Sony NEX-5N vs Canon EOS M10

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony NEX-5N and Canon EOS M10. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony NEX-5N is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS M10 is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony NEX-5N were released 2011 and Canon EOS M10 was released 2015. That is a 4 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony NEX-5N 2011
Canon EOS M10 2015

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony NEX-5N has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS M10 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-5N 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Canon EOS M10 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-5N has a 16 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS M10 has 18 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony NEX-5N 16 MP
16032768 pixels
4912 x 3264
Canon EOS M10 18 MP
17915904 pixels
5184 x 3456

Canon EOS M10 has a 12 % larger resolution than Sony NEX-5N. 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

Sony NEX-5N has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS M10. Sony NEX-5N has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Canon EOS M10 has 100 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony NEX-5N 100-25600
Canon EOS M10 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 M10 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-5N
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS M10

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony NEX-5N can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS M10 can shoot up to 4,6 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony NEX-5N 10
Canon EOS M10 4,6

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony NEX-5N and Canon EOS M10 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 M10 weighs 301 gr (equal to 0.66 lb) which is 12% heavier than Sony NEX-5N and its 269 gr (or 0.59 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony NEX-5N 269 gr
0.59 lb
Canon EOS M10 301 gr
0.66 lb

Sony NEX-5N vs Canon EOS M10 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony NEX-5N and Canon EOS M10, 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 NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
Name Sony NEX-5N Canon EOS M10
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
Release Year 2011 2015
Release Date 2011-08-24 2015-10-13
MSRP 599 USD 599 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
Camera Type Mirrorless Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
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 4912 x 3264 pixels 5184 x 3456 pixels
Megapixels 16 MP 18 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC 6
Image
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
ISO Range 100 - 25600 100 - 12800
White Balance Presets 6 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization No No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Multi Area
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 25 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 NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
Articulated LCD Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 920000 1040000
Touch screen Yes Yes
Screen type Tilt Up 80°, Down 45° TFT LCD N/A
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic (optional) No Viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage
Viewfinder Magnification
Viewfinder Resolution 0 0
Photography features
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
Frames per second 10 fps 4,6 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 No
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 steps)
Videography features
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format 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 No
Storage
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No No
Headphone Port No No
Wireless Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n with NFC)
Remote Control Yes (optional RMT-DSLR1)
Yes (via smartphone)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony NEX-5N
Canon EOS M10
Enviromentally sealed No No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details ithium-Ion NPFW50 rechargeable battery & charger
LP-E12 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 460 shots 255 shots
Width 111 mm 108 mm
Height 59 mm 67 mm
Depth 38 mm 35 mm
Weight 269 gram 301 gram