EOS Mvs A9
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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 & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
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
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
Quick take: The a9 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the a9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| 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