Canon M has a
18.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5 processor. On the other hand, Canon M6 has a
24.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 7 processor.
Canon M6's sensor provides 6MP more than Canon M's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the M and M6 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon M and Canon M6 Cameras
Canon M and Canon M6 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Canon M has 33% larger pixel area compared to Canon M6, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Canon M and Canon M6 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that M6 has a better overall score of 78, 13 points higher compared to M's score of 65.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Canon M
65
22.1 bits
11.2 Evs
827 ISO
Canon M6
78
23.4 bits
12.6 Evs
1317 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Canon M
or the
Canon M6 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
