Introduction
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The Canon EOS M5 is the most enthusiast-friendly EOS M yet. It's a 24MP mirrorless camera built around a Dual Pixel APS-C sensor, giving it depth-aware focus across most of the frame. On top of this it adds a built-in electronic viewfinder, a good number of external controls (including twin control dials) and a well implemented touchscreen.
This level of direct control puts it comfortably ahead of Sony's a6000 and a6300, and more on par with Panasonic's GX85 (GX80 in some markets) and GX8 enthusiast models. All of these cameras aim to offer stills and video capabilities in relatively small bodies but with a reasonable level of direct external control.
Key Specifications
- 24MP Dual Pixel APS-C CMOS Sensor
- 2.36M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
- 1.62M-dot tilting rear touchscreen
- Electronic video stabilization combines with in-lens IS to give 5-axis IS
- 7 fps continuous shooting (9 fps with focus and exposure locked)
- Wi-Fi with always-connected Bluetooth
The Canon EOS M5 is a very approachable camera, despite all those buttons and dials. In fact, it's the implementation of this touchscreen that, in general, we're most impressed with. Much like the system developed by Panasonic, the M5 not only lets you use the rear touchscreen to position focus, it also allows its use as a touchpad to move the focus point when you're shooting through the viewfinder. This, combined with decisive autofocus, has proven to be significant for both stills and video shooting.
The camera has four dials in total: two main dials on the top of the camera, a dedicated exposure compensation dial and a fourth dial encircling the four-way controller on the back of the camera. This is a much higher level of direct control than offered on the simpler EOS M-series models offered previously, suggesting Canon expects the user to take more hands-on control of the shooting experience.
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| Three of the four control dials on the M5 are on the top plate, giving users easy access to exposure parameters. |
While the lack of 4K video capability is a disappointment, the ability to use the touchscreen to re-position the focus point with a high level of confidence that the camera will smoothly glide the focus to the right point is highly desirable.
The touchscreen-plus-Dual-Pixel-AF combination is also useful for stills shooting - you can not only use the touchscreen to drag the focus point around the screen but also use it to select between available faces if shooting or recording in face detection mode.
The other significant benefit of the M5 finally receiving Canon's Dual Pixel AF system is that it is now able to focus adapted EF and EF-S lenses very effectively - overall performance isn't quite the same as an 80D in Live View mode, but it's leaps and bounds ahead of any previous M camera. You're also no longer limited to the small central focus area offered when using comparable Rebel / EOS x-hundredD DSLR models, and focusing is almost DSLR-quick and decisive.
Compared with its peers
The enthusiast photographer has a good number of choices when looking for a reasonably sized mirrorless camera with a good degree of direct controls. Sony offers the a6000 and a6300 (the higher-specced a6500 comes in at a significant premium over the EOS M5), depending on how much you need 4K video and how demanding your AF needs are. Meanwhile, Panasonic offers both the GX85 and GX8, with the more expensive model offering higher resolution and a better viewfinder. Olympus's E-M5 Mark II offers a broadly similar feature set and form factor. All of these models are extremely capable, with ease-of-use being the Canon's most obvious response to their broadly higher video specifications.
| Canon EOS M5 | Sony a6300 | Panasonic GX8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $1099 with 15-45mm lens | $1149 with 16-50mm lens | $1199 body only |
| Pixel count | 24MP | 24MP | 20MP |
| Focus method | 'Dual Pixel' on-sensor PDAF | On-sensor PDAF | Contrast detection* |
| EVF | 2.36M dots | 2.36M dots | 2.36M dots |
| Dials | Two on top plate Exposure Comp Four-way/dial | Top plate Four-way/dial | Two on top plate Exposure Comp |
| Continuous shooting | 9 fps (7 with live view and C-AF) | 11 fps (8 with live view) | 8 fps (5.5 with live view) |
| Video specifications | 1080/60p | 4K/30p 1080/120p | 4K/30p 1080/60p |
| Peaking/Zebra | Yes/No | Yes/Yes | Yes/Yes |
| Touch focus in video | Yes | No | Yes |
| Battery life Screen/EVF | 295/295 shots | 400/350 shots | 330/310 shots |
* When using Panasonic-branded lenses the GX8 adds distance prediction based on the out-of-focus characteristics of the lens (A system the company calls 'Depth From Defocus').
