EOS M50 only outputting 480P through HDMI port

[Locking_Nut]

Hello everyone,

Frustrating issue this. I'm attempting to use my M50 (firmware 1.1) for some video capture via an Elgato Cam Link 4K into OBS.

Setup seems to work normally and the camera connects and generates picture - but only at 720x480 (or 720x576 in PAL video mode). Nothing I have tried so far has successfully raised the resolution, whether it's manually setting the output to 1080p in the camera settings menu (and toggling HDR on and off), or manually forcing the OBS Cam Link capture dialog into a higher resolution (I've tried 1920 x 1080, 1920 x 1200 and 1920 x 1280, none work). The only available preset option when "Custom" is selected in the Camlink dialog are either 720x480 or 720x576 - depending on whether NTSC or PAL video is selected in the camera setup menu.

Connecting the camera to two different television sets' HDMI inputs also gives the same low output resolution whether 1080p output is selected or not.

Anyone any pointers? One obvious questionmark is whether the micro-HDMI to HDMI cable I'm using is faulty in some way. It shouldn't be - it's brand new and rated for 4K60, and I don't have an alternative to try, nor do I have any other devices with a m-HDMI output to test it with.  

Any pointers most welcome - thanks in advance for reading 🙂

[Waddizzle]

That just might be the limit of the camera.  Have you tried video mode?

[Locking_Nut]

Thanks, but it's not a limit of the camera. If it was, Canon (and Elgato) wouldn't advertise 4K30 and 1080P60 compatibility through HDMI - and others wouldn't already be utililising this functionality as a pseudo-clean HDMI output (albeit autofocus needs to be disabled to remove the focus markers from the video).

And yes, have tried using both video modes - as well as all the stills-priority modes on the selector, no change in behaviour.

[Waddizzle]

The M50 lacks “Clean HDMI” output. I suggest that you review the M50 User Guide.  I suspect 4K video is internal recording only.    Full HD output might only be available for playback of video.

[Locking_Nut]

Er, thanks, I think. I did clearly mention above that a pseudo-clean output *is* possible by disabling all the on-screen icons - and autofocus. I'm not making this as a random claim, it's well known and is documented and seen working elsewhere in this forum as well as widely over social media - and on Elgato's own website: You trying to tell me otherwise says more about you than it does about the camera - or this particular issue:

The specific issue here is the inability to get anything higher than 576p output from the HDMI port under *any* circumstances - to any device, clean or not, whether shooting or when reviewing/playing back imagery, despite the manual (and setup menu) clearly indicating that this *is* supported.

If the camera didn't support 1080P output via HDMI, I very much doubt that this menu option would exist either:

So, anyone else had similar issues with resolution constraints on the HDMI output of this (or any other) Canon, and if so what was the cause/fix? 🙂

[deebatman316]

Your camera doesn't have the hardware for Clean HDMI Out. You simply can't add it via a firmware update. So if you want Clean HDMI Out you will need to look into a camera that supports it. Its impossible for your camera to output 2 different resolutions at the same time without Clean HDMI Out. Clean HDMI Out requires the hardware for that. Most EVFs and LCD screens are very low resolutions that you wouldn't expect from modern devices. Most camera LCD screens have resolution of 480p (640x480). This is what's called VGA (Video Graphics Array) it dates back to 1987. Most devices today are 1080p or 4K displays now 480p this is quite low by modern standards. Yes even in PAL regions 480p 60 fps was used for computer displays not 576p 50 fps. CRT computer monitors did NOT use interlaced video either. Those displays natively displayed things in a progressive video format. The whole frame was drawn on the screen. Instead of 1/2 then the other 1/2 was drawn like with analog TV NTSC or PAL.

[Locking_Nut]

I haven't mentioned "adding something via firmware update". And, with the best will in the world, I might be new here but I'm neither new to photography or computing so the history lesson's both irrelevant, and nothing to do with the issue at hand.

Again, for want of being any more specific, my camera *does* and should support 1080P output via the HDMI port. The issue is that it's only delivering 480p or 576p (depending on the PAL or NTSC video setting) and I'd like to get to the bottom of why. Does anyone actually have anything constructive to add on *this* point?

