Specifications#
- Brand
- Canon
- Model
- PowerShot SX50 HS
- Camera type
- Compact
- Released
- 2012
- Sensor size
- 6.2 × 4.6 mm (1/2.3" sensor)
- Crop factor
- 5.61×
- Resolution
- 12.1 MP (4,000 × 3,000 px)
- Continuous shooting
- 13 fps
- Max video resolution
- 1080p
- Weight
- 551 g (19.4 oz)
- Sensor
- (1/2.3" CMOS)
- Flash
- Built in flash
- Battery
- NB-10L
- Lens
- Built-in 50× zoom
- Made in
- Japan
- Launch price
- ~$600 (New)
- Drive
- 13.0 frames/sec
- Video
- Capable of recording 1920x1080 video at up to 30fps, slow motion of 240 fps.
Specifications merged from Wikipedia, Wikidata, Lensfun and openMVG. Spot an error? Tell us.
Sensor size compared#
Focal length equivalents & field of view#
Multiply any focal length by 5.61 to get the full-frame field of view. For fixed-lens cameras use the real focal length printed on the lens (e.g. “6.1–18.3 mm”), not the 35 mm equivalent.
| Lens on this camera | Full-frame equivalent | Horizontal | Vertical | Diagonal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm | 22 mm | 75.2° | 60.2° | 87.9° |
| 4.5 mm | 25 mm | 68.8° | 54.5° | 81.2° |
| 5 mm | 28 mm | 63.3° | 49.8° | 75.3° |
| 6 mm | 34 mm | 54.3° | 42.3° | 65.5° |
| 8 mm | 45 mm | 42.1° | 32.3° | 51.5° |
| 10 mm | 56 mm | 34.2° | 26.1° | 42.2° |
| 12 mm | 67 mm | 28.8° | 21.9° | 35.6° |
| 15 mm | 84 mm | 23.2° | 17.6° | 28.8° |
| 20 mm | 112 mm | 17.5° | 13.2° | 21.8° |
| 25 mm | 140 mm | 14.0° | 10.6° | 17.5° |
| 30 mm | 168 mm | 11.7° | 8.8° | 14.6° |
| 40 mm | 224 mm | 8.8° | 6.6° | 11.0° |
| 50 mm | 281 mm | 7.0° | 5.3° | 8.8° |
| 70 mm | 393 mm | 5.0° | 3.8° | 6.3° |
| 100 mm | 561 mm | 3.5° | 2.7° | 4.4° |
| 150 mm | 842 mm | 2.4° | 1.8° | 2.9° |
Depth of field table#
Total depth of field at each subject distance, using a circle of confusion of 5.3 µm (the 0.030 mm full-frame standard scaled by the crop factor).
| Focal | Aperture | 50.0 cm | 1.00 m | 2.00 m | 3.00 m | 5.00 m | 10.0 m | Hyperfocal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm | f/2 | 37.2 cm | 2.39 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.50 m |
| 4 mm | f/2.8 | 59.2 cm | 14.2 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.07 m |
| 4 mm | f/4 | 1.18 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 75.2 cm |
| 4 mm | f/8 | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 37.8 cm |
| 8 mm | f/2 | 8.3 cm | 34.1 cm | 1.50 m | 4.00 m | 27.4 m | ∞ | 5.99 m |
| 8 mm | f/2.8 | 11.7 cm | 49.1 cm | 2.38 m | 8.23 m | ∞ | ∞ | 4.28 m |
| 8 mm | f/4 | 16.9 cm | 74.5 cm | 4.78 m | 58.9 km | ∞ | ∞ | 3.00 m |
| 8 mm | f/8 | 36.9 cm | 2.37 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.50 m |
| 14 mm | f/2 | 2.7 cm | 10.8 cm | 43.9 cm | 1.00 m | 2.94 m | 15.5 m | 18.3 m |
| 14 mm | f/2.8 | 3.7 cm | 15.2 cm | 62.1 cm | 1.44 m | 4.46 m | 36.5 m | 13.1 m |
| 14 mm | f/4 | 5.3 cm | 21.8 cm | 91.0 cm | 2.19 m | 7.73 m | ∞ | 9.18 m |
| 14 mm | f/8 | 10.7 cm | 45.1 cm | 2.13 m | 6.80 m | ∞ | ∞ | 4.60 m |
| 22 mm | f/2 | 1.1 cm | 4.3 cm | 17.5 cm | 39.7 cm | 1.11 m | 4.63 m | 45.3 m |
| 22 mm | f/2.8 | 1.5 cm | 6.1 cm | 24.6 cm | 55.7 cm | 1.58 m | 6.82 m | 32.3 m |
| 22 mm | f/4 | 2.1 cm | 8.7 cm | 35.2 cm | 80.4 cm | 2.31 m | 10.9 m | 22.7 m |
| 22 mm | f/8 | 4.2 cm | 17.4 cm | 72.1 cm | 1.70 m | 5.46 m | 79.4 m | 11.3 m |
Equivalent aperture#
Exposure is identical at the same f-number on any format; equivalence only describes depth of field and total light.
