DPReview.com is closing April 10th - Find out more

M3 owners - Is it a worthwhile upgrade from the M?

Started Jun 20, 2015 | Polls
Swervin Mervin
Swervin Mervin Regular Member • Posts: 308
M3 owners - Is it a worthwhile upgrade from the M?

A simple yes or no is all I need. With T-Dimension now selling the M3 for £275 it is kinda tempting. So what do you guys who have upgraded honestly think? I appreciate that there may be firmware upgrades in the pipeline etc but as it stands here and now do you believe that the M3 is a worthwhile investment over the M?

 Swervin Mervin's gear list:Swervin Mervin's gear list
Ricoh GR III Canon EOS M6 Canon EOS R Canon EOS M6 II Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM +18 more
POLL
Yes, I am really pleased I bought the M3, it is a significant improvement over the M.
78.6% 22  votes
No, nice as the M3 is, it isn't really a huge step forward and I was quite happy with the M.
10.7% 3  votes
I am glad I upgraded and use my M3 now instead of the M. It isn't a huge step forward and I simply prefer it for the small upgrades and the fact that it is a 'new toy'.
10.7% 3  votes
  Show results
Canon EOS M3
If you believe there are incorrect tags, please send us this post using our feedback form.
vagtanklan Senior Member • Posts: 1,480
Re: M3 owners - Is it a worthwhile upgrade from the M?

Yes, I have upgraded both my Ms, and M2 to three M3s (one in shipment from Japan as we speak).

Virtual horizon and EVF worth alone, also much easier/safer to hold without strap.

 vagtanklan's gear list:vagtanklan's gear list
Nikon D40 Nikon Z6 Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G II Nikon Z 24-70mm F4 Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 +9 more
sillette Regular Member • Posts: 381
Re: M3 owners - Is it a worthwhile upgrade from the M?

Swervin Mervin wrote:

A simple yes or no is all I need. With T-Dimension now selling the M3 for £275 it is kinda tempting. So what do you guys who have upgraded honestly think? I appreciate that there may be firmware upgrades in the pipeline etc but as it stands here and now do you believe that the M3 is a worthwhile investment over the M?

I have owned my M3 for nearly three months (25 March) and am very pleased with it.

RLBur
MOD RLBur Veteran Member • Posts: 5,551
Re: M3 owners - Is it a worthwhile upgrade from the M?

I wish I could give you a simple yes or no. In my opinion, our responses will be pretty much subjective, depending on how important some features may be to the individual....such as the EFV.

I have the M1 and recently added the M3. I've not noticed too much difference in IQ, but the EFV is making the difference for me. Having a choice, touchscreen or EFV, is really nice. If you have no interest in an EFV, I'm not too sure you will find a significant difference to justify an upgrade. AF speed, some faster, but not blazingly.

It would be nice if someone near where you live would allow you to put your sdcard in their M3, hold it, check it out, snap a few pics...then you would have a better idea.

I'm in southern CA. and anyone who would like to check out my M3...I'm willing.

Randy

 RLBur's gear list:RLBur's gear list
Canon PowerShot A640 Canon PowerShot G1 X Canon PowerShot S120 Canon PowerShot G7 X Olympus PEN E-PL1 +10 more
nnowak Veteran Member • Posts: 9,074
It REALLY depends.

Swervin Mervin wrote:

A simple yes or no is all I need. With T-Dimension now selling the M3 for £275 it is kinda tempting. So what do you guys who have upgraded honestly think? I appreciate that there may be firmware upgrades in the pipeline etc but as it stands here and now do you believe that the M3 is a worthwhile investment over the M?

It REALLY depends on how YOU intend to use the camera.  The M3 isn't an across the board upgrade from the M.  Some things are better and some things are worse.  With native EF-M lenses, then yes, the M3 is an upgrade.  With EF lenses on the adapter, the M3 can be a disaster.  Image quality is better on the M3, but the firmware and touchscreen implementation took a step backwards.

For my uses, I had the M3, but the M2 was actually the better upgrade in terms of AF speed.  I also shoot a very large proportion of my images in portrait orientation and the tilting EVF and LCD of the M3 weren't helpful. My M2 is a complement to, and not a replacement for my 70d.

