Okay, so the picture is taken with the EOS M50... Read on...

I had the chance the other day to have some quality one on one with the new EOS M50 (also known as the Kiss M in Japan, more on that later) courtesy of my local Best Buy. The wife needed to make an Old Navy run and my oldest and youngest had conked out for a mid-day nap; she took the (still awake) middle one to Old Navy and I took the double stroller with the sleepers to the Best Buy right next door…

Although I originally really wanted to try the EOS M50 I figured I’d browse a bit before going straight to the EOS M50… That didn’t last long.

As I started playing with other cameras a sales rep noticed I had a Powershot G1X III on me and I mentioned I was just looking and one day I might go back to a full frame. I didn’t even ask about the EOS M50, he just asked if I’d considered an EOS M50 as an upgrade and if I’d be interested to demo it; he didn’t have to ask twice.

He had it behind the counter as it turns out, not on display, which was nice as I had unadulterated access (no security mechanism) and the SD slot was accessible. I offered if he wanted to hold my G1X III as safekeeping deposit, he declined. As I started to play with it I noted the lens was okay, but not the sharpest copy I’d played with (used to own a sharp copy of the EF-M 15-45 f/3.5-6.3 IS STM, if there’s such a thing). As I was looking for the EOS M5 I knew they had on display thinking maybe I could swap out lens out (I formerly recall the one they had on display was the EF-M 18-150 f/3.6-6.3 IS STM kit), I had made noises about the lens quality and he mentioned they had the adapter and a set of lenses in the case if I’d like to try. At first I was hesitant, but he was offering, this was a rare chance to really take this bad boy out for a real spin, once again, I couldn’t say no and hesitating took him up on the offer (I didn’t want to tie down this rep as I didn’t come in to buy a camera, but I also couldn’t resist the opportunity, besides Old Navy runs aren’t short, I had to kill the time somehow…).

Been a while since I’ve held an L; they didn’t feel as heavy as I remembered (as I ran away from the 5D III and my accompanying L’s due to weight and size / portability); could be holding all those babies the past 4 years helped build some extra muscle…

I was impressed at the number of AF points and their behavior and lighting optimization of the SOOC JPEGs under the conditions shot, and also how well the AF did in indoor lighting, I made a mental note this is rated for -2EV, I’d agree as it was clearly leaving my former EOS M5 in the dust. It did have a carry over from the EOS M5 in regard to AF method: it’s AF in auto although smarter like my Powershot G1X III, That is the G1X III doesn’t get red X syndrome in auto like the EOS M5 does/did, it instead had trouble locking onto objects with lower contrast, something my Powershot G1X III doesn’t share oddly, but dialing in my favorite AF method of smooth zone AF rectified that instantly and with full compliance; very, very impressive.

Did a few eye AF tests, largely successful, even though there is no AI servo and eye AF, it wasn’t a problem for my constant half shutter shooting style for candids as I’m not a BBF (back button focus) shooter. Largely, I say as I had to zoom in with the EF-M 15-45 f/3.6-6.3 IS STM once for it to detect the eyes of the rep I was testing it on, not just the face (which it had no problem with facial detection though), which was impressive it could detect an eye AF lock at (forced) f/6.3 of 45mm while punching around ISO4000 with the given lighting. I tried fooling the EOS M50’s eye AF with my glasses in selfie mode (fully articulating screen facing me), nope, not fooled, picked me up my eye’s with 100% accuracy.

EF-M 15-45 f/3.5-6.3 IS STM 1/80 f/3.5 ISO1250

It is notable that I personally didn’t care for the pull out notch for the fully articulating screen, but then again I’m used to not having one on my G1X III, so that could be a learned preference that would change with additional use but the idea is novel.

I next attempted to pair it to my phone as I was aware it can sync on the fly (really useful for instant sharing) and then I wouldn’t even have to put in my SD card for samples; but I quickly ran into the M50 giving a scan code that I couldn’t figure out how to get my Canon connect app to bring up (which is up to date); probably because it was already setup for my G1X III. Not wanting to unpair or resetup my existing pairing later, I tried direct WiFi, that didn’t work much better with the heavy WiFi saturation of all those gadgets in one spot (this is Best Buy after-all); the moment I saw a really full WiFi list on my iPhone I knew this was not a good idea and didn’t even try. So I asked if I could put in my SD card, he said of course and also proceeded to tell my he’s shot with it and had samples printed which he immediately pulled out, pretty impressive work actually he’s shot with it.

