From DSLR to mirrorless and back to DSLR again!

So after a year long fling with my M5 I have decided to return to DSLR world. With the Photographers option of the 80D, the Canon 77D, along with my Canon 10-18mm stm. So far loving it! after selling my mirrorless Efm lenses and researching what to buy as my M5 replacement. I feel as though I have made a good choice for my budget here. Got the camera and a 18-55mm stm kit lens (5K shutter count) for the price of my two efm lenses, 11-22 & 18-150. DSLR kit prices are falling fast here in Thailand as everyone jumps to mirrorless (although I have noticed a sharp increase in second hand sales there too),and I knew now was the time to “jump” back. Canon Eos M5 Mirrorless Camera and why I have changed back to DSLR Canon 77d, I expect people are wondering why I have moved back to DSLR, well here it goes….

M5 Like a lot

1. Size/weight

2. Smaller lighter lenses

3. Good external controls

Didn’t like…..

1. Small viewfinder, which is so close to the screen that no matter where you put your nose you end up touching the screen and moving your focus point. Also I felt that I could never see clearly, no matter the dioptre setting, maybe it’s just the whole EVF thing, for my eyes it was very hard work trying to see properly through it.

2. A fiddle to use the touch screen focus whilst looking through the viewfinder, which ended up with me having to move my eye away from the viewfinder –ergo, pointless VF

3. Grip on camera is very shallow and I never felt I had it comfortable in the hand and always felt like I was going to drop it.

4. Tilt screen not fully articulated (to be fair I thought this was not going to be a problem, but I found myself missing the fully articulated screen as on my 70D). It’s not until it’s gone that you miss it.

5. Battery life is poor even though I carry three batteries around and yes I have put it on Eco and all the other battery hungry options turned off. Actually I found that was quite a lot of the options that I would have liked to have that made that camera attractive in the first place.

6. Lack of selection of native lenses (Canon still have not produced a long zoom for this camera, instead forcing you back to the adaptor to use Efs lenses). Sigma and Tamron the same. Too few options of any decent quality lenses altogether, outside of the 18-150mm and 11-22mm. The decent lenses that are available are all primes and way off my budget. As a Landscape and travel photographer, I find the lack of UWA lenses frustrating (yes I know there is an adaptor, but again, it defeats the whole point of going smaller!)

7. Now the biggie… I never was happy with the “feel” of the images that came out from the M5. Yes they were nice and sharp and crisp. They just (to me) lacked character or depth? There is nothing wrong with them, I just didn’t like them and never felt happy with the finished product. I also felt that the colours were “watered down” and not what I was used to getting out of my previous Canon Cameras. Or maybe it’s the dynamic range?? Maybe it’s not the Camera, maybe it’s me, just I don’t feel that I have completely got on with the M5 as much as I thought or wanted to. I’m looking at the 77d photos I took last evening as testers, and I can see the dynamic range is better already.(yes I did have the settings right on the M5). The sky is the blue I remember seeing when I took the images and the colour of the water is bang on, with the 77d so far.

8. And a final word on the finish of the M5= poor, even within four months of me having it I noticed that the “rubber skin” just on the corner by the menu button had started to come away, on both edges. Also for some inexplicable reason a patch of rubber skin, just above the DOF button (which I never use) on the front has also “bubbled” or “peeled” and this isn’t even an area I touch for anything lol. The bottom plate of the camera scratches all too easily, even my 1100D plastic camera that travelled across SEA for a year didn’t look as bad. I don’t even put it down on anything other than tables either (M5).Don’t get me wrong the M5 is a great camera, just not for me. I guess to sum it up for me, the ergonomics are too small and fiddly, and the photo rendition output is not what I am used to (even after a year of experimenting with every setting under the sun). The build quality is poor, the battery sucks. The native lens options are limited and look like they are never going to expand. If I’m going to have to stick an efs lens on to get what I want in focus length, I might as well go back to the DSLR!

Canon 70d with Efs 18-135mm stmEfm 18-55mm stm on Eos M5

 

I’m not going to beat about the bush, and going straight to the point! I confess I am totally smitten with my 77d; I have been out and about more in the last week than the whole six months prior. I find myself wanting to go out and shoot and it’s been a whole new lease of life for me. Something I found I had lost with the M5.

The other thing I have noticed is how little PP I am having to do with the images from this camera, it’s such a liberating feeling, not spending hrs adjusting this and that to try and get the look I was expecting SOOC(or even as I saw it). Most images are basic lift dynamic range (not always needed as it’s so good), drop highlights, (which used to be a lot, and still didn’t reflect the skies how I saw them), and sometimes a straighten as I shoot mostly handheld. I also find the lens profiles do a great job in Lr5.7, and even better Lr5.7 has the profiles for my EFS lenses, so I don’t end up having to guess, or worse still having none!

