Canon announces 24.1 MP EOS M50 Mark II mirrorless camera

Canon has announced the successor to “Best Selling Mirrorless Camera in the US,” the EOS M50 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. With a well-known APS-C sensor with 24.1 megapixels, the M50 Mark II offers some new tricks like improved autofocus, vertical video support and live stream support.

According to Canon, the EOS M50 Mark II includes “many of the popular features of its predecessor” and a few more to improve usability. The company continues to believe that the M50 strikes a good balance between still image and video recording. The APS-C CMOS sensor is supported by the same Canon DIGIC 8 processor as its predecessor.

The new features of the EOS M50 Mark II include:

• Improved auto focus including eye auto focus in video
• Vertical video recording support
• The LCD adds a video record button and movie self-timer for a better vlogging experience
• High quality webcam functionality when used with compatible services with the free EOS Webcam Utility software or the Clean HDMI output
• Wireless YouTube Live Streaming Function (Live Stream Function is only supported by YouTube)
• The ability to tap the screen to automatically focus your subject while looking through the EVF (to control the main focus of the image)

The original M50’s autofocus system is intact and features the same dual-pixel CMOS AF that now includes face and gaze tracking. The same number of AF points on the original is also retained here. The upgrade comes in the form of support for face and eye recognition. The original M50 was unable to perform face or eye detection in video or in some still image modes like servo AF. Canon confirmed to PetaPixel that all still and video modes now support face and eye recognition in the Mark II.

According to Canon’s specifications for the M50 Mark II, 36 large (fine) JPEGs and 10 JPEG + RAWs are supported.

The M50 Mark II can record 4K video at up to 24 frames per second on a single UHS-1 SD card. You cannot record 4K at 30 frames per second. This is unchanged from the M50, as are the Full HD recording options.

Canon is currently the only major manufacturer actively supporting two different lens lines for its APS-C and Full Frame mirrorless camera options. While the company has the entry-level EOS RP in the full frame range, which gives the line some degree of approach capability for newbies, it doesn’t have APS-C cameras that offer the use of RF lenses. Canon doesn’t even offer a lens adapter for RF lenses (likely due to flange spacing issues), but you can get the company’s EF-EOS M adapter to use its DSLR lenses.

Overall, the updates seem pretty incremental here. The added face and eye detection when recording video, the ability to record vertical video, and the live streaming feature are nice, but a lot of the features here seem to have moved to the M50 via a firmware update instead of requiring you to buy one new camera.

The Canon EOS M50 Mark II camera is expected to be available in late November 2020 at an estimated retail price of $ 599.99 for the body only, $ 699.99 for the camera body plus EF-M 15-45mm lens kit, and $ 929.99 the EF-M 15-45 mm and EF-M55-200 mm double zoom lens sets are available for the camera housing plus.

Canon Speedlite EL-1

Alongside the M50 Mark II, Canon announced the Speedlite EL-1, which works seamlessly with any EOS camera. It has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that allows for high-speed recycling times and an increase in the number of flashes when used with the Canon LC-E6 battery charger. Thanks to a new active cooling system, it can be triggered continuously up to 170 times. The Speedlite also features wireless second curtain synchronization, a new joystick, an LED modeling lamp, and a new user interface and display.

The Speedlite EL-1 offers an extended output range with a minimum flash output of “micro flash” of only 1/8192 output, a zoom flash head that covers a wide focal length range from 24 to 200 mm and has a rebound angle of 120 degrees. and the same weather resistance comparable to the EOS-1D series of cameras. The EL-1 comes with two color filters and a jump adapter for additional light control.

The Canon Speedlite EL-1 is expected to be available in February 2021 at an estimated retail price of $ 1,099.00.