surapon said:Act444 said:So today I found that my local camera store had the M10 in stock. Since it was their only one, I wasn't able to actually shoot with it, but I was able to see it/hold it and I brought along my M to compare size-wise.
- The M10 has roughly the same footprint size-wise as the M (when face down) but the M10 is a bit thicker. (likely due to the flip screen)
- Although the M10 lacks the front grip that the M has, I still think the camera feels solid enough and I got used to holding it fairly quickly. YMMV on this one b/c I know camera ergonomics are a very personal thing...
- The M10 is actually a little heavier than the M (but not significantly so). Even with the battery and card inside the M, when I held both of them, the bare M10 felt at least the same weight if not a bit heavier.
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Fast forward to a few moments later when I was contemplating a trade-in (I was actually more interested in the 15-45mm lens but given the price difference, thought it would make more sense to just get it in the M10 kit) and ended up doing just that. So thoughts after a couple hours playing with the M10 - in many ways it's an upgrade from the M, but in a few somewhat surprising ways it's also a downgrade as well.
Benefits over the M:
- Flip screen. This may not be a big deal to many folks, but this is one of my main reasons for the switch. Flips up 180 degrees (but doesn't swivel or tilt down).
- Pop-up flash! Another big reason for switching. When you slide the switch, the flash pops up and extends out in front of the camera (like the M3). Does not bounce, however - and only pops up when the screen is down or almost down (it gets blocked if the screen is tilted too much). The flash is tiny and only has limited range, but it sure beats having to carry around the 90EX flash (which I also got rid of) for dark places. *CLARIFICATION* (See post #10 below): You CAN use the pop up flash when the screen is tilted 180 degrees, but it cannot be engaged - you must first flip the screen back down, pop the flash, then raise the screen again.
- WiFi connectivity is another great upgrade. Although it took a few minutes to set up initially, having your phone as the display/camera remote opens up a whole world of possibilities composition-wise. And transfer of images happens very quickly, too...in just a few seconds I can select my image, transfer it and have it in my phone's camera roll where it is ready for use in texts, social media updates, e-mails, etc. (I hope Canon finds a way to include this feature in the upcoming 5D4!)
- High ISO performance on the M10 is SLIGHTLY better (not significantly so, though - still not as good as the 7D Mark II).
- While shooting, the histogram can be displayed in a box on screen and it updates in real time. (I think you could also do this on the M but I prefer the implementation on the M10)
- I tested the M10 with the adapter + the 28 2.8 IS and I found that the AF hunted less and was more decisive.
- In playback mode there is a nice Image Search feature - I think that is new.
- The record movie button seems to work in stills mode as well - this was not the case with the M
Drawbacks:
- No hot-shoe (but you knew that already).
- M10 shutter sound is louder. The M had an audible "snap" to it but on the M10 there is a definite CLICK when you take a picture. So that would make it harder for discrete shooting (if not in a moderately loud environment)...but no worse than any DSLR. Then again, the M wasn't exactly quiet anyway...
- No customizable menu! ("My Menu") A bit of a surprise to me because even the Rebel SL1 has this.
- Weird quirk with viewing RAW images on the camera display when shooting RAW only: image becomes very pixellated/grainy when zoomed in. Too pixellated to check focus, etc. This is the only Canon camera I've used where I've experienced this "phenomenon" - this was NOT the case with the M, nor is it the case with any Canon DSLR I've ever used (including the SL1), where a high-res JPG preview can be generated from the RAW file itself to show on the screen. Don't know if it's a bug or what, but the only workaround with the M10 is to shoot both RAW + JPEG so the camera has an associated file to use when generating the high-res preview. Maybe this can be something that's looked into once there are more M10 owners?
- I found the M10 menu system somewhat less straightforward than the original M... plus, I'm seeing fewer customization options in general at least when it comes to menu settings. This would just mean that certain features would just require more button presses and menu searching. Mostly that's just due to the lack of the "My Menu" option.
General observations about the M10 (neither pros nor cons over the M):
- Image quality continues to be on a high level, especially when used with capable lenses. Again you are getting a heck of a photo out of such a small camera.
- With native EF-M lenses I was unable to find a significant difference in AF performance over the M (software version 2.0). The M10 is slightly snappier if already in range, but if it's vastly out of focus or it's poorly lit, AF can and does still hunt (and fail to lock on).
- The 15-45mm lens...15mm vs. 18mm is not much but it's enough to make a difference in walkaround shooting. I think I would rather have the 3mm extra on the wide end than the 10mm on the tele end if I was to use this camera for general shooting.
- 15-45mm size: When retracted, it is considerably smaller than the 18-55 (and this can make the difference in whether the camera comes along!)...however, when in use, I find that there is little difference in size/handling between the two lenses. The 15-45 remains the lighter of the two lenses though. It is still larger than the 22mm regardless so don't expect to fit M body + 15-45 into a case that's just large enough for the M + 22.
- Quality of the 15-45: can't speak too much of it yet, but from a few test shots inside it didn't exactly blow me away (but it's not awful either). At 15mm f3.5 I felt corners/edges on my test images were quite soft - and there is some distortion as well. Center of the image is very sharp though. However, I would need more extensive use with it, especially outdoors/landscape to have a final opinion.
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I think that for me, the M10 is a hybrid of amazing upgrades and puzzling downgrades (in terms of feature set and control). However, at the end of the day, the 5D3 is always my go-to camera for any big event...and when I need extensive reach or speed, I've got the 7D2. The role of the M over the years has been mostly as a backup/secondary camera to my primary DSLR setup; the M also found use at work-related events as well as other shows or venues where a DSLR setup would either not be allowed or would be excessively cumbersome. The M has gotten me some great shots over the 3 years I've had it, many that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise, and I expect that the M10 will continue that legacy. For me, when it's all said and done, with the move from the M to the M10, I think the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones...and for that reason I consider myself a satisfied buyer.
Thanks for reading.
Dear friend Mr. Act444.
I love my EOS-M MK I, and love her as pocket/ point and shoot camera, except the LOW -ISO Max = 6400. Now M-10 = 18 MP, and EOS M MK III = 24 MP( with new design Grip ) have been in US. market Now---Same ISO = 12,800. Which one I should buy , Sir. M10 or M MK III ?
Thank you, Sir
Surapon.
I thought I might chime in here uninvited. If you decide on the M3, B&H is still offering the M3 + the EVF for $449. Click the "Bundle" button and chose the EVF. They are perpetually out of stock, so there will be a week or so delay before shipping. Mine arrives Tuesday.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1180765-REG/canon_9694b001_eos_m3_mirrorless_digital.html
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