Decision tools · Compare
EOS M3 vs A1
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the EOS M3 is the most affordable; only the A1 is weather sealed.
Where the EOS M3 wins
- Cheaper new: £79 vs £4,199
- Weight: 366g (body only)
- Street: 6.9 vs 6.1
Where the A1 wins
- Resolution: 50.1MP
- Burst Rate: 30fps electronic with full AF/AE
- Battery Life: ~430 shots (CIPA)
- Weather Sealed: Yes
- Portrait: 8.2 vs 5.6
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video, Clifton Cameras, MPB, eBay and Amazon UK
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Size comparedbody only, no lens · drawn to one scale
- EOS M3 111 × 68 × 44 mm · 366 g
- A1 129 × 97 × 81 mm · 737 g
The EOS M3 is 18 mm narrower, 29 mm shorter, 37 mm slimmer and 371 g lighter than the A1.
Drawn to scale from the makers' dimensions (W × H × D). Front shown, depth on the slanted edge.
Verdictwhich should you buy?
EOS M3 — Casual & Everyday: The EOS M3 was a meaningful upgrade over the original EOS M — bringing 24MP, a tilting touchscreen, and improved Hybrid CMOS AF III. Video tops out at 1080p/30p and burst shooting is modest, but for stills photographers wanting affordable APS-C quality, the M3 is a competent used-market option.
A1 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
EOS M3 (2015)
is the right camera for you if…
- Photographers who want affordable 24MP APS-C quality on a budget
- Casual shooters who want a compact EF-M camera with a tilting screen
- Users looking for an affordable entry into the Canon EF-M ecosystem
- Used-market buyers wanting a capable but inexpensive mirrorless
A1 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | EOS M3Canon · 2015 | A1Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £79 usedBest | £4,199 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 50.1MPBest |
| Video | 1080p/30p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Hybrid CMOS AF III (phase-detect + contrast-detect) | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4.2fps | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest |
| Battery Life | ~250 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 366g (body only)Best | 737g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 110.9 × 68.0 × 44.4mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | YesBest |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF-DC1 accessory) | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
EOS M3
A1
Portrait
5.6/10
8.2/10
Street
6.9/10
6.1/10
Travel
6.0/10
5.9/10
Wedding & Events
4.1/10
7.9/10
Vlogging & Video
4.8/10
—
Documentary
4.3/10
7.6/10
Sports & Action
4.2/10
8.8/10
Landscape
4.7/10
7.6/10
Wildlife
4.4/10
8.7/10
Casual
4.7/10
4.8/10
Food
5.5/10
7.4/10
Macro
4.5/10
7.3/10
Architecture
4.7/10
7.9/10
Astrophotography
4.1/10
6.8/10
Filmmaking
—
7.8/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
Next
More comparisons with EOS M3
Camera family history