Canon 550D vs Sony A500
70 Imaging
58 Features
63 Overall
60
63 Imaging
52 Features
52 Overall
52
Canon 550D vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 18MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400 (Bump to 12800)
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Canon EF/EF-S Mount
- 530g - 129 x 98 x 62mm
- Introduced April 2010
- Also referred to as EOS Rebel T2i / EOS Kiss X4
- Superseded the Canon 500D
- Successor is Canon 600D
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Launched August 2009
- Updated by Sony A560
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone Canon 550D vs Sony A500 Overview
Following is a detailed assessment of the Canon 550D and Sony A500, both Entry-Level DSLR digital cameras by brands Canon and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the 550D (18MP) and A500 (12MP) but they feature the exact same sensor sizing (APS-C).
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe 550D was launched 8 months after the A500 and they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact SLR).
Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the 550D grades against the A500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Photography Glossary Canon 550D vs Sony A500 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon EOS 550D and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The complete galleries are provided at Canon 550D Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon 550D over the Sony A500
| 550D | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | April 2010 |  | August 2009 | More modern by 8 months |
| Display resolution | 1040k |  | 230k | Sharper display (+810k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Canon 550D
| A500 | 550D | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting display |
Common features in the Canon 550D and Sony A500
| 550D | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus |  | Dial precise focusing | ||
| Display dimension | 3" |  | 3" | Identical display measurement |
| Selfie screen |  | Neither contains selfie screen | ||
| Touch friendly display |  | Neither contains Touch friendly display |
Canon 550D vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
In case you're looking to carry around your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Canon 550D has got exterior measurements of 129mm x 98mm x 62mm (5.1" x 3.9" x 2.4") having a weight of 530 grams (1.17 lbs) whilst the Sony A500 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).
Contrast the Canon 550D and Sony A500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the 550D against the A500.
Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the 550D and A500 is 70 and 63 respectively.
Canon 550D vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
Often, it can be difficult to picture the difference between sensor sizes merely by reading through a spec sheet. The picture below might give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the 550D and A500.
Clearly, the 2 cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Canon 550D to give you greater detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The fresher 550D provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.
Canon 550D vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Canon 550D vs Sony A500 Specifications
| Canon EOS 550D | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Canon | Sony |
| Model | Canon EOS 550D | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
| Also referred to as | EOS Rebel T2i / EOS Kiss X4 | - |
| Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Introduced | 2010-04-01 | 2009-08-27 |
| Body design | Compact SLR | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | Digic 4 | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 22.3 x 14.9mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 332.3mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 18 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 5184 x 3456 | 4272 x 2848 |
| Max native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
| Max boosted ISO | 12800 | - |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 200 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| Center weighted AF | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect focusing | ||
| Contract detect focusing | ||
| Phase detect focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Canon EF/EF-S | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Total lenses | 326 | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display size | 3 inch | 3 inch |
| Display resolution | 1,040 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Display tech | TFT color liquid-crystal LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.55x | 0.53x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shooting speed | 4.0fps | 5.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | 13.00 m | 12.00 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash sync | 1/200 secs | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (60, 50 fps) | - |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
| Video file format | H.264 | - |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 530 gr (1.17 lbs) | 630 gr (1.39 lbs) |
| Dimensions | 129 x 98 x 62mm (5.1" x 3.9" x 2.4") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 66 | 64 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 22.0 | 21.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 11.6 | 11.6 |
| DXO Low light score | 807 | 772 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 470 photographs | 520 photographs |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | LP-E8 | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 sec or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | Single | Single |
| Retail cost | $599 | $638 |