Sony a5100 vs Canon EOS M6

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a5100 and Canon EOS M6. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a5100 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS M6 is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a5100 were released 2014 and Canon EOS M6 was released 2017. That is a 3 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a5100 2014
Canon EOS M6 2017

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a5100 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS M6 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 a5100 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Canon EOS M6 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

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Sony a5100 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS M6 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a5100 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000
Canon EOS M6 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000

ISO range

Both of these cameras offer the exact same ISO range. They both have 100 to 25600.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a5100 100-25600
Canon EOS M6 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 M6 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 a5100
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS M6

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a5100 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS M6 can shoot up to 9 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a5100 6
Canon EOS M6 9

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a5100 and Canon EOS M6 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.

Canon EOS M6 weighs 390 gr (equal to 0.86 lb) which is 38% heavier than Sony a5100 and its 283 gr (or 0.62 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a5100 283 gr
0.62 lb
Canon EOS M6 390 gr
0.86 lb

Sony a5100 vs Canon EOS M6 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a5100 and Canon EOS M6, 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 a5100
Canon EOS M6
Name Sony a5100 Canon EOS M6
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
Release Year 2014 2017
Release Date 2014-08-18 2017-02-15
MSRP 549 USD 779 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
Camera Type Mirrorless Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
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 6000 x 4000 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels 24 MP 24 MP
Image Processor Bionz X DIGIC 7
Image
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
ISO Range 100 - 25600 100 - 25600
White Balance Presets 10 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization No Yes
(5-axis for video only)
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 179 49
Lens Mount Sony E

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 a5100
Canon EOS M6
Articulated LCD Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 921600 1040000
Touch screen Yes Yes
Screen type TFT LCD TFT LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type No Viewfinder Electronic (Optional via Canon EVF-DC2)
Viewfinder Coverage
Viewfinder Magnification
Viewfinder Resolution 0 0
Photography features
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
Frames per second 6 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 4 meters 5 meters
External Flash No Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse Yes No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV steps) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
XF-AVC
AVCHD
MPEG4
H.264
Video resolution 1440 x 1080
1920 x 1080
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No Yes
Headphone Port No No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n with NFC)
Yes
Built-in (802.11/b/g/n with Bluetooth and NFC)
Remote Control Yes (wired or PC) Yes (Wired, wireless, or smartphone)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a5100
Canon EOS M6
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and USB charger
LP-E17 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 400 shots 295 shots
Width 110 mm 112 mm
Height 63 mm 68 mm
Depth 36 mm 45 mm
Weight 283 gram 390 gram