Canon M10 vs SX710

The Canon EOS M10 and the Canon PowerShot SX710 HS are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in October 2015 and January 2015. The M10 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the SX710 is a fixed lens compact. The cameras are based on an APS-C (M10) and a 1/2.3-inch (SX710) sensor. The M10 has a resolution of 17.9 megapixels, whereas the SX710 provides 20.2 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Canon M10		Canon SX710
Mirrorless system camera		Fixed lens compact camera
Canon EF-M mount lenses		25-750mm f/3.2-6.9
17.9 MP, APS-C Sensor		20.2 MP, 1/2.3" Sensor
1080/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-12,800 (100 - 25,600)		ISO 80-3,200
No viewfinder, LCD framing		No viewfinder, LCD framing
3.0 LCD, 1040k dots		3.0 LCD, 922k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
4.6 shutter flaps per second		6 shutter flaps per second
255 shots per battery charge		230 shots per battery charge
108 x 67 x 35 mm, 301 g		113 x 66 x 35 mm, 269 g

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS M10 and the Canon PowerShot SX710 HS? 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

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon M10 and the Canon SX710. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The M10 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the SX710 is also available in two color-versions, but different ones (black, red).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon SX710 is somewhat larger (3 percent) than the Canon M10. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the M10 nor the SX710 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the SX710 has a lens built in, whereas the M10 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 M10 gets 255 shots out of its LP-E12 battery, while the SX710 can take 230 images on a single charge of its NB-6LH power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon M10	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	301 g	255	n	Oct 2015	499
2.		Canon SX710	113 mm	66 mm	35 mm	269 g	230	n	Jan 2015	349
3.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	499
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	106 mm	61 mm	42 mm	319 g	265	n	Feb 2016	699
5.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	979
6.		Canon SX420	104 mm	69 mm	85 mm	325 g	195	n	Jan 2016	299
7.		Canon SX720	110 mm	64 mm	36 mm	270 g	250	n	Feb 2016	379
8.		Canon G5 X	112 mm	76 mm	44 mm	353 g	210	n	Oct 2015	799
9.		Canon G9 X	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	209 g	220	n	Oct 2015	529
10.		Canon M3	111 mm	68 mm	44 mm	366 g	250	n	Feb 2015	679
11.		Canon SX700	113 mm	66 mm	35 mm	269 g	250	n	Feb 2014	349
12.		Canon 1200D	130 mm	100 mm	78 mm	480 g	500	n	Feb 2014	449
13.		Canon G7 X	103 mm	60 mm	40 mm	304 g	210	n	Sep 2014	699
14.		Canon M	109 mm	66 mm	32 mm	298 g	230	n	Jul 2012	599
15.		Sony A5000	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	269 g	420	n	Jan 2014	449
Notes: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

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 SX710 was launched at a lower price than the M10, despite having a lens built in. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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 imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and 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 tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon M10 features an APS-C sensor and the Canon SX710 a 1/2.3-inch sensor. The sensor area in the SX710 is 92 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 5.6. The sensor in the M10 has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, while the one in the SX710 offers a 4:3 aspect.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the SX710 offers a higher resolution of 20.2 megapixels, compared with 17.9 MP of the M10. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 1.18μm versus 4.31μm for the M10). Moreover, it should be noted that the M10 is a somewhat more recent model (by 9 months) than the SX710, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the SX710 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The M10 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS M10 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon PowerShot SX710 HS are ISO 80 to ISO 3200 (no boost).

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon M10	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.4	753	65
2.		Canon SX710	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	..	..	..	..
3.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	..	..	..	..
5.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
6.		Canon SX420	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/25p	..	..	..	..
7.		Canon SX720	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	..	..	..	..
8.		Canon G5 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	..	..	..	..
9.		Canon G9 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.5	12.3	495	63
10.		Canon M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
11.		Canon SX700	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	..	..	..	..
12.		Canon 1200D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.3	724	63
13.		Canon G7 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	23.0	12.7	556	71
14.		Canon M	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.2	827	65
15.		Sony A5000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.8	13.0	1089	79

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, but the SX710 provides a faster frame rate than the M10. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60p, while the M10 is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The M10 and the SX710 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. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon M10 and Canon SX710 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Size (inch)	LCD Resolution (000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Mech Shutter Speed	Shutter Flaps (1/sec)	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon M10	none	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.6	Y	n
2.		Canon SX710	none	n	3.0	922	fixed	n	1/3200s	6.0	Y	Y
3.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1	Y	n
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	none	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	8.0	Y	Y
5.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2	1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0	Y	n
6.		Canon SX420	none	n	3.0	230	fixed	n	1/4000s	0.5	Y	Y
7.		Canon SX720	none	n	3.0	922	fixed	n	1/3200s	5.9	Y	Y
8.		Canon G5 X	2360	n	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	5.9	Y	Y
9.		Canon G9 X	none	n	3.0	1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	6.0	Y	Y
10.		Canon M3	optional	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2	Y	n
11.		Canon SX700	none	n	3.0	922	fixed	n	1/3200s	8.5	Y	Y
12.		Canon 1200D	optical	n	3.0	460	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0	Y	n
13.		Canon G7 X	none	n	3.0	1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	6.5	Y	Y
14.		Canon M	none	n	3.0	1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.3	n	n
15.		Sony A5000	none	n	3.0	461	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.5	Y	n

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The M10 has a touchscreen, while the SX710 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the M10 and the SX710 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 EOS M10 and Canon PowerShot SX710 HS and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Microphone	Internal Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon M10	-	stereo	mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
2.		Canon SX710	-	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon M100	-	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	-	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon M5	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon SX420	-	mono	mono	-	-	-	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon SX720	-	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Canon G5 X	Y	stereo	mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Canon G9 X	-	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Canon M3	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Canon SX700	-	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Canon 1200D	Y	mono	mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Canon G7 X	-	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Canon M	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Sony A5000	-	stereo	mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

Both the M10 and the SX710 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The SX710 was replaced by the Canon SX720, while the M10 was followed by the Canon M100. 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 is the bottom line? Is the Canon M10 better than the Canon SX710 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS M10:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better image quality: Features a larger and more technologically advanced imaging 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 live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 922k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• 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 1/3200s) to freeze action.
• More flexible: Accepts interchangeable lenses, so that lens characteristics can be altered.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (255 versus 230) on a single battery charge.
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 9 months after the SX710).

Advantages of the Canon PowerShot SX710 HS:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/30p).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 4.6 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Ready to shoot: Has an integrated lens, whereas the M10 necessitates an extra lens.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight even though it has a lens built in (unlike the M10).
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• 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 January 2015).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the M10 is the clear winner of the match-up (14 : 8 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 M10 and the Canon SX710 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best Superzoom Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the M10 or the SX710 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 why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). 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.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon M10	..	..	..	..	4/5	Oct 2015	499
2.		Canon SX710	..	+	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2015	349
3.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	4.5/5	+ +	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	699
5.		Canon M5	4/5	+	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979
6.		Canon SX420	..	..	..	..	3/5	Jan 2016	299
7.		Canon SX720	..	+	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	379
8.		Canon G5 X	5/5	+ +	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	799
9.		Canon G9 X	3.5/5	+ +	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	529
10.		Canon M3	4/5	o	75/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	679
11.		Canon SX700	..	+ +	..	4/5	4/5	Feb 2014	349
12.		Canon 1200D	3/5	+	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	449
13.		Canon G7 X	4/5	+ +	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	699
14.		Canon M	3/5	+	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2012	599
15.		Sony A5000	3/5	+	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	449
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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Specifications: Canon M10 vs Canon SX710

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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