There is nothing special noticed at the bottom - a compartment for the battery and memory card, as well as a standard thread for mounting on a tripod. If you use a tripod with a docking pad, it blocks the lid and prevents you from quickly changing the memory card. This is a very popular disease compact cameras and mirrorless cameras. However, again, the positioning of the EOS M does not allow us to classify this as a serious ergonomic flaw.

Screen and interface

As you can see, Canon abandoned most of the controls in favor of a touchscreen interface. Potential buyers should get used to this. The display itself deserves all the praise. This is a three-inch TFT matrix with a resolution of 1,040,000 dots, high touch sensitivity and even multitouch support. The same screen, by the way, was used in the Canon EOS 650D. True, there it had a rotating design.

The space between the sensor and the protective glass is still filled with clear rubber to minimize glare. Viewing angles are close to 180 degrees, which means you can forgive the screen for its fixed design.

Navigation through the menu is organized using buttons and a navigation dial. It's very similar to the EOS 650D's menus, and those familiar with Canon DSLRs should find the camera fairly easy to master.

Functionality

The Canon EOS M inherits the 18-megapixel CMOS sensor from its older relative, the EOS 650D DSLR. The matrix is ​​notable for the fact that it has points for both contrast and phase focusing. A DSLR, of course, has a full-fledged phase focusing system, and the EOS M uses a hybrid contrast-phase focusing method. The sensor's sensitivity range, as with the EOS 650D, is ISO 100–12800, expandable to ISO 25600 in photo mode. By the way, the noise is very moderate. One of the best performance among mirrorless cameras. Below we take a look at the test shots.

The second element, borrowed from its mirror counterparts, was the DIGIC 5 processor. According to the developers, the performance of the chip has increased 5 times compared to the previous DIGIC 4. The sensor-processor combination offers the user a fairly good rate of fire: 4.3 frames in full resolution are produced per second with the camera turned off. focusing with a buffer depth of 17 JPEG or 6 RAW images.

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

So far there are only 2 cameras with the EF-M mount: Canon EOS M (from this review) and Canon EOS M2, introduced in the fall of 2013.

Like most mirrorless cameras, the Canon EOS M is interesting for its large APS-C format sensor, which allows you to create good image quality, no worse than modern DSLR cameras. Roughly speaking, the camera uses a sensor taken from a SLR camera, and later used in Canon EOS. The camera creates pictures with a maximum size of 5184 × 3456 (18 MP).

The image quality is very similar to what can be achieved with DSLR cameras and .

Maximum speed burst shooting is 4.3 frames per second, the continuous shooting speed drops seriously with different auto focus settings. The camera is small; on average, 4-5 RAW images and about 12 JPEG images fit into the buffer. If you use additional functions, which allow you to correct lens deficiencies and improve image quality, then sags greatly when shooting in JPEG. The camera can automatically correct vignetting and color aberrations of the lens.

The camera shutter is mechanical, although with only one curtain. An electronic first curtain is used during shooting. When shooting, you can feel a slight shutter lag. The shutter, compared to many other cameras, is very quiet :). If you allow the shutter release without a lens in the menu, then you can use any manual optics with the camera, for which there is an adapter for the Canon EOS-M mount. For precise focusing, you can zoom in on the selected area of ​​the image. With manual lenses, metering and shooting in aperture priority mode are available.

The camera is very well assembled, the body is made of a metal alloy. The camera, including the battery, weighs 300 grams and feels like a well-made device in your hands.

I would say that the basis of the camera is a 3-inch display with 1,040,000 dots. Both models have a similar display (the latter also have a rotating display). Almost all control occurs via the display. The display is touchscreen with multi-touch support. There are very few controls on the camera itself and everything, even the most basic settings, is easiest to set using the display. The control joystick is very tiny and is not always convenient to use. The joystick ring rotates in a circle, and you can quickly access some important functions using the joystick while shooting.

On the one hand, controlling the camera via the touch display is a godsend for novice users who can easily switch from a touch-controlled mobile phone to a touch-controlled camera. But to me, accustomed to quick access using dedicated controls, adjusting the camera using the sensor seemed extremely slow and inconvenient (especially in cold weather, when the sensor does not accept control with gloves). If we abstract ourselves 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 come to the world digital photography, should be very happy with it :).

