Canon EOS M10, we have tested it

Canon EOS M10

Canon debuted in the interchangeable lens compact camera segment a bit late . The EOS M and EOS M2 didn't even go through Spain, but they didn't get very good reviews. A few months ago we were able to test the Canon EOS M3 , the model with which the Japanese firm tried to compensate for the initial error. The EOS M3 is a correct camera that offers very good results, but the price is somewhat high compared to the competition. In Canon they knew that there was a gap to be covered and the Canon EOS M10 is the answer. It has the same spirit as the M3, but it is cheaper. 

The  Canon EOS M10 is aimed at photography enthusiasts who want to make their debut in interchangeable lenses, with a compact and attractive design that makes it very handy. We have tested the new Canon proposal , we tell you our impressions.

* Lens included Canon EF-M 15-45mm 

 Canon EOS M10

Layout and controls

The design is undoubtedly one of the successes of the  Canon EOS M10. It is a camera that enters through the eye;  compact, elegant but simple and very comfortable when we hold it in the hand. The chassis is made of resistant plastic with a glossy finish, combined with the silver finish of the lens and the upper part, in which the main controls are embedded. The body has a substantially rectangular shape, but Canon has solved the problem of ergonomics with a kind of  handle to rest the thumb. This area has a piece of rubber with a non-slip texture, enough so that the grip is comfortable and, above all, secure.

 Canon EOS M10

The controls are on the meager side, with just the right buttons and dials for the amateur user. Demanding users will miss a mode dial, but the Canon EOS M10 is not a camera for those looking to experiment with manual modes.-allows it, but it is not comfortable to work. At the top is the power button, surrounded by the dial with which we switch between automatic mode, scene modes and video recording -if we want to switch between the different scenes or adjust other parameters of the shot we must resort to the rear buttons and touch screen. The shutter button is also surrounded by a dial, in this case the classic multifunction wheel with which we can move through the menus or adjust the aperture, and next to it is the video record button.

If we go to the rear, we find the classic buttons (menu, playback and directional cross), while the screen occupies a large part of the surface. We are facing a touch panel with 3 inches diagonal and 1,040,000 pixels of resolution , very sharp and bright to be able to see the content clearly.

 Canon EOS M10

The screen is essential since Canon does not include an optical viewfinder in this model - something that does not surprise us after having known the EOS M3. The Canon EOS M3 also does not have a viewfinder, but Canon offers a separate electronic viewfinder that attaches to the flash shoe. The M10 does not integrate a hot shoe, so all the framing of the scene is done through the panel. In addition to framing, this piece is responsible for making up for the absence of physical controls, a detail that will not pose a problem for users accustomed to taking photos with the mobile, but it is less intuitive than manual operation through dials and buttons. What is comfortable is the possibility of folding the screen 180º,not so much to be able to take a selfie, but to be able to work at complicated angles where we cannot see the image correctly.

On the right is the button for synchronization with mobile devices and on the left are the button to remove the flash and connections. We emphasize that Canon has covered the connectors with two covers that are quite comfortable to open and close. Lastly, the battery is inserted from the bottom.

 Canon EOS M10

Focus and shoot

In this section it is necessary to talk about the lens that is included in the kit. In our case it is the new  Canon EF-M 15-45mm f / 3.5-6.3 IS STM zoom , a versatile lens and, above all, light. It is built in plastic and has a retractable system, that is, we have to extend the lens every time we turn on the camera and "fold" it again when we are going to store it. It is a bit uncomfortable at first, especially if we want to be quick to turn on the camera so that the photo does not escape us, but we quickly get used to this increasingly widespread system in compact lenses. The lens is fairly  quiet , but falls short in brightness when working in narrower focal lengths (if we place it at 45 mm, the maximum aperture is f / 6.3.

 Canon EOS M10

The Canon EOS M10 comes with the same focusing system we learned about from the M3 : 49-zone hybrid focusing with phase detection pixels on the sensor . It is relatively fast for a camera in its class, although it sometimes hangs in low light. We cannot say the same about burst shooting, only 4.6 frames per second, with which we can shoot up to 1,000 images in JPEG format and only 7 if we are in RAW mode. It is clear that the Canon EOS M10 is not a camera for action photography, but it lags behind its more direct competitors such as the Sony A5100 (6fps).