 I felt there was no depth to the images and colours were defo off. Gone was the Canon colour science, in fact I am inclined to think they removed it altogether, or moved it into a setting I could never find.

Now I get a better feeling of shape and space with these images. Interestingly there are other things I like about the camera as well, that I didn’t realise I missed until I got it back. For example; the shutter, I know it’s usually the Bain of my life especially when I am trying to photograph something discreetly, but the shutter button and sound is beautifully damped and has a reassuring feel to it that somehow helps me get my timing right.

Its weight is more than the M5, but actually marginally, I now realise how much the M5 felt heavy-ish in the hand, although the 77D will not beat it on small form factor, it is a fairly compact DSLR with full feature set or the 80D, minus the video crap! Which I don’t really do anyway so nothing lost there for me.

It’s a bit like I said to a friend recently when I got the 77D as an illustration. A few years ago, mobile phones were getting smaller and smaller and smaller, then people realised how damn uncomfortable they were and now we are pretty much settled at a decent sized smart phone, an era that I think will last for some time yet, and I predict will happen with the mirrorless camera revolution, and to some extent already is with the R series.

I also missed the fully articulated screen, the flip out up and down never really worked for me and I felt that I would actually have preferred a fixed one on the M5, for all the use it was.

Same battery lasts so much longer, if I turned everything useful off on the M5, I might squeeze a tad under 250 images before it died. Same battery on the 77D gives me about 350+ so far. The added bonus was I had bought two extra aftermarket ones for the M5 and they still fit the 77d!

I also like the top window on the 77d, and a much better and fewer options on it mean I am finding myself using it more often for changes on the fly. I.e. not having to take my eye away from the viewfinder, and knowing that one button is focus area/point and the other is ISO. The third is for the light lol, so the first two are totally practical. Along with the lock settings button (so many similarities with the 70D, makes it comfortable and familiar a lay out,  making for less time wasted with settings) and a nice raised turn wheel for settings make this the joy to use this camera.

I especially like the on/off/video switch just under the mode dial. which also switches the video on. No accidently touching the video button with my right thumb as I hold the camera and starting a video, I have to use my other hand and deliberately push the switch round, so lessening “accidents”. There is a definite three point cllick as you switch through each option.

And lastly, but not least (ha-ha) the dioptre, so much better than the M5, I can see again, and although some say the pentaprism is slightly darker(I haven’t noticed)and the 77d has only 95% view, and the M5 coverage was 100%, I feel as though I see more on the 77d than the M5, if that makes sense?

I have to say that the Canon 10-18mm stm is a great pairing with this camera, the much lauded reviews about the 10-18mm stm are spot on.  I am very pleased with how the two pieces of equipment work together. I love the edge to edge sharpness too. I also got the 18-135mm stm as it was such a versatile lens when I had it from new with my 70D.

It’s still a great lens, but found myself still missing the zoom end so have just bought myself a Tamron(long-time fan from my 10-24mm) 18-275mm PZD(which gives me a 28-440mm range on my 77d). I know super zooms like this have their limits and I am looking forward to testing it out. The main idea being that when travel eventually opens up again I only have to carry my 10-18mm attached to the 77D and the Tamron 18-270mm PZD in the bag. I am hoping that the image quality from the Tamron will be good enough so I don’t need to carry three lenses to cover my range of 10-300mm. Thus reducing my carry weight and still fitting into my copy peak design 5liter sling bag!

Please be aware that this is a two week update on how I’m getting on with the 77d.

Reviews on YouTube are all good and well but nothing beats real life user experience, right? I also appreciate people’s view on the M5  and how you might think I’m silly for going back to the 77d. So feel as though I should talk about why these differences are so wide in my view.

No regrets with the move back; in fact I am the happiest bunny on the planet for doing so. I am sure that if someone put a Canon RP in my hand with the right lens (that I didn’t have to sell my soul for), I would love it, and yes I could have bought a 6d, but I wouldn’t have had any money for the UWA lenses I like to use.

Also as a long time APSC girl, some habits die hard and this one is still alive and kicking. My view is Cameras are like people, different sorts of people go for different sorts of camera, there’s nothing wrong with any given camera; just some get on with some more than others. Some people have many cameras; some have many different brands of cameras. I think this is what happened to me, tried a new type and really didn’t like it. Bit like a bad boyfriend/girlfriend, thought it was ok, then found out I couldn’t live with its faults, affair well and truly over! Looks like I’m a DSLR camera girl that knows what she likes.