So, is the EOS M5 the mirrorless tour de force we've been expecting from Canon? It's no secret that we found it to be an incredibly promising camera, even if it is a bit late to the party. To find out just how compelling an option the M5 is, let's press on.
Canon EOS M5 specifications
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| Price | |
|---|---|
| MSRP | $979 (body), $1099 (w/15-45mm lens), $1479 (w/18-150mm lens) |
| Body type | |
| Body type | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Body material | Metal |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 6000 x 4000 |
| Other resolutions | 3:2 (6000 x 3368, 3984 x 2656, 2976 x 1984, 2400 x 1600), 16:9 (6000 x 3368, 3984 x 2240, 2976 x 1680, 2400 x 1344), 4:3 (5328 x 4000, 3552 x 2664, 2656 x 1992, 2112 x 1600), 1:1 (4000 x 4000, 2656 x 2656, 1984 x 1984, 1600 x 1600) |
| Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
| Effective pixels | 24 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 26 megapixels |
| Sensor size | APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | Digic 7 |
| Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100-25600 |
| White balance presets | 6 |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Image stabilization notes | 5-axis for video only |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| JPEG quality levels | Fine, standard |
| File format |
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| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus |
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| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 49 |
| Lens mount | Canon EF-M |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.6× |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Tilting |
| Screen size | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 1,620,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Electronic |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360,000 |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
| Exposure modes |
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| Built-in flash | Yes |
| Flash range | 5.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| External flash | Yes |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/200 sec |
| Continuous drive | 9.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom, remote) |
| Metering modes |
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| Exposure compensation | ±3 (at 1/3 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±2 (3 frames at 1/3 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | No |
| Videography features | |
| Modes |
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| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC card |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (micro-HDMI) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | No |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | 802.11/b/g/n with Bluetooth and NFC |
| Remote control | Yes (Wired, wireless, or smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | No |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | LP-E17 lithium-ion battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 295 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz) |
| Dimensions | 116 x 89 x 61 mm (4.57 x 3.5 x 2.4″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| GPS | None |
Body, handling and controls
11%
The M5 is the most enthusiast-friendly EOS M camera yet. We say this not only because of its DSLR-esque shape but because of its twin command dials and dedicated exposure compensation dial. These allow a faster way of engaging with the camera's exposure settings than previous models or, for that matter, most of Canon's entry-level DSLRs, which tend to have a single command dial.
Interestingly, the camera learns some tricks from the Gx X line of PowerShot compacts (such as the G7 X II), most notably in the inclusion of a 'Dial Func' button, which re-purposes one of the command dials at the press of a button. However, if you find that you don't need to change the dial's function regularly, you can configure them in the main menu and then re-purpose the 'Dial Func' button to do something else instead.
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| The tilting touchscreen makes it easy to take photos at odd angles without lying on your back in inappropriate places to do so - like the library. Straight-out-of-camera JPEG, Canon EF-M 22mm F2 lens. ISO 320, 1/60 sec, F2. Photo by Carey Rose |
Your assignable options for the Dial Func. button are as follows: Standard (the default dial assignment for that exposure mode), ISO, White Balance, Metering Mode, AF mode and Drive Mode. The other dials can also be reconfigured so that they hold different functions depending on your exposure mode. Some editors took issue with the placement of the Exposure Compensation dial relative to the customizable control dial, and wished they were swapped - your mileage may vary.
In general, the M5 offers a better degree of customization than the similarly priced Rebel models. Thankfully, Canon has made the list of customizable functions universal across nearly all assignable buttons (with some specifics regarding the shutter and 'star' buttons, effectively allowing for back-button focus), so you're not left wondering what can be customized in what way. Here's a complete list of those options.
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Touchscreen
The most striking feature of the EOS M5 is its touchscreen interface and how this integrates with its Dual Pixel AF system. The Dual Pixel design means much of the sensor is able to contribute depth information to the AF system, meaning that the camera is generally able to jump directly to the correct focus distance, rather than having to hunt to find it.
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| The M5 uses the rear screen as a touchpad. You can select which region of the screen is active, to avoid nose-focus. The touchpad can either be used to specify an absolute position or one relative to the current position. |
Canon has clearly learned a lot from Panasonic in the way the touchscreen works when the camera is to your eye (although they still haven't matched the fluidity of Panasonic's implementation). Like on a Panasonic, you can decide whether the AF point jumps to the point you've pressed on the screen or whether it is dragged, more like a computer mouse, relative to its existing position. But Canon builds on this capability in two significant ways.
