Canon EOS M50 Best Vlogging Camera
Canon EOS M50 incorporates many technologies in its compact body, and the fact that it has a viewfinder (which is not available in many mirrorless cameras at comparable prices) is a big selling point. The retractable 15-45mm kit lens is a bit awkward to use, and the 4K video mode has some unexpected limitations. However, this is a big step in the right direction for the Canon EOS M series.
Benefits
Fast dual pixel CMOS AF
Built-in electronic viewfinder
Excellent variable angle touch screen
Disadvantage
Unexpected 4K limit
Manual lens retracting mechanism
Simplified external control
Specifications
Sensor: 24.1MP APS-C CMOS, 22.3 x 14.9mm
Image processor: DIGIC 8
Autofocus point: 143/99 point dual pixel CMOS autofocus
ISO range: 100 to 25,600
Maximum image size: 6,000 x 4,000
Metering area: 384 areas
Video: 4K UHD at 25/24p
Viewfinder: OLED EVF, 2.36 million dots
Memory card: 1 SD / SDHC / SDXC (UHS-I)
LCD: 3-inch variable-angle touch screen, 10.4 million dots
Continuous shooting: 10fps (7.4fps during autofocus)
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC
Dimensions: 116.3 x 88.1 x 58.7mm
Weight: 390g (including battery and memory card)
Main features of Canon EOS M50
Canon pursues the quality of a compact SLR through the EOS M50, and because it uses the same sensor design as the company's APS-C DSLR, there seems to be no reason not to do so.
The 24.1MP sensor has the phase detection autofocus function on Canon's Canon dual-pixel CMOS AF sensor. Depending on the lens installed, the autofocus function can provide 99 to 143 autofocus points. This has more AF points than the more expensive EOS M5, so although the EOS M50 is a mid-priced model, it still benefits from some of Canon's latest camera technology.
EOS M50 also achieved a continuous shooting speed of 10fps, with the focus locked on the first photo. With continuous autofocus, the speed drops to 7.4fps, but for a camera in this price range, this is still pretty good.
Canon EOS M series products include 4K video for the first time, but for the more expensive EOS M5, this is another problem, but there are still some limitations.
One is that Canon's dual-pixel CMOS AF function is not available in this mode, and the camera will revert to slower contrast-detection autofocus. This is a bit surprising, although there are undoubtedly some technical reasons, it does seem to destroy all the points of Canon's sensor phase detection technology.
There is also a 1.6x crop factor, so when you switch to 4K video, the angle of view of the lens will be greatly reduced. This is not the main problem, but it may mean that you have to take a step back and restructure when you think you are in the right place. If the digital image stabilization mode of the camera is enabled, the viewing angle will be reduced a bit again.
Without these limitations, you can shoot videos in Full HD quality, which can provide a frame rate of up to 120fps for slow-motion effects.
The EOS M50’s electronic viewfinder is based on an OLED panel with a resolution of 2.36 million dots, which is one of the camera’s main selling points. In addition, there is a fully articulated 3-inch touch screen display with a resolution of 10.4 million dots. This is not the highest resolution we have seen, but it is sufficient. Even if you focus on the viewfinder, you can click to set the focus point or touch-drag to move the focus point on the frame.
Canon has also introduced a new 14-bit CR3 Raw file format to achieve the best quality and provides a new C-RAW alternative, which is said to save 30-40% of the file size compared to regular Raw files. In this way, you can get more original files on the memory card, but storage space is not very expensive nowadays, so it seems to be a medium advantage at best.
You can also communicate wirelessly via NFC, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Bluetooth supports automatic transmission of images to smart devices, but the camera still needs to be switched to Wi-Fi for full resolution image transmission and remote camera control. On Apple devices, this means manually selecting and authorizing the camera's Wi-Fi network when needed.
EOS M50 will usually be sold with Canon's EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM kit lens retracted together. In addition, there are only six other lenses in Canon's EF-M lens series, as well as all relatively low-spec, consumer-oriented lenses. This type is unlikely to attract serious enthusiasts. However, in addition, there are third-party options for Tamron, Samyang, and Lensbaby. You can also install normal Canon EF lenses through Canon's optional EF-EOS M adapter ring.
Performance of Canon EOS M50
The EOS M50's Dual Pixel CMOS AF system is very fast in most situations and can be felt almost immediately – the kit lens may be worthy of praise for this. Canon's STM (Stepper Motor) lenses provide fast and quiet autofocus, which is ideal for still images and videos.
However, video performance is more complicated. When the quality of the captured video in 4K, the camera will revert to regular contrast detection autofocus, so if your subject moves or changes the viewfinder frame, it will refocus, which takes a few seconds. It is true that in the video, a slow focus transition is usually required to keep the footage looking smooth (unless you focus manually), but here you need to slow down the technique to help the camera keep up.
In fact, it is best to keep any camera movement to a minimum, because the EOS M50 also has an obvious rolling shutter effect. If the camera moves quickly, the vertical line will tilt. This is not a stability issue; it is caused by the sensor data being scanned vertically instead of capturing all at once.
This situation will change when switching to full HD video mode. The resolution is lower, but you can't get the heavy cropping factor of 4K mode, and autofocus reverts to dual pixel CMOS AF operation, so the camera can refocus faster. If you move the camera quickly, there will still be a rolling shutter effect, but the effect is not so serious.
Honest Opinion for Canon EOS M50
Sometimes it is difficult to see where Canon’s mirrorless EOS M series is heading. The entry-level M100 is so basic that it is a bit offensive, while the new EOS M200 is almost unattractive, and so far the only other option with a viewfinder – EOS M5 – is indeed quite expensive. The replacement is the new EOS M6 Mark II, which does not have a built-in viewfinder, but you can clip a viewfinder to the accessory shoe-many dealers bundle one of them.
EOS M50 is different. It has a built-in viewfinder, and the key is its moderate price. Compared to other mirrorless options, it still doesn't feel like a breakthrough camera, but at least it feels like Canon has caught up.
In fact, in terms of functionality to price, it has slipped away quietly. Where else can you get a 24MP APS-C mirrorless camera with the viewfinder at this price? The EOS M50 has some powerful Micro three-quarters competitors, but in this price range, the only other APS-C candidate is the Sony A6000, which is a four-year-old camera that specifically targets very different User. Worth pondering.