Sony a450 vs Canon EOS M3

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a450 and Canon EOS M3. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a450 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS M3 is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a450 were released 2010 and Canon EOS M3 was released 2015. That is a 5 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a450 2010
Canon EOS M3 2015

Type of camera

Sony a450 is a DSLR camera while Canon EOS M3 is a Mirrorless camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a450 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS M3 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 a450 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Canon EOS M3 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 a450 has a 14 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS M3 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a450 14 MP
14033152 pixels
4592 x 3056
Canon EOS M3 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000

Canon EOS M3 has a 71 % larger resolution than Sony a450. 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 M3 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a450. Canon EOS M3 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 12800 while Sony a450 has 200 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a450 200-12800
Canon EOS M3 100-12800

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 M3 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 a450
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS M3

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a450 can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS M3 can shoot up to 4,2 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a450 7
Canon EOS M3 4,2

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 M3. Sadly, the Sony a450 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 a450 weighs 560 gr (equal to 1.23 lb) which is 53% heavier than Canon EOS M3 and its 366 gr (or 0.81 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a450 560 gr
1.23 lb
Canon EOS M3 366 gr
0.81 lb

Sony a450 vs Canon EOS M3 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a450 and Canon EOS M3, 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 a450
Canon EOS M3
Name Sony a450 Canon EOS M3
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a450
Canon EOS M3
Release Year 2010 2015
Release Date 2010-01-05 2015-02-06
MSRP N/A 679 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a450
Canon EOS M3
Camera Type DSLR Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a450
Canon EOS M3
Sensor Size APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 4592 x 3056 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels 14 MP 24 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC 6
Image
Sony a450
Canon EOS M3
ISO Range 200 - 12800 100 - 12800
White Balance Presets 6 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a450
Canon EOS M3
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
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 a450
Canon EOS M3
Articulated LCD Fixed Tilting
Screen size 2.7” 3”
Screen dots 230400 1040000
Touch screen No Yes
Screen type TFT Clear Photo Color LCD ClearView II TFT-LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Optical (pentamirror) Electronic (Optional via Canon EVF-DC2)
Viewfinder Coverage 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.8× (0.53× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution N/A 0
Photography features
Sony a450
Canon EOS M3
Frames per second 7 fps 4,2 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 0 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000 seconds 1/0 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 a450
Canon EOS M3
Video recording No Yes
Video format N/A H.264
Video resolution N/A 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone No Yes
Built-in Speakers No Yes
Storage
Sony a450
Canon EOS M3
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a450
Canon EOS M3
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No Yes
Headphone Port No No
Wireless No Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n with NFC)
Remote Control Yes (Wired or wirelss (optional)) Yes (via smartphone)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a450
Canon EOS M3
Enviromentally sealed No No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger
LP-E17 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 1050 shots 250 shots
Width 137 mm 111 mm
Height 104 mm 68 mm
Depth 81 mm 44 mm
Weight 560 gram 366 gram