Canon G9 X vs M6

The Canon PowerShot G9 X and the Canon EOS M6 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in October 2015 and February 2017. The G9X is a fixed lens compact, while the M6 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on an one-inch (G9X) and an APS-C (M6) sensor. The G9X has a resolution of 20 megapixels, whereas the M6 provides 24 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

	VS
Canon G9 X		Canon M6
Fixed lens compact camera		Mirrorless system camera
28-84mm f/2.0-4.9		Canon EF-M mount lenses
20 MP, 1" Sensor		24 MP, APS-C Sensor
1080/60p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 125-12800		ISO 100-25600
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Viewfinder optional
3.0" LCD, 1040k dots		3.0" LCD, 1040k dots
Fixed touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
6 shutter flaps per second		9 shutter flaps per second
220 shots per battery charge		295 shots per battery charge
98 x 58 x 31 mm, 209 g		112 x 68 x 45 mm, 390 g

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon PowerShot G9 X and the Canon EOS M6? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon G9 X and the Canon M6 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Both cameras are available in two different colors (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon M6 is notably larger (34 percent) than the Canon G9 X. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the G9X nor the M6 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the G9X has a lens built in, whereas the M6 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

Concerning battery life, the G9X gets 220 shots out of its NB-13L battery, while the M6 can take 295 images on a single charge of its LP-E17 power pack. The power pack in the G9X can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon G9 X»	3.9 in	2.3 in	1.2 in	7.4 oz	220	n	Oct 2015	529		Canon G9 X
	Canon M6«	4.4 in	2.7 in	1.8 in	13.8 oz	295	n	Feb 2017	779		Canon M6
	Canon M6 Mark II« »	4.7 in	2.8 in	1.9 in	14.4 oz	305	n	Aug 2019	849		Canon M6 Mark II
	Canon M50« »	4.6 in	3.5 in	2.3 in	13.8 oz	235	n	Feb 2018	779		Canon M50
	Canon T7« »	5.1 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	16.8 oz	500	n	Feb 2018	449		Canon T7
	Canon G9 X Mark II« »	3.9 in	2.3 in	1.2 in	7.3 oz	235	n	Jan 2017	529		Canon G9 X Mark II
	Canon G7 X Mark II« »	4.2 in	2.4 in	1.7 in	11.3 oz	265	n	Feb 2016	699		Canon G7 X Mark II
	Canon M5« »	4.6 in	3.5 in	2.4 in	15.1 oz	295	n	Sep 2016	979		Canon M5
	Canon M3« »	4.4 in	2.7 in	1.7 in	12.9 oz	250	n	Feb 2015	679		Canon M3
	Canon M10« »	4.3 in	2.6 in	1.4 in	10.6 oz	255	n	Oct 2015	499		Canon M10
	Canon G7 X« »	4.1 in	2.4 in	1.6 in	10.7 oz	210	n	Sep 2014	699		Canon G7 X
	Nikon 1 J4« »	3.9 in	2.4 in	1.1 in	8.2 oz	300	n	Apr 2014	549		Nikon 1 J4
	Panasonic FZ1000« »	5.4 in	3.9 in	5.2 in	29.3 oz	360	n	Jun 2014	899		Panasonic FZ1000
	Sony RX100 V« »	4.0 in	2.3 in	1.6 in	10.5 oz	220	n	Oct 2016	999		Sony RX100 V
	Sony RX100 IV« »	4.0 in	2.3 in	1.6 in	10.5 oz	280	n	Jun 2015	999		Sony RX100 IV
	Sony RX100 III« »	4.0 in	2.3 in	1.6 in	10.2 oz	320	n	May 2014	799		Sony RX100 III
	Sony RX100« »	4.0 in	2.3 in	1.4 in	8.5 oz	330	n	Jun 2012	649		Sony RX100
Convert to Metric
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The G9X was launched at a lower price than the M6, despite having a lens built in. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon G9 X features an one-inch sensor and the Canon M6 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the M6 is 186 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.7 and 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, the M6 uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 7) than the G9X (DIGIC 6), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

With 24MP, the M6 offers a higher resolution than the G9X (20MP), but the M6 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.72μm versus 2.41μm for the G9X) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the M6 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 4 months) than the G9X, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The resolution advantage of the Canon M6 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the M6 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inch or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inch or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inch or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon G9 X are 27.4 x 18.2 inch or 69.5 x 46.3 cm for good quality, 21.9 x 14.6 inch or 55.6 x 37.1 cm for very good quality, and 18.2 x 12.2 inch or 46.3 x 30.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The M6 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon PowerShot G9 X has a native sensitivity range from ISO 125 to ISO 12800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS M6 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600 (no boost).

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/60p).

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The G9X and the M6 are similar in the sense that neither of the two has a viewfinder. The images are, thus, framed using live view on the rear LCD. That said, the M6 can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the EVF-DC2. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon G9 X and Canon M6 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

The Canon G9 X and the Canon M6 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the G9X and the M6 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon PowerShot G9 X and Canon EOS M6 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

It is notable that the M6 has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The G9X does not feature such a mic input.

Both the G9X and the M6 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The G9X was replaced by the Canon G9 X Mark II, while the M6 was followed by the Canon M6 Mark II. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Canon website.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon G9 X and the Canon M6? Which camera is better? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Canon PowerShot G9 X:

• Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the M6 requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (98x58mm vs 112x68mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the M6).
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in October 2015).

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS M6:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 20MP), which boosts linear resolution by 10%.
• Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
• Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 7 vs DIGIC 6).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• More framing options: Can be equipped with a hotshoe-mounted accessory-viewfinder.
• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/4000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (9 vs 6 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (295 versus 220) out of a single battery charge.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 4 months) more recently.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the M6 is the clear winner of the contest (18 : 6 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon G9 X and the Canon M6 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Travel-Zoom Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the G9X or the M6 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Review Scores

	Camera Model	cam era   labs	dp re   view	e photo   zine	ima ging resource	photo graphy   blog	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon G9 X	+ +	..	4.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	529		Canon G9 X
	Canon M6	..	80/100	4/5	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	779		Canon M6
	Canon M6 Mark II	+	85/100	4/5	..	4/5	Aug 2019	849		Canon M6 Mark II
	Canon M50	+	79/100	..	4/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	779		Canon M50
	Canon T7	o	..	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449		Canon T7
	Canon G9 X Mark II	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	529		Canon G9 X Mark II
	Canon G7 X Mark II	+ +	81/100	4.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	699		Canon G7 X Mark II
	Canon M5	+	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979		Canon M5
	Canon M3	o	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	679		Canon M3
	Canon M10	..	..	..	o	4/5	Oct 2015	499		Canon M10
	Canon G7 X	+ +	77/100	4.5/5	3.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	699		Canon G7 X
	Nikon 1 J4	..	..	4.5/5	..	4/5	Apr 2014	549		Nikon 1 J4
	Panasonic FZ1000	+ +	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	899		Panasonic FZ1000
	Sony RX100 V	+ +	83/100	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	999		Sony RX100 V
	Sony RX100 IV	+ +	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	999		Sony RX100 IV
	Sony RX100 III	+ +	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	799		Sony RX100 III
	Sony RX100	+ +	78/100	4/5	5/5	5/5	Jun 2012	649		Sony RX100
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

Specifications: Canon G9 X vs Canon M6

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

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