• APS-C 369.7mm2
  • 15.1 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • 35mm 855.6mm2
  • 24.3 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

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Differences

Canon 50D advantages over Sony A7 II

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Fast startup
    ~0.30 vs 1.7 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 640 vs 350 shots
    Capture more photos
  • More telephoto lens reach
    216 mm vs 70 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Top deck display
    Yes vs No
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Less shutter lag
    0.13 vs 0.22 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    6.3 fps vs 5.0 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)

Sony A7 II advantages over Canon 50D

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs APS-C
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 5.97 vs 4.99 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Better color depth
    24.9 vs 21.8 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    2,449 vs 696 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.6 vs 11.4 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Newer
    9 years vs 15 years old
    Newer cameras often support more advanced features
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    1229k vs 920k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.71x vs 0.59x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • More pixels
    24.3 vs 15.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Shoots 60p video
    Yes vs No
    A faster framerate can give you more editing options
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Wider angle kit lens
    28 mm vs 45 mm
    Capture more of the scene with the included lens
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 12800 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Excellent 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization; Sensor-shift IS brings stabilization to nearly any lens; Much-improved ergonomics and top-deck control layout; 'Mark II' maintains same impressive image quality, dynamic range and high ISO performance; XAVC S 50Mbps video format; Faster start-up time; Hybrid AF performs well with good continuous AF.

  • (Similar to A7): Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Battery life could be better; Low-light AF still not as good as most DSLRs; High ISO JPEGs look over-processed; Slow buffer clearing; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses (but it's getting better).

The Competition

Compared to Samsung GX-20

Canon 50D
Samsung GX-20
  • $1000
  • APS-C
  • HDMI out
  • More dots on screen
  • $1400
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Sony A7 II
Samsung GX-20
  • $1175
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $1400
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Internal flash

Compared to Pentax K-7

Canon 50D
Pentax K-7
  • $1000
  • APS-C
  • Fast startup
  • Higher effective ISO
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Sony A7 II
Pentax K-7
  • $1175
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony DSLR-A550

Canon 50D
Sony DSLR-A550
  • $1000
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup
  • $859
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Sony A7 II
Sony DSLR-A550
  • $1175
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $859
  • APS-C
  • Fast startup
  • Longer stills battery life

Compared to Sony A7

Canon 50D
Sony A7
  • $1000
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup
  • $819
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A7 II
Sony A7
  • $1175
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $819
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive

Compared to Sony A7 III

Canon 50D
Sony A7 III
  • $1000
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup
  • $1865
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A7 II
Sony A7 III
  • $1175
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $1865
  • 35mm
  • Shoot 4K video
  • Touchscreen
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