Canon has released details of its first compact interchangeable-lens camera, the EOS M. The new model, which uses a new M-mount lens system, features the same 18-megapixel, APS-C, CMOS sensor as the recently released EOS 650D but is 50% lighter and almost 60% thinner than the consumer DSLR.
The EOS M is expected to be available in early to mid October with two lenses at launch – the EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM standard zoom lens and the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM ultra compact pancake lens. The camera can also be used with with all Canon EF and EF-S with an optional lens adapter.
Key features include a 3-inch touch-screen LCD, the ability to capture Full HD (1920 x 1080p) movies, 4.3 frames per second continuous shooting, a standard ISO range of 100-12,800 ISO (expandable to 25,600 H), on-chip phase detection autofocus with 31 AF points, and Canon’s DiG!C 5 image processor.
Available in three colours – red, white and black – the camera offers the usual creative modes including manual exposure, aperture priority and shutter priority, as well as a range of scene and scene intelligent auto options.
New shooting modes include Handheld Night Scene, HDR Backlight Control and Multi-Shot Noise Reduction which take multiple pictures, and combine them – in camera – to help capture a wider dynamic range, minimise image noise, and produce more vivid colours.
The 3.0-inch Clear View II LCD monitor (approximately 1.04 million dots) includes a smudge-resistant coating and responds to multi-touch commands including “swipe”, “pinch to zoom”, “touch to focus” and “touch to shoot”.
Like the 650D, the EOS M uses a Hybrid AF system to provide continuous autofocus and tracking of moving subjects when shooting videos.
Canon also plans to release a new flash unit for the EOS M, the SpeedLite 90EX, which offers a guide number of 9 meters (at ISO 100) and can be used to wirelessly trigger compatible Canon flash units.
Other optional accessories include a GPS receiver and the wireless remote control unit. The EOS M is compatible with SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, including new Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) cards.
The EOS M will be offered in a single lens kit with the 18-55mm lens, a twin-lens kit with the 18-55mm and 22mm pancake lens; and a body-only kit with the EF-EOSM mount adapter.
Australian prices have not been announced but the camera is expected to be priced between the EOS 600D and the EOS 650D.
Tech Specs: Canon EOS M
Resolution: 18
megapixels
Sensor type: CMOS
Sensor size: APS-C (22.3
x 14.9 mm)
Crop factor: 1.6x
Lens mount: Canon EF-M.
Canon EF lenses (including EF-S lenses) can be used with optional mount adapter
EF-EOS M.
Image aspect ratio: 3:2
Still image formats:
JPEG, RAW (14-bit Canon original), RAW+JPEG Large simultaneous recording
possible
LCD type: TFT color
liquid-crystal monitor, capacitive touchscreen
LCD size and resolution:
3.0 inches (diagonal), 1.04 million dots
Autofocus type: Hybrid
CMOS AF
AF points: 31
(maximum)
AF brightness range: EV 1 to 18
AF operation: One-Shot
AF, servo AF
Metering modes:
Evaluative, partial, spot, centre-weighted average
Metering range: EV 1 to
20
Exposure control: Scene Intelligent Auto, Creative zone (manual
exposure, aperture-priority AE, shutter-priority, program AE), Basic zone
(creative auto, portrait, landscape, close-up, sports, night portrait, handheld
night scene, HDR backlight control.)
Sensitivity: 100-12800
ISO (expandable to 25,600 ISO)
Manual exposure
compensation: ±3 stops in 1/3 or ½ stop increments
Auto exposure bracketing:
±2 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
AE lock: Auto – applied
in one-shot AF with evaluative metering when focus is achieved; Manual – with
AE lock button
Shutter
type: Electronically-controlled, focal-plane
shutter
Shutter speeds: Bulb,
30-1/4000s, X-sync at 1/200s
External flash: Hot-shoe compatible with Canon EX
Series
Flash metering: E-TTL II autoflash
Continuous shooting
speed: 4.3 frames per second for a burst of 15 JPEG images or 6 RAW images.
Movies: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 30p/25p/24p
Movie
format: MOV, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
Audio: Built-in stereo
microphone, linear PCM
Movie AF: Hybrid CMOS AF
System (face + tracking, FlexiZone-multi, FlexiZone-single); Manual focusing
(approx. 5x / 10x magnification possible)
Sound recording: Built-in stereo microphone, external stereo
microphone terminal provided, sound recording level adjustable, wind filter
provided, attenuator provided
Picture styles: Auto,
Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Def. 1 – 3
Creative filters: Grainy
B/W, Soft focus, Fish-eye effect, Art bold effect, Water painting effect, Toy
camera effect, Miniature effect
White balance: Auto,
Preset (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light,White fluorescent light,
Flash), Custom
Noise reduction: Applicable
to long exposures and high ISO speed shots
Dust delete feature: Auto,
Manual, Dust Delete Data appending
Interface: HDMI mini
out, USB 2.0, Analog video, GPS receiver GP-E2 compatible, external microphone
in (3.5 mm diameter stereo mini-jack), wireless remote control RC-6, Eye-Fi
card compatible
Recording media: SD,
SDHC, SDXC
Power: Battery Pack
LP-E12
Dimensions: 108.6 x 66.5
x 32.3 mm (W x H x D)
Weight: 298g (body with
battery and card, no lens)
