I ADORE this camera. But I use it for travel/family.
If I was a social media butterfly, I'd be pulling my hair out.
Pros:
- Gorgeous, high dynamic range HDR PQ photos straight out of the camera, compared to dinosaurs stuck with blocky JPEG.
- 4K30 in HLG, HDR PQ, or even Cannon Log 3 with custom LUTs, applied in real time! All in HEVC. That's unreal.
- Neat "auto" functions like night mode and panorama.
- All sorts of intricate autofocus modes, display simulation, false color, zebra mode, remappable buttons, you name it. It can even remember individual people to prioritize autofocus.
- Works great with old EF-S lenses.
- Viewfinder? Flash? Waste of space and money; I do not miss them. I mount my iPhone via USB as a rangefinder, second display and video light when I need it.
- Works as a webcam, plug-and-play with USB. No fuss, no camera software needed.
- Tiny, weighs nothing. Fits in a coat pocket with a pancake lens, or tiny bag with a substantial one.
- Good menus/internal UI. Great touchscreen.
- When paired with a good lens (like the 24-50 on a budget, or an F1.4 prime), image quality is incredible.
It's like a camera from the future, on a budget!
Cons:
- No IBIS. This can be rough, but expected for the price.
- No open gate video. Maybe we can get it in a firmware update?
- Dial control ring is near impossible to use, and customization for other rings is limited.
- Feels fragible, but that's solved with a silicone case.
- No "lite" low bitrate video recording mode for instant sharing.
But the biggest issue: software. At least on my iPhone 16.
- It has 5GHz wifi, yet connecting and moving pictures is unusably slow. Even USB2 is waaay faster.
- Supports no cloud service other than image.canon, which I had a horrible experience with.
- No airplay, no other sharing or transfer of any kind.
- iPhone app can auto transfer JPEGs, but not HEIFs? And not movies? What? That's literally all I shoot.
- Connecting with the iPhone app is unreliable, even via USB.
- Many features, like lens correction for older lenses, are obscure/out of the way.
If you're technical enough to know what HLG/PQ are, if you have and HDR-capable smartphone, and want an modern camera to go, on a budget? You cannot beat the R50V, not even close. For travel/family photo+video, it beats the snot out of a smartphone camera.
...But for "casual" vlogging? Or social media posting? The software is too shackled for that.
