EOS Mvs EOS M3vs Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Canon
Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024)
Starting from £4299 new
Best for Hybrid shooters & professionals
View Canon EOS R5 Mark II
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.
Hybrid Shooters & Professionals — Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024): The most complete hybrid camera Canon has ever made — 45MP stacked BSI, 30fps burst, 8K/60p RAW, and Canon's legendary Dual Pixel AF in one 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
Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024)
- Professional photographers who want 8K RAW and 45MP in one body
- R5 owners upgrading to faster AF, improved overheating, and neural network processing
- Wildlife and sports professionals who need high resolution and fast burst
- Hybrid shooters who demand the very best Canon has to offer
Quick take: The canon eos r5 mark ii has the highest resolution at 45mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the canon eos r5 mark ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | EOS M3 (2015) | Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £150 | £4,299 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 45MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.2MP | 45.0MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 1080p/30p | 8K/60p RAW, 4K/120p, Cinema RAW Light |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Hybrid CMOS AF III (phase-detect + contrast-detect) | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, AI subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | — | 8-stop IBIS (coordinated with IS lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 4.2fps | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~250 shots (CIPA) | 570 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 366g (body only) | 746g body only |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 110.9 × 68.0 × 44.4mm | 138.5 × 101.2 × 93.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | None (optional EVF-DC1 accessory) | 0.64" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps |
| 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 |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD UHS-I slot | CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | EOS M3 | Canon EOS R5 Mark II |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | ||
| Travel | — | ||
| Street | — | ||
| Portrait | |||
| Vlogging & Video | |||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | — | |
| Landscape | — | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | — |
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