Nikon D800 vs Canon EOS M50 Mark II

This is a full comparison between the cameras Nikon D800 and Canon EOS M50 Mark II. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Nikon D800 is manufacturered by Nikon but Canon EOS M50 Mark II is from Canon. Both Nikon and Canon are well known brands though.

Nikon D800 were released 2012 and Canon EOS M50 Mark II was released 2020. That is a 8 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Nikon D800 2012
Canon EOS M50 Mark II 2020

Type of camera

Nikon D800 is a DSLR camera while Canon EOS M50 Mark II is a Mirrorless camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Nikon D800 has a "Nikon FX"-sensor while Canon EOS M50 Mark II has a "Canon APS-C"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Nikon D800 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS M50 Mark II 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 (Nikon)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Nikon D800 has a 36,3 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS M50 Mark II has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Nikon D800 36,3 MP
36152320 pixels
7360 x 4912
Canon EOS M50 Mark II 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000

Nikon D800 has a 51 % larger resolution than Canon EOS M50 Mark II. 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 25600.

Camera ISO Range
Nikon D800 100-25600
Canon EOS M50 Mark II 100-25600

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 M50 Mark II 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 Nikon D800
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS M50 Mark II

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Nikon D800 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS M50 Mark II can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Nikon D800 6
Canon EOS M50 Mark II 10

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Nikon D800 and Canon EOS M50 Mark II can shoot movies.

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.

Nikon D800 weighs 900 gr (equal to 1.98 lb) which is 133% heavier than Canon EOS M50 Mark II and its 387 gr (or 0.85 lb).

Camera Weight
Nikon D800 900 gr
1.98 lb
Canon EOS M50 Mark II 387 gr
0.85 lb

Nikon D800 vs Canon EOS M50 Mark II Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Nikon D800 and Canon EOS M50 Mark II, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Name Nikon D800 Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Manufacturer Nikon Canon
Release Date and Price
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Release Year 2012 2020
Release Date 2012-02-07 2020-10-14
MSRP 2999 USD 599 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Camera Type DSLR Mirrorless
Sensor
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 23.9 mm)
Also known as "FX"
APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 7360 x 4912 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels 36,3 MP 24 MP
Image Processor EXPEED 3 DIGIC 8
Image
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
ISO Range 100 - 25600 100 - 25600
White Balance Presets 12 7
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization No No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 51 143
Lens Mount Nikon F

See Compatible Lenses
Canon EF-M

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier FX (Full frame)
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
APS-C Sensor
1.6x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 38 mm
50 mm becomes 80 mm
100 mm becomes 160 mm
200 mm becomes 320 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Articulated LCD Fixed Fully articulated
Screen size 3,2” 3”
Screen dots 921000 1040000
Touch screen No Yes
Screen type TFT Color LCD with 170 degrees wide-viewing angle TFT LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Optical (pentaprism) Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.7×
Viewfinder Resolution N/A 2360000
Photography features
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Frames per second 6 fps 10 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash Yes Yes
Built-in Flash Range 12 meters 5 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse Yes Yes
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 1 EV steps) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
H.264
MPEG4
H.264
Video resolution 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Memory Card Compact Flash
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes Yes
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Optional with Nikon Wireless Transmitter for D800 (WT-4A)
Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth)
Remote Control Yes (Optional, wired or wireless) Yes (via smartphone)
GPS Yes
Optional with GP-1
No
Body & Dimensions
Nikon D800
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Lithium-Ion EN-EL15 rechargeable battery & charger
LP-E12 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 900 shots 305 shots
Width 146 mm 116 mm
Height 123 mm 88 mm
Depth 82 mm 59 mm
Weight 900 gram 387 gram