Canon EOS 50

Not to be confused with Canon EOS 50D, Canon EOS M50, or Canon EOS R50.

Canon EOS 50 / 50E / 55
Canon EOS Elan II / Elan IIE

Overview
Maker	Canon
Type	SLR
Production	September 1995 – 2000
Intro price	¥88,000 (body only) ¥140,000 (with EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 USM)
Lens
Lens mount	Canon EF
Lens	Interchangeable
Sensor/medium
Film format	135 film
Film size	36×24 mm
Film speed	ISO 6 – 6400
Film speed detection	Yes (ISO 25 – 5000)
Focusing
Focus	TTL Phase Detection Autofocus (3 zone)
Exposure/metering
Exposure	PASM autoexposure 6 zone evaluative metering
Flash
Flash	Built-in
Flash synchronization	1/125s
Shutter
Frame rate	Up to 2.5 frame/s
Shutter	Vertical-travel focal-plane
Shutter speed range	30s – 1/4000s
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Fixed eye-level pentaprism
Viewfinder magnification	0.71×
Frame coverage	83%
General
Battery	2CR5
Dimensions	153×105×71 mm (6.0×4.1×2.8 in)
Weight	595 g (21 oz)
Chronology
Replaced	Canon EOS 100
Replaced by	Canon EOS 30 / 33 / 7 / Elan 7 / Elan 7e
References
"EOS ELAN II / EOS ELAN IIE". Canon Camera Museum. Retrieved 2025-10-12.

The Canon EOS 50 (also known as the Elan II in America and the EOS 55 in Japan) is an autofocus, autoexposure 35mm SLR camera. It was aimed at the advanced amateur market, and featured a rear command dial, support for custom functions, and an optional BP-50 battery pack with a dedicated portrait shutter release. ^{[1] [2]} The body was constructed of plastic, with the lens mount and top deck enclosed in an aluminium cover. ^{[3] [4]}

Description

Three variants of the camera were produced, each of which was available with a quartz date imprint back. ^[5] The basic model was the EOS 50. The EOS 50E variant introduced an enhanced version of the 3-zone eye-controlled autofocus system that was first seen on the EOS 5. The Japan-only EOS 55 was also available in an all-black version ^[6] – rather than only the standard black and silver colour scheme – and included a panorama option. Sliding the button at the bottom of the rear of the camera causes panels to mask off all of the negative except for a 13 mm x 36mm strip in the middle.

The camera was powered by one 2CR5 battery. The optional BP-50 battery pack featured a portrait shutter release and the option to use four AA batteries. ^{[7] [8]}

The EOS 50 was also the first camera to implement Canon's E-TTL flash system. Canon's previous TTL system metered light reflected from the film onto a sensor during the actual exposure. E-TTL on the other hand fires a low-intensity pre-flash before exposure, and meters the reflected light through the camera's normal metering system.

Sales of the EOS 50 began in September 1995, and ended after the introduction of the replacement model, the EOS 30 in October 2000.

References

1. "Canon EOS 50 / Elan II". Photonotes. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
2. Luyckx, Alex (2023-04-03). "Camera Review Blog No. 154 - Canon EOS Elan IIE". Alex Lyuckx. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
3. Atkins, Bob. "EOS FAQ: Elan II". Bob Atkins. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
4. Copley, Aryk (2021-03-18). "The Canon Elan IIe: Everything you'd ever need in a 35mm SLR". The Oak Leaf News. Santa Rosa Junior College . Retrieved 2025-10-13.
5. "Canon EOS Resources - SLR Cameras - Additional information on Canon EOS-50/50E / EOS Elan II/IIE / EOS-55-P". Malaysian Internet Resources. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
6. "Canon EOS 50E / Elan IIE / EOS 55". Photonotes. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
7. "Canon BP-50 Battery Pack for EOS 50 50E ELAN II ELAN II E. Graded: EXC [#10823]". Camley Photographic. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
8. "Canon BP-50 Battery Pack for EOS 50 / 50E / 55 / ELAN II / IIe". PicClick UK. Retrieved 2025-10-13.

External links

• Official website