Sony a850 vs Canon EOS M

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a850 and Canon EOS M. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a850 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS M is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a850 were released 2009 and Canon EOS M was released 2012. That is a 3 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a850 2009
Canon EOS M 2012

Type of camera

Sony a850 is a DSLR camera while Canon EOS M is a Mirrorless camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a850 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Canon EOS M 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 a850 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS M 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 a850 has a 25 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS M has 18 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a850 25 MP
24385536 pixels
6048 x 4032
Canon EOS M 18 MP
17915904 pixels
5184 x 3456

Sony a850 has a 36 % 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

Canon EOS M has a larger ISO-range than Sony a850. Canon EOS M has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 12800 while Sony a850 has 200 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a850 200-3200
Canon EOS M 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 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 Sony a850
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS M

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a850 can shoot up to 3 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS M can shoot up to 4,3 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a850 3
Canon EOS M 4,3

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 M. Sadly, the Sony a850 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 a850 weighs 895 gr (equal to 1.97 lb) which is 200% heavier than Canon EOS M and its 298 gr (or 0.66 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a850 895 gr
1.97 lb
Canon EOS M 298 gr
0.66 lb

Sony a850 vs Canon EOS M Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a850 and Canon EOS M, 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 a850
Canon EOS M
Name Sony a850 Canon EOS M
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a850
Canon EOS M
Release Year 2009 2012
Release Date 2009-08-27 2012-07-23
MSRP 1999 USD 799 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a850
Canon EOS M
Camera Type DSLR Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a850
Canon EOS M
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 6048 x 4032 pixels 5184 x 3456 pixels
Megapixels 25 MP 18 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC 5
Image
Sony a850
Canon EOS M
ISO Range 200 - 3200 100 - 12800
White Balance Presets 7 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 a850
Canon EOS M
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 9 31
Lens Mount Sony A

See Compatible Lenses
Canon EF-M

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 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 a850
Canon EOS M
Articulated LCD Fixed Fixed
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 921600 1040000
Touch screen No Yes
Screen type TFT Xtra Fine color LCD Clear View II TFT LCD
Live view No Yes
Viewfinder Type Optical (pentaprism) No Viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 98%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.74×
Viewfinder Resolution N/A 0
Photography features
Sony a850
Canon EOS M
Frames per second 3 fps 4,3 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 60 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash No No
Built-in Flash Range N/A N/A
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 +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV steps) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a850
Canon EOS M
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 a850
Canon EOS M
Memory Card Compact Flash
Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a850
Canon EOS M
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No No
Headphone Port No No
Wireless No Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Remote Control Yes (Wired or Wireless (Optional)) No
GPS No Yes
Optional via GP-E2
Body & Dimensions
Sony a850
Canon EOS M
Enviromentally sealed No No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger
Lithium-Ion LP-E12 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 880 shots 230 shots
Width 156 mm 109 mm
Height 117 mm 66 mm
Depth 82 mm 32 mm
Weight 895 gram 298 gram