Canon EOS M vs Canon EOS 50D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Canon EOS M and Canon EOS 50D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Canon EOS M

Canon EOS 50D

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Canon.

Canon EOS M were released 2012 and Canon EOS 50D was released 2008. That is a 4 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Canon EOS M	2012
Canon EOS 50D	2008

Type of camera

Canon EOS M is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 50D is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Canon APS-C") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Neither of the cameras has a Full frame sensor which means that you will get a "crop factor" where the camera's sensor size affect the focal length with a multiplier.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Canon EOS M	80 mm Canon APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6
Canon EOS 50D	80 mm Canon APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Canon EOS M has a 18 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 50D has 15,1 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Canon EOS M	18 MP 17915904 pixels 5184 x 3456
Canon EOS 50D	15,1 MP 15054336 pixels 4752 x 3168

Canon EOS M has a 19 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 50D. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Both of these cameras offer the exact same ISO range. They both have 100 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Canon EOS M	100-12800
Canon EOS 50D	100-12800

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Worth mentioning is that Canon EOS M belongs to the Canon EOS M-system and needs an adapter to work with Canons EF, EF-S, MP-E, and TS-E lenses. You can read more about this adapter here:
Canon Lens Mount Adapter EF-EOS M

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS M
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 50D

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Canon EOS M can shoot up to 4,3 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 50D can shoot up to 6,3 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Canon EOS M	4,3
Canon EOS 50D	6,3

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Canon EOS M. Unfortunately Canon EOS 50D does not support recording movies and movie clips.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS 50D weighs 822 gr (equal to 1.81 lb) which is 176% heavier than Canon EOS M and its 298 gr (or 0.66 lb).

Camera	Weight
Canon EOS M	298 gr 0.66 lb
Canon EOS 50D	822 gr 1.81 lb