Canon EOS M 18.0 MP Compact Systems Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and EF-M18-55mm IS STM Lens

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Yes, the autofocus rarely acts drunk but will get back in line eventually. And the autofocus "slowness" (now corrected) is actually what caused this cameras price to drop from $600-800 down to $200-300! Yes, there is no optical viewfinder to look through, but the screen is easily viewable even in direct sunlight (MUCH better than the last 7 digital cameras Ive had), and the lack of a mirror system is what makes this so much cheaper than an SLR! And... my god, the bokeh! The SLR-sized retina, the APS-C sensor, is incredible in the quality of your photos. It shoots in RAW + JPEG. My main interest is in portraits of people, some interests in street shooting, a little of landscapes. Mostly people / portraits, and fashion photography. So a fast prime lens and SLR sized sensor for ~$200 sounded perfect! Just... look at the pictures Ive posted. If you like them, you can get the camera! My SLR buddy already ordered one after he used mine. UPDATE - FYI, the autofocus works much faster if you change from multipoint detection to single shot and turn off the continuous (seeking) autofocus - BTW i was reviewing the version with the f/2.0 nonzoom prime lens. Cant comment on the standard zoom kit lens. - I would recommend the Lowepro Dashpoint 20 ($9.99) for a perfectly fitting bag

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I alternate between liking this camera and not liking it. The positives: It takes really good pictures. Similar quality to a Rebel DSLR like the t3/t4 etc. The touchscreen works really well, lets you do pinch to zoom etc, which is really nice if youre used to that on smart phones and tablets. The menu system is very similar if not identical to their DSLR cameras,so if youre used to that it will be really easy to use this cameras menus. Its extremely light, and coupled with the 22mm lens that you can get for this mount its extremely mobile and takes great quality pictures. I did a studio shoot using its hot shoe to trigger the studio flashes and was taking really great pictures with that were hard to tell the difference between my 24-70 2.8 II lens using a Canon 6D DSLR. While focus is slow, its extremely accurate. I had about a 95% keeper ratio with in-focus shots. I was shooting at f2.8 and sometimes in blinding sun where I couldnt even see the results until I got home. Cons: Well, it has a really annoying lag between shots. Every time you take a picture, even if you turn off review, it has some irritating delay before you can take another shot. For any kind of action thats a non starter. The touchscreen can be annoying when you accidentally activate the touch shutter option. That is where it will automatically snap a picture if you touch to focus somewhere on the screen. Quite annoying when all you wanted to do was focus somewhere, and doubly annoying that theres a lag between shots so you not only took a picture you didnt want, but you have to wait a second or two before you can take the one you do want. Also your model thinks youre an idiot :) It has no built-in flash. I know, a camera this tiny shouldnt have one anyway because red-eye will be a problem...but still, in a pinch it would be really useful to have at least something. Even the lamest smart phones have an LED flash. Its too easy to jog the mode selector on top and end up in movie mode etc....that wouldnt be so annoying if it was able to switch modes faster. The battery life is pretty bad compared with a DSLR. Probably since it has no viewfinder, and uses a big LCD for everything, the battery usage is high..and the battery is really small since the body has no room for a bigger one. So I would definitely invest in extra batteries. Good news is that there are really inexpensive 3rd party batteries that work well with it. I bought 2 of those, and now have 3 batteries that I charge before a shoot. Without a viewfinder, its hard to see what youre framing or shooting when youre outdoors in the sun. Youll need to cover it with your hand or use a hat to put shade on it to see what youre doing. Sometimes in the dark, it wont show you anything but a dark screen until you try to focus, but at that point the focus is probably on the wrong thing, so you need to touch the subject on the screen and re-focus....so thats irritating having to focus twice. Once just to get the screen bright enough to see what you want to focus on..and the second time to actually focus on something youre interested in.