Canon EOS M can shoot video with maximum quality Full HD 1920*1080 30p with stereo sound. You can choose different combinations of frame size and quality. Video mode is selected by the main command dial on the top of the camera. There are two options available for video mode - 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 type of picture style mode, etc.

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

Canon EOS M with two adapters and lens

The camera uses Hybrid AF phase focusing (exactly the same as in Live View mode). Autofocus speed is the main problem with this camera. The camera focuses noticeably slower than other mirrorless cameras, very often makes mistakes in focusing, and sometimes cannot focus on the selected object at all, even if focusing is selected using one specific zone. It tracks objects in motion very poorly. I can’t say that focusing is completely helpless, but I would like its performance to be better. And this is when using native lenses, with an EF-M mount and an STM focusing motor!

In general, the Canon EOS M is a small camera, in appearance, and in terms of ease of use, very similar to modern digital point-and-shoot cameras. Even the silver sticker with the main camera capabilities is very similar to those on point-and-shoot cameras (similar stickers are also placed on laptop cases, which quite annoys me). The camera battery can handle about 200 photos on a single charge (compared to DSLR cameras, this is very little). I also liked the strap, which can be quickly attached and removed from the camera straps. The strap has small clips for quickly securing it to the camera.

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

Tiny front element of the Canon Lens EF-M 22mm 1:2 STM

Canon Lens EF-M 22mm 1:2 STM is a very small and cutest pancake lens. Despite its size (it weighs only 105 grams), the lens has a large maximum aperture of F/2.0. And on top of everything else, it uses tiny filters with a diameter of 43 mm. At first it even seems that the filters are not intended for this lens at all.

The lens uses new focusing technology STM - ST epper M otor - stepper motor or focusing stepper motor. STM was supposed to improve focusing quality when shooting video, paying special attention to smooth focusing. Focusing is really smooth and fast, but when focusing (both manual and automatic), the lens is noisy, the nature of the noise resembles the hum of a transformer. Similar noise can be observed with a mirror pancake lens. The noise only disappears if you rotate the focus ring very, very slowly.

The Canon Lens EF-M 22mm 1:2 STM uses an electronic focus ring. The ring is quite comfortable, but its jagged ridges are not rubberized. There is no focus mode switch on the lens; to switch to manual focus mode, you need to use the camera menu. In manual focusing mode, to move the lens from focusing to infinity to MDF, you need to rotate the ring 360 degrees. The focus ring rotates in any direction without restrictions. There is an FTM mode - Full Time Manual Focusing (constant manual focusing), although it only works if the AF+MF mode is selected on the camera and only after the camera has focused. During focusing, the front lens doesn't rotate, only the trunk lengthens. The minimum focusing distance is only 15 cm, and the maximum magnification ratio is 1:4.8.

The lens is well assembled (despite the fact that it was made 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 lens hood; it needs to be screwed in instead of or on top of the filter. The lens hood is not included.

The diaphragm consists of seven rounded blades and closes to F/22. On covered apertures, nuts () can still be seen in the blur zone.

Peculiarity: When you turn it on and off, when you close the battery compartment cover (even if you just removed the memory card without a battery), and when you attach it to the camera, the lens undergoes initialization. When turned on, the lens sticks out its trunk, focusing a few meters away. When turned off, the lens hides its trunk, and it is clear that the trunk goes into the lens body much deeper than when focusing at infinity. This means that the lens has a special ‘parking’ trunk, which allows you to reduce its size during transportation. It’s a little annoying that when the camera is turned off, if you press the image view button, the lens will also initialize.

The optical design 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. Gives good contrast, weak distortion, present, but quite expected. In backlight it can catch glare (). In general, it turned out to be a nice ‘baby’ for a wide range of tasks. The EGF of the lens is 35 mm, which, in turn, is something between a wide-angle and a standard lens. With this lens you can shoot almost anything :).

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

The optical design of the lens consists of 13 elements in 11 groups, 3 elements are aspherical (good, at least they didn’t save on this).

The Canon EF-M 18-55/3.5-5.6 IS STM handles backlight well, but if you put a very bright object in the frame, for example the sun, you can get glare. At 18 mm, quite strong distortion is noticeable. On the Canon EOS M camera, distortion is not automatically corrected. The lens suffers from slight chromatic aberrations. Like most similar lenses, it’s not the sharpest at open apertures, but the contrast is okay. Overall, the Canon EF-M 18-55/3.5-5.6 IS STM is a good kit lens, but it’s still far from good.

