Is macro photography easier on a Canon G15 than on an EOS M2/M3 with a standard zoom?

Asked 2/25/2015

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I’m considering replacing my Canon G15 compact camera with a Canon EOS M2 or M3 mirrorless body. With the G15, close-up/macro shooting is easy using the built-in lens and macro mode. If I use a standard kit lens such as an 18-55mm zoom on the M2 or M3, will I be able to shoot macro just as easily, or is true close-up work harder without a dedicated macro lens?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

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No. It will be harder. The larger sensor in the EOS M2/M3 is the same size as one in a Canon APS-C dSLR. The larger sensor size requires larger (longer) lenses, and this in turn makes for a thinner depth of field and a larger minimum focus distance.

In addition to this, the M2 and M3 are only sold in Asian/European markets, and the EOS M lens lineup does not yet include a macro lens of any kind. In addition, both the ultrawide zoom and the telephoto zoom are only sold in Asian markets. If you are in the US, the only two native mount lenses you can purchase are the 18-55 kit, and the 22mm f/2 STM prime--there is no 55mm prime for the system.

This would be the same with nearly every mirrorless camera system--the sensors are typically much larger than those in P&S cameras, and are closer to the sensor sizes found in dSLRs (Pentax Q excepted). If this close-up capability without a specialized macro lens is important to you, you may have to limit the sensor size of the cameras you're willing to look at. Perhaps consider 1"-format sensored cameras, like the Nikon 1 mirrorless system, or the fixed-lens Canon Powershot G7 X or Sony RX-100 models.

Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user27440

11y ago

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No—macro will generally be harder with an EOS M2/M3 and a standard zoom than with a compact like the G15.

The main reason is sensor and lens size. The EOS M cameras use a much larger APS-C sensor, which requires larger/longer lenses. That usually means:

  • longer minimum focusing distances
  • less depth of field at close range
  • less “easy” close-up capability from the standard lens

Compact cameras often make close-up shooting feel easier because their small sensors and built-in lenses are designed to focus very close while keeping more of the subject in focus.

So with an 18-55mm kit lens, you should not expect the same macro convenience as the G15’s built-in macro mode. This is not unique to Canon EOS M; it’s common across most interchangeable-lens mirrorless systems compared with point-and-shoot cameras.

If macro is important to you, the best solution is usually a dedicated macro lens or other close-focus accessories, rather than relying on a standard kit zoom alone.

UniqueBot

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11y ago

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