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Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3

Portability
85
Imaging
66
Features
76
Overall
70
Canon EOS M3 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-F3 front
Portability
86
Imaging
57
Features
60
Overall
58

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 Key Specs

Canon M3
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Push to 25600)
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Canon EF-M Mount
  • 366g - 111 x 68 x 44mm
  • Announced February 2015
  • New Model is Canon M6
Sony NEX-F3
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 314g - 117 x 67 x 42mm
  • Released August 2012
  • Superseded the Sony NEX-C3
  • Renewed by Sony NEX-3N
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Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 Overview

The following is a comprehensive review of the Canon M3 and Sony NEX-F3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Canon and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the M3 (24MP) and NEX-F3 (16MP) but they feature the exact same sensor sizing (APS-C).

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The M3 was introduced 2 years after the NEX-F3 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief view of how the M3 matches up vs the NEX-F3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Canon M3 over the Sony NEX-F3

 M3 NEX-F3 
ReleasedFebruary 2015August 2012Newer by 31 months
Screen resolution1040k920kSharper screen (+120k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-F3 over the Canon M3

 NEX-F3 M3 

Common features in the Canon M3 and Sony NEX-F3

 M3 NEX-F3 
Manually focus More accurate focus
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen measurement

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 Physical Comparison

If you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Canon M3 has got external dimensions of 111mm x 68mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") along with a weight of 366 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Sony NEX-F3 has measurements of 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 314 grams (0.69 lbs).

Contrast the Canon M3 and Sony NEX-F3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the M3 vs the NEX-F3.

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the M3 and NEX-F3 is 85 and 86 respectively.

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 top view buttons comparison

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is hard to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions just by looking through a spec sheet. The pic underneath might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the M3 and NEX-F3.

As you can see, the 2 cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different MP. You should expect the Canon M3 to result in extra detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern M3 provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 sensor size comparison

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon M3 Portrait photography factors
Sony NEX-F3 Portrait photography factors
79
has manual focus
good MP (24 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
features face detection autofocus
delivers RAW formats
74
manual focus
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Canon M3 Street photography advice
Sony NEX-F3 Street photography advice
79
screen tilts up and down
decent sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
offers touch to focus
does not have image stabilization
76
has a tilting screen
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Canon M3 Sports photography info
Sony NEX-F3 Sports photography info
61
good MP (24 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
features tracking autofocus
sensor has phase detect autofocus
max frames per second very slow (4.2 frames per second)
does not have image stabilization
low battery life (250 shots)
53
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
better than average battery power (470 shots)
continuous shooting slow (6.0 frames per second)
does not have image stabilization
has no phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Canon M3 Travel photography features
Sony NEX-F3 Travel photography features
73
offers touch to focus
good MP (24 megapixels)
flash built-in
selfie friendly display
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
low battery life (250 CIPA)
69
better than average battery power (470 shots)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
built-in flash
lack of Timelapse mode
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Canon M3 Landscape photography factors
Sony NEX-F3 Landscape photography factors
68
has manual focus
switch lenses (Canon EF-M mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
good MP (24 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
low battery life (250 per charge)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
70
manual focus
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
decent sized screen (3")
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
better than average battery power (470 CIPA)
does not have image stabilization
lack of Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon M3 Vlogging info
Sony NEX-F3 Vlogging info
80
selfie friendly display
touchscreen
features face detection autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
includes external mic jack
does not have image stabilization
27
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
does not have image stabilization
lack of microphone support
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Canon M3 vs Sony NEX-F3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon M3 and Sony NEX-F3
 Canon EOS M3Sony Alpha NEX-F3
General Information
Manufacturer Canon Sony
Model Canon EOS M3 Sony Alpha NEX-F3
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Announced 2015-02-06 2012-08-16
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip DIGIC 6 Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor measurements 22.3 x 14.9mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 332.3mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 24 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 6000 x 4000 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 12800 16000
Highest boosted ISO 25600 -
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW files
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points 49 25
Lens
Lens mount Canon EF-M Sony E
Total lenses 23 121
Crop factor 1.6 1.5
Screen
Type of screen Tilting Tilting
Screen sizing 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 1,040k dots 920k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen tech - TFT Xtra Fine LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) Electronic (optional)
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 4.2 frames/s 6.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 5.00 m (at ISO 100) -
Flash settings Auto, on, off, slow synchro Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
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)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone 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 proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 366g (0.81 lbs) 314g (0.69 lbs)
Dimensions 111 x 68 x 44mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") 117 x 67 x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 72 73
DXO Color Depth score 22.8 22.7
DXO Dynamic range score 11.8 12.3
DXO Low light score 1169 1114
Other
Battery life 250 photographs 470 photographs
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LP-E17 NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Price at launch $481 $470