In comments Can I ask you a question on the topic and to you they will definitely answer, and you can also express your opinion or describe your experience. For selecting photographic equipment, I recommend large catalogs, for example E-catalog. A lot of little things for photos can be found on Aliexpress.
Personal experience

I confess that while working I did not feel any delight from either of the lenses or from the camera as a whole. Everything is too stripped down; poking around in the menu to enable a basic function is infuriating. The camera itself does not respond very quickly to controls. For lenses, the FTM mode does not work at all. Adding here not the most successful focusing - I would not look at this camera at all :(. But considering that this camera was apparently created not for photographers, but for ordinary amateur photographers, it has the right to life, and you can get the most out of it high quality photos.

Publication date: 15.05.2018

Getting to know the EOS M50

What is an advanced camera today? High-resolution full-frame sensor, ultra-fast burst shooting speed, long battery life, and a used-car price tag? Not always.

A rotating screen with touch controls so familiar to us, video recording in 4K format, compactness, the ability to process pictures directly in the camera and transfer them via Wi-Fi to a printer, smartphone or tablet? But this is probably it. We live in an age of technology, and it is they that determine the popularity of a particular product, and whether it will become a bestseller or go unnoticed among its peers.

The Canon EOS M50 camera, which will be discussed in our large review, has everything necessary to confidently be called a modern camera. It is compact and has a set of characteristics that will satisfy the wide needs of both the modern photographer and video blogger. But let's talk about everything in order.

Key Features and Features

The Canon EOS M50 is a logical continuation of the M line models with indexes 5, 6 and 100. The only exception is that the M50 is the first Canon mirrorless camera to record video in 4K format. Note that this is an entry-level camera, unlike the flagship M5. But that's not all that the new camera can stand out from its brothers and sisters. Here, perhaps, the rule of aggregate applies. The company's engineers tried to take all the best from previous models and combine them together, but in such a way as not to make the camera too expensive and bulky. And they succeeded.

If we talk about others key features Canon EOS M50, then they are as follows: APS-C format image sensor with a resolution of 24.1 MP, new DIGIC 8 processor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF focusing technology, from 99 to 143 autofocus points, continuous shooting speed up to 10 fps, built-in electronic viewfinder, 3-inch touch screen with a rotating mechanism, RAW image processing in the camera, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth modules, printing images directly from the camera, weight only 390 grams and a polycarbonate body. Not bad for an entry-level camera costing under $1000, would you agree?

Let's take a closer look at technical specifications and after that we move on to design, ergonomics and controls. In the end, we choose a camera based on its capabilities.

The Canon EOS M50 has a CMOS image sensor with a resolution of 24.1 megapixels and a physical size of 22.3x14.9 mm - the already familiar APS-C format. It has a built-in dust removal system.

Canon EOS M50 / EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM SETTINGS: ISO 100, F6.3, 1 s, 74.0 mm equiv.

Thanks to the new DIGIC 8 processor, continuous shooting speed reaches 10 fps with constant focus and 7 fps with auto for each frame. Impressive results even for advanced cameras. The second, and perhaps the most important advantage of the new processor is support for video shooting in 4K format. But there are some peculiarities here, which we will discuss in detail in the appropriate section.

In addition to all this, the Canon EOS M50 implements Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology for autofocus, which works on the phase principle. Each pixel of the image sensor consists of two separate LEDs, from which information about the recorded image is separately read, allowing phase shifts to be calculated.

Canon EOS M50 / EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F6.3, 1/200 s, 100.0 mm equiv.

The number of focus areas, which cover 80% of the frame area, has been increased to 99 (from 49 points in previous generations of EOS M cameras). When using certain lenses, in particular the EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM, EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM and EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM, the number of autofocus areas increases up to 143, and the frame area coverage becomes 80% in width and 100% in height.

Add to this the ability to connect an external microphone to record high-quality sound in the process of preparing vlogs, the ability to process images in the camera and send them directly from the camera to print or to a computer/smartphone/tablet directly during the shooting process and you will get a camera for the widest range of tasks of a modern photographer and a videographer.

