Canon EOS M 18.0 MP Compact Systems Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and EF-M 22mm STM Lens (OLD MODEL)

A great starter camera for those who are looking to get into photography but cant afford expensive full frame bodies. Ive been able to get quality shots that rival those of higher end set ups. I recently got into photography and with a decent lens Ive been able to capture some great photos. Of course not being a full frame means there is a 1.6 crop factor that is sometimes frustrating and sometimes a god send. The only negative Ive frequented about this camera is its annoyingly slow autofocus. In quick snap and go situations I had to learn to adjust lightning fast in manual mode or else I would lose a shot. Other than that, its compact body and versatility has helped me land a lot of great photo opportunities. This is my first camera body and although I have played around with others, I am satisfied with the EOS M until I have the funds to invest into a better set up.

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Why 4 stars and not 5? Well, let me tell you: lack of USB functionality for communicating with either the EOS utility or any other USB device, such as "DSLR controller" on Android devices, etc. Because this camera does not have an articulating screen, I really needed to be able to send my picture to my Android for simple composition while at odd angles. But for some reason, Canon crippled this ability. So, in order to get external monitoring, you have to go with the HDMI port, which means you have to spend a few hundred extra dollars on a monitor. Other than that, it is perfect as a "B" camera for someone who has already invested in canon DSLRs for video. The touch screen aspect isnt horrible, and since this camera is so tiny, you cant really "Knock" it for not having tons of buttons, like my T3i. It works well, and it is basically identical in PERFORMANCE to the t3i. With magic lantern you access a plethora of awesome features, like "3x zoom" and focus peaking, etc. I got the adapter, so I can use all my normal EF lenses on this camera. Very happy with this little thing. I bought it because of the price. And I needed a B camera.

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I find myself in a bit of a quandary with this camera. I like the touchscreen to set the focus point and trigger the shutter. BUT, the screen is so sensitive that it keeps changing settings as the camera brushes against my shirt. I find that I have to keep turning the camera off to prevent unanticipated settings changes as I walk. I have a Panasonic GX1 that has a similar touchscreen shutter, but have not experienced this problem on walkabouts. On the subject of focus, the smallest focus zone on the EOS M is far too large. The focus point on the GX1 can be set much smaller. The focus point on my Olympus E-P1 is about the same size as the EOS M, but appears to focus more accurately. A plus on the EP-1 is that when the camera is set to Autofocus+Manual Focus, just moving the manual focus ring on the lens automatically zooms to 10x which then reverts back to full screen a second or so after youve stopped adjusting focus. This is much quicker than the EOS M method of constantly tapping the touchscreen magnifying glass. Image quality (with sharpness set to maximum) is about on par with the GX1, which I would describe as somewhat "creamy". I prefer the "out of camera" sharpness of the Olympus E-P1. However, in both the EOS M and GX1 sharpness is easily adjusted post production. This criticism may not be fair, as I have only the 18-55mm and 11-22mm Canon lenses. If canon produces some decent, native, prime glass (say 14mm, 25mm, 50mm), then I may retract this criticism. The one big plus of the EOS M is the video, which is superb, and you can capture stills while recording. The audio quality is also surprisingly good from the two, small, built-in microphones. If you are into video - buy this camera. Bottom line, for the current "clearance" price, this is a good buy, especially for video. However, I remain convinced that both the Olympus EP-1 and Panasonic GX1 are better cameras for still photography. I will likely replace my better halfs "point and shoot", with the EOS M (shes developing a really great eye). I, however, will continue to stay in the micro four thirds camp (Olympus & Panasonic) where there are far more choices of really good lenses and whose cameras that have much better user interfaces.

