To buy M or not to buy M?

[bycostello]

the M that is...   the fuji is awesome...

[verysimplejason]

the M that is...   the fuji is awesome...

Fuji is awesome but you need another set of lens.  I'd wait for the next M.  The fact that it can use my other Canon lenses is already a big +.  I don't have any wish to spend more on other lenses except those I can use with my SLR.  Also the cost of maintaining 2 different systems is way, way expensive for me to handle.  For me, the M is a perfect backup camera and as a light camera when you need one.  E.g., I carry my G11 when we go out for weekends and when I want to travel light.  It's still usable until ISO 800 for internet purposes.  With the M, I think it can do almost everything that my SLR can do and that's a good thing.

[pwp]

the M that is...   the fuji is awesome...

i got the fuji x-e1 after waiting all that time for the M....  disappointed with it..

Can you elaborate on your particular issues with the M?

Your Fuji sounds like a winner:
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/fujifilm-x-e1
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/fuji_x_e1_review.shtml
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/fujifilm-x-e1-review-20751

I can't believe Canon will remain a fringe player in the Mirrorless Universe for too much longer. This is the future. The current DSLR design fundamentals have their roots well and truly embedded in film SLR design principals and historically will be regarded as transitional.

-PW

[EvilTed]

Although you can use your existing lenses, would you really want to?
I can hardly see anyone walking around with a 24-70 on the M body

I'd get the Fuji.
I have an X-Pro 1 and have ordered an XE-1.
The Fuji glass is better than any of my L lenses...

ET

[infared]

I generally don't adopt first generation electronic products...

...and with very good reason. Recent tech history is loaded with examples of why it makes a lot of sense to go with Generation 2. Original iPhone anyone? EOS 1Ds? I could make a long list here with Canons, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Leica, Nikon etc.

But along with around a billion other photographers I'll be keen to see Canon's next mirrorless offering.

If I just had to get on board with mirrorless right now, I'd be having a long hard look at the Olympus OM-D E M5. Read up here:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusem5/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/olympus_om_d_e_m5_review.shtml

-PW

+++1  OMD...amazing camera...the next one will be off the charts!

[hambergler]

the M that is...   the fuji is awesome...

Fuji is awesome but you need another set of lens.  I'd wait for the next M.  The fact that it can use my other Canon lenses is already a big +.  I don't have any wish to spend more on other lenses except those I can use with my SLR.  Also the cost of maintaining 2 different systems is way, way expensive for me to handle.  For me, the M is a perfect backup camera and as a light camera when you need one.  E.g., I carry my G11 when we go out for weekends and when I want to travel light.  It's still usable until ISO 800 for internet purposes.  With the M, I think it can do almost everything that my SLR can do and that's a good thing.

What Canon Lenses are you dying to use on an EOS M?

I know my two main lenses (24-70 II and 70-200 2.8 IS II) would be ridiculous on a mirrorless.

The only one I could see using is maybe the 40mm pancake or maybe some EF-S lenses which I would never buy since I have a Full Frame.

[Area256]

I like the idea of the M, I don't even mind the lack of an EVF or buttons - it's a compact after all.  The AF was just far to slow to make it something to consider though.  The OM-D and NEX cameras are proving to have far nicer AF, and the Fuji sensors and glass look amazing.  The Nikon V2 has really awesome AF, but it's also got a 2.7x crop

I'd wait for the next gen M, or go with another brand, unless the AF speed really isn't an issue for you - in which case it seems like a decent compact for someone with (small) Canon lenses.

[sambafan]

Agree with the notion of waiting for Gen 2. I love the idea of it, with the 22 lens, as a walkaround.
As to Fujifilm, after my experience with the X100 it would take a miracle to persuade me to try another.

[nickorando]

There are three problems with the M - one, the AF, two, the fact that it's easy to move the focus point unintentionally, and three, the lens cap design is poor and it tends to fall off. For me, it's problems 2 and 3 that are most irritating - I don't need it as an action camera, and if left on continuous AF, it's not generally that slow at all, it's focused by the time I've composed. Thankfully, it doesn't have an appalling EVF - so far, only Fuji's hybrid viewfinders don't make me physically sick on the EVF front.
I wouldn't want it to be my only camera, but integrated into an EOS system, it's great - oddly enough, it feels good with the 70-300 L and the 8-15 L.

The fact that it feels so nice and produces much better images than anything else its size do help, of course.

[Ellen Schmidtee]

I have one with the 22mm and EF adaptor. I got it so I don't have to lug my 5D3 everywhere.