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Ive been weighing the mirrorless option heavy and finally made the plunge to keep it in the Canon family. I Received this camera and have been playing with it and enjoying it for its purpose. Let me state this, I own a Canon 5D Mark III as well, so I can only speak on my intentions and reasoning for wanting the Eos-M. I had no intentions of buying this camera as a back up body, nor would this be the camera I would recommend for others who are in the market for one. However, image quality wise, it could be. If youve made the Canon investment in gear, and could use something a little more light weight, sort of pocket friendly, and portable that has the capability to be used with your other canon gear.. Its a no brainer. This camera to me is the Hobbyist/enthusiast Canon gear owners good, to best friend. The Good: I love the image quality, size, and build quality of the camera and even the 22mm itself is a much better build then expected. It doesnt feel cheap. The touchscreen is pretty good and responsive, if you dont mind a few prints on the screen trying to assist the focusing. Also I love the relief of not carrying my battery gripped 5D around with me for all of the smallest things, and missing something worth capturing because of it. This camera has been a blast, and Ive worn it around my neck on several occasions and even the people with me havent noticed. The Bad: Slow maneuvering around the menus, as there are limited physical buttons and no turn dial (But this may get faster as you get use to the touchscreen). No built in flash (When this camera is said to target those coming from point and shoot cameras), No view finder (But after a couple of shots.. I wasnt missing it), And no direct lens mount Ef-s or EF (and mainly this is because of the outrageous price for the adapter). But all of this is tolerable... Sort of. I wont complain about the auto focus speed as to me, its really not that bad. I have seen faster, and even faster focus speeds on this camera alone. But then again, I use a 85mm 1.2L quite a bit on my Mark III and that lens can almost make any focus speed seem fast. I did purchased the 16GB Eye-Fi card and use it to transfer images straight to my cellphone for quick editing if needed, and uploading to any social network services I use. I have no idea why it did not cross someones mind at Canon, to include wifi and/or Gps, when Ive have heard time and time again about one of the excuses for not having a built in EVF was that this camera should attract those who are familiar with taking cellphone images. In the end, a built in Viewfinder, wifi, gps, flash and a cheaper if not free lens adapter would have been nice. But even so, I am happy with my purchase, and Ive read enough to understand its purpose or my reasoning for wanting one, and have actually been more impressed then what Ive originally expected. I do not think anyone would be in their right mind to purchase this camera for sports photography, and if youve taking pictures with almost any modern smart phone today, the focus speed may never be a issue to you. If you already own or are familiar with a Canon DSLR, this camera will feel right at home with the options and setup. And if this is a new world to you, you might want to read the manual, or watch a video to get yourself familiar first. Great buy for me!!! **UPDATE** 7-3-13 I Still love this camera just as much as the day I got it, and has been a very solid performer overall. The biggest gripe about the camera from others was the auto focus speed in which has recently been corrected via v2.0.. And for me was the sun glare on the screen was a slight disadvantage while using the camera outside, (which could be fixed if the camera had a view finder), but I just added a non glare screen protector, and raised my LCD brightness to fix and works great for me. From my personal experiences that Ive had since owning this camera, the slight auto focus problem has not made me feel any less different about it, as it was not that bad.The consistent color contrast, color balance and image quality has never been better, and have shocked me on many occasions. This camera is a very capable and solid performer for what my intentions were, and quite a few people have purchased it after seeing a few uses, and images ive taken with it. Now with the update, there is no denying how good and fun this little camera is, and have definitely increased my personal uses and longevity with this camera. Thanks Canon, the overall build, and image quality is nothing short of awesome. I cant wait to see how they will out do themselves with the next Eos-M camera.

