Canon EOS 7D vs Canon EOS 550D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Canon EOS 7D and Canon EOS 550D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 550D

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Canon.

Canon EOS 7D were released 2009 and Canon EOS 550D was released 2010. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Canon EOS 7D	2009
Canon EOS 550D	2010

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Canon APS-C") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Neither of the cameras has a Full frame sensor which means that you will get a "crop factor" where the camera's sensor size affect the focal length with a multiplier.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Canon EOS 7D	80 mm Canon APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6
Canon EOS 550D	80 mm Canon APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Canon EOS 7D has a 18 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 550D has 18,7 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Canon EOS 7D	18 MP 17915904 pixels 5184 x 3456
Canon EOS 550D	18,7 MP 17915904 pixels 5184 x 3456

ISO range

Both of these cameras offer the exact same ISO range. They both have 100 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Canon EOS 7D	100-12800
Canon EOS 550D	100-12800

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 7D
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 550D

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Canon EOS 7D can shoot up to 8 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 550D can shoot up to 3,7 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Canon EOS 7D	8
Canon EOS 550D	3,7

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Canon EOS 7D and Canon EOS 550D can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS 7D weighs 860 gr (equal to 1.9 lb) which is 69% heavier than Canon EOS 550D and its 510 gr (or 1.12 lb).

Camera	Weight
Canon EOS 7D	860 gr 1.9 lb
Canon EOS 550D	510 gr 1.12 lb