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Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7

Portability
85
Imaging
65
Features
76
Overall
69
Canon EOS M3 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-7 front
Portability
84
Imaging
63
Features
71
Overall
66

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 Key Specs

Canon M3
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Bump to 25600)
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Canon EF-M Mount
  • 366g - 111 x 68 x 44mm
  • Announced February 2015
  • Renewed by Canon M6
Sony NEX-7
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 400g - 120 x 67 x 43mm
  • Revealed December 2011
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Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 Overview

Below, we will be comparing the Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Canon and Sony. The image resolution of the M3 (24MP) and the NEX-7 (24MP) is pretty close and they possess the exact same sensor sizes (APS-C).

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The M3 was launched 3 years later than the NEX-7 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple overview of how the M3 matches up against the NEX-7 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Canon M3 over the Sony NEX-7

 M3 NEX-7 
RevealedFebruary 2015December 2011Fresher by 39 months
Screen resolution1040k921kCrisper screen (+119k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-7 over the Canon M3

 NEX-7 M3 

Common features in the Canon M3 and Sony NEX-7

 M3 NEX-7 
Manually focus Very exact focusing
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen dimensions

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to carry your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Canon M3 has exterior measurements of 111mm x 68mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") with a weight of 366 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Sony NEX-7 has proportions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Analyze the Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using during that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the M3 versus the NEX-7.

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the M3 and NEX-7 is 85 and 84 respectively.

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 top view buttons comparison

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing just by viewing technical specs. The graphic below will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the M3 and NEX-7.

As you can tell, both of those cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements and the exact same MP therefore you can expect comparable quality of images though you will want to factor the launch date of the cameras into account. The more recent M3 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 sensor size comparison

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Canon M3
Portrait photography with Sony NEX-7
79
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (24MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports face detect autofocus
delivers RAW files
77
manual focus
decent megapixels (24MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
features face detection focusing
delivers RAW files
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Street Comparison

Canon M3 Street photography info
Sony NEX-7 Street photography info
79
has a tilting screen
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
offers touch focus
no image stabilization
76
screen tilts up and down
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
lack of image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Canon M3 Sports photography information
Sony NEX-7 Sports photography information
61
decent sensor resolution (24 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports tracking focus
sensor has phase detect autofocus
low frames per second (4.2 frames/s)
no image stabilization
bad battery life (250 shots)
61
decent megapixels (24 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
great battery life (430 shots)
lack of image stabilization
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Canon M3 Travel photography details
Sony NEX-7 Travel photography details
73
offers touch focus
decent sensor resolution (24MP)
flash built-in
display is selfie friendly
lack of Timelapse mode
bad battery life (250 shots)
70
great battery life (430 per charge)
decent megapixels (24MP)
flash built-in
does not have Timelapse function
does not contain selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Canon M3 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-7 as a Landscape photography camera
67
focusing manually
change lenses (Canon EF-M mount)
nice screen size (3")
decent sensor resolution (24 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
no image stabilization
bad battery life (250 shots)
lack of Timelapse mode
72
manual focus
change lenses (Sony E mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
decent megapixels (24 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
great battery life (430 CIPA)
lack of image stabilization
does not have Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon M3 Vlogging advice
Sony NEX-7 Vlogging advice
80
display is selfie friendly
screen is touchscreen
supports face detect autofocus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
includes microphone support
no image stabilization
35
features face detection focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
comes with external microphone port
does not contain selfie friendly screen
lack of image stabilization
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Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-7 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon M3 and Sony NEX-7
 Canon EOS M3Sony Alpha NEX-7
General Information
Make Canon Sony
Model Canon EOS M3 Sony Alpha NEX-7
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Advanced Mirrorless
Announced 2015-02-06 2011-12-13
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip DIGIC 6 Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor measurements 22.3 x 14.9mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 332.3mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 24 megapixel 24 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 6000 x 4000 6000 x 4000
Maximum native ISO 12800 16000
Maximum enhanced ISO 25600 -
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 49 25
Lens
Lens mounting type Canon EF-M Sony E
Amount of lenses 23 121
Crop factor 1.6 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen diagonal 3" 3"
Screen resolution 1,040 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 30s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter speed 4.2 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 5.00 m (at ISO 100) 6.00 m
Flash options Auto, on, off, slow synchro Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p) 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
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 seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 366 grams (0.81 lb) 400 grams (0.88 lb)
Dimensions 111 x 68 x 44mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") 120 x 67 x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 72 81
DXO Color Depth score 22.8 24.1
DXO Dynamic range score 11.8 13.4
DXO Low light score 1169 1016
Other
Battery life 250 images 430 images
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LP-E17 NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 or 5 images))
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots One One
Price at release $481 $699