Although it is now more than three years old and has been replaced by a model that is more recent, the Canon EOS M50 continues to be a popular choice as a mid-range mirrorless camera among consumers who are looking for a device that is easy to use, user-friendly, and flexible enough for video recording.
It may be argued that the EOS M6 Mark II is the model in Canon’s M-series of mirrorless cameras that hit the sweet spot, with the M50 (and its replacement, the M50 II) lying just below it in the hierarchy of offerings. But if you look hard enough, you might be able to get a terrific deal on the M50. Should you still give it any thought?
Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera Kit w/EF-M15-45mm and 4K Video (Black) (Renewed)
- Improved Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Eye Detection AF
- 24.1 Megapixel (APS-C) CMOS Sensor with ISO 100-25600 (H: 51200)
- 4K UHD 24p and HD 120p for Slow Motion
- Built-in OLED EVF with Touch and Drag AF
- Improved Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Eye Detection AF
- 24.1 Megapixel (APS-C) CMOS Sensor with ISO 100-25600 (H: 51200)
- 4K UHD 24p and HD 120p for Slow Motion
- Built-in OLED EVF with Touch and Drag AF
The answer is yes, however it really depends on your price range and how you want to shoot. The EOS M50 is significantly more affordable than the EOS M6 Mark II and offers excellent value for the money, particularly for photographers who primarily work with still images. It differs from the flagship model in that it is equipped with an inside viewfinder, which makes it an excellent choice for taking photographs in a variety of settings.
The uncropped 4K video, updated 32.5-megapixel sensor, and greater burst shooting capabilities of the EOS M6 Mark II help justify the camera’s more expensive price tag. However, if you want to upgrade from a smartphone or a basic compact camera, the EOS M50 is still an excellent choice for you, despite the fact that it has the same restrictions as other cameras in its class.
In the next few days, we will be undertaking a re-evaluation, and there is a good chance that the price of this item will go down as part of the Black Friday sales. However, this review includes a few references that have been updated to provide you with a better idea of how the EOS M50 compares to other products.
The APS-C sensor used in the EOS M50 is significantly smaller than the full-frame sensor found in Canon’s mirrorless EOS R series cameras. This is not a negative aspect of the camera in any way; the sensor is the same size as the ones found in several of Canon’s DSLRs, such as the EOS Rebel SL3 and the EOS 250D, and this enables the camera to remain compact while maintaining a high level of image quality.
The sensor has a resolution of 24.1 megapixels and is an APS-C CMOS design. It has a sensitivity range that extends from ISO 100 to 25,600 and may be increased to 51,200 if necessary. The M50 was also the first Canon camera – DSLR, compact, or mirrorless – to utilize the company’s most modern DIGIC 8 image processor, even though this has subsequently been seen in more contemporary models such as the Canon EOS M6 Mark II.
This made the EOS M50 the first mirrorless Canon camera that could shoot 4K video at a frame rate of up to 24 frames per second. In addition, it was the first mirrorless Canon camera that could take 4K timelapse film and extract stills from 4K video (with files equivalent to 8MP).
The excellent news is that. The bad news is that when footage is taken in 4K, only 1.6 times the width of the sensor is used, meaning that the full breadth of the sensor is not used. Vloggers are one of the target audiences for Canon’s EOS M50, and this limitation makes the camera less appealing to them.
Because of the 1.6x crop factor of the APS-C sensor, the standard 15-45mm lens has an equivalent focal length of 24-72mm. However, when recording 4K video, this focal length is further reduced by a further 1.6x, making the lens equivalent to 38.4-115.2mm. While this focal length is ideal for taking close-up portraits, it is not ideal for filming at a distance or in a confined space. You have the option of utilizing Canon’s EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens; but, even when it is set to its widest aperture while shooting in 4K, you will only have a field of vision that is similar to 28mm.
In the event that this is somewhat disappointing to you, the Dual Pixel CMOS AF method that Canon utilizes should not be. Because of the integration of the DIGIC 8 processor, Canon has been able to further enhance the AF performance of their cameras, which is a system that has never failed to please us when we’ve tested it on prior models.
These enhancements include a larger coverage of the frame, while also providing you with 143 additional autofocus points to choose from. There is also a feature called Eye AF, which, as its name indicates, can lock onto a subject’s eyes. This feature is helpful for taking portraits, and it may also come in handy for taking selfies or vlogging (as long as you’re not filming in 4K).
A touchscreen display with a variable angle is located on the back of the EOS M50. This display is hinged at the side of the body and can be dragged outwards to face a subject. Additionally, the display can be tilted through a broad arc of positions to accommodate virtually any shooting angle. There is also an electronic viewfinder that is incorporated right into the camera, and its resolution of 2.36 million dots looks to be on par with that of the more expensive EOS M5. The Canon EOS M6 Mark II does not include one of these capabilities in its design.
Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC), and Bluetooth Low Energy are all featured on the M50, giving users a wide variety of choices for establishing connections. The latter permits a low-power, continual connection to be maintained between the camera and a smart device for the purpose of ensuring that photos may be sent between the two without any interruptions.
Another first for a Canon camera was the transition to the CR3 14-bit raw file format. In addition, there is a new C-RAW option, which makes full-resolution raw images while reducing the size of regular raw files by around 30–40%.
Image Quality
The Fine JPEG option, which produces photographs with a resolution of 24 megapixels and an average size of about 8 megabytes, was used to capture each of the sample images included in this study.
Throughout the course of our examination, the Canon EOS M50 generated still photographs of very high quality.
JPEG photographs taken with this camera are completely free of noise from ISO 100 all the way up to ISO 3200; the first sign of noise appears at ISO 6400. The speedier option of 12800 exhibits relatively low noise and is most definitely appropriate for tiny prints and photographs to be used on the web. However, we do not recommend making use of the increased setting of ISO 25600.
The built-in flash was effective inside, preventing red-eye and producing well-exposed photos overall. With a maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds and the Bulb mode, you were able to take an excellent shot at night. This enabled you to catch sufficient light in any given environment.
The wide variety of Picture Styles, as well as the opportunity to build your own, and the large selection of digital filter effects, all of which may be seen before the photograph is taken, are also significant advantages of this camera.
Conclusion
The most recent mirrorless camera released by Canon is an odd bird. On the one hand, it has a number of eye-catching features that promise to outperform the company’s own flagship model, but on the other hand, it falls short of its full potential and does not live up to its full potential.
Due to the fact that it only has a crippled 4K mode, the product that might have been a vlogger’s dream ticket, for example, falls well short of the pre-release anticipation. Canon made a lot of fuss about the camera’s capacity to record in 4K, but they “forgot” to include numerous crucial limitations that make it at best challenging to use and at worst practically impossible to use. The EOS M50 is a major letdown for Canon because it is the company’s first mirrorless camera and it is capable of shooting in 4K.
If, on the other hand, you simply need or want to film in 1080p, things seem a lot better, and when paired with the exceptional quality of the still images, the EOS M50 becomes a serious option once again. This is especially true when considering the unexpectedly inexpensive price tag. Therefore, the decision between 4K and 1080p will be quite important for many prospective purchasers; if you require the former, you should seek elsewhere; but, if you don’t, you should give the M50 significant consideration.
You will then be able to take advantage of the M50’s excellent AF system, intuitive touchscreen interface, vari-angle screen, seamless wi-fi, Bluetooth connectivity, expanded ISO range, faster burst shooting, and the very latest Raw formats. These are all areas in which the M50 outperforms the top-of-the-line M5, so you will be able to take advantage of these features.
In a nutshell, the Canon EOS M50 is an unexpectedly capable camera. It is shockingly capable of what is, after all, only a “mid-range” camera, but sadly, it also shockingly underperforms in a few crucial areas, which may make or break its potential appeal. Its capabilities are startling for what is, after all, only a “mid-range” camera.
Canon EOS M50 Specs
| Body type | SLR-style mirrorless |
|---|---|
| Body material | Composite |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 6000 x 4000 |
| Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
| Effective pixels | 24 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 26 megapixels |
| Sensor size | APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | Digic 8 |
| Color space | sRGB |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100-25600 (expands to 51200) |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 51200 |
| White balance presets | 6 |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| File format | JPEG (Exif v2.31)Raw (Canon CR3 14-bit) |
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus | Contrast Detect (sensor)Phase DetectMulti-areaCenterSelective single-pointTrackingSingleContinuousTouchFace DetectionLive View |
| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 143 |
| Lens mount | Canon EF-M |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.6× |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fully articulated |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 1,040,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Electronic |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360,000 |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
| Exposure modes | ProgramShutter priorityAperture priorityManual |
| Built-in flash | Yes |
| Flash Range | 5.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| External flash | Yes (via hot shoe) |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/200 sec |
| Drive modes | SingleContinuousSelf-timer |
| Continuous drive | 10.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) |
| Metering modes | MultiCenter-weightedSpot |
| Exposure compensation | ±3 (at 1/3 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±2 (3 frames at 1/3 EV steps) |
| Videography features | |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Modes | 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 120 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 60 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 30 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 30 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1280 x 720 @ 120p / 52 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1280 x 720 @ 60p / 26 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC |
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC slot (UHS-I compatible) |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| USB charging | No |
| HDMI | Yes (micro-HDMI) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | No |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth |
| Remote control | Yes (via smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | No |
| Battery | Built-in |
| Battery description | LP-E12 lithium-ion battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 235 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 390 g (0.86 lb / 13.76 oz) |
| Dimensions | 116 x 88 x 59 mm (4.57 x 3.46 x 2.32″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| GPS | None |
Canon EOS M50 Price
