EOS M talk

[tallrob]

Before I start asking questions and bring on the hurt from the kit snobs, I just thought I'd clear up protocol and ask if anyone cares where the EOS M chat happens. On other photo forums you'll catch holy hell discussing the misfit mirrorless on the SLR forums, but there's little point posting discussion elsewhere. The M is an EOS camera, not a Powershot or a Rebel, so I figure it belongs here. But I don't see anything posted by anyone. I know, nobody else bought one except for me...

[cicopo]

Many posts are in wrong areas (in my opinion) but when I see them & think I can help that isn't something I worry about. Personally I know very little about the M but it might make a good underwater camera for my use down the road. In the meantime you're not the ONLY one who bought one. Discussions are here.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1181105

and

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1238507

But don't abandon this forum because as more people find it there will be more info to share & more learning for all who realize they don't know it all.

[tallrob]

Thanks. I guess with no objections I'll start the discussion here. In general I did want to get a feel for how many other people bought the first gen M, and why, what they were expecting, and how happy they are with it. It's a special camera for sure, and doesn't belong in everyone's bag.

I'm a Nikon convert and 5D mkII user for four years now, and I have quite a bit invested in L lenses. I bought it particularly for its native (via adapter) support for all my canon glass, in a much quieter body. I often shoot concerts and performances where the mirror slap can be quite disturbing to sensitive ears, and using Live View on my 5D is painfully awkward. So the EOS M is perfect for those instances. I love the touch screen, love the IQ and only hope for a firmware update to address the often lackluster AF performance. Indeed for many, the slow AF is a deal breaker. But I got mine after a recent price drop, so I didn't lose anything.

My everyday carry about camera the M is not. But when I need it, it's a godsend.

(If any canon officials are reading this, how about that firmware update?)

[ajraymedia]

I feel your pain. I bought one myself. Love it! They just don't market it well so no one knows or respects it IMO.

[TCampbell]

I don't own one and I see this is an old thread, but I wanted to make sure you're aware that Canon released a firmware update which is primarily targeted at it's AF performance.  If you haven't installed that yet, you may want to grab it.  There are reviews and videos which demonstrate the difference the new firmware makes.

As for the mirror slap... a few DSLR bodies have a silent mode for the the shutter.  It's not truely "silent", but it's definitely much quieter.  It slows the mirror speed so that it doesn't make the hard slap as it goes up and down.  You can still hear the curtain shutter but that's not as loud.

[tallrob]

I did apply the new firmware, and while it didn't solve every issue, the AF is much better. I used the M the other day as a second cam during a wedding party shoot, with my 135L attached, and by the end of the wedding I had more shots on the M than on my 5Dii. So that says something.

[Arcsylver]

I can definitely relate. I recently purchased this little jewel of a camera to be able to better shoot in situations my Rebel XS Fails miserably in such as indoors and in poor lighting such as in a theatrical setting. So far I am loving this camera and it's amazing 22mm lens.

I am anxiously waiting for fedex to deliver the 18-55mm lens so I can try it out as well. This thing makes a perfect always in my bag setup for me to take everywhere. Now if Canon USA would allow us to buy the 11-22 mm I would be set!

[Skirball]

---

@tallrob wrote:
Before I start asking questions and bring on the hurt from the kit snobs,

---

You had me at 'bringing on the hurt from the kit snobs'...   Welcome.

[Dustspeck]

I bought the EOS M (with the 18-55mm) on a whim because of the current "discount" price. After a few days of use I decided to spend a bit more and ordered the 11-22mm from Canada. My impression is that Canon is shooting itself in the foot by not releasing this lens in the U.S. It's a great landscape or city lens, and even works good for well lit interiors. But, what I'd really like to see is a couple of nice, fast, prime lenses. Say 10mm, 17.5mm, and a 50mm macro - all f/2 or better.