Canon M3 vs Sony A580

Below is a thorough analysis of the Canon M3 and Sony A580, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Canon and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the M3 (24MP) and A580 (16MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (APS-C).

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The M3 was revealed 3 years later than the A580 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Canon M3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the M3 scores against the A580 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon EOS M3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The full galleries are viewable at Canon M3 Gallery and Sony A580 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and measurements. The Canon M3 has got outside measurements of 111mm x 68mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") and a weight of 366 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Sony A580 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon M3 and Sony A580 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have at the time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the M3 vs the A580.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the M3 and A580 is 85 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to visualise the difference in sensor measurements purely by looking through specifications. The visual below should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the M3 and A580.

To sum up, both the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You should anticipate the Canon M3 to result in more detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images more aggressively. The more recent M3 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor tech.