Canon EOS C50 vs Sony FX3: This really isn't a fair fight

The Canon EOS R50 vs Sony FX3 battle is a fascinating one. Sony's camera went completely unchallenged for almost half a decade before Canon (and Nikon) decided it was time to return fire.

The result is that the four-year-old Sony FX3 – which, let's not forget, is essentially a ten-year-old Sony A7S III in a more cinema-friendly chassis – is squaring up against the brand new Canon EOS C50 (and Nikon ZR).

It's honestly not a very fair fight, with a 4K sensor from 2015 going up against a 7K sensor from 2025 – not to mention all the enormous advances in things like autofocus. But still, the FX3 has been an unstoppably popular camera – so, whether you already own the Sony or you're looking at both cameras afresh, is the Canon EOS R50 vs Sony FX3 as much of a bloodbath as everyone thinks?

Canon EOS R50 vs Sony FX3: At a glance

Canon EOS R50 vs Sony FX3: Price

• Canon EOS C50: $3,899 / £3,359.99 / AU$5,899
• Sony FX3: $4,098 / £3,799 / AU$6,499

Despite being four years old, Sony's camera still commands a high price at retail – no doubt because, until the C50 and ZR arrived on the scene, there was nothing to challenge its position.

Canon has priced its new body incredibly competitively, coming in significantly less in all regions. No matter how you look at it, you get so much more bang for your buck with the C50 that you'd have to be pretty mad to pick up the FX3 today unless you get a seriously good deal on it.

🏆 Winner: Canon EOS C50

Canon EOS R50 vs Sony FX3: Design & handling

• Canon EOS C50: 142 x 88 x 95mm, 752g / 1,052g with handle, 14 buttons
• Sony FX3: 129.7 x 77.8 x 84.5mm, 715g / 1,015g with handle, 6 buttons, IBIS

In short, Sony's camera is the sleeker and lighter option. Not only is it slightly more comfortable to wield, it also boasts 5 stops of in-body image stabilization to steady your shots when shooting handheld. What it's lacking are buttons, with only six physical buttons that can be customized.

Canon's body is chunkier, and without any IBIS you'll need to be conscious of rawdogging shoots without a gimbal. Where it has a big advantage is in the sheer number of buttons, with 14 of them offering instant control over just about every aspect of the camera – though of course this can also be a disadvantage if you're easily overwhelmed while shooting.

Both bodies are modular, with optional handles that add a pair of XLR ports, and are designed with rigs and cages in mind. Physically they're quite similar, so this one comes down more to personal preference; the Sony is smaller and lighter, while the Canon is chunkier with more controls. Though of course, the FX3 has Sony's infamous menus to deal with!

🏆 Winner: Draw

Canon EOS R50 vs Sony FX3: Photo specs

• Canon EOS C50: 32.73MP, 40fps
• Sony FX3: 12.1MP, 10fps

Not much of a contest here. The FX3 is built in the ageing ten-year-old tech of the Sony A7S III, namely its low-resolution 12.1MP sensor. While the lower pixel count (and, thus, larger pixel size, creating superior ISO performance) historically made it an attractive option for low-light and astrophotography shooters, its combination of lean resolution and relatively slow 10fps burst is definitely meager by 2025 standards.

Although the C50 lacks the image stabilization of the FX3, its mighty 32.73MP resolution and 40fps continuous shooting speed combined with far more advanced autofocus (including the full raft of AI subject detection) makes the Canon a far superior stills option.

🏆 Winner: Canon EOS C50

Canon EOS R50 vs Sony FX3: Video specs

• Canon EOS C50: 32.73MP 7K 60p open gate, 4K 120p, FullHD 180p, internal RAW
• Sony FX3: 10.3MP, 4K 120p, FullHD 240p

Again, we're pitting 2015 video tech against 2025 video tech – this isn't really a fair fight.

There's little point diving into all the codecs and output options; with the FX3 we're looking at a very capable 4K 60p machine that offers 4K 120p / FullHD 240p in Slow & Quick. Footage is very clean, thanks to the ISO80-102,400 sensitivity, with 2-channel audio and the benefit of sensor stabilization. Note that video resolution is only 10.3MP, and AF is limited to standard human face and eye detection.

The C50 is just too new and powerful; it's a 7K 60p open gate camera, whose 4K 60p is oversampled from that 7K resolution, with up to 4K 120p / 2K 180p in HFR. The sensitivity isn't as broad (ISO100-25,600), but it boasts dual base ISO at 800 and 6400. On top of that, video resolution is leagues higher (including full sensor readout of 32.73MP in open gate) and you get Canon's superb Dual Pixel AF II performance.

There are also some key features missing from the FX3 – such as internal RAW recording, waveforms and shutter angle – which are present on the C50.

Without getting too lost in the weeds on recording limits, the FX3 effectively offers unlimited recording up to 4K 60p; the C50 gets anywhere from 42-65 mins of open gate depending on the kind of Cinema RAW, with 81-505 mins of standard full-frame shooting.

If you're only ever going to shoot 4K, the FX3 does a fine job with none of today's bells and whistles. But the C50 does everything, including 4K, bigger and better.

🏆 Winner: Canon EOS C50

Canon EOS R50 vs Sony FX3: Lens selection

• Canon EOS C50: RF / RF-S mount
• Sony FX3: E mount

As with any camera system, there's more to the story than specs alone; just as important as the body are the lenses you mount to it. And while the FX3 is completely outgunned where the camera itself is concerned, it has a huge advantage in the lens department.

Sony's E mount is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and boasts literally hundreds of lenses from dozens of manufacturers – including over 80 optics from Sony itself.

Canon's RF mount is a comparatively young seven years old, meaning it's been around for less than half the time. But while Canon itself has done a great job of pumping out RF (full frame) and RF-S (APS-C) glass, hitting 50 this year, it's still a largely closed mount.

What does this mean? While Sony opened its mount to all comers early on (in order to catch up to Canon and Nikon), Canon still restricts who can make lenses with autofocus and image stabilization. Currently no third parties are allowed to produce full-frame AF glass, though there are plenty of manual focus options.

The upshot is that while there are numerous options for the FX3, including cinema primes from the likes of Sigma, the native lens choice for the C50 is much more limited.

Of course, many high-end creators and cinema shooters tend to adapt glass – typically PL or EF cine lenses – so this isn't an issue for everybody. And again, Canon is doing a great job at populating the RF ecosystem. But in terms of sheer selection, this is one's an easy win for Sony.

🏆 Winner: Sony FX3

Canon EOS R50 vs Sony FX3: Verdict

I don't think it's a huge surprise that Canon wipes the floor with Sony in every department here. Which isn't to say that the FX3 isn't a capable camera, because it is; however, it in no way justifies having a higher price tag than the C50 in 2025.

If you're looking for your first video-centric camera for content creation or filmmaking, the Canon EOS C50 is far and away the best choice. From 7K resolution and open gate capture to superior features along with impressive stills capabilities, there really is no competition.

However, if you're an FX3 owner wondering whether to make the switch… well, the answer is obviously yes from a technological standpoint. Just be aware that Canon's lens ecosystem is much more limited – though again, many people using this kind of camera are adapting legacy glass anyway.

So, Canon wins a fight against a four-year-old camera. I'm fascinated to see how it will fare against the FX3 II, when that inevitably arrives…

🏆 Winner: Canon EOS C50