Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Canon is progressing with the M series by announcing the 32mm f1.4 prime.

kodiac1062 Loc: Sarasota, Fl

What does the M stand for?

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

Mirrorless (I think)

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Stands for their M-series of cameras!

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Yes the M-series of cameras is their MILC Branch. The cameras are EOS-M cameras and the lenses use their EF-M mount; this naming convention seems to imply that these cameras are mechanically close to all other current production cameras. Most M-cameras so far have APS-C sensors; I don't know whether they engineered the EF-M mount so they could use it with FF sensors also.

Joe Blow

Canon EF-M lenses should only be used on the Canon mirrorless cameras. There will be fit issues putting them on EF or EF-C cameras.

The rear housing extends into the camera body and may cause damage to the mirror.

Robert R Loc: Indianapolis and Naples

Canon sells an adapter that allows EF and EF-s lens to be used on mirrorless camera bodies, with full auto focus. The following photos of White Ibis were taken with the Canon M5 camera. The first is with EF-M 18-150mm, f3.5-6.3, IS, STM kit lens, at 150mm. The second is with EF 70-300 f.4-5.6 IS USM, at 170mm. using the Canon adapter. I look forward for new M series lenses. The M5 really beats carrying the Canon 7D2 all day, although it takes some getting used to the electronic viewfinder. Next I plan to put the Canon 100-400 " L" 2 on the M5.

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Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Great shots, thank you for sharing.

RRS Loc: Not sure

I carry the 7DMKII with the battery pack and a 1DXMKII all day and yes they may be heavy but both provide great balance when using a gimbal head with long lenses. Just the other side of the coin and I'm 73.

Cape Coral Joel

Nice shots except number 2 looks like its photoshopped. Note the edge on the bottom of the Ibis the edge should have been adjusted and the reflection looks like a 180 degree flip.

Robert R Loc: Indianapolis and Naples

At 76 I hate to carry a tripod all day. You have remarkable stamina with that load. I volunteer at an Audubon Sanctuary in Florida, usually walk 5-6 miles a day. I see some visitors with a load like that put it in a baby stroller. I see some handicapped visitors with a battery operated scooter with the gear you describe. Believe to or not, I see some guys have the wife carry part of the stuff. I have seen guys using their wives shoulder instead of a tripod. I had a guy photographing a feeding American Bittern all day, his wife made trips back and forth to the motor home for a new battery every several hours. From the stats I read, the sale of DSLR's has declined over the past 5 years. I still prefer my 7D2 with long lens, still the best in my hands, but I am crazy enough to try new stuff. Thanks, I appreciate your comment.

Robert R Loc: Indianapolis and Naples

Joel, That was taken at Rotary Park in Cape Coral last week. I do not use photoshop, I think I just cropped it a little. From there I went over to Pelican Park to get the burrowing owl, and a shrike on the fence. The Monk Parakeets were too fast for me. Then on to N. Fort Myers to watch Harriet and M15, the eagles at the nest. Good day, great weather.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

It's still just a rumor, even if pretty well confirmed.

Canonrumors.com is predicting it will be announced around Photokina.

Canon BADLY needs to expand the lens line for the M-series (mirrorless) cameras. Right now they only offer eight, and six of those are zooms (with quite a bit of overlap and duplication). They are also ALL STM focus drive with ridiculously slim, nearly non-existent manual focusing rings.

Canon has FINALLY stepped up their mirrorless game with the M5 and later models. Took them four years to get up and running (better than Nikon, though, who appear to be abandoning their Nikon 1 mirrorless line... they made a mistake using 1" sensors in them... now claim to be planning a re-boot with a whole new mirrorless product line this year).

Canon still hasn't treated mirrorless very well... but they are going in the right direction. And there are some interesting third party and vintage/adapter options for them (there weren't for Nikon, due to the unusually small sensor they chose to use). What was lacking were 1. a viewfinder (M5 and now M50 finally have one... tho there were optional add-on VF for some earlier models, those occupy the flash shoe so can't be used same time as an accessory flash) and 2. a usable AF system. Earlier models relied upon contrast detection... which is slow. M5 and later are using Dual Pixel AF, which is MUCH faster (though still not as fast as the DSLR's phase detection array).

EF-M lenses are for the M-series cameras only. While the EF and EF-S lenses for the DSLRs can be adapted for use on the M-series cameras, the opposite is not true. The EF-M lenses cannot be used on the DSLRs.

