Sony a290 vs Canon EOS 550D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a290 and Canon EOS 550D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a290

Canon EOS 550D

Manufacturing

Sony a290 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 550D is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

These two camera models were both released 2010.

Camera	Released
Sony a290	2010
Canon EOS 550D	2010

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a290 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS 550D has a "Canon APS-C"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a290	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
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 (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Sony a290 has a 14 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
Sony a290	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056
Canon EOS 550D	18,7 MP 17915904 pixels 5184 x 3456

Canon EOS 550D has a 28 % larger resolution than Sony a290. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Canon EOS 550D has a larger ISO-range than Sony a290. Canon EOS 550D has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 12800 while Sony a290 has 100 to 3200.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a290	100-3200
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 Sony a290
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. Sony a290 can shoot up to 2,5 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 550D can shoot up to 3,7 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a290	2,5
Canon EOS 550D	3,7

Ability to record movies

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

It is only one of these two cameras that support recording movies and movie clips and that is Canon EOS 550D. Sadly, the Sony a290 does not support this.

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.

Sony a290 weighs 549 gr (equal to 1.21 lb) which is 8% heavier than Canon EOS 550D and its 510 gr (or 1.12 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a290	549 gr 1.21 lb
Canon EOS 550D	510 gr 1.12 lb