The big distinction is that Canon allows you to select which region of the screen is active, down to your preferred half or quadrant. This means that, regardless of whether you shoot with the camera to your left or right eye, you can ensure that you don't accidentally enable 'nose focus.' Note, though, if you are a 'left-eyed' shooter, you may find operating the control dials on the right shoulder of the camera bring your thumb disconcertingly close to poking your own face. In other words, despite the central location of the viewfinder, it's far less comfortable to use with your left eye as opposed to your right.
The second big touchscreen distinction is that in face detection mode, you can drag your finger across the screen and prompt the camera to refocus to and follow a different face in your scene - something that could be especially useful when shooting video, and works reliably well.
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| Despite the enthusiast-friendly, multi-dial interface, the M5 won't get between you and your 'selfie' - but if you're a 'vlogger' with your camera on a tripod, this screen orientation won't really work for you. |
You may find the eye sensor frustrating when the screen is folded out, as moving your hand in front of it - to, say, place an AF point - will disable the screen. It's an annoyance that may prompt you to assign a custom button to manually switch between the touchscreen and the EVF, and it's not helped by the rather pronounced delay the camera exhibits when switching between the two.
Moreover, it's an issue avoided on Olympus OM-D cameras and Sony's a6500; those cameras disable the eye sensor as soon as they detect the screen being flipped out, and frankly, that should be standard practice by now.
Adapted lenses
The EOS M5 is compatible with Canon's EF - EOS M adapter, which is little more than a solid chunk of metal with some electrical contacts that retails for $199 MSRP (third party adapters cost a fair bit less, but we haven't tested them).
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| Got a 'nifty fifty?' It'll feel right at home on the EOS M5. |
The real story is how well adapted EF and EF-S lenses now work on the M5 compared to previous M models - they generally work about as well as they would on an EOS 80D in Live View mode. Autofocus is snappy and decisive thanks to Dual Pixel tech, but it's not perfect - as you'd expect, some larger lenses can lead to an unbalanced feeling, but larger telezooms meant for two-handed shooting, like the 70-200mm F4L, balance rather well.
Auto ISO
Inexplicably, the Auto ISO behavior on the EOS M5 has been crippled in comparison to the EOS 80D, and even the G7 X Mark II. You are only permitted to select the maximum ISO speed the camera can choose, while the camera chooses whatever shutter speed it deems fit - and it usually isn't, often locking at 1/60 with the 15-45mm kit lens, regardless of where you find yourself in the zoom range.
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| Although I ended up liking the bit of motion blur on the subject in this image, the Auto ISO behavior meant I'd have to swap settings and miss this shot if I wanted to change it. Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw, Canon EF-M 22mm F2. ISO 1600, 1/60 sec, F2. Photo by Carey Rose |
On the G7 X II, you are at least allowed some control over the 'Rate of Change' of your shutter speed (though 'Fast' will lock the camera at 1/1000 sec as its slowest speed), and the 80D goes two steps further, allowing you to specify your slowest allowable shutter speed manually, as well as let you choose the lowest ISO speed you'd like to use.
Of course, you can shoot in full manual to choose your ideal shutter speed and aperture and use exposure compensation to bias the brightness, but still, we really hope this lack of control will be addressed in a firmware update, as it severely limits the usefulness of Auto ISO in general.
Autofocus
The Canon EOS M5 uses the same Dual Pixel autofocus system as the company's EOS 80D, so it should offer broadly similar performance, although with the caveat that there will be some dependence on lenses (Canon's EF-M 22mm F2 pancake lens is particularly slow to focus). In any case, let's see how the EOS M5 fares in its own tests.
Dual Pixel AF
This implementation of Canon's 'Dual Pixel AF' design first appeared in the EOS 70D. It features left and right-looking pairs of photodiodes at each pixel position. This means the camera can view the difference between light coming into the left-hand side of the lens and light coming in from the right, which allows the camera to calculate the distance of objects and how to focus on them by assessing the difference between these two perspectives (a process know as phase detection).
