Canon 50D Vs 60D: Comparison Of The Best Midrange SLR Cameras In The Market

One of the toughest competitors in the digital single-lens reflex (SLR) midrange market is the Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) series. Beginning with the Canon EOS D30 released in the year 2000, the series is now on its eighth major digital SLR release in the midrange market with the Canon EOS 60D, which was introduced in 2010. Although the latest midrange SLR by Canon hosted a number of improvements over the recent Canon EOS 50D released in 2008, both cameras are still actively marketed with the latter still having relevant features to offer for the current industry. Hence, a Canon 50D vs 60D internal competition within the midrange arena has been 
The EOS 60D is the first Canon midrange camera to feature high-definition video capability able to record 1080p at 30 frames per second (fps). At 720p or 480p, maximum frame rate recording is 60 fps enough to capture intense action for full HD video playback. On the other hand, the EOS 50D is incapable of recording videos of any size. Although the 50D lacks this recording feature, professional and amateur photographers alike found the feature as more of an unnecessary add-on since recording video is primarily not the purpose of a digital SLR.
While the 50D is capable of shooting up to 15.1 megapixels with its APS-C CMOS sensor, the 60D is capable of resolutions up to 18.1 megapixels using the same sensor technology. This 3-megapixel difference may not be directly noticeable to the naked eye. But when photographs are blown up for large-scale display or printing, the 3-megapixel edge is certainly worth the upgrade.
Another improvement of the 60D is the ISO configuration wherein the latest model can reach up to a maximum of ISO 6400, which can be digitally enhanced up to ISO 12800 available as an optional setting. The 50D, on the other hand, is limited only up to ISO 3200.
A significant innovation introduced in the 60D is the articulating screen for viewing shots and for shooting in LiveView mode. It is the first Canon camera to feature such pivotal display for a more convenient shooting of self-portraits. Difficult angles to shoot are also made easier with the articulating screen. The mechanical support for the pivotal display resulted to a screen with smaller surface area than that of the 50D. Nonetheless, the 3-inch LCD display of the 60D has a higher resolution at one million dots compared to the 50D with 0.3 million. Furthermore, the aspect ratio of the latest midrange camera by Canon at 3:2 is more preferred over the 3:4 ratio by the 50D since the 3:2 screen ratio matches the aspect ratio of the CMOS sensor being used.
With regards to compatible storage media, the 50D still uses the faster but more expensive CompactFlash while the 60D conforms to the more popular and cheaper SD cards with support for the more advanced SDHC and SDXC. The 50D camera system is housed in a magnesium alloy body which still gives a sturdier feel over the lighter polycarbonate resin of the 60D body. Another tradeoff of the latest release is on the maximum burst frame rate with the lower speed of 5.3 fps compared to 6.3 fps of its predecessor.
The Canon 50D vs 60D comparison certainly deserves a look for those photographers wanting to upgrade to the latest release, which is the 60D, and for those deciding which model to buy as their first SLR camera. Although a number of innovations are introduced in the 60D, the 50D remains to have relevant and functional features comparable to its successor.