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I am writing this review from the perspective of an enthusiast who was looking to upgrade from point-and-shoot cameras (Canon G-Series for serious shots and a Canon ELPH for pocketable convenience) to something with a larger sensor and better lenses. I started my research pretty convinced about upgrading to a DSLR (preferably a 60D); however, I ultimately decided on the EOS M for a couple reasons: 1) The majority of my photos are taken while hiking/backpacking. I just couldnt reconcile the fact that I would have to lug around such a heavy and large camera in my backpack just so I could take better quality photos. 2) All the negativity around the EOS M not physically performing on par with DSLRs seemed to really knock down its price to the point where it is now (August 2013) a steal at almost $300 less than the Canon EOS Rebel T3i (with 18-55mm lens) and around $500 less than the 60D. With that said, you now know the perspective from which I am approaching this review, so here are my opinion of its positives and negatives after about 200 test shots in various conditions: POSITIVES + ----------------- 1) Image quality is far superior to my existing point-and-shoots. Thats enough to make me happy. 2) The lens and body feel solid and are constructed of mostly metal. The kit lenses with the Rebels feel much more cheaply constructed (plasticy) than the EF-M 18-55mm included with the EOS M. 3) The touchscreen is nice. Using the touchscreen seems quicker than navigating the menus using the buttons/dial--probably because youre able to jump to things without having to press directional buttons/dial until you arrive at an item to select. 4) EXCELLENT IMAGE QUALITY--its worth repeating this one because its all that really matters. ============================================== NEGATIVES - ------------------ 1) The battery life is very bad. I couldnt believe how quickly I was able to drain the battery. Of course, the battery drained quicker than usual this time because I have spent so much time navigating through the menus and testing things, but it still was very disappointing despite going into this purchase knowing that short battery life was an issue. 2) I feel that the camera is awkward to hold when affixed with the 18-55mm lens. (I have not tried the 22mm lens.) I feel like I could drop it very easily unless I have my left hand underneath the lens to support the weight. It feels a bit front-heavy. And with so much touchscreen interaction necessary, sometimes theres no choice but to use that left hand for some of it. 3) The lack of physical buttons is a bit annoying. Things are easy enough to handle through the LCD screen, but I like to be able to change some settings very quickly--sometimes without even having to look back at the LCD screen. Physical buttons are really the only way to be able to accomplish that with an acceptable degree of success. I prefer to have options such as the main shooting modes (P, Tv, Av, etc.) and metering method (spot, center-weighted, evaluative, etc.) accessible by physical buttons/dials. 4) The different-style strap connection seems like a good idea, except the tiny piece that locks the strap to the camera is made of plastic! Im sure itll work fine, but it does not inspire confidence. I find myself keeping one hand on the camera at all times, just in case. ====================================== A few other comments... *The autofocus speed and accuracy is fine from my perspective. Its at least as fast as the point-and-shoot cameras I am upgrading from. (My EOS M did come installed with the 2.0.2 firmware.) *I would have loved the experience of using a proper pentaprism optical viewfinder like the one on the Canon EOS 60D, but Ive spent the last decade or so using LCD screens exclusively, so Im not put-off by the lack of a viewfinder. *I love Canons articulating LCD screens. The fact that this camera did not have one was almost a deal-breaker for me. I like to take a lot of shots from a lower-than-eye-level perspective. I guess Ill have to actually kneel down now. Boo. *It would have been to nice to have even a terrible built-in flash. I dont use a flash often because I normally shoot landscapes, but every now and then Im photographing a nice sunset with maybe some flowers or other foliage in the foreground that could use a splash of light to make the shot special. Maybe Ill see if I can pick up a used flash to attach someday. *Why doesnt Canon put intervalometer software on their cameras for use in time-lapse photography? It seems like such a simple application to include (and, in fact, can be added to some non-EOS Canons via freely available hack software) In summary, there are certainly some annoying quirks related to the functionality of this camera, but the important things are the lens and the sensor, and, therefore, the image quality. Its a small, lightweight (and, now, relatively inexpensive) way to significantly bump up your image quality without having to lug around a camera that, quite frankly, wouldnt even really fit inside my day-hike backpack. I think the Canon EOS M is a (nearly) perfect option for the enthusiast looking to upgrade from a small sensor point-and-shoot who values compactness over DSLR-level physical performance .

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I had wanted this camera forever. When mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras first came out, I jumped on the bandwagon with a Panasonic GF1. With a pancake lens, I got a camera that was great for parties: shallow depth of field, good low-light performance, and compact size. The compact size was important, because people were intimidated by my full size DSLR; folks are afraid to be candid around the "professional" photographer. However, the Panasonic had a really noisy sensor, despite its size, especially when shooting RAW. I really wished for such a camera made by Canon. I waited, and waited, and eventually gave up. Everyone else announced one, but Canon did not until after everyone else. The no one bought it. Canon was too late to market. People were trying to compare mirrorless cameras to full DSLRs or to point-n-shoot cameras. A mirrorless camera is neither. DSLR people complained about the slow auto-focus, which is not slow at all, until you compare it with a DSLR that has focus points in the prism system. Point-n-shoot people complained that the thing was huge with a zoom lens, which is true, but zoom lenses are an awful crutch. Given the right use case (which for me is parties), a mirrorless camera is better than a DSLR or a point-n-shoot. Unfortunately, most people cant understand that. The camera itself is well-designed and well-made. Functionally, it is a T4i in a mirrorless form-factor. Same sensor, same user-interface, same features, same video functionality, etc. Smaller, no built-in flash, different (slower) auto-focus, no viewfinder, and a different lens mount. With a 22mm f/2.0 lens, the thing is pretty compact. Yet it is much more rugged than a point-n-shoot. And because of its much larger image sensor, it yields shallow depth-of-field that youll never get with a point-n-shoot. In essence, it produces DSLR photos from a point-n-shoot sized camera body. The image sensor is noisier than the one on my Canon 5D Mark II, but it is much, much cleaner than my Panasonic GF1. And the auto-focus is faster than my GF1.

