She has more than 16 million followers on her Instagram account and nearly 12-M on her YouTube channel. She has been associated with brands like Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, and Cartier for a few years.
Over the years, Emma has used several cameras for her vlogging and social media pursuits. She has used a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark ll, a Canon EOS M50 Mark ll, and even a Contax T2 film camera. Her go-to camera for vlogging remains the Canon EOS M50 Mark ll. In this discussion, we’ll learn about the EOS M50 Mark II and her second camera, the PowerShot G7 X Mark II, which she uses for most of her vlogging work.
Related Read: What Camera Does Mr. Beast Use
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
Features
- Lens Mount – Canon EF-M
- Sensor Resolution – Actual: 25.8 Megapixel
- Effective: 24.1 Megapixel (6000 x 4000)
- Sensor Type – 22.3 x 14.9 mm (APS-C) CMOS
- Crop Factor – 1.6x
- Image Stabilization – Digital, 5-Axis (Video Only)
- Built-In ND Filter – None
- Capture Type – Stills & Video
If you ever wanted a compact camera that does it all and is still easy on the pocket, the EOS M50 Mark II is an option to seriously consider. This camera keeps vloggers and social media content creators in mind and the selling price is another reason young creators are flocking to the M50. Even if you choose the single kit pack containing the camera body and the 15-45mm lens, it won’t set you back by more than 700 dollars. This is a reasonable amount to pay for a vlogging camera and a lens for someone just starting out. Remember, this is an APS-C camera, and the focal length of the kit lens translates into a 30-90mm unit in a 35mm format. That means for less than 700 dollars, you get a camera and a lens that more than meets your vlogging needs.
This APS-C camera is powered by a 24.1-MP CMOS sensor paired with a DIGIC 8 image sensor. The benefits are a 10 fps continuous shooting speed and a native ISO range of 100-25600. The camera records UHD/4K footage at a rate of 24 fps. If you wish to capture full-HD videos, the camera can shoot at 60 fps and 120 fps when shooting at 720p HD. Most content creators shoot at 4K/UHD these days, so full HD and 720p HD is for academic interests only.
Canon has incorporated its sensor-based dual-pixel CMOS autofocusing technology that comes in handy when shooting both stills and videos. However, it’s to be kept in mind that dual-pixel CMOS is autofocusing and only works in full-HD mode. In 4K/UHD mode, the camera switches to contrast detection autofocusing. In 4K mode, contrast detection can sometimes result in very slow performance and even get the subject wrong.
You will notice that Emma’s videos are full-HD only. We now know one possible reason why she shoots in full HD only.
Many content creators with a one-person set-up face a problem: keeping themselves in sharp focus when recording. Content creators use different methods to ensure they’re in direction during recording. A significant advantage of the EOS M50 Mark II is its superb eye-detection AF performance, ensuring that the camera responds exceedingly well using its eye detection and face detection focusing modes. The best thing is these work with the Movie-Servo AF mode, which gives superior focus lock when you’re vlogging. This is a major difference from the original EOS M50 that became a popular camera. You can now use eye detection autofocusing in video mode, which is great for vlogging.
For those who want to capture some shots outdoors while walking or moving around, the camera is equipped with a stabilization system that works on 5-axis and stabilizes all your hand-held footage for a smooth result. This is handy when using a second person behind the camera to record your videos.
And for those who indulge in a bit of live-streaming from time to time, the camera comes with a live-stream option that supports YouTube. You can use this function if connected to a stable Wi-Fi connection.
If you’re like Emma and can afford to have a second person behind the camera, you will love the touch to focus feature. Even if the person behind the camera has their eye on the viewfinder, the communication and drag-to-focus options still work and give an incredible amount of focusing power within their grasp. That said, it’s often possible that when someone looks through the viewfinder, their nose can touch the rear LCD screen and activate certain areas of the frame, messing up focusing. The EOS M50 II has the option to deactivate certain areas of the LCD screen to prevent this from happening.
Among the camera’s other features is a 3.5mm audio input jack. That means you can add an external mic and record crisp quality sound with your videos. That said, there is no headphone jack option to monitor the live audio mode. This is due to the target audience. This isn’t a serious video recording camera for films but rather a camera targeted at vloggers and content creators who don’t need audio monitoring.
Regarding communication, the EOS M50 II comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC connectivity. This allows you to transmit the footage recorded with your camera using your favorite transmission option. On-the-go editing and uploading will be a breeze for someone who lives a life on the move.
Now let’s take a look at the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark ll.
