Using the Canon EF-M - an unofficial manual.
Copyright © 2003 NK Guy
http://photonotes.org/manuals/ef-m/
This is a brief unofficial instruction manual for the Canon EF-M camera, an unusual manual-focus only camera which can use Canon EF (EOS compatible) lenses.
Table of Contents:
About
the Canon EF-M camera
Differences between EF-M and the EOS Rebel/1000
Total Beginner Guide to the Canon EF-M
Shutter
release button
Loading
and unloading film
Installing/removing
a lens
Focussing
and focus assist aids
Shutter
(left hand) dial
Aperture
(right hand) dial
Program
AE (auto-exposure) mode
Shutter
priority AE mode (Tv)
Aperture
priority AE mode (Av)
Metered
Manual mode (M)
Exposure
compensation
Self-timer
Bulb
mode
Self-timer
Tripod
socket
Flash
Mid-roll
rewind
Film
prewind
Batteries
The
Canon EF-M and high-speed infrared film
Attaching
manual-focus lenses or telescopes (stop-down metering)
Some
limitations of the Canon EF-M camera
Incompatibilities
Accessories
and whatnot
Copyright
The Canon EF-M is an odd little camera, released in 1991, which Canon built exclusively for the export (ie: non-Japanese) market. It’s essentially an EOS 1000 or Rebel camera with all the autofocus circuitry taken out - a small, lightweight camera that can only be used with Canon EF-compatible lenses in manual focus mode. The camera can operate in manual exposure, aperture priority, time (shutter speed) priority and program metering modes, though these four modes are not identified as such on the controls. The camera uses instead an unusual two-dial control system for specifying metering modes and settings.
Although the EF-M uses EF-mount lenses compatible with EOS cameras it was never identified as an EOS camera. Canon just referred to it as the “EF-M” and its Camera Museum entry doesn’t appear in the EOS category. Note that this camera should not be confused with the Canon EF, which was an SLR sold in the mid 1970s. The EF-M uses Canon EF lenses whereas the EF uses Canon FD lenses.
It’s not clear what the point of the EF-M was. Some people have theorized that it was made to be sold to educational institutions which at the time insisted that students purchase manual-focus-only cameras. Others have suggested it was meant to be a super low-cost SLR, which seems unlikely as it wasn’t much cheaper than the EOS Rebel/1000. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t a huge selling camera and remains something of a curiosity today.
This is Canon’s official Canon Museum page on the camera:
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/1987-1991/data/1991_ef-m.html
Differences between the EF-M and the EOS Rebel/1000.
As noted, the EF-M is essentially an EOS 1000/Rebel with the following differences:
Features removed:
Features added:
Unchanged:
Total Beginner Guide to the Canon EF-M
To start, here’s a total beginner’s guide to the cameras.
More in-depth information.
The rest of this page contains more detailed information on how to use this camera. Note that this document is not meant to be a general-purpose photography manual. I’m going to assume you know the basics of how cameras work and what standard terms (aperture priority, etc.) mean.
If you want to learn more about this sort of beginner information please consult my Canon EOS Beginner FAQ, which is full of frequently asked questions that photography novices actually ask. And don’t forget that I have a complete online photographic dictionary available as well which can provide you with definitions of most of if not all the common technical terms you’ll find in this document.
The camera uses standard 35mm film (sometimes referred to as 135 film). Any 35mm film canister will work in this camera. Colour, black and white, slide, print, 24 shots per roll, 36 shots per roll... whatever you like. The only limitation involves certain types of infrared film.
Naturally other film formats, such as APS, 110, Polaroid instant, medium format, etc., cannot be used with this camera, just as you can’t play an LP in a CD player.
Loading film.
Unloading film.
The button under your right index finger when you hold the camera is, of course, the shutter release. Pushing it halfway will turn metering on. Pushing the button all the way will take the photo.
The best way to press the button is to hold the camera firmly, put your forefinger lightly on the button and then squeeze down. Don’t jab your finger onto the button as doing so tends to result in camera shake, which can cause blurry pictures.
