Canon has announced a new consumer mirrorless camera with 4K recording for the first time. The Canon EOS M50 is designed to be beginner friendly but with enthusiast features and functions.

The 24MP APS-C sensor on the M50 features Dual-Pixel autofocus, alongside the new DIGIC 8 image processor and the EF-M lens mount. M50 is also Canon’s first camera to use the new CR3 RAW format, which the company says will produce 50% smaller files with the same resolution; however, it may lead to a tiny drop in image quality.

Composing images with the M50 can be done using the 2.36 million-dot OLED electronic view finder or the 1.04 million-dot fully articulated LCD touchscreen. There is also a new silent mode which uses the electronic shutter for quiet operations in locations that frown on noisy shutter action.

The 4K footage only tops out at 24p and the Dual-Pixel autofocus in this mode doesn’t work. Additionally, the final video is cropped to 1.6x. Still, to have 4K recording in an entry-level model is not a bad deal.

Other features includes Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity on board. This is also the first Canon camera that will send shots taken automatically to connected smartphones without using any companion apps.

The Canon EOS M50 will be heading to stores in April in two colours (black and white) with several kits on offer. The body only will be priced at US$799.99 (RM3,131); The EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens kit will be priced at US$899.99 (RM3,522), while a dual-kit lens with the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM and the EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM will be retailing for US$1,299.99 (RM5,088). There is also an EOS M50 Video Creator kit which comes with EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens, RODE VideoMic GO and a 32GB Sandisk SD card for US$999.99 (RM3,913).