Canon M6 versus Canon 70D

The Canon EOS M6 and the Canon EOS 70D are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2017 and July 2013. The M6 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the 70D is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The M6 has a resolution of 24 megapixel, whereas the 70D provides 20 MP.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Canon M6 and the Canon 70D are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the M6 – represents the basis or 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 70D is considerably larger (90 percent) than the Canon M6. Moreover, the 70D is substantially heavier (94 percent) than the M6. It is noteworthy in this context that the 70D is splash and dust-proof, while the M6 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

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 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 M6 gets 295 shots out of its LP-E17 battery, while the 70D can take 920 images on a single charge of its LP-E6 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The M6 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 35 percent) than the 70D, which puts it into a different 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants 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. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the 70D is 2 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the Canon M6 offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixel, compared with 20 MP of the Canon 70D. This megapixel advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.72μm versus 4.11μm for the 70D). However, it should be noted that the M6 is much more recent (by 3 years and 7 months) than the 70D, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the M6 provides a higher frame rate than the 70D. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the 70D is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the 70D has an optical viewfinder, which can be very useful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the M6 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon M6 and Canon 70D in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

The M6 is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock. In contrast, the 70D has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the 70D was succeeded by the Canon 80D.

Summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon M6 and the Canon M6? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Canon EOS M6:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (24 vs 20MP) with a 10% higher linear resolution.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p vs 1080/30p).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (9 vs 7 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More compact: Is smaller (112x68mm vs 139x104mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 365g or 48 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (35 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 7 months of technical progress since the 70D launch.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 70D:

• Easier framing: Has an optical viewfinder for image framing and settings control.
• Easier setting verification: Has a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• More flexible LCD: Has swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (8000/sec vs 4000/sec) to freeze action.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (920 versus 295) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in July 2013).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the M6 comes out slightly ahead of the 70D (8 : 7 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.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the M6 and the 70D in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites. The detailed reviews can be accessed, respectively, on the websites of cameralabs.com, dpreview.com, ephotozine.com, imaging-resource.com, and photographyblog.com.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. 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. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored. If the camera you are interested in is not available, please contact me, and I will try to add information on that model to the database.