
Canon EOS 650D digital camera with EF-S 18-55mm lens
8th June 2012 – Canon unveils the EOS 650D digital camera, the first DSLR from Canon to feature a dual Hybrid AF system which allows it to continually focus during movie recording. In a world’s first, the EOS 650D is also the first DSLR to feature a touch-screen LCD, and in doing so, introduces us to new and creative ways to take photos.
As the worthy successor to the EOS 600D digital camera introduced in February 2011 and the EOS 550D (which it directly replaces), the EOS 650D brings along a whole raft of improvements and new and exciting technology to the DSLR arena, and bearing in mind it wasn’t long ago that the EOS 5D Mark III was introduced, we wonder whether some of this new tech could have made it into the EOS 5D Mark III (continuous AF in movie mode and a touch-screen are great features to have at your disposal).
The new Digic 5 processor ups the continuous frame rate to five, a welcome increase from the EOS 600D’s 3.7fps. Moreover, the native ISO range has been extended, now covering a very broad ISO 100-12,800 and ISO 25,600 is available in High ISO (expanded) mode for those emergency only situations.
Touch-screen
Great to see Canon introducing new and exciting technology to their DSLRs, albeit at a somewhat slower pace than we’d like but let’s not nitpick, and the introduction of a touch-screen on the EOS 650D offers us new ways to take and review photos, as well as alter settings and make adjustments more intuitively. Canon says, “…featuring capacitive technology, the screen is highly responsive and supports a variety of multi-touch gestures, such as pinching and swiping – making it easy to access shooting modes, alter settings and even capture a shot using the screen alone“.
Dual/Hybrid Auto-focusing
In a world’s first, Canon has got the ball rolling by introducing DSLR owners to continuous AF whilst recording movies. This is a very exciting step forward in movie shooting and we look forward to seeing this feature in all movie-recording enabled DSLRs in the future.
- 18 MP APS-C Hybrid CMOS sensor
- Full-HD movies with manual controls and continuous AF
- 5 fps continuous shooting
- Vari-angle Clear View LCD II Touch screen
- ISO 100-12,800 sensitivity, extendable to ISO 25,600
- 9-point wide-area AF
- Integrated Speedlite Transmitter
Image Sensor | |
Type | 22.3 x 14.9mm CMOS |
Effective Pixels | Approx. 18.0 megapixels |
Total Pixels | Approx. 18.5 megapixels |
Aspect Ratio | 3:2 |
Low-Pass Filter | Built-in/Fixed |
Sensor Cleaning | EOS integrated cleaning system |
Colour Filter Type | Primary Colour |
Image Processor | |
Type | DIGIC 5 |
Lens | |
Lens Mount | EF/EF-S |
Focal Length | Equivalent to 1.6x the focal length of the lens |
Focusing | |
Type | TTL secondary image forming, phase difference detection with AF dedicated CMOS sensor |
AF System/ Points | 9 cross-type AF points (f/2.8 at centre) |
AF Working Range | EV -0.5 -18 (at 23°C & ISO100) |
AF Modes | AI Focus One Shot AI Servo |
AF Point Selection | Automatic selection, Manual selection |
Selected AF Point Display | Superimposed in viewfinder and indicated on LCD monitor |
Predictive AF | Yes, up to 10m¹ |
AF Lock | Locked when shutter button is pressed half way |
AF Assist Beam | Intermittent firing of built-in flash or emitted by optional dedicated Speedlite |
Manual Focus | Selected on lens |
Exposure Control | |
Metering Modes | TTL full aperture metering with 63-zone SPC (1) Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points) (2) Partial metering at center (approx. 9% of viewfinder) (3) Spot metering (approx. 4% of viewfinder at center) (4) Center weighted average metering |
Metering Range | EV 1-20 (at 23°C with 50mm f/1.4 lens ISO100) |
AE Lock | Auto: In One-shot AF mode with evaluative metering exposure is locked when focus is achieved. Manual: By AE lock button in creative zone modes. |
