Canon EOS 50D - First pictures and more information

There have been some translations of the camera specifications which have suggested that there is in-camera image stabilization. I think the root of this is that the Chinese pages talk about the image being stabilized in the camera VIEWFINDER, i.e. the image "being stabilized in the body". It looks like Canon might be trying to emphasize this to contrast with the in-body stabilization of Sony/Pentax/Olympus, which stabilizes the image by moving the sensor, but does NOT stabilize the reflex viewfinder image. So "in-body" stabilization would better be translated as "in viewfinder stabilization via image stabilized lenses". It would be nice if Canon offered in-body stabilization so we could have a stabilized system with fast primes, but that's not likely to happen anytime soon. Canon have too much invested in stabilized lenses.

So that's it for now. For a more extended discussion of the new features of the Canon EOS 50D and a complete specification list, please see the earlier Canon EOS 50D Preview article. As more information becomes available, I'll update these pages. I expect a full press release from Canon will be coming soon (probably on August 26th), which should clear up a few points which are confusing in the Chinese version. It might also reveal the expected street price and when the camera will be available. I'm guessing availability in mid to late September and a street price of maybe $1300, but those are both just guesses at this point.

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