Sony a7 IV vs Canon EOS 20D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7 IV and Canon EOS 20D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a7 IV is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 20D is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a7 IV were released 2021 and Canon EOS 20D was released 2004. That is a 17 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a7 IV 2021
Canon EOS 20D 2004

Type of camera

Sony a7 IV is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 20D is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7 IV has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Canon EOS 20D 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 a7 IV 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS 20D 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 a7 IV has a 33 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 20D has 8,2 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a7 IV 33 MP
32741376 pixels
7008 x 4672
Canon EOS 20D 8,2 MP
8185344 pixels
3504 x 2336

Sony a7 IV has a 300 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 20D. 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 a7 IV has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 20D. Sony a7 IV has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Canon EOS 20D has 100 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7 IV 100-51200
Canon EOS 20D 100-3200

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 a7 IV
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 20D

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7 IV can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 20D can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7 IV 10
Canon EOS 20D 5

Ability to record movies

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

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony a7 IV. Unfortunately Canon EOS 20D does not support recording movies and movie clips.

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 20D weighs 770 gr (equal to 1.7 lb) which is 17% heavier than Sony a7 IV and its 659 gr (or 1.45 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7 IV 659 gr
1.45 lb
Canon EOS 20D 770 gr
1.7 lb

Sony a7 IV vs Canon EOS 20D Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7 IV and Canon EOS 20D, 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 a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Name Sony a7 IV Canon EOS 20D
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Release Year 2021 2004
Release Date 2021-10-21 2004-08-19
MSRP 2499 USD 1499 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Resolution 7008 x 4672 pixels 3504 x 2336 pixels
Megapixels 33 MP 8,2 MP
Image Processor BIONZ XR DIGIC 2
Image
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
ISO Range 100 - 51200 100 - 3200
White Balance Presets 7 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift (5-axis))
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 5.5 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Focus Points 759 9
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Canon EF
Canon EF-S

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier 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
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 a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Articulated LCD Fully articulated Fixed
Screen size 3” 1,8”
Screen dots 1036800 118000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD N/A
Live view Yes No
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.9× (0.56× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution 3686400 N/A
Photography features
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Frames per second 10 fps 5 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 12 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No Yes
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Video recording Yes No
Video format MPEG4
H.264
H.265
XAVC-S
XAVC-HS
N/A
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
N/A
Built-in Microphone Yes No
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Memory Card Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
Connectivity
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
HDMI Output Yes No
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11ac (dual band) + Bluetooth)
No
Remote Control Yes (wireless or smartphone) Yes (N3 connector)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS 20D
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery charger
BP-511A Lithium-Ion battery pack
Battery Life (CIPA) 580 shots 700 shots
Width 131 mm 144 mm
Height 96 mm 106 mm
Depth 80 mm 72 mm
Weight 659 gram 770 gram