Canon T50

[blue-skyworks]

I received a Canon T50 from a recent client and I'm trying to get some details on the camera. I found the manual

online. but... I'd like to know what other people think of this film SLR and what information you can offer me

as I learn about it.

[JDMvW]

The T50 and the other "T" series were the original breakthrough cameras for Canon leading directly toward the

EOS series. They are often overlooked because they are like EOS cameras with FD mounts and are "transitional" in

many ways. Moreover, not long after they were introduced they were replaced by the EOS 650 and 620. There are

people here who swear by them. They were reviewed in superlative terms by the press when they came out.

[richard_]

I liked my T50; it was basically a very simple Point & Shoot camera BUT had some good lenses. Later they complicated it with the later models, the T70 and T90 - which i also owned but never liked as much.....BTW - the T90 i believe was Canon's last of the manual self-focus cameras.

[Mike Gammill]

Yeah, it was Canon's budget SLR. Limited manual control, but it was designed to attract point & shoot users to the SLR. Many people that bought the T50 from my family's camera store later upgraded to the T70. Later, Canon had a T60, but it had little in common with the 50 & 60. I believe it was made by Cosina for Canon. Back to the T50, since FD glass fits, it is a good way to get into the FD system, with the ability to upgrade later if you like.

[SCL]

I got a junk one a couple of years ago for about $13 with a 50/ f1.8 lens. I took it out for a day, expecting fairly poor results and was, in fact, amazed at how well it did in a variety of challenging lighting conditions. It convinced me to get a T90 and back into FD photography.

[nickc1]

Years ago I went with my then girlfriend, a photography student, to look at a Canon outfit I was thinking of buying from a shop I did not usually consider frequenting, because they never seemed to know what much about the gear they were selling. After the kit was laid out for inspection the salesman said 'and if your friend wants to take a few pictures she might be interested in this, she can borrow your lenses' - and brought out a T50 body. 'Not really' said GF, tight lipped at being patronised like this, as she took her nikon f2 and leica m3 out of her bag and put them on the counter smiling sweetly................... I decided to shop elsewhere, and bought Pentax.

[bsharpe411]

The T-series Canons were an interesting transition from the 'typical' SLR up to that point. Both in styling and features, the T-series experimented with a fusion of mechanics and electronics to meet the desires of photographers from novice to seasoned pro. The T-50 was about as basic a camera could be and still provide exposure automation and utilize FD lenses.

 

One that caught my eye was the T-80. It offered more options for exposure with either shutter or aperture priority, but the reason it stands out in the Canon line is being the first attempt at auto focus. Canon designed 3 special 'AC' lenses which worked with the T-80 to provide a slow, clunky, but otherwise working auto focus. Designers still maintained the FD mount for this camera, so any FD lens could be used, albeit without auto focus.

 

For me, the real jewel in the line is the T-90. In one reasonably compact body, this camera incorporated just about every technological option available at the time, except auto focus. In full program mode it is as easy to use as the T-50, but once you see the limitations of full program, you have a choice of different focus screens, metering modes, and exposure compensations that should meet any photographer's needs. Put that together with a Speedlite 300TL and you now have a multitude of flash possibilities, including TTL, fill flash, and various combinations to balance ambient light with flash. If you have a T-90 and/or the 300TL, make sure you have the owner's manuals and refer to them often, as you evaluate your shots. Anybody who can say they've mastered this system can take on just about any situation thrown at them.

[JDMvW]

In some senses, the EOS 650 and the 620 were just T90s with an EF mount and autofocus. As I say, very important in the history of Canon and modern cameras in general.

[chuck_foreman1]

Nick,

 

You did marry her..right?!?

[awahlster]

Not to deviate this thread but the T-90 except for Auto focus is way more advanced in features then any of the early EF mount bodies.

[JTG1]

I picked up a T50 a short time ago and only ran 3 rolls of color film through it, I’m very happy with it, I have since

picked up my glass and accessories for it:

<br>

<br>

• SunPak Auto 433D flash <br>

• Canon 50mm 1:1.8 – came with camera.<br>

 

• Canon 28mm 1:2.8<br>

 

• Quantray 1:4~5.6 f/=70~210mm<br>

 

• JC Penney 1:3.5 f/=35~105mm – heavy lens!<br>

 

• JC Penney 2X doubler<br>

 

• Canon Remote Switch 60 T3<br>

 

• Canon Extension Cord 1000 T# (for above switch).<br>

 

<br>

My only complaints are no shutter control, so for low light or night time shots, the pictures are not that great, maybe

even horrible (my attempt for low light/night shooting has been primarily moon shots, etc).

<br><br>

 

After using a digicam, you get very used to shooting off 50-60 shots with out thing about it, here (with any film

camera of course) you don’t have that luxury And sometimes I forget to turn off the camera, coming back a week

later or so just to find it on…..

<br><br>

 

Here are some sample shots from my first roll (only roll to get scanned, so far):<div></div>

[JTG1]

Sample 2

[JTG1]

Lets try that again...sample 2<div></div>

[JTG1]

Sample -3

 

I also forgot to mention, all these shots were done with the Quantray 1:4~5.6 f/=70~210mm and Kodak 200 color film, outside, no fill flash.<div></div>

[lex_jenkins]

Years ago when I still used Canon FD gear (FTbn, a pair of T70's), I picked up a T50 and Speedlite 244T on a lark. It was a terrific, easy to use SLR. The T50 is the camera the Nikon EM should have been.

 

As a testament to the design, most T50's I've seen over the years still work. I've handled a couple of dozen used Nikon EM's and not one of 'em worked properly.