The Canon EOS M had all the potential in the world to be a market leader; however, Canon utterly failed in producing a competent AF system. Accordingly, the EOS M has been highly criticized for its sluggish performance and sales appear to have been equally sluggish.
While Canon has blamed the poor lens selection for the EOS M’s failure to fly off store shelves, the rest of the photographic community knows that it’s the slow AF system that keeps people from buying in. I love the EF-M 22mm f/2 lens that Canon includes as a kit lens for the EOS M – it’s compact, a great focal length as a walkaround lens and it has a nice, fast aperture. But, again, the AF speed is unacceptable.
When Canon announced the EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens earlier this month, the company also revealed that a firmware update would be forthcoming for the EOS M and will improve the system’s AF performance. Now, it appears we have video proof of just what firmware version 2.0.2 for the EOS M will do.
First up, what the below video to see what a Canon EOS M and EF-M 22mm lens will do with firmware version 1.0.6.
A whole lot of lens pumping during the AF acquisition. It is so very frustrating for a camera that could otherwise be a knockout.
Speaking of knockouts, look how much better the EOS M performs with the same lens using what is apparently the upcoming firmware version 2.0.2. See below.
If this is legit and firmware version 2.0.2 changes the AF acquisition time this drastically, then we may very well have a solid little mirrorless camera on our hands. Every other criticism of the EOS M is minor compared to the AF issues. If Canon fixes this with a firmware upgrade, then it can skip a new EOS M model release this year and just market this one as the EOS M that works.
[via Photo Rumors]
Just picked up a EOS M last week and I don’t find the autofocus too bad coming from a compact. With EFS lens it seems to have a problem trying to focus so hopefully this firware will address it.
I have it as biking/hiking camera where I’m not taking the 5DIII. Bought it for ~$600 with the 18-55 and I don’t find the AF that terrible. The original price was crazy but for this much I can live with the relatively slow AF. I’ll be really happy if the firmware update will speed it up! It’s a very underrated camera and has lots of potential.