[Gear Review] Canon EOS M3 + EF-EOS M Adapter + EF 50 mm f1.4

Most, if not all, of the images uploaded on this blog are from my iPhone 5 and iPhone 6. I believe it is about time for me to use a proper camera for capturing things. To give you guys an idea, I have a DSLR camera lying around the house somewhere. It is a Canon 550D camera with a battery grip and an EF 17-55 mm f4 L lens. For an amateur camera set-up, it does capture images quite well. However, it is really bulky and heavy to bring around especially when dinning in restaurants/food joints and even in cycling/running events.

Getting a new camera nowadays is really not easy. There are a good number of options to choose from among different good brands such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji and Olympus. There is also the dilemma of choosing what type of camera such as DSLR, Mirrorless or Digicam. I don’t want to geek out here so I’ll leave the researching about DSLR vs Mirrorless to you. Like I always say, google is our friend. :)

One important factor in deciding which brand to pick is whether you have a previous camera set-up with a certain brand since camera lenses are not “natively” interchangeable between brands. When I say “natively”, it means that you may need a special adapter in order to use a certain camera lens with a different brand of camera body. So, if I want to use my old Canon lenses, I needed to pick a Mirrorless interchageable camera from Canon. This actually left me with only two options, namely the EOS M3 and the EOS M10.

The M3, released last 2015, is the successor to the original EOS M models (Canon’s Mirrorless camera line) while the M10 is its new entry level model. The first generation (M1), released last 2012, was said to be plagued with a lot of problems especially with regards to its AF (Autofocus). Based on my research, the AF issues were already addressed with the third version. The M3 is pricier (due to its sturdier contruction and better features) and is generally better suited as a main camera for amateurs or as a back-up camera for professionals. The M10, on the other hand, is marketed for casual and beginners to introduce them to the Mirrorless world with its friendly interface and relatively affordable price (due to its plastic finish). For me, since I already have some (little) experience with the world of photography, I decided to go with the M3.

Now, I’m faced with what lens to choose. Do I go with the 15-45mm kit lens, the 22 mm pancake lens, or an EF lens (using the EF-EOS M Adapter)? Since I want to use my old EF lenses, getting the EF-EOS M Adapter ,as well as, an EF lens as the first lens for my M3 were a no brainer. Since I still had to acquire the famous 50 mm a.k.a. “Nifty Fifty” lens, it was my first choice. Thus, I got myself the EF 50 mm f1.4 USM. As an important note though, with the cropped sensor of the EOS M, you won’t be getting an actual 50 mm as there is a 1.6x magnification due to the said sensor. But you’ll still get that good “BOKEH” the 50 mm lenses are known for which is good enough for me. :)

EOS M Pros: It has a sturdy build. It has almost all the controls and settings you’ll find in a DSLR. With the help of the adapter, you can use any lens from Canon’s robust EF lens ecosystem. It has a tilting LCD touch screen for angled shots and for selfie. It also has wifi so you can easily transfer your images to your phone or tablet.

EOS M Cons: AF is still slower in comparison to other mirrorless cameras. Its native EF M lens lineup is poor in terms of variety and local availability.

Overall Score: 4/5

EF 50 mm f1.4 Pros: “BOKEH” is the main reason to get this lens and it delivers well. It also has good build quality (between the f1.2 L and f1.8). Being USM, it has Full Time Autofocus which means you can manually overide the focus ring for finer adjustments.

EF 50 mm f1.4 Cons: 50 mm + cropped sensor = 80 mm. This means you are quite close to your subjects and you need to move back when taking portraits. This is a disadvantage in taking pictures of people in tight spaces like restaurants.

Overall Score: 4.5/5

I’m no professional and I’m not even an experienced amateur photographer so please be forgiving of these sample shots (below) I’ve captured using my new set-up. I know I’ll improve in time.