Diffraction & pixel pitch#
With 1.54 µm pixels, diffraction starts to soften pixel-level detail around f/2.3. For maximum sharpness keep landscapes between f/2.8 and f/2; stopping down further trades detail for depth of field.
| Aperture | Airy disk diameter | Spread over | At 100% view |
|---|---|---|---|
| f/2.8 | 3.8 µm | 2.4 px | slight softening |
| f/4 | 5.4 µm | 3.5 px | visibly soft |
| f/5.6 | 7.5 µm | 4.9 px | visibly soft |
| f/8 | 10.7 µm | 7.0 px | visibly soft |
| f/11 | 14.8 µm | 9.6 px | visibly soft |
| f/16 | 21.5 µm | 13.9 px | visibly soft |
| f/22 | 29.5 µm | 19.2 px | visibly soft |
Maximum print sizes#
At 12.1 MP the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS produces 4,000 × 3,000 pixel images. See the 12 megapixel guide or the print size calculator.
| Resolution | Typical use | Inches | Centimetres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 DPI | Photo-lab quality | 13.3 × 10.0 in | 34 × 25 cm |
| 240 DPI | Fine-art inkjet | 16.7 × 12.5 in | 42 × 32 cm |
| 200 DPI | Wall print | 20.0 × 15.0 in | 51 × 38 cm |
| 150 DPI | Poster, viewed from 1 m+ | 26.7 × 20.0 in | 68 × 51 cm |
Night-sky exposure limits#
Longest exposure before stars trail. The NPF rule accounts for pixel pitch and is stricter than the classic 500 rule — use it for pin-sharp stars on high-resolution sensors.
| Focal length | 500 rule | NPF f/1.8 | NPF f/2.8 | NPF f/4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm (22 mm eq.) | 22.3 s | 27.3 s | 36.0 s | 46.5 s |
| 5 mm (28 mm eq.) | 17.8 s | 21.8 s | 28.8 s | 37.2 s |
| 6 mm (34 mm eq.) | 14.9 s | 18.2 s | 24.0 s | 31.0 s |
| 7 mm (39 mm eq.) | 12.7 s | 15.6 s | 20.6 s | 26.6 s |
| 9 mm (50 mm eq.) | 9.9 s | 12.1 s | 16.0 s | 20.7 s |
Handheld shutter speed guide#
The reciprocal rule uses the equivalent focal length. High-resolution sensors may need one stop faster than this for pixel-sharp results.
| Focal length | No stabilisation (1/equiv. focal) | With 3-stop IS | With 5-stop IBIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm | 1/25 s | 0.3 s | 1.3 s |
| 9 mm | 1/50 s | 1/6 s | 0.6 s |
| 18 mm | 1/100 s | 1/13 s | 0.3 s |
| 36 mm | 1/200 s | 1/25 s | 1/6 s |
Lens#
The Canon PowerShot SX50 HS has a built-in, non-interchangeable lens. Use the real focal length of that lens with the tables above; its full-frame equivalent is that number × 5.61.
Similar cameras#
Other 1/2.3" cameras from around the same time.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the crop factor of the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS?
The Canon PowerShot SX50 HS has a crop factor of 5.61× relative to 35 mm full frame (diagonal 7.7 mm vs 43.3 mm).
What size is the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS sensor?
6.2 × 4.6 mm (1/2.3"), an area of 29 mm² — 3% of full frame.
Is the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS full frame?
No — its sensor is 1/2.3", which is 30.2× smaller in area than full frame.
How many megapixels does the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS have?
12.1 megapixels (4,000 × 3,000 pixels), enough for a 13 × 10 inch print at 300 DPI.
How long can I expose the night sky with the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS?
With a 5 mm lens (28 mm equivalent) the 500 rule gives 18 s and the stricter NPF rule at f/2.8 gives 29 s.
Sources & licences#
- Wikipedia: Canon PowerShot SX50 HS — CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikidata Q12234393 — CC0
- Lensfun camera database — CC BY-SA 3.0
- openMVG sensor width database — MPL-2.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources