Canon M3 vs Sony A7c Comparison

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Canon M3

24 MP | APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sony A7c

24 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Canon M3 vs Sony A7c Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing M3 and A7c, two Mirrorless cameras from Canon and Sony. Canon EOS M3 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless class camera and Sony Alpha A7c is a Advanced Mirrorless class camera.

Canon M3 was introduced to market in February 2015 and Sony A7c was launched in September 2020. As you can see, M3 is 5 years older than A7c. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon M3 and Sony A7c before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon M3 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-02-06

24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)

Canon EF-M Mount

3" Tilting Screen

4.2fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

366g. 111 x 68 x 44 mm

Sony A7c Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2020-09-14

24MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 51200

Sony E Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3 Fully articulated Screen

2360k dot Electronic viewfinder

10.0fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

120fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

509g. 124 x 71 x 60 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Canon M3 was replaced by Canon EOS M6. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS M6 vs Canon EOS M3
Canon EOS M6 vs Sony Alpha A7c

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon M3 and Sony A7c compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS M3 over Sony Alpha A7c

Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 922k dots	12% higher resolution screen
Weight	366 g vs 509 g	143 g lighter

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7c over Canon EOS M3

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder	Electronic vs Electronic (Optional)	Better framing and control
Max ISO	51.200 vs 12.800	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	693 vs 49	644 more focus points
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 4.2fps	5.8 fps faster
Battery Life	740 shots vs 250 shots	490 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port	Yes vs No	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Color Depth	25.0 vs 22.8	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	14.7 vs 11.8	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	3407 vs 1169	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	35.50µm² vs 13.84µm²	156% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range	±5 EV vs ±2 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
UHS Card Support	UHS-II vs none	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Animal Eye AF Tracking	Yes vs No	Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function	Yes vs No	Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker	Yes vs No	Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus	Yes vs No	Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject

Common Strengths of Canon EOS M3 and Sony Alpha A7c

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Adjustable LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fully articulated	Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Touch Screen	Yes vs Yes	Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	24 MP vs 24 MP	Bigger prints and more details
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs Yes	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
NFC Connection	Yes vs Yes	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS M3 and Sony Alpha A7c

Canon M3 vs Sony A7c: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon M3 and Sony A7c side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon M3 has external dimensions of 111 x 68 x 44 mm (4.37 x 2.68 x 1.73″) and weighs 366 g (0.81 lb / 12.91 oz) (including batteries). Sony A7c has external dimensions of 124 x 71 x 60 mm (4.88 x 2.8 x 2.36″) and weighs 509 g (1.12 lb / 17.95 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon M3 and Sony A7c. Canon M3 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 13mm narrower, 3mm shorter and 16mm thinner than Sony A7c.

Comparison image of Canon M3 and Sony A7c Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Canon M3 and Sony A7c.

Comparison image of Canon M3 and Sony A7c Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon M3 and Sony A7c.

Top View Comparison image of Canon M3 and Sony A7c Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon M3 is significantly lighter (143g ) than the Sony A7c which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Sony A7c has a Full frame sensor and Canon M3 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Canon M3's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7c lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7c

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7c

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of A7c, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to M3.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon M3 and Sony A7c's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Canon M3 vs Sony A7c: Sensor Comparison

Both Canon M3 and Sony A7c have 24.0 MP resolution sensors but Canon M3's sensor is APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) and Sony A7c's sensor is Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ).

Since Sony A7c's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Canon M3.

Below you can see the M3 and A7c sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon M3 and Sony A7c Cameras

As seen above, Sony A7c has a 2.6x Larger sensor area than Canon M3. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

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 M3 and Sony A7c sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A7c has a better overall score of 95, 23 points higher compared to M3's score of 72.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Canon M3	72	22.8 bits	11.8 Evs	1169 ISO
Sony A7c	95	25.0 bits	14.7 Evs	3407 ISO

Canon M3 vs Sony A7c Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A7c has an advantage over Canon M3 There are 146 lenses for Sony A7c's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 23 lenses for Canon M3's Canon EF-M lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A7c has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. A7c's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 5.0-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Canon M3 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 5 lenses for Canon EF-M mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type	# of Canon M3 Lenses	# of Sony A7c Lenses
Standard Zoom	1	13 (10 Full Frame)
Standard Prime	4	23 (13 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom	2	9 (8 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime	10	48 (32 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom	1	11 (9 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime	3	19 (15 Full Frame)
SuperZoom	1	9 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	1	2 (0 Full Frame)
Macro Prime	n/a	8 (7 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	2 (2 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	n/a
TOTAL	23	146 (98 Full Frame)

What types of Photography are Canon M3 and Sony A7c Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon M3 and Sony A7c for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon M3 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7c for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon M3 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony A7c for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon M3 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A7c for Sports Photography

GOOD

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
49 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.2fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
693 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 740 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Anti Flicker feature
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon M3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A7c for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
366g
Body Thickness 44mm
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Anti Flicker feature
Medium size Body
509g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details

Canon M3 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7c for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Canon M3 vs Sony A7c: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon M3 and Sony A7c, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon M3 and Sony A7c scores compare:

Canon M3

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #30 out of 129 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #189 out of 1228 in all Cameras

Sony A7c

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #2 out of 129 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #28 out of 1228 in all Cameras

Sony A7c is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon M3 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon M3. Otherwise, Sony A7c is the better camera overall.

Sony A7c vs Canon M3 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon EOS M3	Sony Alpha A7c
Brand	Canon	Sony
Announced	2015-02-06	2020-09-14
Body Type	Rangefinder-style mirrorless	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	APS-C	Full frame
Dimensions	22.3 x 14.9 mm	35.8 x 23.8 mm
Area	332.27mm²	852.04mm²
Megapixels	24 megapixels	24 megapixels
Max Resolution	6000 x 4000	6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,800 ISO	51,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	25600 ISO	204800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	50 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	49	693
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Canon EF-M	Sony E
Number of Available Lenses	23	146
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fully articulated
Size	3"	3
Resolution	1,040k dots	922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic (optional)	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder	2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.59x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter	n/a	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.00 m (at ISO 100)	no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	4.2 fps	10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	H.264	MPEG-4, XAVC S, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	366g	509g
Dimensions	111 x 68 x 44mm	124 x 71 x 60mm
Battery Life	250 shots	740 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	72	95
DxO Color Depth	22.8	25.0
DxO Dynamic Range	11.8	14.7
DxO Low Light ISO	1169	3407
	Report a correction	Report a correction