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I like this little camera a lot. Image quality and resolution are top notch, colors are natural and the cameras compact build is very handy. I would give EOS M a sound five-star rating except for some things that hamper my shooting style, and some are points I wish Id read about in online reviews - but didnt see anything about. I wont harp on the slow autofocus. Or any of the other issues that have been ground to death. With the firmware update, autofocus is - for the most part - snappy enough for my needs. The cameras a little slower to focus with the 22mm pancake lens than it is with the 18-55 (I have both), but overall its performance is quite satisfactory. I dont use movie mode frequently, but when I do, it makes wonderfully smooth videos with nice stereo sound. For my personal shooting style, things that could stand improving: 1. In the creative modes (Program, Aperture Value, Time Value and Manual), manual ISO settings are restricted to 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 and so on. Theres not a way to set the sensitivity between these stops. In many instances a sensitivity between 800 and 1600 would be plenty sufficient, as well as between 1600 and 3200. But youre forced to the next full stop on the menu, and unnecessary noise is introduced into the image. It would be so helpful to be able to stop at 640 or 1000, for instance, ISO settings I frequently use on my EOS 60D. Put into Auto ISO mode, the camera will sometimes select a sensitivity that works to best advantage, noise-wise, and sometimes it doesnt, but its always worth the try because the camera itself CAN select an ISO setting between the manual ones, and sometimes it is a better alternative than the user defined settings. The down side here is that in Auto ISO mode, the highest sensitivity is restricted to 6400. Its really not that much of a down side, though, because beyond 6400 noise is too unacceptable, in my view, to be used except in extreme situations, anyway. 2. No Vari-Angle LCD. If youve never used one, then you wont miss it. But over the years I have chosen Canon cameras over other brands for this really indispensable feature. Of course Canon build and image quality also matter, but that flip-and-twist LCD is the final selling point for me. This feature takes shooting to a whole new level of outright fun and adds a dimension of creativity to shooting that cannot be achieved otherwise. Not only does the articulated LCD provide a superior way to shoot low-level, waist-level and over-the head shots, but I find it also adds a measure of stability when shooting two handed at slower shutter speeds. So a solid star off for this missing feature. 3. No built-in flash. While I do prefer existing light photography to flash photography, sometimes a built-in flash is plain handy. How hard would it have been to include one? Taking along an external flash really sort of defeats the point of carrying a compact camera. 4. No viewfinder. This isnt much of an issue unless Im shooting with the lens adapter and an EF or EF-S lens. The balance of the camera is thrown off some, and its heavy with a standard sized lens attached. The stabilizing effect of pressing the camera against my brow would be of significant benefit here. Its almost the same as holding an SLR out in front of you and trying to get a clear, well-framed shot. Doable, but not an easy thing. Also in bright light, the LCD is a tad hard to see, and a viewfinder would be welcome! 5. Focus point is too large for some shooting. Theres no way to adjust the size of the focus point for fine details. This becomes an issue when shooting macro or scenes with details like the lettering on signs, or grass blades, or tree leaves, or cactus spines. You know, details. (You CAN magnify the area where you wish to focus and pinpoint a smaller area, but it takes extra time and still does not always focus where you want.) 6. It would be nice to have a setting for off-camera, wireless flash. Dont get me wrong, though. I am truly enjoying the camera. Image quality is really very good, especially when shooting RAW and post-processing images with Digital Photo Professional (the supplied software), Lightroom or Photoshop. For me image quality is the bottom line. Id rather use a quirky camera that takes great pictures than a blazing fast hip-shot model that takes ho-hum ones. Speaking of Lightroom, youll need a version later than Lightroom 3. That program does not support EOS M raw files (or G1 X either). Youll need a later version. Im using LR 5. This camera body IS compact, actually a bit smaller than my S90. With the 22mm lens attached, its really a small package, smaller than the G1 X with its built-in lens. For the most part, I am very pleased with the EOS M. Its a handy little addition to my kit and goes with me pretty much everywhere. Dynamic range, resolution and color are all very pleasing, and the few quibbles I have with it are just that. Quibbles. I am very interested to see what changes Canon has made with the EOS M2, the as-yet unannounced successor that is showing up on the list of supported cameras in their latest editing software version. If the new model has a Vari-Angle LCD, as much as I like the EOS M, it will promptly go on the auction block. Heres hoping for an EOS M with a Vari-Angle LCD!

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I jumped on the opportunity to get this camera at the sale/close out price. Quickly sold my s100 point and shoot after trying this camera out on a family mini vacation. Image quality is the same as my previously owned canon 60d. Touch screen works great. I take a lot more family Picts and video with this camera compaird to the s100. Im just very happy with the image quality. I also have a Canon 5diii. I like the video in the M better because of the convince of the continuous auto focus. I would recommend this camera to anyone stepping up from a point and shooter and anyone looking for an cost effective option to go along with their DSLR. I ended up getting both lens options. I use the 22mm for indoor and the zoom for outdoor. Autofocus: I purchased my M here on Amazon about 2 weeks ago and it came with the updated firmware. I bought the camera based on price and Canons reputation on quality. I was not disappointed. After I bought the camera I looked at reviews both written and on youtube and they both mentioned the slower than normal autofocus. I thought to my self the autofocus is slow ?. Yep I didnt notice. Maybe if I had the opportunity to test a plethora of mirrorless camera and test the features I may notice the difference. So take reviews with a grain of salt.

