Canon EOS M10: dead-end camera, but is there still life in this bargain body?

Incredibly, it's been almost a decade since the Canon EOS M10 was announced. Launched in 2015, it was the manufacturer's third-ever mirrorless camera (part of the now-discontinued EOS-M series) and followed the original EOS M in 2012, the M2 in 2013 and the M3 in 2015.

So it's a nine-year-old camera, on a lens mount that has been discontinued. But is the Canon EOS M10 still worth investigating? Well, bearing in mind that you can pick up a body for about 200 bucks, there's still a lot to like about it.

Always pitted as an entry-level camera, the Canon EOS M10 stripped away as much as possible to stay as small as possible – both in terms of physical features (such as eschewing an electronic viewfinder) and technical capabilities. Obviously compared to today's entry-level cameras – such as the Canon EOS R100, which would be something like its great-grandson – the difference is night and day.

Still, it remains a fairly competent camera, with an 18MP image sensor, 49-point focusing system (albeit using the comparatively creaky Hybrid CMOS AF II technology), 180° flipping screen for selfies, WiFi connectivity, and FullHD video at 24 or 30p.

So, what does all of that mean for the Canon EOS M10 in 2023? It means that, if you whip this out today and slap a lens on it, you'll still be able to take great pictures. While 2015 is a long time ago in camera terms – and though there were plenty of more advanced cameras even back then – the core image quality is still good.

Sure, 18MP could be limiting for modern image-making. Then again, if you're only shooting for social media and medium-sized prints, this is still plenty of resolution. The video capability isn't a patch on anything your phone can do, let alone a modern camera, but it would do in a pinch.

The AF system is where things really feel creaky here. We take for granted just how supernaturally good modern autofocus is, especially Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF II on modern EOS R cameras. But the AF here is still okay, even though you do have to "work with it" a bit.

Crucially, we need to talk lenses. With EOS-M having been discontinued by Canon, there will probably be no new lenses (at least from Canon, though third parties may still support the format as it has a large user base). The best Canon EF-M lenses still consists of a pretty good lineup, though, and you can also adapt the best Canon lenses for DSLRs using a cheap adapter – so you still have access to hundreds of great optics.

Ultimately, the Canon EOS M10 isn't going to be anyone's first choice to take photo or video with. However, for a jaunt down memory lane, a cheap knockabout camera or as one of the most pocketable cameras you'll find, it's enjoyable to take it for a spin – and you might just find yourself adding a couple of images to Instagram afterwards.

If you enjoyed this article, you might want to check out the best Canon cameras, which includes a number of EOS M bodies, as well as the best Canon EF-M lenses to pair with them. And we would highly recommend looking at the best mirrorless cameras to see what's been happening since 2015!