Canon R10 vs Sony A3000

The Canon EOS R10 and the Sony Alpha A3000 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in May 2022 and August 2013. Both the R10 and the A3000 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 19.8 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon R10		Sony A3000
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
		Sony E mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		19.8 MP – APS-C sensor
4k/60p Video		1080/60i Video
ISO 100-32,000 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-16,000
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (202k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 230k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
15 shutter flaps per second		2.5 shutter flaps per second
450 shots per battery charge		470 shots per battery charge
123 x 88 x 83 mm, 429 g		128 x 91 x 85 mm, 411 g

Check R10 price at
amazon.com
Check A3000 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS R10 and the Sony Alpha A3000? 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 R10 and the Sony A3000 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A3000 is notably larger (8 percent) than the Canon R10. However, the A3000 is slightly lighter (4 percent) than the R10. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the R10 nor the A3000 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 R10 gets 450 shots out of its Canon LP-E17 battery, while the A3000 can take 470 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FW50 power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. 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	Street Price
1.		Canon R10	123 mm	88 mm	83 mm	429 g	450	n	May 2022	US$ 979	amazon.com
2.		Sony A3000	128 mm	91 mm	85 mm	411 g	470	n	Aug 2013	US$ 329	ebay.com
3.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
4.		Canon M6 Mark II	120 mm	70 mm	49 mm	408 g	305	n	Aug 2019	US$ 849	ebay.com
5.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
6.		Canon R50	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	375 g	230	n	Feb 2023	US$ 679	amazon.com
7.		Canon R50 V	119 mm	74 mm	45 mm	370 g	390	n	Mar 2025	US$ 649	amazon.com
8.		Canon R100	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	356 g	400	n	May 2023	US$ 479	amazon.com
9.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
10.		Canon SL3	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
11.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	US$ 449	amazon.com
12.		Canon V1	118 mm	68 mm	53 mm	426 g	340	n	Feb 2025	US$ 899	amazon.com
13.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
15.		Sony NEX-6	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	345 g	360	n	Sep 2012	US$ 999	ebay.com
16.		Sony NEX-7	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	400 g	430	n	Aug 2011	US$ 1 349	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX1R	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Jun 2013	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

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The A3000 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 66 percent) than the R10, which puts it into a different 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.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels 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 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 A3000 is 9 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (R10) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the Canon R10 offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixels, compared with 19.8 MP of the Sony A3000. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.70μm versus 4.25μm for the A3000). However, it should be noted that the R10 is much more recent (by 8 years and 8 months) than the A3000, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

The resolution advantage of the Canon R10 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the R10 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Sony A3000 are 27.3 x 18.2 inches or 69.3 x 46.1 cm for good quality, 21.8 x 14.5 inches or 55.4 x 36.9 cm for very good quality, and 18.2 x 12.1 inches or 46.2 x 30.8 cm for excellent quality prints.

The R10 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS R10 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 32000, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A3000 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.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. 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 R10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	24.1	13.8	2085	84
2.		Sony A3000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.7	12.8	1068	78
3.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
4.		Canon M6 Mark II	APS-C	32.3	6960	4640	4K/30p	24.0	13.5	1848	83
5.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
6.		Canon R50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.9	2168	84
7.		Canon R50 V	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	24.1	14.1	2383	85
8.		Canon R100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/24p	24.1	13.9	2197	84
9.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
10.		Canon SL3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
11.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
12.		Canon V1	APS-C	22.1	5750	3840	4K/60p	23.5	13.7	1911	79
13.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
14.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
15.		Sony NEX-6	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	1018	78
16.		Sony NEX-7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.4	1016	81
17.		Sony RX1R	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	13.6	2537	91
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the R10 provides a higher video resolution than the A3000. It can shoot video footage at 4k/60p, while the Sony is limited to 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under consideration are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the R10 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the A3000 (2360k vs 202k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon R10 and Sony A3000 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 R10	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	15.0/s	Y	n
2.		Sony A3000	202	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
3.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon M6 Mark II	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	14.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon R50	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon R50 V	none	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	n	n
8.		Canon R100	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.5/s	Y	n
9.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon SL3	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon V1	none	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	30.0/s	n	n
13.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
14.		Sony A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
15.		Sony NEX-6	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
16.		Sony NEX-7	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony RX1R	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 R10 has a touchscreen, while the A3000 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

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 R10 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 R10 has 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 R10 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A3000 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The R10 supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the A3000 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 R10 and Sony Alpha A3000 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 R10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony A3000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
4.		Canon M6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon R50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon R50 V	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon R100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Canon T7	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Canon V1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
13.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
15.		Sony NEX-6	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
16.		Sony NEX-7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Sony RX1R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the R10 has a microphone port, which is missing on the A3000. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

The R10 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the A3000 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the A3000 from Sony. Further information on the features and operation of the R10 and A3000 can be found, respectively, in the Canon R10 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A3000 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Canon R10 better than the Sony A3000 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Canon EOS R10:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (24 vs 19.8MP) with a 10% higher linear resolution.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4k/60p vs 1080/60i).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2360k vs 202k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.58x vs 0.47x).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 230k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• 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.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (15 vs 2.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• 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: Supports Ultra High Speed (UHS-II) SDXC cards.
• More modern: Reflects 8 years and 8 months of technical progress since the A3000 launch.

Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A3000:

• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (66 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2013).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the R10 is the clear winner of the match-up (18 : 2 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 wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro 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 R10 and the Sony A3000 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 says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the R10 and the A3000 in practical situations. 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 why hands-on reviews by experts are important. 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	Street Price
1.		Canon R10	4/5	..	4.5/5	87/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2022	US$ 979	amazon.com
2.		Sony A3000	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Aug 2013	US$ 329	ebay.com
3.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
4.		Canon M6 Mark II	..	+	4.5/5	85/100	4/5	4/5	Aug 2019	US$ 849	ebay.com
5.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
6.		Canon R50	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	..	4.5/5	Feb 2023	US$ 679	amazon.com
7.		Canon R50 V	..	..	..	84/100	..	..	Mar 2025	US$ 649	amazon.com
8.		Canon R100	3/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	May 2023	US$ 479	amazon.com
9.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
10.		Canon SL3	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
11.		Canon T7	..	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 449	amazon.com
12.		Canon V1	..	..	..	84/100	..	..	Feb 2025	US$ 899	amazon.com
13.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
14.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
15.		Sony NEX-6	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 999	ebay.com
16.		Sony NEX-7	5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2011	US$ 1 349	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX1R	5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	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. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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