The Canon EF-M uses interchangeable lenses of the Canon EF (“electro-focus”) lens mount type, though in manual focus mode only. Almost any Canon EF lens can be used with the EF-M, with only a few exceptions. Canon lenses marked with “A” (such as the EF 35-70mm f 3.5-4.5 A) are autofocus-only and are useless with the EF-M. Also, lenses with image stabilization (marked with “IS”) will not turn image stabilization on.
Most third party (ie: not built by Canon) lenses that are designed to support the EF lens mount system will also work, though occasional electronic incompatibilities can arise. Such third-party lenses are usually marked “Canon EOS compatible” or “Canon autofocus compatible.” Lenses designed for other camera systems, such as Nikon, Pentax, Minolta, etc., are not compatible with EOS cameras, though older manual-focus lenses can sometimes be adapted to EOS cameras through the use of special metal rings - see the section on manual lenses below. Old Canon manual-focus FD lenses are also incompatible with EOS cameras.
EF lens mounts are of the bayonet style. That is, you insert the lens into the camera mount and rotate it just a partial turn to lock it in place.
Installing EF mount lenses.
Find the red dot on the lens barrel. Align it to the red dot on the top of the camera body lens mount. Insert the lens squarely into the camera’s lens mount and then rotate the lens to the right (clockwise) until it clicks into place. Once the lens is properly mounted you will not be able to turn it again, though a tiny bit of play (wiggle room) is normal.
Removing EF mount lenses.
When you look at the camera from the front you will notice a large pushbutton to the right side of the lens mount. Press this button and rotate the lens to the left (counter-clockwise) while keeping the button held down. When the lens has rotated as far as it can go and the red dot on the lens barrel is aligned with the top of the camera you can pull the lens off the camera body.
Store the lens carefully. You should have both a front lens cap and a rear lens cap - such caps ship with all new lenses. Be careful not to scratch or fingerprint either the glass of the lens or the gold-coloured metal contacts on the bottom of the lens. Placing the lens contacts-down is thus not recommended. The camera should also have shipped with a plastic body cap to protect the camera when the lens is not in place. If you bought the camera and/or lens used you can buy both lens caps and body caps from any camera dealer.
Focussing and focus assist aids.
There is usually a switch on the lens barrel marked AF/MF - or AF/M on older lenses. Turn this switch to MF or M and the camera will be in manual focus mode. Then you turn the focussing ring on the lens to focus manually. Note that if your lens is a Canon EOS lens with full-time manual focussing (FTM) then you can adjust focus manually at any time.
As noted above, a handful of very old inexpensive EOS lenses lack this switch since they don’t support manual focussing. If that’s the case (such lenses are usually marked with the letter A, such as the EF 35-70mm f 3.5-4.5 A) you’re out of luck - the lens can’t be used usefully on the EF-M.
There are two visual aids in the viewfinder to help you focus the lens manually. The first is a split circle in the very centre of the viewfinder display. This circle is bisected by a horizontal line with each half displaying part of a projected prism. You use this focus aid by finding a vertical high-contrast line somewhere in your scene. Trees, walls and edges of things are all good to work with. Look at this object through the viewfinder and rotate the lens focus adjustment ring until the object is not split in half. When the line is continuous your lens is in focus.
The second assist aid is contained within the second circle in the viewfinder display. This area contains a series of tiny microprisms which display bright points of light as sparkly stars when the image is not in focus. Fine detail lines are also broken up into a series of squares when things aren’t in focus.
Note that prism-based focus assist aids don’t work properly under certain circumstances. When used with slow long lenses, teleconverters and extension tubes they tend to black out, making it impossible to focus. Note also that the EF-M’s viewfinder screen is identical in size and shape to that used by all the EOS 1000/Rebel series cameras and the EOS Elan/100. This means that you can install the EF-M finder screen on any of those other cameras if you want manual-focus assist aids with an autofocus camera.
