Sony a550 vs Canon EOS R5 C

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a550 and Canon EOS R5 C. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a550 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS R5 C is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a550 were released 2009 and Canon EOS R5 C was released 2022. That is a 13 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a550 2009
Canon EOS R5 C 2022

Type of camera

Sony a550 is a DSLR camera while Canon EOS R5 C is a Mirrorless camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a550 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS R5 C has a "Canon Full Frame"-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 R5 C 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** 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 R5 C has 45 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 R5 C 45 MP
44761088 pixels
8192 x 5464

Canon EOS R5 C has a 219 % 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 R5 C has a larger ISO-range than Sony a550. Canon EOS R5 C has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Sony a550 has 200 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a550 200-12800
Canon EOS R5 C 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.

Worth mentioning is that Canon EOS R5 C belongs to the Canon EOS R-system and needs an adapter to work with Canons EF, EF-S, MP-E, and TS-E lenses. You can read more about this adapter here:
Canon Lens Mount Adapter EF-EOS R

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a550
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS R5 C

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 R5 C can shoot up to 20 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a550 7
Canon EOS R5 C 20

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 R5 C. 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 R5 C weighs 770 gr (equal to 1.7 lb) which is 22% heavier than Sony a550 and its 632 gr (or 1.39 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a550 632 gr
1.39 lb
Canon EOS R5 C 770 gr
1.7 lb

Sony a550 vs Canon EOS R5 C Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a550 and Canon EOS R5 C, 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 a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Name Sony a550 Canon EOS R5 C
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Release Year 2009 2022
Release Date 2009-08-27 2022-01-19
MSRP 949 USD 4499 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Camera Type DSLR Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Sensor Size APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm) Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 4592 x 3056 pixels 8192 x 5464 pixels
Megapixels 14 MP 45 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC X
Image
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
ISO Range 200 - 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 a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 9 1053
Lens Mount Sony A

See Compatible Lenses
Canon RF

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
Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Articulated LCD Tilting Fully articulated
Screen size 3” 3.2”
Screen dots 921600 2100000
Touch screen No Yes
Screen type N/A TFT LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Optical (pentamirror) Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.8× (0.53× 35mm equiv.) 0.76x
Viewfinder Resolution N/A 5760000
Photography features
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Frames per second 7 fps 20 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash Yes No
Built-in Flash Range 12 meters N/A
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Video recording No Yes
Video format N/A MPEG4
H.264
H.265
XF-AVC
Video resolution N/A 3840 x 2160
4096 x 2160
7680 x 4320
8192 x 4320
Built-in Microphone No Yes
Built-in Speakers No Yes
Storage
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No Yes
Headphone Port No Yes
Wireless No Yes
Built-in (802.11ac (dual-band) + Bluetooth)
Remote Control Yes (Wired or Wireless (Optional)) Yes
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a550
Canon EOS R5 C
Enviromentally sealed No Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger
LP-E6NH lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 480 shots 320 shots
Width 137 mm 142 mm
Height 104 mm 101 mm
Depth 84 mm 111 mm
Weight 632 gram 770 gram