Canon launch EOS-M camera today

[SmartWombat]

I wonder if the embargo is lifted in the USA on this yet?
Ah well, you can get information from my Canon Pro dealer here

The Canon EOS M Mirrorless Camera | Wex Photographic

This is not the Canon I am looking for, not quite.
But the price of that EOS EF - EF-M converter looks good.
Better than $500 for a redrock EF to micro four thirds converter.
I'll wait for the lens lineup to be announced before I make my mind up, but this raises the stakes for the micro four thirds lineup.

Unless this and the Nikon 1 turns into the APS of the digital world, and don't compete well with micro four thirds.

[SmartWombat]

And this is a smaller, lighter, mirrorless Canon EOS 650D without a viewfinder for more than a 650D.
An Olympus OM-D is less than that over the cost of a 650D, and you get a more versatile kit lens, EVF, 9-10fps, articulating touch screen, and the option of a portrait mode battery grip. Perhaps faster AF than the Canon too.

How long will that tiny little battery last powering a 300 f/2.8 L IS ?
It would be a laugh to try

[Franglais]

No optional electronic viewfinder either. It does seem rather half-hearted. But I bet they'll sell lots of them as it's Canon.

I've been keeping an eye open for CSC's in the tourist spots in Berlin. The only people who seem to be carrying them are the Japanese.

[poker]

I'm excited. I care not for the EVF. I'm the only one in the family that still use the VF. In the world of camera phones, everyone I know understands how to use a camera without a VF. I'm really happy that Canon went with the APS-C instead of the G1 X sensor. As a consumer, I'll know I'm not making any sacrifices as far as the sensor goes.

I'm not happy about not having a flash. I don't want my wife having to worry about carrying a flash and then making sure it's on.......then making sure there are batteries......making sure there is space for a flash in her purse. I'm sure the next version will have a flash. Do I dare wait for the next version?

I'm also glad they'ce come out with an adapter for the other lenses. This will truly appeal to those with Canon lenses in hand.

[SmartWombat]

Well Charles the E-P1 didn't have optional EVF either and Olympus sold plenty of them.
I'm not sure it will need a flash, as a Canon system camera my G9 worked well with off shoe cord and 480 flash - I don't think I ever used the internal flash. I expect that's how they see the EOS-M too, part of the system.

Unless it's actually dark, so far I've found the ISO expansion on the OM-D to allow me to work without flash in most circumstances. Once the sun's down though, then I need a flash just like any other camera.

I just looked at the weight of my two go-to lenses: 24-70 2lb, 70-200 3.25lb
Using those with the EOS-M or the OM-D with adapters is just going to be too heavy.

[Photo-John]

Thanks for posting this, Paul. Canon didn't give me the info for this until it was announced and I was at a bike event all day yesterday so I didn't see it until this morning. Right now I'm just soaking it all up and getting ready to write my own announcement and analysis. Right off the bat, I'm disappointed that they decided to use an APS-C sensor instead of the G1 X sensor. I've used both the Sony NEX and the Micro Four Thirds cameras and I keep coming back to the Micro Four Thirds format because the smaller sensor means smaller lenses and an overall smaller and lighter kit. For me, if I'm going to have APS-C lenses, I'd rather just use my digital SLR.

[Photo-John]

I've been looking at specs and measuring stuff and I am actually impressed with the size of the Canon EOS-M and lenses. I expected everything to be a bit bigger because of the APS-C sensor. The Sony NEX lenses are way bigger that I want in a compact system camera. But the Canon EOS M body is almost exactly the same size as the Olympus E-PL3, a very small camera. And in spite of the larger sensor and IS in the optics, the new Canon EF-M 18-55mm IS kit lens appears to be about the same size as the Olympus Micro Four Thirds kit lens. I'll have to get it in my hands to really get a feel for it and I also want to see some more EF-M lenses. But it looks like a better start than I initially thought when I saw that it had an APS-C sensor. On the other hand, they could have made everything smaller if they'd used the G1 X sensor...

[Franglais]

I checked out the "Best Digital Camera Sales" on Amazon to see how things were shaping:

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-E...nav_e_2_502394

The EOS-M has leaped in at number 3 position (this morning). The next CSC camera in the rating is at position 75. The other CSC cameras certainly aren't giving DSLR's a hard time right now. Even the D800 and Canon 5D Mk3 are selling better (on Amazon).

