Canon 50D vs Sony A35

Cameras
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Canon 50D vs Sony A35

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APS-C 369.7mm²
15.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 3200

Go in depth with our full Canon 50D Review.
See real-world photos taken with the 50D.

APS-C 365.0mm²
16.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Sony A35 Review.

Succeeded by the Canon 60D
Compare 50D vs 60D
Compare Canon 60D vs Sony A35

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Differences

Canon 50D advantages over Sony A35

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.30 vs 0.9 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

640 vs 420 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
216 mm vs 83 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
More cross-type AF points
9 vs 3
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
Higher max flash sync
1/250 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Less shutter lag
0.13 vs 0.22 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Faster JPEG shooting
6.3 fps vs 5.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
43 vs 12 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A35 advantages over Canon 50D

Less expensive
$700 vs $1399 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A35 test data on DxO Mark 50D test data on DxO Mark

12.7 vs 11.4 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More viewfinder magnification
0.73x vs 0.59x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More AF points
15 vs 9
More AF points improve autofocus
Wider angle kit lens
27 mm vs 45 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Higher extended ISO
25600 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
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
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

Focus peaking
Neither provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
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
Tiltable Screen
Neither provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

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Buy the Canon 50D

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Buy the Sony A35

Review Excerpt

Read our Canon 50D Full Review

We haven’t reviewed the Sony A35.
Read our Sony A35 Initial Test

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

Compare Canon 50D vs Samsung GX-20

Sony A35

Samsung GX-20

$567
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$1400
APS-C

Lens selection
Top deck display

Compare Sony A35 vs Samsung GX-20

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

Compare Canon 50D vs Pentax K-7

Sony A35

Pentax K-7

$567
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A35 vs Pentax K-7

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

Compare Canon 50D vs Sony DSLR-A550

Sony A35

Sony DSLR-A550

$567
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$859
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
Fast startup

Compare Sony A35 vs Sony DSLR-A550

Compared to Sony A55

Canon 50D

Sony A55

$1000
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$734
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 50D vs Sony A55

Sony A35

Sony A55

$567
APS-C

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

$734
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
Built-in GPS

Compare Sony A35 vs Sony A55

Compared to Sony A33

Canon 50D

Sony A33

$1000
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$540
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 50D vs Sony A33

Sony A35

Sony A33

$567
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
Longer stills battery life

$540
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
Faster JPEG shooting

Compare Sony A35 vs Sony A33

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