Canon EOS M200 with EF-M Silver 14-45mm test: slick and skilful
Posted on Jan 14, 2020
Canon’s entry-level mirrorless mixes slick looks, compactness and solid technical skills.
The EOS M200 can’t accept an EVF so the top plate is clean. The pop-up flash takes up much of the left end of the camera, the release switch being on the side, while the right is dominated by the shutter button, around which is a rotating collar which is an input dial. The only selectable control is the three-position camera mode dial which has the on/off button at its centre.
The back is dominated by the 3.2in touchscreen, which is tiltable for waist-level viewing and shooting but actually turns 180° to face forward, so ideal for vloggers and selfie fans. The monitor only tilts up and over which means if you want a higher viewpoint you have to turn the camera itself upside down. The view is still the right way round though, and you can use the touch shooting, so it’s not much of a problem.
There are three buttons on the rear, for recording video, playback and bringing up the menu. The key one is the comparatively large multi-way control which lets you take spot meter readings, set exposure compensation and is used for navigating the menu.
While the EOS M200 has few physical controls, there are plenty of virtual ones. Using the monitor, you can choose from the usual PASM exposure modes but there are also 22 picture modes like food photography, soft focus and toy camera settings and these allow JPEG-only capture. In the monitor’s standard view there are seven outlined darker boxes and these are the functions you can enter and adjust. So there’s ISO, exposure compensation and image magnifier too. Touch Q (or push the physical Q button) and you are into the quick menu; here you are into the camera’s focus, image quality and drive/self-timer settings.
The camera has the Canon standard-style menu system which is a benefit for Canon DSLR users buying the EOS M200 as a backup camera.
For those who are coming to this camera from a smartphone background and don’t have much camera experience, there is the option of Canon’s Guided menu display option which is more explanatory.
The satin silver/white finish is smart; but if your tastes are more conservative, black is available too.
I found the camera perfectly amenable to use. Its small size and dimpled finish is quite smooth so you have to take care using it one-handed. The front is not only smooth; it’s flat too and there’s no raised ridge to help and the rear raised thumb grip is not that pronounced. The exception to this is when you are taking a selfie, especially with the left hand where there is a ridge to hook your fingers behind.
In terms of turning in quality pictures, there was no problem at all with exposures, white-balance and focusing.
Verdict
The Canon EOS M200 is a fine camera for its price, whether you are a vlogger, a newbie stills shooter or an experienced user who wants a compact, monitor-only mirrorless camera that’s pocketable, easy to use and capable of producing high-quality still and moving images.
Pros: Solid feature set, portable, good looks
Cons: Minor handling niggles, cropped 4K – 24mm view at 15mm
For more information, please visit the Canon website.
As featured in issue 73 of Photography News.
