Canon T8i vs Sony A6100

The Canon EOS Rebel T8i (called Canon 850D in some regions) and the Sony Alpha A6100 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in February 2020 and August 2019. The T8i is a DSLR, while the A6100 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras 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 T8i		Sony A6100
Digital single lens reflex		Mirrorless system camera
Canon EF mount lenses		Sony E mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/24p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-32,000 (100 - 51,200)
Optical viewfinder		Electronic viewfinder (1440k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 922k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
7.5 shutter flaps per second		11 shutter flaps per second
800 shots per battery charge		420 shots per battery charge
131 x 103 x 76 mm, 515 g		120 x 67 x 59 mm, 396 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS Rebel T8i and the Sony Alpha A6100? 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 T8i and the Sony A6100. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The A6100 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the T8i is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A6100 is considerably smaller (40 percent) than the Canon T8i. Moreover, the A6100 is markedly lighter (23 percent) than the T8i. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the T8i nor the A6100 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. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras, which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (T8i) and the Sony E-Mount Lens Catalog (A6100). Mirrorless cameras, such as the A6100, have moreover the advantage that they can use many lenses from other systems via adapters, as they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance.

Concerning battery life, the T8i gets 800 shots out of its Canon LP-E17 battery, while the A6100 can take 420 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FW50 power pack. The power pack in the A6100 can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient 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, 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 T8i	131 mm	103 mm	76 mm	515 g	800	n	Feb 2020	749	ebay.com
2.		Sony A6100	120 mm	67 mm	59 mm	396 g	420	n	Aug 2019	749	ebay.com
3.		Canon SL3	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
4.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
5.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
6.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
7.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
8.		Canon T7i	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
9.		Canon T6i	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
10.		Canon T6s	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
11.		Canon T5i	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	580 g	440	n	Mar 2013	649	ebay.com
12.		Canon T4i	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	575 g	440	n	Jun 2012	849	ebay.com
13.		Canon T2i	129 mm	98 mm	62 mm	530 g	440	n	Feb 2010	699	ebay.com
14.		Sony ZV-E10	115 mm	64 mm	45 mm	343 g	440	n	Jul 2021	699	amazon.com
15.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	899	amazon.com
16.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
17.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	329	ebay.com
Note: 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 obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. 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. 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 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. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better 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.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the A6100 is 11 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (T8i) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the A6100 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the A6100 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 3.72μm for the T8i), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the T8i is a somewhat more recent model (by 5 months) than the A6100, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The Canon EOS Rebel T8i has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A6100 are ISO 100 to ISO 32000, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-51200.

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.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). 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 T8i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.5	1873	83
2.		Sony A6100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1947	84
3.		Canon SL3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
4.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
5.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
6.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
7.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
8.		Canon T7i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
9.		Canon T6i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
10.		Canon T6s	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
11.		Canon T5i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	681	61
12.		Canon T4i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	722	62
13.		Canon T2i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.5	784	66
14.		Sony ZV-E10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2134	85
15.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
16.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
17.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the A6100 provides a faster frame rate than the T8i. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Canon is limited to 4K/24p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the A6100 has an electronic viewfinder (1440k dots), while the T8i has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the A6100 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the T8i (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the A6100 has a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.51x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon T8i and Sony A6100 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

#		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 T8i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.5/s	Y	n
2.		Sony A6100	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon SL3	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon T7i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon T6i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon T6s	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon T5i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon T4i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
13.		Canon T2i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.7/s	Y	n
14.		Sony ZV-E10	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
15.		Sony A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
16.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the A6100 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon T8i and the Sony A6100 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.

The T8i writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A6100 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.

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 Rebel T8i and Sony Alpha A6100 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 Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon T8i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony A6100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
3.		Canon SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon T7	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Canon T7i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon T6i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Canon T6s	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Canon T5i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Canon T4i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Canon T2i	Y	stereo / -	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Sony ZV-E10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y
15.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
16.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Both the T8i and the A6100 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The A6100 was replaced by the Sony A6600, while the T8i does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the T8i and A6100 can be found, respectively, in the Canon T8i Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A6100 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Canon T8i or the Sony A6100 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS Rebel T8i:

• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 922k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (800 versus 420) on a single battery charge.
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 5 months after the A6100).

Advantages of the Sony Alpha A6100:

• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (4K/30p versus 4K/24p).
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.51x).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 7.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (120x67mm vs 131x103mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 119g or 23 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in August 2019).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A6100 is the clear winner of the contest (12 : 5 points). 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 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 T8i and the Sony A6100 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR 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 T8i or the A6100 perform in practice. 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 where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular 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.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon T8i	4.5/5	+	3/5	80/100	4/5	3.5/5	Feb 2020	749	ebay.com
2.		Sony A6100	..	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	5/5	Aug 2019	749	ebay.com
3.		Canon SL3	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
4.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
5.		Canon T7	..	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
6.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
7.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
8.		Canon T7i	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
9.		Canon T6i	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
10.		Canon T6s	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
11.		Canon T5i	..	..	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2013	649	ebay.com
12.		Canon T4i	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	849	ebay.com
13.		Canon T2i	..	+ +	..	77/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2010	699	ebay.com
14.		Sony ZV-E10	4/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2021	699	amazon.com
15.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	899	amazon.com
16.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
17.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	329	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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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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