Sony Alpha a6000 VS Canon M50

Camera can be the most important device in your arsenal since they are the one taking photos and videos for your work. Getting a dedicated camera is preferred for those who are interested in the hobby or plan on working professionally on the field. For those planning to buy a new camera, the Sony Alpha a6000 Vs Canon M50 are pretty awesome options to have now with a good price point as well. If you wonder which to choose, let’s see which fits you better here.

In this comparison, we are going to talk about:

  • How Camera Work
  • What are Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50
  • How are the Handling of Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50
  • How are the Image Quality of Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50
  • How are the Autofocus in Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50
  • How are the Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50 for Video Recording
  • Sony Alpha a6000 Vs Canon M50

Camera Mechanism

Our smartphones are powerful enough to take beautiful photos and they are smart enough to edit it for you as well. There are so many free and paid apps to help improve your editing quality and for the typical social media content, this is what most people are doing for convenience. On the other side those who are managing social media for business or working on the field may use a dedicated camera instead for the freedom they can offer.

Cameras regardless the type of size are working using the same basic mechanism and what makes it able to produce an image is the light itself. This is why your photos will turn out bad during low light conditions if not supported by the proper gear and system. Light is what we collect as the photographer and using a camera this process is possible. Of course it is relying on the camera’s mechanism and how you can design the environment to produce a result.

The two main parts of a camera are lens and the light detector which can be a film or digital sensor that is used widely on modern devices or cameras. The lens is a first component that gets in direct encounter with the light and as light passes through the lens, it is crafted in the way the lens is designed. While it may look like a single huge glass, the equipment is actually made of several single lenses and lens groups. The optical formulas are going to affect and “design” how your image will turn out.

Some of the most extreme lenses are also only possible to be made recently due to high challenges in manufacturing and designing them. As a starter, the lens comes with different focal lengths and it is a zoom to make it easy to understand so a higher or longer focal length will not only make a subject appear closer but also crop your image, limiting the amount of scene being framed by the camera at once.

When talking about cameras most of us refer to digital cameras today and digital sensors are made of pixels or the tiny solar cells that work to convert light from lens into electricity information that will be translated by the camera processor into an image. Sensor size can noticeably improve the camera’s ability to take a shot with higher ISO because they can collect more light compared to the smaller one.  But, to house larger sensors a larger body is needed and it is more expensive too.

 Sony Alpha a6000Canon M50
Product Dimensions4.72 x 1.77 x 2.64 inches
2.3 x 4.6 x 3.5 inches
Shipping Weight12.2 ounces
13.7 ounces
Best offerCheck priceCheck price

About Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50

Now for the most important part, choosing the camera that you want to use. It is quite subjective because not everyone will have the same purpose for this camera and while some of us are only using them for capturing landscape around a tourist attraction, the pets, or family occasions, some people need to produce professional results for their project. It is wise as well to choose the camera based on your budget or level of experience.

We do think it is great to try the camera first before buying it and if there is a rental service in your area, we may be able to try some variants just to be sure. Most companies have their own system and best thing to look forward to, such as Sony with their Alpha line and Canon with their EOS line. These camera families carry a wide range of options from the beginner and casual photographer cameras to those that are too expensive to be something we buy for a hobby like the new Alpha 1.

If you are here then we assume that this camera must be reliable but still affordable without draining the savings. On the mid-range from these companies, we have the Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50 which are promising, especially when it comes to beginner friendly APS-C. They are about the same in price point but M50 was actually released not long ago compared to a6000 which started the popularity of this cameras iteration. Surprisingly, the new variants are still pretty much the same.

The two are ideal for various types of users starting from enthusiasts who want to improve their image quality to beginner photographers who don’t want to spend too much on the device yet. Hard specs wise they are pretty much the same but the system is quite different. In comparison between the Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50, we do like the handling experience of the M50 since it is more ergonomic and being newer we do think it has a better system as well. Read also: Sony Alpha a6000 Vs a6400 here.

Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50 Design

Starting from the unit first, as an APS-C you can already guess how compact these cameras are and for the fans of the a6xxx line, the fashion is indeed very attractive for such a powerful system back in the day. The M50 is slightly bulkier however, not unnecessarily large but with a dedicated EVF panel at the middle, the height of the camera is also taller. It can be subjective but both have good control buttons arrangement and probably Canon has a much better menu than Sony’s.

What’s noticeably better when you handle M50 is actually the screen and a6000 is still coming with the 900k dots display which is honestly a bit outdated today, especially if your eyes are used to the smartphone screen and other devices on a daily basis. We also want to mention that it is not touch-sensitive so every function is done by the control buttons. The M50 has 2.3M dots and it is articulating from the side for versatility while being touch-sensitive too.

Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50 Image Quality

Now for the most important part, let’s take a look at their ability because the core of Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50 are pretty much the same to many other APS-C cameras nowadays sold around the same price range. The effective resolution is the same 24MP and they do take beautiful photos under decent condition. The results taken side by side with the same ISO are about the same and these are pretty old sensors so there is not much to expect in terms of advancement.

Additionally when it comes to lens collection, we do think Canon is better here, especially for entry-level cameras like the M50 and its EF-M lenses. You can find lots of amazing lenses for E-mount but the price is something that not everyone will be happy to spend. You can find third party options however and on the other hand, EF-M is budget range so you will need different lenses for higher quality results.

Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50 Autofocus

Talking about cameras is not complete without talking about the AF system and both are very comparable here as well. Usually Sony will win easily against many other systems but the a6000 is an older variant so it is actually not as impressive compared to how their current cameras are now today. The M50 is dual pixel AF system and while it is old as well, it sticks really well to your point of tracking while detecting eyes and face.

The a6000 is not as strong as the a6100 which has improved quite a bit overall but it is still a very good technology. As expected it tracks eyes very accurately but sadly this version doesn’t come with the real time tracking like on the higher model a6100 and the next iterations. 

Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50 for Video Recording

Lastly we want to talk about how these cameras are for video recording. Personally we do think between the Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50, your M50 will have the higher advantage for a hybrid shooter. One of the reasons is that it is able to shoot in 4K and it may be necessary for some yet, do note that when shooting in this resolution, you can’t use the dual pixel autofocus and the crop factor is also something to consider since it is 1.67x which is huge.

For example if you are shooting at wide 24mm the crop is going to give a focal length equivalent of 40mm. In addition, we have talked about their screen and being fully articulating means the display can be angled to face you while making vlogs or recording content thus, we can monitor it.

Sony Alpha a6000 Vs Canon M50

Both Sony Alpha a6000 and Canon M50 are good options and with different factors to consider as well. In comparison they have similar price points but M50 is newer and it has an overall better system to work with. This camera can shoot beautiful images, have better handling, as well as more ideal for video shooters if you often record them. The AF system is very reliable and affordable lenses are plenty for the EF-M mount.

- 24 MP APS-C CMOS sensor ISO 100-25600 and Focus Sensitivity Range: EV 0 to EV 20 (at ISO 100 equivalent with F28 lens attached)
- Operating temperature: 32-104°F / 0-40°C.Hybrid AF with 179-point focal plane phase-detection and 25 contrast detect points Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC
- Up to 11 FPS continuous shooting, Compatible OS:Windows Vista SP2-8, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 81, Mac OS X (v106-v109)
- 3-inch tilting LCD with 921,000 dots compatible with Sony E Mount lenses
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF for fast, accurate autofocus that helps you get the photo you want right as the moment happens
- 24.1 Megapixel APS C CMOS sensor and the DIGIC 8 Image Processor delivers incredible color, clear details, and stunning range
- Vari angle touchscreen LCD has a flexible tilt range ideal for high angle and low angle shooting, and reviewing your photos
- Built in high resolution electronic viewfinder features approximately 2,360,000 dots to see high amounts of detail when capturing

Conclusion 

The decision is all yours because we may have different preferences but considering the best part of the two, we will recommend getting an M50 because it is priced in the same range, better at handling, more affordable lenses, and also more ideal for hybrid shooters. 

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