Clicky

Canon 50D vs Nikon D7200

Portability
57
Imaging
53
Features
65
Overall
57
Canon EOS 50D front
 
Nikon D7200 front
Portability
59
Imaging
65
Features
82
Overall
71

Canon 50D vs Nikon D7200 Key Specs

Canon 50D
(Full Review)
  • 15MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200 (Boost to 12800)
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • No Video
  • Canon EF/EF-S Mount
  • 822g - 146 x 108 x 74mm
  • Launched October 2008
  • Replaced the Canon 40D
  • Replacement is Canon 60D
Nikon D7200
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3.2" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600 (Boost to 102400)
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 765g - 136 x 107 x 76mm
  • Revealed March 2015
  • Older Model is Nikon D7100
  • Successor is Nikon D7500
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Canon 50D vs Nikon D7200: A Thorough Comparison from an Experienced Eye

When it comes to advanced DSLR cameras that have stood the test of time and continue to serve photographers well, the Canon 50D and Nikon D7200 often surface in conversations. Although they hail from different eras - the 50D launched in 2008 and the D7200 came out seven years later in 2015 - both cater to enthusiasts and semi-pro shooters eager for rugged build quality, solid ergonomics, and capable image output. From my 15+ years and thousands of hours handling DSLRs in studios, outdoors, and everything between, I’ve put these two through their paces to distill where each excels, where compromises are made, and who should seriously consider one over the other.

Let’s dive deep, exploring everything from sensor performance to real-world usage across photographic genres you care about. No hyperbole here - just measured, evidence-based insights.

Size, Handling, and Ergonomics: First Impressions Matter

The tactile experience of a camera cannot be overstated. Ergonomics influence how natural and comfortable a camera feels during long shoots or rapid-fire sessions.

Canon 50D vs Nikon D7200 size comparison

The Canon 50D is a sturdy, mid-sized DSLR with dimensions of 146 x 108 x 74 mm and weighing 822 grams (body only). Its heft delivers reassuring solidity but can tire the wrist after extended handheld use, especially with heavier lenses. The grip is substantial and fits average to large hands comfortably, but the body is slightly bulkier compared to more modern designs.

The Nikon D7200 is a shade lighter at 765 grams and slightly more compact at 136 x 107 x 76 mm. Nikon refined the grip on this model, making it more ergonomic for smaller hands. The reduced size and weight do not come at the expense of durability; the D7200 maintains robust weather sealing and impressively solid construction.

Canon 50D vs Nikon D7200 top view buttons comparison

Looking from the top, the Canon’s layout is straightforward and intuitive, with dedicated dials for mode, ISO, and exposure compensation. However, the 50D lacks some refinements like illuminated buttons or secondary displays on the top plate that appear on many newer DSLRs. The Nikon D7200’s interface adds a more modern touch with additional autofocus controls and a more pronounced secondary info display, helpful when making quick adjustments on the fly.

Both cameras eschew touchscreen LCDs, favoring tactile buttons and dials - a boon for those working in gloves or challenging lighting conditions. Overall, I found the D7200 more comfortable for extended handheld work, especially in situations requiring swift changes, like wildlife or sports photography.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Pixels in the Real World

The heart of any modern DSLR is its sensor and image processing engine, dictating resolution, color depth, dynamic range, and noise performance.

Canon 50D vs Nikon D7200 sensor size comparison

Canon opts for a 15.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor (22.3 x 14.9 mm) paired with the Digic 4 processor in the 50D. This sensor size is fairly standard for enthusiast DSLRs of its time, but its pixel density is lower than Nikon’s 24.2MP APS-C sensor (23.5 x 15.6 mm) found in the D7200 running on the newer Expeed 4 chip. The D7200’s sensor area is roughly 10% larger, which, combined with newer fabrication tech, yields higher image quality metrics.

DxOMark scores - though only a starting point for evaluation - reflect this: the Nikon D7200 scores an overall 87, significantly ahead of the Canon 50D’s 63. A deep dive shows Nikon’s sensor offers better dynamic range (14.6 vs 11.4 stops), superior color depth (24.5 vs 21.8 bits), and greater low-light ISO performance (native ISO up to 25600, boosted to 102400, with a DxO low-light ISO mark of 1333 vs Canon’s maximum ISO 3200 native and boosted to 12800 with low-light ISO 696).

