Sony a55 vs Canon EOS 550D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a55 and Canon EOS 550D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a55

Canon EOS 550D

Manufacturing

Sony a55 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 a55	2010
Canon EOS 550D	2010

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a55 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 a55	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 a55 has a 16 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 a55	16 MP 16032768 pixels 4912 x 3264
Canon EOS 550D	18,7 MP 17915904 pixels 5184 x 3456

Canon EOS 550D has a 12 % larger resolution than Sony a55. 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

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

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a55	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 Sony a55
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 a55 can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 550D can shoot up to 3,7 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a55	10
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 Sony a55 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 550D weighs 510 gr (equal to 1.12 lb) which is 2% heavier than Sony a55 and its 500 gr (or 1.1 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a55	500 gr 1.1 lb
Canon EOS 550D	510 gr 1.12 lb