Finally! Canon has at last announced its answer to Micro Four Thirds and other mirrorless formats. And unlike Nikon, which was content to dash off a crappy toy in the shape of the “1,” the EOS M is pretty much exactly what we hoped for: an EOS SLR packed into a tiny body.
The M’s sensor is the same as the one found in the recent EOS 650D – an 18MP APS-C sized monster. This is held in a little compact body with a three-inch touch-screen, the latest DIGIC 5 image processor chip, 1080p/720p video, a maximum standard ISO of 12,800 (with a booster mode for ISO 25,600) and some measure of manual control over the video exposure and audio levels.
With the addition of a few more manual knobs and dials, this camera would be almost perfect.
The EOS M is clearly a camera aimed at enthusiasts, and at people looking to upgrade from a point-and-shoot without the bulk of an SLR. And given that most entry-level SLRs have truly terrible, gloomy pentamirror-based viewfinders, ditching the mirror altogether isn’t such a bad idea.
That sensor also means that there’s a lens adapter for Canon’s entire range of EF-mount lenses, which would is incredibly neat. As it is the M launches with two new pieces of glass with a new EF-M mount: a 22mm ƒ2 and an 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6. The latter is likely to be the same piece of dull mediocrity found as a kit lens on all cheap SLRs. The former is a decent stab at a fast 35mm (equivalent) fixed lens – the natural focal length for this kind of camera – just ask Henry Cartier Bresson.
I have a feeling that the future of all cameras is hidden inside this one. With the rumors saying that Nikon will be releasing a budget full-frame SLR soon, and the expansion of APS-C at the mirrorless end, I foresee the death of APS-C SLRs within a few years.
The EOS M will go one sale in October for $800, complete with that sweet-looking 22mm lens.
Source: DP Review