Consumers are demanding mirrorless cameras because generally, they’re as enjoyable and as versatile as DSLRs, but are smaller and lighter. While that’s one of the draws of the 24.1-MP Canon EOS M50, it’s not the only one. For instance, there’s the bright, clear electronic viewfinder and the versatile swiveling touch-screen LCD, two compelling tools to help you compose your shots or videos precisely the way you need. But, for all its attributes, $899 (with an EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens) is a lot to ask when there are so many other great mirrorless cameras available.
Design and Controls
Although the Canon EOS M100, the company’s entry-level mirrorless camera, has only a few exterior controls, the step-up M50 has more, which makes it better suited for enthusiasts who want to change settings quickly. Yet, like the Sony A6400 and A6600, the Canon M50 doesn’t overdo it, and potentially overwhelm novices.
The Canon EOS M50 measures 4.6 x 3.5 x 2.3 inches. It weighs 13.7 ounces (including battery pack and memory card), which makes it more substantial and more massive than the entry-level EOS M100 (4.3 x 2.6 x 1.4 inches and about 10.7 ounces). Still, the M50 adds an electronic viewfinder, fully swiveling LCD and a hot-shoe.
On the other hand, the Sony A6300, one of our favorite mid-range mirrorless cameras, measures 4.7 x 2.6 x 1.8 inches and weighs 14.25 ounces. I also liked that the M50’s grip, which the M100 lacks, helps you steady your camera.
The M50 has a sharp and clear electronic viewfinder (EVF), as well as a very responsive swiveling touch-screen LCD, which includes touch-to-focus and touch-to-shoot features.
If you shoot lots of action and sports, you’ll enjoy the ten frames-per-second burst modes.
Overall, I liked the options for the guided-menu system, which is an additional layer of information to keep you from getting lost in the menus. (When you press the list, it has four choices of settings — shooting, playback, function, and display-level, along with descriptions.) What’s more beautiful is that you can remove it if you don’t want it.
The M50 has other impressive features. For instance, if you shoot lots of action and sports, you’ll enjoy the ten frames-per-second burst modes, which worked quite well for me, whether shooting JPEGs, RAW, or a combination of RAW and JPEGs.
Image Quality
The M50 uses a 24.1-MP APS-C-sized image sensor to capture photos and videos. Overall, my test shots and real-world sample images were sharp, with crisp details and intense, accurate, vibrant colors. The camera has a reasonably wide ISO range (ISO 100 to 25,600, with the ability to expand to a high ISO of 51,200). In both test and sample shots, most ISO settings were reasonably clean.
The camera has a reasonably wide ISO range (ISO 100 to 25,600, with the ability to expand to a high ISO of 51,200). In both test and sample shots, most ISO settings were reasonably clean.