Canon M3

[Reef Bass]

Here's where I'm coming from. Photography has been a hobby for 40 years. I'm an enthusiast / prosumer Canon shooter with a couple backs a not insignificant number of lenses. I love full frame and the high ISO handling of my 6D.

I am disappointed with the direction Canon is going with their newly announced M3. I feel abandoned. I want a full frame EF mount mirrorless back (possibly without anti-alias filter) with a sensor that at least approximates what Sony has already produced.

Thanks for listening.

 

[IPT]

I just saw the announcement but didn't get to read the specs yet. Doesn't sound too good based on your response. None the less this is likely the future so it's just a matter of time before Canon gets on board. Enjoy the 6D for now and let them work out all the kinks so by the time your really ready to upgrade (vs just wanting too) you'll be good to go .

That said, i was intrigued myself with a mirrorless setup for my landscape stuff. Though having just upgraded to a 6D and 7DII it'll be a while before I make another purchase.

 

[Reef Bass]

Thanks for your rational thinking Louis. You'd think being a reefer I would have more patience. Reefing seems to have used it up.

 

[nivram]

I know three canon users that have made the switch to Sony. Mostly to one of the a7 variants.

 

[IPT]

Meet a pro over the weekend (well several actually) but this one said he used to be a (I forget the actual term he used) "ambassador" for Canon and gave it up. Using the Sony now. Said the Dynamic Range is amazing (as others, Doug) have echoed here.

The main issue now is battery life. he said he gets about 180 images per battery. So if you really don't need to bracket like crazy to do manual HDR you'll use less frames. however 180 images for a time where I might be in the backcountry for 4-5 days would be a huge issue. Likely it'll be cold too so the performance could be even worse!

 

[noy]

Just curious if anyone has experience with using the sony A7 series (esp. with the A7R II) with the canon lens adaptors.

 

[IPT]

You can see if Doug (bluecorn) chimes in. I don't think he has one personally (yet) but if I recall he hangs with some folks that do. He mentioned he really liked it (image quality wise) and that it would likely be his next body if he got one (think he's using one of the 5D's now).

 

[Reef Bass]

I thought this is an interesting take on the situation:

Sony with EF mount

A couple points from that:

"If Sony really wants to shake thinks up in the mirrorless and DSLR markets, piggy back on all those Canon shooters' bags of lenses and provide an easier alternative that doesn't require some Chinese lens adapter to use your Canon lenses."

"If Canon doesn't have a fire lit under it yet with the aggressive moves Sony is making at relatively affordable prices, Sony moving into a product line with a native EF lens mount would surely cause Canon to take notice of what the competition offers."

The same author expounding on his premise in another article:

Canon A7

"Canon was happy to show off a 120MP DSLR. As awesome as the geek in me wants to think that is, who really wants to deal with thousands of RAW files that are each 210MB+ in size? If that's not enough, Canon also showed us a 250MP prototype camera, which we really don't need in a DSLR right now, along with an admittedly killer 8K Cinema EOS camera.
...

If Canon is developing cameras like these, why can't it at least produce a mirrorless camera that is not DOA when announced?

Actually, we know that Canon is able to make the mirrorless camera of our dreams to rival, or even best, Sony. But for whatever reason, Canon won't."

 

[3dees]

you do realize that most readers here have no idea what your talking about don't you? I went full frame a few years ago with a 5D. switched to Nikon D300 and couldn't be happier. can't handle the price for long lenses on a full frame. of course you loose on the wide side. don't know much about Sony but I wouldn't leave Canon or Nikon for one.

 

[IPT]

you do realize that most readers here have no idea what your talking about don't you? I went full frame a few years ago with a 5D. switched to Nikon D300 and couldn't be happier. can't handle the price for long lenses on a full frame. of course you loose on the wide side. don't know much about Sony but I wouldn't leave Canon or Nikon for one.

I'll bet a bunch do and the one that don't probably wont be reading this thread.

Yeah I have no idea why anyone would want that many MP. Talk about slowing down the system! Resolution isn't the complaint of most Canon users, its the DR. it'll be interesting to see if Canon catches on. They seem to be slow sometimes. Look how long it took them to come out with the 200-400 that Nikon had for a long time. Time will tell. I'm happy with my 6D but the idea of that Sony does tug at me. Not sure what I'd do if I have some extra cash fall in my lap .

 

[noy]

There is nice comparison of the M3 and the A7 (not the II) on cameradecision.com

Here are some of the highlights

Canon M3 vs Sony A7 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon M3 is a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Sony A7 is a SLR-style mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor.

First introduced in February 2015, Canon M3 is newer than Sony A7 which was introduced in January 2014.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Canon M3 and Sony A7 before getting into our more detailed analysis.

Canon M3 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-02-06
24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
ISO 100 - 25600
Canon EF-M Mount
3″ Tilting Screen
Electronic (optional) viewfinder
4.2 fps continuous shooting
1920 x 1080 video resolution
Built-in Wireless
366g. 111 x 68 x 44 mm

Sony A7 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-01-22
24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
ISO 100 - 25600
Sony E Mount
3″ Tilting Screen
2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
5 fps continuous shooting
1920 x 1080 video resolution
Built-in Wireless
474g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
Weather Sealed Body

Reasons to choose Canon EOS M3 over Sony Alpha 7
4 advantages
Built-in Flash Yesvs No Useful in low-light
Touch Screen Yesvs No Easy control of camera functions
Weight 366 gvs 474 g 108 g lighter
Price $579vs$1,098 $519 cheaper

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha 7 over Canon EOS M3
8 advantages
Number of Focus Points 117vs 49 68 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution 1.230k dotsvs 1.040k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000svs 1/4000s faster shutter speed
Continuous Shooting 5.0fpsvs 4.2fps 0.8 fps faster
Battery Life 340 shotsvs 250 shots 90 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port Yesvs No better video control
Environmental Sealing Yesvs No shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area 35.65µm2vs 13.84µm2 169% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Canon EOS M3 and Sony Alpha 7
9 common advantages
Wireless Connection Yesvs Yes Better connectivity
Articulating Screen Yesvs Yes Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe Yesvs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Electronic (Optional)vs Electronic Better framing and control
RAW Support Yesvs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yesvs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 24 MPvs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution 1.040k dotsvs 1.230k dots Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port Yesvs Yes High quality audio recording option

Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS M3 and Sony Alpha 7
1 common disadvantage
Image Stabilization Novs No No Built-in stabilization

 

[IPT]

Nice comparison. Canon will have to up their game .