EOS Mvs EOS M3vs EOS R
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Canon
EOS R (2018)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Entry to full-frame mirrorless & RF lens exploration
View EOS R
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors — EOS M (2012): Canon's first mirrorless — a historic body that broke new ground with touch-AF and EF-M, but its sluggish contrast-detect system quickly became its Achilles heel.
Casual & Everyday — EOS M3 (2015): The EOS M3 was a meaningful upgrade over the original EOS M — bringing 24MP, a tilting touchscreen, and improved Hybrid CMOS AF III. Video tops out at 1080p/30p and burst shooting is modest, but for stills photographers wanting affordable APS-C quality, the M3 is a competent used-market option.
Entry To Full-Frame Mirrorless & Rf Lens Exploration — EOS R (2018): The RF mount's founding camera — 30MP, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, and the proof-of-concept that launched Canon's mirrorless era.
Who should buy what
EOS M (2012)
- Canon shooters who want the camera that started Canon's mirrorless story
- Budget first-time mirrorless buyers who already own EF/EF-S glass
- Collectors of significant digital camera milestones
EOS M3 (2015)
- Photographers who want affordable 24MP APS-C quality on a budget
- Casual shooters who want a compact EF-M camera with a tilting screen
- Users looking for an affordable entry into the Canon EF-M ecosystem
- Used-market buyers wanting a capable but inexpensive mirrorless
EOS R (2018)
- Canon DSLR users wanting to enter the RF ecosystem at the lowest full-frame price
- EF lens collectors who want an affordable RF body to use with the EF-RF adapter
- Photographers stepping up from APS-C who want full-frame quality on a budget
- RF system fans who want a second body without full EOS R6 pricing
Quick take: The eos r has the highest resolution at 30mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the eos r is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | EOS M3 (2015) | EOS R (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £150 | £799 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 30.3MP full-frame CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.2MP | 30.3MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 1080p/30p | 4K/30p (1.7× crop), 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Hybrid CMOS AF III (phase-detect + contrast-detect) | Dual Pixel CMOS AF — 5655 AF areas, Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | — | — | None |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 4.2fps | 8fps continuous (5fps with AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~250 shots (CIPA) | ~350 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 366g (body only) | 660g body only |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 110.9 × 68.0 × 44.4mm | 135.8 × 98.3 × 84.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | None (optional EVF-DC1 accessory) | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.71× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon RF mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD UHS-I slot | Single SD UHS-II slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | EOS M3 | EOS R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | ||
| Travel | |||
| Street | — | ||
| Portrait | |||
| Vlogging & Video | |||
| Sports & Action | — | — | |
| Landscape | — | — | |
| Wedding | — | — | |
| Sports | — | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history