Canon R50 vs Nikon D3500

The Canon EOS R50 and the Nikon D3500 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in February 2023 and August 2018. The R50 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the D3500 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

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

Headline Specifications

Canon R50		Nikon D3500
Mirrorless system camera		Digital single lens reflex
		Nikon F mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-32,000 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-25,600
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1620k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
12 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
230 shots per battery charge		1550 shots per battery charge
116 x 86 x 69 mm, 375 g		124 x 97 x 70 mm, 415 g

Check R50 price at
amazon.com
Check D3500 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS R50 and the Nikon D3500? 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

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon R50 and the Nikon D3500. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The R50 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the D3500 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D3500 is notably larger (21 percent) than the Canon R50. Moreover, the D3500 is markedly heavier (11 percent) than the R50. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the R50 nor the D3500 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. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the R50 gets 230 shots out of its Canon LP-E17 battery, while the D3500 can take 1550 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL14a power pack. The power pack in the R50 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras 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 R50	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	375 g	230	n	Feb 2023	US$ 679	amazon.com
2.		Nikon D3500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	415 g	1550	n	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
3.		Canon 250D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
4.		Canon G5 X	112 mm	76 mm	44 mm	353 g	210	n	Oct 2015	US$ 799	ebay.com
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	US$ 899	ebay.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	106 mm	61 mm	42 mm	319 g	265	n	Feb 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Canon M3	111 mm	68 mm	44 mm	366 g	250	n	Feb 2015	US$ 679	ebay.com
8.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	US$ 779	ebay.com
9.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	387 g	305	n	Oct 2020	US$ 599	ebay.com
11.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
12.		Canon R10	123 mm	88 mm	83 mm	429 g	450	n	May 2022	US$ 979	amazon.com
13.		Canon R100	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	356 g	400	n	May 2023	US$ 479	amazon.com
14.		Canon SX730	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	300 g	250	n	Apr 2017	US$ 399	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D3300	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D3400	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	US$ 499	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	US$ 899	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 listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The D3500 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 37 percent) than the R50, which puts it into a different market segment. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units 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 associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D3500 is 11 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (R50) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the D3500 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the D3500 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 3.72μm for the R50), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the R50 is much more recent (by 4 years and 5 months) than the D3500, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D3500 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The R50 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS R50 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 32000, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D3500 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600 (no boost).

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 assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. 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 R50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.9	2168	84
2.		Nikon D3500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.4	1851	83
3.		Canon 250D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
4.		Canon G5 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.4	12.3	471	62
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.8	11.9	260	62
7.		Canon M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
8.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
9.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	83
11.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
12.		Canon R10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	24.1	13.8	2085	84
13.		Canon R100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/24p	24.1	13.9	2197	84
14.		Canon SX730	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	924	50
15.		Nikon D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
16.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
17.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the R50 provides a higher video resolution than the D3500. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the R50 has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), while the D3500 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the R50 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the D3500 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the R50 has a higher magnification (0.58x vs 0.57x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon R50 and Nikon D3500 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar 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 R50	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	n
2.		Nikon D3500	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 250D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon G5 X	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	5.9/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon M3	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
8.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
12.		Canon R10	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	15.0/s	Y	n
13.		Canon R100	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.5/s	Y	n
14.		Canon SX730	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
15.		Nikon D3300	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
16.		Nikon D3400	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
17.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The R50 has a touchscreen, while the D3500 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the R50 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon R50 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the R50 and the D3500 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

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 R50 and Nikon D3500 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 R50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Nikon D3500	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
3.		Canon 250D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon G5 X	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon M3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
12.		Canon R10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
13.		Canon R100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
14.		Canon SX730	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
15.		Nikon D3300	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Nikon D3400	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
17.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-

It is notable that the R50 has a microphone port, which is missing on the D3500. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

The R50 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the D3500 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the D3500 from Nikon. Further information on the features and operation of the R50 and D3500 can be found, respectively, in the Canon R50 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D3500 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon R50 and the Nikon D3500? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS R50:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.58x vs 0.57x).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1620k vs 921k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (116x86mm vs 124x97mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 40g or 10 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 2.0).
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 5 months of technical progress since the D3500 launch.

Advantages of the Nikon D3500:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1550 versus 230) out of a single battery charge.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (37 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2018).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the R50 is the clear winner of the match-up (21 : 5 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 R50 and the Nikon D3500 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the R50 or the D3500 perform in practice. 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 following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major 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 R50	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	..	4.5/5	Feb 2023	US$ 679	amazon.com
2.		Nikon D3500	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
3.		Canon 250D	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
4.		Canon G5 X	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	US$ 799	ebay.com
5.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	US$ 899	ebay.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark II	4.5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Canon M3	4/5	o	..	75/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	US$ 679	ebay.com
8.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	US$ 779	ebay.com
9.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	3.5/5	Oct 2020	US$ 599	ebay.com
11.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
12.		Canon R10	4/5	..	4.5/5	87/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2022	US$ 979	amazon.com
13.		Canon R100	3/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	May 2023	US$ 479	amazon.com
14.		Canon SX730	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	US$ 399	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D3300	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D3400	4/5	+	4/5	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	US$ 499	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. 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 would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. 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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