Wadizzle: The entry on Elgato's site is *not* a typo. The fact that it's related specifically to the original M50 and not the MkII is obvious from the reference to disabling autofocus to get the clean output.  Also the pair of you: If you don't think clean output on the original M50 is possible, this guy here would like to show you otherwise (including the exact context).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ9HLexTg5I

Again, for the avoidance of doubt, I *can* and *have* got a clean output from my camera. The issue is that it's being delivered at a quarter of the potential resolution.

[deebatman316]

What you're trying to get your camera to do IS NOT SUPPORTED we have had numerous forums asking about this. It's simply NOT possible with your current camera. Also this supposed "Clean HDMI Out" with the M50 (original version) is NOT really Clean HDMI Out. This is because AF is disabled so you're relying on MF. Using your camera for long periods of time in Live View. Can overheat the image sensor and IS NOT a mode of supported operation. So take @Waddizzle (Bill's) advice you can't make something work that wasn't there in the first place. Most cameras that DO NOT support Clean HDMI Out will only output 480p/ 576p. This is because the camera doesn't have the ability to send each display there native resolution. Thus the camera is forced to use 480p/ 576p and compromise between both displays. If the camera did support Clean HDMI Out then it could output 1080p or 720p to the external monitor.

[Waddizzle]

---

@Locking_Nut wrote:

Er, thanks, I think. I did clearly mention above that a pseudo-clean output *is* possible by disabling all the on-screen icons - and autofocus. I'm not making this as a random claim, it's well known and is documented and seen working elsewhere in this forum as well as widely over social media - and on Elgato's own website: You trying to tell me otherwise says more about you than it does about the camera - or this particular issue:

The specific issue here is the inability to get anything higher than 576p output from the HDMI port under *any* circumstances - to any device, clean or not, whether shooting or when reviewing/playing back imagery, despite the manual (and setup menu) clearly indicating that this *is* supported.

If the camera didn't support 1080P output via HDMI, I very much doubt that this menu option would exist either:

So, anyone else had similar issues with resolution constraints on the HDMI output of this (or any other) Canon, and if so what was the cause/fix? 🙂

---

I take exception to your screenshot of “Supported Cameras”.  That screenshot is not from these forums or the Canon USA web site.  That appears to be a screenshot from Legato.  It contains a typo, which should read M50 Mark II, not M50.  

Here is a partial list of supported cameras with “Clean HDMI” output.  M50 is not listed.

https://www.usa.canon.com/cameras/eos-webcam-utility 

Here is a screenshot from that web page.  Scroll all the way to the bottom.

If your camera had “Clean HDMI” output, then this [is] the menu you should see.  I notice that your menu suggests that high definition output is disabled and unavailable.

Your M50 camera is not capable of doing what you wish.  It was superseded by the more capable M50 mark II.

[Locking_Nut]

Okay let's take this one step at a time. Maybe get a beer and count to ten before hitting reply this time, yes?

First of all, @deebatman316 you are again introducing irrelevances via the line about extended live view usage potentially overheating the sensor. Aside from the fact that this is just as much a risk as when using the camera for extended periods of videography (which Canon sells and warrants it for), I'm not bothered about any of that, and you aren't either, both because you don't know the usage pattern, and it's not your camera anyway.

The image sensor will get exactly the same amount of continuous use whether I'm shooting video to the built-in SD card, or whether I'm outputting video to a computer in real time so quit that one, it's not getting you (or me) anywhere.

Second, Bill, I mentioned further up that I'm aware of the need to disable autofocus to get rid of the focus box graphic. Again I'm not worried about that either, so neither should you be. It's not your camera either.

Forget even that I'm looking at video capture. Focus (no pun) on this: The camera's own setup menu contains an option to force the output to 1080P. Which it wouldn't if it was only capable of 576/480 output. So quit with the "most cameras" generalisms. The fact of the matter is that this camera does/should support 1080P over HDMI. The option in the setup menu says so, and so does the experience of other users. Far from the camera being technically incapable of 'doing what I wish', there's another YouTuber doing exactly what I seek here:

https://youtu.be/zSUr23xHuMU

Again, with the best will in the world, I don't care how much general experience you have. If you don't know a specific answer that pertrains to *this* camera, please, kindly, refrain from commenting because all you are doing is polluting the thread. And that applies to the pair of you.