Canon 77D with canon 10-18mm stm

Image of Rawai Beach taken on my first day with this Camera, with the Canon 10-18mm stm

 

Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM on the Eos M and M5

Sigma 8-16mm on Eos M

Sigma 8-16mm on Eos M

Sigma 8-16mm on Eos M

Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM Lens

Sigma 8-16mm on Eos M5

Sigma 8-16mm on Eos M5

Sigma 8-16mm on Eos M5

The Last in my look at my lenses with the Eos Mirrorless system. The Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM , remember i commented it being the “elephant in the room” next to other lenses in my collection. It is as such as it is a complete departure from my Canon lenses. Elephant, yes regards its weight and super quality build. More of that in a minute.

I have been for the last 7 years using the Tamron 10-24mm Di II. Did me as my main workhorse, as Landscape and architecture are my main photography preferences. As you are aware though that on an APSC camera that makes it (in FF terms) a 16- 38mm equivalent, not as wide as I would really like. I have been aware of the Sigma 8-16mm for a while now and was very interested in it’s 12-25mm FF equivalency. Could i really get a Ultra Wide angle lens without going “fish-eye”, it seemed that I could. A true Rectilinear lens, with reasonably good online reviews on its abilities and most important at this range- distortion and sharpness.

All for a price. So after many years of waiting for prices to drop, opportunities to arise, I saw a 2nd hand one for sale, locally, about a month before my birthday. Sold the Tamron, and put the money towards it. It came with its own Sigma ,zip top, padded lens bag. Weighed in at 550g or half a kilo, phew! and that is without the adaptor added on, I was so worried it was going to dwarf my Eos M.

Now at f/4.5-5.6 its a long way from the fast lenses that everyone raves about, but remember its for landscape and things that don’t move, like buildings etc.  Living in a fairly bright and sunny part of the World also helped me not worry so much about this, as did my trusty tripod.

The minute you pick it up you can feel Sigma’s forerunner to their now “Art” series of lenses. Along with a metal mount, and textured housing, you do get a nice feel of quality to this lens. Then there’s the “Bulb” the big glass bulb at the front, guarded by an inbuilt petal shaped hood. Nice touch, although this does prevent you being able to use standard filter systems on it. A lens cover, which is more of a tube with a built in cap on the end of it, all very fiddly, and as it only slides on without gripping anything , it also keeps slipping off and clattering to the ground with a great metal clanking all the way down the road. I got a silicone lens cover that stretches over the front of the lens and does not come off until i want it too!

So back to how it performs on my mirrorless cameras. Before I got the M5 I had a trip to Singapore for four days. I didn’t want to take my 70d, after all getting a smaller mirrorless camera was all about reducing the weight/size of my camera bag. Four days with the Eos M and  the efm 15-45mm the Sigma 8-16, and my 55-250mm stm should tell me if i wanted to go the whole hog and get rid of the 70d and get the M5.

I had nothing else to shoot with, this was going to be a really baptism of fire, not only with the Sigma, but the eos M also. I have written about that experience and how it changed my mind so much i sold the 70D as soon as i got back and bought the M5. I called it From Canon 70D to Canon Eos M5 

Yes it was very heavy on the front of the M, actually it was more awkward as well, as its shorter than my other efs lenses and is harder to balance. Still I wanted it to work so much , well i just got on with it. I used it for street art photography, landscape, Architecture, inside the Gardens at the Bay, Inside the Jewel airport terminal , outside in Chinatown and little India and Kampong Glam. I even got the mosque in Kampong Glam, that I had visited back in 2013, and this time easily got the whole building comfortably in the frame with room to spare!

I loved the great sharp images I was getting, but missing the image stabilisation, more because the M does not have a viewfinder and holding it out at arms length with such a heavy lens for any amount of time is difficult to say the least. I knew and am right that on the M5 a viewfinder being held close to your face makes a world of difference.

When I got it on the M5, it was so much better a user experience. The viewfinder adding stabilisation like the M could not. Better balance of weight ratio to the camera body and its grip, gave for a more secure holding of this heavy lens. I don’t notice the weight either now.

I have to say that at the moment this lens is on  my M5 more often than it is not. I can and will use it on the M, but only when needed and not my first choice now. It doesn’t flare either, so actually its a very good purchase for me!

 

I love the drama this lens gives to interiors and skies. Let alone the amazing angles of view!

8mm on Eos M5

8mm on Eos M5

8mm on Eos M5

8mm on Eos M5

8mm on Eos M5

8mm on Eos M5

8mm on Eos M

8mm on Eos M

8mm on Eos M

8mm on Eos M

13mm on Eos m

12mm on Eos M

 

I love the drama this lens gives to interiors and skies. Let alone the amazing angles of view!