The Canon EOS M50 shoots in both JPEG and RAW formats. It introduces the new 14-bit RAW format, CR3, for the first time for EOS M cameras. It includes new algorithm compression of RAW files - C-RAW, which replaces M-RAW and S-RAW, while the file resolution remains maximum and its size is reduced by 30-40%.

The Canon EOS M50 is powered by an LP-E12 lithium-ion battery. It is always enough to shoot the stated 235 frames (according to the passport) or more; during active shooting, it takes 2-3 hours. If you switch the camera to economy mode, you can gain about another hour of work or 150-200 frames. Unfortunately, recharging the camera via USB is not provided. The kit includes a mains charger for the battery.

Design, ergonomics, control

The Canon EOS M50 body is made of polycarbonate, which directly affects its low weight (390 g). The camera is also quite compact: 116.3x88.1x58.7 mm. With lenses like the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM or EF-M 22mm f/2 STM, it can fit in a jacket pocket and stay there all day without making too much of a statement.

Design is a subjective thing, but according to the site's editors, the Canon EOS M50 looks bright and modern. The manufacturer offers the camera in two colors: traditional black and eye-catching white with gray accents, which, you see, is not very common. We tested a light sample.

Notice how the controls fit seamlessly into the design. The camera, especially when paired with silver versions of the lenses, should really appeal to fans of the well-known space saga.

As you continue to examine the camera, you notice the built-in viewfinder and touch screen with a rotating mechanism. Once again, I repeat that the Canon EOS M50 is an entry-level mirrorless camera, and these attributes can be classified as entry-level with a stretch. Well, thanks Canon.

The viewfinder here is electronic, with a resolution of 2.36 megapixels. The picture in it looks alive and rich. In addition to the directly photographed image, you can display the entire necessary information: shutter speed, aperture, white balance, ISO, focus mode, continuous or single-frame shooting, shooting mode, number of frames, grid, histogram, electronic level, etc.

There is a diopter correction of the image, useful for people with less than 100% vision. The corresponding regulator is located under the viewfinder itself on the camera body. The viewfinder is comfortable to work with; it does not strob and shows live picture without noticeable delays.

The 3-inch diagonal LCD screen is capacitive type, with a resolution of 1.04 megapixels, and has 7-level brightness adjustment. The fact that it is touch-sensitive and has a rotating mechanism will allow you to shoot a variety of scenes, including selfies, while choosing the focus point by simply tapping the screen.

Canon EOS M50 / Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM SETTINGS: ISO 250, F4, 1/60 sec, 11.0 mm equiv.

Separately, I note that the screen can be turned to face the body and thereby protect it during carrying or transportation. A nice plus to the camera’s bonus collection.

The battery and memory card compartment is located at the bottom. Nearby is a threaded tripod socket. It is located exactly in the center of the bottom panel (on the optical axis of the lens), and when installing a tripod platform, access to the battery and memory card will be blocked.

The grip handle is comfortable for such a compact body. It is inherited from the Canon EOS M5. The camera feels comfortable in the hand, especially with lenses like the Canon EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM. Due to the size of such a lens, an additional grip appears and the stability of the camera in the hands increases. However, when shooting with lenses with a built-in stabilization system, this is not so important.

There are not many controls on the body, but all the main ones are present and located where they should be. The shooting mode dial is combined with a trigger to turn the camera on and off. Nearby are a quick video recording button and a programmable M-Fn button. The shutter button is framed by a control dial, which assumes various functions depending on the shooting mode, for example, selecting the aperture value or shutter speed.

On the right side of the case there is a Wi-Fi power button and a compartment with micro-USB and micro-HDMI connectors, closed with an elastic plug.

At the top in the middle there is a hot shoe connector for connecting accessories and a built-in flash. The latter is raised and lowered manually.

On the rear panel, on the thumb rest, there are buttons for locking the exposure and activating the focus point selection function. When viewing, they are used to scale pictures.

Below is the navigation pad. Its central button provides access to a quick settings menu and confirmation of actions. The side zones of the framing ring are responsible for switching the AF/MF focus mode (automatic and manual), entering exposure compensation, controlling the built-in flash and deleting photographs.

Many buttons can be assigned to others, necessary for a photographer functions such as auto brightness correction, exposure metering mode, picture style selection and many others.

If you really want a mirrorless compact camera that will work with all Canon M lenses, try the Canon EOS M or wait for something else to come out.

