Canon EOS M review: was Canon’s first mirrorless ILC worth the four-year wait?

Posted on 03/10/2012 by Zach Honig

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It's here. Finally. Well, that is, if you happen to live in Japan. Canon's very first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera should be hitting shops the world over just as you begin to make room for that decked-out evergreen conifer, but the EOS M is already making the rounds in Canon's home country. It's available at select Japanese retailers for ¥109,900 (about $1,410, including sales tax). That lofty price will net you the EOS M in black, white or silver (the glossy red model remains elusive), complete with 55mm f/2 and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 EF-M optics, a Speedlite 90EX external flash and the EF-M Lens Adapter, enabling full compatibility with any and all of your EF and EF-S lenses. The US variant, which comes bundled with only the black 22mm "pancake" STM lens, should run you $799 when it appears stateside beginning October 15th, though neither country's model carries a particularly competitive price tag, especially considering how diverse (and well-equipped) the mirrorless ILC market has become.

You might argue that Canon is borrowing a play out of Nikon's book when it comes to pricing the EOS M -- had the camera offered full DSLR functionality, including an advanced user interface, a $799 sticker might be justified. But the company has crippled its new compact shooter so as to avoid cannibalizing its still-successful full-size APS-C DSLR lineup, which includes models ranging from the Rebel T3 (about $475) to the EOS 7D (about $1,350). Appropriately, the EOS M falls right in the middle in terms of capabilities, with the added benefit of a new, nearly pocketable design that should win over more than its fair share of amateurs. That said, there's a reason larger SLRs remain on the market, and Canon very much wants to retain that solid footing. The EOS M isn't for everyone, and that's by design. But is it the right pick for you? Join us past the break as we try it on for size.

Gallery: Canon EOS M review

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Canon EOS M review: was Canon's first mirrorless ILC worth the four-year wait? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon reports higher profits, lower net income in Q2, points finger at pricey yen

Posted on 25/07/2012 by Mat Smith

Canon's financial results for Q2 2012 reveal an operating profit 18 percent greater than the results from the same quarter last year. However, net income has dropped from 61.5 billion yen to 51.7 billion yen since last quarter. The company saw demand grow for its DSLRs, both professional and entry-level, while sales of point-and-shoots continued to contract. The ever-increasing value of the yen -- and weakened demand in Europe -- has put a dent in its important overseas sales -- and profits. Perhaps the promise of Canon's first mirrorless ILC later this year will be enough get wallets out in the euro zone.

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Canon reports higher profits, lower net income in Q2, points finger at pricey yen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 03:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon EOS M mirrorless camera hands-on (video)

Posted on 23/07/2012 by Zach Honig

There have been plenty of false alarms in recent months, but Canon's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (ILC) is finally here -- in fact, we're holding it in our hands. The EOS M is clearly reminiscent of a point-and-shoot, such as the company's high-end PowerShot S100. Sure, Canon could have added some of the dedicated controls that its professional user base would demand, but photojournalists aren't the target here, for a few reasons. Canon's primary motivation, at least from an official perspective, was to create a camera that serves to bridge the gap between pocketable compacts and full-size DSLRs with a simple user interface designed to educate, not intimidate. Also key, however, was avoiding cannibalization of the company's low-end and mid-range Digital SLR models, which clearly still have a place in the lineup one tier above this ILC.

Consumers willing to sacrifice hardware controls for a touchscreen-driven UI won't be missing out on much else -- functionally, the EOS M is a near-clone of Rebel T4i with the same 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 processor and 3-inch touchscreen. Even the advanced two-stage focusing system has made its way from the T4i, which utilizes both phase-difference and contrast AF in order to achieve focus more efficiently when capturing video. The housing design and lens mount are unlike any other that Canon has produced, however, combining features from other models without completely eliminating the need for a DSLR, or a compact for that matter. If you can get by without granular controls, you'll do just fine here -- the design really is spectacular. With an $800 price tag, the EOS M falls within the upper tier of the mirrorless category, and it remains to be seen whether it will be an obvious pick when it finally hits stores in October, a month after competitors tease their own products at the massive Photokina expo in Germany. How does it fare today? You'll find our impressions just past the break.

