CANON EOS M50
How does this mirrorless camera fare in our testing?
High-end specs and a mid-range price tag make this arguably the most appealing M-series camera to date
The EOS M50 is decidedly a stills camera first and a video tool second, but the fact that it’s the first EOS M camera to offer 4K video recording makes it the primary point of interest. That aside, it’s a credibly specified camera for the enthusiast photographer, with a 24MP APS-C sensor, 2.36 million-dot viewfinder, a three-inch variangle touchscreen and 10fps burst shooting heading its highlights.
The sensor is fitted with Canon’s proven Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, and this focuses on subjects very well – not quite class-leading in terms of speed, but this isn’t something you’ll be bothered by unless comparing it with a rival model side by side.
The DSLR-style design and defined grip enable you to hold the camera securely – particularly thanks to the rubber lining used to line this and the handling area around the back – but on such a small body it fails to provide a particularly comfortable hold, and your hand feels cramped. Similarly, while the kit lens’s collapsible construction makes for a compact package, the fact that this needs to be unlocked before each use from its stowed position is something of a pain (and it’s easy to end up bashing hands together when locking the lens).
In order to accommodate such a large screen on such a small body, the camera’s physical controls only occupy an area less than an inch wide. Their size, together with their flatness, make operation less than ideal; it appears as though the EOS M50 really wants to be operated largely through the touchscreen, which is thankfully a pleasing experience. In addition to its good sensitivity, it offers very good contrast and the rare quality of still being usable in harsh light. It becomes noticeably less detailed in poorer lighting conditions, but the viewfinder is a good alternative in such situations. Indeed, the viewfinder is a winner overall, with good clarity
and a sufficiently deep eyecup to shield it from extraneous light.
RAW files captured with the kit lens display moderate curvilinear distortion at the wide-angle end and some at the other extreme, although this, along with vignetting, is processed well out of JPEGs (assuming you have these corrections enabled). Detail is very good once the lens is stopped down to the middle of the aperture range, with just some corner softness typically visible in images captured at the widest maximum aperture of the focal length being used at the time.
With an APS-C sensor and Canon’s latest DIGIC 8 processing engine, it’s no surprise that image noise is well controlled throughout most of the ISO range, only starting to be a problem past ISO 3200, where it becomes harder to retain detail. Thankfully, you can adjust this post-capture using the RAW processing options, with a more simplified interface available for those new to processing.
Colours are generally pleasing on standard settings, particularly reds, which are noticeably more saturated than in RAW files, although the Auto Lighting Optimizer can leave blue skies a little lacklustre, so you might want to go easy here or use the Landscape mode for extra pep.
While the image stabilisation system proves it worth for general subjects, it’s a good idea to raise the shutter speed slightly from suggested settings when shooting up close, as images can lose a little crispness.
The metering system behaves well overall, although noticeable overexposure can be seen in frames in which darker details make up most of the frame.
Whether you’re satisfied with the camera’s video quality really depends on how you intend to use it. Footage is perfectly decent when recording in 4K, perhaps not as crisp as we’re used to seeing elsewhere, though. The image stabilisation system helps to keep things steadier, although rolling shutter is noticeable when moving around. It is possible to use contrast-detect AF here, but it’s noticeably more hesitant than when using Full HD recording and the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system.
“The viewfinder is a winner overall, with good clarity and a sufficiently deep eyecup to shield it from extraneous light”