Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400
- 33MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- ISO range of 100-25,600
- 3” tilting screen with 1.04m-dots
- 14fps burst mode
- 4K video capabilities
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- .89 lbs
- 305-shot battery life
- 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- ISO range of 100-32,000
- 3” tilting screen with 922k-dots
- 11fps burst mode
- 4K video capabilities
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- .88 lbs
- 410-shot battery life
Both the Canon EOS M6 Mark II and the Sony a6400 are compact mirrorless cameras that have come out within the last couple of years. Naturally, a Canon EOS M6 II vs. Sony a6400 debate quickly started amongst photographers using either of these bodies.
But, these two cameras are quite different in many ways, which made me question whether the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 argument is really the best use of our time. To me, the two clearly serve different purposes (even if they’re doing so in similar price ranges and with a lot of similar specs).
But, to prevent any photographers from accidentally purchasing the wrong body, we wanted to outline all of the differences between the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400.
In this Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 review we will walk you through some of the most contentious points of argument, like the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 features debate, as well as the specs of both bodies. Let’s get started.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 Specs
Canon EOS M6 Mark II
Right off the bat we can tell that the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 debate involves just how different these two cameras are. For instance, the Canon M6 Mark II comes with a 33MP sensor, while the Sony a6400 only comes with a 24MP sensor.
Once again, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II looks just a little bit more polished because its burst mode is faster at 14fps, as compared to 11fps on the Sony a6400. The Canon’s LCD screen resolution is also higher at 1.04m-dots.
Sony a6400
Admittedly, when you look at the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 specs as a whole, the Sony body isn’t that far behind. For example, the Sony does come with a larger ISO range and high-speed video capabilities. Additionally, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 debate does start to lean in Sony’s favor when you think about all of the lens options you get if you purchase the Sony.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Specs:
Sony a6400 Specs:
Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 Body & Design
Canon EOS M6 Mark II
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 build is another important factor to consider when weighing the differences between these two camera bodies.
As you can tell from the spec sheet above, these cameras are nearly identical in size. They weigh nearly the same weight. The Canon EOS Mark II measures 120 x 70 x 49mm while the Sony a6400 measures 120 x 67 x 50 mm. What that tells me is that you can pretty much expect a traditional mirrorless experience with either one of these cameras.
Sony a6400
Both of these cameras also feature touch screens that are tiltable, internal flashes, and external mic jacks.
But there are definitely some interesting points that differentiate the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 in terms of their bodies.
For instance, the Sony a6400 comes with an eye-level viewfinder, whereas the Canon only comes with a rear display. Another point for the Sony body is that its body is environmentally sealed while the Canon’s body is not.
Learn More:
Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 Build & Handling
Canon EOS M6 Mark II
Whenever I do a comparison article like this Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 article, one of the most important points I bring up about the handling of the cameras are their battery lives.
The Sony a6400 barely beats the Canon EOS M6 Mark II when it comes to its still photography battery life at 410 shots vs. 305, but the Sony definitely pulls ahead when it comes to video battery life. You can use the Sony for 125 minutes while capturing video, but you can only use the Canon for 80 minutes.
But, battery capability is not the only thing that you should be comparing when it comes to the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 handling.
Sony a6400
As I briefly mentioned in the paragraph about the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 design above, the Canon doesn’t come with an EVF, which means you have to use your rear screen to frame all of your shots which can be frustrating on a really sunny day. You can opt to buy an external viewfinder for this body, but that might be an added expense you’re unwilling to consider. The Sony a6400 doesn’t have this handling problem.
The Canon does start up faster than the Sony at less than 0.90 seconds, while the Sony takes twice as long at 1.8 seconds. If you’re purchasing either of these cameras for something like sports or wildlife photography, then that fast startup time is going to be essential.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 Video Performance
To help you make your decision about the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 video performance, you can view the video test of the Canon by DSI Pictures above.
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II shoots 4K video at 30p and Full HD video at 120p.
You can shoot video with the Dual Pixel AF system, which works really well, but this camera doesn’t come with flat recording profiles.
It’s important to note that it feels like this camera wants you to shoot in 1080p because unless you put your Mode dial in the movie camera position, the 4K video mode is hidden.
If you still need help deciding where you land in the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 debate, you can check out the video capabilities of the Sony a6400 in the video test by YCImaging above.
Importantly, the Sony a6400 has a longer video battery life than the Canon, but it can also shoot 24p video.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 Price
Canon EOS M6 Mark II
I can rarely decide between two similar cameras without seeing the price of them both, and this is no different with the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400.
When it comes to the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 price, The Canon EOS m6 Mark II just barely comes out on top.
In order to compare the two, I went to MPB, which is one of my favorite used camera retailers. There are over a dozen Sony Alpha A6400s available and a handful of Canon EOS M6 Mark IIs available at the time of writing.
The cheapest Canon EOS M6 Mark II is available for $789. It is in “like new” condition, which isn’t odd for a camera that just came out last year. A few of the used Canon EOS M6 Mark IIs available on MPB even come in their original packaging.
Sony a6400
However, the price difference is definitely not going to be the deciding factor in the Canon EOS M6 Mark II vs Sony a6400 debate because the Sony Alpha A6400 is just a little bit more expensive. The cheapest Sony Alpha A6400 on MPB is $869.
Every single Sony body that is currently on MPB is also in “like new” condition, so they are comparable this way as well.
You can learn more about why I use MPB in the learn more links below.
