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Canon M200 vs Sony A5100

The Canon EOS M200 and the Sony Alpha A5100 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2019 and August 2014. Both the M200 and the A5100 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

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

Headline Specifications
Canon M200
versus
Sony A5100
Canon M200   Sony A5100
Mirrorless system camera Mirrorless system camera
Canon EF-M mount lenses Sony E mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor 24 MP – APS-C sensor
4k/25p Video 1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600 ISO 100-25,600
No viewfinder, LCD framing No viewfinder, LCD framing
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots 3.0" LCD – 922k dots
Tilting touchscreen Tilting touchscreen
6.1 shutter flaps per second 6 shutter flaps per second
315 shots per battery charge400 shots per battery charge
108 x 67 x 35 mm, 299 g 110 x 63 x 36 mm, 283 g
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS M200 and the Sony Alpha A5100? 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.

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Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon M200 and the Sony A5100. 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 width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

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

Size Canon M200 vs Sony A5100
Compare M200 versus A5100 top
Comparison M200 or A5100 rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A5100 is somewhat smaller (4 percent) than the Canon M200. Moreover, the A5100 is markedly lighter (5 percent) than the M200. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the M200 nor the A5100 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the M200 gets 315 shots out of its Canon LP-E12 battery, while the A5100 can take 400 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FW50 power pack. The power pack in the A5100 can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. 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.

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Body Specifications
# image Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon M200 108 mm 67 mm 35 mm 299 g 315 n Sep 2019 549ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A5100 110 mm 63 mm 36 mm 283 g 400 n Aug 2014 549ebay.com
3.
 
Canon R100 116 mm 86 mm 69 mm 356 g 400 n May 2023 479 amazon.com
4.
 
Canon M50 Mark II 116 mm 88 mm 59 mm 387 g 305 n Oct 2020 599ebay.com
5.
 
Canon SL3 122 mm 93 mm 70 mm 449 g 1070 n Apr 2019 599 amazon.com
6.
 
Canon M50 116 mm 88 mm 59 mm 390 g 235 n Feb 2018 779ebay.com
7.
 
Canon SX740 110 mm 64 mm 40 mm 299 g 265 n Jul 2018 399 amazon.com
8.
 
Canon T7 129 mm 101 mm 78 mm 475 g 500 n Feb 2018 449 amazon.com
9.
 
Canon M100 108 mm 67 mm 35 mm 302 g 295 n Aug 2017 499ebay.com
10.
 
Canon M10 108 mm 67 mm 35 mm 301 g 255 n Oct 2015 499ebay.com
11.
 
Canon M 109 mm 66 mm 32 mm 298 g 230 n Jul 2012 599ebay.com
12.
 
Fujifilm XF10 113 mm 64 mm 41 mm 279 g 330 n Jul 2018 499ebay.com
13.
 
Sony A5000 110 mm 63 mm 36 mm 269 g 420 n Jan 2014 449ebay.com
14.
 
Sony A6000 120 mm 67 mm 45 mm 344 g 360 n Feb 2014 599ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A3000 128 mm 91 mm 85 mm 411 g 470 n Aug 2013 329ebay.com
16.
 
Sony NEX-3N 110 mm 62 mm 35 mm 269 g 480 n Feb 2013 499ebay.com
17.
 
Sony NEX-3 117 mm 62 mm 33 mm 297 g 330 n May 2010 599ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. 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 size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units 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.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the A5100 is 11 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (M200) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Canon M200 and Sony A5100 sensor measures

Even though the A5100 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the A5100 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 3.72μm for the M200), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the M200 is much more recent (by 5 years and 1 month) than the A5100, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The Canon EOS M200 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600. The Sony Alpha A5100 offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

M200 versus A5100 MP

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 adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
# image Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Canon M200 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004k/25p24.013.5183682
2.
 
Sony A5100 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p23.812.7134780
3.
 
Canon R100 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004k/24p24.113.9219784
4.
 
Canon M50 Mark II APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/24p24.013.6193983
5.
 
Canon SL3 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/25p23.913.4179182
6.
 
