Upgrade Guide
Canon EOS 50D→Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Strong upgrade
The EOS 5D Mark IV improves across 4 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most EOS 50D owners will notice the difference.
What's new in the EOS 5D Mark IV
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Resolution30MP vs 15MP (+15MP)
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Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
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Battery life~900 shots (CIPA) vs ~640 shots (CIPA)
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Generation8 years newer (2016 vs 2008)
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 50D | EOS 5D Mark IV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +1.0 | ||
| Street | — | ||
| Travel | +0.6 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +2.4 | ||
| Documentary | +2.7 | ||
| Sports & Action | +1.0 | ||
| Landscape | +2.2 | ||
| Wildlife | +0.6 | ||
| Casual | +0.8 | ||
| Food | +1.0 | ||
| Macro | +0.6 | ||
| Architecture | +1.5 | ||
| Astrophotography | +1.5 | ||
| Filmmaking | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | EOS 50D | EOS 5D Mark IV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £94 used | £278 used | |
| Released | 2008 | 2016 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 15.1MP APS-C CMOS | 30.4MP full-frame CMOS | |
| Resolution | 15MP | 30MP | ↑ |
| Video | No video | 4K (4096×2160) /30p Motion JPEG (1.64× crop), 1080p/60, 720p/120 | |
| Autofocus | 9-point phase-detect AF (all cross-type); contrast and face-detection AF 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 | 6.3fps | 7fps | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~640 shots (CIPA) | ~900 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 730g (with battery) | 890g (with battery) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism, 95% coverage, 0.95x | Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.71x | |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed LCD, 920k dots | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 1.62M dots | |
| Mount | Canon EF | Canon EF | |
| Memory Cards | Single CompactFlash slot | Dual slots: CompactFlash + SD |
Compare side-by-side
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Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the EOS 5D Mark IV against your specific genres — not just specs.
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