Canon M50 vs M100 - A Complete Comparison [2020]

Introduction

The Canon EOS M50 and the Canon EOS M100 are mirrorless cameras that were introduced into the market in February 2018 and August 2017 respectively. The cameras which were touted as entry-level are often compared quite a bit but is there really any significant difference given that they were introduced into the market within months of each other. Users often rank the Canon EOS M50 between the M100 and the M6 which is considered to be a mid-range camera because it has a bunch of features such as 4K video quality that putt it a few steps ahead of even the M-series crown jewel the M5. Nevertheless, we shall deep dive into a few of the different aspects of both cameras to see if we can help quell the wonder that often plagues individuals as they decide on which of the two is the better camera.

Comparison – At a Glance

Similarities Between the Canon EOS M50 and EOS M100

Before comparing the different specs of the cameras, it is important that you are aware of the commonalities between them. For starters, both cameras have a 24-megapixel APS-C CMOS Sensor, and as such you cannot use the resolution and sensor size during your decision-making process. When used at the same aperture and focal length, both sensors provide users with an equal control over the depth of field. Additionally, both cameras have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC connectivity as well as a dual pixel autofocus system.

Differences Between the Canon EOS M50 And EOS M100

Image processor

This is the first significant difference that you will notice between these two cameras. The Canon M50 is equipped with a DIGIC 8 image processor which is the latest image processor by Canon while the Canon M100 has a DIGIC 7 image processor. This difference in the types of processors means that the functionalities of the M50 are significantly better than those of the M100. For example, aside from the 4K video capability, you will notice that when shooting in S-AF, the burst speeds are much faster at 10 frames per second or at 7.4 frames per second when capturing in Servo AF. Additionally, the eye detection in S-AF is also much improved thanks to the processor. A peek into the workings of the M100, and you will notice that the burst speeds discussed earlier are much slower at 6.1fps and 4fps respectively and that it does not have eye detection capabilities.

RAW formats

Despite both cameras having inbuilt RAW converters, the Canon M50 uses the CR3 14-bit RAW format which other canon cameras including the M100 do not use. This new RAW format minimizes file sizes by roughly 30-40% without compromising on the resolution that the images had been captured in. This, therefore, means that users can store more files onto their SD card.

Battery life

This is one area where the Canon M100 shines as it has a better battery life than the M50 despite the fact that they both use the same battery (LP-E12). The Canon M5 is only capable of capturing only 235 shots on a single charge. By contrast, the M100, can capture up to 295 shots before it needs recharging; however, it is important that you remember that the images captured by the cameras depend on the intensity through which the cameras are used. The M100 and the M50 also vary in how the Sd card slot is set up. In the M100 is has a separate slot for the SD card while in the M50 both the card and battery are housed within the same compartment.

Autofocus system

Before you get confused, yes, we had previously mentioned that both the Canon EOS M50 and EOS M100 had the same autofocus systems and while this remains true, they have a variance in the number of AF points that they each possess. Covering 80% of the sensor’s width and height the M100 brags 49 AF points while the M50 brags autofocus points that range between 99 and 143 depending on the type of lens in use. For example, attaching a 28mm macro, gives you access to the entire 143 points while using a mounted 15-45mm kit lens, only 99 AF points can be achieved. Nevertheless, you can choose one AF point zone when using either of the cameras.

Video capabilities

4K video capability was one of the most anticipated features for Canon cameras, and the EOS M50 was the first Canon mirrorless camera to be equipped with the said feature in addition to Full HD (1080p) and HD (720p). The M50 can capture 4K videos at 25 fps, 60 fps for full HD vides and 120 fps for HD videos. The inclusion of the increased 4K resolution means that users can now capture time-lapses in 4K as well as grab stills from videos in the same quality. The M100, on the other hand, does not have 4K capabilities and can only manage 6 fps for full HD videos.

When considering video capabilities of both cameras, it is important that you remember that Canon’s Dual Pixel autofocus system is limited when using 4K videos where it switches to using a contrast detection based system rather than both the phase detection points and contrast detection system that it uses for videos whose quality is lower than 4K. The contrast detection-based system is not only slow, but it is also somewhat unreliable.

Price

We had o touch on cost as the last difference. In our opinion, both cameras are relatively affordable, and after touting them as “entry-level” cameras we would have been surprised if canon had priced them any higher than their current price. With that being said, the EOS M100 is the cheaper of the two cameras, and individuals who are extremely price conscious can settle for it.

The Bottom Line

Both the Canon M50 and Canon M100 are well-rounded cameras that deliver a decent performance, especially for their level. Nevertheless, if we had to choose one, we would go with the Canon EOS M50 which after several test runs, we felt delivered more value than the Canon M100.