Replacing the EOS 1000/Rebel’s mode dial on the left side of the top deck is a shutter dial which is used to set the shutter speed time. The available settings are as follows:
A
Auto. When the dial is in this position the camera will select the shutter speed automatically. If the shutter dial is in A mode and the aperture (right-hand) dial is set to an aperture setting then the camera is in aperture priority mode. If both dials are in A mode then the camera is in program (P) mode.1000, 500, 250, 125, 60, 30, 15, 8, 4, 2
Time values, in fractions of a second from 1/1000 second to 1/2 second. (ie: each numeric value represents the denominator of a time value fraction, so 500 means 1/500 second, etc) If the shutter dial is set to one of these time values and the aperture dial is set to A then the camera is in shutter speed priority (Tv) mode. If the shutter dial is set to a time value and the aperture dial is set to an aperture setting then the camera is in manual exposure (M) mode. Note that these time values are in steps of half a stop - 1/3 stops are not supported.1 (in silver), 2 (in yellow)
Time values, in whole seconds. The 2 second value is printed in yellow so it can be distinguished from the 1/2 second setting.
(lightning bolt icon)
Flash. In this mode the camera’s shutter speed is set to 1/90 second and it expects to use a shoe-mounted Speedlite 200M flash unit. No other Speedlite flash units are designed to work with this camera.B
Bulb. In this mode the camera’s shutter will remain open for as long as you keep the shutter release button pressed down.
The aperture dial is on the right side of the camera’s top deck, where the LCD panel would be on most other EOS cameras. The dial doubles as the camera’s power switch and, since it’s situated next to your right thumb, it’s fairly easy to rotate. (much like the EOS 300V/Rebel Ti, the only other EOS camera so far with a dial on the right side) The available settings are as follows:
L (lock)
When the dial is in this position the camera is locked (ie: switched off).A
Auto. When the dial is in this position the camera will select the shutter speed automatically. If the shutter dial is in A mode and the aperture (right-hand) dial is set to an aperture setting then the camera is in aperture priority mode. If both dials are in A mode then the camera is in program (P) mode.32, 22, 16, 11, 8, 5.6, 4, 2.8, 2, 1.4, 1
Lens aperture values from f/32 to f/1. If the aperture dial is set to one of these aperture values and the shutter dial is set to A then the camera is in aperture priority (Av) mode. If the shutter dial is set to a time value and the aperture dial is set to an aperture value then the camera is in manual exposure (M) mode. It should go without saying that if you set the dial to a lens aperture of which the lens is not capable then the lens will be set to its nearest possible value. (eg: setting a dial value of 1.8 when you’re using a 2.8 lens will mean that the lens aperture will be set to 2.8, as shown in the viewfinder display)ISO
When the dial is in this position you can set the ISO (film speed) value manually.
Partial metering and AE lock button.
The left-hand oval-shaped rear button on the left, marked with both an asterisk (*) and a down arrow symbol engages partial metering. You have to press and hold this button, and a * symbol will appear in the viewfinder. The camera will switch to partial metering and will hold the current exposure setting (AE lock) for as long as you keep this button pressed.
If you don’t keep either the * button pressed fully or the shutter release button pressed halfway then the camera defaults back to either three-zone evaluative metering (P mode) or centre-weighted averaging mode (the other exposure modes).
Program AE (auto-exposure) mode (P).
The EF-M has the equivalent of a Program metering mode, but it is not labelled as such on the camera. Turn both the shutter dial and aperture dial to A. The camera will automatically select shutter and aperture settings according to its built-in basic program. Program AE mode uses evaluative metering unless you push the partial metering button.
If the camera’s maximum shutter speed of 1/1000 sec and the value of the minimum aperture of the lens flash in the viewfinder then there’s too much light. Either use slower film or put a neutral-density filter in front of the lens. If a shutter speed of 2 seconds and the value of the maximum aperture of the lens flash in the viewfinder then there isn’t enough. Use faster film, flash or bulb mode.
Shutter priority AE mode (Tv).
