Canon EOS M M50 Black 2018

The Canon EOS M50 is a tiny, user-friendly mirrorless camera that takes beautiful photos and fits in a jacket pocket. Its image quality is a standout, but the heavily cropped 4K video and cheap-feeling plastic body are real trade-offs. If you find it for a good price, it's a brilliant first camera for stills shooters.

That 24.1MP APS-C sensor is the star of the show here. Image quality is genuinely excellent for a camera in this class, with the DIGIC 8 processor keeping noise in check up to the higher ISOs. The Dual Pixel autofocus is snappy and reliable for stills, and the Eye AF is a nice bonus for portraits. The 10fps burst shooting is solid, though not class-leading. Video is where things get a little complicated. You get 4K, which is great on paper, but it comes with a heavy crop that makes wide shots a pain. The 1080p footage is clean and the 5-axis digital stabilization helps smooth out handheld clips, but the lack of a headphone jack is a real bummer for anyone serious about audio.

Stacked against newer rivals, the M50 shows its age in a few key spots. The Sony a6700 and Fujifilm X-S20 absolutely smoke it in video features, 4K quality, and overall build, but they also cost significantly more. The Panasonic G9 II is in a completely different league for serious hybrid shooters. Where the M50 still wins is sheer approachability. It's simpler, smaller, and less intimidating than any of those cameras. If you just want great photos without a steep learning curve, the M50 is still a contender, but if you need a rugged body or pro-level video, the competition has left it behind.

Value is a weird conversation with the M50 because the price is all over the map. We've seen it listed anywhere from $430 to a frankly absurd $3400. At the low end, this camera is an absolute steal for the image quality and features you get. At the high end, you're getting ripped off, plain and simple. If you can snag a bundle like this one for under $500, it's one of the best beginner deals in photography. Just make sure you're not paying a premium for a camera that's been on the market for years.

The Canon EOS M50 is the little camera that could. It's been around for a while, but it still holds up as one of the friendliest entry points into mirrorless photography. The bundle we're looking at throws in a 15-45mm kit lens, a bag, a memory card, and a cleaning kit, so you're pretty much ready to start shooting the moment the box arrives. It's tiny, it's light, and it's surprisingly capable for its size.

Skip the M50 if you're serious about video work. The heavily cropped 4K, missing headphone jack, and so-so battery life will frustrate you quickly. Also, if you shoot in rough weather or need a camera that can take a bump, look elsewhere because this thing has zero weather sealing and a build quality that's near the bottom of our database.

The Canon EOS M50 is the camera you buy when you're ready to ditch your phone but don't want to carry a brick or learn a million menu settings. It's a fantastic stills camera for beginners, street photographers, and anyone who values portability above all else. Just know what you're signing up for: a plasticky build, a compromised 4K mode, and a lens system that requires an adapter to reach its full potential. If you can live with those quirks, you'll love the photos it takes.