Canon Efs 55-250mm stm on the Eos M and M5

Eos M/Efs adaptor/Efs 55-250mm

Eos M/Efs adaptor/Efs 55-250mm

Eos M/Efs adaptor/Efs 55-250mm

Eos M5/Efs adaptor/Efs 55-250mm

Eos M5/Efs adaptor/Efs 55-250mm

Eos M5/Efs adaptor/Efs 55-250mm

Back in June 2019 I wrote about my move from the 70/75-300mm long zoom lenses to my current 55-250mm stm. 

Back again for a full years round up and how it performs with the Eos M series of mirrorless cameras. without a doubt my previous research on this lens prior to my switch from Canon 70D to mirrorless, was totally vindicated by this great lens. On my 70d it performed exactly as I had hoped and more!

Now bearing in mind I am primarily a Landscape and travel photographer, so long distant zoom is not something I want to use often, or indeed macro or close up work. So I didn’t want to go spending a huge amount of money on a long distance zoom. Enter the 55-250mm stm 

Much more lightweight (at 375g) even more than the 18-135mm! it was a real boon on the 70d, but how ws it going to feel on the mirrorless system? Well of course its bigger than its Efm counter part the Efm 55-200mm which ways in at a paltry 260g, but actually not that much of a difference in weight (around 100g). The difference you might notice more is the 55-250mm stm has a 4-5.2 aperture where as its baby cousin has a 4.5-6.3 aperture. Hmmmm methinks that the 55-250mm stm should perform better. Again many comments on the web actually sound disappointed about the Efm 55-200mm. And many prefer the slightly bulkier Efs 55-250mm.

I am with them, on the Eos M it does dwarf the camera a teeny weeny bit  more than its 18-135mm brother, but actually hardly much more actually around 10mm but for some reason feels so much lighter, well it is lol A full plastic body with an un ashamedly plastic mount! Oh the plastic mount right? (nods knowingly), well for all those that are wondering, again I have never had any problems with plastic mounts! and they seem to shave somewhere between 100-130g off the weight. Lets face it, one of the main reasons I went for the mirrorless system camera was to reduce size and or weight of camera and its combined lenses.

So Back to the Eos M, allowing for the fact that I have the added weight/length of the Efs to Efm adaptor, it is just as comfortable to hold in the same way the 18-135mm stm is . Again due to the minimal amount of grip I had been getting with the M , it is easier to carry around in the hand as a lens, with the M as the little bit on the end. Much lighter making taking long distance shots easier to keep the full focal length steady , I found little to no blurry images. This is also helped by its built in image stabilisation.  This enables me to get a few stops off the aperture(very useful at full zoom).

Now the other great thing about Super zooms is you can get close up shots without having to get close up, right? Right, I have seen and captured moon shots with this lens(yes I know, you have to crop, but then again I did when I had the 70-300mm). Boats out in the Marina without getting wet! and the other bonus getting a good degree of not quite macro, but good enough for me, shots!

Images come out as crisp and sharp on the Eos M as they ever did on my 70D. Handling on the Eos M5 is again better with a better grip and slightly more shape to the camera giving a better balance size ratio. Again it feels better on the M5 with just as sharp focusing and no fall off that I can see. In fact I have got some cracking shots with this lens and will post them below with their focal lengths for illustration. No movement between lens and camera you can get all the functions of the camera the same as it were a native lens. I really cannot recommend this lens enough for the casual zoom user. Its just stunning.

55-250mm @121mm on M5

55-250mm @ 100mm on M5

55-250mm @ 55mm on M5

55-250mm @ 218mm on M5

55-250mm @ 225mm on Eos M

55-250mm @ 225mm on Eos M

55-250mm @ 250mm on 70D

55-250mm @ 250mm on 70D

55-250mm @ 250mm on 70D

55-250mm @ 250mm on M5

55-250mm @ 250mm on M5

55-250mm @ 250mm on 70D

Canon Efs 18-135mm stm on the Eos M and M5

 

 

Eos M/Viltrox adaptor/18-135mm STM

Eos M/Viltrox adaptor/18-135mm STM

Eos M5/Viltrox adaptor/18-135mm STM

Eos M5/Viltrox adaptor/18-135mm STM

Eos M5/Viltrox adaptor/18-135mm STM

Eos M5/Viltrox adaptor/18-135mm STM

So far I have looked at my Efm native lenses (lenses that are made for the smaller mirrorless M mount system of Canon Cameras.

One of the main attractions for me and possibly for many of you reading this is the flexibility Canon gave us by creating and producing the Efs to Efm lens adaptor. I remember when these first appeared they were around £100, but seemed in 2020 to have dropped to a decent £50, secondhand of course.