The EF-M has the equivalent of a shutter speed priority (Tv for time value) metering mode, but it is not labelled as such on the camera. In this AE mode you set the shutter speed (time) and the camera automatically sets an appropriate lens aperture for you, based on the selected metering mode - centre-weighted averaging (default) or partial.
Turn the aperture dial to A. Turn the shutter dial to adjust the shutter speed setting. The camera flashes the aperture value if you’re out of range. (ie: if you haven’t got enough light it’ll flash the maximum aperture of the lens, and if you’ve got too much it’ll flash the minimum aperture of the lens.)
The shutter values are expressed as fractions of a second in the viewfinder unless the " symbol appears, in which case the value is expressed as a second. Thus 125 means the shutter speed is 1/125 of a second whereas 1" means the shutter speed is 1 second.
Aperture priority AE mode (Av).
The EF-M has the equivalent of an aperture priority (Av for aperture value) metering mode, but it is not labelled as such on the camera. In this AE mode you set the lens aperture and the camera automatically sets an appropriate shutter speed for you, based on the selected metering mode - centre-weighted averaging (default) or partial.
Turn the shutter dial to A. Turn the aperture dial to adjust the aperture setting. The camera flashes the shutter speed value if you’re out of range. (ie: if you haven’t got enough light it’ll flash 2" and if you’ve got too much light it’ll flash 1000)
You can choose any aperture value that falls within the aperture range of the lens you happen to have installed. The wide-open aperture varies a lot from lens to lens - f/1.4, 1.8 and 2.8 are typical values for fast lens and 3.5, 4.5 and 5.6 are typical for slower zoom or telephoto lenses. The largest aperture value is usually printed on the lens itself, and is sometimes an aperture range on zoom lenses which do not have constant apertures - eg: f/3.5-5.6. The smallest aperture value on a 35mm lens is usually f/22.
The EF-M has the equivalent of manual (M) metering mode, but it is not labelled as such on the camera. In this mode you set both the lens aperture and the shutter speed manually. The camera will assist you by telling you whether it thinks you have the correct metering.
To use this mode turn the shutter dial to whatever setting you want. Turn the aperture dial to whatever setting you want. The camera will display little symbols in the viewfinder telling you whether your picture is correctly exposed ( 0 ), overexposed (0 +) or underexposed (- 0).
Minus means that the image is underexposed and that the camera needs more light; plus means that the image is overexposed and the camera means less light. Zero alone means that the camera thinks the exposure is correct. This is a really lousy way to do manual exposure metering, unfortunately. Simulated matchneedle displays which tell you how many stops you’re out are much better, but sadly the EF-M lacks this feature, apparently for patent reasons.
I don’t know what metering mode the EF-M uses when in manual mode (and the manual is silent on the subject), but I suspect centre-weighted averaging metering. It appears you can switch to partial metering by pressing and holding the partial metering (*) button.
The camera lets you adjust exposure compensation in program, shutter speed priority and aperture priority mode.
This feature means you can set the exposure setting to be more or less than what the camera thinks you need. For example, if you’re shooting a snow scene you might want to apply a +1 stop exposure compensation setting. To do this simply press the button labelled “EXP. COMP.” that located next to the shutter release button. While holding this button press either the up or down arrow buttons on the back of the camera.
Exposure compensation can be adjusted by +/- 2 stops, in 1/2 stop increments. The compensation amount is displayed in the viewfinder while you hold the EXP. COMP. button. The camera remembers your exposure compensation setting even when it’s turned off, so it’s probably best to set the compensation value to 0 when you’ve finished shooting.
The camera supports bulb (long time exposure) mode, which is enabled by turning the shutter dial to B. In this mode the shutter will stay open for as long as you keep the shutter release button fully depressed. Note that the viewfinder display shuts off during a bulb mode exposure.
Unfortunately, since the camera lacks any provision for remote shutter release this isn’t a very useful feature unless you rig up a homemade mechanical lever to keep the button pressed during long exposures or unless you open up the case and solder a remote jack to the shutter release switch (which is actually easy to do on the EF-M, incidentally). Since you have to hold down the camera’s shutter button with your finger you risk bumping the camera and causing motion blur on the photo.
