Canon M

Canon M is Canon's Entry-Level Mirrorless digital camera first revealed on July of 2012. It includes a 18 MegaPixel, CMOS APS-C size sensor with a maximum resolution of 5184 x 3456.

The M is ranked #57 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras & all-around #301 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to look at our Smart camera filter to see camera rankings based on your custom factors.

Below is a chart of multiple criteria used in the scoring system.

The Canon M has a history of related cameras. Below, you can see all previous and more recent models along with important features.

You can view the M from various angles in the gallery below.

Here is a checklist of pros and cons of the Canon M based on aspects that are typically viewed as necessary in a digital camera.

The Canon M features the Digic 5 chip. The sensor spec in the Canon M is 22.3mm x 14.9mm (APS-C). The 332 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 5184 x 3456 pixels .

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The CMOS sensor has 18MP and features a standard ISO range of 100 - 12800. The ISO can be widened electronically to a maximum of 25600. RAW files are saved so you have more room to maneuver in post.

The picture below shows the M's sensor size compared to other popular sizes. The M sensor has a crop factor of 1.6 and is presented in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Canon M has a weight of 0.66 lbs (298 grams or 10.51 ounces) & has exterior size of 109mm x 66mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3"). The weight of normal Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329 grams so the Canon M is on par compared with other competitors.

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Below is a visual of the Canon M besides a softdrink to help you get a feel for its size.

The top view below will show the button design on the M.

The M fits the Canon EF-M mount and has 26 lenses on the market today. Here is a small number of the lenses we have in our database that will fit the M.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight

Samyang 10mm f2.8 ED AS NCS CS10mmf/2.8 580g

Kamlan 28mm F1.428mmf/1.4384g

Photography Glossary

7artisans 12mm F2.812mmf/2.8295g

Samyang 135mm F2.0 ED UMC135mmf/2830g

Rokinon 85mm F1.885mmf/1.8344g

7artisans 35mm F235mmf/2320g

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Canon EF-M 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM18-55mmf/3.5-5.6 210g

The M has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes
• GPS Yes

Cameras which include NFC and Bluetooth support can be used wirelessly through smartphones. You are able to transfer images and usually adjust settings without the hassle of connecting straight with the camera.

Several apps also provide a Liveview and click the shutter whenever you aren't close to the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI port, it can be hooked up to an external display. A lot of cameras will allow you to charge the battery with the USB port.

The maximum video resolution in the Canon M is 1920 x 1080 and you can save in MPEG-4 and H.264 file format. 1080p resolution provides a good balance in video quality vs file size but FULL HD will not leave you with any room to downsample. While the body offers a microphone jack, it is sadly lacking a headphone jack so you will not have the option to keep an eye on your sound levels.

Canon M doesn't have weather proofing so damp conditions may damage the camera.

The Canon M includes a 3" fixed display with a resolution of 1,040k dots.

Additionally the display is touch friendly so you can set focus point plus change settings with your fingertips.

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The View Finder details for Canon M are below:

• ViewFinder None

For bright outdoor situations that make the camera screens washed out and tricky to see, viewfinders will be rather valuable.

Canon M continuous shooting speed is 4.0 frames per second. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000s.

Canon M features external flash ability but is lacking inbuilt flash. The max flash sync speed is 1/200s.

Canon M features both Phase Detect Auto Focus as well as Contrast Based Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more snappier and exact compared to Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera includes Face detection which makes it handy for people photography.

The Sensor includes 31 focus points to select from. Canon M has tap to focus. You can use your fingers in order to change where you focus. Canon M features manual focusing in case it is needed in low light occasions or you need to have more accurate focusing control.

The battery (LP-E12) in the Canon M is designed to last for 230 shutters according to the CIPA standards which is lower as compared to it's competition. The general Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 offers the highest possible (750) battery life in this group of cameras.

Below is a collection of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras that come with the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X-S20
M vs X-S20750 yesnoyes

Samsung NX mini
M vs NX mini650 yesnono

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Pentax K-01
M vs K-01540 yesnono

Sony NEX-3N
M vs NEX-3N480 yesnono

Sony NEX-F3
M vs NEX-F3470 yesnono

The following illustration shows a summation of the Canon M for specific styles of photography. To find out more, browse to the specific section below.

The Canon M receives a points tally of 75 which is nice, and means the camera is a good pick to use for portrait images. Photographing portrait images favors greatly towards sensor resolution, RAW support in addition to the flexibility to utilize off-camera flash.

With a above average points tally of 72, the Canon M is a respectable fit to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera has a perfect balance of picture quality plus portability.

A modest sports photography score of 54 suggests the Canon M is reasonably suitable for shooting sports. A camera should have fantastic autofocus plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

Weight is pretty crucial when picking a travel camera. On the whole, the Canon M gets a nice 63 as a travel camera which is a very decent option to take with you on your travels.

When you are planning to purchase a camera for landscape photos, the most important aspect will be image quality. The Canon M at it's above average rating of 65 for a landscape camera is a fine fit amongst it's rivals.

A camera for vlogging really should posses a articulating display, mic input and preferably IBIS. Considering all the details, the Canon M is just not very good as a vlog camera as it delivers a really bad score of 37.

If you are searching for replacements to the M, below is a selection of the top scored cameras which fall within the category of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The diagram followed below shows you an overview of the M versus it's highest scored competitors mentioned previously.

Following are several cameras you might take into account as alternatives. To read a thorough comparison, simply click the "compare" link.