Introduction
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The Canon EOS M50 is an entry-level mirrorless camera sporting an electronic viewfinder, fully articulating touchscreen, single control dial and 24MP APS-C sensor – the same used by its M-series siblings. It has Canon’s latest DIGIC 8 processor and offers expanded Dual Pixel AF coverage, 4K/24p video capture (1.6x crop) as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC.
In a lot of ways it’s a beefier, viewfinder-sporting M100, the brand’s most affordable M-mount offering. And it will likely appeal to the same crowd: beginners and/or those stepping up from a smartphone as their primary photography device. Unlike the M100, the M50 has Canon’s Guide Modes, like those found on the SL2 and T7i. But what’s really exciting about the M50 is that it’s an indicator of what’s down the road for the rest of the M and Rebel series.
Key Features:
- 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- Dual Pixel autofocus for stills and video
- DIGIC 8 processor
- 2.36M-dot OLED EVF
- 1.04M-dot vari-angle LCD
- 7.4 fps burst in AF-C (10 fps in AF-S)
- 4K/24p UHD video (1.6 x crop)
- 1080/60p and 720/120p HD video
- Wi-Fi and NFC with Bluetooth
- 235 shot-per-charge battery live (via CIPA)
One year ago, we met with Canon executives in Yokohama, Japan – you can read the full interview here. At the time, they promised the brand’s main strategic focus going forward would be connectivity and video. The M50 is a clear indication that Canon is making good on that promise. This is the first Canon camera that will automatically send photos to your smartphone after each shot and the first M-series to offer 4K. But before you get too excited about that latter bit, it’s worth noting that 4K comes with a heavy 1.6x crop, and Dual Pixel AF is not available in 4K (contrast detection AF is available).
Dual Pixel AF can be used in all other video modes, including 1080/60p. It still covers 80% x 80% of the sensor but now with 99 selectable points (up from 49 on previous M cameras). And with certain lenses (18-150mm, 28mm macro and 55-200mm) that coverage increases to 88% x 100% with 143 points.
The M50 is the first Canon to use the new CR3 Raw format, which has an updated compression option called C-Raw (compressed full resolution, rather than the downsized ‘Small’ and ‘Medium’ Raw formats).
Other new features include an Eye Detection mode, only available in AF-S, as well as a new silent scene mode. It also has a new gyro sensor that communicates movement to the lens-based IS system for better shake compensation, as well as dual Sensing IS (using data from the image sensor to compensate for shake when shooting stills or video).
Compared to…
Though the M50 is an entry-level camera, it’s priced a bit higher than a lot of other entry-level offerings. Below we’ve compared it to some of its Canon peers as well as similar-priced mirrorless cameras.
| Canon M50 |
Canon M100 | Canon M6 | Panasonic G85 | Sony a6300 | Fujifilm X-T20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP w/lens | $ 900 | $ 600 | $ 900 | $ 1000 | $ 1150 | $ 1000 |
| Resolution | 24MP | 24MP | 24MP | 16MP | 24MP | 24MP |
| Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C | APS-C | Four Thirds | APS-C | APS-C |
| Stabilization | Lens IS + digital | Lens IS | Lens IS | Sensor + lens IS | Lens IS | Lens IS |
| EVF | 2.36M-dot | No | No | 2.36M-dot equiv (field sequential) | 2.36M-dot | 2.36M-dot |
| AF system (live view) | Dual Pixel | Dual Pixel | Dual Pixel | Depth from Defocus | Hybrid AF w/425 PDAF points | Hybrid AF w/91PDAF points |
| LCD | 3″ fully-articulating | 3″ tilting | 3″ tilting | 3″ fully-articulating | 3″ tilting | 3″ tilting |
| Number of control dials | 1 top | 1 top | 2 top, 1 rear | 2 top | 1 top, 1 rear | 2 top + shutter speed, exp. comp. dial |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Burst speed (AF locked) | 10 fps | 6.1 fps | 9 fps | 9 fps | 11 fps | 14 fps |
| Video | 4K/24p | 1080/60p | 1080/60p | 4K/30p | 4K/30p | 4K/30p |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi + NFC + BT | Wi-Fi + NFC + BT | Wi-Fi + NFC + BT | WiFi | WiFi + NFC | WiFi |
| Battery life | 235 shots | 295 shots | 295 shots | 320 shots | 400 shots | 350 shots |
| Dimensions (mm) |
116x88x59 |
108x67x35 | 112x68x45 | 128x89x74 | 120x67x49 | 118x83x41 |
| Weight | 351 g | 302 g | 343 g | 453 g | 404 g | 383 g |
As you can see, it stacks up quite nicely compared to other offerings at this price point, though battery life is the one area it falls behind a bit.
Pricing and availability
The Canon EOS M50 will be available in April for $ 780 body-only in either black or white. It also ships in a variety of kits, including with the EF-M 15-45mm for $ 900, as well as with both the EF-M 15-45mm and EF-M 55-200mm for $ 1250.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)