The Best Lenses For The Canon EOS M50

Are you thinking of purchasing the Canon EOS M50 and are wondering what lenses to purchase and use with it?

Maybe you already have the M50 or its elder brother, the Canon EOS M50 mark 2, and want to invest in lenses to level up your cinematography.

If any of these two rationales describe you, this post is for you. 

My name is Dennis Ohuru, a YouTuber and cinematographer. I have had my Canon M50 since July of 2020.

I’d like to think I know a thing or two about the said camera.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the Canon EOS M50 or the Canon EOS M50 Mark 2, and the lenses you can use with them to get the most out of the Camera. 

Dig in. 

The Canon EOS M50

 The Canon EOS M50 is a mirrorless digital camera designed by Canon, as a beginner or entry-level offering in their mirrorless lineup of cameras. 

Canon says the camera is designed for an entry-level market, particularly vloggers and travellers looking for a compact, easy-to-use Camera.

For this reason, the Canon M50 is not designed for professional use. 

But because of its many intuitive features, like Canon’s dual pixel autofocus technology and its flip-out screen, it has gained a huge fanbase among vloggers and content creators. 

The Canon EOS M50 uses an APS-C sensor and an EF-M mount.

The former means that it is NOT a full-frame sensor camera and the latter that your Len’s options with the Canon M50 will be a tad compromised, but more on that later. 

Related: Read my full Canon EOS M50 review

What Lens Mount does the Canon M50 have? 

The Canon EOS M50 uses an EF-M lens mount. 

This type of lens mount is unique to Canon EOS-M mirrorless cameras.

The EF-M lens mount from Canon is designed specifically for EOS M Cameras.

The EF_M mount has dedicated lenses designed by Canon to fit directly onto cameras in the EOS M lineup like the Canon EOS M50. 

In addition, third-party companies like Sigma have made dedicated lenses for the EOS-Camera line-up too.

Using the Canon EOS M50 with the famed full-frame EF lens lineup from Canon requires an EF- EOS M lens adapter.  

Canon EOS M Mirrorless Cameras 

Canon’s cameras that fall into the EOS M lineup are the following:

• Canon EOS M5
• Canon EOS M6
• Canon EOS M6 Mark 2
• Canon EOS M50
• Canon EOS M50 Mark 2
• Canon EOS M200

Canon’s EF-M Lenses for the Canon M50 & M50 Mark 2

The Canon M50 has a dedicated lens lineup designed by Canon to fit into the camera directly without the use of an adapter.

The most notable of these are;

EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM

This is the Kit Lens that comes with the Canon EOS M50 when you buy the Camera. 

The EF-M 15-45mm lens is a zoom lens, and that is implied in its name. It can shoot photos and videos from a focal length of 15mm to 45mm. 

The best results, however, you will find, are at the 15mm focal length. This is because at 15mm the aperture of the lens is fully opened and lets in more light than at any other focal range of the lens. 

EF-M 22mm f/2 STM

This is a prime lens for the EOS M camera lineup from Canon, like the Canon M50.

Prime because it can only shoot videos and photos at a focal length of 22mm, prime lenses as opposed to zoom lenses, only shoot in one focal length.

On the plus side, prime lenses often have superior aperture capability than zoom lenses, the EF-M 22mm for example has a maximum aperture of F/2.

This will let it shoot in low light scenarios better than the 15-45mm kit lens mentioned above. 

The lens is often referred to as a pancake lens due to its small size

EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM

The EF-M 11-22mm lens by Canon is designed specifically for vloggers or content creators looking for wide angles when shooting photos and videos.

The EF-M 11-22mm lens is, as the name suggests, a zoom lens, moving from a focal length of 11 to 22mm.

If you are a vlogger who moves about in cramped places, markets, bus stations and the like, and you are in the market for a wide-angle lens, then you can’t do better than this lens option.

11mm is as wide as it gets for the Canon M50 lens options, and 11mm is pretty wide. 

EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM

For those looking for telephoto lens options for the Canon M50, this is your best bet. 

The EF-M 55-200mm lens is a zoom lens moving from 55mm to 200mm. If you are looking to take pictures of wildlife or other subjects that are far away, then this lens is your best option. 

Other Notable EF-M lens Options For The Canon M50

Other notable lens options for the Canon M50 and its EOS M counterparts are:

• EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM
• EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM
• EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM

The Best EF-M Lenses by third-party manufacturers

Third-party manufacturers, noting the popularity of the Canon EOS M50, have tapped into the market by designing very handy lenses for the Canon EOS M50 and its EOS counterparts.

These third-party manufacturers include:

1. Sigma
2. Tamron
3. Rokinon
4. Viltrox
5. Laowa
6. Zhong Yi
7. Kamlan
8. Meike
9. 7Artisans
10. TTArtisan
11. Opteka
12. Pargear
13. Bower
14. Kipon
15. Neewer
16. Lensbaby

The most notable and the ones I’d recommend are the EF lenses from Sigma. 

Sigma Lenses For Canon EF-M

The Best EF Lens For The Canon M50

To use the Canon M50 with Canon’s popular EF lenses, you will require an EF-EOS M lens mount. More on that later.

There are many beautiful EF lenses but the most popular one to use with the Canon M50 is the EF 50mm F1.8 STM lens. 

This lens will let you take beautiful portraits with your M50 like very few lenses can. And it is cheap too. 

Related: The best video and photography settings on the Canon M50

EF-EOS M Lens Adapters For The Canon M50

If you are thinking of expanding your Canon M50’s lens lineup to include EF lenses, then you will need an adapter to adapt its native EOS M mount to accommodate EF lenses.

There are a couple of EF-EOS M lens adapters to choose from; one designed by Canon themselves and others by third-party companies.

 Canon EF-EOS M Mount Adapter

This lightweight mount adapter from Canon allows you to use your Canon M50 with the entire Canon EF and EFS lens lineup. And that’s a large library of lenses, to say the least. 

A library of over 100 lenses as of 2024. 

Viltrox EF-EOS M Mount Adapters

Viltorx has produced a range of adapter options for third-party cameras including the Canon M50 and its EOS M counterparts. 

The most notable mount adapter options for the Canon M50 are the:

1. Viltrox EF-EOS M Lens Mount Adapterr
2. Viltrox EF-EOS M2 Lens Mount adapter 

The second is a later version of the first, supposedly with refined features and performance, it goes without saying that it is more expensive too.

I own the first adapter by Viltrox, the Viltrox EF-EOS M lens mount adapter and it works well for me, I have no complaints. 

The Best Lenses For The Canon EOS M50

The following are the best lenses for the Canon M50. The lenses are not in any order of performance or some such;

These lenses will let you use your Canon M50 to its full potential in all cinematography scenarios. 

1. The EF-M 15-45mm Kit Lens

The EF-M 15-45mm lens comes with the Camera, and having used it for 3 plus years since I got the camera, it works brilliantly. 

It won’t get you super crisp footage like say a prime lens would, but for its price (Zero) and its versatility, you can’t beat it.

It works great with Canon M50’s dual-pixel autofocus so you never have to worry about being out of focus when shooting your videos or vlogging.

In addition, it comes with internal stabilization making your videos less shaky than they otherwise would be. 

A great lens for the Canon EOS M50 overall.

2. The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN lens

The sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN lens is arguably the best prime lens you can get for the Canon M50; 

Not only is it designed with quality materials, but it also has a maximum aperture of f/1.4 and that’s a wide aperture right there.

Shooting videos and photos in low-light scenarios like late evenings and early mornings should be a breeze with this lens. 

Additionally, it works great with Canon M50’s dual pixel autofocus, the only letdown is that the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 has no internal body stabilisation, meaning you have to be extra careful when using it. 

Otherwise, your footage will be shaky. Buying a gimbal should take that worry out of your mind. 

3. The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens

The EF 50mm f/1.8 lens is the perfect lens for taking portrait images with the Canon M50;

Just keep in mind that you will need a lens mount adapter before you can use this lens as it is an EF lens and not an EF-M lens. 

Related: 10 reasons why the Canon M50 is the best content creation camera at $500 to $650

Conclusion

The Canon EOS M50 is a versatile, easy-to-use, digital camera offering from Canon aimed at vloggers and content creators on the move. 

Getting the most out of your Canon M50 requires you to make good investment choices when purchasing lenses.

The best lenses for the Canon EOS M50 are the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 lens, the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN contemporary lens and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 stm lens. 

Thank you for reading.