LCD and Viewfinder
Canon M3 has a Tilting 3" LCD screen with a resolution of 1,040k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.
LCD is
Touch screen type, so you can change the settings and set the focus point with your fingertips. For those of you who loves shooting self portraits or group photos, Canon M3 will make your life easier with its
Selfie friendly screen.
M3 doesn't have a built-in viewfinder but an optional external viewfinder is available. Lack of a viewfinder can be problematic especially under strong light where visibility of LCD screens goes down dramatically. If you need a Mirrorless camera with a built-in viewfinder in a similar price range, consider Olympus OM-D E-M10 II (Compare) or Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 (Lumix DMC-GX80 / Lumix DMC-GX7 Mark II) (Compare). If the price is not an issue, take a look at our Top Rated Cameras with Viewfinders.
Max Shutter speed
Canon M3 can shoot continuously at max speed of
4.2 fps and has max shutter speed of
1/4000 sec.
Flash
M3 has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.
Focusing
Canon M3 features both Contrast Detection and Phase Detection autofocus (AF) systems which ensures speed and accuracy of focusing in most situations. The AF system has 49 points to choose from. Canon M3 also features
Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.
Video Features
With Canon M3, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 30p,25p,24p fps and save in and H.264 formats. Full HD resolution of Canon M3 will be adequate in most of the situations. But if you are after the highest resolution videos available, see our list of
Top Cameras with 4K (Ultra-HD) Video.
M3 has a built-in Yes microphone and a Mono speaker. Canon M3 also has a port for an external microphone so you can record high quality sound with the help of an external microphone.
Connectivity and Storage
Canon M3 features
built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity ( 802.11b/g/n with NFC) which lets you transfer your photos directly to compatible devices without any physical connection. With its
NFC feature, M3 can communicate with devices such as smartphones which are also equipped with this technology by simply touching each other.One other feature that we like is the ability to use our smartphone as a remote to control our M3. You can change camera settings, release shutter, view LCD screen and tranfer files using remote control app.
You can connect M3 to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.
Battery
Canon M3 is powered by battery which provides a shooting life of 250 according to CIPA standards.
Considering that the average battery life of Mirrorless type cameras is 363 shots, Canon M3 has a short battery life for its class so we strongly recommend M3 owners to buy some extra batteries.
Battery Life Comparison in Entry-Level Mirrorless Cameras
Samsung NX mini with its 650shots is the model with longest battery life among Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras. Check the comparison of Canon M3 vs Samsung NX mini or take a look at Longest Battery Life Mirrorless cameras list.
Canon M3 Features Compared to Main Competitors