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| The Dual Pixel AF system operates over 80% of the width and height of the sensor, meaning it covers 64% of the image area in total. |
Because the left-hand facing pixel halves at the left-hand edge of the sensor can't see through the lens aperture (and vice versa at the other edge), the camera can only use this phase detection system across 80% of the width of the sensor. The image above shows the available, active region of the Dual Pixel AF system.
As noted in the introduction, the EOS M5 is the first M-series camera to fully realize the potential of adapted EF and EF-S lenses - they behave almost exactly as they would on the 80D in Live View, meaning they're far more usable and reliable than with the older 'Hybrid CMOS AF III' system used on the M3 and M10.
The bike test and real-world examples
Face detection autofocus in stills and videoThe Canon EOS M5 basically aced our head-on bike test, so we've put together a sample of the weave test using Canon's 'Face + Tracking' continuous autofocus. The results are broadly positive, with the camera having some struggles as Richard comes around from his weave, which we'd expect. In fact, its performance is a significant step up from what we saw from the EOS 80D in Live View, and while shooting more frames per second to boot. Not too shabby.
You'll see more evidence of just how good Canon's face detection can be in the reel on our Video page, but check out this demo. The M5's autofocus system is intelligent enough that, when the camera loses focus on Dan's face, it keeps tracking his head, or exactly where his face used to be. When his face comes back into view, it smoothly recognizes that and continues on. It's remarkable.
Real-world autofocus and performance
For most users, the autofocus and general performance on the EOS M5 will be more than good enough, but it has a few quirks that keep it from being the best mirrorless option in its class for shooting fast action.
Shooting a victory parade shouldn't be terribly difficult for a camera of this caliber, but the M5 made it a little harder than it needed to be. Shutter blackout (either in the viewfinder or on the screen) is longer than most competitors at this point; it's long enough to be a problem even with subjects moving at modest speeds and at moderate focal lengths. There's a slight delay in the live feed after capturing either single shots or bursts, resulting in the freezing of Touch & Drag AF for that delay. Depending on your 'Touch & Drag' settings, this can cause you to lose your bearings and send your AF point all over the place.
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| He was much happier about his MLS cup than I was with the EOS M5's blackout and shutter response. Processed and cropped to taste from Raw, EF-M 55-200mm lens at 200mm. ISO 2000, 1/500 sec, F6.3. Photo by Carey Rose |
Intentionally half-pressing before shots or keeping the shutter half-pressed between shots will result in the most responsive experience (because focus and exposure are already locked), but if you take your finger off the shutter button and then mash it (perhaps to capture an unexpected moment), you'll be greeted with a solid delay before the camera fires, even if your subject hasn't changed much in depth. Unfortunately, even attempting to circumvent the camera's need to lock focus and exposure by enabling back-button (or manual) focus and shooting in full manual doesn't resolve this issue.
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| The EOS M5 will occasionally take its sweet time to fire off a frame - and with no provision for focus priority versus release priority, nor any difference in behavior by switching to back-button-focus, the M5 may frustrate you until you adjust to it fully. Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw, EF-M 55-200mm F3.5-6.3 lens. ISO 400, 1/320 sec, F6.3. Photo by Carey Rose |
It should be noted, though, that overall, the EOS M5 makes for a more responsive live view experience in almost every way than the EOS 80D - right down to the 7fps burst shooting with autofocus (9fps with it locked). An additional caveat when shooting bursts with the M5 is that you're only greeted with a slideshow of the most recently shot image, while many of its mirrorless competitors offer a degree of 'live feed' while shooting bursts that help you track the action.
As far as the EVF, if you lower the camera for a fraction of a second to re-check the action and raise it back to your eye, you'll likely miss a shot due to the delay in switching from the EVF to the screen and back again (I would disable the eye sensor in crucial situations).
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| Running to catch the tail end of the parade. Processed and cropped to taste in Adobe Camera Raw, Canon EF-M 55-200mm F3.5-6.3. ISO 1000, 1/400 sec, F5.6. Photo by Carey Rose |
In terms of more general shooting performance, the EOS M5 is perfectly competent. Startup times hover around a second, and manipulation of settings in more casual shooting is responsive, as is menu operation and playback (but disable the silly playback 'animations' between frames for best performance).
