Canon EOS R50 vs EOS R10 – Which Should YOU Buy?

Here’s a quick summary:

For 90% of people the Canon EOS R10 is better.

But for some specific cases, the Canon EOS R50 can be a better option.

Ok so first of all, the EOS R50 is cheaper and both the R50 and R10 can use the same lenses because they use the same RF mount.

The sensors and autofocus systems are the same so image quality wise they’re basically the same.

But the cameras are made for different types of people.

The Canon EOS R50 is specifically better for people who:

• want an upgrade from your phone camera
• want some nicer pictures from your holidays
• don’t want to spend ages using manual settings on your camera
• want to upgrade your YouTube footage from a point and shoot like the G7X
• want to do makeup or beauty vlogs (the Close-up Demo mode is perfect for this)

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R50

The Canon EOS R10 is better if you:

• want to do professional shoots
• want to do sports photography
• want to do wedding photography
• want to do automotive photography
• want to do commercial videography
• want to do wildlife / bird photography.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R10

If these few types of use cases don’t matter to you then these are the main things I would consider…

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R50

The R50 has been designed to be easy to use and not over complicated.

If you are an absolute beginner that has no clue about photography or videography, and the thought of using a big chunky camera and all its settings scares you, then the Canon EOS R50 is going to be better for you.

If you are a beginner or enthusiast and think you want to learn more about photography and know some basic concepts then the Canon EOS R10 will be better.

If you’re still unsure then don’t worry I’ll go through in more detail the similarities and differences between the Canon EOS R50 and the Canon EOS R10.

I’ll also go through different scenarios where the Canon EOS R10 is best and where the Canon EOS R50 is best.

Common Features Between Canon EOS R50 and Canon EOS R10

Let’s start with the things that are the same.

As you can see from the table below A LOT of the features on the Canon EOS R10 and the Canon EOS R50 are the same.

Specification	Canon EOS R50	Canon EOS R10
Sensor	24.2MP (APS-C)	24.2MP (APS-C)
Lens Mount	RF Mount	RF Mount
Crop Factor	1.6x	1.6x
Processor	Digic X	Digic X
ISO Range	100 to 32,000 (51,200 with extended range)	100 to 32,000 (51,200 with extended range)
Auto Focus	Dual Pixel CMOS Auto Focus II with subject tracking (people, animals and vehicles), and -4EV sensitivity in low light (f/1.2)	Dual Pixel CMOS Auto Focus II with subject tracking (people, animals and vehicles), and -4EV sensitivity in low light (f/1.2)
Focus Bracketing / Stacking	Yes	Yes
EVF	0.39-in with 2.36M dots, 0.59x magnification and 120Hz	0.39-in with 2.36M dots, 0.59x magnification and 120Hz
Multi-function shoe with Digital Audio	Yes	Yes
Mic Input	3.5mm	3.5mm
Wifi / Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
In-body Image Stabilization	No (optical / electronic only)	No (optical / electronic only)

But this table of specifications doesn’t tell you the whole picture.

For example, the autofocus is technically the same system, but the Canon EOS R50 has a secret mode called the ‘close-up demo’ mode.

This makes it way better for product demos, make-up videos, beauty videos etc. (I’ll discuss this further down.)

Differences Between the Canon EOS R50 and R10

Here’s a table that summarizes some of the differences between the Canon EOS R50 and R10:

Feature	Canon EOS R50	Canon EOS R10
Burst rate and buffer	Lower burst rate and smaller buffer	Higher burst rate and larger buffer
SD Card	Can use UHS-I SD cards	Can use faster UHS-II SD cards
Build	Smaller and lighter than the R10. Good if you want something lightweight and portable.	Larger grip than the R50. Better if you like larger camera bodies.
Weight	376g (with card and battery)	429g (with card and battery)
Video	Can record 4K up to 30 frames per second (30p) with no crop.	Can record 4K in 50 and 60p (with a further crop)
Special modes	Has Close-up Demo mode	Doesn’t have Close-up Demo mode
Controls	Less customization options. Better for absolute beginners.	Has more controls = more customization. Better for people that want more manual controls.
Price	Cheaper 💰💰	More expensive 💰💰💰

Who Should Get the Canon EOS R50?

If you just want an upgrade from your phone camera, but you don’t want to get too much into dealing with lots of settings and controls, then get the R50.

It’s perfect for you.

For example, maybe you’re one of these people:

• Influencer looking for higher quality pics
• Parent wanting to take pics on vacation of kids
• YouTuber wanting better footage compared to phone camera
• Makeup or beauty vlogger that needs good autofocus for close-ups.

These are the people that the Canon EOS R50 is perfect for.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R50

Who Should Get The Canon EOS R10?

If you want to get serious about photography and videography but need something entry-level then the R10 is perfect for you.

For example, if you are one of these people:

• Need 4k at 60fps
• Like a bigger camera with larger grip
• Want to take on some professional clients
• Want to get into sports or wildlife photography
• Don’t like using touchscreen controls and prefer manual controls and buttons

Then the Canon EOS R10 will be better for you.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R10

Which is Better for Different Types of Photography?

