Canon M5 vs Sony A7 II: A Detailed Comparison

Canon M5 vs Sony A7 II: We compare two semi-professional mirrorless cameras. The Sony Alpha A7 II with a  24.0MP Full Frame sensor and the Canon EOS M5 with its  24.0MP APS-C sized. How do these cameras compare to each other? Here’s a quick look at the main specifications before we go into more detail.

Canon M5 vs Sony A7 II Specs

Canon M5 vs Sony A7 II – Comparison

Canon M5 vs Sony A7 II – Comparison

Specifications

Canon M5

Sony A7 II

Megapixels 24.2 24.3
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Sensor Format APS-C Full Frame
Crop Factor 1.6x None
AA Filter Yes Yes
Image Resolution 6000 x 4000 6000 x 4000
Body Image Stabilization Yes (Movie only) No
Lens Mount Canon EF-M Sony E
ISO 100 – 25,600 100 – 25,600
Expanded ISO None 50 – 51,200
AF Points 49 Hybrid 117
Cross-type AF Points Dual Pixel AF 117 phase
Continuous Mode 7fps 5fps
LCD 3.2″ – Articulating 3.0″ – Articulating
LCD Resolution 1,620,000 dots 1,228,800 dots
Touchscreen Yes No
Focus Peaking Yes Yes
Top LCD Display No No
Viewfinder Type EVF (2.36M) EVF
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x
Video Resolution 1920×1080 (60/50/30/25/24p 1920×1080 (60/30/24p)
1280×720 (60/50p) 1920×1080 (120/100/60/50p)
Microphone Jack Yes Yes
Headphone Jack No Yes
Memory Card Type SD SD or MS Pro
Dual Card Slots No No
SD UHS Support UHS-I UHS-I
Fastest Shutter Speed 1/4000 1/8000
Slowest Shutter Speed 30″ 30″
Bulb Mode Yes Yes
JPEG Buffer Size 27 52
RAW Buffer Size 18 28
Time Lapse Yes Yes
Built-in Flash Yes No
Max Flash Sync Speed 1/200 1/250
Startup Time 1.2s 1.7s
Built-in Wi-Fi Yes Yes
Built-in GPS No No
Built-in NFC Yes Yes
Bluetooth Yes No
USB Type USB 2.0 USB 2.0
Environmentally Sealed No Yes
Battery Life (CIPA) 295 shots 350 shots
Battery Included Yes (LP-E17) Yes (NP-FW50)
Weight 15.0 oz (427g) 21.13 oz (600g)
Size 4.6 x 3.5 x 2.4″ 5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4″
Price Amazon Amazon
Release Date 2016 2014

Canon M5 vs Sony A7 II Common Features

Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes
Viewfinder Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic)
RAW Support Yes vs Yes
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes
Max Resolution 24 MP vs 24 MP
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes
NFC Connection Yes vs Yes
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes

Sony A7 II vs Canon M5 Size Comparison

With regard to size, the Canon EOS M5 is 11mm narrower and 7mm shorter than the Sony Alpha A7 II. However, it is also 1mm thicker. Furthermore, the EOS M5 is 172g lighter than the Alpha A7 II.

Canon M5 vs Sony A7 II – Comparison

Canon M5 vs Sony A7 II – Comparison

And, since Canon uses an APS-C sensor, the Canon M5’s lenses for a similar focal length and aperture are lighter and smaller than the Sony A7 II lenses.

Sony A7 II vs Canon M5 Sensor Comparison

They both feature a 24.0 MP resolution sensor. However, as noted, the Canon M5 features an APS-C sensor (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) while the Sony Alpha A7 II has a full frame sensor (35.8 x 23.9 mm ). The A7  II offers a larger sensor area with the same resolution and it also has a larger pixel area.

These features combined allow the A7 II to collect more light hence offering clearer, larger images than the Canon EOS M5. The Sony A7 II has a 2.6x Larger sensor area than the Canon M5. Larger sensors provide more control over the depth of field and blurry background compared to the smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Why You Should Choose The Canon M5

Built-in Flash Yes vs No
Touch Screen Yes vs No
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 3″
LCD Screen Resolution 1.620k dots vs 1.230k dots
Continuous Shooting 9.0fps vs 5.0fps
Weight 427 g vs 599 g
Timelapse Recording Yes vs With optional app
Viewfinder Resolution 2360k dot vs 2359k dot
Price $880 vs $1,498
Bluetooth Yes vs No

Advantages of the Canon M5 Over Sony A7 II

  • Body Image Stabilization – It has body image stabilization but it only works in video.
  • Continuous mode – 7fps vs 5fps. It’s an advantage, but not something you will really notice that often.
  • LCD – 3.2″ vs 3.0″.
  • LCD Resolution – Higher resolution.
  • Touchscreen Support
  • Built-in Flash 
  • Bluetooth Support
  • Weight – The Canon M5 weighs 175g less.

Video: Canon M5 Hands-on Review

Why You Should Choose The Sony A7 II

Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None
Number of Focus Points 117 vs 49
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s vs 1/4000s
Battery Life 350 shots vs 295 shots
Headphone Port Yes vs No
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No
Sensor Pixel Area 35.65µmvs 13.84µm2
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±3 EV

Advantages of the Sony A7 II Over the Canon M5

  • Sensor Format – Full Frame is bigger than APS-C, which results in slightly less noise at higher ISO levels.
  • ISO – 51,200 vs 25,600. Higher maximum ISO sensitivity.
  • AF Points – 117 vs 49.
  • Headphone Jack – Useful for previewing your audio quality straight out the camera.
  • Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/8000 vs 1/4000.
  • JPEG Buffer Size – 52 vs 27. Useful for long bursts.
  • RAW Buffer Size – 28 vs 18. 
  • Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs /200.
  • Environmentally Sealed – The Sony A7 II is much more protected for shooting outdoors in difficult terrain and bad weather conditions.
  • Battery Life – 350 shots vs 295 shots.

Video: Sony A7 II Hands-on Review

Tags:,

Add Comment