Canon EOS M3 Review: Big upgrades to Canon’s key mirrorless model offer improvements all around

by

posted Monday, January 18, 2016 at 4:51 PM EST

 
 

Canon entered the mirrorless fray a few years ago with the compact, simplistic EOS M. Sadly, it wasn't a humongous success, at least in the US market, and remained overshadowed by a number of better-performing competitors. Not to be outdone, however, Canon debuted the beefed-up, improved EOS M3 back in early 2015 for the European and Asian market. Canon fans in the US finally got their hands on the M3 a bit later in October 2015, as did we here at IR.

Borrowing many of the same internal improvements from Rebel T6s and T6i models, including a higher-resolution 24MP APS-C sensor and faster DIGIC 6 processor, the image quality is improved, with the high ISO and dynamic range performance in particular displaying a noticeable improvement over the original EOS M. The design and ergonomics also underwent a noticeable re-shaping, with more enthusiast-friendly controls and a beefier, fuller handgrip.

 
29mm equivalent (EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM at 18mm), f/10, 1s, ISO 100

We've just wrapped-up our full Canon EOS M3 Review, complete with our image quality comparison, print quality analysis, and of course, our final verdict. By many counts, the EOS M3 offers a bunch of welcomed improvements over its predecessor. There's a better sensor, better AF performance and better ergonomics to suit the more advanced photographer.

The Canon EOS M3 is undoubtedly a much improved, more advanced mirrorless camera than the original M, but it still feels lacking in a few important areas. Is this the mirrorless camera many Canon fans were hoping for? Read our Canon EOS M3 review to find out!

 
35mm equivalent (EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM at 22mm), f/8, 1/60s, ISO 200
 
 
320mm equivalent (EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM at 200mm), f/6.3, 1/320s, ISO 1600

Canon EOS M3 ReviewConclusion

Field TestImage QualitySamplesGalleryBuy Now