The first Canon camera with an APS-C-sized sensor to sport 4K video shooting, the EOS M50 – also known as the EOS Kiss M – is an advanced entry-level mirrorless model that sits above the entry-level M100. There's now an EOS M50 Mark II, but it's essentially the same as the original but with a few software tweaks, so don't pass up a good deal on the original EOS M50.
The older camera still boasts a 3in vari-angle touchscreen display, which is ideal for selfies and video recording, alongside a centrally positioned 2.36million-dot EVF that offers a more DSLR-like shooting experience than the EOS M100.
With a resolution of 24.1MP, and respectable APS-C dimensions, the EOS M50’s sensor works with Canon's DIGIC 8 processor to produce pleasingly clean results across most of its native ISO 100-25,600 range.
This resolution should be more than enough to meet the printing demands of its target market, while that physically large sensor can easily produce stylishly shallow depth of field in images.
At 10fps, the device has a respectable continuous shooting speed too, although a capacity of only 10 Raw frames means its buffer will quickly fill, limiting its use to short bursts.
Canon's dedicated EOS M-mount lenses are available for use with the EOS M50, although an EF-EOS M adaptor also lets you mount EF optics. But there are also independent options from Sigma, Laowa and others - increasing the choice. The native lenses should cover most day-to-day and travel subjects with ease, but the lack of faster lenses – only one option, for example, offers an aperture wider than f/2.8 – mean that the system is not quite best suited to sports, wildlife and low-light photography situations.
• The best Canon EF-M lenses for the EOS M50
Still, with Canon’s respected Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology on board, the EOS M50’s autofocus system features accurate-phase detect AF pixels built onto the imaging sensor, although it can only use contrast-detect AF during 4K recording. This system is pleasingly responsive and has far more available points than the EOS M100’s, with face- and subject-tracking options too.
The EOS M50 also has a microphone input for improved audio quality but lacks a headphone port for audio monitoring. This, combined with a 1.6x crop factor when recording 30fps 4K footage, means that while the device is a solid option for vlogging when a wider lens is mounted, and great for short clips, it’s not going to be any dedicated videographer’s first choice.
The Canon EOS M50 could make a great travel, blogging or vlogging camera, and will be sure to impress those stepping up from a phone or compact for the first time with its highly respectable image quality and autofocus performance. However, with the limited lens range available to it and several drawbacks including a limited battery life and buffer capacity, it’s definitely better suited for beginners than it is enthusiasts, particularly those looking to specialise in sports or wildlife photography.
Also consider: Panasonic G7, Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II, Fujifilm X-T20
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