Canon was once the last major manufacturer to introduce its mirrorless camera. The company had time to study competitors and release what was missing in the growing segment, but it was not very successful.

The first EOS M 5 had positive sides, but performance and convenience left much to be desired. At the moment, its production has been discontinued, and replacements for the EOS M5 and EOS M6 have appeared on the market. Previous owners are recommended to update the firmware to version 2.0.3.

All Canon cameras EOS M is easy to operate and has a large sensor that makes great photos even in low light. The main feature is the new EF-M mount, created by Canon specifically for the EOS M. So far there are only 22mm and 18-55mm lenses, however, the entire EF line of DSLRs is supported, from standard zooms to super telephoto lenses.

This is a useful feature for Canon DSLR owners with a set of lenses. Please note that for them you will have to buy an EF-EOS M adapter for $200 (11,500 rubles). The EOS M features the 1.06-inch 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor found on the Canon EOS Rebel T4i DSLR, and the new camera is a stripped-down version of the old one.

Video recording in Full HD format (1920 × 1080) at 30 frames per second is supported. ISO ranges from 100 to 12,800, expandable to 25,600 for photography. The 3-inch 1.04 million dot LCD touchscreen allows you to scroll through and zoom in on your photos.

The design of the new cameras is durable and the build quality is high. The case resembles Canon PowerShot, only thicker and heavier, but weight doesn't matter once the lens is attached.

The front panel of the Canon EOS M contains a bayonet mount, a finger grip, a lens lock button, a self-timer LED and an autofocus assist beam. Behind the cover, on the left side, there is a microphone input, mini HDMI output and digital (USB) output.

At the top there is a built-in microphone, hot shoe, speaker, power key and shutter button with a mode switch around it. There is no built-in flash, you will have to connect an external one.

Display and settings

The back of the EOS M features a 3-inch LCD touchscreen display, a video record/stop button, a play button, a menu button, an Info button, and a main Quick Menu dial with an Enter button in the center.

The screen, dial and function buttons are used to configure parameters. There is no viewfinder, which will be unusual for users of other digital SLRs.

Equipment

Typically, the Canon EOS M comes with a set of 22mm f/2 STM pancake lenses, which costs $250 (RUB 14,500) if purchased separately. Some stores sell a camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM - it costs $300 separately (RUB 17,300).

Inside the box you will find a camera, 230 shots and 1.5 hours of video, LP-E12 battery, charger, neck strap, USB cable and brief instructions. There are also 3 CDs with software, complete instructions and guidance on using the software.

Performance and shooting quality

The Canon EOS M produces excellent quality images worthy of the EOS brand. In daylight, photos come out with clear, accurate colors.

The kit with the 18-55mm lens does not have a large zoom range, but in most situations this is not necessary. The textured surface on the zoom and focus rings makes them easy to rotate.

The Scene Intelligent Auto option only works best when ideal conditions shooting, otherwise it is better to use semi-automatic modes like Aperture Priority. The bright LCD display responds to your settings, giving you an idea of ​​what your finished photo will look like.

In low light conditions, the shooting quality does not decrease much. You can set ISO up to 25600, but above 6400 digital noise occurs. Handheld Night Scene mode takes four consecutive photos and combines them into one bright, clear image. For the best night shots, you need a tripod or a flat, stationary surface.

Videos are smooth, with accurate focus and good exposure. There is a built-in microphone for best quality sound, and through the corresponding connector you can connect an external microphone.

A special recording button with a red dot is activated when the camera is already in video mode. Autofocus with any lens is very slow - despite what the manufacturer promised high speed CMOS AF Canon DSLR owners will be disappointed. If there is not enough light, the shutter will take a significant amount of time to release.

Software in Canon EOS M

In the latest firmware update (2.0.3), autofocus speed has increased, although it is far from the level of modern mirrorless cameras. Most settings are made in the touch screen user interface. Changing the shooting mode, ISO level, or exposure compensation takes more time than if the camera had physical buttons and dials. The Canon EOS M constantly experiences delays when switching.

Touch Shutter lets you focus on the desired area with just one tap on the screen. This is not always convenient, and if you touch the display while shooting, you will get an accidental photo.

The long lens weighs down the EOS M's body, meaning the camera needs to be held firmly with both hands, making the LCD difficult to use.

Bottom line

Canon EOS M is an updated camera, but despite many predecessors, the company did not take into account experience, so the device cannot compete with analogues from Nikon, Sony, Panasonic or Olympus.