Canon M50 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/24p23.813.3168481
7.
 
Canon SX740 1/2.3 20.2 5184 38884K/30p20.612.1105051
8.
 
Canon T7 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p23.813.3168481
9.
 
Canon M100 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p23.512.9127278
10.
 
Canon M10 APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.211.475365
11.
 
Canon M APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.111.282765
12.
 
Fujifilm XF10 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/15p24.013.4184483
13.
 
Sony A5000 APS-C 19.8 5456 36321080/60i23.813.0108979
14.
 
Sony A6000 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.113.1134782
15.
 
Sony A3000 APS-C 19.8 5456 36321080/60i23.712.8106878
16.
 
Sony NEX-3N APS-C 16.0 4912 32641080/60i22.812.5106774
17.
 
Sony NEX-3 APS-C 14.0 4592 3056720/30p22.112.083068
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the M200 provides a higher video resolution than the A5100. It can shoot video footage at 4k/25p, while the Sony is limited to 1080/60p.

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Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The M200 and the A5100 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 following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon M200, the Sony A5100, and comparable cameras.

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Core Features
# image Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Canon M200none n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/4000s 6.1/s Y n
2.
 
Sony A5100none n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
3.
 
Canon R1002360 n3.0 / 1040 fixed n 1/4000s 6.5/s Y n
4.
 
Canon M50 Mark II2360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 10.0/s Y n
5.
 
Canon SL3optical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
6.
 
Canon M502360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 10.0/s Y n
7.
 
Canon SX740none n3.0 / 922 tilting n 1/3200s 10.0/s Y Y
8.
 
Canon T7optical n3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
9.
 
Canon M100none n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/4000s 6.1/s Y n
10.
 
Canon M10none n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/4000s 4.6/s Y n
11.
 
Canon Mnone n3.0 / 1040 fixed Y 1/4000s 4.3/s n n
12.
 
Fujifilm XF10none n3.0 / 1040 fixed Y 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
13.
 
Sony A5000none n3.0 / 461 tilting n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
14.
 
Sony A60001440 n3.0 / 922 tilting n 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
15.
 
Sony A3000202 n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
16.
 
Sony NEX-3Noptional n3.0 / 460 tilting n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y n
17.
 
Sony NEX-3optional n3.0 / 920 tilting n 1/4000s 7.0/s n n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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Both cameras have an articulated rear screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This feature will be particularly appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies.

The M200 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A5100 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

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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 M200 and Sony Alpha A5100 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
# image Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Canon M200-stereo / mono--micro2.0Y-Y
2.
 
Sony A5100-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
3.
 
Canon R100Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y-Y
4.
 
Canon M50 Mark IIYstereo / monoY-micro2.0Y-Y
5.
 
Canon SL3Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0Y-Y
6.
 
Canon M50Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y-Y
7.
 
Canon SX740-stereo / mono--micro2.0Y-Y
8.
 
Canon T7Ymono / mono--mini2.0YY-
9.
 
Canon M100-stereo / mono--micro2.0YYY
10.
 
Canon M10-stereo / mono--mini2.0YY-
11.
 
Canon MYstereo / monoY-mini2.0---
12.
 
Fujifilm XF10-stereo / monoY-micro2.0Y-Y
13.
 
Sony A5000-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
14.
 
Sony A6000Ystereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
15.
 
Sony A3000Ystereo / mono--mini2.0---
16.
 
Sony NEX-3N-stereo / mono--micro2.0---
17.
 
Sony NEX-3Ystereo / mono--mini2.0---
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Both the M200 and the A5100 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Canon and Sony. Further information on the features and operation of the M200 and A5100 can be found, respectively, in the Canon M200 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A5100 Manual.

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Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Canon M200 better than the Sony A5100 or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

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Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS M200:

  • Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4k/25p vs 1080/60p).
  • More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 922k dots).
  • Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
  • More modern: Reflects 5 years and 1 month of technical progress since the A5100 launch.

