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Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3

Portability
88
Imaging
67
Features
77
Overall
71
Canon EOS M100 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-3 front
Portability
89
Imaging
54
Features
55
Overall
54

Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 Key Specs

Canon M100
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Canon EF-M Mount
  • 302g - 108 x 67 x 35mm
  • Revealed August 2017
  • Superseded the Canon M10
  • Successor is Canon M200
Sony NEX-3
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
  • Launched June 2010
  • Successor is Sony NEX-C3
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Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 Overview

Its time to look closer at the Canon M100 versus Sony NEX-3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by rivals Canon and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the M100 (24MP) and NEX-3 (14MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (APS-C).

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The M100 was announced 7 years after the NEX-3 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go right into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick summary of how the M100 grades vs the NEX-3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Canon M100 over the Sony NEX-3

 M100 NEX-3 
LaunchedAugust 2017June 2010Newer by 88 months
Screen resolution1040k920kSharper screen (+120k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Canon M100

 NEX-3 M100 

Common features in the Canon M100 and Sony NEX-3

 M100 NEX-3 
Manual focus Very accurate focus
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen sizing

Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 Physical Comparison

If you are planning to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Canon M100 provides physical dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 302 grams (0.67 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3 has dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Contrast the Canon M100 versus Sony NEX-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the M100 vs the NEX-3.

Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the M100 and NEX-3 is 88 and 89 respectively.

Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 top view buttons comparison

Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it is difficult to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by looking at specifications. The pic below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the M100 and NEX-3.

To sum up, each of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different resolution. You can count on the Canon M100 to give you greater detail with its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures more aggressively. The newer M100 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.

Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 sensor size comparison

Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Canon M100
Portrait photography with Sony NEX-3
73
manual focus
decent megapixels (24MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
has face detection focus
supports RAW files
cannot use external flash
72
has manual focus
good MP (14MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
comes with face detect autofocus
saves RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Canon M100 Street photography features
Sony NEX-3 Street photography features
82
tilting screen
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
supports RAW files
offers focus by touch
very good high ISO (25,600)
does not have image stabilization
76
screen tilts up and down
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Canon M100 Sports photography highlights
Sony NEX-3 Sports photography highlights
66
decent megapixels (24 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
has tracking autofocus
sensor has phase detect auto focus
does not have image stabilization
terrible battery pack (295 shots)
52
good MP (14MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
does not have image stabilization
lack of phase detect autofocus
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Canon M100 as a Travel photography camera
Sony NEX-3 as a Travel photography camera
81
has bluetooth
offers focus by touch
decent megapixels (24 megapixels)
flash built-in
screen is selfie friendly
terrible battery pack (295 shots)
59
good MP (14MP)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Canon M100
Landscape photography with Sony NEX-3
74
manual focus
change lenses (Canon EF-M mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
decent megapixels (24MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
very good high ISO (25,600)
supports RAW files
does not have image stabilization
terrible battery pack (295 per charge)
68
has manual focus
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
good MP (14MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
doesn't have Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon M100 Vlogging info
Sony NEX-3 Vlogging info
75
screen is selfie friendly
touchscreen capability
has face detection focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does not have image stabilization
doesn't have external microphone port
27
comes with face detect autofocus
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
low quality video (1280 x 720 pxls)
doesn't have mic support
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Canon M100 vs Sony NEX-3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon M100 and Sony NEX-3
 Canon EOS M100Sony Alpha NEX-3
General Information
Brand Canon Sony
Model type Canon EOS M100 Sony Alpha NEX-3
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed 2017-08-29 2010-06-07
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor DIGIC 7 Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor dimensions 22.3 x 14.9mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 332.3mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 24MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 6000 x 4000 4592 x 3056
Max native ISO 25600 12800
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 49 25
Lens
Lens mount type Canon EF-M Sony E
Available lenses 23 121
Crop factor 1.6 1.5
Screen
Type of display Tilting Tilting
Display diagonal 3" 3"
Resolution of display 1,040 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display technology - TFT Xtra Fine LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting rate 6.1 frames/s 7.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 5.00 m (at ISO 100) 12.00 m
Flash settings Auto, on, off, slow synchro Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 35 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 302g (0.67 pounds) 297g (0.65 pounds)
Physical dimensions 108 x 67 x 35mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.4") 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 79 68
DXO Color Depth rating 23.5 22.1
DXO Dynamic range rating 13.0 12.0
DXO Low light rating 1272 830
Other
Battery life 295 shots 330 shots
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID LP-E12 NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I compatible) SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots Single Single
Retail pricing $449 $0