Big surprise to me is that first place on the Amazon list is taken by the Sony RX100 - same size and features as the Canon S100 compact with a sensor that is almost as big as micro 4/3. I handled one of these already and I was quite tempted by it.

[SmartWombat]

Interesting things form the Canon specification.

"Besides the dedicated EF-M lenses, the camera is compatible with the entire family of Canon EF and EF-S lenses by attaching the optional Mount Adapter EF-EOS M. When the adapter is used, the image quality of the lens is preserved, with no light loss or change to image stabilization."

So the tiny little camera battery can power the IS unit and focus by wire and the iris unit.
That's quite a power demand for a compact camera I think.
Better have spare batteries readily available!


"Its CMOS sensor has center-mounted pixels that are used for phase-difference AF."

So the performance of the AI Servo mode might be good enough on the centre AF point to track a MTB ? You've got to test that, John.
I'll happily take one and the EF adapter and review it with my 70-200 for motorsport


"With Multi Shot Noise Reduction activated, the camera takes four consecutive shots, merges and aligns them. This eliminates more noise than the traditional Noise Reduction filter, with little or no apparent resolution loss.
Moving subjects are even optimized to minimize subject blur!"

Got to try that, beats stacking and registering by hand. I wonder if you can do that and save as a RAW file, or if it only works in JPG mode ?
Although I'm not so happy about removing motion blur as a side effect, what if I wanted motion blur and NR?


"The EOS M Digital Camera uses popular SD, SDHC, SDXC and is even compatible with the newest Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) memory cards."

So like the OM-D it's going to have good burst clearance rates from the buffer, and fast write times.
Something to check John, does a UHS-I card really make a difference?

Oh and it's compatible with Eye-Fi cards, so with Photosmith you may be able to shoot to the iPad, tag, sort, and 1st pass cull, then pass on from the iPad to your Lightroom library. Interesting field workflow, John.


"Autofocus
Type TTL-CT-SIR AF-dedicated CMOS sensor
AF Points 31 points (maximum)"

This is interesting, as it says it's dedicated, but earlier implied that the AF was integrated in the imaging sensor. And the AF points are fixed not adjustable as with CDAF on the Panasonic GH-1.


"Focusing Modes
With Canon EF-M Lenses: "

Oh really, no mention of focus modes with the EF-M to EF adapter and EF or EF-S lenses.
Does that mean it's different with the adapter? Better check that too, see if there are any gotchas, John.

You're going to be busy

[Photo-John]

Took me a couple of days to get this one done. Really bummed that Canon didn't give the the info ahead of time. They usually do and it makes a big difference for me. In any case, my biggest concern is the size of the sensor. Yes, APS-C will deliver better image quality. But mirrorless cameras are a compromise for size and weight so I think going smaller would have been better. I think the 1.5-inch G1 X sensor would have been perfect for this camera. Now I'm worried the system size will be too big once they introduce more lenses. As for the EOS adapter - I don't care. I want smaller so why would I put my 70-200mm f/2.8 on the EOS M? That doesn't make any sense. Here's the article:

The New Canon EOS M Compact System Camera – A Mini T4i / 650D | Camera News & Reviews

The specs do look really good and I think I might like the touch screen. If they can keep the lenses smaller than Sony's then maybe I'll be interested. However, so far I've found that Olympus has struck the perfect balance between size and performance with their Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Post some comments on the article page, please! Let's get some discussion going there, too

[Photo-John]

Giving this post a bump. Any Canon owners planning to buy the EOS M? It seems to me that Canon owners have been pretty quiet about the EOS M. Are you guys not excited about it or is it just that no one is talking about it?

[SmartWombat]

Not excited.

I'm more excited by the Kipon micro 4/3 to EOS adapter.
Imagine the EF 300mm f/2.8 on the OM-D E-M5 !
No need to go out and buy Olympus prime lenses.

Oh yeah and I handheld a Bigma at 500mm and the E-M5 IBIS nailed it.
Not interested in this incarnation of the EOS-M series.