Review on 📷 Canon EOS M Compact System Camera (Black) – Body Only: Ultimate Imaging Innovation by Jason Cavett

I'm writing this review from the point of view of an enthusiast who wanted to switch from compact cameras (Canon G series for serious shooting and Canon ELPH for pocket convenience) to something with more matrix and the best lenses . I started my research totally convinced of the possibility of upgrading to a DSLR (preferably a 60D); However, I chose the EOS M for a number of reasons: 1) Most of my photos were taken while camping/hiking. I just couldn't get over having to lug around such a heavy and large camera in my backpack just to take better quality photos. to really bring the price down to the point where it's now (August 2013) almost $300 less than the Canon EOS Rebel T3i (with 18-55mm lens) and about $500 less than that 60D With that said, you now know how I approach this review. So here's my take on the pros and cons after about 200 test shots in various conditions: POSITIVE +------------ --- --1) Image quality is much better than my existing soap dishes. That's enough to make me happy. 2) The lens and body feel solid and are mostly metal. The kit lenses with Rebels appear to be a lot cheaper (plastic) than the EF-M 18-55mm that accompanies the EOS M. 3) The touch screen is nice. Using the touchscreen seems quicker than navigating menus with buttons/dial - probably because you can navigate to items without pressing the arrow/dial keys until you get to the item you want to select. 4) EXCELLENT IMAGE QUALITY - worth repeating, because that's all that matters. ========================================== CONS ---- - -- ------------ 1) Very poor battery life. I couldn't believe how fast I could drain the battery. Of course, the battery drained quicker than usual this time because I'd spent so much time navigating menus and testing things, but it was still very disappointing despite having made this purchase and knowing the problem was in the short battery life. 2) I feel the camera is awkward to hold with an 18-55mm lens. (I haven't tried the 22mm lens.) I feel like I could very easily drop it if my left hand doesn't get under the lens to support the weight. It looks a bit heavy at the front. And with so many touchscreen actions, sometimes there's no choice but to use your left hand for some of them. 3) The lack of physical buttons is a bit annoying. The LCD is pretty basic, but I like being able to change some settings very quickly, sometimes without even looking at the LCD screen. Physical buttons are the only way to do this with acceptable success. I prefer options like the main recording modes (P, Tv, Av, etc.) and the metering method (spot, center-weighted, evaluative, etc.) which can be accessed via the physical buttons/dial. 4) Different strap The connection seems a good one Idea to be, except the tiny piece that attaches the strap to the camera is plastic! I'm sure this will work fine, but it doesn't inspire confidence. I always keep one hand on the camera just in case.================================== One more few notes: *From my point of view, the speed and accuracy of the autofocus is okay. It's at least as fast as the point-and-shoot cameras I'm upgrading from. (My EOS M came with firmware 2.0.2.) *I would have liked the experience of using a proper optical pentaprism viewfinder like that on the Canon EOS 60D, but I've spent the last decade using the LCD. only screens, so the lack of a viewfinder doesn't bother me. * I like Canon's movable LCDs. The fact that this camera didn't have one was almost decisive for me. I like to take a lot of shots from below eye level. I guess I gotta get on my knees now. boo * It would be nice to even have an awful built-in flash. I don't use the flash very often as I usually shoot landscapes, but from time to time I'll shoot a beautiful sunset with maybe flowers or other foliage in the foreground that could use the burst of light to make the shot special. Maybe one day I'll be able to pick up a used flash and attach it.* Why doesn't Canon install intervalometer software on their cameras for time-lapse photography? Seems such an easy app to activate (and in fact it can be added to some non-EOS Canon cameras with free hack software). It's all about the lens and the sensor and therefore the image quality. It's a small, simple (and now relatively inexpensive) way to dramatically improve image quality without having to lug around a camera that, frankly, wouldn't even fit in my backpack. I think the Canon EOS M is an (almost) perfect option for enthusiasts transitioning from a point-and-shoot compact camera and prefer compactness to DSLR-level physical performance.