Canon launched the EOS M5 just a few days before 2016's Photokina, the massive bi-annual photography show in Cologne, Germany. It was a clear sign that the company was starting to take its mirrorless proposition a little more seriously.

Nice OLED eye viewfinder; Varied connectivity options; Useful touchscreen

No 4K video recording; Pricey

Although Canon launched its first mirrorless camera, the EOS M, back in 2012, the company has never quite seemed to take the idea seriously until now. The original EOS M was over simplistic and painfully slow at focusing, and while last year's EOS M3 was much improved, it was hamstrung by the lack...

+ Superb control layout and handling for such a small camera; + Excellent image quality in both JPEG and raw; + Works extremely well with a wide range of EF-mount SLR lenses; + Easy-to-use wireless communication using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

Relatively small and over-contrasty electronic viewfinder; Shutter is noisier than most mirrorless rivals; Price is very high

It's fair to say we've been highly critical of Canon 's compact system camera EOS M line. For a simple reason, though: the Japanese company's mirrorless cameras simply haven't been able to stand up to the competition.

Small size; big step forward for EOS M series; fast autofocus setup (finally); decent viewfinder and touchscreen combination; access to lots of lenses (via adapter

Battery depletion issues; autofocus setup can't compete with the best mirrorless cameras out there; high ISO sensitivity shows off image noise; no 4K video; expensive compared to competition

Canon's latest compact system camera is perhaps the first time the company has launched a CSC for a "serious" audience. The EOS M5 features a 24.2 megapixel, APS-C sized sensor, which is joined by a Digic 7 processor. It is, in essence, a miniature version of the Canon EOS 80D.

Canon turned up late to the mirrorless party. Very late. In fact, by the time it finally arrived in mid-2012, four years after Panasonic's ground-breaking G1, every other major manufacturer was already in the game.

The EOS M5 is a very welcome addition to Canon's product line-up and arrives at a time when many photo enthusiasts were starting to doubt whether Canon would ever produce a mirrorless camera that caters for their needs.

Canon's EOS M5 is widely touted as the mirrorless alternative to the larger, heavier EOS 80D. There's certainly a number of parallels, including a 24.2 MP APS-C sized sensor, Full HD video recording, built-in wireless and almost the same number of focus points (49 vs 45 in favour of the M5).

Touch and drag; EVF at long last; comes with lens adapter when purchased with bundle

Shutter lag; EVF flickers a bit; strong competition in its price range

Equipped with a 24-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and DIGIC 7 image processor, the Canon EOS M5 offers similar image quality as its predecessors but much improved overall performance. Considering also its inclusion of Dual Pixel CMOS AF, a built-in electronic viewfinder and larger 3.2-inch touchscreen,...

Enthusiast-oriented compact camera body; Good image quality in most situations; Built-in electronic viewfinder; Impressive Dual Pixel CMOS AF; Very good overall performance

High ISO image quality and dynamic range aren't quite up to par with some of its competition; No 4K video recording; Native EF-M lens selection is still limited; Below average battery life

Digital SLRs still dominate among professional photographers and amateur enthusiasts of a certain age, but those who grew up with Thundercats instead of Thunderbirds are more likely to own a compact system camera (CSC).

Elegant controls; Compatible with EF-S lenses (via an adapter; Versatile 18-150mm kit lens

No 4K video; Limited number of EOS-M lenses

Canon's EOS M cameras have been something of a disappointment, failing to translate the company's expertise at making DSLRs into the mirrorless camera market. But the M5 shows that Canon is getting there: This camera has many of the benefits of its larger DSLR cousins (image quality, ease of...

DSLR-like controls; Can use EF-S lenses with optional adapter; Compact size

No 4K video; Disappointing image and video quality in low light; Awkward video-shutter placement makes for bumpy video starts