Specifications#
- Brand
- Canon
- Model
- PowerShot A50
- Camera type
- Compact
- Released
- 1999-01-01
- Sensor size
- 4.8 × 3.6 mm (1/3.2" sensor)
- Crop factor
- 7.21×
Specifications merged from Wikidata and openMVG. Spot an error? Tell us.
Sensor size compared#
Focal length equivalents & field of view#
Multiply any focal length by 7.21 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 | 29 mm | 61.9° | 48.5° | 73.7° |
| 4.5 mm | 32 mm | 56.1° | 43.6° | 67.4° |
| 5 mm | 36 mm | 51.3° | 39.6° | 61.9° |
| 6 mm | 43 mm | 43.6° | 33.4° | 53.1° |
| 8 mm | 58 mm | 33.4° | 25.4° | 41.1° |
| 10 mm | 72 mm | 27.0° | 20.4° | 33.4° |
| 12 mm | 87 mm | 22.6° | 17.1° | 28.1° |
| 15 mm | 108 mm | 18.2° | 13.7° | 22.6° |
| 20 mm | 144 mm | 13.7° | 10.3° | 17.1° |
| 25 mm | 180 mm | 11.0° | 8.2° | 13.7° |
| 30 mm | 216 mm | 9.1° | 6.9° | 11.4° |
| 40 mm | 288 mm | 6.9° | 5.2° | 8.6° |
| 50 mm | 361 mm | 5.5° | 4.1° | 6.9° |
| 70 mm | 505 mm | 3.9° | 2.9° | 4.9° |
| 100 mm | 721 mm | 2.7° | 2.1° | 3.4° |
| 150 mm | 1082 mm | 1.8° | 1.4° | 2.3° |
Depth of field table#
Total depth of field at each subject distance, using a circle of confusion of 4.2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 mm | f/2 | 58.2 cm | 12.3 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.08 m |
| 3 mm | f/2.8 | 1.10 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 77.6 cm |
| 3 mm | f/4 | 5.91 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 54.4 cm |
| 3 mm | f/8 | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 27.3 cm |
| 6 mm | f/2 | 11.6 cm | 48.5 cm | 2.34 m | 7.97 m | ∞ | ∞ | 4.33 m |
| 6 mm | f/2.8 | 16.4 cm | 71.7 cm | 4.42 m | 94.6 m | ∞ | ∞ | 3.10 m |
| 6 mm | f/4 | 24.1 cm | 1.16 m | 24.5 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 2.17 m |
| 6 mm | f/8 | 57.7 cm | 11.8 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.09 m |
| 10 mm | f/2 | 4.1 cm | 16.6 cm | 68.1 cm | 1.59 m | 5.02 m | 53.8 m | 12.0 m |
| 10 mm | f/2.8 | 5.7 cm | 23.4 cm | 98.0 cm | 2.38 m | 8.78 m | ∞ | 8.59 m |
| 10 mm | f/4 | 8.2 cm | 33.9 cm | 1.49 m | 3.97 m | 26.7 m | ∞ | 6.02 m |
| 10 mm | f/8 | 16.8 cm | 73.9 cm | 4.72 m | 615 m | ∞ | ∞ | 3.01 m |
| 17 mm | f/2 | 1.4 cm | 5.7 cm | 22.9 cm | 51.9 cm | 1.46 m | 6.27 m | 34.8 m |
| 17 mm | f/2.8 | 1.9 cm | 7.9 cm | 32.2 cm | 73.2 cm | 2.09 m | 9.60 m | 24.8 m |
| 17 mm | f/4 | 2.8 cm | 11.4 cm | 46.3 cm | 1.06 m | 3.13 m | 17.2 m | 17.4 m |
| 17 mm | f/8 | 5.6 cm | 22.9 cm | 96.4 cm | 2.34 m | 8.56 m | ∞ | 8.70 m |
Equivalent aperture#
Exposure is identical at the same f-number on any format; equivalence only describes depth of field and total light.
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. (NPF needs a known resolution and is omitted here.)
| Focal length | 500 rule |
|---|---|
| 4 mm (29 mm eq.) | 17.3 s |
| 5 mm (36 mm eq.) | 13.9 s |
| 6 mm (43 mm eq.) | 11.6 s |
| 7 mm (50 mm eq.) | 9.9 s |
| 8 mm (58 mm eq.) | 8.7 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 | 1/30 s | 1/4 s | 1 s |
| 7 mm | 1/50 s | 1/6 s | 0.6 s |
| 14 mm | 1/100 s | 1/13 s | 0.3 s |
| 28 mm | 1/200 s | 1/25 s | 1/6 s |
Lens#
The Canon PowerShot A50 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 × 7.21.
Similar cameras#
Other 1/3.2" cameras from around the same time.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the crop factor of the Canon PowerShot A50?
The Canon PowerShot A50 has a crop factor of 7.21× relative to 35 mm full frame (diagonal 6.0 mm vs 43.3 mm).
What size is the Canon PowerShot A50 sensor?
4.8 × 3.6 mm (1/3.2"), an area of 17 mm² — 2% of full frame.
Is the Canon PowerShot A50 full frame?
No — its sensor is 1/3.2", which is 50.0× smaller in area than full frame.
How long can I expose the night sky with the Canon PowerShot A50?
With a 5 mm lens (36 mm equivalent) the 500 rule gives 14 s.
Sources & licences#
- Wikidata Q20889019 — CC0
- openMVG sensor width database — MPL-2.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources