Canon EOS M50 Review

April 12, 2018 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The EOS M50 is a new entry-level compact system camera from Canon. The EOS M50 has a 24.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, the very latest DIGIC 8 processor, 4K video recording, a touch-screen interface, 99-point AF System, ISO 100-25600, a 3-inch 1,040K-dot LCD vari-angle monitor, integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity, 10fps burst shooting, CR3 14-bit RAW support, built-in pop-up flash and a flash hot-shoe, and an integrated viewfinder.

The Canon EOS M50 is available in white or black in a kit with the EF-M 15-45mm IS STM lens for £649.99 / €779.99 or body only for £539.99 / €629.99 / $759.99.

Ease of Use

The new EOS M50 is positioned as the third best camera in Canon's mirrorless range, but it closely resembles the flagship M5 model in lots of ways, and in many ways even out-performs it.

Just like the M5, the M50 sports a DSLR-like design, albeit one that's been shrunk in the wash. It has a proper integrated electronic viewfinder, only the second EOS M camera to do so, again following in the footsteps of the M50, which is centrally located in-line with the lens mount. Although it's not as high-resolution as the one on the M5, it's perfectly good enough for a mid-range model.

From the front, the casual observer would be hard-pressed to tell the two cameras apart. The Canon EOS M50 also has a prominent protruding grip which helps you get good purchase on what is quite a small camera, with your right forefinger resting naturally on the shutter release button. Just like the M5, though, those with particularly large hands may find that the camera is a little on the small side to fit all of your fingers comfortably on the grip.

The top of the EOS M50 is the main area where it differs in terms of external design to the M5. Whereas the flagship model has a multitude of dials and buttons, the M50 is much simpler in terms of its control layout, which may or may not suit you, depending on your experience level and intended use for the camera. The EOS M50 lacks the M5's dedicated exposure compensation dial, and it only has one control dial rather than two, which more experienced shooters will definitely bemoan.

Canon EOS M50
Front of the Canon EOS M50

On the other hand, it does retain a dedicated shooting mode dial, used to change between the different exposure modes that the camera offers. Here you’ll find all automatic and scene modes, as well as a range of manual and semi-automatic options, such as aperture priority and shutter priority.

There’s also a small function button, which can be customised to a wide range of different options in the main menu, including file type, picture style, white balance, manual focus and more. The M50 also usefully adds a one-touch movie record button to the top-plate that's more logically placed alongside the shutter release button.

Video is one of the main differences between the M5 and M50, surprisingly in favour of the cheaper camera. Thanks to the Digic 8 processor, the M50 takes the title of first Canon mirrorless camera to offer 4K video recording, which, in conjunction with the vari-angle LCD screen that be rotated to face forwards and the Mic-in port, promises to make the M50 a Vlogger's dream ticket.

All is not quite as rosy as a glance at the spec sheet would indicate, though, as the M50 automatically applies a 1.7x crop on the sensor in 4k mode, which effectively changes the focal length of the fitted lens and makes wide-angle shooting virtually impossible. This gets even worse when using the digital stabilisation system during video recording, which extends the fitted lens by 2x, and also the ISO range tops out at ISO 6400, rather than 25600 as when shooting stills.

Canon EOS M50
Rear of the Canon EOS M50

The final nail in the coffin for 4K video is the fact that the excellent Dual Pixel CMOS AF system doesn't work when recording in 4K, only 1080p, with the camera reverting to the much slower and less accurate contrast-based AF. So all in all, 4K video is something of a half-baked disappointment on the EOS M50, something that doesn't do the camera any favours when comparing it to rival models.

On a more positive note, the EOS M50 is the first camera to feature Canon's new CR3 14-bit RAW file format, as well as a new C-RAW option that creates full resolution RAW files that are approximately 30 to 40% smaller in size than standard RAW files without any appreciable drop in quality.

The camera has both a flash hotshoe for attaching an external flash and an inbuilt flash that's released simply by grabbing the front and flipping it up - no dedicated release button here. Although it's not particularly powerful, it does tick one of the must-have boxes for this level of camera.

Flip to the back of the Canon EOS M5o and much of its rear is taken up by the three-inch touch-sensitive screen. The vari-angle screen flips out to the side and then tilts upwards, downwards, and can also face the front. This makes it particular useful for shooting hand-held selfies and vlogs, and is also useful if you want to place the camera on a tripod or other stable surface (such as a table) and take a self-portrait or group shot.

Canon EOS M50
Tilting LCD Screen

There’s a scrolling dial on the back of the Canon EOS M50 which can be used for certain functions, such as scrolling through images in playback. This doubles up as a four way navigational pad, with each directional key having its own particular function.

For example, up controls exposure compensation, left switches on manual focusing, the right is for flash modes, and the bottom key is used for deleting pictures in playback. However, you can customise all of these keys, along with most of the keys, to a different function if you prefer, meaning you can set up the camera exactly how you want to use it. If you're looking for ISO speed, that's set via the touchscreen rather than a dedicated button.

A press of the central key in the middle of the scrolling dial takes you to the Quick menu. This can also be accessed via a virtual button on the screen. With this, you can quickly access a variety of settings without having to delve into main menu settings and so on.

Around the rear scrolling dial there are three buttons. One is used to switch between different display settings, such as the on-screen level, one is the playback button, and the third is used to access the main menu. The final two buttons are found on the thumbrest, and again can be customised to your own tastes, but have default settings of exposure lock and AF point selection, just like on the flagship M5.

Canon EOS M50
Tilting LCD Screen

Although you can use the AF point selection button to enter the AF selection options, the easiest way to set AF point is to use the touch screen, simply tapping where you want the AF point to be.

You can also use the touch screen to do this in conjunction with the viewfinder if you want, by selecting “Touch and drag AF settings” in the main menu. A great feature is that you can use the whole screen to do this, or you can apportion a section of the screen, for example the bottom right to allowing you to change the AF point - this is particularly handy if you find that your nose or face is accidentally moving the AF point when you don’t want it to.

The EOS M50 offers pretty respectable continuous shooting speeds considering its price-tag - 10fps with the AF locked at the first frame, or more usefully 7.1fps with continuous AF is nothing to be sniffed at for such an affordable camera.

The Canon EOS M50’s electronic viewfinder has an eye-sensor for automatically detecting when it has been lifted to your eye, making it a very fluid movement akin to using a DSLR. It’s not the largest or highest resolution viewfinder, but it is bright and clear and there’s no real noticeable lag when using it for most every day shots.

Canon EOS M50
The Canon EOS M50 In-hand

Colours inside the viewfinder appear to be more vibrant and more saturated than colours displayed on the rear screen, and indeed in the final images - so just be aware that the image you see in the viewfinder may not be a 100% accurate representation of the image you’re going to end up with.

The Canon EOS M5 has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. You can use the latter as a low-power alternative to Wi-Fi to control the camera and for automatically transferring images across to your phone ready for super quick sharing. It’s also easier and quicker to set up and use than connecting to the camera’s Wi-Fi network, which is still a rather long-winded process.

In terms of focusing , the Canon EOS M50 actually has a more sophisticated system than the range-topping M5, expanding the number of AF points 99 (actually 143 areas with certain lenses) and covering 88% of the sensor area. It's also more sensitive in low light, down to -2Ev, and even offers Eye AF, a feature that Sony shooters have been raving about for some time, although the M50 can only do so in One Shot AF mode and not continuous Servo mode. Still, remember that this is a mid-range, not a high-end mirrorless camera like the Sony A7-series.

Finally, the EOS M50 uses a smaller battery than the M5, offering 235 shots or 370 in the special ECO mode, down from 295/420. Neithrer camera's battery life is particularly good, so make sure to budget for a couple of spares if you intend to shoot for more than a couple of hours before recharging.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 8Mb.

The Canon EOS M50 produced still images of excellent quality during the review period.

This camera produces noise-free JPEG images from ISO 100 all the way up to ISO 3200, with noise first appearing at ISO 6400. The faster setting of 12800 displays relatively little noise, certainly suitable for small prints and web images. We wouldn't advise using the expanded setting of ISO 25600 though.

The built-in flash worked well indoors, with no red-eye and good overall exposure. The night photograph was very good, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds and the Bulb mode allowing you to capture enough light in all situations.

The different Picture Styles and the ability to create your own are a real benefit, as are the extensive range of digital filter effects, all of which can be previewed before you take the shot.

Noise

ISO sensitivity can be set between ISO 100 and ISO 25600 in full-stop increments. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and the RAW equivalent on the right.

JPEG

RAW

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100raw.jpg
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg
   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso6400.jpg iso6400raw.jpg
   

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

iso12800.jpg iso12800raw.jpg
   

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

iso25600.jpg iso25600raw.jpg

Flash

The flash settings on the Canon EOS M50 are Auto, Manual Flash On/Off, and Red-Eye Reduction. Here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Flash On setting nor the Red-Eye Reduction option caused any amount of red-eye.

Flash Off

ISO 64
 

Flash On

ISO 64
 

Flash Off

ISO 64
 

Flash On

ISO 64
 

Flash Off

ISO 64
 

Flash On

ISO 64
 

Flash Redeye

ISO 64

Night

The Canon EOS M50's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's a Bulb mode for even longer exposures, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography.

Night

night.jpg

Picture Styles

Canon's Picture Controls are preset combinations of different sharpness, contrast, saturation and colour tone settings. The seven available Picture Controls are shown below in the following series, which demonstrates the differences. There are also three User Defined styes so that you can create your own look.

Standard

Portrait

picture_style_01.jpg picture_style_02.jpg
   

Landscape

Fine Detail

picture_style_03.jpg picture_style_04.jpg
   

Neutral

Faithful

picture_style_05.jpg picture_style_06.jpg
   

Monochrome

 
picture_style_07.jpg  

Creative Filters

The Creative Filters shooting mode contains eight different options to help spice up your images.

HDR

Fish-eye

effects_1.jpg effects_2.jpg
   

Art Bold

Water Painting

effects_3.jpg effects_4.jpg
   

Miniature

Toy Camera

effects_5.jpg effects_6.jpg
   

Soft Focus

Grainy B/W

effects_7.jpg effects_8.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Canon EOS M50 camera, which were all taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Canon EOS M50 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Canon RAW (CR3) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movies & Video

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 3840x2160 pixels at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 18 second movie is 254Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 20 second movie is 73.2Mb in size.

Product Images

Canon EOS M50
 
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Canon EOS M50
 
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Canon EOS M50
 
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Canon EOS M50

Conclusion

Canon's latest mirrorless camera is a curious beast, on the one hand offering several headline-grabbing features that promise to out-perform the company's own flagship model, whilst on the other falling short of its full potential.

What could have been a vlogger's dream ticket, for example, falls well short of the pre-release hype thanks to a crippled 4K mode. Canon made lots of noise about the camera's 4K capability, but "forgot" to mention several important caveats that render it at best difficult to use, at worse almost impossible. As the first Canon mirrorless camera to offer 4K recording, the EOS M50 is simply a disappointment.

If you only want or need to shoot in 1080p, though, things look a lot better, and combined with the excellent stills quality, the EOS M50 becomes a serious proposition again, especially given the surprisingly affordable price-tag. So the choice between 4K and 1080p will be crucial for many would-be buyers - if you need the former, look elsewhere, if you don't, then seriously consider the M50.

You'll then reap the benefits of an excellent AF system, intuitive touchscreen interface, vari-angle screen, seamless wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity, expanded ISO range, faster burst shooting, and the very latest Raw formats, all areas where the M50 out-performs the range-topping M5.

In summary, the Canon EOS M50 is a surprising camera. It's surprisingly capable for what is after all only a "mid-range" camera, but unfortunately it also surprisingly under-performs in a few key areas, which may make or break its potential appeal.

3.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 3.5
Features 4
Ease-of-use 3.5
Image quality 4.5
Value for money 4

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Canon EOS M50.

Canon EOS M10

The Canon EOS M10 is an entry-level compact system camera that offers 18 megapixels, 1080p high-definition videos, simple controls and a touch-screen interface. Other key features of the EOS M10 include a tilting 3-inch LCD screen, ISO range of 100-25,600, wi-fi and NFC connectivity, and a built-in flash. Is Canon's new mirrorless model perfectly suited to its beginner target audience? Read our Canon EOS M10 review to find out...

Canon EOS M100

The Canon EOS M100 is a new compact system camera aimed at beginners. The M100 offers 24.2 megapixel resolution, Bluetooth connectivity, full HD 1080p high-definition video, a 180-degree tilting LCD and a touch-screen interface. Read our expert Canon EOS M100 review now...

Canon EOS M5

The Canon EOS M5 is a brand new compact system camera that offers 24 megapixels, 9fps continuous shooting, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, full HD 60p high-definition videos, and a touch-screen interface. Other key features of the EOS M5 include a tilting 3-inch LCD screen, ISO range of 100-25600, and wi-fi and NFC connectivity. Is Canon's new mirrorless model the camera that enthusiasts have been waiting for? Read our Canon EOS M5 review to find out...

Canon EOS M6

The Canon EOS M6 is a new compact system camera that offers 24.2 megapixels, 9fps continuous shooting, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, full HD 60p high-definition video with 5-axis in-body electronic image stabilisation, and a touch-screen interface. Other key features of the EOS M6 include a tilting 3-inch LCD screen, ISO range of 100-25600, and wi-fi, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity. Read our in-depth Canon EOS M6 review now...

Fujifilm X-E3

The Fujifilm X-E3 is a stylish rangefinder-esque digital camera that comes across like a mini X-Pro2 with a wealth of smartphone touch and connectivity options. Read our Fujifilm XE3 review to find out if this mix of retro and modern is a successful one or not...

Olympus PEN E-PL9

The Olympus PEN E-PL9 is a stylish new entry-level mirrorless camera aimed at smartphone owners looking to buy an interchangeable lens camera for the first time. The E-PL9 also has a lot to offer more experienced photographers, though, as we find out in our in-depth Olympus PEN E-PL9 review...

Panasonic Lumix DC-GX800

The Panasonic Lumix DC-GX800 is a new entry-level compact system camera that can record 4K video. The DC-GX800 has a range of selfie modes, a 180-degree tilting LCD screen, built-in wireless and NFC connectivity, a 16 megapixel sensor, 4K movies at 30fps, and a touchscreen interface. Read our Panasonic Lumix DC-GX800 review, complete with full-size JPEG and RAW sample images...

Sony A6300

The Sony A6300 is a new high-end compact system camera that features the fastest auto-focusing system in the world and the highest number of AF points. With a 24.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 4K movie recording, high-res 3-inch tilting LCD screen, electronic viewfinder and built-in flash, the Sony NEX-6 also offers 11fps burst shooting, wi-fi and NFC connectivity, and downloadable PlayMemories Camera Apps. Read our in-depth Sony A6300 review to find out if it's the best Sony APS-C camera yet...

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Canon EOS M50 from around the web.

dpreview.com »

The Canon EOS M50 (EOS Kiss M in Asia) is an entry-level mirrorless camera that features an electronic viewfinder, 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) as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC.
Read the full review »

Specifications

Image Sensor

Type

22.3 x 14.9mm CMOS

Effective Pixels

Approx. 24.1 megapixels

Total Pixels

Approx 25.8 megapixels

Aspect Ratio

3:2

Low-Pass Filter

Built-in/Fixed

Sensor Cleaning

EOS integrated cleaning system

Colour Filter Type

Primary Colour

Image Processor

Type

DIGIC 8

Lens

Lens Mount

EF-M (EF and EF-S lenses compatible via Mount adapter EF-EOS M)

Focal Length

Equivalent to 1.6x the focal length of the lens

Image Stabilisation

Optical Image Stabilizer on compatible lens

Movie: In-camera Digital IS available. Further stabilisation enhancements from lenses compatible with Dynamic IS

Focusing

Type

Dual Pixel CMOS AF System. Phase detection pixels built onto imaging sensor 1


Contrast detection method is used during 4K Movie Servo AF

AF System/ Points

Maximum 143/99 points depending on lens.


Max 25 frames in Zone AF 2

Freely position 1 AF point/ 1 AF Zone via manual selection (area available lens dependent)

AF working range

EV -2 - 18 (at 23 °C, ISO 100, with EF-M 22mm f/2 STM)

AF Modes

One-Shot AF and Servo AF

AF Point Selection

Face + Tracking: Face and subject tracking via automatic recognition/ manual selection via touchscreen. Automatic selection over AF points when no face recognised within frame.


Eye AF available in One Shot AF


Smooth Zone AF: Manual zone selection, plus automatic selection over AF points within selected zone

1-point AF: Manual selection via touchscreen/ buttons

Selected AF point display

Indicated on LCD monitor/ EVF

Predictive AF

-


*with EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM at 50kph

AF Lock

Locked when shutter button is pressed half way or customisable AE Lock Button

AF Assist Beam

via LED assist beam

Manual Focus

With EF & EF-S lenses - Select via AF/MF switch on lens

With EF-M lenses - Select via dedicated MF Button/ other customisable buttons (toggle AF/MF).

MF Peaking available
AF+MF available (Manual focus adjustment after One-Shot AF)
Magnify image available during MF (5x or 10x)

Focus Bracketing

-

AF Microadjustment

-

Exposure Control

Metering modes

Real-time metering from the image sensor
(1) Evaluative metering (384 zones)
(2) Partial metering at center (approx. 6.4% of Live View Screen)
(3) Center weighted average metering
(4) Spot metering (approx. 2.8% of Live View Screen)

Center weighted only in Movie recording

Metering Range

Still image: EV 0 - 20 (at 23 °C, ISO 100)
Movie: EV 0 - 20 (at 23 °C, ISO 100)

AE Lock

Auto: In One-shot AF mode with evaluative metering exposure is locked when focus is achieved.
Manual: By AE lock Button in creative zone modes.

Exposure Compensation

+/-3 EV in 1/3 stop increments

AEB

3 shots, +/- 2 EV, 1/3-stop increments (can be used together with Exposure Compensation)

ISO Sensitivity

ISO AUTO (100 - 6400), 100 - 25600 in 1/3 stop increments. ISO can be expanded to 51200

4K Movie: ISO AUTO (100 - 6400), 100 - 6400 in 1/3-stop increments. Full HD and HD Movie: ISO AUTO (100 - 12800), ISO 100 - 12800 in 1/3-stop increments. ISO can be expanded to 25600


*Recommended Exposure Index

Shutter

Type

Electronically controlled focal-place shutter

Speed

30 - 1/4000 sec (1/3 stop increments), Bulb (Total shutter speed range. Available range varies by shooting mode)

White Balance

Type

Auto white balance with the imaging sensor

Settings

Auto (Ambience Priority), Auto (White Priority), Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, White
Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom, Colour Temperature (100 Kelvin increments)

White balance compensation:
1. Blue/Amber +/-9 levels
2. Magenta/ Green +/-9 levels

Custom White Balance

Yes, 1 setting can be registered

WB Bracketing

-

Viewfinder

Type

0.39-type OLED Electronic Viewfinder
Approx. 2,360,000 dots

Coverage (Vertical/Horizontal)

Approx 100%

Magnification

-

Eyepoint

Approx 22mm

Dioptre Correction

Yes

Focusing Screen

-

Mirror

-

Viewfinder Information

Customisable and toggle via INFO. Button
(1) Liveview image with exposure info
(2) Liveview image with basic info
(3) Liveview image with full info

Customisable settings:
Grid overlay (x3 formats), Histogram (Brightness/ RGB), Electronic Level, Multi aspect ratios

Depth of field preview

Yes

Eyepiece shutter

-

LCD Monitor

Type

7.5 cm (3.0”) Touchscreen LCD (TFT). 3:2 aspect ratio. Approx. 1,040,000 dots. Electrostatic capacitive type. Vari-Angle

Coverage

Approx 100%

Viewing Angle (horizontally/vertically)

-

Coating

-

Brightness Adjustment

Adjustable to one of seven levels

Display Options

Customisable and toggle via INFO. Button
(1) Liveview image with exposure info
(2) Liveview image with basic info
(3) Liveview image with full info

Customisable settings:
Grid overlay (x3 formats), Histogram (Brightness/ RGB), Electronic Level, Multi aspect ratios, Hints and Tips

Flash

Built-in Flash GN (ISO 100, meters)

5

Built-in Flash Coverage

Maximum coverage at approx. 15mm (35mm equivalent: approx. 24mm)

Built-in Flash recycle time

Approx. 3 seconds 3

Modes

Auto (E-TTL II)

Red-Eye Reduction

Yes - with red eye reduction lamp

X-sync

1/200 sec

Flash Exposure Compensation

+/- 2 EV in 1/3 increments

Flash Exposure Bracketing

-

Flash Exposure Lock

Yes

Second Curtain Synchronisation

Yes

HotShoe/ PC terminal

Yes/ No

External Flash Compatibility

E-TTL II with EX series Speedlites, wireless multi-flash support

External Flash Control

Via camera setting/ flash setting menu

Shooting

Modes

Scene Intelligent Auto, Hybrid Auto, Creative Assist, SCN(Self-Portrait, Portrait, Smooth Skin, Landscape, Sports, Close-up, Food, Panning, Handheld Night Scene, HDR Backlight Control, Silent Mode), Creative Filters (Grainy B/W, Soft Focus, Fish-eye Effect, Water painting effect, Toy camera effect, Miniature effect , HDR Art standard, vivid, bold, embossed), Program AE , Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual exposure, Movie (Movie auto exposure, Movie manual exposure, Time-lapse movie)

Picture Styles

Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Fine Detail, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Defined (x3)

Colour Space

sRGB and Adobe RGB

Image Processing

Highlight Tone Priority (standard and enhanced)
Auto Lighting Optimizer (4 settings)
Long exposure noise reduction
High ISO speed noise reduction (4 settings + Multi Shot NR)
Lens peripheral illumination correction
Chromatic aberration correction
Diffraction correction

Creative Assist:
Presets
Background Blur (5 settings)
Brightness (19 levels)
Contrast (9 levels)
Saturation (9 levels)
Color Tone 1 & 2 (19 levels)
Monochrome (Off/Black and white/Sepia/Blue/Purple/Green)

Drive modes

Single, High-Speed Continuous, Low-Speed Continuous, Self timer (2s, 10s, Custom, Remote)

Continuous Shooting

One shot AF: Approx. 10 shots/sec for up to 33 frames in JPEG and 10 frames in RAW 4
With Servo AF: Approx. 7.4 shots/sec for up to approx 47 frames in JPEG 5

Intervalometer

-

Live View Mode

Type

-

Coverage

Approx. 100% (horizontally and vertically)

Frame Rate

-

Focusing

-

Metering

-

Display Options

-

File Type

Still Image Type

JPEG: Fine, Normal (Exif 2.31 compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system (2.0)
RAW: RAW (CR3 14-bit),
Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant

RAW+JPEG simultaneous recording

Yes, RAW + various JPEG compression possible

Image Size

RAW: (3:2) 6000 x 4000, (4:3) 5328 x 4000, (16:9) 6000 x 3368, (1:1) 4000 x 4000

JPEG 3:2: (L) 6000 x 4000, (M) 3984 x 2656, (S1) 2976 x 1984, (S2) 2400 x 1600
JPEG 4:3: (L) 5328 x 4000, (M) 3552 x 2664, (S1) 2656 x 1992, (S2) 2112 x 1600
JPEG 16:9: (L) 6000 x 3368, (M) 3984 x 2240, (S1) 2976 x 1680 (S2) 2400 x 1344
JPEG 1:1: (L) 4000 x 4000, (M) 2656 x 2656, (S1) 1984 x 1984, (S2) 1600 x 1600

In-camera RAW processing & Image Resize available in playback

Movie Type

MP4 [Video: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, Audio: MPEG-4 AAC-LC (stereo)]

Movie Size

4K - 3840 x 2160 (23.98, 25 fps)
Full HD - 1920 x 1080 (59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, 23.976 fps)
HD - 1280 x 720 (119.9, 100, 59.94, 50 fps)

Movie Length

Max duration 29min 59sec, Max file size 4GB

Sound Files

-

Folders

New folders can be created and selected

File Numbering

(1) Continuous, Auto Reset
(2) Manual Reset

Other Features

Custom Functions

9 customisable buttons

Metadata Tag

User copyright information (Author's Name, Copyright Details)
Image rating (0-5 stars)

LCD Panel / Illumination

-

Water/ Dust resistance

-

Sound Memo

-

Intelligent Orientation Sensor

-

Playback zoom

15 steps plus smooth pinch-to-zoom

Display Formats

(1) Single image with information (toggle options)
(2) Single image
(3) Index display (4/9/36/100 images)
(4) Jump Display (1/10/custom number image, by shot date, by rating, by folder, by movies only, protected only)

Slide Show

Playback time: 1/2/3/5/10/30 seconds
Repeat: On/Off
Transition Effects: Off, Slide in 1-2, Fade 1-3

Histogram

Brightness/ RGB

Highlight Alert

Yes

Image Erase/Protection

Erase: Single image, Selected images, Selected range, All images
Protection: Selected images, Selected range, All images. Unprotect all images

Data Verification

Menu Categories

(1) Shooting menu (x8)
(2) Playback menu (x4)
(3) Setup menu (x5)
(4) Display menu
(5) My Menu

Menu Languages

29 Languages
English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Thai, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Malay, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi, Japanese

Firmware Update

Firmware update possible by the user.

