Sony a550 vs Canon EOS 7D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a550 and Canon EOS 7D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a550

Canon EOS 7D

Manufacturing

Sony a550 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 7D is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

These two camera models were both released 2009.

Camera	Released
Sony a550	2009
Canon EOS 7D	2009

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a550 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS 7D 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 a550	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Canon EOS 7D	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 a550 has a 14 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 7D has 18 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a550	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056
Canon EOS 7D	18 MP 17915904 pixels 5184 x 3456

Canon EOS 7D has a 28 % larger resolution than Sony a550. 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 7D has a larger ISO-range than Sony a550. Canon EOS 7D has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 12800 while Sony a550 has 200 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a550	200-12800
Canon EOS 7D	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 a550
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 7D

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a550 can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 7D can shoot up to 8 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a550	7
Canon EOS 7D	8

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 7D. Sadly, the Sony a550 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.

Canon EOS 7D weighs 860 gr (equal to 1.9 lb) which is 36% heavier than Sony a550 and its 632 gr (or 1.39 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a550	632 gr 1.39 lb
Canon EOS 7D	860 gr 1.9 lb