A lot of people here bash the EOS-M for what it isn't supposed to be. Those opinions are misguided because the EOS-M isn't supposed to be your DSLR substitute. What it is is a compact with impeccable image quality, full manual control, AF points you can virtually focus anywhere in the scene. And to top it off, can use EF/EF-S lenses! The EOS-M is for those wanting to jump in the photography scene but don't want to get a chunky DSLR. Eventually when those people buy EF/EF-S lenses it'll be a much more economical transition to a DSLR.

What I expect from a compact interchangeable lens camera is to have small lenses. I'm not going to buy it just because it has a good alternative to the EF 35mm f/2 & can mount my EF lenses w/ an adapter.

If there were EF-M 15mm f/2 & EF-M diagonal fisheye, I would seriously consider it. An equivalent of the EF 24-105mm f/4 would help.

[bycostello]

the M that is...   the fuji is awesome...

Fuji is awesome but you need another set of lens.  I'd wait for the next M.  The fact that it can use my other Canon lenses is already a big +.  I don't have any wish to spend more on other lenses except those I can use with my SLR.  Also the cost of maintaining 2 different systems is way, way expensive for me to handle.  For me, the M is a perfect backup camera and as a light camera when you need one.  E.g., I carry my G11 when we go out for weekends and when I want to travel light.  It's still usable until ISO 800 for internet purposes.  With the M, I think it can do almost everything that my SLR can do and that's a good thing.

the whole point for me is to reduce bulk...  and so DSLR lenses kind of defeat that... so i'd buy new lenses anyway.. sure i would of liked compatibility but for me wasn't an option...

[paul13walnut5]

I might want to use the camera on a multi shoot.

Any I think any mirrorless camera looks a bit ridiculous with anything other than a pancake on it.  So if I'm going to get sneered at, i might as well get sneered at with lenses I already have.

So far about 2 folk have given useful answers.  I'm not asking about a Leica or a fuji.
I'm asking about the EOS M.  I will either buy or not buy an EOS M.  I am interested in how your EOS M has worked for you. 

If you don't use an EOS M then start a new thread to talk about what you would buy instead, I didn't ask and don't care.  I can work google.

If anybody else has an EOS M and useful germaine advice to offer then great!

[wickidwombat]

I might want to use the camera on a multi shoot.

Any I think any mirrorless camera looks a bit ridiculous with anything other than a pancake on it.  So if I'm going to get sneered at, i might as well get sneered at with lenses I already have.

So far about 2 folk have given useful answers.  I'm not asking about a Leica or a fuji.
I'm asking about the EOS M.  I will either buy or not buy an EOS M.  I am interested in how your EOS M has worked for you. 

If you don't use an EOS M then start a new thread to talk about what you would buy instead, I didn't ask and don't care.  I can work google.

If anybody else has an EOS M and useful germaine advice to offer then great!

It will be interesting to see what potential magic lantern unlock with this puppy
I guess this will be of more interest to you too since you do mainly video, I am hoping for ML
adding intervalometer to it so i can use it for a timelapse camera for weddings and events
(no need to worry about burning through shutters, light easy to mount in different places) battey life
might be my main issue with this but i'll see how it goes I'm also more interested in using the EOS-M for video
to complement my other stuff so very keen to see what ML unlocks.

as a side note i did a bit of a studio comparison with
EOS-M + 18-55 STM kit lens
600D + 18-55 EF-S kit lens
5Dmk2 + 28-90 old school lens
5Dmk2 + 24-105L
5Dmk3 + 24-70L

and the EOS-M blew the doors off the 600D and kit lens stopped down the EF-M kit lens is SHARP whereas the EF-S kit lens never really gets there.
also in a studio environment the touch to shoot was useless as the screen is black until you touch it
so it total guesswork, so I thought i'd give the shutter button a go and...
Using the shutter button with studio lights the AF is fast probably at least on a par with the 600D and kit lens combo however you still have to hold the shutter half way and sort out your composition once the screen shows up so there is a bit of a delay due to composing, I was very suprised. I think the AF can be fixed and it will just take some effort on canons part to do so.

[paul13walnut5]

Thank you wickidwombat.

Thats 3 useful answers now.

ISO for ISO side by side how do you think the video compares from the EOS M to the 600D?

I'm using two APS-C D4 cameras, I'm concerned that a D5 camera might not cut in so seamlessly?

Any thoughts?

[davidstarzhou]

I like EOS-M but I would prefer to wait for the 2nd generation.

It is a very compact solution to the EF lens I have own, rather than bulkier 5D MARK II.

I guess I would upgrade my 5D MARK II to 5D MARK III, the same time Canon release EOS-M 2nd generation, so that I use 5D3 as main body and 2nd gen EOS-M as the backup body.