Canon M50 vs Sony a6000 - A Complete Comparison [2020]

The Canon EOS M50 and the Sony a6000 are mirrorless digital cameras by two different brands that were announced four years apart in February 2018 and February 2014 respectively. Both the cameras are interchangeable lens cameras fitted with a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor. There have been a lot of debates surrounding the two cameras with individuals comparing the camera’s feature set and characteristics to try and determine what sets them apart. We compare the cameras body size, image sensors, shooting capabilities and features, amongst other things to try and find out which between the two is a better camera.

Comparison – At a Glance

Canon M50 vs Sony A6000 – Physical Body Attributes

To start us off, we conducted a research into the different colors that the cameras were available in and discovered that the Canon EOS M50 was available in black and white while the Sony a6000 was available in three colors namely silver, white and black which gave users more variety to choose from that would suit their aesthetic appeal.

The weight and physical sizes of the cameras also varied. The Canon M50 weighed 390 grams in comparison to the Sony a6000’s 344 grams. The dimensions of the camera were as follows 116 x 88 x 59 mm and 120 x 67 x 45 mm for the Canon and Sony cameras respectively. Albeit having small differences as far as the weight and physical size was concerned, the Sony a6000 was notably smaller and lighter than the Canon M50, and before anyone thinks that it may not have been a fair judgment, both cameras are not weather sealed.

In this section we also considered the camera’s battery life because the battery plays a significant role in influencing various attributes pertaining to the physical body. Nevertheless, while there was no notable difference as a result of the batteries, it is important to note that the Sony a6000 uses an NP-FW50 battery captures 360 shots on single charge while the EOS M50 uses an LP-E12 battery that captures 235 shots on single charge. You can charge the NP-FW50 powerpack via USB which makes it ideal for individuals on the move.

Canon M50 vs Sony a6000 – Image Sensor

Anyone who has been using cameras for a while now knows that a camera’s image sensor is its soul and a crucial contributing factor of the image output. If a camera is fitted with a large sensor that means its individual pixels are much large and this will improve the camera’s sensitivity in low light settings, better the dynamic range and produce a richer color depth in comparison to cameras with small sensors.

Both these cameras have large APS-C sensors however the sensors differ all so slightly. The Sony a6000 has a sensor area that is 11% larger than that of the M50, which results in the cameras having different crop/form factors. The Sony a600 has a 1.5x crop factor while the Canon M50 has a 1.6x crop factor.

The cameras do however share a 3:2 native aspect ratio. Despite the Sony a6000 having a slightly larger sensor, the cameras share a 24-megapixel resolution implying that the Sony camera has bigger individual pixels and a smaller pixel density and as such it benefits in terms of its capacity to gather light.

Nevertheless, this does not in any way discount the capabilities of the M50 which is the newer and technologically advanced camera of two. The native sensitivity range of a camera is also influenced by its sensor, and both these cameras have the exact ISO range of between 100 and 25600, with the ISO range on the EOS M50 being expandable to ISO 100-51200.

One noteworthy fete that both these cameras are capable of thanks to their sensors, would be their ability to capture both stills and videos. The 24-megapixel APS-C sensor that the cameras are equipped with, has fast read-out times that is adequate for moving imagery. The Canon EOS M50 stands out here because it can capture 4K quality videos at 25 frames per second while the Sony a6000 only manages a 1080p video quality at 60 frames per second.

Canon M50 vs Sony a6000 Feature Set

Besides the physical attributes and sensor, cameras typically have several other features that they are fitted with. One such feature is the electronic viewfinder (EVF) which both cameras are equipped with. The EVF of the cameras varies as the Sony a6000’s EVF has a significantly lower resolution (1440k dots) in comparison to the EOS M50 whose EVF resolution is 2360k dots. Other features that are similar include inbuilt flash, a 3-inch LCD screen, a mechanical shutter speed of 1/4000s, and the lack of in-body stabilization.

The distinguishing feature of the cameras is the LCD screen in the camera, which is a conventional panel that tilts in the a6000 and a touchscreen that swivels in the M50. The touchscreen element of the screen is helpful when trying to operate the camera and for example set the focus zone you would like to capture. The second differentiating feature pertains to the connectivity options where the Sony a6000 does not have Bluetooth capabilities and a microphone port which are available on the Canon M50. Considering connectivity options, both cameras have a Hot shoe Port, internal speaker, HDMI port, USB 2.0, Wi-fi and NFC support which work cohesively to ensure that the camera effectively communicates with the surroundings in which it is being used.

Final Thoughts

There are several other factors that can be used to compare the Canon EOS M50 and the Sony a6000 that we have not discussed above. However, you can effortlessly decide based on the three elements as each camera has its set of strengths and weaknesses. A review of the camera’s different strengths and weakness discussed above point towards the Canon M50 being the camera that takes home the win, but the relative significance placed on the various features is entirely dependent on an individual’s needs and preferences. As such only you can apply the equivalent weights to the specific features you feel are more sensible to you before making your final decision.