Sony NEX-7 vs Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony NEX-7 and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony NEX-7 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony NEX-7 were released 2011 and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography was released 2012. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony NEX-7 2011
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 2012

Type of camera

Sony NEX-7 is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony NEX-7 has a "Sony APS-C"-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 NEX-7 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
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 NEX-7 has a 24 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 NEX-7 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 18 MP
17915904 pixels
5184 x 3456

Sony NEX-7 has a 34 % 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 NEX-7. Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Sony NEX-7 has 100 to 16000.

Camera ISO Range
Sony NEX-7 100-16000
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 NEX-7
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 NEX-7 can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography can shoot up to 5,3 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony NEX-7 10
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 5,3

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony NEX-7 and Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 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 60D Astrophotography weighs 755 gr (equal to 1.66 lb) which is 89% heavier than Sony NEX-7 and its 400 gr (or 0.88 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony NEX-7 400 gr
0.88 lb
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography 755 gr
1.66 lb

Sony NEX-7 vs Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony NEX-7 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 NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Name Sony NEX-7 Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Release Year 2011 2012
Release Date 2011-08-24 2012-04-07
MSRP 699 USD 1499 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Sensor Size APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 6000 x 4000 pixels 5184 x 3456 pixels
Megapixels 24 MP 18 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC 4
Image
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
ISO Range 100 - 16000 100 - 51200
White Balance Presets 6 8
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization No No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
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 APS-C Sensor (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 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 NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Articulated LCD Tilting Fully articulated
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 921000 1040000
Touch screen No No
Screen type N/A Clear View TFT color LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 96%
Viewfinder Magnification 1.09× (0.73× 35mm equiv.) 0.95× (0.59× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution N/A N/A
Photography features
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Frames per second 10 fps 5,3 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash Yes Yes
Built-in Flash Range 6 meters 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 steps) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
AVCHD
H.264
Video resolution 1440 x 1080
1920 x 1080
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No Yes
Headphone Port No No
Wireless Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Remote Control Yes (InfraRed (optional)) Yes (Optional)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony NEX-7
Canon EOS 60D Astrophotography
Enviromentally sealed No Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Lithium-Ion NP-FW50 rechargeable battery & charger
Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 430 shots 1100 shots
Width 120 mm 145 mm
Height 67 mm 106 mm
Depth 43 mm 79 mm
Weight 400 gram 755 gram