Other people who use the M3 differently will have a different experience and a different opinion.

Tonkotsu Ramen
Tonkotsu Ramen Senior Member • Posts: 2,380
Re: M3 owners - Is it a worthwhile upgrade from the M?

If, for mirrorless, the M sysem is the only one you've been using, then it'll feel like a nice upgrade. though some things were simplified.

If you've been using other mirrorless systems, it'll feel kinda slow n dated.

AF accuracy and speed, especially in lower light, is something that's still a problem for me with the M3, and I don't feel that it is significantly better than the original M.

Bill60 Regular Member • Posts: 144
Re: M3 owners - Is it a worthwhile upgrade from the M?

Yes unequivocally

 Bill60's gear list:Bill60's gear list
Canon EOS R6 Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM
Tocsa Regular Member • Posts: 424
Re: M3 owners - Is it a worthwhile upgrade from the M?

Swervin Mervin wrote:

A simple yes or no is all I need. With T-Dimension now selling the M3 for £275 it is kinda tempting. So what do you guys who have upgraded honestly think? I appreciate that there may be firmware upgrades in the pipeline etc but as it stands here and now do you believe that the M3 is a worthwhile investment over the M?

The answer is not so simple! Yes, the M3 is much better than the M in every respect except touch screen and size and weight. However, I was very dissapointed in the Pre release canon claims of improved AF vs reality that I bought a Sony A 6000. This camera body is so much better than the M & M3 and canon should be embarrassed. However, the 11-22 is the reason I will keep my Ms. The Sony equivalent lens is very expensive. I bought my A6000 plus kit lens for £380 second hand with only 250 actuations. My M3 body plus EVF cost me £440 imported from Japan. Since then the UK price of A6000 has fallen and with firmware v2.0 it now does 50mbs at 60p XAVC S video, faster start up times and better low light AF. Bargain!

MuzzaAus Senior Member • Posts: 2,391
Re: M3 owners - Is it a worthwhile upgrade from the M?

Good morning Swervin,

I have used the Eos M for 2 1/2 years with ef-M lenses and an old restored Fd 50-300mm L + 1.4x-A extender with good results. I have enjoyed using the M very much. Like any camera,I had to find the best ways to use the M and find workarounds for its somewhat slower AF. I found that the AF wasn't too bad and I missed very few shots with it. The M is not the camera for BIF.

I have used my Eos M3 for 2 months now and I like the following:

-Faster overall. AF, startup, shot to shot, AF with EF lenses and the adapter. Note : The AF on the M has been more consistent than the M3 AF. Occasionally the M3 will not acquire focus at all. I have minimized this issue by sometimes manual focusing my Ef 100-400 mm L IS II so that it is close to the focus I am seeking. This minimizes hunting. The M3 focuses better with ef-m lenses. I still persist with my long lens setup because the results are excellent and this setup focuses at F 8 which is not possible with many of Canon's DSLRs.

-image quality is equal to any of Canon's APS-C DSLRs

-- hide signature --

Better noise performance by about 2/3 stop. This is my experience when comparing M3 files to M files.

-Higher resolution sensor provides more detail and 6 more MP for cropping.

-Grip is better than the M ,although with the Richard Franiec grip on my M the grip on the M is about the same as the M3 grip.

- I like the moveable screen- It comes in handy sometimes.

-I like the add on EVF. It is very clear,bright and high resolution. My experience is positive with the EVF. I am starting to use it more often.

-I like the high quality ef-M lenses.

I would like to see these things improved on the M3:

-a firmware upgrade to improve the af speed with EF lenses and the adapter. General improvement in the consistency of the AF.

- more ef-M lenses such as : macro lens, fast primes, high quality longer lens.

-Faster tracking AF would be a positive addition to the M3 capablities.

- faster frame rate -say 6-7 FPS instead of 4.2 FPS.

Here are a couple with the M3 + Ef 100-400mm L IS II + 1.4X extender.

Cheers

Murray

M3 setup. Australian Grebe checking me out.

Pied Cormorant drying wings

Forest Kingfisher .I like the iridescent blue colours when this bird is in full sun.

Keyboard shortcuts:
FForum MMy threads