Exposure Compensation | ‘+/-5 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments (can be combined with AEB). |
AEB | ’3 shots +/- 2 EV, 1/2 or 1/3-stop increments |
ISO Sensitivity* | AUTO(100-6400), 100-12800 in 1-stop increments ISO can be expandable to H: 25600) |
Shutter | |
Type | Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter |
Speed | 30-1/4000 sec (1/2 or 1/3 stop increments), Bulb (Total shutter speed range. Available range varies by shooting mode) |
White Balance | |
Type | Auto white balance with the imaging sensor |
Settings | AWB, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom. White balance compensation: 1. Blue/Amber +/-9 2. Magenta/ Green +/-9. |
Custom White Balance | Yes, 1 setting can be registered |
WB Bracketing | ‘+/-3 levels in single level increments 3 bracketed images per shutter release. Selectable Blue/Amber bias or Magenta/ Green bias. |
Viewfinder | |
Type | Pentamirror |
Coverage (Vertical/Horizontal) | Approx. 95% |
Magnification | Approx. 0.85x ¹ |
Eyepoint | Approx. 19mm (from eyepiece lens centre) |
Dioptre Correction | ‘-3 to +1 m-1 (dioptre) |
Focusing Screen | Fixed |
Mirror | Quick-return half mirror (Transmission: reflection ratio of 40:60, no mirror cut-off with EF600mm f/4 or shorter) |
Viewfinder Information | AF information: AF points, focus confirmation light Exposure information: Shutter speed, aperture value, ISO speed (always displayed), AE lock, exposure level/compensation, spot metering circle, exposure warning, AEB Flash information: Flash ready, high-speed sync, FE lock, flash exposure compensation, red-eye reduction light Image information: Highlight tone priority (D+), monochrome shooting, maximum burst (1 digit display), White balance correction, SD card information |
Depth of Field Preview | Yes, with Depth of Field preview button. |
Eyepiece Shutter | On strap |
LCD Monitor | |
Type | Touch screen vari angle 7.7cm (3.0″) 3:2 Clear View II TFT, approx. 1040K dots |
Coverage | Approx. 100% |
Viewing Angle (Horizontally/Vertically) | Approx 170° |
Coating | Anti smudge |
Brightness Adjustment | Adjustable to one of seven levels |
Display Options | (1) Quick Control Screen (2) Camera settings |
Flash | |
Built-in Flash GN (ISO 100, meters) | 13 |
Built-in Flash Coverage | up to 17mm focal length (35mm equivalent: 28mm) |
Built-in Flash Recycle Time | Approx. 3 seconds |
Modes | Auto, Manual flash, Integrated Speedlite Transmitter |
Red-Eye Reduction | Yes – with red eye reduction lamp |
X-Sync | 1/200sec |
Flash Exposure Compensation | ‘+/- 2EV in 1/2 or 1/3 increments |
Flash Exposure Bracketing | Yes, with compatible External Flash |
Flash Exposure Lock | Yes |
Second Curtain Synchronisation | Yes |
HotShoe/ PC Terminal | Yes/ No |
External Flash Compatibility | E-TTL II with EX series Speedlites, wireless multi-flash support |
External Flash Control | via camera menu screen |
Shooting | |
Modes | Scene Intelligent Auto, No Flash, Creative Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, Handheld Night Scene, HDR Backlight Control, Program AE , Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual |
Picture Styles | Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Defined (x3) |
Colour Space | sRGB and Adobe RGB |
Image Processing | Highlight Tone Priority Auto Lighting Optimizer (4 settings) Long exposure noise reduction High ISO speed noise reduction (4 settings) Multi Shot Noise Reduction Auto Correction of Lens Peripheral illumination Basic+ (Shoot by ambience selection, Shoot by lighting or scene type) Creative filters (Art Bold, Water painting, Grainy B/W, Soft focus, Toy camera, Miniature effect, Fish-eye) – during image Playback only |
Drive Modes | Single, Continuous, Self timer (2s, 10s+remote, 10s + continuous shots 2-10) |