Apparently the name “bulb” comes from the olden days of mechanical shutter releases, when you’d have a rubber ball-shaped bulb that you’d squeeze to trigger and hold the shutter.
Film speed refers to the light sensitivity of a given roll of film. “Slow” film reacts slowly to light and so photographs taken with slow film require either lots of light or slow shutter speeds. “Fast” films, on the other hand, tend to be grainier and of slightly lower quality, but are capable of working in lower light conditions or with faster shutter speeds.
Film speeds are assigned numeric ratings determined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO, not IOS, oddly enough). ISO 100 film, for example, is slow film that’s suitable for outdoor photography in sunshine. IS 400 or 800 film, on the other hand, is faster film which is more suitable for indoor photography.
Most film cartridges these days have their film speed printed on them in a form that cameras can decode automatically. There should be a pattern of squares (exposed metal or black paint) printed on the side of the film canister. This is the DX code, read electrically by a row of metal contacts within the camera. If you use such film then there is no need to specify the ISO film speed yourself.
However, there are times when manual film speed setting is important. Perhaps you’re using an unusual type of film (handloaded film, for instance) which lacks DX coding. Or perhaps you want to shoot a roll of film at a slightly different film speed from what the manufacturer suggests in order to achieve some effect or other. Or perhaps you want to simulate flash exposure compensation. In these cases manual film speed override is a very useful feature.
The camera has the ability to read film speed settings using film canister DX coding, but the “ISO” setting on the aperture dial allows for manual film speed override. To view the current film speed setting turn the aperture dial to ISO, look at the viewfinder display and press the shutter release button halfway. To set the film speed turn the aperture dial to ISO, look at the viewfinder display and use the back panel up and down pushbuttons to change the ISO value. Film speed can be set from ISO 6 to ISO 6400.
The right-hand rear pushbutton, which is marked with both a clock icon and the up arrow symbol, enables the self-timer mode. Hold this button down while simultaneously pressing the shutter release. The camera will start beeping and will take a photo about 10 seconds later. You can cancel the timer by switching the camera to another mode (or turning it off) before the picture is shot.
Self-timer mode is commonly used for two things. First, it lets you take self-portraits - or group shots including you - if you put the camera onto a tripod. And second, it’s useful for slow shutter speed shots where camera blur might be a problem - you can put the camera onto a tripod and take the photo without risking camera shake caused by your finger pressing the shutter release.
Note one detail. Normally when you take a photo you’re looking through the viewfinder and your face is therefore covering it. However, in self-timer mode the viewfinder is left uncovered and stray light can enter the camera, possibly throwing off the internal light meter. So when using the timer it’s wise to cover the viewfinder with something. Some camera straps include a plastic cover on one end that can be used to cover the viewfinder. Or you could put a grey or black plastic film canister cap over it if you have one around - they fit nicely. The one time this isn’t necessary is M mode since you’re setting both aperture and shutter speed manually.
Using tripods is quite simple. The camera has a standard tripod socket on its base which accepts pretty well any standard tripod with a 1/4-20 bolt. They nearly all use this size - the only ones that don’t tend to be large heavy tripods meant for professional photographers who use big cameras. You can buy tripods in all kinds of sizes and price ranges, from tiny tabletop pocket-sized tripods for convenient snapshot travel photography to sturdy midweight portable tripods to heavy studio tripods. Tripods can have simple pan and tilt heads, three-way tilting heads and ball head mounts.
Tripods, while cumbersome, make a big difference in terms of reducing blur caused by camera shake. They’re pretty well a requirement for nature and landscape photography. So don’t think of them solely as devices for holding the camera off the ground for self-timer group photos - they can definitely improve the quality of your photographs as well. A tripod-mounted camera will always take sharper pictures than a handheld camera, particularly at lower shutter speeds.
