Canon EOS 50D vs Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37
      64
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      67
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      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 50D and the Sony Alpha SLT-A37, 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 50D was introduced in October 2008 and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 was introduced in May 2012. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      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

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37 Highlights

      • 16.1 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 15 Focus Points (15 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 2.6" 230k dot Tilting Screen
      • 1,440k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 5.5 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Canon EOS 50D
      4. Advantage of Sony Alpha SLT-A37
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. 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 50D and Sony Alpha SLT-A37.

      PROS

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      •   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
      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      •   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
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots


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

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      •   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
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.6"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.5 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 75
      •   Weight - 506 g (1.12 lb / 17.85 oz)

      Advantage of Canon EOS 50D

      Canon 50D
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 50D over Sony Alpha SLT-A37.

      Canon EOS 50D vs Sony Alpha SLT-A37
      Timelapse Recording vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Larger Screen 3.0" vs 2.6"
      Higher Resolution Screen 920k dot vs 230k dot
      Top LCD Screen vs
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/8000 sec vs 1/4000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 6.3 fps vs 5.5 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/250 sec vs 1/160 sec
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Longer Battery Life 800 shots vs 500 shots

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

      Canon 60D
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon 90D
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      APS-C

      32.5 MP

      Canon 77D
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 40D
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      APS-C

      10.1 MP

      Canon 70D
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      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Canon 20D
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      APS-C

      8 MP

      Canon 20Da
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      APS-C

      8.25 MP

      Canon 80D
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 30D
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      APS-C

      8.2 MP

      Canon 10D
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      APS-C

      6 MP

      Canon 60Da
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel T5
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Advantage of Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      Sony SLT-A37
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha SLT-A37 over Canon EOS 50D.

      Canon EOS 50D vs Sony Alpha SLT-A37
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Sensor Resolution 15.1 Megapixel vs 16.1 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 3,200 vs 25,600
      Max Image Resolution 4752 x 3168 vs 4912 x 3264
      More Focus Points 9 vs 15
      Image Stabilization vs Sensor Shift
      Screen Type Fixed vs Tilting
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 95% vs 100%
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.59x vs 0.73x
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 696 vs 799
      Higher DxO Color Depth 21.8 vs 23.3
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.4 vs 12.9
      Higher DxO Overall Score 63 vs 75
      Built-in Microphone vs Stereo
      Microphone Input vs
      Lighter 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz) vs 506 g (1.12 lb / 17.85 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony Alpha SLT-A37.

      Sony SLT-A55
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      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony SLT-A58
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      APS-C

      20.1 MP

      Sony SLT-A57
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      APS-C

      16.1 MP

      Sony SLT-A77 II
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A33
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      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony SLT-A77
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A35
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      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony SLT-A99 II
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      Full Frame

      42.4 MP

      Sony SLT-A68
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Sony SLT-A65
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A99
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      Full Frame

      24.3 MP

      Pentax K-S1
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      APS-C

      20.12 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 50D Sony Alpha SLT-A37
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Mini Mini Type C
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS 50D Sony Alpha SLT-A37
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi is possible
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS 50D has a 3.0" Fixed screen with 920k dot resolution and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 has a 2.6" Tilting screen with 230k dot resolution. Tilting screen makes Sony Alpha SLT-A37 very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting.

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      Sony Alpha SLT-A37 with Tilting screen


      Viewfinder

      Canon EOS 50D has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinderSony Alpha SLT-A37 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,440k dot resolution. Canon EOS 50D has 95% coverage with 0.95x (0.59x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 has 100% coverage with 1.09x (0.73x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      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 332.3 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200 and expands to 100 - 12,800 in boosted mode. Sony Alpha SLT-A37 features a 16.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 243.4 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600.


      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 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. Sony Alpha SLT-A37 can take pictures up to 4912 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4912 x 2760, 3568 x 2368, 3568 x 2000, 2448 x 1624, 2448 x 1376 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Canon EOS 50D has Canon EF/EF-S lens mount and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 has Sony A lens mount. They both have APS-C sensor but because of a small size difference their crop factors (also called lens multiplier) differ from each other. Canon EOS 50D has the crop factor of 1.6x which means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6. Sony Alpha SLT-A37 has the crop factor of 1.5x which means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS 50D has a Mini HDMI and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 has a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS 50D comes with BP-511A battery pack with battery life of 800 shots and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 500 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Canon EOS 50D has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II, UDMA 7) card slot. Sony Alpha SLT-A37 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS 50D has Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 50D, and up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha SLT-A37. Canon EOS 50D can shoot continuously up to 6.3 fps. Sony Alpha SLT-A37 can shoot continuously up to 5.5 fps.


      Focusing

      Canon EOS 50D has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 9 focusing points and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 has 15 (3 cross-type) 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 on Canon EOS 50D and ±3 EV range on Sony Alpha SLT-A37. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 50D and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Sony Alpha SLT-A37.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 13.00 m at ISO 100 on Canon EOS 50D and 12.00 m on Sony Alpha SLT-A37. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal to Canon EOS 50D and via Wireless connection to Sony Alpha SLT-A37. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Canon EOS 50D and 1/160 sec on Sony Alpha SLT-A37.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS 50D body has dimensions of 146 x 108 x 74 mm (5.75 x 4.25 x 2.91") and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 body has dimensions of 124 x 92 x 85 mm (4.88 x 3.62 x 3.35"). Canon EOS 50D weighs 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz) and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 weighs 506 g (1.12 lb / 17.85 oz).

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      146 mm

      108 mm

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      124 mm

      92 mm

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      108 mm

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      92 mm

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      74 mm

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      85 mm

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      Size comparisons of Canon EOS 50D and Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      Canon EOS 50D and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 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 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      GOOD
      80
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      70
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      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
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.5 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      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
      AVERAGE
      62
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.5 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      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
      GOOD
      81
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.6"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      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)
      GOOD
      83
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 506 g (1.12 lb / 17.85 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      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
      GOOD
      81
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 506 g (1.12 lb / 17.85 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS 50D and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 and give them scores of 64 and 67 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 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      OVERALL
      64
      OVERALL
      67

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Sensor Resolution - 15.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 63
      GOOD
      70
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 75

      Photo

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      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
      GOOD
      71
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.5 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      GOOD
      81
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      72
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      GOOD
      72
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.6"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      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
      GOOD
      78
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS 50D

      Sony Alpha SLT-A37

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 822 g (1.81 lb / 29.00 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 506 g (1.12 lb / 17.85 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots


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

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