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Ive been using DSLRs for almost 8 years now and have avoided the EOS M for the longest time -- I prefer the large size of a heavy DSLR with battery grip, so the benefits of a "small camera" never did much for me.. especially if making compromises. I have 3 DSLRs (xD and xxD and xxxD series canon) and honestly bought this because it was cheap (I typically use multiple bodies to be able to have multiple lenses ready at all times, opposed to changing). With some of my older bodies showing age (10 megapixel, older sensor) the price of about 300 bucks for the EOS M, the 22mm f2 and the EF adapter (with a couple spare batteries) was about half of what a new Canon Rebel would have cost. I didnt buy this to replace a camera, or as a first camera, but to compliment my existing ones. The EOSM is VERY small and light.. this works both for and against you. The small size will make it easier to shoot in public without the visibility of holding a large pro camera (it looks closer to a point & shoot than a DSLR, with the 22mm f2 lens).. but if doing a photoshoot with it, people will take you less seriously (it looks like youre doing a professional shoot with a point & shoot).. Doesnt affect the quality whatsoever, but it is something to keep in mind. The camera itself is nice -- most of the functions are done on the touchscreen (such as focus points) which are nicer than some of the DSLRs and using the dial to select a focus point), but changing the ISO, Aperture, Shutter, etc.. are also via touchscreen. It would have been nice to have taken the actual controls for the Canon G-Series point & shoots instead of going all touch. On the same note, they seem to have taken the Rebels minimized ISO settings (100, 200, 400, 800, etc...) opposed to the 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, etc.. of the higher end models. No wifi or GPS built in (I believe they added them in the M2).. these would be nice, but not necessary. A tilting screen would have been much nicer (since there is no viewfinder) Camera uses a SD slot, shoots RAW or JPEG. It has a weird (and somewhat questionable) camera strap.. nice that it comes off/attached easily but kind of scary with how easy it can be removed. Ill be using an R-Strap with it. No handstrap option or battery grip options available. The camera has a normal 1/4" 20 tripod threading on the bottom (lined with the center of lens). If you buy the EF Adapter, it also included a tripod threading on the collar (great for heavier lenses). The hotshoe on top is a real, standard hot shoe and works fine with hotshoe accessories, flashes and wireless transmitters. Photo quality is VERY nice.. same as from a nice DSLR (use good glass/lenses with it!). Autofocus is a bit slow, but really it works fine for me.. the thing to keep in mind is if youre having someone pose for a photo, youre fine. Modeling, its fine. Group shots, fine. Landscapes, fine. Only problem is if youre shooting sports.. I wouldnt use this for any fast movements as it probably wont focus quick enough. I highly recommend the 22mm f2 lens (even if you have good EF lenses -- the 22mm is a really nice lens) and recommend the EF adapter (theyre now under 50 bucks for a canon-branded one). The EF adapter lets you use canon EF and EFS lenses, including aperture/autofocus and image stabilizer. Overall, Im really enjoying it and considering buying a 2nd one to carry with a different lens. The price (late 2014) is great.. at its full price I would have passed. With it having not taken off, and the M2 only releasing in Japan, chances of an M3 are very low. EDIT: Just about a week after buying this, I picked up a 2nd one. For the price, it cant be beat and I wanted to grab a 2nd (for when I dont want to bring multiple DSLRs along) before theyre gone entirely.

