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.

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.

** 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:

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.

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.

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).

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
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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