Canon R50 vs R6

The Canon EOS R50 and the Canon EOS R6 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2023 and July 2020. Both the R50 and the R6 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are based on an APS-C (R50) and a full frame (R6) sensor. The R50 has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the R6 provides 20 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Canon R50		Canon R6
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
		Canon RF mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		20 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/30p Video		4k/60p Video
ISO 100-32,000 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-102,400 (50 - 204,800)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (3690k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1620k dots		3.0" LCD – 1620k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
12 shutter flaps per second		12 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
230 shots per battery charge		360 shots per battery charge
116 x 86 x 69 mm, 375 g		138 x 98 x 88 mm, 680 g

Check R50 price at
amazon.com
Check R6 price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS R50 and the Canon EOS R6? 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

The physical size and weight of the Canon R50 and the Canon R6 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The R50 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the R6 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 Canon R6 is notably larger (36 percent) than the Canon R50. Moreover, the R6 is substantially heavier (81 percent) than the R50. It is noteworthy in this context that the R6 is splash and dust-proof, while the R50 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 R50 gets 230 shots out of its Canon LP-E17 battery, while the R6 can take 360 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E6NH power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon R50	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	375 g	230	n	Feb 2023	US$ 679	amazon.com
2.		Canon R6	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	680 g	360	Y	Jul 2020	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
3.		Canon 6D	145 mm	111 mm	71 mm	770 g	1090	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
4.		Canon M3	111 mm	68 mm	44 mm	366 g	250	n	Feb 2015	US$ 679	ebay.com
5.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
6.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	US$ 779	ebay.com
7.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
8.		Canon M50 Mark II	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	387 g	305	n	Oct 2020	US$ 599	ebay.com
9.		Canon R	139 mm	98 mm	84 mm	660 g	370	Y	Sep 2018	US$ 2 299	ebay.com
10.		Canon R6 Mark II	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	670 g	450	Y	Nov 2022	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
11.		Canon R10	123 mm	88 mm	83 mm	429 g	450	n	May 2022	US$ 979	amazon.com
12.		Canon R100	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	356 g	400	n	May 2023	US$ 479	amazon.com
13.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
14.		Canon SL3	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
15.		Canon T7i	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	US$ 749	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic S1	149 mm	110 mm	97 mm	1017 g	400	Y	Feb 2019	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
17.		Sony A9 II	129 mm	96 mm	76 mm	678 g	690	Y	Oct 2019	US$ 4 499	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The R50 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 73 percent) than the R6, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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 imaging sensor is a crucial determinant 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. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to 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 R50 features an APS-C sensor and the Canon R6 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the R6 is 160 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the Canon R50 offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixels, compared with 20 MP of the Canon R6. 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 3.72μm versus 6.57μm for the R6). However, it should be noted that the R50 is much more recent (by 2 years and 7 months) than the R6, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

The resolution advantage of the Canon R50 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the R50 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon R6 are 27.4 x 18.2 inches or 69.5 x 46.3 cm for good quality, 21.9 x 14.6 inches or 55.6 x 37.1 cm for very good quality, and 18.2 x 12.2 inches or 46.3 x 30.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Canon EOS R50 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 32000, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS R6 are ISO 100 to ISO 102400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-204800.

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.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-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 R50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.9	2168	84
2.		Canon R6	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4k/60p	24.2	14.3	3394	90
3.		Canon 6D	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.8	12.1	2340	82
4.		Canon M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
5.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
6.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
7.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
8.		Canon M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	83
9.		Canon R	Full Frame	30.1	6720	4480	4K/30p	24.5	13.5	2742	89
10.		Canon R6 Mark II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	25.4	14.6	3154	96
11.		Canon R10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	24.1	13.8	2085	84
12.		Canon R100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/24p	24.1	13.9	2197	84
13.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
14.		Canon SL3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
15.		Canon T7i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
16.		Panasonic S1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.2	14.5	3333	95
17.		Sony A9 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.0	3434	93
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the R6 provides a faster frame rate than the R50. It can shoot movie footage at 4k/60p, while the R50 is limited to 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond 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 R6 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the R50 (3690k vs 2360k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon R50 and Canon R6 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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 R50	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	n
2.		Canon R6	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
3.		Canon 6D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
4.		Canon M3	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
5.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon M50 Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon R	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	n	n
10.		Canon R6 Mark II	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
11.		Canon R10	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	15.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon R100	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.5/s	Y	n
13.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
14.		Canon SL3	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
15.		Canon T7i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
16.		Panasonic S1	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
17.		Sony A9 II	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/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 R50 has one, while the R6 does not. While the built-in flash of the R50 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, both cameras under consideration feature an 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 R50 and the Canon R6 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.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the R50 and the R6 write their files to SDXC cards. The R6 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the R50 only has one slot. The R6 supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the R50 can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

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 R50 and Canon EOS R6 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 R50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Canon R6	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon 6D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Canon M3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon M50 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Canon R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.1	Y	-	Y
10.		Canon R6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
11.		Canon R10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
12.		Canon R100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
13.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
14.		Canon SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
15.		Canon T7i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
16.		Panasonic S1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
17.		Sony A9 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the R6 has a headphone jack, which makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process. The R50 lacks such a headphone port.

Both the R50 and the R6 are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. Neither of the two has a direct predecessor, so perhaps they will constitute the origins of new camera lines for Canon. Further information on the features and operation of the R50 and R6 can be found, respectively, in the Canon R50 Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon R6 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Canon R50 better than the Canon R6 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Canon EOS R50:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (24 vs 20MP) with a 10% higher linear resolution.
• More compact: Is smaller (116x86mm vs 138x98mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 305g or 45 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 (73 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 7 months of technical progress since the R6 launch.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS R6:

• Better image quality: Features bigger pixels on a larger sensor for higher quality imaging.
• Richer colors: The pixel size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger pixels capture a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger pixels means good image quality even under poor lighting.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (4k/60p versus 4K/30p).
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (3690k vs 2360k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.76x vs 0.58x).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (360 versus 230) 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.
• 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 heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in July 2020).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the R6 is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 6 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding 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 R50 and the Canon R6 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 comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the R50 or the R6 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera 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	Street Price
1.		Canon R50	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	..	4.5/5	Feb 2023	US$ 679	amazon.com
2.		Canon R6	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2020	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
3.		Canon 6D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
4.		Canon M3	4/5	o	..	75/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	US$ 679	ebay.com
5.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
6.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	US$ 779	ebay.com
7.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
8.		Canon M50 Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	3.5/5	Oct 2020	US$ 599	ebay.com
9.		Canon R	4/5	o	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2018	US$ 2 299	ebay.com
10.		Canon R6 Mark II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2022	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
11.		Canon R10	4/5	..	4.5/5	87/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2022	US$ 979	amazon.com
12.		Canon R100	3/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	May 2023	US$ 479	amazon.com
13.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
14.		Canon SL3	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
15.		Canon T7i	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	US$ 749	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic S1	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2019	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
17.		Sony A9 II	..	..	5/5	90/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2019	US$ 4 499	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Check R6 price at
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Other camera comparisons

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