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The sensor inside the M10 is the same as the one inside the Canon 100D so we can realistically expect images to be at least on a par with what this small DSLR produces. We can also anticipate that noise will be controlled well throughout the standard sensitivity range.
Canon's current cameras have good white balance and metering systems, and the pre-production sample I used looked to follow suit, but we will investigate fully when we have a production sample.
In the past it has been the AF system that has hampered the EOS M series. In its original incarnation the first EOS M's AF was slow and prone to indecision. This was significantly improved by firmware updates. The more recent EOS M3 has a focusing system that is capable of getting subjects sharp quickly. However, there were several occasions during our testing when it indicated that the subject which filled the AF area was sharp when it wasn't. While the AF system in the early sample of the EOS M10 that I used seemed good and able to get a subject sharp in very low light, this is an area that we will pay particular attention to during our testing in the near future.
Early verdict
The EOS M10 looks like a nice camera for someone looking for a dedicated camera that offers more control and better image quality than a smartphone or a compact camera with a small sensor. Having an APS-C format sensor with 18 million pixels enables makes it easy to blur background creatively when you want to as well as helping to keep noise in check.
Canon has also given the camera well implemented touch controls and a sensible menu structure, plus its pedigree suggests that image quality should be high. My only reservation at this stage is whether the autofocus system can be relied upon – time and thorough testing will tell, so watch this space.
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