Canon M50 vs Panasonic GH6

The Canon EOS M50 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in February 2018 and February 2022. Both the M50 and the GH6 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are based on an APS-C (M50) and a Four Thirds (GH6) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 25 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon M50		Panasonic GH6
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Canon EF-M mount lenses		Micro Four Thirds lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		25 MP – Four Thirds sensor
4K/24p Video		5.7K/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-25,600
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (3680k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1840k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fully flexible touchscreen
10 shutter flaps per second		14 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
235 shots per battery charge		360 shots per battery charge
116 x 88 x 59 mm, 390 g		138 x 100 x 100 mm, 823 g

Check M50 offers at
ebay.com
Check GH6 price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS M50 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon M50 and the Panasonic GH6 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The M50 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the GH6 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic GH6 is notably larger (35 percent) than the Canon M50. Moreover, the GH6 is substantially heavier (111 percent) than the M50. It is noteworthy in this context that the GH6 is splash and dust-proof, while the M50 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the M50 gets 235 shots out of its Canon LP-E12 battery, while the GH6 can take 360 images on a single charge of its Panasonic DMW-BLK22 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic GH6	138 mm	100 mm	100 mm	823 g	360	Y	Feb 2022	2,199	amazon.com
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	387 g	305	n	Oct 2020	599	ebay.com
4.		Canon SL3	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
5.		Canon M6 Mark II	120 mm	70 mm	49 mm	408 g	305	n	Aug 2019	849	ebay.com
6.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
7.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	779	ebay.com
8.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
9.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
10.		Canon T7i	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
11.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
12.		Canon M3	111 mm	68 mm	44 mm	366 g	250	n	Feb 2015	679	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic S5 II	134 mm	102 mm	90 mm	740 g	370	Y	Jan 2023	1,999	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic G9 II	134 mm	102 mm	90 mm	658 g	390	Y	Sep 2023	1,899	amazon.com
15.		Panasonic GH5 II	139 mm	98 mm	87 mm	727 g	400	Y	May 2021	1,699	amazon.com
16.		Panasonic S5	133 mm	98 mm	82 mm	714 g	440	Y	Sep 2020	1,999	amazon.com
17.		Panasonic GH5	139 mm	98 mm	87 mm	725 g	410	Y	Jan 2017	1,999	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The M50 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 65 percent) than the GH6, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon M50 features an APS-C sensor and the Panasonic GH6 a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the GH6 is 32 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 2.0. The sensor in the M50 has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, while the one in the GH6 offers a 4:3 aspect.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the GH6 offers a slightly higher resolution of 25 megapixels, compared with 24 MP of the M50. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.00μm versus 3.72μm for the M50). However, it should be noted that the GH6 is much more recent (by 3 years and 11 months) than the M50, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the GH6 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The M50 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

Unlike the M50, the GH6 has the capacity to capture high quality composite images (100MP) by combining multiple shots after shifting its sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).

The Canon EOS M50 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-25600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
2.		Panasonic GH6	Four Thirds	25.0	5776	4336	5.7K/60p	23.4	13.4	1555	77
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	83
4.		Canon SL3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
5.		Canon M6 Mark II	APS-C	32.3	6960	4640	4K/30p	24.0	13.5	1848	83
6.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
7.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
8.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
9.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
10.		Canon T7i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
11.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
12.		Canon M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
13.		Panasonic S5 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/30p	25.4	14.6	3158	96
14.		Panasonic G9 II	Four Thirds	25.0	5776	4336	5.7K/60p	23.4	13.5	1710	78
15.		Panasonic GH5 II	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.7	13.1	1136	79
16.		Panasonic S5	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.1	14.5	2697	94
17.		Panasonic GH5	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.9	13.0	807	77
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the GH6 provides a better video resolution than the M50. It can shoot movie footage at 5.7K/60p, while the Canon is limited to 4K/24p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the GH6 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the M50 (3680k vs 2360k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon M50, the Panasonic GH6, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
2.		Panasonic GH6	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	Y
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon SL3	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon M6 Mark II	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	14.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
9.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon T7i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon M3	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
13.		Panasonic S5 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
14.		Panasonic G9 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
15.		Panasonic GH5 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
16.		Panasonic S5	2360	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	n	Y
17.		Panasonic GH5	3680	n	3.2 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The M50 has one, while the GH6 does not. While the built-in flash of the M50 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the GH6 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon M50 and the Panasonic GH6 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The M50 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the GH6 uses CFexpress (type B) or SDXC cards. The GH6 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the M50 only has one slot. The GH6 supports UHS-II cards (on both slots), while the M50 can use UHS-I cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS M50 and Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Panasonic GH6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon M6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon T7	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon T7i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
12.		Canon M3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Panasonic S5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
14.		Panasonic G9 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
15.		Panasonic GH5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
16.		Panasonic S5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
17.		Panasonic GH5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the GH6 has a headphone jack, which makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process. The M50 lacks such a headphone port.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Panasonic GH6 (unlike the M50) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

The GH6 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Panasonic. In contrast, the M50 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the M50 was succeeded by the Canon M50 Mark II. Further information on the features and operation of the M50 and GH6 can be found, respectively, in the Canon M50 Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic GH6 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon M50 and the Panasonic GH6? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS M50:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• More compact: Is smaller (116x88mm vs 138x100mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 433g or 53 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (65 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in February 2018).

Arguments in favor of the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• High quality composites: Can combine several shots after pixel-shifting its sensor.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (5.7K/60p vs 4K/24p).
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (3680k vs 2360k dots).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1840k vs 1040k dots).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (14 vs 10 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (360 versus 235) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 2.0).
• More solid recording: Has a full-sized HDMI port for a sturdy connection to an external recorder.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 11 months of technical progress since the M50 launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the GH6 is the clear winner of the contest (18 : 7 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon M50 and the Panasonic GH6 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the M50 and the GH6 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic GH6	5/5	+ +	5/5	87/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2022	2,199	amazon.com
3.		Canon M50 Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	3.5/5	Oct 2020	599	ebay.com
4.		Canon SL3	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
5.		Canon M6 Mark II	..	+	4.5/5	85/100	4/5	4/5	Aug 2019	849	ebay.com
6.		Canon T7	..	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
7.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	779	ebay.com
8.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
9.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
10.		Canon T7i	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
11.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
12.		Canon M3	4/5	o	..	75/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	679	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic S5 II	4.5/5	+ +	5/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2023	1,999	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic G9 II	5/5	..	4.5/5	87/100	..	4.5/5	Sep 2023	1,899	amazon.com
15.		Panasonic GH5 II	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2021	1,699	amazon.com
16.		Panasonic S5	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2020	1,999	amazon.com
17.		Panasonic GH5	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2017	1,999	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

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