Sony A57 has a
16.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Canon M has a
18.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5 processor.
Below you can see the A57 and M sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A57 and Canon M Cameras
As seen above, Sony A57 has a 1.1x Larger sensor area than Canon M. 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
Both Sony A57 and Canon M sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A57 has scored 75, 10 points higher than M.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A57
75
23.4 bits
13.0 Evs
785 ISO
Canon M
65
22.1 bits
11.2 Evs
827 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
Sony A57
or the
Canon M ,
including hyperfocal distance.
