Canon EOS M Series Cameras

Hmmmm. I am certainly tempted. I'd like to see if I can get a further cut on customs clearance. Down to £20. Perhaps an email to Tenso :)
 
edster said:
Hope the raw files are compatible with Lightroom. I had to update my older version of Lightroom when I bought my 5D3!
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Not at the moment I'm afraid but no doubt soon.

DPP 4 is now available from Canon though (if you want to install it just enter the serial number from your M) and can export files as a TIFF which works fine in Lightroom etc. This is what I'll be doing for a while.
 
Wissel said:
Not at the moment I'm afraid but no doubt soon.

DPP 4 is now available from Canon though (if you want to install it just enter the serial number from your M) and can export files as a TIFF which works fine in Lightroom etc. This is what I'll be doing for a while.
Click to expand...

That's a shame, but no doubt it will come soon. Thanks for the DPP4 tip.

Edit: Hope it doesn't include an expensive upgrade to Lightroom 6 and they include it in LR5. It was an unexpected cost when I bought my 5D3.
 
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Just had confirmation that mine is now at customs in Coventry. Getting excited now! How long did it take you guys to clear customs in the end and how will they contact me regarding pick up?
 
Think it varies. Mine has been in customs since the 1st and the status hasn't changed since the 2nd. If it doesn't move on Tuesday I'll be calling and reading the riot act.

It will be sent to your local depot and they'll send you a letter with a code for paying the fees. Once they're paid they'll send it out.
 
You can call Coventry or your local depot to get the online code to pay for the customs charges. This way you can save a day and pay even before the letter arrives.as soon as you pay you can make your way to your local depot. Just identify yourself and tracking number that it
 
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5abi said:
You can call Coventry or your local depot to get the online code to pay for the customs charges. This way you can save a day and pay even before the letter arrives.as soon as you pay you can make your way to your local depot. Just identify yourself and tracking number that it
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Trouble is my local depot is 35 miles away. I don't think the charges have been set yet. Last time I imported something it said awaiting import charges then it changed to awaiting payment of charges.

Makes no huge difference because I won't be able to play until next weekend anyway. Just annoying that the tracking says 24 hour service yet it's been 5 days so far
 
My M3 got it's first outing yesterday to Bodmin Moor. The light was useless but at least I got to try the camera out. Here are a couple of pics.

IMG_0077.jpg


IMG_0091.jpg


IMG_0056-2.jpg


IMG_0067.jpg


All are very quick edits and done on my TV so the colours are out. The flares in the last shot are annoying but I'm sure I can do something with it once I have a proper go with Photoshop.

I did take a few comparison shots yesterday between the M and M3 at different ISO's and I'm in the process of uploading these files now so they can be downloaded by anyone who's interested in this. I'm uploading the original Raw files, full size Tiff's and full size Jpeg for each of the two shots, all at ISO100 - 6400. I'll add a link to this thread once they have finished.

After using the M3 for a day here are my thoughts.

For the type of photography I like (landscape), the issues I had with my M were not being able to see the screen in sunlight and the grip. Canon has sorted these for me with the M3, the EVF is excellent and the tilt screen is very useful (I used the tilt screen more than the EVF yesterday).

I like being able to use EOS Remote.

Battery life is better than I expected. I took around 100 shots yesterday, all with IS (forgot to turn it off) and many of these were long exposures. My battery was still showing as full when I got home and only needed about 20 minutes of charge. This is a relief as the batteries aren't available yet in the UK and there are no pattern versions anywhere yet. I imagine this will change by the end of the month as the M3 battery is the same as the new 750/760. Roll on cheap after market batteries.

I like the menu on the M3. If your used to the M it feels very natural. On the M if using the remote the setting saves when the camera powers off. On the M3 if I used remote then switched the camera off, when I switched it back on it reverts to normal shooting. I'm not sure which way I prefer but I would prefer if they both worked the same way. All other settings seem to save.

Focusing is much faster and very precise. In manual mode, focus peeking is great.

I'm going to get out again this afternoon as the weather looks a lot better. I think this will be a better test for the M3 for what I shoot.

From the limited time I've used my M3 I don't think it takes a better (landscape) picture than the original M. This isn't really a criticism though as I've always found the original M exceptional in this area. I do find it easier to use though, it feels great in hand, and think it's a solid upgrade for me.

I haven't had any issues today that stand out in my mind but I have read on another forum about a few, most notably that the M3 isn't working properly with the Tamron 150-600 or Yongnuo flashes.
 
