic shutter, the R50 shoots up to 15 fps while keeping full autofocus and autoexposure. With the first curtain electronic shutter, the top speed is 12 fps, and a full mechanical shutter is not available. Shutter speeds run from 30 sec to 1/4000 sec with first curtain electronic, and from 30 sec to 1/8000 sec with the electronic shutter.

Set up the camera once, for both modes

The settings in this section come from The Digital Picture's setup guide for the Canon EOS R50 V, which shares the R50's sensor. That guide gives menu tab positions for the R50 V, so on an R50 look for the same setting names rather than assuming the same tab numbers.

Keep a written list of each setup

The Digital Picture recommends keeping an up-to-date list of your menu settings, so you can quickly re-establish them whenever the camera returns to its factory state. Make that list two columns: one for photo, one for video. When you switch modes, you check the column instead of guessing, and a reset or a second body takes minutes to match.

Tidy the screen

The guide suggests enabling four shooting info screens, with one showing only basic shooting info and the electronic level, and another showing basic info, a histogram and the level. It sets the histogram to RGB and Small, so each color channel shows separately and the graph does not crowd your composition. A level helps keep horizons straight in both stills and video, and the histogram helps you judge exposure in either mode.

Turn on focus peaking

The guide turns on MF peaking. Peaking helps when you switch to manual focus for a locked-off video shot or a close-up still. Fstoppers notes that the R50 also offers focus breathing compensation and focus stacking.

Decide what a touch on the screen does

The Digital Picture disables Touch Shutter, so touching the screen sets focus without firing the shutter. That choice suits both modes: in video, tapping a face to move focus mid-clip is far more useful than an accidental photo.

Small housekeeping

The guide recommends formatting each memory card in-camera before using it, noting that all data on the card will be lost. It also disables the beep. A silent camera matters most in video, since a beep can end up on your audio.

Your video setup

Resolution and frame rate

Start with 4K 30p, since it is uncropped and oversampled from 6K. That keeps your lens framing the same as in stills, which makes switching between modes less jarring.

Stabilization

The R50 has no in-body image stabilization, or IBIS. Digital Camera World says the RF-S 18-45mm kit lens delivers solid stabilization. For walking shots, use a stabilized lens, and for anything longer than a quick clip, consider a tripod or gimbal.

Focus

Dual Pixel AF with face and eye detection handles most talking-head and family footage. Since the R50 lacks automatic eye priority in video, check your framing when a subject turns their head.

HDR PQ

HDR PQ records in 10-bit 4:2:2. Leave it off unless you plan to edit and deliver HDR, because standard footage is simpler to share straight to social media.

Your photo setup

Shutter type

Use the full electronic shutter for 15 fps bursts of moving subjects. The 1/8000 sec top speed with the electronic shutter also helps when you shoot wide apertures in bright light. Switch to first curtain electronic when you prefer that mode, keeping in mind it tops out at 12 fps and 1/4000 sec.

Picture Style and JPEG settings

The Digital Picture's setup guide uses the Neutral Picture Style with Sharpness at 1, because the low-contrast look gives a histogram that best shows available dynamic range. All Canon EOS cameras offer in-camera noise reduction, sharpness and other image quality adjustments, which matter most if you need finished JPEGs straight from the camera. Fstoppers found the R50 offers a lot of creative settings for JPEG shooters.

Noise options

MSNR merges four exposures from a burst into one image and provides one to two stops of noise reduction. The Digital Picture's reviewer added that he had not found a compelling use for it. Try it for still subjects in dim light, where the camera and subject both stay put.

Skip the digital extender

The R50's digital extender offers 2x and 4x magnification and always produces a 24MP image, but Fstoppers found the results not that great. Use a longer lens or crop later instead.

A fallback for quick handoffs

The fully automatic A+ mode gained Creative Assist adjustments, Creative Bracketing and Advanced A+ on the R50. If someone else grabs the camera for a quick photo, A+ is a sensible place to leave it, and your photo column tells you how to get back to your own setup.

A lens that works for both

The R50 is sold body-only, with the RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM, or in a two-lens kit that adds the RF-S 55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM.

Digital Camera World calls the RF-S 18-45mm a fantastic option for everyday stills and video, with solid image quality, fast autofocus and solid stabilization. For a second lens, it recommends the RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, which works out to an effective 80mm on the R50 and is silent and smooth enough for video. That lens suits portraits in photo mode and interviews in video mode.

R50 or R50 V if video comes first

Canon used the R50 as the template for its first interchangeable lens vlogging camera, the EOS R50 V. Digital Camera World calls the R50 V objectively better, with slightly better autofocus, better burst buffering, better video and audio, and better connectivity. The biggest physical difference is that the R50 V drops the viewfinder.

Feature	Canon EOS R50	Canon EOS R50 V
Sensor	24.2MP APS-C	Same 24.2MP APS-C sensor
Viewfinder	Electronic viewfinder	None
Audio jacks	Not covered in the reviews used here	Headphone and microphone
Log recording	Not covered in the reviews used here	C-Log3
Tally light	Not covered in the reviews used here	Front tally lamp and red box on screen
Streaming	Webcam use	USB-C UVC up to 4K 60p, Live Switcher app support
Launch price, body only	Not covered in the reviews used here	$649.99

If you shoot a lot of stills through a viewfinder, the standard R50 is the better fit. Digital Camera World notes that the R50's EVF is preferable in many situations, though it still found the R50 V a very capable stills camera from the rear screen.

If most of your work is filmed, especially self-recorded, the R50 V's tally features point it toward video.

Where to go next

Once your two setups are written down, practice switching between them a few times at home before an event. For a broader look at whether this body suits you, read Canon EOS R50: Best Beginner Camera in the Canon RF System?. For general stills settings that carry across Canon bodies, see Best Canon Camera Settings for Beginners.