I use a Viltrox Efs to Efm adaptor, which I bought new for around £30 when I bought my Eos M in October 2019. There are other makes around, Meiki, and some Chinese options. Personally I have never had any issues with the Viltrox adaptor, and would recommend it if your on a limited budget.

So what would the Efs 18-135mm stm be like on my Eos M and M5. I had previously used it as a workhorse kit lens on my now past 70D. A perfect;y balanced affair, and gave outstanding images.

Because the Efs lenses flange are bigger and deeper than the M mounts(which are smaller and shallower on account of no mirror being in the way), you have to put the extension adaptor on the back of the Efs lens before attaching it to the camera, or even putting it on the camera before attaching the lens.

The 18-135mm stm is one of Canons “Silent stepping motor” lenses. Quite often, at the beginning before I got used to it on the 70d, I would have to check it was actually working. It is totally silent.

Coming in at 515g or half a kilo and a bit, its totally plastic body seems a bit heavy? Well this one comes with a metal mount, and a good piece of glass. So of course it’s going to be heavier than say, Canons Efm 18-150mm stm which comes in at 300g. (which I don’t own yet). So I was a interested to see how it would feel balance wise.

Taking it out first with my Eos M (which was the only mirrorless I had at the time), I found that it was indeed front heavy, as I thought it would be. Equally it made a nice handful with which to carry the M around on, I.e instead of holding the M , which has no real grip, either at the front , or he back, I would carry the 18-135mm lens in my hand with the camera attached and of course with my Para-cord wrist strap for extra safety. Then it became/becomes a whole different way of working, and much more comfortable. There’s no getting away from it, it is big on the M, especially when extended out to it’s fullest 135mm. But it still takes amazingly sharp images, just as long as you can hold the Eos M steady, or be using a very fast shutter speed. It really tasks your “holding your camera properly” abilities. I personally like it as I usually hold my camera and lens whilst shooting.

Now on the M5 it becomes a much better balanced lens. I think as I mentioned before, the lack of holding points on the Eos M make it difficult to manage. Not so on the M5, you don’t find yourself wrestling with the zoom whilst trying not to drop or keep your camera level. Again the images were fab. No sharpness fall off, quick snap focus, in spite of there being an adaptor between the two bits of equipment. There was no looseness or disconnect between the lens and the body and actually feels like it was made to pair with the M5.

Am I ready to give it up for the more compact 18-150mm stm? not yet, losing 25mm might not sound like much, but in the real World its quite a drop in focal length. As this is such a great Travel lens and covers such a useful range I think its a great addition to the M range of cameras as a versatile lens. With a 67mm filter thread on the front, it falls still into the “affordable filter” range. Again though no swapping them out with the smaller Efm lens, without step up rings.

Images are added below this post with their focal lengths to illustrate the lenses ability Taken with the Eos M

Efs 18-135mm stm at 85mm

Efs 18-135mm stm at 50mm

Efs 18-135mm stm at 135mm

Efs 18-135mm stm at 20mm

Efs 18-135mm stm at 24mm

Efs 18-135mm stm at 89mm

Efs 18-135mm stm at 135mm

Canon Efm 18-55mm stm on Canon Eos M and Eos M5

 

Efm 18-55mm stm on Eos M5

Efm 18-55mm stm on Eos M

Efm 18-55mm stm on Eos M5

Efm 18-55mm stm on Eos M

Efm 18-55mm stm on Eos M5

Efm 18-55mm stm on Eos M

Second in my personal look at lenses I actually own and use is the  native Canon Efm 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 stm A quite different lens to the previously looked at Efm 15-45mm stm

This lens came out before the 15-45mm,(in fact 2012) is made totally with a metal housing and mount. Slightly longer, actually quite noticeably longer than its “kit lens” sibling. This lens lets you know it’s there! Weighing in at 200g it is a whole 80g heavier than the 15-45mm plastic /lightweight/wider angle lens. My version is black, it also comes in silver. That isn’t the only difference, the filter thread also comes in at a larger 52mm (as opposed to the 49mm of the 15-45), so no swapping your filters here. Not a complete problem as I have step up rings for my filter, but this could get expensive for some if you have to keep buying different sized sets for different sized lenses. Just something to think about and I will be posting info on my sets ups soon.

Some people may say solid, I agree, it is, and feels quality, and a very nice sharp kit lens that Canon has seen fit to stop making. Who knows why as this is a great , sharp, handy 28mm-88mm, in full frame equivalent (18 x1.6 and 55 x 1.6) from the APSC sized sensor.