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This is quite an impressive camera. In conjunction with the 22mm STM lens, indoor photography is a cinch. In relatively low light, Im able to shoot at 1/40 f/2.0 ISO1600 and not have to do much in terms of image correction. To not hesitate shooting in ISO1600 is a blessing as the noise produced doesnt become discernible except at full resolution. While the 18-55MM may provide more versatility, you lose a lot of your indoor shooting capabilities not being able to open the aperture more. I also want to commend the screen included with the camera. On my old Pentax K-x, the 320k screen made it hard to make out fine details unless you transferred the photo files to a computer to preview. With the EOS M, it is quite easy to see how well a photo came out just looking on the screen. The only area I have an issue with is the AF. Even with the firmware update, its somewhat sluggish, though it doesnt roam the entire focusing gamut. Unless continuous AF is shut off and Single-Point Flex is selected, expect lengthy focusing times. The absence of a built in flash is noticeable, but it doesnt bother me much since they generally wash out all the details. It is compatible with external flashes (such as the EX90) so if you feel the need to add one you can. That all being said, the image quality is REALLY impressive. The JPEG processing is solid, the RAW photos surpass my K-x easily, and every f-stop seems to be extremely sharp (i.e. theres no specific sweet spot, it looks good no matter how open or closed the aperture is). At the original price, Id be hesitant to purchase this. But at $300 w/ a lens that is great for indoors and produces crisp images, its an easy recommendation.

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If you know the limitations of this camera and are okay with them, then its FANTASTIC. Unless you have a very high skill level with manual focusing or pre-focusing, this is NOT an action camera. However, its GREAT for everything else. I actually owned the M and then sold it and just bought another because Ive decided to use the camera where it excels (still or minimal motion photography) rather than trying to force it to be something its not. The image quality is great and the compatibility with my other Canon lenses (via the EF to EF-M adapter) is awesome! The shot to shot time is slow (it helps if you turn image review off), the ability to track a moving subject isnt very good, and the screen is hard to see in bright light (you can assign the "trash" button to brighten the screen if you look into the custom menus which makes it much better). Other than that, its hard to complain about this camera!

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This is an awesome pocketable camera that is small and lightweight that I am willing to carry with me anywhere. I already have the trusty Canon 5D Mark II and used to have the Canon Powershot S100 for pocketable camera that was stolen from my car and was going to replace it until I saw the deal on this camera. I did not consider this camera before due to the price and the negative reviews it received regarding the autofocus speed that was slow. But when the price went down to LESS than GoPro3 black edition (of which I also have) and to within the price range of the awesome but stolen Powershot S100, then it made me consider getting this camera and boy am I glad I got it! Main purpose of a good camera is taking great pictures, right?. EOS M does a marvelous job at a level you expect from a prosumer DSLR. This compact camera has the LARGEST chip of any affordable compacts with APS-C sized chip. Sony Rx1RB has full size chip but it costs several thousands of dollars. Why the size of chip matter? Larger chip gets you better picture. That is why DSLR takes better pictures than smartphones. Several reviewers in photographic magazines complained of lack of buttons and instead EOS M relies on touchscreen menu to get where you want to. My experience is that it is easier to navigate the options with the M than the Powershot S100 in which there were quite a few buttons and knobs but still complicated to get where you want to go to, if you remember where to find it. Autofocus: There has been much criticism on the slowness of the focusing capability of this camera. Mine came in with the latest update and the focusing was slower than my Canon 5D mark II. So I had to adapt to it and be aware of that when taking pictures. I just know I will not get the sports pictures. For that, I can use the 5D mark II which by the way it is not that fast compared to the newest version, the III. Right now there is no USB remote control capability with EOS M using the Android Apps like DSLR controller. Apparently it is crippled by Canon. Magic Lantern is working on a solution and right now is it in Alpha stage. So it looks like that in the future it could be done! Canon can change its mind and make it so that it is USB control capable like the 5D mark II or III or the newer Rebels and other EOS. There has been discussion online with defects on certain EOS M that right side of pictures are washed out. I checked mine and it was fine. Something you need to check if you get one. Would I recommend this camera? That depends on what kind of pictures you take and what is your expectation. It is possible it may be too slow for family/kids pictures and many point and shoot cameras could be better and more inexpensive than this unit. But if you are into the art and love of photography for arts sake, this camera can bring you to that level in a compact form. Addendum: As to which lens you should choose,I chose 22 mm lens because of its physical size it made it more compact. Since I already had other Canon lenses for my 5D mark II and with the optional EOS M EF adapter, I can attach any telephoto lenses. If you are planning it to be your main camera and you do not have other lenses, the 18-55 may be a good choice but you lose the compact factor and note the autofocus speed may not be adequate if you have children to take pictures unless they learn to be still. Since my smartphone Nokia N8 only had one focal point, I learned to crop a lot. So with the 22 mm lens, I know I can crop my pictures since I take them in raw format, so it would not lose information to get great pictures. Addendum 2 from Nov 2013. I got the refurbished Canon lens EFS 18-135 mm with STM (step motor) and I was pleasantly surprised how fast the EOS M was able to focus compared to the 22 mm lens. The EFS lens required adapter of course of which I already purchased so I could use other Canon lens.

