Sony a55 vs Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a55 and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a55 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a55 were released 2010 and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography was released 2012. That is a 2 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a55 2010
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 2012

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a55 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 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 60D Astrophotography 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 60D Astrophotography has 18 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 60D Astrophotography 18 MP
17915904 pixels
5184 x 3456

Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 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

Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography has a larger ISO-range than Sony a55. Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Sony a55 has 100 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a55 100-12800
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 100-51200

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 60D Astrophotography

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 60D Astrophotography can shoot up to 5,3 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a55 10
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 5,3

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 60D Astrophotography 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 60D Astrophotography weighs 755 gr (equal to 1.66 lb) which is 51% heavier than Sony a55 and its 500 gr (or 1.1 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a55 500 gr
1.1 lb
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 755 gr
1.66 lb

Sony a55 vs Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a55 and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Name Sony a55 Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Release Year 2010 2012
Release Date 2010-08-24 2012-04-07
MSRP 749 USD 1499 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Camera Type SLT DSLR
Sensor
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Sensor Size APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 4912 x 3264 pixels 5184 x 3456 pixels
Megapixels 16 MP 18 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC 4
Image
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
ISO Range 100 - 12800 100 - 51200
White Balance Presets 6 8
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 15 9
Lens Mount Sony A

See Compatible Lenses
Canon EF
Canon EF-S

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier APS-C Sensor (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
APS-C Sensor
1.6x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 38 mm
50 mm becomes 80 mm
100 mm becomes 160 mm
200 mm becomes 320 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Articulated LCD Fully articulated Fully articulated
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 921000 1040000
Touch screen No No
Screen type N/A Clear View TFT color LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 96%
Viewfinder Magnification 1.1× (0.73× 35mm equiv.) 0.95× (0.59× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution N/A N/A
Photography features
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Frames per second 10 fps 5,3 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash Yes Yes
Built-in Flash Range 10 meters 13 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No Yes
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
H.264
Video resolution 1440 x 1080
1920 x 1080
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers No Yes
Storage
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No Yes
Headphone Port No No
Wireless Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Remote Control Yes (Optional) Yes (Optional)
GPS Yes
Built-in
No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a55
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Enviromentally sealed No Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Rechargeable NP-FW50 battery & charger
Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 380 shots 1100 shots
Width 124 mm 145 mm
Height 92 mm 106 mm
Depth 85 mm 79 mm
Weight 500 gram 755 gram