Image quality is decent and there's support for all EF lenses, which is nice, but DSLR owners will be disappointed by the slowness and compact camera owners will be disappointed by the EOS M's high price.

Benefits of Canon EOS M

• Robust design
• Series lens support
• Good DSLR sensor
• High quality Photo and video

Disadvantages of the EOS M

• Slow autofocus
• Long setup

• Camera
• Lens EF-M18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM
• Speedlite 90EX
• Battery LP-E12
• Charger LC-E12E
• Strap EM-100DB
• USB cable
• Documentation

Introduction

In the middle of last year, the Japanese company Canon, a world leader in the production of digital products and imaging solutions, presented in London its first system camera EOS M (in this case M stands for Mirrorless, i.e. “mirrorless”) with interchangeable optics and EF-M mount. It is interesting that among the major players, Canon was the last to release a camera of this class: for example, Sony already had NEX series devices, Panasonic had the Lumix G, Nikon had the Nikon 1, Samsung had the NXT, and so on. Naturally, the new mount will also require new optics, and there are very few of them yet - the fast “pancake” EF-M 22 mm F2.0 STM and the “whale” zoom lens EF-M 18-55 mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM . However, EF and EF-S lenses are compatible via the EF-EOS M mount adapter.

From strengths The Canon EOS M is worth noting the full APS-C sensor, hybrid autofocus and DIGIC 5 processor, which it received from the EOS 650D DSLR camera, a wide range of ISO values, a large 3-inch touch screen with a special oleophobic coating and fairly compact dimensions.

The average cost of a KIT is about 30,000 rubles, “Body” is 18,000 rubles.

Design and sizes

In the world of photo and video camera design, the situation is approximately the same as with mobile phones: weight and size characteristics change, but appearance remains approximately the same.

The Canon EOS M camera has a rectangular shape with the following dimensions: 108.6x66.5x32.3 mm. The top corners are slightly beveled and the screen protrudes slightly. On the right side of the back there is a protrusion for the thumb, on the left side of the lens there is a small bump for resting the fingers of the right hand. Frankly speaking, holding the EOS M with one hand is completely inconvenient: the device tends to slip out, since the distance from the right side to the lens is too small, and the “carcass” has to be held with almost two fingers, which, moreover, rest against the “glass.” In addition, we must not forget about the considerable weight – about 500 grams.

The body is made of magnesium alloy and is available in four colors: red (glossy finish), white and gray (semi-gloss finish), black (rough material).

There are metal plates on the right and left ends. They scratch very easily, at least on a black device, the abrasions are very noticeable - they expose light-colored metal. Otherwise, there were no problems: the case was assembled well - there were no creaks or crunches.

There are small pins on the top of the right and left sides. They are fitted with special holders attached to the strap. To remove the holder, you must turn the lever counterclockwise.

Canon EOS M (right) and Sony NEX-5

Control elements

On the front panel there is an LED autofocus illuminator (it shines red light at about 3 meters), on the top right there is an IR sensor for remote control, on the bottom right there is a lens release button and a lens mount. The mount itself contains the lens retention pin, contact pad, and EF-M lens mount index mark.

On the right, behind a durable plastic plug: input for external microphone (3.5 mm), miniHDMI output, A/V output miniUSB.

On top everything is more familiar: two stereo microphones, a hot shoe (90EX, 220EX, 270EX, 270EX II, 320EX, 420EX, 430EX, 430EX II, 550EX, 580EX, 580EX II, 600EX, 600EX-RT, Macro-Ring-Lite are supported , MR-14EX, Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, Speedlite ST-E2 transmitter, Speedlite ST-E3-RT transmitter), focal plane mark, small hole where the speaker is hidden, mode dial (auto, manual, video) with shutter release button (soft, has two modes - half-press and press), a round button to turn the device on/off recessed into the body and a status indicator (lit green or red depending on the operation).

On the display side there are the following elements: on the top right there is a separate dedicated video recording button, just below there are three round buttons: “Menu”, “View”, “Information”. Between them there is a circular selector with circular scrolling clockwise and counterclockwise, as well as with five positions: up – selecting a shooting mode, down – delete, left – AE/FE lock, right – setting aperture/exposure compensation.