In practical shooting scenarios, this translates to Nikon capturing cleaner files at high ISO, along with greater room to recover shadows and highlights - not just on paper but visibly apparent in landscape or event photography. That does not mean Canon’s files aren’t usable - they maintain good color rendition and detail at base ISO - but they do require more delicate highlight/shadow handling.

Viewing and Interface: What You See Is What You Get

A photographer’s connection to the scene is mediated through the viewfinder and LCD screen, making these components critical for intuitive shooting.

Canon 50D vs Nikon D7200 Screen and Viewfinder comparison

The Canon 50D sports a 3-inch fixed TFT LCD with 920k-dot resolution. Clear and bright for its generation, it delivers sufficient detail for critical focus checking and menu navigation. However, the fixed nature of the screen and lack of touchscreen functionality limits versatility in live view or video modes - video is absent on this model entirely.

The Nikon D7200 improves with a 3.2-inch fixed display offering 1.23 million dots, yielding a noticeably crisper image. While not articulating or touchscreen, it supports advanced menu navigation and live view focusing aids better suited to modern workflows. Importantly, Nikon’s viewfinder provides 100% coverage vs Canon’s 95%, an advantage for precise framing and composition - essential for architectural or landscape work, for example.

The optical viewfinders on both models offer pentaprism designs, with the D7200’s marginally better magnification. This allows more natural eye relief and less fatigue during marathon shooting sessions.

Autofocus: The Eyes at Work

Autofocus is arguably the single most critical factor for success in action, wildlife, and event photography.

Canon’s 50D features 9 autofocus points with phase detection, including cross-type sensors in the center. Face detection autofocus works in live view but continuous AF tracking isn’t supported, limiting its utility for moving subjects. Point selection is manually selectable with no advanced tracking features.

The D7200 offers a massive leap forward: 51 AF points, with 15 cross-type sensors, all supplemented by Nikon’s Advanced Multi-CAM 3500DX II AF module. It supports full 3D tracking, face detection, and subject tracking, providing confidently sharp focus in challenging or rapidly changing scenes. Continuous autofocus performance is excellent, with low hunting even in dim lighting.

For sports or wildlife shooters, the D7200’s AF system is a game changer, enabling higher keeper rates and greater reliability during burst shooting. The 6 fps burst of the 50D is on par with the D7200’s 6 fps but D7200 maintains focus longer during series.

Burst Rates and Buffer: Chasing Action

Both cameras offer around 6 frames per second continuous shooting, but buffer capacity and sustained burst behavior differ.

The 50D’s buffer can hold roughly 90 frames in JPEG or about 17 RAW files before slowing - quite respectable for the era. Its UDMA CompactFlash storage supports fast write speeds reducing downtime between bursts.

The D7200, with faster processors and dual SD card slots, supports longer RAW burst sequences with smoother processing. Its buffer can handle roughly 27 RAW frames, facilitating longer sequences of action shots without interruption.

The two-slot design of the D7200 also allows simultaneous backup or overflow recording - a significant advantage for professional workflows or event photography where image safety is paramount.

Build Quality and Weather Sealing: Ready for the Elements

Both cameras are built for longevity, but Nikon’s D7200 edges ahead with enhanced environmental resistance.

The Canon 50D features robust magnesium alloy chassis with environmental sealing suitable for general dust and moisture exposure, but no comprehensive IP rating or specific dustproof certification.

Nikon’s D7200 offers weather sealing that includes dust- and moisture-resistance throughout the camera body. This added protection is ideal for outdoor photographers shooting landscapes or wildlife in rugged or moist conditions.

Neither model is fully waterproof, crushproof, or freezeproof, but in my testing, the D7200 showed superior reliability in damp or dusty environments without requiring special care.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility: Glass Makes the Image

Canon’s EF/EF-S mount system boasts an extensive legacy lineup - over 320 native lenses covering every focal length, specialty, and budget point. This depth not only guarantees options for critical sharpness, specialty primes, or affordable zooms but also ensures long-term upgrade paths.

Nikon’s F-mount, compatible with some 309 native lenses covering similarly broad ranges, also holds strong, especially with excellent third-party options available. The slight difference in crop factors - Canon’s 1.6x versus Nikon’s 1.5x - affects effective field of view but remains within an easily manageable range for most photographers.

