Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsAn EVF camera I can live with for a few years without much compromise!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2017
I have a lot of DSLR Gear, mostly Canon with a lot of lenses. I had two issues with these, one, they were getting too heavy to haul around all day and 2, setting the focus point, even with the toggles wasn't quick enough at times.
This camera solves both those issues for me. Whether you use the Electronic Viewfinder (which is very good, but I still prefer the optical ones in the DSLR's) or the back screen, focus quick and very accurate on the MF. The Dual Pixel technology that Canon has is really a game changer. All lenses focus accurately where you want them to, which is I think is critical (and difficult to nail quickly), as the exposure is a lot easier to handle using the P-A-S-M modes in creating a keeper.
You can move the focus point in two ways:
1. If looking thru the eye-finder, by moving your thumb across the back screen and then pressing the shutter.
2. Like a phone camera using the back-screen alone where you can touch the screen (and have it optionally click the shutter also) , which I find very convenient, for snapshots.
Its features and sensor are mostly based on the Canon 80D DSLR, that was praised for its much improved dynamic range and customizability. The Auto ISO and AF parameter customising is a little less than the 80D, but is livable and could be incorporated in a later firmware upgrade, though unlikely based on Canon's past history of firmware upgrades.
I noticed that the EF-M lenses, especially the 22mm, 28mm macro and 11-22 zoom are really good in all respects, and the other zooms, 15-45, 18-150 (both kit zooms) and the 55-200 are also pretty sharp and contrasty. The combination of size, weight, 24MP and these lenses with dual pixel focus is unbeatable today.
Being able to use all your other EF and EF-S lenses with a canon branded adapter, without losing any functionality, picture quality, focusing speed is just icing on the cake.
Would I replace a DSLR (especially with long lens) with this combo, NO. Its not an action camera per se, (ergonomically), but does quite well for casual action.
Would I use this for movies, (I don't shoot/need 4K video) with all the features of silent focus, in-lens stabilization combined with in-camera digital stabilization): YES
I could stuff the camera, kit zoom, low light 22mm f/2.0 (35 mm Full Frame equivalent) prime, the 11-22 wide angle zoom and 55-200 telephoto zoom with spare batteries, polarizers etc, and be ready for any airline based vacation with about 1/3rd the weight of my DSLR equivalent, being able to cover 18 mm ultrawide to 320 mm telephoto full frame equivalent coverage.I wouldn't be giving up much with the quality of pictures, although I would take the DSLR's if I were driving my car.
This camera fills a unique niche (more so as a system), than other competitors camera systems. The EF-M lenses cost less than $500 for the most expensive 18-150 zoom and others are $250 to 400 currently. The competitions lenses are more expensive when you match picture quality. The latest Digic 7 processor in this camera improves speed and in-camera processing significantly over its predecessors such as the M3, and it beats using a phone for taking pictures hands down.
And then there is Canons reliability and service, which are second to none.
