EOS Mvs EOS M5vs EOS R6 Mark III
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Canon
EOS R6 Mark III (2025)
Starting from £2799 new
Best for Hybrid photo & video professionals, sports and wildlife shooters
View EOS R6 Mark III
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.
Travel & Portrait — EOS M5 (2016): The EOS M5 was the first EF-M camera with a built-in EVF — and it made the system feel complete. Fast Dual Pixel AF, a 9fps burst, and a high-resolution articulating screen deliver a confident shooting experience. No IBIS and 1080p video only limit its appeal for hybrid work, but for stills photographers it remains one of the most well-rounded EF-M bodies available.
Hybrid Photo & Video Professionals, Sports And Wildlife Shooters — EOS R6 Mark III (2025): The EOS R6 Mark III takes everything that made the Mark II a hybrid favourite and pushes it further — a faster stacked sensor, smarter autofocus, and genuinely professional video specs. It's the most complete all-rounder in Canon's RF full-frame lineup, sitting just below the R5 II in resolution while matching it for speed.
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 M5 (2016)
- Enthusiast photographers who want an EVF in a compact EF-M body
- Photographers switching from DSLR who want familiar handling
- Portrait and travel photographers who value fast AF and good ergonomics
- Used-market buyers wanting a capable EF-M stills camera
EOS R6 Mark III (2025)
- Working photographers who need a single body for both stills and serious video work
- Sports and wildlife shooters who need 40fps burst shooting with reliable subject tracking
- Hybrid content creators producing 4K and 6K footage alongside high-resolution stills
- Enthusiasts upgrading from the EOS R6 Mark II who want faster AF and more resolution
Quick take: The eos r6 mark iii has the highest resolution at 32mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the eos r6 mark iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | EOS M5 (2016) | EOS R6 Mark III (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £350 | £2,799 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS (Dual Pixel) | 32.5MP full-frame stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.2MP | 32.5MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 1080p/60p | 4K 60fps oversampled from 7K, 6K RAW internal |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Dual Pixel CMOS AF with face detection | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II — deep-learning subject detection for people, animals and vehicles, up to 40fps tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | — | In-body 5-axis IS, up to 8.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 9fps | 40fps (electronic shutter), 12fps (mechanical) |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~295 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA, LP-E6P) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 427g (body only) | 670g (body with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 116.2 × 88.1 × 60.6mm | 138.4 × 98.4 × 88.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.39" type | EVF, 5.76M-dot, up to 120fps |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.62M dots | 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 2.1M-dot |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon RF |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD / SDHC / SDXC (UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.5GbE |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | EOS M5 | EOS R6 Mark III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | |||
| Travel | |||
| Street | |||
| Portrait | |||
| Vlogging & Video | |||
| Landscape | — | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | — |
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