Canon EOS M10 vs Sony NEX-5N

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS M10 and the Sony NEX-5N, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Canon EOS M10 was introduced in October 2015 and Sony NEX-5N was introduced in October 2011. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS M10 over Sony NEX-5N.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony NEX-5N over Canon EOS M10.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Canon EOS M10 and Sony NEX-5N have 3.0" Tilting screens with 1,040k dot and 920k dot resolutions respectively. Tilting screen makes cameras very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Both models feature touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Camera does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic viewfinder can be attached on Sony NEX-5N.

Canon EOS M10 features a 18.0 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.3 x 14.9 mm and a total area of 332.3 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Sony NEX-5N features a 16.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.4 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 243.4 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Canon EOS M10 is equipped with DIGIC 6 processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 5184 x 3456 (16:9), 4320 x 2880, 2880 x 1920, 2304 x 1536, 720 x 480 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Sony NEX-5N is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 4912 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4912 x 2760, 3568 x 2368, 3568 x 2000, 2448 x 1624, 2448 x 1376 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Canon EOS M10 has Canon EF-M lens mount and Sony NEX-5N has Sony E lens mount. They both have APS-C sensor but because of a small size difference their crop factors (also called lens multiplier) differ from each other. Canon EOS M10 has the crop factor of 1.6x which means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6. Sony NEX-5N has the crop factor of 1.5x which means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS M10 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Sony NEX-5N nothing can be done. On Sony NEX-5N it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS M10 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon EOS M10

Canon EOS M10 has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC on Canon EOS M10

Canon EOS M10 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS M10 has a Mini HDMI and Sony NEX-5N has a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon EOS M10 comes with LP-E12 battery pack with battery life of 255 shots and Sony NEX-5N comes with NPFW50 battery pack with battery life of 460 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon EOS M10 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Sony NEX-5N has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot.

Shutter

Canon EOS M10 has Electronically controlled focal-place shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS M10, and up to 1/4000 sec on Sony NEX-5N. Canon EOS M10 can shoot continuously up to 4.6 fps. Sony NEX-5N can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.

Focusing

Canon EOS M10 has Hybrid CMOS AF II system with 49 focusing points and Sony NEX-5N has 25 focusing points. Canon EOS M10 has detection range from +1 to +18 EV.

Flash

Canon EOS M10 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 5.00 m at ISO 100. Sony NEX-5N has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Proprietary. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on Sony NEX-5N.

Canon EOS M10 body has dimensions of 108 x 67 x 35 mm (4.25 x 2.64 x 1.38") and Sony NEX-5N body has dimensions of 111 x 59 x 38 mm (4.37 x 2.32 x 1.5"). Canon EOS M10 weighs 301 g (0.66 lb / 10.62 oz) and Sony NEX-5N weighs 269 g (0.59 lb / 9.49 oz).

Canon EOS M10

Sony NEX-5N

108 mm

67 mm

111 mm

59 mm

67 mm

59 mm

35 mm

38 mm