Glad to hear you're grtting on ok with it. Reading dpreview it sounds like a dud but there are a few posts over there and yours here that suggest the opposite. Yeah there are issues but that's the same with every new camera and most of what I've read can be corrected with firmware.
 
da_nige said:
Glad to hear you're grtting on ok with it. Reading dpreview it sounds like a dud but there are a few posts over there and yours here that suggest the opposite. Yeah there are issues but that's the same with every new camera and most of what I've read can be corrected with firmware.
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Yeah that's kind of my opinion, I think some people just like to find fault.

The only complaint on that forum that could affect me personally is the Yongnuo flash issue as I was planning on buying a couple for off camera work. I held off buying until others had chance to try and now I'm glad I did. I'm sure Yongnuo will sort the issue though and I'm in no hurry for these.
 
Great to hear that the usability, battery, EVF and tilt screens are all improvements. These were all areas that let the M down. The resolution is greater which will help with cropping and the IQ looks great. (Did you use and creative modes in those shots? The dynamic range looks great) If the AF is quicker then I'd say that it's a win-win over the original M.

Edit:
Looks as though the bugs reported so far are either minor or relating to 3rd party equipment. Most of the camera related bugs are minor and fixable in a F/W update. There are people on dpreview threatening to return their M3s because the images are dull and flat. One guy claims that you can really adjust this in PP using Raw files! Jeez, hilarious reading...
 
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I think half of what's on dpreview are people looking for problems.

The one area of concern for me that I'm sure they'll fix via firmware is the IS staying on all the time.
 
edster said:
Great to hear that the usability, battery, EVF and tilt screens are all improvements. These were all areas that let the M down. The resolution is greater which will help with cropping and the IQ looks great. (Did you use and creative modes in those shots? The dynamic range looks great) If the AF is quicker then I'd say that it's a win-win over the original M.

Edit:
Looks as though the bugs reported so far are either minor or relating to 3rd part equipment. Most of the camera related bugs are minor and fixable in a F/W update. There are people on dpreview threatening to return their M3s because the images are dull and flat. One guy claims that you can really adjust this in PP using Raw files! Jeez, hilarious reading...
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They are all quite processed in Lightroom so not in the slightest bit accurate in colours ;)

I've now uploaded Raw files, Tiff's and Jpegs for 2 different images at different ISO's up to 6400.
As I mentioned earlier the light was awful, so these are not the greatest photo's (reasonable contenders for worst ever though :)). These are however straight from each camera Raw's with zero editing, cropping, correction or anything else.
The M files were converted to Tiff's and Jpeg's using Adobe. The M3 Tiff's and Jpeg's using Canon DPP 4.2 which can be downloaded here:
http://www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/products/cameras/digital_slr/eos_m3.aspx
(when it asks for a serial number any Canon camera should be fine, I used the number from my M)

All were taken in AV mode as the light was changing constantly, so the exposure time may vary.

As the files are huge I've uploaded them all onto a website.
Mods- I haven't used this site for anything to date and all that's their is these pictures. Hope that's okay.

The images can all be downloaded here:
http://cornwallcamper.co.uk/

I've done a quick comparison of a couple of the shots myself and I really can't see what the fuss on DPReview is all about.
I mean here are two Jpegs, the first from the M, the second from the M3:

http://www.cornwallcamper.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/M/Stream-M1-ISO800.jpg
http://www.cornwallcamper.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/M/Stream-M3-ISO800.JPG

They are both ISO800 and f11 with an exposure time of 1/400th. The colours are different but so was the light.
If anything I think the M3's colours look more vibrant in this example.

Anyway, all of the files are on the link above for anyone interested.
 
Wissel said:
They are all quite processed in Lightroom so not in the slightest bit accurate in colours ;)

I've now uploaded Raw files, Tiff's and Jpegs for 2 different images at different ISO's up to 6400.
As I mentioned earlier the light was awful, so these are not the greatest photo's (reasonable contenders for worst ever though :)). These are however straight from each camera Raw's with zero editing, cropping, correction or anything else.
The M files were converted to Tiff's and Jpeg's using Adobe. The M3 Tiff's and Jpeg's using Canon DPP 4.2 which can be downloaded here:
http://www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/products/cameras/digital_slr/eos_m3.aspx
(when it asks for a serial number any Canon camera should be fine, I used the number from my M)

All were taken in AV mode as the light was changing constantly, so the exposure time may vary.