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| Despite the issues I faced, the EOS M5 is responsive enough under more casual circumstances. Processed and cropped to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Canon EF 35mm F2 IS USM. ISO 1000, 1/60 sec, F2. Photo by Carey Rose |
Card write times are reasonably quick, though the buffer fills quickly - around 2 seconds at 9 fps, and 3 seconds at 7 fps, shooting both Raw and JPEG. While the buffer is clearing (around 7-8 seconds with a SanDisk ExtremePRO 64GB SDXC UHS-3 card), you can change basic shooting settings and resume shooting if you like, but you can't enter playback, the main menu or the Q menu while you wait.
The EOS M5's battery life is rated at a below-average (for the class) 295 shots, though using Eco mode boosts that to 410 by dimming the screen after two seconds of inactivity and shutting it off entirely after 10. The built-in flash used for these tests is sure to hamper the M5, and in real-world shooting, a battery lasts a day of moderate use if you keep the flash and playback viewing to a minimum.
Image Quality
Our latest test scene simulates both daylight and low-light shooting. Pressing the 'lighting' buttons at the top of the widget switches between the two. The daylight scene is manually white balanced to give neutral grays, but the camera is left in its Auto setting for the low-light tests. Raw files are manually corrected. We offer three different viewing sizes: 'Full', 'Print', and 'Comp', with the latter two offering 'normalized' comparisons by using matched viewing sizes. The 'Comp' option chooses the largest-available resolution common to the cameras being compared.
Raw
Raw shows good detail capture at low ISO values, and is broadly competitive with market competition (and is nearly identical to the older EOS M3 at lower ISO values as well).
In lower light and at higher ISO values, the EOS M5 is behind the competition by around one stop, which is a significant disparity at this point.
JPEG
JPEG colors are generally pleasing as we'd expect from Canon, with nicely saturated reds that aren't over the top, and yellows that avoid unpleasant green shifts. As is typical for Canon, though, noise reduction, even at lower ISO values, is clumsy, showing the smearing away of fine detail that's particularly prevalent on low-contrast subjects. Canon's crude sharpening doesn't help bring out fine details either, and can result in unpleasant 'halo-ing' around edges.
These issues are only exacerbated as ISO values climb, and we see the Canon leaving behind significant amounts of noise while continuing to smear away fine detail elsewhere.
Dynamic Range
Dynamic range performance is an area where we've significant gains from Canon in its latest large-sensor cameras, likely due to their move to on-chip analog-to-digital conversion (first seen in their EOS 80D). It's likely that the EOS M5 shares the 80D's sensor, and as such, exposure latitude and ISO invariance performance are identical between the two. In short, that places the Raw dynamic range of the M5 at about halfway between its best peers and Canon's previous APS-C attempts.
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| Out-of-camera JPEG | Processed to taste from Adobe Camera Raw |
This is a typical example of how this reviewer would process an image to make the most of a camera's dynamic range without giving in too much to the HDR look. Adjustments for the image above: Daylight white balance, +0.85 exposure, -100 highlights, +80 shadows, +23 whites, -77 blacks, slight bump to sharpening and luminance noise reduction.
For a more in-depth look, check out the EOS 80D's sensor performance for exposure latitude and ISO invariance in that camera's full review.
Conclusion
| Pros | Cons |
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Overall conclusion
The Canon EOS M5 is, quite frankly, what we've been waiting for from Canon since the release of the original EOS M four years ago (which was itself released four years after the first mirrorless ILC: the Panasonic G1). The original EOS M was unabashedly aimed at more entry-level users, offering solid Canon image quality and the ability to adapt EF and EF-S lenses in a nice, svelte package. It was even coat-pocketable when paired with the 22mm F2 pancake prime, which, four years later, is still the only fast-aperture prime in the native lens lineup (the 28mm Macro was a nice addition, but at F3.5, hardly 'fast').
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What users also got, unfortunately, was a sluggish user experience with disappointing AF performance that seemed almost a bad joke coming from a company whose large, white lenses are omnipresent at high-speed, fast-action sporting events the world over. The following EOS M3 and EOS M10 made some improvements, but the system still wasn't what many expected from one of the world's preeminent camera companies.
Enter the EOS M5. The M5 sits atop the EOS M lineup, offering a new 24 megapixel sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus (likely lifted from the EOS 80D), as well as an extensive array of customizable external controls in a package that is still appreciably more compact than the company's lineup of DSLRs.
