EOS M50 - ignoring the woeful 4K, any good for static and action stills in 2020?

[ceemuk]

Been looking around at the mid to upper range micro four thirds offerings, and the EOS M50 ticks 3 main boxes: fully articulated touchscreen, phase detect focusing, mic input.

I realise the 4K implementation on this camera is pants because of the frame crop and disabling of phase detect focusing, though I believe 1080 is fine as it still uses the better phase detect.

So for me, main use is both static and action stills, hence the need for phase detect, and occasional video.

4K would have been nice to have, though.

I've also looked at the vastly overpriced Sony offerings (a6100/6400 etc.), Fujis and Olympus. None of them have fully articulated screens. The Sonies, whilst having good focussing, have next to no touchscreen functionality beyond focus points; the OMD EM10 MkIII uses the older 16MP sensor and wierd UI quirks such as no ability to process panoramic, and I just don't like the retro Fuji look, and older style dial function knobs, aswell as their lenses being expensive.

I love Panasonic UI's, but their equivalent offerings, whilst having great fully articulated touchscreens and great 4K options, are all contrast detect focusing.

So this takes me back to the EOS M50.

I've never used Canon before but they seem to have a widely acknowledged positive UI experience, and though it seems the M50 was a very poor attempt at their first 4K four thirds, and unless i'm missing something, is this the best option I have right now?

Cheap DSLRs would tick all the above, but i'm downsizing for a reason, having sold my Nikon DSLR and lens collection, and don't want to go back to Nikon anyway.

Cheers

 

[ceemuk]

Ah yeah APSC, so at least i'd benefit from a smaller crop and bigger sensor on the M50. My old DSLR was APSC so i'm fine with that anyway.

I'm not convinced the old school dials always make life easier because in the digital age, there are far more settings than cant be accounted for on a dial; but of course that's our personal preferences, I'm just not a fan of vintage look and feel i guess. I thought i could overlook a viewfinder and just rely on a touch screen, but then thought i might miss it, and it seems this range tends to have EVF's, and some of the lesser ones (Canon GX, Panasonic GX800/880 etc.), seem to have hit and miss pop up EVFs.

Most of all, though, I'm just not willing to overlook contrast detection with the slow response to moving subjects and so on, so Panasonic and Olympus already ruled out in that price point; unless i'm missing something!

The smaller size and weight of the small to medium telephoto M lenses are very appealing to me, as i've had enough of carrying a rucksacks worth of lenses around. I just looked at the combined weight of an EOS 250D + 18-200mm EFS, it's over 1kg! The M50 + M 55-200 is about 550g. I'd definitely notice that!

I take the point about battery life though, many reviewers find similar, though it seems for the average user they seem to hold up for a days shooting, and seems hit or miss whether they support USB charging.

I wonder if there are any M50 users that can offer some feedback on stills/action shooting? Or the Sony a6100 for that matter, as it seems like the equivelant tro the M50, minmus fully artic touch screen.

Cheers