By Justin Franz
Recently, I packed up my trusty Canon EOS M6 and sent it off to a new owner after nearly six years of service. The M-series of cameras were Canon’s first foray into the mirrorless market and the company’s answer to Fuji’s popular X100, a compact and high-quality camera introduced in 2010. The M6 and its mirrorless siblings were always the odd man out among Canon’s offerings, and it came as no surprise late last year when it was announced that the M-series would be discontinued. While the company offered a few nice EF-M lenses over the years, the line never seemed to reach its full potential. And while Fuji continued to perfect compact mirrorless cameras, it always felt like an afterthought for Canon. Despite all that, I enjoyed using the M6 as my regular “walk-around” camera during the time I had it.
Like a lot of railroad photographers, my primary bodies are big and bulky full-frame cameras (a pair of Canon EOS Rs). With the addition of a battery pack, they feel great in the hand and can withstand the demands of a long day trackside in all sorts of conditions. Sometimes, though, I want something smaller that’s both easier to carry around and a little less conspicuous.
For starters, a smaller and more compact camera is easier to have around day-to-day so you always have a camera that is a bit more robust than what’s on your phone should an interesting opportunity emerge. When I first got the M6 back in 2018, I was working at an office in downtown Kalispell, Mont., where the final few miles of track of a former Great Northern branch (by then operated by Watco’s Mission Mountain Railroad) were about to be replaced by a trail. Runs into downtown were somewhat infrequent, only once or twice a week, but having a small camera in my work bag meant I was always ready. It was usually with me when I left home. Even if I was just driving into town to check the mailbox or get some groceries, I’d occasionally throw the M6 in the center console of the car “just in case” I saw something interesting. It paid off on more than one occasion.
Travel is another great reason for a small camera — and not just because it’s going to take up a little less space in the carry-on. Not every trip is going to be a full-on railfan adventure where your primary purpose is photography, which means you’re probably not going to be wanting to lug around a bunch of gear all the time. A small camera with a small zoom or even a useful fixed lens (say something in the 35mm range) is perfect to capture shots when you’re out playing tourist, getting dinner with friends, and otherwise not focused on the rails. One great example was a few years ago in downtown San Francisco. My wife and I were on Market Street after getting dinner with a friend and were waiting for an Uber along the busy thoroughfare when an F-line streetcar rolled by. I quickly grabbed my camera, did a pan shot, and was on my way.
But perhaps the biggest reason to get a compact camera is that they are much less conspicuous. Small cameras like the Canon M6 and Fuji X100 are often popular with street photographers who want to “blend” into the crowd. I’ve found this to be especially useful when taking candid photos on transit systems that include passengers and workers. With a small mirrorless camera you generally look like a snapshot-taking tourist. (This is probably a good spot to state that we’re just talking about gear here. There’s a lot more that can be written about the methods and ethics of street photography and how that applies to railroad photography. Perhaps that’s a good column for another day.)
With the M6 packed up and on its way to its new home, I’m looking at getting a new walk-around camera. The obvious choice right now is one of the new Fuji X100s, as a number of friends have used them over the years and rave about how fun they are to use. I’ll let you know in a future column what I decide. Until then, consider how a “walk-around” might be useful in your own photography.