It’s a general rule of thumb in photography that if the shutter speed you’re using is slower than the reciprocal of the focal length then you must use a tripod to avoid camera shake. For example, if you’re using a 50mm lens then you shouldn’t use any shutter speed slower than 1/50 sec, which gets rounded to 1/60 sec. If you’re using a 300mm lens then you shouldn’t handheld a camera at shutter speeds slower than 1/300 sec. This rule also makes it pretty clear that the longer the lens the more a tripod is useful. To minimize the risk of camera shake still further put the camera into self-timer mode or hold the camera very firmly and squeeze the button gently so you don’t bump the camera accidentally when you take the photo.
If you’re in a situation where tripods are too awkward you could also consider a monopod. These are simply metal poles with tripod mounts on the end. They’re obviously not freestanding, but they can help steady a camera better than nothing at all. In fact, when you use a monopod it’s like using a tripod with your two legs filling in.
One minor note - the EF-M has a plastic tripod socket, so don’t tighten the thumbscrew tightly or you might crack the socket or strip its threads.
The EF-M lacks automated flash metering circuitry and does not support any form of automated Canon flash metering. TTL, A-TTL and E-TTL do not work. This was a cost-saving measure, but an unfortunate one as it limits your options considerably. No E series (eg: 160E, 540EZ, 420EX, etc) Canon Speedlite flash unit will work properly with this camera. You can use those E series flash units which have manual controls and perform flash metering manually using a separate handheld flash meter, but that is obviously rather inconvenient.
Your choices for automatic flash come down to two basic options. First, Canon sold a flash unit, the Speedlite 200M, which was designed specifically for the EF-M. The 200M has the ability to indicate to the EF-M when it’s charged up and ready to fire, as indicated by the flash-ready icon in the camera viewfinder. Other than that the 200M is fairly limited in performance. It doesn’t have a very good range (low output) and it wants to operate with a 1/90 shutter speed most of the time. The old Canon EOS FAQ has some useful comments about the 200M by Canon USA’s Chuck Westfall.
The 200M is hard to find, however, so your best alternative is probably to buy a generic autoflash which uses a built-in sensor on the flash body to meter light from the unit. Such autoflashes will work fine with the EF-M so long as the flash unit’s trigger voltage is 6 volts or less.
Mid roll rewind is a bit of a chore since the camera lacks a mid-roll rewind button.
1) Turn the aperture dial to the ISO setting.
2) Remove the lens (or at least unlock it on the EF bayonet).
3) Push the rear buttons together simultaneously. The camera will rewind. When the letter E appears in the rewind window then the job is done.
4) Replace or relock the lens.
Like most of Canon’s low-end consumer cameras the EF-M prewinds the film; a feature sometimes called “safety prewind” in Canon literature. In other words, rather than shooting from from 1 to 24 or 36 and then rewinding it unspools the whole roll of film, then shoots in reverse.
This is actually a clever feature, since it means if you open the camera back accidentally you’ll only ruin a couple frames of exposed film plus the unexposed film - the bulk of the exposed frames will already have been wound back safely into the film canister. However, if you want to use this camera as a backup body for a higher-level EOS camera you might find this difference problematic. Particularly if you want to transfer a partially-used roll of film from one body to the other.
If you do accidentally open the camera back when the film cartridge isn’t fully wound back in you may need to remove the cartridge from the camera, close it up again and press the shutter release. If you don’t do this the camera might remain in a confused state and will try to rewind subsequent rolls of film.
The EF-M uses one 2CR5 lithium battery. The viewfinder is equipped with a low-battery symbol which will blink when the power is nearly dead.
Most Canon EOS cameras use 2CR5s, though some of the newer models annoyingly use two CR123As or two CR2s instead, which can be a hassle if you have two bodies and you’re out in the field and thus need to carry two types of batteries.
However, there is one way in which CR123As and CR2s are definitely superior - they’re safer. 2CR5 batteries have both contacts at the same end, whereas with CR123As the contacts are at opposite ends. I once had a 2CR5 in my coat pocket, and the end happened to touch the foil wrapper of a roll of mints. The battery shorted out and got hot. Very, very hot. Luckily I noticed it before my coat caught on fire, but it was still an unpleasant experience. So. Note to the wise - keep all 2CR5 batteries wrapped up so they can’t short out. Lithium batteries have a very high energy density, and the risk of fire is quite real.
