Sony a850 vs Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a850 and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.
Manufacturing
Sony a850 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.
Sony a850 were released 2009 and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography was released 2012. That is a 3 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.| Camera | Released |
| Sony a850 | 2009 |
| Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography | 2012 |
Type of camera
Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.
Sensors / crop factor
These cameras have different sensors. Sony a850 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 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 a850 | 50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier |
| Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography | 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 a850 has a 25 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography has 18 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:
| Camera | Megapixels |
| Sony a850 |
25 MP
24385536 pixels 6048 x 4032 |
| Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
18 MP
17915904 pixels 5184 x 3456 |
Sony a850 has a 36 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography. 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 60D Astrophotography has a larger ISO-range than Sony a850. Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Sony a850 has 200 to 3200.
| Camera | ISO Range |
| Sony a850 | 200-3200 |
| Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography | 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.
Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a850
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Pictures per second
Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a850 can shoot up to 3 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography can shoot up to 5,3 pictures per seconds.
| Camera | FPS (Frames per second) |
| Sony a850 | 3 |
| Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography | 5,3 |
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 60D Astrophotography. Sadly, the Sony a850 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.
Sony a850 weighs 895 gr (equal to 1.97 lb) which is 19% heavier than Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography and its 755 gr (or 1.66 lb).
| Camera | Weight |
| Sony a850 | 895 gr 1.97 lb |
| Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography | 755 gr 1.66 lb |
Sony a850 vs Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography Specs
Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a850 and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography, 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 a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Name | Sony a850 | Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Manufacturer | Sony | Canon |
Release Date and Price |
Sony a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Release Year | 2009 | 2012 |
| Release Date | 2009-08-27 | 2012-04-07 |
| MSRP | 1999 USD | 1499 USD |
| Buy it today |
|
|
Camera Type |
Sony a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Camera Type | DSLR | DSLR |
Sensor |
Sony a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Sensor Size | Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) | APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm) |
| Sensor Type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Resolution | 6048 x 4032 pixels | 5184 x 3456 pixels |
| Megapixels | 25 MP | 18 MP |
| Image Processor | Bionz | DIGIC 4 |
Image |
Sony a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| ISO Range | 200 - 3200 | 100 - 51200 |
| White Balance Presets | 7 | 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 a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Autofocus Motor | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus |
Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Single Continuous |
Contract Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Single Continuous Face Detection LiveView |
| Focus Points | 9 | 9 |
| Lens Mount |
Sony A 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 a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed | Fully articulated |
| Screen size | 3” | 3” |
| Screen dots | 921600 | 1040000 |
| Touch screen | No | No |
| Screen type | TFT Xtra Fine color LCD | Clear View TFT color LCD |
| Live view | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 98% | 96% |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.74× | 0.95× (0.59× 35mm equiv.) |
| Viewfinder Resolution | N/A | N/A |
Photography features |
Sony a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Frames per second | 3 fps | 5,3 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 | 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 | +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV steps) | +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
Videography features |
Sony a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Video recording | No | Yes |
| Video format | N/A |
H.264 |
| Video resolution | N/A |
1280 x 720 1920 x 1080 |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes |
| Built-in Speakers | No | Yes |
Storage |
Sony a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Memory Card |
Compact Flash Memory Stick Pro Duo |
SD/SDHC |
Connectivity |
Sony a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| HDMI Output | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone Port | No | Yes |
| Headphone Port | No | No |
| Wireless | No |
Yes Eye-Fi Connected |
| Remote Control | Yes (Wired or Wireless (Optional)) | Yes (Optional) |
| GPS | No | No |
Body & Dimensions |
Sony a850 |
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography |
| Enviromentally sealed | No | Yes |
| Battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery Details |
Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger
|
Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger
|
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 880 shots | 1100 shots |
| Width | 156 mm | 145 mm |
| Height | 117 mm | 106 mm |
| Depth | 82 mm | 79 mm |
| Weight | 895 gram | 755 gram |