Canon EOS M vs Canon EOS Rebel XSi

This is a full comparison between the cameras Canon EOS M and Canon EOS Rebel XSi. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Canon EOS M

Canon EOS Rebel XSi

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Canon.

Canon EOS M were released 2012 and Canon EOS Rebel XSi was released 2008. That is a 4 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Canon EOS M	2012
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	2008

Type of camera

Canon EOS M is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS Rebel XSi is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Canon APS-C") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Neither of the cameras has a Full frame sensor which means that you will get a "crop factor" where the camera's sensor size affect the focal length with a multiplier.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Canon EOS M	80 mm Canon APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	80 mm Canon APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Canon EOS M has a 18 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS Rebel XSi has 12,2 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Canon EOS M	18 MP 17915904 pixels 5184 x 3456
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	12,2 MP 12166656 pixels 4272 x 2848

Canon EOS M has a 47 % larger resolution than Canon EOS Rebel XSi. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Canon EOS M has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS Rebel XSi. Canon EOS M has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 12800 while Canon EOS Rebel XSi has 100 to 1600.

Camera	ISO Range
Canon EOS M	100-12800
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	100-1600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Worth mentioning is that Canon EOS M belongs to the Canon EOS M-system and needs an adapter to work with Canons EF, EF-S, MP-E, and TS-E lenses. You can read more about this adapter here:
Canon Lens Mount Adapter EF-EOS M

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS M
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS Rebel XSi

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Canon EOS M can shoot up to 4,3 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS Rebel XSi can shoot up to 3,5 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Canon EOS M	4,3
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	3,5

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Canon EOS M. Unfortunately Canon EOS Rebel XSi does not support recording movies and movie clips.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS Rebel XSi weighs 524 gr (equal to 1.16 lb) which is 76% heavier than Canon EOS M and its 298 gr (or 0.66 lb).

Camera	Weight
Canon EOS M	298 gr 0.66 lb
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	524 gr 1.16 lb