Canon’s recent decision to sunset its EOS M system has left a lot of users in the lurch. With no new EF-M lenses or bodies on the horizon, what’s an M shooter to do? The answer to that is, well, nothing. Do nothing.
I’ve always had a saying that I tell my students with newly acquired cases of Gear Acquisition Syndrome or G.A.S., as it’s commonly referred to around these parts: A camera never takes pictures any worse than the day you bought it. Apparently, Australian Photographer and YouTuber Mark Wiemels feels the same way, pointing out that while there may be no new cameras or glass coming to an EF-M photographer’s gear bag, there’s still plenty of power packed into many of the more recent bodies, such as the EOS M50 Mark II or the M6 Mark II.
While Canon might consider the EOS R50 to be the spiritual successor to the M series bodies, the truth is there are still no direct replacement for what turned out to be some great prime lenses for Canon’s first mirrorless system, namely the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM Lens, the Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM Lens, and not to mention, the stellar Sigma trio of 16, 30 and 56mm f/1.4 lenses.
I own most of these lenses and often use the M system as my “bag of primes” on a shoot since they’re so much smaller and lighter than their full frame counterparts without any real loss in image quality except in perhaps the most extreme lighting conditions. Indeed, it’s more about being there than anything else. Here’s a shot I made yesterday at sunrise using the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens on my EOS M6 Mark II:
Having such a portable system filled with high-quality primes means I take it with me everywhere, so I never miss a good sunrise or sunset if I can help it. I’m happy with the images out of the camera currently, and there’s no reason they’ll get any worse.
But, Wiemels notes, if you are the type that must do something, now is probably the last time you’ll ever get top dollar to sell your gear. The official discontinuation of the system just a couple of days ago means that prices for gear on the used market are soaring, and so if you’re looking to switch, it’s now or never.
Me? I love having a tiny system that more or less acts like the bigger full frame R series cameras. I’m sad to see the system go, but at least I know that I have several years more life out of the bodies and lenses before I’ll need to consider something else. And besides, I did go in with my eyes wide open.
How do you feel about the demise of the M system? Are you an M shooter? What will you do with your gear? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
