Canon Goes Mirrorless With The Compact EOS M Digital Camera

And just like that, the mirrorless camera sector just got a whole lot more interesting. While Olympus, Sony, Panasonic and even Nikon have thrown their hats in the ring, the Micro Four Thirds / compact camera world has been missing a major player for years: Canon. But that's changing tonight, as Canon unveils its EOS M Digital Camera. It took quite a long time for Canon to get a mirrorless competitor to the market, but the specifications make clear that the company isn't taking the challenge lightly.


It has the specs of a Rebel T4i, but a size that's far smaller. There's an 18MP APS-C CMOS image sensor, and the company is shipping two lenses for the new format: the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens and the optional EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens– and the ability to use the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses through the optional Mount Adapter EF-EOS M. It'll also handle 1080p HD movies, ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12,800 in High mode), a DIGIC 5 Image Processor and an SD/SDXC card slot. The EOS M Digital Camera bundled with the new EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens will be available in October for an estimated retail price of $799.99; it'll hit most stores in black, but a white model will be available via Canon's website.  The new EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens, Mount Adapter EF-EOS M and Speedlite 90EX will all be available in October at an estimated retail price of $299.99, $199.99 and $149.99 respectively.

Something tells us these things will be flying off shelves come the holiday shopping season.

Put Your Creativity Into Motion With The New EOS M Digital Camera
The Newest Camera in Canon’s Lineup Delivers Exceptional EOS Full HD Video Quality with Continuous Autofocus and an Expansive Selection of Lenses

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., July 23, 2012 – Combining the perfect blend of advanced video features and excellent still image quality in a convenient size, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the EOS M Digital Camera. Canon has made significant advancements in the realm of professional-quality HD video capture, from advanced CMOS sensor technology to smooth, quiet continuous autofocus. Inspired by EOS technology, the EOS M leverages these core technologies and distills them down to provide outstanding video capture capabilities while retaining high-quality still image capture. When shooting still images, the EOS M camera’s 18-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS image sensor provides a shallow depth of field, incredible low-light image quality and a wide dynamic range to capture rich gradation and detail. This new addition to the EOS family offers a great solution to videographers and photographers of all levels, with two new lenses designed specifically for Canon’s new camera format – the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens and the optional EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens– and the ability to use the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses through the optional Mount Adapter EF-EOS M.

"The EOS M includes a unique feature set making it an ideal movie-making tool, while also offering incredible still image quality on its APS-C-sized CMOS sensor.  The camera’s size, image quality, advanced video capabilities and the versatility of Canon’s full lineup of lenses make the EOS M another great option to help our customers record and capture their creative vision," said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.

Product Specifications and Features:

    EOS Full HD Movie mode with Movie Servo AF for continuous focus tracking of moving subjects also includes:

    Manual exposure control
    Multiple resolution frame rates
    Built-in stereo microphone
    Manual audio level adjustment
    Video Snapshot mode with
    touch-screen editing

    18.0-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
    ISO 100–6400 (expandable to 12800 in H mode) for video recording, ISO 100–12800 (expandable to 25600 in H mode) for still image shooting from bright to dim light and high performance Powerful DIGIC 5 Image Processor for exceptional image quality video and photos
    Hybrid CMOS AF delivers fast autofocus speed for video and photos
    Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II (approximately 1,040,000 dots) with smudge-resistant coating features multi-touch operation allowing photographers to use familiar gestures such as "pinch-to-zoom" and "swiping" to scroll between pictures and Touch AF for an easy and intuitive video capture experience
    Scene Intelligent Auto mode delivers expertly optimized photos and scene detection for amazing results even when shooting at night
    Advanced imaging features like Handheld Night Scene mode, HDR Backlight Control mode, and seven Creative Filters provide added versatility
    Multi-shot Noise Reduction helps preserve precious detail in photos at high ISO speeds
    Compatible with SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, including new Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) cards
    Compatible with all Canon Speedlite accessories including the new Speedlite 600EX and Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT
    Compatible with Canon’s GPS Receiver GP-E2

An Advanced Video Capture Device

The EOS M utilizes Canon’s Hybrid CMOS AF system to deliver fast autofocus speed for both video and photos. The Hybrid CMOS AF system truly shines when shooting video with EOS Full HD Movie mode including Movie Servo AF for continuous autofocus and tracking of moving subjects. The Hybrid CMOS AF system is located on the CMOS sensor itself and combines phase-difference AF and contrast AF to achieve operational stability, speed and precision. The Movie Servo AF function on the EOS M is enabled by default which keeps images on the rear screen in constant focus, even before the shutter is pressed. This continual focus makes for sharp video capture in a snap or to help reduce shutter lag due to focusing when still images want to be shot. The camera employs three AF methods for video and photos, Face Detection & Tracking AF, Multi-Point AF for automatic selection and Single-Point AF, where users select one of 31 AF points. Through the camera’s touch-panel operation, subject recognition and tracking is engaged at the touch of a finger, allowing users to track subjects accurately and focus on intended subjects with ease. In addition to subject tracking, the touch-panel LCD allows for simple, intuitive operation, menu navigation and touch features making it easy to shoot video and photos.

Thanks to Canon’s new Stepping Motor (STM) technology, when using either of the newly announced M-series lenses – the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens or the optional EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens – the AF system remains silent, helping ensure users only capture the sound of the scene being recorded. The EOS M also features manual audio level control to 64 levels, a built-in stereo microphone, which includes a wind filter and an attenuator function to reduce audio distortion in extra loud situations. The EOS M records MPEG-4 AVC H.264 video as an .MOV file in a range of NTSC and PAL professional frame rates, including 1080p Full HD video at 30p (29.97), 24p (23.976) and 25p, 720p HD video at 60p (59.94) or 50p and Standard Definition video at 30p (29.97) or 25p.

In addition to the creativity afforded by over 70 compatible lenses, the EOS M also includes Picture Style settings – including custom Picture Styles – when shooting video, allowing users to adjust color settings the same as when shooting still images. The camera also includes Canon’s Video Snapshot mode for an easy way to record and create a fun highlight reel that can be easily shared. Video Snapshot mode combines a series of short video clips into a single file, all in-camera.  Through the camera’s touch-screen controls users can delete, cut or re-order the clips in-camera for quick and easy editing.