First of all, I apologise for the horrible white balance, as this was a spur of the moment thing, and I shot it on AWB mostly - I didn't want to set up my lights and such. Anyway. I've been quite an avid photographer for close to 12 years now (started of as a hobby which developed into a job), though now I concentrate mainly on video (been shooting and doing post-production since 2008), so I've been through my fair share of camera gear, either owned, rented, or provided for on a job.
Anyway, one day, my wife suddenly decided to want to learn photography, or at least dabble in the world of "nice photos", thanks to a friend who let her use an EOS M with a nifty-fifty. After being "poisoned" by her friend into wanting a camera, she didn't want any of my currently unused cameras - 5D3, Panasonic GH4, or even my G7X II. She wanted an M. So, having not bought a camera in a while, I sprung at the chance to provide her with a camera that would fit her criteria, and also to satiate my GAS.
They were:
- Supports interchangeable lenses
- Small form factor
- Wi-Fi enabled (or some way to transfer photos to her phone)
- Easy (and I do mean easy) to use
- Not intimidating
- Not too expensive (this was more my prerequisite than hers)
I thought of actually getting her an M3, which would then be shareable with me (it's a nice small camera to do small video shoots with, and it has a hot-shoe mount + external mic capabilities) but it was a little out of my budget at the moment, plus I could use that as an excuse to get myself a camera sometime in the future. After looking around and reading reviews, a lot of which were negative (because the reviewers were proper photographers, and IMO not the people this camera was aimed at) I decided to go for a brand new M10. I went with brand new because I wanted the warranty, and also Canon Malaysia has a nice promotion where you get a free battery when you register the camera online.
As you can see from the image above, the top of the camera is really simple - a video record button, a shutter button with a dial to control certain functions, and a 3-mode dial surrounding the power button. Not intimidating. Much simpler compared to the G7xII. It's also a nicely sized camera, somewhat lighter than the G7X II, small enough to fit into her handbag, and it really is aimed at smart-phone shooters.
Almost every function is accessed through the touchscreen. I'm quite technologically savvy, and have embraced touchscreens for years, so this wasn't troubling at all for me. She was no different, though she didn't really fiddle with the settings. She just wanted to take photos that were "nice" and had "blurred backgrounds". So I set it up to her requirements - Av and wide open. After all, she doesn't care about noise, doesn't shoot sports, and isn't going to be viewing her photos through anything larger than Facebook/Instagram or the occasional print.
Of course, the supplied kit lens wasn't exactly gong to blow her mind, especially when it comes to blurring the background and stuff like that. So I also got her a Canon EF-M to EF Adapter (it's just a tube, no glass - AF works with all my lenses), plus a nice used nifty-fifty. It doesn't add on much to the size, maybe a little bit on the weight, but it really lets her take the kind of photos she enjoys the most. Also, this allows her access to my other lenses which she has been eyeing, especially the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 and the 135L.
She's only had this camera for little over a week, and she's really happy with it, excitedly taking photos of family and friends, sharing on Facebook and Instagram (and isn't that the most important thing - making someone happy).
Battery life is a little on the short side, but that's what spares are for, eh? They're small and light too. The AF is acceptable in terms of speed, though it does hit and miss at times, especially when focusing in low light. Shutter is responsive (much faster than shooting with a phone, anyway), and generally it's a straight-forward slightly average camera to use (if you come from DSLRs or higher-end mirrorless cameras). I can't speak much for IQ because I didn't test this camera, nor do I ever intend to, but this ticks all the boxes in her checklist, and that is good enough for me. This is simply an upgraded point-and-shoot, albeit with quite a fair bit of functionality, and as such should be treated as one. Not a tool for the serious professional. Don't expect the world, and you won't be disappointed.
Here are some examples of the typical shots that she uses the camera for -
As you can see, the EOS M10 is more than enough for what she requires, despite being quite basic. It's certainly enough to make me want to pick it up over my G7X.