As the files are huge I've uploaded them all onto a website.
Mods- I haven't used this site for anything to date and all that's their is these pictures. Hope that's okay.

The images can all be downloaded here:
http://cornwallcamper.co.uk/

I've done a quick comparison of a couple of the shots myself and I really can't see what the fuss on DPReview is all about.
I mean here are two Jpegs, the first from the M, the second from the M3:

http://www.cornwallcamper.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/M/Stream-M1-ISO800.jpg
http://www.cornwallcamper.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/M/Stream-M3-ISO800.JPG

They are both ISO800 and f11 with an exposure time of 1/400th. The colours are different but so was the light.
If anything I think the M3's colours look more vibrant in this example.

Anyway, all of the files are on the link above for anyone interested.
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Yeah the M3 is certainly the more vibrant in these examples but, as you say, probably more related to changing light conditions. What I was more interested in was the result of the higher pixel density and how much more detail this could resolve. When scaled down to fit on screen, both seem to show comparable detail to my eye. Pixel peeping a full size shows more noise in the M image, and although the M3 image is obviously slightly larger, there seems to be more processing (which looks to be noise reduction) in camera on the JPEG. It's difficult to determine which is able to resolve finer detail but I think the M3 just edges it despite the internal processing being applied.

I think I'll still have to reserve judgement until I get to check over what in camera processing settings I can switch off and get some raw images to compare. I'm optimistic I should see the benefits with my macro stuff and hopefully I'll be able to finally get my hands on the camera tomorrow :)

Oh... do we get bonus points for spotting the pixie hiding behind that tree?
 
We managed another trip yesterday afternoon. The plan was to make our way down to the St Just area and maybe capture a sunset. The thing is, the weather was gorgeous. So what actually happened was we pulled into Praa Sands and popped into the Sand Bar pub. Where we stayed ;) (great pub right on the beech).
Praa Sands is great if you have a camper van as you're allowed to stay in the car park (again, right next to the beech) overnight.

So instead we got up early this morning hoping for a nice dawn over St Micheal's mount. The weather wasn't playing ball but it was still enjoyable. I tried pulling some colour out of the shots I took but they didn't look right to me,

IMG_0157.jpg


IMG_0115.jpg


so instead tried them a little moody which I think I prefer.

IMG_0111.jpg


IMG_0163.jpg

Then off to Perranporth on the way home for some breakfast. Typically the weather here was fantastic (no idea if it was like this at dawn though)

IMG_0217.jpg


It's looking really nice here all week now so hoping to get out again over the next few days.

Edit - One thing I forgot to say. Thanks Canon for adding a digital level to the M3. I've missed having one since selling my 7d. It's nice to not have to straighten any shots in post.
 
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Wissel said:
We managed another trip yesterday afternoon. The plan was to make our way down to the St Just area and maybe capture a sunset. The thing is, the weather was gorgeous. So what actually happened was we pulled into Praa Sands and popped into the Sand Bar pub. Where we stayed ;) (great pub right on the beech).
Praa Sands is great if you have a camper van as you're allowed to stay in the car park (again, right next to the beech) overnight.

So instead we got up early this morning hoping for a nice dawn over St Micheal's mount. The weather wasn't playing ball but it was still enjoyable. I tried pulling some colour out of the shots I took but they didn't look right to me,

IMG_0157.jpg


IMG_0115.jpg


so instead tried them a little moody which I think I prefer.

IMG_0111.jpg


IMG_0163.jpg

Then off to Perranporth on the way home for some breakfast. Typically the weather here was fantastic (no idea if it was like this at dawn though)

IMG_0217.jpg


It's looking really nice here all week now so hoping to get out again over the next few days.
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Some lovely looking shots there.
 
SaintSLR said:
Some lovely looking shots there.
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Ditto - excellent shots. Thanks for the comparison shots on your website too Wissel. Very informative. I don't think there is too much to worry about IQ wise.

Quick question regarding the M.Fn button - can you assign it to most common functions (like the digital level) or is it only assignable to a few things/mode dependant?
 
SaintSLR said:
Some lovely looking shots there.
Click to expand...

Thanks :)

edster said:
Ditto - excellent shots. Thanks for the comparison shots on your website too Wissel. Very informative. I don't think there is too much to worry about IQ wise.

Quick question regarding the M.Fn button - can you assign it to most common functions (like the digital level) or is it only assignable to a few things/mode dependant?
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And again.

I'm not sure about the M.Fn button. I'll have a look later once the battery's charged again.
 