Continuous Shooting | Max. Approx. 5fps for approx. 22 JPEG images¹, 6 images RAW² ³ |
Live View Mode | |
Type | Electronic viewfinder with image sensor |
Coverage | Approx. 99% (horizontally and vertically) |
Frame Rate | 30 fps |
Focusing | Manual Focus (Magnify the image 5x or 10x at any point on screen) Autofocus: Hybrid CMOS AF (Face detection and Tracking AF, FlexiZone-Multi, FlexiZone-Single), Phase detection AF (Quick mode) |
Metering | Real-time evaluative metering with image sensor. Evaluative metering, partial metering, spot metering, center-weighted average metering. |
Display Options | Grid overlay, Histogram |
File Type | |
Still Image Type | JPEG: Fine, Normal (Exif 2.30 compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system (2.0), RAW: RAW (14bit, Canon original RAW 2nd edition), Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant |
RAW+JPEG Simultaneous Recording | Yes, RAW + Large JPEG |
Image Size | JPEG 3:2: (L) 5184×3456, (M) 3456×2304, (S1) 2592×1728, (S2) 1920×1280, (S3) 720×480 JPEG 4:3: (L) 4608×3456, (M) 3072×2304, (S1) 2304×1728, (S2) 1696×1280, (S3) 640×480 JPEG 16:9: (L) 5184×2912, (M) 3456×1944, (S1) 2592×1456 (S2) 1920×1080, (S3) 720×400 JPEG 1:1: (L) 3456×3456, (M) 2304×2304, (S1) 1728×1728, (S2) 1280×1280, (S3) 480×480 RAW: (RAW) 5184×3456, (M-RAW) 3888×2592, (S-RAW) 2592×1728 |
Movie Type | MOV (Video: H.264, Sound: Linear PCM, recording level can be manually adjusted by user) |
Movie Size | 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976 fps) 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps) 640 x 480 (30, 25 fps) |
Movie Length | Max duration 29min 59sec, Max file size 4GB |
Folders | New folders can be manually created and selected |
File Numbering | (1) Consecutive numbering (2) Auto reset (3) Manual reset |
Other Features | |
Custom Functions | 8 Custom Functions with 34 settings |
Metadata Tag | User copyright information (can be set in camera) Image rating (0-5 stars) |
Intelligent Orientation Sensor | No |
Playback Zoom | 1.5x – 10x enabled in 15steps |
Display Formats | (1) Single image with information (2 levels) (2) Single image (3) 4 image index (4) 9 image index (5) Jump Display |
Slide Show | Image selection: All images, by Date, by Folder, Movies, Stills Playback time: 1/2/3/5 seconds Repeat: On/Off |
Histogram | Brightness: Yes RGB: Yes |
Highlight Alert | Yes |
Image Erase/Protection | Erase: Single image, All images in folder, Checkmarked images, unprotected images Protection: Erase protection of one image at a time |
Menu Categories | (1) Shooting menu (x5) (2) Playback menu (x2) (3) Setup menu (x3) (4) Custom Functions menu (5) My Menu |
Menu Languages | 25 Languages English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Thai, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese |
Firmware Update | Update possible by the user. |
Interface | |
Computer | Hi-Speed USB |
Other | Video output (PAL/ NTSC) (integrated with USB terminal), HDMI mini output (HDMI-CEC compatible), External microphone (3.5mm Stereo mini jack) |
Direct Print | |
Canon Printers | Canon Compact Photo Printers and PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge |
PictBridge | Yes |
Storage | |
Type | SD, SDHC or SDXC (UHS-I)card |
Supported Operating System | |
PC & Macintosh | Windows XP inc SP3 / Vista inc SP1 and SP2 (excl. Starter Edition) / 7 (excl. Starter Edition) OS X v10.6-10.7 (Intel processor required) |
Software | |
Browsing & Printing | ImageBrowser EX |
Image Processing | Digital Photo Professional |
Other | PhotoStitch, EOS Utility (inc. Remote Capture), Picture Style Editor |
Power Source | |
Batteries | 1 x Rechargeable Li-ion Battery LP-E8 |
Battery Life | Approx. 440 (at 23°C, AE 50%, FE 50%)¹ Approx. 400 (at 0°C, AE 50%, FE 50%) |
Battery Indicator | 4 levels |
Power Saving | Power turns off after 30sec or 1, 2, 4, 8 or 15mins. |
