The Canon EOS M50 marked a shift in Canon’s approach to its mirrorless EOS M cameras, finally offering just about all the features we’d look for in a price that looks pretty reasonable. The launch of the new full frame mirrorless Canon EOS R and EOS RP cameras has stolen some of the limelight from Canon’s EOS M range.
But with the release of the https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/hands-on-canon-eos-m6-mark-ii-review” EOS M6 Mark II, it’s clear that Canon hasn’t forgotten about it. The EOS M50 remains just about the most accessible and useful EOS M camera for relative newcomers to photography, whether you’re looking for the best mirrorless camera to learn photography with, or the best camera for beginners.
It’s probably fair to say that these EOS M cameras haven’t exactly taken the world by storm, but the EOS M50 could change all that, and for three reasons. First, it has an electronic viewfinder. It’s only the second EOS M model to have a built-in EVF – the first was the much more expensive EOS M5 – and although smartphone users might not miss having a viewfinder, keen photographers and enthusiasts certainly will.
Second, the EOS M50 can shoot 4K video. It was the first EOS M model to offer this feature (followed by the newer EOS M6 Mark II), and this puts it one step ahead of the now-dated EOS M5. It also has a DIGIC 8 processor, rather than the older DIGIC 7 processor in the EOS M5. This kind of technical leap-frogging does happen from time to time as mid-range models overtake top-end cameras in key specifications.
This brings us on to price. With the same EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM retracting kit lens as the EOS M5, the EOS M50 matches, and in some respects beats, the specifications of that camera, but for around two-thirds of the price. So, if you wanted an EOS M camera with a viewfinder and you found the EOS M5 too pricey, this is the camera for you.
However, in terms of physical specifications, the M50 definitely cuts a few corners. Its simplified exterior has just a single control dial, whereas the EOS M5 has twin control dials and an EV compensation dial. If you can live with that, though, you’re laughing all the way to the bank, because the EOS M50 gives you a lot more for your money.
This may well be the EOS M-series camera where Canon has finally got the balance right.
Specification
- Sensor: 24.1MP APS-C CMOS, 22.3 x 14.9mm
- Image processor: DIGIC 8
- AF points: 143/99-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF
- ISO range: 100 to 25,600
- Max image size: 6,000 x 4,000
- Metering zones: 384 zones
- Video: 4K UHD at 25/24p
- Viewfinder: OLED EVF, 2,360k dots
- Memory card: 1x SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I)
- LCD: 3in vari-angle touchscreen, 1,040k dots
- Max burst: 10fps (7.4fps with AF)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC
- Size: 116.3 x 88.1 x 58.7mm
- Weight: 390g (with battery and memory card)
With the EOS M50, Canon is aiming for DSLR quality in a compact body, and since it uses the same sensor design as the company’s APS-C DSLRs, there seems to be no reason that shouldn’t happen.
The 24.1MP sensor boasts Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF on-sensor phase-detection AF, which offers between 99 and 143 AF points, depending on the lens fitted. This is more than the number of AF points on the more expensive EOS M5, so the EOS M50 is getting the benefit of some of Canon’s latest camera technology, despite being a mid-price model.
The EOS M50 also gets a continuous shooting speed of 10fps, with focus locked to that of the first frame. This drops to 7.4fps with continuous autofocus, but that’s still pretty good for a camera in this price bracket.
The inclusion of 4K video is a first for the Canon EOS M range, but although it’s another poke in the eye for the more expensive EOS M5, there are some limitations.