Why do I have this plus the 15-45mm? I hear some people say, am I not covering the same-ish focal lengths? Yes I am, but I had heard so much about this lenses sharp and pleasing imagery, that when I had the opportunity to secure one locally for £39 (1500thb) at the beginning of June 2020, it was too good a bargain to miss!

Of course as I have two M series Cameras it also makes a handy lens to have to pair with  either of the two cameras. So I have the 18-55mm on one and the 15-45mm on the other, depending on what /where I am going. I use both these lenses for my more casual projects, and my Sigma 8-16mm for my more serious landscape work.

The other reason is to really see what the differences are between the two lenses.  I actually have not had much time to test it out fully, that will be an ongoing activity over the next few weeks, but I did get a chance to stretch it out at one of the beaches that I visited last week and I will put the images below this post along with focal lengths.

I really liked it, the weight counterbalances the M5 perfectly, focuses quickly, and is fairly accurate on all settings. On the Eos M it was a little front heavy, but nothing like the efs lenses, and not so much that I would not use it. I liked the nice clarity I got from it, and found that in real World use you don’t see any fall off on sharpness. again on the Eos m quick and silent focusing made it a delight to use.

The weather was not so good as it is currently rainy season here in Phuket(where I currently live), and I am looking to stretch it when I get some brighter skies. Overall I think it is quite different , giving a narrower field of view, but actually more as you see it (or the eye sees it), and less stretched than its 15-45mm cousin. with a 3.5-5.6 aperture it has at least the same light abilities as its wider cousin, if not a little stunted at the long end.

Does the 55mm at the long end make any difference? not really as I would use it mostly for landscape, and city work when on walkabouts, which entails using it at the wide end of 18mm more often than not.  A great  kit lens, loved by many and rightly so. If you can get one for less than 60-70 quid, you are getting a great lens for the money. It is  a shame that Canon stopped producing it, I guess costs of production against its plastic mounted counterparts are what did it.

Would I sell it now? Nope, I love its field of view, and for a native lens it is very very usable walkabout lens. Fitting the compactness of the Canon Eos M range of cameras, I would say that it is a worthy addition to your camera.

EFM 18-55mm at 18mm

EFM 18-55mm at 20mm

EFM 18-55mm at 21mm

EFM 18-55mm at 20mm

EFM 18-55mm at 18mm

 

Canon Efm 15-45mm stm on Canon Eos M and Eos M5

Efm 15-45mm on M5

Efm 15-45mm on M5

Efm 15-45mm on M5

Efm 15-45mm with Eos M

Efm 15-45mm with Eos M

Efm 15-45mm with Eos M

The first Lens on camera I am going to discuss is the Canon Efm 15-45mm stm.

I have chosen this one first, not only because it it the smallest and lightest, but it is also the most versatile and used lens that I find myself using with this mirrorless camera system.

The Canon Efm 15-45mm stm came out after canons Efm 18-55mm stm(to be reviewed shortly). This small and seemingly wider angle view lens took it’s place as the standard kit lens from the 18-55mm primarily because of its lighter and at the time cheaper production and price. I got mine (at the time of writing this post) for the small price of around £31, as the owner had got it as a boxed kit lens and didn’t want it.

It is entirely made of plastic, except of course for the lens elements. Personally I have used plastic lens mounts for years and have never had any issues, either with the mount or its strength on remaining fixed to the camera. The same goes for this stonking little lens.

With a 24-72mm full frame equivalent (15x 1.6 and 45 x1.6) this becomes a very useful lens in every sense.

I find myself using it mostly when i just want to take one lens out with me on one camera. Small and light with a perfectly acceptable aperture of 3.5-6.3, but still better than some. As I commented on my opening page Cameras with their Lenses, it is also the lightest of all the Canon lenses. A great boon for the casual photographer and traveller alike. With its 49mm filter thread size, this also makes for inexpensive filter purchases.

From my personal use, I have found it great for producing good colour rendition, with reasonable sharpness to the edges. Snap quick to focus and totally reliable shot after shot. It makes the Canon Eos M a super compact APSC camera , so small it pops into my handbag all the time, so I know I can get opportune quality images at any given moment. On the Eos M5 , it also keeps its small an useful, lightweight form factor, and yes still small enough on it’s own to carry in a handbag.

Do I recommend this lens? hell yes! would I be without it? no way, Do I use it often? Yes of course, The fact that its on either one of my to M series cameras at any one time speaks volumes about its usefulness on the mirrorless system. Now I know there are shed fulls of reviews out there, all have their points, but what I think using your lenses and cameras is about is not the spec sheet, but actually how much you really use them. This little gem of a lens is one of those “go to” lenses, no doubt for me.

