I always have a set of “work” and “fun” cameras, the former being big, heavy professional tools and the latter the kind I take with me on family trips and for photography. Street.
When one of the interesting cameras, my Olympus E-M10 II, spilled and died during a demonstration this past fall, I knew I needed to find something to replace it.
I have long been a supporter of the Micro Four Thirds system, recently wrote a love letter to my 2013 Panasonic Lumix GM1. But the truth of the matter is that the pair of cameras really make for good street photos, the E-M10 is a capable little camera and the GM1 is my go-to pocket camera. Losing the E-M10 and being left with an older, more limited camera is a signal that it’s time to move on.
In addition to being small, cheap is also a criterion for my interesting cameras. After all, they don’t make money for me. That’s when Canon launched a holiday sale and its M series product line dropped a lot. I suppose it’s time to really give it a chance, though with the R series making its way into APS-C territory, lettering is ready for M lenses and cameras.
I bought a refurbished one for $399 Canon EOS M50 Mark II and a used EOS M5. For the lens, I used Canon EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM . kit lens (the one packed with the M50 Mark II), which Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM . Lensand Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN . Contemporary Lens. I basically had a more or less complete “fun” system for about $1,000.
Unlike the EOS R system, Canon did not send a request for suspension and cancellation to Sigma regarding the autofocus of the lenses on the M system, as the company has a good set of prime lenses. with AF for EF-M mount. Having two high-quality primes for focal lengths that I always use is a huge plus, as is having updated bodies that are only slightly larger than my beloved Olympus E-M10 II i have gone. None are as small as my GM1, but they are more capable and have viewfinders.
After over a month with this setup I sold and I’m so sad. I was sad to see the system disappear. Here’s why.
Quick Focus Pocket Camera
Focus and image quality have never been the strength of my previous Micro Four Thirds setup. As entry-level bodies, speed is sufficient, but tracking on Panasonic or Olympus bodies (including my higher end ones) has never been good. Forget tracking my nimble kids without some kind of stage detection.
Updating to the M series cameras is great. Lots of features I used on my Canon EOS R6 and R5 was pioneered on M-series bodies. While the M5 is a bit older and only transitioned to face-tracking autofocus and 1080p video, the M50 Mark II features 4K video and eye detection with servo capabilities. . It focuses fairly easily, and the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system in both cameras focuses much better than the contrast-detect AF systems of Olympus and Panasonic.
Although I’ve done with the D-pad or poked at the screen in my previous street setups, the M5 and M50 Mark II have Canon’s excellent touch-and-drag autofocus. I put the right side of the screen up to act as a trackpad for autofocus, and overall I was able to get things done faster than my R6 or R5 using their AF joysticks (they also with touch and drag feature). Something oddly works/feels better when using this in conjunction with a viewfinder that the GM1 can’t replicate.
Additionally, having a viewfinder makes manual focus precise and shooting in bright sunlight easier. For such a small package, having autofocus at a great distance from my more expensive R cameras is a treat.
Better sensor
Micro Four Thirds cameras seem to have reached the limit with sensor technology for size. I’ve owned multiple 12 and 16 megapixel Micro Four Thirds cameras of different generations, and the image quality is more or less the same across the board. All in all, you’re paying for body flexibility and quality-of-life features. The M series, with its larger APS-C sensor, is a significant upgrade in that department.
I was able to remove more shadows and have better control over highlights, and I was able to print slightly larger with 24 megapixels on touch.
But is buying M now a good idea?
I thought long and hard about whether this is a good idea or not. Buying the EOS M system means you’re most likely considering no more new camera bodies or lenses, at least from Canon. And most likely no third-party manufacturer wants to develop new lenses for a system that has never really caught on with the masses. What’s out there is what it will be.
When analyzing my own habits, my most used lenses tend to be the equivalent of 40mm Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH. Glass and Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 . Digital Lens, mainly due to their size. I occasionally dip in awesome Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 . Lens.
Fortunately, Canon has made a great 22mm prime lens and Sigma has a demand for portraiture with a 56mm lens, which has all the image quality of Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 CHEAP, but combined with the superior autofocus capabilities of the Canon system and a lower price point for both the body and the lens. If I need a super wide angle, yes Canon EF-M Lens 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM.
That said, where the system is a bit flat is at the longer end, where there aren’t any fast telephoto lenses that don’t accommodate the larger, heavier EF or EF-S glasses, which take this away. purpose of the whole system. The lack of lenses is one of the main weaknesses of the system, but if the lenses on offer suit your needs, like mine, there’s no reason not to buy it.
In terms of image quality, the sensors in these cameras gain a lot from 80D-the age of Canon DSLRs, and that’s not a bad thing. The 24-megapixel sensors in both cameras have a decent dynamic range and offer larger image sizes than anything Micro Four Thirds has, except for the GH6. Again, though, this is a dead end. There likely won’t be any new camera bodies, and that’s something to consider, aside from the lenses. But, like I always say, a camera never takes a worse picture than the day you bought it, and so if I’m happy with a 16-megapixel camera until 2022, then 24-megapixel is fine (and so should be 20 in my EOS R6).
It’s worth it
Just like when your favorite TV series was canceled in the early days, so was the case with the EOS M system. It seems to have really taken a step forward from the standpoints of price, performance and size at the end of its life. I used the EOS M and M3 when they were brand new, and they were so bad compared to the competition that I abandoned the M series altogether until now. It was Canon’s mistake to put those cameras on its knees at launch, damaging the reputation of the entire system. For instance, when the M3 was released in 2015, it used the slower, bulkier Hybrid CMOS AF III while the much superior Dual Pixel CMOS AF was available in the 70D. And it costs $800.
Maybe Canon doesn’t want to eat away at sales of EF lenses and DSLR bodies. Seems like it’s been less of an issue over the past few years, since the R series is doing it anyway.
Canon has not officially released any information about the death of the M system, but you can see it in the rapid discontinuation of official M products. M50 Mark II and low end M200 are the only bodies left that you can buy brand new and the supply of lenses also seems to be running low.
Why not buy an APS-C R camera? While they will certainly have a longer shelf life, they will never reach such a small size and cheap price. The M series is unique in that respect.
In my opinion, if you’re looking for a powerful, portable camera that can easily slip into a trouser pocket or pocket, it’s time to pick up an M-system camera, while You still can.