@Wissel so for someone like myself, that's got the original M, mainly because it was a bargain in Argos, would you recommend upgrading to the M3 based on a couple of days usage so far? Also how would you feel about it if you had paid £800 for it ie the uk cost of camera and EVF?! We all love our Ms because of the bargains they've become!! Ordering it from Japan like you have is def an option for me, but £800 uk wise is a no go for me (or at least would mean knocking few other things off my current wishlist lol).

Just interested in your thoughts on it.
 
SaintSLR said:
@Wissel so for someone like myself, that's got the original M, mainly because it was a bargain in Argos, would you recommend upgrading to the M3 based on a couple of days usage so far? Also how would you feel about it if you had paid £800 for it ie the uk cost of camera and EVF?! We all love our Ms because of the bargains they've become!! Ordering it from Japan like you have is def an option for me, but £800 uk wise is a no go for me (or at least would mean knocking few other things off my current wishlist lol).

Just interested in your thoughts on it.
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I think this is a problem the M3 is going to come up against a lot, the cost of the M1.

For me it would be worth the £800 UK price. It's my only camera and I find it nicer to use than my M. If I had a DSLR as well then maybe not as I could use that if say I couldn't see the screen on the M in sunlight. I like having the manual controls, but they don't really do anything that the M can't do. I don't believe it takes a better photo than the M, but then the M takes great photos.

I don't think it's expensive at £600 + £200 for the EVF (the EVF is expensive) but it does seem a lot compared to the bargain £200 most of us spent on the M. The thing is the M was ridiculously cheap. The M3 is a fair price. I wanted a little more but didn't want to give up my "punch way above their price" M lenses. I mean changing to a Sony or Fuji body wouldn't be to much, but having to buy their glass? ouch.

I bought the M as a stop gap whilst saving for a 5d III. What I found was I could do almost all I wanted with the M so stuck with it. I've now spent another £460 on a second body so less than £700 for both, about a third of what I was willing to spend on the 5d. That makes it an absolute bargain in my mind.

The M3 is definitely a solid upgrade IMO and a fair price compared to other manufacturers current offerings. Is it worth four times as much as the cracking little M? No. Is it worth the asking price? Yes, without a doubt in my mind.
 
edster said:
Quick question regarding the M.Fn button - can you assign it to most common functions (like the digital level) or is it only assignable to a few things/mode dependant?
Click to expand...

Took me a while to figure it out but it can be configured to about 15 things but the level isn't one of them. The level is easy enough to access though, you just push the info button a couple of times and it appears as an overlay (with a histogram overlay if you want it to).
 
Well i picked up mine this evening from the post office on my way back from work. I haven't even put a card in, but had a quick play before the battery died. First off, thanks @Wissel for posting how to change the language settings! The menu is completely different from the M and no doubt I would have spent some frustrating time on the internet without your advice. Anyway, here are my first impressions:

  • It's feels very different to the M. More substantial in someways, but it also seems to require more respect (maybe because it is newer) when handling.
  • The shutter feels and sounds much more like a dslr. I could have sworn I heard a mirror flapping up when I first pressed it.
  • The flash pops up with great force, again supporting the idea this is a serious bit of kit. I'd imagined it to be much more flimsy in it's mechanism. Seems quite powerful too, just need to decide how i'm going to diffuse it...
  • The EVF is fantastic. I am not sure yet how much use it will get but it seems to "complete" the camera in some respects. I'm glad I got it as part of the kit.
  • Love the dials! This was why I bought it in the first place, and I now have instant control over exposure. I can now say the M3 is my main camera :)
  • The histogram, level are very useful too. I did run ML to get the histogram for a while, but for some reason found it too intrusive. Oddly (very oddly as it seems larger here) I didn't get that impression with Canon solution. Maybe my opinion will change..
  • AF seemed much better, and far more reliable. I only did a few, quick indoor testing with the 22mm, but it hit the mark each time even with bad lighting and low contrast areas. It seemed quick enough to me (certainly for my purposes) but lets wait until I can test it in the field.
  • I need to go back to the manual and review video mode. When I switched it on I got a little instruction to say the Video mode sets automatic exposure, and I haven't found out how I can take control of it yet (I can't quite believe they would have removed it, particularly as Canon have such a strong history in DSLR video, so I'm sure it's just a user thing). I did try adjusting the shutter speed but it didn't seem to make a difference.
  • Tilty screen seems solid enough. I was a bit worried it would be a bit flimsy, but I'm sure it'll be fine if I don't chuck it about too much. No doubt I'll find this one of the biggest improvements, as I've never used one before.