Interface

Computer

Hi-Speed USB (Micro USB)

Other

Wireless LAN (IEEE802.11b/g/n), (2.4 GHz only, 1-11 ch), with Dynamic NFC support 6

Bluetooth® (Specification version 4.1, Bluetooth low energy technology) 8

HDMI (Micro - Type-D connector), HDR output to compatible TV supported

Direct Print

Canon Printers

Canon Compact Photo Printers and PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge

PictBridge

Canon Compact Photo Printers and PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge

Storage

Type

SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I compatible)

Supported Operating System

PC & Macintosh

Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 SP1 9
Mac OS X 10.9 / 10.10 / 10.11 / 10.12

For Wi-Fi connection to a PC:
Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 SP1
Mac OS X 10.9 / 10.10

For Image Transfer Utility:
Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 SP1
Mac OS X 10.9 / 10.10 / 10.11 / 10.12

Software

Browsing & Printing

-

Image Processing

Digital Photo Professional

Other

Picture Style Editor, EOS Utility, Image Transfer Utility

Camera Connect app available on iOS and Android devices 10

Power Source

Batteries

1 x Rechargeable Li-ion Battery LP-E12

Battery life

Approx. 235 shots (at 23°C, AE 50%, FE 50%) 11
Eco Mode: Approx. 370 shots
Movie Recording: Approx. 85 mins
Playback time when playing back a slideshow of still images: Approx. 4 hrs

Battery Indicator

4 levels

Power saving

Display off (15, 30 sec or 1, 3, 5, 10, 30 mins)
Auto Power Down (30 sec or 1, 3, 5, 10 mins, Disable)
Viewfinder off (1, 3 min, disable)
ECO mode

Power Supply & Battery Chargers

Battery charger LC-E12E

Compact Power Adapter CA-PS700
DC Coupler DR-E12

General Specifications

Body Materials

Polycarbonate

Operating Environment

0 – 40 °C, 85% or less humidity

Dimensions (W x H x D)

116.3 x 88.1 x 58.7mm

Weight (body only)

Approx 387g (black), 390g (white), CIPA testing standard including battery and memory card

Accessories

Viewfinder

-

Cases / Straps

Body Jacket EH32-CJ (beige)
Body Jacket EH32-CJ (light brown)
Neck Strap EM-E2 (black)
Neck Strap EM-E2 (white)
Neck Strap EM-200DB

Wireless File Transmitter

-

Lenses

EF-M lenses
All EF and EF-S lenses compatible via Mount adapter EF-EOS M

Flash

Canon Speedlites (including 90EX, 220EX, 270EX, 270EX II, 320EX, 380EX, 420EX, 430EX, 430EX II, 430EX III, 430EX III-RT, 550EX, 580EX, 580EX II, 600EX, 600EX-RT, 600EX II-RT, Macro-Ring-Lite, MR-14EX II, Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2, Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT)

Off-Camera Shoe Cord OC-E3, Speedlite Bracket SB-E2

Battery Grip

-

Remote Controller/ Switch

Bluetooth Remote BR-E1

Other

Interface cable IFC-600PCU
Mount Adapter EF-EOSM

All data is based on Canon standard testing methods except where indicated.

Subject to change without notice.

  1. Dual Pixel CMOS AF - AF is possible over an area of approx. 80% Vertical x 80% Horizontal of the frame
  2. Maximum number of AF frame is dependent on selected image aspect ratio
  3. When battery is fully charged
  4. Continuous shooting speed is measured with EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM and requires SDHC/SDXC UHS Speed Class 1 memory card. Total number of frames captured and continuous shooting speed may vary depending on camera exposure settings, type of lens used, battery level, light level and memory card used.
  5. Continuous shooting speed is measured with EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM and requires SDHC/SDXC UHS Speed Class 1 memory card. Under Servo AF, maximum continuous shooting speed and total number of frames captured depends on subject condition, camera settings and lens used
  6. Wi-Fi use may be restricted in certain countries or regions.
  7. Equipped with Bluetooth® low energy technology. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Canon Europe Ltd. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.
  8. Bluetooth functionilty with Camera Connect app requires smart device to be equipped with Bluetooth version 4.0 (or later). Also requires smart device to be using operating system iOS 8.4 (or later) or Android 5.0 (or later)
  9. Software applications compatible with Windows 10 in Windows 10 Desktop Mode only
  10. Bluetooth functionilty with Camera Connect app requires smart device to be equipped with Bluetooth version 4.0 (or later). Also requires smart device to be using operating system iOS 8.4 (or later) or Android 5.0 (or later)
  11. Based on the CIPA Standard and using the batteries and memory card format supplied with the camera, except where indicated

News

The Canon EOS M50 is Canon’s most technologically advanced mirrorless camera yet. It's Canon’s first mirrorless camera to feature 4K movie capability, 4K time-lapse, 4K frame grabs from 4K movies, a 7.5cm Vari-Angle touchscreen, Canon’s latest DIGIC 8 image processor and the new CR3 14-bit RAW file format. Using a APS-C sized 24.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, the Canon M50 also offers the renowned Dual Pixel CMOS auto-focusing system, eye-detection AF mode, up to 10fps continuous shooting (7.1fps with continuous AF), a built-in Mic socket (perfect for vlogging), Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and 120fps slow-motion HD movie capture.

The EOS M50 will be available to purchase from March 2018:

  • EOS M50 body only - £539.99 / €629.99 / $779.99
  • EOS M50 + EF-M 15-45mm lens - £649.99 / €759.99

Canon UK Press Release

Do your stories justice with Canon’s cutting-edge EOS M50 mirrorless camera with 4K movie capability

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 26th February 2018 – Canon today launches the EOS M50, the latest addition to the EOS M series and Canon’s most intuitive and technologically advanced mirrorless camera yet. Designed for today’s modern adventurers, the EOS M50 is Canon’s first mirrorless camera to feature 4K movie capability, a Vari-Angle touchscreen and Canon’s latest DIGIC 8 image processor.

