Canon M200 vs Sony NEX-7

The Canon EOS M200 and the Sony Alpha NEX-7 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in September 2019 and August 2011. Both the M200 and the NEX-7 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that 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 M200		Sony NEX-7
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Canon EF-M mount lenses		Sony E mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4k/25p Video		1080/60i Video
ISO 100-25,600		ISO 100-16,000
No viewfinder, LCD framing		Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
6.1 shutter flaps per second		10 shutter flaps per second
315 shots per battery charge		430 shots per battery charge
108 x 67 x 35 mm, 299 g		120 x 67 x 43 mm, 400 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS M200 and the Sony Alpha NEX-7? 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 physical size and weight of the Canon M200 and the Sony NEX-7 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. 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.

The M200 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the NEX-7 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 NEX-7 is notably larger (11 percent) than the Canon M200. Moreover, the NEX-7 is markedly heavier (34 percent) than the M200. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the M200 nor the NEX-7 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. Hence, you might want to study and compare 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 M200 gets 315 shots out of its Canon LP-E12 battery, while the NEX-7 can take 430 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FW50 power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon M200	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	299 g	315	n	Sep 2019	US$ 549	ebay.com
2.		Sony NEX-7	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	400 g	430	n	Aug 2011	US$ 1 349	ebay.com
3.		Canon M	109 mm	66 mm	32 mm	298 g	230	n	Jul 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Canon M10	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	301 g	255	n	Oct 2015	US$ 499	ebay.com
5.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
6.		Canon M50 Mark II	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	387 g	305	n	Oct 2020	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
8.		Canon R100	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	356 g	400	n	May 2023	US$ 479	amazon.com
9.		Canon SL3	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
10.		Canon SX740	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	265	n	Jul 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
11.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	US$ 449	amazon.com
12.		Fujifilm X100	126 mm	75 mm	54 mm	445 g	300	n	Sep 2010	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
13.		Fujifilm XF10	113 mm	64 mm	41 mm	279 g	330	n	Jul 2018	US$ 499	ebay.com
14.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	US$ 329	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
16.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
17.		Sony RX1	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Sep 2012	US$ 2 799	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 listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The M200 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 59 percent) than the NEX-7, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the NEX-7 is 10 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (M200) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the NEX-7 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the NEX-7 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.90μm versus 3.72μm for the M200), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the M200 is much more recent (by 8 years and 1 month) than the NEX-7, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The M200 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS M200 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha NEX-7 are ISO 100 to ISO 16000 (no boost).

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.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. 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 M200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/25p	24.0	13.5	1836	82
2.		Sony NEX-7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.4	1016	81
3.		Canon M	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.2	827	65
4.		Canon M10	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.4	753	65
5.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
6.		Canon M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	83
7.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
8.		Canon R100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/24p	24.1	13.9	2197	84
9.		Canon SL3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
10.		Canon SX740	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1050	51
11.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
12.		Fujifilm X100	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/30p	22.9	12.4	1001	73
13.		Fujifilm XF10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1844	83
14.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
15.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
16.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
17.		Sony RX1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.1	14.3	2534	93
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 M200 provides a higher video resolution than the NEX-7. It can shoot video footage at 4k/25p, while the Sony is limited to 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the NEX-7 has an electronic viewfinder (2359k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the M200 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon M200 and Sony NEX-7 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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 M200	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
2.		Sony NEX-7	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon M	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.3/s	n	n
4.		Canon M10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.6/s	Y	n
5.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon M50 Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
8.		Canon R100	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.5/s	Y	n
9.		Canon SL3	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon SX740	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
12.		Fujifilm X100	1440	n	2.8 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
13.		Fujifilm XF10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
14.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
15.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
16.		Sony A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony RX1	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The M200 has a touchscreen, while the NEX-7 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

The M200 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the NEX-7 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The M200 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the NEX-7 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

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 M200 and Sony Alpha NEX-7 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 M200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony NEX-7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon M	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon M10	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon M50 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Canon R100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Canon SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Canon SX740	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Canon T7	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Fujifilm X100	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Fujifilm XF10	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
14.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
17.		Sony RX1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the M200 offers wifi support, while the NEX-7 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Both the M200 and the NEX-7 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Canon and Sony. Further information on the features and operation of the M200 and NEX-7 can be found, respectively, in the Canon M200 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony NEX-7 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Canon M200 better than the Sony NEX-7 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS M200:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4k/25p vs 1080/60i).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 921k dots).
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 101g or 25 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (59 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 8 years and 1 month of technical progress since the NEX-7 launch.

Advantages of the Sony Alpha NEX-7:

• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 6.1 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (430 versus 315) out of a single battery charge.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2011).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the M200 is the clear winner of the match-up (11 : 6 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape 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 M200 and the Sony NEX-7 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing 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 M200 or the NEX-7 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear 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	Street Price
1.		Canon M200	..	+	3/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2019	US$ 549	ebay.com
2.		Sony NEX-7	5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2011	US$ 1 349	ebay.com
3.		Canon M	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Canon M10	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Oct 2015	US$ 499	ebay.com
5.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
6.		Canon M50 Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	3.5/5	Oct 2020	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
8.		Canon R100	3/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	May 2023	US$ 479	amazon.com
9.		Canon SL3	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
10.		Canon SX740	..	+	3.5/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
11.		Canon T7	..	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 449	amazon.com
12.		Fujifilm X100	3/5	..	..	75/100	4/5	5/5	Sep 2010	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
13.		Fujifilm XF10	..	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2018	US$ 499	ebay.com
14.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	US$ 329	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
16.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
17.		Sony RX1	5/5	..	..	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 2 799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

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