- 24.1 megapixel (aps-c) cmos sensor with iso 100-25600 (h: 51200).
- Digic 8 image processor with auto lighting optimizer.
- Improved dual pixel cmos af and eye detection af (still/movie servo af support).
What is the best travel lens for Canon M50?
So you’re planning on travelling and wondering which lens is best for travel photography with your Canon M50?
These days, most travelers use their smartphones to take pictures and post them on Facebook or Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, you can make impressive pictures with recent smartphones and they are very useful to document little details of your trip, but they are limited to one perspective.
So you’ll probably need a lense with a focal range that will allow you to get shots that are impossible to get with your cell phone (zoom or wide angle).
What makes a good travel lens?
Well, this is extremely subjective and depends on the type of photo you will make when you will be on the road. It also depends on how often you’re going to use it. Any lens can be good for travel, but having to commute by train, bus, plane, and moving around all the time makes it hard to carry a huge bag dedicated to your favourite lenses. There are always the risks to pay extra fees for them, to break them during the trip or to get your bag stolen.
Hence, most photographers like to travel light, with the lightest and most versatile setup possible. Getting the most out of one or two lenses is probably the way to go, with a range .
You may not know for sure what kind of shot you are about to make during your trip. If you plan on taking portraits, wildlife, street scenes but also landscapes, a zoom lens will be perfect since they offers the advantage of allowing close-ups and scenery shots, to some extent. For a more versatile use, this kind of lens will be the perfect fit.
Travels are full of surprises, and you may want to grab your Canon M50 and shoot as quickly as possible. For this situation, the best lens will be a bright wide angle lens since they are usually a good choice for street photography. They allow for close-ups and large scenes, and are generally pretty small and convenient to carry. If you are planning a city trip, this kind of lens should be attached in permanence to the body of your Canon M50.
Every photographer has its own favourite setup for snapping on the go. But if you are not sure on what travel lens to choose for your Canon M50, this small selection is suitable for most photographic opportunities while traveling.
Note: the product links in this article lead to Amazon.com
Summary
- Canon EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM (All around travel lens)
- Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM (Wide angle)
- Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM (Zoom lens)
- Useful accessories
- Conclusion
Here’s the Top 3 travel lenses you should consider for your Canon M50:
Canon EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM
Weight: 300 g
Filter diameter: 55 mm
Full Frame Equivalent: 29-240 mm
The ideal tool if you do not want to bother with several lenses for your Canon M50, even if it will make some compromises. It offers a very wide focal range equivalent to 29-240mm on a full format, and benefits from the STM engine and integrated image stabilization. As always with this type of lens, the aperture is far from phenomenal but we still get a pronounced bokeh effect at f / 3.5. We will not expect miracles in low light, but in daylight and with sufficient brightness results in terms of image quality are more than correct. There is a bit of distortion and soft corners at 18mm but the image remains overall very clear.
In summary, even if it has some limitations it is a good choice if you do not want to have to change all the lens time and you want above all a versatile lens with a wide variety of focal ranges.
- Canon EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM Lens (Graphite)
- Diagonal Angle of View: 74°20' - 27°50'
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Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Weight: 220 g
Filter diameter: 55 mm
Full Frame Equivalent: 18-35 mm
For lovers of wide angle, the 11-22mm is very practical for architectural photography or landscape, but also if you plan to use your Canon M50 as a vlogging camera. Very solid and compact, it benefits from STM technology and is stabilized (remember to update the firmware of its M50!). It offers very good photos overall, with a lot of detail from one corner of the image to the other. There is a bit of distortion but nothing really bad, and the modest aperture of f / 4-5.6 does not allow miracles in low light. The minimum focusing distance is 15 cm and allows you to get very close to the subject. Namely that the lens is retractable and it gets longer during use.
In conclusion, it is the objective to possess if you make the photo while traveling or want to make videos on Youtube.
- Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 11-22mm f/4-5.6
- Lens Construction: 12 elements in 9 groups
- Diagonal Angle of View: 102�10'-63�30'
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Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
Weight: 260 g
Filter diameter: 52 mm
Full Frame Equivalent: 88-320 mm
A very good complement for a standard lens like the 15-45mm, this Canon EF-M 55-200mm f / 4.5-6.3 IS STM is a telephoto lens that can zoom in on distant subjects. This is also the most powerful zoom currently available for the Canon M50. At the beginning of the race, it can also be used as a portrait lens.
It has built-in stabilization to compensate for camera shake, which is essential when used at 200mm and f / 6.3. STM autofocus technology is fast and accurate in both photo and video on static subjects, but a little less with fast movements, unfortunately.
For a telephoto lens, it is also very compact and lightweight, thanks to its plastic design (it is not tropicalized, be careful with moisture and dust). It’s far from being the best zoom available, but if you want to take pictures with your Canon EOS M50, this is a goal to have in your bag, or even in your pocket because of its compactness.
- Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3
- Lens Construction: 17 elements in 11 groups
- Diagonal Angle of View: 27�50'-7�50'
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☛ ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
- For more travel lenses options, check this out: The best lenses for Canon M50
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Useful accessories for travel photography
Travels can be hectic, so you want to make sure that your lenses are safe and sound all along the trip. A good quality carry bag is mandatory to protect them from the weather and bumps. A UV filter will also help protect your lens by adding a layer of glass that can be scratched or dripping with water with no harm to the lens. Finally, a polarizing filter is always useful to get a glare-free result in any shooting scenario you might face.
Here is a small selection of useful accessories to complement your lenses and your Canon M50:
Conclusion
If you want to go on a trip soon and are wondering what is the best travel lens for the Canon M50, think in advance about the types of photos you plan to take mainly: landscapes, portraits, night shots… Think about the focal lengths you need for that.
You can also go on Google, type in the name of the country or the tourist sites you want to visit and you will see which focal lengths are mainly used. This will give you an idea of what equipment you will need to bring but remember that taking a single lens with you might be too limiting. The flexibility of an all-around lens is very useful but generally they offer a lower image quality than a fixed focal length.
Another thing, if you plan to do a lot of walking or hiking, take into account the total weight with the camera body and the lens. If the whole thing is too heavy or bulky and lacks discretion, you won’t want to bother with it and would rather just take your smartphone with you. You may also not want to risk damaging an extremely expensive lens.
And finally, perhaps the most decisive point about choosing the perfect travel lens for your Canon M50 will be if you need to get a portfolio of professional quality travel photos or videos (it may be your business or it may become your business who knows?).