Canon improves but doesn’t perfect its third-generation compact system camera, the EOS M3

CANON’S third attempt at cracking the compact system camera market shows improvement - but one big question remains.

Canon EOS M3

Canon EOS M3 with 18-55mm

4/5 / $899 / canon.com.au

CANON’S efforts to embrace the compact system camera market are easily summed up: if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.

Its first effort was the M1 and it did not succeed. It gave Canon fans a compact body that could be used with their existing DSLR lenses but one that featured a lot of compromises.

Its follow-up, the M2, had a limited release, but now the M3 has come to Australia and meets many of the criticisms levelled at its predecessors.

This 24.2-megapixel compact system camera has a 49-point autofocus system that’s about six times faster than the original model. It also has wi-fi and NFC connections, and a flip-up touchscreen that faces you for selfies and tilts down for overhead shots.

There is no built-in electronic viewfinder in the M3 but you can attach one on the hot shoe. Its light range stretches from 100 to 12,800 ISO.

Lightweight offering ... Canon’s EOS M3 comes in a lighter body for greater mobility.

The ergonomics of the camera body are vastly improved, with this having a decent-sized grip that fits nicely in your hand, and two top dials for exposure and photo modes just where you want them.

It is still hard to know who Canon is targeting with this camera. Its tiny flash suggests it’s aimed at a point-and-shoot user, but the ability to bounce that tiny flash hints more advanced shooters are its likely market.

The biggest issue is its lenses. There is still only a small number of native lenses for the M family, with Canon owners expected to rely on an adaptor to use existing lenses.

But once you attach a large DSLR to a compact system camera, the size advantage of the smaller unit is negated.

Canon answers a lot of questions with this upgrade but it is still unclear how serious it is in creating an alternative to its iconic EOS DSLR family.