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Expectations were high when this came out over a year ago. It was expensive, and lacked the speed to compete with m43s and other APS-C mirrorless cameras. With its firmware update (2.0.2), and hard to deny current retail price, I made the purchase after taking all the negative reviews exactly as we should...with a grain of salt. With the way you have your camera set-up and how, and what you intend to shoot, really determines if this camera will work for you. In my case, it has complemented my full size, full-frame DSLR in a positive way. I shoot in manual with my 5D MK II, viewfinder exclusively, center single point AF, and I program the back button to focus. My EOS M is similarly set-up like this, albeit using the lcd screen (which isnt as hard of a transition as I thought), adjusting the focus point via touch screen (instead of recomposing), and a few other settings Im unable to do with my MK II. The AF speed is good, but still not quick enough to acquire focus on a fast moving subject, typically ones moving closer to, or away from you. If youre struggling with focusing, heres a hint...to acquire faster, more precise focus, focus on an edge with varying contrast in the subject youre trying to capture. Low light, bright light, your success rate will increase if you know how to acquire focus properly with the sensors in your camera. And to add to my settings...for the record, the focus assist beam is set to off (nobody likes getting blinded by it), and it works fine in most scenarios without it on...you just have to know how to focus. Handling the EOS M may be tough for larger than average hands, I could image. For me, I find its comfortable to hold (Im of average height and build), buttons are layed out perfectly without getting in the way. Its a pocketable camera (jacket pocket that is), especially with the 22mm attached. Its not a camera youll forget is in your pocket. Its body is mostly magnesium, built better than any other camera this size...even better than most entry level DSLRs. Unfortunately there are only 3 native lenses for the M, with one not being sold in the US (cmon Canon, show some love). Both the 22mm f/2 and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS are really great glass. The optics are sharp and provide nice contrast. Ill eventually buy the EF adapter when I want to extend the range of my EF glass. Buy/bring a couple spare batteries if you plan to go out on shoots. With the LCD as your only way of seeing your frame, and the small capacity battery, its possible youll run them down faster than youd like. But again, its all how you set-up and use your camera. There are a few factors that can deplete your battery that, you may or may not realize you need to have on. Would I recommend the camera to someone that has no experience with DSLRs and/or ILCs, probably not. It does have short comings that, imo, can be lived with, subjectively speaking. And although it looks like Canon was targeting the P&S crowd, I do believe some of the nuisances that have been addressed by others will leave those that "shoot from the hip", frustrated. Yet, Im still giving it 5 stars based on my own use. It works perfect for me and love it for what it is...

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I bought it not because I really needed it. It was on sale and I did some quick test once I received it. Being a user of the previous canon 5d mark II and III, 7d and 60d, I have to say that this little gadget redefines Canons product line. The touch screen is superb. I have used touch screen cameras from other companies and this EOS M is nothing short of a surprise. Compared to Sony Nex 5, which I bought a few years ago, the EOS M has a much better feel to it with a hint of metallic shine. The focusing is not as fast as the BIG DSLR. However, I can live with it for landscape and more static shots. The only thing I would have hoped is that it contains a no shutter sound shooting mode, which would make it a lot more versatile. Overall, if you get it on sale, you get yourself quite a nice little present! I highly recommend it!

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I purchased this camera because I have a Canon 5dMKIII and lots of lenses that I didnt necessarily want to carry with me when traveling for pleasure. Although it isnt a pocket camera, it is darn small with the 22mm pancake lens. This camera is quality, solid feeling and once you get used to the complexity of navigating the beautiful touch display on the back to control all your manual features you will wind up with beautiful movies and stills. I bought the $70 adapter on ebay to attach my other Canon lenses, and that was fun to play with. Pros: low light movies...really good! With the 22mm you can pretty much get what you need, you just have to move in to your subject if you want to fill the screen. Macros are really good too (am a huge macro fan) although not as good as the G9-12 series. I had not tried the 18-55 zoom, but I would definitely get that. Cons: it is a bit slow to focus on video, but I can live with that. Stills focused just fine with the new firmware update, no complaints there. Batteries drain pretty quickly with the big beautiful display so buy extras and an extra charger. When the price dropped another $80 three weeks after I bought it, Amazon would not give me the discount and said Id need to return this one (under the return period) and buy a new one at the reduced price. So, I returned it and because I found myself amassing a kit that was almost as unwieldy as my DSLR (because Id need an additional 18-55mm lens, the adapter, the lens hoods, extra batteries, strap, maybe a grip) I decided to not buy another EOS-M. I may regret my decision. You can do beautiful images with this camera. If you cant take fantastic snapshots with this camera, you just cant take a picture!

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I shoot with Canon DSLRs but they are too big for me to keep on my person at all times. I really like this camera and own both EF-M lenses. This camera fitted with the 22mm pancake fits in my day bag quite easily along with extra batteries. The best camera is the camera you have with you. I am glad I dont have to default to my iphone5 whenever I am out and about and I am inspired to shoot some photos. The EOS M does great indoors with low light if you have the pancake lens and raise your ISO to about 1600. I shoot with this camera in single point (non continuous AF) mode and with firmware 2.0.2, I have no complaints with the AF. The image quality for both photos and videos is quite impressive. The icing on the cake for me with this camera is that it has an external mic input. This is a must have if you are going to shoot video with your camera. IF you shoot Canon and want what is basically at T4i in package not much bigger than an Altoids tin, do yourself a favor and buy this camera along with the EF/EF-S lens adapter. Even if you dont shoot Canon but you want to shoot photos and video, you cant go wrong at the new low price for the EOS M package. Be sure to check out the customer submitted images as well as Flickr for more EOS M photography.

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