Performance
Time to ditch the spec sheets, as we put each camera through its paces
All three cameras focus reliably, accurately and near instantaneously
Despite being so different on the surface, you’ll be hard-pressed to separate these cameras on performance. In real-world use all three snappers focus reliably, accurately and near instantaneously in daylight conditions, and only slow a fraction when the going gets dim. The only caveat is when composing shots using the D5600’s rear screen, rather than its optical viewfinder, there’s a noticeable delay between focussing and a photo being captured.
Image quality is just as closely matched. The Canon and Nikon contain image sensors of almost the same physical size and 24MP resolution: small wonder then that even with photos of the same subject, you’ll struggle to spot any meaningful differences. Shooting maximum-quality JPEG images using each camera’s automatic mode, the EOS M50’s shots are fractionally sharper than the Nikon’s, while the D5600 fights back with marginally superior dynamic range, which means better shadow lighting. The two are equally tough to separate for colour accuracy and vibrancy, and the same goes for low-light performance, where the EOS M50 and D5600 generate comparable amounts of grain when shooting at high sensor sensitivities.
The PEN E-PL9 uses a smaller sensor than the other two cameras. In practice, the differences are more minor. Very fine detail in distant subjects isn’t quite as crisp, but for the most part, detail is comparable to the Canon and Nikon, even if the PEN’s image dimensions are slightly smaller. In default Auto settings, the Olympus generates marginally more vibrant colour than its rivals, and though its low-light photos display a little more grain, sharpness and colour saturation are top notch.
It’s much easier to separate the cameras when it comes to battery life. DSLRs capture many more photos per charge than mirrorless cameras, and the D5600’s 820-shot lifespan trounces the 350-shot capacity Olympus and the paltry 235-shot Canon.