M50, improved

Fandor wrote:

Larry Rexley wrote:

Fandor wrote:

Thank you for this concise but thorough review.

For me the "M" cameras make for a great travel kit, or a grab and go kit just-in-case I want to take photos. I have a Vanguard Havana 21 bag that holds my M6 and 3 "M" lenses, and that bag fits into a standard backpack for carry-on air travel.

I really want to upgrade to a M50 II or M6 II, primarily to get improved focus capabilities. Currently the M6 II body is $150 US more + the EVF cost. The extra performance of the M6 II may sway me in that direction. Anyway, this review is helping me along with that decision.

By the way, those wondering about the attachable/detachable EVF for M6, I don't mind using it, except when I forget to put it on the cameral :-x...always in a hurry to get the shot. I find I use the viewfinder 90% of the time, it just helps me stabilize the camera, and I can see the image in the EVF without reading glasses (yep, I'm over 50).

At this point it may be worth waiting for black Friday sales. Last year the M6ii kits went $200 off everywhere from Black Friday all the way through Cyber Monday. With any luck something similar may happen this year!

Good point, I was thinking similar. Who knows what will happen in the unusual supply and demand situation we have this year, but I'm willing to wait.:-).

I picked up my M6 ii as an Open Box deal at Best Buy on Cyber Monday - a store 20 miles away had one for $730 which included Canon battery, charger, EF-M 15-45, and the EVF. The EVF was damaged (split open) so I talked them down another $50. When I got home I removed 4-6 screws from the EVF, taking it apart, then putting it back together 'correctly' --- it was 100% fine and the kit has worked perfectly ever since.

I love it when a little DYI pays off!

I see you have both M50 mk II and M6 mk II. So, for travel, and if you can only take one camera, which do you choose? Reasons? Thanks.

My favorite subject is landscapes. But when I travel, I find I need to do "everything", (portrait, architecture, wildlife, landscape, flowers, low light,...).

Good question. My daily 'bike ride' kit is a medium bag with both bodies and 5 lenses plus a 1.5x teleconverter and Canon EF - EOS M adapter --- not too big and heavy. it's the kit described in the following post:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65656457

If I go on a day trip for fun with family (not too serious) I will take the small LowePro bag mentioned in earlier post with only the M50ii and EF-M 18-150 IS STM.

For a vacation if I had to choose one body and then some lenses --- it would be the more powerful higher res M6ii for the single body, no question, and priority of lenses in the following order: EF-M 18-150mm (sharp do-everything in daylight lens), EF-M 22mm f2 (most useful super sharp low-light and indoor lens), EF-S 55-250 IS STM + 1.5 Kenko teleconverter + Canon EF - EOS M adapter (sharp telephoto for birds and anything distant), EF-M 11-22mm (super-sharp and contrasty wider landscapes and scene lens), adapted Nikon DX 35mm f1.8 (great, sharp longer low-light and portrait lens --- my 'on a budget' replacement for the superb EF-M 32mm f1.4 lens).

Last summer I tried to take a 'minimalist' kit on a plane from FL to New England for a week, and ended taking the M6 Mark ii (only body I had at the time), EF-M 15-45, EF-S 55-250 IS STM + 2x TC + Canon EF - EOS M adapter, and the EF-M 22mm f2.

It was fine but the 'lens changing point' of around 50mm became incredibly annoying, at times I was changing lenses every minute or two --- plus my copy of the EF-M 15-45 is just average and the corners are noticeably soft at 15mm. I would have been FAR happier taking the EF-M 18-150mm and will NEVER take a trip without it again. If I could fit it I would also taken the EF-M 11-22.