Canon EOS M Review

Many thanks to Vladimir German for providing the Canon EOS M camera with lenses and adapters.

An accurate list of all Canon EF-M lenses

Fix Lenses:

1. Canon Lens EF-M 22 mm 1:2 STM [2012] AMAZON
2. Canon Lens EF-M 28 mm 1:3.5 Macro IS STM [2016] AMAZON
3. Canon Lens EF-M 32 mm 1:1.4 STM [2018] AMAZON

Wide angle lenses:

1. Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 11-22mm 1: 4-5.6 IS STM [2013] AMAZON

Universal Lenses:

1. Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 15-45mm 1: 3.5-6.3 IS STM [2015] AMAZON
2. Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6 IS STM [2012] AMAZON
3. Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 18-150mm 1: 3.5-6.3 IS STM [2016] AMAZON

Telephoto Lenses:

1. Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 55-200mm 1: 4.5-6.3 IS STM [2014] AMAZON

Important: using the Canon mount adapter EF-EOS M, you can mount any Canon EF , Canon EF-S lenses on cameras with an EF-M bayonet mount.

+ autofocus lenses from Sigma , Viltrox and Tamron :

1. Sigma 16 / 1.4 [AMAZON]
2. Sigma 30 / 1.4 [AMAZON]
3. Sigma 56 / 1.4 [AMAZON]
4. Viltrox 23 / 1.4 [AMAZON]
5. Viltrox 33 / 1.4 [AMAZON]
6. Viltrox 56 / 1.4 [AMAZON]
7. Tamron 18-200 / 3.5-6.3 [AMAZON]

List of all Canon EF-M mount cameras

• Canon EOS M [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M2 [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M3 [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M5 [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M6 [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M6 MarkII [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M10 [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M50 [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M50 MarkII [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M100 [AMAZON]
• Canon EOS M200 [AMAZON]

Actually, the level of development of the system as a whole can be judged by the quantity and quality of accessories developed for this system, for example, lenses :). Other manufacturers began to create and market their mirrorless 'monsters' long before Canon (and nowadays, the game is not for decades, but for months).

Of course, the optics park for cameras with an EF-M mount can be expanded with an adapter and at the same time use all available EF-S and EF lenses (though I saw a list with restrictions on the use of some rare objects somewhere).

With the EF-M mount so far, there are only 2 cameras: the Canon EOS M (from this review) and the Canon EOS M2, introduced in autumn 2013.

Like most mirrorless cameras, the Canon EOS M is notable for its large APS-C sensor, which produces good image quality, on par with modern DSLRs. Roughly speaking, the camera uses a sensor taken from the Canon EOS 650D DSLR , which was later used in the Canon EOS 700D . The camera produces images with a maximum resolution of 5184 × 3456 (18 MP).

The Canon EOS M has an ISO range of 100-12.800, and this range can be expanded to ISO H (25.600). For still photography, you can simply use ISO 12.800 and ISO H (equivalent to 25.600), but for video, ISO 12.800 is called 'ISO H' (equivalent to 12.800), and the ISO 25.600 equivalent is not available at all. In Auto ISO mode, values ​​up to ISO 6400 are available. ISO settings can only be adjusted in full stop increments.

To use ISO H values, you must enable the 'ISO Expansion' feature. If you use the 'Highlight Tone Priority' feature, you cannot enable ISO 100 and ISO H (equivalent to 25.600) in photo mode, and you cannot enable ISO 100 and ISO H (equivalent to 12.800) in video mode. ISO behavior is exactly the same as on the Canon 650D and 700D cameras.

Image quality is very similar to what can be achieved with the Canon 650D and 700D DSLRs.

The maximum continuous shooting speed is 4.3 frames per second, with the continuous shooting speed dropping significantly with different autofocus settings. The camera's frame buffer is small, averaging 4-5 RAW shots and about 12 JPEG shots. Even with advanced features that correct lens imperfections and improve image quality, the frame buffer drops significantly when shooting in JPEG. The camera can automatically correct vignetting and color aberrations due to the lens.

The camera has a mechanical shutter, albeit with only one curtain. During shooting, an electronic first curtain is used. A slight shutter lag is noticeable when shooting. The shutter, compared to many other cameras, is very quiet. If you enable shutter release without a lens in the menu, you can use any manual lens with the camera, as long as there's an adapter for the Canon EOS-M mount. For precise focusing, you can magnify a selected area of ​​the image. Exposure metering and aperture priority shooting are available with manual lenses.

