Sony a7S vs Canon EOS 550D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7S and Canon EOS 550D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a7S is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 550D is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a7S were released 2014 and Canon EOS 550D was released 2010. That is a 4 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a7S 2014
Canon EOS 550D 2010

Type of camera

Sony a7S is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 550D is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7S has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Canon EOS 550D 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 a7S 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS 550D 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 a7S has a 12 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 550D has 18,7 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a7S 12 MP
12007680 pixels
4240 x 2832
Canon EOS 550D 18,7 MP
17915904 pixels
5184 x 3456

Canon EOS 550D has a 49 % larger resolution than Sony a7S. 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 a7S has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 550D. Sony a7S has an ISO range that stretches from 10 to 102400 while Canon EOS 550D has 100 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7S 10-102400
Canon EOS 550D 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 a7S
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 550D

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7S can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 550D can shoot up to 3,7 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7S 5
Canon EOS 550D 3,7

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a7S and Canon EOS 550D 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 550D weighs 510 gr (equal to 1.12 lb) which is 4% heavier than Sony a7S and its 489 gr (or 1.08 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7S 489 gr
1.08 lb
Canon EOS 550D 510 gr
1.12 lb

Sony a7S vs Canon EOS 550D Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7S and Canon EOS 550D, 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 a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Name Sony a7S Canon EOS 550D
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Release Year 2014 2010
Release Date 2014-04-06 2010-02-08
MSRP 2499 USD 899 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 4240 x 2832 pixels 5184 x 3456 pixels
Megapixels 12 MP 18,7 MP
Image Processor Bionz X DIGIC 4
Image
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
ISO Range 10 - 102400 100 - 12800
White Balance Presets 10 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization No No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Multi Area
Center
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 25 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 a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Articulated LCD Tilting Fixed
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 921000 1040000
Touch screen No No
Screen type TFT-LCD TFT color liquid-crystal LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.87× (0.54× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution N/A N/A
Photography features
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Frames per second 5 fps 3,7 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 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 +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
XAVC-S
AVCHD
H.264
Video resolution 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Memory Card SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (with NFC and wireless control via smartphone)
Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Remote Control Yes (Wired) Yes (E3 connector, InfraRed)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7S
Canon EOS 550D
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and charger
Lithium-Ion LP-E8 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 380 shots N/A
Width 127 mm 129 mm
Height 94 mm 98 mm
Depth 48 mm 62 mm
Weight 489 gram 510 gram