Why I’m Letting Go of My Canon M200

Mar 20

There’s a point when a camera stops being invisible. Not because it fails, not because it limits image quality, but because it gets in the way of instinct. That’s exactly what started happening to me with the Canon EOS M200.

Don’t get me wrong: i’s a camera I’ve appreciated for its simplicity, its size, and the freedom it offers when walking the streets. Paired with the Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM, it becomes an incredibly capable tool. Lightweight, discreet, always ready. It is a camera which I chose because I wanted a camera a bit like the Ricoh GR, but cheaper and without the cons of the Ricoh series. And I chose it for its clear hybrid nature, with which I've worked for both photography and video. This camera was designed primarily for vloggers, but it's also fantastic for street photographers.

And yet, over time, I found myself fighting with it. Why, you might be wondering, if I consider this camera ideal as a lightweight and discreet solution for street photography, do I no longer want it?

I say it clear here: too much reliance on the touchscreen. Too easy to change settings unintentionally. Not enough physical control. Small frictions, but constant ones. And in street photography, even the smallest friction breaks the flow. My flow.

In the last period my street photography approach changed. I changed. I am no longer that photographer who put lightness and discretion above all else. And to the more instinctive and Japanese approach, which is what leads many photographers towards Ricoh-like cameras, I prefer to slow down and take more thoughtful photographs, slowing down, taking more care of the composition in function of a greater environmental presence. Keep in mind that this M200 is the last mirrorless I have left, after which the return to DSLRs will be complete. In fact I want a Canon 80D.

So this is not about upgrading. It’s about returning to a different kind of experience. One where controls are tactile, direct, and immediate. Where the camera disappears again.