Canon EOS M vs Nikon D5

This is a full comparison between the cameras Canon EOS M and Nikon D5. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Canon EOS M

Nikon D5

Manufacturing

Canon EOS M is manufacturered by Canon but Nikon D5 is from Nikon. Both Canon and Nikon are well known brands though.

Canon EOS M were released 2012 and Nikon D5 was released 2016. 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
Nikon D5	2016

Type of camera

Canon EOS M is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D5 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Canon EOS M has a "Canon APS-C"-sensor while Nikon D5 has a "Nikon FX"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Canon EOS M	80 mm Canon APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6
Nikon D5	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** 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)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)

Resolution

Canon EOS M has a 18 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D5 has 21 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
Nikon D5	21 MP 20742656 pixels 5588 x 3712

Nikon D5 has a 16 % larger resolution than Canon EOS M. 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

Nikon D5 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS M. Nikon D5 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 102400 while Canon EOS M has 100 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Canon EOS M	100-12800
Nikon D5	100-102400

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 Nikon D5

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 Nikon D5 can shoot up to 14 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Canon EOS M	4,3
Nikon D5	14

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Canon EOS M and Nikon D5 can shoot movies.

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.

Nikon D5 weighs 1415 gr (equal to 3.12 lb) which is 375% heavier than Canon EOS M and its 298 gr (or 0.66 lb).

Camera	Weight
Canon EOS M	298 gr 0.66 lb
Nikon D5	1415 gr 3.12 lb