Canon EOS M50 review

The EOS M50 is Canon’s newest mirrorless digicam, extending its M-series vary from three to 4.

Whereas it shares an analogous silhouette to the flagship EOS M5, the EOS M50 sits additional down the vary, slotting in between the entry-level EOS M100 and the extra mid-range EOS M6, and is designed to enchantment to new and novice customers.

The EOS M50 borrows some options and concepts from present fashions, however it additionally has just a few improvements of its personal – so may the EOS M50 be Canon’s most well-rounded mirrorless digicam but?  

Options

• First Canon digicam to get the DIGIC eight processor
• 4K video seize
• Improved Twin Pixel CMOS AF system

The EOS M50 contains a 24.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor, with a sensitivity vary working from ISO100-25,600, which may be expanded to 51,200. Curiously although, this does not look like Canon’s newest 24MP sensor, with the newer chip offering 24.2MP efficient pixels. 

That stated, the EOS M50 is the primary Canon digicam – DSLR, compact or mirrorless – to characteristic the corporate’s newest DIGIC eight picture processor. The arrival of the brand new processor means the EOS M50 is able to capturing 4K film footage (as much as 24fps) – one thing that is been missing from lots of current Canon cameras. It additionally allows the EOS M50 to shoot 4K timelapse footage, and permits customers to tug stills from 4K footage, with the information equal to 8MP.

Canon’s Twin Pixel CMOS AF system has all the time impressed after we’ve examined it on different fashions, and the arrival of the DIGIC eight processor has enabled Canon to enhance AF efficiency additional. 

This consists of better protection of the body, whereas there at the moment are 143 AF factors at your disposal (the top-of-the vary EOS M5 has 49 factors). There’s additionally Eye AF, which because the identify suggests can lock onto a topic’s eyes – helpful for portraits, and useful for selfies or vlogging. 

One thing else that can enchantment to vloggers is the vari-angle touchscreen show. The display is hinged along side the physique, and may be pulled outwards to face the topic, whereas it additionally means the show may be angled by way of a large arc of positions to swimsuit just about any capturing angle. 

In addition to the rear show, the EOS M50 additionally incorporates a built-in digital viewfinder with a 2.36 million-dot decision that seems to equal that of the pricier EOS M5. 

The EOS M50 has a wealth of connectivity choices, with Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth Low Vitality all current. The latter allows for a low-power, fixed connection to be maintained between digicam and sensible system, permitting you to seamlessly switch pictures.

One other first for a Canon digicam is the transfer to the CR3 14-bit uncooked file format, whereas there’s additionally a brand new C-RAW possibility, which creates full-resolution uncooked information whereas saving roughly 30% to 40% on the file dimension of ordinary uncooked information.

Construct and dealing with

• Restricted body-mounted controls
• Glorious touchscreen
• Refined person interface

The EOS M50 borrows many styling cues from the EOS M5, primarily the central positioning of the digital viewfinder (EVF). There’s additionally a small built-in flash tucked away within the raised hump the place the EVF sits.

With the chassis constructed from robust polycarbonate, the EOS M50 weighs solely rather less than the EOS M5, whereas the leatherette-effect textured handgrip is properly proportioned for the digicam.

Whereas the EOS M5 is concentrated extra in direction of the fanatic photographer, with a number of body-mounted controls, the extra beginner-friendly EOS M50 is a bit more sparse on this respect. 

Reasonably than three dials on the highest of the digicam, the M50 simply has a single mode dial (even the devoted compensation dial of the EOS M6 has disappeared), making it really feel very accessible for the brand new person.

The controls have additionally been streamlined on the rear of the digicam. There isn’t any rear scroll wheel; as an alternative there is a four-way management pad and a few different devoted controls, together with AF, however your entry level to many of the M50’s capturing settings will both be through the ‘Q’ (quick for Fast Menu) button or the touchscreen.

The EOS M50 additionally will get Canon’s overhauled graphical person interface, which we first noticed on the EOS Insurgent T7i / EOS 800D. Designed to assist new customers, the interface explains settings, and what impact completely different changes may have on the ultimate shot. It is potential to disable this characteristic within the menu if you want, and persist with Canon’s extra conventional menu system.

Autofocus

• Brisk AF efficiency
• Improved focusing protection
• Contact and drag AF works nicely

Canon received a little bit of stick for the autofocus efficiency of its unique EOS M mirrorless digicam, however issues have come a great distance since.

The uprated Twin Pixel CMOS AF system within the EOS M50 carried out very nicely within the time we needed to attempt the digicam out. Focusing is brisk, whereas there’s additionally the choice to the touch and drag the AF level together with your thumb on the rear show whilst you have the digicam raised to your eye; this makes fast AF space choice very easy, whereas you do not have to make use of your entire display actual property both  – if you need, you’ll be able to set this perform to half or 1 / 4 of the show within the menu.

Efficiency

• First rate burst capturing speeds
• Massive and vibrant EVF
• Battery life could possibly be higher

Due to the brand new DIGIC eight picture processor the EOS M50 can shoot at as much as 10fps in Single AF mode, and must you wish to observe your topic in Steady AF this drops to a nonetheless very robust 7.4fps. It truly performs higher than the EOS M5 on this respect. 

The digital viewfinder on the EOS M50 can also be superb – the refresh price delivers a clean show, whereas the first rate magnification means it does not really feel too cramped. 

The battery lifetime of the EOS M50 is a bit disappointing although. It is simply 235 photographs, so that you’re in all probability going to wish to get a second battery if you happen to’re planning on capturing for prolonged durations.

Early verdict

Priced at $899.99 / £649.99 with Canon’s EF-M 15-45mm lens (US and Australian pricing is but to be confirmed), the EOS M50 is competitively priced, and will likely be going up in opposition to the like of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III.  

Our first impressions of the EOS M50 are very encouraging. Whereas it is a disgrace it does not sport Canon’s latest-generation 24MP sensor, the arrival of the DIGIC eight picture processor ought to make up for that to some extent.

In some ways, it is a better-specced digicam than the EOS M5, with quicker burst capturing speeds, an improved AF system and 4K video seize. The vari-angle display additionally affords that bit extra in the way in which of flexibility over the EOS M5’s tilt-angle mechanism.  

The absence of some further body-mounted controls could also be a little bit of a disappointment for extra skilled customers, however for the EOS M50’s goal market of latest customers it does make the digicam really feel very accessible. 

We’ll must do a full check of the EOS M50 to substantiate our early impressions, however it does really feel like this could possibly be Canon’s most refined and feature-packed mirrorless digicam but.