Sony NEX-3 vs Canon EOS M

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony NEX-3 and Canon EOS M. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony NEX-3

Canon EOS M

Manufacturing

Sony NEX-3 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS M is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony NEX-3 were released 2010 and Canon EOS M was released 2012. That is a 2 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony NEX-3	2010
Canon EOS M	2012

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony NEX-3 has a "Sony APS-C"-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 NEX-3	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
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 NEX-3 has a 14 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 NEX-3	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056
Canon EOS M	18 MP 17915904 pixels 5184 x 3456

Canon EOS M has a 28 % larger resolution than Sony NEX-3. 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 NEX-3. Canon EOS M has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 12800 while Sony NEX-3 has 200 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony NEX-3	200-12800
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 NEX-3
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 NEX-3 can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS M can shoot up to 4,3 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony NEX-3	7
Canon EOS M	4,3

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony NEX-3 and Canon EOS M 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 M weighs 298 gr (equal to 0.66 lb) which is 0% heavier than Sony NEX-3 and its 297 gr (or 0.65 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony NEX-3	297 gr 0.65 lb
Canon EOS M	298 gr 0.66 lb