Why I believe that the M2 is the M camera to own...

OK - so here I am, all ready to spout off about a piece of equipment that I feel holds a special place.  I realize it's all subjective on my part, and if you don't want to read on - then please jump to another thread.  Some of you may be interested, while others may just yawn and shake their heads while muttering, "What in the hell is Ben rambling on about now?"

As some of you may know, I've shot with a wealth of cameras over the past two decades (since 1998) - well over 150 different models (yes, that was not a typo).  And these cameras covered all brands - to include some brands that are no longer with us.  Some cameras were technical marvels, some were interesting because they broke new ground, some were downright horrible, and some were so-so.  But there were only a few that I can recall that were genuinely "fun" to shoot with, even though they may not have had the latest and greatest features.  And this "fun factor" never wore off - meaning that years later, picking up these (well out of circulation) models still provided lots of fun.  By fun, I mean to describe a pleasant blend of features such as ergonomics, build quality, appearance, how colors are rendered, reliability and overall IQ.  All of this is (again) subjective, but some may find this interesting.

I can think of a few models that immediately come to mind (and I still have them to this day) - those being:

The venerable (5 MP) Olympus E-1 (which I now mate with the Panasonic Leica Vario 14-150 f3.5-5.6 OIS lens).

The Panasonic DMC-GF1 (12 MP's) (which I now mate with the newer Panasonic 12-60 F3.5-5.6 OIS lens).

The Olympus XZ-1 (10 MP's) - an enthusiast camera.

The Fujifilm X-30 (12 MP's) - an enthusiast camera.

The Samsung NX300 and NX500 (20 MP and 28 MP respectively).

The Canon EOS M2 (Ooooops - what did you say, "the M2...?).

I know there were a few others, but they don't come to mind at the moment.  But since we're on the EOS M forum, let me focus in on the EOS M2.  Why this older long-in-the-tooth 18 MP camera?

When I first entered the EOS M arena, it was by sheer accident a few years back.  I had absolutely no plans whatsoever on purchasing any type of Canon gear - after all, I was quite satisfied with the likes of Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifilm, and Samsung.  Why would I need anything else?  Then I saw a fantastic deal on eBay for the original M and 18-55 lens (with flash) for only $249.  I figured, "what the hell," why not bite - and I did.  When it arrived, I was taken aback at how interesting that camera was to shoot with (especially after the big FW update).

Months later I went back on eBay and saw a bunch of M2's for sale.  And since you couldn't get the M2 in the US at the time, I saw a gorgeous dark blue and brown version - so I jumped at that also.  And when it arrived, I immediately realized that this was going to be one of my favorite cameras for quite some time.  Being a tad smaller than the original M, the EOS M2 added some additional options choices, was as well constructed as the M, and just felt great in the hand.  Sure, we all would have liked an articulating LCD, but hey...you dealt with it.  After a period of time, I've come to love this camera based on the following:

1.  Overall - the complete "fun factor" involved when using this camera.

2.  It's just such a comfortable camera to use - some of which I probably can't effectively describe due to the intangibles involved.

3.  A superb, traditional Canon way of rendering colors.  Many on this forum may agree that with the M and M2, the way they colors are rendered is unequaled.  Colors are warm, rich, and palpable.  Beginning with the M3, the color tonality had changed somewhat, shifting to a slightly cooler look - plus other variables.

4.  I love the metering on the M2 - much better than some of the newer models - in particular, the likes of the EOS M100, etc.

5.  The older 18 MP sensor is not even an issue.  The superb levels of IQ that this instrument is capable of capturing can be downright stunning.

OK, so by now, some of you have become absolutely bored - wondering, "What's my friekin' point?"  Well, my point is that the M2 (due to it's unavailability in the US and other areas when first released) is one that you should NOT overlook - even today.  And there are still quite a few available on the US eBay site (I purchased mine from an excellent vendor in Taiwan).

New ones (a few of those left are at):

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=Canon+EOS+M2+&_sacat=625&LH_TitleDesc=0&LH_ItemCondition=3

Used ones are:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=Canon+EOS+M2+&_sacat=625&LH_TitleDesc=0&LH_ItemCondition=4

Now I don't make recommendations blindly or without reason.  Knowing how passionate some of you are, if you haven't already owned the M2, I can enthusiastically recommend that you consider getting this model.  It's one that passed many of us by and once you see the IQ this baby is capable of recording, you'll agree with me that it's a real gem of a camera.

OK - da Benster is done now...