As we have already anticipated, the  Canon EOS M10 has a manual mode and various scene modes more focused on the predefined creative styles such as miniature mode, soft focus and fisheye effect, in addition to the usual ones (sports, portrait, night scene …). We were pleasantly surprised by the HDR function .

 Canon EOS M10

Picture quality

Canon has integrated a sensor CMOS 18 - megapixel effective, old acquaintance of the EOS range, combined with the processor DIGIC 6 provides good results, but not excellent. Here the EOS M3 is ahead of her with its 24 megapixel APS-C sensor, although they carry the same processor. We have noticed it especially in dimly lit scenes, where noise has appeared working at sensitivities around 3,200 ISO. If the scene is well lit, the EOS M10 achieves sharp images, with a wide dynamic range and faithful colors, even in scenes with high contrast.

Although it is intended for the hobbyist, Canon has included the option to shoot RAW images - a function that is becoming more and more widespread and already exists even in mobile phones. A RAW image made with the Canon EOS M10 is around 25 Mb, while JPEG files are around 5-6 Mb.

Here are several tests performed with the  Canon EOS M10 and the  Canon EF-M 15-45mm lens.

M10-test-01

Outside, daylight. ISO 500

M10-test-06

Outside, daylight. ISO 200

M10-test-09

Exterior night. ISO 6400

M10-test-07

Detail. Indoor, artificial light. ISO 640

M10-test-08

Indoor, artificial light. High contrast. ISO 500

M10-test-05

Indoor, artificial light. ISO 6400

M10-test-03

Sunset. ISO 1600

M10-test-02

Outside day vs outside sunset. ISO 100 / ISO 3,200

Connectivity and autonomy

How could it be otherwise, the   Canon EOS M10 is equipped with the usual wireless connection combo (WiFi + NFC), which allows us to synchronize the camera with our smartphone to control it remotely or view the images we have taken. The sync button and the NFC chip make the connection very fast. It also includes a MicroUSB port and an HDMI   plug that will come in handy when playing images or videos on a large screen such as a television.

The official autonomy according to Canon is around 255 shots, a figure that fairly corresponds to reality. Like the M3, this Canon EOS M10 does not have an electronic viewfinder, so we have to resort to the screen to frame, and it consumes a lot of battery. If you plan to take photos throughout the day, you may want to purchase an additional battery.

 Canon EOS M10

Conclusions

Canon is beginning to patch up the mistakes made with the first models of the M range, but it still has a long way to go if it wants to stand up to brands like Olympus or Sony , which are well established in this category. You can tell that Canon has just entered the compact interchangeable lens segment, but this EOS M10 is an interesting proposition for hobbyists looking for a competent, if not powerful, device. Its price, about 530 euros with the 15-45mm, is one of the attractions. It is not the cheapest camera in the shop window, but it offers a good set of features at a reasonable cost and we must not forget that Canon's stamp gives you more packaging.

 Canon EOS M10

Canon EOS M10

BrandCanyon
ModelEOS M10
TypologyCompact interchangeable lens

Sensor

Type22.3 x 14.9 mm CMOS

Low pass filter

Effective pixels18 effective megapixels (3: 2 aspect ratio)
Total pixels18.5 total megapixels
Image processorDIGIC 6

Lens

CompatibilityEF-M mount (compatible with EF and EF-S via adapter)
Focal distanceEquivalent to 1.6x
Image StabilizerDynamic stabilizer on target (IS)
Lens included

 Canon EF-M 15-45mm f / 3.5-6.3 IS STM

Focus

TypeHybrid CMOS AF system (phase detection pixels built into the sensor)
Zones49 AF points
AF point selectionAutomatic selection (face + tracking), Manual selection (1 point AF)
Focus modesPhoto-to-Photo AF / Servo AF / Manual focus

AF lock

LED assist beam

Exposition

Measurement modesReal-time measurement from the image sensor

(1) Evaluative metering

(2) Partial metering in the center

(3) Spot metering

(4) Center-weighted averaged measurement

AE lockAuto: Operates in One Shot AF mode with evaluative metering exposure locked when focus is achieved.

