Canon EOS M50

The Canon EOS M50 (EOS Kiss M in Asia) is an entry-level mirrorless camera that features an electronic viewfinder.

It is a fully articulating touchscreen, single control dial, and a 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 (with a 1.7x crop), and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC.

What are the Key Features?

  • 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
  • Also, EF-M lens mount with care for EF/EF-S lenses with an elective adapter
  • Dual Pixel autofocus for calms and 1080p video
  • DIGIC 8 processor
  • 2.36M-dot OLED EVF
  • 1.04M-dot in vari-angle LCD
  • 7.4 fps burst in AF-C (10 fps in AF-S)
  • 4K/24p UHD in the video (1.7x crop)
  • 1080/60p and 720/120p HD video
  • Wi-Fi and NFC with the Bluetooth
  • 235 is shot-per-charge battery live in it (per CIPA)

1 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 creating good on that promise. The first Canon camera will automatically send photos to your smartphone after each shot and the first M-series to offer 4K.

But before you get too happy about that last bit, it’s worth noting that 4K comes with a heavy 1.7x crop, and Dual Pixel AF is not available in 4K (contrast-detection AF is available).

The M50 is the first Canon to use the new CR3 Raw format:

  • The Dual Pixel AF can be used in all other video modes, counting 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 specific 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 arrangement, an updated compression option called C-Raw (compressed full resolution, rather than the downsized ‘Small’ and ‘Medium’ Raw formats).

How can we Compare?

However, 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 approximately 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] [2.36M-dot] [2.36M-dot]
AF system (live view) [Dual Pixel w/121 points*] Dual Pixel w/49 points Dual Pixel w/49 points Depth from Defocus Hybrid AF w/425 PDAF points Hybrid AF w/91 PDAF points
LCD [3″ fully-articulating] [3″ tilting] [3″ tilting] [3″ fully-articulating] [3″ tilting] [3″ tilting]
Number of control dials [1] 1 3 [2] [2] [2]
Touchscreen [yes] [yes] [yes] [yes] No [yes]
Burst speed (with AF) [7.4 fps] 4 fps 7 fps 6 fps 11 fps 8 fps
Video [4K/24p] 1080/60p 1080/60p [4k/30P] the [4k/30P] [4k/30P]
Wireless [Wi-Fi + NFC + BT] [Wi-Fi + NFC + BT] [Wi-Fi + NFC + BT] [Wi-Fi] [Wi-Fi + NFC] [Wi-Fi]
Battery life 235 shots 295 shots 295 shots 320 shots 400 shots 350 shots
USB charging [No] [No] [No] [yes] [yes] [yes]
Dimensions (mm) [116x88x59] [108x67x35] [112x68x45] [128x89x74] [120x67x49] [118x83x41]
Weight [387 g] [302 g] [390 g] [505 g] [404 g] [383 g]

As you can understand, the M50 stacks up quite nicely compared to other offerings at this price point, though battery life is the one area where it falls behind a bit.

What is the Pricing and availability of Canon EOS M50?

  • The Canon EOS M50 is valued at $780 body-only in either black or white.
  • It also vessels in various kits, including with the EF-M 15-45mm for $900. And with both the EF-M 15-45mm and EF-M 55-200mm for $1250.