Canon EOS
M
 vs
Sony Alpha
NEX-5

Updated (July, 2012): Compare the Canon EOS M vs Sony NEX-5N

Canon EOS M

75

  
Sony Alpha NEX-5

74

  

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS M

Touch screen
 Touch screen
Less buttons
Supports 24p
 24p movies
For that film look
Movie continuous focus
 Movie continuous focus
Makes it easy to get in-focus movies
External mic jack
 External mic jack
Record higher quality audio with a microphone
Lens availability
 Many lenses available
162 lenses
Light sensitivity (boost)
 High ISO (boost)
25,600 ISO
 

Reasons to buy the Sony Alpha NEX-5

Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
Panorama
 In-camera panoramas
Stitches together multiple photos into a panorama
3D
 Takes 3D photos
View photos in 3D on 3D televisions
 

differences

Advantages of the Canon EOS M
Lens availability Much more lenses available 162 lenses vs 8 lenses
Help
 Around 20.5x more lenses available
External mic jack Has an external mic jack Yes vs No
Help
 Record high quality audio with an external microphone
Touch screen Has a touch screen Yes vs No
Help
 Fewer buttons to worry about and direct interaction with camera menus
Supports 24p Supports 24p Yes vs No
Help
 Get that real film feel
Light sensitivity (boost) Has boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs None
Help
 Allows taking photos in darker situations, often at the cost of additional noise in the image
True resolution Higher true resolution 17.9 MP vs 14 MP
Help
 Capture around 30% more detail in your photos
Focus points Slightly more focus points 31 vs 25
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Thickness Thinner 1.3" vs 1.5"
Help
 Around 20% thinner
Longest exposure Longer exposures 60s vs 30s
Help
 2x longer exposures
Size Slightly smaller 109x66x32 mm vs 111x59x38 mm
Help
 Around 10% smaller
Canon EOS M Learn more about
the Canon EOS M

Advantages of the Sony NEX-5
Startup delay Much less startup delay 1000 ms vs 2900 ms
Help
 2.9x less delay when turning on
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
 Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.2 EV vs 11.2 EV
Help
 1 f-stop more dynamic range
Battery life Significantly longer battery life 330 shots vs 230 shots
Help
 More than 40% more shots per battery charge
Overall image quality Better image quality 69.0 vs 65.0
Help
 Around 10% better image quality
Continuous shooting Shoots slightly faster 7 fps vs 4.3 fps
Help
 More than 60% faster continuous shooting
Sensor size Slightly larger sensor APS-C 23.4x15.6mm vs APS-C 22.3x14.9mm
Help
 Around 10% larger sensor
Sony Alpha NEX-5 Learn more about
the Sony NEX-5
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent mirrorless cameras, and ignoring price

Canon EOS M Canon EOS M
75 vs 74
Explain scores
Sony Alpha NEX-5 Sony Alpha NEX-5
Green arrow Too close to call! Snapsort considers these cameras too competitive to make a clear recommendation.

similarities

Compared to recent mirrorless cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
HDR In-camera HDR Help
Combines multiple exposures
Size Fairly small Help
EOS M:109x66x32 mm
NEX-5:111x59x38 mm
External flash Each supports an external flash Help
Better lighting
Built-in flash No built-in flash Help
Professional
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
Viewfinder No viewfinders Help
Can only preview photos on the screen

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5N

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$650 - $699 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Thickness Is thicker
Startup delay Has slightly more startup delay
Compare the NEX-5N vs the EOS M
Compare the NEX-5N vs the Alpha NEX-5
Sony NEX-7

Sony NEX-7

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$948 body only

$1,098 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the NEX-7 vs the EOS M
Compare the NEX-7 vs the Alpha NEX-5
Sony Alpha NEX-6

Sony Alpha NEX-6

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$748 body only

$898 with 16-50mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Thickness Is thicker
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the Alpha NEX-6 vs the EOS M
Compare the Alpha NEX-6 vs the Alpha NEX-5
Sony NEX-5R

Sony NEX-5R

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$498 body only

$598 with 18-55mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Light sensitivity Significantly higher maximum light sensitivity
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the NEX-5R vs the EOS M
Compare the NEX-5R vs the Alpha NEX-5
Sony NEX-F3

Sony NEX-F3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$379 - $730 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Battery life Has a significantly longer battery life
Thickness Is thicker
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the NEX-F3 vs the EOS M
Compare the NEX-F3 vs the Alpha NEX-5
Sony Alpha NEX-3N

Sony Alpha NEX-3N

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$448 with 16-50mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Image stabilization Has image stabilization
External flash Doesn't support an external flash
Compare the Alpha NEX-3N vs the EOS M
Compare the Alpha NEX-3N vs the Alpha NEX-5
Nikon 1 J1

Nikon 1 J1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$379 - $497 with 10-30mm lens
High-speed framerate Records high-speed movies
Continuous shooting Shoots faster continuously
External flash Doesn't support an external flash
Sensor size Has a slightly smaller sensor
Compare the 1 J1 vs the EOS M
Compare the 1 J1 vs the Alpha NEX-5

Canon EOS M Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon 100D/SL1

Canon Rebel SL1

Entry-level DSLR

$649 body only

$799 - $804 with 18-55mm lens
Viewfinder Has a viewfinder
Autofocus Faster autofocus
Size Much larger
Thickness Much thicker
Compare the Rebel SL1 vs the EOS M
Canon PowerShot G1X

Canon PowerShot G1X

Boutique

$649 - $699
Battery life Much longer battery life
Image stabilization Image stabilization
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Interchangeable lenses Built-in lens only
Compare the PowerShot G1X vs the EOS M
Canon 650D / T4i

Canon Rebel T4i

Entry-level DSLR

$699 - $800 body only

$749 with 18-55mm lens
Viewfinder Has a viewfinder
Startup delay Much less startup delay
Size Much larger
Low light performance More noise at high ISO
Compare the Rebel T4i vs the EOS M

Sony Alpha NEX-5 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony Alpha NEX-3

Sony Alpha NEX-3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$448 with 16-50mm lens
External mic jack Has an external mic jack
Storage slots Has more storage slots
Movie format Lower resolution movies
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Compare the Alpha NEX-3 vs the Alpha NEX-5
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$447 - $740 with 18-55mm lens
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Viewfinder Has a viewfinder
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Panorama Lacks in-camera panoramic stitching
Compare the D3100 vs the Alpha NEX-5

appearance

Canon EOS M Sony Alpha NEX-5
Canon EOS M Sony Alpha NEX-5
Canon EOS M Sony Alpha NEX-5

discussion

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