Canon EOS M3 Pro Reviews

With so many great mirrorless cameras on the market, the EOS M3 just isn't competitive. While it's well-designed and easy-to-use, important features like autofocus and battery life disappoint. For scenery and portraits it'll do the job, but if your subject is in-motion there are better choices.

Canon has greatly increased the quality of their EOS "M" series with the M3. Image quality, performance and the AF system perform much better; making this camera much more enjoyable to use. We did still have a few instances where the camera still struggled to focus. The camera has also been loaded with great features and shooting modes that allow anyone to increase their creativity and allow them to capture great images. With a MSRP of US $799.99, but available now from Canon for 549.99 (Dec. 2015), this is a great option to look at for anyone looking for a compact ILC. It is also capable of using any EF lenses with an optional adapter, greatly increasing the available lenses for the camera.

There is now, more than ever, an enormous amount of competition and choice available in the mirrorless compact system camera market, with each manufacturer trying to gain as much market share as possible in this growing area. Because of this the competition is packed with features and options all trying to out perform the other, with prices lower than ever. As some mirrorless camera systems are more mature than others, the number of lenses and accessories available varies greatly from system to system, and in this respect, the Canon EOS M system has just 4 lenses available. Therefore the EOS M3 would be most suited to someone who wants one of the 4 lenses, or alternatively has a number of EF / EF-S lenses that they want to use with the camera, with an adapter. As a camera (and if you ignore the lack of native lenses) the Canon EOS M3 deliver high image quality, with good nosie performance up to and including ISO6400, and the camera has siginificantly improved focus performance, making it almost as quick as other mirrorless cameras, and quicker than some. Images have excellent colour and exposure, and look good on the tilting 3inch touch-screen. For a Canon user with a number of EF lenses, then the EOS M3 would make an excellent companion to another DSLR, letting you use your favourite lenses with a smaller camera body. However, the EOS M3 will look much more apealling, if and when the price comes down to a level more in line with the competition.

The M3 has some tough competition and as with the original M, the new camera is capable of producing high quality images that are at least a match for those from cameras such as the Olympus OM-D E-M10 and Sony Alpha 6000. However, the occasionally frustrating autofocus system and Canon's lack of commitment to the system, with a failure to bring out an enticing line-up of lenses or accessories, means that those looking for a smaller alternative to an SLR are better off looking elsewhere.Inexperienced photographers are less likely to be concerned about the limited number of directly compatible lenses and will be happy with the step up in image quality in comparison with a point-and-shoot compact camera or the average smartphone. Nevertheless, there will be times when they struggle to get the subject sharp.