Canon 500D vs 600D

The Canon EOS 500D (called Canon T1i in some regions) and the Canon EOS 600D (labelled Canon T3i in some countries) are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in March 2009 and February 2011. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The 500D has a resolution of 15.1 megapixels, whereas the 600D provides 17.9 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Canon 500D		Canon 600D
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
15.1 MP – APS-C sensor		17.9 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/20p Video		1080/30p Video
ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 12,800)		ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 12,800)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 920k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
3.4 shutter flaps per second		3.7 shutter flaps per second
400 shots per battery charge		440 shots per battery charge
129 x 98 x 62 mm, 520 g		133 x 100 x 80 mm, 570 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 500D and the Canon EOS 600D? 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

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 500D and the Canon 600D is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures 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 600D is notably larger (5 percent) than the Canon 500D. Moreover, the 600D is markedly heavier (10 percent) than the 500D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 500D nor the 600D 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. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 500D gets 400 shots out of its Canon LP-E5 battery, while the 600D can take 440 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E8 power pack.

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.		Canon 500D	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	520 g	400	n	Mar 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
2.		Canon 600D	133 mm	100 mm	80 mm	570 g	440	n	Feb 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
3.		Canon 100D	117 mm	91 mm	69 mm	407 g	380	n	Mar 2013	US$ 549	ebay.com
4.		Canon 450D	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	524 g	500	n	Jan 2008	US$ 799	ebay.com
5.		Canon 550D	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	530 g	440	n	Feb 2010	US$ 699	ebay.com
6.		Canon 650D	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	575 g	440	n	Jun 2012	US$ 849	ebay.com
7.		Canon 700D	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	580 g	440	n	Mar 2013	US$ 649	ebay.com
8.		Canon 750D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
9.		Canon 760D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	US$ 649	ebay.com
10.		Canon 1200D	130 mm	100 mm	78 mm	480 g	500	n	Feb 2014	US$ 449	ebay.com
11.		Canon 1300D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
12.		Canon G1 X	117 mm	81 mm	65 mm	534 g	250	n	Jan 2012	US$ 799	ebay.com
13.		Canon G1 X Mark II	116 mm	74 mm	66 mm	553 g	240	n	Feb 2014	US$ 799	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 retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The 600D was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 25 percent) than the 500D, 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 imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the 600D offers a higher resolution of 17.9 megapixels, compared with 15.1 MP of the 500D. This megapixels advantage translates into a 9 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the 600D has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.31μm versus 4.69μm for the 500D). However, it should be noted that the 600D is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 10 months) than the 500D, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The resolution advantage of the Canon 600D implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the 600D for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 25.9 x 17.3 inches or 65.8 x 43.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 20.7 x 13.8 inches or 52.7 x 35.1 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 17.3 x 11.5 inches or 43.9 x 29.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon 500D are 23.8 x 15.8 inches or 60.4 x 40.2 cm for good quality, 19 x 12.7 inches or 48.3 x 32.2 cm for very good quality, and 15.8 x 10.6 inches or 40.2 x 26.8 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Canon EOS 500D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-12800. The Canon EOS 600D offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. 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.		Canon 500D	APS-C	15.1	4752	3168	1080/20p	21.7	11.5	663	63
2.		Canon 600D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.5	793	65
3.		Canon 100D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.8	11.3	843	63
4.		Canon 450D	APS-C	12.2	4272	2848	none	21.9	10.8	692	61
5.		Canon 550D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.5	784	66
6.		Canon 650D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	722	62
7.		Canon 700D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	681	61
8.		Canon 750D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
9.		Canon 760D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
10.		Canon 1200D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.3	724	63
11.		Canon 1300D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
12.		Canon G1 X	1.5-inch	14.2	4352	3264	1080/24p	21.7	10.8	644	60
13.		Canon G1 X Mark II	1.5-inch	13.0	4160	3120	1080/30p	21.5	10.8	581	58

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the 600D provides a faster frame rate than the 500D. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/30p, while the 500D is limited to 1080/20p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 500D and the 600D 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 500D has a higher magnification than the one of the 600D (0.54x vs 0.53x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 500D, the Canon 600D, and comparable cameras.

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.		Canon 500D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.4/s	Y	n
2.		Canon 600D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.7/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 100D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.9/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 450D	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 550D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.7/s	Y	n
6.		Canon 650D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon 700D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon 750D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon 760D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon 1200D	optical	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon 1300D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon G1 X	optical	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	n	1/4000s	1.9/s	Y	Y
13.		Canon G1 X Mark II	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	5.2/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The 500D writes its imaging data to SDHC cards, while the 600D uses SDXC 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 Canon EOS 500D and Canon EOS 600D 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.		Canon 500D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Canon 600D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 100D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon 450D	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Canon 550D	Y	stereo / -	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Canon 650D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Canon 700D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Canon 750D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Canon 760D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Canon 1200D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Canon 1300D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Canon G1 X	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Canon G1 X Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the 600D has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The 500D does not feature such a mic input.

Both the 500D and the 600D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 500D was replaced by the Canon 550D, while the 600D was followed by the Canon 650D. Further information on the features and operation of the 500D and 600D can be found, respectively, in the Canon 500D Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon 600D Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Canon 500D or the Canon 600D – 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 Canon EOS 500D:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.54x vs 0.53x).
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in March 2009).

Advantages of the Canon EOS 600D:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (17.9 vs 15.1MP), which boosts linear resolution by 9%.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/30p versus 1080/20p).
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 920k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• More affordable: Was released into a lower priced segment (25 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 10 months) more recently.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 600D is the clear winner of the contest (8 : 2 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding 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 Canon 500D and the Canon 600D 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 remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 500D or the 600D. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera 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.		Canon 500D	..	+ +	..	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
2.		Canon 600D	3/5	o	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
3.		Canon 100D	4/5	+	..	78/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	US$ 549	ebay.com
4.		Canon 450D	..	+ +	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2008	US$ 799	ebay.com
5.		Canon 550D	..	+ +	..	77/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2010	US$ 699	ebay.com
6.		Canon 650D	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	US$ 849	ebay.com
7.		Canon 700D	..	..	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2013	US$ 649	ebay.com
8.		Canon 750D	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
9.		Canon 760D	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 649	ebay.com
10.		Canon 1200D	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 449	ebay.com
11.		Canon 1300D	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
12.		Canon G1 X	5/5	+	..	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2012	US$ 799	ebay.com
13.		Canon G1 X Mark II	3/5	+	..	77/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 799	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. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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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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