Nikon D50 vs Canon 300D

The Nikon D50 and the Canon EOS 300D (labelled Canon Rebel in some countries) are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in April 2005 and August 2003. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 6 megapixels, whereas the Canon provides 6.3 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Nikon D50		Canon 300D
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
6 MP – APS-C sensor		6.3 MP – APS-C sensor
no Video		no Video
ISO 200-1,600		ISO 100-1,600
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
2.0" LCD – 130k dots		1.8" LCD – 118k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
2.5 shutter flaps per second		2.5 shutter flaps per second
400 shots per battery charge		400 shots per battery charge
133 x 102 x 76 mm, 620 g		142 x 99 x 72 mm, 649 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D50 and the Canon EOS 300D? 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 side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Nikon D50 and the Canon 300D. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 300D is somewhat larger (4 percent) than the Nikon D50. Moreover, the 300D is markedly heavier (5 percent) than the D50. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the D50 nor the 300D are weather-sealed.

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. Yet, since both cameras are based around an APS-C sensor, their respective lenses will tend to have similar dimensions and heft. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Nikon Lens Catalog (D50) and the Canon EF Lens Catalog (300D).

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon D50	133 mm	102 mm	76 mm	620 g	400	n	Apr 2005	US$ 749	ebay.com
2.		Canon 300D	142 mm	99 mm	72 mm	649 g	400	n	Aug 2003	US$ 899	ebay.com
3.		Canon 10D	150 mm	107 mm	75 mm	850 g	500	n	Feb 2003	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 20D	144 mm	106 mm	72 mm	770 g	700	n	Aug 2004	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
5.		Canon 350D	127 mm	94 mm	64 mm	540 g	400	n	Feb 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
6.		Canon 400D	127 mm	84 mm	65 mm	556 g	370	n	Aug 2006	US$ 799	ebay.com
7.		Canon 650D	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	575 g	440	n	Jun 2012	US$ 849	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D40	124 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	470	n	Nov 2006	US$ 499	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D40X	124 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	520	n	Mar 2007	US$ 729	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D60	126 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	500	n	Jan 2008	US$ 629	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D70	140 mm	111 mm	78 mm	679 g	400	n	Jan 2004	US$ 999	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D70s	140 mm	111 mm	78 mm	679 g	500	n	Apr 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D80	132 mm	103 mm	77 mm	668 g	600	n	Aug 2006	US$ 999	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D3000	126 mm	97 mm	64 mm	536 g	500	n	Jul 2009	US$ 599	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D5000	127 mm	104 mm	80 mm	590 g	510	n	Apr 2009	US$ 749	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D5100	128 mm	97 mm	79 mm	560 g	660	n	Apr 2011	US$ 749	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D5200	129 mm	98 mm	78 mm	555 g	500	n	Nov 2012	US$ 749	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

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. 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 D50 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 17 percent) than the 300D, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. 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 imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have 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 associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the 300D is 7 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.5 (D50) and 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the 300D offers a slightly higher resolution of 6.3 megapixels, compared with 6 MP of the D50. 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 7.38μm versus 7.85μm for the D50). Moreover, it should be noted that the D50 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 8 months) than the 300D, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels.

The Nikon D50 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS 300D are ISO 100 to ISO 1600 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the D50 is build around a CCD sensor, while the 300D uses a CMOS imager. 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 determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. 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.		Nikon D50	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.9	10.8	560	55
2.		Canon 300D	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	21.0	10.8	544	55
3.		Canon 10D	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	21.1	10.9	571	57
4.		Canon 20D	APS-C	8.2	3504	2336	none	21.9	11.0	721	62
5.		Canon 350D	APS-C	8.0	3456	2304	none	21.8	10.8	637	60
6.		Canon 400D	APS-C	10.1	3888	2592	none	22.1	11.0	664	62
7.		Canon 650D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	722	62
8.		Nikon D40	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	21.0	11.0	561	56
9.		Nikon D40X	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.4	11.4	516	63
10.		Nikon D60	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.5	11.4	562	65
11.		Nikon D70	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.4	10.3	529	50
12.		Nikon D70s	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.4	10.3	529	50
13.		Nikon D80	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.1	11.2	524	61
14.		Nikon D3000	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.3	11.1	563	62
15.		Nikon D5000	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.7	12.5	868	72
16.		Nikon D5100	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.5	13.6	1183	80
17.		Nikon D5200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.2	13.9	1284	84

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The D50 and the 300D are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the 300D has a higher magnification than the one of the D50 (0.55x vs 0.50x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Nikon D50 and Canon 300D 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.		Nikon D50	optical	n	2.0 / 130	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
2.		Canon 300D	optical	n	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 10D	optical	Y	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 20D	optical	Y	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 350D	optical	n	1.8 / 115	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon 400D	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon 650D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D40	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D40X	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D60	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon D70	optical	n	1.8 / 130	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.0/s	Y	n
12.		Nikon D70s	optical	n	2.0 / 130	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.0/s	Y	n
13.		Nikon D80	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
14.		Nikon D3000	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
15.		Nikon D5000	optical	n	2.7 / 230	full-flex	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
16.		Nikon D5100	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
17.		Nikon D5200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The D50 writes its imaging data to SD cards, while the 300D uses Compact Flash 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 Nikon D50 and Canon EOS 300D 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.		Nikon D50	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Canon 300D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
3.		Canon 10D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
4.		Canon 20D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
5.		Canon 350D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Canon 400D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Canon 650D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Nikon D40	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon D40X	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Nikon D60	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Nikon D70	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.0	-	-	-
12.		Nikon D70s	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Nikon D80	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Nikon D3000	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Nikon D5000	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Nikon D5100	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Nikon D5200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Both the D50 and the 300D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 300D was replaced by the Canon 350D, while the D50 was followed by the Nikon D40. Further information on the features and operation of the D50 and 300D can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D50 Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon 300D Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon D50 or the Canon 300D – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Nikon D50:

• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (2.0" vs 1.8") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (130k vs 118k dots).
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (2.0 vs 1.1).
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (17 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 1 year and 8 months after the 300D).

Advantages of the Canon EOS 300D:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.55x vs 0.50x).
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in August 2003).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D50 emerges as the winner of the contest (5 : 2 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 Nikon D50 and the Canon 300D place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR 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 D50 and the 300D in practical situations. 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 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	Street Price
1.		Nikon D50	..	78/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2005	US$ 749	ebay.com
2.		Canon 300D	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Aug 2003	US$ 899	ebay.com
3.		Canon 10D	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Feb 2003	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 20D	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Aug 2004	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
5.		Canon 350D	..	80/100	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
6.		Canon 400D	..	+ +	..	+ +	o	4/5	Aug 2006	US$ 799	ebay.com
7.		Canon 650D	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	US$ 849	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D40	..	81/100	..	+ +	o	4.5/5	Nov 2006	US$ 499	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D40X	..	79/100	..	+ +	4/5	4/5	Mar 2007	US$ 729	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D60	..	80/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2008	US$ 629	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D70	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Jan 2004	US$ 999	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D70s	..	..	..	..	..	5/5	Apr 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D80	..	+	..	+ +	o	4.5/5	Aug 2006	US$ 999	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D3000	..	+	..	72/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2009	US$ 599	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D5000	..	+ +	..	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2009	US$ 749	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D5100	5/5	+ +	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2011	US$ 749	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D5200	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. 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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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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