Coupled with Bluetooth®1 and Wi-Fi2 for seamless connectivity, an APS-C sized 24.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor for beautiful soft backgrounds and sharp, high-resolution images in low-light situations, and 10 frames per second (fps) continuous shooting for capturing the most fleeting moment in rich defined detail.

The Canon EOS M50 is the perfect choice for confident smartphone and compact camera photographers seeking to enhance their photography capabilities, with a lightweight and highly portable interchangeable lens camera for storytelling to be proud of.

Packed with the latest technology, the Canon EOS M50 distils DSLR quality into a compact body, sleek enough to be taken on any adventure. For a super-fast and responsive autofocus system, the camera’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF speed enables photographers to capture crisp, high-resolution images and Full HD videos with beautiful depth of field control for sharp subjects and soft backgrounds. The cinematic look and feel achieved by the 24.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor reaches new heights with the addition of 4K movie capture, for enriched detail with four times the resolution of Full HD.

The EOS M50 features Canon’s latest DIGIC 8 image processor, a first for any Canon camera. The new processor powers many of the cameras functions, including: 4K movie recording, 4K time-lapse and 4K frame grabs from 4K movies; fast continuous shooting speed and a standard maximum ISO of 25,600, which allows for low light shooting whilst still obtaining sharp images. The DIGIC 8 image processor also supports a wide range of improvements in autofocus, Auto Lighting Optimiser, Digital Lens Optimiser and Highlight Tone Priority, for superb high-quality images ready to share straight from the camera.

The EOS M50’s bold and contemporary design offers a modern take on a traditional shooting experience, with its large centrally mounted electronic viewfinder. Users can also explore creative shooting angles, take great selfies, and easily record vlogs using the 7.5cm Vari-Angle touchscreen, enabling multiple perspectives for improved story capture. Evolved touchscreen capabilities enable Touch and Drag AF, allowing for instinctive and seamless autofocus point adjustment without taking your eye away from the viewfinder.

Connectivity and control with Wi-Fi & Bluetooth

The Canon EOS M50 integrates effortlessly with smart devices, using the free Canon Camera Connect app for iOS and Android. A constant low energy Bluetooth connection allows a smart device to ‘wake up’ the camera, perform remote triggering, and facilitates a simple switch to Wi-Fi for remote Live View shooting and transferring images.

Photos and videos can be transferred from the camera to smart devices3 automatically for easy sharing on social media sites, making the step from capturing to sharing with the world seamless. In addition, content can be cloud stored to Canon Irista or synced automatically and wirelessly to PCs and Macs with Canon’s Image Transfer Utility 2 installed.

For group shots, vlogs, and interesting creative angles, users can take control of their EOS M50 with Remote Live View shooting via the Canon Camera Connect app, changing settings and previewing shots on a smart device.

Inspiring technologies for stories to be proud of

The Canon EOS M50 automatically captures photos and movies packed with detail, thanks to a host of in-camera optimising technologies enabled by the DIGIC 8 image processor. Memories can be transformed into cinematic epics with the rich detail of 4K movie and the realism of Canon colour.

Up to 120 frames per second HD movie capture enables smooth action sequences and expands options for slow motion playback. Superb action shots can also be captured with fast 10 fps continuous shooting, the first time this has been achieved in a Canon mirrorless camera, and 7.1 fps with continuous AF is also possible.

More images, more storytelling. The EOS M50 is the first camera to feature the new CR3 14-bit RAW file format, as well as a new C-RAW option that creates full resolution RAW files whilst saving approximately 30 to 40% on the file size of standard RAW files – increasing the number of images that can be stored on a memory card yet retaining the flexibility of RAW images.

A lens for every occasion

The EOS M50 is compatible with Canon’s range of compact and high-quality EF-M lenses, allowing users to create their ideal compact system. For ultimate storytelling choice and flexibility, EOS M50 is compatible with over 80 renowned EF and EF-S interchangeable lenses via the Mount Adapter EF-EOS M. This extends to the exploration of flash photography, thanks to a hot shoe that allows simple connection of Canon’s Speedlite flashes, and high-quality audio with a 3.5mm mic input for connecting a dedicated microphone such as Canon’s Directional Stereo Microphone DM-E1.

Canon has produced its most intuitive and powerful mirrorless camera to date, delivering the latest in photographic technology and capabilities. The combination of image processing power, 4K movie capability and the latest in sensor technology, empowers the world’s modern adventurers to start doing their stories justice.

Pricing and availability

The EOS M50 is available to pre-order from Canon’s online store and official Canon dealers from 26th February 2018.

The EOS M50 will be available to purchase from March 2018 with the following RSPs:

  • EOS M50 body only - £539.99/€629.99
  • EOS M50 + EF-M 15-45mm lens - £649.99/€759.99

Other lens bundles will also be available from selected retailers and Canon’s Online Store: www.store.canon.co.uk.

Key benefits:

  • Modern, hassle free shooting for superb results
  • Compact, sleek and intuitive shooting experience
  • Clever connectivity and control with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
  • Inspiring technologies for stories users will be proud of
  • Creative freedom to capture every story

Footnotes:

[1] Equipped with Bluetooth® low energy technology. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Canon Inc. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. Initial pairing with compatible device required.