At the bottom there is a tripod socket, a battery compartment cover and a memory card (SD, SDHC or SDXC (UHS-I)).

Display

This model uses a 3-inch diagonal display (physical size 64x43 mm), resolution - 1,040,000 pixels, aspect ratio 3:2, coverage angle 100%, viewing angle of about 170 degrees, matrix type IPS (Clear View II). The picture quality from different angles is excellent, but from certain angles the image takes on a slight purple or yellowish tint. The brightness of the screen backlight is adjustable over a very wide range. The maximum brightness is enough to see information on a sunny day.

To make it easier to control the camera, a capacitive-type touch layer with support for “pinch-to-zoom” was installed above the screen, i.e. you have the right not only to touch the display, but also to scale the image.

Overall, an excellent screen, with a good reserve of brightness, natural colors (they are not distorted at angles) and a very sensitive touch area (you can operate it even with cloth gloves if you set a special item in the settings).

Screen Matrix

Battery

The Canon EOS M has a removable lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery with a capacity of 875 mAh, 7.2 V, 6.5 Wh. Model LP-E12. The battery is easy to find in online stores, but for the “original” you will have to pay 2,500 - 3,000 rubles. Actually, as always.

According to the manufacturer, a full battery charge should be enough for approximately 200 - 230 shots. These data have been partially confirmed in practice:

• Only in photographing mode we managed to take about 190 - 210 photographs
• Only in video mode record about 50 - 60 minutes

On average, the battery runs out after taking 120 photos and recording several videos, the total time of which does not exceed 15 minutes.

There is a battery indicator at the top left of the screen. It consists of four divisions. The charge displays correctly. In the settings there is an “Energy Saving” item: automatic shutdown of the LCD screen after 15/30 s or 1, 3, 5, 10 or 30 minutes; Auto power off after 0/30 s or wait 1, 3, 5, 10 min. and ban.

It will take about two hours to fully charge the battery from the AC adapter, but connecting it to USB, alas, is useless.

Camera functions

Canon's EOS M uses an APS-C (Advanced Photo System type-C) CMOS sensor that measures 22.3 x 14.9mm. The total number of pixels is approximately 18.5 million, and the effective number is 18 million.

The ratio of the linear size of a standard 35mm film frame to the linear size of an EOS M frame is 1.6 (crop factor). Previously, such matrices were installed mainly in SLR cameras, and now they are increasingly found in mirrorless cameras. Shutter with electronic first curtain and mechanical second curtain.

To clean the matrix from dust, you need to go to the settings and select “Cleaning the sensor”. The system can do this automatically when the camera is turned on or off.

In the kit you will find a Canon EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens. It weighs about 210 grams, dimensions - 60.9x61 mm, filter diameter - 52 mm. The equivalent focal length for 35 mm film is 29 – 88 mm. It consists of 13 elements and 11 groups, 7 aperture blades, minimum focusing distance is 250 mm. Naturally, there is a stabilizer equivalent to 4 shutter speeds. For smoother and quieter focusing when shooting video, an STM motor (stepping motor focusing drive) is used.

The lens is made of metal and painted dark gray. It looks quite durable. To zoom, you must turn the central ring counterclockwise.

To turn on the device, you must press the corresponding button. Turning on the device takes a little less than 2 seconds, and “wakes up” in about a second.

The Mode Dial offers the following modes:

Smart mode. In it you have access to a choice of autofocus operation (tracking, FlexiZone, spot) and image quality. In addition, you can use image zoom for more precise focusing.

Manual mode. In this mode, all camera parameters are adjusted: focusing method, AF function (servo or one shot), quality, creative filters, white balance, picture style, auto brightness correction, metering mode (evaluative, partial, spot, center-weighted).

Manual video exposure. Complete freedom of creativity when shooting video: manual selection of aperture, shutter speed, ISO value, enabling or disabling ServoAF (in this mode, the autofocus system determines the speed of movement of the subject, calculates its position at the time of shooting and advances the lenses in the lens so that it is in focus ). In a separate menu (“Q”) you select: autofocus operation (tracking, FlexiZone, point), quality, resolution and number of frames, video clips (disable or shoot for 4 seconds), WB, image style, auto brightness correction.

The camera is capable of taking photographs not only in JPEG format, but also in RAW format. You can choose saving options, for example, JPEG only (approximately 4.3 fps for 17 images), RAW only, or JPEG+RAW. Moreover, you can write in RAW in continuous shooting mode (6 frames per second). Data processing occurs within 3-5 seconds on a class 10 memory card.