You can read about my review of the 15-45mm stm lens on this link  

The images below are examples of what this lens can produce, I have given the MM length shot with to help.

15mm

15mm

21mm

28mm

30mm

34mm

40mm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images Taken with the Canon Eos M5

Chalong Pier

Chalong Pier

Chalong Pier

Chalong Pier

Chalong Pier

Chalong Pier- HDR Edit

Condo-HDR Edit

View from the Rooftop

Condo

Canon Eos M -Asian Openbill

Asian Openbill

Asian Openbill

Asian Openbill

Asian Openbill

 

Asian Openbill- taken 21/01/2020 from the Moo Baan across the road from where I live. For anyone living outside Thailand, a moo baan is a gated housing community, complete with security guards and various facilities, in this case a small lake!

A relatively small stork species with a grayish to white body and black wings and tail with a hint of gloss. The Asian Openbill gets its name from a distinctive gap in the dull grayish yellow bill. Note the pinkish legs. Asian Openbills inhabit wetland habitats including shallow marshes, flooded agricultural fields, and lakes. From a distance they could be confused with herons, but they can be clearly distinguished from herons by their feeding habits—wading slowly through shallow water.

All the images here were taken with the Canon Eos M with 55-250mm stm lens for the Asian Hornbill, and the Tamron 10-24mm wide angle lens and eos to efm adaptor for the lake pictures.

From Canon 70D to Canon M5

 

Canon Eos 70D

Canon Eos M5

So, I thought I would share my thoughts on   why I chose the Canon Eos M5 and sold my Canon 70d for it. Now this is purely from my point of view and in no way trying to tell others what to do, yes I expect I could have chosen better, maybe? But I chose in the end what suited me. So here it goes.

I have been residing in Thailand now for the last 5 years, from my home country the UK. That involved a massive life change and with the most positive effect for me.

Always with my life (as I am sure it is for many) there is always the fine balance of money for living/traveling and camera kit (yes I know for many I will have that the wrong way round, but I have a wonderful partner who facilitates this life I now lead, and without that I would not be here).

I have had and  loved my 70d for 6 years now, but I have noticed that increasingly even I have found it a heavy piece of camera to carry and use for prolonged periods of shooting. That is aside from carrying it with its lenses around whilst travelling to and from destinations. It has not gone amiss in my continued interest of all things new in Photography, that technology is moving forward, and more importantly for me Smaller and lighter!

So you may remember my short article back in October 2019, I bought myself from Carmarthen Cameras a 2nd hand, mint Canon Eos M, and 18mp Apsc sensor camera
Great price (£80) and great condition. This was my try out into the mirrorless world. Why this one? Well it could take my current collection of Efs lenses with adaptor. No brainer, no change in my current lens collection.

I have just spent five days in Singapore (last week) with just my Canon Eos M, the sigma 8-16mm, the 18-135mm stm, 55-250mm stm. Along with my viltrox adaptor. I ended up using the Sigma most of the time and the 18-135mm the rest.

 

What I liked;

• I loved the light weight of the M;
• I loved the anonymity of the M.
• I loved the IQ of the M.
• I loved the portability of the M,
• I loved the direct focus point touch screen of the M.
• I loved the crisp clear screen of the M

What I didn’t like;

• The biggest  thing that got to me was the lack of a viewfinder, which meant I was struggling to frame properly, in strong sunlight, of which there is a lot here. It doesn’t move, and whilst this works for most f the time, there is also a lot of time where it is just plain impossible to see, Yes I have tried the screen shades and loupes, but all add to the size of what I was trying to reduce.
• I actually found it quite arm aching holding it out at arm’s length all the time. Even more tiring than the 70D. This goes back to the lack of a viewfinder, but a 2nd reason that the viewfinder becomes a critical piece of the camera.
• Also the inability to change settings on the fly also frustrated me, there are few buttons on the M and apart from the focus touch screen, you have to do everything else through the screen to get to the menus, Which means that you have to take your eye off what you are photographing.
• The last one surprised me, as it had not been an issue up until this trip, the  little to no grip on the camera itself. Not an issue with small lenses, but with the larger ones made it quite the hand ache, not to mention the feeling of dropping it from your hand. Whilst I have a para-cord strap attached to the camera, I still found I was getting hand cramp clutching the camera and lens combo for prolonged periods of time.

