Sony a550 vs Canon EOS Rebel XSi

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

Sony a550

Canon EOS Rebel XSi

Manufacturing

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

Sony a550 were released 2009 and Canon EOS Rebel XSi was released 2008. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a550	2009
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	2008

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 Rebel XSi 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 Rebel XSi	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 Rebel XSi has 12,2 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 Rebel XSi	12,2 MP 12166656 pixels 4272 x 2848

Sony a550 has a 15 % larger resolution than Canon EOS Rebel XSi. 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

Sony a550 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS Rebel XSi. Sony a550 has an ISO range that stretches from 200 to 12800 while Canon EOS Rebel XSi has 100 to 1600.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a550	200-12800
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	100-1600

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 Rebel XSi

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 Rebel XSi can shoot up to 3,5 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a550	7
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	3,5

Ability to record movies

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

Though, neither Sony a550 or Canon EOS Rebel XSi can shoot movies so if that is a functionality that you are really looking for you should look elsewhere.

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 a550 weighs 632 gr (equal to 1.39 lb) which is 21% heavier than Canon EOS Rebel XSi and its 524 gr (or 1.16 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a550	632 gr 1.39 lb
Canon EOS Rebel XSi	524 gr 1.16 lb