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark ll
Features
- Sensor Resolution – Actual: 20.9 Megapixel
- Effective – 20.1 Megapixel (5472 x 3648)
- Aspect Ratio – 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9
- Sensor Type – 1″-Type CMOS
- Image File Format – JPEG, Raw
- Bit Depth – 14-Bit
- Image Stabilization – Optical
The Canon G7X Mark II is powered by a 1-inch sensor with an effective resolution of 20.2-MP. The system comes with a fixed lens that offers a 35mm format equivalent zoom range of 24-100mm. Among the many upgraded features of the PowerShot, the G7 X Mark lI feature that particularly interests us is the better subject recognition and tracking. This is something that was not the strong suit of the older camera but is a great feature for content creators.
There have been some ergonomic changes in the new camera; one of those changes is the more prominent hand grip. The older camera did not have this, causing dissatisfaction among users. The new hand grip is much better.
The new camera is bigger too but only by a few mm on three sides, and you will hardly notice that when handling the camera. Bigger also means heavier, but whether you prefer a heftier camera or a lighter one is subjective. At 319 grams, the camera is certainly not heavy.
Another change I notice is at the back of the camera, which has to do with the back LCD panel. The earlier model had the hinge of the display panel fixed at the top. It had its share of disadvantages, one being that you couldn’t shoot with the camera raised above your head. With the hinge on the new model positioned at the bottom, there is a bit more leeway to shoot.
That said, I love the articulated screen of the Canon EOS M50 Mark II. Flipping out and facing the subject provides a better way to track yourself when recording.
A quick word on the control ring around the lens. The ring has seen some improvements in the new camera. You now have the option to choose between a de-clicked and a clicked version. All you have to do is toggle a switch to access that option. The default setting will depend on what you prefer for your style of shooting. Manual focus adjustment could be usable for someone who shoots videos. But beyond manual focus adjustment, there are other options that you can try, like exposure compensation, shutter speed, or aperture adjustment.
Some other changes are a bit more subtle. One of them is the video frame rate of the camera. The previous model couldn’t shoot at 24 fps in full HD, whereas the newer model can. This is a great option for recording cinematic B-rolls, but if you plan on publishing at 60 fps, you will not need the 24 fps. For example, Emma publishes all her videos at full HD 60p.
The PowerShot G7 X Mark ll has a decent auto video mode that takes care of the exposure. However, if you feel the urge to do some creative shooting on your own, you can change the shooting settings manually. The touchscreen allows you to do that. Switch to the manual mode, and you can adjust the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and other shooting settings.
Additionally, the touchscreen option is excellent for switching focus. An exciting update on the PowerShot G7 X Mark ll, as has been noted above, is the subject recognition and tracking. Using this, you can easily track yourself while talking to the camera in front.
However, unlike the Canon EOS M50 Mark II, which has dual-pixel CMOS autofocusing, this camera only has contrast-detection autofocusing, which means subject tracking performance in real-life situations will be a little slower than expected.
One thing to note is that sometimes when shooting by manually locking the aperture and the shutter speed, Auto ISO is also used. Auto ISO helps to keep the exposure steady if the lighting changes. You can also use the exposure compensation option in manual mode when using Auto ISO. However, in this case, when you use exposure compensation, the camera will not change the aperture and the shutter speed but instead change the ISO number.
Conclusion: Choosing the Best Camera
Both the G7X Mark II and the EOS M50 II have some advantages of their own. To start, the EOS M50 II has a bigger sensor (APS-C vs. 1-inch), and that’s always a desired feature. A bigger sensor, especially when the resolution is similar, means more pixels. The EOS M50 II has pixels of 3.72 microns compared to the 2.41 microns on the G7X Mark II. The most significant advantage is better low-light performance and dynamic range.
The second advantage is in the rear LCD screen, where the tilting and swiveling screen of the EOS M50 II come in handy. This screen allows additional shooting angles compared to the G7X Mark II.
The G7X Mark II and EOS M50 II shoot full HD footage at 60 fps. However, the EOS M50 II has the slight advantage of shooting 4K footage. But that advantage comes at a cost. You lose out on dual-pixel CMOS autofocusing, and you also lose out on eye detection and face detection.
The G7X Mark II has a manual control ring, which some photographers love. If it’s not for you, the touch to focus option is available on the EOS M50 II and its always-on touchscreen functionality for touch and drag is equally convenient.
Where the G7X Mark II loses out is in the battery life. Although the battery CIPA rating has improved, it’s still not a strong point for the camera.
External mic jack input for the EOS M50 II makes the camera a better choice for shooting videos, especially for the crisp sound you can capture with an external mic. The G7X Mark II does not come with an external mic.