EOS Mvs Sony A9 III
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 III
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the sony a9 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | — | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
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