Manual: Using the AE lock button in Creative Zone modes.

Exposure compensation+/- 3 EV in 1/3 stop increments
ISO sensitivityAUTO (100-12,800), 100-12,800 in 1/3 stop increments

Up to H: 25,600

Video: ISO 100-6,400 in 1/3 stop increments.

Shutter

TypeElectronic Focal Plane Shutter
Speed30-1 / 4,000 s (in 1/3 stop increments)

Bulb

White balance

TypeAutomatic white balance with the image sensor
SettingsAuto, daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten, white fluorescent light, flash, custom.

screen

screen3 inch Touch LCD
Resolution1,040,000 pixels (3: 2 aspect ratio)
BrightnessAdjustable to one of five levels.

Flash

Guide number5
CoverageUp to 15mm focal length (24mm equivalent)
Recycling time3 seconds
ModesOn (Auto FE), On (Manual), Slow Synchro, Off
External flash Not

Shooting

Shooting modesIntelligent Scene Mode Auto (photos and video), Creative Assist (photos and video), Hybrid Auto, Selfie, Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Handheld Night Scene, Food, HDR, Fish-eye Effect, Oil Effect, Effect Watercolor, Miniature Effect (stills and video), Toy Camera Effect, Soft Focus, Grainy Black & White Effect, Program AE, Shutter Speed ​​Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Manual

Video modes: automatic exposure, manual exposure

Picture StylesAuto, standard, portrait, landscape, neutral, faithful, monochrome, user defined (x3)

Creative Assist: Background blur effect (5 settings)

Brightness (19 levels)

Contrast (9 levels)

Saturation (9 levels)

Color tone (19 levels)

Monochrome (off / B / N / S (sepia) / B (blue) / P (purple) / G (green))

Serial shooting4.6 fps for 1,000 JPEG images / 7 RAW images
Image sizeRAW: (3: 2) 5184 x 3456, (4: 3) 4608 x 3456, (16: 9) 5184 x 2912, (1: 1) 3456 x 3456

JPEG 3: 2: (L) 5184 x 3456, (M) 4320 x 2880, (S1) 2880 x 1920, (P2) 2304 x 1536, (S3) 720 x 480

JPEG 4: 3: (L) 4608 x 3456, (M) 3840 x 2880, (S1) 2560 x 1920, (P2) 2048 x 1536, (S3) 640 x 480

JPEG 16: 9: (L) 5184 x 2912, (M) 4320 x 2432, (S1) 2880 x 1616, (P2) 1920 x 1080, (S3) 720 x 480

JPEG 1: 1: (L) 3456 x 3456, (M) 2880 x 2880, (S1) 1920 x 1920, (P2) 1536 x 1536, (S3) 480 x 480

Video sizeFull HD: 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976 fps)

HD: 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps)

VGA: 640 x 480 (29.97, 25 fps)

Miniature Effect: HD, VGA (6, 3, 1.5 fps)

Hybrid Auto: HD (30 fps)

Length of videosMaximum duration 29 min 59 s

Maximum file size 4 GB

FormatsJPEG: good, normal (Exif 2.30 compliant / Design rule for Camera File system (2.0),

RAW: RAW, (14-bit, Original Canon RAW, 2nd Edition),

DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) version 1.1 compliant

MP4 videos [Video: MPEG-4 AVC / H.264, Audio: MPEG-4 AAC-LC (stereo)]

Connections and autonomy

Memory cardSD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I compliant)
With cablesHi-Speed ​​USB

HDMI compliant with Type C / Mini

Without cablesWifi

NFC

BatteryRechargeable Li-ion Battery LP-E12

Approximate autonomy: 255 shots

Physical specifications

Dimensions108 x 66.6 x 35 mm (width x height x thickness without lens)
Weight301 grams (only body + battery + card)

+ info

Release dateOctober 2015
Manufacturer's websiteCanyon

Price:  530 euros