At this point I did a few quick tests and realized with the 9999 images available the default JPEG only was on, I quickly dialed in the C-RAW+JPEG as I really wanted to play with the RAWs later, but also was curious about CRAW.

I also jumped into the correction data menu and noted it had DLO availability (which didn’t work on the adapted lenses due the lack of profile data being loaded), very impressive feature as it’s a (huge) time saver in post. (I may write more on that later)

Did several tests with eye AF and the EF 50mm f/1.2L and EF 35mm f/2 IS USM, worked better actually on the (now) archaic EF 50mm f/1.2L then it did on the native EF-M 15-45. The AF speed on the EF 35mm f/2 IS USM was insane. It has newer generation USM motors, that is it’s a USM motor, but it’s fast and nearly silent in addition to being highly accurate. This was also my first time trying the EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS II USM; I was very impressed with the IS of the lens, definitely lives up to 4-stop rating. Speaking of the adapted 70-300 and EOS M50 combo, the effective 480mm with 4-stops IS and fast effective AF (nano-USM speaking of newer motor tech) was very impressive, I highly recommend the combination. The digital effective mm readout is a nice touch, even though I thought it was a fad when I watched the B&H demo when the lens came out almost 2 years ago now, there’s something about seeing 480mm that clearly has an emotional placebo effect when shooting :)

EF 35mm f/2 IS USM 1/60 f/2 ISO400

EF 35mm f/2 IS USM 1/60 f/2 ISO250

EF 35mm f/2 IS USM 1/80 f/2 ISO400

EF 50mm f/1.2L USM 1/160 f/1.2 ISO100

EF 50mm f/1.2L USM 1/100 f/1.2 ISO160

I noted Best Buy’s copy of the 50mm f/1.2L wasn’t the most stellar compared to the one I loaned from CPS (Canon Professional Services) some years ago, but then again I suspect CPS’ copies are cream of the crop from my experiences with them. It also dawned on me that I was shooting it on a mirrorless so no AFMA (auto focus manual adjustment) needed, and it was still ho hum. Mentally noted to try DLO cranked at 100% on those CRAWs. Side note, between no AFMA and eye AF, the M50 could be a stellar portrait popper, as could the rumored upcoming FF Canon mirrorless offering... If only Canon had a fast 50 or longer native prime for the M...the lack of AFMA with the 50mm f/1.2L to the rep……..

I also quickly noted during usage the lack of custom modes and extra dials (which I already knew, but was curious how fast I’d notice the lack of) but it’s pretty swift to reconfigure things from the touchscreen. Really those extra dials are going to mean something if being used for professional use and it’s your second body at a paid gig. For personal use though, whether advanced or beginner, it’s VERY easy and fast to reconfigure the M50 by dialing in Av/Tv/M and then adjusting. The exposure comp dial, to my surprise, was the most missed feature.

I didn’t do any video tests, but, did think to myself if this thing had real 4k, this thing would just kill everything else out there on the market. I have some further thoughts on 4k, but I’ll save them for later as they’re not about specific to the M50, more about usage and 4k predominance at this junction is only now picking up critical mass.

I did several AI servo tests with the 70-300 and the AI servo has a very tight lock vs my former M5, night and day difference and this is with an adapted lens, not even a native EF-M like my former 18-150 or 55-200 which behaved better on the M5 then adapter telephoto options. I commented to the rep that this could potentially rival his 80D, as odd as that sounds. He said it better, it’s new tech (but I also know that bigger dedicated AF pixels of the 80D aren’t to be underestimated even though it’s “older” tech).

EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS II USM 1/160 f/4 ISO2000

At this point I figured I’d try my luck with metering and the upgraded ALO. To put mildly, I was impressed.

EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS II USM 1/400 f/5.6 ISO100

Next, I tried the good ol 24-70 f/2.8L because I could, the AF was fast and accurate but the effective 38-112mm wasn’t flattering as I already knew so it didn’t stay mounted long. I did start to note however how well the weight balance ratio on all the adapted lenses was and how even the small weight savings the EOS M50 had on the M5 did make a difference. The build quality of the copy I was holding did have some creaking when it gave as I gripped it and had a more plastic like feel and stiffer main and rear dials: lesser build quality vs my former M5 to say. Not a show stopper, just a bit less fun to handle.

