Sony a3500 vs YI M1

Lets take a more detailed look at the Sony a3500 and YI M1, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by manufacturers Sony and YI. The resolution of the a3500 (20MP) and the M1 (20MP) is fairly close but the a3500 (APS-C) and M1 (Four Thirds) come with totally different sensor size.

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The a3500 was released 3 years prior to the M1 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the YI M1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the a3500 matches up versus the M1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha a3500 and YI M1. The complete galleries are viewable at Sony a3500 Gallery and YI M1 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and volume. The Sony a3500 comes with outer dimensions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") having a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs) while the YI M1 has sizing of 114mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.5" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 350 grams (0.77 lbs).

See the Sony a3500 and YI M1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the a3500 against the M1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the a3500 and M1 is 69 and 87 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor measurements just by looking through technical specs. The photograph underneath may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the a3500 and M1.

As you can tell, both of those cameras offer the same exact megapixel count but not the same sensor measurements. The a3500 contains the larger sensor which will make obtaining shallow depth of field easier. The older a3500 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.