Canon EOS M50 Mark II review

Canon EOS M50 Mark II review Canon EOS M50 Mark II deals

One minute review

The Canon EOS M50 Mark II is a feature-packed camera on its own, but most of those specs are already available on the original EOS M50, with just a few extra goodies to indicate this is an updated model. The M50 Mark II is identical to its predecessor, both internally and externally; the new is entirely software-based and could be of great importance to emerging content creators. There's the added benefit of eye-detection autofocus for photos and videos, and the ability to shoot vertical video for social media platforms. Another advantage of the M50 Mark II over the previous camera is a new video record button available on the touch screen. and a video timer that gives you 2-10 seconds to prepare before the camera doesn't start recording. If you have more than 1000 YouTube subscribers, the M50 II will also allow you to stream wirelessly to YouTube. While his video prowess looks good on paper, the M50 II suffers from the same heavy 1.5x crop for 4K video as its predecessor, and it also uses a slower phase-detection autofocus system which can be a problem if you're shooting in fast motion. While the camera's eyepiece autofocus isn't as fast as, say, the Canon EOS R6, it's good enough for a camera that's been tagged as an entry-level model and works well for stills and stills video. 1080p; it's a bit hit and miss when shooting in 4K. For those who are only interested in still photography, the M50 II performs exactly the same as the old M50: it produces very good results, offers the same 10fps burst rate (and quite respectable), with good dynamic range and decent noise performance. So if you already own the EOS M50 and are a photographer, it's hard to recommend the Mark II, but for videographers, especially content creators, who don't need fancy specs, the new model is worth a look. Canon EOS M50 MarkII (Image credit: LaComparacion)

Canon EOS M50 Mark II price and availability

Although Canon originally announced the EOS M50 Mark II in October 2020, it was only for certain markets, including the United States and India. The camera manufacturer it took until the end of March 2021 to spread the joy of the camera around the world, with the mid-range mirrorless camera now available to purchase worldwide, either as a case only or as a kit. The body alone (which is not available in Australia) will set you back €599, while the single lens kit, bundled with the EF-M 15-45mm, can be purchased for €699 / AU$999, which it's good value for money if you don't already have the original M50. Canon has informed us that the EOS M50 Mark II replaces the previous model and that the M50 will be discontinued in mid-2021. Canon EOS M50 MarkII (Image credit: LaComparacion)

Canon EOS M50 Mark II: Specifications

Since the EOS M50 Mark II is a replica of its predecessor, you can read our EOS M50 review for an overview of most of the features you'll find on the new model. It not only inherits the body from the M50, but also brings the 24.1 MP APS-C sensor from the previous model and the Digic 8 imaging engine, now a bit aged. So you still get the same ISO range of 100 to 25,600 (expandable to 51,200) and a maximum burst rate of 10 fps. While the number of autofocus points remains the same at 143 usable points, the Mark II gets some software updates that give it a slight edge over the M50. Eye detection and tracking is now available for both still images and video, and it works very well, thanks to Canon's dual pixel sensor that uses phase detection autofocus. It manages to keep up with fast-moving subjects for both still images and 1080p video. Nevertheless, when shooting in 4K, only contrast-detection autofocus is available, and it slows down autofocus a bit. Canon EOS M50 MarkII (Image credit: LaComparacion) Speaking of 4K recording, the M50 II has the same specs as its predecessor, it can capture footage at 3840x2160 resolution at 25 frames per second. and it has 4K time-lapse recording that allows you to record still images from the video. Unfortunately, the M50 II also inherits the hefty 1.56x crop when shooting in 4K mode, which increases to 1.75x if you turn on digital image stabilization (IS), and to 2.26x if you turn on digital image stabilization (IS) a Enhanced IS, making it a unique 4K camera. If 4K video is your priority, we'd recommend the Canon EOS M6 Mark II instead. High-speed video is also available at 100fps, but goes up to 720p resolution. To meet the needs of content creators, Canon took a leaf out of its PowerShot G7X Mark III playbook and added its vertical video recording capabilities to the M50 II.. It's the preferred format for social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and it's easier for content creators to upload to their favorite site. And, as mentioned, you have the option to stream directly to YouTube, although Google has warned about live streaming that you'll need to adhere to before you can use this feature. The camera is also compatible with Canon's EOS Webcam Utility, so the M50 II can be used as a webcam or for streaming. To facilitate video recording, the M50 II now features a virtual record button on the touch screen and a convenient video timer. The latter feature is ideal for single person use, giving you between 2 and 10 seconds to get in front of the subject before the camera starts recording. Canon EOS M50 MarkII (Image credit: LaComparacion)

