The crops are taken from the original images, saved as High Quality JPEGs in Photoshop CS2 and presented here at 100%. Each number represents 100 lines per picture height (lpph), so a figure of 20 means a resolution of 2000 lpph.

In terms of resolving power, the Canon EOS 50D delivers 2350 and 2400 lpph of horizontal and vertical resolution respectively when equipped with the EF-S 18-200mm IS kit lens. Fit a higher quality prime lens like the EF 85mm f1.8 and the 50D delivers higher resolution figures of 2450 lpph for both horizontal and vertical resolution.

This places it comfortably ahead of the Canon EOS 40D which when equipped with the same EF 85mm f1.8 lens scored 1950 and 2100 lpph of horizontal and vertical resolution respectively. As you’d expect given their respective pixel counts, the Nikon D90 and D300 fall roughly in-between, with the D300 (and Nikkor DX 17-55mm f2.8) scoring 2250 and 2300 lpph of horizontal and vertical resolution respectively.

So the EOS 50D has the potential to easily out-resolve the 40D, but to really exploit its high pixel density, you’ll need to equip it with decent optics. We found the EF-S 18-200mm IS may have been a very convenient general-purpose lens, but it did limit the ultimate resolution of the 50D.

Given decent optics, the 50D is also capable of delivering higher resolutions if you shoot in RAW – you can see examples at the bottom of this page. Alternatively to see how it measures-up against the EOS 40D and Nikon D90 in terms of noise, head straight over to our Canon 50D High ISO page.