Hasta La Gadget!

There have been plenty of false alarms in recent months, but Canon’s first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (ILC) is finally here — in fact, we’re holding it in our hands. The EOS M is clearly reminiscent of a point-and-shoot, such as the company’s high-end PowerShot S100. Sure, Canon could have added some of the dedicated controls that its professional user base would demand, but photojournalists aren’t the target here, for a few reasons. Canon’s primary motivation, at least from an official perspective, was to create a camera that serves to bridge the gap between pocketable compacts and full-size DSLRs with a simple user interface designed to educate, not intimidate. Also key, however, was avoiding cannibalization of the company’s low-end and mid-range Digital SLR models, which clearly still have a place in the lineup one tier above this ILC.

Consumers willing to sacrifice hardware controls for a touchscreen-driven UI won’t be missing out on much else — functionally, the EOS M is a near-clone of Rebel T4i with the same 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 processor and 3-inch touchscreen. Even the advanced two-stage focusing system has made its way from the T4i, which utilizes both phase-difference and contrast AF in order to achieve focus more efficiently when capturing video. The housing design and lens mount are unlike any other that Canon has produced, however, combining features from other models without completely eliminating the need for a DSLR, or a compact for that matter. If you can get by without granular controls, you’ll do just fine here — the design really is spectacular. With an $800 price tag, the EOS M falls within the upper tier of the mirrorless category, and it remains to be seen whether it will be an obvious pick when it finally hits stores in October, a month after competitors tease their own products at the massive Photokina expo in Germany. How does it fare today? You’ll find our impressions just past the break.

Continue reading Canon EOS M mirrorless camera hands-on (video)

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Canon EOS M mirrorless camera hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to the land of good complexions, whiny mopeds and surprisingly early Canon hands-on videos. While most English-speaking journos have only been given the briefest glimpse of the new $800 mirrorless EOS M, Italian site PMStudioNews has posted a full hands-on video to YouTube. It shows a red variant of the 18-megapixel, APS-C shooter, in addition to the black and white models we’ve already seen, plus a beige leather case if you fast-forward around seven minutes. More importantly though, it shows off the touchscreen UI in some detail, including touch-to-shoot and a screen layout that looks quite different to what we’ve known from the button- and dial-heavy G1 X and its predecessors, and more like that of the Rebel T4i entry-level DSLR. Sure, it offers full manual control, but it also looks kinda fiddly — something we’ll look out for when it comes to review time in the Fall.

Update: Canon has produced some sample stills and videos to show what the camera can do. Also, a helpful reader just spotted that DigitalCameraWorld has posted a hands-on video too, and it’s in English.

Continue reading Canon EOS M video shows off touchscreen UI, accessories, color variants (updated: link to sample images)

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Canon EOS M video shows off touchscreen UI, accessories, color variants (updated: link to sample images) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 05:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumors of a Canon mirrorless camera have circled the web since long before Nikon’s foray into the compact ILC space. And while that manufacturer’s model fell far short of some expectations, it appears that Canon’s iteration may in fact have been worth the not-so-insignificant wait. Unlike the Nikon 1 Series, Canon’s new EOS M isn’t a drastic departure from the company’s existing mid-range DSLR lineup. In fact, under the hood it’s quite similar to the Rebel T4i, with an 18-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 processor, 3-inch 1.04MP smudge-resistant touchscreen and the T4i’s new hybrid autofocus system, which pairs both contrast and phase-difference AF for speedier, more accurate performance. Externally, however, the EOS M looks more like a cross between the PowerShot G1 X and S100, tipping the scale at 14.2 ounces with the included EF-M 22mm f/2 STM kit lens, compared to 27.4 ounces for the T4i, and 19 for the G1 X. It’s physically smaller than the G1 X as well, and only slightly larger than the pocketable S100. The camera offers a sensitivity range in line with the competition, ranging from 100 to 25,600 (extended) in still mode and 12,800 (extended) when shooting video — captured in 1920 x 1080 format at 24, 25 or 30 progressive frames per second. There’s also a continuous shooting mode at 4.3 frames per second with fixed focus and exposure.

The EOS M’s control layout should be more familiar to Canon point-and-shoot owners than DSLR users — as one component of the size compromise, dedicated buttons are replaced with touchscreen options and a bit of menu diving. There’s also no electronic viewfinder, though a full-size hot shoe is included with full support for Canon’s lineup of Speedlite flashes, including the new $150 90EX strobe and ST-E3-RT Transmitter, and the GP-E2 GPS Receiver. Though the camera lacks certain direct controls, it still supports full manual shooting, even in video mode. There’s also a built-in stereo mic with manual level adjustment. In addition to that 22mm kit optic, Canon is offering an EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens for $300, or you can add the $200 EF-EOS M mount adapter to enable use with existing lenses. The $800 EOS M kit is set to ship in October, and will be available in retail stores in black, though Canon’s online store will also stock a white model (which will be paired with the same black lens). You can peek at both configurations, along with the new lenses and accessories in the gallery below. Then shoot past the break for the full PR from Canon.

Michael Gorman contributed to this report.

Continue reading Canon unveils EOS M mirrorless: 18 MP APS-C, EF compatibility, $800 in October with 22mm lens

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Canon unveils EOS M mirrorless: 18 MP APS-C, EF compatibility, $800 in October with 22mm lens originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At this point, after strong hints and even patents, a Canon mirrorless camera is all but certain. The only question is what it’ll look like and how it’ll compete with other Micro Four Thirds and APS-C shooters like the Olympus E-M5 and Samsung’s NX range. The image above may at least help to answer the first part of that question, if it isn’t a masterful photoshop. It was reportedly leaked by retail sites and captured by Digicame-info, and it appears to show an unknown model called the EOS M (shown in the top left corner) — which does indeed look like a thin and lightweight mirrorless ILC. MirrorlessRumors also notes the presence of an entirely new mount: the EF-M — which may mean that Canon is moving away from the inbetween sensor size it used in the G1 X and possibly towards full APS-C. An official announcement is expected on July 23rd, so we’ll know plenty more then.

Update: Some more pictures have surfaced, this time not glossy press photos, but some IRL shots. Check ’em out below and at the more coverage links.

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Leaked EOS M photo looks like Canon’s long-awaited mirrorless camera originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logitech’s collection of subtle HD webcams launched a few months ago, but an unannounced WiFi-connected camera has appeared at the FCC. Labelled up as the Logitech Broadcaster, a little bit of investigation reveals that the camera may be able to function unencumbered by cabling, similar to Livestream’s identically-named Broadcaster add-on or the ill-fated FlipLive cams. Connected through WiFi — thus explaining its appearance at the FCC — we still don’t know specifics on how it’ll be powered, whether it’s through a self-contained battery or otherwise. Until then, emissions and wavelength obsessives can direct themselves to the source for the science.

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Mystery WiFi Logitech webcam diagram appears, lacks role-reversing hardware photos originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 20:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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