Canon EOS M

    66
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    Highlights

    • 18.0 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
    • 100 - 12,800 Native ISO
    • 31 Focus Points (31 Cross-type)
    • 3.0" 1,040k dot Fixed Screen
    • 4.3 fps Mechanical Continuous Shooting
    • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
    • 30 min Video Recording Limit
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    Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

    Overview

    Canon EOS M was announced in 2012 and is an APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) Mirrorless camera with 18.0 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 100 to 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. The camera has a Fixed 3.0" screen with 1,040k dot resolution.

    Canon EOS M can capture video up to 1920 x 1080 resolution.

    Table of Contents
    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. Screen
    4. Sensor
    5. Photography Features
    6. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
    7. Other Features
    8. Physical Parameters
    9. For Different Types of Photography
    10. Evaluation
    11. Specifications  

    Here is the Canon EOS M series lineup, where you can view and compare the main specifications of the cameras within the same series.

    Canon EOS M series lineup
    Model Date Sensor Native ISO Screen Price
    Image cannot be found Canon M50 II
    Compare
    		October
    2020    		 24.1 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon M200
    Compare
    		September
    2019    		 24.1 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon M6 II
    Compare
    		August
    2019    		 32.5 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon M50
    Compare
    		February
    2018    		 24.1 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon M100
    Compare
    		August
    2017    		 24.2 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon M6
    Compare
    		February
    2017    		 24.2 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 25,600 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon M5
    Compare
    		September
    2016    		 24.2 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 25,600 Tilting 3.2"
    1,620k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon M10
    Compare
    		October
    2015    		 18.0 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 12,800 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon M3
    Compare
    		February
    2015    		 24.2 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 12,800 Tilting 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Canon M July
    2012    		 18.0 MP
    APS-C    		 100 - 12,800 Fixed 3.0"
    1,040k dot
    Touchscreen

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Canon EOS M50 Mark II vs EOS M200 vs EOS M6 Mark II vs EOS M50 vs EOS M100 vs EOS M6.

    Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS M.

    PROS

    •   Cheap
    •   Video Capture
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus
    •   Touch Screen
    •   HDMI Output
    •   Light - 298 g (0.66 lb / 10.51 oz)
    •   Orientation Sensor

    CONS

    •   Timelapse Recording
    •   +1 EV Min AF Detection
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fixed Screen
    •   No Viewfinder
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   No Headphone Output
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots

    And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

    AVERAGE

    •   Sensor Resolution - 18.0 Megapixel
    •   100 Lowest Native ISO
    •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
    •   31 Focus Points
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
    •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.3 fps
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
    •   DxO Overall Score - 65

    Screen

    Fixed Touchscreen

    Canon EOS M has a 3.0" Fixed touchscreen with 1,040k dot resolution.

    Sensor

    Canon EOS M features a 18.0 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.3 x 14.9 mm and a total area of 332.3 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode.


    Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Canon EOS M's APS-C sensor compares with other types of sensors:

    Sensor size chart
    Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
    Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
    Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
    Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
    Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

    Photography Features

    Camera is equipped with DIGIC 5 processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 3456 x 2304, 2592 x 1728, 1920 x 1280, 720 x 480


    Lens Mount

    Canon EOS M has Canon EF-M lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 1.6x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6.


    No In-Body Image Stabilization

    The camera does not have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) so it needs lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction.

    Check out the cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS M.

    Canon M200
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    24.1 MP

    Canon M10
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    18.0 MP

    Canon M6 II
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    32.5 MP

    Canon M100
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    24.2 MP

    Canon M3
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    24.2 MP

    Canon M50
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    24.1 MP

    Canon M6
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    24.2 MP

    Canon M50 II
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    24.1 MP

    Canon M5
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    24.2 MP

    Hasselblad X2D 100c
    Image cannot be found

    Medium format

    100 MP

    Fujifilm X-S20
    Image cannot be found

    APS-C

    26.1 MP

    Canon 5D II
    Image cannot be found

    Full Frame

    21.1 MP

    Connectivity, Battery and Storage

    USB Input and HDMI Output

    Canon EOS M has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. There is a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


    Battery

    Canon EOS M comes with LP-E12 battery pack with battery life of 230 shots.


    External Storage Slots

    The camera has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.

    Other Features

    Shutter

    Canon EOS M has Electronic 1st curtain shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 4.3 fps.


    Focusing

    Canon EOS M has Hybrid CMOS AF III system with 31 focusing points and from +1 to +18 EV detection range. Touch-to-Focus allows users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording. There is also face detection feature which automatically finds and focuses on faces.


    Flash

    Canon EOS M has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec.

    Physical Parameters

    Canon EOS M has dimensions of 109 x 66 x 32 mm (4.29 x 2.6 x 1.26"). It weighs 298 g (0.66 lb / 10.51 oz), so it is a lightweight camera.

    109 mm (4.29")

    66 mm (2.6")

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    66 mm (2.6")

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    32 mm (1.26")

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    Canon EOS M dimensions

    Canon EOS M for Different Types of Photography

    We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Canon EOS M is suitable for six different types of photography.


    Landscape Photography

    GOOD
    74

    Canon EOS M gets a score of 74 and is GOOD choice for Landscape photography.

    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing

    Sports Photography

    GOOD
    70

    Canon EOS M gets a score of 70 and is GOOD choice for Sports photography.

    •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
    •   31 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
    •   No Viewfinder
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.3 fps
    •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots
    •   Orientation Sensor

    Wildlife Photography

    AVERAGE
    62

    Canon EOS M gets a score of 62 and is AVERAGE choice for Wildlife photography.

    •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
    •   31 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
    •   No Viewfinder
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.3 fps
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots
    •   Orientation Sensor

    Portrait Photography

    GOOD
    83

    Canon EOS M gets a score of 83 and is GOOD choice for Portrait photography.

    •   31 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
    •   Orientation Sensor

    Street Photography

    GOOD
    83

    Canon EOS M gets a score of 83 and is GOOD choice for Street photography.

    •   31 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
    •   No Viewfinder
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 298 g (0.66 lb / 10.51 oz)

    Travel Photography

    GOOD
    83

    Canon EOS M gets a score of 83 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.

    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 298 g (0.66 lb / 10.51 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots

    Canon EOS M Evaluation

    We evaluate Canon EOS M and give score of 66 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


    OVERALL
    66

    Sensor

    AVERAGE
    68

    We give Canon EOS M a score of 68 for Sensor parameters.

    •   Sensor Resolution - 18.0 Megapixel
    •   100 Lowest Native ISO
    •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
    •   DxO Overall Score - 65

    Photo

    AVERAGE
    62

    We give Canon EOS M a score of 62 for Photo parameters.

    •   Timelapse Recording
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
    •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.3 fps
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec

    Video

    BAD
    16

    We give Canon EOS M a score of 16 for Video parameters.

    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit

    Focusing

    EXCELLENT
    85

    We give Canon EOS M a score of 85 for Focusing parameters.

    •   +1 EV Min AF Detection
    •   31 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Touch-to-Focus
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus

    Screen and Viewfinder

    GOOD
    74

    We give Canon EOS M a score of 74 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.

    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
    •   No Viewfinder

    Connectivity

    GOOD
    78

    We give Canon EOS M a score of 78 for Connectivity parameters.

    •   HDMI Output
    •   No Headphone Output
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth

    Battery, Storage and Physical

    POOR
    41

    We give Canon EOS M a score of 41 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.

    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 298 g (0.66 lb / 10.51 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 230 shots


    For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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