Upgrade Guide
Canon EOS 500D→Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
→
Strong upgrade
The EOS 5D Mark IV improves across 5 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most EOS 500D owners will notice the difference.
What's new in the EOS 5D Mark IV
-
Resolution30MP vs 15MP (+15MP)
-
Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
-
Burst rate7fps vs 3.4fps
-
Battery life~900 shots (CIPA) vs ~400 shots (CIPA)
-
Generation7 years newer (2016 vs 2009)
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | EOS 500D | EOS 5D Mark IV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +1.0 | ||
| Street | -0.5 | ||
| Travel | +0.2 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +2.8 | ||
| Documentary | +2.3 | ||
| Sports & Action | +1.7 | ||
| Landscape | +2.2 | ||
| Wildlife | +1.2 | ||
| Casual | +0.3 | ||
| Food | +0.9 | ||
| Macro | +0.5 | ||
| Architecture | +1.6 | ||
| Astrophotography | +1.8 | ||
| Filmmaking | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | EOS 500D | EOS 5D Mark IV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £57 | £446 | |
| Released | 2009 | 2016 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 15.1MP APS-C CMOS | 30.4MP full-frame CMOS | |
| Resolution | 15MP | 30MP | ↑ |
| Video | Full HD 1080p/20, 720p/30 | 4K (4096×2160) /30p Motion JPEG (1.64× crop), 1080p/60, 720p/120 | |
| Autofocus | 9-point phase-detect (centre cross-type) via viewfinder; contrast AF with face detection in live view | 61-point phase-detect (41 cross-type) via viewfinder; Dual Pixel CMOS AF with face tracking in live view | |
| Stabilisation | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | |
| Burst Rate | 3.4fps | 7fps | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ~900 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 530g (with battery) | 890g (with battery) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.87x | Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.71x | |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed LCD, 920k dots | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 1.62M dots | |
| Mount | Canon EF / EF-S | Canon EF | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD slot | Dual slots: CompactFlash + SD |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See EOS 500D and EOS 5D Mark IV next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
Run the upgrade checker →
Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the EOS 5D Mark IV against your specific genres — not just specs.
Other upgrades from the EOS 500D
Related buying guides
Camera family history