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Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A5100:

  • Longer lasting: Gets more shots (400 versus 315) out of a single battery charge.
  • Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
  • Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
  • More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2014).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the match-up finishes in a tie (4 points each). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

M200 04:04 A5100

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon M200 and the Sony A5100 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the M200 or the A5100. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], 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.

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Expert Camera Reviews
# image  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon M200..+3/579/1004/54/5 Sep 2019 549ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A51004.5/5+....4.5/55/5 Aug 2014 549ebay.com
3.
 
Canon R1003/5o4.5/579/100..3.5/5 May 2023 479 amazon.com
4.
 
Canon M50 Mark II4/5..4/5..4.5/53.5/5 Oct 2020 599ebay.com
5.
 
Canon SL34/5o4.5/579/1004/54/5 Apr 2019 599 amazon.com
6.
 
Canon M50..+4/579/100..3.5/5 Feb 2018 779ebay.com
7.
 
Canon SX740..+3.5/5..4/54/5 Jul 2018 399 amazon.com
8.
 
Canon T7..o3.5/5..3.5/53.5/5 Feb 2018 449 amazon.com
9.
 
Canon M1003/5+....4/53.5/5 Aug 2017 499ebay.com
10.
 
Canon M10..........4/5 Oct 2015 499ebay.com
11.
 
Canon M3/5+....4/54/5 Jul 2012 599ebay.com
12.
 
Fujifilm XF10....4/575/1004/54.5/5 Jul 2018 499ebay.com
13.
 
Sony A50003/5+....4.5/54.5/5 Jan 2014 449ebay.com
14.
 
Sony A60005/5+4.5/580/1004.5/55/5 Feb 2014 599ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A30003/5+....4/54/5 Aug 2013 329ebay.com
16.
 
Sony NEX-3N3/5......4.5/54.5/5 Feb 2013 499ebay.com
17.
 
Sony NEX-3......70/1004.5/54/5 May 2010 599ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, 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.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Specifications: Canon M200 vs Sony A5100

    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.

    Camera Specifications
    Camera Model Canon M200 Sony A5100
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Canon EF-M mount lenses Sony E mount lenses
    Launch Date September 2019 August 2014
    Launch Price USD 549 USD 549
    Sensor Specs Canon M200 Sony A5100
    Sensor Technology CMOS CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 22.3 x 14.9 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
    Sensor Area 332.27 mm2 366.6 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 26.8 mm 28.2 mm
    Crop Factor 1.6x 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 24 Megapixels 24 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 6000 x 4000 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.72 μm 3.91 μm
    Pixel Density 7.22 MP/cm2 6.55 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 4k/25p Video 1080/60p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 25,600 ISO 100 - 25,600 ISO
    Image Processor DIGIC 8 BIONZ X
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) .. 80
    DXO Color Depth (bits) .. 23.8
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) .. 12.7
    DXO Low Light (ISO) .. 1347
    Screen Specs Canon M200 Sony A5100
    Viewfinder Type no viewfinder no viewfinder
    LCD Framing Live View Live View
    Rear LCD Size 3.0inch 3.0inch
    LCD Resolution 1040k dots 922k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen Tilting screen
    Touch Input Touchscreen Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs Canon M200 Sony A5100
    Focus System On-Sensor Phase-detect On-Sensor Phase-detect
    Manual Focusing AidFocus PeakingFocus Peaking
    Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) 1/4000s 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 6.1 shutter flaps/s 6 shutter flaps/s
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot Single card slot
    UHS card support UHS-I UHS-I
    Connectivity Specs Canon M200 Sony A5100
    External Flash no Hotshoe no Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 2.0
    HDMI Port micro HDMI micro HDMI
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication no NFC NFC built-in
    Bluetooth Support Bluetooth built-in no Bluetooth
    Body Specs Canon M200 Sony A5100
    Battery Type Canon LP-E12 Sony NP-FW50
    Battery Life (CIPA)315 shots per charge400 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging no USB charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 108 x 67 x 35 mm
    (4.3 x 2.6 x 1.4 in)
    110 x 63 x 36 mm
    (4.3 x 2.5 x 1.4 in)
    Camera Weight 299 g (10.5 oz) 283 g (10.0 oz)
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