Gallery: Canon EOS M hands-on

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Canon EOS M mirrorless camera hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon EOS M video shows off touchscreen UI, accessories, color variants (updated: link to sample images)

Posted on 23/07/2012 by Sharif Sakr

Welcome to the land of good complexions, whiny mopeds and surprisingly early Canon hands-on videos. While most English-speaking journos have only been given the briefest glimpse of the new $800 mirrorless EOS M, Italian site PMStudioNews has posted a full hands-on video to YouTube. It shows a red variant of the 18-megapixel, APS-C shooter, in addition to the black and white models we've already seen, plus a beige leather case if you fast-forward around seven minutes. More importantly though, it shows off the touchscreen UI in some detail, including touch-to-shoot and a screen layout that looks quite different to what we've known from the button- and dial-heavy G1 X and its predecessors, and more like that of the Rebel T4i entry-level DSLR. Sure, it offers full manual control, but it also looks kinda fiddly -- something we'll look out for when it comes to review time in the Fall.

Update: Canon has produced some sample stills and videos to show what the camera can do. Also, a helpful reader just spotted that DigitalCameraWorld has posted a hands-on video too, and it's in English.

Continue reading Canon EOS M video shows off touchscreen UI, accessories, color variants (updated: link to sample images)

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Canon EOS M video shows off touchscreen UI, accessories, color variants (updated: link to sample images) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 05:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon unveils EOS M mirrorless: 18 MP APS-C, EF compatibility, $800 in October with 22mm lens

Posted on 23/07/2012 by Zach Honig

Rumors of a Canon mirrorless camera have circled the web since long before Nikon's foray into the compact ILC space. And while that manufacturer's model fell far short of some expectations, it appears that Canon's iteration may in fact have been worth the not-so-insignificant wait. Unlike the Nikon 1 Series, Canon's new EOS M isn't a drastic departure from the company's existing mid-range DSLR lineup. In fact, under the hood it's quite similar to the Rebel T4i, with an 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 processor, 3-inch 1.04MP smudge-resistant touchscreen and the T4i's new hybrid autofocus system, which pairs both contrast and phase-difference AF for speedier, more accurate performance. Externally, however, the EOS M looks more like a cross between the PowerShot G1 X and S100, tipping the scale at 14.2 ounces with the included EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens, compared to 27.4 ounces for the T4i, and 19 for the G1 X. It's physically smaller than the G1 X as well, and only slightly larger than the pocketable S100. The camera offers a sensitivity range in line with the competition, ranging from 100 to 25,600 (extended) in still mode and 12,800 (extended) when shooting video -- captured in 1920 x 1080 format at 24, 25 or 30 progressive frames per second. There's also a continuous shooting mode at 4.3 frames per second with fixed focus and exposure.

The EOS M's control layout should be more familiar to Canon point-and-shoot owners than DSLR users -- as one component of the size compromise, dedicated buttons are replaced with touchscreen options and a bit of menu diving. There's also no electronic viewfinder, though a full-size hot shoe is included with full support for Canon's lineup of Speedlite flashes, including the new $150 90EX strobe and ST-E3-RT Transmitter, and the GP-E2 GPS Receiver. Though the camera lacks certain direct controls, it still supports full manual shooting, even in video mode. There's also a built-in stereo mic with manual level adjustment. In addition to that 22mm kit optic, Canon is offering an EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens for $300, or you can add the $200 EF-EOS M mount adapter to enable use with existing lenses. The $800 EOS M kit is set to ship in October, and will be available in retail stores in black, though Canon's online store will also stock a white model (which will be paired with the same black lens). You can peek at both configurations, along with the new lenses and accessories in the gallery below. Then shoot past the break for the full PR from Canon.

Gallery: Canon EOS M mirrorless camera

Michael Gorman contributed to this report.

Continue reading Canon unveils EOS M mirrorless: 18 MP APS-C, EF compatibility, $800 in October with 22mm lens

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Canon unveils EOS M mirrorless: 18 MP APS-C, EF compatibility, $800 in October with 22mm lens originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked EOS M photo looks like Canon’s long-awaited mirrorless camera

Posted on 20/07/2012 by Sharif Sakr

At this point, after strong hints and even patents, a Canon mirrorless camera is all but certain. The only question is what it'll look like and how it'll compete with other Micro Four Thirds and APS-C shooters like the Olympus E-M5 and Samsung's NX range. The image above may at least help to answer the first part of that question, if it isn't a masterful photoshop. It was reportedly leaked by retail sites and captured by Digicame-info, and it appears to show an unknown model called the EOS M (shown in the top left corner) -- which does indeed look like a thin and lightweight mirrorless ILC. MirrorlessRumors also notes the presence of an entirely new mount: the EF-M -- which may mean that Canon is moving away from the inbetween sensor size it used in the G1 X and possibly towards full APS-C. An official announcement is expected on July 23rd, so we'll know plenty more then.

Update: Some more pictures have surfaced, this time not glossy press photos, but some IRL shots. Check 'em out below and at the more coverage links.

Gallery: Canon EOS M leaked