Canon EOS M2

The Canon EOS M2 is a compact mirrorless camera from 2013. At 116 x 88 x 59 mm and 387 g, it fits a small bag or a large coat pocket, which makes it a natural fit for travel and everyday shooting.

Its APS-C sensor, 10 fps burst rate and built-in Wi-Fi suit people who want a small camera for casual stills. It also records video and has a built-in timelapse mode.

Owning it means living with some older-era compromises. There is no in-body stabilisation, no weather sealing and the battery is rated at 305 shots, so spare batteries and steady handheld technique are part of the routine.

The Optics score of 44 is modest, and the camera sits in the bottom 14% of cameras in our database for Optics. The 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, the ISO range, the shutter speed, the autofocus points and the lack of in-body stabilisation all feed into that result.

There is no in-body stabilisation, so camera shake must be managed with shutter speed, a stabilised lens or a support. The ISO range runs from 100 to 12800, and the 1/4000 s maximum shutter speed can limit wide apertures in bright light.

Autofocus uses 31 points, though the point count alone says nothing about speed or tracking. The 10 fps figure is a maximum burst rate, not a promise of how long it can be sustained.

The EF-M mount accepts Canon's mirrorless lenses, so lens choice should be checked before buying. Framing is handled through the electronic viewfinder with 2,360,000 dots or through live view on the rear screen.

The Video score of 57 is modest, and the recording options show why. Resolution tops out at Full HD, and the fastest frame rate on the spec sheet is 30 fps, which rules out slow-motion work and 4K output.

For straightforward clips, that combination is still serviceable. Full HD is fine for web sharing and family footage, and clips record in the MOV format.

The built-in timelapse mode is a creative extra. It handles interval shooting in camera, so there is no need for a separate intervalometer.

Plan around the single SD card slot when recording, since there is no second card to continue onto if the first fills up mid-shoot.

The Features score of 57 is modest, and the camera covers the basics without much beyond them. The 3-inch LCD has 1,040,000 dots and accepts touch input for focusing and menu navigation.

Live view on that screen is how you frame shots when you are not using the viewfinder, though the screen is fixed and cannot tilt for waist-level or overhead angles.

Wireless connectivity runs through Wi-Fi. There is no Bluetooth for a low-power persistent link, and no built-in GPS, so the camera cannot tag its own photos with location data.

Lighting options are flexible for a small body: a built-in flash covers emergencies, and an external flash can be added when you need more power. The body is not weather sealed, so it deserves shelter from rain and dust.

The Storage & Battery score of 21 is limited. There is one card slot, no USB charging, and the 305-shot battery rating contributes only partially.

On the positive side, the slot takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards with UHS-I compatibility, so UHS-I cards are supported for both stills and video. With only one slot, carry a spare card for anything important, because there is no second card to switch to.

The LP-E12 battery is rated at 305 shots, a testing figure rather than a promise for every situation, so a spare battery is a sensible addition for a long day of shooting.

Since the camera offers no USB charging, the battery cannot be topped up over a cable, so charging depends on an external charger and a power point.