The camera is very well assembled, the body is made of an alloy of metals. The camera together with the battery weighs 300 grams and in the hands it feels like a solidly made device.

I'd say the camera's core is its 3-inch, 1.040.000-dot display. A similar display is also found on the Canon 100D , 650D , 700D , and 70D (the latter also features a rotating display). Almost all controls are handled through the display. The display is touchscreen with multitouch support. The camera itself has very few controls, and even the most basic settings are easiest to configure using the display. The control joystick is very tiny and not always convenient to use. The joystick ring rotates, and during shooting, the joystick provides quick access to some important functions.

On the one hand, camera control via a touchscreen is a godsend for novice users who can easily switch from a touchscreen mobile phone to a touchscreen camera. But for me, accustomed to quick access using dedicated controls, adjusting the camera using the sensor seemed extremely slow and inconvenient (especially in a cold season, when the sensor does not perceive control with gloves). If we abstract and remember that the camera is designed for the “point and shoot” shooting mode, then the control, due to the touch screen, is performed at the highest level and beginners who have come to the world of digital photography should be very happy with it :).

Canon EOS M can shoot video in maximum Full HD 1920 * 1080 30p quality with stereo sound. Various combinations of frame size and quality can be selected. The video mode is selected by the main command dial on the top of the camera. For video mode, there are two options available - automatic and manual. When recording video in manual mode, you can control all the basic recording parameters - ISO, shutter speed, aperture and additional settings, by the type of Picture Style mode, etc.

The camera has a standard stereo microphone jack, as well as an HDMI output and a USB 2.0 port. Here's a link to a video from the lens's owner.

The camera uses Hybrid CMOS AF (the same as the Canon 650D and 700D in Live View mode). Autofocus speed is the camera's main weakness. It focuses noticeably slower than other mirrorless cameras, frequently misfocuses, and sometimes fails to focus on a subject at all, even when focusing using a single zone. It tracks moving objects very poorly. I can't say the focusing is completely useless, but I would like it to be better. And this is with the native lenses, with an EF-M mount and an STM focusing motor!

About Hybrid CMOS AF . A portion of the sensor's pixels is dedicated to phase-difference autofocus, although this focusing only works in the central area of ​​the image and is only used for approximate focusing. Focusing is fine-tuned using conventional 'slow' contrast-based focusing. The full potential of this focusing method is only available with Canon STM lenses. Selected area magnification is available, as well as FlexiZone Single, FlexiZone Multi, and Face Priority focusing modes. Continuous focus tracking can be enabled, forcing the camera to focus even when the shutter button is not pressed. Two main focusing methods are available: 'One shot' (for static subjects) and 'Servo' (for moving subjects).

In general, Canon EOS M is a small camera, externally, and in terms of ease of use, very similar to modern digital point-and-shoot cameras. Even the silvery sticker with the basic capabilities of the camera is very similar to those of a soap dish (similar stickers are glued to laptop cases, which annoys me pretty much). The camera battery can hold about 200 photos on a single charge (this is very small compared to SLR cameras). I also liked the strap that can be quickly attached and removed from the camera straps. The strap has small clips for quick clamping on the camera.

Canon Speedlite 90EX

The Canon Speedlite 90EX is a small, 50-gram external flash for Canon cameras. It's suitable not only for mirrorless cameras like the Canon EOS M, but also for DSLRs in the Canon EOS series, such as the Canon EOS 5D (which doesn't have a built-in flash).

The flash is not particularly powerful, with a guide number of 9 meters. It uses 2 AAA batteries for power supply. The battery compartment cover is quite reliable, the flash itself is made in Taiwan, the shoe mount is made of plastic. I liked the small and quick flash latch in the camera's hot shoe, but the flash itself is pretty poor.

The Canon Speedlite 90EX has a fixed zoom of 24mm. To turn on / off, the 'ON / OFF' button is used, which should be held down for half a second to turn it on. To turn off the flash, simply press the same button once. The flash has a diode indicator, which is responsible for the flash readiness for operation. If the flash is charged, it glows orange (in the photo, the indicator is under the lightning symbol).

In the camera menu, you can set the flash mode:

• ETTL - automatic operating mode.
• М - manual operation mode, for which the power can be set from 1/1 (full) to 1/64.
• Wireless Management: Optical (indicated by a lightning bolt). The Canon Speedlite 90EX can be made to control other Canon external flash units. In the camera menu, you can select the channel and group of flashes.

Canon Speedlite 90EX does not support high speed sync.

When using the Canon EOS M, the flash may automatically turn off when the camera is turned off.

The flash always turns off when the camera turns off automatically ('Camera auto off' function) even if the 'C.Fn. settings' option is selected. Flash Auto Off - Disabled. '

The flash does not turn off automatically when the camera is turned off only if the camera is turned off manually and the 'Settings C.Fn. Flash Auto Off - Disabled. '

There are no problems with the flash, the only thing that catches your eye is the long recharge time. I used the flash with two pairs of batteries, which took 5-6 seconds to recharge when shooting at full power :(.

Canon mount adapter EF-EOS M

The Canon mount adapter EF-EOS M is used to attach Canon EF and Canon EF-S mount lenses to Canon EF-M mount cameras. So far, I only know of two such cameras - the Canon EOS M and Canon EOS M2.

The adapter has a removable tripod foot. The foot is fixed with a special wide screw clamp. If you remove the foot, the hole that remains of it resembles a tripod socket, but its thread is slightly narrower.

The adapter is made of metal. There is a lens undock button on the case. The adapter is released in Taiwan. In the hands it feels like a solid and reliable thing.

On the case there are marks for docking the lens with the adapter and the adapter with the camera.

With the adapter, automatic focusing is maintained with EF and EF-S lenses, and the correct EXIF ​​values ​​are recorded for the photos.

In the middle, the adapter is made in the form of a tapering stepped shaft, which avoids unnecessary glare and re-reflection of the rays. By the way, this adapter design confirms that the Canon EF-M mount will not expand under full-format lenses :(,

Canon Lens EF-M 22mm 1: 2 STM

The Canon Lens EF-M 22mm 1:2 STM is a very small and attractive pancake lens. Despite its size (weighing only 105 grams), the lens boasts a large maximum aperture of f/2.0. Furthermore, it uses tiny 43mm filters. At first glance, it even seems like filters weren't designed for this lens.

The lens uses a new focusing technology called STM ( Stepper Motor). STM was designed to improve focusing quality when shooting video, with particular emphasis on focusing smoothness. Focusing is indeed smooth and fast, but when focusing (both manual and automatic), the lens produces noise, reminiscent of a transformer hum. Similar noise can be observed in the Canon Lens EF 40mm 1:2.8 STM pancake lens . The noise only disappears when turning the focusing ring very, very slowly.

The Canon Lens EF-M 22mm 1:2 STM uses an electronic focusing ring. The ring is quite comfortable, but its serrated projections are not rubberized. There is no focus mode switch on the lens; to switch to manual focus mode, you must use the camera menu. In manual focus mode, you need to rotate the ring 360 degrees to move the lens from infinity to MFD. The focusing ring rotates in either direction without limitation. There is a Full-Time Manual Focusing (FTM) mode, but it only works when AF+MF mode is selected on the camera and only after the camera has focused. During focusing, the front element does not rotate ; the barrel only extends. The minimum focusing distance is only 15 cm, and the maximum magnification is 1:4.8.

The lens is well assembled (despite being manufactured in Taiwan), with a metal mount. There is only a mark on the lens for connecting to the camera. There are no grooves for the hood, it needs to be screwed in instead of or on top of the filter. The lens hood is not included.

The aperture consists of seven rounded blades and closes down to f/22. At closed apertures, the aperture nuts are still visible in the out-of-focus area ( example at f/4 ).

Feature: The lens undergoes initialization when turning on and off, when closing the battery compartment cover (even if the memory card was removed without the battery), and when attaching to the camera. When turned on, the lens extends its barrel, focusing at a distance of several meters. When turned off, the lens retracts, but you can see that the barrel retracts much further into the lens barrel than when focusing at infinity. This indicates that the lens has a special "parking" feature that allows it to be compacted during transportation. It's a bit annoying that when the camera is off, pressing the photo playback button also initializes the lens.

The optical scheme of the lens consists of 7 elements in 6 groups, one element is aspherical.

The lens is quite sharp at f/2.0, even at the edges of the frame. It offers good contrast and low distortion. Chromatic aberrations are present, but to be expected. It can exhibit flare in backlit situations ( example ). Overall, it's a nice little lens for a wide range of tasks. The equivalent focal length is 35mm, which is somewhere between a wide-angle and standard lens. You can shoot almost anything with this lens :).

