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M5/M6 questions

MikeFromMesa
Apprentice

I currently use a 5D3 but walking all day through some of the National Parks in the US South West in the summer carrying such a heavy camera and lens has become a bit of a burden so I have begun to think about buying a second camera, this one a lighter mirrorless camera. Naturally my first thoughts were for the Canon M5 and M6. I have a fair number of EF lenses that would work with the adapter and the camera should be much easier to tote around.

 

My problem is that I do not know how fully-functional the M5 and M6 are. I generally shoot my 5D3 in manual mode, although I also sometimes use Tv and A) and I know that Auto ISO works in those modes on my 5D3. Does the Auto ISO also work in those modes in the M5 and M6? It does not on my wife's Sony NEX. Do those cameras allow for bracketed photos for later HDR processing? Is there a Q button to allow for fast access to the settings? I do not know the answer to those questions and don't want to order the camera before I know.

 

The alternative would be to use another brand of mirrorless interchangeable lens camera but I am familiar with my 5D3 and very happy with Canon, so I would prefer to stay with something I know.

 

Thank you for any help you can provide.

7 REPLIES 7

Waddizzle
Legend
Legend

I own an M3 with a Canon adapter, and I bought for the same reasons that you are currently looking to do.

If you want to know details about functionality, then I would advise that you download the instruction manual from Canon Support.  Just click on the "Canon Community" icon at the top of the screen to go to the Home page, and you should see the link to Canon Support.

 

But, there are a few things the instruction manual does not spelll out about the cameras.  Despite their compact size, the cameras are fairly hefty, and remarkably heavy for their size.  They weigh as much as Rebels like the SL-1 SL-2, T5, and T6, if not more.  An EOS-M adapter will only make them as heavy as any current Rebel, if not more so.

Because of their compact size, there is only so much space for a battery.  Even with the reduced power consumption of their newer electronics, you can expect to get up to 250 shots on a full charge.  My M3 is rated for up to 200 shots.  In practice, I do not know anyone who shoots photos with their camera until the the battery is totally dead, because it is easy to corrupt the memory card if it dies while writing data.  

I also want to point out that those shot estimates are with an EOS-M lens, which are smaller and consume less power than the  much larger EF/EF-S lenses.  Depending upon the EF/EF-S lens, you should expect to have lower shot totals with the larger lenses.  I have gotten great results with the two Canon "pancake" lenses, because they were faster than EOS-M lenses at the time.  I can get hundreds of shots with a fully manual lens like a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8, which has such a short hyperfocal distance, that I can make one focus setting, and anything beyond a few feet is in perfect focus.

I bought an M3 because I did not want to go to some places looking like Joe "the Pro" Photographer.  If you're not using a cell phone, then that is what you're going to look like nowadays, not unless you have something palm sized, which is what the EOS-M series of cameras are.  

The cameras are great, but they do have limitations when it comes to power.  Your choice of lens can make the difference between 150 shoots or 750 shots.  Oh, Yeah.  Coming from a DSLR, I needed a viewfinder, and I am glad I bought one.  The LCD on my M3 washes out in harsh sunlight, just like it does on my DSLRs..  In fact, the LCD seems better in sunlight than my DSLRs, but bright sunlight at your back makes it hard to see just the same.

Hope this helps.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

Thank you for all of the information, especially as it touched items I had not thought about.

 

I expect to continue using my 5D3 for most normal casual photography, but thought of the M5 strickly for those times when I would be carrying the camera all day. That means trips through Bryce Canyon National Park, walks into the Grand Canyon and any trips of Europe my wife and I might make. In the latter case I was hoping to avoid looking like a likely pickpocket candidate (as happened to me when I was last in Paris carrying my 5D3 and equipment around).

 

The idea of using my EF lenses on the camera was an added bonus, but I had not realized that they would impact the number of photos I could take so severely. I guess that means that I should restrict myself to M-series lenses if I buy an M5. The camera size itself is important, but so is the wieght and many of my EF lenses are really heavy. And, given that, perhaps I need to look at some of the more basic Canon DSLRs like the Rebel instead as they may be as light and less expensive. One thing that I had thought was that the M5 would be small enough with one of the smaller M-series lenses that perhaps I could put it in my pocket instead of carrying it on a strap around my neck and thus not stand out as "that guy with the camera".

