Canon EOS M - Test

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Good Thing in a Small Package

I have here something of an oddity. It takes many design cues from a full sized DSLR and yet is about the size of a compact. It weighs about as much as one of the popular mirrorless cameras, but, by all accounts, it definitely isn’t one. After having some trouble parsing the existence of the Canon EOS M, I just decided to go with it and see what happens.

WHAT A A A BODY
I am reminded of a brick. Not by the shape, but the heft and build quality. There’s quite a bit of weight on this, which is great for stability while taking shots. None of that plastic-ky material that occasionally tries to pass as premium quality exists on the EOS M. One can imagine holding a miniaturised version of a professional camera, which this effectively is. There is a certain amount of modern elegance to the design. I personally like it. But that could be because it’s heavy for a change. Like you are getting your money’s worth in terms of camera.



PRICE WORTHY
When actually taking pictures you will be pleasantly surprised. The EOS M is similar to the 650D, although a little smaller. Our review unit only showed up with the 22mm lens, which limited the shooting options of the camera. On the other hand, it did come packed with the adapter. Bear in mind that fitting full-sized lenses onto this fella’ will horribly unbalance the entire setup. Thus, while it can be done, it shouldn’t.

VERY SIMPLE
There is a sense of simplicity around the EOS M; so many dials and buttons are missing. Even for a mirrorless. Therein lies the error in the design. Canon has made what is effectively the best camera in the smallest package that they can manage. And they succeeded in doing so as the sensor and body combination is top notch. However, its designers moved most of the physical controls into the electronic menus. Which is fine if you have time to set up but a pain to dig through while everyone is having fun around you. Design concepts are good, but losing some functionality to fit the form is not always the way to go. Still, it does take some very nice pictures.

CANON EOS M

Dimensions (HxWxD) 108.6 x 66.5 x 32.3 mm

Weight 262g (body only)

Sensor 18MP CMOS

Media SD, SDHC, SDXC memory card

Autofocus Hybrid CMOS AF

Shutter speed X-sync at 1/200 seconds

VERDICT Great camera, let down by simplified controls.