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Canon M6 II vs Sony A1 Comparison

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Canon M6 MII

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

Canon M6 MII
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Sony A1

50 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) Stacked CMOS Sensor

Sony A1
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Canon M6 MII vs Sony A1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing M6 II and A1, two Mirrorless cameras from Canon and Sony. Canon EOS M6 Mark II is a Advanced Mirrorless class camera and Sony Alpha A1 is a Pro Mirrorless class camera.

Canon M6 MII was introduced to market in August 2019 and Sony A1 was launched in January 2021. There is 17 months difference between M6 II and A1 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger A1, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon M6 MII and Sony A1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon M6 MII Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-08-28
  • 33MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 51200)
  • Canon EF-M Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 14.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 408g. 120 x 70 x 49 mm
  • Replaced Canon EOS M6 Compare

Sony A1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2021-01-26
  • 50MP - Full frame Stacked CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50 - 102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 9437k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps (30.0fps Electronic) continuous shooting
  • 8K - 7680 x 4320 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 737g. 129 x 97 x81 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon M6 MII and Sony A1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS M6 Mark II over Sony Alpha A1
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight
408 g vs 737 g 329 g lighter
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
CHECK M6 II PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A1 over Canon EOS M6 Mark II
Gyroscopic Stabilization
Yes vs No Stabilize video in post process
Zero Blackout Viewfinder
Yes vs No No Blackout during continuous shooting
Video Record Limit
Unlimited vs Limited Record clips longer than 30 minutes
Anti-dust Shutter Mechanism
Yes vs No Shutter is closed to protect the sensor
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Viewfinder
Electronic vs Electronic (Optional) Better framing and control
Sensor Resolution
50 MP vs 33 MP 51% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 25.600 25% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
759 vs 143 616 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.440k dots vs 1.040k dots 38% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Max Elect. Shutter
1/32000s vs 1/16000s faster electronic shutter
Continuous Shooting
30.0fps vs 14.0fps 16 fps faster
Battery Life
530 shots vs 305 shots 225 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Viewfinder Resolution
9437.184k dot vs 2360k dot 299% higher resolution
Sensor Pixel Area
17.31µm2 vs 10.29µm2 68% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
7680 x 4320 vs 3840 x 2160 Higher Resolution Video
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Full-size HDMI Port
Yes vs No Use standard HDMI cables without adapters
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (199 MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
CFexpress Card Support
Yes (Type A) vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK A1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Canon EOS M6 Mark II and Sony Alpha A1
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection
Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting 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
33 MP vs 50 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 1.440k dots High resolution screens
Continuous Shooting
14.0fps vs 10.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-II Read/Write in High Speeds
Webcam Function
Yes vs Yes Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti_flicker
Yes vs Yes Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS M6 Mark II and Sony Alpha A1
Canon M6 MII vs Sony A1: 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 M6 MII and Sony A1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon M6 MII has external dimensions of 120 x 70 x 49 mm (4.72 x 2.76 x 1.93″) and weighs 408 g (0.90 lb / 14.39 oz) (including batteries). Sony A1 has external dimensions of 129 x 97 x 81 mm (5.08 x 3.82 x 3.19″) and weighs 737 g (1.62 lb / 26.00 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon M6 MII and Sony A1. Canon M6 MII is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 9mm narrower, 27mm shorter and 32mm thinner than Sony A1.

Canon M6 MII vs Sony A1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Canon M6 MII and Sony A1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Canon M6 MII and Sony A1.

Canon M6 MII vs Sony A1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Canon M6 MII and Sony A1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon M6 MII and Sony A1.
Canon M6 MII vs Sony A1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Canon M6 MII and Sony A1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon M6 MII is significantly lighter (329g ) than the Sony A1 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 A1 has a Full frame sensor and Canon M6 MII has a smaller APS-C sensor, Canon M6 MII's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A1 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

M6 II
A1
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

M6 II
A1
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of A1, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to M6 II.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon M6 MII and Sony A1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels.
Canon M6 MII vs Sony A1: Sensor Comparison

Canon M6 MII has a 33.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 8 processor. On the other hand, Sony A1 has a 50.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized Stacked CMOS sensor and features Dual Bionz XR processor.

Sony A1's sensor provides 17MP more than Canon M6 MII'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 M6 II and A1 sensor size comparison.

Canon M6 MII vs Sony A1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon M6 MII and Sony A1 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A1 has a 2.6x Larger sensor area than Canon M6 MII. 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.

Canon M6 MII vs Sony A1 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 A1 has an advantage over Canon M6 MII There are 184 lenses for Sony A1's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 29 lenses for Canon M6 MII's Canon EF-M lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A1 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. A1's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 5.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Canon M6 MII doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 6 lenses for Canon EF-M mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Canon M6 MII Lenses # of Sony A1 Lenses
Standard Zoom 1 18 (13 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 5 32 (18 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 2 12 (10 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 11 57 (39 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 1 15 (13 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 6 26 (20 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 1 10 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 1 2 (0 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 1 9 (8 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime n/a 2 (2 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 29 184 (125 Full Frame)

What types of Photography are Canon M6 MII and Sony A1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon M6 MII and Sony A1 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 M6 MII for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A1 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 33.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 50.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon M6 MII for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony A1 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 (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon M6 MII for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A1 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Fast Continuous Shooting: 14.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
143 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
759 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 530 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Anti Flicker feature
Read the details

Canon M6 MII for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A1 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Medium size Body
408g
Body Thickness 49mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Anti Flicker feature
Medium size Body
737g
Body Thickness 81mm
Read the details

Canon M6 MII for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A1 for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 33.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 50.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Canon M6 MII vs Sony A1: 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 M6 MII and Sony A1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 M6 MII and Sony A1 scores compare:

Canon M6 MII
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #10 out of 130 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #100 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Sony A1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 102 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #2 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Sony A1 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon M6 MII in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon M6 MII. Otherwise, Sony A1 is the better camera overall.

Canon M6 MII
Canon M6 MII
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Sony A1
Sony A1
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Sony A1 vs Canon M6 MII Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon EOS M6 Mark II Sony Alpha A1
Brand Canon Sony
Announced 2019-08-28 2021-01-26
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS Stacked CMOS
Size APS-C Full frame
Dimensions 22.3 x 14.9 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 332.27mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 33 megapixels 50 megapixels
Max Resolution 6960 x 4640 8640 x 5760
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 32,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 51200 ISO 102400 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 143 759
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Canon EF-M Sony E
Number of Available Lenses 29 184
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 1,440k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots 9,437k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.9x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s 1/32000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization No Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.60 m (at ISO 100) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/400s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 14.0 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 7680 x 4320
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 XAVC S, XAVC HS, H.264, H.265
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 408g 737g
Dimensions 120 x 70 x 49mm 129 x 97 x81mm
Battery Life 305 shots 530 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 98
DxO Color Depth not tested 25.9
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 14.5
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 3163
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