Not sure it makes sense to adapt some EF/EF-S lenses for use on the M-series cameras... It sort of defeats the idea of a smaller, lighter mirrorless camera if you hang a big honkin' lens on the front of it (the adapter adds roughly a quarter lb. and about an inch to the length of the lens, too). Personally I find the potential to adapt a lot of different vintage lenses for use on the M-series to be more interesting. I'll be ordering an EF-M Adaptall, to be able to use a compact, vintage, manual focus Tamron 90mm macro on an M5. I also have several Leica screwmount lenses and a number of Canon FD/FL lenses I may adapt. Lots of Konica K/AR mount Hexanons, too. These are all lenses that effectively can't be adapted for use on Canon EF-mount DSLRs.... but now can enjoy some "new life" on an M-series camera.

Rumor has it that Canon is developing or at least exploring full frame mirrorless, too (and so is Nikon). If that's true, they will HAVE TO approach it differently than they did the APS-C based M-series. Forget about size and weight and make it usable with EF lenses. Sony is the only manufacturer of full frame mirrorless right now and there's little or no size & weight advantage to them (https://petapixel.com/2016/04/04/sonys-full-frame-pro-mirrorless-fatal-mistake/). Besides, Canon is already taking too long to develop high-end glass for the M-series. So the last thing they need is yet another series of lenses to design with short register, but able to cover a full frame sensor. We don't need another adapter for EF lenses and EF-S/EF-M lenses won't work on full frame (they're designed for APS-C).

If it's true and Canon wants to compete with a mirrorless full frame, they need to concentrate on other advantages the mirrorless design offers: Electronic Viewfinder (usable under all sorts of lighting conditions), electronic shutter (higher frame rate continuous shooting, silent operation, exceptionally fast shutter speeds, etc.) They also need to keep working on the AF system, it needs to be exceptionally low light capable and closer to the performance of DSLRs phase detection AF.

It also should have option of a vertical/battery grip, because one of the problems haunting mirrorless is their relatively low shots per charge, due to the added demands of an EVF. In fact, this is something I'd recommend they offer for the M5 "Mark II", too... sooner rather than later. They also need to clad the camera in magnesium housing (instead of thin plastic), as well as provide sealing for weather resistance at least to the level of 5D IV or 7D II.

I think Canon's mistake with the current M-series was that they treated it as a step-up from the G-series Powershot models... just with interchangeable lenses and a bit larger sensor (APS-C versus the 1" most of the more recent G-series use). Apparently the firmware, menus, etc. are all more based upon Powershot models too, than on even entry-level DSLRs. It seems to me Canon tried to position the M-series below their DSLRs, in hopes that they mirrorless wouldn't erode the sales of the DSLRs (which have been SO successful for them). From a marketing perspective, though, this just sends would-be customers to their competitors looking for a mirrorless model to replace or complement their DSLRs. IMO this thinking needs to change with the APS-C models (and even more-so, the lenses to use on them). But especially would be a fatal mistake with any FF mirrorless model, which will need to more closely emulate the DSLRs with familiar control and performance such as they offer.

Oh well. It's all just rumor at this point. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

I wonder what they'd call a FF mirrorless? 5D-M? 1DM?

Robert R Loc: Indianapolis and Naples

You are certainly correct. Does not make much sense to hang that big heavy lens on the light body. Other smaller lens make more sense. I am just trying different combinations. I still am having trouble with the electronic view finder, hard to follow BIF. The 32 mm. f.1.4 looks interesting, probably more to follow. I like the fact that Canon EF and EF-s still retain auto focus with the adapter. I also have some FD/FL lens, but wonder if they will be able to auto focus. There is a new M50 on the market. I do not know what difference it is to the M5.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I can well imagine! For sports and other active subjects, I definitely won't be giving up my DSLRs (primarily a couple 7DII, currently) with their optical viewfinders!

I plan to add an M5 eventually for portraiture, "street" photography, as a smaller kit to carry when hiking or biking, etc. I think I'll be using it mostly with a small selection of manual focus primes. At least to start, I don't plan any AF lenses at all.

No, Canon FD/FL lenses definitely won't somehow become auto focus lenses if adapted for use on M5 (or any autofocus capable camera, for that matter). In fact, they will be manual aperture, too. Aperture priority AE should still work, along with M of course. "Focus peaking" should help with accurate manual focus and the electronic viewfinder will be able to avoid "dimming down" when the lens is stopped down. The shooting will be slower with manual focus & manual aperture, but at least it will be "doable" (as it's been on some other brand mirrorless).

Yes, I've seen the M50... Canon's 2nd MILC with a built in electronic viewfinder. It appears in most respects to be a step-down model that's a little lower priced than the M5 (roughly parallel to and priced close to the same as M6 without an EVF... both of which are a step up model from the more entry-level M100). I noticed M50 doesn't have the Exposure Compensation dial on top like the M5. I think one of the new selling points is that the M50 offers 4K video, which a lot of people have wanted (but am hearing less than stellar reviews of it on the M50... I don't know details and don't really care because I don't shoot video).