Sony a300 vs Canon EOS M5

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a300 and Canon EOS M5. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a300 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS M5 is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a300 were released 2008 and Canon EOS M5 was released 2016. That is a 8 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a300 2008
Canon EOS M5 2016

Type of camera

Sony a300 is a DSLR camera while Canon EOS M5 is a Mirrorless camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a300 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS M5 has a "Canon APS-C"-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 **
Sony a300 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Canon EOS M5 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 (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Sony a300 has a 10 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS M5 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a300 10 MP
10036224 pixels
3872 x 2592
Canon EOS M5 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000

Canon EOS M5 has a 139 % larger resolution than Sony a300. 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 M5 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a300. Canon EOS M5 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Sony a300 has 100 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a300 100-3200
Canon EOS M5 100-25600

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 M5 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 Sony a300
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS M5

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a300 can shoot up to 3 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS M5 can shoot up to 9 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a300 3
Canon EOS M5 9

Ability to record movies

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

It is only one of these two cameras that support recording movies and movie clips and that is Canon EOS M5. Sadly, the Sony a300 does not support this.

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.

Sony a300 weighs 632 gr (equal to 1.39 lb) which is 48% heavier than Canon EOS M5 and its 427 gr (or 0.94 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a300 632 gr
1.39 lb
Canon EOS M5 427 gr
0.94 lb

Sony a300 vs Canon EOS M5 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a300 and Canon EOS M5, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Name Sony a300 Canon EOS M5
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Release Year 2008 2016
Release Date 2008-01-30 2016-09-15
MSRP 799 USD 979 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Camera Type DSLR Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Sensor Size APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type CCD CMOS
Resolution 3872 x 2592 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels 10 MP 24 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC 7
Image
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
ISO Range 100 - 3200 100 - 25600
White Balance Presets 6 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
No
(5-axis for video only)
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 9 49
Lens Mount Sony A

See Compatible Lenses
Canon EF-M

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier APS-C Sensor (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
APS-C Sensor
1.6x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 38 mm
50 mm becomes 80 mm
100 mm becomes 160 mm
200 mm becomes 320 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Articulated LCD Tilting Tilting
Screen size 2.7” 3.2”
Screen dots 230000 1620000
Touch screen No Yes
Screen type N/A TFT LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Optical (pentamirror) Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.74× (0.49× 35mm equiv.) 0.62x
Viewfinder Resolution N/A 2360000
Photography features
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Frames per second 3 fps 9 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash Yes Yes
Built-in Flash Range 12 meters 5 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Video recording No Yes
Video format N/A MPEG4
H.264
Video resolution N/A 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone No Yes
Built-in Speakers No Yes
Storage
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Memory Card Compact Flash
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
HDMI Output No Yes
Microphone Port No Yes
Headphone Port No No
Wireless No Yes
Built-in (802.11/b/g/n with Bluetooth and NFC)
Remote Control Yes (Wired or wirelss (optional)) Yes (Wired, wireless, or smartphone)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a300
Canon EOS M5
Enviromentally sealed No No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FM500H
LP-E17 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 730 shots 295 shots
Width 131 mm 116 mm
Height 99 mm 89 mm
Depth 75 mm 61 mm
Weight 632 gram 427 gram