The EOS M50 Mark II is a 24 MP APS-C digital camera that is small and easy to use. It doesn’t have a lot of new features compared to its predecessor, but the price is good, the design is good, and the picture quality is good. Improvements include better autofocus, the ability to shoot vertical videos, and the ability to live stream straight to YouTube from the camera if the Wi-Fi connection is strong enough.
Canon M50 Mark ii Camera Specs
Sensor | 24.1MP CMOS APS-C |
Lens mount | Canon EF-M |
Image processor | Digic 8 |
Video | 1080p up to 60p |
ISO range | ISO100-25600 (exp. to 51200) |
Connectivity | WiFi |
Max burst | 10fps |
Weight | 387g (black) / 388g (white) |
Size | 116.3 x 88.1 x 58.7mm |
Memory card | 1x SD UHS-I |
PROS:
- Fantastic 1080p stills
- Pure HDMI output
- Constantly-upwards video
- Streaming live on YouTube
CONS:
- There are serious flaws in 4K.
- Inaccurate eye detection in AF
Price
When Canon first announced the EOS M50 Mark II in October 2020, it was only for the US and India, among other places. It took the camera maker until the end of March 2021 to spread the joy of the camera around the world.
The mid-range digital camera can now be bought around the world as either a body-only box or a kit. The body alone costs $599 (£599), but it’s not available in Australia.
The single-lens kit with the EF-M 15-45mm lens costs $699, which is a good deal if you don’t already have the original M50. Canon told us that the EOS M50 Mark II will replace the older model, the M50, and that the M50 will no longer be made by the middle of 2021.
Features
Since the EOS M50 Mark II is the same as its predecessor, the EOS M50, you can read our review of the EOS M50 to learn about most of the new features. Not only does it have the same body as the M50, but it also has the same 24.1 MP APS-C camera and Digic 8 image engine as the M50. So you still get an ISO range of 100–25,600 (which can be increased to 51,200) and a maximum burst speed of 10 fps.
Even though there are still 143 autofocus spots that can be used, the Mark II model has some software changes that give it a slight edge over the M50. Thanks to Canon’s Dual Pixel camera, which uses phase-detection autofocus, eye recognition and tracking are now available for both stills and videos, and they work quite well. It can keep up with subjects that are moving quickly, both for stills and 1080p video. But when taking in 4K, you can only use contrast-detect AF, which slows down the camera a bit.
Build Quality
Since the M50 II is the same as the original M50, this will be short. It has the same well-made body and is small and compact, which makes it a great journey partner. Even some Micro Four Thirds cameras are bigger than this one. That also means you don’t have a very good hold on the camera, but it’s enough to keep it from falling.
You’ll still get the same sharp vision with 2.36 million dots, a touchscreen LCD with 1.04 million dots that can be moved in any direction, and a single dial for controlling the camera. You can use the touchscreen, which lets you do things like touch-and-drag targeting, or the buttons on the back to handle everything you need to. Even though this is a new model, it doesn’t have weather sealing. However, don’t let the camera’s plasticky look fool you; it’s built well and doesn’t feel like it’s going to break.
Performance
Since the M50 II is the same as the original M50, this will be short. It has the same well-made body and is small and compact, which makes it a great journey partner. Even some Micro Four Thirds cameras are bigger than this one. That also means you don’t have a very good hold on the camera, but it’s enough to keep it from falling.
You’ll still get the same sharp vision with 2.36 million dots, a touchscreen LCD with 1.04 million dots that can be moved in any direction, and a single dial for controlling the camera. You can use the touchscreen, which lets you do things like touch-and-drag targeting, or the buttons on the back to handle everything you need to. Even though this is a new model, it doesn’t have weather sealing. However, don’t let the camera’s plasticky look fool you; it’s built well and doesn’t feel like it’s going to break.
Image Quality
Why fix something that isn’t broken? There was nothing wrong with the 24 MP camera in the old M50, so it was a good idea to use it again in the Mark II. With the M50, we saw that it made pictures that were very clear and sharp, with great color and lots of details. There is enough resolution here for A3 pictures or a lot of cutting before the image quality starts to go down.
Up to ISO 6400, noise is well managed, but you can still use the camera up to ISO 12,800, even though there is grain and loss of features at that level. The noise only becomes a problem at ISO 25,600, so we wouldn’t suggest using that setting, even if you plan to edit your photos for use on the web.