Canon is one of the several camcorder manufacturers that still opt to equip some of their variants with internal flash storage. For years, the budget Canon VIXIA lineup consists of a model with 32 GB storage, 16 GB storage and no internal storage at all with all models sporting an SD menu and only the ones with internal retentiveness sporting built-in Wi-Fi. The Canon HF R50 continues this trend as it serves as the choice for folks that don't want to spend more than $400 on a camcorder up front end while enjoying all of the features that the priciest camcorder of the new trio possesses.

Canon VIXIA HF R50

Canon HF R50

Pattern

On a hardware perspective, the Canon VIXIA HF R50 is a pretty minor upgrade over concluding yr's VIXIA HF R40 both inside and out. On the outside, the Canon HF R50 is pretty much the same basic and compact camcorder that the budget VIXIA series is known for. Open the screen up and you lot are greeted with a fairly impressive 3-inch capacitive touch panel display. Touch operation tin can exist a bit flaky for many of the upkeep camcorders out in that location but the VIXIA HF R50 is pretty responsive and easy to use. Combined with the comfortable handstrap, the R50 is very much a joy for beginner users to apply. However, that tin exist said for the previous model too.

With the screen opened up, you get immediate access to some of the physical buttons and ports on the side of the camcorder. This includes the usual stuff similar the power button and playback button too as an HDMI out, AV port and mini-USB port. It is worth noting that opening the display powers on the camcorder likewise. Unlike several camcorders that characteristic the SD card slot on the bottom of the camcorder, the Catechism HF R50 has its slot on the side of the camcorder as well then tin swap out an SD carte du jour and put another in without taking the camcorder out of the tripod.

Canon VIXIA HF R50 Back View
Catechism VIXIA HF R50 Back View

Features

Based on the specs of the VIXIA HF R50, it looks similar Canon is pretty satisfied with the capabilities of the R40. It might sound disappointing for those that want to encounter more advanced capabilities to trickle down to the entry-level price range merely the VIXIA HF R40 was widely praised as one of the all-time upkeep camcorders money tin can buy. The DIGIC DV 4 image processor is notwithstanding pretty fresh and optimizes the video quality pretty well. This processor is powerful enough to record AVCHD and MP4 video streams simultaneously. This sets the phase for the Dual Recording feature which is can be useful if you lot need a copy of the higher quality AVCHD format. AVCHD videos can exist tricky to edit and take a long time to upload to Facebook or YouTube. This is where the MP4 format is meliorate and you lot don't have to effigy out how to convert the AVCHD video to MP4 since the Dual Recording feature takes care of that.

The Canon HF R50 is equipped with the same 32x optical zoom lens as the R40. This might audio a bit surprising because the even older Canon VIXIA HF R30 has that lens as well. Fortunately, the Avant-garde Zoom manner which made its debut on the R40 has been improved and so y'all can zoom up to 57x and withal enjoy detailed footage.

A high zoom range is pretty mutual among budget digital camcorders just one of the biggest strengths of the VIXIA HF R50 and previous generation models lies in the paradigm stabilization. Canon'southward special optical image stabilization technology simply does a splendid chore in keeping the footage steady even if you venture in the "Advanced" zoom ranges. What y'all don't get, however, is transmission controls that are featured in Canon's higher-end models. That should exist fine for the majority since the Canon HF R50 primarily targets beginner folks and the Smart AUTO style performs pretty well. You can at least specify if you desire to record in 1080p or 720p at 60p or 24p.

1 of the more interesting features of the older VIXIA HF R40 model is the Baby Fashion which aids you in tracking a babe'south growth. The VIXIA HF R50 builds upon this feature effectively allowing y'all to track up to three children. Since this is ane of the main new features that Canon'southward R5 series brings to the table, this is the kind of camera that should appeal to parents.

The built-in Wi-Fi is a neat feature to have in the Canon HF R50 and it makes the $299 VIXIA HF R500 less bonny since the Wi-Fi functionality allows your Android or iOS-powered smartphone or tablet to bring together in on the fun. Live streaming to the mobile device is supported via a special app then you tin can effectively apply the camcorder every bit a remote surveillance device. You may also connect the HF R50 to the Internet so you tin conveniently upload videos to Facebook or YouTube without the demand for copying the content to a computer. If you purchase the newly released Pan Table (CT-V1) accompaniment which costs $99, you tin go every bit far as panning the camcorder in whatsoever management. You basically let the camcorder rest on this cradle and let the CameraAccess Plus app practise the rest. Information technology even run on AA batteries for a good ix hours.

Bottom Line

The improved Infant Way and extra Pan Table accompaniment add to the advantages of using a defended digital camcorder like the Canon HF R50 over any other gadget that features video recording as a secondary function. It has all the fine features that fabricated the R40 great and it still matches up with the electric current competition quite well. Some competing camcorders focus on key areas like image stabilization but Canon handles that quite nicely and then much more. Plus, the $449 price tag is pretty tricky to beat especially when you consider that there is sixteen GB memory on board and you lot can hands add more through an SD card.

Update: At that place is a newer model > Catechism VIXIA HF-R80