Canon EOS M

Preview based on a pre-production

It's now almost four years since Panasonic first introduced us to the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, in the shape of the Micro Four Thirds Lumix DMC-G1. Since then, all of the other major manufacturers have entered the fray, in the process offering cameras in a variety of shapes and sizes - from diminutive beginner-friendly models such as the Olympus PEN E-PM1, to unashamedly high-end models like the Sony NEX-7 and Fujifilm X-Pro1. Nikon, meanwhile, has ploughed its own individual furrow with its family-friendly 1 J1 and 1 V1 models. This simply reflects the fact that different cameras are targeted to different kinds of users - be they serious enthusiasts looking for a small, highly capable camera, or compact-camera upgraders looking for SLR-like image quality in a smaller, easier-to-use package.

Canon is the last big player to show its hand, and its initial entrant - the EOS M - is unashamedly targeted to the latter group of users. To all intents and purposes it's a mirrorless version of the recently-announced EOS 650D, but with a simpler interface that's designed to be more approachable for novice users, and obviously much more compact in size. It's based around a new 'EF-M' lens mount, and two matched lenses will be available at launch: the EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM zoom, and the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM 'pancake' prime. But it's still very much part of the EOS system, and all of the company's existing EF and EF-S SLR lenses can be used via the co-announced 'Mount adapter EF-EOS M'.

The EOS M features a compact, magnesium-alloy body, and will be available in four colours - black, white, silver and red. It has no built-in flash, but instead a hot shoe on the top plate, and in many markets (although not the US) it will come bundled with the new AAA-powered Speedlite 90EX unit. There's neither a built-in viewfinder, nor connector for an external unit - composition is solely using the camera's rear screen (which is fixed, rather than articulated).

key features New EF-M lens mount (optimized for APS-C sensor size) 18MP APS-C 'Hybrid CMOS' sensor Continuous autofocus in movie mode with subject tracking 14-bit DIGIC5 processor ISO 100-12800 standard, 25600 expanded 4.3 fps continuous shooting, 3 fps with autofocus tracking 1080p30 video recording, stereo sound (with 25p or 24p options) External microphone socket and adjustable sound recording level 1040k dot 3:2 touch-sensitive ClearView II LCD (capacitative type, multi-touch support) Standard EOS hot-shoe for external flash (no built-in flash) 'Creative Filters' image-processing controls, previewed live on-screen

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