Finally, and this probably goes without saying, don’t forget that the camera cannot function without batteries. All EOS cameras are automated and motorized and power-dependent. It’s a good idea to sling some spare batteries into your camera bag and have them around at all times.
The
EF-M and high-speed infrared film.
The EF-M uses a sprocket drive mechanism and does not fog Kodak HIE infrared film. However, its pressure plate has a rectangular hole in it and so the camera is not suitable for film which lacks an anti-halation layer, such as Kodak HIE infrared (this is a different problem from fogging). For more information have a look at my EOS and IR Web page.
Incidentally, it may seem odd that the pressure plate has a hole in it. The reason why is because the EF-M is built around the same chassis as the EOS 1000/Rebel cameras. These cameras were available in date-printing versions which use small LEDs located behind the pressure plate to print date information, hence the need for a rectangular cutout hole. To save money Canon simply made one pressure plate for both models of camera. And the same component was used with the EF-M, even though no date-printing version was ever made. A shame, really, since it means that the EF-M isn’t a very good choice for shooting with HIE infrared film.
Attaching manual-focus lenses or telescopes (stop-down metering).
I’ve written an extensive article on how to do this. Note that the EF-M uses the old method for stop-down metering. Set the aperture dial to 1 to use a manual lens.
The most obvious drawback is its lack of autofocus capabilities. But since that’s sort of the whole point of the camera it doesn’t really belong in this list. The remaining limitations do, however, limit the camera considerably in my opinion. If it had a few less of them then the EF-M might have been quite a useful little camera. But as it is I consider it something of an oddity.
A number of Canon products which are compatible with other EOS cameras are not compatible with the EF-M. Here are some of them.
Here are few extra accessories you could buy for the EF-M.
Eyecup Eb. This one shipped with the camera originally but is still available as an accessory. I find it doesn’t work very well with glasses.
Speedlite 200M. A small flash unit, similar to the Speedlite 200E, only which was designed to work solely with the EF-M.
Grip extension GR-70. This is a lumpy wedge-shaped piece of rubber with a wrist strap that also fits the Rebel/1000 and the Elan/100. It fastens to the bottom of the camera via the tripod mount, and a small pin fits in the hole in the bottom of the baseplate to prevent rotation. It makes the camera grip bigger for people with meatier hands, but is otherwise useless. It blocks the tripod mount, it does not contain batteries, it lacks secondary shutter releases or other controls, it does not contain a built-in mini tripod and it prevents you from attaching a flash bracket.
Dioptric adjustment lens E. The cameras lack a built-in dioptric adjustment feature to accommodate people who require glasses but don’t like wearing glasses when they look through viewfinders. The solution is either to grit your teeth and wear glasses when you use the camera or attach a diopter to the camera - basically a rectangular magnifying glass that fits around the viewfinder bracket. Canon sell 10 different types of diopters and each requires the Rubber Frame Eb to fit.
Semi-hard case. Canon made an optional semi-hard or “ever-ready” case for the EF-M. I don’t know the model number for this case.
Focusing adapter. This was a simple plastic ring which clipped onto the EF 35-80 4-5.6 and EF 80-200 4.5-5.6 lenses and made manual focussing a bit easier by giving you something larger to grip onto.
Angle finder C. Expensive, but allows you to look through the viewfinder from above. Handy for macro shots or shooting close to the ground.
Canon Professional Strap 1. This is actually made by Domke and co-branded with Canon. I list it here because I’ve found it’s a pretty darn good deal for the price - it’s got the Domke Gripper anti-slip material on the strap, it doesn’t have CANON EOS printed on it in gigantic letters like the amateur straps usually do, it has metal swivels on the end and so doesn’t get tangled up. It’s available in green and black, though oddly B&H sell the green one at a far lower price. The one thing it lacks is a viewfinder cover for timer exposures.
- NK Guy, PhotoNotes.org.
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