Canon EOS M6 vs Nikon D5

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS M6 and the Nikon D5, 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 M6 was introduced in February 2017 and Nikon D5 was introduced in January 2016. 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 M6 over Nikon D5.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D5 over Canon EOS M6.

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 M6 has a 3.0" Tilting screen with 1,040k dot resolution and Nikon D5 has a 3.2" Fixed screen with 2,359k dot resolution. Tilting screen makes Canon EOS M6 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 (available only on Canon EOS M6) 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.

Viewfinder

Nikon D5 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage and 0.72x magnification.Canon EOS M6 does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic EVF-DC1 or EVF-DC2 can be attached.

Canon EOS M6 features a 24.2 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 - 25,600. Nikon D5 features a 20.8 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.9 x 23.9 mm and a total area of 571.2 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 102,400 and expands to 100 - 3,280,000 in boosted mode.

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 M6 is equipped with DIGIC 7 processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3:2 (6000 x 3368, 3984 x 2656, 2976 x 1984, 2400 x 1600), 16:9 (6000 x 3368, 3984 x 2240, 2976 x 1680, 2400 x 1344), 4:3 (5328 x 4000, 3552 x 2664, 2656 x 1992, 2112 x 1600), 1:1 (4000 x 4000, 2656 x 2656, 1984 x 1984, 1600 x 1600) with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Nikon D5 is equipped with EXPEED 5 processor and can take pictures up to 5588 x 3712 resolution.

Lens Mount

Canon EOS M6 has Canon EF-M lens mount and Nikon D5 has Nikon F lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor in Canon EOS M6 its crop factor is equal to 1.6x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6. Due to Full Frame sensor in Nikon D5 its crop factor is equal to 1x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS M6 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon D5 nothing can be done. On Nikon D5 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS M6 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon EOS M6

Canon EOS M6 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.

Bluetooth on Canon EOS M6

Canon EOS M6 has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

NFC on Canon EOS M6

Canon EOS M6 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 inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS M6 has a Micro HDMI and Nikon D5 has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon EOS M6 comes with LP-E17 battery pack with battery life of 295 shots and Nikon D5 comes with EN-EL18a battery pack with battery life of 3780 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon EOS M6 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Nikon D5 has Dual CompactFlash (Type I, compliant with UDMA) or XQD card slots.

Shutter

Canon EOS M6 has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Nikon D5 has Mechanical Focal Plane shutter and Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS M6, and up to 1/8000 sec on Nikon D5. Canon EOS M6 can shoot continuously up to 9.0 fps. Nikon D5 can shoot continuously up to 14.0 fps.

Focusing

Canon EOS M6 has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 49 focusing points and Nikon D5 has 153 (99 cross-type) focusing points. Canon EOS M6 has detection range from -1 to +18 EV and Nikon D5 has detection range from -4 to +20 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Canon EOS M6 and Nikon D5 range from -1 to +20 EV and -4 to +20 EV respectively and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Canon EOS M6 and ±5 EV range on Nikon D5. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS M6 and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D5.

Flash

Canon EOS M6 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 5.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash. Nikon D5 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Canon EOS M6 and 1/250 sec on Nikon D5.

Canon EOS M6 body has dimensions of 112 x 68 x 45 mm (4.41 x 2.68 x 1.77") and Nikon D5 body has dimensions of 160 x 158.5 x 92 mm (6.3 x 6.26 x 3.62"). Canon EOS M6 weighs 390 g (0.86 lb / 13.76 oz) and Nikon D5 weighs 1415 g (3.12 lb / 49.91 oz).

Canon EOS M6

Nikon D5

112 mm

68 mm

160 mm

158.5 mm

68 mm

158.5 mm

45 mm

92 mm