Power Supply & Battery Chargers | AC Adapter Kit ACK-E8, Battery charger LC-E8, LC-E8E |
Physical Specifications | |
Body Materials | Stainless Steel and polycarbonate resin with glass fiber |
Operating Environment | 0 – 40 °C, 85% or less humidity |
Dimensions (WxHxD) | 133.1 x 99.8 x 78.8 mm |
Weight (Body Only) | Approx. 575g (CIPA testing standard, including battery and memory card) |
Accessories | |
Viewfinder | Eyecup Ef, E-series Dioptric Adjustment Lens with Rubber Frame Ef, Eyepiece Extender EP-EX15II, Angle Finder C |
Case | Semi-Hard Case EH22-L |
Wireless File Transmitter | Compatible with Eye-Fi cards |
Lenses | All EF and EF-S lenses |
Flash | Canon Speedlites (220EX, 270EX, 270EX II, 320EX, 420EX, 430EX, 430EX II, 550EX, 580EX, 580EX II, 600EX, 600EX-RT, Macro-Ring-Lite, MR-14EX, Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2, Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT) |
Battery Grip | BG-E8 |
Remote Controller/ Switch | Remote Switch RS-60E3, Remote Controller RC-6 |
Other | Hand Strap E2 |
Canon unveils the new EOS 650D – get in touch with your creative side
United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 8th June 2012 – Canon UK & Ireland today launch the EOS 650D – a new, easy-to-use Digital SLR (DSLR) that offers high image quality and simple touch-screen operation, allowing anyone to capture beautiful images and Full HD movies. Ideal for photography beginners, the EOS 650D combines intelligent automatic shooting modes with a range of advanced features – making it easy-to-use today, with a full range of manual modes to explore tomorrow.
The EOS 650D is the first-ever EOS to feature a dual AF system, which ensures exceptional detail in stills and continuous autofocus tracking when shooting movies. At the camera’s heart is an 18 megapixel (MP) Hybrid CMOS sensor and powerful DIGIC 5 processing, enabling the capture of sharp, full resolution images at up to 5 frames per second (fps). A Vari-angle capacitive touch-screen also makes camera operation quick and easy, providing instant access to an extensive range of settings and scene modes.
Outstanding quality in all conditions
The EOS 650D offers outstanding image quality and performance. Its newly-developed 18MP APS-C Hybrid CMOS sensor provides super-fine resolution, capturing poster-sized images that are rich in colour and detail. Ideal for shooting in low light without flash, the camera features a native 100-12,800 ISO range, allowing the capture of natural-looking shots with minimal noise, while an expanded ISO 25,600 range also offers the ability to shoot in more extreme low-light conditions.
The EOS 650D is the first entry-level EOS to be powered by Canon DIGIC 5 processing, offering greater speed, responsiveness and advanced colour rendition. DIGIC 5’s 14-bit image processing provides beautiful and subtle transitions between colour tones, such as those of an evening sky, and its vastly-increased power also makes the camera ideal for capturing fast-moving action such as football or other sports.
The new dual AF system makes it easy to capture sharply-focused shots of all subjects, whether capturing stills or movies. A superior 9-point all cross-type AF system provides exceptional performance during stills shooting, offering precision accuracy when capturing sports, action and wildlife. Additionally, a new Hybrid AF System offers continuous autofocusing during movie recording, and when shooting in Live View¹ mode.
Touch control and Vari-angle flexibility
Getting the perfect shot has never been easier thanks to the new 7.7cm (3.0”) Vari-angle Clear View LCD II Touch screen. Featuring capacitive technology, the screen is highly responsive and supports a variety of multi-touch gestures, such as pinching and swiping – making it easy to access shooting modes, alter settings and even capture a shot using the screen alone.