So  when I got back here I knew had to do something about it, so I sold my 70d for around 9,000bht = *283$ , on the Facebook online market place. Along with my longer needed but much loved Tamron 10-24mm lens, which fetched 3000bht =*98$.  I considered this a good price as I have been watching the prices plummet in the UK, and bought this M5 for 11,000bht =*346$, also from a seller on the Facebook Market place. Now I know that the two cameras have been around similar prices 2nd hand and the M5 has been always edging it against the 70d, mostly because of the newer tech. So it was a loss I knew I would have take. Yes I was sad ;-( , I have owned and used the  70d from new some 6 years ago now, it’s been a trusty friend, but times move on and so do cameras. I would still recommend it to anyone!

So my current kit is and still will be for the foreseeable future;
Canon Eos M,Canon Eos M5,Sigma 8-16mm EFS,Canon 18-135mm stm,Canon 55-250mm stm,Canon 15-45mm EFM,Mieke 24mm 2.8 EFM

Canon Eos M5

Canon m5 Top plate and Dials

Canon M5 adjustable screen

Canon M5 with Sigma 8-16mm

Apart from the Sigma which is heavy, the rest of my lens collection is very lightweight, as are the cameras.

Things to be aware of;

Now I have since found out that the software that the M5 runs on is completely different to the 70d and the Eos M. what does this mean in the real World? Well, you can’t run Magic Lantern firmware, and all the extras it gives you on the 70d. That for sure I will miss, notwithstanding being able to see you actual shutter count!
Otherwise I am not sure yet if I will notice any other differences, I will keep you posted.

The Raw files from the M5 don’t open in my Lr5.7 without me running them through Adobe DNG converter first! Another tedious step in the pp workflow, but hey it’s not insurmountable. Especially as I am not in the position to start paying adobe anytime soon for their “subscription” based software upgrade.

I am sure once I have flexed the M5 in a decent trip, i will return with my further thoughts on it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Prices worked on currency exchange at time of writing and publishing this article

Images Taken with the Canon Eos M

Panwa Beach

Aekwanit Building Dibuk Road

Phuket Thaihua Museum

Phuket Guan Nabon Shrine

Lobster Street Art Old Town

Street Art Old Phuket

Phuket Thai Hua Museum

Power Boats at Phuket Port

Kathu View point

Karon Beach

Karon beach

Driftwood on Karon Beach

Karon Beach

Big Buddha on the Hill

Golden Buddha on the Hill

Loi Khratong Rawai Moonlight

Canon Eos M Screen Shade

 

 

So one of the things you will find with the Canon Eos M is that it has no viewfinder. Now this is not a total deal breaker. I have found that I certainly prefer the stability whilst shooting of the viewfinder on my 70D, but I also like the instant results you get from making adjustments to your image from the live view screen.

Now some of you may know that I have been living in a very Sunny country for the last five years! that creates all sorts of problems for the Eos M and me and reflective and near non existent ability to see the screen.

 

So i got this fantastic bit of kit, easy as 1,2,3 to put on. weighs nothing at all so doesn’t affect my lightweight canon eos m camera. shade is perfect for bright sunny weather shooting. i can see the screen perfectly now. nice easy quick opener and closing. handy slide off mechanism if you want to take the shade off. fabbo  I put pics 1-6 to show from the packet to fixed on the camera.

Now I have found this invaluable in strong bright light, but the only draw back is that when the bright light(sun) is behind you it once again becomes difficult to see the screen, not as difficult as without a screen at all, but still difficult. So I am also considering getting one of these Loupes. These are as near as you will get to a viewfinder for mirrorless cameras. Although without all the information you would normally get on a viewfinder and not electronically attached to your camera like the ones you can get for more recent Canon mirrorless cameras, this will have to do! When I get it I will give an update on how it works! or not!

Canon M and real World Use

Got my beautiful M now and using the Viltrox adaptor works perfectly well with my EF-s lenses for now. I went out yesterday and did an architectural old city walkabout, as I call them to put it through it’s paces. Wow! what a little powerhouse?

I loved the small form, and actually find myself putting the wrist strap on my wrist and then carrying the whole thing from the lens. Less pressure on the joint between the camera and lens, and so much lighter in the hand!

Only just had a chance to open up my pics and have a look, and apart from me getting used to having 100% filed of view (as opposed to 98% on 70d), and battling with the sunshine(need to get a shade to go on back), I am really impressed with the IQ on this. Battery life came in at 370 shots before showing red and flashing at me, that was with me turning off auto focus in between shots and turning the camera off between shots.

Think i will need to get a spare battery too!

For those that are interested I also have just installed ML on it today (without ANY Issues) , more to find out the shutter count, about 3,400 still images and 5k in movie, so very pleased with that and for me the intervalometer are a great addition. It really is in mint condition.

Will post pics in the next few days or so as I will be out this week working more with it.

I have to say it is seriously making me look at the rest of the M range and possibly considering giving up the 70D!