 

And given that my EF lenses would have such a large impact on battery usage perhaps I also need to look at some other brand of mirrorless. If I can not count of being able to use my EF lenses because of battery draw, then perhaps restricting myself to Canon makes no sense.

 

Youi have given me much to think about. Thank you again for your post.

Your thinking was identical to mine when I decided to go with the M3, which was the best available at the time.  I wanted something to carry around in "tourist mode", shooting mostly wider angle shots, to take in the sights.

The M-Series are small cameras.  My M3 camera body is not much larger than a pack cigarettes.  It fits in the palm of my hand, and can fit into a jacket pocket.  Check out the dimensions.  

 

My M3 is about 2/3 the size of my Rebel T5.  I recently bought the EOS-M 22mm f/2 lens for it, and I have a great pocket camera with a fairly large sensor.  I am happy with the image quality.  

I had initially used the M3 with an adapter and a EF 40mm and EF-S 24mm pancake lenses.  They were a pretty good combination.  After making a menu adjustment to allow the shutter to fire with no lens attached, I was able to use my manual focus Rokinon 14mm, which gave me the angle of view I was looking for.

 

But, using the adapter makes the front of the camera a little bulky.  The body is smaller than the adapter/lens combo.  The EOS-M 22mm lens is not as wide as i would like, but is nice and small, and makes the camera truly pocket size.

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"The right mouse button is your friend."

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

Before you plop any money down on a M5 or M6 take a good look at the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II Digital Camera.

 

I am a guy that has wanted to love the Mx series of cameras but just can't.  They are just not ready for prime time....yet.  I will say the M6 is tempting and the eventual M7 just might be there.  None of the Mx handle EF lenses very well.  The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens is an outstanding lens and the one I would get if I did go Mx.

 

The issue is the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II Digital Camera will do everything the Mx cameras can.

 

IMHO, any Mx is a big come down from a 5D Mk III.  Are you kidding?  Smaller and lighter is all it will get you.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

> take a good look at the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II Digital Camera.

 

I was thinking in terms of an interchangeable lens camera, but I will do as you suggest when I visit the camera store. A quick look at dpReview indicates that the camera is reasonably well thought of, having gotten a score of 81% which is just shy of the 82% the M5 got.

 

> The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens is an outstanding lens and the one I would get if I did go Mx.

 

I would normally want something with a wider focal length range and was thinking about the 28-150 and the 18-55, which are the current kit lenses for the M5. The 11-22 seems a bit limited, but if I buy this camera it would not be a replacement for my current 5D3 or, for that matter, for my wife's 60D, but only for use when carrying something larger and heavier is not convenient. My wife and I frequently take hours-long walks through some of the US National Parks and my 5D3/24-105 lens is just too heavy for that, given that I am not as young as I used to be any more.

 

The only reason I have been asking about the M5 instead of, say, the Fuji X-T2, is that I have all of those Canon lenses that I could use.

 

>  IMHO, any Mx is a big come down from a 5D Mk III.  Are you kidding?  Smaller and lighter is all it will get you.

 

I am not expecting to replace the 5D3 with an M5 or other mirrorless camera. I am only expecting to be able to use it to get decent shots when carrying my regular equipment is too much of a burden. In my view the only mirrorless camera that could be a reasonable replacement for a FF like the 5D3 is perhaps the Sony A7RII, another full-frame. Given that, "smaller and lighter" is pretty much all I would expect in a mirrorless substitute camera although I would also need a decent image and the ability to capture in raw rather than jpg. Post processing is almost as much fun for me as taking the image to begin with.

 

There is, of course, the possibility that in a couple of years I may decide that carrying the 5D3 with all of the equipment is just too much hastle and then I would want a replacement, but I expect that if that happens I would not be as interested in specialty type photography - macro, BIF, and the hours that I currently spend doing post processing. But, hopefully, that is far off in the future ...

 

The main reason I would choose the EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens is in the EF-M class of lenses it is the best one.  I agree it is a bit short but then again, IMHO, so is the Mx series.

 

With the G7x Mk II you get a much better focal length lens range at 24mm to 100mm and it is faster at f1.8-f2.8.  Plus you don't have to change it !

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

What is "EGlobalCentral" ?  Is it an authorized Canon retailer?

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
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