Here’s a quick table that shows you my opinion on which camera you should buy out of the R50 or R10 depending on what type of photography you want to do.

Type of Photography	Canon EOS R50	Canon EOS R10
Travel	Better ✅	Worse ❌
Wildlife	Worse ❌	Better ✅
Sports	Worse ❌	Better ✅
Automotive	Worse ❌	Better ✅
Wedding	Worse ❌	Better ✅
Birding	Worse ❌	Better ✅
Street	Same ↔️	Same ↔️
Product	Same ↔️	Same ↔️
Macro	Same ↔️	Same ↔️
Astro	Same ↔️	Same ↔️
Night / Low Light	Same ↔️	Same ↔️
Portrait	Same ↔️	Same ↔️

For the following type of photography, I think the Canon EOS R50 can edge it.

• Travel Photography

I would suggest you get the Canon EOS R50 for travel photography as it’s lighter and smaller with slightly better battery life.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R50

For the following types of photography, I’d choose the Canon EOS R10:

• Wedding photography
• Wildlife photography
• Bird photography
• Sports photography
• Automotive photography

The Canon EOS R10 is better for these types of photography because of the higher burst and buffer along with more manual controls and comfortable grip for longer shoots.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R10

For the following types of photography, I see the Canon EOS R50 and Canon EOS R10 as fairly equal.

• Macro Photography
• Product Photography
• Astro Photography
• Landscape Photography
• Portrait Photography
• Night Photography
• Low Light Photography

Battery Life Compared

Battery life is pretty important for cameras so I felt it needed it’s own section.

The Canon EOS R50 and the Canon EOS R10 both use the same LP-E17 battery unit, but the R50 has an ever so slightly better battery life.

The Canon EOS R50 is rated to 440 shots (photographs) with the LCD screen and 310 if you use the electronic viewfinder (EVF). (source)

On the other hand, the Canon EOS R10 is rated to 430 shots (photographs) with the LCD screen and 260 shots when using the electronic viewfinder (EVF). (source)

Here’s a quick table summarizing the battery life for the Canon EOS R50 and Canon EOS R10:

Camera	LCD Screen	Electronic View Finder (EVF)
Canon EOS R50	440 shots	310 shots
Canon EOS R10	430 shots	260 shots

I’ll be honest, you’re not going to really notice much difference between the two when it comes to battery life.

I didn’t when trying these out, so don’t worry about this too much when it comes to buying one or the other.

Autofocus

For the most part, the autofocus performs just as well on both cameras, but there is one scenario where the Canon EOS R50 wins.

When using the Canon EOS R10 for photography there’s no real issue with autofocus.

Sometimes when recording video though the autofocus can drift from your face, and it can struggle occasionally if there’s more than one person in the video.

This is particularly true if you’re trying to do a close-up on a product while there are other things or people in the shot.

The Canon EOS R50 actually has a special mode called ‘close-up demo’ where it doesn’t have these issues.

This mode on the R50 is specifically made for close-ups of things like products.

So it’s perfect for people that record videos where they have to showcase lots of small products like make-up or skincare products.

If you’re a beauty or makeup YouTuber or Influencer then this makes the R50 perfect for you.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R50

Here’s a video showing you exactly what I mean with the R50 and R10 compared side by side.

Shutter and Burst shooting

If this section confuses you, don’t worry.

Basically, the Canon EOS R10 can take more photos really quickly (per second), so it’s easier to capture a perfect split-second moment.

Here’s a quick table showing you the max burst rate and buffer on the Canon EOS R10 and Canon EOS R50.

	Canon EOS R50	Canon EOS R10
Electronic Shutter / Buffer	15fps / 28 JPEGs or 7 RAW	23fps / 70 JPEGs or 21 RAW
Mechanical Shutter / Buffer	12fps / 42 JPEGs or 7 RAW	15fps / 460 JPEGs or 29 RAW

Canon EOS R50

Canon EOS R50 can do 12fps with mechanical shutter or 15fps in electronic shutter mode.

Canon EOS R10

The Canon EOS R10 can do 15fps with mechanical shutter or 23fps in electronic shutter mode.

These aren’t god-like speeds for sports photography, but for the price point of an entry level camera it’s pretty good.

This makes the Canon EOS R10 the clear winner for situations where you might be taking lots of shots of a single moment so that you don’t miss that perfect shot.

For example, if you want to do any of the following then the Canon EOS R10 is the better camera for you.

• Sports photography
• Wildlife photography
• Automotive photography
• Wedding photography (you can’t miss those special moments!)

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R10

Video on the R50 vs R10

Both the Canon EOS R50 and the Canon EOS R10 are decent for video, but the EOS R50 is better for a specific use case and the Canon EOS R10 is better for other use cases.

The Canon EOS R10 is better for videos where:

• You will be using an external monitor on the camera
• You would like the ability to use 4K at 50 fps or 60 fps
• You need to do long recording sessions like streams, events, ceremonies etc.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R10

The Canon EOS R50 is better for videos where:

• You will be doing lots of close-up shots of products or other things as the autofocus is better for this when using the ‘close-up demo’ mode

Resolution

The EOS R50 can only shoot up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second.

