EOS Mvs A7R II
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R 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.
Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The a7r ii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the a7r ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £799 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history