The 15-megapixel Canon EOS 50D is the newest mid-level SLR produced by the Japanese camera powerhouse. Available for $1399 for the body alone, or packaged with a variety of kit lenses, it's the successor to 2007's 40D, and a solid, incremental upgrade. The body is sturdily constructed, and covered with ample amounts of rubberized plastic to make gripping the sizeable camera easier. The design remains mostly unchanged from the preceding 40D, with only a few minor tweaks, like the addition of an HDMI out port for connecting to a high-def television.

One new feature that impressed us was the step up to a 3-inch, 920,000 pixel LCD. This screen proved to be bright, easy to read, and resistant to solarization, and its high resolution makes checking focus on your photos significantly easier.

We found using two dials plus joystick for navigating menus and setting options to have a slightly steep learning curve, but once you are used to it, it speeds up your controls significantly.

The 50D has an impressive range of ISOs, which run from ISO 100 to ISO 3200 in either full or 1/3 stops, and can be extended up to ISO 12,800 for maximum low-light sensitivity (at the expense or reduced image quality). It also offers a wide array of shutter speeds, ranging from a leisurely 30 seconds to a lightning-fast 1/8000th of a second. White balance controls, which govern color reproduction in different lighting environments, are simple enough when set to Auto, but offer minute manual tweaking if youíre so inclined.

While the 50D is not aimed at amateurs, it does include a mode called Creative Auto, which simplifies making certain setting decisions into plain English questions and answers. It also has A-DEP, or auto depth of field mode, which will ensure all the objects within the focusing area will appear sharp in the final photo.

Many manufacturers today rely on proprietary cable connections, which are expensive to replace and tough to find, so we were pleasantly surprised to see the 50D uses industry standard connections for all the major inputs and outputs.

We were also impressed that the 50D is able to shoot in multiple RAW resolutions. RAW files are uncompressed versions of the photos you take, valuable when using image editing software.  The 50D also has the ability to shoot 6.3 frames per second (JPEG) at full resolution, which is mighty speedy.

Performance (read in-depth lab performance data at DigitalCameraInfo.com)

While the Canon 50D had an overall positive run in our lab tests, it didn't perform extraordinarily well in any section. In our color test, where we look at color accuracy, the camera consistently under-saturated the images, delivering a less vibrant result, which gave it quite a poor score. However, this may have been a deliberate design choice by Canon, as under-saturated pictures actually offer more control when editing images on your computer.

Likewise, the resolution of the camera proved lower than expected because the images were under-sharpened. Again, this does leave more editing freedom if youíre the type who likes to use software to improve your photos.

The dynamic range, a measure of a cameraís ability to record a wide range of grays, running from white to black, was mediocre, but bolstered when coupled with in-camera noise reduction processing. We also tested how the 50D dealt with varying color illumination from different light sources. When left on automatic, the 50D handled most types of illumination well, except tungsten (that is, standard household bulbs), and it struggled with fluorescent lights as well.

In our examination of the levels of image noise (visual static caused by random electrical fluctuations in the image sensor), we found the 50D's noise reduction technology functions very well, providing minimal image noise all the way up to a very light-sensitive ISO 3200. We also found that the 50D handled long exposure times very well, with low noise levels and high color accuracy.

Comparisons (read in-depth comparisons at DigitalCameraInfo.com)

We compared the 50D to its predecessor, the 40D; the budget Canon Rebel XSi; Nikon's new D90 and Nikonís price- equivalent model to the 50D, the D300. Strangely, the 50D scored slightly worse than the 40D on most of our lab tests, but offers superior photographic features and a better LCD screen; bottom line, itís probably not worth upgrading if you already own a 40D. The Rebel XSi scored on par with the 50D for many of our performance measures, and costs less than half of the more expensive camera, but has far fewer options, manual controls and features.

The 50D fared slightly better against the D90, which has a lower resolution (12 megapixels), and scored slightly worse than the Canon. However, the Nikon is significantly less expensive (approximately $1000 for the body) and is the first of the new generation of SLRs able to shoot digital video.

The Nikon D300 and Canon 50D share a very similar market space. Both cost a shade under $1500 for the body, and both can more or less match one another feature for feature. In the end, however, the D300 outperformed the Canon in our tests, making it our choice in the battle for mid-range SLRs (unless you already own a number of Canon lenses, in which case you should probably stick with the 50D).