Here's a link to the archive with the originals —367 MB, 17 photos in .CR2 ( RAW ) format from a Canon EOS M camera (and another archive with night photos ). A Marumi 43mm MC-UV protective filter , made in Japan, was used during the shooting.

Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6 IS STM

The Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS STM is a standard kit lens for Canon cameras with the EF-M mount and offers a 3x zoom. Its equivalent focal length is 29-88mm, making it suitable for most basic photography tasks. Weighing just 210 grams, it uses small 52mm filters, has a minimum focusing distance of 25cm, and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4 (which is excellent for photographing small objects).

For focusing, the STM-motor (STepper Motor) is used - a stepper focusing motor that allows you to perform smooth, quiet and fast focusing.

The lens uses internal focusing. The focusing ring is electronic, without direct connection with the mechanical part. The focusing ring is made of plastic, with non-rubberized toothed inserts. The focus ring remains fixed during autofocus. In manual focusing mode, the ring very smoothly changes the focusing distance, to move the lens from infinity to MDF, you need to rotate it 180 degrees. The focusing ring can be rotated in any direction without restrictions. There is also a constant manual focus control (the so-called FTM mode - Full Time Manual Focusing), but the trouble is, it only works if the AF + MF mode is selected on the camera and only after the camera has focused (this is indicated in the instructions, when Canon still refers to this mode as 'Full Time' when it is not 'Full Time' at all).

The lens has only focal length marks, a bayonet mount mark and a small red mark for attaching the hood. Also on the case you can find information about MDF in meters and feet, international certificates and a serial number. From the side of the bayonet, the place of manufacture is indicated - 'Made in Taiwan'.

The lens comes with a Canon EW-54 plastic bayonet lens hood, which can be mounted back and forth for transportation. The lens hood snaps tight enough, I was even afraid to damage the trunk of the lens when installing it.

Unlike many 18-55mm/3.5-5.6mm lenses, the Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS STM doesn't move in a wave-like motion, but simply extends smoothly from minimum to maximum focal length. It feels like it's made of metal. Incidentally, the lens's bayonet mount is definitely metal, which is surprising, considering the Canon EF-M 18-55mm/3.5-5.6 IS STM is designed for compact cameras, where they strive to make lenses as lightweight as possible by replacing metal with plastic. Even the mount of the Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS STM DSLR is made of plastic.

The aperture consists of 7 blades and closes to F / 22 @ 18mm and F / 36 @ 55mm. On closed diaphragms, the petals form a smooth hole, which is good for the blur zone.

The lens doesn't have a focus mode switch or a stabilization system switch. Focus mode and stabilization are controlled through the camera's menu system. The stabilization works well, claiming to compensate for 4 stops of shutter speed.

Canon EF-M 18-55 / 3.5-5.6 IS STM is the most simplified lens for a simplified camera :).

The optical scheme of the lens consists of 13 elements in 11 groups, 3 elements are aspherical (well, at least they did not save on this).

Canon EF-M 18-55 / 3.5-5.6 IS STM holds back light well, only if you drive a very bright object, for example, the sun, into the frame, you can get glare. At 18 mm, there is quite a lot of distortion. Lens is not automatically corrected on the Canon EOS M. The lens suffers from slight chromatic aberrations. Like most similar lenses, it is not the sharpest at open apertures, but the contrast is okay. In general, the Canon EF-M 18-55 / 3.5-5.6 IS STM is a good kit lens, but it's still a long way from a good one.

Here's a link to the archive with the originals —653 MB, 28 photos in .CR2 ( RAW ) format from a Canon EOS M camera . A Hoya HMC UV(c) 52mm protective filter was used during shooting .

Prices can be found on AMAZON.

Personal experience

I confess, I wasn't particularly impressed with either the lenses or the camera as a whole. Everything is too stripped down, and fiddling around with the menu to enable even the most basic functions is frustrating. The camera itself isn't particularly responsive. The lenses' FTM mode is downright clunky. Add to that the less-than-stellar focusing—I wouldn't bother even looking at this camera. However, considering this camera was apparently designed for casual photographers, not professional photographers, it's certainly worth its salt, and it's capable of producing high-quality photos.

This material was prepared by Arkady Shapoval . The greatest support for the site is if you use links on this site, such as Amazon , when purchasing anything . It costs you nothing, but for this site, and therefore for my family, it's the main source of support.