Third time lucky for Canon's mirrorless camera

Could the third time be the charm for Canon's mirrorless interchangeable lens camera?

The company's first model, called the EOS M, made its global debut in 2012. Featuring an APS-C sensor it tried to capitalise on the success of Canon's EOS digital SLR range, but it was hampered by slow autofocus performance.

Canon gives mirrorless EOS M3 a much-needed redesign (pictures)

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The EOS M2 tried to address the autofocus performance, but it never made it beyond Japan and China when it was released in 2013.

The third generation EOS M3 will be available in a a few more regions this time around: Australia, Europe, UK and Japan. The basic 18-55mm STM lens kit will cost £599.99/€769.99 which converts to AU$1,175. Unfortunately, United States buyers miss out this time as the M3 won't be getting a stateside release.

While the original EOS M and M2 looked pretty much the same, the M3 has had a design overhaul, adding a much-needed grip among other ergonomic improvements. The lens mount remains the same, so only EF-M lenses work straight out of the box. You can buy an adapter that provides compatibility with Canon's regular dSLR lenses (EF and EF-S).

What's new

• Sensor and processor upgrades: The 24.2-megapixel sensor and Digic 6 processor match those found in the 750D/760D digital SLRs announced at the same time as the EOS M3.
• Design improvements: The M and M2 only had a tiny raised grip for hands to cling to. While the camera looked more streamlined than many of its competitors, it was hard to hold. The M3 features a proper hand grip, as well as repositioned buttons and dials for improved ergonomics. Trying to appeal to users looking for a separate, smaller dSLR companion, the M3 adds an exposure compensation dial and customisable buttons.
• Better AF performance: Hybrid CMOS AF has appeared in a few of Canon's previous consumer SLRs (and the M2 as well). The system combines both contrast-detect and phase-detect autofocus sensors for quicker AF performance. The EOS M3 gets Hybrid CMOS AF III with 49 AF points that should deliver much better performance than the previous M cameras.
• Wi-Fi and NFC: A dedicated button on the camera instantly connects to your smartphone or tablet to transfer images.
• Tiltable LCD screen: The previous M cameras only had a fixed touchscreen. While the M3's screen doesn't have a side hinge in the way Canon's dSLRs do, it can still tilt up 180 degrees -- for selfies, of course.
• Built-in flash: Rather than relying on an external flash unit, the EOS M comes with a pop-up flash. It can tilt up for bounce flash effects. There's also a hotshoe that supports external flash units and an optional electronic viewfinder.

Canon was a few years behind the rest of the mirrorless pack when it released the first EOS M, and it showed. Even though its APS-C sensor delivered dSLR-quality images, the M had a hard time competing with the likes of Olympus, Panasonic and Sony who already had several generations of cameras under their belts.

The M3 might not compete aggressively for new buyers to the brand because of its feature set, but it will appeal to photographers who are already loyal to Canon because of compatibility with existing EF or EF-S lenses. The EOS M3 will be available in April 2015 in black and white finishes.

Comparative specs