The Canon EOS R10 can also do 4K resolution at 30 frames per second, but it can also do 4K at 50 frames per second and 60 frames per second (with a further 64% crop on the sensor).

So here the Canon EOS R10 wins.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R10

Recording Limit

The Canon EOS R10 has a higher recording limit which makes it better for longer-form videos and streams.

The Canon EOS R10 has a recording limit of 2 hours at standard frame rates and 30 minutes at high frame rates.

The Canon EOS R50 only has a recording limit of 1 hour at standard frame rates and 15 minutes at high frame rates.

When I say high frame rates this means anything that’s 100 fps or 120 fps.

If you’re not gonna be recording really long videos that go up to the recording limits of the camera this is irrelevant.

But if you are going to be recording things like ceremonies and events that last over an hour, then you should be getting the Canon EOS R10.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R10

On The Go and Ergonomics

For most people, the Canon EOS R10 has a comfier grip but if you’ve got small hands you might actually prefer the Canon R50.

If you just want a lighter camera get the R50.

If you like the feel of bigger cameras then go for the R10.

Sound Quality and Accessories:

Both the Canon EOS R50 and Canon EOS R10 use the same multi-function shoe with digital audio.

So you can use the same accessories across each one.

However, there is one thing that makes the R50 worse and it’s to do with external monitors.

You can use an external monitor on the Canon EOS R50 and the Canon EOS R10 but it’s a better experience on the Canon EOS R10.

Basically, if you’ve handled the EOS R50 yourself you’ll notice that the HDMI port on the Canon EOS R50 is on the same side as the grip where you would hold the camera.

This can be annoying if you are using an external monitor with the Canon EOS R50 because the HDMI cable will get in the way of your grip.

It might be a specific niche problem but it’s worth knowing in case you plan to use an external monitor.

The Canon EOS R10 doesn’t have this problem.

Check price and availability of Canon EOS R10

The video below shows you what I mean by this HDMI port issue on the Canon EOS R50

Commercial Shoots

For commercial shoots, I think the R10 is definitely the better choice here because it’s got more customization options and manual controls for people that know what they’re doing.

If you’re doing commercial shoots you probably know a thing or two about cameras and want to get the most out of your device and the Canon EOS R10 lets you do this.

The Canon EOS R10 on the other hand is a lot more touch screen focused and simplified.

Plus the access to higher resolutions at 4K 50fps / 60fps is handy on the Canon EOS R10 which you don’t get on the R50.

On top of this, using an external monitor on the camera is common on commercial shoots so the Canon EOS R10 wins on this front because of the HDMI port issue I mentioned about the R50 above.

Of course, there’s still that close-up demo mode on the R50. If you think you’ll be doing quick close-ups on small products often then this can give it the edge.

The winner for this category could be either camera out of the Canon EOS R50 or Canon EOS R10.

Webcam and Streaming

Both the Canon EOS R50 and Canon EOS R10 are decent cameras to be used as a webcam and they each have their pros and cons.

Canon EOS R50

At the time of writing (May 2023) the R50 doesn’t work with the Canon EOS Webcam Utility Pro but that doesn’t matter.

This is because the R50 is UVC/UAC compliant so you don’t even need any software.

All you need is an IFC-100U cable and selecting the right setting on your Canon EOS R50 and you can get up to 1080p at 30fps.

If you want you can use it with a capture card too.

• Canon EOS R50 Webcam Guide

Canon EOS R10

The Canon EOS R10 can be used as a webcam by either using the Canon EOS Webcam Utility Pro and the right USB cable, or by using a capture card like the Elgato Cam Link 4K with a Micro HDMI cable.

• Canon EOS R10 Webcam Guide

Overall I think the R50 is going to be better for webcams and streaming because it has a slightly better battery life and you can get 1080p footage without the use of any software.

But for this category it’s pretty close.

If you were going to get an Elgato Cam Link 4K anyways then it doesn’t make much difference whether you get the R50 or R10 for streaming.

Overview and Personal Opinion

Ok so if you’re still unsure here’s what I think.

As I said at the start the Canon EOS R10 is better for 90% of people, but the Canon EOS R50 is definitely better for certain scenarios.

If you are doing a lot of videos where you will be doing close-ups on products or other things and you need fast autofocus for this, then there’s no question (get the Canon EOS R50).

If you need a higher burst rate and buffer then go for the Canon EOS R10 because it’ll help you capture the perfect split-second moments.

Aside from that, there’s not much difference except the budget (the Canon EOS R50 is more affordable) and user-friendly-ness.

As I said above the R50 is a lot better for people coming from a smartphone who don’t want to mess about too much.

But the Canon EOS R10 might be a better fit for someone who’s used a DSLR or mirrorless camera in the past because you have a lot more manual controls available.

Related reading:

Did you know you can use the Canon EOS R50 as a webcam without EOS Webcam utility?