RAW photos are saved in the CR2 extension ( new format, older Canon cameras used CRW), maximum size which can be up to 40 MB. On average, my files were 25–30 MB in size.

Image Size:

• JPEG 3:2: (L) 5184x3456, (M) 3456x2304, (S1) 2592x1728, (S2) 1920x1280, (S3) 720x480
• JPEG 4:3: (L) 4608x3456, (M) 3072x2304, (S1) 2304x1728, (S2) 1696x1280, (S3) 640x480
• JPEG 16:9: (L) 5184x2912, (M) 3456x1944, (S1) 2592x1456 (S2) 1920x1080, (S3) 720x400
• JPEG 1:1: (L) 3456x3456, (M) 2304x2304, (S1) 1728x1728, (S2) 1280x1280, (S3) 480x480
• RAW: (RAW) 5184x3456

Settings:

As for the camera's automatic focusing, there are many comments. Firstly, at short distances (250-300 mm) focusing is very difficult. Secondly, in low light, the focus takes a very long time to find the “target”, and in normal conditions lighting quite often makes mistakes with focusing.

Most modern cameras can limit the ISO value. This model is also capable of doing this. It seems to me that the function is very useful when shooting in cases where you need to squeeze the most light possible frame out of the camera, but at the same time not “overdo it” with noise at high ISOs. Auto range can be set from 400 to 6400.

To suppress noise, the suppression level is selected in the settings, including for serial shooting (data is collected from 4 frames) and for frames taken at long shutter speeds.

Oddly enough, the frames begin to make noise already at an ISO value of 800. At a photosensitivity of 1600 - 3200, the noise is approximately the same. However, we must pay tribute that even at ISO 12800 the picture is more or less tolerable, and in emergency situations this value can quite help out.

Below are photos with different ISO values.

Other functions:

• Exposure meter operating range (EV 1-20 (at 23°C with EF-M 22 mm f/2 STM ISO100))
• AE lock (Auto mode available in One-Shot AF mode with evaluative metering once focus is achieved; Manual mode available using the AE lock button in Creative Zone modes.)
• Exposure compensation (3 frames +/- 2 EV in 1/2 or 1/3 stop increments)
• Shutter speeds (30–1/4000 sec (1/2 or 1/3 increments), Bulb (full shutter speed range)

Image quality

I took most of the shots in the “Intelligent” mode. In my opinion, the device did an excellent job in the automatic machine. Of course, there are minor complaints about the white balance, especially in mixed lighting conditions, but this was all easily corrected in any graphics editor. The dynamic range of the Canon EOS M is quite large. For example, when shooting objects in bright sunlight, there is virtually no loss of detail in the shadows.

Examples of photos - 18 mm and 55 mm:

Examples of photographs in difficult conditions lighting:

Examples of macro photography:

Other photo examples:

Example photo with effects:

Video quality

The Canon EOS M camera can shoot video in resolutions of 1920x1080 pixels (29.97, 25, 23,976 fps), 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps) and 640 x 480 (30, 25 fps). The maximum duration is about 30 minutes, the maximum file size is 4GB. The recording format, unfortunately, MOV is not the most convenient for reading on a PC, TV and other media stations.

At maximum quality, the video file parameters are as follows:

• File Format: MOV
• Video codec: AVC, 45 Mbit/s
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080, 30 fps
• Audio codec: PCM, 1536 Kbps
• Channels: 2 channels, 48 ​​kHz

Focus is quite fast, but the focusing speed of video cameras is still a long way off. I usually “try on” each photo or video camera for “myself”, i.e. Would it be convenient for me to shoot video reviews and reportage shooting? In this case, I will answer: more likely yes than no. Most importantly, there are many settings that I talked about earlier: setting the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and so on.

But everything else leaves a pleasant impression: excellent quality of photographs, many manual settings not only in photos, but also in video modes. The high-quality screen matrix with a very sensitive sensor (you can even operate it with gloves) deserves special praise, which is important in the winter season.

The box is full of competitors: starting with Sony NEX-5/NEX-6, Samsung NX1000, and ending with Nikon J1/J2/V1, Panasonic Lumix GX1/GF5/G5.

Roman Belykh (