2 Wi-Fi: Not all functions or devices are supported; see full specifications for details.

3 Smart Devices: Compatible iOS and Android devices with the Canon Camera Connect app, see specifications for details. Computers: Mac and PC running Canon Image Transfer Utility 2, see specifications for details.

First Impressions

Last week we spent some time shooting with the new Canon EOS M50 compact system camera in London, UK, at the official Canon press event for the M50, EOS 4000D, and EOS 2000D cameras. Check out our first impressions of using the Canon M50 camera now...

Canon EOS M50 - Ease of Use

Canon EOS M50

At first glance the Canon M50 looks like a miniature DSLR, with a centrally located electronic viewfinder that's in-line with the lens mount, generously sized hand-grip given the diminutive proportions of the camera, both a pop-up flash and a flash hotshoe, and even a proper shooting mode dial on top.

Canon EOS M50

From the rear, though, it's clear that the M50 is targeted more at beginner photographers, rather than prosumers, with very few buttons available for controlling the camera. While the touchscreen goes some way to alleviating this, the EOS M50 is very much a consumer camera that can be a little frustrating to use at times if you want to frequently change the key exposure settings.

Canon EOS M50

The EOS M50 offers very respectable continuous shooting speeds considering its affordability - 10fps with the AF locked at the first frame, or more usefully 7.1fps with continuous AF. While this doesn't sound very fast in an age of 20fps cameras, remember that the M50 doesn't exactly cost the earth.

Canon EOS M50

The auto-focusing system in the Canon EOS M50 is the proven Dual Pixel CMOS AF that's been successfully employed in the company's mid-high-end DSLRs, first making its debut on the EOS 70D way back in 2013. It works particularly well for Live View and Movie shooting, and should help the M50 appeal to its target audience who will most likely use the camera held at arm's length a lot of the time.

Canon EOS M50

The Canon M50 also offers a lot of other key specs that any self-respecting vlogger needs - 4K video, 3.5mm mic input, swivelling screen, touch control, remote operation via the Canon phone app, Bluetooth and Wi-fi connectivity, compact format - all at a price that won't break the bank, important for any aspiring YouTuber.

Check out our hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EOS M50 camera

Canon EOS M50 - Image Quality

Canon EOS M50

For still photography, the Canon EOS M50 employs a completely new 24.1 megapixel APS-C sensor, coupled with the very latest DIGIC 8 processor, which Canon claims has improved the Auto Lighting Optimiser, Digital Lens Optimiser and Highlight Tone Priority features. The EOS M50 is the first camera to feature the new CR3 14-bit RAW file format, as well as a new C-RAW option that creates full resolution RAW files that are approximately 30 to 40% smaller in size than standard RAW files.

We've already shot a gallery of low-light indoor photos with the EOS M50, which you can check out here, and we'll be bringing even more full-size OoC JPEGs and Raw files when we get our hands on a final review sample.

The EOS M50's video recording capabilities will be key to its success, as it can record 4K movies (3840×2160 pixels) at 25/24fps for up to 30 minutes. There aren't too many Canon cameras that can record 4K, mirrorless or DSLR, which makes it something of a welcome surprise on the decidedly consumer-focused M50. There are a couple of major limitations, though, which rather dampen our enthusiasm. Firstly, the Dual Pixel CMOS AF doesn't work with 4K, only 1080p, and secondly a crop factor of 2.56x is applied to 4K video, which turns a wide-angle lens into a standard one. It can also shoot 1080p footage and slow-motion 120fps video, although that's only at 720p. 

You can find 4K, 1080p and 120fps slow-motion sample videos in our Sample Images gallery.

Take a look at some sample JPEG and Raw images and movies taken with a Beta version of the Canon EOS M50 camera

Canon EOS M50 - Early Verdict

On one hand, the Canon EOS M50 is the most technically gifted Canon mirrorless camera to date, and in some ways it even out-specifies a lot of the company's DSLRs, most notably by being the first ever Canon compact sytsem camera to feature 4K video recording. On the other hand, its over-reliance on its menu system for operation can be more than a little frustrating, especially for more experienced photographers, and the implementation of 4K video leaves a lot to be desired, so we can't wait to see the M50's exciting new technologies appear in a higher-end camera with more external controls. If you like the more refined, sparser user interface, though, the Canon EOS M50 is still something of a steal at just over £500 body only...

So what do you think of the new Canon EOS M50? Leave a comment below...

Hands On

Want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS M50 compact system camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Canon EOS M50 camera, including both white and black colours, all the menu screens and a side-by-side comparison with the EOS M100 camera.

A gallery of hands-on photos of the new Canon EOS M50 camera.

Image Gallery

Click on a thumbnail to see the full version.

Preview Images

Ahead of our full review, here are some sample JPEG and Raw images and movies taken with the Canon EOS M50 compact system camera. The Canon EOS M50 is a new mirrorless camera that features a 24 megapixel sensor and 4K video recording.

A gallery of sample images taken with the Canon EOS M50 compact system camera.

Note that these images / movies were shot by a Beta sample of the Canon EOS M50.

Canon EOS M50 Sample Images

Sample RAW Images

The Canon EOS M50 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Canon RAW (CR3) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movies & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 3840x2160 pixels at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 24 second movie is 350Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 15 second movie is 54.8Mb in size.

This is a sample slow-motion movie at the quality setting of 1280x720 pixels at 120 frames per second. Please note that this 67 second movie is 103Mb in size.

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