Canon EOS M50 Mark II leak suggests Nikon Z50 rival could launch soon

Canon EOS M50
(Image credit: Canon)

A new leak suggests that the long-rumored Canon EOS M50 Mark II, which will likely be a small hybrid mirrorless camera, is preparing to launch in the near future.

The ultra-trustworthy Nokishita has revealed in a Tweet that the "EOS M50 II" has just been added to the latest product lists for Canon dealers, along with a new Speedlite and a few flash accessories.

While this doesn't give us any hints about an exact launch date, this does generally happen shortly before a product announcement. This means we could potentially see a successor to the Canon EOS M50, which continues to be one of the best cameras for beginners, arrive in time for Christmas.

The news follows a slight lull in Canon EOS M50 Mark II rumors, which first started about a year ago. Previous speculation suggested that the camera would launch in September 2020, so it's possible that the pandemic has simply delayed its arrival by a couple of months.

So what kind of camera can we expect to see, two-and-a-half years on from the arrival of the original Canon EOS M50? The big trend in cameras now is a focus on video performance, so it's likely that any successor would remove the frustrating 4K video crops that have blighted the otherwise impressive current M50.

It's also possible that Canon might squeeze in-body image stabilization (IBIS) into the rumored EOS M50 Mark II. Rumors about this possibility started in July, and it would certainly be a fantastic addition to Canon's mid-range APS-C mirrorless cameras. The company only recent introduced its first IBIS system on the full-frame Canon EOS R5, though, so we'll have to wait to see if it's ready to do something similar for its EOS M series.  

Canon EOS M50

(Image credit: Canon)

The future of EOS M

The recent lull in rumors and announcements for Canon's EOS M range has led to speculation that the company might even be planning to wind down its line of APS-C cameras. 

After all, Canon's big focus lately has been on its new RF Mount and full-frame EOS R cameras like the Canon EOS R5. With the EOS M family using an entirely different EF-M lens mount, it had started to look a little left out in the cold.

But these new EOS M50 Mark II rumors could be good news for anyone who has been waiting for the EOS M range to be reignited. Whether or not it opens the door to the announcement of new EF-M glass remains to be seen, but that certainly feels possible given there have also been rumors of a second new launch in the range called the Canon EOS M7. 

Right now, though, the rumors have centered around the Canon EOS M50 Mark II. And if that camera does indeed arrive with some of its previously rumored specs, including a 32.5MP APS-C sensor and the ability to shoot 4K/30p video, it could be an exciting new rival to the Nikon Z50 and Sony A6600. We'll report back with any official information as soon as we get it.

Mark Wilson
Senior news editor

Mark is TechRadar's Senior news editor. Having worked in tech journalism for a ludicrous 17 years, Mark is now attempting to break the world record for the number of camera bags hoarded by one person. He was previously Cameras Editor at both TechRadar and Trusted Reviews, Acting editor on Stuff.tv, as well as Features editor and Reviews editor on Stuff magazine. As a freelancer, he's contributed to titles including The Sunday Times, FourFourTwo and Arena. And in a former life, he also won The Daily Telegraph's Young Sportswriter of the Year. But that was before he discovered the strange joys of getting up at 4am for a photo shoot in London's Square Mile.