EF 24-70 f/2.8L II USM 1/60 f/2.8 ISO100

Right when I thought I’d beat it up enough I realized I’d forgot something very important, behavior of the camera with full buffer. Thought I’d try the combo I know I’d run, CRAW only with high speed continuous and AI servo. Rattled off a full buffer and immediately tried going into the menu...

To my surprise I could do anything I wanted while the buffer cleared, something foreign to me on the former EOS M5 and exiting G1X III, really refreshing. Reattempted several times with the same result.

I walked away from the EOS M50 (Kiss M) very impressed, something that’s becoming more rare these days (impressed), and I even strongly considered re-entering the M platform. The EOS M50 is one of those cameras that’s unassuming on a spec sheet compared to it’s peers (say an A6500), but pulls everything together in a very Canon way, which can’t be said of all the M’s before it unfortunately. For this reason (and the Asian market has a higher MILC adoption rate), the M50 has earned the KISS label reserved for APS-C DSLRs in Japan; it’s like calling the M50 a Rebel here in the states, they’re saying in their nomenclature that the time has come where mirrorless is matching the mirrors, I might second that after handling one. I can say Canon finally has come to it’s own with the EOS M50 and finally planting down a solid mirrorless offering, the first of many to come obviously.

The takeaways I have regarding the EOS M50…

Decisive 143 point AF w/eye detection sensitive to -2EV sensitivity with improved tracking algorithms and improved telephoto support really shows in real world performance

Smart-er metering and enhanced ALO improve already solid traditional Canon light handling bringing real world benefits of the DR improvements of the newer sensors, without post processing headaches…

No menu lockups when clearing buffer (when tested with CRAW)

Canon has fixed the color sync between the EVF and LCD (which wasn’t synced on the former M5)

Good weight and handling, but the build quality is lesser then the M5

Auto AF still fooled at times; using smooth zone or single point produces rock solid results

Fully articulating screen which I’ve become accustomed to on the G1X III is positive, but, I personally am not used to the notch which is supposed to make it more easily accessible

Vs the M5:

The M5 is going to still be preferable for a second pro’s body over the EOS M50 as dials and customization are your friend when you’re in a crunch for pro (paid) use, but, if you’re a heavy telephoto shooter, really consider the EOS M50 despite it as the telephoto AF is significantly improved, likewise if you’re a 50mm lover for say portraits, that eye AF is really nice for candids, even without AI servo support. If you’re an advanced amateur on the other hand, the EOS M50 is worth a hard, hard look, even this side of the M5 II which I was convinced the M5 II was worth waiting for, till after I played with this guy. Might be worth saving a few bucks (as the M5 II will be more $$) if you don’t need the dials and don’t care about 4k as the upcoming M5 II, presumably later (Q4) this year, should have both more dials and better 4k as Canon themselves admits the 4k neutering (crop) is intentional as the EOS M50 is an entry level offering, the M5 II is not, also will cost more too though when it emerges, and you have to wait 2-3 quarters to get it.

Vs my Powershot G1X III

I won’t be giving up my trusty G1X anytime soon. A camera is only as good as the lens you mount on it, and to date, Canon isn’t in any hurry to release any fast native glass for the M. With both f/2.8 and IS on the wide end, sharper performance then any of the EF-M’s, better bokeh rendition, strong contrast and color rendition plus something that’s still smaller (then the M50 with any lens mounted), has more dials, weather sealing and leaf shutter, it’s not going out of style anytime soon. It’s still overpriced though, the G1X III, IMO. The recent price drop (instant rebate) though, if it sticks, changes that a bit though.

Vs Rebels

If size/weight is any concern have a hard look at the EOS M50 with native EF-M lenses. If you can live with the lens offerings, it’s arguably worth a swap as the latest KISS (Rebel).

About those lenses…

As I said, a camera is only as good as the lens you mount on it. Despite all the flack on the internet on this, it’s not as bad as it sounds as Canon only has two hiccups compared to it’s EF-S counterparts, which is a good baseline…

EF 50mm f/1.4-1.8

EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM

Those are the two lenses Canon needs to still make for the M, and probably will someday, the question is when, not if, IMO. There’s rumors of a fast longer prime coming sooner than later, possibly later this year. That leaves just a fast zoom out, perhaps the M5 II gets that honor of launching with a better kit zoom option like the M5 got the EF-M 18-150 f/3.5-6.3 IS STM later this year? Time will tell.