Neither camera has in-body image stabilization, relying on lens-based Vibration Reduction (Nikon) or Image Stabilization (Canon). Nikon’s VR lenses generally benefit from better-stabilized telephoto options, a plus for handheld wildlife or sports shooting.

Macro and Close-Up Capabilities: Precision at Small Scales

Though neither camera specifically targets macro photography, their sensor performance and focusing options still merit review for this specialty.

Due to its higher resolution sensor, the Nikon D7200 offers more detail capture critical for macro work, assuming the lens employed supports close focusing distances.

Both cameras lack focus stacking or focus bracketing features natively, a reflection of their era. Manual focus precision on both is dependable, with the Nikon’s superior AF system capable of better live view contrast detection focusing when using macro lenses.

Night and Astro Photography: Low Light Luminosity

In my astrophotography sessions, sensor noise characteristics and high ISO performance critically shape results.

The Canon 50D’s maximum native ISO of 3200, with boosted options reaching 12800, tends to produce noisier and less clean results at those higher extremes.

The Nikon D7200 shines with a max native ISO of 25600 and boosted ISO up to 102400, though practical long-exposure astrophotographers generally avoid boosted ISOs for quality reasons. The D7200’s sensor implementation combined with improved noise reduction algorithms allows cleaner star fields and better tonal gradations in low-light shadow areas.

Its long exposure noise reduction and exposure control modes also facilitate better handling of long night exposures.

Video Capabilities: Moving Pictures for Stills Shooters

The Canon 50D is a still photographer’s tool through and through, lacking any video recording ability.

The Nikon D7200 enters the video domain with full HD 1080p at 60fps support, multiple recording formats (MPEG-4, H.264), and advanced features like external microphone and headphone jacks for monitoring sound - a nod toward independent filmmakers and hybrid shooters. Video autofocus remains manual or contrast-detect based in live view, less snappy than modern mirrorless systems but serviceable.

The inclusion of Wi-Fi connectivity on the D7200 enables remote monitoring and image transfer, features absent on the 50D. This additionally eases social media workflow for travel or street photographers.

Storage, Battery, and Connectivity: The Nuts and Bolts

Canon 50D uses a single CompactFlash card slot supporting UDMA cards, offering fast write speeds at the cost of bulkier cards and older media.

The Nikon D7200 features dual SD card slots, compatible with SD, SDHC, and SDXC. This dual-slot setup supports simultaneous backup, ideal for pros prioritizing data safety.

Battery-wise, 50D’s BP-511A lithium-ion packs deliver up to 800 shots per charge; Nikon’s EN-EL15 boasts a longer life of around 1100 shots, critical on extended outings without charging access.

In terms of connectivity, the D7200 is better equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, supporting remote control and wireless file transfer, whereas the 50D lacks wireless features entirely.

Putting It All Together: Scoring Across Photography Genres

Before final recommendations, let’s examine how each camera performs across common photography disciplines from my testing notes.

Photography Genre Canon 50D Nikon D7200 Notes
Portrait Good color, limited bokeh control due to older AF Superior detail, face detection AF improves eye clarity Nikon’s AF and resolution give it the edge
Landscape Good dynamic range, slightly lower resolution Excellent dynamic range, 24MP detail, weather sealing Nikon is clearly better for expansive scenery shots
Wildlife Decent burst, limited AF points Fast AF, tracking, longer burst possible Nikon is the clear choice for serious wildlife photographers
Sports Solid shutter speeds & burst Superior autofocus tracking systems Again, Nikon dominates sports and action photography
Street Bulkier, but discreet noise performance More compact, quieter operation, better low light Nikon’s size and ISO performance better for street
Macro Capable with right lenses, moderate detail Higher detail capture in macro Both require quality glass, but Nikon captures more detail
Night/Astro Usable at base ISO, noisy above Superior noise control, dynamic range Nikon is the astrostunner here
Video None 1080p Full HD, external mics Nikon offers hybrid shooter capability
Travel Slightly heavier, good battery Compact, longer battery, wireless Nikon is more versatile for travel photographers
Professional Work Reliable, older workflow Robust dual slots, wireless, better files Nikon fits professional demands better

With nuanced grading, the D7200’s technological superiority is evident in image quality, autofocus, and versatility, reflecting its position as a newer camera designed for transitions into modern workflows. The 50D remains a capable machine but is increasingly outclassed in core areas by cameras like the D7200.

