Canon’s first mirrorless camera has arrived. The Canon EOS M has just hit markets in Japan. For months now, Canon has been sending out hints about this mirrorless offering. Now that the camera is finally here, though, reviews have been lackluster. Seemingly, Canon’s new EOS M has a hefty price tag ($1000+) that may or may not be worth your hard earned dollars. Canon is set to launch the EOS M in North America later this October, but before you jump on Canon’s latest, here’s the inside scoop.



What Canon Has Included

As mentioned, the EOS M is a mirrorless camera. As such, it is a small camera – much smaller that most of Canon’s full-bodied cameras. In addition to its compact size, the EOS M includes an EF-M lens adaptor; 55mm f/2 and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 EF-M optics; 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor; and the U.S. version will come with a 22mm pancake lens. What’s interesting is that Canon has created all version of the EOS M the same.

Canon will be offering a red, white, silver, and black version of the EOS M. But, only the black EOS M will come with a solid titanium shell (and a slightly higher price tag). The colored EOS Ms will come with a plastic shell that looks and feels cheaper. In fact, the look and feel of the EOS M is where Canon has gone wrong with this new addition to the Canon family.

Cheap Controls and Body

For a camera that will cost around $900, Canon hasn’t considered refining the EOS M. Instead, this Canon camera comes with a plastic body (unless you purchase the black one), and controls (no matter what color you purchase) that should be left to the lower end Canon models. True photographers will find Canon’s cheap plastic toggle controls, well, cheap. The control on the top of the camera includes the usual manual to automatic, shutter release, and movie options, but the whole thin just feels amateur.

Canon has included a standard microphone jack. This is a good thing since the stereo mics that are integrated into the EOS M aren’t going to win any awards for sound quality. HDMI and USB connectors are included on the camera body, and these connectors can join an external mic. You may also find it frustrating that Canon has included a fixed viewfinder. You can’t move, tilt, or shift this viewfinder in any way, so keep this in mind before ordering the EOS M.

What the EOS M is Good For

There are definitely some drawbacks to Canon’s first mirrorless camera. This camera might be worth the purchase price for someone who’s not into professional photography, but it’s hard to imagine a casual shutterbug plunking down $900 when a larger bodied camera, with better specs, could be purchase for just a bit more. If you do want a mirrorless camera that’s also quite compact, the EOS M is worth a glance. But, this reviewer recommends spending $200 to $300 more to purchase a camera worthy of your cash.