A year ago Sony discovered a new type of customer: the vlogger, sometimes called content creator. What do such contemporaries do? Very easily. As soon as a camera is within range, blog, stream, share and post until the battery runs out of breath. Back then, Sony gave the vlogger scene a suitable tool in the form of the handy ZV-1 camera, which we liked with a number of features tailored for quick shots, beautiful selfies and convenient network connection. Except for two details. We would have liked a viewfinder for shots in bright surroundings, and we found the zoom range too tight for distant subjects.
Canon now offers a remedy. The manufacturer has modernized its entry-level system camera EOS M50 and is now recommending it to the network generation as the M50 MkII. Direct comparisons with the Sony model are, of course, lagging behind. The new one from Canon can focus on any focal length with suitable lenses, and because its body can consequently also be somewhat larger, it can afford an image sensor in APS-C format; As usual in the compact class, Sony's ZV-1 relies on a smaller 1-inch chip.
But both have the target group in common, Canon is targeting them with different camera properties. This includes, for example, the monitor, which can be rotated via a two-axis joint so that it also works for vertical selfies. Video recordings in portrait format get metadata on the way so that they also appear upright on the screen when played back. If it should, the Canon films in 4k resolution with 3840 by 2160 pixels, but with a maximum of 30 frames per second. The camera can output the videos in full resolution via an HDMI connection. Even in clean mode, i.e. without display information. It can also be used as a webcam. To do this, however, it needs an adapter that receives the HDMI signal via a suitable socket and outputs it to the computer via a USB plug.The computer can select the camera as the image source and, for example, make conference programs such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams available. However, the adapter limits the resolution. Although it accepts 4k videos, it only forwards them in full HD format.
At least 6 megabits per second
The Canon can also be networked wirelessly with the outside world.
Via WiFi, for example, it can reach the cloud service image.canon and stream live recordings to YouTube, provided the router can upload at least 6 megabits per second.
And the recorded YouTube channel must have at least 1000 subscribers.
Photos can also be automatically stored via the cloud service and saved in full resolution for a limited time.
Any browser can access this online archive, show the images as a slide show, download them or send them to social networks.
We tried the Canon with a zoom lens that covers the focal length range of 18-150 millimeters, which, converted to a small picture, corresponds to a zoom of 29 to 240 millimeters. Equipped in this way, the camera set weighs around 640 grams and is therefore still very light in the hand. The built-in swivel monitor supports all operating steps very well with its high resolution and its touchscreen function. The OLED viewfinder shows the subjects sufficiently sharp. The autofocus proves to be quick and safe, the focus tracking does what it should in photo mode. In 4k video mode, she loses a bit of speed and falls short of her photo skills. The fact that the camera can shoot ten individual images per second is sufficiently fast, even if other models, such as the small Sony, are even faster in this discipline.
We are satisfied with the image quality: beautiful, natural colors and sharp contours. The sound is okay, an external microphone that can be connected via a jack socket is recommended for video production. Canon offers a suitable model as part of a vlogger kit. Together with a table tripod, starter lens with a focal length of 15 to 45 millimeters and a 32 gigabyte memory card, the camera costs around 790 euros, the camera body alone is currently available online for around 600 euros.