The allure of internet stardom is becoming increasingly hard to resist, and after Sony created the ZV-1 to help support vloggers, Canon is advancing the trend with its own EOS M50 Mark II.
The M50 Mark II is a follow-up to the original M50, sporting the same 24.1-MP sensor and Digic 8 image processor, but with a few new tweaks and improvements, including enhanced autofocus and eye AF for both photos and video. It even offers support for recording vertical videos, so you can more easily upload and share your content from your phone.
Just like on the previous model, the EOS M50 Mark II features a flip-around 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen, except this time Canon has added a dedicated button for video recording, along with a built-in self timer that counts down from 10 (which might save you an edit or two). Canon has also given the M50 Mark II the ability to send clean video out via camera’s mini HDMI port.
But the biggest improvement to the M50 Mark II is that when it’s connected to wifi, you can now stream video from the camera directly to YouTube Live, sidestepping the need for things like a dedicated capture card or having to record first then upload your footage later.
Unfortunately, aside from a new white model, not much else about the M50 Mark II has changed, which means you don’t get a dedicated headphone jack for monitoring audio, and you’re still stuck with a microUSB port instead of USB-C.
Thankfully, with the M50 Mark II starting at $US600 ($837) (body only) or $US700 ($977) for a kit with Canon’s 15-45mm f/3.5-f/6.3 lens, the new model only costs a touch more than the outgoing model, which is currently going for around $US580 ($810) (body only).
Elsewhere in the Canon ecosystem, Canon is also launching a new high zoom digital monocular camera in the $US300 ($419) PowerShot Zoom, which features a 12-MP sensor and a built-in 400mm zoom lens, which can be expanded up to 800mm digitally. Designed more for watching sports or wildlife than as a true standalone camera, the PowerShot Zoom can also be paired with your phone so you can easily share zoom shots with others nearby.
Finally, for any pro Canon photogs, Canon is also releasing the Speedlite EL-1, which is Canon’s new flagship flash module. Starting at $US1,100 ($1,535), the Speedlite EL-1 works with any EOS camera and features a new joystick, better battery life, a faster flash recycle time, and a revamped body with a new high durability xenon glass flash tube.
The EOS M50 Mark II and PowerShoot Zoom will be available starting in late November, while the Speedlite EL-1 will be available next February.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.