The next thing I want to play with is the Wifi connectivity but that will have to wait until tomorrow now. I do have an adapter plug for the japanese connection but I didn't realise it had some plastic that sticks out around the sockets, and the charger plugs don't reach. Will nip into Wilkos on my way into work tomorrow ;)
 
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Wissel said:
Took me a while to figure it out but it can be configured to about 15 things but the level isn't one of them. The level is easy enough to access though, you just push the info button a couple of times and it appears as an overlay (with a histogram overlay if you want it to).
Click to expand...

Thanks for looking into it. Shame the level can't be set to the m.fn button - I used it a lot like that with my 7D.

TimmyG said:
Well i picked up mine this evening from the post office on my way back from work.
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How long roughly did yours sit in customs and did you contact them to pay the fees or did they contact you? Just wondering whether to give Coventry Parcel Force a call tomorrow?
 
postcardcv said:
This is no good at all... I was relying on you all hating the M3 so I didn't start getting tempted buy one (would have to sell something to fund it). I fear that this thread is going to end up costing me...
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Snap - exactly the same here!! Was just looking at Tenso for forwarding.
 
Wissel said:
We managed another trip yesterday afternoon. The plan was to make our way down to the St Just area and maybe capture a sunset. The thing is, the weather was gorgeous. So what actually happened was we pulled into Praa Sands and popped into the Sand Bar pub. Where we stayed ;) (great pub right on the beech).
Praa Sands is great if you have a camper van as you're allowed to stay in the car park (again, right next to the beech) overnight.

So instead we got up early this morning hoping for a nice dawn over St Micheal's mount. The weather wasn't playing ball but it was still enjoyable. I tried pulling some colour out of the shots I took but they didn't look right to me,

IMG_0157.jpg


IMG_0115.jpg


so instead tried them a little moody which I think I prefer.

IMG_0111.jpg


IMG_0163.jpg

Then off to Perranporth on the way home for some breakfast. Typically the weather here was fantastic (no idea if it was like this at dawn though)

IMG_0217.jpg


It's looking really nice here all week now so hoping to get out again over the next few days.

Edit - One thing I forgot to say. Thanks Canon for adding a digital level to the M3. I've missed having one since selling my 7d. It's nice to not have to straighten any shots in post.
Click to expand...

Excellent collection. Can see the upgrade attraction bug appearing ;)

ps In the first photo I saw in the upper third/ top right hand corner what looked like a cloud formation, but it appeared to be repeated in the 4th - dust bunny perhaps?
 
Following a read through here then having a glance over at the EOS M forum on DPreview I see that a lot of users are slating the M3, surely they all can't have dud cameras for the amount of issues that are being reported.
 
Mine is finally moving. Having arrived in the country 12 hours after David's on April 1st it left customs today and is currently at the North West processing centre having been at the national hub. express 24 it is not!!
 
Mine's gone from 'awaiting customs clearance' to 'waiting customs charging'. I wonder if calling them tomorrow and paying over the phone will speed things up?
 
Mine went from 'Awaiting customs clearance' to 'Awaiting customs charging' to 'Revised charges to be paid' to 'Forwared for UK processing' then 'received and processed' at the national hub then the north west processing centre
 
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da_nige said:
Mine went from 'Awaiting customs clearance' to 'Awaiting customs charging' to 'Revised charges to be paid' to 'Forwared for UK processing' then 'received and processed' at the national hub then the north west processing centre
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Oh great! How long did that lot take?
 
edster said:
Mine's gone from 'awaiting customs clearance' to 'waiting customs charging'. I wonder if calling them tomorrow and paying over the phone will speed things up?
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It should @Wissel posted that he did that.

Wissel said:
My M3 is now showing in ParcelForce tracking as "Awaiting Customs Charging". As I wasn't sure what this means I gave them a call and it basically means the parcel will now go to my local delivery depot at which point a letter will be sent to me informing me I need to pay £102.09 in charges (don't know what the breakdown is but this is the total).

To speed things up I can wait until it's showing at my local depot online (around Tuesday the lady guesses), then either phone up to pay, pay online or pay in person and collect (which is what I'll probably do).

This will make the total cost for the M3 + EVF from Amazon via Tenso £328 + £33.54 delivery (via PayPal) + £102.09 customs charges = £463.63 compared to around £800 in the UK.
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