Canon's mirrorless camera system has failed to impress in testing, as its contrast-based autofocus system is slow and plodding when compared to what Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony have been able to deliver.

Canon looks to change that with its newest mirrorless, the EOS M5. It's a more serious version of what's come before, leveraging the Dual Pixel AF tech that we've seen in SLRs like the 80D for focus, and includes an in-body EVF.

The M5 looks like a Canon camera should. It's finished in black, with a matching leatherette and the company's iconic logo raised atop the body, just below the pop-up flash. There are plenty of on-body controls, including two top-mounted control dials, a dedicated EV wheel, a rear dial, and a standard Mode dial. In addition to the pop-up flash, you can use a Speedlite flash with the M5.

The rear display is a touch screen. It's mounted on a hinge so you can shoot at waist-level or face it forward for selfies. But, in a design no doubt inspired by the Olympus PEN E-PL7, you'll need to flip the screen down below the camera in order to face it front for selfies.

Internally the camera has a 24MP APS-C image sensor powered by a Digic 7 image processor. It can shoot at 7 frames per second with continuous focus and exposure or at 9fps with both locked after the first shot. The sensor covers an ISO 100 through 25600 sensitivity range, and it supports Raw and JPG formats for still as well as 1080p60 video capture. The lack of 4K is the one disappointing aspect of the camera, especially considering that Canon is rolling out a new hybrid stabilization system for movies with the M5. A combination of digital and in-lens stabilization promises to deliver correction on 5 axes for smoother, more natural-looking handheld footage.

If Dual Pixel AF works as well with the M5 as it does with the 80D, it will be a big step forward for the Canon mirrorless system. When I reviewed the 80D, I found that its Live View focus system locked onto targets with ease, and smoothly transitioned from one focus point to another when recording video. Choosing a focus point should be easy as well—you just need to tap on the rear display to tell the M5 where to focus. If you're using the EVF you can still swipe your finger across the LCD to move the focus point around, just as you'd control a cursor with a laptop touchpad.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in. Bluetooth keeps the M5 connected to your phone at all times, and it can move images over to your smartphone automatically as they're captured. Wi-Fi is there for faster image transfer, and to allow you to use your phone as a remote control. However, if you don't need to see the Live View feed on your phone, you can opt to use it as a simple wireless shutter release utilizing the Bluetooth connection.

The EOS M5 is going to go on sale in November for $979.99 as a body only. A kit with the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM will sell for $1,099.00.

Canon is also launching a new EF-M lens. The EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM is going to go on sale in December, priced at $499.99. It will be bundled with the M5 in a kit, also on sale in December, positioned at $1,479.00.

There's also a new lens for the Canon SLR system. The EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II USM is an update on the company's budget-friendly full-frame telezoom. It promises to deliver improved image quality and a stronger 4-stop stabilization system. Canon has added a monochrome information LCD to the lens, which can display the set focal length, focus distance, or the amount of handheld camera shake the lens is detecting. The 70-300mm will hit stores in November and is priced at $549.99.