Beginners & Vlogging — EOS M50 II (2020): Canon's most approachable mirrorless — Dual Pixel AF and beautiful colour science in a beginner-friendly body.
Full-Frame Value — Z5 II (2024): The most accessible full-frame mirrorless — dual card slots, weather sealing, and Nikon colour at a sensible price.
Content Creation & Vlogging — A6400 (2019): The best value APS-C Sony you can buy — especially used. Real-time Eye AF at this price point was transformative when it launched and still makes it one of the most reliable autofocus systems in the lineup.
Who should buy what
EOS M50 II (2020)
Z5 II (2024)
A6400 (2019)
Quick take: The z5 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos m50 ii is the most affordable; only the z5 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M50 II (2020) | Z5 II (2024) | A6400 (2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £449 | £1,299 | £899 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP APS-C CMOS | 24.5MP Full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.5MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/25p (cropped), 1080p/60p | 4K/30p oversampled, 1080p/120p, N-Log | 4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 143 AF points, eye detection | Phase-detect, 273 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle) | Phase-detect, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 14fps mechanical, 30fps electronic | 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking |
| Battery Life | ~305 shots (CIPA) | ~470 shots (CIPA) | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 387g body only | 700g body only | 403g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 116.3 × 88.1 × 58.7mm | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.9mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.39× | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Nikon Z-mount (full-frame) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | USB Micro-B, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, micro HDMI | USB-C 3.2, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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