A few months ago, I started to use the Canon EOS M50’s 4K video option for much of my digital photography. Since I edit digital photos quite a bit, 4K video offers a good balance of crispness and fuzziness, allowing you to more easily control how illustrative the final result should be. It also allows you to choose the best photographic still and not worry about precise timing. The M50 doesn’t have the best autofocus, yet this can be an advantage when catching (or omitting) certain details in the shot. Some images, such as “Thoughts Hang Like Rain” (below), would have been difficult without 4K video and haphazard autofocus. As a result, there can be a grunge feel even in the more delicate shots.

These photos were taken in the second half of 2025, across New York City, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Nebraska. Although the Canon M50 is mostly my support camera for stray shots, they can be excellent photographs in their own right, since few cameras are as light, nimble, and forgiving. Because I shoot V-Log on my LUMIX, I use Vivid preset on the M50 to make these shots more dramatic. This is especially useful for desaturating the color grade later, as it will still look quite rich. […]