EOS Mvs EOS M3vs EOS R5 C
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Canon
EOS R5 C (2022)
Starting from £3799 new
Best for Professional video, documentary & hybrid commercial work
View EOS R5 C
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 Video, Documentary & Hybrid Commercial Work — EOS R5 C (2022): Canon's R5 reborn for cinema — 8K RAW unlimited, Cinema EOS colour science, and 45MP stills in a weather-sealed body.
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 R5 C (2022)
- Videographers and cinematographers who want Canon Cinema EOS quality in a compact, run-and-gun body
- Hybrid photographers who shoot high-end stills and need 8K RAW video capability in the same body
- Documentary filmmakers who want unlimited recording with a built-in fan
- RF lens owners who want to add a dedicated cinema body to their Canon system
Quick take: The eos r5 c has the highest resolution at 45mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the eos r5 c is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | EOS M3 (2015) | EOS R5 C (2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £150 | £3,799 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 45MP full-frame CMOS — Cinema EOS colour science |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.2MP | 45.0MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 1080p/30p | 8K RAW internal, 8K/30p, 4K/120p — Cinema RAW Light, C-Log2, C-Log3 |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Hybrid CMOS AF III (phase-detect + contrast-detect) | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II — subject tracking with Intelligent AF |
| Stabilisation | — | — | 5-axis IBIS — 8 stops (with IS lens) |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 4.2fps | 12fps mechanical, 20fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~250 shots (CIPA) | ~220 shots stills / unlimited video with fan |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 366g (body only) | 680g body only |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 110.9 × 68.0 × 44.4mm | 138.5 × 98.0 × 88.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | None (optional EVF-DC1 accessory) | EVF 0.76× 5.76M-dot OLED |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| 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 | Dual CFexpress Type B slots |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C, 12G-SDI, HDMI full-size, 3.5mm XLR via adapter, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | EOS M3 | EOS R5 C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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