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| The EOS M5's Dual Pixel tech allows it to work far better with adapted EF and EF-S lenses than its predecessors. Processed and cropped to taste in Adobe Camera Raw, Canon EF-S 24mm F2.8. ISO 100, 1/100 sec, F2.8. Photo by Carey Rose |
The EOS M5 is the fastest, most refined and most usable EOS M camera yet, and is evidence more than ever that Canon is looking to take this segment of the market more seriously - but they've still got some work to do. Let's see why.
Body, handling and controls
The EOS M5 comes with an all-new body design that looks, well, a bit like a DSLR - only smaller. There's room for a grip that's a good size given the camera's weight, plenty of control dials (including a dedicated exposure compensation dial, which we're always fans of), and an incredibly robust touchscreen interface that is not only intuitive to use, but powerful as well.
That touchscreen is pretty responsive just about any way you slice it, though it still can't match Panasonic's implementation in terms of outright fluidity - it's very good for playback and navigation through the main and quick menus, and it's market-leading when it comes to autofocus control, particularly when you have your eye to the finder.
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| Don't want to lug your 5D out for coffee? The EOS M5 is a much more compact, casual companion - especially with the 22mm F2 pancake, or a small adapted lens like the 50mm F1.8 STM. Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw, Canon 50mm F1.8 STM. ISO 1000, 1/125 sec, F1.8. Photo by Carey Rose |
That's because with what Canon calls Touch-and-Drag AF (Touchpad AF, as Panasonic calls it), you can use the touchscreen to control your autofocus placement while using the viewfinder - and you can specify whether you want to use the whole screen, half the screen, or even a user-selectable quarter of the screen depending on your preferences. You can also specify whether you want to drag the point around, like a computer trackpad, or use it as an absolute measure of where the AF point should go, like a digital pen (or 'pencil') on a high-end tablet.
And while Canon has made excellent strides in customizability, offering a good set of (consistent) options for button customizability on the M5, they've also completely crippled Auto ISO, with the only user-controllable provision therein being the maximum ISO value the camera is to use. It may seem odd to ask for more control with an 'automatic' setting, but being able to specify the full range of ISO values as well as the slowest acceptable shutter speed and the rate at which that shutter speed should change are incredibly helpful - and also present on the closely related EOS 80D.
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| The petite size of the EOS M system makes it an excellent choice in tight situations. Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw, Canon EF-M 11-22mm F4-5.6. ISO 12800, 1/125 sec, F5.6. Photo by Barney Britton |
Autofocus and performance
With regards to autofocus, the EOS M5 is remarkably similar to using an EOS 80D or 5D Mark IV in Live View mode, and overall, that's a good thing. You can tap the touchscreen to initiate tracking on a subject (which proves very 'sticky'), or even drag between multiple faces in a scene to tell the camera which to focus on (even if they're at dramatically different distances from you). And with a full-on Dual Pixel AF setup, just like the 80D and the 5D, EF and EF-S lenses work just as well on the EOS M5 also. An added bonus - Dual Pixel AF has been shown to be extremely effective in very low light scenarios, but make sure you've also got a fast lens to give the system all the light it can get.
As far as performance, the EOS M5 is solid, if not exemplary. Startup time averages around a second, the burst shooting speed is at least competitive, and though battery life comes in with a below-average CIPA rating, those users who eschew flash use and constant 'chimping' will see a single battery last them through a day of moderate shooting.
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| The EOS M5 is a good companion for casual shooting, but you may want to look elsewhere if you're shooting lots of fast action, which this admittedly isn't. Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw, Canon EF-M 55-200 F3.5-6.3. ISO 400, 1/320 sec, F6.3. Photo by Carey Rose |
In practice, the M5 can be a bit frustrating for shooting moving subjects with. There's pronounced viewfinder blackout (far worse than the competition), and the shutter can be unresponsive at times; mashing it to grab a fleeting moment won't always fire off an image, as you need to intentionally half-press before every shot for reliable results. The 7 fps burst speed with autofocus is nice, but you only get a few seconds of that before the buffer fills if you shoot Raw + JPEG. There's also no option for a 'live feed' to help you follow the action, as you just get a slideshow of the most recently shot images. Additionally, a slight lag after firing single shots or bursts can result in the Touch & Drag AF functionality 'freezing' for just a moment, which can be disorienting.