Canon EOS M50 Mark II: Construction and handling

Since the M50 II is identical to the older M50, we'll keep it short.. It's the same well-built body, with a small, compact form factor that makes for a great travel companion. In fact, it's even smaller than some Micro Four Thirds cameras. It also means it doesn't have a very deep grip, though that's enough to make sure you don't drop your camera. You'll get the same sharp 2,36 million dot viewfinder, a fully articulating 1,04 million-dot LCD touch screen and the same single-wheel control layout. All the controls you need are available via the touchscreen, including touch and drag focus, or via the rear buttons. Although this is a new model, there's still no waterproofing here, but don't let the tacky camera look fool you: it has a sturdy build and doesn't feel flimsy in the hand. (Learn more about camera construction and handling in our Canon EOS M50 review.) Canon EOS M50 MarkII (Image credit: LaComparacion)

Canon EOS M50 Mark II: Performance

The EOS M50 was the first Canon camera to receive the Digic 8 image engine in 2018 (it was also the first Canon camera to feature 4K video, by the way) and despite being three years old, the Mark II version inherits the same processor. This means that the M50 Mark II can shoot up to 10fps in Single AF mode, while tracking slows it down a bit to 7,4fps again in continuous AF mode. While the battery is designed for 305 shots (oddly more than the M235's 50-shot rating despite having the same battery), you can get more out of it. In our tests (which we did on a trip to Tasmania), we got a very respectable 375 images on a single charge. Canon EOS M50 MarkII Canon EOS M50 Mark II + EF-M 11-22mm f / 4-5,6 IS STM | 1/500 s at f / 10, ISO 100 (Image credit: TheComparison) There's also not much to complain about when it comes to AF performance. It might not match the performance of the EOS R5 or R6, but it definitely holds up, locks on to a theme and follows through with it well. It struggles with fast-moving objects, but Canon's reliable Dual Pixel AF continues to work well here. However, contrast detection autofocus used when shooting 4K video is slow and has difficulty finding the subject. That said, the camera was not designed to follow the action and it works well in most situations, especially for vlogging. Nevertheless, its 1080p performance is really good. There is no in-body image stabilization here, so you may need to use a tripod for some scenarios.

Canon EOS M50 Mark II: Image quality

If it ain't broke, why fix it? There was absolutely nothing wrong with the 24MP sensor from the old M50 and using it again in the Mark II was a good choice. It produces some really crisp and sharp images that we saw with the M50, with excellent color reproduction and plenty of detail. We were able to take the camera and some EF-M lenses with us to Tasmania, Australia, and needless to say, we're very pleased with the results. There's plenty of resolution here for A3 prints or some serious cropping before you start to lose image quality. Canon EOS M50 MarkII The Canon EOS M50 Mark II copes quite well in low light | Canon EOS M50 Mark II + 55-200mm f / 4.5-6.3 IS STM | 1/200 s at f / 4.5, ISO 3200 (Image credit: TheComparison) While the dynamic range of the M50 II cannot match that of the most advanced cameras, it still offers solid performance on raw files. In fact, we were also able to recover a lot of lost detail in the highlights and shadows of the JPEG files. Canon EOS M50 MarkII The camera's dynamic range allows you to capture a decent amount of detail in one image - in this case, the cliffs and rocks of Mount Wellington, Tasmania, in the background. (Image credit: LaComparacion) Noise is well controlled up to ISO 6400, although it can be used up to ISO 12800, although there is evidence of graininess and loss of detail at this sensitivity level. It is only at ISO 25600 that noise becomes an issue and it's a setting we don't recommend using, even if you're resizing for web use. Canon EOS M50 MarkII Port Arthur, Tasmanian | Canon EOS M50 Mark II + EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5,6 IS STM | 1/250s at f/9, ISO 100 (Image credit: TechRadar)

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