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Ok. I think the reason people are giving this camera a one star is because you are trying to make the movie Kong or Spider-man. I think you dont know what you are doing. I have a 70D but I also have this one which is great for small projects. You need to know what you are going to do. You want a better video, you need money to spend. Because 4K cameras are not cheap right now. I bought this camera when it was like $350 but was stolen. So much for one star. Now, I need to buy it again and it cost less now, which is great. Also, if you want better audio, buy a better mike. Or record on the side with the right equipment and use a digital recorder. Use lights. The right lights. They are not cheap. So, if you want to be cheap, then be cheap. I guess there is nothing wrong with that. There are bad movies in hollywood and people are getting the money to make them. This is a great camera now that is in the 200 dollars. Specially for those who want to do youtube and look great. Or even a short movie. Good luck.

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I purchased this camera with 22mm lens used - as new - for $285.oo - including shipping. For the serious armature, this is a great little camera. For the professional photographer, this is a nice little camera to have in pocket for unexpected photo opportunities. As for me, I would have given up everything to become a professional photographer with such a camera and set-up with my computer system. That is to say fifty years ago. But still, this little camera is amazing even today. And a new version will appear on the market maybe soon that will be even better. But the price will ago up significantly. The objections critics raise against the slower focusing are those wonderful idealists. Lots of cameras I have handled are slower than this. The reviewer who reported 4-5 seconds to focus is very suspect. My experience has been solid focusing in less than one second. True, this is not fast enough for sports, but for most anything else, it is just fine. I recommend buying the 18-55mm zoom lens instead of buying the adapter to use with your other Canon EOS lenses. It just doesnt make sense to me to attach heavy lenses on this little doll of a camera when I have the well balanced Rebel T2i and T4i cameras. I made the mistake of buying the off brand adapter (which works perfectly) and can now use all my EOS lenses on the M camera bodies. But Ive decided to use only the STM lenses on my M camera. I cant see putting a big lens on this small camera. The M camera has no built-in flash, but it does have a hot shoe. This will work perfectly with my Canon 270EX Speedlite. and, if needed, with my larger Speedlite. This is my personal preference. I hardly ever use flash. Its just that a hot shoe is so much more versatile and effective than a built-in flash. The tiny opening on the camera face, that I thought might be a flash, is just a beam to help the camera auto focus. The 22mm lens is very sharp, and an aperture of f 2.0 , coupled with the cameras ability to use high ISOs low light shooting is easy. The sweetest sweet spot is f 8. The sensor and processer really do their jobs. I could never get such sharpness and detail with any tiny sensor camera. And the M does shoot RAW+JPG. With the M camera you get an easy to carry, easy to use camera, and high quality photographs. And its only a little slower in focusing than optimal for some uses. UPDATE 12/18/13 I forgot to mention before about the lack of a viewfinder. After some use of this camera, I miss it. Especially if I were trying to use the camera for sports, or moving dogs at the Dog Park, I usually press a camera against my face to steady it when I shoot, but the Image Stabilizer works very well if the camera is held properly - as shown in the User Guide. Additionally, I push the camera away from me to cause the neck strap to pull on the back of my neck. That creates kind of a tripod effect with my body. But still, I often have a problem with direct sunlight obscuring my subjects. Ive tried a specially built shade device, but it was too clumsy to be useful. I also hadnt mentioned the Touch Screen. Well, its fast and great. I mostly like being able to touch the screen to guide what the camera is to Auto Focus on. Thats very cool. And I will purchase the next upgrade of the M, but only if it has a viewfinder and an articulating screen.

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