We all got a sneak peek at Canon's new EOS M mirrorless, interchangeable lens late last week, and as expected, the company today official revealed its entry into a segment that has blossomed in the past few years.
At the heart of the EOS M is the 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 image processor that is found in the larger Canon T4i D-SLR. Unfortunately, the EOS M doesn't come with a viewfinder, and unlike many of its competitors on the market, an add-on digital viewfinder is not available. In-body image stabilization is also MIA on the magnesium alloy bodied EOS M.
However, the EOS M does feature a multi-touch-enabled 3.0" Clear View monitor (fixed, not articulating), external hot-shoe, 4.3 FPS continuous shooting (3 FPS autofocus tracking), 1080p30 movie capabilities, stereo microphones, ISO ranges from 100 to 12,800 (ISO 25,600 expanded), Hybrid CMOS AF, Multi-shot Noise Reduction, multiple scene modes and plenty of creative filters.
"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.
The EOS M will be available this October in multiple colors (black, silver, white, and red) and will only be available as a kit bundled with the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens for a price of $799. The EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens retails for $299.
If you'd like to use existing Canon EF D-SLR lenses, you're going to have to cough up an additional $199 for the EF-EOS M mount adapter. And since the EOS M doesn't come with a built-in flash, the new AAA battery-powered Speedlite 90EX is available for purchase at a cost of $149.