In short, if you see action shooting in your future, it's best to go for the extra bulk of the 80D, which has impressively short blackout in its optical viewfinder, or you can look to other mirrorless shooting options.
Image Quality
It'll come as no surprise that the Canon EOS M5 continues the tradition of vastly improved dynamic range on Canon cameras as of late. With a 24MP sensor that is (likely) borrowed from the EOS 80D, the M5's Raw dynamic range lands roughly halfway between the best that its peers have to offer and the previous generation of Canon APS-C cameras.
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| As Canon has been making strides in their auto white balance consistency and neutrality, the JPEG color rendition remains a staff favorite. Straight-out-of-camera JPEG, Canon EF-M 28mm F3.5 Macro. ISO 400, 1/60 sec, F5. Photo by Samuel Spencer |
White balance on the M5 is consistent and fairly neutral (with an option to preserve warmth in a scene, or be even more neutral), and overall color rendition is still a strong point. Noise reduction and sharpening tend to be comparatively clumsy, but of course this is all only relevant for default out-of-camera JPEGs - for best results, as always, shoot in Raw and process later.
Video
Video capture on the EOS M5 comes with an almost dual personality - it is an exceptionally easy camera to get smooth, accurately focused video with, but at the end of the day, you're left with footage that maxes out at 1080/60p and with a lack of detail that may result in some users left wanting more.
The positives are many, though, with highly effective image stabilization, easy-to-manipulate touch controls and reliably good performance when you let the camera handle the focusing duties. There's even a microphone input for better ambient audio, as well as focus peaking should you need to take over focusing manually. And lastly, you can shoot in full manual, keeping your shutter speed and aperture constant while the camera can 'gain' up or down using Auto ISO depending on lighting conditions.
But there's also the lack of a real flat picture profile for more seasoned users, as well as a lack of other useful tools for controlling your exposure, including zebra warnings or even a histogram during video recording. Thankfully, rolling shutter is well-controlled (particularly for 60p footage).
In the end, the EOS M5 makes for great looking footage if you're not viewing with too critical an eye - but it can't hold a candle to the outright detail and toolkit of some more established competitors.
The final word
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| Getting a move on - the EOS M5 shows off some of Canon's most impressive technology in a small package without sacrificing ergonomics. Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. ISO 250, 1/60 sec, F11. Photo by Samuel Spencer |
The EOS M5 is a big step for Canon, and sends out a signal that they're going to be taking the mirrorless market more seriously - or perhaps see it as more high-end - than ever before. At first glance, the M5 is quite the package, with Dual Pixel autofocus, a 24MP sensor with better dynamic range than its predecessors, abundant and accessible external controls, a built-in EVF and a mature touchscreen interface. But as impressive as all that sounds, the EOS M5 still has some room for improvement.
Outright image quality in terms of dynamic range and high ISO performance still lag behind competitors, as does the native lens selection, action / burst shooting behavior and performance, Auto ISO control and video specification. That's a tough pill to swallow when some other cameras can offer a leg up in these areas for substantially less money.
On the other hand, the EOS M5 is impressively usable and approachable, both for Canon newbies and established shooters. It may not capture 4K, but shooting smooth, accurately focused video has never been easier. JPEG colors are still second-to-none, adapted lenses work better than ever, and the camera just feels satisfyingly solid in the hand.
More than anything, the M5 represents Canon's continued commitment to the EOS M system, which we're happy to see, and we should reinforce that for folks who think they may want to get into shooting video as well as stills, the EOS M5 will make that far easier than most of the competition. The M5 is, on the whole, a solid and capable camera for a wide variety of photography. Unfortunately, in the broader context of the mirrorless camera market, we can't help but feel a bit let down by the M5 on the whole, and are already looking forward to seeing what the next EOS M will bring.
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Canon EOS M5
Category: Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR
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Conclusion
The EOS M5 has plenty going for it. Shooting smooth, properly focused video is incredibly easy, and the new 24MP sensor has made great strides in overall image quality. Dual Pixel autofocus makes for faster, more precise focusing and really makes the M5 shine with adapted lenses. Unfortunately, it sits in a crowded market and its excellent usability can't quite make up for the fact that you can arguably get more camera for less money elsewhere.
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