Canon EOS 10D vs Canon EOS 50D

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D
      52
      Image cannot be found
      64
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS 10D and the Canon EOS 50D, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Canon EOS 10D was introduced in March 2003 and Canon EOS 50D was introduced in October 2008. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS 10D Highlights

      • 6 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 7 Focus Points
      • 1.8" 118k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Canon EOS 50D Highlights

      • 15.1 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 920k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 6.3 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Canon EOS 50D
      4. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      5. Screen and Viewfinder
      6. Sensor
      7. Photography Features
      8. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      9. Other Features
      10. Physical Parameters
      11. For Different Types of Photography
      12. Evaluations
      13. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS 10D and Canon EOS 50D.

      PROS

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 6 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 57
      •   Low USB Speed
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   No Video Capture
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Weight - 875 g (1.93 lb / 30.86 oz)
      •   Sensor Resolution - 15.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.3 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 63
      •   Weight - 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 10D.

      Canon 80D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 40D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.1 MP

      Canon 77D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 90D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      32.5 MP

      Canon 30D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8.2 MP

      Canon 60D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon 20D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8 MP

      Canon 20Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8.25 MP

      Canon 70D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Canon 60Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Sony ZV-E10
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Pentax KP
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.32 MP

      Advantage of Canon EOS 50D

      Canon 50D
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 50D over Canon EOS 10D.

      Canon EOS 10D vs Canon EOS 50D
      Higher Sensor Resolution 6 Megapixel vs 15.1 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 1,600 vs 3,200
      Higher Boosted ISO 3,200 vs 12,800
      Max Image Resolution 3072 x 2048 vs 4752 x 3168
      Timelapse Recording vs
      More Focus Points 7 vs 9
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Larger Screen 1.8" vs 3.0"
      Higher Resolution Screen 118k dot vs 920k dot
      Live View vs
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.55x vs 0.59x
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/8000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps vs 6.3 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/200 sec vs 1/250 sec
      Multi-Segment Metering vs
      Center Weighted Metering vs
      Spot Metering vs
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 571 vs 696
      Higher DxO Color Depth 21.1 vs 21.8
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 10.9 vs 11.4
      Higher DxO Overall Score 57 vs 63
      Higher USB Speed USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
      HDMI Output vs Mini
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Lighter 875 g (1.93 lb / 30.86 oz) vs 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 50D.

      Canon 60D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon 90D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      32.5 MP

      Canon 40D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.1 MP

      Canon 77D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 70D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Canon 20Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8.25 MP

      Canon 20D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8 MP

      Canon 80D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 30D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      8.2 MP

      Canon 60Da
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel T5
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel T3
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      12.2 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Canon EOS 10D Canon EOS 50D
        Built-in Flash
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS 10D Canon EOS 50D
        No Video Capture
        Low Native ISO1,6003,200
        Few Focus Points79
        No Image Stabilization
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS 10D has a 1.8" screen with 118k dot resolution and Canon EOS 50D has a 3.0" screen with 920k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. They both have 95% coverage.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 10D features a 6 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.7 x 15.1 mm and a total area of 342.8 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode. Canon EOS 50D features a 15.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.3 x 14.9 mm and a total area of 222 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200 and expands to 100 - 12,800 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Canon EOS 10D can take pictures up to 3072 x 2048 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2048 x 1360, 1536 x 1024 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon EOS 50D is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 4752 x 3168 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3456 x 2304, 2353 x 1568 with 3:2 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Canon EOS 10D has Canon EF lens mount and Canon EOS 50D has Canon EF/EF-S lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.6x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6.


      No Image Stabilization

      The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS 10D it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 50D nothing can be done. On Canon EOS 50D it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 10D nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS 50D comes with BP-511A battery pack with battery life of 800 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Canon EOS 10D has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II) card slot. Canon EOS 50D has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II, UDMA 7) card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS 10D has Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter. Canon EOS 50D has Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS 10D, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 50D. Canon EOS 10D can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps. Canon EOS 50D can shoot continuously up to 6.3 fps.


      Focusing

      Canon EOS 10D has 7 focusing points and Canon EOS 50D has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 9 focusing points..


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Canon EOS 50D ranges from 0.5 to +18 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±2 EV range. You can also do and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 10D and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 50D.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Canon EOS 10D and 13.00 m at ISO 100 on Canon EOS 50D. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal to Canon EOS 50D. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Canon EOS 10D and 1/250 sec on Canon EOS 50D.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS 10D body has dimensions of 150 x 107 x 75 mm (5.91 x 4.21 x 2.95") and Canon EOS 50D body has dimensions of 146 x 108 x 74 mm (5.75 x 4.25 x 2.91"). Canon EOS 10D weighs 875 g (1.93 lb / 30.86 oz) and Canon EOS 50D weighs 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz).

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      150 mm

      107 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      146 mm

      108 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      107 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      108 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      75 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      74 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Canon EOS 10D and Canon EOS 50D

      Canon EOS 10D and Canon EOS 50D for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      80
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      POOR
      53
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.3 fps
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      POOR
      52
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      62
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.3 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      79
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      GOOD
      72
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 875 g (1.93 lb / 30.86 oz)
      GOOD
      78
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      GOOD
      70
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 875 g (1.93 lb / 30.86 oz)
      GOOD
      79
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS 10D and Canon EOS 50D and give them scores of 52 and 64 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      OVERALL
      52
      OVERALL
      64

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 6 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 57
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Sensor Resolution - 15.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 63

      Photo

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      POOR
      51
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      GOOD
      70
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.3 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      GOOD
      81
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 118k dot
      GOOD
      72
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      BAD
      34
      •   Low USB Speed
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      57
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS 10D

      Canon EOS 50D

      BAD
      37
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 875 g (1.93 lb / 30.86 oz)
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

      Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
      ZKelectronics is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca, etc) and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.