A good little camera that doesn't get much love.
First off, this camera is capable of taking some GREAT pictures. After all, this is a cut-down mirrorless version of the Canon Rebel T4i. It has the same large APS-C image sensor and DIGIC processing as the T4i. However, getting those great pictures often requires some effort. It's low-light capability makes it a worthy choice over to a high-end point-&-shoot.Canon released the EOS M to great anticipation, which turned into disappointment. It was plagued by autofocus issues that are mostly resolved in firmware (mostly, as I will explain below). It was also way too expensive at $799 list, and only 2 lenses were available at the time (2 more have been released since). After large stocks of these cameras were found to be just sitting around, they have become available at a firesale price, making them terrific values. I believe if the list were more like $549, they would have sold a lot more of these to start with.Despite all the lack of love for this camera, it has ultimately proved to be a very useful tool, but one that requires using it more like a DSLR instead of a point-&-shoot. All of the usual plusses and minuses that are associated with Canon DSLRs certainly apply here, with the exception that, due to its small size, most of the controls are going to be found on the touchscreen rather than a dial or button. There is the Q button on the back that makes many of the photo shooting options accessible, and changing the mode, white balance, ISO sensitivity, or exposure compensation, is relatively straightforward, even if a few of the options could be streamlined further.As mentioned, the picture quality can be fantastic, even at ISO values of 800 and 1600, however, it will sometimes require multiple attempts to get a focus lock, especially in low-light settings, and especially when using the EF-M lens adapter (discussed below). And while the shutter response isn't quite as fast as a DSLR, it is still sufficient to get most action shots (I have been able to consistently catch dogs in mid jump). The hot-shoe is fully E-TTL capable, so any of Canon flashes can be used to their full extent on this camera (even the big ones, although they will look a little funny on such a small camera).There are a couple of accessories that might be considered essential to this camera that are not part of the original package: The 90EX flash unit (original list price $150, seriously Canon?), and the EF-M lens adapter (original list price $200, yagoddabkidding!) that will allow any Canon EF lens to be used with the camera. Fortunately, both items can be had pretty far below list price online and will prove handy if using this camera for any length of time.The adapter is useful because there are a dearth of EF-M lenses that will natively fit this camera. I've used the 15~85mm, 50mm f/1.8, and 55~250mm on this camera and they function well, if not quickly. They are ungainly looking attached to such a small camera, but they certainly get the job done. Since the only native EF-M lenses for this camera are the 18~55mm, 22mm pancake, 11~22mm, and 55~200mm (with the latter 2 only available via gray market or eBay), this adapter is almost a must.Ultimately, this camera is a great walking around camera whose small size and light weight make it a good stand-in for carrying around a DSLR instead. It is time to give it the love it deserves.
