Canon
EOS M 2012
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
£80
list price · used from £41 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
EOS M vs Canon EOS R8 Mark II
Quick take: The Canon EOS R8 Mark II has the highest resolution at 24MP; the EOS M is the most affordable; only the Canon EOS R8 Mark II is weather sealed.
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
EOS M — Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors: 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.
Who should buy what
EOS M (2012)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | EOS MCanon · 2012 | Canon EOS R8 Mark IICanon · 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80Best | £1,729 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP full-frame CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.2MPBest |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 4K/60p oversampled from 6K, 10-bit Canon Log 3/HLG |
| Autofocus | Hybrid CMOS AF (phase + contrast), notoriously slow | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with subject detection (people/animals/vehicles) |
| Stabilisation | — | 7.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 40fps electronicBest |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA)Best | 150 shots (CIPA, via EVF) |
| Weight | 262g (body only)Best | 546g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | — |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | YesBest |
| Viewfinder | No viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | Vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon RF-mount |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD (UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB-C, HDMI (micro), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
EOS M
Canon EOS R8 Mark II
Portrait
4.9/10
8.3/10
Street
6.6/10
6.9/10
Travel
6.2/10
6.6/10
Wedding & Events
3.6/10
7.1/10
Documentary
4.5/10
7.7/10
Sports & Action
3.6/10
8.0/10
Landscape
4.2/10
6.4/10
Wildlife
3.9/10
8.3/10
Casual
4.9/10
5.8/10
Food
4.6/10
8.0/10
Macro
3.9/10
8.5/10
Architecture
3.8/10
6.6/10
Astrophotography
4.0/10
6.3/10
Vlogging & Video
—
6.7/10
Filmmaking
—
7.0/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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