Canon’s user interface is superb, as usual. The Canon R50 has the same menu system as other newer models in the R series, like the Canon EOS R7 and Canon EOS R8. It’s well laid out and easy to navigate using the touchscreen or the physical controls. Despite extensive settings, finding what you’re looking for is generally easy. There are also many customization options and a quick menu to access commonly used settings.
For users who want to easily transfer photos to their phone, the Canon Camera Connect app connects the camera to your phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. You can transfer files or control the camera remotely with a Wi-Fi connection. Unlike many other camera apps, you can still use and adjust the settings on the camera itself while using the app for Live View/remote control. That said, the Live View function and even shutter release through the app have a significant lag. If you own a compatible Canon printer, like the Canon SELPHY Square QX10, you can also connect directly to the SELPHY Photo Layout app and print your photos right away. See a brief video tour of the Canon Camera Connect app here.
The camera also has many auto-shooting modes and helpful info and guide functions. The ‘A+’ (Scene Intelligent Auto) mode is the fully automatic shooting mode, in which the camera assesses the scene and automatically chooses the right settings for you. You can also access the ‘Creative Assist’ mode here. Similar to the Guide Mode on the Nikon D3500, the Creative Assist mode lets you adjust aspects of the image in simplified terms, like ‘Background Blur’ and ‘Brightness’. Finally, there’s an ‘Advanced A+’ mode, which applies computational photography and processing to your image based on its assessment of the scene. There are also many creative scene modes in the ‘SCN’ mode on the mode dial, from ‘Kids’ to ‘Landscape’ to ‘Sports’ and many more.
