EOS Mvs A1 II
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors — EOS M (2012): Canon's first mirrorless — a historic body that broke new ground with touch-AF and EF-M, but its sluggish contrast-detect system quickly became its Achilles heel.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
Who should buy what
EOS M (2012)
- Canon shooters who want the camera that started Canon's mirrorless story
- Budget first-time mirrorless buyers who already own EF/EF-S glass
- Collectors of significant digital camera milestones
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the a1 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | A1 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | — | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Landscape | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with EOS M
Camera family history