Who Should Buy the Canon 50D?

The 50D is a solid choice for photographers on a budget, hobbyists who prefer Canon’s color science, or those invested heavily in Canon EF/EF-S glass and looking for a sturdy DSLR starter upgrade. Its robust build and direct controls feel comfortable if you enjoy a classical DSLR experience without video distraction.

If you primarily shoot portraits, landscapes, or occasional wildlife in good lighting and are satisfied with 15MP resolution, it offers value, especially on the used market.

That said, the lack of video and older sensor tech mean accepting some compromises in ISO performance, dynamic range, and connectivity.

Why the Nikon D7200 Remains Relevant Today

For enthusiast shooters and semi-pros requiring high resolution, robust autofocus, and hybrid video capability, the D7200 remains a standout model within DSLR lineups. Its improved sensor, thoughtful ergonomics, dual card slots, superior battery life, and weather sealing mean it is more flexible across disciplines including sports, wildlife, travel, and landscape.

Professionals on a budget, or those who prioritize fast focusing in challenging conditions, will note how the D7200’s AF system and image quality rival some cameras costing substantially more.

The D7200 will also integrate smoothly into Nikon-centric workflows or hybrid video-still production setups.

Final Thoughts: Which DSLR Wins Your Heart?

My testing over multiple shoots, including urban exploration, hikes in the wild, and studio sessions, makes one thing clear: The Nikon D7200 is the more compelling all-rounder of the two. It offers significant technological advancements with few trade-offs and better future-proofing.

That said, the Canon 50D holds nostalgic appeal and practical strengths like ruggedness and Canon’s distinct color rendering. It’s a capable tool for Canon fans or budget-minded buyers willing to accept the limitations.

Ultimately, your choice hinges on your specific photography styles, lens investments, and whether video or connectivity features factor into your shooting.

If you want a modern, flexible DSLR that spans multiple genres with confidence, choose the Nikon D7200.

If you want a robust, no-frills DSLR with respectable image quality on a limited budget, and are loyal to Canon EF lenses, the 50D remains a viable pick - especially secondhand.

I hope this detailed comparison gives you the clarity to decide which camera complements your photographic journey best. Feel free to reach out if you want hands-on tips or lens recommendations for either model - I’ve tested them extensively and would be happy to help you get the most out of your kit. Remember: the camera is just a tool; it’s the photographer who makes the image memorable.

Happy shooting!

Canon 50D vs Nikon D7200 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon 50D and Nikon D7200
 Canon EOS 50DNikon D7200
General Information
Company Canon Nikon
Model type Canon EOS 50D Nikon D7200
Category Advanced DSLR Advanced DSLR
Launched 2008-10-30 2015-03-02
Body design Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Chip Digic 4 Expeed 4
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor dimensions 22.3 x 14.9mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 332.3mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 15 megapixel 24 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4752 x 3168 6000 x 4000
Maximum native ISO 3200 25600
Maximum enhanced ISO 12800 102400
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 9 51
Cross type focus points - 15
Lens
Lens support Canon EF/EF-S Nikon F
Amount of lenses 326 309
Crop factor 1.6 1.5
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inch 3.2 inch
Resolution of display 920 thousand dot 1,229 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Display technology TFT liquid-crystal color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage 95% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.6x 0.63x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 30 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/8000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 6.3 frames/s 6.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 13.00 m (ISO 100) 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-eye Auto, auto FP high-speed sync, auto w/redeye reduction, fill flash, rear-curtain sync, rear-curtain w/slow sync, redeye reduction, redeye reduction w/slow sync, slow sync, off
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/250 secs 1/250 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 25 fps)
Maximum video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - MPEG-4, H.264
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None Optional
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 822 gr (1.81 lb) 765 gr (1.69 lb)
Physical dimensions 146 x 108 x 74mm (5.7" x 4.3" x 2.9") 136 x 107 x 76mm (5.4" x 4.2" x 3.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 63 87
DXO Color Depth rating 21.8 24.5
DXO Dynamic range rating 11.4 14.6
DXO Low light rating 696 1333
Other
Battery life 800 images 1110 images
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BP-511A EN-EL15
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 seconds)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA SD/SDHC/SDXC (two slots)
Storage slots Single Two
Price at release $996 $1,100