EOS Mvs EOS M3vs EOS R1
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Canon
EOS R1 (2024)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & photojournalism
View EOS R1
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Photojournalism — EOS R1 (2024): Canon's ultimate professional camera — 40fps, a class-leading EVF, and AI AF that simply doesn't miss.
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 R1 (2024)
- Professional sports and news photographers who cannot miss a shot
- Wildlife photographers needing the fastest AF and burst available
- Photojournalists requiring reliable pro-grade build and connectivity
- Canon R3 owners or 1D X Mark III users upgrading to mirrorless flagship
Quick take: The eos m3 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the eos r1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | EOS M3 (2015) | EOS R1 (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £150 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 1080p/30p | 6K RAW/60p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Hybrid CMOS AF III (phase-detect + contrast-detect) | Dual Pixel CMOS AF III — 100% coverage, deep learning subject detection |
| Stabilisation | — | — | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 4.2fps | 40fps electronic, 12fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~250 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 366g (body only) | 1470g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 110.9 × 68.0 × 44.4mm | 159.5 × 143.9 × 87.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | None (optional EVF-DC1 accessory) | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon RF mount |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type B |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C (10Gbps), Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | EOS M3 | EOS R1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | ||
| Travel | — | ||
| Street | — | ||
| Portrait | |||
| Vlogging & Video | |||
| Sports & Action | — | — | |
| Sports | — | — | |
| Wildlife | — | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | — | |
| Wedding | — | — |
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