Touch control adds a different dimension to Live View shooting. You can select AF points, track faces and objects, and fine-tune image settings via the camera’s Quick Control screen. Navigation is instant and intuitive, while pinch-zooming in playback provides a great way to check the finer details of a shot. The Vari-angle hinge allows the screen to be angled and tilted to suit virtually any situation, while a super-sharp 1,040k-dot resolution ensures every detail is clearly displayed.
EOS Movie: Enhanced with Continuous AF
The EOS 650D makes it easy for anyone to shoot Full HD (1920x1080p) videos. Thanks to Hybrid AF, users can focus exclusively on story-telling while the camera continuously tracks the subject. New EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM and EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lenses are also ideal for shooting videos, utilising a virtually-silent stepper motor to ensure movies are smoother and clearer than ever.
With Video Snapshot mode, anyone can create fun, fast-paced videos with a professionally-edited feel. Snapshots can be recorded in two, four, or eight second segments, and then combined or reordered in-camera ahead of playback. An integrated mini-HDMI port also makes it easy to share the results on any HDTV.
Explore with EOS
Two brand new shooting modes located on the mode dial help beginners to shoot confidently in difficult lighting conditions. HDR Backlight Control tackles tricky, brightly-backlit scenes by capturing three different exposures – under, correctly, and over-exposed – and combining them into one HDR image displaying both highlight and shadow detail. Handheld Night Scene, meanwhile, makes it easier to capture beautiful low-light evening shots with no tripod, rapidly shooting four different images before combining them into one detailed, blur-free picture.
The camera’s range of shooting modes also allows you to explore the boundaries of your creativity. Basic+ allows you to go beyond basic automatic settings, with a range of presets you can use to dramatically and instantly alter the mood of a shot. Canon’s fun range of Creative Filters can now be applied to images using the Touch-screen, with new ‘Art Bold Effect’ and ‘Water Painting Effect’ offering more ways to apply a creative twist to a shot. If you simply want to point and shoot, Scene Intelligent Auto mode does the work for you – analysing the scene and automatically selecting the best settings, so you can take great shots out of the box.
The EOS system – freedom to explore
As part of Canon’s EOS system, the EOS 650D is compatible with the world’s most comprehensive selection of lenses and accessories. Over 60 EF lenses cover everything from wide-angle and macro to extreme telephoto, and countless accessories provide the tools to meet virtually any creative challenge.
EOS 650D – key features
- 18 MP APS-C Hybrid CMOS sensor
- Full-HD movies with manual controls and continuous AF
- 5 fps continuous shooting
- Vari-angle Clear View LCD II Touch screen
- ISO 100-12,800 sensitivity, extendable to ISO 25,600
- 9-point wide-area AF
- Integrated Speedlite Transmitter
New lifestyle camera bag – 300EG

300EG Camera Bag
Canon also today announces the launch of a new camera bag, the new 300EG – designed with enough room to hold one camera body, 2-3 lenses, as well as a number of accessories. The 300EG bag also features padded pockets and compartments to keep your photographic equipment safe and secure. The cross strap, messenger style bag makes it easy to access your equipment when you need it, while the additional waist straps give you a more stable carrying position when on the move.
EOS Launch promotion
For a limited time only, purchase the new EOS 650D and receive the Canon 300EG camera bag free of charge. The promotion runs from 15th June to 31st August 2012. Participating retailers only.
Pricing and Availability
The EOS 650D body is available from 15th June 2012, priced at £699.99/€839.99 RRP incl. VAT.
The EOS 650D + EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II is available from 15th June 2012, priced at £799.99/€949.99 RRP incl. VAT.
The EOS 650D + EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM is available from July 2012, priced at £1019.99/€1219.99 RRP incl. VAT.
The 300EG Camera Bag is available from 15th June 2012, priced at £79.99/€89.99 RRP incl. VAT.
¹AF in Live View and Movies subject to use with Canon stepping motor (STM) lenses
- Canon EOS 650D digital camera with EF-S 18-55mm lens
- 300EG Camera Bag